PRFPACY+.. S7 In speaking of the spiritof prayer, I have tried to obviate all controversies that have arisento trouble thechurch, by giving what appeared to me the most natural expositionof the chief scriptures that refer to this matter ; and supetadding a reasonableand intelligible account of what hand the Spirit of God may be supposed to have in assisting his people in this part of worship. At the end of these.chapters 1have laid downmany rules borrowed from rea- son, observation, and holy scripture, how every Christian may in some degree attain thesedesirable blessings ; and 1 have concluded the whole, with a hearty persuasive to covet the best gifts, and seek after the most excellent way of the performance of this duty. Perhaps some personsmaywonder, that in a treatise that professes to teach the skill of prayer, I should not once recommend the praye0bat our Lord taught his disciples as a perfect pattern for all Christians. But it ismy opinion, that divine wisdom gave it for other purposes ; and if this treatise meet with acceptance in the world, I may hereafter venture to expose toy sentiments on the Lord's-prayer, if God shall ever give me health to review and finish them, with a short essay or two on the personal ministry of Christ upon earth, which are proper to be joined with them. These institutions were at first composed for the use of a private society of younger men, who were desirous to learn to pray, and this may excuse the stile and way of address in some partsof the discourse. It has lain silent by me several years, and resisted many a call to appear in public, in hopes of being more polished before its first appearance. But when I shall have health and leisure to dress all my thoughts to the best advantage, that God only knows, whose hand has long confined me. I am convinced at last, that it is better forme to do something for God, though itbe attended with imper- fections, than beguilty of perpetual delays in hopes of better pleasing myself. Afterall the care I have taken to avoid controversy, and express myself in such a way as might not be justly offensive to any sober christains ; yet if I should prove so unhappy, asto say any thing disagreeable tothe sentiments of some of my younger readers. I must entreat them not to throw away the whole treatise, and deprive themselves of all the benefit they mightobtain by other partsof it. Nor should they load the whole book with reproaches and censures, lestthereby they prevent others from reapingthose advantages toward converse with God, which the more inoffensive pages might convey. An. unwary censure, or a rash and hasty word thrown upon a discourse, or a sermon, a preacher, or a writer, bath sometimes done more disservice to religion, than could ever be recompensed by many recantations. Permit therefore the little book, that has an honest design to teach creatures to hold correspondencewith their God, permit it to do all the service that it can. Had I found any treatise that had answered my design, I had never givenmyself the trouble ofwriting this at first, nor ventured toexpose it now. There are indeed several well- composed forms of devotion in the world, writ- ten by ministers of-the conformist, and nonconformist .persuasion ; and these are of excellent use to instruct us in the matter and language of prayer, if we maintain our holy liberty, and do not tie our thoughts down to the words of men. Mr. Henry's method of prayer is a judicious collection of scrip- tures, proper to theseveral parts of that duty. Mr. Mundy has composed a volume of addresses to God, which he calls Closet Devotions on the Princi- pal Heads of Divinity, in the Expressions of Scripture. Both these, if rightly used, will afford happy assistance to the humble and serious worship-
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