PREFACE. 315 forms of prayer, I know not any one who has declared all forms to be unlaw- ful. The reverend and learned Dr. Owen himself, who, perhaps; was as zealous as any man in this matter, has freely expressed himself in these words, viz. To compose and write firms of prayer, to be directive and doctrinal helps unto oihers as to the matter and method to be used in the right dis- charge of this duty, is lawful, and may in some cases be useful: and that To read, considerand meditateupon such written prayers, or to make use of expressions set down in them, where the hearts of these that read them are really affected, because they find their state and condition, their wants and desires declared in them, is not nnlanfit, but may be of good use untosome. And as the private religionof some persons has suffered for want of such assistance, so I am well assured, that one reason why there are so many prayerless families in the nation, even where the governors of those families are truly religious, is because they find they are not capable, or have not courage to express themselves in morning and evening prayer, in the midst of their families, in 's proper and edifying manner ; and yet, through some mistaken principles in their education, they have been taught to abandon all the assistances they might derive from such religious composures. I would not willingly believethat anywise and pious person would abhor, and censure all matinee of forma of prayer when used in a pious and prudent way. What it the master of a family took some well written prayers, as directive in the matter and method for the right dischargeof this duty, (as Dr. Owen expresses it,) andmade use of the expressionsset down in them, where the state andcon - dition, wantsand desires of his family were declared, and then added and al- tered, or omitted or enlarged, according to present occasions ? I ant sure this . practice would he far better than to let familiesgo on from year to year, with- out any prayer in them at all. 1 wish all serious minds would take this mat- ter into further consideration. But to pass this by at present: let the case stand as it will with regard to grown persons, yet it is certain that most of the children, who have never been taught any little prayers, in their younger years, grow up too far in life void in Practical religion, and without a serious and particular acknowledg- ment of God our Creator and our Saviour: It has been certainly the case of some children, and perhaps of multitudes, that they would fain have begun more early to address the great God in prayer; if they had known what to say. Whereas those who have been trained up in the use of such helps as these, have learned betimes the language of prayer; and this would be much more happily effected, if they were not confined to one net form, but were furnished with a variety of assistances, and if they were taught to use that variety, in a proper manner, for the exercise of their own thòughts in devotion, and for their acquiring a readiness to ex- press the pious workingof their own hearts thereby. I grant there may have been such times and seasons, wherein the Spirit of God has been poured out so plentifully as a spirit of supplication, and that on children, as well as persons of riper years, as would render such helps as these unnecessary : and would to God that such a season would return again, that our ears, might hear these pleasing wonders, and our hearts feel the overflowing delight of such heavenly devotions ! but in such a degenerate age as this, wherein the bleesed Spirit is greatly with- drawn from the church of God, all the assistances we can obtain, are lit- tle enough to uphbld and promote serious religion : And if any persons bave ever any need of such aids as these, the children and youth of this generatión have the most need of them ; and I am 'sure, l am not alone in this opinion. It is in this view of things, that I have complied with the repeated importunities of some of my friends, ;end sent these little eoa;posues into the world. The methods and rules which 1 have laid down to myself, and according to which I have framed them, were these : x 2
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=