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 ufe of it, let them either themselves, or fome other for them, interpret to the People what they mean, fo that the whole Congregation may underftand and be edified. If we now take this Key, we fhall have an eafy Entrance into the Sense of this whole Chapter.

At this Time I fhall concern my felf with no more of it, than what is needful for the giving Light to my Text; let it be observ'd therefore, that two Verfes before my Text, the Apostle gives this Advice, namely, in the 13th Verfe; Wherefore (faith he) let him that Speaketh in an unknown Tongue, (he means of fpeaking 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 fpeaking in a known Tongue, or at leaft 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 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 Sense of this Verfe; 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 alfo; that is, if I do fome times make ufe of my Gift of Tongues, that the Spirit hath bestowed upon me, either in Praying or Singing of Pfalms, yet I will alfo take care fo to Pray and Sing as to be understood; I will not be fo wholly taken up in Praying and Singing by the Spirit, but I will Pray and Sing alfo as others do, that have not that Gift of the Spirit; that is, in a Language that the Congregation underftands, as well as my felf; or if I do pray by the Spirit, I will at least take care to interpret.

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

the

the Unlearned, Say Amen at the giving of Thanks, feeing he underftandeth not what thou fayeft? For thou verily givest Thanks well, but the other is not edified: I thank my God I fpeak with Tongues more than you all; get in the Church I would rather speak five Words with Understanding, that by my Voice I might teach others, then Ten Thousand Words in an unknown Tongue.

You fee here all along, that fpeaking by the Spirit is speaking in an unknown Language; and fpeaking with the Understanding, is fpeaking Words that others may understand.

Taking this now to be a true Account of the Text, as without doubt it is, we have got thefe Four Things by it.

First of all in general, that the Gifts of Praying by the Spirit, was in the Number of thofe miraculous extraordinary Gifts, that were in a plentiful Manner fhowred down by the Holy Spirit upon the Apoftles on this Day of Pentecoft, and by laying on their Hands communicated to others afterwards, during that Age.

Secondly, For the more particular Account of this Gift, it was a Branch of the Gift of Tongues, or rather, to fpeak properly, it was one of the Inftances by which the Gift of Languages was expreffed.

Thirdly, That this Faculty of Praying by the Spirit, was fo far from being the most useful or edifying, or the most desirable

Gift in the Church, that St. Paul prefers Prophecying (that is, the Gift of Preaching or interpreting Scripture) far before it, as you may fee in the four first Verses of this Chapter: Nay, he prefers Praying in the ordinary way, before Praying by the Spirit, telling us, that he had rather speak five Words in the Church to be understood, than a Thoufand in an unknown Language, tho' yet that Language was infpired by the Spirit.

Fourthly, From all that has been faid it appears, that no Man now living can with any greater Reafon pretend to this Gift of Praying by the Spirit, in the Senfe the Apoftle fpeaks of it, than he can to the Power of fpeaking ftrange Languages without ever having learnt them, or than he can to the Power of discovering Thoughts, or curing all Diseases, or foretelling Things to come, or any other of the fpiritual Gifts that the Apoftle here treats of.

But it may be asked, Is there no other Notion of praying by the Spirit than that we have now mentioned? Did not the Holy Spirit of God furnifh his Servants with Matter to pray for, in those Days, as well as Languages to pray in? and did he not infpire them to pray in a known Language, as well as in an unknown? and this immediately, fo that when they pray'd they might be truly faid to be fill'd with the Holy Ghoft?

I

I answer, perhaps it might, nay, for my part I think it probable it was fo; we have many Reasons to incline us to believe that in the firft Age of Chriftianity when the Church was propagated and governed in an extraordinary way, and there were many fudden emergent Neceffities to be fupplied, which could not at that Time be provided for in the regular Way, that God hath fince taken care they fhall be; I fay, it is very probable, that, as God did infpire fome with a miraculous Gift of interpreting Scripture, and applying Types and Prophecies, and others with a Gift of compofing Psalms and Hymns for the Benefit of the Church, and others with the Gift of foretelling Things to come, he did others alfo with the Gift of Prayer, prompting and enabling them, in an extraordinary manner, to put up fuch Petitions, as their own Spirits could never have fuggefted to them, but which were fuitable to the prefent Exigency and Neceffities of the Church And of thofe Perfons it may be truly faid, that they prayed by the Infpiration of the Holy Ghoft: And I muft confefs of this Way of Praying by the Spirit, I would interpret that famous and difficult Paffage of St. Paul, in the Eighth of the Romans, 26 and 27 Verfes, where he hath thefe Words: Likewife (faith he) the Spirit helpeth our Infirmities, for we know not what we fhould pray for as we ought, but the Spirit it Self maketh Interceffion for us, with Groanings,

that