Disorder into the Church, by an unfeasonable one; that the other Gift of PROPHESYING, teaching Men their Chriftian Duty, and exhorting them to the Practice of it, (for this the Word means here, and this the Jewish Prophets made their chief Bufinefs,) 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 modeftly and fparingly; never indeed, but when the Speaker, or fome one prefent, was able to interpret what he said so readily and properly, as might edify the Hearers; for their conftant Endeavour should be to exert all the Powers of this Kind, which the Holy Ghost had bestowed on them, rationally and difcreetly, fo as to inform and improve others. I will pray with the Spirit, and I will pray with the Understanding alfo: I will fing with the Spirit, and I will fing with the Understanding alfo: that is, Every Perfon endowed with fupernatural Abilities, of this or any other Sort, was to think himself bound to employ them in fo discreet a Manner, that all around him might be instructed and benefited, as much as poffible.

This, you will find, on carefully reading it, is the Meaning of the Text, and of the Chap

ter

ter in which it occurs. And the whole fhews, 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 alfo the admirable Wisdom and genuine Goodness of the Apostle, in which we may well prefume 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 fet on a Level with the humble Virtue of Chriftian Charity, doing Good to Men from Love of God. Now fuch Things as these are great Confirmations of our holy Religion, and do it great Honour.

But though the firft and immediate Meaning of the Text be what I have now explained; a more general Inftruction, and applicable to svery Age of the Church, may be justly drawn from it. The fame divine Comforter, who inspired the Devotions of Believers then, influences their Hearts in the Performance of them now: the fame Duty of ufing due Precautions to make the Service of the Church intelligible, which the Apostle preffed fo ftrongly in his own Time, equally fubfifts in ours: And therefore the Words which I have read to you, compre

hend

1

hend two Points of Doctrine, as needful at prefent as ever they were.

I. That good Chriftians are affifted by the holy Ghost in offering up their Petitions and Praifes. I will pray with the Spirit: I will fing with the Spirit.

H. That we should be very folicitous rightly to apprehend the Senfe and Fitness of what we fay and do in God's Worship. I will pray, I will fing, with the Understanding also.

I. That good Chriftians are affifted by the holy Ghost in offering up their Petitions and Praises to their heavenly Father. The Spirit of God hath friven with bad Perfons, and therefore doubtless effectually operated on pious ones, from the Beginning of the World. The Pfalmift, 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 Chrift, he is none of his ; that the Spirit helpeth our Infirmities in Prayer, making Interceffion for us; that we are to

e

a Zech. xii. 10.

pray

-pray always with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit, and praying in the holy Ghost to keep ourfelves 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 Influences in this: yet how far they extend, is Matter of Difpute; and particularly between those who approve, and those who difapprove, Liturgies or Forms of Prayer. And which are in the Right, it shall be the principal Business of this Difcourfe to fhew: not with Intention

to raise in you either Hatred or Contempt of. any, who diffent from our Church on that Head, (God forbid !) but only to make you more fenfible 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 fuch a Gift or Spirit of Prayer, beftowed by the holy Ghost on true Chriftians, and peculiarly on all that are worthy to be Minifters of God's Word, as enables them to addrefs themselves to Heaven, on all Occafions, copioufly and fuitably, in unpremeditated Words of their own: which they

think ought not to be reftrained by appointing Forms, even for the public Ufe 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 ftrict Senfe, but few of these Perfons themselves lay any Claim: for indeed it would be equalling their own Compofitions to the holy Scripture. And excepting this miraculous Gift of infpired Prayer, the Word of God mentions no Gift of ready Expreffion in Prayer: nor have we the leaft Ground to confider it as coming from above, any otherwife than as every good Gift, every natural Ability, which God hath 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 ufe 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 reftraining any other. Even the extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit, you have seen, were