2. There is the Confideration of our vaft Concern in the Things we beg at his Hands, in those Blessings we pray to him for, in the remembrance of our Sins, which we beg Pardon of, in the Affiftance of his good Spirit, in the Grace of his good Providence which we ask, in the Creation of the World, in the Redemption of Mankind, and the Spiritual Bleffings of the Gospel, the innumerable Favours and Benefits we have received from him, for which we blefs him.

3. There is the Senfe of our Duty to pray to him, and to give him Thanks; there is the Sense of our Encouragement in fo doing, that if we ask we shall have; there is our Faith in his good Promises; there is our Reliance upon his Word to make us hearty in our Devotions when we come to the Throne of Grace; there is all this, to make us affected and fervent in praying by Forms.

Now what is there more than this in Prayers extemporary to do the fame? Why, there is indeed this more, there is Newness of Phrase, there is the Appearance of a ready Invention, and Eafinefs to utter Words on the fudden; I fay nothing of Tone, and the Affectation of either fine or homely Sayings, because we will take the best Kind of extemporary Prayer: and now he that is moved and raised into fome Heat by fuch a Prayer, and cannot feel an Affection when never fo good a Form is ufed, is plainly E

more

more affected with Words and Variation of Phrafes than he is with the Reverence of God's Majefty, than he is with the Confideration of those needful Things which we either ask of God or blefs him for, than he is with the Sense of his own Duty; for what thefe Things cannot do, it feems the Appearance of an extemporary Invention, and the Knack of fluent Speaking, will not fail to do. The Truth is, that which commonly fets the Paffions of fome a-work as to this Matter, is fome Conceit that all that is faid by him that prays is dictated by the Spirit; but then here are the fame Things ftill to move our Affections in the Ufe of Forms now mentioned, which are certainly of the greatest Weight, and he that is not affected with them muft not pretend to be a true Difciple of Chrift, fince we are good Chriftians or not, according as we are or are not affected with thefe Things; and he is under a very mean Difpenfation who cannot feel any Affection ftirring in him towards God and Religion, if he be not cheated into it by a falfe Perfuafion; and truly it ought not to go for Religious Affection, but for a Natural Heat, ftirr'd, as commonly Paffions are, by the Paffions and vehement Talk of other People; but it is not a truly Divine Heat, for that proceeds ever from Divine Reasons and Motives, and in Prayer from Reverence of the Majefty of God, and a

Senfe

Senfe of his Prefence, and from our Concernment in the Matter of our Devotion, and the Sense of our Duty; they therefore that cannot find themselves affected as they ought to be with the Prayers of the Church, and in the Ufe of them, have, I doubt, great reafon to fear that their Hearts are not right with God; for what hinders but that fuch Prayers may exercise those good Qualities which a Chriftian ought to be furnished with that he may pray aright? Is any thing wanting in them for this Purpofe? If we fay them or hear them formally (as some love to speak) i. e. carelefly, and without good Affection, without bending our Mind to them, no wonder if they neither leave nor make any Impreffion upon our Minds; and to a carnal and habitually indifpofed Mind the Prayer of an Angel would fignify nothing to excite due Attention and Affections, till the Man comes to confider, and be prepared before-hand, by taking his Thoughts off from Worldly Things, and affecting himself with Things of a Spiritual Concernment.

Having now answered fome Objections against the Use of Forms of Prayer, I come now to flew, as I propounded, the Advantages of Forms above fuddenly conceived Prayers.

And I do not doubt to say, that to use Forms of Prayer hath the Advantage in

comparably, and that I fhall endeavour to thew with refpect,

3.

1. To Publick Prayers in the Church. 2. To Domeftick Prayers in the Family. To Private Prayers in the Closet. First, As to the Publick Prayers in the Church. And here there is no place for Comparison between Forms and extemporary Performances; and by Forms here I do not mean Forms compofed by every Minifter before he comes to officiate in the Church, but fuch Forms of Prayer as are compofed by the Wisdom, and fet forth by the Authority of Superiors for all under their Government; and that thefe do serve the true Ends of publick Prayers much beyond what they call Free Prayer, is capable of being made out by many Confiderations, but I fhall confine my felf to a few. The principal Things that are to be regarded in publick Prayers are, the Honour of God and Religion, the Furtherance of the Devotion of Chriftian People, and the maintaining the Unity and Communion of the Church.

1. The Honour of God and Religion. Amongst other Ends the Society of the Church and her religious Affemblies were inftituted, that God might have the Honour due unto his Name offered in publick Prayers, and in the Sacrifices of Praise and Thankfgiving according to Chriftian Truth. Now whether this End is not better ferved

by

by Forms of Prayer and Thanksgiving that are composed by the Wisdom of the Church, than by leaving the whole Matter to every fingle Minister, let any fober Man judge; For it is not reasonable to prefume that any one Man by himself could do better than in any fuch prescribed Form, but it's all the odds imaginable that the far greatest Part would not do fo well; fo that in most Places that Gravity and Order of the publick Şervice, whereupon the Honour of Religion and the Expreffion of our Reverence to God doth in fo great part depend, all this, I say, muft depend upon the Abilities of Perfons that are lefs able, and every where upon the uncertain Will, the mutable Temper and different Interests of fingle Persons.

2. Publick Forms of Devotion are alfo fitteft for the Edification of Chriftian Peo ple, in as much as every Chriftian may go to the publick Service, knowing beforehand what his Prayers are, because he is there to offer them with the Church, he is well af fured that they are fit to unite his Defires with thofe of the Congregation, and so he hath nothing to do but to prepare his Heart with good Affection to join with them, nothing else to do but to bring with him a devout Spirit, and a real Senfe of God, and a juft Concernment for thofe Things he is to ask of him, and a thankful Senfe of the Benefits he hath received from him; and