Reason to be offended; for I often think of a Saying of Mr. Chillingworth's, I would in the Pulpit ufe none as Enemies but the Devil and Sin.

The Method I fhall take in the difcuffing this Point fhall be to make out thefe four following Propofitions; which if they can be made out, all the Difficulty that seems to be in this Argument does perfectly vanish.

First of all therefore, I fhall thew, that Praying by the Spirit, in the Sense that the Apoftle meant, is fo far from being a perpetual Duty required of all Chriftians, that, as far as we know, no Chriftian now living can with Reason pretend to that Gift.

Secondly, I fhall fhew, that that which is now called Praying by the Spirit, that is, the conceiving of Prayers on a fudden without Study and Premeditation, and expreffing our Conceptions with great Fluency and Movingness of Words and Gestures, is fo far from being the immediate Effect of the Spirit of God, that, generally speaking, it is the Effect of Art or Industry, or a present Heat of Temper.

Thirdly, I fhall fhew, that if there be any other Notion of Praying by the Spirit in Scripture, fuch as is to be extended to all Times and Ages of Christianity, and is not peculiar to the Apoftolical Age, that Notion will every jot as well fit and fuit with fet Forms of Prayer, as with thofe Prayers that we call Extemporary. Fourthly,

Fourthly, I fhall fhew, that though we fhould fuppofe that GOD, even in these Days, doth affift Men, both as to the Matter, and even the Words of their Prayers, yet we have more Reason to believe, that the publick Prayers of the Church were indited and contrived by that Spirit of God, than we have to believe that any private Man's Prayers are; and, confequently, that, when we use them, we pray as much by the Spirit, as when we ufe fudden conceived Prayers.

I begin with the firft of thefe Propofitions, which is this; that Praying by the Spirit in the Sense 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 Apostle 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.

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

7

Now

Now that Praying by the Spirit was one of those 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 Singing with the Spirit, and Bleffing with the Spirit, are but fo many feveral Exercises of the Gift of Languages, or that Power which the Chriftians were then 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 Epistle, was at that time favoured with many eminent Gifts of the Spirit; but it seems feveral of those that had thefe Gifts did not make that Ufe of them which they were given for: For, whereas the Gift of Tongues was chiefly beftowed for the Converfion of Infidels, to be a Sign (as the Apoftle speaks in Verfe 22. of this Chapter) not to them that believe, but to them that believe not, thofe 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 understood not, and, confequently, from which they could receive no Benefit. This Abufe now, it is the Defign of the Apostle in this Chapter to reform, and, at the fame time, to regulate the Exercife of their other feveral Gifts; and the great Rule which he lays down in this Mat

ter,

ter, 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 Spiritual 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, so that the whole Con-: gregation may understand and be edified. If we now take this Key, we fhall have an ealy Entrance into the Senfe of this whole Chapter.

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 therefore, that two Verfes before my Text the Apoftle gives this Advice, namely, in the 13th Verfe: Wherefore (faith he) let him that Speaketh in an unknown Tongue (he means of peaking in the Chriftian 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 least of interpreting what is fpoken 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

;

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 Verse; 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 Understanding also; that is, if I do fometimes make ufe of my Gift of Tongues, that the Spirit hath bestowed upon me, either in Praying, or Singing of Pfalms, yet I will also take care fo to pray and fing as to be understood; I will not be fo wholly taken up in Praying and Singing by the Spirit, but I will pray and fing alfo as others do, that have not that Gift of the Spirit; that is, in a Language that the Congregation underftands, as well as myfelf; or if I do pray by the Spirit, I will at leaft take care to interpret.

That this is the true and the only Sense here of Praying by the Spirit, and Praying with the Understanding, is undeniably plain from what follows in the four next enfuing Verses; for thus the Apoftle goes on in Verfes 16, 17, 18, 19. Otherwife, when thou fhalt blefs with the Spirit (that is, praife GOD), how fhall be that occupieth the Room of

the