19. or by the mouth of one chosen from their number, who spoke in the name of the rest; both which modes of prayer appear to have been used indiscriminately by the primitive Christians. Acts ii. 42.in breaking of bread and in prayers.' iv. 24. they lifted. up their voice to God with one accord, and said--.' xii. 12. where many were gathered together praying.' xvi. 13. by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made.' xx. 36. he kneeled down and prayed

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with them all.' xxi. 5. we kneeled down on the shore and prayed.' 1 Cor. xiv. 15, 16. 'I will pray with the understanding how shall he.....say Amen at thy giving of thanks?'

......

*

Hence the impropriety of offering up public prayer in an unknown tongue, 1 Cor. xiv. 15, 16, as above; inasmuch as in public prayer consent is necessary. Matt. xviii. 19. if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them.'

Both in private and in public prayer, vain repetitions and empty words are to be avoided. Matt. vi. 7. Eccles. v. 2. 'be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God, for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth, therefore let thy words be few.' Such repetitions, however, as proceed from vehement emotion of mind, are not to be accounted vain.† Mark xiv. 39. again he went away and prayed, and spake the same words.'

*It is his promise also that where two or three gathered together in his name shall agree to ask him any thing, it shall be granted, for he is there in the midst of them. Answer to Eikon Basilike. Prose Works, III. 39. + There is a large difference in the repetition of some pathetical ejaculation raised out of the sudden earnestness and vigour of the inflamed soul, (such as was that of Christ in the garden) from the continual rehearsal of

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No particular posture of the body in prayer was enjoined, even under the law.* 2 Sam. vii. 18. then ' went king David in, and sat before Jehovah, and he said-' xii. 16. he lay all night upon the earth.' Psal. xcv. 6. O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before Jehovah our maker.' cxlix. 5. let them sing aloud upon their beds.' 1 Kings viii. 22. 'Solomon stood before the altar of Jehovah.' v. 54. 'he arose from kneeling on his knees.' See also 2 Chron. vi. 12, 13. xx. 5. Jehoshaphat stood in the v. 13. all Judah stood congregation of Judah-.' before Jehovah.' Dan. vi. 10. he kneeled upon his knees and prayed.' Luke xviii. 13. the publican standing afar off.'

Connected with the posture of the body, is the deportment to be observed in prayer. On this subject Paul says, 1 Cor. xi. 4. every man praying or prophesying having his head covered, dishonoureth

our daily orisons; which if a man shall kneel down in a morning, and say over, and presently in another part of the room kneel down again, and in other words ask but still for the same things as it were out of one inventory, I cannot see how he will escape that heathenish tautology of multiplying words, which Christ himself, that has the putting up of our prayers, told us would not be acceptable in heaven.' Animadversions upon the Remonstrant's Defence. I. 166.

*Adam and Eve are represented in Paradise Lost as praying, sometimes in a standing posture, sometimes kneeling, sometimes prostrate : Thus they, in lowliest plight repentant stood,

Praying. XI. I.

where all the commentators have mistaken the true import of the phrase. ..... Since I sought

By prayer the offended Deity to appease,

Kneel'd, and before him humbled all my heart-. Ibid. 148,

his head; but every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head.' Why was this? Because at that time covering the head was, with both sexes alike,* a token of subjection; on which account it was usual for men to pray or prophesy with their heads uncovered. Now, on the contrary, since the covering the head has become a token of authority, and the uncovering it of submission, it is the custom with most churches, especially those of Europe, in compliance not so much with the letter as with the spirit of the law (which is always to be preferred) to worship God uncovered, as being the mark of reverence prescribed by modern custom; but to prophesy covered, in token of the authority with which the speaker is invested; and likewise to listen to his instructions covered, as the deportment most emblematic, according to modern ideas, of our freedom and maturity as sons of God.† On the other hand, it will be easily inferred from hence, that in countries where the cold is intense, as Livonia or Russia, or where custom will not allow the head to be uncovered without great impropriety, as in Asia or Africa, it is allowable to pray covered; as has been shown by Cappellus in a learned note on this passage,‡ and by other commentators.

*She as a veil down to the slender waist

Her unadorned golden tresses wore

which implied

Subjection. IV. 304.

See 1 Cor. xi. 15. her hair is given her for a covering,' where the marginal reading is for a veil.

Severe, but in true filial freedom plac'd. Paradise Lost, IV. 293.

'Si forte in Livonia, Norvegia, Suedia, Moscovia, &c. hyberno tempore, capite adeoque et manibus tectis orant, ratio est manifesta; natura

With regard to the place of prayer, all are equally suitable.* 1 Tim. ii. 8. 'I will therefore that men pray every where.' For private prayer, a retired place

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is most proper. Matt. vi. 6. ' enter into thy closet.' xiv. 23. he went up into a mountain apart to pray.' To offer private prayer in public is hypocritical. Matt. vi. 5. they love to pray standing in the synagogues, and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men.' seen of men.' It was lawful however to offer private prayer in the sanctuary, and afterwards in the temple at Jerusalem, as in the instances of Hannah, David, and others, quoted above. Neither is there any time at which prayer may not be properly offered. Psal. cxix. 55. I have remembered thy name, O Jehovah, in the night.' v. 62. 'at midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee.' 164. 'seven times a day do I praise thee, because of thy righteous judgments.' Luke xviii. 1. men ought always to pray, and not to faint.' Eph. vi. 18. 'praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto-.' Col. iv. 12. 'always labouring fervently for you in prayers.' 1 Thess. v. 17. 'pray without ceasing.' The seasons most appropriate for prayer, however, are evening, morning, and noon-day. Psal. lv. 17. ‘evening and

V.

nempe cœli, ob aëris inclementiam, non patitur ut sint tum aperto capite : itaque etsi tum adversus Tè parèv hujus canonis forte faciunt non faciunt tamen adversus ejus mentem, et rationem qua nititur, consuetudinem nimirum civilem: nam tum apud eos ne supplices quidem caput forte aperire solent, aut inferiores coram superioribus, ob cœli, uti dixi, inclementiam stare.' Lud Capelli Spicilegium in 1 Cor. xi. 4. Compare however the whole passage, Sect. 1-15.

*To teach thee that God attributes to place

No sanctity, if none be thither brought

By men who there frequent, or therein dwell. Paradise Lost, XI. 836.

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morning and at noon will I pray, and cry aloud, and he shall hear my voice.' v. 3. my voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Jehovah; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee.' lxxxviii. 13. in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.' xcii. 1, 2. 'it is a good thing to give thanks unto Jehovah....to show forth thy loving-kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night.' cxix. 147. I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried.' v. 148. 'mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word.' Dan. vi. 10. he kneeled upon his knees three times a day.' Mark i. 35. 'in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.' Acts x. 9. 'Peter went up on the house-top to pray about the sixth hour.'

For ourselves or others; inasmuch as we are commanded not to pray for ourselves only, but for all mankind. 1 Tim. ii. 1-3. I exhort therefore that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men.' Particularly for the universal church and its ministers. Psal. xxviii. 9. save thy people, and bless thine inheritance.' See also iii. 8.* li. 18. 'do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion.' lxxiv. 2, &c. 'remember thy congregation.' cii. 13. thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion; for the time to favour her, yea, the set time is come.' cxxii. 6. ' pray for the peace of Jerusalem.' Matt. ix. 38. 'pray ye

therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send

*Super populum tuum sit benedictio tua maxime. Tremell. The precatory form is not preserved in our authorized translation; thy blessing is upon thy people.