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join fo often. The fewer need it, the better: but those who do it, it is of Importance to affift. For with the more Understanding we pray, with the more Pleasure and Earneftness we shall pray. And as on our Praying, as we ought, depends our obtaining God's Grace and Bleffing; fo on that depends our only true Comfort in this World, and our eternal Happiness in the

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SERMON VII.

I COR. xiv. 15.

-I will pray with the Spirit, and I will pray with the Understanding also: I will fing with the Spirit, and I will fing with the UnderStanding alfo.

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ROM these Words I have proposed to discourse on the two following Subjects.

I. That good Christians are affisted by the holy Ghoft, in offering up their Petitions and Praises to God. I will pray with the Spirit: I will fing with the Spirit.

II. That we should be very folicitous rightly to apprehend the Sense and Fitness of what we say and do in his Prefence. I will pray, I will fing, with the Understanding alfo.

The former of thefe Heads I have finished:

and after proving its Truth, I made it

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Endeavour to prove further, that this Aid from above is not fuch, as to afford any Argument against ufing public Forms of Prayer; of which I fhewed you both the Lawfulnefs and the Expediency: anfwering, at the fame Time, fome general Objections against our own established Form; but referving the more particular ones for the fecond Head: under which I promised to vindicate the principal Things, which have been blamed in the ftated Offices of our Liturgy; to explain fuch as may feem hard to underftand, or liable to be misunderstood; and direct your Attention to fuch, as you may not otherwise observe fufficiently. To this I fhall now proceed, following the Order of the Book.

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But it will be proper first to take Notice of the laudable Cuftom, that every one, who comes to join in the Devotions of our Church, fhould perform, at his Entrance into his Place, a short preparatory Act of Worship in private. Now this, as well as every Thing elfe, ought to be done with Understanding; not to be an unmeaning Formality, in ignorant Compliance with common Practice; but a ferious Addrefs: to God, that he would enable and incline us to attend in fuch Manner to what we are about to hear, and say, and do, that we may honour and

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pleafe Him, edify our Fellow-Worshippers, benefit and finally fave our own Souls. For which Purpose, either these very Words, which I have mentioned, may be used; or any others of the like Import, chofen by ourselves; or, as perhaps is more ufual, thofe expreffive and excellent ones, that conclude the 19th Pfalm: Let the Words of my Mouth, and the Meditation of my Heart, be acceptable in thy Sight, O Lord, my Strength, and my Redeemer. Only, whatever our Expreffions are, we should be extremely careful not to make so very bad a Beginning, as to put up this previous Request either thoughtlessly or infincerely. And the fame Care should employ our Minds throughout the whole. For that End, we should avoid, as much as we can, all necdlefs, but abfolutely all light and ludicrous Converfation, even before the Service begins. And after it is begun, the fewer of the more tranfient Intercourses of Civility are exchanged, the better. For furely they make a very unfuitable Mixture with the awful Words, which we are hearing, or perhaps repeating, at the fame Time: and muft in fome Degree take off our Attention from them. Nor will it be a lefs Hindrance of our Devotion, to remark over curiously, what other Per

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