To pray in the spirit, we must have knowledge and understanding

           First.  To pray acceptably, or in the spirit, it is required that we pray with knowledge and under­standing.  A blind sacrifice was rejected in the law, Mal. 1:8; much more are blind devotions under the gospel.  As knowledge aggravates a sin, so ignorance takes from the excellency of an action that is good: ‘I bear them witness,’ saith Paul, ‘they have a zeal, but not according to knowledge.’  The want of an eye dis­figures the fairest face, the want of knowledge the devoutest prayer: ‘Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews,’ John 4:22, where we see what a fundamental defect the want of knowledge is in acts of worship, such as brings damnation with it.

           Question First.  But why is knowledge so requi­site to acceptable praying?

           Answer First.  Because without this it is not a ‘reasonable service;’ for we know not what we do. God calls for 8@(486¬< 8"JD,\"<—‘reasonable serv­ice,’ Rom. 12:1, which some oppose to the legal sacri­fices.  They offered up beasts to God; in the gospel we are to offer up ourselves.  Now the soul and spirit of a man is the man.  Why did not God lay a law on beasts to worship him, but because they have not a rational soul to understand and reflect upon their own actions? And will God accept that service and worship from man, wherein he doth not exercise that faculty that distinguisheth him from a beast?  ‘Show yourselves men,’ saith the prophet to those idolaters, Isa. 46:8.  And truly he that worships the true God ig­norantly is brutish in his knowledge as well as he that prays to a false god.

           Answer Second.  Because the understanding is JΠº(,µT<46Î<—the leading faculty of the soul, and so the key of the work.  The inward worship of the heart is the chief.  Now, the other powers of the soul are disabled if they want this their guide which holds the candle to them.  As for those violent passions of seeming zeal, sorrow, and joy, which sometimes ap­pear in ignorant worshippers and their blind devo­tions, they are spurious.  Christ’s sheep, like Jacob’s, conceive by the eye.

1. The saint’s eye is enlightened to see the maj­esty and glorious holiness of God, and then it reveres him, and mourns before him in the sense of his own vileness: ‘Now mine eye seeth thee, wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes,’ Job 42:6.
2. Again, by an eye of faith he beholds the goodness and love of God to poor sinnersin Christ, and in particular to him, and this eye affects his heart to love and rely on him, which it is impossible the ignorant soul should do.

           Question First. But you will say, what is neces­sary for the praying soul to know?

           Answer First. There is required a knowledge that he to whom he directs his prayer is the true God.  Re­ligious worship is an incommunicable flower in the crown of the deity, and that both inward and outward. We are religiously to worship him only, who, by rea­son of his infinite perfections, deserves our supreme love, honour, and trust.  He must have the crown that owes the kingdom.  ‘The kingdom and power’ are God’s.  Therefore ‘the glory’ of religious worship be­longs to him alone, Matt. 6:13.  Angels are the highest order of creatures, but we are forbid to ‘worship any of the host of heaven,’ Deut. 17:3.  ‘Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee it doth appertain’—where fear is put for religious worship, as appears by the circumstance of the place.  The want of this knowledge filled the heathen world with idol­atry.  For, where they found any virtue or excellency in the creature, presently they adored and worshipped it, like some ignorant rustic, who coming to court, thinks every one he sees in brave clothes to be the king.

           Answer Second.  There is required a knowledge of this true God, what his nature is.  ‘He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him,’ Heb. 11:6.  It is confessed, a perfect knowledge of the divine per­fections is incomprehensible by a finite being.  He answered right who said—when asked quid est Deus? what is God?—si scirem essem ipse Deus—if I knew, I myself would be God.  None indeed knows God thus but God himself; yet a Scripture knowledge of him is necessary to the right performance of this duty. The want of understanding his omniscience and in­finite mercy, is the cause of vain babbling, and a con­ceit to prevail by long prayers, which our Sav­iour charges upon the heathen, and prevents in his disciples by acquainting them with these attributes, Matt. 6:7, 8.  They came rather narrare than rogare—to inform God than to beg.  The ignorance of his high and glorious majesty is the cause why so many are rude and slovenly in their gesture, so saucy and ir­reverently familiar with God in their expressions.  We are bid to ‘be sober, watching unto prayer.’  Truly there is an insobriety in our very language, when we do not clothe the desires of our hearts with such hum­ble expressions as may signify the awe and dread of his sacred majesty in our hearts.  In a word, the rea­son why men dare come reeking out of the adulterous embraces of their lusts, and stretch forth their un­washen hands to heaven in prayer—whence is it? —but because they know not God to be of such infinite purity as will have no fellowship with the workers of iniquity?  ‘Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself,’ Ps. 50:21.

           Answer Third. We must understand the matter of our prayers, what we beg, what we deprecate. With­out this we cannot in faith say amen to our own prayers, but may soon ask that which neither becomes us to desire, nor is honourable for God to give.  This Christ rebuked, when she in the gospel put up her ambitious request for her children to be set one at the right the other at the left hand of Christ in his kingdom.  God never gave us leave thus to indite our own prayers by the dictate of our private spirit, but hath bound us up to ask only what he hath promised to give.

           Answer Fourth. There is required a knowledge of the manner how we are to pray; as, in whose name, and what qualifications are required in the prayer and person praying.  We find Paul begging prayers, ‘that ye strive together with me in your prayers.’  In another place he tells us of a lawful striving, II Tim. 2:5.  There is a law of prayer which must be observed, or we come at our own adventure.  Even in false wor­ship they go by some rule in their addresses to their gods.  Therefore those smattering Samaritans, when a plague was on them, concluded the reason to be be­cause they ‘knew not the manner of the god of the land,’ II Kings 17:26.  The true God will be served in due order, or else expect a breach.  A word or two for application of this branch.