in that we repeat that Prayer in the most solemn and triumphant manner we are able and every one by a great fervency and devotion therein doth most effectually edifie his Brethren The 3d. is the Repetition of the Creeds a thing so useful to implant the brief sum of Christian Doctrine in the memories of all and to declare our common joy and exultancy in the belief and profession of those truths upon which the hopes of our common Salvation is built as also to assist the production and growth of the blessed fruits and effects of our Faith by a daily cherishing the Root which we do by this solemn profession and the renewed consideration that we should joyn with it I say a thing in these respects and many other that may be thought so useful that all good men must needs commend the wisdom of the Church in ordering the same These are all of that kind that I remember in the daily Service to which this discourse chiefly relates and in these it is very commendable to say after the Minister but now if those that are naturally loquacious finding a delight in saying what they should remit the Exercise of their consideration so far as to say that they should not here is a fault that ought to be amended and I am sure on serious thoughts they that love our Prayers will freely incline so to do For they will easily perceive how indecent it is for them to say after the Minister where he is supposed to speak to them either by way of Exhortation Consolation or Admonition and that the People should absolve the Priest as much as the Priest absolves them this hath great absurdity and on that consideration will I hope readily be reformed 'T is true in the Conclusion of the Absolution when the Minister speaks to himself as well as the People as the result 〈◊〉 his declaration of God's pardoning merâ—â— to the penitent to exhort that we should beseech God to grant us true Repentance and his Holy Spirit 〈◊〉 c. we may very profitably joyn with 〈◊〉 soft Voice Lord grant us true Repentanâ—â— and thy holy Spirit that those things mâ—â— please thee which we do at this present c. And this will supply a defect which somâ— complain of viz. That there is in oâ—â— Service no preparatory Prayer For being now presently to begin the most immediate act of Worship in the words oâ— our blessed Lord and to joyn with thâ— Heavenly Host in Hallowing God's Name and to proceed to all the rest it is met that we prepare our selves with this humble desire that God will assist the sincerity of our Repentance and bestow on us the grace of his Holy Spirit that such performance may be well-pleasing to him and the effect profitable to us rendring uâ— more pure and holy in the remainder oâ— our lives and so securing our admittance into his Eternal Joys at the end thereof 2. As the former custom of saying after the Minister where we should attend and say nothing seems indecent so it seems as much if not moâ—â— so when the People say before him what they should say after him and this appears to be a disorder on the fore-mentioned account that it is an invading his Ministerial Function for he is to lead and guide the people in all the publick Offices of Religion and neither to follow their humours in the manner of his Prayers if he were in other respects to order them as he pleased or to follow the measure of their Voices where the words as well as the matter is prescribed though in both respects Ministers are fain sometimes to depart from their right And as I have known in former times many that used the way of Extempory Prayer before their Sermon only to humour the people when in their own judgment they much prefer'd the constant use of a well-composed Form so I know some now who do read the Prayers very fast and that beyond what the solemnity of the matter can bear only as I charitably hope because they see the people so subject to this disorder of running before them which they know not how to remedy otherwise or because they see some hate to be long at Church But besides this there are other ill effects of this custom in respect of our selves and othersâ— For it much hâ—â—ders the devout operation of the mindâ— which is much assisted 〈◊〉 hearing the matter first spoken by the Minister and by fixing on the intent consideration thereof which he speaks so as wâ— can speak afterwards with much greateâ— fervency and affection as every ones experience will witness that will but trâ— the thing And again those that have so accustomed themselves to speak before the Minister are at a far greater loss to say such New Prayers or Penitential Psalms which are sometimes ordered on Fasts to be said with the Minister than those who are rightly practised in the regular way for that makes it easie to say and that very decently such things after the Minister as we never heard before For if we attend well unto the main of the Sentence which we are to repeat we shall be able to guess at the Conclusion so that we need not stay till he hath quite done before we begin but may hear the last while we speak the first so as to say all right and may come up with him in the conclusion as is most decent And this would make much for the solemn performance of the Service on extraordinary times wherein now for the most part only the Minister and Clerk â—re Speakers and the Congregation sit and look on which to me shews very â—ll But further I have heard some complain that come over from the Nonconformists to our Church and attend our Prayers That this is to them a most offensive disorder and that it tended very much to distract their Devotion when those that â—it by them thus ramble over the Prayers and are at the end before the Minister is half way and I believe it cannot but give some disturbance to the Minister himself I am sure it hath been no small offence to me so that I could hardly forbear telling them of it but that I considered it required more sedate discourse than that season would afford And this was one chief cause I engaged in this work and I hope those who have not considered this matter will be perswaded by what I have written to order themselves better for the time to come The 3d. thing is that the people generally answer the Minister especially in the Responses and Psalmody with too soft a voice and are so little heard that it hath seemed to me coming into the Church whilst such Exercise was performing as if the Minister read a Verse and then stopâ— a while and read again the people beiâ—â— so little heard especially if the Clerk 〈◊〉 absent as he may have often occasion 〈◊〉 be where Prayers are read every day That it
the Minister salutes the People with that excellent Option The Lord be with you and they return And with thy Spirit Which words spoken with the holy affection they ought are apt to beget such a disposition of mind as will render the Prayers very acceptable to God and edifying to one another The Minister yet farther to awaken all the powers of our Souls to this most serious business is to say Let us pray which therefore we should compose ourselves to do with all our might The Response wherewith we begin Lord have mercy Christ have mercy Lord have mercy serves most fitly to assist this endeavour of great fervency and being repeated without it seems very indecent and a kind of vain Repetition therefore remember this Then we renew the Repetition of the Lord's Prayer which Prayer certainly is of that excellency that no Christian should think it too much to use it both in the beginning and end of this Service And indeed this is the very sum and substance of all our Prayers and others are added only for greater solemnity and fuller explication And therefore the oftner it is repeated the more devoutly it should be said and greater fervency excited by it of which before To relax a little the great intention of mind that should accompany all our Prayers but especially the Lord's prayer we have that excellent Response wherein the Minister and People exchange some devout Ejaculations for themselves for their Superiours and for their Brethren which as they mix holy delight with fervency so they greatly strengthen the Bands of Christian Unity The rest of the time we spend in repeating several Collects most excellent for the matter and comprehensive for the words In praying for the King and Royal Family for Magistrates and Ministers the Church and State all Christians and all Men and in giving solemn Thanks for God's mercies to us and them in all which we should strive to preserve a constant intention and true devotion of mind and if to that end we accompany the Minister with our voice as many do it should be always with such caution as I have expressed before and so it may be very useful thereunto and also it would make us perfect in saying those Prayers which may be of great use to us in other cases besides that of our joyning with the Congregation therein But now if Men having got the faculty of saying the Prayers readily by heart do let their Tongues run before Wits and say faster than it can be thought they understand or can consider what they say then they abuse God's good gifts and shame themselves and disturb others It was greatly blam'd by the Apostle that some of those who had received the miraculous Gift of Tongues were so forward in the use of it as that it hindred their due consideration of the things they spake and others understanding them for amending whereof he proposeth his own example to their imitation saying I will pray with the spirit but yet so as with the understanding also and I think we may infer something from hence for our instruction in this matter I have taken liberty of some repetition and inlargement here because I have often heard this Disorder complained of since the first Edition of this Book and many wish the Reprinting of it for this very reason that it may be lent or given to those in whom they observe this Disorder to rectifie their practice herein What I have here discoursed shews that I believe this Service to be well ordered to prevent all wandring thoughts to preserve a due presence of mind to promote pious affections and to give the best entertainment to true Devotion and indeed on all these accounts I do wonder very much that it is not had in greater estimation But Men must do their own part also towards this therefore I earnestly admonish all Men to avoid sitting lolling leaning and all indecent postures and to continue kneeling meekly and devoutly in the whole Performance if they can And I think Men too apt to plead Infumity out of indulgence to the Flesh which should be taught to suffer something for the honour of God and interests of our Souls which have suffered a great deal by its pleasures and passions and I doubt not the pain we endure to express our reverent Adoration of the Almighty in this his Solemn Worship shall be accepted of God as a part of Our Mortifications and of our Conformity to Christ and his Church and no Christian that considers the great and most dolorous pain wherein Christ offered himself in Sacrifice on the Cross can think much to endure some little pain that we may offer our Sacrifices of Prayers and Praises with that reverence which becomes us nor can any Man have that sence of the adorable Majesty of the most High when his head and elbows lye on the bench of his seat as when he kneels in an erect posture with his eyes and hands lift up to Heaven The actions of the Body have a great influence on the Soul as well as on the contrary the Souls affections move it to act Besides the decency of this which is so evident that I may appeal to Men themselves in this case as the Apostle in another of the same nature being in a matter of Indecency in God's Worship Judge in yourselves what is meet Can any Man think it fit to supplicate the infinite Majesty of Heaven and Earth in any but the most humble posture of body which with us is Kneeling or that we ought to sit on our breeches when we sing or speak praise unto him Certainly the power of Errour is very great that it can blind the mind of Man in a matter so evident and plain But I trust that those to whom I write are not so deceived Yet I would not be thought to commend any such Uneasiness as is either against the due composure of the Mind or the good estate of the Body I know God will have Mercy and not Sacrifice and prefers the due operations of the Mind before the most devout actions of the Body especially where they cannot be both in perfection but our exactness in one must necessitate some relaxation in the other But there is an uneasiness that is so small that it rather helps than hinders inward Devotion and disturbs nothing but a lazie humour or ill habit things no way to be indulged But yet where there is such real Infirmity as justly excuseth from Standing or Kneeling upright c. Men should be careful that in what posture soever they be they make such expressions of Seriousness and Devotion that it may appear to the Congregation that they omit nothing out of Laziness Contempt of the Orders of the Church or a prophane Spirit I have now run over the Daily Office of Morning Prayer and shall proceed no farther because he that will observe what I have written in that cannot be to seek in ordering himself a right
should bear to those whether our Superiors Equals or Inferiors with whom we are united as one Nation and National Church and also should endeavour to represent to ourselves what may be the several States and Conditions of those we are presently to joyn with in the performance of Sacred Offices Such Considerations will much help our Devotion for the sense of the sins of others to whom we are united as well as of our own will help to make us humble and contrite in our Confessions the sense of their Wants and Miseries will help to make us fervent in our Supplications the sense of the Mercies they receive will help to make us joyful in God's Praises because we are obliged by our Union to reckon their Sins their Wants and their Mercies our own Thus the general knowledge that multitudes of Christians as well as our selves are concerned in the Matter of our Prayers and the sense we have in particular of the Concern of many of those we presently joyn with will add much more to our Devotion It may be there are many things in the Publick Prayers that we have not at present such a particular Concernment in but when we think there are Millions of Christians that have who are all of the same Divine Incorporation and that many of them are our own Country-men united with us as a National Church and some our Neighbours with whom we are one as a Parochial Church and of whose Concern we may have a particular knowledge I say this Meditation will greatly assist our Devotions and will also increase that Charity without which our Prayers as well as Ourselves are counted but dead in the fight of God And when we have wrought Ourselves to this excellent Temper our love to our Brethren will help our Devotion another way also For it will make us endeavour by our example to make them Devout and the more defefective we do perceive their Devotion to be the more shall we indeavour to assist it by the perfection of our own And there is certainly no better way for I have known those that Reproof and Disputation did but irritate by such Examples to have been reformed Lastly Frequent Reading these Holy Offices by ourselves and serious Meditation thereon would be a great help to our Devotion and Dr. Comber 's Excellent Book on the several Office of the Common Prayer will much 〈◊〉 us therein for when we have a full understanding of the great things contained in the brief comprehensive Sentences of the Lords Prayer and of our Collects c. the memory thereof when we come to repeat them will much assist our Devotion And I am perswaded that if Men were but conversant in the study of the Common Prayer-Book they would find more Instruction in the Matter of their Duty to God and Man more Assistance in governing their Affections and Passions and preserving Peace in themselves more Support and Consolation in Troubles and Afflictions and more Aid against Temptations c. than in reading many Books but especially it would be an excellent Means to increase those Holy Affections which prepare us for Publick Prayers and to assist our Devotion in the Performance I have mentioned this little of a great deal that might be said of the Matter of our Meditation but still it must be remembred that these things be thought on with a purpose and intention to beget in us such habitual Affections and Dispositions that we may be always fit to Pray and may in the most wonted Expressions exercise a servent Devotion and if we do so we shall not so need the Natural or Artificial Rethorick in Prayer as those do that want these Dispositions nor shall we be cloy'd with having Prayers always the same as some Dainty Stomachs are with eating often the same Meats for such Men constantly carry in their Breast such a sense of their past Enormities that it puts Life into their repeating our General Confession and such Esteem of God's Mercy in Christ as gives them a Behaviour not ordinary in receiving Absolution they have such Affection towards the Glory and Pleasure of Almighty God and such belief that he only can give what we want and forgive the Sins and prevent the Temptations that would involve us in evil now in this World and eternally in the next that it gives a great Devotion to their saying the Lord's Prayer and all the rest tho' they are still the same And where Men have such sense methinks no Man should deny that they pray in the Spirit or in the Holy Ghost as the Precepts of the Gospel require That Pious Nonconformist Mr. J. Corbet in his Kingdom of God hath these words The Spirit of Prayer is never wanting where the Heart hath a due sense of the Matter pag. 46. Although as he afterwards explains it we use a stinted Form of Words Dr. Owen I confess in a late Discourse of Prayer hath these words If Persons are able in the reading any Book meerly of Human Composure to rise up in answer to this Duty of Praying with all manner of Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit or the exercise of the Aids and Assistances received from him and his Holy Acting in them as a Spirit of Grace and Supplication endeavouring labouring and watching thereunto they have attained what I cannot understand That is in plain words the Doctor cannot understand how a Man that uses a Form can be said to pray in the Spirit It would be a high presumption in me to question the Understanding of so Great a Man but he will not be angry if I question my own for I cannot understand why our Saviour from whom we have these Precepts of Praying in the Spirit should teach his Disciples a Form of Prayer if in using a Form we cannot pray in the Spirit But it may be the Doctor will say as he doth insinuate in many places of that Book that Christ gave those words only for a Doctrinal and Directive Help to Prayer i. e. To teach Men how to pray Ex tempore for which End he saith we may read Forms of Prayer how unlawful soever the use be for which they were made But then I do not understand how the Doctor can say pag. 234. That it were better it may be that this were done Men taught to pray Ex tempore in some other way and these Doctrinal and Directive Helps not cast into the Form of a Prayer which is apt to divert the Mind from its proper End and Vse Which words seem to me to have such a Reflection on our Blessed Saviour as is little short of Blasphemy according to the Doctor 's Opinion of the Lord's Prayer For if that were not intended for a Form but for a Doctrinal and Directive Help to Prayer then those words applied to him plainly say That it may be Christ might have done better than to have cast his Instructions and Directions about Prayer into the Form of a Prayer which is
the highest dignity at the right hand of God I say he that considers this I hope will think as I do I know prejudice hinders Men from observing what is excellent in any thing but especially in such things they are not used to but as I suppose none will deny that God is thus to be worshipped so where Men are not prejudiced I verily believe they will think that in no Way they can do it better There is something also to be inferred as to this matter of God's Worship from the plentiful effusion of the Spirit in Gospel-times and our Fellowship and Communion in that Spirit There are some Phrases in the New Testament which I think have been perverted to a wrong sence such as Praying in the Holy Ghost Worshipping God in the Spirit and in Spirit and Truth which I think may better be referred to the worshipping God as revealed by the Gospel which is called the Ministration of the Spirit in the respect forementioned or else to our worshipping God in Faith and Fervency in Vnity and Vnanimity without distinction of Jew and Gentile in spirituality without legal Types and Figures and carnal Ordinances in the vertue of Christ's Merits which was the truth of all the bloudy Sacrifices of Atonement for acceptanceâ— with God in the legal Worship and this according to the Revelations whereof the Spirit of Christ is Author and by whose Gifts and Powers they were confirmed I say better refered to these things than to praying without study or a prepared Form onely by help of the Spirit It seems to me that if those Expressions had any relation to praying by any extraordinary and supernatural assistance of God's Spirit as was their praying in Languages they had never learnt or in Expressions that were above any attainments they could be supposed to have by ordinary means it must be appliable only unto that time For however an Opinion hath been insinuated of late of a miraculous and supernatural assistanceâ— for the performance of that Duty which hath given considence to many who are naturally unable for the same to venture on it and that even in publick Administration to the great dishonour of Religion and just offence of all wise Men yet I think none will dare to affirm that any Christian or Minister hath any promise from God of such assistance of the Spirit as may make it to be truly said that be prays in the Spirit in the sence above-mentioned But now praying in the Spirit as I first interpreted it of praying as the Revelations of the Spirit of Christ in the Gospel requires is appliable to all Times and Persons and this I think to be done as in the forementioned respect of worshipping the Trinity in Vnity and our Lord and Saviour as God-man so also when our Prayers are ordered for the greatest advantage of Faith and Fervency and of the Unity and Fellowship of the Spirit and so I think ours are ordered For in the first place our Faith is helped by the assurance that we ask such things as are pleasing to God and secondly by the frequent mention of the merits of Christ When we pray in the words which our Lord and Saviour himself hath taught us and use such Forms as have been composed by Men famous in the Church and approved by multitudes of Christians and that for many Ages when our Prayers are ordered with great advice of those that are most learned among our selves being also such as are orderly called to direct the publick Ministrations in Sacred Things and when they are approved by all the Christians united into one National Church under one Civil Government which approbation is declared by the Representatives of both Clergy and Laity with whose advice they are by Law established and when we ourselves may consider and weigh the same before we use them having them in our Books to read at any time certainly we may on all these accounts he more assured that we pray for such things as we ought than when we joyn in a Prayer we never heard before and such as is the sudden conception of a private Minister as the use is with those that are against our Way And finally the frequent mention of the Merits of our Saviour at the conclusion of our brief Collects is more helpful to our Belief that we shall find acceptance for Christ's sake than when it is only once at the end of a long continued Prayer if my own experience and that of wiser Men do not deceive me And secondly for Fervency we have great help also having nothing to do but to apply our minds to earnestness in praising God and praying to him no need of attending to hear what is spoken that we may judge whether it be fit for us to joyn in it or not and when we know the Prayers before-hand we can joyâ— with the Minister and Congregation though wâ— hear not every word that is read And the briefness of the Prayers being composed of such weighty and comprehensive Expressions helps more to true Fervency than long Prayers though the Novelty and Variety may more work on Mens fancies Then thirdly the Vnity and Fellowship oâ— the Spirit is hereby assisted I mean that Vnity and Fellowship which that Spirit of Goâ— hath constituted by whom we are all baptized into one Body and made to drink in to one Spirit and so are obliged to all possible Concord and Agreement both external and internal For first We agree with the Saint of all Ages in this That the publick Worship of God is to be administred by a prepared Form and not by the present Conceptions of the Administrator For I cannot understand that either the Jewish Church or the Christian did ever administer their publick Worship in any other way except what those Persons did who were divinely inspired as many were among the Jews and in the first Ages of the Church who therefore were said to Prophecy when they uttered such excellent Psalms or Prayers Extempore of which this is a sufficient demonstration to me That in the Jewish Synagogues all things at this day are administred by Forms and in all the Christian Churches that have not been accounted Enthusiastical the same Way was ever observed or at least none can deny that it now is so in all the Christian World except those Congregations united in some odd Opinions that do separate from the Body of Christians the only considerable Body of these that ever admitted the other Way of Administration being the Scots formerly and the English in the late Distractions but on many accounts that Admission cannot be esteemed an orderly Settlement or excuse them from Schism though it were by the prevailing Party Now since it hath scarce ever been known in Matters sacred and of long custom that great Alterations have been made but with great Oppositions and Commotions I conclude that if in the beginning of the Jewish Worship in their Synagogues or of the Christian Worship in
Nastiness and Slovingliness and appear before God and the Congregation as becomes the Ministers of the most Holy God and of that Church which Christ designs to be without spot or wrinkle and especially in administring those things which are more sacred and glorious The observation of the great proneness of poor Readers to neglect this hath perswaded me of the convenient Institution of the Surplice to teach them Cleanliness and cover their defects therein which yet will not prevail with many to keep Themselves clean nor That neither Thus have I hinted such things as seem to make for the Solemnity and Efficacy of Divine Service and the contrary whereunto I have either observed myself or heard others complain to be indecent which I humbly offer to the consideration of those that are to read Publick Prayers And I hope they will be moved the more to the exercise of a serious consideration in this matter when they see the People do take notice what is decent and what indecent in their performance and concern themselves as much to have the Prayers well read as to have excellent Sermons preached And upon such consideration they will find far better Rules to direct themselves than my Pen hath offered And I might use some Arguments to perswade all Readers to attend unto such most serious consideration of this Advice but I shall mention only this for a Conclusion that every one of them did declare at their Ordination their belief that they were inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost to take on them this Office and Ministry to serve God for the promoting his glory and edifying his People For their undertaking such an Office for such ends at the motion of the Holy Ghost is the best Argument that can be imagined to perswade them to such a performance as may reach those ends which the Holy Ghost is so much concerned to promote because they must apprehend it a dreadful thing to frustrate the design of that Almighty Spirit as much as in them lies by their negligence and unfaithfulness and a most happy and comfortable thing to co-operate with him by a right performance of that honourable Office to which he hath advanced them ADVICE to the PEOPLE HE that will perform this Service as he ought must be duely prepar'd for the same Now these Preparations are either Moral or Natural The Moral are 1. That we rightly understand and well consider what we go about that we compose our Minds to such a frame as becomes the Worship and Service of the most High God and of his Son Jesus Christ and so that we may perform it as in the Fellowship and Communion of the Holy Ghost He that thinks of nothing else at his going to Church but of hearing some celebrated Minister one that hath a rare Gift of Prayer or excellent Method in Preaching where he shall have his Mind stirr'd up to good Thoughts or his Fancy pleased with curious Notions his Doubts resolved in hard points of Divinity and himself assisted to defend his Opinions and Party against their Opponents and such-like things I say he that hath only such thoughts at his going to Church will never concern himself to be so serious and composed and to put on such a heavenly frame of mind as he that thinks he is going to do the work of Angels to adore and worship that Eternal Being that is enthron'd in the Heavens and that Lamb of God who hath taken away the sins of the World who is in the midst of that Throne To celebrate their Praises to make our common Supplications to God through his Son and to witness our subjection to his Laws delivered by immediate inspiration of his blessed Spirit and to act and exercise the Graces of thy Spirit in holy Communion one with another And as this is evident from the nature of the thing so is it apparent in the effects among Men. For while these of the latter sort have always been concerned to approach the House of God with great reverence and at their coming thereinto to be uncovered and to bow down and worship and to fall on their knees at their coming to the place of their station to implore God's gracious assistance in the performance of this solemn and sacred Service they of the former sort cry out of these things that they are Idolatry Will-Worship and Superstition c. And tho' not one of a thousand of them know the original import of those words nor scarce what themselves mean by them yet are they extream confident in their own way of slightness and irreverence in approaching to Sacred Offices especially in Publick where it is most indecent and in reproaching us for what we do out of Conscience of our Duty the reason whereâ—â— as 't is evident to me is this That the see no necessity of such Preparation for attendance on the Publick Worship because in their Way they find themselves aâ— apt to be affected by the Passions and Rhetorick by the Voice and Action of thâ— Preacher without such preparation aâ— with it and think it sufficient to lift uâ— their Hearts to God when so affected but without any outward expressions oâ— Reverence and Adoration and that this â—â— the only Worship God requires of them and then indeed there were no great need of such a care to compose our minds for his Service Therefore they think it need less that we do the fore-mentioned actions in our Way to that purpose anâ— for that reason load the same with opprobrious names as before-mentioned 〈◊〉 confess I cannot but wonder though know some will be very angry with mâ— for it at the little Exceptions that anâ— made against these things which seem â—â— very necessary and decent and I hopâ— that notwithstanding their great confidence our opposites herein on serious thoughts may come to have a better Opinion thereof I intend no Disputation for I pretend not to Learning nor doth the thing require it For every thing that is fit to be done is not fit to be disputed because that would suppose a difficulty where there is none But I shall propound a few things to be considered to bring Men to right thoughts in this matter 1. That the belief of the invisible universal Presence of the most glorious and only adorable Being who hath made and doth govern all things is one chief Foundation of all Religion 2. That the belief of the special Presence of his Glory and Grace where the Offices of his solemn Publick Worship is administred is the chief reason of our meeting in Religious Assemblies for the performance of the same 3. That the most express and intelligible acknowledgment of our present belief and sence of this his glorious and gracious Presence is required of all the Members of such Assemblies both by the nature of the thing and by Divine Revelation 4. That uncovering the Head bowing the Body and falling down on our Knees doth plainly signifie such acknowledgment and
in all the rest It may not be inconvenient in the Conclusion to offer something that may help us to shew our Devotion in leaving the Church as well as in coming to it and continuing there It is said of the ancient Jews that they went out of the Synagogues backward that they might declare their unwillingness to leave God's House in which holy Men have desired ever to dwell And whatever that way of expressing this may seem to some I am sure there ought to be such affections in us as was thereby signified and nothing we do that is contrary thereunto can seem decent to wise Men and if People's hurrying out of the Church as soon as ever the Sermon or Prayers are ended be not apparently contrary to such affection my conceit deceives me especially when they will not stay to take God's blessing along with them I say God's for though a Man pronounceth it yet it is such a Man as is his Minister and Herald the Steward of his Mysteries whose words as such he will never suffer to fall to the ground but will give them their effect on all that are meet Subjects and therefore to despise that glorious and mysterious Blessing wherewith these holy Offices are concluded shews great Ignorance to Prophaneness and little manners and is an affront to the Blessed Trinity and to the Congregation met to do Worship thereunto POSTSCRIPT ONe thing I have thought fit to add as useful to the design of this Paper which is My humble Request to Ministers and Vestries that they will take care that fit and worthy Persons be put into the Office of Parish-Clerks for that the defects of the People in performing their part of this Service is chiefly imputable to this cause that they have not a Clerk that iâ— able to lead them in the right way of that performance for if the People would but consider that 't is the special work of a Clerk to Guidethem in what they are to say and do in this Service and would make such observation of him as they ought he standing so advantageously for the same it would bring the whole Congregation unto a good performance Some Persons that may offer themselves and that it may be the Parishes interest to chuse may have such natural Defects that they can never be made fit for the place and some are of such a profane Spirit that they will never set themselves to study to do their duty therein Both these are to be rejected whatever advantages the Parish may make by their Election for so sacred a thing as the Worship and Service of Almighty God is not to be subjugated to the secular interests of Men And it is a great reproach to any Parish that to save themselves a little charge in maintaining a poor Family they should employ a Person to be Guide to the People in this most solemn Office of Divine Worship that is in any way a scandal or dishonour thereunto or unfit to perform it as he ought And if any such be already in the place my request is that the Minister and Vestry will use their Authority to reform them and engage them to study the most decent and graceful manner of performance and if that cannot be effected to force them to admit the help of another in that matter though they continue to do the Parish-business in other respects I make this humble Request because I believe that a Clerk that was a devout Man and one that had a good command of his Voice if he would set himself to study to excel in performing what is required of him he would greatly assist the People in the well performance of their part and excite them thereunto AN APPLICATION TO THE Clergy and to the People To the CLERGY AND now I most humbly beseech the Reverend Clergy of this Church that they will not despise the Advice of so unworthy a Person If there be not Truth in what I write I desire not to be regarded but if there be Truth is a thing so Divine and Excellent as not for my unworthiness or for any defects in the delivery to be rejected especially when it is Truth of the highest concern that can be imagined that which concerns and that most immediately the glory and honour of the most High God and his Son Jesus Christ our most holy Saviour that which concerns the supream good of the best of earthly Creatures and that with relation to his better part and his eternal state that which much concerns the happiness and well-fare of this flourishing Church and tends to its Unity Sanctity and Glory That which concerns the discharge of your great Duty to God and his Church and is the best Return of the Benefits you partake from both I say when it is Truth of such concern methinks it should be consider'd and that whoever it come from as the Instrument since God himself must be acknowledged the Author The Worship and Service of God hath been esteemed of all wise Men the chief of those things wherein Men or Angels could imploy themselves 'T is the principal End of bringing Men into Holy Orders and of instituting Christian Assemblies the greatest Means of inducing that super-excellent Principle of the Divine Life that Evangelical Spirit which only can overcome our Vices and sublime Moral Vertues into Christian Graces and make our good Works Seeds of eternal Glory This is the Prelibation of and Preparation for the unspeakable Joys above 'T is this for which all our Noble Faculties were given us 'T is this that chiefly distinguisheth us from Beasts and that more then the meer shape of our Bodies or our Natural Reason and gives us the greatest Likeness unto and Communion with the Angels 'T is the Worship of One God that is the greatest Incentive to Love and the strongest Bond of Peace among Men and among Christians it becomes more so when we worship Him in and through One Mediator and Saviour our Lord Jesus Christ The Natural Worship which was offer'd in the State of Innocency the Superstitious Worship of guilty and affrighted Criminals the Typical and Pedaegogical Worship of Mosaical Institution all these had something of Excellency in them nay they were the best thing the World had besides But the Excellency and Glory of Evangelical Worship is above them all it far exceeds whatever else we can do in this Life and is the highest Felicity of the Life to come Angels began it here on Earth Luke 2.13 14 and shall rejoyce to accompany us therein when we are in Heaven A Man that hath the Power of Godliness in his Soul is apt to say when he is at Church as the Disciples when they were on the Holy Mount Lord it is good for us to be here or as David Blessed are they that dwell in thy house and are ever praising thee These Things I have touched that I might introduce this great Consideration That the most learned and highly dignified of
never so Divine except he designs by such thinking so to do Students of several sorts are ingaged to think of such things as would serve to this and other excellent Ends but without any Effect The Reason is because their Minds by being so intently fixed on the love of Carnal Pleasures do not discern even the things they look full upon nor understand those very things they teach to others and altho ' they are constrained to think how they may talk or write of such things yet they are with-held by these Sensual Affections from considering the Concern which themselves have therein There is no way therefore by meditating to attain Devotion or any Vertue but by crucifying the Flesh with all its Affections and Lusts and awakening our dead and drouzy Souls to design and endeavour to live that Life for which they were made and in which alone they can be made happy And to this our Blessed Saviour hath given us such Assistance by the Grace of the Gospel that no Man that will take hold of it can complain of infirmity for altho' we never so much feel the weight of earthly things which press down the Soul as when we strive to ascend to God in the Exercises of Devotion yet if we fix our Minds on him who was God manifested in the Flesh shewing us how little these things are how great soever they seem how little to be desired or feared tho' seemingly dreadful or pleasant by his refusing all the Glories we so eagerly prosecute and accepting the Sufferings we so fear and fly and would contemplate the Heavenly Joys which he offereth us on condition we will receive his Spirit and lead our Lives after the Pattern he hath set us I say if we would thus look unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith we should soon find ourselves able to lay aside these Weights how easily soever they beset us and to ascend to him in Holy and Devout Affections while we are imployed in these Sacred Offices But it is not so much the want of Ability as of Intention that is cause of the Decay of Devotion as I said before and therefore to awaken that I would represent the Excellency of this Heavenly Affection Devotion it is a most Divine Spirit in Man his greatest Exaltation above Beasts and his nearest Approach to Angels 't is as Herbert saith of the Sabbath the Fruit of this World and the Blossom of the next the highest enjoyment which we are capable of here and the fore-taste of what we shall most fully enjoy hereafter It transforms the Soul into a Seraphim burning with the Fervours of Divine Love carrying it to Heaven as Elias in a Fiery Charriot to take its place in the Choir of Angels and joyn in their Halalujahs and Adorations of him that sits on the Throne and of the Lamb that is at his Right Hand But yet it carries us not above any of the Concerns wherein we may be useful to Men but descends to the Consideration of all their Wants and Necessities Sorrows and Miseries taking them into its Breast and presenting them before God with earnest request for comfort and relief in them all yea it begets in Men such a Divine Charity as reacheth to the uttermost of what may be done for the Well-fare and Happiness of their Neighbours For while we Adore God who is the Supream Benefactor and our Saviour God-Man the Example of Self-denial and Meekness Vertues that Cure our Hurtful Lusts and such a lover of Men as to prosecute their Salvation and Felicity with the shedding of his most Precious Blood I say while this is the Object of our Adoration as it is in these Exercises of Devotion how can it be otherwiise but that it must beget in us a Life and Temper most pleasant and profitable to Mankind And indeed I have observed that this Heavenly Flame of True Devotion is like that which descended on Elias's Altar it licks up all our opposite Interests as that did the Water and makes both ourselves and all we have a Sacrifice to the Honour of God and Good of Mankind None therefore that considers the Excellency of Devotion but would set himself with great attention of Mind to the Consideration of such Things as may render him a Devout Man The Things that are of this Nature are principally such as relate to God to Ourselves or to Others we are to Pray for We should think upon God That he is worthy all our Adorations and Praises for his Glorious and Infinite Perfections his Wonderful Works and for his Innumerable Blessings and Mercies That he and he only heareth Prayers and is nigh to all that call upon him and is pleased when Invocated for the things he is willing to give us That he alone Orders and Disposeth all the Affairs of this World according to his Soveraign Will and Pleasure Restrains or Inlarges the Powers of Nature Stops or Diverts the Course of it Over-rules Second Causes Prospers or Disappoints Human Undertakings Gives and Takes away Lifts up and Casts down even how and whom he pleaseth We should think of our Dependance on him That we Live Move and have our Being in him and cannot Subsist a moment without him that we are subject to innumerable Casualties which may destroy the strongest Body and healthfullest Constitution and to such Vexations as will four the sweetest Temper and to such Amazement as will shake the most fixed and composed Mind which he only can prevent from befalling us as being under his Divine Government and can by his immediate Influxes Comfort us when they do so We should think how many things we want what woful things we are in danger of of our manifold Temptations by allurements of sensual Objects and suggestions of evil Spirits of the weakness of our Graces and insufficiency of all things in Heaven or Earth besides God for our Supply and Succour And if we would think seriously of these things we should find great help to Devotion in Prayers thereby we shall find how much we are concerned to reconcile ourselves to God by humble and penitent Confessions to seek his Grace and Favour by Fervent Supplications to pray for the Aid of his Spirit to help our Infirmity and to assist our Victory over our Spiritual Enemies and to give him thanks that we have not fallen into greater Sins and Miseries to attend to his Holy Word that thereby we may receive Grace from him to learn to please him and oblige his care and kindness for us and these things will beget and excite Devout Affections in us It will be profitable also to this End to think of our Obligation to our Christian Brethren and of the Particular Regards we ought to have towards all Sorts and Degrees among them For we Pray as Members of the Catholick Church and must have a Concern for all Christians as Fellow-Members of one Spiritual Incorporation But particularly we should often think what Affection we
Name may be Hallowed and then Profane it ourselves by using it in vain and light Interjections or by Oaths and Execrations in our common talk and causing it to be profaned by others through our vicious and scandalous Lives That his Kingdom may come and yet rise in Rebellion against the Holy Government of his Spirit in our Hearts and against the Disposals of his Providences as to our outward Estate And to affront his Ministers either Ecclesiastical or Civil and discourage them in their Administrations by our Crosness Frowardness and Disobedience To Pray That his Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven when yet our Obedience is so dull and heavy and as it were constrained by necessity and so very unlike the Angels who in doing the Will of God fly with all alacrity all this is very absurd and incongruous I may add the Indecency of our Grumbling if we are not as Rich as our Neighbours and our Discontent at Losses and Crosses though we have more than enough left when yet we pray but for our daily Bread Our Implacableness and Irreconcilableness towards those that offend us when we pray to be forgiven no otherwise than as we forgive And lastly that when we pray that God will not lead us into Temptations we do so heedlesly or presumptuously run into them I say so run into Temptations that without a Miracle God himself cannot deliver us from evil when we may be sure he will work no Miracle in favour of such as offer themselves as a prey to Satan by their running into Temptation and neglecting the Means of their own Preservation I hint these things from the beginning of our Service that we may see the incongruity of a wicked Life with the whole 2dly The Unacceptableness of all Expressions of Devotion from Men of such vicious and profane Lives The sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord 't is the prayer of the righteous that is his delight Vnto the wicked saith God What hast to do to take my Name into thy mouth since thou hatest to be reformed and casteth my words behind thee The most Solemn Assemblies of such Men for his Worship and Service is a burden to him Isa 1. the reason is because his infinite Veracity makes him to hate their Hypocrifie his just Resentments of their bold breaking his Laws when ever the Devil and their Lusts tempt them to it makes his Displeasure to arise at their Fawning when these are satisfied To give real Worship to Satan by doing his Lusts and to live to the Flesh by fulfilling its Desires and then to make these outward Appearances of great Devotion towards God makes his Jealousies burn like that of an abused Husband when his Wife fawns on him after her Adulterous Embraces 'T is our Hearts that are God's Peculiar and if we suffer any thing to ravish or defile them the sacrifices of our lips will not be accepted But now how excellently doth Holiness and Righteousness sute together and how graciously doth God accept such in whom they are conjoyned To see a Man that makes acknowledgment of a most Glorious and Trimendous Deity by Solemn Acts of Worship in the Morning Walking in the Fear of God all the Day long To see a Man after he hath Celebrated God's Glorious Perfections Wisdom Goodness Truth Faithfulness Patience Long-suffering and Forgiveness c. in the Solemn Office of Thanksgiving striving to imitate them in the Course of his Life To see a Man after the Cup of Blessing received at the hands of God's Ministers with great Devotion to declare by his Conversation that he hath thereby been made to drink into the same Spirit with his Saviour That he is Lowly Meek and Patient Loving and Diligent in doing others good a Contemner of things below earnestly seeking those above as Christ was I say to see this is most lovely because these things do so excellently agree And such Men in whom these are united are most acceptable in their approaches to God he is well pleased with their Adorations and Praises delights to hear their Prayers and will shew such tokens for their good that they may always see to their joy and their enemies oft to their shame And I am perswaded if the People of this Church will join these Two Things in their constant Practice God will so Bless us that all the Ends of the Earth shall Fear him i e. be allured by the Flourishing Glory of our Church and State to Imitate the Excellent Order der of our Divine Service And if they would but consider what good effects this would have to the healing our Breaches and restoring us to Love and Unity among ourselves making us a Joy to our Friends and a Terror to our Enemies abroad and preventing the Miseries we lately felt and presently fear at home and will not suffer themselves to be blinded by Passion and Prejudice and the ill Arts of discontented Men I say they could not chuse but put their helping hand to effect the conjunction I conclude therefore with my Earnest Prayer to Almighty God for the good Success of this Book affectionately designed to perswade Men to a Decent Performance of Holy Offices and to Exemplary Piety in all their Converses That by his Blessing notwithstanding all its defects it may fully attain its End and to this Prayer I hope all Good Men will say Amen FINIS Imprimatur GEO. ROYSE R. R mo in Christo Patri ac Dom. Dom. Johanni Archiep Cantuar. Ã Sacris Aug. 10. 1691. ERRATA Page 3. line 2. for fervous read serious p. 68. l. 12. after same add with p. 81. l. 24. after to add much p. 98. l. 20. for their r. our ibid. l. 21. for they r. we p. 131. l. 21. after many add are ADVERTISEMENT AN Engraved Cyphering Book 1680. The Aâ—la-mode Secretary Accomplish'd Clerk Tradesman's Copy-Book Youth's Indroduction to Trade An Exercise-Book for Scholars at the Writing-School The Striking Copy-Book Containing divers Alphabets of Capitals to be performed by Command of Hand The Pen-man's daily Practice 2 new Cyphering-Book 1691. Curiously Engraven in all the Modish Running Mâ—xt Hands now in use with great Variety of Command of Hand Being a great Help to the Improvement of Penmanship A Royal Sheet of Paper full of Variety of the Clarks Hands with Breaks of the Exemplifying Courâ— Leâ—â—ers and 166 Words abbreviated in Court-Hand and fairly written at length in the Mâ—dish Eâ—gressing Set-hand Price 2 s. 6 d. so contrived as to be cut in parâ—â— and rolled up in a Pen-case All by John Ayres Writing Master Sâ—ld by him and S. Crouch at the end of Pope's-Head-Alley in Cornhil