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SERMONS, 
 
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 ilUur0i> of if^t a^f^nvtf^ of fSti^laniri 
 
 '■ ;a-. 
 
 WITH 
 
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 ON 
 
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 1 PRINTED BT ROBERT STANTON. 
 *' '; 1829, 
 
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TO THE 
 
 HONORABLE AND RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD, 
 
 ^',t 
 
 CHARLES JAMES 
 
 LORD BISHOP OF QUEBEC ; 
 
 .WITH THE MOST SINCERE RESPRCT FOR 
 
 HIS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE CHARACTER; 
 
 4.. 
 
 THE FOLLOWING SEU3I0NJS, 
 
 PUBLISHED WITH HIS LORDSIIIp's SANCTION 
 
 %-* ,# AND FURTHERED BY HIS PATRONAGE, 
 
 r^^ ^jjg^ y^rij^l jjjg LORDSHIPS PERCUSSION, 
 
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 k»H' 
 
 4-» 
 
 \Jl. 
 
 4" i' 
 
 
 ViU- 
 
 MOST RESPECTFULLY INSCRIDED RV 
 
 >. '' * as 
 
 .1 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
 
 
 > c 
 
ADVERTISEMEiNT 
 
 The Author of the Tollowing Discourses, in presenting them 
 to the Public, makes no pretensions to originality ; but is free 
 to admit, what the learned reader will readily discover, that 
 the present Treatise contains nothing more than the argu- 
 ments and illustrations of past writers condensed into a brief 
 space and clothed in new language. Such an undertaking, 
 however — designed to convey some explanation and recom- 
 lacndation of a subject important in itself, and generally but 
 little underslood or considered — he felt would be benejcial ; 
 :ind that his intentions have been appreciated is evinced by the 
 kind patronage of his Revered Dioscesan, Uie uniform cncou- 
 iiigemcnt of his Reverend brethren and an iitij)rc'ccdcnted li- 
 berality in the Public in their subscriptions for copies of the 
 v.ork. Where all have manifested so distinguished a genero- 
 sity, it u'crc [icrhaps invidious to bestow particular praise ; 
 vat — if it be an error, tlie relationship must excuse it — he can- 
 not refrain from an acknowledgment of particular thanks to 
 lis own Congregation for their kind and very extensive patro- 
 nauo. It manifests — what the Author is proud to bear testi- 
 i.iony to — the existence of reciprocal good-will betwixt the 
 Tastur and Flock. .^ 
 
 i**-^. 
 
 *^* Copies of this Worlc may he had on application to the 
 Author^ or at the principal Bool: iitor^s in Montreal, King- 
 ston and Y'irl:, <, . .. . ,v 
 
 
 
 ;^^ V 
 
SERIHONS. 
 
 1. k 
 
 SERMON I. 
 ON PUBLIC WORSHIP. 
 
 MATTHEW XVll. 4. 
 
 It is good for us to be here. 
 
 This was a natural exclamation of the astonished 
 disciple upon beholdirg the sudden transfiguration of 
 his beloved Master, and upon seeing Moses and Elias, 
 the most illustrious of the Jewish fathers, reappear to 
 acknowledge and pay homage to that " glory wiiich he 
 had before the world began." — " Let us make three 
 tabernacles" — that far from tlie world, its persecutions 
 and its snares, we may enjoy your blessed presence 
 here forever ; in the awe and vc<nder so suddenly a- 
 wakcned, " not knowing what ue said." We must 
 not, however, be surprised at tliis transport of feeling 
 on an occasion so wonderful : it was perhaps not un- 
 natural, at this moment of excitement, that he sliould 
 have proposed some memento of this meeting of bep. 
 tified spirits with the Son of God, and havc? s&ought 
 to declare, by a visible memorial, that this place v/as 
 consecrated by the appearance of the divine glory and 
 the sound of the divine voice. 
 a2 
 
 «?■ 
 
%^ 
 
 SJ^imilar to these were tlie feelings of the patriarcii 
 Jacob wlien the prom'wes of God, announced to him 
 in a dream, caused him to exchiiin, "how dreadful 
 is this place! thi^j is none other but the house of God, 
 and this is the j^ate of heaven." — " It is good for mc 
 to be here," was doubtless the sentiment wliich ac- 
 companied the spontaneous resolution to erect some 
 standing memorial to that God who vouchsafed his 
 protection and promised his blessing. 
 
 So thought and spake the Israelites when the light 
 which overhung the Cherubim gave token of the pre- 
 sence of Jehovah : — "it is good for us to draw near 
 unto God," for counsel in our difficulties and solace in 
 our wanderings. .^ • 
 
 From the beginning of time the Almighty was thus 
 approached with reverence, and praise. Before the 
 world was formed or man created. He received the 
 adoration of the " morning stars," the joyful shouts of 
 the " sons of God ;"* and the book of the Revelations 
 records that these spirits of the skies " rest not day 
 or night" in extolling the Majesty of the Lord of 
 Hosts. 
 
 Upon the formation of Adam, the word of divine 
 w^isdom said, " It is not good for man to be alone." 
 His sympathetic nature pants for communication of 
 delight and craves the joys of equal fellowship ; and 
 until Eve was created to share with him the happiness 
 of Paradise — until there was a kindred voice to join 
 in the tribute of thanksgiving to the God of all good- 
 ness — the strain of devotion and the hymn of praise 
 wanted half their fervency and beauty. 
 
 ^Throuirh long successions of ages was this pious 
 worship of the Deity maintained. The house of God 
 was the delight of the devout men of old. They 
 knew no joy equal to the happiness of a free and fre- 
 quent resort to it — insomuch that when the holy 
 
 •' Jv I*, xsxviii. 7. 
 
 ^ cl 
 
^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 '■0: 
 
 patriarch 
 ed to him 
 
 dreadful 
 c of God, 
 >*i for nic 
 vhich ac- 
 ect some 
 safed his 
 
 the light 
 ' the pre- 
 aw near 
 solace in 
 
 ivas thus 
 fore tlic 
 ived the 
 houts of 
 elations 
 not day 
 L.ord of 
 
 ' divine 
 alone." 
 ition of 
 p; and 
 ^piness 
 to join 
 
 good- 
 
 praise 
 
 ! pious 
 
 •f God 
 
 They 
 
 id fre- 
 
 holy 
 
 I'* 
 
 l*Rjalniist wna under the gr(>atcst of personal distres- 
 ses ; wiien ills cliildr«jn i^'lx'lle'l, his friends deserted 
 and his enemies reviled him, he feU no distress so 
 deeply as his banisiiment from the House of God. 
 " My soul longeth, yea even faintetii for the courts of 
 the Lord's house ; my heart and my fl(5sh cry out for 
 the living God," was his pathetic cry in those days of 
 his affliction. " Let them lead me, let them bring me 
 unto thy holy hill and thy tabernacles — I will go unto 
 the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy ; yea, 
 upon the harp will I praise thee,0 God my God." 
 
 Thus, too, exclaims the devout Daniel in behalf of 
 the ruined sanctuary, "O our God, hear the prayer of 
 thy servant and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanc- 
 tuary that is desolate." " Thy servant*^," cried the Is- 
 raelites in the cheerless days of their captivity, ** take 
 pleasure in her stones and favor the dust thereof." 
 They revered the very ruins of the house of God and 
 loved the fallen " gates of Zion more than all the 
 dwellings" of Babylon. 
 
 Even the degenerate Jews in tlie time of our Sa- 
 viour reckoned it a peculiar calamity and one of the 
 chief miseries to which they were subject from their 
 capricious conquerors, that they should be " put out 
 of the synagogue." 
 
 Shall Christians, then, "called to an holy calling" 
 and "purified to be a peculiar people" — shall we who 
 can unite with a sense of God's providential goodness 
 the contemplation of his " inestimable love in the re- 
 demption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ" — 
 shall we not confess, when assembled in the courts of 
 the Lord's house. It is good for us to be here ? 
 Here, with a belief in his presence and a confidence 
 in his superintending care, we have dedicated a taber- 
 nacle to the Most High God : and " it is good for us 
 to be here," to repent us of our sins—to implore His 
 pardon — and, with the voice of thanksgiving, to 
 
 «^ 
 

 i;t 
 
 '•doHnro tlic Avoiidcrrf that lie docth for the children 
 
 of IlKMI." 
 
 " rrom the risiriif of thf suii to the going- down of 
 the sanxN my Name siiall be jricat among the (Jen- 
 tih'.s, sailii tlie Lord of Hosts;" nnd do we not wit- 
 ness tin? gradual and sure, though slow, fulfilment of 
 this |)ro|)h(;tic declaration! Although the " C5un of 
 llighteousness," in his glorious career, may not yet 
 \vi\o reached his meridian; and although the beams 
 A\hieh illuminate us are still unseen by the larger por- 
 tion of the human race; yet are we not warranted, 
 by our own experience and observation, in believing 
 that, in its progressive march, it will quickly dispel the 
 clouds which yet benight the understandings of men? 
 Ves; for it is not long since these scenes, now bles- 
 sed witii the due administrcition of the Word and or- 
 dinances, were animated only by the yell of the savage 
 or tlie howl of the beast of prey : it is not long since 
 no solitary trace of civilizatioji broke in upon the wild- 
 ness of these woods ; since the step of humanized 
 man startled away the fif.'rce tenants of the forest. 
 But lately, superstition might here have held her 
 orgies and the t^{)irit of darkness claimed his bleed- 
 ing victim — but lately, the unmeaning or the dread- 
 ful rites of paganism transmitted from erring fathers 
 to th(Mr untaught sons, the wanderers of the woods, 
 might have told that here the Gospel of Peace had 
 not yet conveyed its "glad-tidings." But now the 
 as[)ect of things is changed — from the "morning 
 s])read upon the mountains," we hail the resplendent 
 rising of the ^un of Righteousness. 
 
 Here the cross is reared, that the afflicted penitent 
 ^^^^s did the wounded Jews to the b azen serpent — 
 may look uj) thereto and be healed. Here a teni[>le 
 is crectiHl to the Most High Cod, where the recovered 
 sufferer frcjm t(Mii}>Oial and S})iritual disti'esses may 
 "(ayhi^ vows in the juesence of all His peoi le." 
 Here an altar is rai;5ed, where the soldier and sexvant 
 
 
 i 
 
 ii 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 I 
 
cliildreu 
 
 ;; down of 
 tlio (len- 
 c nut wit- 
 Hlmont of 
 " Sun of 
 ly not yet 
 lie boains 
 ygor por- 
 arranfed, 
 believing 
 lispol the / 
 
 01 men ? 
 low blcs- 
 1 and or- 
 c savage 
 "g since 
 he wild- 
 manized 
 
 i forest. 
 
 lehl her 
 
 8 bleed- 
 
 } dread- 
 fathers 
 woods, 
 
 ice hud 
 
 low the 
 
 lorning 
 
 lendent 
 
 en i tent 
 pent — 
 temple 
 (n'<3r(.'d 
 s may 
 !(){ k3." 
 ei vant 
 
 f)f Christ may renew his allegiance to the Captain of 
 liis isalvation, and partidiing of the symbols of hia 
 dyiig Master's love, may seal anew the bond of his 
 owi forgiveness. 
 
 lor the honor of the Lord of Ilost^^ Tins temple 
 hati been erected — to His service it hath been con- 
 se^'ated. But as the mere statue nnanimated by a 
 Bod within, unvisited bv that "spark of heavenly 
 flqrne" which shines forth in the graces of the mind 
 ad the affections of the heart, cannot long be engng- 
 ii^; so, vain and uninteresting is the mere edifice in 
 >^iich is not fulfilled all the intent of its appropriation 
 V -fv*'hich resounds not with the pratscs of that God to 
 y\i\om it is dedicated — which is not filled with the 
 "incense" of a contrite spirit, nor witness to the "pure 
 offering" of the heart and soul and strength to the 
 service of Jehovah. The gold could not fninctify the 
 temple: so not all the pomp of external decoration 
 can hallow the edifices we raise for the worship of the 
 Deity; but that pure and infinite Spirit which, al- 
 though "the heaven of heavens cannot contnin him," 
 yet deigns to visit llie lowly fabrics which human 
 hands have reared — lie must there be " VVonsiiiPPED 
 in spirit and in truth." The glow of piety quickened 
 by the common tribute of devotion — the fiame of 
 charity increasing with the general voice of prayer and 
 intercession — love to God and love to man, through 
 the merits of a crucified Redeemer, animating the 
 hearts of assembled worshipers — this is the " in- 
 cense" which must breathe throughout the Christian 
 temple ; this is the " offering" which must be made in 
 the Christian sanctuary! 
 
 For such a purpose, it is surely "good for us tc.'*I 
 
 here"— to "exalt the Lord in the congregation ot the 
 people and to praise him in the assembly of the el- 
 ders: It IS right "not to forsake the assembling of 
 ourselves together, in the courts of the Lords housQ." 
 
 * . 
 
 y^ 
 
 %r.. 
 
', 4 
 
 ''H 
 
 10 
 
 m 
 
 !'•■ 
 
 Bosioos tlie silont and socrnt devotion of the licart, 
 there ((Miiains upon us an ohlicfalion t) associate to- 
 gether in the worship of Almighty God — to nake a 
 pnblic conf( lesion of thankfulness; a general acknow- 
 ledi;incnt of unworthiness; a common supplication 
 for nicrc). The i^^rateful heart loves to give ^ent to 
 its emotions ; and, certainly, those blessings whicli 
 are received in common it becomes a comiiunity 
 jointly to acknowledge. Man is, in every hing, 
 a social creature ; he seeks for sympathy in his pas- 
 sions and looks for fellowship in his occupations If 
 tlien, in lighter services and in humbler engagenimts, 
 such a conjunction be a dictate of nature and lave 
 the commendation of expediency, a similar uni<n ^'^-v' 
 the duties of devotion is, at least, as becoming and 
 as profitable. A communication of counsels forwards 
 the conmion interest ; so a union in the exercises of 
 
 ■^ "piitisc and [)rayer may further their design because it 
 serves to increase their earnestness — according to the 
 siinilitiide of the wise man that "iron sharpeneth 
 iron." For, who is there that can frequent the con- 
 secrated house of Almi^'hty God — if he possess any 
 claim to the sensibility which human nature is proud 
 to acknowledge — witiiout being touched and aftected 
 by tlie solemnity of the scene presented there l Can 
 
 ** he view, with indifl'erence, the prostrate worshippers 
 of tlie Lord of heaven and earth I Can he listen un- 
 moved to their mingled voices of humble supplica- 
 tion \ Can he hear, without emotion, the connnon 
 profession of thankfulness and the loud tributes of 
 praise I Such a scene cannot but call home the wan- 
 dering thoughts and truant passions, and fix all the 
 intensity of both on the omnipotent object of this 
 g(uieral worship. It must bring to recollection the 
 
 ^ '"''aiesty of that Beinir to \\honi the mind too sehlom 
 may lool/up V^omt,^ -^^^^/.^-V ^- --- ^,^^ 
 
 )dness 
 
 is (3rect(Hl to the Most H"; . ^ ^oc . ^^ 
 
 - '^ " .vikeu a conviction o ux « ^^. ^^g c^iuncr 
 
 tnni>;— aw aKOU »i ^^^^^^^ to V)unish the leuc^ .^.^^^^^ ^^ 
 
 l.as .o ion, frrobo;^ to vu-u^ .^^^^_ ^^ ^„„,,i,„, 
 
 'r. a \caa t».o ^ to 
 
 pvaycr aud to prm»e. 
 
oftliclioan. 11 
 
 issociaf{> to 
 
 — to nuke a JAnd — af« a natural iiifluerico upon the passion« and 
 
 "*al acknow- jpjfiactices of nien wliicli a ptJiiiiiputioii ih tluro so- 
 
 supplicatioM 
 give \Qnt to 
 sings which 
 comn unity 
 very bing, 
 in his pas- 
 ations If, 
 g-agem>nts, 
 e and lave 
 ar uiiioi '',>'- 
 oming and 
 Is forwards 
 zeroises of 
 because it 
 'ing to tJic 
 harpeneth 
 t tlie con- 
 »sscss any 
 
 is proud 
 i affected 
 •o? Can 
 rshippers 
 istoii uu- 
 siipphca- 
 conuuoii 
 hutes of 
 the wan- 
 ^ all the 
 
 of this 
 ion tlio 
 seldom 
 ; which 
 IS sinner 
 it ion, to 
 
 n services is calcuhited to [)!0(luce — rnn.-t nol the 
 
 IS be moved to dismiss 
 feir unholy passions when the j)rayer for mutual b'.cs- 
 gs is breathing all around theui { (Jan they view 
 )n the object of cherished hatred, in the atliiiido 
 humility and with the aspect of devotion, ini|)k)r- 
 g the divine mercy upon their enemies, persceettjrs 
 $nd slanderers, and not feel a desire to be "reconeiled 
 l^to their brother 1" No: these public and miijgled 
 IpTerings caimot but cement the union of tlie < 'hjis- 
 fttn brotherhood. They forcibly remind us that, in 
 tlie sight of God, we are all children of a ronuuon 
 jfeniiiy — an impression of softening and holy inflm iice, 
 hieh will bend the arrogant to humility of n;ind, Miid 
 use the household of the faith to be "all one in 
 hrist Jesus." 
 
 We are commanded, " as we have opportunity, to 
 b good unto all men ;" but if we cannot fulfil this 
 ;i^ junction by acts of benevolence, we may become 
 *^ieir benefactors by intercessions to Almighty God 
 on th(Mr behalf. The prayer for "all sorts and con- 
 ditions of men," if made with sine(M'ity, '* availeth 
 Kich;" and its acceptance may bring doAvn Ik Ip to 
 he needv, spiritual conviction to the luke-warm, aiul 
 oavenly comfort to the wretched. We may be d(;fi- 
 i-'iit in worhlly means to reli(n'e the necessitous; yet 
 |the j)oorest may, by their intercessions to Almighty 
 «v)d, prove benefactors to the richest — the meanest 
 o the highest — the weakest to the miohtii;t;t. 
 
 Let us, therefore, my brethren, "not forsake the 
 
 assembliniT ol* ovu'selves tofi'eilier, as the manner of 
 
 ome is." yis the waufKr of sonu; is — 1 repent the 
 
 lApostle'^ accusation. For are there notie who are 
 
 |nnimprcssed by the motives and insensihli) to tJie 
 
 )b!igation,s tlnis to ass<Mn!)le themse'Ives teootherl 
 
 bone who i.en'lect the "means of liruce" and have 
 
 ';*♦«? 
 
if 
 
 iii 
 
 If 
 
 If 
 
 but a cold respect to the " hope of glory f ' none wli6 
 aro slow to ''enter the gates of the Lord with thanks- 
 giving and into his courts with praise '!" Is worldly 
 business — is the eager desire of a gain which is as 
 fleeting as it is worthless, never permitted to detach 
 from that divinely enjoint^d and ever to be recom- 
 mended duty! Are privat** uflliirs never suffered to 
 intrude upon that paraihount obligation, and cause 
 those hours which (xod claims to himself to be em- 
 ployed in the selfish business of mani Is a feeling 
 of idleness — the desire of the dull repose which 
 prompts this unmanly language, "yet a little sleep, a 
 little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep" — 
 never permitted to overcome a weak but better im- 
 pulse to obey the ordinances of God and "fulfil all 
 righteousness t" Is the chill of indifference never 
 sulfered to still the faint risings of piety, nor the tor- 
 por of insensibility to freeze up the fountains of devo- 
 tional tVeliiig! : ,-,; 
 
 Are excuses never made for neglecting and omit- 
 ting this duty which would not be proposed, if the 
 summons were from the world and not from God — if 
 the call were from ititerest, pleasure and passion, and 
 not fn)m the voice of heaven, the language of saints 
 and angels, and the blessedness of a future world! 
 But how strange is this infatuation ! We nmst con- 
 d( nm it, though we may not discard it; we must 
 charge upon it all the absurdity (jf inconsistency, all 
 the mailness of folly, although we still cling to the 
 biineful ('\il. But, my Hretli cu, let it undergo your 
 severest scrutitiy, that the thornu<ih conviction of the 
 judjjfinent may siuiine the opposing impulses of the 
 heart — that r<'ason mav ass(Mt hei (iominion and the 
 sj'i it scorn the tiuthority of th'' fl(\sh — that tl)(^ mind 
 too longenti((Hl, flattered .'ind eiis^laved, ntay vindicate 
 its pre-entin«Mice over the body. H' the prosj)ect of 
 souk; woilfily ndvnntnge, s<!me accession to your 
 honor amongst mankind, some increase to vcur for- 
 
 I 
 
 li 
 
 % km 
 ta4 
 
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 gel 
 
 
 "I 
 
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 m 
 
"m 
 
 say 
 
 TV 
 
 '" none wii6 
 vith thanks- 
 Is woiMly 
 ivhich is as 
 i to detach 
 be recom- 
 suffered to 
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 " to be ein- 
 Is a feeling 
 ose which 
 tie sleep, a 
 
 sleep" — 
 better im- 
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 nee never 
 or the tor- 
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 Bd, if the 
 
 1 God— if 
 'sion, and 
 of saints 
 e world ? 
 iiust con- 
 we must 
 i^ncy, :ill 
 g to tlio 
 <'g(i your 
 •n of the 
 
 s of (he 
 
 and ihe 
 
 "^ niind 
 iudirate 
 
 ^jX'Ct of 
 
 n your 
 Lur for- 
 
 15 
 
 tune should invito your attention and claim your eser- 
 ti 'OS, you would not heed the pains and trouble which 
 uld secure the prize. You would not regard as 
 Lisurmountable obstacles the inconveniencies of dis- 
 tance and fatigue — ^you would rather condemn your 
 idleness and irresolution if your dread of these light 
 impediments should cause the loss of those advanta- 
 ges which a little energy and perseverence might have 
 compassed. But if the promises of present interest 
 claim so much regard, how much more earnest and 
 persevering should be the struggle for a " future and 
 eternal weight of glory I" With what assiduity should 
 we not labor to compass that end which is to ren- 
 der even our earthly pilgrimage pleasant and peace- 
 ful, sanctifying its joys and alleviating its sorrows ; 
 and which, more than all, is to give us hope on the 
 bed of death an(ljhe confidence of reward at the day 
 of judgmentl **^ 
 
 But all these are views and arguments too closely 
 allied to the selfish passions of degraded beings. For, 
 can it be that interest alone is the mover of every such 
 impulse — that the hope of future reward is all the in- 
 citement for being diligent in God's service 1 Imper- 
 fect beings will ever associate that with their reasons 
 for " not being slothful" in this great " business ;" yet 
 we must not suffer it to be the only cause for doing 
 the will of our Father in heaven. We must summon 
 up the better feelings, the more generous passions of 
 humanity and league them into the holy cause which 
 prompts this labor and this diligence. We should 
 regard, as the most powerful incitement to the cheer- 
 ful worship of God, the atoning sacrifice of his bles- 
 sed Son — the certain truth that for our sakes " God 
 spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us 
 all;" that, to "redeem us from all iniquity, Christ 
 Jesus submitted unto death, even the death of the 
 cross." And considering " the redemption that is in 
 Christ Jesus," shall we feci no sentiment of gratitude, 
 B 
 
 
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r.vp, 
 
 it 
 
 14 
 
 m 
 
 
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 ■'y:. 
 ,>"(- 
 
 St i 
 
 '"H\ 
 
 i 
 
 mo incitement to thankfulness? When our God and 
 Saviour have such claims upon our grateful love, shall 
 we be slow to obey the sacred summons to enter his 
 hallowed courts and there to worship Him in spirit 
 and in truth ! Or, is this a grievous commandment \ 
 Can we feel any repugnance or count it any unreason- 
 ableness to give up to God one day out of the seven 1 
 Can we cherish any disinclination to appropriate more 
 exclusively to His service so trifling a proportion of our 
 time] No: the generous sensibilities, the honest 
 passions of mankind will rise in array against a sen- 
 timent so ungrateful, so degrading as this. They will 
 awaken the feeling and the language of the Psalmist, 
 " How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts ! 
 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house — a day in 
 thy courts is better than a thousand." ,* 
 
 " It is," therefore, " good for us to be here." In 
 this humble edifice which has been dedicated to the 
 senice of Jehovah, will God vouchsafe his presence ; 
 for Christ himself hath said that "where two or three 
 are gathered together in his Name, there is he in the 
 midst of tliem." Even here, as in his own appointed 
 tabernacle, will he deign to be consulted ; here he 
 himself doth invite us to come " with a true heart and 
 a full assurance of faith." Here will he have regard 
 to the prayers of faith ; and, through the agency of 
 his blessed i!*pirit, will breathe to the contrite and sor- 
 rowful the comforting hope that their " sins are for- 
 given them." 
 
 Yet, it is not good for us to bo here without a due 
 regard to the motives and end oT this assemblage ; 
 and with these how very inconsistent is any spirit of 
 listlosncss and idlenosL^ which may be brought to 
 God's holy house ! How contradictory to the mean- 
 ing of tills assembling ourselves together, not to join, 
 with humility and earnestness, in the exercises of de- 
 votion — to manifest, in the hallowed t(5mple of Al- 
 mighty God, the look of indifference or to assume the 
 
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ir God and 
 
 love, shall 
 
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 landment ? 
 
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 the seven? 
 
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 he honest 
 
 inst a sen- 
 
 They will 
 
 5 Psalmist, 
 
 of Hosts! 
 
 -a day in 
 
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 In 
 
 lere. 
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 presence ; 
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 he in the 
 appointed 
 ; here he 
 heart and 
 vc regard 
 igenvy of 
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 r^ut a due 
 ;mblage ; 
 ' spirit of 
 «ught to 
 le mean- 
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 IM\ 
 
 15 
 
 attitude of ease — to stand or sit in vacant thoughtless- 
 ness when the solemn occasion claims the humblest 
 posture and the most intense regard — to gaze about 
 in slothful or audacious unconcern, when the eye 
 should be lifted in meekness to God, and the soul en- 
 grossed by the wonders of redemption — to turn a heed- 
 less ear to the naked or expounded truths of God's 
 word, when they declare the rewards of the righteous 
 and point out the way to win them ! 
 
 It becomes us, my Brethren, in entering the sanc- 
 tuary of the Most High, to leave the world, its cares 
 and its follies behind us ; and not to suffer our spiri- 
 tual contemplations to be sullied by an unworthy anx- 
 iety about temporal things. " I will pray with the 
 spirit and I will pray with the understanding also," is 
 the resolution which should animate the assembled 
 worshippers of Almighty God ; and let me add that 
 the beautiful Liturgy of our Church affords, on these 
 occasions, the means of fulfilling this excellent de- 
 sign — ^to unite the devotion of the heart and judg- 
 ment in every prayer and praise. 
 
 And may God's grace and blessing ever be with 
 us in the performance of the worship which is due to 
 Him — that "entering his gates hkre with thanksgi- 
 ving and into his courts with praise," we may here- 
 after be admitted to " the general assembly and 
 Church of the first-born, which are written in heaven." 
 
 #■ 
 
 A-': 
 
.» 
 
 './krittA^.^ 
 
 16 
 
 SERMON 11. 
 ON FORMS OF PRAYER. 
 
 I. CORINTHIANS XIV. 15. 
 
 i will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the undeifi- 
 
 standing also* 
 
 It was believed by the ancient people of God not 
 only that the Deity was immediately present in their 
 places of public worship, but that multitudes of the 
 angelic host invisibly joined with their mortal breth- 
 ren in the common worship of their great Creator.* 
 If, therefore, the assurance that " the host of the Lord 
 doth encamp about us" here, naturally beget an ear- 
 nest longing for the house which hath heen consecra- 
 ted to his service ; it should equally invite us to a 
 diligent regard of this solemn admonition, ^'keep thy 
 foot when thou goest to the house of God" — and in- 
 duce a compliance with the injunction of the Son of 
 Siracli, " Before thou prayest, prepare thyself." 
 
 In the presence of fellow-mortals whom we reve- 
 rence — before our Sovereign and our Rulers we are 
 careful of our deportment and our language. If we 
 seek assistance or favor from them, we make known 
 our wishes with humility and cautiously frame the 
 words in which we clothe our entreaties. What, then, 
 should be our conduct when we enter into the presence 
 of Almighty Godt what should be our language when 
 we approach the Throne of Graced how should we 
 "who are but dust and ashes take upon us to speak 
 unto the Lord !" 
 
 When even the spotless Cherubim of heaven veil 
 their faces before the Lord of Glory, how shall 
 
 ■«*.^.«^ 
 
 * King Agnppa, in dissua<ling the Jewi from tbe war with the Romaas, «ayf» 
 "I call to witness your sanctuary and (he holy angels of God," — Joseph. \Var 
 Book ii. c. 16. 4. Confer 1 Cor. si. 10, aod 1 lira. v. 31. 
 
 
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 God not 
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 he Lord 
 • an ear- 
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 us to a 
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 -and in- 
 
 ' Son of 
 
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 17 
 
 wretched sinners address the same adorable Beingt 
 Will they presume to be heedless of their conduct 
 and careless of their words in the presence of the 
 King of kings'! Will they breathe before His throne 
 the unchastened dictates of the mind or speak, in his 
 presence, the uncorrected effusions of the heart? — 
 " God is in heaven and thou upon earth :" therefore, 
 says the wise man, " be not rash with thy mouth, and 
 let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thn)g before 
 Ged." 
 
 To provide against irreverent and ill-considered 
 addresses to the IJeity — to ensure the happy associa- 
 tion of a devout with a decent behaviour in the wor- 
 ship of God — and to secure the means of " doing all' 
 things unto edifying" in the exercise of that solemn 
 duty, our Church hath provided for herself a Form of 
 Devotion. Of the expediency of this the experience 
 of every age assures us. For even in the pure days 
 of primitive Christianity, St. Paul censures the Cor- 
 rinthians for an improper exercise of the gift of the 
 Spirit in the offices of Prayer : and if inspired men 
 sometimes perverted the gift of utterance to a confu- 
 sion irreconcileable with the decency required in pub- 
 lic worship and entirely destructive of edification; 
 surely uninspired men, in the delivery of unpreme- 
 ditated prayers, are more likely to fall under that 
 condemnation of the Apostle. 
 
 Although it is certainly very possible that the utte- 
 rance of the first awakened feelings of the heart, 
 without the formality of preparation, may be accom- 
 panied with a warmer zeal in the speaker and beget 
 a more lively interest in the hearer ; yet there is as 
 possible a danger that the one may rise into an unbe- 
 coming vehemence, or the other degenerate into an 
 unfruitful curiosity. Besides, success in this manner 
 of praying depends so much on the possession of a 
 faculty which falls to the lot of few, that its general 
 adoption must often be attended with much that is 
 b2 
 
r 
 
 1 ' 1 ' 
 
 18 
 
 extremely objectionable. For a ready elocution is 
 not always an accompanying endowment of the man 
 of sound mind, correct powers of reasoning and ex- 
 tensive erudition; nor does it always happen that he 
 whose thoughts are conceived with rapidity and clear- 
 ness can express them with a proportional quickness 
 and propriety. In the case, therefore, of unpreme- 
 ditated effusions of prayer, important omissions, un- 
 suitable matter, unbecoming expressions and a dis- 
 turbed connection will not be uncommon evils; while 
 the signs of a labouring recollection and the embar- 
 rassed and tumultuous delivery which that will create, 
 inimical as they must be to the edification of the de- 
 vout and destructive of the due influence on the luke- 
 warm, may confirm the irreligious in their propensity 
 to scoff. These, too, are evils to a certain extent 
 inseparable from the extemporaneous efforts of even 
 the most highly gifted. We know that the mind and 
 its powers, susceptible as they are of impressions 
 from external things, are often impaired by languid 
 health and depressed spirits. This influence will 
 naturally be communicated to all the exercises of the 
 mind ; and thus the perfection of an extemporary 
 prayer is rendered subservient to the commonest 
 vicissitudes to which we are liable. 
 
 We are free, however, to admit that nothing done 
 by man is without its imperfections and disadvanta- 
 ges, nor shall we deny that these appertain even to 
 pre-composed forms of prayer in public worship ; yet, 
 if in the latter case they are less serious than where 
 the prayers are unpremeditated, an advantage is 
 gained strongly in favor of a Form. It has, for in- 
 stance, been said of some that they " preached them- 
 selves and not Christ Jesus the Lord ;" and the ex- 
 tempore manner of praying would afford occasion for 
 the charge of a similar impropriety in the exercise of 
 that office. In unpremeditated addresses to the Deity 
 there is certainly not that check to the association of 
 
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19 
 
 cution is 
 the man 
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 uickness 
 npreme- 
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 em bar- 
 create, 
 the de- 
 le luke- 
 'pensity 
 extent 
 )f even 
 nd and 
 sssions 
 anguid 
 e will 
 of the 
 5orary 
 lonest 
 
 done 
 anta- 
 en to 
 ;yet, 
 ^here 
 ^e is 
 
 •'•in- ^ 
 lem- 
 
 ! ex- 
 
 for * 
 
 je of 
 
 eity 
 
 a of 
 
 M 
 
 private passions a:»d interests with requests that should 
 be jjul.lic and general, which is sujiplied by a 1^ \»rra 
 , of prayer ; and perhaps ihe bare possibiUty of the 
 alliance of any selfish feeling or malevolent passion 
 with these public petitions to Almighty God, is suffi- 
 cient to justify the adoption of that etfectual restraint. 
 "-dK To this it may be added that a Form of prayer aftoids 
 ^^ the simplest method of ensuring a " reasonable ser- 
 #i! vice" in the duties of public Worship — the mostetfec- 
 tual means of rendering the warm impulses of the 
 ** spirit" subordinate to the correcting influence of the 
 * understanding." Nor is it a light addition to this re- 
 commendation that, in a Form, the humblest and most 
 unlearned petitioners at the throne of Grace are fur- 
 nished with the "words of truth and soberness" in 
 which to pay their vows and express their wants. 
 
 An objection, however, is alleged against Forme 
 of Prayer, that a weariness is beg<jtten by their per- 
 petual repetition which leads to inattention and is sub- 
 versive ot devotion. But to this it may be briefly 
 answered that the fault here is not in the form — espe- 
 cially if that form embraces ** sound words and sound 
 doctrine" — but in the heart which suffers such a lan- 
 guor to creep upon it ; it is in the spirit which permits 
 any feeling of listlessness to check the devotion which 
 should reign within it. Nor is the objection generally 
 applicable that we arc thus affected by hab.t. Habit 
 as often reconciles as renders us averse to the exer- 
 f^ cises in which we may engage ; and it is no light re- 
 ' c«»mmendation of the practice of devotion generally 
 that habit will render it agreeable. We know, too, 
 that it reconciles us to many an usage in the common 
 course of life where the charge of " vain repetitions" 
 might be made with as much propriety and effect as 
 in the case of Forms of prayer. We do not observe 
 —to adduce a very familiar example — that the custo- 
 mary modes of salutation or the common forms of 
 courteous address, often repeated and unvarying as 
 
 
I 
 
 ■f 
 
 ;?'■ 
 '%:. 
 
 they are, affect the sincerity of friendly congratula- 
 tion or the cordiality of affectionate wishes. Why, 
 then, should the objection from habit apply with more 
 force in the exercise of the offices of devotion 1 Or 
 why should it not, in these also, serve to neutralize 
 the baneful love of novelty and thus leave the spirit 
 freely to co-operate with the understanding in the use 
 of a Form of Prayer 1 
 
 I shall only instance, further, the striking fact, that 
 in the Bible itself the essential truths are but simple 
 and few — that we never tire of repeating these — and 
 that, so far from seeking novelties in the wide com- 
 pass of that holy volume, the generality of Christians 
 rather delight to repeat and apply those few texts 
 which are in the mouths of all, even of " babes and 
 sucklings," and which embrace the most obvious 
 sources of consolation and the plainest exhortations 
 to duty. This is an argument very much strengthen- 
 ed by the like re^spect so uniformly paid to that beau- 
 tiful Form of devotion well known by the name of 
 the Lord's Prayer. 
 
 It will, however, be asserted that whatsoever tendi 
 to animate devotion is to be recommended ; and that 
 the acknowledged " weakness of the flesh" should 
 receive every lawful auxiliary to enable it to keep 
 pace with the cheerful "willingness of the spirit. 
 Yet novelty were here an incompetent instrument- 
 nay, an illegitimate means of forwarding the duties 
 of devotion. It would subject them to the caprices 
 and fluctuations of human passion, and add to the 
 causes of the condemnation expressed in Scripture 
 against those " itching ears" which disincline men to 
 ** endure sound doctrine." Such a curiosity should 
 certainly be disjoined from all alliance with devotion. 
 It is erroneous in principle to bring into formal asso- 
 ciation a solemn duty to God and the gratification of 
 a light and common passion. In our devotions, the 
 necessities which prompt them, and the majesty and> 
 
 M 
 
 ^ 
 
 'M 
 
gratula- 
 Why, 
 ith mure 
 )n^ Or 
 mtralize 
 he spirit 
 1 the use 
 
 *act, that 
 it simple 
 se — and 
 de com- 
 hristians 
 (BW texts 
 ibes and 
 obvious 
 ortationa 
 sngthen- 
 lat beau- 
 name of 
 
 er tendi 
 and that 
 
 should 
 to keep 
 
 spirit, 
 iment— 
 e duties 
 caprices 
 
 to the 
 cripture 
 
 men to 
 
 should 
 evotion. 
 al asso- 
 ation of 
 ons, the 
 ;sty and 
 
 m: 
 
 n 
 
 loving-kindness of the Being to whom they are di- 
 rected, should be all-powerful to stimulate and keep 
 alive the spirit in which prayer should be made. 
 
 Finally, in allowing to extemporary prayer all the 
 advantages it can claim, we must be permitted to say 
 that every prayer thus uttered is a fcri^i to those who 
 hear it — a form, too, which is attended with a pecu- 
 liar disadvantage in being previously unknown to the 
 audience. In this case, to adopt the language of a 
 celebrated divine, "the listeners are confounded be- 
 twixt the attention to the Minister and their own devo- 
 tion. The devotion of the hearer is necessarily sus- 
 pended, until a petition be concluded ; and before he 
 can assent to it or properly adopt it, that is, before 
 he can address the same request to God for himself, 
 and from himself, his attention is called off to keep 
 pace with what succeeds. Add to this, that the mind 
 of the hearer is held in continual expectation, and 
 detained from its proper business by the very novelty 
 with which it is gratified. A congregation may be 
 pleased and affected with the prayers and devotion of 
 their Minister, without joining in them; in like man- 
 ner as an audience oftentimes are with the represen- 
 tation of devotion upon the stage, who, nevertheless, 
 come away without being conscious of having exer- 
 cised any act of devotion themselves."* 
 
 Let it not, however, be supposed that these remarks 
 are designed as any reflection upon the usages of such 
 Christians as adopt that method of conducting their 
 public devotions ; for we only notice the disadvantages 
 which appertain to it in order to rmder more appa- 
 rent what we humbly conceive to be the superiority 
 of our own manner of addressing the Deity. And if 
 every man must have some reason for the predilection 
 which sways him — some cause for the preference he 
 adopts ; we, my Brethren, are fully justified in giving 
 
 * Paley'a Moial Philos. Bookr. ch. 5.. 
 
22 
 
 I'! 
 
 •ur reasons— in the spirit of meekness and Christiaa 
 charity — for considering and adopting a Form of 
 Prayer in public worship as the most enectual nneani 
 of fulfilling the Apostle*8 injunction, to " pray with 
 the spirit and to pray with the understanding also." 
 
 But we have a higher authority for the use of Forms 
 of Prayer than the mere dictates of expediency. The 
 Scriptures of God sanctify the usage and furnish u» 
 with frequent examples of its adoption. 
 
 It was in a Form of tcords that Moses and the Is- 
 raelites raised their tlmnkvul song to heaven for deli- 
 verance from the Egyptian host ; and it is worthy of 
 remark that this act of praise was performed by alter- 
 nate voices. When Moses and his company had 
 begun the hymn of thanksgiving, Miriam the pro- 
 phetess and the women, with timbrels and dances, 
 answered them and said, "Sing ye to the Lord, for 
 he hath trium|)hed gloriously ; the horse and his rider 
 hath he thrown into the sea."* 
 
 A deprecatory Form of Prayer was appointed to 
 the elders and judges of Israel in whose neighbour- 
 hood a secret murder had been committed : *• Our 
 hands have not slied this blood, neither have our eyes 
 seen it; be merciful, O Lord, unto thy people whom 
 thou hast redeemed ; and lay not innocent blood to 
 thy people of Israel's charge."f 
 
 In a composed Form of words, the Priests of Is- 
 rael were required to bless the congregation : " The 
 Lord bless thee and keep thee ; the Lord make his 
 face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee ; the 
 Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee 
 peace."t 
 
 On the occasion of a public Fast, the priests under 
 the Law were commanded to use this Form of sup- 
 plication : " Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not 
 
 * Exodus XT. 1 & 20. t Deuf. xxi. 7. 8. X Numb. vi. 24. Tbii beautiful 
 
 form of benediction it iniertcd io our office for the Visitation of the Sick^ 
 
 0. 
 
 
 '4 
 
 M 
 
 /..■C; 
 
■:K 
 
 ^hristiaa 
 
 ''ORM OF 
 
 il means 
 ray with 
 also." 
 
 f Forms 
 y. The 
 irnish us 
 
 J the Is- 
 
 for deli- 
 orthy of 
 by alter- 
 any had 
 he pro- 
 dances, 
 lOrd, for 
 lis rider 
 
 )inted to 
 ighhour- 
 : "Our 
 our eyes 
 e whom 
 blood to 
 
 :s of Is- 
 : " The 
 lake his 
 fiee; the 
 ivo thee 
 
 ts under 
 of sup- 
 give not 
 
 lit beautirql 
 ckr 
 
 thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should 
 rule over th«;rn.''* 
 
 In the Psalniti of David, we arc furnished with a 
 whole book of Form:^ of devotion, suited to every 
 occasion either of lively praise or humble supplica- 
 tion ; and it is easy 1 o perceive that many of those 
 beautiful strains of devotion were composea expressly 
 for public Worship. 
 
 The Jews we are assured, used Forms of prayer in 
 their synagogue worship. Many of their Liturgies 
 are extant ;t and it is certain that the Lord's Prayer 
 itsnif was partly borrowed from some of their formu- 
 laries. J This circumstance, joined to our Saviour's 
 constant custom of frequenting their Synagogues and 
 temi)ie, wiiorc; forms of prayer were usud, would 
 plainly \m\i\y his approbation of that manner of pray- 
 ing. We are to info r from the request, "Lord, teach 
 us to pray as John also taught his disciples," that the 
 venerable Baptist had prescribed to hi., followers a 
 Form of prayor; and our Saviour's assent to their 
 desire, in immediately furnishing them with the Lord's 
 Prayer, besides his express injunction that they should 
 " pray after this manner," affords the strongest testi- 
 mony to the expediency of Forms. 
 
 Thrice did our blessed Lord — and shall we pre- 
 sume to call it a "vain repetition" — in his agony in 
 the garden, exclaim, " Father, if it be possible, let 
 this cup pass away from me;" aufl thn'ee he pro- 
 nounced these words of resignation, "Not as f will 
 but as thou wilt." In his aniruish on the cross, lie 
 cried out in the preparrul langiiajre of the Psalmist, 
 "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me;" and 
 in this form of words, he yields bin last breath, "Fa- 
 ther, into thy hands I commend my spirit." 
 
 ^ Joel ii. 17. t For an exampla, Vid. Prideaux'f Connect. Vol. i. p. 446, and 
 
 Home's Introd. to the Scriptures, Vol. iii. p. 249, 5th Edition. t. Orotius in 
 
 Matt. vi.9. 
 
 *» % « . 
 
 %J 
 
 
 r ■& 
 
 r-«. .■'» 
 
24 
 
 In heaven above, we have tho like hallowed tcsti- 
 tnony to Forms in praise. For this is tluj unchanging 
 anthem of tht? Cherubim and Seraphim, " Holy, holy, 
 holy Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to 
 come :" the four and twenty elders respond the chaunt 
 of praise in this unaltered form, " Thou art worthy, 
 O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power ; for 
 thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they 
 are and were created ;" and the countless quires of 
 ang Is who surround the throne of Jehovah are never 
 weary of repeating this same form of praise, " Bles- 
 sing and honor and glory and power be unto him that 
 «itteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb for ever."* 
 
 If, then, the holy men "of the old time before us" 
 prayed to God in a stated form of words — if both 
 Jews and Christians thus "lift up their voice with one 
 accord''' to the God and Father of all — if the Son of 
 God himself prayed after that manner to his heavenly 
 Father — if the worshippers in heaven have a Form of 
 words in which they acknowledge the glory of the 
 Everlasting; shall we not worship God after the man- 
 ner of our fathers \ shall not we confess the fitness of 
 what the spirits of heaven sanction? shall we not 
 practice what Christ himself hath approved and en- 
 joined \ 
 
 There are Forms of prayer extant which have been 
 ascribed to St. Peter, St. James and St. Mark ; and 
 although there is no decisive evidence that these 
 were actually the compositions of those Apostles, yet 
 have we testimony sufficient to assure us that they 
 are of very great antiquity. It is inferred, indeed, 
 from the testimony of Cyril Bishop of Jerusalem, 
 Cyprian and others, that tho Liturgy ascribed to St. 
 James was in use in the Church not long after the 
 Appstolic age. In ancient Ecclesiastical History we 
 frequently observe the names of the Roman, the (Jal- 
 
 ' ReTei iy. 8—11. t, 13. 14. 
 
 ft 
 

 }!>' 
 W^- 
 
 25 
 
 licaii, the Alexandrian Liturgies, &c. ; and in many 
 of the Fathers we meet with Forms of prayer adapted 
 to occasions both of pubhc and private worship. It 
 needs, indeed, but little acquaintance with the early 
 Christain writers to discover that such public and estab- 
 lished prayers were nearly universal in the Church 
 during the first fifteen centuries* ; and although many 
 pernicious innovations attended the progress of the 
 glorious Reformation in the 16th century, yet the ce- 
 lebrated Calvin^ however much he departed, in other 
 respects, from the primitive usages of the Church, has 
 left this testimony to the value of Forms of prayer ; 
 "as for a form of prayers and eccleciastical rites, I do 
 highly approve that there should be a certain one from 
 which it should not be lawful for the pastor in his of- 
 fice to depart."! 
 
 When, after a long protracted darkness, the bright- 
 ness of truth broke in once more upon the benighted 
 Church of Christ, our Reformers cleansed away the 
 rubbish of Popish superstition and error as well from 
 the Liturgy of the Church as from the essential doc- 
 trines of the Gospel ; and they framed the Book op 
 Co.MMON Prayer which not only commands our ap- 
 probation and reverence, but has " a good report even 
 of them who are without."| 
 
 The revision of the public services of the Church 
 which led to the formation of our admirable Liturgy, 
 commenced with the Reformation in the reign of Hen- 
 ry VIIL — and soon after the accession of his ami- 
 able and pious, but short-lived son, Commissionres, 
 comprehending the most learned and excellent of the 
 whole Clergy of the kingdom, were specially appoin- 
 
 "* For citation of particular authorities, v\d. Shepherd on the Common Prayer, aU 
 most passim. Several forms of prayer are f^iven at length in the Apostol. Constit. 
 ascribed to Clement of Rome. Lib. vii. viii. and vid. Cyril as cited by Mosheim, Ec- 
 cics. Hist Cent iv. Part 2. Chap. iv. 3. t Letters to the Duke of Somerset. 
 
 i •' Although a Protestant Dissenter," aaya Robert Hall of Leicester, in speak- 
 u\i; of the Liturp^y of the Church of England, " 1 cannot be insensible of its 
 iiieriis. I believe that the «van£relical purity of its sentiments, the chastised fer- 
 vor of its devotions, and the luajestic simplicity of its lan<);uagc have combined to 
 place itiu the very first rank of uninspired compositions.'' 
 
 c 
 
 Iv^ 
 
26 
 
 
 ted to complete that important work. These, which 
 included in their number the well-known Reformers 
 Crajnmer and Ridley, being untainted with the spirit 
 of innovation, contented themselves with purifying the 
 Liturgy from the errors which had been introduced 
 into it by the corrupt Church of Rome ; carefully re- 
 taining those services which had been used in the first 
 and purest ages, and only making such additions as 
 the character of the times seemed to require. Not 
 long after, the whole came again under the strict ex- 
 amination of nearly the same persons, aided by the 
 celebrated Lati.meu ; and the result of their faithful 
 labors was the production of that Liturgy which, with 
 a few slight exceptions, we now possess. In the suc- 
 ceeding reign of the bigoted and cruel Mary, the pro- 
 mulgation and use of this excoUeiit book was strictly 
 forbidden, and many of its venerable compilers were 
 called upon to seal their testimony v/ith their blood. 
 In the reign of Elizabetl), when tlie sanguinary pro- 
 ceedings against the Reformers were stopped, the 
 Liturgy underwent anotlier revision. During its pro- 
 gress, it was submitted to tlie examination of the 
 Romish Clergy in tlie kingdom ; but from the bitter 
 severity of their criticisms it came forth triumphant 
 and more deeply fixed than ever in the veneration 
 and esteem of the nation. Soon after the .ccession 
 of James 1. it was tried in the crueible of the Puritans, 
 and came a second time under their scrutiny in the 
 reign of Charles If. ; yet so faitliful had licen the la- 
 bors of the primitive Reformers that the utmost hos- 
 tility of those <.p}»onents, joined to the close and con- 
 tinned deliberation of the most eminent divines of the 
 Church, produced nothing more than a few trifling 
 alterations and inconsiderable additions. A revision 
 Avas again made in the time ot William III. ; when, 
 after some slight amendments, that Liturgy was final- 
 ly (established which we, at this e'ay, use.* 
 
 t f is short history (if our LiUirgy u chiefly i.'xlr^ictca from the Introdiictioii tn 
 
 ^lipplurd'.^ Con.oion pinycr. 
 
 ^f»'' 
 
27 
 
 Such, my Brethren, hath been the origin and pro- 
 gress — and such have been the " fiery trials" of our 
 inestimable Liturgy. Purified in the strifes of faction 
 and surviving the convulsions of various revolutions — 
 visited by the keenest resentment of Popish bigotry 
 and subjected to tiie " railing accusations " of a rash 
 fanaticism — it hath come down to us sealed with the 
 blood of martyrs ; recommended by the encomiums 
 of passing ages, and recommending itself as well by 
 the manifestation of human skill and judgment in its 
 compilation, as by the higher " demonstration of the 
 spirit and of power." 
 
 While its best merit is its strict accommodation to 
 the doctrines and even to the expressions of Scripture, 
 it presents a strong claim to our admiration from the 
 harmony and beauty of its general structure. It ma- 
 nifests the happiest combination of prayer with praise, 
 and the most judicious intermixture of the word of 
 God with both* — all "contrived," to use the words 
 of a celebrated writer, *'to supply the mind with a 
 succession of diversified engagements."! By the re- 
 sponsions it provides, the congregation arc never per- 
 mitted to be uninterested spectators or unem])loycd 
 worshippers, nor the Minister the sole organ of their 
 devout communion with heaven ; while in tliose tri- 
 butes of praise and prayer which he oilers up on their 
 behalf, they are never without the means of prepara- 
 tion for a cordial response of the concluding Amen, 
 
 But the merits of our devotional offices will be best 
 perceived and best appreciated by a more particular 
 examination of them ; but this must bo postponed to 
 another occasion. I shall here only add, iti tiio words 
 of St. Paul to Timothy, "consiflcr wliat I say ; and 
 the Lord give you understanding ia all tilings." 
 
 * For an ailmirable retort upon the cnvils a^ninsttliis commend ible interchange, 
 see Hooker's Eccles. rdity, Book v. Sect. 34. t Arclid. Paley. 
 
 fiiictiou ti» 
 
SERMON III. 
 
 ON THE LITURGY OF THE CHURCH OF 
 
 ENGLAND. 
 
 ■•>■ 
 
 MATTHEW VI. 9. 
 
 After this manner, therefore, pray ye. 
 
 It has been beautifully remarked that " the vene- 
 rable compilers of our Liturgy have walked like skil- 
 ful physicians in the garden of God ; and finding it 
 plentifully stored with medicines for the cure of spi- 
 ritual diseases, they have collected a few of the most 
 potent and useful."* This judgment and skill is ob- 
 servable in the selection of those sentences from Holy 
 Scripture with which our Common Prayer commen- 
 ces ; — yet, before considering their tendency to pre- 
 pare us for the devotional offices which succeed, it is 
 right to bestow some commendatory notice on the 
 custom of praying in private to God, upon our first 
 entrance into Church. It is certainly proper to em- 
 plore His assistance for a right performance of those 
 duties in which we are about to engage ; and in the 
 following words of the Psalmist, we are furnished as 
 well with an example of the devout practice, as with 
 an appropriate form for such an invocation of the di- 
 vine help : " Let the words of my mouth, and the 
 meditation of my heart be alway acceptable in thy 
 sight, O Lord my strength and my Redeemer." — 
 These should be the sentiments of our souls and this 
 the employment of our minds when we enter the house 
 of God ; rather than permitting any irreverent direc- 
 tion of either to wordly cares or wordly objects. Such 
 a practice will prove a wholsome restraint upon the 
 
 ' Shepherd Vol. i. p. 6. 
 
 *. 
 
 Ai>, 
 
29 
 
 wanderings of the mind, before we are called upon, 
 by the voice of " Christ's ambassadors," more formal- 
 ly to prepare ourselves for the great- duties of devo- 
 tion. 
 
 In order to awaken the impressions and feelings 
 which befit the supplicants at the throne of Grace, 
 our attention is, in the first place, properly called to 
 some of the most important truths contained in God's 
 holy Word. One or more appropriate verses from 
 Scripture are accordingly read by the Minister, be- 
 fore he proceeds to a particular exhortation to the 
 duties for which we are assembled. To exemplify 
 the wisdom which has directed the selection and com- 
 bination of these portions of holy writ — as well as to 
 furnish you with a hint for a salutary employment of 
 the mind before the service begins, where there is 
 leisure for such meditation — I shall request your at- 
 tention to a short paraphrase of these Introductory 
 Sentences. 
 
 First, there is announced to us the gracious promise 
 of salvation to him that "turneth away from hia 
 wickedness and doeth that which is lawful and right ;" 
 and to impress us with a lively sense of our iniquities, 
 as well as to lead us to that happy resolution of a- 
 mendment, we are exhorted, like the Psalmist, to 
 " acknowledge our transgressions " and to have " our 
 sin ever before us." Convinced of these offences and 
 dreading the judgment of the Most High against them, 
 we are admonished to implore our heavenly Father 
 to " hide his face from our sins and to blot out all our 
 iniquities ;" and for our comfort under the dejection 
 which a sense of sin must beget, we are reminded 
 that " the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit — that 
 a broken and a contrite heart he will not despise."—- 
 Yet to ensure the sincerity of this penitential sorrow 
 and to condenm all dissimulation in this godly grief, 
 we arc commanded to " rend our heart and not our 
 c2 
 
(/nrniMilM nrid liirri unto tho Lord our God ;" for then, 
 wImih our ri!|M;iiiiinci! in tliUH lively and earnest, we 
 hIkiII liiid lliiii "^raciouHand merciful, slow to anger 
 find of ^riiHt kindneHH/' To God, indeed, "belong 
 nirri'irM unci for^ivonenBos, though we have rebelled 
 ii^iiinHi him — ol>oyo<l not Km voice, nor walked in his 
 Itiwpt which ho Hi;t before uh." But to avert His just 
 nni^nr for iIiIm iin^rnt<;ful reb(^llion, we are fitly call- 
 ed upon lo Mny, " < > Lord correct me" — for his chaste- 
 uiupH condiu'o loom' profit — "but with judgment ; not 
 in :!:'«M' nn^jr. Irs! ihoii bring me to nothing." And 
 IcMl wo hIioiiM prrsume loo mucii upon that loving- 
 KiiidncMH winch is cxtt^ndcd even to the rebellious 
 ItniiNjijrt'ftMor »»f IIIh laws, we are reminded of the 
 pcrpotnal obli^<;atioii (o " i«»p(Mit." For, if we repent, 
 Hr will pardt»n : if wc •' will arise and go unto our 
 l*'nllnM'" with mifrignod sorrow for our sins, our Fa- 
 thrr will hmtIvo us. ns (he ntfoctit>nate parent of the 
 riodijV'al n'cciv«nl uguin his iM'ring but repentant son. 
 \v\ l«» assure us once more of the lialofulucssof sin in 
 \\\v si^lu t>f Go»l. nuil to prevent our heedless relapse 
 imo the pollutions from which we have escaped, we 
 are >\arned that. \\\ " his siijht shall no man livinii be 
 ju-^titiod' —soul an"* urged lo deprecate tiie severity 
 of' his just\v e by praying that lie would " not enter 
 into judNruuMU with Ins servants.** Lastly, we are ad- 
 inoujsjievl agaujst the arrogant and dangerou;. belief 
 ihni " we ha\<' iu> su» :"' a t'atal error and gross un- 
 truih ; u\s\eail of \>l\u'li \>e are rci^uirod to •• coutVss 
 em sois." and v<o. to pnn\in" tmrsehe* tor ihe mercy 
 of Hun who " u» t;\ri\tm ami jusi :o torgive us our 
 sins and to olean«s\^ us tVoiu all unnghtet>usness.'* 
 
 To thcj^t^ unpr< ss-.ve Sontenci^s tmm Scriptur^"^. suc- 
 ooeds the »^\iu>KV\rto\ — ac<\>r\im£ lx> the praciice 
 of the e*rU <l^bnsiiAr»s wht\ as lV|WTaTi iDionn? us.* 
 X* e^x^ ptvj\^j\\l tW jM~ay; T by an lJil^^x^uv^^rT r.iboita- 
 
 i^^jC' 
 
SI 
 
 tion from the Minister. Its opening words, " Dearly 
 beloved brethren," are in the affectionate tone of A- 
 postolic address ; and are calculated to renew the 
 assurance that the Minister of Christ speaks to his 
 followers " the truth in love." On this account, as 
 well as for the solemnity and importance of the ad- 
 monitions it contains, the congregation are required 
 to stand, while the exhortation is pronouncing — an 
 attitude, indeed, most consistent with a respectful at- 
 tention. The Exhortation is, in substance, very simi- 
 lar to the selections from SScripture previously read, 
 and is manifestly designed to maintain and further 
 the impressions those were intended to produce. It 
 urges, in a particular manner, the duty of confessing 
 our sins, without any vain dissimulation of them in the 
 presence of Him to whose " eyes all things are naked 
 and open." And while it reminds us of the obliga- 
 tion to make these contrite acknowledgments " at all 
 times ;" it lays especial stress upon our duty "so to 
 do, when we assemble and meet together" expressly 
 for the worship of Almighty God. For there can be 
 no sincere tribute of "thanks" to him, if our hearts 
 be impenitent ; no acceptable offering of "praise," if 
 it "go out of feigned lips;" no cordial love of his 
 " most holy word," if we continue in those sins which 
 it condemns ; no just expectation of what is " requi- 
 site and necessary f >r us," if we offer up, at the throne 
 of Grace, "the sacrifice of the wicked." 
 
 For such reasons, before we proceed to thesp so- 
 lemn acts of devotion, we are called upon to make a 
 Genekal Confession of our sins ; and to this the as- 
 sembled worshippers of their heavenly Father are 
 invited as well by the example as by the earnest en- 
 treaty of their Minister, who himself also assumes the 
 posture of humility, and beseeches alk to join him 
 " with a pure heart and humble voice." 
 
 And how deep is the tone of self-abasement — how 
 fervent the language of entreaty which is breathed 
 
V''' 
 
 throughout that beautiful Prayer ! We, prostrate sin- 
 ners and children of the dust, presume, in the time 
 of our distress, to call upon God as our " Father :" \vc 
 address Him as "Almighty" to help: we entreat him 
 as " most merciful" to forgive. We confess that " like 
 lost sheep we have gone astray from the Lord our 
 Shepherd"* — we have left his peaceful fold — we have 
 forsaken his "green pastures. We have wandered 
 aw^ay into the wilderness ; into " a far country," and a 
 "strange land," where all is desolation and wretched- 
 ness. We have slighted manifest duties; we have 
 broken positive commands ; " and there is no health 
 in us." s^ 
 
 Yet, a ray of light breaks in upon our darkness — a 
 beam of hope shines through the tears of penitential 
 sorrow. We plead the merits of him who "came 
 to bind up the broken-hearted, to comfort all that 
 mourn :" we turn our eyes, with consolation, to the 
 cross ; to which, with our Redeeming God, was " nail- 
 ed the hand-writing of ordinances that was against 
 us :" we look, with renovated hope, to him who " came 
 to seek and to save that which was lost, and who can 
 be touched with the feeling of our infirmities." 
 
 In the office of Confession, we imitate the pious 
 men of old. They were " ashamed and blushed to 
 lift 'ip their face unto God" — they "prayed unto the 
 Loru and made their confession."! Such, too, was 
 the custom of the primitive Christians, " who all came 
 early in the morning to the house of prayer, and with 
 sorrow and with affliction and with profusion of tears, 
 made confession of their sins to God — each man ex- 
 pressing his own repentance with his own mouth.^^% 
 
 Nor do we neglect the manner, while we imitate 
 the matter wl^ich the devout men of antiquity adopted 
 in oflering up these acknowledgements of unworthi- 
 
 * Psalm cxix 176, and xxiii. 1. 
 Ixiii, vid. Shepherd Vol. 1. p. 25. 
 
 t Ezra ix. 6. Daniel ix. 4, \ Basil, Epist. 
 
time 
 :" vvc 
 
 59 
 
 Hess, and supplications for mercy. As the posture 
 best suited to the humility expressed in those petitions, 
 we are directed meekly to kneel upon our knees. Thus 
 Solomon, at the dedication of the temple, " ''neeled 
 upon his knees before all the congregation ot .^rael." 
 Daniel " kneeled upon his knees three times a day, 
 and prayed and gave thanks before his God." Our 
 blessed iSaviour, in his agony in the garden, "kneeled 
 down and prayed" to his heavenly Father. Paul, 
 after bidding the elders of Miletus farewell, " kneeled 
 down and prayed with them all ;" and the same Apos- 
 tle, in these words, expresses prayer itself by the atti- 
 tude in which it should be made, "I bow my kneeiB 
 unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."* 
 
 But wiiy is so gcn<;ral a repugnance manifested by 
 present Cliristian Conjrrciyations to assume this pos- 
 ture of humility, and to mingle their voices in this 
 common supplication \ What ? can the conscious sin- 
 ner nciflect the earnest invitation to make his confes- 
 sion to Almighty God ! Can the sorrowful and the 
 contrite forbear to join in this lowly language of en- 
 treaty { Can they refuse to " kneel before the Lord 
 their Maker?" Can they sit in mute indilference, 
 when the mercy of Heaven is thus implored \ O my 
 brethren, if you feel your guilt — if you are sensi- 
 ble of your danger ; you will not, you cannot refuse, 
 in this posture and in this language which the Church 
 prescribes and the Holy Scriptures recommend, to 
 acknowleiige your oftencesand to deprecate the wrath 
 of your eternal Judge. " He," says the wisest of men, 
 "that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso 
 confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." 
 
 * 2 Chron. vi. 13. Daniel vi. 10. Luke xxii 41. Acts xx. 3fi. Eph iii. 14. It 
 may here be remarked that where infirmity or other cause prevents from kneel' 
 hv^, sldiiduiir is the posture most suitable for prn yer. It will occur to all that none 
 is more unbecoming- than sitting. We certainly have instnnces in Scripture 
 (iVclinn is. 2, and f.uke xviii 13 ) of persons praying standin^^; but we have 
 no justification either from thence or from reason for the very irreverent and indo- 
 lent posture of sitting^ while prayers are olfcreU up. 
 
 '%. 
 
 v*^. ■ ■ 
 
 ll.'. ,•■ 
 
 -i*- 
 
34 
 
 y^ 
 
 Yes — God will "have mercy upon him, He will 
 abundantly pardon^' ; and his Ministers are required 
 to proclaim the joyful truth that He " willeth not that 
 any should perish, but that all should come to repen- 
 tance." Afler a public confession of sin to Almighty 
 God, the commissioned heralds of his will are rights 
 ly called upon to pronounce to the penitent and faith- 
 ful, " the word of reconciliation which is committed 
 unto them."* 
 
 This proclamation of God's pardon to those who 
 confess and bewail their offences is called the Auso- 
 LUTiOiN or Remission of Sins ; and tlie authority em- 
 ployed by the Ministers of Christ in pronouncing it 
 is derived from the commission given to them, as his 
 Ambiisaadors, to " restore them which are overtaken 
 in a fault— to comfort the feeble-minded — to strength- 
 en the weak hands, and confirm the feeble kne-cs."! 
 
 Yet against this form it is needless to disguise that 
 objections liave been made ; and amongst others that 
 it savors of Popery. To this however it is sufficient 
 to reply that it was not only not extracted from any 
 Popish service, but was even directly levelled against 
 the Popish custom of granting absoi»:< ion to individu- 
 als in private, and that positively — without reference 
 to Him who alone can forgive sins. It will immedi- 
 ately be seen that the Absolution in our order of 
 Prayer is simply a declaration — officially pronounced 
 — ot the terms of forgivenesj, not an actual and au- 
 thoritative conveyance of pardon. 
 
 The Scriptures inform us as well that God pardons 
 and absolves all true penitents and sincere believers, 
 
 * " We are every onn of us," says Calvin, " ready to atlmit lliat after a gene- 
 tal confession, to subjoin some sijjnal promise which may exiitc hope of pardon 
 and reconciliation, is a very useful and beneficial practice." 
 
 t The form of the Absolution requires not a reference to the strong language 
 in John, xx. 23. — whosoever sins ye remit, hr. On tlii'i si.hjccf, viJe. Apostol. 
 Conslit. Lib. viii. cap. 5, which, although we certJiinly do not entertain tor that 
 work the respect which its title would seem to claim, is neverlhelcs.s ancient 
 enough to show what was the belief and practice of the Church at an early aje, 
 
 m- 
 
 
 ;^* 
 
55 
 
 as that the impenitent and unbelieving ah, perish 
 and so the Minister of Christ is, by his oirice, ex 
 pressly bound, in " declaring the whole counsel of 
 God," to proclaim the one as well as the other — to 
 declare the comfort of God's promises to the ob(3di- 
 ent, as well as the terror of his threatenings to the 
 transgressor. Whenever, therefore, he fully and faith- 
 fully represents these truths, he is an instrument to 
 *'open mens eyes — to turn them from darkness to 
 liglit, ana from tin; power of Hatan unto God, that 
 they may receive forgiveness of sins." That no en- 
 crtjachment is here made upon the peculiar preroga- 
 tive of Him who " alone can forgive sins," is suffici- 
 ently evident from the words of the form of absolu- 
 tion itself, in which it is expressly declared that it is 
 GoD which " pardoneth and absulveth ;dl them that 
 truly repent and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel." 
 In this manner of expression, no occasion of presump- 
 tion is permitted to the hardened, while all cause of 
 despondency is removed from the penitent. 
 
 The absolution is concluded with an exhortation to 
 those common <hities which should foil w, while they 
 must precede a remission of sins — uhmc; lispecially a 
 persi^veiaiice in that " godly sorrow uhioh w.»rketh 
 repentance unto lite," and unceasing prayer for that 
 Holy Spirit which " heipeth our iniirmiries." 
 
 This address the Congregation are required to re- 
 ceive} in attentive silence and in the same humble pos- 
 tur<' in which they had made confession of their sins 
 — pronouncing, at its conclusion, the word Amf-N. 
 By this they express their entire concurrence in all 
 that has been said by the Minister — a hearty desire of 
 the pardon which "in Christ's st«!ad," he proclaims 
 to the penitent, and a cordial union m the concluding 
 petition for heavenly grace. 
 
 The wo»*d Amen is very ancient in its origin, and 
 "XvG have early instances of its application as here di- 
 
 •t 
 
96 
 
 reeled. The Congregation of the children of Israel 
 ^vere required to say Amen* on the proclamation of the 
 curses of God against notorious offenders: among the 
 first Christians, tlio people "said Amen at the giving 
 of thanks ;"t and as an excitement to present worship- 
 pers to be diligent and earnest in the utterance of this 
 word of assent to the several petitions in which they 
 join, we may adduce the example of the early Chris- 
 tians who, as Jerome informs us, answered Amen in 
 the Congregation with a voice so fervent that it re- 
 sembled a peal of thunder.J 
 
 After we have, by confession, approved ourselves 
 the true disciples of Christ, we commence the office 
 of a more particular supplication. Yet, before we 
 venture to address our Heavenly Father in the words 
 which man hath framed, we make a devout repetition 
 of the Lokd's Prayer: that Prayer which, in the 
 primitive Church, was distinguished as the "daily, 
 the appointed, the public, the common prayer" of 
 Christians — that prayer which seems, even now, to 
 be distinguished with a like respect from the followers 
 of itfi blessed Author — that prayer which, for its sim- 
 plicity and comprehensiveness, the Christian parent 
 employs as the formulary in which his child's first 
 addresses to God are made. " Since we have an ad- 
 vocate with the Father," says Cyprian, "we should, 
 whenever we pray for pardon, allege unto God the 
 very words which our Advocate hath taught us."|| 
 And our own judicious Hooker observes that " should 
 men speak with the tongues of Angels, yet words so 
 pleasing to the ear of God as those which the Son of 
 God himself hath composed, it were not possible for 
 man to frame."§ 
 
 The more we consider this beautiful Form of Pray- 
 er, the greater excellencies shall we discover in it« 
 
 * Deut. xxTii, 16. t 1 Cor. xiv. 16. 
 
 X Calmet's Diet, of the Bible in verbo. || Vid. Shcpherc' Vol. 1, p. 66, >► 
 
 f Hooker's Ecclei. Politv, Book t. Sect. 35. 
 
 ¥. 
 
 _ -S' . 
 
 'i**f' 
 
\Vc shall perceive the justness of the extraordinary 
 rccorniiKMidation that it not only " teaches us how to 
 pniy," but instructs us also "what manner of persons 
 we should be ;" and shall concur in the application 
 to the Prayer of what had been said of the preaching 
 of our Lord, " Never man spake like this man." 
 
 In this iucomparable Form of devotion, we first in- 
 voke the Sovereign of the universe by the endearing 
 name of Father. He condescends to assume towards 
 us that tender relation, for our encouragement and 
 hopo — commanding not the homage of trembling sub- 
 jects to a tyrannic Master, but inviting us as children 
 to unveil our hearts bi^fore him ; to lay open all our 
 hopes and fears, all our desires and wants. And 
 while our knowledge of this relation should remove 
 from us all inordinate anxioty, it serves to soften the 
 afllietivo dispensations of his Provica^nce — causes us 
 to view th(?m in the light of fatherly corrections — to 
 discern, in ev(;ry calamitous stroke, the chnsteniug of 
 a paternal hand and a demonstration of parental love.* 
 
 Iti the first [»elitions of this Prayer, what a cIk ck 
 is imposed upon the selfishness of otn* nature ! Our 
 first thoughts are to be turned to God and his glory ; 
 and before our own individual wants are breathed, 
 we are directed to pray for the universal reverence of 
 Ilia awful Name — for the unbounded extension of 
 his kingdom — for an obedience to his will "on earth" 
 ^nt^d and perfect as that of the ministering spirits " in 
 heaven." 
 
 And when we are permitted to make supplication 
 for our personal wants, how powerful a restraint is 
 j)laced upon every su[)ertluous wish and extravagant 
 desire ! " Give us this day our daily bread," is the 
 petition we are commanded to make — a petition cha- 
 racterized by the moderation and lovvly-mindedness 
 
 * ViiJ. I'carson on the Creed Art. i. part 3. 
 
 D 
 
i58 
 
 which Coim thtv spirit of the Gospel. Here, there is 
 no encouragement to pray for the distinctions uiid en- 
 joyments of the world — here, we are taught to ask no 
 more than the needful sustenance of a day — we are 
 admonished to have no over-anxious "thoughts for 
 the morrow." Our chief solicitude is to be directed 
 to our many and great "trespasses," for which we 
 are instructed to implore the forgiveness of Almighty 
 God acfainst whom they have been committed. I J ere, 
 too, we have a coll^«tant remembrancer of tlie duty of 
 " forgiving one another," by its solemn introduction 
 as a condition of our own pardon — bringing forcibly 
 to mind the argument of ^t. Paul that we should be 
 " kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one 
 another, icai as God^for Christ's sake, ha l/i forgiven 
 
 2J.V." 
 
 AVitli a carefid consideration of our jiast sins, there 
 is alro, in tlt;;^ comprcJiensive prayer, an instruction 
 concerning future oliences — to guard against tliem 
 in tiiiie, by entreating the protection of our heavenly 
 leather against the "temptations" whicli surround us, 
 and a deliverance Ironi the "sins \vhich do so easily 
 beset U3." 
 
 The concli'.ding words of this admirable Prayer are 
 an acknowledgment of the infmite Majesty of Him 
 who is the "Kini'" of kiniTs and the Lord of lords ;" 
 yet, as this appc^ndix is contained in only one of the 
 forms of this Prayer left us in the (•()S[)els, we some- 
 times employ, and at other times omit it. 
 
 The Lord's Prayer we very properly repeat in the 
 humblest posture oi* devotion ; and as a peculiar mark 
 of respect to its jieavenly Author, the congregation 
 are directed, here iind wheresoever else it occurs in the 
 course of divine S^ervice, to make an audible rehersal 
 of its several petitions, after the Minister. From the 
 pkual number running througlioi;; this prayer, it is na- 
 tural to infer that it was dcsiaiicd to be used in com- 
 
39 
 
 vion ; and so much respect Imd tlie early Churches 
 for it, that they made it the commencement and em- 
 ployed it as the conclusion of their scrvicc?s. Wo 
 beojn with it, says Tertullian, because it is the foim- 
 dation upon which all other prayers should be built ; 
 and we end with it, says Augustine, because it is the 
 perfection of all prayer.* Formerly, in'Ieed, our own 
 Liturgy began with the Lord's Prayer,t and even now 
 it is the first [)rayer, properly r^o called ; but it was 
 afterwards thought that a public confession of our 
 sins ought properly to precede the repetition of this 
 perfect Form, and it was subsequently hivcrted in this 
 place, as the best possible conclusion to tJie peniten- 
 tial part of the Service. 
 
 One of the fathers informs us that the primitive 
 Christians, after *' Confession, rose from prnycr and 
 went on to Psalmody" t — vet, before we be^in to lilo- 
 r'll'y God by acts of praise, we make an huiiiblc cn- 
 treity for his aid and fruidance. O Lord, open thou 
 our lips ; for a sense of guilt would licop liieiii closed 
 from the utterance of iovful sounds — find our tnoiUh 
 shall shav forth thif j) raise : thus aided vre may hope 
 to oJfer to thee acceptable tlianksniviiig. To God, 
 indeed, from the magnitude of our ti'ar.sgrcs..ions, w(; 
 are not worthy to present any sacrifice : mo say, there- 
 fore, in the penitential strain of l!ie Psalmist, () (rod, 
 make speed to sarc us. And as " praise is net seemly 
 m the mouth of a sinner," we continue the tone of 
 contrition and say, O Lord, ma1:e haste to help us. 
 
 Tliese \ersicles are required to be said by the 
 ]\Iinister and people alternatehj ; for thus we fulfil the 
 exhortation of the Apostle, " wit!i one 7nind and with 
 one mouth, to glorify God," and shew that we ^' agree 
 together touching what we shall a?-k of the Father." 
 It is a method, too, which, from the variety it affords, 
 tends to enliven and invigorate devotion ; and highly 
 
 * Viil MuDt's Pniyrr Book In loco. t At the first revision io the time of 
 
 Edward vi. / Biisi!, Epist. 63. Archbp. Seeker, Scnuuns on tlieLhurg-y. 
 
 ( 
 
I' ' 
 
 40 
 
 to be recommended from its conformity with tlie 
 usages of the Jewish worship as well as of the primi- 
 tive Christians. We are informed by Ezra that the 
 former "sang together hy course, in praising and giv- 
 ing thanks unto the Lord ;"* and not only do allusions 
 to the practice abound in the writings of the Fathers, 
 but there is no ancient liiturgy extant, without these 
 alternations of praise.f 
 
 Having thus qualified ourselves to say with David, 
 " My heart is ready, my heart is ready, I will sing 
 and give praise," we rise from the lowly posture of 
 supplication and stand up rejoicing. In like manner, 
 we are informed that when the "Priests and Levites 
 praised the Lord, all Israel stood.'"X And this joyful 
 tribute we begin by pronouncing, in unison, that sum- 
 mary of all praise, commonly called the Gloria 
 Patri II — comprehending an acknowledgment of the 
 Eternal Trinity, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost ; 
 even, as it was in the heginning proclaimed by the 
 " morning stars which sang together and the sons of 
 God who shouted for joy" — is now acknowledged by 
 the glad voices of the " congregation of saints" — and 
 ecer shall he celebrated by the "innumerable compa- 
 ny of angels." 
 
 It may be proper to observe, as a sanction for our 
 very frequent use of this Doxology, that the primitive 
 Christians held it in the hisfhest veneration, and even 
 assigned its origin to the Apostles themselves. § It 
 possesses, also, a strong recommendation from its di- 
 rect acknowledgment of the Catholic doctrine of the 
 Trinity ; embracing thus the prime articles of our 
 Christian Faith — while we can scarcely pay too much 
 respect to a composition which many of the primitive 
 martyrs were fond of repeating at the stake, and eja- 
 culating with their latest breath."1I 
 
 * Ezra iii. 11. t Comber's Companion to theToinpIc. 
 
 X 2 Chron. vii. 6. || From its initial words in Lnlin. ^ Bneil iho Spiritn 
 
 Sanct Shepherd Vol i. p. 94 H Tliis happened in ilie case of Poiyca',,, tlie 
 
 contemporary and frieud of St. Johq, Sliep. Vol. i. p. 88. 
 
 %5, 
 
 Hfe 
 
 ft 
 
41 
 
 And let us, my J i*ethren, in consistency with these 
 sentiments — humbly hoping for forgiveness from our 
 heavenly Father, for his Son's sake and by the minis- 
 try of the Holy Spirit — arise and ascribe to God the 
 Father, who grants us his pardon ; to God the Son, 
 through whom it wa3 purchased and obtained ; and 
 to God the Holy Ghost, by whom it is sealed and 
 dispensed, " Glory, and majesty, and dominion, and 
 power, both now and ever. Amen." 
 
 d2 
 
 U 
 
 j#,-«iw 
 
 
 \Mi- ' 
 
 ;t,^ 
 
 :.,*. 
 
 •m 
 
 « 
 
 \fifi. 
 
 
42 
 
 SERMON IV. 
 
 THE LITURGY CONTHNUED TO THE 
 V. LITANY. 
 
 m 
 
 MATTHEW VI. 9. 
 
 After this manner, therefore, pray ye. 
 
 After the general acknowledgment of praise to 
 the Triune Godhead, expressed in the Gloria Patri — 
 in which the Congregation are required to join with 
 united voices, that our praises here below may re- 
 semble the worship of the blessed above, described 
 by St. John as " the voice of many waters and of 
 mighty thunderings" — we invite one another to more 
 particular acts of thankfulness. To the Exhortation 
 of the Minister, " Praise ye the Lord," the people, s(ni- 
 sible of their obligations to this duty, respond, with a 
 cheerful concurrence, "The Lord's Name be praised." 
 
 And here, in imitation of the early Christian 
 Church,* we commence with the Ninety fifth Psalm, 
 commonly called, from its initial words in Latin, \k- 
 WiTE ExuLTEMUs : a Psalm which strongly recom- 
 mends itself to us bv an invitation to most of our 
 Christian duties, and especially those which appertain 
 to public worship. Here, we have, in the first place, 
 an exhortation to "siiig unto the Lord" — a remem- 
 brancer of the general duty of praise ; and as "God 
 ioveth the cheerful giver" of every tribute, we are in- 
 vited " heartily to rejoice in the strength of our sal- 
 vation." An •acknowledgment is then made of the 
 power and majesty of Him who is "above all gods," 
 and whose " hand prepared the sea and the dry land ;" 
 and there follows an exhortation to a duty so becom- 
 
 * Dean Comber, viJ. Mant'j Prayer Book in loco. anJ Slioplicrd vol i. p 108. 
 
 
4S 
 
 ing to his dependent creatures, that they " worship 
 and fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker." 
 It concludes with a warning to tliose who " harden: 
 tlieir hearts ;" — furnishing an example of the punish- 
 ment of such as "would not hear his voice," in tlieir 
 exclusion from his " rest" — even from that "peace of 
 God which passeth all understanding" here, and from 
 the "eternal weight of glory" v/nich shall be the por- 
 tion of the righteous hercfifter.* 
 
 To this invitatory Hymn suceeds the Psalms in 
 their allotted portions, according to the day of the 
 month — which are rehearsed standing, as an act of 
 praise ; and by the Minister and people alttrnaidy, 
 in conformity with the manner in which their ins])ired 
 authors designed them generally to be usedf — in im- 
 itation of the practice of the early Christian Churchf — 
 and in obedience to Apostolic admonition to " speak 
 to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual 
 soiiirs." 
 
 ^weet, indeed, are the holy songs of Zion ! How 
 elevating the devout cHusions of the "sweet Psalmist 
 of Israel 1" While the humblest of an humble fa- 
 mily, the lowly shepherd of his father's flocks, he be- 
 guiled the hours of loneliness and h^siu'e in tuning to 
 his harp the praises of Jehovah. And when exalted 
 to a higher charge ; when anointed to the scej)tre of 
 Israel, the same occu|)ation which had been the pas- 
 time of his youthful days, served now to soothe the 
 cares ef royalty and to "alleviate the disquietudes of 
 state." Amid the pomp and splendor of re yalty, God 
 
 Religion was still his theme :— 
 
 was not forgotten. 
 
 * ii is dirrcted in the Rnbiic tliat ll.is Psiilm be " snid or sung" — wl>ich means 
 tlmt il shall be pronounced botli by t|je " Ministei' and people." Vide. Maiit iu 
 loco and citation from C'oliis. It dt'iiotes, however, more particuliirty tliat it may 
 be either chanted or read by the Minister and congrcffalion ; and it would be a 
 matter of conffratulation were the I'oimer delightftd method of reciting thia and 
 other elevating hymns more seneraily prariised. 
 
 t This seems deduiible from the name ' Song of Degrees" applied to manj of 
 them, ami the very structure of man)r. \ For abundant testimonies see Shep- 
 herd vol I. pp. 12.j— i2G, 
 
44 
 
 Jehovah was the burden of his animated song. The 
 praises of Hiui wiiich had once resounded from his 
 lips amid the solitudes of the desert, eclioed now from 
 his harp throughout his halls and palaces. With these 
 he quickened the joys of devotion and solaced the 
 depression of grief — in these hallowed effusions he 
 hath left, for the edification of the devout, the lights 
 and shadows of a holy life — and in them the true 
 Christian finds a rcrreshnient for the soul, "grateful 
 as the manna wiiicli descended from above and con- 
 formed itself to every palate." ' * 
 
 " In the language of this divine book," says a ce- 
 lebrated prelate, " the raayers of the Church have 
 been offered up at the throne of grace from age to 
 age. And it appears to have been the manual of the 
 Son of God in the days of his flesh ; who, at the con- 
 clusion of his supper, is generally supposed and on 
 good grounds, to have sung a hyinn taken from it ; 
 who pronounced upon the cross the beginning of the 
 22nd. Psalm, 'My God, my God, why hast thou for- 
 saken me I' and expired with a part of the 31st. in 
 his mouth, * Into thy hands 1 commit my spirit.' " 
 
 And can it possess a stronger recommendation than 
 this to tha foUoicfrs of the blessed Jesus'! Can there 
 be a more powerful motive for its adoption into tlieir 
 saered services — to be a " morning and evening sacri- 
 iive ■' of the worshippers of God I Unlike the fairest 
 productions of human wit which, after a few perusals, 
 like giuhered flowers, wither in om* hands and lose their 
 fragrance ; these unfading plants of Paradise become, 
 as we are accustomed to them, still more and more 
 beautiful ; their bloom nppears to be daily heightened, 
 fresh odours are emitted and new sweets are extractiid 
 from them. He who hath once tasted their excellen- 
 cies will desire to taste them again, and he who tasiee 
 them oftenest will reli.^h them best."* 
 
 * Tliis and ttic Rl>ove quotatiouj tre from Bishop Hurac, Introd. to Comincnt 
 on the rsalmsi, p. 5y. 
 
 
t 
 
 45 
 
 The Doxology or Gloria Patri already noticed, is 
 UBod at the conclusion of every Psalm, as being parti- 
 cularly applicable to compositions which h»\ve for their 
 k'adiiig object the glory of God. By being annexed 
 to the end of every Psalm, it interposes a useful mark 
 of division betwixt such as are read in succession ; 
 for generally the Psalms have no immediate connec- 
 tion, but proceed, without regard to their numerical 
 order, to topics of devotion quite distinct. The use 
 of the Doxology as an appendix to each Psalm was 
 also very common amongst the ancient Churches.* 
 
 Having now endeavoured to "set forth God's most 
 .vortliy praise," we proceed to another part of the du- 
 ty of {)ublic Worship, specified in the Exhortation, — 
 " to hear his most holy Word." As it is right to 
 employ our feelings and faculties in glorifying our 
 Maker ; so, after our affrctions have been particularly 
 engaged in the preceding oflices of praise, we now 
 assign tiie leading part to the v.ndcrstanding, in giving 
 our diligent attention to the " oracles of God." This 
 transition from prayer and praise to hearing of the 
 word, serves to allord that recreative variety to the 
 mind by which it is enlivened and strengthened as 
 well as the body ; or, as it has been well observed, 
 "he which prayeth in due sort is made more ready 
 to hear ; and he which heareth, the more earnest to 
 pray." f 
 
 >^ The custom of reading the Holy Scriptures in pub- 
 lic derives strong authority from tlie examples as well 
 of the Jews as of the early Christians. J And it is 
 right to make these appeals to the " Law and the 
 testimony" — in this manner, to "add line unto line 
 and f.recept uj)on precept;" for "in them we think 
 we have eternal life." There the righteous are en- 
 couraj^^ed and the wicked are admonished — the devout 
 
 * •• ii) rlaiigtila PsaliDi omnos oonciimnt Gloria Pnlria 8ic. Jo. Cassian, A. D, 
 424. viti, Sliiiphon) vol. i. p. 130. Note. t Hooker. t Neliein. viii. 1 — &• 
 
 lets xiii, 15 XV. 21. Coloss. iv 16. 
 
\ " 
 
 m 
 
 46 
 
 confirmed and the lukewarm awakened. Inhere the 
 broken-hearted penitent hears the blessed words of 
 consolation — the afllicted believer the comforting lan- 
 guage of grace. They are an unerring guide through 
 the devious mazes of this mortal journey ; and eon- 
 ducting us triumphant "through the dark vallny of 
 the shadow of death," they "open the kingdom of 
 heaven to all believers." 
 
 In them, too, we have "iiine true sublimity, more 
 exquisite beauty, more pure luoralily, more important 
 history, and finer strains of poetry and eloquence than 
 can be collected from all other books, in whatc^ver 
 age or country they may have been written.''^ In 
 the historical parts of the Bible, we have the recor- 
 ded examples of "clouds of witnesses" for our "pa- 
 tience and comfort in the race that is set before us" — 
 we arc furnished, in tlic poetical books, with the best 
 auxiliaries to every devotional office — in the prophe- 
 cies we have a most instructive "testimony of Jesus" 
 — and we possess, in all, "a lamp unto our feet and 
 a light unto our paths" in every walk of life. 
 
 It is wisely provided by our Church that both the 
 Ohl and New Testament sliould be read in public; 
 for they are, as St. Chrysostomf expresses it, " two 
 handmaids and sisters attendant on one Lord ;" or, 
 as our Church herself asserts, " both in the Old and 
 New Testament everlasting life is offered to mankind 
 by ChristJ" — while the Scriptures themselves declare 
 thi) Law to have " a shadow of good things to come," 
 and the Gospel "the very image of the things " 
 
 The custom of our Church in selecting particular 
 lessons for particular occasions, as well as in appoint- 
 ing the Scriptures generally to be read in course, is 
 elucidated and recommended by this testimony of 
 Augustine: "you may remember that I have lately 
 been treating of the Gospel according to St. John, as 
 
 f Sir William Jones. + Vid. Shepherd, Vol. 1, p. 13S. i Article vii. 
 
 «&f=^v. 
 
47 
 
 appointed to he read in the order of the lesions. T>at, 
 at j)reseiit, because solemn h()li«iays iiilorvi iu>, for 
 whicli proper lessons are appointed^ I am uudei the 
 necessity of interrupting the course 1 had beguu."'^ 
 
 As " the Law is our Schoolmaster to bring us unto 
 CInist," the Old Testt-iitent is properly appointed to 
 be road first: — after a lesson from which succeeds the 
 Hymn commonly called the Te J)ei M.f This is in 
 conformity with a decree of the Council of Laodicea 
 nearly 15n0 years ago,j that the public reading of 
 God's word should be mix<?d with repeating his prai- 
 ses; — a combination as rofreshingas it is natural and 
 proper. It has boon beautifully remark(^d by one of 
 the Fathers,|| that after the angel of the Lord had first 
 published the glad tidings of salvation, immediately 
 a nniititudc of the heavenly host commenced an an- 
 them to the Deity :§ so v.e also, after tlie promulga- 
 tion of the joyful truths contained in God';? Woid, 
 should rise up and unite our voices in })raise to Jlim 
 who hath graciously ''caused all holy Scripture,-; to bo 
 written for our learning" — for our "|)aticiice, comfort 
 and hope." Nor has it been less iiappily observ<?tl 
 that if wc bless God for our daily food of meat and 
 drink, we should much mere glority him for the food 
 of our souls contained in his Holy Wcrrd.*! 
 
 The Te Deum was ce: iainly composed as ea»ly as 
 the sixth century ; and besides its claim to respect 
 from its nnti(}uity, it recoianiends ilself as well wor- 
 thy of the "spouse of Cln-ist/' by the sublimity of 
 its expressions and the devout fervor of its senti- 
 ments ; by llie strict accommodalion of iia language 
 to the words of ^Scripl'urc;^- and not least by its posi- 
 tive assertion of tiie li.'iKiiiig a; tides of our j'aith. 
 Here we imitate the " A'l-els, the Clierubimaiid Ser- 
 
 * A. D. 31)5. Sii(>j)b. Vo]. 1, ]>. l(v-,. t rmiii its initial words in Latin, 
 
 t A. D. 3(t7. II Arnliio-i', \\i\\\ emnhcr as riled in Maiit \^ L'iko ii 13. 
 
 % Deau Comber. ** 3ce ujai^itial rdVicno s totlio I'e Dcum in IMutit's eraver 
 Book. 
 
48 
 
 
 "*•* •' ■ •"' 
 
 apliim and all the powers of Heaven," and join tvitli 
 the bcalilied spirits of the " Apontles, Prophett? and 
 Martyrs" in ascribing praise to " the Father Enrlast- 
 ««5-," to ''Chriat the King of Gtori/,^^ and to the 
 " I:foly Gfiost the Cotnfortcr^^ We make, too, es- 
 pecial acknowledgment of the redemfUion ellt'Cted 
 by him who " took upon him to deliver man" — of his 
 condescension in assuming our nature, and his in- 
 estimable love, in submittinij for our sakes, to 'the 
 sharpness of death." And then, confcsssing his eMal- 
 tation ar tlic right hand of God, and profcssinjx our 
 belief that he " will come aijain to he our .ludijc," \vs 
 conclude with an earnest ])rayer for Isis lid and guid- 
 anro, that in the " great and terrible <iay of the 
 Lord," we may not be " confouiyJed" by a condem- 
 nation to that " outer darkness where there is wec^p- 
 ing and gnashing of teeth." 
 
 There is another Hymn appointed to be substituted 
 for tlie Te Deuni, at thr discretion of the Minister 
 — which althouufh certainly inferior to the latter com- 
 p(>>ition fUid, ' *i that account, seldom used, is never- 
 theless deserving of attiintion and resjject. It is ex- 
 tracted from the "{Song of the three ll<'ly Children" 
 in the Apocrypha* — was used in the Jewish Ciiutch 
 and adopted, at a very early age, into tlie (^hristian. 
 It contains a sublime appeal to all (treated things — 
 animate; and inaiiimate — visible and invisible; — lo ac- 
 knowledge and adore the Majc^sly of the I'.teiual (iod; 
 and Would be fitly employed on tlK.t^e occasi-tus when 
 the first lesson treats, in a particular nianutT, of the 
 creation and the wonderful works uf the Mo^^t lligli. 
 Amongst these we may notice Trinity J^unduy, vvjicn 
 the first Chapter of (iencsis is read ; and on the (hiy 
 for which that Chaj>ter of Daniel is apjiointedf- whieh 
 records the mr.rtyr.lom uw\ deliverance of Shadrac li, 
 Meshach and Abednego, it would be introduced with 
 
 
 fo 
 
 « Verse 35. t iUth Suiid.ij after Trinity 
 
■**;*. 
 
 tvitli 
 
 and 
 
 last- 
 
 lIlG 
 
 es- 
 ctcd 
 r his 
 
 in- 
 
 the 
 Aal- 
 
 ouf 
 
 uid- 
 
 the 
 
 lein- 
 
 ot'p- 
 
 ex- 
 
 49 
 
 singular propriety — inasmucli as its composition was 
 primarily ascribed to tliose illustrious confessors, and 
 tiieir Hebrew names* are introduced at the conclusion 
 of tiie Hymn itself. 
 
 To the second lesi^on, which is uniformly selected 
 from the New Testament, and to the succeeding 
 songs of praise the same remarks will generally ap- 
 l)ly which have been already made. It will be suf- 
 licient to observe that we should give peculiar rever- 
 ence and attention to that volume which " has God 
 for its author and salvation for its end ;"t and that, as 
 soon as this invaluable book is closed, we should 
 commence a Hymn of thankfulness to Him who hath 
 ** brought life and immortality to light through the 
 Gospiiy In fulfillment of this "reasonable service," 
 we commonly employ the Hi .NDKf:oTii Psalm, as con- 
 taining an earnest appeal to "all lands" to " be joy- 
 ful in the Lord and to serve him with gladness" — so 
 to praise him in his courts here b«.'low, that we may 
 forever " dwell in his tabernacle and rest on his holy 
 liiil" above. 
 
 The Hundredth Psalm although used, almost with- 
 out exception, after the second lo:^son, is neverthe- 
 less preceded by the r^ong of Zaeliarias.J which may 
 be substituted for it at discr(.'tion — and we cannot but 
 atimit that the latter is m')re particularly suited to this 
 place, as having so <ixpress a reference to the " re- 
 demption that is in (-'Inist Jesus." Nor can we for- 
 bear the expressit)n of our surprise; that custom should 
 have ahnost entirely exchkh^d tlii.< Hymn fro'n use in 
 its appointiMl j)lace — spc^-ikiiig, as it does, the words 
 of insjiiratioii, and nnnounciiig, in a strain so <-'ievatod 
 and imprc^ssive, tlie arrival of "tln^ day-s;>ring IVmu 
 on liigli." We should rejoice, at le<Mst. to witness its 
 gciK'ral adoption on the festival of the Nativity of 
 
 Daniel i. 7. 
 
 1 Locke. 
 
 Luke i. GR. 
 
 1< 
 
50 
 
 I 
 
 n 
 
 ClirisI ; for it would tlicn, \\\\\\ a rrmarkaMo propriot) , 
 .succeed tlie account of tliu biilli of our blessed JiCjrd. 
 
 In sucii a manner, it is appointed by our (Mnircli 
 tliat we ■•receive tlMM;n*rrat'ted word:" with 'hneek- 
 nes3," wjjicii is exemplified in the sittin«r arid bstenin^ 
 posture we are then directed to assuuie ; and with 
 "gladness," which is manifested in tlu^ hymns which 
 immediately succeed each Lesson. And here, while 
 we obey their own sacred injunction, we are fulfdlirig 
 a "reasonable" duty; for it becomes conscious sin- 
 ners to luunble tlu^mselves when the divine thriuiten- 
 int^s a<4ainst sin are rehearsing, and not h'ss to be 
 joyt'ul when thev hear promulgated the glad-tidings 
 of salvation. 
 
 At\er th(^ reading of the Word of God, there seems 
 a tacit appeal to us like this, "Believest thou the 
 tricripliMcs !" — and to (hat we are dii<'cted to make 
 tiu^ proper reply, ''Lord I believe," in the rc^pcfiiioii 
 of tlie Arosn.i.s Cui:t:i) which immediately follows. 
 The propri(!ty of its introduction in this particular 
 place is iurtlur evinced by the argumtMit of the Apos- 
 tle that "I'aith comet h by hearing and In'aring by the 
 Word of (lOfl;^ nor is its use less strongly sanc^tion- 
 ed by the injunction of »^cri[)ture, tliat we shtudd 
 "confe>'s with oin- mouth" the doctrines which we be- 
 liev(^ in our heart." 
 
 Although it cannot i)e proved that this Creed was, 
 in so many words, tin.' composition of the Apostles; 
 yet from the testimony of writers'*'' who lived near to 
 the Apostolic age, we are to infer that jnuch (»f it was 
 derived from their times. It is, however, tVom the 
 dodnnc rather than from the munc of the Ajjostles, 
 that the a[!j)«.'l!ation of this Creed is derived ; for all 
 it> articles *' may be i)roved by most certain warrants 
 of Holy Scripture."! 
 
 (»!' I".iigi;iii'l. 
 
 l_Mi;iiiii- wholl ii'ishfd A.D. 107. vid, Bp. Tomliiipon Art. viii. Cli 
 
 liiTi' li.e Co:!'"i'»sioiis o: J'aiili oi soni'j >.){ the carlj' i'litlicrs u.iiy be 
 
 «i-'Cll. 
 
 t Art viii. 
 
51 
 
 To manifest our readiness lo *• contend for the faiili 
 once diilivercd unto the saints," we Htnnd durin<( the 
 rehearsal of tljo Creed; and to llie requi.«;ition of our 
 Tiord from all those who sought his help, " Believe 
 and it shall be done unto thee," we declare our re- 
 spect by rcpcatwg aloud, each one on his own behalf, 
 the various articles in this compendium of our Faith. 
 It is also usual to bow at the name of Jesus, where it 
 occurs in the Creed ; or as our Church ex[)resses it, 
 '' when, in the time of divine service, the Lord Jesus 
 shall be mentioned, due and lowly reverence shall be 
 done by all persons present, as it has been accusloni- 
 cd."* This custom, although it has no direct autho- 
 rity from Scripture, is nevertheless strongly sanctioned 
 by the expression of St. Paul that "at the name of 
 Jesus every knee shall bow ;" and judiciously relaiiuul 
 as indicative of our reverence for that "Name" which 
 is not only " above every name," but tlie " only one 
 given among men whereby we may bo saved." 
 
 With the "full assurance of faith" professed in 
 ihe Anostles' Creed, we now "draAV near to (iod 
 with our [)Ctitions for those tltinus which arc rcqnmtc 
 and necessary as well for the hodtj as the sold." By 
 [)rof(\ssing our belief that "(lod is, and that lie is a 
 rewarder of them that diligently seiik him," we have 
 prepared ourselves for the invocation of h(u\venly 
 blessings; for "we cannot call on him in wlioin we 
 have not believed." Yet, before proci^cding with 
 these petitions for our t<'mporal and spiriiual wants, 
 the Minister and people mutually n^commond csich 
 other to God's blessing and favor. As Jioaz said to 
 the reapers, " The Lord be with you ;" and they re- 
 plied, "The Lord bless thee" — so ht3re, the Minister 
 exclaims, "The Lord be with you;" to which, with 
 corresponding benevolence, the people answer, "And 
 with thy spirit." 
 
 * ViJ. Canon xviii. Cli. of En!;:Iand. 
 
 4 -"* 
 
ot 
 
 i 
 
 1^ 
 
 This id a form of salutation which succeeds vvitlt 
 mucii propriety, to a solemn and public })rofession of 
 faith, intimating a brotherhood in Christ; for St John 
 forbids us to say to a lieretict " God speed" — and 
 amongst the primitive Christians, the faithful were 
 not allowed to salute those which were excommuni- 
 cated. These short, but extremely impressive sen- 
 tences were very anciently introduced into the public 
 services of the Church ; for we find a general Coun- 
 cil in the 6th century ratifying the usage; as an Apos- 
 tolical institution.* The salutation of tlie Priest serves 
 also to remind the people that unless "the Lord be 
 witli them," their services cannot be perfectly per- 
 formed ; and llie responsive prayer of the congrega- 
 tion it? no le&:s proper in behalf of him who is liic or- 
 gan (if tijeir petitions to heaven. 
 
 T)j(^ Exhortation, Let r.s Puav, which f<jllows, 
 and whicli v/as often rej)eated in the ancient Lilurjriea 
 as in our own,t may be considered an exhortation to 
 clothe the spirit with the humility — a summons to 
 bend the body to the lowly attitude, which befits the 
 Hi]{)pliaiits at the throne of Grace. But, because we 
 arc limvoiih'.f to r\A\ any blessing, we first commit 
 onrsclves to tiie indulgent favor of the Godhead, by 
 roitoiiitiiig the plaintive cry <;f tiio unclean, the afilic- 
 ted and the needy, " Lord Isave mercy upon us, (^hj ist 
 have DKMTy upon ns." vVnd knowing "our iguinanco 
 m asking," wv. begin our petitions to G(»d by repeat- 
 ing tl'ijit most prevailing form of Prayer which Christ 
 himrft'lf hath taught us. *' As after Confession," ob- 
 serves an eminent prelate, "we used it to obtain con- 
 firmation of our pardon, so now we prefix it to our 
 rucjuests as a sunmiary of our desires."! 
 
 Fiom the reeital ot tin; Lord's prayer, we proceed 
 to express the several heads of those supplications 
 
 ' Coucil. nrncarcnsn, A. D. r)3t». \'iil Arcl)l)|). Sockor, Sermons on tlie Iii- 
 lur;;v t III tlie ancient Liturgies, a Oeacon wiis iliicctcd frrtjuciitly to cnll 
 
 u|)i>ii the p(!o|)!e in '■ pray, to pniy earnestly, to juay yet more tarncstlv." Vid. 
 Shepb. Vol. i. p. 253. * | Archbp. Seeker. 
 
 ,')**" 
 
 ■■"■^x 
 
 :k' 
 
 ■P-- 
 
 M 
 

 53 
 
 with 
 
 11 of 
 
 Folin 
 
 ami 
 
 wore 
 
 luni- 
 
 scn- 
 
 ublic 
 
 Ollll- 
 
 pos- 
 rvos 
 d be 
 pcr- 
 
 ^«>%: 
 
 which we are about to offer up, in certain short inter- 
 locutory petitions betwixt the Priest and the Conore- 
 gation. These are, for the most part, extracted from 
 the Psalms ; and they serve to assist our preparation 
 for a more earnest and devout union in the Collects 
 and Prayers which succeed. 
 
 The Collects are so named, because those ap- 
 pointed for the day are collected from the substance of 
 the Epistles and Gospels to which they are prefixed ; 
 or because they are a brief and comprehensive col- 
 lection or summary of spiritual and temporal wants. ■ 
 They are most of them more than 1200 years old, 
 having been, in a great measure, taken from the J*^a- 
 cramentary of Gregory the Great which was composed 
 before the seventh century ; and such as have been 
 extracted from compositions of a more recent (hue 
 have undergone the strictest revision, f BcHides tlic 
 sanction of antiquity, they have an indirect recomiin^n- 
 dation from our Lord Iiiniself; who iti his incompara- 
 ble prayer, hath left us what may be strictly tenn( d 
 a Collect. After that model, iudecd, our C()ll<j<'ts 
 seem to have been very closely frarnod ; while his 
 own enjoined addition is never omitted in them, to 
 "ask in his namey 
 
 These short petitions possess many advantages 
 over one long-continued and unbroken prayer. VVe 
 are, by this means, constantly reminded of the Attri- 
 butes of the Deity; wilti an uckhowlcdiiincnt of 
 which those prayers uniformly comnnnce : — hy the 
 frequent recurrence of the word A}nin, the note of 
 the ccHigregation's assent to (>very tsLipj'iicatio;., (lie 
 attention is kept fixed and the devout ieeliiigj .ire 
 not permitted to languish; while, hy the e\|.>:efc:sion 
 
 • Oiliurs iirtirin, perliaps with creator propru'iy. Iliat the Cnllrrl wiis si' Oiillni 
 from Ijciu'; pii'>liii_\ ici^euieil iti i!>e s^a^/on* "r rolii'jioiis asse.:ii'li(.'i irilie Ciiurch ; 
 wliic'i iii;'<'>'iiin w.is o.illr.i CiU'c! ', .III ' tho act of lucoting ccUi.'^rc '.'/c" coHicl'i. 
 
 t Vi'l. Shophcrtl Iir.DiI. to Com. I'lajcr, p. SI. 
 
 *:* 
 
 ^ 
 
 -,«■ 
 
 ^* 
 
 ^ 
 
 m 
 
 ft*' 
 
n 
 
 54 
 
 "through Jesus Christ our Lord," or words very simi- 
 lar, which arc the common conclusion of the Col- 
 lects, we are taught the necessary truth that our most 
 earnest petitions and devout praises need to be sprink- 
 led with the blood of Christ and perfumed with the 
 incense of his sacrifice, before they can be accepta- 
 ble to God. 
 
 A particular Collect is appointed for every Sunday 
 in the year ; accommodated to those parts of the 
 mighty plan of redemption which we successively 
 commemorate — besides special ones for tlie several 
 Festivals and Fasts observed by the Church. To 
 the Collect for the day succeed those for Peace and 
 Grace : to both of which the name of Collect is ex- 
 ceedingly appropriate from their close corrc spondcnce 
 with the language and tenor of tlie Scrij)ture3 from 
 which they are extracted ; and both of which are ju- 
 diciously affixed to the devotional services of every 
 day, as embracing subjects which should be promi- 
 nent in every day's supplications. 
 
 "Peace I leave with you; my peace T give unto 
 you," was amongst the latest bequests of our Re- 
 deemer. " He prayed for it, paid for it, wept for it, 
 bled for it;* and so it behoves us to pray as well as 
 strive, " if it be possible to live peaceably with all 
 men ;" and more especially, by a " concienee void of 
 offence," to obtain that "peace of God which passctli 
 all understanding." 
 
 And as without " Grace to help," we shall fail to 
 *' lead a quiet and peaceable life :" as " the world can- 
 not give" the tranquility of an untroubled conscience, 
 we rightly j)ray for God's " governance in all our do- 
 iugs." That alone can prove to us a perfect protec- 
 tion from the besetting sins of life, and a sufficient 
 defence from the power of every adversary. 
 
 4:*-. 
 
 * Bp. Sparrow. 
 
 >«' 
 
imi- 
 Col- 
 nost 
 ink- 
 
 pta- 
 
 55 
 
 To these beautiful Collects succeed the Prayers 
 for the KiiNG, the Royal Family, the Clhrgy aisd 
 Pkoi'le, and for all sorts and conditions op men ; 
 yet as they are all substantially contained in the Lita- 
 ny which, on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays, is 
 appointed to be used in their stead, an examination 
 of the latter will render any particular consideration 
 of them unnecessary. The same remark will apply, 
 generally, to the Prayers on particular occasions — 
 invoking particular blessings and deprecating parti- 
 cular calamities — which are annexed to the common 
 Order of the Morning and Evening Prayer. 
 
 With regard to the Evenl>g Pkaykr. I beg to add 
 that the remarks and explanations already given will 
 so generally apply to it, that a particular illustration 
 <->f that part of our public service would be superflu- 
 ous. In this, indeed, the only distinction observable 
 fr^V[i the order of the Morning Prayer is in the Hymns 
 ^.^'h ': succeed each Lesson, and in the two CollectiS 
 w a« n follow that which is appointed for the day. — 
 Nor is it necessary to make any particular remark 
 upon these ; — for the Hymns, as in the Morning Ser- 
 vice, are selected on account of their lively expression 
 of gratitude and joy for the good-tidings announced 
 in Scripture ; and the Collects are different, only in 
 words, from those employed in the former j)art of the 
 day. As we, then, implored the divine protection 
 anj guidance through the day we had commenced ; 
 so now we entreat the same holy guardianship against 
 the "perils and dangers" of the approaching night. 
 
 And do Thou "Almighty God, who seest that we 
 have no power of ourselves to help ourselves ; keep 
 us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our 
 souls ; that we may be defended from all adversities 
 which may happen to the body, and from all evil 
 thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through 
 Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."* 
 
 ' Collect for focond Sunday m Lent. 
 
 ■*t^ 
 
 
56 
 SERMON V. 
 
 ON THE LITANY ; AND ON PSALMODY. 
 
 i% 
 
 MATTHEW VI. 9. 
 
 After this manner, thercforcj pray ye. 
 
 In fulfilling the exliortation of St. Paul that " sup' 
 plications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks 
 be made for all ntien," it is not, my Brethren, too much 
 to say that there is no human form we can employ 
 which recommends itself so strongly as the beautiful 
 Litany of our Church. To dovclope — to do any jus- 
 tice to the excellencies of this composition would, in- 
 deed, require more time than I can give, and more 
 ability than I can pretend to. You will, therefore, 
 excuse a brief and ini])erfect essay. 
 
 The word Litaxy is of Greek origin, and in the 
 acceptation of the best writers in that language, de- 
 notes an earnest supplication to the Diity in times of 
 adverse fortune ;* while in the Christian Church, it is 
 used, in a similar sense, as a " supj^lication and com- 
 mon intercession to God when his wiath lies upon 
 us." In such a manner have the " f^iijiplications" en- 
 joined by St. Paulf been generally nitcri)reled ; and 
 we are assured that succc(xliiig Chrif^tiaiis — as early 
 at least as the third century — u^ed the forms of ear- 
 nest and alternate prayers called Litanies. This me- 
 thod, indeed, of [jrayinif I»y iiiteiciiaii;ie — in sjiort re- 
 (jue«ts and snil.".l)!e trsnouscs — St. Cln}sostom as- 
 cribes to the prinjilivc limes; and Tertidlian iiitorms 
 as that the same was* practised in his days. J In sub- 
 
 ' Till.' clai.!-! lonler wt.iild lie si.iicV \\;tli (lie seiifinicai iik .ll-x'^i^ iii->' Pfrstj', 
 iiau 4tMj. r I 'Jiin. ii. 1. ; A D. 2'J'-'. Dcau C j.iibcr «;> (iuotccl in Maul ia locu. 
 
 iff 
 1 ' ' 
 It I 
 
5t 
 
 sequent times, many Litanies were composed ; and 
 (he celebiated Gregory, in the sixth century, formed 
 out of all those extant that justly famed Litany which 
 has commanded the regard of after ages, and has 
 been, in a great measure, the foundation of that of 
 our own Church. 
 
 It was said by a celebrated divine that "the enu- 
 meration of human wants and suflbrings in the Lita- 
 ny is nearly complete. A Christian petitioner can 
 liavc few things to ask of God or deprecate which he 
 will not find there expressed, and for the most part 
 with inimitdble tenderness and simplicity;"* and what 
 the judicious Hooker said of a higher composition 
 will apply with much truth to the Litany : "let there 
 be any g.ief or disease incident unto the soul of man, 
 any wound or sickness named, for which there is not 
 in this treasure-house a present comfortable remedy 
 to he found." - • 
 
 Here, lamenting our sins and acknowledging our 
 wretchedness, we bepiri with the cry for merrv — ad- 
 dressed to the Eternal Tlr.eo, the " Holy, ho5y, holy 
 Lord God of Hosts.''t To (xod the 'I^atiier we 
 m;ike our fervent sup];li('ntioi), l)ccause "we have 
 shinned a,fjaiiist him." To (itui tjio ?*n).\ wc; repeat the 
 prayer lor rnoicy, br-caiisc we li.ive "neglected the 
 great s:dv<ition" li',' hatii ptircli i?se(l for us ; and to 
 G k1 the Holy Gii<»st, we cy aloud, as conscious of 
 liaving "grieved th(^ lb>ly i^jirit of (iod." 
 
 In the tone of distress and in the hniijuage of fer- 
 vent supplieatio!!, w.i iinj)l'!re Him "to whom all pow- 
 er is given in heaven and earth" to be " merciful to 
 onr unriirl)teoiisn''ss, and our sins and ijiMinities to re- 
 mf mbor no more" — to ,'<prnr us whon» his f.ti(>('ious 
 blood was shed to redeem, that his " wrath wax not 
 
 * Ai'-hd. Paloy t " Tlint the Fnaphim did rrnlly crlehrHto all tlir 'l/irce 
 
 Pf/\?0')7(>'' till' (JoiUu'ii I upon (Lis i>'(.M<;;nii ([level, iv 8 ) is jn fdiijoctiiri ; luit n 
 pnliit ciipable of thc' tlouiost ilcmoiistralion.' Jones on the Tiinitv, cli. iii. IS'o, 
 •19. 
 
58 
 
 hot against us and consume us." To tliis cry of the 
 afflicted for help — of the criminal for mercy, all re- 
 spond the earnest appeal, " Spare us good Lord." 
 
 ^'"^ pray, then — and pray unitedly— ^for the re- 
 moval of all evil from us ; for deliverance from the 
 errors, follies and wickednesses into which wo are 
 so prone to rush ; from the temporal judgments which 
 sometimes fearfully overtake us ; from tlic dread and 
 complicated horrors of war; and from the "sudden" 
 coming of that awful visitant which calls us to the 
 bar of God — that we may have time to " set our 
 house in order before we die," and that the departing 
 spirt may be fitted, by more complete preparation, to 
 meet the Judge of all the earth. We pray, too, a- 
 gain^t all interruptions of social peace and quiet — a- 
 guinst every machination which would im])ede the 
 W(3lfare and shake the stability of governments — and 
 against the depraved spirit of sucli as, in the hard- 
 ness of an iiiiju'iiitent heart, ''despise the statutes" of 
 the Lorti, and " have no fear of God before their 
 eyes." 
 
 And all these evils wo deprecate by pleading — not 
 our own worthiness, but the merits of the " Lord our 
 Righteousness" — recaoitulalino; all the acts of his con- 
 descension for us men and for our salvation ; and re- 
 newing thus the intercession of tlie Prophet: ^^ accor- 
 ding to aUthif rrishfrotf.wcss, let thine anger be turned 
 away : d<'fer not for thine own salr, O my God." 
 
 This mercy, too, we beg in all time of our trihu- 
 laiion; lest overcome by poverty and distress, we 
 " faint when we are rebuked of the Lord" — in all 
 time of our ictalth, lest "the cares of the world and 
 the deceitful ness of riches choke his holy word" — in 
 the dread hour of death, when the soul is suinmonc^d 
 to its linal recompense ; and w<* pray especially, that 
 we mav " find nieicv of the Lord" in the dreadful 
 
 may 
 day of judgment. 
 
59 
 
 From tirn rfipresontatUm of our own necessitic^s, 
 wo |n<»rcH(l to intoicestiioiiH for otliLMs — jmifaccd, 
 liovvpvtr, l)y tUc confession that we are "sinners" who 
 thus "take u{)on us to speak unto the Lord" — and 
 praying that He would not-be "extreme to mark what 
 IS done amiss," but hkar us whom he liatii gracious- 
 ly encouraged to ask by the promise that " it shall be 
 given unto us." 
 
 And first, wc offer Uf) our prayers for tlie Church 
 Uniitrsal ; that b*' aintaining sound doctrine and 
 preserving !ier . ilur "in the unity e . o spirit, in 
 the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life," she 
 may be presented vl "chaste Virgin to Christ" at that 
 joyous hour when the glad voices of thc! sj)irits of 
 heaven proclaim that "the marriage of the Lamb is 
 come." Then, according to the injunction of the 
 Apostle that we make "supplication for Kings and 
 all thi^i* are in authority," so we pray fir our wost 
 gracious King and Goccrnor — that God's blessing 
 may attend him in all that he undertakes for His gloy 
 and the welfare of his subjects. This is a prayer re- 
 commended also by the practice of tiie early Ch'is- 
 tians ; and if they prayed for the civil rulers at a time 
 when they were enemies of the faith and persecutors 
 of its professors — shall not wa make earnest interces- 
 sion for the monarch whom we love, and pniy fer- 
 vently for our Jerusalem, that "pc^'iee be within her 
 walls and [)rospe»ity within her palaces!" t^hall we 
 not strive to uphold the commendation that " loyalty 
 to her King h the boast and glory of the Church of 
 England ; and that the s{)iiit of patriotism bieathit'g 
 in her devotiomil olHees has ever been dis, layed in 
 the lives of her sons ! " ^ 
 
 Nor shonlr' a Christian people ever forget, in their 
 prayers, them who " watch i\>v their souls" — the 
 "overseers of the Church, and the anibussudury for 
 
 * ShcpUerd vol. i. p. 275. 
 

 m 
 
 I 
 
 00 
 
 Christ" — batmakc entreaty that they may **tako hoed 
 to ihuiiiselvcs ami the doctrine;"' and that, vvhih; ihey 
 "pnach the word boldly as tluy ought to speak," they 
 may alstj be an ""cxdnipic of the believers in word, in 
 conversation, in charity, in spirit, in fUitli, in purity." 
 
 Avoiding the reproach of those v/ho are " not afraid 
 to spciak evil of dignities," we pray for heavenly di- 
 rection and favor to all that are in author Uij under 
 the King, that they may prove to us " the ministers 
 of (jlod for good." Aftt-nvards, we make intercession 
 for all sorts and conditions of men, that animated by 
 " one heart and one seul," they niJiy " serve God with 
 reverence and godly fear ;" that tiiey may be "doers 
 of the Word and not hearers only," bringing forth 
 " fruit untu holint^ss." We offer up an earn^jst prayer 
 for " the lost sheep of tin; house of Israel," that they 
 may bee ome, with the tru<> believers, " one fold under 
 one sh(jj>h(')(l :'' — we (Muplore he divine presence and 
 protection tor tlrjse who are " established in the 
 faith' — fur his niiv unci succour to them that "fall 
 and u'e bowed down'' — and thit we may all parti- 
 cipate in the triumph of iiim whj hath "spoiled 
 priucij)!dities Hud powers, and destroyed him that had 
 the }.>owei of (hiuth." 
 
 We pray aU.) f)r all wa'.^ts and nocessilie?: ef a 
 teinpoial cht a<.t(^r : — /'akin<if siippli<atiou fs-v die 
 »{)"'; .v.' Jul «''•!(! broken iieail»\! — eiitveating dim to hc 
 "a fi.rlu'r ef file f'alherless and a judge eftlu' wid<'w" 
 —to guard 'hose vviio are oxp'»se<l to perils by land, 
 and preserve litem lliat " go down to the sea in sliips 
 and occuj'y then* business «n great waters" — to pity 
 and •'• M!«'ve ihi' bo.<iiy stilo rer, the sick, the helplef4S, 
 the prisojjer avid tiie . aptive. 
 
 f iUstly w(^ pray, as our Lord instructed us, for them 
 " wh(>des.)it. filly use (is and oersecute us ;" imitating 
 
 m> 
 
 If 
 
 vvno. w 
 
 Ik'U I 
 
 le w.-is 
 
 revi!<'d, revil ' I not a- 
 
 gain," but prayed on tiie cross for his persecutors and 
 
61 
 
 ikc heed 
 liile iliuy 
 ik," they 
 word, ill 
 purity." 
 
 ot afraid 
 \ only di- 
 tij under 
 ninisiters 
 recession 
 natod by 
 lod uitli 
 doers 
 
 J 
 
 e 
 
 (< 
 
 mg 
 
 fortli 
 St pmyor 
 hat tliey 
 :)ld under 
 ef?oe and 
 d in the 
 liat "fall 
 \ll parti- 
 " spoih^d 
 1 that hud 
 
 iiiv. f f a 
 f'V die 
 !H» to l>e 
 ' wi(!<'w" 
 by hi lid, 
 I in ships 
 — ti, pity 
 helpless, 
 
 for them 
 mitating 
 d n')t a- 
 tors and 
 
 murderers. Entreating for all, the blessings of "seed- 
 time and harvest, of rain from Heaven and fruitful 
 seasons;" we conclude with imploring the divine for- 
 giveness for all our sins and imperfections, and with 
 seeking that help from above through which we may 
 be " perfect and entire, wanting nothing." 
 
 To these petitions succeed a sudden, earnest, pa- 
 thetic appeal to the Son of God — even to Him who 
 " can be touched with the feeling of our ih.umities" — 
 to the Lamb of God, which was sacrificed for us — 
 to Cfikist our Intercessor at the right hand of the 
 Father. To the " Lord and his Christ," we reite- 
 rate the prayers for mercy : thrice we repeat, in the 
 earnestness of distress, the supplication of perishing 
 sinners. It is the cry of tiie afflicted — the prayer of 
 the needy — the |)laint of the dying. 
 
 And because every office which man performs is 
 imperfect — that we may rectify what is amiss and 
 supply wiiat is wanting in our preceding supplications, 
 we repeat the prayer of our blessed Lord. To its 
 comprehensive petitions we annex an acknowledg- 
 ment of our sins and iniquities, and beseech him not 
 to "deal with us" after the one nor to "reward us" 
 according to the other. 
 
 Aijain, lest our devotion may have decayed, or our 
 thoughts wandered, or our hearts grown cold, we are 
 called upon to Pray — more earnestly t'> pray— to 
 "pray without ceasing," for the mercy a?i(l assistance 
 of our heavenly Father. Assured that He "despises 
 not the sighing of a contrite heart," we readily lay be- 
 fore him all our troubles and confess all our sorrows: 
 we freely call upon him to "arise, help and deliver 
 us" — encouraged as we are, to the petition by what 
 our fathers before us have told of the wonderful 
 works that he hath done.* 
 
 * Psalm 44. i. 
 
 F 
 
C2 
 
 Ami now, sliowini^ that wc "hold fast the profcs- 
 Hion of our faith without wavering'," wo confess u«^ain 
 the glory of the Triune Ciodhead ; and " cry aloud 
 and spare not" in mutual and fervent ejaculations to 
 IliiH who " laid down his life for us all." Then, the 
 exhortation Li-:t us Pray is once more repeated ; for 
 *' the kingdom of heaven snti'ereth violence and the 
 violent take it by storm:" again we pray, lest through 
 " our infirmities," we may have neglected to depi e- 
 cate any of " those evils which we most righteously 
 have deserved." With this conviction, we make en- 
 treaty that, under the most grievous atllictions, wc 
 may " put our whole trust and conlidence in His mcu*- 
 cy " — in this reitcnating the sentiment of Job, " shall 
 we receive good at the hand of God, and shall w^ not 
 receive evil !" — and resolving thus with a more illus- 
 trious exem])lar, "Not my will, but thine, O God, be 
 d()i;e." 
 
 Beftire proceeding to the concluding prayers of the 
 Litany, we pronounce the beautiful form of the Ge- 
 NKKAi, TiFA.MvSGiviXG — comprehending an acknow- 
 ledgment to the gracious Hestower of "every good 
 and every p(M'fect gift," for all tlte temporal blcssirtgs 
 wc are permitted to enjoy ; and espticially for that 
 surpassing love in which originated "the redemption 
 of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ." But that 
 our thankfiiiness may not rest ir» mere acknowledg- 
 ment — that we may not "diaw nigh unto God with 
 our lips alone," we coiiclude with an invocation of 
 heavenly help, so to quicken in our hunts the sense 
 of God's mercies, that our lives and daily walk may 
 manifest that devotedness to his s(M-vice enjoined in 
 the command to " love him with all our heart, and all 
 our mind, and all our soul and all our streno^lli." 
 
 After this, follows the ancient and excellent Phayer 
 OF Ht. Chkyso^tom ; schcted from a (ireek Liturgy 
 commonly ascribed to that zealous nn<! highly- giftc^d 
 Father. It is a Prayer [)cculiarly well suited to its 
 
C(^ 
 
 rotes- 
 
 uioud 
 oils to 
 n, tlic 
 fl ; for 
 kI tlio 
 
 cpic- 
 ously 
 
 <o un- 
 we 
 
 |i ui(!r- 
 siiall 
 ^ not 
 illus- 
 
 [>(J, be 
 
 plarp, the conclusion of the Lifany, as wfll as of the 
 coininoii Onhir of the iMorninrj and Evoiiinuf Service ; 
 for It comprehends a summary of all we have previ- 
 ously asked. It expresses a liearty desire tiuit our 
 united supplications would he jrijieiously received by 
 Ilim *' that heareth prayei," and contaius a repetition 
 of the pl(;a furnislied by the i^racious [)romise of 
 Ciu'ist — " Where two or three are* OJithered together 
 in my iVamc, there am I in the ?ni<lst of them." 
 
 Having now summed up all our wants, w(; conclude 
 Avith that brief form of aireclionat(; intercession which 
 St. Paul hath left us — a recommen(lati(ui of ourselves 
 to Ilim *• which is, which was, and wliich is to come :" 
 to JKsis CiiarsT, by whom came *• <»race and truth" — 
 to the " love of Goo," who '• so loved us that \ui gave 
 hiss only begotten Son to the end tliat wi; might not 
 perish, but have everlastiuo- life" — and to the Holy 
 Ghost, through whose fjllowship and communion, 
 •'we are sealed unto the day of red(!inption." 
 
 Thus ends the Lita^v — of which it has been justly 
 observed * that as in the Liturgy in general we may 
 be said to " worship the Lord in the beauty of holi- 
 ness." so in the Litany we worship liim in the per- 
 fection of beauty. After this incomparable Form ef 
 supplication, we change the tone of contrition into the 
 words of reioiciuijf : — for the " voice of them that 
 weep" we substitute the language of thanksgiving, 
 and "come before the presence of God with a Song." 
 
 The SiAOLNT. OF PsAi.Ms is an exercise of devotion 
 which has been approvetl by the practice of every 
 age of the Church, of the Jewish as well as the Chris- 
 tian'; and therefore it claitus our particular attention. 
 The custom of our Church directs tliat a Psalm be 
 sung after the Litany ; and certainly it is a very suit- 
 able exercise betwixt portions of the Service so distinct 
 as that and the Office of the Holy Communion. 
 
 - Dr. Bis^e. 
 
 .^•._.,: 
 
I 5 
 
 pf 
 
 64 
 
 Althoujrh wc cannot j^ivc credit to all the wondora 
 related ot the ^nfted bards of anticjuity, nor admit the 
 preternatural influence which some liave ascribed to 
 music ; yet we know that the ori<rin of the art is very 
 ancient, and that the relish for its ch <rnis is almost 
 universal amoni?st men. There seems, indeed, to be 
 something in the human mind congenial to the spirit 
 of song; some chord in the human heart which the 
 voice of melody wakes to spontaneous action. It 
 lieems to be a predilection inherent and [)owerl*ul as 
 the approbation of a general harmony throughout the 
 operations of nature : it has grafted itself with an ex- 
 traordinary tenacity upon the mind — it seems united, 
 in inseparable conjunction, with many of the best im- 
 pulses of the heart. Even in the hallowed otlices of 
 reliirion it has pleaded, as it were, a native claim to 
 association ; — and in every age that claim has bc^en 
 allowed. The gods of the lieathen were honored 
 with hymns of praise : and the Name of the only true 
 Jehovah hath ever been maonified with the voice of 
 melody. 
 
 In the holv records of our faith — in the Bible — we 
 observe the chastened spirit of song pervading many 
 of its sacred pages. The Psalms of David are an un- 
 interrupted series of poetical compositions ; and the 
 Prophets, besides the rhythmical construction of their 
 sentences, abound with those sublime sentiments and 
 strong figurative expressions which constitute the soul 
 of pot'try. In the Book of Job we find the plaint of 
 wretchedness clothed in the most moving language of 
 song ; and the beautiful Song of ►??ongs by King So- 
 lomon declares tlie future honors of the Mc;ssiahs' 
 Kingdom "in a strain which poetry can never erjual."* 
 
 At that triumphant period when the fair fabric of 
 the universe was called into existence, " the morning 
 stars sang togGther f and St. John, in his Rcvela- 
 
 Bishop Home. 
 
 
itllie 
 C(l to 
 
 IlllOSt 
 
 to ho 
 !<pirit 
 1 the 
 It 
 III an 
 It tlie 
 n cx- 
 • itocl, 
 t iiu- 
 os of 
 
 III! to 
 
 boon 
 
 jorod 
 
 true 
 
 Go 
 
 tion, not only describes tlic chorus of the eioniul 
 world, but n.'peats tlio very anthem in which their 
 praises arc ex[)ressed. 
 
 Moses and the Israelites "saifij^ a sons^^^ of thanks- 
 giving for their deliverance from the host of Pharaoh ; 
 Oeborah the prophetess "sang" unto the Lord for 
 the triumph over Siscra ; and tiie Psalmist's resolu- 
 tion seems expressive of the general feeling of the 
 devout — " I will praise the Name of God with a 
 
 song. 
 
 Our Saviour, in " singing a hymn" with his disci* 
 pies, attaches to this mode of praising God a peculiar 
 sacredness and commendation. Paul and Silas were 
 "singing praises unto God," when thr,r jirison dooria 
 were opened. — V^e are ififormed by a heathen v.riter 
 that the persecuted Christians assembled before day- 
 break to sing a hymn to their God and iiaviou. ;* and 
 St. Jerome informs us that in his day " the gilde»: 
 roofs of the Churches shook with Halleluiah."! 
 
 " Is any merry !" — He is exhorted by St Jtuves, as 
 the most rational employment of the thankful, to 'sing 
 Psalms." St. Paul's resolution is, " I will sing with 
 the spirit and I will sing with the understanding also ;'* 
 his exhortation is in a similar spirit, to " teach and 
 admonish one another in Psalms and hymnt and spi- 
 ritual songs ;" and we have this most jmimating in- 
 vitation from the sweet Psalmist of Israel — " Sing 
 praises to God : sing praises unto God our King, sing 
 praises : for God is the King of all the earth ; sing 
 ye praises with understanding." 
 
 But to these appeals shall we turn an inattentive 
 ear! In the holy exercise of our religion, shall we 
 be deaf to the voice of the "charmer, charm he never 
 so wisely !" When the lire of patriotic virtue is kin- 
 
 * Pliny Lib. x. Ep 97. " soliti utato die ante lucem convcniie, carmen qric 
 Chrislo, quasi Deo, dicere secuiii ijivicem. t Vit!. Shrpherd vol. J. |). 103, 
 
 
 ..l;*r . 
 
u I 
 
 66 
 
 fei* 
 
 died up by tho magic breath of heroic song — when 
 the bosom's wildest passions sink and die away be- 
 neath the charms of music ; shall Religion be des- 
 poiled of the same strong ally to waken in the soul 
 the hallowed warmth of piety, and elevate the spirit 
 to the throne of God I And ah ! when heaven-descen- 
 ded music is made so oft the pander to man's unholy 
 appetites — when it is employed to heighten the fever 
 of dissipation and stimulate the intoxications of sense ; 
 shall we not enlist its best powers in the service of 
 the eternal God ^ 
 
 If music have its charms in the common cnres of 
 life, and like the unhappy Saul, we allay the disqui- 
 etudes of the soul by the blandishments of song; — if 
 the light trilling air and the mirthful measure restore 
 the drooping spirit to cheerfulness and joy; shall the 
 mourning penitent and the afflicted believer refuse to 
 touch that chord of sacred minstrelsy which will vi- 
 brate in tran(|uillizing sympathy with every distress 
 and every sorrow] 
 
 If, in the social assembly, it be the talent and the 
 ambition of many to bring into exercise the attrac- 
 tions of music ; — if, there, some light, some trivial 
 theme will employ that skill and awaken that influ- 
 ence ; shall the same talent be unexercised, the same 
 energies be dormant, the same tongues be silent, 
 Avhen the claims of our heavenly Father's unspeaka- 
 ble love invite us to *'come before his presence with 
 
 a song ! 
 
 ?" 
 
 If, again, Religion here claims only the tribute 
 which is due to her; if she hath been the parent and 
 the preserver of the fascinations of music ; if in her 
 sacred books we find the earliest sp rimens of poe- 
 try ; and if, when ignorance and barbarism had well 
 nigh swept away every relic of learning and taste, 
 the knowledge and the practice of music was pre- 
 
 k 
 
 , '^ 
 
61 
 
 when 
 ' be- 
 des- 
 soul 
 spirit 
 pcen- 
 holy 
 ever 
 use ; 
 ce of 
 
 served by the votaries of religion;* — shall we not 
 hear and obey hvr maternal appeal by consecrating 
 to her service the first-fruits of the science she has 
 preserved and improved I 
 
 The services paid to God are, indeed, imperfect 
 withont the acci)m|)animent of sacred song. The 
 "melody of the heart,"! if such exist, will seek for 
 vent in the voice of thanksgiving; and the tuneful 
 hymn of praise will prove the best corrective, when 
 the soul is prone to slumber and the spirit to languish. 
 And I would Jisk, who is there possessed of a spark 
 of the holy warmth of religion, that has not experi- 
 enced an inexpressible elevation of soul, when the 
 *' voice of a great multitude" was employed in mak- 
 ing "a joyful noise unto the God of our salvation'." 
 
 " If indeed" — as has been well observed^ — " the 
 heart be really affected by a sense of God's love in 
 Providence and Grace ; if redemption be a scheme 
 which occupies the thoughts and rivets the attention ; 
 while these form the matter of our praises, how can 
 any one remain dumb? We might expect that, as 
 our Lord said to the Pharisees, ' If these should hold 
 their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.' " 
 
 O my Brethren, may we never be chargeable with 
 this ingratitude and coldness ; but let us obey the ap- 
 peal of the Psalmist: " O give thanks unto the Lord, 
 for he is good ; for his mercy endureth for ever. Let 
 the redeemed of the Lord say so — sing imto him, 
 sing psalms unto him — sing praises unto his Name, 
 for it is lovely." 
 
 * VkI. Bishop Porteoui' Sermon at the Anniversarj of the Sons of the Clergy. 
 t £ph. V. iV. I herd, X''. Close, Cheltvnbstni. 
 
 
 ¥»■...' 
 
 „ *., 
 
68 
 SERMON VI. 
 
 ON THE COMMUNION SERVICE, AND 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 
 MATTHEW VI. 9. 
 
 After this mannert therefore, pray ye. 
 
 I have already remarked that, in all acts of praise, 
 the custom enjoined by our Church is to stand — the 
 propriety of which, in the Singing of Psalms, has the 
 same approbation and the same sanction of Scri[)ture. 
 The Levites, in exhorting to these exercises of praise, 
 exclaimed, " Stand vp and bless the Lord your 
 God"* — the "great multitude" of the blessed in hea- 
 ven are represented by St. John as ^^ standing before 
 the throne, and crying with a loud voice. Salvation to 
 our (iod ;"| and the same Apostle tells us that they 
 "who had gotten the victory over the beast, stood and 
 sang the song of Moses and the Lamb. "J 
 
 After we have thus " stood to thank and praise the 
 Lord, and have sung unto Him with the voice of a 
 Psalm, II the worshippers of God are directc^d to 
 "kneel before the I^ord their Mak(}r,"§ and com- 
 mence the Service of the Holy CommijMon. This 
 service is opened with the sublime language of our 
 Saviour himself; his own most perfect and compre- 
 hc^nsive [)rayer is first employed to lead our hearts to 
 the repentance so peculiarly suitable to this solemn 
 part of our Service, the preparation for the Lord's 
 Supper. The participation in the elements comme- 
 morative of the sacrifice of Christ, it is proper to ob- 
 
 * Nchem. ix. 6. t Revel »ii. 9. 10 \ Rev xv 2, 3 || 1st Cliron xxii. 
 30. PhhIiti ye. 5 $ The Priest in directecJ \,\ thr- Rubric to aland; " us a 
 
 lign." says Augiistin, "of the Resurrection .it tho tunc of EHister: whence also 
 uit all Lord's days, that practice is observed at the Altar." Mant iti loco. 
 
 ^ki:^' 
 
m 
 
 \D 
 
 serve, originally made a part of tlie pious exercises 
 of every Lord's day. The expression, indeed, " upon 
 the first day of the week, when the disciples came 
 together to break breads'"*' is universally interpreted as 
 alluding to the Lord's Supper; and we have testimo- 
 nies to the same effect in writers living near to the 
 Apostolic times.f Although this excellent custom 
 hath been now for many centuries in disuse, yet, as 
 has been well observed, the Church has retained a 
 part of the Office in her common Services, even when 
 there is no Sacrament, as a memorial which might bo 
 useful, of the primitive practice. f 
 
 To the Lord's Prayer succeeds an ancient, beau- 
 tiful and universally admired Collect for purity of 
 thought and life — a Prayer which we cannot use with- 
 out noticing its agreement with the admonition of the 
 Psalmist, "Who shall ascend into the hill of the 
 Lord \ and who shall stand in his holy place \ He 
 that hath clean hands and a pure hcart.^'' As the peo- 
 ple of Israel were to be purified before the publica- 
 tion of the Law from Mount Sinai ;|| so must our 
 "hearts be cleansed by the inspiration of the Holy 
 Spirit," before we are in a suitable disposition to hear 
 God's holy Commandments. 
 
 When the mind reverts to the awful circumstances 
 which attended the delivery of the Ten Co'>!>rAi\D- 
 MEXTs, and dwells on the equally iwful obligation by 
 which we are bound to "observe and keep" them, we 
 shall readily admit the propriety of their introduction 
 into the course of our religious offices; although our 
 Churcii, in thus appropriating them, has been direc- 
 ted by no precedent of ancient or modern usage. § 
 As, in our Baptism, we solemnly covenanted to "keep 
 God's Commandments," it is right that we should be 
 
 '* Acts xs. 7. t Vi<l Inriiatius Epist. ad Ephes. c. 13 nn.l Pliny Lib. x. Ep. 
 97 — where the expn-ssion, "sc que sacremento, &iu " is generally siippoird to 
 ulliulo to iho f^iichaiist. + Archbp. Seeker. || Exodus xix 10 14 ^ Vid. 
 Shepherd Vol. ii. p. 174; luid Bp. Coains in Mant. But it appears that otha' 
 Churches huvc svbsequently adopted tb« practice. 
 
70 
 
 frequently remindlnd of thcMii by the open rehearsal of 
 thi'i) solemn rc<jiiisiti(ins; and inasniiirli as it is an 
 essential tenet of our Church tiiat "no Christian man 
 whatsoever is free fnun the obedience of tbe Com- 
 marsdments wliich are culled ni'^al,"'^ she is justitied 
 in the custom of thus causing thein, by their i'requent 
 repetition, to l)e "for a si<^n upon on»' hand and as 
 fronthjts between our eyes." Upon tlie rehi^arsal of 
 each Commandment, respectively, by the Minister, 
 the Congregation are instructed to olier u\) a i*rayer 
 for Mercy, because we have daily and iiourly trans- 
 ffressed these Commandments — as wel! as a suDolica- 
 tion to Him " who workelh in us i*oth to will and to 
 do," to incline our iKfn'la to knp Ins Laws. Tlic 
 short Prayer annexed to the tenth Commandment, 
 " write all these thy laws in our hearts, ^''\ is in cor- 
 respcmdencc with the doctrine inculcated by our bles- 
 sed Saviour in his Hermon on the MountJ — that ///s 
 followers are n(»t to rest satisfied with a mere literal 
 observance of those Commandments, but to regard 
 and fulfil the spirit of them: and to control and sup- 
 press every emotion or propensity which may indi- 
 rectly lead to their violation. 
 
 For the Kii>g, as the guardian not only of our tem- 
 poral welfare, but of the true religion established 
 among us, we are next directed to make supidica- 
 tion. It has been remarked that the introduction of 
 this Prayer after the Commandments is highly appro- 
 priate; because the Laws of the land, whereof the 
 Sovereign is guardian, are watchful, generally, at 
 least of the literal observance of these "tables of the 
 testimony" — and it becomes us to pray earnestly that 
 this watchful care of God's honor and the people's 
 welfare may never be omitted. Here, also, in this 
 distant appendage of the dominions of our Sovereign, 
 we fitly make intercession for the King's Represen- 
 tative, the LiEUTEx\ANT Governor of this Province ; 
 
 
 * Alt vii. t Jeremiah xxxi. 33. X Math. v. 21, 27, 33. 
 
iV-S 
 
 71 
 
 lliat he may be actuated by the spirit of divine grace 
 in I he exercise of the authority committed to his 
 charge. To this duty we are directly admonishud 
 by the exhortatiim of i^t. Paul that supplications be 
 maile not for the King only, but also for all that arc 
 in authority.'^ 
 
 After these Prayers, the Collect for tiii: Day is 
 repeated : and to this succeeds two portions of Scrip- 
 ture; the first generally selected from the Epistles, 
 the other uniformly from one of the four Gospels. 
 This manner of reading a portion of the Epistles and 
 Gospels is very ancient — certainly not less than oiie 
 thousand three hiuidred years old as regards the 
 Epistle, and much more ancient as respects the (jos- 
 pel : a circumstance true not only of tlio custoni of 
 reading them, but, in many instances, of the very 
 selections at this day used. They have been thus se- 
 lected with a reference to the particular period of the 
 religious year then celebrated: — the Gospel contain- 
 ing some account of our {Saviour's life and doctriiic 
 ai)[)ro['riate to the season, and the Epistle being so 
 chosen as to illustrate and enforce the substance of 
 the Gospel. Like the Baptist to our blessed Saviour, 
 the one is the harbinger of the other; the Epistle 
 "prepares the way of the Lord" — the Gospel pre- 
 sents the Lord himself. For this reason, a particular 
 distinction is shewn to tlie Gospel — manifested in the 
 custom of rising up and standing during the reading 
 of it. While the words of the Svrrants are rehearsed, 
 we are permitted to sit; but when the language of the 
 Master is repeated, we are justly called upon to 
 stand. Nay, more than this — we are invited to glo- 
 rify God for these good-tidings; and as immediately 
 after their first promulgation by the Angel, a Heaven- 
 ly H»/st ascribed "glory to God in the highest;" so 
 we, when the holy Gospel is announced, usuallyf 
 
 * 1st Tim. ii. 1,2 t This is merely a r.ustom—nnt piescribcd in the Ru- 
 
 bric ^yet juitificd, wc trust, by the reasons here assigned. 
 
h 
 
 72 
 
 
 make this acknowl(Ml<Toni(Mit — expressive of the like 
 gratitude — "Gloi> la t(» Tliee, O Luid." 
 
 As in the preceding {services, the ('iced is recited 
 after reading the kSitiptii.es, so ul tiie conclusion of 
 the Gospel in this Service, we again make prtkfos- 
 sion of our faith, by repeating what is called the 
 NicioAE CiitKEi). This creed was chieily composed 
 at the celebrated Council of Nice in the 4th cen- 
 tury, where a very large number of the l>ishi)ps and 
 other Clergy of the Church wore assembled with the 
 design of counteracting the baneful her»*sy of the 
 Arians. It is I'or this cause that so express an asser- 
 tion of the divinity of the Son and Holy Ghost is made 
 in this Creed, 'i'lu^so essential articles of the Chris- 
 tian Faith were denied by the Arians in those days; 
 and as they are still combated by the Socinians and 
 Unitarians m our own times, the caution against their 
 dangerous tenets is very properly maintained, by the 
 constaiit repetition of a Creed so directly asseiting 
 the Scriptural and important doctrine of the Trinity. 
 
 The Nicene Creed concludeg the common order of 
 our devotional services on the morning of the Lord's 
 Day : — and, my Brethnm, it concludes the task I 
 have undertaken of elucidating and recommending 
 our inestimable Liturgy. Should the humble effbits 
 I have made have caused any one here to dimiss a 
 prc^judice he may have et:tertained against these hal- 
 lowed Forms, or led one other to an increased vene- 
 ration of the manner by which he worships the God 
 of his fathers ; I shall feel a happiness which only 
 waits for completion in the assurance that it has pro- 
 moted in all a more careful attention to the spirit of 
 our Liturgy — a more hearty participation in all its 
 oftices — a sincrrer effort to " pray with the spirit and 
 to pray with the understanding also." 
 
 We eatmot overlook the fact that there are some 
 who allege as hindrances to the devotedness of heart 
 
 i 
 
73 
 
 ( 
 
 and voice so earnestly recommended in tlic offeviriji;^ 
 up of our common suj)|)licutions, tli(i tVocjUcnt repe- 
 tition of certain portions of tlio {Service, and especial-' 
 ly of the Lord's Prayer. But ti> this objection wc 
 may propose, as a general re[)ly — that the conunon 
 order of the MoKMist; and Evemix; PuAVEn, the 
 Litany, and the Comjiumon Siihvice were oiij^itial- 
 ly distAnct Services, and performed at difterent hoiu's 
 of the day ; on which account, it was not only natu- 
 ral but proper that similar j)etitioris should recur, and 
 especially that the admirable Prayer of our Lord 
 should be frequently repeated. As, without this, no 
 portion of our offices would be complete ; so, in the 
 common Morning and Evening Services, we use it 
 both after the general confession and immediately 
 before the comi jncement of our petitions for our va- 
 rious wants: it rightly introduced towards the con- 
 clusion of the 1 itany as a "con»plement which fully 
 perfecteth whatboever nsay be (tefective therein ;'* and 
 as we have already shewn, it most judiciously takes 
 the lead in the Con«nmnion Service. We may add 
 that, by its frequent use, the unlearned or such as 
 from inability to read cannot join fully in the sr'ervice, 
 are enabled to participate jointly in petitions which 
 comprehend the substance of all our jrayers ; and 
 that, for the same reason, the lisping voice of child- 
 h( od may unite in the common ofl'erings of supplica- 
 tion and f)raise. 
 
 Should any complain of the Itngth of the Service 
 in consequence of the conjunction of these office's 
 according to the present usage, we may plead, as an 
 obvious justification, the ionirnUnry of their being 
 performed at once in preference to an adherence to 
 the original intent and custom. IN or will the truly 
 devout ever feel a weariness in participating iu the 
 
 * Hooker Book v. 35, ivhere sec the quotation from XertullittDj 
 
 G 
 
 !;•"-& .: 
 
tl 
 
 
 I?' ih'' 
 
 74 
 
 uhole of a Service wliicli has so mucli to recoininend 
 it to tlio vrnnaliori of sincere Cliristians ; aiu! if we 
 call to miiid the lonjr continued devotions of the primi- 
 tive worshippers, as evidenced by many of their ear- 
 ly writihiTS, and above all, the example of him who 
 continued " whole nights in prayer," we shall be 
 more unwillinir to convict ours(;lves of lukewarmn(;sa 
 and sloth in com])laining of the length of our devo- 
 tional offices. 
 
 Far less will any such objection be entertained or 
 uttered by those who will acknowledge the high 
 claims of mw Liturgy to reverence and esteem, as 
 *' speaking the words of truth and soberness" — who 
 will confess that the harmonious intermixture of 
 praise and prayer and hearing of the word of which 
 it can boast, enables the devout Christian to "wor- 
 ship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." 
 
 Such, indeed, is our Book of Common Prayer:— 
 and were we to pursue the inquiry beyond the usual 
 order of the daily Service, we should find no less to 
 make us regard it with admiration and affection; as 
 a manual, indeed, which is associated with the dear- 
 est sympathies of our nature. There we are Instruct- 
 ed — and how pathetically, the pious Communicant 
 can testify — how to approach the altar of our Re- 
 deemer and partake of the symbols of his dying love. 
 There we are directed — and how impressively, the 
 fond parent can feel — how to enlist the new-born 
 child into the service of his heavenly Master. There 
 w<' have a remembrancer of that conjugal union with 
 which many of the purest joys of mortals are entwin- 
 ed. There the Christian mother, escaped from the 
 pangs of death, is invited to the courts of the Lord's 
 house, and in the fullness of a grateful heart, to "pay 
 her vows in the presence of all his people." There 
 the herald of spiritual consolation is furnished with 
 glad-tidings to the sick and the stricken of God. And 
 
75 
 
 there the mourners at the j^ruve, in tones of exquisite 
 pathos, are admonished not to ho an tliosc lluit '• sor- 
 row vvith.mt hope," but to h-ok, uith unshaken con- 
 fidence, to tlie day of the Lord wlien "■ tiiis corruptille 
 simll put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on 
 immortality." 
 
 But on these offices of our Prayer Iiook — all equally 
 interesting Jind equally Ixuintiful — I am not prepared, 
 at present, to enlarge. On some future occasion, the 
 suhject may be resumed and the remaining services 
 of our Liturgy considered and exphiined. I shall 
 conclued with exhorting you to " hold fast" in your 
 affections and in your practice, " this form of sound 
 words ;" and while you employ it as your companion 
 to the house of (jJod, regard it, too, as the bulwark 
 and the safeguard of our venerable Church. Outward 
 calamity may humble her, and all the common causes 
 of decay may conspire to bring her external fabric to 
 the dust; but, in her Liturgy, she keeps within herself 
 the spirit of revival — the seeds of resuscitation to life, 
 to glory and to blessing. Her principles and her doc- 
 trines are treasured there ; and "without controversy," 
 they are " the principles of the doctrine of Christ." 
 
 Should her guardians slumber and neglect her— 
 should her children leave her for " strange vanities " 
 and " strong delusions ;" her Liturgy remains a point of 
 rallying and a centre of union. It goes forth into the 
 world the handmaid, and the companion of the Bible. 
 It bears upon it the impress of the Word of Cod — it 
 has the light of heavenly Truth reflected in all its 
 brightness, upon it. Only then, when that light is ex- 
 tinguished, will our Liturgy be forgotten and perish. 
 
 After this maniver, therefore, my Brethren, 
 Pray ye ; and the devout petition will ascend to the 
 throne of God as " incense from the evening sacri- 
 fice." Your fhithful fulfilment of this duty will add 
 the " pleasantness ," of religion to every wordly joy, 
 
 '^Mt,. 
 
 

 
 and impart its " peace " when wordly happiness for- 
 sakes you. May the words of j)iety which constitute 
 the form of our public devotions ever animate in life 
 and aflbrd consolation in death ; that when the trum- 
 pet of the Archangel shall summon the (]uick and the 
 dead to Christ's tribunal, we may ascend to heaven 
 with purified youls and glorified bodies, and there re- 
 new the praises of Jehovah in the eternal fc*ong of the 
 blessed: " Allei.uiah, Salvation and glory and ho- 
 nor and power unto the Lord our God ; Alleluiah^ 
 for the Lord God Omnipotent ruigneth." 
 
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 *eO«« 
 
 Pago 13, Lino 8, for pcrscuercnce, read pcrsoveranci.; 
 10, •' 9, for invite, read incite. 
 
 '• 5, for excitement, read incitement. 
 " 12, for inverted, read inserted. 
 
 ^^ q' > for succeeds, read succeed. 
 
 " 12, for cojiclucd, read conclude. 
 
 it 
 
 30, 
 39, 
 43, 
 71, 
 75, 
 
 
 ,^' 
 
 '^:«^f 
 
 *^* It would have been gratifying to the Author to have 
 mnexed to this work a List of the Subscribers; but as some 
 f the returns have not yet been made, and others were for- 
 warded containing merely the number of copies required, 
 v^hout the Names of the persons desiring them, he is com- 
 p^ed to relinquish this idea. He, however, begs to say that 
 th(r*atrouage this work has received lias been very extensive— 
 forUiich he repeats his grateful acknowledgments to the Pub- 
 lic |enerally, and to those gentlemen particularly who have 
 Soljited and procured subscriptions for Copies. 
 
 . **:••