118 A GUIDE TO PRAYER. hardly know how to frame a prayer before Goa of ourselves, it has been oftentimes useful to take a book in our hand, wherein are contained some spiritual meditations in a petitionary form, some devout reflections, or excellent patterns of prayer ; and above all, the psalms of David, some of the prophecies of Isaiah, some chapters in the gospels, or any of the epistles. Thus we may lift up our hearts to God in secret, in short requests, adora- tions or thanksgivings, according 'as the verses or paragraphs we read are suited to the case of our own souls. This has ob- tained the name of mixedprayer; of which there is a farther account under the fifth head of the last chapter. This many christians have experienced as a very agreeable help, and of great advantage in their secret retirement; that when they could not of themselves speak a prayer to God they could yet interline what they read with holy breathings towards God with fervent petitions ; andby this means they have found their souls warmed, and oftentimes in the sight of 'God have performed this duty more agreeably in this method than other persons of a larger and -more extensive gift with greater 'furniture of matter, and much fluency of language. Nor can I disapprove of what Bishop Wilkins says concerning secret prayer, viz. - That it it not al- ways necessary here that a man should still keep on in a continuedframe of speech ; but in private devotions a man may take a greater freedom both for his phrase and matter': he may sometimes be at a stand, and make a pause, theremay be intermissions and blank spaces in respect of speech, wherein by meditation he may recover new matter to continue in this duty -VI. Rule. If you find your heart so very dry and unaffected with the things of religion, that you can say nothing at all tó God in prayer, that you have no divine matter occurs to your thoughts, go and fall down humbly before God, and tell him with a grievous coniplainti that you can say nothing to him, that you can do nothing but groan and cry before him ; go and tell him, that without his Spirit you cannot speakone expraessiony that without immediate assistances from his grace, you cannot proceed in this worship ;, tell him humbly, that he must lose a morning or evening sacrifice, if he condescend not to send down fire from heaven upon the altar. Plead with him earnestly for his own Spirit, if it be but in the languageof sighs and tears ; beg that he would never suffer your heart to be so hard, nor your soul to be so empty of divine things : that he Would not only now, but at all times, furnish you for so glorious a work as this of converse with himself; andGod knows the mind of his own Spirit, and he hears those groanings that cannot be uttered, and he understands their language, when the soul is as it were imprisoned, and shut up that. it cannot vent itself; our heavenly
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