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DISCOURSE

ΟΝ

PRAYER.

CHA P. I.

Concerning the Meaning of the Word, Prayer.

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$ Prayer is an Act of religious Worship, and a CHRISTIAN Duty, I fhall, First, Enquire into the several Acceptations of the Word in Scripture.-Sometimes it is us'd in a limited Senfe, fignifying a Part, or Parts, of the general Duty; at other Times it comprehends the whole of the Duty; of both which Senfes I fhall give fome Inftances.—At the 6th of St. Math. v. 7, 8, it is used to fignify that Part of Prayer which we call Petition, or craving Bleffings, whether Temporal, or Spiritual. "But ye when ye pray, ufe not vain Repeti"tions, as the Heathens do, for they think they "fhall be heard for their much Speaking. Be "not ye, therefore, like unto them, for your "Father knoweth what Things ye have need "" of before ye afk him." From which Words

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it is clear that our Saviour, in this Place, fpeaks of their afking fuch Mercies as they, themfelves, did need; tho' when he delivered that Form which we call the Lord's Prayer, in the next Words, he gave it as a Prayer, itself, and a Pattern of all other Prayers, both for ourselves, and others, even all Mankind. Again, Math. xxi, 22. "Whatever ye fhall ask in Prayer, believing, ye fhall receive." In which Place our Saviour manifeftly speaks of that Part of Prayer which we call Petition for a Supply of their own perfonal Neceffities. I fhall cite but one Inftance more of this kind. Math. xxvi, 39. "And he went a little farther, and fell on his Face, and prayed, faying, O! my Father, "if it be poffible, let this Cup pafs from me, neverthelefs, not my Will, but thine be done." Now this is called Prayer, tho' our Saviour did at that Time, evidently pray for himself only.-In other Places Prayer fignifies that Part of the Duty which we call Interceffion, or begging God's Mercies for others. Thus Math. v, 44. "Pray for them which defpitefully ufe you, "and perfecute you. And as Prayer, in the Places abovecited, is ufed to fignify Petition for Bleffings for ourselves, or others, fo elsewhere it fignifies Praife, or Thanksgiving. Thus, Eph. j. 15, 16. "Whereas I, alfo, after I heard of "your Faith in the Lord Jefus, and Love to all "the Saints, ceafe not to give Thanks for you "making mention of you in my Prayers, I for bear to trouble the English Reader with the original Greek, but the fame Word is used in all these

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thefe Places. But, farther, fometimes it fignifies a vocal, at other Times a mental Prayer Firft, vocal, or that which is utter'd by Words, thus, Acts xx. 36. "And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them al" And, confequently, he prayed aloud, for, otherwife, none could have join'd with him.By mental Prayer I understand the Soul's fpeaking to God inwardly, without expreffing itfelf by Words, or articulate Sounds. Thus Hannah prayed, 1 Sam. i. 13. "She fpake in her Heart,

only her Lips moved, but her Voice was not "heard."-Now, that this was Prayer, is evident from what the fpake to God, which, doubtlefs, was a Petition for a Son; which Petition is, as I have already fhewn, a Prayer. Again, The Word fignifies the Prayer of a fingle Perfon, or of a whole Congregation. Thus our Bleffed Lord prayed by himself alone, Math xxvi, 42, 44That of a whole Congregation, at the 21st of the Acts. v. 5; where we read that St. Paul, and the Difciples of Tyre, kneel'd down on the Shore and prayed.

Having cited feveral Paffages of Scripture, where the Word Prayer is us'd in a limited Senfe, fignifying fome Part, or Parts of the general Duty; I fhall now cite fome others, where it fignifies the whole of the Duty. 1 Thef. v. 17. St. Paul commands the Theffalonians to pray without ceafing. In this Place, I fay, the Apostle ought, in any wife, to be understood to comprehend the whole Duty, for the following Reasons :

First, Because here is no Limitation of the Word, there being no Epithet, or any other Circumftance, which obliges us to understand it of one particular Part only; for which Reason it ought to be taken in the largest Senfe, without any Limitation of the Meaning of the Phrafe, fince the holy Penman, himself, has not confin'd it, but leaves us to interpret it of the whole Duty of Prayer.

Secondly, All Parts of Prayer are equally enjoined (as I fhall afterwards have Occafion to fhew) in the holy Scriptures. Now, fince the Word must be understood, either of the whole Duty, or of fome one, or more Parts, I would fain know how we can understand it of any particular Part, fince in other Places, all of them are commanded; and, confequently, all of them are equally neceffary to be practifed; I fay, who will offer to determine which of them is here meant? It is highly neceffary, therefore, that the Words be fo explained as to contain all the Parts, fince none muft exclude any of the Parts of Prayer.

Thirdly, We are here commanded to pray without ceafing, confequently, the whole Duty is commanded; without ceafing cannot fignify lefs than that we bestow all the Time that we can in Prayer. Now, if we bestow all the Time that we can afford to fpend in Prayer, upon any one, or more, Parts of the Duty, and neglect the other Part, or Parts, which are, all, equally required, then we practise but a Part of our Duty, and leave the reft undone by us. And

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if God commands us in one Place of Scripture to bestow all our Time upon a Part, and in other Places commands us to practife the whole Duty, then God's Commands contradict and destroy each other, and make our Obedience impracticable. I fhall confirm this, Acceptation of the Word by two Paffages out of the Pfalms v. 2, 3. "O Hearken thou unto the Voice of my calling, my King, and my God, for unto thee " will I make my Prayer; my Voice fhalt thou "hear betimes, O Lord; early in the Morning " will I direct my Prayer unto Thee, and will "look up." The Word is general; and it cannot, in common Senfe, be limited to any particular Part of the Duty, fince it cannot be fuppofed that David, in his Addresses to God, confined himself to any one particular kind only. But, the Conclufion of the feventy-second is more exprefs. It is there faid: The Prayers of David, the Son of feffe are ended. Where, all the foregoing Pfalms are called Prayers; tho' fome of them be doleful Complaints of the Sadnefs of his Condition; others of them Confeffion of Sins; others Acknowledgements of his Dependence on God; others magnify his powerful and wife Goodness, and render Thanks for Benefits receiv'd, and promife dutiful Obedience for the future; by which we learn that Prayer is made up of all these, and is here us'd to include the Subject-matter of all our Addreffes to God.

Jesse