I2! A GOIDE TO PRAYER. or not suited to the Purpose." Those persons that profess tó pray without observing any method at all, if they are very acceptable and affecting to others in their güt, do certainly use a secret and A natural method, and proper connexions of one thing with ano- tltr, though they themselves have not laid, down any rule tó themselves for it, nór take notice of the order of their own prayers. The general rules of method inprayer, which I would recommend to you, are these three: I. Let the general and the particular heads in prayer be well distinguished, and usually let generals be mentioned first, end particulars follow : As for example, in adorationwe acknow- ledge, that God is all over glorious in his nature, self-sufficient anti all-sufficient, and we mention this with the deepest reverence, and universal abasement of soul ; and then we. descend to praise him for his particular attributes of power, wisdom, goodness, &c. and exercise our particular graces accordingly. So in con- fession, the first acknowledge ourselves vile sinners, corrupt by nature, and of the same sinful 'mass with the rest of mankind, and then we confess our particular iniquities, and our special guilt. So in our petitions, we pray first for the churches of Christ all over the world, and his interest and his gospel ihroughcut the earth, and then we petition for the churches in this nation, in this city, or that particular church of Christ to which we belong. Sometimes indeed there is a beauty also in summing up all the particulars at last in one general ; as when We have praised God for his several perfections to the utmost of our capacity, we cry out, Lord, thou art exalted above all our praises; thou art altogether great and glorious. Or, when we have confessed several particular sins, we fall down before God, at persons that are all over defiled and guilty. When we have petitioned for particular mercies, we then ask that God who is table to do for as above what we can ask or Mink, that he would bestow all other comforts, and every blessing that he knows needful for us. But 'still this rule must be observed, that ge- neral and particular heads ought to be so distinguished, as to . make our method of prayer natural and agreeable. Il. Let things of the same kind, for the most part be put together in prayer. We should not run from One part to another, by starts and suddenwild thoughts and then return often to the saute part again, goingbackward and forward inconfusion : this bewilders the mind of him that prays, disgusts our fellow -wor- Shippers and injures their devotion. This will lead us into vain ielíetltion.s, and we shall loseourselves in the work. Yet I would give this limitation, that sometimes the saine matter may come in naturally, under two or three parts of prayer; and be properly disposedof in two or three places by a judicious worshipper. As the mention of some of the attributes of God under the head of aidoration, where we praise him for his ownperfections : and un-
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