these promises. Imminent judgments have been averted, great armies conquered*, and the very course of nature countermanded, the sun arrested, by the power of Prayer. Moses's hands only held up to heaven, routed the Amalekites more than all the swords that were drawn against them.

The goodness of God is expressed in his promises; and these promises encourage prayer; and prayer is answered with performance; and thanksgiving returns the performance in praise to God. Psal. 1. 15. So, all ends where it began, in Him who is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End of all things.

If you would be rich in all grace, be much in prayer. Conversing with God, assimilates the soul to Him, beautifies it with the beams of His holiness, as Moses's face shined when he returned from the mount. It is prayer, that brings all our supplies from Heaven; as the virtuous woman is said, Prov. xxxi. 14, to be like the merchant's ships, she bringeth her food from afar. Prayer draws more grace out of God's hand, and subdues sin and the powers of darkness; it entertains and augments our friendship with God, raiseth the soul from earth, and purifies it wonderfully. Their experience, who have any of this kind, teacheth them, that, as they abate in prayer, all their graces do sensibly weaken. Therefore, when the Apostle hath suited a Christian with his whole Armour, he adds this to all, Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. Eph. vi. 18. For this arms man and his armour both, with the strength and protection of God: Armatura armaturæ oratio.

II. The form prescribed: After this manner.

They who know any thing of their own wants and poverty, and of the bounty and fulness of God, cannot doubt of the continual usefulness of prayer; and they who are sensible of their own unskilfulness, will acknowledge, that, as prayer is

* In Aurelius's time, the legion of the Christians was called Kigavvocóλos, the thundering legion.

necessary, so there is necessity of a direction how to perform it. The disciples found this in themselves, when they said, Lord, teach us to pray, as St. Luke hath it, where he records this prayer. And our Saviour here marks the errors of hypocrisy and babbling in prayer, which are so incident to men, and teacheth his disciples, After this manner, therefore, pray ye.

As for prescribing forms of prayer in general, to be bound to their continual use in private or in public, is no where practised. Nor is there, I conceive, on the other side, any thing in the word of God, or any solid reason drawn from the word, to condemn their use.

There is, indeed, that inconvenience observable in their much use, and leaning on them, that they easily turn to coldness and formality; and yet, to speak the truth of this, it is rather imputable to our dulness and want of affection in spiritual things, than to the forms of prayer that are used. For, whereas some may account it much spiritualness, to despise what they have heard before, and to desire continual variety in prayer, it seems rather to be want of spiritualness that makes that needful, for that we find not our affections lively in that holy exercise, unless they be awaked and stirred by new expressions: whereas the soul that is earnest on the thing itself for itself, panting after the grace of God and the pardon of sin, regards not in what terms it be uttered, whether new or old; yea, though it be in those words it hath heard and uttered a hundred times, yet, still it is new to a spiritual mind. And surely, the desires that do move in that constant way, have more evidence of sincerity and true vigour in them, than those that depend upon new notions and words to move them, and cannot stir without them. It may be, it is no other than a false flash of temporary devotion that arises in a man's heart, which comes by the of some moving strain of prayer that is new. But when confessions of sin, and requests of pardon, though in never so low and accustomed terms, carry his heart along with them Heavenwards, it is then more sure, that the Spirit of God dwelling in him, and the sense of the things themselves, the esteem of

power

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the blood of Christ and the favour of God, do move the heart, and there is no novelty of words to help it. So then, though the Lord bestows rich gifts upon some of His servants, for His own glory and the good of His Church, yet, we should beware, that in fancying continual variety in prayer, there be not more of the flesh than of the spirit, and the head working more than the heart. It is remarkable, that, as they that search those things observe, the words of this prayer are (divers of them) such as come near the words of such petitions as were usual among the Jews, though He in whom was all fulness and wisdom, was not scarce of matter and words; so little was novelty and variety considerable in prayer, in his esteem. take it not; the Spirit of prayer hath not his seat in the invention, but in the affection. In this, many deceive themselves, in that they think the work of this Spirit of prayer to be mainly in furnishing new supplies of thoughts and words: no, it is mainly in exciting the heart anew at times of prayer, to break forth itself in ardent desires to God, whatsoever the words be whether new or old, yea, possibly without words; and then most powerful when it words it least, but vents in sighs and groans that cannot be expressed. Our Lord understands the language of these perfectly, and likes it best: He knows and approves the meaning of His own Spirit, and looks not to the outward appearance, the shell of words as men do. Rom. viii. 26, 27.

But, to speak particularly of this form that is above all exception, it is given us as the pattern and model of all our prayers, and the closer they keep to it, the nearer they resemble it, they are the more approvable. It is a wonder, then, how any can scruple the use of this prayer itself. For, if other prayers are to be squared by it, what forbids to use that which is the square, and therefore perfectest? If they be good by conformity to it, itself must be better. The mumbling of it over without understanding and affection, is indeed no other than a gross abuse of it, and taking of the name of God in vain, as all other lifeless prayer is. And this is not only the Popish abuse

of it, but too much our own; for when we do not both understand and attentively mind what we say, it is all one to us, though in our own tongue, as if, with them, we said it in an unknown language. It is a foolish, superstitious conceit, to imagine that the rattling over these words is sufficient for prayer; but it is, on the other side, a weak, groundless scruple, to doubt that the use of it, with spiritual affection, is both lawful and commendable.

Ourws.] It is a particle both for the matter and the manner of prayer.

1. The matter. This may be our rule, that whatsoever we cannot reduce to some part of this prayer, as contained under it, should be no part of ours. If we take not heed to this, we may abuse the throne of God with undue and unworthy suits, and ask those things that it were a punishment to give us. Therefore, Plato chose well that word, Give us what is good for us, whether we ask it or not; and what is evil, give us not, though we should desire it. Not to speak now particularly, we see in the matter of this prayer in general, that spiritual things are to be the main of all our prayers; and, in things temporal, not to lodge superfluous, inordinate desires, but in a moderate use to seek things necessary.

2. For the manner. Observe, [1.] The order of this prayer, that the soul put itself in the sight of God, and Him in its own sight, beginning, as here, with due thoughts of the majesty of God, to whom we pray. And this is of very great consequence: but more of this hereafter.

[2.] That the glory of God is wholly preferred to all our own contentment of what kind soever: that is to be the firstborn and strength of all our desires; and all that we seek for ourselves, must be in relation to that His glory, directed to it as our highest scope. And because we are naturally full of self-love, and our hearts are carried by it towards our own interest, and will be ready to start aside like deceitful bows, and slip us in our aiming at that mark; therefore, there be three several petitions, all of that strain, to make them steady and

fixed towards it, to desire in all things, and above all things, that our God may be glorified.

[3.] Brevity; opposed to that babbling which our Saviour reproves and particularly corrects by this form. The fault he lays on the Heathen, not upon the Jews, for they blamed it too, and their doctors spake against it, alleging that place that is very pertinent, Eccl. v. 2, where he argues from our exceeding distance and the greatness of God, because men use not to entertain great persons with long, empty discourses. Know then, before whom thou art in prayer, and have so much respect to the majesty of God, as not to multiply idle repetitions, such as wise men cannot well endure; how much less the all-wise God! Βαττολογία and πολυλογία are here put as one, because the one is the consequent of the other: where there is much speaking, there will be vain speaking and empty repetitions*. In multitude of words there wanteth not sin, says Solomon, Prov. x. 19. And we see it, that they who lay a necessity upon themselves of a long continuance and many words in prayer, as if it were otherwise no prayer at all, they fall into this inconvenience of idle repeating; and this is most unbeseeming our access to the majesty of God, as if there were some defect either in His knowledge, or in His attention or affection to those that seek Him. Therefore, though this was the common fault of the Heathen, yet, some even of them had so much discerning as to condemn this folly, and inveigh against it, acknowledging both the wisdom of God, and His love to mankind, and that He understands far better what is fit for us, than we ourselves, and therefore, was not to be dishonoured with idle tediousness in prayer.

But is, then, all length and much continuance in prayer, and all redoubling of the same request, reprovable? Surely, not. Were there nothing else to persuade us of this, our Saviour's own practice were sufficient, who prescribed this rule, yet is found to have spent whole nights in prayer, and to

and