"and Praying: And fo it may hence appear, we are not against Meditation, as fome have fought "falfly to infer from our Doctrine, (of which "Number our Querift seems to be in the present "Section.) Sect. 18. "He that miniftreth, being acted thereun"to by the Arifing of the Grace in himself, ought "to fpeak forth what the Spirit of GOD furni"fbeth him with, not minding the Eloquence and "Wisdom of Words, but the Demonftration of "the Spirit, and of Power, (Here the SPIRIT "is the Furnisher, not the HE that prays.) Sect 21. "We freely confefs, that Prayer is both very profitable, and a neceffary Duty com"manded, and fit to be practifed frequently by "all Chriftians; but as we can do nothing without "CHRIST, fo neither can WE pray without the "Concurrence and Affiftance of his SPIRIT, "Outward Prayer is when, as the Spirit being thus "in the Exercife of inward Retirement, and feeling "the Breathing of the Spirit of GOD to arise power"fully in the Soul, receives Strength and Liberty by "a fuperadded Motion and Influence of the SPI"RIT to bring forth either audible Sighs, Groans, "or Words, and that either in publick Affemblies "or in Private, or at Meat. All Prayer, faith "Bernard, is lukewarm, which hath not an In"fpiration preceding it. Though we affirm, that "none ought to go about Prayer without this Mo❝tion, yet we do not deny, but fuch fin as neg"lect Prayer; but their Sin is in that, they come "not to the Place where they may feel That that "would lead them thereunto. Sect. 22. Paraphrafing on Rom. S. 26. "Likewife "the Spirit alfo helpeth our Infirmities, for we know "not what we should pray for as we ought, but the "Spirit it felf maketh Interceffion for us with Groan “ings, "ings, which cannot be uttered; and he that fearcheth the Hearts, knoweth what is the Mind "of the Spirit, because he maketh Interceffion for "the Saints, according to the Will of GOD. "Which, First, holds forth the Incapacity of "Men, as of themselves, to pray or call upon "GOD in their own Wills, even fuch as have re"ceived the Faith of CHRIST, and are in "measure fanctified by it, as was the Church of "Rome, to whom the Apoftles then wrote. "Secondly, It holds forth, that which can only "help and aflift Men to pray, to wit, the Spirit, as "that, without which, they cannot do it acceptably "to GOD, nor beneficially to their own Souls. "Thirdly, The Manner and Way of the Spi"rit's Interceffion with Sighs and Groans, which are unutterable. "Fourthly, That GOD receiveth graciously "the Prayers of fuch as are prefented and offered ແ unto Himself by the Spirit, knowing it to be "according to his Will. Thus the Spirit of Man prays under the Influence of the Holy Spirit; "which Prayer, the Holy Spirit presents to the "Father of Spirits. Sect. 25. "As Man, for the going about natural "Acts, needs his natural Spirit, fo to perform "fpiritual Acts, he needs the Spirit of GOD. P. 134. "So that, tho' it be We in a fenfe, yet " 'tis according to that of the Apoftle to the fame, “Gal. 2. 20. I am crucified, yet nevertheless I live; 66 yet not I, but Chrift liveth in me: Not I, but the "Grace of Chrift in me. Thefe Works are efpe cially to be afcribed to the Spirit of CHRIST "and Grace of GOD in us, as being immediately "thereby acted and led in them, and enabled to "perform them; and this manner of Speech is not ftrain'd, but familiar to the Apostles, Galatians 2. 8. Phil. 2. 13. By By all which, it plainly appears that R. Barclay afferts the Soul of Man, when fitted and prepared by the Spirit of GOD, is AGENT in religious Acts, and is that which prays to, and praifes GOD, and not GOD himself, according to the following Texts. SCRIPTURE PROOFS. Tafer of the Longue is from the LORD, HE Preparations of the Heart in Man, and the v. 9. And the LORD directeth his Steps; and Jer. Prov. 16. I. 10. 23. It is not in Man that walketh to direct his Steps. Draw me, and we will run after thee, Cant. 1. 4. If ye offer the Blind and the Lame, &c. offer it now unto thy Governour, will he be pleafed with thee, Mal. 1. 8, or accept thy Perfon, &c. Where Two or Three are gathered in my Name, there am I in the midst of them, GOD is a Spirit, and they who worship him, muft worship him in Spirit and in Truth. GOD whom I ferve with my Spirit in the Gofpel of his Son, &c. Mat. 18. 20 John 4 24. Rom. 1. 9. We are the Circumcifion who Worship GOD in the Spirit, rejoyce in Chrift Jefus, and have no confidence Phil. 3. 3. in the Flesh. An Holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual Sacrifice acceptable to GOD by fefus Chrift. The Sacrifice of the Wicked is an Abomination the LORD, but the Prayer of the Upright is his Delight. fwill pour upon the Houfe of David, &c. a Spirit of Grace and Supplications. When ye Pray, ufe not vain Repetitions, as the Heathens do. for they think that they shall be heard for their much Speaking. I will pray with the Spirit, and will pray with Understanding alfo. 1 Pet. 2. 5. Prov. 15. 8. Zech. 12. I' Mat. 6. 7. 1 Cor. 14. 15. Let us draw near with a true Heart, in full Affu- Heb. 10. 22. rance of Faith. Praying always with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit, and watching with all Perfeverance and Eph. 6. 18. Supplications for all Saints. REMARKS REMARKS EEING our Querift fuppofes fome of R. Barclay's Notions concerning /piritual Worship, were borrow'd from the fenfeless, mystical Divinity of Popib Writers; I would willingly ask him out of what Quiver did his Father CALVIN, and elder and eminent Brethren hereafter named, take the following bold and mystical Arrows against falfe, formal, and Will-Worthip; which, if he likes and approves, he can't in juffice condemn any of the much fafer, better guarded, and founder Expreflions in R. Barclay's Works, and by the fame Method, that he with all his Sophiftry defends them, may a Child in Truth Experience thofe of R. Barclay with Innocency, more Truth and Validity, of which Opinion, I doubt not my Reader will be, when he hears and compares both. Calvin's Sermon on Job. 32. 8. First, Man cannot difcern any whit of GO D's Secrets 'till he be Enlightned; we can never by Qur own Will reach fo high, as to know GOD, we must put our Reafon from us, and renounce it utterly, (what fays our Querift to this, is this Popifh, Mystical, or Rational Divinity, or not?) Again, if we will have our LORD to fill us with his WISDOM, it behoveth us to become Fools; that is to fay, we muft not bring any Thing of our own, for that were the fhutting of the Door against GOD. William Perkins by fome stil'd the English Calvin, P. 336. All Exercifes of Chriftian Religion, are to be in Spirit, the inward motions of the Spirit are of themselves the Worf ip of GOD; whereas our Words and Deeds, are not fimply, but fo far forth as they are found in the renewed Motions of the Heart. The The Spirit of Man praying in this World, being enlightned with the Bullinger's 4th Spirit of GOD, groaneth and maketh Interceffion for Saints. 1 Decad. Sermon. 5. And above all the Page 225. Be affured whatever Prayers, whatever Sighs, whatever Groans thou putteft up to Him, He loaths all; but what His Son makes, p. 243. Be sure that your Prayers be fuch as becomes GOD's Ear to hear: For all the Prayers of all the Flefb, thro' the whole World, is difpleafing to GOD. p. 9. Not the best Duties you can perform will pleafe Him, except they be falted and feafoned by his own So N. P. 355Never think that all your Prayers, your Tears, your Alms, can please Him, but only that which is his So N's own Actions, and Work in us. 438. 442. But know, he (GOD) regards none of thefe Prayers, but when his Son, in whom he is well pleafed, when he prays, he hears him always; but if any other prays, he regards him not. Again, it must be His So N's Works in us, elfe he loaths all, even the beft of the Sacrifices, if it be not ESUS CHRIST in us, that doth all, viz. that Loves GOD, and fears GOD, and obeys GOD, and believes in GOD, &c. his Father regards it not. Now if JESUS CHRIST be GOD; GOD in us Worfhips Himfelf; which our Querift in this prefent Section afferts, is both Blafphemy and Nonfenfe, and when he defends this, we need nor doubt the Veracity of the moft Myftical Opinion in the Worthy Labours of our Learned Apologift, fo often traduc'd by the Querift, which I intreat his Brethren to Read and Study more perfectly. And before I leave this Section, let me add an Authority or two from William Penn, concerning the Regeneration and Spiritual Worship. The |