The vvhole-armor of God: or A Christians spiritual furniture, to keepe him safe from all the assaults of Satan First preached, and now the second time published and enlarged for the good of all such as well vse it:whereunto is also added a treatise of the sinne against the Holy Ghost. By VVilliam Gouge B.D. and preacher of Gods Word in Blacke Fryers London. ...

§. 127. Of the worke of the Spirit in prayer.

FOr the first,* 1.1 note what the Prophet saith in Gods name to Ierusalem,h 1.2 I will powre vpon them the spirit of sup∣plications. He calleth the gifts of prayer the spirit of sup∣plications, because it is Gods Spirit which worketh in vs this gift, and inableth vs to call vpon God: in a like re∣spect, Saint Paul vseth this phrase,i 1.3 The Spirit of faith. More plainely is this point proued, by that phrase which Saint Iude vseth,k 1.4 Praying in the holy Ghost: but most eui¦dently bya 1.5 Saint Paul, who layeth it downe, first affirma∣tiuely, saying, The Spirit helpeth our infirmities, and maketh intercession for vs: then negatiuely, saying, Wee know not what to pray, &c. What may the Apostle meane by this phrase, The Spirit it selfe maketh intercession? Doth the ho∣ly Ghost truely and properly pray for vs, as Christ our High Priest and Mediator, or as one of vs for another? Noe verily: for then should the holy Ghost bee our Me∣diator (which was one of Arrius his heresies) an office which is neuer attributed to him, but appropriated to Christ:b 1.6 For there is one God, and one Mediator betwixt God and man, the man Christ Iesus Besides, then also should God make request to God; for the holy Ghost is God, but not man also, as Christ was. The meaning then of the A∣postle must needs bee this, that the Spirit of God stirreth vs vp to pray, quickning, and putting life into our dead and dull spirits, yea inwardly, as it were, suggesteth vnto vs, and infuseth into vs such desires, such sighes & grones, yea and such words, as are acceptable to God, which for

the truth and sincer••••••e of them, for the vehemencie and ardencie of them, for the power and efficacie of them are c 1.7 vnutterable: they pierce thorow the very heauens, and enter vnto the glorious Throne of Gods grace, and there make a loud crie in the eares of the Almightie. Therefore d 1.8 in the next verse the Apostle addeth, he that searcheth the hearts (that is, God the searcher of all hearts) knoweth what is the minde of the Spirit (that is, what desires, what sighes and groanes, what prayers proceed from the work of his Spirit, being stirred vp thereby in our spirits) for Gods Spirit informeth, and instructeth our spirits to make prayers to God, according to the will of God, which otherwise were most impossible for vs to doe: we neither could tell what to aske, nor how to aske. Thus plainely and clearely we see, that true prayer commeth from the motion and worke of Gods Spirit: which may yet fur∣ther be confirmed by comparing, Gal. 4. 6. with Rom. 8. 15. in that it is said, the Spirit in our hearts crieth Abba Father: in this, by the Spirit we crie Abba Father.

The reasons why thus the Spirit prayeth,* 1.9 yea why it is needfull that the Spirit should pray, and so we pray in the Spirit, are these.

1 In regard of our naturall estate,* 1.10 we haue no abilitie at all to pray: a dead man can as wel craue help of another man, as a naturall man in faith craue succour of God. e 1.11 Wee are not sufficient of our selues, to thinke any thing as of our selues. Can we then be sufficient of our selues to pray aright?

2 In our regenerate estate wee are no longer able to doe any good thing, then the Spirit helpeth and assist∣eth vs. Though once we be inabled by the Spirit to pray aright, vet if the Spirit leaue vs and continue not in vs his powerfull worke, all our abilitie is gone (as a wheele

which is turned about with an hand, if the hand be taken away, the wheele will soone stand still) it is needfull that vnto the first grace, following grace be added: for man after he is regenerate, still needeth the present, effectuall, continual worke of Gods holy Spirit. It is therefore said, f 1.12 He that hath begunne a good worke in you, will performe it vntill the day of Iesus Christ.

3 Though we knew how to pray, yet would not our prayer be acceptable to God, except it came from his Spi∣rit: g 1.13 it is attributed as a proper worke to the Spirit, that he maketh intercession according to the will of God (that is, so as is pleasing and acceptable to God) for as God knoweth the meaning of the Spirit, so the Spirit knoweth the will of God.

1 Heere note how the whole Trinitie hath a worke in this holy exercise of prayer.h 1.14 The holy Ghost frameth our requests.i 1.15 The Son offereth them vp vnto his Father. k 1.16 The Father accepteth them thus framed, and offered vp.

2 Note the reason, why the prayers of the Saints are so acceptable, and auaileable, why they pierce thorow the clouds, and haue accesse to Gods throne: they are the groanes of Gods Spirit: not that the Spirit groaneth, but that our spirits are made to groane by Gods Spirit.

3 Note what an admirable gift, the gift of prayer is, a singular gift, peculiar and proper to the Saints, who haue the Spirit of God: ifl 1.17 no man can say that Iesus is the Lord, but by the holy Ghost, surely no man can call vpon God, as his Father, but by the Spirit of God.m 1.18 We haue therefore receiued the Spirit of adoption, whereby we crie Abba Father.

4 Note how we may know whether Gods Spirit bee in vs, and whether we be Gods sonnes or no: euen by the Spirit of prayer: I meane not an outward formall vtte∣ring of words, but true prayer comming from the heart.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Doct. 1. Praier a work of the holy Ghost.
• h 1.2

  Zach. 12. 10.
• i 1.3

  2. Cor. 4. 13.
• k 1.4

  Iude v. 20.
• a 1.5

  Rom 8. 26, 27. Expoun∣ded.
• b 1.6

  1. Tim. 2. 5.
• c 1.7

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• d 1.8

  Rom. 8. 27.
• * 1.9

  Why needfull that the holy Ghost helpe vs to pray.
• * 1.10

  Reasons.
• e 1.11

  2. Cor. 3. 5.
• f 1.12

  Philip. 1. 6.
• g 1.13

  Rom. 8. 17. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• h 1.14

  Rom. 8. 26.
• i 1.15

  Reu. 8. 3.
• k 1.16

  Rom. 8. 27.
• l 1.17

  1. Cor. 12. 3.
• m 1.18

  Rom. 8. 15.