the disposition, or temper of heart, which saints possess, and which is sometimes called the Spirit, in distinction from the selfish heart, which is sometimes called the flesh. 2. What are we to understand by the infirmities, which the Spirit is here said to help? Ans. The word, in the original, is astheniais, which properly means, weaknesses. These are, obviously, infirmities of the mind, and not of the body. They may be either natural, belonging to the intellect, or moral, belonging to the heart. That the apostle has reference in this passage, to natural infirmities, such as dulness of apprehension, weakness of memory, or want of knowledge and judgment, seems to be implied in his saying," for we know not what we ought to pray for:" but, by his adding, "we ought," it seems to be implied, that he also meant to include moral infirmities, such as inconstancy of holy affection, weakness of faith, and want of submis sion. Perhaps, by saying, know not what we should pray for as we ought," he means, that we are deficient in that spiritual, or experimental, knowledge, which is of a moral nature, and is inseparable from true love. But, as a deficiency in this spiritual knowledge, tends to prevent a due exercise of the intellectual powers and faculties of the mind, or, as the apostle represents it in another place, tends to 'darken the understanding ;' we may safely understand by "infirmities," both those of the intellect, and those of the heart. 16 We Saints, on account of their moral imperfection, are sometimes at a loss, as to the manner in which they ought to pray. They may always pray for any thing good in itself, which God has not revealed it to be his purpose not to grant. But, owing to the remaining depravity of their hearts, saints do not clearly perceive what is, and what is not, good in itself, and overlook, and remain ignorant of many such things, which they would otherwise know. And they often find themselves to be spiritually ignorant of that humility and selfabasement, faith and trust in God, and unconditional submission to the Divine Will, with which they always ought to address the throne of Divine Grace. 3. How does the Spirit help the infirmities of saints, in prayer?— Ans. It is not to be supposed, that he gives them any new mental powers or faculties: This he does not even in regeneration, and much less in sanctification. It may be doubted, whether He ever enlarges, or increases the strength of any of the mental powers and faculties of saints. The scriptures appear to represent it to be the office of the Holy Spirit, not to give saints a greater or less capacity for holiness; but to fill their capacity, whatever it may be, by his sanctifying influences. Again, it is not to be supposed, that the Holy Spirit, in helping the infirmities of saints, communicates to their minds any new truths, not before revealed in the scriptures. If, in prayer, saints received such communications from the Holy Spirit, they would be inspired, as truly as the prophets and apostles were, and might add to the words of the sacred book; which they are forbidden to do. There is enongh in the scriptures, if understood and regarded, thoroughly to furnish the man of God unto every good work.' There is, therefore, no need that the Divine Spirit should inspire his saints with the knowledge of any new truths. not found in the Bible; and to sup pose that he ever does, is a groundless and fanatical sentiment, leading to a neglect of the written word, and of course, to a reliance upon impulses and vagaries of the imagination, as though they were the miraculous suggestions of the Holy Spirit. The Divine Spirit helps the infranties of saints, by sanctifying their hearts, or producing in them th holy affections, which they ought to exercise in prayer When he causes them o exercise that holy, disinterested love, which is the essence of repentance, faith and submission; then they have a spiritual discernment of spiritual things Such an unction from the Evly One,' removes the darkness C: understandings, and enables to perceive what it is proper them to ask in prayer, or what good in itself according to the ingood in itself according to the inetructions of sacred scripture-enkindles fervent desires in their hearts for such things-and enables, i. e. inclines them to offer up their desires, as they ought.' Such a spiritual illumination fixes the attention upon God and spiritual objects, and prevents those wanderings of the thoughts and affections, which so often distract the mind, and prevent the best of saints from offering that 'effectual,fervent pray er, which availeth much.' Christ Jesus. But it is meant of his relieving our infirmities, as our Counsellor and Assistor, in our religious addresses to God: For his interceding is said to be, not by his agency with God, but with us, to help our infirmities, and to excite and regulate our groanings. And God is spoken of, as the Searcher knowing the mind of the Spirit, or of our hearts, with respect to his the thoughts which He raises in our minds and so the Spirit's making intercession for us, is his causing us to pray in a right manner for ourselves; just as his crying, Abba, Father, is his enabling us to cry. "That Divine Person, as the Spirit of grace and supplications, excites and enables us to of fer up our prayers with such vehement pantings and breathings of soul, as exceed the powers of lanmelt and sweetly overwhelm our guage to express, and as sometimes souls to such a degree, that we cannot tell how to form them into suit. able words.' 5. What does the apostle mean by saying, that he who searcheth the heart, knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit? Ans. By the Searcher of hearts, we are to understand, our Heavenly Father, to whom alone, in ordinary cases, our prayers should be addressed. By his knowing the mind of the Spirit, when He maketh intercession for 4. How does the Holy Spirit make the saints, is obviously meant, not intercession for the saints? Ans. merely his knowing what the Spirit A satisfactory answer to this ques- does, and with what intention He tion, may be given, in the words does it, when he produces holy af of Dr. Guise. "The Spirit's mak- fections and fervent desires in the ing intercession, is not to be un- hearts of his praying people; but derstood of his acting the part of a also, and especially, his knowing mediator between God and us, or what those affections and desires with God for us, which is the pe- are; so that He is able to give culiar office of Christ, our great them all the weight they ought to High Priest and Advocate: For have in obtaining the things for there is one God, and one Mediator which they ask, and to return them between God and man, the man such answers to their prayers, as shall be most for his glory, and their good. When the Holy Spirit helps the infirmities of saints and makes intercession for them, their prayers are always acceptable to God, and agreeable to his preceptive, if not to his decretive will and though they may be unable to 'utter,' or find words to express their feelings and desires; yet God knows them, and so accepts and answers them, as to give them the particular favours which they ask, or something better, and so (as the apostle says in the following verse) that all things shall work together for their good." REFLECTIONS. 1. Whenever saints pray acceptably, the Holy Spirit helps their infirmities and makes intercession for them. They never pray acceptably, except when they pray in the exercise of holy affections of heart; and such affections are always produced by the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit, who 'worketh in saints to will and to do, of his good pleasure.' He is the Spirit of grace and of supplications,' whose peculiar office it is, to 'shed abroad the love of God in the heart,' and whose aid, therefore, saints ought to seek, in all their attempts to approach the throne of Sovereign Mercy. 2. When saints beseech the Holy Spirit to indite their petitions for them,' their meaning should be, not that He would suggest to their minds what God has decreed to do, or what he will, or will not do for them; for these, so far as the scripture is silent respecting them, are 'secret things, which belong unto the Lord our God,' and which, therefore, the Holy Spirit does not reve; not that He would compose, and put into their lips, the words, in which they shall express their de sires; for then his 'groanings' might be uttered-but, that he would remove blindness from their hearts, and the consequent darkness of their understandings, that they may understand the scriptures, and perceive what is good in itself, and agreeable to the will of God, as revealed in his word, and so may be acceptably asked of him in prayer ; and that He would cause them to pray in the exercise of that love, repentance, faith and submission, without which, their 'sacrifice would be an abomination." 3. The most simple and illiterate saint may pray as acceptably, as the most intelligent and learned. Our Heavenly Father knows what is the mind of the Spirit,' in whatever language it may be expressed, in whatever words it may be clothed, and even when it is not 'uttered' at all. He searches the heart, and regards the feelings and desires of the soul, and not 'the outward appearance' of words and gestures.— While those, who lead in social and public worship, should possess the gift, as well as the grace of prayer, that they may pray to edification; all that is necessary to the acceptableness of private and secret devo tion, is a heart right with God. 4. In order to pray in faith, it is not necessary to know, and, consequently, not necessary to believe, that we shall obtain the particular favours for which we ask. This we cannot know, without knowing the purposes, as well as the commands of God-his decretive, as well as his preceptive will. But the purposes of God are not revealed to saints by the Spirit, when He helps their infirmities and makes intercession for them. The purposes of God can be known no further, than they are revealed in the scriptures, and by the events of his Providence. The events of Providence may teach us, that it was the purpose of God to grant some particular favours, which we have asked in prayer, but not that it is his purpose to grant the particular favours which we now ask, or may ask in future. The purposes of God, as revealed in scripture, teach us, that He designs to do many things in answer to the prayers of his people; but they seldom, if ever, teach us, when, or where, or how, He designs to do them. It is true, that, in scripture, God promises to bestow some favours upon condition of our praying for them aright; but we cannot know that it is his purpose to bestow these favours, till we have prayed for them as we ought, and can look back, and see that we have so prayed a knowledge, therefore, of God's purpose to bestow these favours, follows, and can never precede our asking for them. In order to pray in faith, it is enough to know, that God hears sincere and humble prayer-that, for Christ's sake, He will grant the particular favours which we ask, or something better-that He will fulfil all his promises and predictions--and that He will ever do what is for his own glory and the greatest good. GIMEL. From the Evangelist, CONFIDENCE IN GOD. In the days of King Saul, the Philistines invaded Israel with a very powerful army. The invaded kingdom was at this time weak. A new system of government had just been adopted, and the people were poorly furnished with weapons of defence. Having them selves no manufactory of the implements of war, they were dependant upon the Philistines, who, aware of the advantage, withheld from them the means of resistance. Indeed, so weak and broken was their condition, at the time of the invasion, that Saul could not bring into the field more than about six hundred men; and among these there were only two swords, one of which belonged to himself, and the other to Jonathan his son. The army which came against Israel, when in this broken and weak state, consisted of "thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand on the sea-shore for multitude.". These were all veteran troops, well armed, and led by valiant commanders, who were giants in size, strength and prowess. The men of Israel, except the six hundred who followed Saul, had fled panic-struck on the approach of the Philistine's army. Some had "bid themselves in caves and in thickets and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits," and some had gone over to the protection of the enemy-leaving their King, with his handful of men, either to defend himself against such a host of warlike adventurers, or fall into their hands. In this forlorn condition was the King of Israel, with only a few trembling followers, unprepared for battle, surrounded by a formidable army, who were ready and eager for the attack, when the young Prince conceived the noble design of attempting the deliverance of his people. Jonathan the son of King Saul, was a pious Prince. While his father was a wicked man, he was devoted to the interests of the church, and the service of the Lord. He considered Israel as the chosen people of God. He knew that the church was embodied in. that nation, and that the honour of God was pledged for her protec- mity to Jehovah and his people; tion. He moreover knew that he could not avoid reflecting upon the Philistines were the enemies the condition of that feeble, unof Israel, on account of their holy armed, disheartened band, that recharacter as God's peculiar people; mained with his father to oppose and also of Israel's God, who had them; and the evident want of brought their tribes out of Egypt, confidence in God, and zeal for his established them in Canaan, and cause, which was manifest in the hitherto protected and prospered whole nation of Israel. The anthem. As the enemies of Jehovah ticipation of the utter extirminaand the church, Jonathan therefore tion of the church, which seemed hated them, and desired their to be threatened by such a state of overthrow, Seeing the church things, excited, in his pious heart, surrounded by so many inveterate an anxious desire to be the instrufoes, he became very anxious for ment of effecting her deliverance. her safety. Not that he despaired Israel, the nation with whom God's of divine interposition in behalf of honour dwelt, and with whose Israel, for he knew that God would prosperity his own interest (as protect "the apple of his eye." heir to the crown) was identified, He was confident that the Lord must be delivered from the danwas able, without human aid, to gers which threatened their deput to flight the armies of the al- struction; and the name of the iens but he knew also that in true God, whom he loved with all such cases God usually wrought his heart, must be redeemed from by means; that he often used the the reproach, which seemed ready aid of his friends among the chil- to be cast upon it. Remembering, dren of men, feeble, indeed, of therefore, what God had wrought themselves, but mighty through for his people in former seasons of God to the accomplishment of danger and distress, knownig that great designs. the power of God, when heretofore exerted in their behalf, was wholly irresistible-being aware, too, that while the excellency of the power was whelly of God, human means were necessary in order to secure the divine co-operation-and feeling a consciousness that he, as an individual, had a duty to perform, he felt an impulse suggesting to him, that something must be done, and that speedily, for the deliverance of his people. Under this impulse, he addressed his armour-bearer, with the following remarkable words: "Come and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us ;-for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few.” The event shows, that the impulse While Saul and the people who followed him were trembling with fear, expecting soon to be overwhelmed by a numerous, powerful and exasperated enemy-Jonathan, with high confidence in the God of Israel, remained undismayed amidst all these appalling circumstances. He felt an assurance that God would, in due time, appear for the deliverance of the church from the impious invasion of her enemies; and all he desired, was to be the humble instrument in God's hands, of effecting such a glorious deliverance. On a certain day while this godly youth was viewing from an eminence the enemies of his country and his God,considering their numbers,their strength, and their determined en |