5. Popish repetition, and loose shreds of prayer often repeated, as they have in their liturgy over and over again ; their Gloria Patri, so often repeated ; their Lord have mercy ; and in their prayer made to Jesus, sweet Jesus, blessed Jesus ; and going over the Ave Maria, and this to be tumbled over upon their beads, and continuing prayer by tale and by number : surely these are but vain repetitions, and this is that much speaking which our Lord aims at. Thus I have despatched the abuses of prayer.
tlse 2. To give you direction in prayer, how to carry yourselves in this holy duty towards God in a comely manner. I shall give you directions : —
1. About our words in prayer.
2. About our thoughts in prayer.
3. About our affections in prayer.
Eirst, about our words. There is a use of them in prayer, to ex- cite, and convey, and give vent to affection : Hosea xiv. 2, ' Take with you words, and turn to the Lord, and say, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously.' Surely the prophet doth not only pre- scribe that they should take affections, but take with them words. Words have an interest in prayer.
Mat. VI. 6-8.] exposition of the lord's trayer. 33
Now, these may be considered either when we are alone or in com- pany.
1. When we are alone. Here take the advice of the Holy Ghost : Eccles. V. 2, ' God is in heaven, and tliou art upon earth, therefore let thy words be few.' How few ? Few in weight, conscience, rever- ence. Few in weight, affecting rather to speak matter than words ; concisely and feelingly, rather than with curiousness, to express what you have to say to God. Few in conscience. Superstition is a bas- tard religion, and is tyrannous, and puts men upon tedious services, and sometimes beyond their strength. Therefore pray neither too short nor too long ; do it not merely to lengthen out the prayer, or as counting it the better for being long. The shortness and the length must be measured by the fervency of our hearts, our many necessities, and as it tendeth to the inflaming our zeal. As it can get up the heart, let it still be subservient to that. Few with reverence, and managed with that gravity, awfulness, and seriousness as would become an address to God. As Abraham, Gen. xviii. 31, had been reasoning with God before, therefore he saith, ' Let not God be angry if I speak to him this once,' when he renewed the suit. Thus alone.
2, In company. There our words must be apt and orderly, mov- ing as much as may be, not to God, but to the hearers ; managed with such reverence and seriousness as may suit with the gravity of the duty, and not increase, but cure the dulness of those with v/liom we join. And what if we did in public duties choose out words to reason with God, as Job saith, chap. ix. 14, ' Choose out my words to reason with him ; ' — if we did use preparation, and think a little before- hand, that we may go about the duty with serious advice, and not with indigested thoughts ? But this hath the smallest interest in prayer.
Secondly, Our thoughts ; that we may conctive aright of God in prayer, which is one of the greatest difficulties in the duty.
1. Of his nature and being.
2. Of his relation to us.
3. Of his attributes.
First, Of the nature and being of God. Every one that would come to God must fix this in his mind, that God is, and that God is a spirit ; and accordingly he must be worshipped as will suit with these two notions. Heb. xi. 6, ' He that cometh to God must believe that God is,' and then that God is a spirit ; for it is said, John iv. 24, ' God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.' Oh, then, whenever you come to pray to God, fix these two thoughts, let them be strong in your heart : God is ; I do not speak to an idol, but to the living God. And God is a spirit ; and therefore not so much pleased with plausibleness of speech, or tunable cadency of words, as with a right temper of heart. Alas ! when we come to pray, we little think God is, or what God is. Much of our religion is performed to an unknown God, and, like the Samar- itans, we worship we know not what. It is not speculations about the divine nature, or high- strained conceptions, which doth fit us for prayer : the discoursing of these things with some singularity, or terms removed from common understanding, this is not that which I
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34 AN INTKODUCTION TO THE [MaT. VI. 6-8.
press you to ; but such a sight of God as prompteth us to a reverent and serious worshipping of him. Then we have right notions of God in prayer, when we are affected as Moses was, when God showed him his back-parts, and proclaimed his name : Exod. xxxiv., ' He made haste, bowed his head, and worshipped.' When our worship suiteth with the nature of God, it is spiritual and holy, not pompous and theatrical. Well, then, these two things must be deeply imprinted in our minds — that God is, and that he is a spirit ; and then is our wor- ship right.