vileges, prompting some of them sometimes to give demonstrations of it in their assemblies, when few or none were present, who understood the language they spoke in which case the exercise of their endowments was only a hindrance to the stated, and though less admired, yet more useful devotions and instructions of the congregation in their native dialect. And therefore St. Paul, in the true spirit of Christianity, reproves this ostentation: reminds them, that the gift of tongues was designed to convince unbelievers by a seasonable use of it, not to provoke their scorn, or bring disorder into the Church, by an unseasonable one; that the other gift of PROPHESYING, teaching men their Christian duty, and exhorting them to the practice of it, (for this the word means here, and this the Jewish prophets made their chief business,) was a much more valuable thing, than that of speaking to them, or to God, in languages known to few of them; which therefore they should do modestly and sparingly; never indeed, but when the speaker, or some one present, was able to interpret what he said so readily and properly, as might edify the hearers; for their constant endeavour should be to exert all the powers of this kind, which the Holy Ghost had bestowed on them, rationally and discreetly, so as to inform and improve others. I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also: that is, every person endowed with supernatural abilities, of this or any other sort, was to think himself bound to employ them in so discreet a manner, that all around him might be instructed and benefited, as much as possible. ! This, you will find, on carefully reading it, is the meaning of the text, and of the chapter in which it occurs. And the whole shews, both the truth of extraordinary and miraculous gifts at that time; (for had they not been real, no directions about them could have been wanted, or would have been given ;) and also the admirable wisdom and genuine goodness of the Apostle, in which we may well presume the rest to have been like him. He permitted not these accomplishments, wonderful and shining as they were, to interfere with the plain rules of order and edification; or to be at all set on a level with the humble virtue of Christian charity, doing good to men from love of God. Now such things as these are great confirmations of our holy religion, and do it great honour. But though the first and immediate meaning of the text be what I have now explained; a more general instruction, and applicable to every age of the Church, may be justly drawn from it. The same Divine Comforter, who inspired the devotions of believers then, influences their hearts in the performance of them now: the same duty of using due precautions to make the service of the Church intelligible, which the Apostle pressed so strongly in his own time, equally subsists in ours: and therefore the words which I have read to you, comprehend two points of doctrine, as needful at present as ever they were. I. That good Christians are assisted by the Holy Ghost in offering up their petitions and praises. I will pray with the spirit: I will sing with the spirit. II. That we should be very solicitous rightly to apprehend the sense and fitness of what what we say and do in God's worship. I will pray, I will sing, with the understanding also. I. That good Christians are assisted by the Holy Ghost in offering up their petitions and praises to their heavenly Father. The spirit of God hath striven with bad persons *, and therefore doubtless effectually operated on pious ones, from the beginning of the world. The Psalmist, on his falling into sin, prays that God would not take his holy Spirit from him †. And more especially God promises, in the Prophet Zechariah, that he will pour on his people the spirit of grace and of supplication. In the New Testament we are told, that if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his §; that the spirit helpeth our infirmities in prayer, making intercession for us ||; that we are to pray always with all prayer or supplication in the spirit ¶, and praying in the Holy Ghost to keep ourselves in the love of God **. But though it be undeniable, that the Holy Spirit, who indeed excites us to, and fits us for, every duty, doth not withhold his influence in this: yet how far they extend, is matter of dispute: and particularly between those who approve, and those who disapprove, liturgies or forms of prayer. And which are in the right, it shall be the principal business of this discourse to shew not with intention to raise in you either hatred or contempt of any, who dissent from our Church on that head, (God forbid!) but only to make you more sensible of the propriety and advantages of the way you are in; and incline you to that proportionable improvement by it, which God will expect. Some then apprehend, that there is such a gift or spirit of prayer, bestowed by the Holy Ghost on true Christians, and peculiarly on all that are worthy to be ministers of God's Word, as enables them to address themselves to Heaven, on all occasions, copiously and * Gen. vi. 3. + Psalm li. 11. Zech. xii. 10. § Rom. viii. 9. Rom. viii. 26. ¶ Eph. vi. 18. ** Jude 20, 21. suitably, in unpremeditated words of their own: which they think ought not be restrained by appointing forms, even for the public use of congregations. And sometimes the text is quoted in support of this opinion. But plainly, so far as it relates to words, it relates to words inspired; to which in the strict sense, but few of these persons themselves lay any claim: for indeed it would be equalling their own compositions to the holy Scripture. And excepting this miraculous gift of inspired prayer, the word of God mentions no gift of ready expression in prayer: nor have we the least ground to consider it as coming from above, any otherwise than as every good gift, every natural ability, which God had conferred upon us, and every improvement, which he qualifies us to make by our own industry, is from above*. For evidently this talent is one of that sort: depending partly on the fluency of speech, to which people are born, partly on the art and diligence, which they use to increase it; and varying as their health and spirits vary. Nor therefore is there any more harm in restraining this faculty if good reasons require it, than in restraining any other. Even the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, you have seen, were frequently put under some restraints: much more then may one of our ordinary powers. And they who call it limiting and stinting the Spirit, have no Scripture warrant, either for the phrase, or the thing which they understand by it. Nay supposing the Holy Ghost did ever so peculiarly assist in directing the words of prayer, why should we not think him as likely to have assisted in the drawing up of the established forms, as in the extempore performances of those who reject forms, and trust to the sudden dictates of their own fancy? * James i. 17. The spirit of prayer and praying in or by the spirit, are indeed Scripture terms: but so far as they belong to the present age, they signify, not being furnished with variety of phrases in prayer, but a much more valuable blessing, having religious affections breathed into us by the Holy Ghost for the exercise of this duty. And quenching the spirit *, in the only sense, which can be applied to us, means extinguishing such affections by indulging sin, or suffering them to die away through negligence. God is no more delighted with change of expressions, than with a repetition of the same: nor will ever be weary of a devout soul, for want of new language. Common reason pronounces this: and the Bible confirms it. We find several forms of prayer, prescribed on several occasions in the law of Moses t. We find afterwards a whole book of forms, the Psalms of David. We find our Saviour frequenting the Jewish synagogue, which constantly used a form, and a very mean one. We find him enjoining his Disciples a form of his own composing for them: When ye pray, say, Our Father‡, and so on. Nay, at the very time, when the gift of inspired prayer was common, there is a strong appearance in the fourth chapter of the Acts, that the Apostles and their followers used a form, there set down. For how else could they lift up their voice, and say it with one accord, as ver. 24 assures us they did? Probably the very next age after them practised this method of public worship, at least in a good measure: and for more than 1400 years past it hath been without question almost universally the only one. There is not at this day a Christian Church in the world, but what uses in part of their service, if not throughout it, 1 Thess. v. 19. Deut. xxi. 7, 8. xxvi. 28. VOL. III. + Numb. vi. 22, 23, &c. x. 35, 36. Luke xi. 2. сс |