90 A GUIDE TO PRAYER. abilities God has bestowed upon us.' III. 'As it must be attended with the exercise of our graces. IV. As we are _assisted in it by,the Spirit of God : and, V. Conclude all with an earnest address to christians to seek after this holy skill of converse with God. CHAPTER I.The Nature of Prayer. In the discourse of prayer considered as a duty of worship required of us, that we may understand the whole nature of it better, let it be divided into its several parts ; and I think they may he all included in these following, namely, Invocation, ado.. ration, confession, petition, pleading, profession or self-dedica- tion, thanksgiving, and blessing; of each of which I shall speak particularly. SECTION I. Of Invocation. QR The first part of prayer is invocation, or calling upon God, and it may include in it these three things : 1. A making mention of one or moreof the names or titles of. God ; and thus we do as it were bespeak the person to whom we pray : as youhave abundant instances in the prayers that are delivered down to us in holy scripture, O Lord my God, most high and most holy God and Father. O God of Israel, that dreellest between the eherubims. Almighty God and everlast- ing King. Our Father which art in heaven. O God, that keepest covenant; and several others. 2. A declaration of our desire and design to worship him. Unto thee do we lift up our souls. We draw near unto thee as our God. We come into thy presence. We that are but dust and ashes take upon us to speak to thy Majesty. We bow ourselves before thee in humble addresses, or such like. And here it may not be amiss to mention briefly one or two general expressions of our own unworthiness. 3. A desire of his assistance and acceptance, under a sense ofour own insufficiency and unworthiness, in such language as this is ; Lord, quicken us tocall upon thy name. Assist us by thy Spirit in our access to thy mercy seat. Raise our hearts towards thyself. Teach us to approach thee as becomes creatures, and do thou draw near to us as a God of grace. Hearken to the, voiceof my cry, my King and my God, for unto thee will I pray Ps. v. 2. in which words you have all these three parts of invocation expressed. SECT. II. Of Adoration. The second part of prayer is adoration, or honour paid to God by the creature ; and itcontains these four things :
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