[450] Of which see Lud. Capellus Crit. Sacr.
Quest. CLXVII. How far do good men now preach and pray by the Spirit?
Answ. 1. Not by such inspiration of new matter from God as the prophets and apostles had which indited the Scriptures.
2. Not so as to exclude the exercise of reason, memory, or diligence: which must be as much and more than about any common things.
3. Not so as to exclude the use and need of Scripture, ministry, sermons, books, conference, examples, use, or other means and helps.
But, 1. The Spirit indited that doctrine and Scripture which is our rule for prayer and for preaching.
2. The Spirit's miracles and works in and by the apostles seal that doctrine to us, and confirm our faith in it.[451]
3. The Spirit in our faithful pastors and teachers teacheth us by them to pray and preach.[452]
4. The Spirit by illumination, quickening, and sanctification, giveth us an habitual acquaintance with our sins, our wants, with the word of precept and promise, with God, with Christ, with grace, with heaven. And it giveth us a habit of holy love to God, and goodness and thankfulness for mercy and faith in Christ, and the life to come, and desires of perfection, and hatred of sin; and he that hath all these, hath a constant habit of prayer in him; for prayer is nothing but the expression with the tongue of these graces in the heart; so that the Spirit of sanctification is thereby a Spirit of adoption and of supplication. And he that hath freedom of utterance can speak that which God's Spirit hath put into his very heart, and made him esteem his greatest and nearest concernment, and the most necessary and excellent thing in all the world. This is the Spirit's principal help.[453]
5. The same Spirit doth incline our hearts to the diligent use of all those means, by which his abilities may be increased; as to read, and hear, and confer, and to use ourselves to prayer, and to meditation, self-examination, &c.