No difference whatever between the two kinds of devotion has been intimated by the Apostle. The expressions applied to the one, are as emphatically applied to the other. And are we obliged to use forms in singing the high praises of our God? Is this of invincible necessity, inasmuch as the Spirit refuses the gift of extemporaneous metre? And do our opponents admit in principle and in practice, that it is far from impossible to conduct this part of divine worship in an acceptable manner, notwithstanding its precomposed character? How extremely preposterous to make a distinction where Paul hath made none. How strangely inconsistent to cavil at written forms of prayer, when they profess to be almost divinely inspired, as with prepared hymns, they are found combining their voices in melodious praise. Surely if God loathes a form in the one case, he must loathe it in the other. On the contrary, if he has made it absolutely indispensable in singing, he cannot but prefer it in praying with the Spirit. I can perceive no one plausible ground for the variance, and am constrained to believe, that were it practicable for a congregation to sing extempore, we should soon find, that the spiritual songs already composed would be discarded by the various sectaries with disgust, and condemned as imposing too great a restraint upon a free spirit, and as fit only to be recited by the lukewarm and indifferent.

Such we know to be the language unhesitatingly applied to our prayers, and it would be the same with our psalms and hymns, They only escape because their nature is incorrigible; they will not endure the metamorphosis, which has been fastened upon the kindred office of devotion; and therefore if the example of Paul is rejected in prayer, he is from necessity, it is to be feared rather than choice, permitted to be imitated in singing with the spirit, and with the understanding.

Recollect also that our fellow Christians can readily tune their voices with their hearts to sing repeatedly the same devotional hymn. They do not on this account imagine it to be the less pleasing to the divine ear, nor do they rack their inventions to come before him with an ever varied song of praise. But the mo、 ment their attention is turned to prayer, then indeed is the same stated form most violently assailed, then does it become intolerably lifeless and dull to pray sabbath after sabbath, with no other change than that supplied by a few collects adapted to the course of the ecclesiastical year.

I cannot learn that the disciples of Christ were thus grievously offended, when directed by him to lift up their hearts day by day to their Father in heaven according to a certain form, although that form was extremely comprehensive and brief. But in the opinion of many, the favour of the Almighty at this period materially depends upon the dexterity, with which it can be invoked with ever new and changing prayers. No matter if the spiritual necessities of the people are always the same. No matter if God has declared, that he is apprized of them, before they are sought to be relieved: still our devotions must be mutable, or they can never avail with Him, who is immutable; still there is such a wide distinction between hymns and prayers, that while the former may be successfully repeated every day of our lives, the repetition of the latter is offensive and odious; they must be new every morning.

And here I must confess to you, that if the immaculate Jehovah were precisely such a being as is described, so easily caught by the rhetorick of words, and pleased with novelty, it would indeed ensure our condemnation, in the day of judgment, should we persist in our established mode of worship. Far better would it be to discard it at the instance of our wiser brethren, and conform to their standard, although it were even more variable than the wind. Only, we should seek to improve it, by constantly changing our hymns, as well as our prayers.

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But then the misfortune is, that they have no arguments to convince our understanding, and no authority with which to control our judgment: None from reason, and none from scripture. God is not as they would represent him. He requires truth in the inward parts, and instead of laboured changes in the expression of prayer, he demands familiarity with prayer itself. What may gratify the hearer, in extemporaneous addresses, is by no means certain of gratifying him. Our fancies may be amused, and our admiration of the speaker's talents highly wrought; but heartfelt devotion is with God the standard of excellence, and the measure of his grace. Give me this, and I am content with our incomparable liturgy; I will not despair of being finally accepted of our Father in heaven, owing to the absence of variable words, and unpremeditated thoughts.

Neither am I to be deterred from using it, in virtue of another formidable objection, which relates to the responses made by our

congregations: Responses, that are not only freely condemned with the residue of the worship, but are particularly implicated as obvious violations of the inspired command, "When ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking." Since you must allow me to ask, if penitential expressions, extracted with reverence from the scriptures, can under any circumstances of sincere devotion be justly considered vain? Is it not rather the unmeaning and unmeasured employment of Lord, Lord? Is it not rather long and tedious prayer, ever reiterating the same idea in different words, and perhaps preaching to the Father of lights the knowledge of his own perfections?

Taking the Saviour for our guide, you have only to accompany him to the garden of Gethsemane, and you may there behold him fallen upon his face, and three several times repeating the well known prayer, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." And then when the multitude were offended at the continued importunity of blind Bartimeus; when "many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me;" this blessed Being did not reprove him for using vain repetitions. It did not once occur to the Saviour of sinners, that he had expressed himself in language, either unsuited to the occasion, or such as it would be reprehensible to adopt in future times, when the broken and contrite heart would plead with its Maker, and avail itself of the riches of his grace. He rather bestowed unqualified approbation upon his conduct, he relieved him of his malady, and spoke the words of peace and comfort to his troubled spirit.

And so with the condemned responses in the service of the Church. Let us only prefer them with the spirit, and with the understanding: Let us only appear before God weeping, bearing precious seed, and we shall come again rejoicing, whether we use the prayer of the gospel, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us:" or the equally appropriate supplications of the litany, "Good Lord, deliver us," and again, "We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord." The two exclamations being admirably suited to humbling convictions of guilt, and to that now melancholy depravity of our moral powers, which assimilates our race to all that is poor, and miserable, and blind,

and naked. We may easily construct sentences with a more beautiful dress, and conveying a more melodious sound; but there are none, excepting the petitions contained in the prayer of our Lord, better calculated to arrest the attention of heaven, and to draw down upon our souls the mercy of Him, whose favour is life, and whose loving kindness is better than the life itself.

All the views I am capable of embracing of our Saviour's inter course with his disciples are decidedly in unison with our forms of devotion. You have heard, that he never prayed with them extemporaneously. You have heard that he taught them how to pray. And why these remarkable variations from the practice of many of our modern evangelists? Why, when private devotion is inculcated, does he say to his disciples individually, "THOU, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet; and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly?" But when that which is publick, "If Two of you shall AGREE on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where Two or THREE are gathered to gether in my name, there am I in the midst of them." From these scriptures corroborated by others already adduced, I should think that the prayer uttered by one man ought always to be private, and not in the presence of his fellow men, intent upon catching the words of his mouth, although it were for the purpose of making those words their own. I should think that prayers in publick, where two or three, and of course a larger number are gathered together, ought always to be AGREED upon beforehand, by a mutual understanding of what was to be asked, either committed to memory or to paper. Such are the obvious inferences, and since there is nothing contradictory throughout the new testament, I am bold to affirm, that they are fairly and legitimately drawn.

But still the question recurs, Why these remarkable variations from the practice of many of our modern evangelists? I have already assigned several reasons, and am disposed to advance another founded upon this admonition of Christ," Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." If daily experience and observation have ever instructed the world in any one truth more than another, it is this; the wonderful tendency of extemporaneous prayers to make men spiritually proud, boastful, and uncharitable. Numerous exceptions undoubtedly an

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ist, and I rejoice that they do. I have no such diabolical feelings, as to regret, that persons are trained up for heaven, in a different communion from that, to which I am so strongly attached. I love to contemplate and admire; I should be glad to be enabled, from on high, to rival the now sainted virtues of Doddridge, Watts, and a host of other worthies long since fallen asleep in Jesus. But as a general rule, it ever has been, and I am apprehensive it ever will be found, that these prayers are followed by such results, and are exceedingly unfavourable to the growth of that humility and lowliness of heart recommended by our Saviour, and perhaps of all graces, the most difficult to be successfully cultivated by any Christian.

On no other principle can I account for the vast amount of scorn and contempt, so prodigally lavished upon precomposed prayers. Upon no other, resolve the melancholy fact, of there being immense numbers of professing believers, who roundly assert, that such as pray with a form can never pray with the heart; that fluent extemporaneous prayer is one of the highest gifts of the Spirit; and that we do not practise it, because he is a stranger to our souls.

God forgive them! I will not so libel the wise and good, the excellent of the earth, as to pray, that these persons may prove egregiously mistaken in their estimate of the purest and holiest men, upon whom the Sun of Righteousness has risen with healing on his wings. But this I must say, that their conduct and their aspersions furnish the best commentary, upon the instruction given by Christ to his disciples, in relation to private and publick prayer.

Be it therefore, Brethren, deeply engraven upon our minds, and let us ever yield to it a most cheerful obedience. So, whatever man may say, shall we secure the approbation of our own consciences, and what is of still greater value and importance the approbation of our God. So, if life be spared, shall we yet perceive the righteousness of our Zion to go forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burneth. And when at length our days are numbered, and our sands are run, so shall we be admitted into Mount Zion above, into that New Jerusalem, where, in the majestick presence of the High and Lofty One, will be everlastingly resounded these memorable FORMS of praise, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing;" and again, "Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever." AMEN.