Imatges de pàgina
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It is defirable that our prayers fhould be copious and full our bur lens, cares, and wants, are many, fo are our fins and mercies. The promises are numerous and very rich, our God gives liberally, and hath bid us open our mouths wide and he will fill them, will fatisfy them with good things. We are not ftraitened in him, why then fhould we be stinted or straitened in our bofoms? Christ had taught his difciples the Lord's prayer, and yet tells them, John xvi 24, that hitherto they had asked nothing; i e. nothing in compaifon with what they should ask when the fpirit fhould be poured out, to abide with the church forever; and they fhould fee greater things than these. Then afk, and ye fhall receive, that your joy may be full. we are encouraged to be particular in prayer,and in every thing make our request known to God, as we ought also to be particular in the adoration of the divine perfections, in the confeffion of our fins, and our thankful acknowledgment of God's mercies.

But fince at the fame time we cannot go over the tenth part of the particulars fit to be the matter of prayer, without making the duty burdenfome to the flesh which is weak, even where the spirit is willing (an extreme which ought carefully to be avoided) and without danger of entrenching upon other religious exercises, it will be requifite that what is but briefly touched upon at one time, fhould be enlarged upon at another time: and herein this ftorehouse of materials for prayer may be of use to put us in remembrance of our several errands at the throne of grace, that none may be quite forgotten.

And it is requifite to the decent performance of the duty, that fome proper method be obferved, not only that what is faid be good, but that it be faid in its proper place and time and that we offer not any thing to the glorious Majefty of heaven and earth which is confufed, impertinent, and indigefted. Care maft be taken then. more than ever that we be not rafh with our mouth, nor bafty to utter any thing before God; that we fay not what comes uppermoft, nor ufe fuch repetitions as evi

dence not the fervency, but the barenness and flightness of our fpirits; but that the matters we are dealing with God about being of fuch vaft importance, we obferve a decorum in our words, that they be well chofen, well weighed, and well placed.

And as it is good to be methodical in Prayer, fo it is to be fententious: the Lord's prayer is remarkably fo; and David's pfalms, and many of St. Paul's prayers, which we have in his epiftles: we must confider that the greatest part of thofe that join with us in prayer will be in danger of lofing or mistaking the sense, if the period be long, and the parenthefis many; and in this, as in other things, they who are ftrong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak. Jacob must lead, as the children and flocks can follow.

As to the words and expreffions we ufe in prayer, though I have here in my enlargements upon the feveral heads of prayer confined myself almoft wholly to fcripture language, becaufe I would give an inftance of the fufficiency of the fcripture to furnish us for every good work, yet I am far from thinking but that it is convenient and often neceffary to use other expreffions in prayer, befides thofe that are purely fcriptural; only I would advise that the facred dialect be most used, and made familiar to us and others in our dealing about facred things; that language, Chriftian people are most accustomed to, moft affected with and will most readily agree to ; and where the fcriptures are opened and explained to the people in the ministry of the word, fcripture language will be most intelligible, and the sense of it beft apprehended This is found fpeech that cannot be condemned; and those that are able to do it, may do well to enlarge by way of defcant or paraphrafe upon the fcriptures they make use of; still fpeaking according to that rule, and comparing spiritual things with spiritual, that they may illuftrate each other.

And it is not to be reckoned a perverting of fcripturc, but it is agreeable to the ufage of many Divines, especially the Fathers, and I think is warranted by divers quotations in the New Teftament out of the Old, to allude to a fcrip

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ture phrafe, and to make use of it by way of accommodation to another fenfe, than what was the firft intendment of it, provided it agree with the analogy of faith. As for inftance thefe words Pf. lxxxvii. 7, All my springs are in thee -may very fitly be applied to God, tho' there it appears by the feminine article in the original, to be meant of Zion; Nor has it ever been thought any wrong to the fcripture phrafe, to pray for the bleflings of the upper Springs, and the nether Springs, tho' the expreffion from which it is borrowed, Judges i. 15. hath no reference at all to what we mean but by common ufe every one knows the fignification, and many are pleased with the fignificancy of it.

Divers heads of prayer may no doubt be added to thofe which I have here put together. and many fcripture expreffions too, under each head, (for I have only fet down fuch as first occurred to my thoughts) and many other expreffions too, not in fcripture words, which may be very comprehenfive and emphatical, and apt to excite devotion. And per-haps, thofe who covet earnestly this excellent gift, and covet to excel in it, may find it of ufe to them to have fuch a book as this interleav'd, in which to infert fuch other heads & expreffions as they think will be moft agreeable to them, and wanting here. And tho' I have here recommended a good method for prayer, and that which has been generally approved, yet I am far from thinking we fhould always tie ourselves to it that may be varied as well as the expreffion thanksgiving may very aptly be put fometimes before confeffion or petition, or our interceffions for others before. our petitions for ourfelves, as the Lord's prayer. Sometimes one of these parts of prayer may be enlarged upon much more than another; or they may be decently interwoven in fome other method: Ars eft celare artem.

There are thofe (I doubt not) who at fome times have their hearts fo wonderfully elevated and enlarged in prayer, above them felves; at other times fuch a fixednefs and falnefs of thought, fuch a fervour of pious and devout affections, the product of which, is fuch fluency and variety of pertinent and moving expreffions, and in fuch a juft and natural method, that then to have an eye to fuch a feheme as this, would be a hindrance to them, and would be in danger to cramp and straiten them; if the heart be full of its good matter, it may make the tongue as the pen of a

ready writer. But this is a cafe that rarely happens, and ordinarily there is need of propofing to ourselves a certain method to go by in prayer, that the fervice may be performed decently and in order, in which, yet one would avoid that which looks too formal. A man may write straight, without having his paper ruled.

Some few forms of prayer I have added in the last chapter, for the ufe of thofe who need fuch helps, and that know not how to do as well or better without them; and therefore I have calculated them for families. If any think them too long, let them obferve that they are divided into many paragraphs, and thofe moftly independent, so that when brevity is neceffary, fome paragraphs may be omitted.

But after all, the intention and clofe application of the mind, the lively exercifes of faith and love, and the outgoings of holy defire towards God, are fo effentially neceffary to prayer, that without thefe in fincerity, the best and molt proper language is but a litelefs image. If we had the tongue of men and angels, and have not the heart of humble ferious Chriftians in prayer, we are but as a founding brafs, and a tinkling cymbal. 'Tis only the effectual • fervent prayer, the Deefis energumene, the inwrought, inlaid prayer that avails much. Thus, therefore, we ought to approve ourselves to God in the integrity of our hearts, whether we pray by or without a pre-compofed form.

When I had finished the third volume of Expofitions of the Bible, which is now in the prefs, before I proceed, as I intend, in an humble dependence on the Divine providence and grace, to the fourth volume, I was willing to take a fittle time from that work to this poor performance, in hopes it might be of fome fervice to the generation of them that feek God, that feek the face of the God of Jacob; And if any good Chriftians receive affiftance from it in their devotions, I hope they will not deny me one request, which is, that they will pray for me, that I may obtain mercy of the Lord, to be found among the faithful watchmen on Jerufalem's walls, Who never hold their peace day nor night, but give themfelves to the word and prayer, that ar length I may finish my courfe with joy.

CHESTER, March 25th, 1710. S

MATTHEW HENRY.

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