SECTION III. 25 II.--can never lie under the suspicion of being a dissenter. This noble writer, in a little book under a borrowed character, gives us his own sentiments of things. He tells ús, that he is,far from relishing the impertinent wanderings of those who pour out long prayers upon the congregation, and all from their own stock, toó often a barren soil, which produces weeds instead of flowers, and by this means they expose religion itself rather than 'promotemen's devotion : on the other side, there may be too great a restraint put upon menwhom God and naturehave distinswished from their fellow-labourers, by blessing them with, a happier talent, and by giving them not only good sense, but a powerful utterance too; this has enabled thei,e to gush out Upon the atten- tive auditory with a mighty stream of devout and unaffected eloquence. When a man sò qualified, endued with learning too, asid above all adorned with a good life, breaks out into a warm- andwell delivered prayerbefore his sermon, it has the appearance of adivine rapture; he raises and leads the hearts of the assem, ßly in another manner than the most composed or liest studied focus of set words can ever do; and the Pray we's, who serve up all their sermons with the sanie garnishing, would look like so many statues, or men of straw in the pulpit, compared with those who speak with such'a powerful zeal, that Men are tempted at the visaient to believe heaven itself has dictated their words to them. But I retal myself from running out too largely on this point. 5iy present business is to enquire of you, my friends, bow stands the case -with your spirits in public worship, who are not confined to the weekly rehearsúl of these religious forms ? What do you more- than others ? Are you more lively in the freer addresses of your souls to heaven without a confinement to set words and phrases ? Are your spirits more humble, and your devotional thoughts in warmer exercise, while you are adoring the great and blessed God in a larger variety of lan- guage? Are your hearts more deeply affected with a sense of sin in your free confessions? Are you more fervent while you join in your petitions for pardoning mercy, for sanctifying grace, tin deliverance from temptations, and assistance to perform duty ? Are your spirits more importunate in pleading at the throne of grace ? Is your love and gratitude more exalted in our more unconfined methods of thanksgiving and praise ? , Does your zeal and joy rise higher. in blessing the name of the Lord your fiadand-Jesus-your Saviour ? In a word, are you more devout and spiritual in the house of prayer ? Are you more free from that dulness, that indifference, that formality which you complain. of, and which you profess to fear under the use of a constant form ? If you content yourselves with cold and lazy devotions, with thoughtless or wandering hearts in the place of worship,
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