acquainted. And to convince us of the little value the Apostle set upon this gift of praying by the spirit, compared with the more important consideration of edifying his hearers, he tells us that he had rather speak five words in the Church to be understood, that by his voice he might teach others, than ten thousand words in an unknown language, though that language were dictated by the spirit.

But praying by the spirit, in the sense in which enthusiasts now understand that phrase, is not one of those extraordinary gifts with which the primitive Christians were furnished, but something very different; for it is rather an acquisition of art, attained by habit and practice, and dependent, in a great measure, for its success upon the particular genius and abilities of the party, rather than an inspired gift.

Considering it in this light, in which sound sense has ever considered it, we do not hesitate to prefer a settled form to any extemporary exertion of the mental faculties, for the following obvious

reasons:

In the first place, certain it is, that so far as the congregation are concerned, the extemporary prayer of the minister is to them as much a form as any other. If, then, the congregation must have a form in either case, it remains only to be considered, what form is best calculated for their edification. Upon this head, it is presumed, there can be little dispute. For, on the one hand, we have an excellent form of prayer, composed with great judgment and piety, which the congregation may, and which it is designed they should, make

their own, by joining in it on the other, we have (generally speaking) an imperfect and unconnected forme, in which they cannot join because, on tadcounte of its being strange to thein ears they hust, in a great degree, be unprepared to accompany itloss Without meaning, therefore, to reflect upon the abilities of teachers out of the Church, or tarimpute to all the improprieties of which some have been notoriously guilty I think it may be said, that, the only choice left to the hearers upon this subject is, whether they will have a good form yorva bad one; a form of sound words, with which they are previously acquainted, on the one hand; nor, on the other, a form, upon the propriety of akhich they cannot at any time depend; experience having proved, that both the words and matter of it are ofttimes ill-digested, sometimes indecent, and occasionally unsound. x of angrobiem) 1919 Taking the subject, then, in this light only, it cappears, that, so far at least as the edification of the congregation is concerned, the change that enthusiasm has introduced into the public worship of Christians, has been much for the worse; and that the Christian, bin leaving the established service of the Church, has gained nothing to balance Jaagainst the essential advantage he has dost ad oBut there is this further consideration attached ito an established form of prayer in preference to 91any other, namely, the promise of favourable attenavtion being paid to it by the Deity; a consideration which it is probable, may never have been taken into the account." If two of you shall agree olom earth,||(says | our blessed Saviour) as touching

6

any thing that they shall ask it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For wheren two or three are gathered together in my hamojd there I am in the midst of them." On whicho Origen makes this comment: This is the cause we are not heard when we pray, in that we agreem not in all things. For as in music there must be e harmony and agreement of voices, or else it delights not the hearers; so in the Churcht an assent andƆ agreement is necessary, or else God is not pleasedd neither will He hear the voice of our prayers." Itvi is to this agreement in prayer, that denominatesid our public worship of God common-prayer, that Christ hath promised his presence. This promised consequently seems to belong only to the publicq prayers of the Church; which, by being previously q composed for general use, become consequently the joint prayers of the congregation; a circumd stance which furnishes a powerful argument inw man put od gla„bouoitzomp xviii. 19, 20,

Matt.

The unreasonableness of private prayer in public will appear, w by considering, that all prayers on offered up to God in public must be publicly known cous it ever was in the consented to, and agreed

by all them Christ

f

baow

that join therein. the faithful knew what they prayed for.« You that are are faithful (says › St. Chrysostom, Hom. vi on Tim.) know what things w are to be desired in prayer, because all prayer (that is public) ought to be common. It is the exhortation of Ignatius, “that ( ) we assemble together in gether in one place, and use one prayer common o to all," Epist. ad Magn. And the establishment of a public 192 Tor. In offectual". form for public prayer, if not an the best security that can be devised against false doctrine! because it TM" constitutes that public standard of the Church, to which}^an'' appeal is at all times to be made. onqua zi,

is at

197

favour of that practice, which has ever taken place in the Christian Church. Whereas in other assemblies of Christians, where the extemporary prayer off the minister constitutes the substance of reli

upon

gious worship, the condition which this promise of our Saviour is suspended, cannot, properly speaking, be performed: *P

There are, indeed, among separatists from the Church, those who, from an unhappy perversity of character, which is continually manifesting itself in la settled opposition to every thing that is established carry their objections to settled modes of worship to that extent, as even to reject the Lord's prayer, because it is a form. To reason with such persons would, probably, answer no better purpose, than it would have done heretofore to have reasoned with the Scotch covenanter; who, upon the word of command being given in the field to wheel to the right, stood stock still; and upon being questioned, why he did not obey, gave for answer, that his conscience would not permit him, for the word of command was a form, and they had taken up arms to fight against forms.

It may be proper, however, to say one short word on this head, for the consideration of those, who, whilst they affect to pray by the spirit, reject the Lord's prayer, as laying a restraint upon that Divine impulse, by which they imagine themselves to be governed. For, in conformity with this idea, the Holy Spirit, whom our Saviour sent into the world for the purpose of bringing all things to the remembrance of his disciples which He had said unto them, is supposed to act in opposition to a

command which Christ, when on earth, had given for their direction: After this manner (says Christ to his disciples) pray ye Our Father,&omoA form of prayer, which, for its construction; appears to have been originally designed for the use ofma congregation and which the Church, in conformity with our Saviour's original direction, has always thought proper to make a part of our religious worship. The conclusion in this case is too dob vious, it is presumed, to require being drawn at length. 1979 9hr 'ua Spudne son ai moitiaoqaib

It may, perhaps, be objected by those from whom we differ upon the subject of extemporary prayer, that our reasoning upon it tends in a great measure to deny the assistance of the Holy Spirit. On this head, therefore, we observe briefly, what we are fully persuaded of, that whoever is not assisted by the Holy Spirit in prayer, whatever be the form which she may adopt for the purpose, will never pray to effect. But whilst we admit this position in its proper sense, we at the same time do not hesitate to differ in opinion from enthusiasts, with respect to (what is meant by the spirit of prayer. With them it means a spirit of ready invention, and extempoorary effusion, which is by no means the certain effect of Divine influence... With us it means, what can proceed from God alone, a spirit of devotion andopious affection; such as holy David may be supposed to have particularly felt, when he composed the 42d, the 51st, the 84th, and 86th Psalms; -awith some others, which need not be pointed out, This spirit of devotion, which gave acceptance at * Matth. vi. 9o6ig ovunq jo