That would make the Porch larger then the house and may better be seen in the following discourse only at present we may say this of it in general That though all Churches in the World have and ever had forms of prayer yet none was ever blessed with so comprehensive so exact and so inoffensive a Composure Which is so judiciously contrived that the wisest may exercise at once their Knowledg and Devotion and yet so plain that the most ignorant may pray with Understanding so full that nothing is omitted that is fit to be asked in publique and so particular that it comprises most things which we would pray for in private and yet so short as not to tire any that have true Devotion It s Doctrine is pure and Primitive its Ceremonies so few and Innocent that most of the Christian World agree in them its Method is exact and Natural its language is significant and perspicuous most of the words and Phrases being taken out of holy Scripture and the rest the Expressions of the first and best Ages so that whoever takes exceptions at these must quarrel with the language of the Holy-Ghost or fall out with the Church in her greatest Innocence Indeed the greatest part of these Prayers are primitive or a second Edition of the most ancient Liturgies of the Eastern and Western Churches corrected and amended And in the opinion of the most impartial and excellent Grotius (a) Certum mihi est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anglicanam item morem imponendi manus adolescentibus in memoriam baptismi Autoritatem Episcoporum Presbyteria ex solis pastoribus composita multaque alia ejusmodi satis congruere institutis vetustioris Ecclesiae a quibus in Galliâ Belgio recessum negare non possumus Grotius Epist ad Boet. who was no member of nor had any Obligation to this Church The English Liturgie comes so near that Pattern that none of the Reformed Churches can compare with it And if any thing External be needful to recommend that which is so glorious within We may add That the Composers were all Men of great Piety and Learning for they were all either Martyrs or Confessors upon the Restitution of Popery which as it declares their Piety so the Judicious Digesting of these prayers doth evidence their Learning for therein a Scholar can discern close Logick pleasing Rhetorick pure Divinity and the very Marrow of all the Ancient Doctrine and Discipline and yet all made so familiar that the unlearned may safely say Amen (b) 1 Cor. 14.16 Lastly all these excellencies have obtained that universal Reputation which these prayers enjoy in all the World so that they are deservedly admired by the Eastern Churches and had in great esteem by the most eminent Protestants (c) See D. Durel his defence of the Liturgy beyond the Seas the most impartial Judges In fine this Liturgie is honoured by all but the Romanist whose interest it opposeth and some Dissenters whose prejudices will not let them see its lustre whence it is they call that which Papists hate because 't is Protestant Superstitious and Popish and though they count it Roman condemn it without a hearing But when we remember the best things in a bad world have most Enemies as it doth not lessen its worth so it must not abate our esteem that it hath malicious or misguided Adversaries Who for all this hold the Conclusion and obstinately resolve they will not come How endless and unprofitable it is to dispute with these the little success of the best arguments managed by the wisest Men do too sadly testify Wherefore I shall decline that and attempt to convince the Enemies by assisting the Friends of our Church Devotions And by drawing that vaile which the ignorance and indevotion of some and the passion and prejudice of others have cast over them represent the Liturgie in its true and native lustre which is so lovely and ravishing that like the purest beauties it needs no supplement of Art and Dressing but conquers by its own attractives and wins the affections of all but those that do not see it clearly (d) Ignorant qui non amant This will be sufficient I am sure to shew that whoever desires no more then to worship God with zeal and knowledg spirit and truth purity and sincerity may do it by these devout Formes so that I should have concluded here my Preface when I had given a more particular account of this Undertaking but that I must first examine an Objection or two which are like a skin over the eyes of some and be the Picture never so full of graces will spoile the Prospect if they be not removed Object 1. It is said to be a Form and therefore a hindrance to zealous praying by the spirit Answ Whoever makes this Objection and affirmes we cannot pray by the Spirit in the words of a Form must beware his ignorance betray him not into a dangerous uncharitableness and perhaps blasphemy For the Saints of the Old Testament (e) Numb 6.23 Deut. 26.3 Ezra 9.5 Daniel 9.1 prayed by Formes and so did Christ himself in the New (f) Math. 26.44 and he taught his Apostles a Form to pray by and dare any say they prayed not by the Spirit Have not all Churches since the Apostles times to our daies had their Forms of Prayer and did not the devoutest men of all ages Compose and use such Was ever Extemporè Prayer heard of in Publique till of late unless on special occasions And do we think No Church nor no Persons prayed by the Spirit till now To come nearer still Have not France and Geneva their Forms And did not learned Calvin and the best reformed Divines use a Form before their Sermons And is not an unstudied Prayer a Form to the People who are confined to pray in those words And will you say these all pray without the Spirit of God But sure we hugge the Phrase of praying by the Spirit not attending the Sense For the meaning doubtless is to be so assisted by the Holy-Ghost that our thoughts being composed and our Souls calmed and our Hearts deeply affected with our Wants and the Divine all-sufficiency we can pray with a strong Faith and a fervent Love When we are so intent upon our Requests that we duly weigh them and pursue every petition with pressing importunity ardent desires and Vigorous affections this is the Spirit of prayer And thus we may better pray by the Spirit in the words of a Form than we can do when our Mind is imployed in inventing new expressions For having a Form which custome hath made familiar we have all things set down to our Hands which we or others want and we are at leasure to improve the good Motions of the Spirit having no more to do but to joyn our Souls and Affections to every Petition and follow them up to Heaven in most passionate and zealous wishes that God would grant them
come with Desire to pray with zeal and sincerity here is without calling in any aids but that of Heaven Matter enough in the curious Order clear Method significant Phrases and strong Arguments to quicken our affections and enlarge our Souls in holy and fervent wishes desires and meditations which is the Prayer of the Inward Man the Life and Soul of this Duty All which is done by giving a Natural and facile Analysis of the Method and by making plain and practical Observations on the parts together with a literal Paraphrase of the whole By which none can imagine I should give a borrowed lustre to the Prayers which they had not of their own for I only prove they had it before and I find all in them that I observe from them which I hope will be so plain that all Men will see the inference and be able in their own Devotions to find out much more Now in this Essay I shall hope to serve three sorts of Persons 1. The Ignorant who may be instructed hereby to pray with understanding Not that we suppose these Offices so obscure as to need a Comment for nothing can be more plainly expressed nor is it possible to invent words more universally understood but many that understand the sense of the words have not Art enough to discern the Order Method and Connexion of the Prayers nor skil to find out the Arguments that press every request or the places of Scripture which furnish these Devotions with significant Phrases nor judgment to Describe what disposition of Soul doth suit the several parts of them And they that consider that the greatest number are such will think it seasonable to help such with a plain and easy Explication But to pass these there are many in other things knowing Persons who rather for want of Consideration then judgment never took notice of the natural dependences of these prayers nor the true and full import of the expressions nor of the Graces to be exercised in the several Parts because they only attended the words but took no care to expatiate into holy meditations And if the former need a Master these want a Monitor lest they offend in a worse kind (o) Non tibi deputatur ad culpam quod invitus ignoras sed quod negligis quaerere quod ignoras Aug. de lib. arbitr lib. 3. c. 19. For Negligence is worse then simple Ignorance But I hope though all that is here be obvious yet something will be found which either was not known or not observed before and those things also such as may elevate the affections and make the Prayers more pleasing and more profitable 2. The devout servants of God and obedient Sons of the Church whose Care it is to pray daily in Publique and whose desire and endeavour is to do it well Might I be a Nethinim to hew wood and prepare fuel for the altars of their Hearts I should rejoice and it hath been my Care to suggest not alwaies the most Critical but the most practical sense which most directly tended to help Devotion for these Mens sake who no doubt have in their own hearts made many of these Observations before and I hope they will like them no worse for I shall like them better in hopes the same Spirit directed me and them But I hope that what I have done will besides its present assistance suggest a way to all devout Souls for making Pathetical and pious inlargements more and better then are to be found here that so our daily Offices may be full of life and pleasure and every day court us with new delights And I must affirm I have rather opened the top then searched the bottome of this rich Mine But suâ—e I am we had need to quicken our Devotion all we can not only for our own good but that our flames might thaw the hearts and lighten the eyes of the rest of the Congregation which scarce ever mind either Words or â—ense but are either sleepy or tired to the dishonour of God the discomfort of the Minister (p) Pauci mecum sunt in oratione hi ipsi vertiginosi hiantes assiduè se convertentes observantes quando Psalmorum cantor versus finiet quando ab Ecclesiâ velut à carcere ab orationis necessitate liberabuntur Basil conc 11. de servit and the ruine of their own Souls How happy should we be if by my endeavours and your Examples we might awaken such into a Sense of their Duty that these excellent Prayers might every where be said with an excellent spirit for the benefit of particulars and the good of the whole Church 3. The mistaken dissenters who hereby may be convinced and perhaps persuaded (q) Facilius vinci possunt quam persuaderi Hyeron that we can pray by this Form with as much zeal and more knowledg with as much Spirit and more Truth then by any other kind of Prayer And then it must appear that this Venerable Liturgie hath been falsly represented by such who would not have it seen truly lest it should be loved really (r) Credunt de nobis quae non probantur nolunt inquiri ne probentur non esse Tert. Ante nos incipiunt homines odisse quam nosse ne cognitos aut imitari possint aut damnare non possint Cyp. de idol Van. But if they are so much their own Masters as to read the Prayers seriously and view this little book with as much Charity as it was written with I shall hope either for their company at Prayers or at least to escape their censures for going thither For unless they be foolishly obstinate they either must love them or cannot hate them If they would love them and pray with us we shall be friends and if only the second be obtained we shall be quiet and even that is desirable These are the designes which began and incouraged this undertaking and that they are the sincere purposes of the Author his own Conscience doth testify and he hopes even those who approve not the Meanes must confess the end is good But that he should be so happy to obtain it in all is rather to be desired then expected and if it be succesful in any of these kinds he will not repent his pains If in none he is not the first that hath failed in accomplishing good Intentions And however he will have satisfaction in the Peace of a good Conscience (s) 2 Cor. 1.12 and may say with that noble Roman (t) si sequuta fuerit quae debuit fortuna nos omnes gaudebimus sin minùs ego tamen gaudebo Brutus ap Ciceronem If the success answer his sincerity it will be a cause of universal Joy if not he can rejoyce in his cordial intentions to do good For the Censures of furious zealots or the scoffings of profane Ishmaels he doth not value them being only unwilling to offend authority or true Piety Wherefore he doth
is the Christians highest aim it was Davids prayer (z) Psal 19.14 and the greatest blessing the Priest could wish (a) Numb 6.24 25 26. Psal 20.3 4. that Almighty God might accept them Poor Socrates after many a tedious step in a virtuous but afflicted state (b) An diis placent quae feci nescio hoc autem solum scio me sedulò haec egisse ut placerent could not tell whether he had given content to his Deities or no but whoever of you have the grace of Repentance and the holy spirit are not in those uncertainties but have Enochs Testimony Heb. 11.5 that you do please God § 12. And that the rest of our lives hereafter may be pure and holy this is the second benefit and motive earnestly to pray for these things for so you shall not only be welcomed at present with a gracious smile but all your lives long be reputed as the friends of God and by his help shall be preserved as pure as a true Repentance hath made you and as holy as those are who are under the Guard of the Spirit of holiness Pray therefore with all your soul for a true Repentance or else as soon as your soul is washed it will return to its impure wallowings and all your labour is in vain hitherto (c) 2 Pet. 2.22 laterem lavare for a feigned repentance will send Absolom away for a while but upon the next Enterview will hurry us with more passion into his embraces whereas the deep wounds of the true penitent make sin hateful to him while he lives and he that gets on a white garment with so much difficulty will not easily sully it but carefully preserve it pure as his tears have made it And upon the same ground be very pressing for the holy spirit Which if you can obtain you shall not only be preserved from the spots of sin but shall shine with the lustre of a holy life for our goodness is apt to vanish (d) Hos 6.4 we are wavering and soon weary unless we have that establishing spirit (e) Psal 51.14 David prays for and then all duties will be easie and we shall be strong for love and the sense of his assistance will carry us cheerfully through them all so as to be our pleasure not burden and when we are arrived to this nothing can bribe us to forsake them Oh happy soul that is thus begun to be restored to that purity and holiness which are part of Gods Image (f) Ephes 4.24 and parcels of the Divine Perfections blessed is he that is so far advanced that God is not like to forsake him because he hath made him holy pure and a fit temple for the inhabitation of his spirit nor is he likely ever to forsake that God whose mercy hath saved him whose grace doth refresh him whose waies please him and his glorious bounty which faith discovers doth still allure him to press forward to neerer unions and unseparable connexions no state under the Sun is to be longed and wished for like this which a true Repentance and Gods holy Spirit brings us to § 13. So that at the last we may come to his eternal joy through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen There is nothing more desirable then the sweet peace of a good Conscience but only that which is the end and perfection thereof and that is that happiness which is infinite and endless which the Scripture calls an eternal and everlasting joy (g) Isai 35.10 Chap. 61.7 51.11 which neither men nor devils can lessen or interrupt much less put a period to it And if God give us true Repentance it will preserve us from the sins which forfeit this and if he add his holy spirit it will safely lead us into those paths of righteousness which lead thither where we can desire no more because we have all that is desirable There are no cares to disturb no fears to allay nor sorrows to abate those ravishments of delight for ever there is joy which far surpasseth the half-sad and mixed pleasures which this world hath being nothing else but pure joy which pleaseth by its own excellence and by having no fears nor possibility of defailance in degree or continuance we tast something of it in the charming calm of a strong faith and a quiet conscience with undeceived expectations of Gods love but this is but the land-skip of our heavenly Canaan which Jesus hath purchased for us and God the Father will grant unto us and the most holy Spirit will be our guide thither (h) Psal 51.14 LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole glorious Trinity is concerned for us and will cooperate with us to put us into possession of them and then rejoyce over us to all eternity The Father who forgave us the Son who dyed for us and the Blessed Spirit who wrought effectually in us will Communicate this their joy with us and to us for ever And lastly to shew that you thankfully follow these Directions of the Ministers and have in your own heart and thoughts most devoutly petitioned God for a true Repentance and his holy Spirit by means whereof all these incomparable benefits may redound to you in testimony I say hereof you sum up all in a Petitionary Amen desiring it may be so and assenting also to the truth of all this It is most true and therefore oh so be it unto you Amen The Paraphrase of the Absolution BE it known to every one of you that hath confessed his sins with an humble lowly Penitent and obedient heart that Almighty God Supreme King of Heaven and Earth whose Royal Prerogative it is fully to acquit or finally to condemn being the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who assumed our nature and suffered for our sins this great God by his Merits is of an angry Judge become a tender Father and hath solemnly sworn he is one who desireth not neither taketh pleasure in the death or damnation of a sinner though never so justly deserving it but rather chuseth to have opportunity to shew mercy and therefore he useth all possible means that he may turn from his wickedness which will bring the sinner into condemnation that by leaving these paths of death he might be forgiven and live in holiness and comfort here and in everlasting glory hereafter And to confirm this his good will and keep penitent sinners from despair he hath given and in holy Scripture communicated Power by vertue of his Supreme Authority and Commandment for the exercise of this power for when poor sinners need comfort he hath given special charge to his Ministers lawfully chosen by himself and those he appoints to be his Ambassadors to declare at all times his willingness to pardon all and pronounce Absolution more particularly and plainly to those that by returning and obedience do own him even to his People being Penitent for all their offences as you now from your
immediately before his presence who sees our thoughts having our hearts filled with thanksgiving and gratitude for all his favours And the more to set forth his love and quicken our bretheren let us openly reioyce and shew our selves glad in him not with any vain songs but with Psalms which are indited by his Spirit and appointed by the Church as Forms of our daily Praises Ver. III. And we have great reason to glorifie him with heart and voice for the Lord Jehovah is not like any other that is falsly worshiped for he is a great God infinite and incomprehensible in his Essence supream and absolute in his Dominion and a great King who commands over Angels of Heaven Devils of Hell and the greatest earthly Monarchs being far above all that are supposed or called Gods and therefore deserves a nobler worship then Heathens give to their feigned Deities and guardian Angels or flattering Courtiers to their Royal Masters Ver. IV. He is not limited in his Power and Providence to one City or confined to a single Province but in his hands and Power under his Rule and Government are all the remotest and most secret corners of the earth no place is too far for him to reach too deep for him to discover or too high and strong for him to subdue for the heigth and the strength of the hills which are inaccessible to men these are his also and serve for the bulwarks of his Kingdome Ver. V. He is Lord of all the world and commandeth over that unruly Abyss of Waters the Sea which he binds in fetters of sand that it should not harm us but serve our needs for he hath given us power over it because it is his by an unquestionable Title for he created and he made it and therefore ought to give laws to it and to dispose of it and all the earth because he took away the covering of Waters from the ground and his hands made Herbs and Fruits Birds and Beasts and so furnished and prepared the dry land to be a habitation for the Sons of Men. Ver. VI. O come then since we have so gracious and All-sufficient a God let us not only praise him for what we have but also pray unto him and worship him in spirit and truth petitioning him for the relief of all our necessities with all possible zeal and sincerity in our heaâ—ts and with all lowliness and reverence in our postures let us bow and fall down on our faces and kneel to so glorious a King behaving our selves decently and humbly before the Lord who is able to do all things and being our maker will not suffer us the work of his own hands to perish Ver. VII But besides his Creating of us upon which ground others have hope to be heard as well as we our peculiar interest in him may encourage us to pray to him for he is the Lord whom we believe in and who calleth himself our God and although he made all men yet he hath especially made himself known to us and we are the people whom he feeds with his Word and Sacraments and whom he hath chosen to be the flock of his pasture that he himself may watch over us day and night to secure us from sin and Sathan because we are his especial subjects and the sheep that shall ever be preserved by the care of his eye and the power of his hand if we come at his call and hearken to his voice Ver. VIII O ye peculiar people of God observe how when his Word is read or preached to you his Ministers nay his Spirit doth every day invite you to Repentance saying to day after you have lost so many and have so few remaining while this is in your power it will be well for you if ye will hear and obey his voice and that he may not call in vain take heed you wilfully harden not your hearts by delighting in the pleasures of sin and doubting of the promises or slighting the threatnings of God for the event will be as sad as in the provocation of the Divine Anger by the unbelieving Israelites at Meribah and in the day of their presumptuous temptation of Gods patience at Massah in the wilderness of Sin after they came out of Egypt Ver. IX This example God set before the Posterity of those obstinate Jews saying to them as now he doth to us remember the time when your fathers whom you glory in disobeyed my commands and questioned my Providence and durst not trust my promises but tempted me by requiring miracles from me to satisfie their lusts and by this they supposed to have proved me and made trial of my power and love although there was evidences enough of both in their miraculoâ—s deliverance wherein they found my kindness and saw my works which were so wonderful they would have convinced any but such stubborn wretches Ver. X. For all this I forbore them as I have done you who serve me as they did yet fourty years long I spared them from utter destruction and still they were as rebellious as at first so that all that time was I grieved with the perverseness of this Generation At last when nothing would amend them I declared my utter detestation of them and said of those whom I had once chosen it is a people whom nothing can reclaim a refractory crew that do err in the thoughts of their hearts concerning me imagining me faithless and false or weak and impotent and no wonder for they have not known nor never would observe my waies to destroy presumptuous sinners but to give grace and glory to holy and humble men which put their trust in me Ver. XI Wherefore I warn you all to take heed least you refuse to hear my voice and neglect to repent to day for so you will provoke me to deal with you as I did with them unto whom I sware and stedfastly resolved in my wrath being justly incensed at their baseness that they should all perish in the wilderness and for all their confidence one of them should not enter into the blessed land of promise nor partake of my rest nor did they for I cut them off from the possession of Caanan for disobedience and unbelief and I will keep all such out of the heavenly Jerusalem loe I have said it that you may be warned and turn in time Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the Beginning c. §. VII Of the daily use of the Psalms in the Morning and Evening Prayer THE Book of Psalms seems to be a Collection of thosâ— devout hymns wherewith holy men did praise God upon publique or private occasions and are fitted to all Conditions of the Church in general and of particular persons and are Divine forms of Prayer and Praise indited by the Spirit of God with such admirable variety that we may easily Collect a Form from thence either to Petition for any thing we need or to glorifie the
Rab. Sermo enim divinus secundum intelligentiae nostrae naturam se temperat nobis enim non sibi loquitur Hilar. in Psal 26. imitates our Phrases complies with our notions and hath laid down all necessary and fundamental truths so clearly that the meanest may understand them and yet in more curious points hath left such difficulties as may exercise the wits and allay the arrogance of the most knowing men Nor hath he in any part set down all that is directly tending to our salvation but to engage us diligently to read it all hath so prudently dispersed these necessary things that some of them are to be found every where and all in no one place but every part thereof is useful and none of it must be neglected much less contemned (d) Nulla ne verecundia tibi est dicere eorum quae Deus ipse loquitur nullam esse cognitionis utilitatem Chrysost Otiosum autem verbum dicere in S. Scriptura ingens blasphemia est Basil For like high hills the outward barrenness is recompensed by Mines and hidden treasures (e) Matth. 5.18 Non est litera in lege à quâ non pendeant magni montes Dictum Rab. and such the most difficult places yield to those that have skill and patience to dig into them And the Almighty hath not only shewed his care in the forming but also in the preserving of these Sacred Records which though they are the most antient in the world of undoubted credit and have been hated and opposed by Sathan and his instruments the great and wise ones of the world yet time power policy nor malice could never corrupt nor destroy them because God resolved to preserve them for our use upon whom the ends of the World are come § 3. Thirdly The Church hath done her part in complyance with the designs of Gods Mercy and Providence to deliver it safely to us and make it useful for us Hereupon the Catholick and faithful Christians discovered the frauds of Hereticks convinced the minds of unbelievers and sealed the truth of it with their blood And least any should pretend ignorance (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex Strom. 10. the governors and lights of the Church have carefully translated the Original Scripture into all Languages that every Nation might hear in their own Tongue the wonderful works of God Acts 2.11 After which pattern our Church hath made that elaborate exact and faithful Translation into the English tongue the like to which is not in any Nation (g) Anglicanae versionis Authores omni laude majores fuisse arguit accurata illa ad invidiam aliarum gentium elaborata versio Sixt. Amama praef ad Drus And now the Scripture hath learned our Language that it may instruct us in our own words and it must be wilful negligence if we do not understand them To prevent which it is not left to our liberty but we are injoyned to read or hear it every day both at Morning and at Evening Prayer according to the practice of the Jews (h) Acts 13.17 2 Cor. 3.15 Luke 4.7 Nehem. 8.8 who read the Law in their Synagogues however on the Sabbath and on other daies they tasted no food till they had read a Section of it either in publique or private (i) Ita fecerunt Christiani teste Clem. Alexandr and every man knows how solemnly and constantly this hath ever been done in all the Assemblies of the Christian Church (k) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 paulo post 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost ad Act. 9.19 For hence they confirmed their opinions in Doctrine (l) Coimus ad literarum divinarum commemorationem Tertul. Apol. c. 39. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Strom. 60. and learned lessons of holiness in conversation I had rather your own Observation should inform you then spend time to tell you how carefully the Church hath selected the most practicall and pertinent Chapters omitting the more difficult or rather remitting them to private consideration where you have more leisure The Lessons suited to the solemn Festivals are determined (m) Nunc interposita est sölemnitas sanctorum dierum quibus certas ex Evangelio lectiones oportet in Ecclesi◠tractari Aug. praef in Johan and do either explain the Mistery relate the History or apply the Example unto us In fine the goodness of God in revealing and his Power in preserving these holy Books as also the Churches courage in defending them exactness in Translating and Prudence in dividing them both shew it is the great concern of all Christians to understand them and fit them so to our use that there is nothing wanting to make us wise to salvation but our diligent endeavour so to profit by them that this Grace of God and care of the Church be not bestowed on us in vain wherefore we shall desire you to observe the following directions § 4. First it is necessary that we humbly and earnestly call for the assistance of the Divine Spirit which as it did first indite so it can best explain these Oracles of Truth and also enable us to practice them And this may be done by a short and pathetical ejaculation while the Minister prepares himself to Read and if we are not ready at making such Forms we may repeat Psalm 119.180 Open thou mine eyes that I may see the wondrous things of thy Law Or ver 125. I am thy servant give me understanding that I may know thy testimonies Or if you have time you may pray by that excellent Collect the second in Order for the second Sunday of Advent Blessed Lord God who hast caused all holy Scripture c. Now by these Prayers we own God the fountain of all Wisdome and express our desires to know and do his Will and therefore no doubt they will procure us wisdome and strength Secondly labour to bring a heart purified from the love of all sin for a Lamb only can open the Seals of this Book (n) Revel 5.2 The Mahumetans write on the cover of the Alcoran Non attingat nisi Sanctus Let no unclean Person touch this and since that better agrees to Gods word we shall do well to engrave it on our memories and then we give the signification of that rite of washing the hands before the taking it up which the Christians (o) Chrysost hom 52. in Evang. Johan observed of old and the Turks at this day We cast not our seed into untilled grounds and let us not cast the more precious seed of the Divine word into unhallowed hearts (p) Jerem. 4.3 Matth. 13.4 5 c. least it be choaked with weeds or over-run with thorns or parched for want of root in us The love of sin blinds the eyes vitiates the pallate and alters the object it will make this Divine food nauseous or turn it into the nourishment of corrupt humors He only profits by Gods word that brings a pure and
which shined on so many millions of wretched Heathens benighted in the darkness of Idolatry and made them Christian I will bless thee for honouring thy antient but despised people who were more enabled by the birth of Jesus then by all their former Royalties and victorious Trophies and instead of the bright Cloud the glory of the Tabernacle thou hast sent him to pitch his tent among them who was the brightness of thy own glory I am ravished to behold so many joyful souls blessing thee for this light which shined on them in their sins and the confines of eternal darkness and converted and translated them into thy marvelous light And all thy holy Saints in all ages have given thee the glory for all those illustrious beams of Love and Charity Piety Justice and Devotion which shine from their lives and are but the reflexion of the rayes of the grace of Jesus This excellent person rejoyced not only in his own felicity but to behold by the Spirit of Prophecy what joy Jesus was like to bring to me and many thousands of Converts and holy Men to the end of the World Wherefore let us be glad and rejoyce with him for our selves and all people for the light that shines upon us and the glory that is round about us and with all our Souls sing Glory be to the Father c. The Paraphrase of the Nunc Dimittis I Desire not to live in this world any longer then I have laid hold of thy Salvation which since thy Word and Spirit hath now discovered to me I have all I can wish for here therefore Lord now lettest thou thy command go forth that thy servant who hath longed hitherto to injoy thee may depart quietly out of this miserable world and be dismissed from the prison of the flesh I can now leave it in peace being assured thou wilt make good all other Promises since in giving thy dear Son thou hast done so exactly according to thy word My desires are satisfied and my faith confirmed as much as is possible in this world For mine eyes inlightened by thy holy Spirit have seen by Faith in thy blessed word him that is my Redeemer and brings thy salvation to me and all the world I cannot contain nor yet express my joy to behold this lovely Peace-maker w ich thou hast not only manifested in the flesh to the infinite delight of thy servants then but prepared by the discovery of thy holy Gospel to appear most gloriously before the face of all people that ever were or shall be This glorious Sun of Righteousness hath shined on all the Earth his word is a light to lighten the dismal regions of the unconverted heathens and the Gentiles that knew not God His doctrine instructed them and hath converted many and his presence and his grace is the honour and the glory of all true believers the joy and comfort of thy people Israel so that we and all the world are bound to praise thee for thy Gospel and thy son here on Earth and to continue our song to all Eternity when thou lettest us depart from hence Amen The last Hymn after the second Lesson viz. the LXVII Psalm § 6. AFter those parts of the Epistles which are more Doctrinal as containing the excellent principles and precepts of the Christian Religion we may seasonably use this rare piece of Davids devotion which contains most passionate wishes for the propagation of the knowledge of these incomparable truths throughout all the world and zealous desires that they may be known to all as they are to us whereby we declare our high esteem of them our hearty thankfulness for them and our sincere desires that all men might have the benefit and God the glory by them which is a seasonable return for those instructions we have now received out of Gods holy word and these very Petitions are an act of Eucharist and Praise The first Verse is the first Request even that God would be gracious to us in forgiving our sins giving us his grace to profit and outwardly expressing the kindness of his heart by the smiles of his countenance The second Verse is the end why we desire this felicity to his Church that the divine goodness to us may invite many Converts in and the encrease of the Church will be our happiness as it is our desire The third Verse is the second Petition that we and all may so discern the excellency of his Laws that he may be universally praised by Jews and Gentiles Verse fourth both for the holiness of his Commands and the righteous administrations of his Providence And to shew how earnestly we desire Gods glory and how constantly it ought to be paid the same Petition is repeated ver 5. And to encourage all to it the blessed effects of this universal praise are added ver 6. and 7. For when we are thankful God will multiply his blessings the Church shall be replenished with grace and fruitful in good works and more will so be drawn to embrace this Sacred Religion Did we thus earnestly beg his grace to prosper his Word to us and heartily Praise him for it our selves and fervently wish the enlargement of Christs Kingdom God the Father and Jesus Christ even our own God and God the Holy Ghost would assuredly bless us To which holy and undivided Trinity be ascribed all Honour Glory and Praise by us and all the World now and for ever Amen SECTION XI The Analysis of the Apostles Creed In this Creed are two parts shewing what we believe 1 Concerning God 1. In general that there is A God One God I believe in God 2. In special as to the Persons of the Trinity 1. Person the Father His Nature the Father Almighty Works Creation Providence maker of Heaven and Earth 2. Person the Son 1. His Name and Offices Prophet Priest and King and in Iesus Christ 2. His Natures both the Divine and his only Son our Lord Humane in his Conception and Birth who was conceived by the holy ghost born of the Virgin Mary 3. His works 1. Redemption by 1. His Passion suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buryed he descended into hell 2. Resurrection the third day he rose again from the dead 3. Ascension and Interces◠he ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty 2. Final Judgement from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead 3. Person whose Name expresseth His Nature a Holy Spirit His Office to sanctifie us I believe in the Holy Ghost 2. Concerning our selves 1. Our Condition as to 1. Union the holy Catholique Church 2. Communion the communion of Saints 2. Our Priviledges 1. As to the Soul the forgiveness of sins 2. As to the Body the resurrection of the body and 3. As to both the life everlasting Amen A Discourse of the Creed § 1. THE Holy Scriptures being a perfect Revelation of all Divine Truth ought to
1. The ground of our asking considering 1. The Experience of his Grace Almighty God who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee 2. The Truth of his Promise and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests 2. The Petition or thing asked Hearing our Prayers as to 1. The Matter fulfil now O Lord the desires and petitions of thy servants 2. The Manner as may be most expedient for them 3. The principal Requests 1. To know God granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth 2. To enjoy him and in the world to come life everlasting Amen A Practical Discourse on the Prayer of St. Chrysostome § 5. ALmighty God who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee This excellent conclusion of our prayers that bears the name of its renowned Author was well known to the Greek Church for it is still found extant in the Lyturgies both of St. Chrysostom and St. Basil And yet it s own worth might sufficiently recommend it if it wanted the reputation of those honourable Names For it is founded on our own experience and the certainty of his Promise who is infallible carried on with such submission to the Divine Will and designed so to our chiefest advantages that nothing can be more judiciously contrived or more pertinently applied to this close of our Devotion Where it seems to review and re-enforce all our former Petitions to revive our hopes of acceptance and encourage our zeal in them yet so as to represent our necessities in the most humble and lowly manner with submission to his Wisdome who best knows what is most expedient for us We may now reflect on those many necessary and useful Prayers which we have offered up to God with an unanimous consent and a hearty Devotion and it is fit we should pay our grateful acknowledgments for that Grace which hath assisted us therein For there are no clearer evidences of the presence of the Divine Spirit in our Prayers then the sincere agreement and harmonious accord of our souls in the joynt oblation of them (u) Acts 1.14 Chap. 4.24 Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the fervent affections that every one in particular hath added to them It is his Grace that hath bound our arrows together by the bonds of love and hath directed them to pierce the Clouds by a vigorous and steddy zeal And we have the surer ground to believe he hath assisted us and the greater cause to praise him for it in regard these are no other then our Common Prayers and ordinary Supplications which have no novelties or varieties to court our Fancies but yet have been made new to us by a fresh supply of his heavenly grace which hath kindled our accustomed sacrifice with new flames And if we well consider the effects of Gods grace are rather to be judged by the heart then the tongue by renewed affections rather then change of expressions And to be sure nothing but a new sense of our old wants can give life to these Petitions Wherefore as we daily receive new succours let us daily make new acknowledgments that as we have the comfort of our union and zeal so he who bestows them may have the glory And yet this is not all the use we must make of the experience which we have had of his enabling us to pray for it must strengthen our faith and quicken our hope that we shall be heard For he that helps us to ask thereby assures us he intends to give (x) Matth. 25.25 Psal 10.17 He prepares the heart and then his ear attends thereunto The first step towards the obtaining of a blessing is the giving us a heart devoutly to ask for it (y) Signum futurae impetrationis est quando Spiritus S. movet ad petendam cum fiduciâ quasi securitate impetrandi Cassian coll 9. Which desire he would not create if he did not intend to fulfil it Therefore we may lay this as a foundation on which we may chearfully request his gracious acceptance of those Prayers which he hath quickned us to by a new Devotion § 6. And dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy name thou wilt grant their requests But that we may not doubt of the prevalency of our Petitions nor go away from the Throne of Grace with a sad heart we have not only our ground of hope from the operations of the Spirit which are secret and not alwaies so discernable but from an infallible promise made by him who is Truth it self and in whom all the Promises of God are Yea and Amen Which assureth us that the united requests of his People who meet and pray in his name can never miscarry For Jesus is so highly delighted in the unions and unanimous societies of the faithful that if but two of them (z) Math. 18.19 20. Vbi duo consident sermonem habentes â—e lege Schechinah est inter ipsos R.R. ap Drus Non multiâ—udini sed unitati plurimum tribuendum Cypr. de unit Eccles agree on earth to ask any thing it shall be given them and wheresoever two or three are gathered together in his Name he is (a) Non dicit ero non enim tardat cui Cunctatur sed jam sum i. e. illic inveniar praesens gratià favore singulari Luc. Brugens in the midst of them Nay he is there before they come ready to receive their supplications and whoever meet in his house of Prayer shall find he is present amongst them (b) Psal 46.6 Deus in medio illorum esse dicitur quibus exhibet gratiosae suae praesentiae testimonia Ravan Thes Bib. vid. Deut. 7.21 Josh 3.10 by the communications of his grace and his answering their Prayers For the granting our requests as you may here observe is the Paraphrase of Jesus his being with us and the best testimony of his being among us is the granting our desires And this way we wish our blessed Lord may manifest himself to us who are gathered together in his name (c) Acts 4.7 compared with Matth. 21.23 1 Sam. 17.45 Psal 20.8 that is in obedience to his Command and Authority in hope and trust in his power and Aid to pay our homage to him to declare our Faith in him and to own our dependance upon him Wherefore his own Promise doth oblige him to hear us Sometimes the Congregation is very numerous and he that will hear so few will as an Ancient notes much rather receive those requests to which so many have unanimously and devoutly said AMEN But if there be but few as to the shame of this Nation is too often seen the wickedness of the neglecters ought not to reproach the Piâ—ty of those that are present nor is it safe for men to despise them for their parcity