Litchfield enquirer., 1829-05-21


 -i cannot do without him.
 1N0sgAts 0n tke Exercise of Social Prayer.
 tConcinded from our last.)
 Many, perhaps most people who pray in public, have some favorite word or express sion which recurs too often :n their prayers and is frequently used as mere axp!elive, having no necessary connex on with the sens0 of what they are speaking. The most disagreeable of these IS, when the name of the blessed God, with he addition ofperhaps one or more epithets,as Great, Glorious, Holy, Almighty, Sc. is introdu- ced SO often, and without necessity, as seems neither to indicate due reverence in the person who uses it, nor suited to excite reverence in those who hear. will moi say that this is taking the name of God in vain, in the usual sense of the phrase: it is, however, great impropriety, and should be guarded against. It would be well if those who use redundant expressions had a friend to give them a caution, as they might, with little care, be retrenched and hardly any person can be sensible of the lit- tie peculiarities he may inadvertently a. dOpt, unless he is told of it.
 There are several things, likewise, re- specti1g the voice and manner of prayer, which a person may, with due care, correct in himself; and which, if generally cor-> rected, would make meetings for prayer more pleasant than they sometimes are.- These shall mention by pairs, as the hap py and agreeable way is medium between two inconvenient extremes.
 Very loud speaking is fault, when the size of the place, and the number of hear CTS, do not render it necessary. The end of speaking is to be heard and, when that end is attained, greater elevation of the voice is frequently huftful to the speaker, and is more likely to confuse nearer than to fix his attention. | do not deny that al- lOwance must be made for constitution, and tho warmth of the passions, which dispose some persons to speak louder than others. Yet such will do well to- restrain them- selves as much as they can. IL may seem indeed, to indicate great earnestness, and that the heart is much affected yet it is of ten bat false fire. It may be thought speak ing with power: but person who is fa- vored with the Lords presence may pray with power in moderate voice and there may be very little power of the Spirit, though the voice should be heard in the street and neighbourhood. a-r
 The other extreme of speaking too low is not SO frequent, butSif we are not heard, we might as we'll altogether hold ourpeace. It exhausts the spirits, and wearies the att tention, to be listening for length of time, to a very low voice. Some words, or sen- tences, will bc lost, which will render what is heard less intelligible and agreeable. 1.-the speaker can be heard by the person flrthest distant from him, the rest will hear of. course.
 The tone of the voice is likewise to be regarded. Some have tone in prayer, so verydidEerent from their usual way of speak ing. that their nearest friends, if not accus- toned to them, could hardly know them by their voice. Sometimes the tone is changed, perhaps more than once, so that -four eyes did not give us more informa- tloD than our ears, we might think two or three persons had been speaking by turns. It is a pity that when we approve what is spoken, we should be so easily disconcer- tsd by an awkwardness of ofdelivery yet so it often is, and probably so it will be, in the present weak and imperfect state fhuman nature. 1t is more to be lamented than wondered at, that sincere Christians are sometimes forced to confess, He is good man, andhis prayers, as to their substance, are spiritual and judicious but there is something so displeasing in his manner, that am always uneasy when hear him.
 Contrary to this. and still more offen- aiye, is the custom that some have of talk tO the Lord in prayer. 1t is their natural voice indeed ,; but it is that expression of it which they use upon the most familiar and trivial occasions. The human voice is ca pablo of SO many inGe1ioas and vasiations, that t can adapt itself to the different sem aations of our mind, as joy, sorrow, fear, sas'sR, tEe. M man was pleading for his