“I think, then, (says this early teacher in Christ’s school) that when proceeding to prayer, a Christian will be more readily disposed, and be in a better tone for the general work of prayer, if he will first tarry a little, and put himself into the right frame, casting off every distracting and disturbing thought, and with his best endeavour recalling to mind the vastness of HIM to whom he is drawing near, and how unholy a thing it is to approach him with a carelessness and indifference, and, as it were, contempt; laying aside also every thing foreign to the subject;—­so to come to prayer as one who stretcheth forth his soul first, before his hands; and lifts up his mind first, before his eyes, to God; and before he stands up, raising from the ground the leading [150} principle of his nature, and lifting that up to the Lord of all.  So far casting away all remembrance of evil towards any of those who may seem to have injured him, as he wishes God not to remember evil against him, who has himself been guilty, and has trespassed against many of his neighbours, or in whatever he is conscious to have done contrary to right reason.” [De Oratione, vol. i.  Sec. 31. p. 267.]

“Having divided prayer into its several parts” (he continues), “I may bring my work to a close.  There are then four parts of prayer requiring description, which I have found scattered in the Scriptures, all of which every one should embody in his prayer:—­

“First, we must offer glory (doxologies) to the best of our ability in the opening and commencement of our prayer, to God through Christ who is glorified with Him in the Holy Spirit, who is praised together.  After this each person should offer general thanksgivings both for the blessings granted to all, and for those which he has individually obtained from God.  After the thanksgiving, it appears to me right, that becoming, as it were, a bitter accuser of his own sins to God, he should petition first of all for a remedy to release him from the habit which impels him to transgress, and then for remission of the past.  And after the confession, I think he ought in the fourth place, to add a supplication for great and heavenly things, both individual and universal, and for his relations and friends.  After all, he should close his prayer with an ascription of glory to God through Christ in the Holy Ghost.” [Sect. 33. p. 271.] {151}

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SECTION VI.—­SUPPLEMENTARY SECTION ON ORIGEN.

I have above intimated my intention of reserving for a separate section our examination of a passage ascribed to Origen, in which he is represented as having invoked an angel to come down from heaven, to succour him and his fellow-creatures on earth.  The passage purports to be part of Origen’s comment on the opening verse of the prophecy of Ezekiel, “The heavens were opened.”  After the fullest investigation, and patient weighing of the whole section,