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Senfe of the Text I am now upon (which indeed is the chief Text that gave Rife to this Expreffion, and accordingly the Meaning of the Expreffion ought to be governed by the Meaning of the Text; I fay, praying by the Spirit, (as the Apoftle here fpeaks of it) is fo far from being a perpetual Duty required of all Chriftians, that it is much to be doubted • whether any Chriftian now living can with any Reafon pretend to that Gift.

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And the Reafon is evident, because this was one of the extraordinary miraculous Gifts, which God for the gaining Credit to Chriftianity, and fupplying the Neceffities of the then Infant Church, was pleafed to confer upon the Apoftles, and other Chriftians of that Age; which Gifts as Christianity got footing in the World, did by degrees wear out, and at last perfectly ceased.

Now that praying by the Spirit was one of thofe extraordinary Graces, it is plain enough from the whole Difcourfe of the Apostle in this Chapter; for, according to him, praying with the Spirit, and finging with the Spirit, and bleffing with the Spirit, are but fo many fe⚫ veral Exercises of the Gift of Languages, or that Power which the Chriftians then were ⚫ endowed with of fpeaking in unknown Tongues, which they had never learned,

I fhall make the Matter very plain to you; the Church of Corinth, to whom St. Paul writes this Epiftle, was at that Time favoured with many eminent Gifts of the Spirit; but it • feems

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feems that feveral of thofe that had thefe Gifts, did not make that Use of them, which they were given for: For, whereas the Gift of Tongues was chiefly beftowed for the Conver'fion of Infidels, to be a Sign (as the Apostle fpeaks in Verse the 22d of this Chapter) not to them that believe, but to them that believe not, thefe Men took a Pride in exercifing this Gift in the Chriftian Congregation, making Prayers, ' and Hymns, and Thanksgivings at their publick Meetings in a Language that the People underftood not, confequently from which they could receive no Benefit. This Abufe now it is the Defign of the Apostle to reform, and at the fame Time to regulate the Exercise of their • other, feveral Gifts; and the great Rule, which 'he lays down in this Matter, is that all Things in the Church ought to be done with Decency and Order, and to the Edification of the Congregation, and that no fpiritual Gift is any further valuable than as it is employed to the Benefit of others; and confequently either let them not at all make Ufe of their Gift of Languages in the Church, or if they will make Use of it, let them either themselves, or fome other for them, interpret to the People what they mean, fo that the whole Congregation may understand and be edified. If we now take this Key, we shall have an easy Entrance into the Sense of this whole Chapter.

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At this Time I fhall concern myself with

no more of it, than what is needful for the giving Light to my Text; let it be observed

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therefore that two Verfes before my Text, the Apostle gives this Advice, viz. in the 13th • Verfe: Wherefore, faith he, let him that speaketh in an unknown Tongue, (he means fpeaking in the Christian Affemblies) pray that he may interpret: This Advice he backs with this Reafon, in the Verse before my Text: For if I pray in an unknown Tongue, my Spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful; as if he had faid, the Neceffity of speaking in a known Tongue, or at leaft of interpreting what is spoken in an unknown Tongue, doth appear from hence; that if any of us do," in the Congregation, pray, for Inftance, in an unknown Tongue, it is true, the Spirit within him prayeth, or he doth indeed pray by the Spirit; but nevertheless if he make none but • fuch Prayers, or do not interpret fuch when he makes them, his Mind, his Meaning is unfruitful, yields no Profit to the Hearer, others receive no Benefit, no Edification, by what he prayeth; That is plainly the Senfe of this Verfe; and then it follows in the Words of my Text, • What is it then? I will pray with the Spirit, I will pray with the Understanding alfo, I will fing with the Spirit, I will fing with the Underftanding alfo; that is, if I do fometimes make Ufe of the Gift of Tongues, that the Spirit hath bestowed upon me, either in praying or finging of Pfalms; yet I will alfo take Care fo to pray and fing as to be understood; I will not be fo wholly taken up in finging and praying by the Spirit, but I will pray and fing alfo

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as others do, that have not that Gift of the Spirit, that is, in a Language that the Congregation understands as well as myself; or if I do pray by the Spirit I will at leaft take Care to interpret.

That this is the true and only Sense here of praying by the Spirit, and praying with the Understanding, is undeniably plain from what follows in the four next enfuing Verfes; for thus the Apostle goes on in Verses, 16, 17, 18, 19; Otherwife when thou shalt blefs with the Spirit, (that is praise God) how shall be that occupieth the Room of the Unlearned, fay Amen at thy giving of Thanks, feeing be understandeth not what thou fayeft? For thou verily giveft • Thanks well, but the other is not edified. I thank my God I Speak with Tongues more than you all, yet, in the Church, I had rather speak five Words with my Understanding, that by my Voice I might teach others, than ten thousand Words in an un· known Tongue.

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You fee here all along that speaking by the Spirit, is fpeaking in an unknown Language, and fpeaking with the Understanding is fpeaking Words that others may understand: Taking this now to be a true Account of the Text, (as ' without doubt it is) we have got these four Things by it.

First of all in general, that the Gift of praying by the Spirit was in the Number of those miraculous extraordinary Gifts that were in a plentiful Manner fhowered down by the Holy Spirit upon the Apoftles, upon this Day

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of Pentecoft, and by laying on their Hands ⚫ communicated to others afterwards, during ⚫ that Age.

Secondly, For the more particular Account

of this Gift, it was a Branch of the Gift of Tongues, or rather to speak properly, it was one of the Inftances by which the Gift of Languages was expreffed.

Thirdly, That this Faculty of praying by the Spirit was fo far from being the most useful or edifying, or the moft defirable Gift in the Church, that St. Paul prefers Prophefing (that is the Gift of preaching or interpreting Scripture) far before it, as you may fee in the four firft Verfes of this Chapter; nay, he prefers praying in the ordinary Way before praying by the Spirit, telling us, that he had rather speak five Words in the Church to be understood, than a thousand in a unknown Language, though yet that Language was infpired by the • Spirit.

Fourthly, From all that has been faid it appears, that no Man now living can with any greater Reafon pretend to this Gift of praying by the Spirit, in the Senfe the Apostle speaks of it, than he can to the Power of fpeaking strange Languages without ever having learnt them, or than he can to the Power of difcovering Thoughts, or curing all Diseases, or foretelling Things to come, or any other of the fpiritual Gifts that the Apostle here treats of.

But it may be asked, Is there no other Notion of praying by the Spirit than that we • have

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