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The author beg-s leave to offer a few words on the execU’ tion of the work itself, here submitted to public attention.
Family prayers oug-ht to be short, especially, where reading-tlie Scriptures makes a part of the service — and it oug’ht always to make a part. Hence the prayers for the week-days, may be read in five or six minutes: those for the Sabbath are commonly a little long-er, as families have then more leisure, and are more united: those for particular occasions, as they rarely return, and the events are remarkable, are the long-est of all.
A prayer is disting-uishablefrom the repetition of a creed; or the annunciation of a system of theolog-y; how much more from the sparring and reflections of controversy! A tincture of the author’s own particular sentiments, was hardly avoidable: but he has sought after nothing- that would be off’ensive to christians, who differ from him. And as religious persons accord much more when kneeling than sitting; he ventures to think, no one will be unable to join in these forms, who believes in the fall of man.tlie redemption of the cross, justification by faith, the necessity of di vine influence, and of that holiness, without which we cannot see the Lord. The author braves the suspicion of those, who are illiberal enough to guage a man’s orthodo.-^y, by the use of an invariable doxology; in the words too, which man’s wisdom teacheth. Not that he thinks it wrong to close a prayer with a Scriptural meaning in human terms, but he prefers the words which the Holy Ghost uscth; ana where they afford a diversity, why should he be afraid to avail himself of it.? In this respect, the sacred writers would not bear the ordeal of some system-critics.
The author thinks no one can blame him, for using so much of the language of the Scriptures: there is a sacredness in it; and it is well known: much of it too has beer useddevotionally: and contains the adorations, confession«»j supplications, and thanksgivings uttered by men of God before us, while kneeling at a throne of grace.
Besides being Scriptural in the diction, he has endeavoured to be very plain and simple. There is a great diff*erence between addressing men, and addressing God. The least artificial mode of uttering our thoughts in prayer is the best. Prajer admits no brilliancies: every studied ornament it rejects with disdain. He who feels interested in prayer, sriil forget all critical and elaborate phraseology And it is an infelicity to be deplored, rather than an excellency to be admired, when ing-enuity of ihought, or surprisingness of expression, catches and keeps of!” the attention from devotion. There are young divines, who not only err in preaching — by substituting finery for elegance, and the affectation of art for the eloquence cf feeling; but in their devotional exercises too — showing off their tawdrinesses, even in the presence of God, and praying in a strained, inflated style, unintelligible to the ignorant, lamented by the pious, and contemned by the wise. The greatest men have always been distinguished by the plainjiess and simplicity of their devotional language. What a difference is there between the other compositions of Johnson, and his prayers? No hard word, no elaborate sentence, no classical, no metaphorical alhision to be found in any of the few forms of devotion which he has left us. The same excellency pervades the liturgy. And it is worthy of remark, that in no prayer recorded in the Bible, is any figure employed, unless as familiar as the literal expression.
This, however, does not forbid the use of sentences not directly of the nature of petition. Prayer is designed, not only as a homage to God, but as a moral exercise to affect ourselves: and to accompUsh this purpose, we must be informed, or reminded. What, therefore, tends to make us feel the things we implore, is not to be considered, as some call it, a preaching or talking in prayer. Read all the prayers given us in the Scriptures; there is not one of them which does not contain expressions of enlargement, not immediately petitionary — yet conducive to the design.
With regard to appropriateness, Jenks has observed, “That we may as well expect to find a shoe that will fit every foot, as a form of prayer to suit every purpose.” Famdy prayers must be necessarily general, or adapted to the state of a household, devoid of lU peculiarities. No form can h& made to include every particular circumstance, or occurrence; the very things that would render it suitable to one family, would even hinder the use of it by another. The author fears, whether in two or three instances, he has not forgotten this.
Yet events and circumstances are perpetually arising, and it is of great importance to notice thtrm devolionally. Almost every prayer in the Scriptures arose out of particulai
occurrences, and was desig-ned to improve them. Here is a difficulty which there is only one way of removing-. It is by adding some short addresses, applicable to certain events and circumstances; and which the reader may insert, in their proper j)lace, in the prayer; or use at the end of it. Many of these, thert:fore, tl»e author has supplied in the close of the volume. Many more might have been added, had the prayers been designed for personal and private use.
In seventy forms of the same kind, it was not easy to maintain so much diversity as some would wish. Family devotion in itself, admits of less variety, than either private or public woi ship. But though similiarity will be sometimes found, sameness, he believes, with a few very trifling exceptions, has been avoided. This does not extend however to the repetition of the same Scripture sentences.
The author has felt what a difference there is between ofTering and writing a prayer: but he endeavoured,- as much as possible, when he retired to compose, to place himself by thought, in the situation of performance: and followed the same mode m writing, which he has always found the best, in praying, to exclude formality, and to gain variety, viz. to yield to the present feeling of the’ mind, whether it leads to indulge principally in coi.fession, or in thanksgiving, petition, or intercession.
Some things must he. always expressed; others can be admitted only occasionally. Yet these should not be for2:otten. Cases of affliction; the state of public affairs; the nation; the cause of God in the world; these and other things, though not particularize d in every exercise, must be noticed so frequently, as to keep the mind alive to them.
With regard to the prayers for particular occasions — such as pertain todays of mourning, fasting or thanksgiving; and those which respect the beginning and end of tl.e year, will draw forth no objection. But as to those which regard re- ^lons festivals, some will probably condemn the author on the ground of consistency. On that ground he is willing to be tried. Consistency refers to professed principles; and he avows principles, which raise him above any particular body of christian.s, while yet he deems it his honour to belong to one of them in preference to all others.
But his attachment to his r<-giment, does not make him
an enemy to the army of which it is a part. Let every one
of us, says the Apostle, please his neighbour, for his good
to edification. Why should not the author wish to be ser
B viceable to members of other communions, as well as to those of his own?
Dr. Watts, thoug-h a firm Pedobaptist, has yet composed and inserted in his excellent book, several hymns, adapted to the convictions of those, who practise adult Saptism, by immersion only.
And the late Mr. Newton, though an Episcopalian, made no scruple, when desired, to draw up a plan for a dissenting academy.
Let us stand in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free. Let not him that eateth, despise him that eateth not; and let not him that eateth not, judge him that eateth, for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. One man esteemeth one day above another, another esteemeth every day ahke. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day to the Lord, he doth not regard it.. Here everything non-essential is left, where it ought to be left, to individual conviction and candour.
Upon these principles, the author thinks, a dissenter, without superstition, may use these forms, on these very days: especially as lie is under no compulsion, and he has nothing to do with the day, but as a season of leisure, and aa reminding him of some important truth
A christian, although he disregards the seasons, must love the subjects connected with them: and at some time or other, he may wish more expressly to noti .e them; and this he can do, by means of these forms, with the omission of a few words
It is comparatively easy to be long and diffuse, but to be select and yet full, brief, and yet comprehensive — this is the trial.
The author could have composed a single prayer, far superior to any of these; but the difficulty lay in the number;, and the work must be judged of as a whole.
It is hardly necess«ry to observe, that with a slight alteration, and the substitution of the singular number for the plural, most of these prayers will serve for the closet, a well as the family.