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A DISCOURSE ON
PRAYER
By John Gill
1 CORINTHIANS
14:15
What is it then ? I will pray the Spirit, and will pray with the
understanding also.
Continued From First Part
Part
2
To consider the several parts of prayer; in which I do not design
to prescribe any precise form of praying, but to observe to you the
method and matter of it, which may serve to direct and assist you in
it. It is proper to begin this work with a celebration and adoration
of some one or more of the divine perfections; which will at once
have a tendency to strike our minds with a proper sense of the
divine Majesty, glorify him and encourage us in our supplications to
him; all which is highly necessary in our entrance on it. All the
perfections of God are instructive to us in this work, and serve to
influence our minds and affections towards him, command our fear and
reverence of him, engage our faith in him, strengthen our dependence
on him, and raise in us expectations of receiving good things from
him. The greatness, glory, power, and majesty of God, the holiness,
purity, and righteousness of his nature, oblige us to an humble
submission to him, and reverential awe of him. The consideration of
his love, grace, mercy, and goodness, will not suffer his dread to
make us afraid. We learn from his omniscience, that he knows not
only our persons, but our wants, and what is most suitable for us,
when the most convenient season, and which the best way and manner
to bestow it on us.
It can be no small satisfaction to
us, that all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with
whom we have to do; the thoughts of our hearts are not hid from him;
the secret ejaculations of our minds are known to him; the
breathings and desires of our souls are before him; he understands
the language of a sigh and groan; and when we chatter like a crane
or a swallow, it does not pass unobserved by him. His omnipotence
assures us that nothing is too hard for him, or impossible to him;
that he is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or
think; that we cannot be in such a low estate or distressed
condition, or attended with such straits and difficulties, but he is
able to relieve, deliver and save us.
We conclude from his
omnipresence, that he fills the heavens and the earth; that he is in
all places, at all times; that he is a God at hand, and a God afar
off; that he is near unto us, wherever we are, ready to assist us,
and will be a very present help in trouble. His immutability in his
counsel, and faithfulness in his covenant, yield the heirs of
promise, strong consolation. These give us reason to believe that
not one of the good things which the Lord has promised shall ever
fail; that what he has said, he will do: and what he has either
purposed or promised, he will bring to pass: He will not suffer his
faithfulness to fail; his covenant he will not break, nor alter the
thing that is gone out of his lips. You see that the notice of these
things is necessary, both for the glory of God and our own comfort.
It is also very proper when we begin our addresses to God, to make
mention of some one or more of his names and titles, as Jehovah,
Lord God, &c, and of the relations he stands in to us; not only as
the God of nature, the author of our beings, the Donor of our
mercies, and the Preserver of our lives, but as the God of grace,
the Father of Christ, and our Covenant God, and Father in Christ.
After this manner our Lord directed his disciples to pray, saving,
Our Father which art in heaven, &c.
In the next place, it highly becomes us to acknowledge our meanness
and unworthiness, to make confession of our sins and transgressions,
and pray for the fresh discoveries and manifestations of pardoning
love and grace. When we enter into the divine presence, and take
upon us to speak unto the Lord, we should own with Abraham, (Gen.
18:27) that we are but dust and ashes; and with Jacob, (Gen. 32:10)
that we are not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all
the truth which God has shewed unto us. Confession of sin, both of
our nature and of our lives, is a very proper and necessary part of
this work. This has been the practice of the saints in all ages; as
of David, which appears from his own words; (Ps. 32:5) I acknowledge
my sin unto thee, and mine iniquities have 1 not hid: I said, I will
confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the
iniquity of my sin.
So Daniel, when he set his face unto the Lord
God, to seek by prayer and supplications, made confession both of
his own and of the sins of others; I prayed unto the Lord my God,
says he, (Dan. 9:4-6) and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the
great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant, and mercy to them that
love him, and to them that keep his commandments. We have sinned and
committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even
by departing from thy precepts, and from thy judgments; neither have
we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name
to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of
the land. And the apostle John, for the encouragement of believers
in this part of the duty of player, says, (1 John 1:9)
If we confess
our sins, he, that is, God, is just and faithful to forgive us our
sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness: Not that
confession of sin is either the procuring cause, or means, or
condition of pardon and cleansing, which are both owing to the blood
of Christ; in justice and faithfulness to which, and him that shed
it, God forgives the sins of his people, and cleanses them from
them; but the design of the apostle is to shew that sin is in the
saints, and is committed by them, and that confession of sin is
right and acceptable in the sight of God; and, to animate and
encourage them to it, he takes notice of the justice and
faithfulness of God in pardoning and cleansing his people, through
the blood of Christ, which, as he had a little before observed,
cleanseth from all sin. Nay, we are not only to make confession of
sin in prayer, but to pray for the pardon and forgiveness of it.
Christ directed his disciples to this part of their duty, when he
bid them pray after this manner; (Matthew 6:12) Forgive us our
debts, as we forgive our debtors.
This has been the constant practice
of the saints, as of Moses; (Ex. 34:9) O Lord, let my Lord, I pray
thee, go amongst us, and pardon our iniquities and our sin, and take
us for thine inheritance. Of David; (Ps. 25:11) For thy name’s sake,
O Lord, pardon mine iniquity, for it is great. Yea, he says to the
Lord, (Ps. 32:6) For this, shall every one that is godly pray unto
thee, in a time when thou mayest be found. And of Daniel, (Dan.
9:19) O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do, defer
not, for thine own sake, O my God; for thy city and thy people are
called by thy name. Now it ought to be observed, that very
frequently when the saints pray, either for the forgiveness of their
own, or others sins, their meaning is, that God would, in a
providential way, deliver them out of present distress, remove his
afflicting hand, which lies heavy on them, or avert such judgments
which seem to hang over their heads, and very much threaten them
which, when he does, is an indication of his having pardoned them.
We are to understand many petitions of Moses, (Ex. 32:32; Num.
14:19, 20) Job, (Job 7:21) Solomon, (1 Kings 8:30, 34, 36, 39, 50)
and others, in this sense: Besides, when believers now pray for the
pardon of sin, their meaning is not that the blood of Christ should
be shed again for the remission of their sins; or that any new act
of pardon should arise in God’s mind, and be passed by him; but that
they might have the sense, the manifestation, and application of
pardoning grace to their souls. We are not to imagine, that as often
as the saints sin, repent, confess their sins, and pray for the
forgiveness of them, that God makes and passes new acts of pardon;
for he has, by one eternal and complete act of grace, in the view of
his Son’s blood and sacrifice, freely and fully forgiven all the
trespasses of his chosen ones, all their sins, past, present, and to
come: but whereas they daily sin against God, grieve his Spirit, and
wound their own consciences, they have need of the fresh sprinklings
of the blood of Jesus, and of renewed manifestations of pardon to
their souls; and it is both their duty and interest to attend the
throne of grace on this account.
Another part and branch of prayer lies in putting up petitions to
God for good things, temporal and spiritual mercies, the blessings
of nature and of grace. As we ought to live in a dependence on
divine providence, so we should daily pray for the common sustenance
of our bodies, the comfort, support, and preservation of our lives;
as our Lord has taught us, saying, Give us this day our daily bread.
(Matthew 6:11) Our requests in this way ought, indeed, to be
frequent, but not large: we should not seek great things for
ourselves. Agur’s prayer (Prov. 30:7-9) is a proper copy for us to
follow: Two things, says he to the Lord, have I required of thee,
deny me them not before I die; Remove far from me vanity and lies:
give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for
me, lest I be full and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? Or lest
I be poor and steal, and take the name of my God in vain. The
spiritual blessings we should ask for, are such as God has laid up
in the covenant of grace, which is ordered in all things, and sure,
Christ has procured by his blood, the gospel is a revelation of, and
the Spirit of God makes intercession for in our own hearts,
according to the will of God; for these things we should pray in
faith, nothing wavering; (James 1:6; 1 John 5:14, 15) for this is
the confidence that we have in him, that is, God, that if we ask any
thing according to his will, he heareth us; and if we know that he
hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that
we desired of him. When we pray for special mercies, spiritual
blessings, such as converting glace for unconverted friends and
relations, we ought to pray in submission to the secret will of God.
Thanksgiving for mercies received, is another thing which we should
not be forgetful of at the throne of grace; In every thing, by
prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, says the apostle, (Phil.
4:6) let your requests be made known to God. As we have always
mercies to pray for, so likewise to return thanks for; it becomes us
to continue in prayer, (Col. 4:2) for constant supplies from heaven,
and to watch in the same with thanksgiving, that is, to wait for the
blessings we have been praying for; and when we have received them,
to watch for a proper opportunity, and make use of it, to offer the
sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving
thanks to his name. When this part is neglected, it is highly
resented by the Lord; as appears from the case of the ten lepers,
(Luke 17:15-18) when one of them saw that he was healed, turned
buck, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face
at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan; upon which
our Lord says, Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?
There are not found that returned to give glory to God save this
stranger.
Before we conclude the exercise of this duty, it is proper to
deprecate such evils from us, which are either upon us, or we know
we are liable to, or may befall us; such as temptations of Satan,
the snares of the world, the distresses of life, public calamities,
&c. This was in part practiced by Daniel: O Lord, says he, (Dan.
9:16) according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine
anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy
mountain; because for our sins, and the iniquities of our Fathers,
Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about
us. And this is intimated by Christ to his disciples, in that
excellent directory of prayer he gave them, part of which was this;
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. (Matthew
6:13)
At the close of this work of prayer, it is necessary to make use of
doxologies, or ascriptions of glory to God; as we begin with God, we
should end with him; as in the entrance on this duty, we ascribe
greatness to him, so at the conclusion of it we should ascribe glory
to him. Such an ascription of glory to God, we find, was used by
Christ at the end of the prayer he taught his disciples, in this
manner: (Matthew 6:13) Thine is the kingdom, the power and the
glory. By the apostle Paul in this form; (Eph. 3:21) Unto him, that
is, God, be glory in the church, by Christ Jesus, throughout all
ages, world without end. And in another place thus; (1 Tim. 1:17)
Now unto the king eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God,
be honour and glory, for ever and ever. By the apostle Jude in these
words; Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to
present you faultless before the presence of his glory, with
exceeding joy; to the only wise God, our Saviour, be glory and
majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. (Jude 24, 25) And by
the apostle John after this manner; (Rev. 1:5, 6) Unto him that
hath, loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and
hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be
glory and dominion for ever and ever. These, and such like
ascriptions of glory to God, Father, Son, and Spirit, are necessary
at the finishing of our supplications, since the mercies and
blessings we have been either petitioning, or returning thanks for,
come from him; besides, they serve to shew forth the praises of God,
and to express our sense of gratitude to him, our dependence upon
him, and our expectation of receiving good things from him.
The whole of this exercise of prayer should be concluded with
pronouncing the word Amen; as a testification of our hearty assent
to what we have expressed, and of our sincere desires and wishes,
that what we have been praying for might be accomplished, and of our
full and firm persuasion and assured belief that God is able,
willing, and faithful to perform all that he has promised, and give
whatsoever we have been asking of him, according to his will. But I
proceed,
3. To consider the several sorts and kinds of prayer, or the various
distributions into which it may be made, or the different views in
which it may be considered.
Prayer may he considered either as mental or vocal. Mental prayer is
what is only conceived in the mind; it consists of secret
ejaculations in the heart, which are not expressed with an audible
and articulate voice. Such was the prayer of Hannah, of whom it is
said; (1 Sam. 1:12, 13) that as she continued praying before the
Lord, that Eli marked her mouth. Now Hannah she spake in her heart,
only her lips moved; but her voice was not heard, therefore Eli
thought she had been drunken. Vocal prayer is that which, being
conceived and formed in the heart, is expressed by the tongue, in
words, with an audible and articulate voice, so as to be heard and
understood. This the prophet intends, when he says, (Hosea 14:2)
Take with you words, and turn unto the Lord, say unto him, Take away
all iniquity, and receive us graciously; so will we render the
calves of our lips.
Again, Prayer may be considered either as private or public. Private
prayer is that which is either performed in the family, by the head
or master of it, the rest joining with him in it, or by a society of
Christians in a private house, or by a single person in secret and
alone; concerning which Christ gives these directions and
instructions: (Matthew 6:5, 6) When thou prayest, says he, thou
shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing
in the synagogues, and in the corners of the streets, that they may
be seen of men: verily, I say unto you, they have their reward. But
thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet; and when thou hast
shut the door, pray to thy Father, which is in secret, and thy
Father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Public
Prayer is what is used in the house of God, which is therefore
called, (Isa. 56:7) an house of prayer; where the people of God meet
together, and, with the other parts of divine, public, and social
worship, perform this. The first Christians, in the early days of
the gospel, are commended, among other things, for their continuing
stedfastly in prayers, that is, in public prayers, (Acts 2:42) they
constantly met where prayer was wont to be made; and God was pleased
to give a signal testimony of his approbation of this their
practice; for, at a certain time, they had prayed, the place was
shaken, where they were assembled together; and they were all filled
with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
(Acts 4:31)
Once more: Prayer may be considered either as extraordinary or
ordinary. Extraordinary prayer is that which is made use of on
particular and special occasions; as that exercise of prayer, which
was kept by the church on account of Peter’s being in prison. The
divine historian says, (Acts 7:5) that Peter was kept in prison; but
prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him;
which instance of extraordinary prayer was followed with an
extraordinary event; for whilst they were praying, an angel was
dispatched from heaven, and loosed Peter from his bonds, who came to
the place where the church was assembled, before they had broke up
their exercise. Such also were the prayers of the elders of the
church in those times for the sick, which the apostle James speaks
of; (James 5:14, 15) is any sick among you? let him call for the
elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with
oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith shall save the
sick, and the Lord shall raise him up.
Ordinary prayer is what is
used in common in the church of God, in a religious family, or by a
single person, at stated times; which, with David and Daniel under
the Old Testament, were three times a day, (Ps. 55:17; Dan. 6:10)
evening, morning, and at noon; which practice is laudable enough to
follow, provided no stress is laid on the punctual performance of
this duty at these precise times, and is not made the term and
condition of our acceptance with God, and of our standing in his favour, which would be to reduce us to the covenant of works,
ensnare our souls, and bring us into a state of bondage.
II. I come now to consider the manner in which the apostle was
desirous of performing this duty.
1. With the Spirit. By the Spirit, some understand no more than the
human breath, or voice; and suppose, that the apostle’s meaning is,
that he would pray vocally, with an articulate voice, with distinct
sounds, so as to be understood: perhaps some passages in this
chapter, which may seem to favour this sense, might incline them to
it; as when the apostle observes, (1 Cor. 14:7-11) that things
without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a
distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or
harped? For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall
prepare himself to the battle? So likewise you, except ye utter by
the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what
is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. There are, it may be, so
many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them are without
signification; therefore, if I know not the meaning of the voice, I
shall be unto him that speaketh a Barbarian; and he that speaketh, a
Barbarian unto me. But the apostle here, by voice and distinction in
sounds, does not intend a clear, distinct, articulate voice, but the
mother-tongue, a known language, in opposition to an unknown tongue
and foreign language, not understood by the people. This sense of
the words is mean, low, and trifling, as well as forced and
strained.
By the Spirit, rather is meant the extraordinary gift of the Spirit
bestowed on the apostle and others, by which they spoke with divers
tongues, and which he determined to make use of, though in such a
manner, as to be understood: He would not use it without an
interpretation. This is the sense I have given of it already, and is
the most generally received sense of interpreters, and which may be
confirmed by the use of the word in the context; as in verse 2. He
that speaketh in an unknown tongue, speaketh not unto men, but unto
God, for no man understandeth him; howbeit, in the Spirit, that is,
by exercising the extraordinary gift of the Spirit, he speaketh
mysteries; and in verse 14, If I pray in an unknown tongue, my
spirit prayeth, that is, I pray by virtue of the extraordinary gift
of the Spirit, bestowed on me; but my understanding is unfruitful; I
am of no use and service to those that hear me. So likewise in verse
16. Else when thou shalt bless with the Spirit, that is, when thou
givest thanks in an unknown tongue, through the gift of the Spirit,
how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned, say, Amen, at
thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?
There is another sense of the phrase, which I am unwilling to omit,
and that is this: By praying with the Spirit, some understand the
apostle’s own spirit, or his praying in a spiritual way, with a
spirit of devotion and fervency; and indeed, in such a manner he
performed every part of religious worship and service, whether
preaching or praying, or any thing else: God is my witness, says he,
(Rom. 1:9) whom I serve with my spirit, in the gospel of his Son;
which kind of service is most agreeable to the nature of God: (John
4:23) He is a Spirit, and they that worship him, must worship him in
spirit and in truth. And it becomes us to be fervent in spirit,
whilst we are serving the Lord. Such a frame of soul particularly in
prayer, is most suitable to the work, most desirable to the saints,
acceptable to God, and powerful with him; the effectual fervent
prayer of the righteous man availeth much. (James 5:16)
We may be said to pray with our spirits, or in a spiritual way, when
we draw nigh to God with a true heart; or when we are enabled to
lift up our hearts with our hands unto God in the heavens; people
may draw near to him, as the Jews of old did, (Isa. 29:13) with
their mouth, and with their lips honour him, and yet, at the same
time, their heart may be removed far from him, and their fear
towards him, be taught by the precept of men. It is one thing to
have the gift of prayer, and another to have the grace of prayer,
and that in exercise: it is one thing to pray with the mouth, and
another to pray with the heart. Praying in a formal, graceless
manner, is mere outside worship, lip-labour, bodily exercise, that
profiteth nothing; it is useless to men, and unacceptable to God,
who accounts of it, and calls it no other than howling. Hence he
says of some, (Hosea 7:14) They have not cried unto me with their
hearts, when they howled upon their beds. Spiritual fervent prayer
is, more or less, performed in the exercise of the grace of faith;
such who draw nigh to God with a true heart, should also in full
assurance of faith.
The apostle James directs to prayer
in this way; (James 1:5-7) If any of you, says he, lack wisdom, let
him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth
not, and it shall be given him: But let him ask in faith, nothing
wavering; for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven
with the wind and tossed: for let not that man think, that he shall
receive any thing of the Lord. We should not only have an assurance
of faith, with respect to the object whom we address, which is
absolutely necessary; (Heb. 11:6) For he that cometh to God, must
believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek him; but also with respect to the things we pray
for, when they are such which God has promised, which he has laid up
in his covenant, put into the hands of his Son, and, we know, are
according to his revealed mind and will to give; all which is
consistent with that reverence and godly fear, by which we serve God
acceptably; with that humility which becomes supplicants, and is
grateful to God, who resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the
humble: and with that submission and resignation of our wills to his
will, in which Christ is a glorious pattern to us, when he in prayer
said, (Luke 22:42) Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from
me; nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.
In a word, when we
pray with our spirits, or in a spiritual way, we not only lift up
our hearts to God, and what we ask for, ask in faith, with a
reverential, filial fear of the divine Majesty, in deep humility of
soul, and with an entire submission to God’s will; but also in the
name and for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ; we do not present
our supplications to God for our righteousness’s, but for the Lord’s
sake, and for his great mercies; we come not in our own name, but in
Christ’s; we go forth not in our own strength, but in his; we make
mention of his righteousness, and of his only; we plead the merits
and efficacy of his blood; we bring his sacrifice in the arms of our
faith; we expect audience and acceptance upon his account alone, and
that our petitions and requests will be heard and answered for his
sake and we leave them with him, who is our Advocate with the
Father. This may he called true, spiritual, fervent, and effectual
prayer.
Prayer cannot he performed in such a manner, without the grace,
influence, and assistance of the Spirit of God. Some therefore
think, that by the Spirit, in my text is, meant the Holy Spirit of
God; and that praying with the Spirit, is the same which the apostle
Jude calls, praying in the Holy Ghost. If we take the words in this
sense, we are not to suppose that when the apostle says, I will pray
with the Spirit, that he imagined he could pray with the Holy
Spirit, and under its influences when he pleased; his words must be
considered only as expressive of the sense he had of the need of the
Spirit of God in prayer, and of his earnest desires, after his
gracious assistance in the performance of it.
I have already observed what place
the Holy Ghost has in the work of prayer; he is the Author of it; he
is the Spirit of grace and supplications; the inditer of it, he
forms it in the heart; (James 5:16) the effectual fervent,
ενεργδμενη, the inspired, the in-wrought prayer of a righteous man
availeth much; that is, such a prayer as is formed in the soul by a
powerful energy of the Spirit of God, who puts things into the heart
and words into the mouth: Take (Hosea 14:2) with you words, and turn
to the Lord; say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us
graciously: He directs in the matter of prayer; (Rom. 8:26, 27) for
we know not what we should pray for as we ought; he maketh
intercession for the saints, according to the will of God. And,
indeed, who so proper as he, who searches the deep things of God,
and perfectly knows his mind? he helps the saints under all their
infirmities; when they are shut up in their souls, and cannot come
forth in prayer with liberty, he enlarges their hearts, and gives
them freedom of soul, and liberty of speech, so as they can pour out
their souls before God, and tell him all their mind: Where the
Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (2 Cor. 3:17) Without him
we cannot pray, either with faith or fervency; nor can we call God
our Father without him, the Spirit of adoption, or use that freedom
with him, as children with a Father; but because ye are sons, says
the apostle, (Gal. 4:6) God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son
into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Perhaps it may be objected, that if the Spirit of God is so
absolutely necessary in prayer, then men ought not to pray, unless
they have the Spirit, or are under the immediate influences of his
grace. To which I answer, That prayer may be considered as a natural
duty: and as such is binding on all men, even on a natural man,
destitute of the Spirit, and ought to be, and may be, performed by
him in a natural way; to which there is something analogous in the
brute creatures, whose eyes wait upon the Lord; And he giveth to the
beast his food, and unto the young ravens which cry. (Ps. 145:15 and
147:9) And we may observe, that the apostle Peter put Simon Magus
upon prayer, though he was in a state of unregeneracy; Repent, says
he, (Acts 8:22) of this thy wickedness; and pray God, if perhaps the
thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. It is true, none but a
spiritual man can pray in a spiritual manner; but then the spiritual
man is not always under the gracious and Powerful influences of the
Spirit of God; he is sometimes destitute of them, which seems to be
David’s case when he said, (Ps. 51:11, 12) Cast me not away from thy
presence, and take not thy holy Spirit from me; restore unto me the
joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free spirit; and yet we
are to pray without ceasing, to pray always, and not faint. (1 Thess.
5:17)
And one thing we are to pray for is
the Spirit, to influence and assist us in prayer, and to work in us
whatever is well pleasing in the sight of God; And we have reason to
believe that such a petition will be heard and answered; for if
earthly fathers know how to give good gifts unto their children, how
much more shall our heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them
that ask him? (Luke 18:1) And, indeed, when we are in darkness and
distress, without the light of God’s countenance, the influences of
his Spirit, and the communications of his grace, we have need of
prayer most, and ought to be most constant at the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in the time of
need. This was David’s practice; (Ps. 130:1) Out of the depths, says
he, have I cried unto thee, O Lord; and so it was Jonah’s, when he
was in the belly of hell, and said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet,
says he, I will look again towards thy holy temple: (Jonah 2:2, 4,
7) And he adds, When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the
Lord; and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. And
so it was the practice of the church in Asaph’s time; who, under
darkness and distress, said, (Ps. 130:3, 4, 19) Turn us again, O
God, and cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. O Lord God
of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy
people? But I proceed,
2. To observe that the apostle is desirous of performing this duty
of prayer, with the understanding also, that is, in a language that
may be understood by others; for, as he observes in verse 9, except
ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be
known what is spoken? And for his own part, he declares, in verse
19, he had rather speak five words in the church with his
understanding, that by his voice he might teach others also, than
ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. This condemns the practice
of the Papists, who pray in a language not understood by the people.
Or to pray with the understanding, is to pray with the understanding
illuminated by the Spirit of God, or to pray with an experimental
spiritual understanding of things. A man may use many words in
prayer, and put up a great many petitions, and yet have no savoury
experience, or spiritual understanding of the things he prays for.
The understanding of man is naturally dark, as to divine and
spiritual things. The Holy Ghost is the spirit of wisdom and
revelation in the knowledge of Christ, who enlightens the eyes of
our understanding, to see our lost state and condition by nature,
the exceeding sinfulness of sin, the impurity of our hearts, the
imperfection of our obedience, the insufficiency of our
righteousness, the need of Christ, and salvation by him, and the
aboundings of God’s grace and mercy, streaming through the
Mediator’s person.
Such who are thus enlightened, are able to pray
with the understanding also: they know who they pray unto, whilst
others worship they know not what; they can come to God as their God
and Father, as the God of all grace and mercy: they know the way of
access to him, and are sensible of their need of the Spirit to
influence and assist them, by whom they know what to pray for, as
they ought, and are well assured of the readiness of God to hear and
answer them for Christ’s sake: And, says the apostle, (1 John 5:15)
If we know that he hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have
the petitions that we desired of him. These are the persons who pray
with the Spirit, and with the understanding also; these find their
account in this work, and it is a delight to them.
I shall conclude this discourse with a few words, by way of
encouragement to this part of divine worship. It is good for the
saints to draw near to God; it is not only good because it is their
duty, but because it yields their souls a spiritual pleasure; and it
is also of great profit and advantage to them: It is often an
ordinance of God, and which he owns for the quickening the graces of
his spirit, for the restraining and subduing the corruptions of our
hearts, and for the bringing of our souls into nearer communion and
fellowship with himself. Satan has often felt the force and power of
this piece of our spiritual armour; and it is, indeed, the last
which the believer is directed to make use of. Praying souls are
profitable in families, neighbourhoods, churches, and common-wealths,
when prayerless ones are in a great measure useless. The believer
has the utmost encouragement to this work he can desire; he may come
to God, not as on a seat of justice, but as on a throne of grace.
Christ is the Mediator between God and him, his way of access to
God, and his Advocate with the Father; the Spirit is his Guide,
Director, and Assister; he has many exceeding great and precious
promises to plead with God; nor need he doubt of a kind reception, a
gracious audience, and a proper answer, though never so mean and
unworthy in himself; since the Lord will regard the prayer of the
destitute, and not despise his prayer.
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