though never so earnestly courted, and lovingly entreated thereto, and that both in and out of the pulpit; as can be sufficiently proved, if need be. Satan and his plotting agents knew full well, that the old trade, "Report, and we will report it," Jer. xx. 10; was the most likely and effectual way to accomplish their ungodly design, which was to unchurch the church, and, for future, to render my ministry useless; in order whereto, the pastor must first be attacked, according to Zech. xiii. 7. "Smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered." This apology I thought not only expedient, but my duty to publish, for the true information of those, especially dissenting ministers, who have, from the character given them of me by those I here intend, sucked in prejudice against my name and ministry. And to occasion their seriously considering, how every way unbecoming the gospel it is, for one Christian, especially such as are called to sacred office, to be open-eared, and of too credulous a temper, in listening to, and improving, to the great prejudice of those whom the law of charity commands them to love, any reports, which look like a design to blacken or stain the reputation of a brother, especially a poor stranger, who, for Christ and the gospel, hath lost his all; and who, for witnessing against the spreading errors of the times, is surrounded and besieged with enemies of all sorts. To frown on, and carry it strange to such, will neither please God, credit religion, or help to make a dying bed easy and comfortable: Exod. xxii. 21. Deut. x. 19. Matt. vii. 12. Colos. iii. 12, 13, 14, 15. ‘Obsequium amicos, veritas odium parit:-Flattery begets friends, speaking truth causeth enemies.' Compare Isa. xxx. 10. with Amos v. 10. [The occasion of this slander, as the daughter of our author informed me, was this: the second wife Mr. Parry married was found to be a leper literally, which he knew not till after marriage, and the first child he had by her was born a leper; on which account he never would cohabit with her afterwards. He was greatly disgusted at her for not informing him before marriage of her disorder. She became his enemy because he refused cohabitation. And it was a great grief of mind to him, to see the child live nineteen years in such a rotten condition, and at that age die of it. These things his enemies improved to their advantage. But what man of God could, with conscience, throw a stone at him for this? W. H. S. S.] J. INNES, Printer, Wells-street, Oxford-street, London. (4) SPIRIT OF PRAYER THE INFALLIBLE CHARACTER OF A HEAVEN-BORN SOUL; OR, ` A SERIOUS AND IMPARTIAL DISCOURSE ON RIGHT PRAYER. IN THE SEVERAL QUESTIONS FOLLOWING. 1. Who is that man whom God will vouchsafe to hear in prayer? III. Whether it be the duty of an unconverted man to pray to God, seeing all such a man doth is sin? IV. Whether it be the duty of an awakened sinner to use a set form of prayer? VIII. Answers to the most material objections made by the believer against himself. BY JAMES BARRY. LONDON: PUBLISHED BY E. HUNTINGTON, 55, HIGH STREET, BLOOMSBURY. TO THE IMPARTIAL AND UNPREJUDICED READER. COURTEOUS READER, THOU art here presented with a small tract styled, A serious Discourse upon right Prayer. A subject which many talk and dispute about, but few, yea, very few, of those talkers and disputers do savingly understand. To whom may, very aptly, be applied that passage of the apostle Paul to Timothy, concerning those vain talkers and boasters of the law, who were greatly ambitious to be teachers of it, albeit they neither understood what they said, or whereof they affirmed, 1 Tim. i. 7. Right prayer, if I mistake not the sense of the holy scriptures, and the dictates of the Holy Ghost in my own soul, is a friendly speaking to God, petition-way, for such things as are both lawful and needful, in the name of Christ his Son, and that by the powerful assistance of the Holy Ghost. The several kinds of prayer, as public and private, mental and vocal, solemn set prayer (whether in the closet, family or congregation) |