Psal 129.8 2 John 10. which are not to be thought idle Complements whereby we take the name of God in vain but Christian and commendable civilities and duties which were commonly used and practised by Christians in the time of the Apostles 2 John 10 11. In the Liturgies of St. James Basil Chrysostom and the Aethiopians the Priest was wont to say Peace be unto you to which the People replied And with thy Spirit In the old Liturgy of Spain called Mozarabe because the Christians were mingled with Arabians the Priest said The Lord be with you the People answered And with thy Spirit the Priest again said Help me brethren in your prayers and the People answered The Father Son and Holy Ghost help thee Petrus Damianus wrote a whole Book upon this argument intituled The Lord be with you It was used in the Latine Church ever since their Liturgy was composed by Damasus and supposed to be deduced out of the Greek Church into the Latine it is of very ancient use and is one of the first Formula's of devotion used in the Christian Church at first it belonged only to the Ministers of the lower Order and when the Bishop did officiate he used in place thereof Peace be unto you but in the Braccarian Council it was decreed that the Bishop and Presbyter should use one and the same form and determined the form to be this The Lord be with you adding this As it is used in all the Orient which shews the custom to be changed since Chrysostom's time or else we must reject a great part of his Works for counterfeit Epiphanius saith that this form of Salutation was derived from our Saviour's first greeting of his Apostles after his Resurrection John 20.19 However it did anciently denote a transition from one part of the Service unto another as it is here applyed by our Church for the very same purpose These mutual and reciprocal Salutations were prudently and Christianly made a part of the publick Service to continue that agreement and love which ought to be between Pastor and People and the very order of it shews that it is the Ministers office to begin and the peoples duty to correspond in all good affections and kindness when the Minister is as Paul the people should be as Galathians chap. 4.15 not only reverence his place but also love his person The Pastor cannot wish a better wish then this The Lord be with you neither can the people make a fitter reply then this And with thy Spirit To note that he is to offer up a spiritual Service and Sacrifice unto God and to do it ardently and affectionately which he cannot do unless God be with him by his Grace and holy Spirit to aid and assist him Now Christ hath promised to be with his Apostles and their successors unto the end of the world Mat. 28.20 to be with his Church in her devotions in the midst of us or amongst us when we offer up our Services to him but if our Spirits be not right fixed so as to intend and mind what we are about how can God be with us How can God be with our Spirits if our Spirits are not with God How can God be in the midst of us when we are not in the midst of our selves Therefore this clause Let us pray is very often repeated in the Service upon any noâ— table transition from one eminent part of Service to another to fix us to our devotions and to make us the more intent upon what we do for we are apt to be dull enough in Sacred duties unless we are frequently call'd upon to mind seriously what we are about It was anciently the Deacons office to pronounce it and therefore he was said to preach or to proclaim the Service for it was his office by loud voice or proclamation to warn the people in several parts of the Service what was done or to be done that accordingly they might order themselves both in their hearts and in their bodies suitable to that which was done or performed by Christ's Ministers that so all things might be done with good order and due reverence The Heathens in their Religious Offices had a custom not much differing from this for they had their Preachers and Proclaimers of their Service for the same purpose to regulate the carriage and behaviour of the people and to prevent confusion The three following Versicles Lord have mercy c. were called by the Ancients the Lesser Litany and they are fitly placed before the Lords Prayer because in our resort to him in Prayer it is very expedient that we first implore the â—ercy and assistance of the Trinity to whom we pray RUBRICK Then the Minister Clerks and People shall say the Lords Prayer with a loud voice See before pag. 18 19. OVr Father great in Creation gracious in Love rich in Inheritance which art in Heaven the Glass of Eternity the Crown of pleasure the Store-house of felicity Hallowed be thy Name in us by us upon us in our words actions lives that it may be to us Honey in the mouth Melody in the ear Jubilee in the heart Thy Kingdom come of Power to defend us of Grace to sanctifie us of Glory to crown us Let it be to us pleasant without mixture calm without disturbance secure without loss Thy will be done not ours as in Heaven by the holy Angels so on Earth by men that we may hate what thou hatest love what thou lovest and do nothing but what is pleasing unto thee Give for every good gift is thine we have nothing from our selves but crave all from thee us as necessity makes us pray for our selves so charity for others this day all the time of our living here our which we have a lawful and just title to daily what is sufficient for our necessity not superfluity to supply our wants not our wantonness bread what is necessary for our bodies or our souls Victual Doctrinal Sacramental bread And forgive us our debts whatever sins we have committed against thee our neighbour or our selves As we forgive our debtors who have injured us in our bodies goods or name And lead us not suffer us not to be led into temptation of the world the flesh the Devil But deliver us from evil present past to come Amen So be it The Doxology is here and elsewhere omitted because in St. Luke's Gospel it is not any part of the Prayer Luk. 11.2 3 4. and Mr. Calvin doth acknowledge it not to be extant in any Latine copies it was supposed to be added by the Greek Church but never used in the Latine However our Bible in St. Matthew received it and no Minister is restrained from the use of it in Divine Service RUBRICK Then the Priest standing up shall say O Lord shew thy mercy upon us Answer And grant us thy salvation Psal 85.7 Priest O Lord saze the King 1 Sam. 10.24 1 Tim. 2.2 Psal 21.1 Answer And mercifully
THE REASONABLENESS OF OUR Christian Service As it is contained in the Book of COMMON-PRAYER EVIDENCED And made clear from the Authority of Scriptures and Practice of the Primitive Christians Or A short RATIONALE upon our Morning and Evening Service as it is now Established in the Church of ENGLAND Wherein every Sentence therein contained is manifestly proved out of the Holy Bible or plainly demonstrated to be consonant thereto Composed and written by Thomas Elborow Vicar of Cheswick And since his death made publick by the care and industry of Jo. Francklyn A. M. and Minister of Brentford 1 Cor. 1.10 11. Now I beseech you brethren by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgment For it hath been declared unto me of you my brethren by them which are of the house of Cloe that there are contentions among you LONDON Printed for Richard Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1678. Imprimatur July 3. 1674. C. Smith R. P. D. Episc Lond. à Sac. Dom. To the most Virtuous M rs FRANCES ELBOROW Widow of the late deceased Author Madam YOur Husband the Author of this following Treatise a very worthy and in his station eminent Minister of and what of greater note a faithful Advocate for the Church of England besides his continued Exhortations to Piety to all whom his Care did reach or his Interest could prevail with was in the Practises of Publick Duties an eminent Christian Subject continually promoting those Duties fundamental to Government Loyalty and a Communion with the Church by Law Establish'd Of the former and his endeavours for it he gave a good Testimony in the beginning of our late Troubles by his diligent Perswasion of others to it and what is truer proof his own Sufferings for it The latter became 〈◊〉 Care in its season too When our Soveraign was restored to his Right the Church to its former Order and He to a Place for the exercise of his Function he endeavoured to undeceive those the foregoing Times had misled and to make them sensible of the true Harmony in the Churches Publick Divine Service And as his Endeavour so was his Prospect great too for seeing the Present Age even spoil'd he did look forward and endeavour to mend the Succeeding To this end he writ the following Annotations with a design as great as good and which I hope will not in a small measure gain upon the World to beget the Worship of God its due reverent performance to gain the Church the Communication of all â—ational English Subjects and all of the Churches Communion a true sense of their Publick Devotions That neither so great a good nor the memory of the worthy Author should dye not only the care and love which my Function presseth me to of actions of this nature but also many singular acts of kindness and friendship which I had receiv'd from the Author made me gratefully concern'd But having added to these of his many and great favours receiv'd from Your virtuous hands and of those most obliging me to perpetuate your Husband's memory to have him known to the World by benefiting it with some Work of his I lay under far greater obligations To satisfie which that among other scatter'd Papers which came to my hands I should choose to publish this Piece was in consideration of his intent thoughts upon the benefits of it and of the concurrence of Your generous temper rather desiring the benefit of most then the satisfaction of the most curious Knowing moreover that any name or thing made publick hath its reception and takes the measure of its estimation from the greatness or the generality of the advantage it brings There had layn indeed a just accusation against me as of dis-ingenuity toward the Publick so of great ingratitude to your Virtues and to the memory of your Husband upon my neglect in this concern However now give me leave of this necessity to make a small piece of virtue and from that little care the publishing this Book requir'd in me take advantage to express my gratefulness to the memory of the worthy Author and to you the surviving part of him my desire to shew my self Madam Your very faithful Friend and Servant J. F. Brentford June 6. 1677. THE PREFACE TO THE READER Courteous Reader Iâ—ind written Eccles 5.1 that some persons who come into the Religious Assemblies to offer up their service and devotions to God and for want of due consideration do absurd things they do evil and consider not that they do it Now if it be demanded who they are that do so the same Scripture tells us They who do not keep their feet when they enter into the house of God do not demean themselves with all the Reverence imaginable when they come into that Holy place where Gods terrible Majesty is represented which is enough one would think to suppress any unworthy and irreligious actions or thoughts They who do not come into Gods house with all holy devotion and prepared resolutions to offer to him an holy Worship and Service such as he will accept of They who are not ready to hear and to receive instruction to salvation by the Word of God which is there publickly taught They who do not readily dispose themselâ—es to all voluntary obedience to the same Word in which obedience consists that Service which is more acceptable with God than any Sacrifice outward They who come into Gods house and special presence there to offer him a Sacrifice and perform it in such a gross and rude manner as that God will not indeed cannot accept of it they do as it were affront him in his own house they offer him an abuse before his face they come to express their folly rather then to shew their devotion they give him the Sacrifice of fools and all for want of due consideration For they consider not that they do evil Now to correct all these errours and evils which may be committed in the Service of God for want of due consideration which are great evils however little account we may make of them I shall fix your considerations upon some few things very necessary to be thought upon when ye are either going about or are upon the Service of God 1. When ye are entring consider that ye are entring Gods house and therefore keep your feet when ye enter Eccles 5.1 which words are a caution commanding our care and our consideration that we do not enter rudely that we do not enter rashly and unadvisedly I or we are going into the house of God whither we are to carry nothing along with us which may be displeasing and offensive unto that God into whose house we are going We are to look to our feet that is our passions and affections which are as the feet and lower part
all that we are or have is due to thee from whom all is received and therefore we do not impute any thing to our selves or our own acquisition In this Faith we pray and confide that what we pray for shall be granted RUBRICK Then likewise he shall say O Lord open thou our lips Answ And our mouth shall shew forth thy praise Psal 51.15 O God make speed to save us Psal 70.1 Answ O Lord make hast to help us Psal 40.13 RUBRICK Here all standing up the Priest shall say Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost Isa 42.8 1 Cor. 10.31 Rom. 11.36 Answ As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Priest Praise ye the Lord Psal 146.1 Answ The Lords name be praised EXPLANATION The forementioned Versicles with the Responses are Canonical Scripture and taken most-what out of the Book of Psalms by which we acknowledge our dependance upon God and that we are unable of our selves to perform any Religious duty well unless God enable us They are used interchangably by Minister and People to testifie mutual Love to strengthen affection to stir up devotion to kindle and enflame it one in another to oblige us to greater attention and this praying by way of Response is grounded upon the Scripture and conformable to the practice of the earliest and purest times of Christianity And for the form of giving glory to God Father Son and Holy Ghost it is very ancient by which we avouch our Doctrine and Faith of the Trinity against all opposers as we have received from Christ and his Apostles so we baptize believe and give glory to God Father Son and Holy Ghost and this we do not without Scripture-warrant Mat. 28.19 Rom. 11.36 It is the Christians Hymn and shorter Creed some who professed Christianity had corrupted this form of giving glory to God and had framed up another form in favour of their own new opinions and perswasions in Religion differing from that of the Ancient Christians both in words and sense but the ancient form which was before and is still used was again restored upon the restauration of which those words were added As it was in the beginning c. that is in the first beginning of the true Religion professed and solemnly owned by the name of Christian Now certainly very meet it is that we should give glory to God because it is appropriate to God alone Psal 115.1 It is his peculiar right which he lays claim to Isa 42.8 for he is the King of Glory The Heavens declare it Psal 19.1 the Angels chant it Luk. 2.14 Seraphims resound it Isa 6.3 and man is no less obliged to it then those coelestial Spirits are No place on earth is more proper for it then God's house where every man should speak of his honour and there is no better posture to do it in then standing for by it we shew our chearful readiness to give glory to God and our pious resolution to stand fast in the Faith of the Holy Trinity And for those words Praise ye the Lord they are the same with Hallelujah set at the end of the five last Psalms in the Psalter and used in this place to be as an impression invitatory to the following Psalms and the following Response The Lords name be praised is according to what we find written Psal 106.48 RUBRICK Then shall be said or sung this Psalm following except on Easter-day upon which another Anthem is appointed and on the nineteenth day of every month it is not to be read here but in the ordinary course of the Psalms PSAL. 95. Ver. 1. O Come let us sing unto the Lord let us heartily rejoyce in the strength of our salvation 2. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and shew our selves glad in him with psalms 3. For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods 4. In his hand are all the corners of the earth and the strength of the hills is his also 5. The sea is his and he made it and his hands prepared the dry land 6. O come let us worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker 7. For he is the Lord our God and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand 8. To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts as in the provocation and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness 9. When your fathers tempted me proved me and saw my works 10. Fourty years long was I grieved with this generation and said It is a people that do err in their hearts for they have not known my ways 11. Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen EXPLANATION With this Psalm the ancient Church used to begin her Service it was the invitatory Psalm with which they usually began before the Congregation was well met together at the hearing of which all hastned to Church and it is very well appointed to be used in this place before all other Psalms because it is the fittest to conform us to the right use of all the rest and to furnish out Gods Service with all due reverence Glory be to the Father c. is added at the end of this and of every Psalm that we may reduce that to practice which is the scope of every Psalm that is Give Glory to God RUBRICK Then shall follow the Psalms in order as they are appointed And at the end of every Psalm throughout the year and likewise at the end of Benedicite Benedictus Magnificat and Nunc dimittis shall be repeated Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost Answ As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen EXPLANATION The Psalter was anciently divided into several portions called Nocturns by which division the Psalms were read every week and this was a custom peculiar only to the Latine Church for in the Syrian and Greek Churches the Psalter was read over every twenty days Our Church allows a months space for the reading over the Book of Psalms and her meaning is that they should be read in publick according to ancient practice by way of Response Now the reasons why the Psalms are so frequently read over and why in this manner I conceive to be these Because the Psalms do contain in them the choice and flower of all things profitable which may be met withall in the Holy Scriptures and do more movingly express them by reason of the Poetical form wherein they are written No part of Scripture doth more admirably set forth all the considerations and operations which belong to God nor so magnifie the Holy meditations and actions of Divine
all men and deserves to be celebrated in the most solemn manner with all the Instruments of Musick used in the Service of God and all are little enough to express the Glory of the work and the infinite advantages designed to us by Christ thus entring upon his Regal Office in order to subdue all the world to the power of the Gospel which is the Scepter of his Kingdom For this we should praise him in our contemplations and actions words and works lips and life being all of us as so many spiritual Temples of God and Timbrels of the Holy Ghost Vers 8 9 10. All the habitable world the very Heathens who have been long under the servitude of their false Idol worships shall now be redeemed from that slavery of sin and Satan the Idol Oracles and Temples shall all be destroyed and the Doctrine of the true God and practice of Piety Justice and Charity shall be set up in their stead and thereby a most happy joyful Reformation be wrought amongst men which certainly deserves all the acknowledgments of humble and thankful hearts and lays obligations upon us to ascribe all glory to God in all the Churches 6. A Paraphrase upon Nunc dimittis Luke 2. Vers 29. O Lord seeing thou hast in great mercy fulfilled thy gracious promise revealed to me touching the Messias I am heartily content now to dye Vers 30. And needs must I dye happy and contented who have seen with mine eyes the Messias and Saviour of the world the great means and glorious instrument of man's Salvation Vers 31. Whom thou hast so long promised and now exhibited to be seen by all which Salvation thou hadst ordained from everlasting to be made known in due time to all Nations and to make them partakers of it Vers 32. That there might be a light afforded to the Gentile world to reveal to them Gods righteousness and that way of living which is to God most acceptable who after he hath reformed the Religion of the Jews teaching them substantial Duties instead of Ceremonial observances was to bring in the Gentiles to embrace the same Religion and so to bring much glory and honour to all of that Nation and of all Nations in the world who would receive him for which unspeakable mercy all Nations in the world are to ascribe all glory to God Father Son and Holy Ghost in all the Churches 7. A Paraphrase upon Psal 67. Vers 1. THe great and good God of Heaven pardon our sins supply our wants bestow his blessings both spiritual and temporal upon us behold us with favour and acceptance and for ever continue them unto us Vers 2. This may be a means of propagating the fear worship and Service of the true God to all the Heathen world when they shall see and consider the eminent miraculous acts of thy providence O God over us in delivering us from great dangers and distresses which have been upon us when they shall behold the wonderful order and means which thou observest in governing of thy Church as well in regard of thy Word and Laws as thy Works and Miracles Vers 3. This universal Reformation and acknowledgment of the one true God of Heaven and Earth is a mercy so much to be wished for and desired by every pious man that I cannot but give my suffrage to it and most affectionately call upon all to joyn in this wish and to beseech God that his Kingdom may be enlarged and that all the Nations in the world Jews and Gentiles may joyn in the Service and Worship of him Vers 4. And it must needs be matter of infinite joy and exultation to all Nations when they shall be admitted to so high an honour as to be ruled and directed by God to be governed by his most righteous way of Justice in the Kingdom of the Messias by Laws and Statutes so admirably good and agreeable to our interests and by the administration of his works of providence so admirably wise and just that all the world both in prudence care of and love to themselves are obliged with joy to submit to the setting up of this Kingdom in their hearts Vers 5. And it would be an happy and blessed thing if all the world would be duly sensible of it and all joyn to acknowledge worship serve and obey the true God and so partake of this great mercy and be induced to magnifie his Name for it Vers 6. For his mercies are continually afforded to all rain from heats fruitful seasons and peculiar acts of his providence are such as may oblige the most Heathen men in the world to acknowledge bless and give up themselves to the obedience of him And it is our duty continually to pray unto him that he would bestow his Benediction both upon us and upon all that which he hath so richly afforded us Vers 7. And our prayer shall be that the God of Heaven would crown us with his blessings and that all the most barbarous people in the world may be brought in to acknowledge and worship him and to pay all uniform obedience and subjection to him To whom be glory for ever Amen The Creed of St. Athanasius RUBRICK Vpon these Feasts Christmas-day the Epiphany St. Matthias Easter-day Ascension-day Whitsunday St. John Baptist St. James St. Bartholomew St. Matthew St. Simon and St. Jude St. Andrew and upon Trinity Sunday shall be sung or said at Morning Prayer in stead of the Apostles Creed this Confession of our Christian Faith commonly called the Creed of St. Athanasius by the Minister and people standing Quicunque vult WHosoever will be saved before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholick Faith Heb. 11.6 Jude vers 3. Heb. 10.23 By Catholick Faith we are to understand the Faith of the Church Universal which is opposed to the Faith of Hereticks Jews Turks and Pagans Which Faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled without doubt he shall perish everlastingly Ephes 4.5 Jude vers 20. Act. 15.9 John 3.18 Mark 16.16 Faith may be diverse in respect of the subject or believers but not in respect of the object or thing believed for there is but one Faith Ephes 4.5 Therefore this Faith is to be kept whole we are not to divide Christ 1 Cor. 1.13 and this Faith if kindly received and embraced purifies the heart and therefore it is to be kept undefiled Act. 15.9 and upon this account is it stiled the most holy Faith Jude vers 20. Therefore St. Augustine hath expresly declared That a good life is not only inseparable from Faith but that Faith it self is a good life To believe in God and Christ is to do the declared will of the one and the commands of the other It is not enough to profess like Christians and to live like Heathens to be Christians in name and Heathens in manners to profess to know God and in our works to deny him Tit. 1.16 And the Catholick Faith is this That we
proved out of Irenaeus Prosper Tertullian Jeront Ruffin Augustine Cyprian Basil and other Writers of no inferiour note And they have Scripture sufficient to warrant the use of them for there is nothing in them prayed for or against which is not grounded upon the Word of God The first Litanies indeed were short but upon occasions were enlarged by Mamercus Bishop of Vienna by Sidonius Apollinaris Bishop of Averna and by Gregory the Great who framed up that which was called the Great Litany not only upon the score of Reformation but because much affliction and trouble vexed the world in his time and Rogations and Litanies were judged meet remedies either to prevent or to avert such dangers After-times might bring Prayers and Rogations into the Litanies which were not fit to be placed there nor could easily be digested by good-meaning Christians but the Litany used by us is reformed from those abuses and there is nothing in it which can be justly liable to any exception It is admirable and notable both for the matter and method of it wherein is an excellent particular enumeration of all Christians wants whether private or common The contents of it are innocent and blameless and the composure most artificial both to raise up devotion and to keep it up It directs our Prayers to the right object the Trinity it contains in it deprecations against all evil whether of sin or punishment from which we desire to be delivered through the holy actions and passions of Christ the only meritorious cause of all our good It contains in it also petitions for good things in the putting up of which a very sit order is observed First we pray for the Church Universal the common Mother of all Christians Secondly we pray for our own National Church to which next the Universal we owe the greatest observance and duty After this we pray for the principal Members of it the King the Bloud-Royal the Clergy the Nobles and Magistrates in whose welfare the peace of the Church doth chiefly consist Herein we follow Davids method Psal 132. and the Apostles prescribed rule 1 Tim. 2.1 2 3. and we have many early presidents of the Christian Church for our so doing as may easily be proved out of the Ancient Liturgies and Fathers In particular and in distinct terms we pray for Bishops Priests and Deacons because they were the three Orders of the Clergy eminently distinguished in the first Ages of the Christian Church as appears clearly out of the Epistles of Ignatius and Clement who were both of them Scholars and Disciples to the Apostles And this distinction of Bishops Priests and Deacons doth directly answer to that of High-Priests Priests and Levites under the Law and the very Heathens themselves by the light of Nature had the like distinction amongst them called as they are stiled by the Apostle 1 Cor. 12.28 29. Teachers Helpers Governours as under the Mosaical Law and dispensation the Priests were to teach the Levites to help the Sons of Aaron of the Prelatical Order to govern and the same distinction of Priests to teach Deacons to help and Bishops to govern hath been ever observed in the Church of Christ through all Antiquity as may be proved from the Records and Registries in all the Churches Now whereas we pray That God would illuminate all Bishops Priests and Deacons our meaning is this that he would give the beginning of Light to the false and the increase thereof to the true that all may be like John Baptist burning and shining lights burning in zeal and devotion shining in works of charity and mercy sound in doctrine and exemplary in life That it may please thee to give to all Nations unity peace and concord Psal 122.6 Psal 133.1 Rom. 14.19 We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. To pray that all the world might be at peace about them was ever one clause used in the publick Prayers of the Primitive Church as we find in Tertullian Clement Eusebius Ambrose Cyril and other eminent writers of Antiquity That it may please thee to give us an heart to love and dread thee and diligently to live after thy Commandments Deut. 5.29 Psal 119. Eccles 12.13 We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. That it may please thee to give to all thy people increase of grace to hear meekly thy Word and to receive it with pure affection and to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit Jam. 1 21 22. 1 Pet. 2.1 2. Luk. 8.15 Heb. 4.2 We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. We are to pray for good life and that we may be practitioners of the good Word of God as well as hearers of it otherwise our profession will but aggravate our condemnation and if we profess like Christians and live like Heathens we shall be the more inexcusably punishable 2 Pet. 2.20 21. That it may please thee to bring into the way of truth all such as have erred and are deceived 1 Pet. 2.25 Jam 5.20 Psal 119.176 We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. We meet with the like forms of Prayer in the Clementine Constitutions and our Church never erred more grosly and dangerously then when the untoward Members of it left off to say this Prayer That it may please thee to strergthen such as do stand and to comfort and help the weak-hearted and to raise up them that fall and finally to beat down Satan under our feet Isa 35.3 Rom. 11.20 Isa 42.3 Jer. 8.4 Rom. 16.20 We beseech thee to hear us good I ord That it may please thee to succour help and comfort all that are in danger necessity and tribulation Heb. 13.3 Psal 146.7 8 9. We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. In this Litany we pray particularly for those who most especially need our Prayers that is for all those whom the Law looks upon as miserable persons and were it not to avoid tediousness I could fetch almost every Paragraph of it out of the Ancient Fathers and Liturgies That it may please thee to preserve all that travail by land or by water all women labouring of child all sick persons and young children and to shew thy pity upon all prisoners and captives We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. When we pray for all who travail by Land or by Water our meaning is that God would be assistant to all who travail in the way of a lawful calling and that he would seasonably oppose those in their vitious courses who do not and turn them out of the ways of sin into the ways of safety When we pray for all women labouring with Child we pray only for their safe deliverance if they be honelt women we pray that God would give them patience to undergo the pains and perils of Child-birth if otherwise we pray that God would also give them the grace of Repentance that as their Conceptions have been sinful so their Productions may be salutiferous and the pains of the Body may work a deep
men They are an universal declaration of things Heavenly working in those whose hearts God inspireth with a due consideration and disposition of mind whereby they are made fit vessels both for receipt and delivery of whatsoever Spiritual perfection There is nothing necessary for man to know which the Psalms are not able to teach They are to beginners a familiar introduction to those who are entred into the way of Religion a mighty augmentation of vertue and knowledge and to the most perfect a strong confirmation Heroical magnanimity exquisite Justice grave moderation exact wisdom Repentance unfeigned unwearied Patience the mysteries of God the sufferings of Christ the terrours of Wrath the comforts of Grace the works of Providence over the world present and the promised Joys of the next all good necessary to be known done or had are laid up in this Store-house no grief incident to man's soul or sickness to the body but a remedy may be found for it in the Book of Psalms As the Holy Scripture exceeds other writings in verity so the Book of Psalms exceeds other Sacred Scriptures in variety The Psalter is the common treasury of all good arguments and instructions the summary pith and breviary of the whole Bible therefore as the Church esteemed nothing more generally necessary for the Worship of God then the Word of God so she judged no parcel of the Word more full and fit then the Psalms But it is to be wished that we could all endeavour to make our lives conformable to those Holy patterns who were the Pen-men of these Psalms and that the Psalmists infusions and effusions may find in us the Psalmists spiritual affections to go along with them that when we say or sing over these Psalms we may not speak against our sense knowledge or conscience nor blame the Psalm or Church for enjoyning it to be used when we our selves perhaps are in fault He who would make a right and good use of the Psalms read over in private or publick must endeavour to form his Spirit to the affection of the Psalm if it be the affection of love which runs through the Psalm it is to be read with the same affection if of fear the same Spirit of fear should be imprinted upon the Soul if of desire it should be carried on with the like transportation if of gratitude to God the Soul should be lifted up with praises and come with affections that way enflamed If the Psalm carries in it the Spirit of Prayer and Supplication of Praise or Eucharist he who dares to read it must still conform and bring down his Spirit to the Psalm and whatever affection is in any Psalm the heart is to comply with that affection that by this means the often repeating of the Psalms may not prove a ridiculous piece of Pageantry we should strive to say the Psalms with the same Spirit with which they were inspired who composed them and accommodate our selves to them in the same manner as if we our selves had been the composers or as if they had been purposely composed for our use by exciting up in our selves the same affections which we may discern to have been in David or others at the same time when they composed them We are to love when they love fear when they fear hope when they hope praise God when they praise him weep for our own sins and others when they weep beg what we want with the like Spirit wherewith their petitions are framed love our enemies when they love theirs pray for ours when they pray for theirs have zeal for Gods glory when they profess it humble our selves when they are humbled and lift up our Spirits to Heaven when they lift up theirs give thanks for Gods mercies when they do delight and rejoyce in the benefits of the Messias and beauties of the Church when they do relate the wonderful works of God in the creation of the World and deliverance of his people with the like admiration and praise as they do and where-ever there is mention of punishments inflicted on rebellious sinners and rewards and favours bestowed upon the obedient we are to tremble where they tremble and to rejoyce where they rejoyce we are to walk in Gods Sanctuary as they walked and to wish to dwell in it as they wished And wherever the Psalmist as a Master teacheth exhorteth reprehendeth and directeth we are to suppose him speaking to every one of us and we should answer him in such due manner as he requires And at the beginning of every Psalm we should beg of God that affection which the Psalmist had when he composed it and desire to attain the same guift and spiritual savour which he felt Was this course as constantly used as the reading over the Book of Psalms we should in time be of the Psalmists temper and devotion and the usage of the Psalms would not seem so strange as perhaps they may to some for want of observing this good rule prescribed by the Ancients It is a course which the devouter Christians ever observed and they found it hugely advantageous for the heightning and enflaming of their devotions Some scruples may be made by some persons against the reading of Scripture in general and against the Psalms in particular the most devotional part of Scripture for they were most of them composed by David the Type of Christ and the best fitted and qualified of any man to set down a formulary of Devotions in which are contained the most remarkable things which concern Christ or Christianity and which may well enough be used by all who are sincerely Christian either as forms of Prayers or Praises of which they consist for the most part Indeed some Psalms seem to have no propriety of the Spirit of Christianity being spent in calling down vengeance upon Gods and the Psalmists enemies which is contrary to the Gospel-temper Luk. 9.54 55. but herein lies our great mistake for David the Psalmist of Israel by whom the Spirit of the Lord spake 2 Sam. 23.2 could not have in him the least malignity or revenge in the penning of his Psalms not of those of the severest character for in those Psalms he did not so properly pray as a petitioner that God would bring such and such Judgments upon obstinate sinners as he did predict and denounce as a Prophet the just Judgments of God which would inevitably fall upon such sinners Such Psalms are Prophesies and Predictions not properly Prayers and they may easily be accommodated to the Christian affection Spirit and temper All Texts of Scripture in either Testament of this seemingly-severe temper and nature may be safely admitted into the very bowels of our Souls if they could be permitted also to perform the work which they are designed for that is to melt us into contrition to mortifie us to reform us to bruise our Souls to purge all dross out of them to refine and prepare them for holy duties Besides the Jews
under whose Politie the Psalms were penned and composed were a Typical people and Gods Oeconomie to them may be instructive to us not in a literal but spiritual sense what severity was required from them towards the Canaanites and other enemies of God the same should be transcribed by us in another way that is we should express our displeasure and revenge upon our lusts and sins as the greatest enemies of God or us and thus our indignation and zeal our imprecations and Anathema's may be seasonable enough if we continue them only in this sense but for the cursing of any other enemies it is hardly reconcilable to Christianity neither can it be warranted out of the Psalms or any other part of Scripture to be used as a Prayer but only as a prediction or denunciation and this may be done upon a design purely Christian and charitive enough And whereas many things in the Psalms may seem not to suit well with every mans condition at all times and so the Spirit of the Reciter may meet with a kind of contradiction forbidding to go along with the Spirit of the Psalmist as for instance how can a man overwhelmed with distress hâ—ve the lively vigorous Spirit of Praise or Eucharist or a man in a prosperous state have the true Spirit of devotion and humiliation yet this scruple may be easily removed thus That though the Psalms read may not suit so properly with our own condition yet they may suit with the condition of others to the best advantages and in our publick Services we are to put upon us publick Spirits and mind the state and condition of other men as well as of our selves we are to rejoyce with them that do rejoyce and to weep with them that weep and to be of the same mind one towards another Rom. 12.15 16. we are to remember those who are in bonds as bound with them and those who suffer adversity being our selves also in the body Febr. 13.3 Therefore do we pray for the sick when we our selves are in health give thanks for the deliverance of others when we our selves are not in their dangers This we do as Christians not as meer men nor as necessity urgeth us to it but as charity binds us whereby we shew that as Christ is the Head of the body so we are Members one of another This is truly Christian when we can zealously comprehend others within our Prayers or Praises either for what they stand in need of or have received And it will be a very hard matter for any one of us to mention any one of the Psalms which we may not have some propriety to in whatsoever condition we are In our greatest prosperity we may have cause enough to humble our selves in our greatest distress there may be good grounds for giving of thanks Job was summoned to bless God as well for his sufferings as for his enjoyments Job 1.21 and many holy and pious men have seen ground and cause enough for their humiliation in the midst of their greatest affluence and abundance And whereas some of the Psalms are advanced to that high pitch of devotion which ordinary men who are not of the Psalmists spirit and temper cannot possibly reach to yet these very Psalms should be made familiar and be of constant use if for no other reason yet for this to quicken our dull devotions to give some spirit and life to our dead and not enough vigorous performances in the Service of God and to make us see how much we fall short of those holy and divine Pen-men of the Psalms who as to their profession of Faith zeal love and obedience to God ought to be looked upon as worthy patterns for our imitation and by reproaching of us for our own defects may humble us before God because we cannot so vigorously pronounce these holy Hymns as we ought to do and may teach us to pray for more growth and spiritual proficiency in our constant Religious performances RUBRICK Then shall be read distinctly with an audible voice the First Lesson taken out of the Old Testament as is appointed in the Kalendar except there be proper Lessons assigned for that day he that readeth so standing and turning himself as he may best be heard of all such as are present And after that shall be said or sung in English the Hymn called Te Deum laudamus daily throughout the year Note that before every Lesson the Minister shall say Here beginneth such a Chapter or Verse of such a Chapter of such a Book And after every Lesson Here endeth the First or the Second Lesson EXPLANATION The reading of Lessons out of the Old and New Testament is in punctual imitation of the Ancient Church which Lessons are not left arbitrary but appointed some for ordinary days and some for Festival according to Primitive custom and practice As the Jews used to read some Lessons and portions of Scripture out of Moses and the other Prophets upon their Sabbaths and Festivals Act. 13.27 which they called Sections or Tractats of a good day Colos 2.16 so it was decreed and ordered in the Church Christian and in imitation so near as could be of what was practised in the Jewish Church that the first Lesson should be read out of the Old Testament and the second out of the New And it was so contrived that Hymns Lessons and Psalms should be used interchangably to take off something from the tediousness of the Service for as variety is pleasant to the body so is it also to the Soul therefore is the Service made so Mosaick and of so many pieces commodiously disposed to rescue each other from fastidiousness Neither do we read only the Canonical Scripture but some part also of the Apocryphal Books which appear to be most agreable to the Canonical in the doing of which we do not consider both under the same parity of honour and estimation for our Bibles have sufficiently made a distinction And though it cannot be denied that the Ancient model of Canonical and Apocryphal Books did pass under a complex notion of the Old Testament yet we read not the Apocryphal Books as we do Canonical Scripture to ground any Article of Faith upon only we read them for instruction in life and manners and upon the same account as the Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians was wont to be read in Churches in Ancient times Neither are any Chapters or Lessons so prescribed out of the Apocryphal Books as that we should set aside the Canonical Scripture for the Minister is left to his discretion to make his choice as he thinks fit either of the one or of the other We read the Apocryphal Books because they are consonant to the Canonical because they were respected by the Ancients because they are instructive in their stile and some passages in them do explain the Canonical Scripture which they who most oppose them cannot honestly deny and why may they not be as well