Miscellanies from the Oxford Sermons and Other Writings of Cardinal Newman

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1898 edition. Excerpt: ... FORMS OF PRIVATE PRAYER. "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples."-- 'HESE words express the natural feelings of the awakened mind, perceiving its great need of God's help, yet not understanding well what its particular wants are, or how they are to be relieved. The disciples of John the Baptist and the disciples of Christ waited on their respective masters for instruction how to pray. Their need has been the need of Christians ever since. All of us in childhood, and most men ever after, require direction how to pray; and hence the use of Forms of prayer, which have always obtained in the Church. John taught his disciples; Christ gave the apostles the prayer which is distinguished by the name of the Lord's Prayer; and after He had ascended on high, the Holy Spirit has given us excellent services of devotion by the mouth of those blessed saints whom from time to time He has raised up to be overseers in the Church. In the words of St . Pa'il, ■ We know not what we should pray for as we ought;" but "the Spirit helpeth our infirmities;" and that not only by guiding our thoughts, but by directing our words. This, I say, is the origin of Forms of prayer, of which I mean to speak to-day; viz., these two undeniable truths: first, that all men have the same spiritual wants, and secondly, that they cannot of themselves express them. . . I suppose no one is in any difficulty about the use of forms of prayer in public worship; for common sense almost will tell us that when many are to pray together as one man, if their thoughts are to go together, they must agree beforehand what is to be the subject of their prayers; nay, what the words of their prayers, if there is to be any certainty, composure, ease, and regularity in...