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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66029	A discourse concerning the gift of prayer shewing what it is, wherein it consists, and how far it is attainable by industry, with divers useful and proper directions to that purpose, both in respect of matter, method, and expression / by John Wilkins, D.D. ; whereunto may be added Ecclesiastes, or, A discourse concerning the gift of preaching by the same authour.	Wilkins, John, 1614-1672.	1653 (1653)	Wing W2180; ESTC R7133	129,988	242

waters of the Sea that they may not passe over that they turn not again to cover the earth 10 Who sendeth the springs into the valleys which run among the hills 11 To give drink unto every beast of the field the wilde asses quench their thirst 13. Who watereth the hills from his chambers the earth is satisfied with the fruit of his works 14. Who causeth grasse to grow for the cattel and herbe for the service of man that he may bring forth food out of the earth 19. By whose appointment the Moon hath her seasons and the Sun knoweth his going down 24. O Lord how madifold are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches Ps. 111.9 Ps. 113.4 Holy and reverent is his Name Who is high above all Nations and his glory is above the Heavens Verse 6. Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in Heaven Ps. 139.2 Who knows our down-sitting and our up-rising and understandeth our thoughts afar off Verse 3. Who compasseth our path and our lying down and is acquainted with all our wayes Psal. 145.13 Whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and his dominion endureth throughout all generations Verse 17. Who is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his works Ps. 146.6 Who made Heaven and Earth the sea and all that therein is who keepeth tru●h for ever Act. 4.24 Verse 7. Who executeth judgement for the oppressed and giveth food for the hungry Prov. 21.30 31. Against whom there is no wisdome nor understanding nor counsel from whom alone safety must come Eccles. 12.14 Who will bring every work unto judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or evil Isa. 2.17 Before whom the loftinesse of man shall be bowed down the haughtines of men shall be made low Verse 19. And they shall go into the holes of the rocks and into the caves of the earth for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his Majesty when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth Isa. 6.2 Before whom the Seraphims do cover their faces Isa. 28.29 Who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working Isa. 40.12 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and meted out the heavens with a span and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountaines in scales and the hills in a ballance Isa. 40.15 Before whom the nations are as a drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of the ballance who taketh up the Isles as a very little thing Verse 17. All nations before him are as nothing and they are counted to him lesse then nothing and vanity 22. Who sitteth upon the Circle of the earth and the inhabitants thereof are as Grashoppers that stretcheth out the heavens as a Curtaine and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in 23. Who bringeth Princes to nothing and maketh the Judges of the earth as vanity Isa 41.14 15. Who can make the worme Jacob to thresh the mountaines and beat them small and make the hills as chaffe Isa. 42.5 Who created the Heavens and stretched them out who spreadeth forth the earth and that which cometh of it who giveth breath to the people upon it and spirit to them that walk therein Isa. 44 24. Who formed us from the wombe who maketh all things who stretcheth forth the Heavens alone and spreadeth abroad the earth by himselfe Verse 25. That frustrateth the tokens of liars and maketh diviners mad that turneth wise men backwards and maketh their knowledge foolish 26. That confirmeth the word of his servants and performeth the counsel of his messengers Isa. 46.10 Who can declare the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things that are not yet done whose counsel shall stand and he will do all his pleasure Isa. 48 12· Who is the first and the last whose hand hath laid the foundations of the earth and his right hand hath spanned the Heavens Isa. 50.2 At whose rebuke the sea is dried up and the rivers become a wildernesse their fish stinketh because there is no water and die for thirst Vers. 3. Who cloatheth the heavens with blacknesse and maketh sackcloth their covering Isa. 57 15· Who is the high and lofty one inhabiting eternity whose name is holy who dwelleth in the high and holy place Isai. 66.1 Who hath the heaven for his throne and the earth for his foot stool Jer. 10.10 The onely true and living God the everlasting King at whose wrath the earth doth tremble and the nations are not able to abide his indignation Vers. 12. Who made the earth by his power and hath established the world by his wisdome and stretched out the heavens by his discretion Jer. 11. ●0 The Lord of Hosts that judgeth righteously that tryeth the reins and the heart Jer. 17.10 Who giveth to every man according to his wayes and according to the fruit of his doings Jer. 23.24 From whom no man can hide himself that he shall not see him who fils heaven and earth Jer. 31.35 Who giveth the Sun for a light by day and the ordinances of the Moon and of the Stars for a light by night who divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar the Lord of Hosts is his name Jer. 31.17 Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched-out arme and there is nothing too hard for thee Vers. 18. Thou shewest loving kindnesse unto thousands and recompensest the iniquities of the fathers into the bosome of their children after them The great The mighty God the Lord of hosts is his name 19. Great in counsel and mighty in work for thine eyes are open upon all the wayes of the sons of men to give to every one according to his works and according to the fruit of his doings Jer. 51.15 Who made the earth by his power and established the world by his wisdome and hath stretched out the heavens by his understanding Dan. 5.23 In whose hands our breath is and whose are all our wayes Dan. 7.10 Whom there are thousand thousands that minister unto and ten thousand times ten thousands stand before him Am. 4.13 The Lord God of Hosts who formed the mountains and created the winde and declareth unto man what is his thought that maketh the morning darknesse treadeth upon the high places of the earth Am. 9.5 When he toucheth the land it shall melt and all that dwell therein shall mourne Vers. 6. Who buildeth his storehouse in the heavens and hath sounded his troop in the earth that calleth for the waters of the sea and poureth them out upon the face of the earth Hab. 1.13 Who is of purer eyes then to behold evil and cannot look upon iniquity Rom. 4.17 Who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things that be not as though they were Rom. 11.33 Whose judgements are unsearchable and his wayes past finding out Who is over all God blessed for ever Rom. 9.5 1 Cor

the Earth is thine thine is the Kingdome O Lord and thou art exalted as head above all Vers. 12. Both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all and in thine hand is power and might and in thine hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all 1 Chron. 16.27 Glory and honour are in his presence strength and gladnesse are in his place Neh. 9.5 Whose glorious name is exalted above all blessing and praise Vers. 6. Thou even thou art Lord alone thou hast made Heaven the Heaven of heavens with all their Host the earth and all things that are therein the seas and all that is therein and thou preservest them all and the Host of Heaven worshippeth thee Vers. 32. The great and mighty and terrible God who keepeth Covenant and mercy Job 4.18 Who chargeth his Angels with folly Job 5.9 Who doth great things and unsearchable marvellous things without number Vers. 10. Who giveth raine upon the Earth and sendeth waters upon the Fields 11 To set up on high those that be low that those which mourne may be exalted to safety 12 Who disappointeth the devices of the crafty so that their hands cannot performe their interprize 13 Who taketh the wise in their own craftinesse and the counsell of the froward is carried headlong 14 So that they meet with darknesse in the day-time and grope in the noon-day as in the night 15 But he saveth the poor from the sword and from their mouth and from the hand of the mighty Job 9.4 He is wise in heart and mighty in strength who hath hardened himself against him hath prospered Vers. 5. Which removeth the mountaines and they know not which overturneth them in his anger 6 Which shaketh the Earth out of her place and the pillars thereof tremble 7 Which commandeth the Sun and it riseth not and sealeth up the starres Vers. 8. Which alone spreadeth out the Heavens and treads upon the waves of the Sea c. Job 15.15 Who putteth no trust in his Saints yea the Heavens are not clean in his sight Job 26.6 Before whom Hell is naked and destruction hath no covering Vers. 7. Who stretcheth out the North over the empty place and hangeth the Earth upon nothing 8. Who bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds and the cloud is not rent under them 9. Who boldeth back the face of his throne and spreadeth his cloud upon it 10. Who hath compassed the waters with bounds untill day and night come to an end 11. The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproofe 12. Who divideth the Sea by his power and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud 13. Who by his Spirit hath garnished the Heavens and his hand hath formed the crooked Serpent Who is perfect in Knowledge Job 37.16 Vers. 22.23 With whom is terrible Majesty We cannot find him out he is excellent in Power and in Judgement and in plenty of Justice He respecteth not any that are wise of h●art Psal. 8.1 Whose Name is excellent in all the Earth who hath set his glory above the Heavens Psal. 33.6 By whose word the Heavens were made and all the Host of them by the breath of his mouth Vers. 7. Who gathereth the waters of the Sea together as an heap and layeth up the deeps in store-houses 8. That all the Earth might fear him and all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him 10. Who bringeth the counsel of the People to nought and maketh the devices of the people to be of none effect 11. Whos 's own counsel standeth for ever and the thoughts of his heart to all generations 13. Who looks down from Heaven and beholds all the sons of men 14. From the place of his habitation he looks upon all the inhabitants of the Earth 15. Fashioning their hearts alike and considering all their works Psal. 47 2. Who is the Lord most high and terrible a great King over all the Earth Psal. 57.5 Who is exalted above the Heavens and his glory above all the Earth Psal. 65.6 Who by his strength setteth fast the mountains being girded with power Vers. 7. Who stilleth the noise of the seas the noise of their waves an● the tumult of the people Psal. 66.5 Who is terrible in his doings towards the children of men Vers. 7. Who ruleth by his power for ever and his eyes behold the Nations Ps. 68.33 Who rideth upon the Heaven of heavens which were of old Psal. 72.2 Who shall judge the people with righteousnesse and the poor with judgement Vers. 11. All Kings shall bow down before him and all Nations shall do him service 17. Whose name shall endure for ever and be continued as long as the Sun and men shall be blessed in him and all Nations shall call him blessed 18 Who onely doth wondrous things Ps. 83.18 Whose name alone is Jehovah who is the most high over all the Earth Psal. 89.6 Who in the Heaven can be compared unto the Lord Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord Vers. 7. Who is greatly to be feared in the Assembly of his Saints and to be had in reverence of all those that are about him 8 O Lord God of Hosts who is a strong God like unto thee or to thy faithfulnesse round about thee 9 Thou rulest the raging of the Sea when the waves thereof arise thou stillest them 10 Thou scatterest thine enemies with thy strong arme 11 The Heavens are thine the Earth also is thine as for the world and the fulnesse thereof thou hast founded them 13 Thou hast a mighty arme strong is thine hand and high is thy right hand 14 Justice and Judgement are the habitation of thy throne mercy and truth shall go before thy face Psal. 95.3 Who is a great God and a great King above all gods Vers. 4. In whose hands are the deep places of the Earth the strength of the Hills is his also 5 The Sea is his and he made it his hands formed the dry land Psal. 96.6 Before whom are Honour and Majesty and in whose sanctuary are strength and beauty Psal. 99.2 Vers. 3. Who is great in Zion and high above all people Whose Name is great and terrible for it is holy 4 Who loveth judgement and doth establish equity executing judgement and righteousnesse in Jacob. Psal. 103.19 Who hath prepared his throne in the Heavens and his Kingdome ruleth over all Ps. 104.1 O Lord my God thou art very great thou art clothed with Honour and Majesty Verse 2. Who coverest thy self with light as with a garment Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain 3. Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters and maketh the clouds his charet and walketh upon the wings of the winde 4. Who maketh his Angels spirits his Ministers a flaming fire 5. Who laid the foundations of the Earth that it sheuld not be removed for ever 9. Who hath set a bound to the

Lord our 〈◊〉 may be upon us prospering the work of our hand 〈◊〉 Abrahams servant O Lord my God I beseech 〈◊〉 send me good speed this day and shew kindnes unto me c. It is he alone that must work all our works 〈◊〉 us and for us The way of man being not in himself neither is it in him that walketh to direct his steps that he would therefore lead us in the way that we should go teaching us to make straight paths to our feet and the rather because we are now fallen under a crooked and perverse generation that he would counsel and guide us in all our doubts and difficulties That he would enable us every day to poceed somewhat forward in our spiritual growth to get the mastery over our own evil hearts and affections To renue and practise all those holy purposes and resolutions which we have formerly made that proceeding from grace to grace we may at length come to be perfect in Christ Jesus 2. In our evening prayers we should likewise petition him for his particular protection over us the night following Because he hath commanded his loving kind●esse in the d●y time therefore in the night shall our song be with him and our prayer unto the Go● of our life It is the frailty of our natures to need a continual reparation of our strength by sleep But God is the Keeper of Israel who neither slumbreth nor sleepeth and therefore we should beseech him that he would wake for us watch over us for good Commanding his Angels to incamp round about us that we may not be afraid of any terrors by night but may lie down in peace and sleep and that he would make us to dwell in safety That he who gives his beloved sleep would refresh us with quiet rest That we may hear of his loving kindness betimes in the morning for in him is our trust That in the time of our waking he would fill our souls with the meditations of himself that he would teach us to commune with our own hearts upon our beds and be still To remember his all-seeing eyes that the darknesse hideth not from him but the night shineth as the day the darknes and light to him are bo●h alike That though perhaps we have foolishly wasted the day past amongst the many other dayes of our lives which he hath alotted for our repentance and amendment yet that he would still be graciously pleased out of his free bouty to continue his former protection and care over us to refresh us with sufficient rest that therby we may be enabled to do him better service in the duties of the following day Expressing our desires of commending our spirits and bodies into his hands who hath redeemed us and is the Lord God of truth That by our sleep this night we may be put in mind of our last sleep by death of the days of darkness which shall be many of that time which will shortly come when these our bodies shall be stretched on a bed of earth That when a few days are come we shall go into the place whence we shall not return That many go well to bed and never rise again till the day of judgement That every day which passeth over us does bring us neerer to our last day our dissolution and that dreadful judgement when we must give a strict account of all our actions and receive an eternal doom according to the works which we have done That these considerations may make us walk warily as being in continual expectation of the time of our departure That we may labour to grow better as we grow older that the neerer we come to our latter ends the neerer we may approach to him and his glory That if he hath determined to take us out of the world before we have another opportunity of approaching unto him in this holy duty that then he would be pleased to pardon our sins and save our souls CHAP. XXIV Concerning Intercession more General both Ordinary and Occasional NExt to praying for our selves we should likewise be careful to intercede for others because we are all fellow-members of one body And the members should have the same care one of another These Intercessions are either General Special Particular 1. General For the whole Catholick Church Militant here on earth dispersed over the face of the whole world That peace and mercy may be upon the Israel of God that he would give his Gospel a free and an effectual passage prospering it where it is and sending it where it is not that it may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men That his delight may be in mount Sion That he would grave her on the palmes of his hands and let her walls be continually before him that her builders may make haste and that he would cause her destroyers and such as would lay her waste to depart from her That he would be merciful unto all his elect people and blesse them and cause his face to shine upon them that his way may be known upon earth and his saving health among all Nations That he would enlarge the borders of Christs Kingdom and adde daily to the Church such as shall be saved Enlightening those that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death and guiding their feet into the way of peace And here we may derive arguments from those many promises that are made in Scripture to this purpose that he would give unto Christ the heathen for his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession That the mountain of the Lords house shall be established on the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and all Nations shall flow unto it That the whole earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea That the worme Jacob shall thresh the mountains and make the hills as chaffe Speaking of the Kingdom of Christ under he Gospel That all the ends of the earth should see the salvation of God That all the Kingdomes of the world should become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ. And to this purpose that he would afford the means that are requisit to this end that he would informe the ignorant reclaim the erroneous encourage the backward strengthen the weak binde up the broken succour the tempted comfort the sorrowful restore the sick deliver the prisoners relieve the needy break every yoke of the oppressour and hasten the coming of his Kingdome That he would sanctifie the several gifts distributed in the Church for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ Till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of

forget not the congregation of the poor for ever O let not the oppressed return ashamed let the poor and needy praise thy name Arise O God plead thine own cause c. We are become a reproach to our neighbours a scorn and derision to them that are round about us How long Lord wilt thou be angry for ever shall thy jealousie burn like fire O remember not against us our former iniquities let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low Help us O God of our salvation for the glory of thy name deliver us and purge away our sins for thy names sake O God the proud are risen against me and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul and have not set thee before them But thou O Lord art our God full of compassion gracious long-suffering plenteous in mercy and truth O turne unto me and have mercy upon me give thy strength unto thy servant and save the sonne of thine handmaid Shew me some token for good that they which hate me may see it and be ashamed because thou Lord hast holpen me and comforted me Arise O Lord and have mercy upon Sion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come 2. In times of Famine We should pray that our land may yield us bread without scarcenesse That he would not send upon us the evil arrowes of famine nor break our staffe of bread Nor take away our corne in the time thereof nor afflict us with cleannesse of teeth When men shall snatch on the right hand and be hungry and shall eat on the left hand and shall not be satisfied but every man shall eat the flesh of his own arme When we shall pine away and be stricken through for want of the fruits of the earth When we shall eat bread by weight and with care and drink water by measure and with astonishment When the land shall mourne and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish with the beasts of the field and the fowles of the Heaven When the husband-man shall be ashamed and the vine-dressers shall howle because the harvest of the field is perished The fig-tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the vine the labour of the Olive shall fail and the fields shall yield no meat the flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no heard in the stalls When we shall sowe much and bring in little when we shall eat and not have enough drink and not be filled cloath our selves and not be warme That he would according to his promise abundantly blesse our provision and satisfie our poore with bread That our Garners may be full and plenteous affording all manner of store That he would hear the Heavens and let them hear the Earth and the Earth hear the Corne and the Wine and the oyle and that they may hear his people Now because Famine is usually occasioned either by immoderate raine or drought therefore in our intercessions against this National judgement we may frame our Petitions more immediately against each of these as necessity shall require 1. Against immoderate raine That God would remember the Covenant which he hath made and though our wickednesse be very great upon the earth so that he might justly repent that he hath made us and now again resolve to destroy us from the face of the earth yet he hath promised that he will not any more cut off all flesh by the waters of a flood neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth That he would give us the former and the latter rain moderately and not punish us with a sweeping rain which leaveth no food 'T is he alone by whom the windows of Heaven are opened who giveth raine upon the earth and sendeth waters upon the fields Who cloatheth the Heavens with blacknesse and maketh sack-cloth their covering Who calleth for the waters of the Sea and poureth them out upon the face of the Earth He maketh small the drops of water they poure down raine according to the vapor thereof which the clouds do drop and distill upon men abundantly He covereth the light with clouds and commandeth it not to shine He commandeth the clouds from above and openeth the doors of Heaven That he would so order all those things which are at his disposal as that the earth may yield her increase and all the ends of the earth may fear him 2. Against Drought That he would open to us the good treasures of Heaven and give rain to our land in its season and blesse the labour of our hands He is the Father of the rain and does beget the drops of dew The bottles of heaven are at his command to open and shut them as he pleases He bindes up the waters in thick clouds and the cloud is not rent under them 'T is he that does stay the heaven over us from dew and the earth from his fruits Who doth with-hold the raine from us causing it to rain upon one City and not upon another It is by his command that the Vine-tree is dryed up and the Fig-tree languisheth and all the trees of the field are withered The seed is rotten under the clods the garners are laid desolate the barnes are broken down for the corne is withered the beasts groan and the herds of cattel are perplexed because they have no pasture and the flocks of sheep are made desolate 'T is at his command that the clouds do not raine upon us He makes the heavens over us to be brasse and the earth under us to be iron and the rain of our land to be powder and dust He causes the land to mourne and the herbs of every field to wither When the ground is chapt for want of rain when the plowmen are ashamed and cover their heads when the wilde Asses do stand in the high places and snuffe up the winde like Draggons and their eyes do faile because there is no grasse And therefore unto him it is that we must make our addresses for help and supply in all such exigences That when heaven is shut up and there is no rain because of our sins against him Yet if we shall pray unto him and confesse his name and turne from our sins when he afflicts us That then he would hear in heaven and forgive the sins of his servants and teach them the good way wherein they should walk and give rain unto the land which he hath bestowed upon them for an inheritance Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain or can the heavens give showers art not thou he O Lord our God therefore we will waite upon thee for thou hast made all these things That he would open the windows of heaven and cause the rain

of Prayer with the several degrees or ingredients of it are to be ascribed unto the Spirit of God as being the cheif donor of them 3. This gift of the Spirit is not barely by infusion but by assisting our endeavours by helping together with us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 collaborantes adjuvat He helpeth together with and over against us so the Original word does properly signifie as when another man sets to his shoulder to bear a part with us in the lifting of any burden We must put forth our best endeavours and then we shall not want his assistance The Spirit of God do's ordinarily work by means and 't is an old rule in Divinity Habitus infusi infunduntur per modum acquisitorum Infused habits are usually wrought in us after the same manner as acquired that is gradually and not without humane endeavour and cooperation In the Primitive times indeed when the Church was in its Infancy then the teat was put into their mouthes they were extraordinarily inspired with these gifts by immediate infusions without the usual means of study and labour but that Mannah was only for the Wildernesse when other common wayes could not be made use of whereas when the Church is grown up to the estate of Manhood and is possessed of the Land God does now expect that we should plow and sowe and eat the fruit of the Earth in the sweat of our browes that we should serve his Providence and depend upon him only in the use of means and as children do not learne to speak distinctly but after many trials so neither can a Christian be able as he should to cry Abba Father till he has bestowed some time and experience in the learning of it CHAP. II. Two extreams that make men defective in this Gift Confining themselves wholly to set-formes Depending wholly upon sudden suggestions FRrom what hath been already said 't is easie to inferre that there are two extreams which usually hinder men from a proficiency in this Gift 1. When they so confine themselves to the help of books and particular set-formes as not to aime at or attempt after any farther improvement of their own knowledge and abilities in this kind 2. When men depend altogether upon sudden suggestions as if it were a quenching or confinement of the Spirit to be furnished beforehand with matter or expressions for this service Unto those that erre in the first kinde I would suggest these considerations First by way of concession As for those weaker Christians and new Converts who have not their hearts enlarged with an ability to expresse their own wants and desires 't is both lawful and convenient for such to help themselves not onely in their families but even in their secret performance of this dutie by the use of some good book or prescribed form untill by farther endeavour and experience they may attain unto some measure of this gift Such persons may perhaps finde oftentimes their own case and condition more pithily and affectionately set down in a prayer penn'd by another then they are able to expresse it themselves And if the use of such a form do prove a means to warm their affections and enkindle their graces certainly then it cannot be justly stiled a quenching of the Spirit 'T is not essential unto the nature of prayer that it be either read or rehearsed by memory or by immediate and sudden suggestion these things being such circumstantiall adjuncts as have not any absolute intrinsecall necessity or unlawfulnesse but rather that it be delivered with understanding and suitable affections with humility and confidence and an inward sense of our conditions Nor is there any great difference as they are considered in themselves betwixt repeating by memory and reading out of a Book the memory being but a kinde of invisible Book for the register of our thoughts though in this case it should be specially remembred that in the use of such prescript formes to which a man has been accustomed he ought to be narrowly watchfull over his own heart for fear of that lip-service and formality which in such cases we are more especially exposed unto This I thought good to premise for the removall of prejudice on the one hand But now in the second place for any one so to set down and satisfie himself with his Book-Prayer or some prescript form as to go no farther this were still to remain in his Infancy and not to grow up in his new nature This would be as if a man who had once need of crutches should alwayes afterwards make use of them and so necessitate himself to a continual impotence 'T is the duty of every Christian to grow and increase in all the parts of Christianity as well gifts as graces to exercise and improve every holy gift and not to stifle any of ●hose abilities wherewith God has endowed them Now how can a man be said to live suitable unto these rules who does not put forth himself in some attempts and endeavours of this kinde and then besides how can such a man suit his desires unto several emergencies What one sayes of counsel to be had from books may be fitly applied to this Prayer by book That 't is commonly of it self something flat and dead floating for the most part too much in generalities and not particular enough for each severall occasion There is not that life and vigour in it to engage the affections as when it proceeds immediately from the soul it self and is the natural expression of those particulars whereof we are most sensible And if it be a fault not to strive and labour after this gift much more is it to jeer and despise it by the name of ex tempore Prayer and praying by the Spirit which expressions as they are frequently used by some men by way of reproach are for the most part a sign of a prophane heart and such as are altogether strangers from the power and comfort of this duty Whereas 't is commonly objected by some that they cannot so well joyn in an unknown form with which they are not beforehand acquainted I answer that 's an inconsiderate objection and does oppose all kinde of formes that are not publikely prescribed As a man may in his judgement assent unto any divine truth delivered in a Sermon which he never heard before So may he joyn in his affections unto any holy desire in a Prayer which he never heard before If he who is the mouth of the rest shall through imprudence deliver that which we cannot approve of God does not look upon it as our Prayer if our desires do not say Amen to it If it be again objected that this ability of praying without Book may perhaps be fit for Ministers and such as are of more eminent learning and knowledge but is not to be expected from others I answer 't is true such persons are more especially concerned in this Gift and 't is the greater fault and shame