of Christ and his triumphant Ascension For God Almighty did so direct the mind of the Prophets that that which was spoken by them of other persons and actions is oft-times more exactly fulfilled in and by Christ. Osee 11. 1. Out of Egypt have I called my Son was there spoken of the deliverance of the people of Israel out of Egypt fulfilled in Christ S. Matth 2. 15. What David sayes of himself I will open my mouth in a payable was fulfilled by Christ S. Matth. 13. 35. The 72. Psalm was written for Solomon as the title shews but more exactly fulfilled of Christ. Davids complaint or his own nâ—sery Psal. 35. 19. verified in Christ. S. Iohn 15 25. Nay more which is worth our observation some things David speaâ—s of himself which do not agree to him but in a figure which agree to Christ in the letter as They parted my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture Psalm 22. 17 18. Nay in the same Psalm and sometimes in the same verse some words will not agree to Christ as Psal. 69. 5. My faults are not hid from thee These cannot be spoken of Christ who knew no sin Some words again most properly belong to Christ as verse 22. They gave me gall to eat and when I was thirsty they gave me vinegar to drink Thus holy Church hath in the Lessons and Gospel preached to us the Ascension of Christ in the type and antitype In the Epistle she teaches us our duty not to stand gazing up to Heaven wondring at the strangeness of the sight but to take heed to demean our selves so as that we may with comfort behold him at his second coming his coming to judgment Act. 1. 11. Why stand ye gazing up into heaven there is other business to be done fit your selves for another coming for this same Iesus which was taken up from you into heaven shall so come even as ye have seen him go into heaven In the Collect we are taught to pray that we as far as may be may conform to our Lord in his Ascension that like as we believe him to have ascended into the Heavens so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend and with him continually dwell In the special Psal. and Hymn we adore and bless God for our Saviours glorious Ascension It is pleasant to behold the rare beauty of the Churches offices as on others so on this day how each part suits the other The Gospel to the Lessons the Epistle to the Gospel the Collect and Psalms and Hymns all fitted to the same and all to the day For the Antiquity of this day See S. Aug. Epist. 118. cited upon Easter day Epiphanâ— and Chrys. upon the day Sunday after Ascen This is called Expectationsweek for now the Apostles were earnestly expecting the fulfilling of that promise of our Lord. If I go away I will send the Comforter to you S. Iohn 16. 7. The Epistle exhorts to earnest prayer for the Comforter promised in the Gospel which the Church performs in the Collect. WHIT SVNDAY THis day the HOLY GHOST came down from heaven upon his Church as the Epistle tells according to the promise of the Gospel As in a long war it happens when the war is ended and peace concluded Pledges and Hostages are mutually sent both as tokens of and securities for the mutual agreement and peace so was it betwixt God and Man After our Lord Jesus had ended the long war betwixt God and Man and finished the reconciliation he sent up or rather he carried up himself our Hostage our flesh and nature ennobled by the union with his Divine Person as a royal pledge to his Father on the other side God sent this day his royal Hostage his holy Spirit a security for our future peace 1. S. Iohn 4. 12 13. Chrys. Hom. 1. in Pentecost Edit Savil. tom 5. The Devil had taken us captive our Lord Christ undertakes the quarrel his death was his battel but then he seem'd to be overcome but up he got again at his Resurrection that was his victory his Ascension was his triumph and as the ancient custome was for Conquerours to scatter gifts amongst the beholders especially on the last and great day of the triumph so does our Lord in this last day of the Feast the Conclusion of his triumph he doth as it were make the Conduits run with Wine he poured out his Spirit so upon all flesh that some mockers said they were full of new wine Acts 2. 12. He casts abroad his new wine new gifts and graces of the world giving to some the word of wisdome to others the gift of knowledge to others faith to others the gift of healing to others the working of miracles to others prophesie to others discerning of spirits to others divers kinds of tongue to others the interpretations of tongues all these worketh one and the same spirit the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. 4. whom the Lord Christ as he promised sent down this day with these gifts in honour of whom and his gifts we keep this day holy This time was also appointed of old for solemn baptism The reason was 1. Because this day the Apostles were baptized with the holy Ghost and fire Acts 2. 3. 2. Because this day three thousand were baptized by the Apostle Acts 2. 40. In memory of which the Church ever after held a solemn custome of baptizing at this Feast Gratian. de Consec Dis. 3. c. 13. This day is called Pentecost because it is fifty days betwixt the true Passeover and Whitsunday As there were fifty days from the Jews Passeover to the giving of the Law to Moses in Mount Sina which Law was written with the finger of God for from the 14. day of the first month the day of the Passeover to the third day of the third month the day of the Laws giving Exod. 19. are fifty days so from the true Passeover which was celebrated when Christ was offered up for us are fifty days to this time when the Holy Ghost came down upon the Church to write the new Lawâ— of Charity in their hearts Upon this meditation S. Aug. breaks out thus Who would not prefer the joy and pleasure of these mysteries before all Empires of the world Do you not see that as the two Seraphins cry one to another holy holy holy Esay 6. 3. So the two Testaments Old and New faithfully agreeing convince the sacred truth of God S. Aug. Ep. 119. Note that we must not count the fifty days from the very day of the Passeover but from the Sunday following and so God directed the Jews Lev. 23. 15. speaking of their Pentecost or Feasts of Weeks And ye shall count from the morrow after the Sabbath from that day seven weeks shall be compleat It is also called Whitsunday from the glorious Light of Heaven which was then sent down upon the Earth from the Father of Lights so many tongues so many Lights which kindled such
the service of the 18. Sunday or some other before it as it happens to be that year But of old after other Vacant days had their proper Services this day continued for some while to make use of borrowing so Berno and Micrologus say it was in their times and what Service can we think could be more useful for that purpose than this of the 18th Sunday especially if we consider it with all the accessaries It had then In ancient Rituals as S. Hieromes Lectimarius S. Gregories Antiphonarius Liber Sacramentorum c. we find the service of Ember week placed immediately before â—â—t of this Sunday and the chief reason â—â—y be this aforesaid their affinity of matter Rupertus Tuitiens in his 12. Book De Divin Officiis and 18. Chap. is very â—â—pious in shewing how much the office of this day in that largeness it then had concern'd them that had the cure of souls and Berno Augiens in his 5. Chap. is as large in shewing how well it might serve in that regard for a supplement to the Vacant Sunday All which considered and withal that the usual order of the Epistles from 5. to the 25. was changed only in This and that according to the course of Easter the Ordination falls on this Sunday or some other before it we may very probably conclude that the choice of this Epistle and Gospel also was with design to exercise our meditations somewhat on the Ordination this day celebrated or not long before it And hereby a good ground was given to the Preacher in his Sermon for that was usually upon the Readings of the day to declare in a fit season the duty of Pastors and their flocks according as he saw occasion The Epistle is a Thanksgiving in behalf of the Corinthians for the grace of God which was given them by Iesus Christ It appears by what the Apostle saith of them in divers places that they had been taught by many learned Instructers and that many of them had much profited and abounded in many spiritual gifts And such gifts are here mentioned as are specially requisite for them that are Ordained to be Spiritual Guides as the being enriched in all utterance and in all knowledge and being behind in no good gift And the Gospel is of our Saviours answering a question of a Doctor of the Law of his silencing both Pharisees and Sadduces by his doctrine and questions whereby he shews how those whom he sends on Divine Messages should be qualified how able to speak a word in due season to give a reason of their faith and to convince gain-sayers This is the Gospel in the ancient Lectionary above mentioned and though some Churches use other yet we may observe that they are all very appliable to this occasion And the old Anthems or Versicles for the day S. Greg. Antiphonary which are to be found most of them in some Latin Services are herein most express desiring of God That his Prophets may be found faithful and speaking of being glad of going into the house of God Bringing presents coming into his Courts c. Of telling out among the Heathen that the Lord is King Of Moses hallowing an Altar and offering Sacrifices ascending into the Mount praying for the people of Gods shewing himself to him c. It is true that other Ordination-Sundays relate principally as is most meet to the chief Meditations of those special seasons wherein they fall but yet therein we may find matter very pertinent to this occasion How fit the Service of Trinity Sunday is in this regard hath already been declared p. 182. nor could any season have been more aptly chosen for this occasion In that of Lent the Epistle tells us what holiness of life is required in all and therefore certainly in them whom God hath called to such an holy profession and that saying of Christ in the Gospel for the same day that he was sent to the lost sheep c. may mind them of their duty who are sent by him to be Pastors of his flock The like Advertisements they may gather from both Epistle and Gospel of the Sunday of Ordination in time of Advent as may be obvious to view And no less proper is that Epistle which the Lectionary and some Churches appoint for the same day Let a man saith the Apostle there thus wise esteem us even as the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Secrets of God Furthermore it is required of Stewards that a man be found faithful Which Epistle with us and some other Churches is applyed to the Sunday next before this changing place with another Epistle not unfit for this occasion and more fit to come next to Christmas For by those words in it The Lord is even at hand it may excite us to such a preparation for the Feast of Christs coming in the flesh as may prepare us for that other coming in glory which we look for Thus have we taken a view of these Epistles and Gospels and upon occasion also of those which are used after Ordinations and somewhat also of the time when holy Orders were given Our Church herein keeps to the day that is most proper and that is to the Sunday which next follows the Ember Fast. A day on which Christ bestowed his Spirit upon his Apostles gave them their Commission and many wonderful gifts for the good of the Church For this and other reasons doth Leo shew how congruous the Lords day is for such a work Besides this may be added that a business of such consequence being done upon such a day is attended with more solemnity and presence of the Congregation See the discourse of Ember weeks pag. 149. and Leo Epist. 81. ad Diosc. The COLLECTS remain to be now spoken of and they in the same manner with the Epistles and Gospels have a general congruity with the affection of the season For as Faith Hope and Charity graces and gifts of the Holy Ghost are the general subject more or less of these Epistles and the same taught exemplified and confirmed in the Gospels so are these Collects certain general Invocations upon God for the assistance of his holy Spirit and bringing forth the fruits of it and consist usually of a most humble acknowledgment and a petition suitable as is above declared Pag. 85. And as we have taken there a brief view of the pious sense and spirit of these acknowledgments so will it not be amiss to do the same here concerning the petitions which in each Collect are some or other of these following or such like That God would be pleased to prevent and follow us always with his grace and with his mercy in all things direct and rule our hearts to stir up our wills pour into our hearts graff in them the love of his holy â—ame make us to have a perpetual fear and love of it to ask such things as shall please him to have the Spirit to think and do always such
the same reason to say it that old Simeon had and we should have the same spirit to say it with There can nothing be more fitting for us as we have said than having heard the Lessons and the goodness of God therein Preach't unto us to break out into a Song of Praise and Thanksgiving and the Church hath appointed two to be used either of them after each Lesson but not so indifferently but that the Former Practice of exemplary Churches and Reason may guide us in the choice For the Te Deum Benedictus Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis being the most expressive-Jubilations and rejoycings for the redemption of the world may be said more often than the rest especially on Sundayes and other Festivals of our Lord excepting in Lent and Advent which being times of Humiliation and Meditations on Christ as in expectation or his sufferings are not so fitly enlarged with these Songs of highest Festivity the custom being for the same reason in many Churches in Lent to hide and conceal all the glory of their Altars covering them with black to comply with the season and therefore in these times may be rather used the following Psalms than the foregoing Canticles as at other times also when the Contents of the Lesson shall give occasion as when it speaks of the enlargement of the Church by bringing in the Gentiles into the Fold of it for divers passages of those three Psalms import that sense And for the Canticle Benedicite O all ye works of the Lord it may be used not only in the aforesaid times of Humiliation but when either the Lessons are out of Daniel or set before us the wonderful handy-work of God in any of the Creatures or the use he makes of them either ordinary or miraculous for the good of the Church Then it will be very seasonable to return this Song O all ye works of the Lord bless ye the Lord praise him and magnifie him for ever that is ye are great occasion of blessing the Lord who therefore be blessed praised and magnified for ever The APOSTLES CREED The Creed follows At ordinary Morning and Evening prayer and most Sundaies and Holy-daies the Apostles Creed is appointed which Creed was made by the Apostles upon this occasion sayes Ruffinus in Symb. n. 2. The Apostles having received a Commandment from our Lord to Teach all Nations and withal being commanded to tarry at Hierusalem till they should be furnish'd with gifts and graces of the holy Spirit sufficient for such a charge tarried patiently as they were enjoyned expecting the fulfilling of that promise In the time of the stay at Hierusalem they agreed upon this Creed as a Rule of Faith according to the analogy of which they and all others should reach and as a word of distinction by which they should know friends from foes For as the Gileadites distinguished their own men from the Berjamites by the word Shibboleth Iudges 12. 6. And as Souldiers know their own side from the Enemy by their Word so the Apostles and the Church should know who were the Churches friends and who were enemies who were right believers who false by this word of Faith for all that walkt according to this Rule and profest this faith she acknowledged for hers and gave them her peace but all others that went contrary to this rule and word she accounted Enemies Tertul. de praescrip led by false spirits For he that hears not us is not of God hereby know we the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error 1 Iohn 4. 6. This Creed is said daily twice Morning and Evening So it was of old Aug. l. 1. de Symb. ad Catech. cap. 1. Take the Rule of Faith which is call'd the Symbol or Creed say it daily in the Morning before you go forth at Night before you sleep And l. 50. Hom. 42. Say your Creed daily Morning and Evening Rehearse your Creed to God say not I said it yesterday I have said it to day already say it again say it every day guard your selves with your Faith And if the Adversary assault you let the redeemed know that he ought to meet him with the Banner of the Cross and the shield of Faith above all taking the shield of Faith Ephes. 6. Faith is rightly called a Shield S. Chrys. in loc For as a Shield is carried before the body as a wall to defend it so is faith to the soul for all things yield to that This is our victory whereby we overcome the world even our Faith Therefore we had need look well to our faith and be careful to keep that entire and for that purpose it is not amiss to rehearse it often and guard our soul with it Cum horrâ—mus aliquid recurrendum est ad Symbolum When we are affrighted run we to the Creed and say I believe in God the Father Almighty this will guard your soul from fear If you be tempted to despair guard your soul with the Creed say I believe in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord who was crucified c. for us men and our salvation that may secure your soul from despair If you be tempted to Pride run to the Creed and a sight of Christs hanging upon the Cross will humble you If to Lust or uncleanness to the Creed and see the wounds of Christ and the remembrance of them if any thing will quench that fiery dart If we be tempted to presume and grow careless take up again this shield of Faith see Christ in the Creed coming to judgment and this terrour of the Lords will perswade men In a word the Creed is a guard and defence against all temptations of the world all the fiery darts of the Devil all the filthy lusts of the flesh Therefore above all take the shield of Faith saith S. Paul and be sure to guard your soul Morning and Evening with the Creed thy symbol of the most holy Faith Besides This solemn rehearsing of our Creed is a plighting of our faith and fidelity to God before Devils Angels and Men an engaging and devoting of our souls in the principal faculties and powers of it our reason and understanding and will wholly to God the Father Son and holy Ghost to believe in the ever blessed Trinity whatsoever flesh and blood shall tempt to the contrary which is an high piece of loyalty to God and cannot be too often perform'd It is that kind of Confession that S. Paul says is necessary to salvation as well as believing Rom. 10. 10. For it is there said Verse 9. If we confess with our mouth as well as if we believe with the heart we shall be saved it is that kind of Confession that our Lord Christ speaks of S. Matt. 10. 32. Whosoever shall confess me before men him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven And therefore since it is a service so acceptable it cannot be thought unreasonable for the Church to require it
precatur denuo LOrd God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob who because thou art the God not of the dead but of the Living shewest hereby that they are living and not dead and that with thee do live the spirits of all them that dye in the Lord and in whom the Souls of them that are Elect after they be delivered from the burden of this flesh be in joy and felicity thou hast said thou wilt turn men into small dust and after that wilt say Return again you Children of men Thou art the God of Truth and hast said it thou art the God of power and might and wilt do it by that power whereby thou art able to subdue all things unto thy self and bring to pass whatsoever pleaseth thee in Heaven and Earth with whom nothing is impossible Lord Jesu Christ who art the Resurrection and the Life in whom if we believe though we be dead yet shall we live who by thy death hast overcome death and by thy rising again hast opened to us the Gate of everlasting life who shalt send thine Angels and gather the bodies of thine Elect from all the Ends of the Earth and especially those who by a mystical union are flesh of thy flesh and in whose hearts thou hast dwelt by Faith we humbly beseech thee for them whose bodies shall in this place be gathered to their Fathers that they may rest in this hope of Resurrection to eternal life through thee O blessed Lord God who shalt change their vile bodies that they may be like thy Glorious body according to the mighty working whereby thou art able to bring all things even death and all into subjection to thy self Holy and blessed Spirit the Lord and giver of life whose Temples the bodies of thy Servants are by thy sanctifying Grace dwelling in them we verily trust that their bodies that have been thy Temples and those hearts in which Christ hath dwelt by Faith shall not ever dwell in corruption but that as by thy sending forth thy Breath at first we received our Being Motion and Life in the beginning of the Creation so at the last by the same Spirit sending forth the same breath in the end of the Consummation Life Being and Moving shall be restored us again so that after our dissolution as thou didst shew thy holy Prophet the dry bones shall come together again Bone to his Bone and Sinews and Flesh shall come upon them and thou shalt cause thy Breath to enter into them and we shall live and this Corruption shall put on Incorruption and this Mortal shall put on Immortality God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost accept sanctifie and bless this place to that end whereunto according to thine own Ordinance we have ordain'd it even to bestow the Bodies of thy Servants in till the number of thine Elect being accomplished they with us and we with them and with all other departed in the true Faith of thy Holy Name shall have our consummation and Bliss both in Body and Soul in thy eternal everlasting glory Blessed Saviour that didst for this end dye and rise again that thou mightest be Lord both of the Living and the Dead whether we live or die thou art our Lord and we are thine living or dying we commend our selves unto thee have mercy upon us and keep us thine for evermore Reintrantes igitur Capellam cantant priorem partem Psal. 16. Conscendit suggestum Magister Matthaeus Wren Thema ei posterior pars vers 17. cap. 2. S. Ioan. Zelus domus tuae c. Agit de affectibus in Christo Zelo inter caeteros nec illo falso sed pro Deo nec caeco sed secundum scientiam pro Domo pro Cultu Dei de praesentia Dei praecipue in Templis magno non Morum solummodo nostrorum sed sâ—ei quoque Fidei incremento fulcimentoque Deum Locorum distinctione gaudere confirmat tum exemplo mirifice Jacobi tantopere distinguentis Bethel tum maximo omnium miraculo quo Christus Mercatores è Templo ejecit Enarratis Christi per hoc factum devotionibus concludit in debitam à nobis Templorum reverenâ—â—â—â— atque istius Fundatoris Encomium meritissimum Cantatur pars reliqua Vespertinae precationes incipiendo jam à Symbolo Apostolico secundum communem Ecclesiae formulam finiuntur FINIS Balsam in Nomâ—caâ— tit 2. 6. 2.
styling the one Canonical the other Apocryphal As for the second Lessons the Church in them goes on in her ordinary course The HYMNS Te Deum c. AFter the Lessons are appointed Hymns The Church observing S. Pauls Rule Singing to the Lord in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs every way expressing her thanks to God The antiquity of Hymns in the Christian Church doth sufficiently appear by that of our Saviour S. Matth 26. When they had sung an Hymn they went out upon which place S. Chrys. sayes They sung an Hymn to teach us to do the like Concerning singing of Psalms and Hymns in the Church we have both the Precepts and Examples of Christ and his Apostles S. Aug. Ep. 119. S. Paul ordered it in the Church of Coloss. Singing to your selves in Psalms and Hymns Col. 3. Which we find presently after practised in the Church of Alexandria founded by S. Mark Eus. Hist l. 2. c. 17. where Philo reports that the Christians had in every place Monasteries wherein they sang Hymns to God in several kinds of Meeter and Verse S. Ambrose brought them into Millaine to ease the peoples sad minds and to keep them from weariness who were praying night and day for their persecuted Bishop and from hence came all Hymns almost to be called Ambrosiani because that by him they were spread over the Latin Church With the Morning and Evening Hymns God is delighted saies S. Hierome and Possidius in the life of S. Augustine tells us c. 28. that towards the time of his dissolution S. Augustine wept abundantly because he saw the Cities destroyed the Bishops and Priests sequestred the Churches prophaned the holy Service and Sacraments neglected either because few or none desired them or else because there were scarce any Priests left to administer to them that did desire them lastly because the Hymns and Lauds of God were lost out of the Church These Hymns are to be said or sung but most properly to be sung else they are not so strictly and truly called Hymns that is Songs of praise and not only by the Church of England but by all Christian Churches of old was it so practised and so holy David directs Psal. 47. 6. O sing praises sing praises unto our God O sing praises sing praises unto our King The profit of which singing Hymns is much many wayes especially in this that they inkindle an holy flame in the minds and affections of the hearers O how I wept sayes S. Aug. in the Hymns and holy Canticles being enforc'd thereunto by the sweet voices of thy Melodious Church by reason of the proneness of our affections to that which delights it pleas'd the wisdom of the Spirit to borrow from melody that pleasure which mingled with heavenly mysteries causes the smoothness and softness of that which touches the ear to conveigh as it were by stealth the treasure of good things into mens minds to this purpose were those harmonious tunes of Psalms devised And S. Basil. in Psal. By pleasing thus the affections and delighting the mind of man Musick makes the service of God more easie When we sing or say these Hymns we stand which is the proper posture for Thanksgivings and Lauds Psal. 134. Praise the Name of the Lord standing in the Courts of the Lord. And 2 Chron. 7. 6. The Priests waited on their office the Levites also with instruments of musick of the Lord which David the King had made to praise the Lord with the 136. Psalm because his mercy endureth for ever when David praised by their ministery and the Priest sounded Trumpets before them and all Israel STOOD The erection of the body fitly expresses the lifting up of the heart in joy whence it is that rejoycing in Scripture is called the lifting up of the head S. Luke 21. 28. Lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh So then joy being a lifting up of the soul and praise and Thanksgiving being effects of joy cannot be more fitly expressed then by erection and lifting up of the body Standing in the Courts of the Lord when we sing praise unto him After the Morning first Lesson follows Te Deum We praise thee O God or O all ye works of the Lord c. called Benedicite The first of which We praise thee O God c. was as is credibly reported framed miraculously by â— Ambrose and S. Augustine at his Baptism and hath been in much esteem in the Church ever since as it deserves being both a Creed containing all the mysteries of Faith and a most solemn Form of Thanksgiving Praise Adoration and what not and so hath that other Canticle O all ye works of the Lord in the which the whole Creation praises God together been received and esteemed universally in the Church Concil Toletan 4. c. 13. After the Second Lesson at Morning Prayer is appointed Blessed be the Lord God of Israel called Benedictus or O be Ioyful in the Lord called Iubilate After the Evening Lessons are appointed Magnificat or My soul doth magnifie the Lord and Nunc dimittis Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace or else two Psalms And very fitly doth the Church appoint sacred Hymns after Lessons For who is there that hearing God speak from Heaven to him for his fouls health can do less than rise up and praise him and what Hymns can be fitter to praise God with for our salvation than those which were the first gratulations wherewith our Saviour was entertained into the world And such are these Yet as fit as they are some have quarrell'd them especially at Magnificat My soul doth magnifie the Lord and Nunc dimittis or Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace The Objections are these That the first of these was the Virgin Maries Hymn for bearing Christ in her womb The latter old Simeons for seeing and holding in his arms the blessed Babe neither of which can be done by us now and therefore neither can we say properly these Hymns The answer may be that bearing Christ in the womb suckling him holding him in our arms is not so great a blessing as the laying up his holy word in our hearts S. Luke 11. 27. by which Christ is formed in us Gal. 4. 19. and so there is as much thanks to be returned to God for this as for that He that does the will of God taught in his word may as well say My soul doth magnifie the Lord as the holy Virgin for Christ is formed in him as well as in the Virgins womb S. Matth. 12. 50. Whosoever doth the will of my Father which is in heaven the same is my brother and sister and mother And why may not we after the reading of a part of the new Testament say Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace as well as old Simeon for in that Scripture by the eye of Faith we see that salvation which he then saw and more clearly reveal'd We have then