12. “The apostle goes on, The Spirit itself (page 23) maketh intercession for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered: That is, the spiritual or inspired person prayed in that capacity for the whole assembly.” “That is!” Nay, that is again the very point to be proved, else we get not one step farther.
“The apostle goes on thus, verse 27. And he that (page 24) searcheth the hearts, knoweth what is the mind of the spirit, (that is, of the spiritual or inspired person) because he maketh intercession for the saints, according to the will of God. That is, God knows the intention of the spiritual person, who has the gift of prayer, which he uses for the benefit of the whole assembly; he, I say, leaves it entirely to God, whether it be best that they should suffer afflictions, or be delivered from them.” Page 25.
My Lord, this is more astonishing than all the rest! I was expecting all along in reading the preceding pages (and so I suppose, was every thinking reader) when your Lordship would mention, that the person miraculously inspired for that intent, and praying κατὰ Θεὸν either for the support or deliverance of the people, should have the very petition which he asked of him. Whereas you intended no such thing! But shut up the whole with that lame and impotent conclusion, “He leaves it to God, whether it be best they should suffer afflictions, or be delivered from them.”
Had he then that miraculous gift of God, that he might do what any common Christian might have done without it? Why, any person in the congregation might have prayed thus: nay, could not pray otherwise, if he had the ordinary grace of God: “Leaving it to God, whether he should suffer afflictions still, or be delivered from them.” Was it only in the apostolical age, that “the Spirit instructed Christians thus to pray?” Cannot a man pray thus, either for himself or others, unless he has the miraculous gift of prayer!—So, according to your Lordship’s judgment, “To pray in such a manner, as in the event to leave the continuance of our sufferings, or our deliverance from them, with a due submission, to the good pleasure of God,” is one of those “extraordinary operations of the Spirit,” which none now pretend to but “modern enthusiasts!”
I beseech your Lordship to consider. Can you cooly maintain, that “the praying with a due submission to the will of God,” even in heavy affliction, is a miraculous gift? An extraordinary operation of the Holy Ghost? Is this peculiar to the primitive times? Is it what none but enthusiasts now pretend to? If not, then your Lordship’s own account of praying by the Spirit indisputably proves, that this is one of the ordinary privileges of all Christians, to the end of the world.
13. “I go on (your Lordship adds) to another passage of scripture, that has been entirely (page 27.) misapplied by modern enthusiasts. 1 Corinthians ii. 4, 5. And my speech and my preaching were not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in the demonstration of the spirit and of power; that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of man, but in the power of God.” Page 29.
“It is only necessary to evince, that by the demonstration of the spirit and power is meant the demonstration of the truth of Christianity, that arises from the prophesies of the Old Testament, and the miracles of Christ and his apostles.” Yes, it is necessary farther to evince, that these words have no other meaning. But first, How will you evince, that they bear this? In order thereto, your Lordship argues thus:
“The former seems to be the demonstration of the Spirit, with regard to the prophetical testimonies of him.—And the demonstration of power, must signify the power of God, exerted in miracles.” (page 30.) “Must;” Why so? That δύναμις often signifies miraculous power, is allowed—But what follows? That it must mean so in this place? That still remains to be proved.
Indeed your Lordship says, this “appears from the following verse, in which is assigned the reason for using this method of proving Christianity to be true, viz. That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of man, but in the power of God. By the power of God therefore must necessarily be understood, the miracles performed by Christ and his apostles.” By the illative particle, therefore, this proposition should be an inference from some other: but what other I cannot yet discern. So that, for the present, I can only look upon it, as a fresh instance of begging the question.
“He goes on in the 7th, 10th and following verses, to explain this demonstration of the spirit and of power.” But he does not say one syllable therein, either of the ancient prophecies, or of miracles. Nor will it be easily proved, that he speaks either of one or the other, from the beginning of the chapter to the end.