A practical exposition of the Lord's-Prayer

But that which is forbidden, is, when Men speak Words without need, and without Affection; a needless lengthening out of Prayer, and that upon a Conceit that it is more acceptable to God.

1. In the General, Prayer should be short, as all Examples of Scripture teach us; and the Lord's Prayer you see how concise and short it is, for presently upon this our Lord teacheth his Disciples to pray. For Prayer is a spending rather then a feeding Duty. Those which affect long speaking, many times run into this, they make it a feeding Duty, for they mingle Exhortations ⟨p. 47⟩with Prayer, which is a great Abuse: A Man can bear up under the hearing of the Word for an Hour or two, better than half an Hour in Prayer, with that necessary Vigour of Spirit which God hath required. Therefore the general Rule is, Let your Words be concise, but full of Affection. Look as in vast and great Bodies, the Spirits are more diffused and scattered, and therefore they are more unactive than those which are of a smaller Compass; so in a long Prayer, there may be more of Words, but less of Life.

1. In the General, Prayer should be short, as all Examples of Scripture teach us; and the Lord's Prayer you see how concise and short it is, for presently upon this our Lord teacheth his Disciples to pray. For Prayer is a spending rather then a feeding Duty. Those which affect long speaking, many times run into this, they make it a feeding Duty, for they mingle Exhortations ⟨p. 47⟩with Prayer, which is a great Abuse: A Man can bear up under the hearing of the Word for an Hour or two, better than half an Hour in Prayer, with that necessary Vigor of Spirit which God hath required. Therefore the general Rule is, Let your Words be concise, but full of Affection. Look as in vast and great Bodies, the Spirits are more diffused and scattered, and therefore they are more unactive than those which are of a smaller Compass; so in a long Prayer, there may be more of Words, but less of Life.