The Church of England has abounded toward her people in all wisdom and
prudence. In doing so she has supplied them with the “Prayer-Book,” not
only for weak members, who can not pray, but for her strong members,
specially the clergy, giving the very words they must pray on all
occasions. In this exuberance of her benevolence she has supplied a
deficiency in the will of God, an omission in the law of God, an item
that Paul overlooked when he “shunned not to declare the whole counsel
of God;” an item not in the “all things that pertain to life and
godliness,” mentioned by Peter, nor in “all Scripture given by
inspiration,” mentioned by Paul, to “perfect the man of God and
thoroughly furnish him for all good works.” There are many among
them that can _read_ prayers, as they have them in print in the
“Prayer-Book,” and do _read them_, but we are not aware that they have
any more that can _pray_ than those who have no such “Prayer-Book.”
If we can not learn from the Lord and the apostles how to pray; from
the Scriptures, so that _we can pray_ we would not learn from all
the prayer-books ever printed. Read the prayers of the Lord and holy
men, recorded in Scripture, and the instructions of the Lord and the
inspired writings; take the “Concordance” and run through the Bible,
read and study all you find about it, and practice it daily, and you
find not only that you can learn _how_, but to _love_ to pray, and to
be impressed continually with the _importance of it_. Let the desire be
in the heart in the words, “Lord, teach us how to pray,” and you will
soon learn to ask for any thing you need.