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SERM. of our human compofitions? Though I hope,
X. used by many christians with fincerely good
'affections, and therefore acceptably, yet the
forms themselves carry too vifible marks of
imperfection; fome parts of them more agree-
able to the divided opinions of particular fects,
than the faith which was once delivered to the
faints in the holy fcriptures, and expreffive
rather of a narrow party-spirit than catholick
christian charity; fome very defective in giving
men a juft idea of the chriftian obligations,
nay, tending to mislead them in a matter of
fo great importance, as the foundation of their
hopes towards God, by fubftituting other
things in the room of fincere obedience, and
placing too great efficacy and merit, in ex-
ternal acts; many are obfcure, fcarcely intel-
ligible, and the generality too tedious and
perplex'd; and the greatest part of these forms
tranfgrefs the directions of Solomon in the text,
and the rule of our Saviour before referred to,
which is agreeable to them; for how often
do we meet with the fame thing, either in
different or the fame words? The name of
God and the Lord occurreth in almost every
fentence; and fuch fhort petitions as have
mercy on us, and bear us, fo frequently,
that it can scarcely escape the cenfure of a vain
repetition, at least it doth not tend to preferve

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a fuitable reverence for God in the minds of SERM. the worshippers, which above all things should

be aimed at by those who would teach them
to pray. It ought to be acknowleged the duty
of prayer is alfo too often performed, without
authorised forms, in a manner not proper and
edifying. Men ufe expreffions too crude
and indigefted, are rash with their mouths in
uttering words before God; and fometimes
by too much laboured and quaint ways of
fpeaking, and a great copioufnefs and fluency
of words, the minds of fuch as join in pray-
er are too much diverted from that which
is the principal intention of that facred fervice.
We ought, therefore, in all fuch performances
to aim at the greatest perfpicuity, to avoid
all perplexed and intricate ways of speak-
ing, and a tedious repetition of things, ei-
ther in the fame or different words; and to
use the plainest and most comprehensive ex-
preffions; always preferving in ourselves, and
endeavouring to communicate to others, just
fentiments concerning God, and the duty
we owe him; that thereby good difpofitions
may be excited and ftrengthened which is
the main end of
prayer.

I fhall conclude this head with confidering a little an elegant and inftructive fimilitude, which Solomon ufeth to illuftrate the prefent fubject. He compareth rash and unthought

I

X.

SERM. thoughtful prayers, confifting of many words X. and little meaning, to dreams which come

from a multitude of bufinefs, in the 3d verse, and, again, he referreth to it in the 7th verse, in the multitude of dreams, and many words, there are divers vanities. There is no appearance in our nature, however inexplicable in its caufe, more frequently the fubject of observation than dreaming; and the fact is also very well known, which the wife man obferveth here concerning it, that it cometh through the multitude of business; that which employeth our waking thoughts and cares, is very often the fubject of our reveries in fleep. This, as well as other things in ourfelves which we are confcious of, plainly fheweth us, that there is a power of the mind, called the imagination, intirely different from the understanding, often very active, and variously affecting us with pleasure and pain, while the other is not exercised at all; which will eafily appear to any one, who reflecteth on the fcenes formed by the fancy, particularly in fleep; for he cannot but fee there was no ufe of judgment in them, no confideration of truth, and the difference of things, which is the proper office of judgment. The ideas which were originally prefented to the mind by external objects, do not immediately perifh when the objects are

withdrawn; they leave impreffions by which SER M. they are afterwards revived, fometimes with- X. out our defign, or we can turn ourselves to the review of them at pleasure. These are to the intellectual faculty the materials of knowledge; by examining and comparing them together, it difcerneth their agreement and difagreement, or forms propofitions upon which it judgeth, that they are true or falfe. They are also the materials which the fancy worketh upon; it can form no fimple ideas, but diverfify, variously compound, and affociate, the notions which we have received. As every part of our conftitution manifesteth the wisdom and goodness of its author; this faculty in particular affordeth elegant entertainment to the mind, and heighteneth the enjoyment of life. But it is under the direction and controul of a higher power; and great caution is required that we be not mifled by it, as too often we are, when it forms agreeable scenes, whereby we are diverted from ufing our underftandings in a proper manner: We reft in them through inattention, without examining, taking our measures by, and founding our expectations upon them. Now, there is in this respect a refemblance between dreams and the prayers which Solomon here fpeaketh of; they are both of them the labour of the VOL. IV. U ima

SERM. imagination, and as some men are extremely X. pleased with rovings of their fancy in fleep,

nay, weakly take them for prefages of good; fo in religious exercises, a lively and warm fancy pouring out a torrent of words is miftaken for fervent devotion, not without imagining that a fuperior influence contributeth to it; but the characters of fincere acceptable devotion are, and by these we may know it, that it is always attended with the freeft, most calm, and regular exercise of the understanding, with juft fentiments concerning the perfections of God, and a deep reverence for them, with an affectionate fense of moral obligations, and a true difpofition to fulfil them univerfally, or to perform our whole duty to God and man.

I fhall not now enter on the remaining part of the text, which relateth to vows, because I had lately another occafion of confidering that subject; only, let it ftill be remembered, that we ought to form religious purposes with mature deliberation. The great errors, against which the preacher here warneth the worshippers of God, are rashnefs and unsteadiness, and the latter naturally followeth the other; for when in a fudden fit of warm and inconfiderate zeal, hafty refolutions are made, upon a cooler reflection on

the

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