CHAPTER II. 129 :Spirit of God in praying and preaching will often bless the use of his own languages and I am persuaded, this is one way whereby the Spirit helps our infirmities, and becomes a Spirit of supplication in us, by suggesting to us particular passages of scripture, that are useful to furnish us both with matter and ex- pression in prayer. The most authentic judge of fine thought and language that our age has produced, assures us of the beauty and glory of the style of scripture, and particularly in this respect, that it is most proper to teach us how to pray. I cannot forbear tran- scribing this paragraph from the Spectator, June JJ, 1712. " It happens very well, says he, that the Hebrew idioms run into the English tongue with a peculiar grace and beauty : our language has received innumerable elegancies and improvements from that infusion ofhebraisins, which are derived to it out of the poe- tical passages of holy writ; they give a force and energy to our expressions, warm and animate our language, and convey our thoughts in more ardent and intent phrases, than any that are to be met with in our own tongue ; there is something so pathetic in this kind of diction, that it often sets the mind in a flame, and makes our hearts burn within us. How cold and dead, saitlt hè, doth a prayer appear that is composed in the most elegant and polite forms of speech whichare natural to our tongue, when it is not heightened by that solemnity of phrase which maybe drawn from the sacred writings ? It liss been said by some of theancients, that if the Gods were to talk with men, they would certainly speak in Plato's style ; but I think we may say with jus- tice, that when mortals conversewith their Creator, they cannot do it in so proper astyle as that of theholy scripture." It would be of excellent use to improve us in the gift of prayer, if in our daily reading the word of God we did observe what expressions were suited to the several parts of this duty; adoration, confession, petition, or thanksgiving : and let them be wrought into our addresses to Gott that day. Nay, if we did 'but remember one verse every day, and fix it into our hearts by frequent meditation, and work it into our prayers morning and evening, it would in time grow up to a treasure of divine sense and language, fit to address our Maker upon all occurrences of life. And it has been observed, that persons of mean capacity, and no learning, have attained to a good measure of this holy skill of prayer, merely by having their minds well furnished with words of scripture ; and have been able to pour out their hearts before God in a fluency of proper thoughts and language, to the shame of those that have been blessed with brighter parts, and bave enjoyed the advantage of a learned education. Yet I would lay down two cautions about the use of scripture-language. One is, That we should not affect tomuch to impose an Vor.. v. I
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