Direa. 274 The G'ofpel-IlÏyliery . I3I, than not at all. It is uncharitable, to take away crutches, or wooden legs, from lame people : yet hone will look upon them but as dead helps. I fay, it is utterly unlawful to bind ourfelves to any form ; becaufe none can anfwer the duty fitly, and fuitable to particular occafions, Eph. vi. 18. Phil. iv. 6. john <zv. 7. t Theff. v. 18. Eph. v. 20. You muff make the whole fcripture your common prayer- book, as the primitive church did; being the language of the Spirit, reaching all occ:afiona and conditions, and fit- teft to fpeak to God in. And, if you ufe a form, you muff follow it by the Spirit, farther than the form goes, according as he (hall guide you by the word; or elfe you quench the Spirit, r Thefl v. 19. If you knew the principles of prayer, and have a lively fenfe of your necellities, and hearty delires of God's grace and mercies, you will be able to pray without forms,ancl your afieCions will bring forth words out of the fulnefs of your heart; And you need not be over folicitous and timorous about words: for doubt- lefs, the Spirit, who is the help to us in fpeaking to men, will alfo much more help us to fpeak to God, if we delire it, t Cor. is g. Mark xiii. t r. Luke xii. r x, [2.. And God regards not eloquent words, nor artificial compofure ; neither need we regard it in private prayer, Ifa. Xxviii. 14. If you limit your- felf to forms, You will thereby grow formal, and li- mit the Spirit. 7. Another means appointed of God, is Pinging of pfalms, i. e. fongs of any facred fubje6t, compet- ed, to a tune, hymns or fongs of praife, and fpiritual fongs, ofany fublime fpiritual manner, as Pfalm. zlv and the Song of Solomon. God bath commanded it in the New Teftarnent; Col. Hi: 16. Eph. v. 19. though, now in thefe days, many queftion whether it be an ordinance or no. And there were many commands for it under the Old Tellament, Pfalna cxlix. r, 2, 1. xcvi: r . and c. Mofes and the children of ifrael fang before David's time, Exod. xv. Da- vid compofed pfalms by the Spirit, to be fung pub-
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