Persons tied up unto such rules and forms never pray in their lives, but in their occasional ejaculations, which break from them al- most by surprisal. And there hath not been any one more effectual means of bringing unholiness, with an ungodly course of conversa- tion, into the Christian world, than this one of teaching men to satisfy themselves in this duty by their saying, reading, or repeti- tion of the words of other men, which, it may be, they understand
oOi WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN PRAYER. [BOOK VII.
not, and certainly are not in a due manner affected withal ; for it is this duty whereby our whole course is principally influenced. And, let men say what they will, our conversation in walking before God, which principally regards the frame and disposition of our hearts, is influenced and regulated by our attendance unto and performance of this duty. He whose prayers are hypocritical is a hypocrite in his whole course ; and he who is but negligent in them is equally neslicyent in all other duties. Now, whereas our whole obedience unto God ought to be our "reasonable service," Rom. xii. 1, how can it be expected that it should be so when the foundation of it is laid in such an irrational suj^position, that men should not pray them- selves what they are able, but read the forms of others instead thereof, which they do not understand?
2. All the examples we have in the Scripture of the prayers of the holy men of old, either under the Old Testament or the New, were all of them the effects of their 'own ability in expressing the gracious conceptions of their minds, wrought in them by the Holy Ghost in the way and manner before described. I call it their own ability, in opposition to all outward aids and assistances from others, or an antecedaneous prescription of a form of words unto themselves. Not one instance can be given to the contrary. Sometimes it is said they " spread forth their hands," sometimes that they " lifted up their voices," sometimes that they " fell upon their knees and cried," sometimes that they " poured out their hearts" when over- Avhelmed; all according unto present occasions and circumstances. The solemn benediction of the priests, instituted of God, like the pre- sent forms in the administration of the sacraments, were of another consideration, as shall be showed ; and as for those who, by immediate inspiration, gave out and wrote discourses in the form of prayers, which were in part mystical and in part prophetical, we have before given an account concerning them. Some plead, indeed, that the church of the Jews, under the second temple, had sundry forms of prayers in use among them, even at the time when our Saviour was conversant in the temple and their synagogues; — but they pretend and plead what they cannot prove, and I challenge any learned man to give but a tolerable evidence unto the assertion; for what is found to that purpose among the Talmudists is mixed with such ridiculous fables (as the first, suiting the number of their prayers to the number of the bones in the back of a man !) as fully defeats its own evidence.
3. The commands which are given us to pray thus according unto our own abilities are no more nor less than all the commands we have in the Scripture to pray at all. Not one of them hath any re- gard or respect unto outward forms, aids, or helps of prayer. And
CHAP. VIII.] THE DUTY OF EXTERNAL PRAYER. 505
the manner of prayer itself is so described, limited, and determined, as that no other kind of prayer can be intended : for whereas we are commanded to " pray in the Spirit ;" to pray earnestly and fervently, with " the spirit and understanding ;" continually, with all manner of " prayer and supplication," to "make our requests known unto God," so as not to take care ourselves about our present concerns ; to " pour out our hearts unto God ;" to cry, " Abba, Father," by the Spirit, and the like, — I do not understand how these things are suited unto any kind of prayer but only that which is from the ability which men have received for the entire discharge of that duty; for there are evidently intimated in these precepts and directions such various occasional workings of our minds and spirits, such actings of gracious affections, as will not comjoly with a constant use of a prescribed form of words.
4. When we speak of men's own ability in this matter, we do include therein the conscientious, diligent use of all means which God hath appointed for the communication of this ability unto them, or to help them in the due use, exercise, and improvement of it. Such means there are, and such are they to attend unto; as, —
(1.) The diligent searching of oar own hearts, in their frames, dis- positions, inclinations, and actings, that we may be in some measure acquainted with their state and condition towards God. Indeed, the heart of man is absolutely unsearchable unto any but God himself, — that is, as unto a complete and perfect knowledge of it (hence David prays that God would " search and try him," and lead and conduct him by his grace according unto what he found in him, and not leave him wholly to act or be acted according unto his own ap- prehensions of himself, Ps. cxxxix. 23, 24); but yet where we do in sincerity inquire into them, by the help of that spiritual light which we have received, we may discern so much of them as to guide us aright in this and all other duties. If this be neglected, if men live in the dark unto themselves, or satisfy themselves only with an acquaintance with those things which an accusing conscience will not suffer them to be utterly ignorant of, they will never know either how to pray or what to pray for in a due manner. And the want of a due discharge of this duty, which we ought continually to be exercised in, especially on the account of that unspeakable variety of spiritual changes which we are subject unto, is a cause of that barrenness in prayer which is found among the most, as we have ob- served. He that would abound in all manner of supplication, which is enjoined us, who would have his prayers to be proper, useful, fer- vent, must be diligent in the search and consideration of his own heart, with all its dispositions and inclinations, and the secret guilt which it doth variously contract.