Wesley Corpus

23.) “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 search eth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, that is, of the spiritual or inspired person, ‘because he maketh interces sion 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.” (Pp. 24,25.) 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 Lord ship would mention, that the person miraculously inspired for that intent, and praying, kata 6eov,” 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 mighthave 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 * According to [the will of] God.--EDIT. miraculous gift of prayer l--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.