PREFACE. 321 to him. This is the usual way whereby mothers teach their young children to get any lesson by heart : And I cannot but think that these young essays of devotion, practised in this manner, would be very pleasing to God ; and the infant wor- shippers would be accepted at themercy-seat, through the intercession of Jesus our great Htghpriest. It is net our own composing of a prayer, nor the reading of a prayer composed, nor the saying of it over without book, or repeating it after another, that is either necessary or sinfúl in itself: But it is the under- standing and inward desire andaffection accompanying the words, that renderthe work of prayerpleasing to God : And it is the east of that understanding, desire and affection, that will spoil all pretences to devotion, whether the words be read or said without book. Yet I must own, it is far better to get such prayers by heart, than always to continue reading them, upon many accounts: For by this means, children will be able to pray at any time, when they have no book near them, or when they are in the dark and cannot see to read. Hereby also children will treasure up a variety of sacred matter and devout language, which will furnishtheir minds . for prayer in their growing years, and will be afterward of use to them upon all occasions; for, as .1 have intimated. before, so I repeat it again, I would not, by any means, confine persons to any set forms, whensoever they are capable of praying pertinently without them; but I would willingly help them onward, to attain thiscapacity, at the same time that I assist the devotions of their childhood. And may the good Spirit of God, make these composures useful to draw the hearts of children, near to the throne of grace, And to train up their tender age in a constant course of religious worship, till he shall instruct them to pour out their souls before God in more free and various addresses, according to the variety of their occasions and circumstances 1 And may our lips and our souls, at all ages of life, converse with God by prayer, with fervency and divine profit, in this sinful world of wants and sorrows, till we arrive at the happy regionsof joy and praise ! Amen. al
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