CHAPTER II. 149 will sometimes produce so glorious a fluency and variety of pertinent and moving expressions, and all in so just a method, as makes it appear the man is carried beyond himself, and would be straitened and cramped by a careful attendance to rules. See then that the graces of prayer are at work in your souls with power ; let this be your first and highest care ; and by a sweet influence this will lead you to a natural and easy perform- ance of this duty, according to most ofthe particular rules I have given, even without a nice' and exact attendance to them. So without attendance to the rules of art, a-man may sometime=, in a very musical humour, strike out some inimitable graces and flourishes, and charm all that hear him. II. Among ministers, and among your fellow-christians, observe those that have the most edifying gifts, and with regard to the matter, method, expression, voice, and gesture, endea- vour to imitate them who are more universally approved of, and the exercise of whose talents are most abundantly blessed, to excite and maintain the devotion of all their fellow-worshippers. And at the same time also take notice of all the irregularities and indecencies that any persons are guilty of in this worship, in order to avoid themwhen you pray. III. Use all proper means to obtain a manly presence of mind, and holy courage, in religious performances. Though excess of bashfulness be a natural infirmity, yet if indulged in such affairs, it may become very culpable. There have been manyuseful gifts buried in silence, through a sinful bashfulness in the person endowed with them : and generally all persons, when they first begin to pray in public, feel something of this weakness, for want of a due presence of mind ; and it bath had different effects. Some persons have lost that due calmness and temper which should govern their expressions ; and have been driven on to the end of their prayer. like a school-boy hurrying his lesson over, or a larum set a running, that could not stop till it was quite down. Others have hesitated at every sentence, and, it may be, felt a stop in their speech, that they could utter no more. Others again, whose minds have been well furnished and prepared, havelost their own scheme of thoughts, and made poor work at first, through mere bashfulness. I grant, that courage, and a degree of assurance, is a na- tural talent; but it may also in a great measure be acquired by the use of proper means : I will here mention a few of them :- 1. Get above the shame of appearing religious; that you may be dead to the reproaches of a wicked world, and despise the jests and scandal that are cast upon strict godliness;-2 Make religious conversation your practice and delight. If you are but inured to speak to men concerning the things of God without blushing, you will be enabled to speak to God in the pre- x 3
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