2. I observe, that our Saviour explains his Meaning of vain Repetitions by what fol lows in these Words, as the Heathen do, for they think they fhall be heard for their much Speaking; by which you may fee that the Repetition defin'd to be vain by our Saviour, and to fignify nothing to the End of Prayer, is what proceeds from an Affectation of much Speaking, and drawing out Prayer to a great Length by using a Multitude of Words; but yet this is not fo to be understood as if the mere Length of Prayer was vain, for we find that our Saviour continu'd a whole Night in Prayer; and therefore fo long as the Words and Sentences are well weighed, and the Af fection of the Mind, which is the chief Thing in Prayer, is anfwerable, the Length of the Prayer is not vain, but profitable, and leaves a deeper Impreffion of Godliness and Divine Principles upon the Mind of a devout Man: But it happens feldom that Men are disposed to make Prayers of a vaft Length with fuit: able Affections, and therefore it is not ill Advice of thofe Divines, who rather recommend frequent Prayers than long ones, it being more easy to maintain a devout Temper of Mind befitting us, when we speak to the Majefty of God, to maintain this, I fay, in frequent Intervals, than if they were all put together; and no lefs profitable are many fuch Prayers, than one long Prayer, because C 2

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they leave as lafting good Impreffions upon the Mind as the other. There may be good, and sometimes almoft neceffary Occafions of ufing long Prayer, and when the Mind is disposed to long Devotion, fuch Prayer is not vain; but when a Prayer is drawn out to Length merely in Affectation of much speaking, as if God were more easily prevail'd with by a great many Words than by a few, it is vain and irreverent towards God, and unprofitable to a Man's felf. And this,

3. Appears more fully from that Illuftration of our Saviour's Meaning, which we have from thefe Words, as the Heathen do, for their Manner was to call upon their Gods for many Hours together, fometimes in the fame Words, fometimes with Variety, thinking that their Gods would be willing to grant them any thing if they howl'd long enough; and of this we have an Inftance in the Old Teftament, to wit, the Priefts of Baal, that from Morning to Evening call'd upon their: Idol, faying little elfe but, O Baal bhear us this they call'd setting upon their Gods, as if they thought to make them hear, and to prevail, whether they would or not. Now when our Saviour bids us not to be like to them, he implies, that God will hear us never the more for affecting Tedioufnefs, and a Multitude of Words; and therefore this Caution of our Saviour is a Rebuke to those Men that.

think a Prayer good for nothing unless it be a long one, and that God is not pleased with it if it be not of their ufual Size, and that teach Men to affect the making a long Speech to God, rather than to compofe their Minds to a due Senfe of God, and of the Things they are to speak to him: Hence it comes to pass that their Followers, who want a ready Invention, muft needs proceed till the ufual Time is spent, and whatever comes on't they are fure to go on, and are afraid of nothing more than of making an End too foon. And as for the better Sort of them, that are not forced to fupply themselves with fuch abfurd Repetitions as the Prophets of Baal used, but are ftill fo happy as to light upon new Matter, fo long as they affect Length and Multiplicity of Words, they fall under the Reproof of our Saviour in this Place, doing like the Heathen, who thought to be heard for their much fpeaking. But,

4. Altho' God is not taken with a Multitude of Words (for to suppose this implies a mean and difhonourable Opinion of him) yet Care is to be taken of the Words of Prayer themselves, that they be decent, and fuch as may argue our Reverence of him to whom we fpeak; therefore natural Reason will inform us that the Words of our Prayer ought to be plain and proper, the Expreffions grave and modeft, natural and eafy; all which is C 3 certainly

certainly beft provided for by ufing of Forms in our daily Devotions and ordinary Occafions of Prayer; and we may thank God that Our Church is plentifully fupplied with well compofed Forms for all ordinary Occafions, whether of Families or private Perfons, as well as fhe is furnished with a Liturgy for the publick Service of God. I know with what Confidence fome Men pretend that fuch Forms are needlefs, because the Spirit of God fupplies his People with Abilities to pray without them; but this Pretence cannot remove the Need of Forms, unless it be farther faid, that the Spirit puts Words in their Mouths too; but if this were true, then this Caution which our Saviour gives his Difciples against vain Repetitions, and an affected Multitude of Words, is utterly needlefs; for there is no room for prohibiting them to use vain Repetitions in their Prayers, who utter no Words but what the Spirit dictates to them, for then it would be impoffible to utter any vain Repetitions at all,or else the Spirit it felf must be the Author of this Vanity when it happens; and this plainly fhews the Frivoloufnefs of this Pretence, by which Men would cover their Boldness in uttering to God Words without Difcretion, or making Trial how long their Invention will hold out in uttering Prayers fuddenly conceiv'd.

I proceed

I proceed now to the Reafon upon which our Saviour's Caution is grounded: For your Father knows what Things you have need of. That is,

1. The End of Prayer is not to inform God what we want, for he knows it before; tho' he will not grant his greatest Bleffings and Favours but to thofe that ask, yet this is not because he was ignorant of our Needs before, but because he will have us maintain a constant Sense of our Dependance upon him in our Needs; now Prayer will ferve this End tho' our Words be few, provided our Thoughts be holy, and our Attention and Defire be prefent with us in the Thing we are about; but there is no need of affecting a Multitude of Words, as the Heathens did, fome of whom had this grofs Opinion of their own Gods, that they ought to be inform'd what was fit to be done, and that by frequent Repetitions, that if they were not at Leifure to hear. one, they might be prevail'd upon by another, as was their Way in feveral Places, when they came to implore Deliverance or Victory for their Country; or when private Perfons came to pray for what they coveted after, they came with a large recounting of their particular Defires, and were very careful not to omit a Circumftance. But now in all Matters of a Temporal Concern it is enough for us to beg the Bleffing of God, and

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