he will be at a loss For 't is to be supposed that we are acquainted with our own wants before-hand and the sense of our misery and wretchedness in our selves is usually the first motive and inducement to prayer And therefore the assistence of the Spirit and operation on the understanding and invention is not to furnish us with new matter and words at prayers but in keeping alive a serious and constant apprehension of our condition which should remain with us not onely in times of our devotion but also be a continual guide throughout the course of our life He is to be accounted rather an infidel heathen or unbeliever than a true Christian a man altogether unacquainted with his spiritual estate and condition that knows no Attributes of God to be celebrated no sins he is guilty of no judgments he is afraid of no graces in which he is deficient no mercies he stands in need of but all of these are the matter of Prayer and all of these every one that knows any thing of Christianity must be in some measure acquainted with before he performs the duty of Prayer The knowledge of them being not onely requisite to that duty but necessary to constitute and denominate him a Christian And though some may think they have new discoveries in time of Prayer which I shall not now dispute of what nature they are yet the general ground and foundation of their Prayer is no new-invented matter but such which before-hand they must be acquainted with and so invention of new matter is not requisite to the spiritual performance of the duty And as for new words to think the change of these so needfull would be to place the excellency of this divine duty in a tone and to turn this spiritual into formal and lip-service besides if the Spirit should dictate every new word to us all these Prayers might pass for canonical and be accounted the word of God indeed And yet most people through their ignorance have placed the spiritual performance of this duty in invention of new matter and words which is quite otherwise and consists in the sanctification of the whole man as to body soul and spirit in the sanctification of the understanding memory will and affections by the Spirit of God And yet farther that we may pray with the Spirit using a form of words may appear from that Prayer which Christ taught his Disciples Luke 11. 2. When ye pray say thus which was spoken in answer to the desire of one of Christ's Disciples to teach them to pray Secondly That in singing of Psalms we sing with the Spirit and yet almost all the Psalms are Petitions or Thanksgivings to God that is also Prayers which comprehend both Petitions and Thanksgivings And the Apostle joineth both together praying with the Spirit and singing with the Spirit No Sect yet however have been so distracted as to venture on singing extempore And it is the practice of those who condemn Forms of Prayer to use notwithstanding Psalms which although they owe their matter to divine inspiration yet their composition afterwards to the art of man And very good reason for if they undertook to sing extempore every body would presently perceive that they were out of tune or rather never in it and that their songs were as void of rhime as reason And therefore if verses and metre though composed forms by humane invention are fit for and consistent with the spiritual elevation of our hearts to God by way of thanksgiving why is not prose in elevation of our hearts by way of petition not to say that some Psalms are perfect petitions as the 51 Psalm Thirdly I would willingly be resolved by those who are altogether for extempore-praying Ministers because those Ministers pray by the Spirit whether they themselves when they hear them pray with the Spirit or no. And I suppose that they have a better esteem of themselves than to think otherwise or to deny that they pray with the Spirit Praying by or with the Spirit as it respects the spiritual performance of the duty is actually incumbent on the people as well as the Minister But yet they themselves have no extemporary expressions nor will be allowed to have extemporary enlargements of heart Their Spirits are bound up by the Spirit of their Minister who if they should not diligently heed his words and give their full assent and consent and go along with him in every sentence would doubtless accuse them of negligence profaneness or hypocrisie because they do not mind the ordinances of the Lord that is that Prayer which he dictates to them and tieth up their spirits and thoughts that they keep close to it without wandring Should any of his Congregation pretend that God had put holy thoughts into his heart that he could not attend to all that he said this pretence would be so far from being made a note of the Spirit that it would be thought some diabolical suggestion which withdrew his heart from giving attention to his Prayer So this people by the same breath they cry up their Minister condemn themselves For if it be legal and carnal to be tied to a form of sound works which others have composed for us without enlargements of our own if it be carnal not to make use of our own parts and inventions in offering up our petitions if it be carnal to have our Spirits bound up limited and confined by words which others have dictated to us then are all the Congregation carnal no spiritual person not onely in respect of office but also of real qualifications beside the Minister who is their mouth and spokesman for dare any of his hearers pretend to other revelations are not their spirits confined to his spirit words and sentences for enlargement of matter is denied onely that of affections in admiration of his matter allowed Deviations from it or digressions would be a note of profaneness and irreligion the sowing of tares among the wheat But if their Ministers were not partial they should by their own Principle allow every member of their Congregation that liberty at the same time which they challenge to themselves leave every man to his particular enlargement and not confine them to his own Prayer lest the Spirit be stinted in his Brethren who may have at the same time several motions raptures and illuminations much like the Corinthian Church 1 Cor. 14. 26. How is it brethren when ye come together every man hath a psalm hath a tongue hath a doctrine hath a revelation hath an interpretation But seeing we must join in Prayer or else the Congregation be left distracted it followeth even hence that praying with the Spirit consists not in new invention of matter and words I now come to consider the second qualification of Publick Prayer by which all our spiritual gifts in their use and exercise ought to be directed and regulated that is The good and edification of the hearers This
is that which the Apostle 1 Cor. 14. 15 c. and throughout the whole chapter aims at that let mens pretences to the Spirit be what they will yet neither they nor their pretences are to be regarded if they intend not edification The great care of the Minister should be that the people may understand him and be profited by him This is also farther evident from the 16 verse which doth explain the former Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest This is also evident from the protestation of St. Paul in the 19. v. to speak five intelligible words in the Church than a multitude unintelligible This is also evident out of the precedent verses the design of the Apostle being that by plain preaching and praying they should edifie the Church of God So v. 9. So likewise ye except ye utter by the tongue words easie to be understood how shall it be known what is spoken for ye shall speak into the air Now that forms of Prayer as they are composed may best be understood by all sorts of people is so evident that it needs no demonstration 'T is true men may if they please compose such forms which are unintelligible as the Popish Prayers which are in an unknown Tongue and not understood by the generality or we may compose such intricate forms in our own Tongue which few can understand But whatsoever qualification is desired for clearness of understanding may better be done in a set form which is made upon mature deliberation than in extempore Prayers which are composed on a sudden whether we respect the propriety of words the easiness and significancy of the phrases the plainness of the style the distinction of the sentences and the methodical disposition of the whole And besides set forms publickly and constantly read in the Church have this advantage that though some expressions should not be very clear in themselves yet long use whereby people become acquainted with them will render them intelligible But there are but few that can speak on a sudden so pertinently and clearly to any business as they can upon mature deliberation And in this case as set forms are likely to go beyond unstudied Prayers so those allowed and composed by the Fathers of the Church are likely to excel the compositions of any single person And if we seriously consider the composition of our own publick Prayers there cannot well be any better framed for perspicuity and information of the judgment or moving the affections The words are plain familiar and easie to be understood the method is distinct and perspicuous The Prayers being digested into several Collects so that we know when we are to confess our sins when to give thanks when to pray for grace and when for peace and when for the King and State c. And qui bene distinguit bene docet In the Litany we have a brief and pathetical enumeration of those sins and judgments we should pray against of those mercies spiritual and temporal we should pray for and this in plain terms not obscure to those who understand their Mother-tongue In the second Service we have the Commands of God the sum of what we have to doe and throughout a frequent intermixture of the Creed Epistles and Gospels by which in all points we may be sufficiently instructed But now for other Prayers which men make without premeditation although this should be granted that every Prayer be coherent and that every word and sentence in the Prayer might be understood by judicious auditours yet if we consider how hard it is to make the generality of people to understand those truths necessary to salvation what can we expect from them when besides the things themselves their memories must be burthened with variety of expressions and they must be more perplexed to understand variety of words than variety of matter every new Prayer more and more amazing their thoughts and confounding their apprehensions in which notwithstanding its requisite that every member of the Congregation should join Whereas one comprehensive Prayer which should be used in all our solemn assemblies significantly expressed might by care and study in time be understood of all Nay though variety may delight the fancy and draw the affections the more to the speaker yet it will be apt to distract the thoughts and a little disturb the affections as to the matter even in those who are understanding For it 's not in hearing Prayers as in hearing Sermons when we come to learn and be instructed in the will of God where if any thing be not truly and clearly delivered we may leisurely consider of it without offence to God or ill performance of the duty but in Prayer we are to offer up our petitions which if not clearly exprest and our apprehensions are not easie so that the things delivered be no sooner heard but understood and assented to and pass immediately to the affections we shall be at a loss for joining Now these things cannot be so well attained to even by those of competent understanding in extempore Prayers as in set forms for in these latter we may understand things before-hand and so have nothing to doe but to join in putting up our petitions which is the proper work of Prayer But extempore Prayers are obnoxious to several impediments which arise from the nature of the Prayers themselves For here is a necessity of an instantaneous weighing and judging the several expressions continually following each other together with the application of them to the will for the stirring up the affections to embrace them which is not easily done unless by those who have their faculties well exercised as the greatest part of the auditours usually have not For whilst the understanding is considering and estimating the truth of things the goodness is not represented to the will as desirable And besides the due understanding of a Prayer depending on the connexion of one part and one sentence with another there will be need of ready animadversion to take notice of it and a competency of memory to retain it which qualifications many persons otherwise godly and intelligent may be destitute of And yet farther the errours to which such Prayers may be liable and obnoxious from the defects of the person praying are manifold but I shall not now instance in any And therefore I conclude that set forms are such which the best may join heartily with and without which the generality cannot come to knowledge very well and that they are the surest ground for the understanding to proceed upon But yet there remains an objection to be resolved which must be if they understand themselves the foundation both of their Ministers plea and of the Peoples admiration of them which is thus Though the using of set forms may consist with praying with the Spirit
glorying as it were in his compliance and conformity with all sorts of men for their Salvation in these indifferent Ceremonies 1 Cor. 19. 9 20 21 22 23. where we may note that as long as the Gospel is propagated we need not stand upon indifferences the Apostle did in these matters observe that rule Dum fueris Romoe Romano vivito more Si fueris alibi vivito sicut ibi Now how the Apostle did put his doctrine of compliance and conformity in practice will be seen by these particular instances First by his circumcising Timothy Acts 16. 1 2 3. where we find that Ceremony which the Apostle declared so much against in his Epistle to the Galatians telling them that if they were circumcised Christ should profit them nothing Gal. 5. 2. was now by him applied to Timothy notwithstanding That he might not give offence to the Jews he took and circumcised him The fault was not then in the materiality of the action which was lawfull enough in it self but in the formality of the application among the Galatians And therefore Circumcision certainly was not unlawfull in it self though it was unlawfull to put any confidence in it as a work of the Law which the Galatians did For otherwise Paul would never have circumcised Timothy And so in like manner if any one should put any trust and confidence or think there is any merit or efficacy in the sign of the Cross if he should adore and worship it as his God he might well be counted an Idolater but as long as it is used as an indifferent Ceremony according to the directions of the Church of England none ought to be offended For it was borrowed from the Primitive Christians who gloried in the sign of the Cross But we have yet an higher example of conformity and compliance in the Apostle which he did not out of his single judgment but with the advice of an assembly of Apostles and Elders As in the Acts 21. 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25. where we see that though the Elders received with much joy the news concerning the conversion of the Gentiles to the Faith yet considering how many Jews there were who believed and yet were also zealous for the Law of Moses and that they were offended with Paul for preaching among the Gentiles against Moses and his Ceremonial Law and that therefore his person would not be acceptable to them they advised him by all means to shew his compliance with them in his conformity to their Rites and Ceremonies as doth there appear Now v. 26. we find the Apostle following and obeying their counsel he did not onely comply with them in shewing reverence to the Temple observing Rites about Vows and Purification but likewise in their Offerings and typical Oblations Certainly should any men doe half so much now as St. Paul did then some furious Zealots who place their Religion as much in opposing Ceremonies as the Jews did in observing them would cry out against him as they did against St. Paul on another occasion Acts 22. 22. Away with such a fellow from the earth for it is not fit he should live And here farther we cannot imagine that this was ill done by the Apople because he was never guilty of sinfull compliance in the greatest danger and because it was agreeable to his Precepts and course of life all along and because this counsel proceeded from the joint consent of the Apostles and Elders in whose assemblies the Holy Ghost was always present Wherefore it followeth that the Jewish Ceremonies liable to so many exceptions were not however so odious and sinfull absolutely considered but that as occasion required they might be observed and lawfully used even by those who knew them abolished by the death of Christ And therefore surely the Ceremonies of the Church of England which are harmless and innocent if not pious which are as no-ways burthensome in themselves so instituted onely for decency and uniformity ought to be observed For by thus doing Faction and Schism will be avoided brotherly love maintaintained peace and unity the glory of our Profession preserved OF THE NECESSITY Of the USE of COMMON-PRAYER IN PUBLICK THE Apostle St. Paul lays down two Rules to guide our Prayers by 1 Cor. 14. 15. What is it then I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the understanding also I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the understanding also And in the 16. and 17. verses presseth the praying with the understanding also because otherwise he that occupieth the place of the unlearned could not say Amen at his giving of thanks seeing he understood not what was said and was not at all edified thereby And v. 19. he tells us that he had rather spake five words with understanding that the Church might be edified than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue It seems the Corinthians did much affect praying with the Spirit as they thought it to be though they regarded not the understandings and edification of their hearers I wish the like may not be said of many among our selves who cry up extemporary praying for the onely praying with the Spirit and condemning Common-prayer as carnal and formal but if we will examine these two sorts of Prayers with the Rules laid down by the Apostle we shall find that Common-prayer or Forms of Prayer are every way as consistent with praying by the spirit and are best for edification and the understanding of the hearers 'T is true our understandings and inventions too both of Speaker and People ought to be under the guidance directions and assistence of the Spirit as well as our Affections the former being the nobler and the latter the more ignoble and lower faculties of the Soul And therefore as to praying with the Spirit it 's requisite that these too be sanctified that we may clearly discerne apprehend and find out those truths which God hath revealed and those sins which are apt to beset us and those mercies we stand in need of But however it 's not to be expected that in all our Prayers the Spirit should help our inventions in finding out new matter much less new words For the sanctification of the understanding doth not consist in these We ought to judge the quite contrary for the same judgments we pray against the same mercies we pray for in one prayer we must pray for often and though God's Spirit may discover more and more our sinfulness to us yet the same sinfulness on one hand and grace on the other which afford matter for prayer now may afford us matter to our lives end As for particular occasions they have their particular Prayers But he is in a very sad and strange condition that when he comes to pray to Almighty God knows nothing at all before-hand what he should pray for nor what he should pray a-against but expects that the Spirit should furnish him with new matter for his Prayer or else