صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني
[blocks in formation]

OGLE & AIKMAN, EDINBURGH, AND W.COKE, LEITH;
M. OGLE, Glasgow, & R. OGLE, London.

M.DCCCIII.

1

[blocks in formation]

ELIGION is so much the business of our lives, and

R the worship of God so much the business of our

religion, that what hath a fincere intention and probable tendency to promote and assist the acts of religious worship, I think cannot be unacceptable to any that wish well to the interests of God's kingdom among men: for if we have spiritual senses exercised, true devotion, that aspiring flame of pious affections to God, as far as in a judgment of charity we discern it in others (though in different shapes and dresses, which may feem uncouth to one another) cannot but appear beautiful and amiable, and as far as we feel it in our own breasts, cannot but be found very pleasant and comfortable.

Prayer is a principal branch of religions worship which we are moved to by the very light of nature, and obliged by some of its fundamental laws. Pythagoras's golden verses begin with this precept, Whatever men make a god of they pray to; Deliver me, for thou art my God, Ifa. xliv 17. Nay, whatever they pray to, they make a god of,-Deos qui rogat ille fecit. 'Tis a piece of respect and homage so exactly confonantto the natural ideas which all men have of God, that it is certain those that live without prayer live without God in the world.

Prayer is the folemn and religious offering of devout acknowledgments and defires to God, or a fincere reprefentation of holy affections, with a design to give unto God the glory due unto his name thereby, and to obtain from him promised favours, and both thro' the Mediator. Our English word Prayer is too strait, that properly fignifies petition or request; whereas humble adoration of God & thanksgivings to him, are as necessary in prayer as any other part of it. The Greek word profeuche, from Euche, is a vow directed to God. The Latin word Votum is used for prayer; Jonah's mariners with their facrifices made vows; for prayer is to move and oblige ourselves,

JUN 2S 1901 150508

not to move and oblige God. Clem. Alexandrinus, Strom. 7. p. 722. Edit. Colon. calls prayer (with an excufe for the boldness of the expreffion) Homilia pros ton Theon, 'tis converfing with God. And it is the scope of a discourse of his there, to shew that his ho gnosticos; i. e. his believer (for faith is called knowledge, and p. 719 he makes his companions to be hoi homoioos pepisteucotes, those that have in like manner believed) lives a life of communion with God, and fo is praying always; that he studies by his prayers continually to converse with God. Some (faith he) have their stated hours of prayer, but he para bolon euchetai ton bion, prays all his life long. The scripture describes prayer to be our drawing near to God, lifting up our fouls to him, pouring out our hearts before him.

This is the life and foul of prayer; but this foul in the present state must have a body, and that must be fuch as becomes the foul, and is suited and adapted to it. Some words there must be, of the mind at least, in which, asin the fmoke, this incense must ascend; not that God may understand us, for our thoughts afar of are known to him; but that we may the better understand ourselves.

A golden thread of heart prayer must run thro' the web of the whole Christian life; we must be frequently addreffing ourselves to God in short and fudden ejaculations, by which we must keep up our communion with God in providences and common actions, as well as ordinances and religious services. Thus prayer must be fparfim (a fprinkling of it) in every duty, and our eyes must be ever towards the Lord..

In mental prayer thoughts are words, and they are the firstborn of the foul, which are to be confecrated to God. But if when we pray alone, we fee cause, for better fixing of our minds and exciting of our devotion, to clothe our conceptions with words; if the conceptions be the genuine products of a new nature, we would think words should not be far to feek: Verbaque prævifam rem non invita fequuntur. Nay, if the groanings be fuch as cannot be utterred, he that fearcheth the heart knows them to be the mind of the Spirit, and will accept of them, and

anfwer the voice of our breathing, Lam. iii. 56. Yet thro' the infirmity of the flesh, and the aptness of our hearts to wander & trifle, it is often necessary that words should go first, and be kept in mind for the directing and exciting of devout affections, and in order thereunto, the afsistance here offered, I hope, will be of some ufe.

When we join with others in prayer who are our mouth to God, our minds must attend them, by an intelligent, believing concurrence with what is the sense, seope, and substance of what they say, and affections working in us fuitable thereunto; and this the scripture directs us to fignify, by faying Amen mentally, if not vocally, at their giving of thanks, 1 Cor. xiv. 16. And, as far as our joining with them will permit, we may intermix pious ejaculations of our own with their addresses, provided they be pertinent, that not the leaft fragment of praying time may be loft.

But he that is the mouthofothers in prayer, whether in public or in private, and therein useth that parrofia, that freedom of speech, that holy liberty of prayer which is al-towed us, and which we are fure many good Christians have found by experience to be very comfortable and advantageous in this duty, ought not only to confult the workings of his own heart, (though them principally, as putting most life and Spirit into the performance, but the edification also of thofe that join with him; and both in matter and words should have an eye to that; and for fervice in that cafe, I principally design this endeavour.

That bright ornament of the church, the learned Dr Wilkins bishop of Chester, has left us an excellent performance, much of the fame nature with this, in his difcourse concerning the gift of prayer; which, some may think, makes this of mine unneceffary: but the multiplying of books of devotion is what few ferious Christians will complain of; and as on the one hand, I am fure those that have this poor essay of mine will still find great advantage by that, fo on the other hand, I think those who have that, may yet find some farther assistance by this,

A3

« السابقةمتابعة »