(u) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alexandr Paedag. as the Christians form of praising God above 100 years before the Councel of Nice An. 190. besides it appears it was used in the service of the Church before or somewhat very like it (x) Gloria Deo Patri honor item adoratio cum filio collegâ unà cum Sancto vivificatore Spiritu Athanasius because the Arrians did alter the antient form into Glory be to the Father by the Son and in the holy Ghost for which they are sharply reprehended by the Orthodox Fathers who afterward annexed it to their publique Devotions in this Form in which we now have it All which doth not only prove the Antiquity of it but teach us that it may serve for two purposes first as a form of Praising God and glorifying every Person of the Trinity which was the first design of those that invented it Secondly as a shorter Creed and declaration of our Faith in the Trinity in Unity which was the use it was fitted to afterwards I wish we might have no occasion to make use of it in the second sense as a Teste for Hereticks though the Disciples of Socinus and Fanatick Enthusiasts do even still deride or deny this mistery but if there were no such it might still serve its principal end to be a Form of ascribing all Praise and Glory to the Supreme Being and an Act of Adoration to each Person which we are obliged particularly to pay because every one of the Persons in the Trinity hath done peculiar benefits for us so that it is our Duty to Praise the Father for our Creation the Son for our Redemption the Holy Ghost for our Sanctification The Father hath sent us into the world and preserves and provides for us in it The Son hath lived with us and died for us and being returned to his Glory is still mindful of us The Holy Ghost doth come to us and stay with us as a guard and a guide a comforter and an advocate cleering our minds cleansing our hearts quickening our affections and enforcing our prayers and shall we not then be highly ungrateful if we pay not a particular tribute to every Person in special as well as to all in general Remember the Angels sung praise to the undivided and ever-blessed Trinity in the morning of the Creation the beginning of all time (y) Job 38.7 and they and all the world do it now and both men and Angels shall continue this Jubilee to eternity As long as goodness endures (z) Omnes tam orationes quam oblationes cessabunt in seculo futuro sed oblatio gratiarum nunquam cessabit R.D.K. Psal 100.4 gratitude and praise cannot cease This was and is and ever shall be done in all ages and generations (a) Psal 145.4 The Patriarchs and Prophets did it in the beginning of the Church the Apostles and Martyrs in the first planting of the Gospel All these though removed to heaven continue to sing praises to the Trin-une God there as we and all Pious Christians do here and there will never want tongues in Heaven nor Earth to sing this gratulatory Hymn for all generations Observe further the Comprehensiveness of these few words which extend to all things as well as to all times and persons and present at once to our view all the Mercies of God past present and to come and are an acknowledgment that all the good that ever was or shall be done or is now enjoyed in heaven or earth hath proceeded from this all-sufficient and ever-flowing fountain to whom this tribute of praise is and was and ever will be due Behold then oh pious soul a glorious Quire of Angels Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Saints and Martyrs in Heaven with all holy Men and Women in all the world at once with united voices and joyful hearts to sing this triumphant Song let this inspire thee with holy raptures and extasies of Devotion to bear a part here on earth and when thou art taken hence thy place shall be supplied by the succeeding generations and thou shalt be advanced to a state as endless as his mercy where thou shalt praise him to eternity What better form can we have to glorifie God by then this which is a declaration of our faith a discharge of our homage in which we acknowledge his former mercies and confess his present favours to us and all the world and glorifie him for both we hope in him for those that are to come expecting all from him and resolving upon those returns of Eucharist which we will for ever make to him How can this be done too often or repeated too frequently surely his mercies are more frequent then our praises can be Those that censure this as a vain repetition would ill have digested the hundred blessings (b) Deut. 10.12 R. R. legunt pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro quid leg centum unde unusquisque benetur centum benedictiones quotidiè reddere which the Jews are bid to say every day and might be offended at Davids seven times a day (c) Psal 119.64 and St. Pauls charge to rejoyce alwaies (d) 1 Thess 5.18 Philip. 4.4 but as God never thinks it too often to relieve us let us never think his praises too many tedious or impertinent but in Psalms Letanies and every thing let us give thanks and when Gloria Patri is not in our mouths let it be in our heart that we may never forget his benefits To this we shall only add the particular reason why the Church hath placed it in the close of the penitential part of daily Prayer and that is in imitation of holy David who commonly when he hath made his Confession and declared his distress (e) Psal 6.9 and 130.7 and begged pardon and deliverance turns his petitions into Praises because of his lively hope of acceptance so we being full of hopes that our gracious Father will forgive us for his Sons sake by the Ministry of his spirit We I say do now give glory to the Father who granteth this Absolution to the Son who purchased and obtained it and to the Holy Ghost who sealeth and dispenseth it to us and we also call to mind those innumerable instances of the like infinite mercies to poor sinners which have been and ever shall be to the worlds end and what heart can conceive or tongue express that exstasy of ravishing pleasures which we shall feel at the last day when we and all true Penitents that ever were or shall be shall all joyn in singing songs of praise to our deer Redeemer whom we shall love much because much is forgiven us we can foresee those Anthems which shall then be sounded on the battlements of Heaven by millions of glorious souls rescued from destruction and we by Faith have such a sense hereof that we begin now that Song that we shall sing for evermore § 5. Praise ye the Lord the Lords
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
baseness and unworthiness mightily convinced that God hath often done good to us and others and deeply affected with the freeness frequency and fulness of his mercies and favours for here we are to exercise love and gratitude and to imitate the Quire of heaven who survey the whole world and pay the tribute of glory to him whose mercy and goodness they see and admire in every thing and so may we and then our souls shall readily comply with Davids courteous invitations to bless the Lord. Oh my God I behold what thou dost for all mankind and I feel what I have received I confess my unworthiness and admire thy goodness in all things And then the Glory be to the Father c. is a recapitulation of all those foregoing causes of glorifying every Person in the glorious Trinity or all of them and must be an acknowledgment that all mercies are dispensed to us by the Father for the Sons sake through the Ministry of the Holy Spirit and upon this account all honour and glory is and was and ever shall be due to Father Son and Holy Ghost O my ingrateful heart which sees so much cause of praising God every day for his works and his goodness to others and for what we have experience of and yet hath not learned fully to love God and constantly to praise him Come to the sweet singer of Israel he will excite thee by his example in every thing to give thanks learn of him to rejoyce with them that rejoyce learn of him to love and sing Glory be c. and thou shalt sing new songs in the New Jerusalem for ever By such means as these we ought to tune our hearts for this heavenly musick if we would have it please God and profit us and if by the help of Gods good spirit we have in some measure well performed this our next care must be that we loose not those good affections 3. Therefore endeavour to nourish these holy flames on the altar of thy heart by a holy life such as the inspired Penmen of these Psalms lead themselves (r) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanas and such as they exhort others to and so shalt thou be every day fit to joyn in this office and be alwaies prepared to accompany the Church with suitable affections to all the several parts of Psalmody Remember these Anthems are designed not only to raise Devotion in publique but to assist holiness in private (s) Verba vivenda non legenda and by letting thee feel the comfort of that in Gods house which may strengthen thee to do his will afterwards and to set us all upon our guard against sin and Sathan who design to discompose our minds by presenting sensual pleasures and carnal allurements but you that have tasted sweeter and nobler delights will certainly despise those vain and empty pretenders to satisfaction and wish no other joy then to praise God among his servants on Earth here and among his Saints in Heaven hereafter And if this be your desire the constant use of these Psalms will make them so familiar that you will never want holy Meditations ejaculations answers to Sathans temptations and Mementoes of a holy life which is the only way that leads to the happiness you desire SECTION VIII Of the Lessons § 1. BEfore we begin to read or hear the holy Scripture it will be useful that we consider first their own excellency to engage our love to them Secondly The Providence of God in the Composing and Preserving them to excite our Reverence Thirdly The Care of the Church in fitting them to our use to encourage our diligence First The Scripture must needs be excellent because it is the Revelation of the whole Will of God so far as is necessary for our Salvation And we believe as God hath taught us and with the Primitive Church (t) 2 Tim. 3.15 In qâ—ibus invenâ—untur illa omnia quae continent f dâ—m moresque vivendi Aug. doc Chris l. 2. c. 17. Sacrae divinitùs inspiraâ—ae Scripturae per se abunde sufficiunt â—d veritatis indicationem Athan. in Idol Antiquam fidei Regulam Euseb hist lib. 5. that it is the compleat Repository of all Divine truths that concern faith or manners and therefore we own it to be the Rule of our lives and the foundation of our Faith and in all our considerable (u) Sancta Synodus Christum assessâ—rem capitis loco adjunxit Veneâ—ondum enim Evangelium inâ— Sancto throno collocavit Cyâ—ill See Dr. Cosens History of the Canon controversies we place it in the Throne as the Councels of Ephesus and Aquileia did for the moderator and determiner of such doubts and differences This is the guide of our Consciences the ground of our hopes the evidence of our inheritance and the Law by which we shall be judged at the last day (x) John 5.45 Revel 20.12 Wherefore it is the duty (y) John 5.39 and interest (z) 2 Tim. 3.15 of every Christian to be conversant in them according to the command of Jesus and the example of all Gods servants who studied them more then any other writings So that Sr. Basil and his friend used no other Book but wholly meditated in this for thirteen years And if it were possible we should exercise our selves in it day and night (a) Josh 1.8 Deut. 17.19 R. Ismael à sororis filio rogatus quodnam tempus Graecorum lectioni impenderet Resp Nullum nisi potest inveni itempus quod nec ad diem neque ad noctem pertinebat è Talin Masius in Jos 1. that is alwaies But however we must spend so much time upon them that we may be alwaies furnished with precepts to direct promises to encourage and examples to quicken us to do all good and also with Prohibitions to restrain threatnings to affright and presidents to warn us from all evil waies whatsoever And being so constantly useful and so able to shew us all that is necessary to be known believed or to be done we should love them and delight to hear them and know them because ignorance of these Sacred Oracles will lay us open to errors in Judgments (b) Mark 12.24 and wickedness in Practice (†) Psal 119.3 and finally prove the ruine of our Souls § 2. Secondly we must remember it is no ordinary regard which we must give to these holy Pages because God is the Author and his Spirit the enditer of them and in his infinite wisdome and love he hath committed his Will to writing that it might not be corrupted or impaired by the prejudices the malice or forgetfulness of men as all Traditions generally are For the matter of it he could have filled it with amazing Mysteries but consulting our good rather then his own greatness he condescends to our capacities (c) Lex loqui ut nobiscum linguâ â—lioâ—um hominum Lumen supernum nunquam descendit sine indumento Proverb
(g) Filius abdicatus in gratiam rediens Graecis dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pater 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scult exer and received into grace again and thus the Promise made to Abraham is made good and the Lord becomes the God of his seed for ever Oh my soul acknowledge the gracious dealings of thy most merciful Father but above all praise him for the mercies of the Gospel for what comfort were it to be raised by the fall of our temporal enemies to a fading honour if a miserable Eternity did succeed but now by Faith in Jesus thou art not only secured in thy low estate but mayest behold an immoveable Throne an immortal Crown prepared for thee high as Heaven while all the proud workers of iniquity shall fall low as hell never to rise again Glory be to the Father c. The Paraphrase of the Magnificat O Praise the Lord with me all ye that behold his inexpressible goodness which hath exalted my affections and filled My soul with such glorious apprehensions that with all its powers it doth magnifie and set forth the admirable greatness of the Lord my mind also and my spirit ravished with the contemplation of his infinite goodness doth rejoyce with joy unspeakable in God who hath vouchsafed to become my Saviour I cannot sufficiently express his Mercy nor my gratitude For he that is the Majesty of Heaven by his marvelous condescension hath regarded and cast a gracious eye on the poverty and the lowliness of my condition who am so inconsiderable and never aimed higher then to be reputed amongst the meanest of his servants and called by the name of his handmaiden I am most despicable in the worlds eyes and vile in my own yet he hath conferred on me a high and lasting honour for behold he hath passed by the more noble and chosen me to be the Mother of the worlds Saviour so that from henceforth whenever this mercy is mentioned to the honour of God his favour toward me will be remembred by the people of all generations who shall bless God for it and shall call me blessed and account me happy above all women But I will freely acknoâ—ledge it was not my own merit nor strength that hath advanâ—ed me For he that is mighty in Power and infinite in Mercy most freely hath exalted me and hath magnified me his poor unworthy hand-maid his therefore is the glory his the praise and holy and reverend is his Name which I and all his servants will ever love and honour For I am not the only instance of his goodness nor do I confine my Praises to my particular occasion all the world sees and knows that his favour And his mercy is ever shewed on them that fear him so that holy and pious men are blessed by him and shall be throughout all generations while the world endureth Ye servants of the Lord consider how in all the course of his Providence especially in this great Redemption He hath shewed strength and a mighty Power for with his arm he hath secured and lifted up his own and by it he hath scattered the forces and baffled the designs of the proud who thought they only deserved to be respected by God and were so high and safe in the imaginations of their hearts At all times he disappoints such expectations and now as at other seasons he hath put down the wise the honourable and the mighty from their seats and thrones on which their pride had mounted them And hath exalted to that honour the humble and meek even those whom the arrogant most despised He hath filled most plenteously the souls of the hungry that earnestly desired the least favours and satisfied their longings with good things beyond their expectations and the rich whose pride made them think themselves fittest objects of his bounty and yet their abundance abated their desires after it these he hath disappointed and sent empty away And as in all other cases so now He remembring the constant method of his mercy and seeing his peoples distress hath holpen and again restored his servant Israel and all faithful people to favour and the hopes of glory as he promised to the Saints of former ages and particularly to our forefathers to Abraham that he would give a Saviour to Redeem and bring deliverance to us and to his seed for ever The second Hymn after the first Lesson viz. the XCVIII Psalm § 4. SOmetimes instead of the Blessed Virgins Song we use this Psalm to express the same thing even the might of Gods arm and the affections of his heart both shewed to his people Israel his true Church and this is one of Davids triumphant Hymns composed upon some miraculous victory over the enemies of the truth and being intituled a new Song may be applied in the Mistery to the glorious Conquest made over Sin and Sathan by the mighty arm of Jesus or in the letter to those deliverances of the faithful mentioned in the Lessons and a new heart will make it every day a new song by a renewed sense of the Divine goodness for here the people of God incourage one another to praise him for his works which are so admirably contrived ver 1. so mightily performed ver 2. so clearly manifested ver 3. to his own people and all the world ver 4. Wherefore the exhortation is renewed and inlarged and all the world is invited to joyn in this Hymn ver 5. and shewed how to praise him with heart and voice and all sorts of Musick ver 6. and 7. no part of the Earth must be silent but the Inhabitants of Seas (h) Arab. populi fluviorum c. populi montium Clament c. Aspice venturo laetentur ut omnio seclo and flouds hills and valleys must rejoyce not only for past mercies but for the Kingdome of Christ which every temporal deliverance minds us of when he shall come to free his servants from sin and misery and exercise such justice in the trial of all the World that his Saints shall sing a new song of Victory to him for ever in Heaven and we on Earth in hopes of it do at present rejoyce and say Glory be to c. The Analysis of the Nunc Dimittis Luke 2.29 Herein Simeon sheweth 1. The greatness of his joy which appeareth 1. In offering his very life 2. In his readiness to meet death so Willingly Peaceably 2. The reason of it which was 1. His particular happiness 1. In the fulfilling the Promise 2. In the beholding his Saviour 2. The Universal good because 1. Christ was visible to all 2. Beneficial to all bringing light glory to the Gentiles Jews A Practical Discourse on the Nunc Dimittis The first Hymn after the second Lesson § 5. THE Author of this short and comprehensive Hymn was a man eminent for his exact Justice vigorous Devotion lively Faith and extraordinary inspiration and of this the holy Text assures us and it is
us that the constant opposition of the Popes to the Emperors had occasioned it to pass for a Proverb proprium est Ecclesiae edisse Caesares that it was natural to the Church to hate the Emperor Which how justly it is said of the Roman Church the world knows But 't is sure nothing is more contrary to the principles and practise of this our Church who may rejoyce and glory in her fervent love of her gracious King her devout prayers for him and her constant loyalty to him and his Royal Progenitors So that I hope it may be more justly said that it is natural to the true Sons of the Church of England to love the King Whoever loves the peace of the Church doth heartily pray for the flourishing of the Crown because they live and grow together and he that is a friend to one cannot be a foe to the other His friends are our friends and his enemies our enemies For whoever attempts to smite the Shepheard (n) Si quis ovem jugulat gregem imminuit at qui pastorem tolà t omnes dissipat Chrys in 1 Tim. 2. seeks to destroy the flock and he is a mortal foe to the whole nation (o) In reos majestatis publicos hostes omnis homo miles est Tertul. I know nothing so common with rebels and usurpers as to pretend love to those they would stir up against their lawful Prince but it appeares to be ambition and covetousness in the later end and such persons design to rise by the fall of many thousands Or it Religion should be the ground of the quarrel besides our late sad experience Reason will tell us that War and faction injustice and cruelty can never lodge in those brests where that pure and peaceable quality doth dwell If it be a forreign Prince that opposeth our King he is a Robber and unjust to invade his neighbours rights if he be a Subject who riseth against his Soveraign he hath renounced Christianity with his allegiance and is to be esteemed a troubler of our Israel (p) Nisi falior Vsurpator bellum infert Imperator jus suum tuetur Ambr. Therefore whosoever they be that are enemies to the King or whatsoever the pretence be we wish they may never prosper in that black impiety of unjust invasion or unchristian rebellion And how exactly our fidelity and our devotions in this agree with the rites and manners of the first and best Christians may appear to any discerning person (q) Pro pâ—â—ssimo à Deo conservando Imp. nostro oâ— nique palatio exercitat ejus prâ— quo pugnare Dominum Deum nostrum dignetur subjicere sub pedibus ejus omnem hostem hellatorem Liturg. S. Basil ita ferè Lit. Chrys Exercitus fortes senatum fidelem populum probum orbem quietum Tertul. Apol. c. 30. ut subjectas habeant gentes ut amotâ perturbatione seditionis succedat laetitia Ambr. in 1 Tim. 2. We know the Emperors when Heathens and afterwards obtained many and great Victories by the Christians prayers for which cause one of the Legions (r) Euseb Eccles hist l. 5. c. 5. was sirnamed the thundering Legion and let us pray in hope our prayers shall not be less effectual for a Prince of the right Faith that so the enemies of his soul and of his life the enemies of his Crown and dignity may either be converted or discovered defeated and deservedly punished and then we may live in love and peace and give the glory of our safety to him who strengthens the hands and hearts of all faithful subjects and gives the Victory to his Anointed § 9. And finally after this life that he may attain everlasting joy and felicity through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen Having now wished our Prince all the happiness which this world is capable of we must remember he is mortal and though never so dear to us he must be taken from us His health must end in sickness his wealth in a Sepulchre his life and his glories here must have an end For he that conquers all other enemies must add to the number of deaths trophies and fall under the hand of the last enemy Wherefore we do most heartily pray that an earthly and transient prosperity may not be all his portion but that he may so please God in the Administration of this temporal Authority that when all these things cease he may be admitted to that never ceasing felicity of Heaven to reign in a glorious eternity crowned with that Crown of life which fadeth not away which doth so infinitely transcend all that an earthly Diadem can afford that the greatest Monarchs have renounced th ir Crowns and Scepters and all the pleasures and magnificence of their Courts and sought after it in the retirements of a poor obscurity accounting it a blessed exchâ—nge to part with Earth for Heaven Temporals for Eternals There is now nothing further in this world we can desire and therefore we pray that our dear Soveraign may never be so deceived with the glories of this golden Crown as to forget much less neglect or despise to seek for that glorious Crown which is richer sweeter and safer a thousand times but that he may be happy both in this world and the next through Jesus Christ who is the blessed and only potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords by his merits alone those whose swords can cut them a passage to an earthly throne must be admitted to reign in glory and he must intercede for those to whom the world make their Petitions they who by their interest and power can have or do any thing here must be there accepted through Jesus Christ as well as the meanest of their Subjects Wherefore in his name we ask and by his mediation we hope to obtain that our beloved Prince may be prosperous and holy wise and couragious that he may have a healthful body a pious Soul a quiet mind faithful counsellors loyal Subjects conquering armies a long life abounding with riches and honour and at the end of these transient glories a never ceasing joy in the Kingdom of heaven and let every good Subject and good Christian whoever loves the Church and respects his Country say Amen Let us pray thus and live thus to the honour of God the establishment of Religion and the welfare of both King and people Amen The Paraphrase of the Prayer for the Kings Majesty O Lord our heavenly Father who art most high in dignity and mighty in power To whom should we pray for our earthly Governours but to thee the Supreme King of Kings and the absolute Lord of Lords from whom they derive their authority and to whom alone they are accountable since thou art the only Ruler of the hearts and examiner of the actions of Princes we acknowledg thee the King of all the world who dost from the highest heaven thy throne by â—hy all-sufficient providence take care of and with thy
esteem it while it promotes your Imitation of so excellent a Patern I shall add no more but to beg my Imperfections may take Sanctuary in the integrity of my Purposes which have armed me against all Detractions because my Aim is the Glory of God the encrease of Piety and the Peace of this Church for the obtaining whereof the Prayers as well as the Patronage of your Lordship are most earnestly requested by My Lord Your Honours most obliged and Most faithful Servant Thomas Comber THE PREFACE THere are two principal ends of the Worship of God The glory of him that is Worshiped and the benefit of the Worshipers And these two are so inseperably united that St. Augustine (a) Credendum est totum quod recte colitur Deus homini prodesse non Deo Aug. Civ Dei l. 10. cap. 5. reduceth both to one assuring us that all the advantage accrues to us But whether we look on them single or conjoyned no part of Divine Worship doth so much express and advance Gods glory nor so directly tend to Mans good as Publique Prayer in which we make the most universal solemn acknowledgments of our Obligations unto and Dependence upon the Supreme Lord of all the World and by which all the servants of God in all times places and circumstances do with one heart and voice by common consent (b) Publica est nobis COMMUNIS ORATIO quando oramus non pro uno sed pro toto populo oramus quia totus populus unum sumus Cyprian reveal their wants and obtain supplies for them So that we may call this the Life and Soul of Religion the Anima Mundi that universal Soul which quickens unites and moves the whole Christian World Nor is the case of a private Man more desperate when he breaths no more in secret Prayer then the condition of a Church is where Publique Devotions cease St. Hierome out of Hippolitus puts the cessation of Liturgie (c) Hieron Com. in Dan. as a principal sign of the coming of Antichrist And nothing more clearly shews a profane generation (d) Gen. 4.26 Chal. Par. Tunc profani fuerunt homines ut non Orarent in nomine Domini edit Ven. the very title of wicked men in Scripture (e) Psal 14.4 53.4 being that they call not upon God 'T is well if any of us can excuse our selves but the general neglect of daily Prayers (f) In the Rubrick before the Morning Prayer by Ministers who are both desirous and bound to perform them doth too sadly testify they are tired out with the peoples constant absence and all together witnesseth an Universal decay of true Piety Perhaps the dishonour that is cast upon God and Religion while there is no apparent testimonies that they value either will not move these disregarders and neglecters since they live so that a Stranger could not imagine they had any God at all But I hope they have yet so much Charity for themselves that it may startle them to consider what mischiefs are hereby brought upon themselves and others Wherefore let them ask the cause of all that Atheism and Prophaneness Luxury and Oppression Lying and Deceiving Malice and Bitterness that is broke in upon us to the torment and disquiet of the whole World Let them ask why they plague others with their sins and others requite them again and it will appear that all this is come upon us because we forget God and Heaven Death and Judgment which daily prayers would mind us of Our Souls are fixed to the Earth because we lift them not up to Heaven We have neither grace to do good nor resist Sin because we never ask it and we can have as little hopes of Glory as we have signs of grace because we do not prepare for it But if these evils be too thin and spiritual let it be enquired whence our National and personal calamities proceed Epidemical diseases Warrs and pestilences Whence comes the Multiplication of Heresies the prevalency and pride of the Enemies of the true Religion The Jews will tell you Jacob's Voice in the Synagogue (g) Omni tempore quo Jacobi vox est in synagogis non sunt ibi manus Esau Prov. Rab. lib. Musar keeps off Esau's hands from the People We have disrespected and slighted God and his VVorship and he may justly put us out of his Protection who do not duly pay our homage to him and go away (h) Si Deus s b. synagogam intrat nemo inventus est abiit iratus ut Isai 50.2 Buxtorf syn ex Rh. displeased and then we lye open to all evil when our defence is departed from us and they that provoke him so to do are enemies to themsâ—â—â—â— and to the Church and state where they live indeed the worst Neighbours (i) Quisquis incolit civitatem in quâ extat synagoga et eam tecum non adiit is est Vicinus malus R. Nath. de latr But notwithstanding all this while all sober and devout Men lament this Epidemical iniquity and groan under the sad effects thereof passionately wishing a speedy remedy the Offenders grow bold by their numbers and hardened by this evil custome till they now despise a reproof and deny this Negligence to be a sin because they have no mind to amend it But these are of two kinds 1. Those that make their business their Apology and suppose it is unreasonable to expect them every Day at Common Prayer and judge it sufficient to say they cannot come 2. Those which have learned to despise or hate the Prayers of the Church and to scorn that which their Fore-fathers generally better then they did heartily serve God by and yet these account it their Virtue to abstain from them and having sufficiently undervalued these Devotions stampt by Publick Authority they imagine they may say innocently enough they wil not come But if to disparage our Rule did take off our Obligation to walk by it Scorners then were the least of sinners But neither the excuses of the one can cover his Covetousness and Irreligion nor the confidence of the other shelter his Pride at the last and dreadful day So that I suppose it may be a friendly office and will be so accepted to warn all such of the unsafe grounds they relye upon to prove their innocency in forbearing Publique Prayers And this I shall do by representing with all Moderation 1. The reasonableness of our being present at Daily Prayers to those who say they cannot 2. The Excellency of the Liturgie to those who say they will not come And this I am obliged to do to smooth the way to the Temple for in vain do we shew how men may be devout there if they excuse or deny Coming thither And we must not so confine our Charity to these within the walls as to forget those without We love the one best but we must pitty the other also and endeavour to
Whereas in Extempore Prayer the Petitions expire into Air in a moment for neither Minister nor People knew them before nor can remember them afterwards the one being busy in inventing the others in expecting a pleasing novelty And methinks it argues more of the Spirit of God when we can attend the old Prayers with zeal and love then when we need Variety and Novel Expressions to skrew us up into a Devotion too much like Artifice and seeming rather to be moved by the pleasure of the Fancy then the Actings of desire However we judge of the Effects of Gods Spirit rather by disposing our hearts to joyn in a well-composed Form then by filling our heads with new Prayers or opening our Mouths in fluent expressions both which we may do without the help of the Spirit but to be devout without it is most impossible To which we shall only add that many Sons of God and sound Members of our Church do daily use these prayers with as much Spirit and Life serious and sincere Devotion as any in the World can do And this they account a demonstration that the Spirit doth assist them in this Form And so it may assist these mistaken Christians if they will lay down their groundless prejudice and try to serve God thus as well as they can So would the good Spirit assist their prayers and make up our differences (h) Quis enim inimicum adhuc ducere potest eum cum quo unam ad Deum vocem emisit D. Basil giving us one mind and one Spirit that with one Heart and one Mouth we might glorify one God Object 2. But it is further urged that these Prayers though good in themselves will grow flat and nauseous by daily use (i) Vilia sunt nobis quaecunque prioribus annis Vidimus sorâ— det quicquid spectavimus olim Calphurn Eccl. 7. and consequently become an impediment to Devotion Answ We come not to the house of God for Recreation but for a supply of our Wants and therefore this might be a better reason of an empty Theatre than a thin Congregation We come to God in Publique to petition for the releif of our own general Necessities and those of the whole Church viz. for Pardon of sin Peace of Conscience the succours of Divine Grace and a Deliverance from sin and Sathan Death and Hell as also for food and raiment health and strength protection and success in all our Concerns and more generally for the Peace of the Kingdom the prosperity of the Church the propagation of the Gospel and the success of its Ministers Now these things are alwaies needful and alwaies the same to be prayed for every day alike Wherefore unless we be so Vain as to fancy God is delighted with Variety and Change as well as we what need is there to alter the Phrase every day or what efficacy can a new Model give to our old requests Particular wants and single Cases must be supplyed by the Closet-Devotions for the Pubâ—ique whether by Form or Extempore can never reach all those which are so numerous and variable Wherefore one Form may fit all that ought to be asked in the Church and why then should we desire a needless and infinite Variety and Alteration If we do it is out of Curiosity not Necessity The poor Man is most healthful whose Labour procures him both Appetite and Digestion who seldome changeth his Dish yet finds a Relish in it and a new strength from it every day And so it is with the sober and industrious Christian who busying himself in serving God gets daily a new sense of his Wants and consequently a fresh Stomack to these Holy Forms which are never flat or dull to him that brings new affections to them every day It is the Epicure and luxurious the crammed lazy Wanton or the diseased man that need quelques choses or Sauces to make his daily bread desirable And if this be our Temper it is a sign of a diseased Soul and an effect of our surfeiting on holy things In this we resemble those Murmurers Numb 11.6 who despised the bread of Heaven because they had it daily and loathed Manna it self calling it in scorn Dry Meat This was sufficient to sustain their bodies and satisfy their hunger but they required Meat for their Soul (k) Psal 78.18 LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to feed their Fancies and their lusts even as we do for whom the Church hath provided Prayers sufficient to express our needs but not to satiate our wanton Fancies nor gratify the Lust of our Curiosity and we complain they are insipid so perhaps they are to such for the Manna had no Tast to the wicked but it suited it self to the Appetite and Tast of every good Man as the Jews tell us in their Traditions (l) Wisd 16.21 Fagius on Numb 11. Sure I am it is true here for if we be curious and proud or Carnal and Profane there is no gust in the Common-prayers but a truly pious Man can every day here exercise Repentance and Faith Love and Desire and so use them as to obtain fresh hopes of Mercy Peace of Conscience increase of Grace and expectations of Glory and whoever finds not this the fault is not in the Prayers but in the indisposition of his own heart If all this will undeceive any and take away their prejudice so that they may see clearly what they cannot but love if they did behold I shall think my pains well bestowed if not it appears they are resolved to believe as they do and I am resolved also not to imitate them so far as to cover my Arguments with strenuous revilings (m) Non incessimus adversarios convitiis contumeliis sicut plerique faciunt rationum argumentorum infirmitatem maledictis obtegentes Greg. Naz. because it is more pleasant to me to give a true and lovely Character of my own Devotions then an odious though deserved one of Others Only let those that delight in making objections against Forms know that we can easily recriminate and Charge extempore Prayers with Novelty Confusion Irreverence Vain-glory which can scarce be denyed and many other inconveniences that will hardly be excused But this were to perpetuate a Quarrel and had not been mentioned here but to teach those to be modest in their Censures (n) Cum tua praevideas oculis mala lippus inunctis Cur in amicorum Vitiis tam cernis Acutum who are not free from all Exceptions nay liable to infinitely more then can be justly Charged upon us But having thus cleared the way to all indifferent and disinterested Persons it is time to speak briefly of the Design of the following Discourse which is to make it evident that our Excellent Prayers do deserve all possible love and esteem and contain in them a rich Treasurie of all that can make our Devotion liveâ—y and useful And if we be assisted by Gods spirit and
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
way to escape them To deny my sins were impudence to excuse them will be apparent hypocrisie To be concealed is impossible to be found intollerable I am miserably confounded But was never any in this case before that I might receive some advise and comfort for them Yes surely The Church hath here presented me with a King and a Prophet both dear to God whose fears were greater though their sins were less and their danger not so great as mine yet these in the midst of their fears considered their sins as the onely cause of these evils and accordingly they freely confessed them bitterly lamented and exceedingly humbled themselves for them not striving so much to avoid the Punishment as to obtain the pardon of their sins knowing that the guilt once removed thou wouldst either totally spare them or gently chastise them for their good Wherefore they rendred themselves up into thy hands rather aggravating then extenuating their offences and yet humbly begging their correction might be in mercy and they found the benefit of it Go to then my soul and do thou likewise thou hast first occasioned Gods wrath by thy breaches of his laws oh do not encrease it by dishonouring his Name with excessive fears thou hast forsaken him by sin run not farther by despair for the faster thou runnest from his Mercy the sooner thou wilt meet with his Justice Delay no longer but go in before he send for thee deliver up thy self before death or any sore judgment arrest thee accuse thy self before thou be indited and confess thy sins freely before the witnesses be called out against thee pass sentence on thy self e're the Judge condemn thee I cannot expect wholly to escape but it will be a great favour if I meet a sickness instead of death losses in my estate instead of loosing both my God and my Soul for ever It is not fit to desire my heavenly Father altogether to lay aside his Rod but only to use it gently that I may by this smart be warned against those future sins that bring me to utter and final ruine Oh Lord rather chastise me then disinherit me me and those stripes shall be welcome which come in exchange for eternal torments Thou who wilt change thy Sword into a Rod wilt be so compassionate in thy inflictions that I shall onely feel what my distempered soul needs to recover and my flesh and spirit can bear not what my sins deserve and thy Justice might exact Wherefore I will no longer hide my sins but by a humble and hearty confession declare that I hate them more then I fear to fall into thy merciful hands and do hope hereafter I shall fear to offend and then I shall be freed from these sad expectations of thy heavy wrath which wisdom God grant me for Jesus sake Amen § 4. NOt much unlike this is the case of the poor doubting soul who is discouraged from Confession by mis-giving thoughts that God is become utterly irreconcileable and hence they conclude it needless to repent because they believe the recovery of his favour to be impossible and truly so it is if we think it so to be because while we look upon it to be impossible we can never seek after it (z) Postquam enim adempta spes est lassus câ—râ consertus stupet Arnobius but if we observe it is the design of Satan to make us to think so that we might never obtain it nor attempt it Wherefore to rescue these poor souls from so dangerous a delusion and to prepare them to ask a pardon in Faith the Church hath selected three portions of Scripture more The first (a) Psalm 51.17 To shew they are fitly disposed to ask by their contrition The second (b) Daniel 9.9 To demonstrate God is inclined to give notwithstanding their unworthiness The third (c) Luke 15.18 19. To prove by a pertinent example they are likely to be received if they will venture to come 1. Psalm 51.17 Let this dejected soul view holy David after the Commission of his great sin who being earnestly desirous as you are to be taken again into favour by God vers 12. was surveying his flocks and all his substance (d) Micah 6.6 7. to find some acceptable present to offer to God resolving that nothing was too much nor too precious to procure a thing so excellent But while he looks abroad he remembers he hath something at home a trembling broken heart which panted in his breast and therefore here expressed by a word (e) Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fluctus ad scopuluâ— allisos ita signif Psal 94.5 signifying waves dashed against a Rock this broken spirit and contrite heart was the most acceptable offering in the world Gods justice in condemning his power in detaining and his severity in executing the sentence of his wrath upon his Enemies was in his thoughts as a mighty Rock against which these thoughts had beat so long that his heart was almost dashed to pieces with fear and yet he knows its sighs and groans are pleasanter to God then the melody of the Chantings of the sons of Asaph its pantings and breathings are perfumes sweeter then the cloud of Incense its free Confessions and exposing it self to shame make it an acceptable Heave-offering its tears are a precious Drink-offering and its flaming desires do make it more excellent then whole Burnt-offerings and all the Sacrifices of the Temple The sorrows of our hearts are far more prevalent then the fattest oxen of our stalls or the fairest calves of our lips neither of which without contrition are respected by God (f) Matth. 15.9 The prayers and tears of sorrowful Hanna can fetch a greater and spedier blessing from heaven then the costly oblations of Elâ—anah (g) 1 Sam. 1.13 David is resolved to offer this for this he is sure God will not despise Which word not despise is to meet with the fears of the contrite sinner who because he knows his own heart so filthy deceitful and vile a thing cannot believe but God will reject it as he did the lame and the blind the sick and maimed sacrifice under the Law This is that you fear but he assures you he will not despise it but there is more intended (h) Minus dicitur sub eo majus intelligitur ut Johan 6.37 alibi even that he will accept it kindly as when Christ saith he will not cast them off who come to him he means he will lovingly entertain them so here 't is certain God will not onely not despise it but will look upon it as the best and greatest gift though it be from the hand of a Publican (i) Luke 18. wherefore be not disheartned for your fears shew you have this broken heart offer that and be assured God will embrace it lovingly treat it tenderly and keep it safely Psalm 51.17 I have nothing in this world so dear to me but I would give it
his Authority Much more may the God of Heaven do so and we are taught whom he did choose (z) Matth. 28. ult the Apostles and their successors who are his Ambassadors (a) 2 Cor. 5.20 his Ministers and Stewards of divine Mysteries (b) 1 Cor. 4.1 nay the Presidents of Souls (c) Heb. 13.17 Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thess 5.12 Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Levit. 10. and the familiar friends of God (d) Ver. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propinqui Dei Fagius in locum and the Scripture calls them Angels (e) Jud. 2.1 C. P. ascendit Propheta in legatione à coram domino because they have the same imployment which the Antients ascribed to Angels (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo. de Plant. Noe. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divinorum sunt patefactores Traducunt divina ad nos nostra vicissim ad divina perducunt Jamblith de Mysteriis to conâ—ey Messages between God and Men to present our Prayers to him and bring back to us the news of his Love and especially to bring this Pardon to the Penitent and to proclaim it even to the Impenitent Wherefore let those that despise the Priest or invade his office or allow no difference between a Pardon pronounced by him and an ordinary Person let them take heed of contemning those whom God so highly honours and beware they intrench not upon the supreme Power of the Sender in disallowing the subordinate Power of those that are sent A Condemned man may be told of a Pardon intended to him but he will then believe and humbly rejoyce in it when his Princes herald approaches with it in his hand Oh that we would shew as much reverence and joy upon the news of a greater Absolution that learned Professor may be our pattern (g) Dr. Reynolds who though he in some things dissented yet in this of Absolution he was so clear that he desired it on his death bed and kist the hands of his Brother Professor (h) Dr. Holland who at his earnest request had absolved him But besides their power as the Ambassadors of Christ they have a special charge and command to restore them that fall (i) Galat. 6.1 to comfort the feeble-minded (k) 1 Thess 5.14 and under the Allegory of Shepheards (l) Ezek. 34.4 c. are severely threatned if by their neglect the deseased broken and scattered ones of the flock shall perish and certainly if sinners grow desperate out of ignorance that they may be forgiven it will be heavily charged upon these Shepheards who should have proclaimed this as we do in our Church every day to bring such to a hearty Repentance A power we have alwaies but when there is any truly humbled soul then we have an express Command to loose them of their bonds § 7. To declare and pronounce to his People being Penitent the Absolution and Remission of their sins As the Priests of the Law were to pronounce a blessing upon the offerers (m) Num. 6.24 c. so those of the Gospel are to dispense the blessing of Absolution unto the Penitent this we declare in this daily form according to the Power which God hath given us and upon great need and especial occasion are ready more solemnly to pronounce it to those that are prepared for it according to the particular charge we have received and in both Cases we can assure those that truly Repent that the guilt of their sin shall be absolved and the Punishment remitted But God himself will not forgive any but those that are Penitent and therefore his servants cannot whose power in this is limited and regulated by his Will We indeed cannot see the hearts of men nor infallibly determine of the sincerity of their repentance but yet we see external signs of it prostration confession and in some sighs and tears wherefore Charity obligeth us to judge favourably (n) 1 Cor. 13.7 Justius est occulta de manifestis praejudicare quam manifestis de occultis praedamnare Tert. Apol. in dubious Cases and it is better to commit an error on the right hand of Mercy then a horrid crime by cruelty (o) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Antiph and good men (p) Credulitas error est magis quam culpa quidem in optimi cujusque mentem facillimè irrepit Cicero especially Ministers out of tenderness should hope the best The Rabbins say in the cause of blood if one have the Casting voice he must ever take the merciful side and give his suffrage for sparing Fagius and the same reason holds here especially because in a mixt Congregation many are truly penitent and some of them much dejected and these must not starve for fear others surfet least we destroy the Righteous with the wicked wherefore we hold out a daily Pardon to such but we sufficiently exclude the ungodly because we declare it only belongs to the Penitent But yet though the Minister is to judge charitably the people are to examine impartially because though the Servant cannot yet the Master can distinguish between the Penitent and Impenitent And though the Minister shall have a reward for his Charity the obstinate sinner shall not have the benefit thereof Let it therefore be your care to examine your hearts and repent truly that so you may not only have a Pardon from Man but from Almighty God also do you as the Jews are taught by their Masters to do (q) Buxt Syn. c. 18. who are bid to spend the whole Month before the day of Expiation in examining their lives and repenting of their sins especially when the Trumpet sounds to give warning four days before and then we can assure you as they do them that on the great day you shall be certainly absolved he that truly repents and then comes humbly to receive this Absolution shall have God sealing it to him and that day shall be his day of Expiation § 8. He pardoneth and absolveth The unjust Steward for flattery and advantage doth in his own name by private Compacts diminish and remit his Masters debts without his consent (r) Luke 16.5 6. and those Priests are false Stewards to the God of Heaven who in the same manner acquit sinners But whatever tâ—â— Priests of the Roman Church may get by such fraudâ—iâ—â— dealings sure I am God keeps so exact a debt-book that he will loose nothing but the credulous debter shall suffer by his rash belief when he is called over to a new reckoning but because fidelity is the most necessary qualification in a Steward (s) 1 Cor. 4.2 We do not pretend to do this in our own Names but being to Publish a Pardon we do it in Nomine Domini not We but He Pardoneth for it is Gods sole Priviledge to forgive sins and the Scribes and Pharisees called it Blasphemy for any to pretend to this power (t) Luke 5.21 And the Fathers
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
man that although God is and ever shall be a glorious King (o) Psal 10.16 and Psal 29.10 in deluvium Deus sedit h. e. Perditis omnibus creaturis tamen regnum ejus manet R.R. whatever become of this lower world yet the devils hate him and wicked men rebel against him and their own corruptions will not fully submit to him and all this while the great King of Kings seems to connive at all seldome exercising his power to subdue or his justice to punish and destroy his enemies so that the whole world abounds with Impiety and Confusion and then what wonder if the Children of God who know their Fathers Power and goodness do earnestly desire he may more visibly reign amongst men for his glory and their own good in particular and the benefit of all the World for his Kingdome is Regimen Paternum and consequently our interest (p) Illi deputamus quod ab illo expectamus Tertul. and our happiness and therefore our Prayer for when our Heavenly Father doth thus exercise his Authority then his faithful servants shall be secured from their enemies supplied in all their needs and satisfied in all their desires Now the Kingdome of God or Heaven (q) Vide Supra Ch. p. 1. §. 6. signifies either his Kingdome of Grace or that of Glory His Kingdome of Grace we pray may come in a double sense 1. By an outward profession viz. That the Gospel may be embraced in all the world even there where now they are slaves to the Devil and their own lusts who are servants to the Prince of darkness (r) Ephes 2.2 doing his work observing his Laws and paying him Tribute by Sacrifices as their Leige Lord we pray that these poor Souls may be Converted believe and be Baptised renouncing their old Master and professing themselves Subjects of Jesus and of the great King of all the World 2. We pray his Kingdome of grace may come by a real subjection where his Soveraignity is owned because without this an outward possession is but like the mockery of the cruel Jews who saluted him hail King and then smote him on the face and so doth every professed Christian that lives wickedly Wherefore we pray That his Kingdome may be within us as well as among us (s) Luke 17.21 and whereas now his Laws are broken his Messengers despised his People abused and his Enemies cherished that by the power of his grace in all our hearts our unruly passions may be tamed our rebellious lusts mortified and our naughty desires extinguished till we all own his Authority fear his displeasure and obey his Edicts as we ought to do and if any be so obstinate as still to refuse him for their King (t) Luke 19.14 we pray that our Lord Jesus would exercise his royal power in punishing all such that others may see and fear (u) Psal 58. ult and every good man desires for himself this righteous Prince (x) Psal 45.6 may subdue every opposing thought in his heart (y) 2 Cor. 10.5 and may have the absolute command over all the members of his body and faculties of his soul and then he hopes his corruption will be restrained his graces quickened and all his inward man in much better order he knows if Christ rule in his heart he shall have more freedome comfort and peace then ever he had before Oh it were happy for the Christian world and every truly Christian soul if Our Fathers Kingdome were set up in all our hearts since we all own it with our mouths Lord let thy Kingdome of grace thus come Secondly the Children of God pray for his kingdome of glory viz. for that visible and glorious manifestation of the Kingdome of Jesus when he shall come to dispense his glorious rewards and finall Pardon to his faithful servants and admit them to be sharers in his joy and partners in his Kingdome and to pronounce the fearful doom upon his obstinate and miserable enemies to make them suffer the just deserts of their wilfull opposition and desperate Rebellion in unexpressible and eternal torments In which acts the glory of his kingdome the mightiness of his power the truth of his word the infiniteness of his love to his own and the exactness of his justice to his enemies shall be so clearly demonstrated to all the world that his faithful ones shall be rapt with joy and wonder and glorifie him for it to all eternity Here alass they serve there they shall reign here they are despised and afflicted vext with their own corruptions grieved for the sins of others poor and disconsolate full of cares and fears which when Christs Kingdome comes shall not only be done away but exchanged for endless glory and boundless felicity And who can blame them who are weary with slavery (z) Optamus maturiùs regnare non diutiùs servire Tert. de Or. Regnum Dei Volum Christianorum confusio nationum exultatio Angelorum idem ibid. to wish for liberty and long for that happy day which is the end of all their evils and the beginning of that incomparable joy that never shall have end Let ungodly persons fear and tremble at this dreadful day to them let their tongue falter when they wish for it and their own confusion the holy ones of God can joyn with their bretheren under the Altar in saying Come Lord Jesus come quickly the sooner he comes the sooner shall their souls be delivered and their desires satisfied in seeing and enjoying their Lord and deer Redeemer 'T is true when a good man considers how dreadful vengeance will then seize on sinners out of pitty to them that pitty not themselves they pray that these desperate sinners may first submit to his Kingdome of grace and are well pleased with the deferring of that day (a) 2 Pet. 3.9 Pro morâ finis Tert. ibid. and can pray with the Primitive Christians for the putting that time further off though it be to their own loss because so God will be more glorified and Heavens Quire fuller and the Musick sweeter the more are brought home therefore they pray that though the Kingdome of Glory be their happiness yet the Kingdome of Grace may first come into the hearts of all that will receive it § 5. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven As Gods Kingdome doth alwaies abide so his will is ever done and so it may seem superfluous to request it may be done because it is the Rule by which all Creatures act and they all do bring about (b) Psal 115.3 Rom. 9.19 his Will when they interd it and when they do not and God himself alwaies doth his own Will (c) Deo non posse nolle est posse ville Tertull. in Prax. which is the limit of his infinite power for he can do and doth what he will and thus we had sufficiently asked it before in thy Kingdome come because this is the
name of God for any mercy we have received Wherefore they are used and commended by Christians Jews and Mahumetans And although we have many differences among the several parties that are called Christians yet all agree to make use of these incomparable and sacred Anthems so that Cassander designed to compose a Liturgie out of them that might serve his purpose of universal accommodation and be received by all Christians This joint consent and universal approbation will make it needless to spend much time to commend what all admire Yet it were easie to reckon up those excellent titles (a) Virtutum Organum Ambr. Theologiae compendium Basil Epitome totius Scripturae Athan. Parva Biblia Luther and honourable characters (b) Psalmus benedictio populi est Dei laus plebis laudatio plausus omnium sermo universorum vox Ecclesiae fidei canora confessio c. vid. Ambros praef ad Psal which have been given of them They are the instrument of Virtue the marrow of Divinity the storehouse of Devotion the Epitome of all Holy Scripture They contain excellent Forms to bless the people to praise God to rejoyce in his favour to bewail his absence to confess our faith to crave pardon of our sins deliverance from our enemies and all blessings for the Church of God In the use of them we ought to exercise all Graces Repentance and Faith Love to God and Fear of him Charity to men and Compassion to the miserable with all the rest of those Christian qualifications that our souls must be endued with the Composure of them declares they are fitted for men of all ages and degrees in all Estates and Conditions Young and Old Kings Priests and People in Prosperity and Adversity here they may find that which so exactly sâ—tes them all as it their condition had been foreseen and particularly provided for and if any who grant this shall except that many of the Psalms are not applicable to their condition I shall confidently affirm that a devout soul in its enjoyment of the divine favour can be humbled in using the complaints for want of it uttered by better men and thereby they are moved to see what they deserve and to consider what many of their bretheren want so on the contrary a Pious man under trouble of spirit can by the spiritual rejoycings there described behold the goodness of God to others and foresee his own deliverance receiving thereby additions to his faith hope and patience He that forgives his eâ—emies and wisheth well to all particular persons may repeat those curses delivered in this book as predictions of the misery like to befall the inveterate enemies of Religion or as deprecations against sin and Sathan and all the spiritual enemies of our souls which are the Amalek with whom we must have an endless war and whose extirpation we must endeavour and pray for The like might be said of all the rest in all other cases but this may suffice to justifie the Church in more frequent using these Psalms then any other part of Gods word because this is the quintescence of all Scripture (c) Historia instruit Lex docet Prophetia annuntiat correptio castigat morabitas suadet in libâ—o Psalmorum profectus omnium est Ambros ut supr accommodated for Worship and Devotion And so it was esteemed by the Jews and therefore the greatest part of the Temple-service consisted of Forms contrived out of the Psalms and committed to the Masters of the Quire who used those Forms (d) 1 Chron. 16.7 ad ver 37. collected out of 105.96 106 Psalmes Ab eo tempore ordinariè post-hac Deus fuit celebratus Psalmis sacrâ musicâ Osiander See 1 Chr. 25.2 and praised God by them long after Davids time (e) 2 Chron. 29.30 yea at this very day their Liturgie is an extract principally out of these Psalms (f) Buxtorf Synag cap. 5. Et versus alios complures Psalâ—is Davidicis recitare solent c. ibid. which they use in their Synagogues at this present And no man is ignorant how constantly the Primitive Christians used them in their Assemblies (g) 1 Cor. 14.26 Coloss 3.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Constit Apost l. 2. cap. 57. so that Pliny describes their service by singing hymns to the honour of God which they used so much in publique that the very Women and Children and meanest Mechanicks (h) Psalmorum oracula domi canunt in foro circumferunt Basil in 1 Psal See Euseb Hist lib. 9. cap. 1. and more fully Hammond preface to the Psalms could say them by heart and sung them at home and abroad even about their labours making them at once the exercise of their piety and the refreshment of their minds recreating themselves and glorifying God and hereby they had answers ready to oppose all Sathans temptations and the most illiterate might pray to God or praise him in any circumstances by a Form of his own Inditing How happy should we be if we were now as perfect in them The best way to be so is to frequent the Church daily where they are used and there we shall at once be refreshed with the musick and instructed by the frequent recital of them and so we shall at the same time be pleased and profited we shall have holy principles conveyed into our minds with pleasure (i) O sapiens Doctoris inventum qui simul canere utilia nos discere excogitavit Basil ut supr And for this cause I suppose the musick which these sacred songs were first set to is still continued in the Church as it was among the Jews and best Christians (k) Ad S. Altare iterum rediens Psalmorum incipit Melos concinentibus secum sacra carmina omnibus Ecclesiastici Ordinis gradibus Dionys Areop Eccles hist c. 3. Vid. item Euseb lib. 2. cap. 17. Eccl. histor Which ought to mind us of the musick of the Celestial Quire and may calm our souls and gently raise our affections (l) Grotius in 1 Sam. 10. v. 5. putting us into a fit posture to glorifie our Father which is in heaven and sweetning these pious Lessons that will take the deeper root because the heart was first mollified and prepared to receive them for sure he is of a rugged temper and hath an ill composed soul who feels not these effects of that grave and pleasant harmony which doth accompany this office and we may fear they are not of Davids spirit whose ears are offended or spirit disturbed or devotion hindred by vocal or instrumental musick but oh ye prudent and pious Christians who bring no prejudices against these things you know how oft your souls have been rapt up with extasies of devotion and your minds filled with Ideas of the Celestial glory and your hearts enflamed with strong affections by these sweet strains Wherefore do you endeavour when you are so disposed with fervency and holy ardors to
advantage which occasions that joy wherefore we are most of all obliged to rejoyce with the blessed Virgin both as she was the Mother of our Redeemer according to the flesh and because we may be so according to the spirit the Lesson we now heard is out of the Old Testament and as there we find the Records and Examples of the Divine Mercy to the Pious and humble and of his Vengeance upon the Proud and arrogant so here we find a Form of Praise for those dispensations of Gods Providence and since all the deliverances of Gods people there related are founded on this mercy of our Redemption or flow from it or are directed to it this Hymn will teach us to turn the Old Testament into Gospel and with the holy Patriarchs (l) Gen. 49.18 Non expecto redemptionem Sampsonis quae est salus transitoria sed expecto redemptionem Messiae filii David Targ. ever to apply all to this great salvation of which all other mercies were but types Behold then the Mother of Jesus saying to you Oh praise the Lord with me (m) Psal 34.4 and let us magnifie his name together let us shew forth the greatness of his power and goodness for we cannot set out his Perfections with any advantage nor represent him greater then really he is as we often magnifie one another but then we magnifie the Lord when we declare what we apprehend him to be and let us advance his glory as high as is possible for there is no danger of exceeding our Praises will be short but they must be real wherefore before we can bear a part in this Anthem we must get our souls affected with a sense of his infinite Power and our minds exalted with the belief of his excellent mercy so our praise shall be no complement but our soul and spirit shall bear their part and our thanksgiving may be real as his favours are let his wonderful love present it self to your affections and bring out your wonder and joy your hopes and desires to behold the sweetness till these passions begin to be enamoured on it and moved by it and then they will carry a lovely notion and fair Idea of it to the mind and so effectually recommend it that the whole inward man shall be ravished with the beautiful prospect and every faculty of the soul and part of the affections shall unite into a devout celebration of the divine love and mercy Behold the holiest of Women observe where she fixes her eye and whether she directs her Praises she rejoyceth not in her own excellencies nor doth she magnifie her self but God her Saviour which may check our vanity who are so apt in a prosperous success and unexpected exaltation to sacrifice to our own deserts (n) Hoc ego feci non fortuna dict Timoth. ducis to crown our selves though we snatch it from the head of Heavens King but sure since he gives the blessing he deserves the honour (o) Tuum Domine est bonum tua itaque est gloria Qui enim de bono tuo gloriam sibi quaerit non tibi fur est latro similisque diabolo qui voluit furare gloriam tuam August Soliloqu c. 15. and he that paies it not is a double thief and steals the gift and the glory also for both are his She that was the Mother of Jesus after the flesh thinks it no disparagement to confess her Son to be her Saviour but rejoyceth that he was so let not us then think we are saved from temporal evils or can be from eternal death without him and let us esteem it a greater honour to us and a surer ground of our rejoycing that the most high God is become our Salvation then if we had our strength in our own hands § 2. There is nothing gives the dimensions of Gods love to us more truly then the sight and sense of our vileness when we behold our selves so low and despicable as indeed we are then the glories of the Divine Majesty in stooping to us and looking on us in our low estate will shine in their native lustre when we see how worthless we are and what favour we have obtained beyond our expectations as much as our deserts then our souls will magnifie the Lord in the apprehensions of his greatness and our spirits rejoyce in the admirable goodness of God our Saviour Thus the blessed Virgin was inspired with these Seraphical extasies of joy by looking on the mean Condition in which this infinite mercy surprised her she was not arrived to the honour of marriage and in the opinion of the daughters of Jerusalem who esteemed it a huge reproach and a great affliction (p) 1 Sam. 1.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LXX pro sterilitate ut Gen. 29.32 to be without Children her estate was disgraceful and her fortunes were really dishonourable for though she sprung from the blood Royal of Judah yet she was then a poor obscure maid unknown to the world but regarded by him that loves to lodge in the lowest hearts (q) Isai 57.15 of the poor and pious as well as in the highest heavens she was in her lowest estate the Lords hand-maid and devoutly served him day and night and her Piety sanctified her Poverty and drew the eye of God to regard her as he will the meanest of us if our obedience equal hers and especially if our minds be as low as our estate is for so was this excellent Virgins who by lowliness here means not her humility for it had argued Pride to have so high a conceit of her lowliness of mind as to believe it obliged Gods favour there it was her meanness and poverty (r) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abjectionem humilem conditionem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verò humilitatem significare asserit Erasmus which she so freely confesseth and heartily praiseth God for regarding No doubt her humility was eminent in her afflicted condition for when she was advanced to be the Mother of the Worlds Saviour she seeks no greater honour then to be stiled the hand-maid of the Lord ver 38. Oh Blessed Soul that was ever the same neither dejected in her affliction nor puffed up with her exaltation but serves God chearfully in the one and praises him heartily for the other She beholds an infinite and lasting honour prepared for her not alone among the daughters of one place or Generation (s) Gen. 30.13 Syr. pro gloriâ med for she was to be the Mother of a Universal and Everlasting blessing which all former ages had desired and all future times should rejoyce in and Both would proclaim her happy above all Women who should be the Instrument of this Mercy And yet she resigns all this glory to him that gave it her and declares whence she received it (t) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophilac in loc that not her name but his may have the glory and sure she deserves
least it should be neglected or forgotten by private persons if we attend on the Service of the Church we shall neither be ignorant nor unmindful of this heavenly touchstone by which we may constantly discover all that is contrary to the truth of our principles or the holiness of our profession 2. To express our constant fidelity to God this being like the Souldiers word or symbol by keeping which we own that great General whose Souldiers and Servants we avowed our selves at Baptism and took upon us this Faith as the badge and cognizance of our relation to God and dependance on him So that whenever we are to fight for him or to approach him (z) Dei igitur cultus quoniam coelestit militia est devotionem maximam fidemque desiderat Lact. lib. 5. c. 20. Non ego perfidum dixi sacramentum Ibimus ibimus we must shew this badge and repeat the Articles of our Allegiance to declare we are still for the Lord of hosts and do hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering Nor is there a more effectual argument to move God to hear our Prayers and obtain the intercession of Jesus then with heart and voice to make this Confession of him before men (a) Rom. 10. ver 9 10. S. Matth. 10. ver 32. and solemnly to own our selves his servants (b) Psal 116. ver 16. Psalm 119.125 for then we have assured promises of protection and defence Let us then think how reverently should we stand up to renew our faithful engagements to the King of Heaven and Earth and how sincerely should we profess our fidelity to the searcher of all hearts whose we desire so much to be accounted and now that we are in our Petitions to beseech him to shew himself to be our God let us most seriously and devoutly protest our selves to be his servants 3. To manifest our unity among our selves and agreement with the whole Church that as we have one Lord so we may have one Faith (c) Ephes 4.5 Rom. 15.6 and as Children of the same Father servants of the same household and Souldiers under the same Prince may with one mind and one mouth glorifie this One God For we must agree in heart as well as meet in person if we would have our prayers (d) Matth. 18.19 be accepted It were to be wished there were no dissent in the smallest matters among the servants of the same God but if any such be that they may not dissolve our Union nor divide our Worship we are all to rejoyce that we agree in the main and to repeat this Creed together with a hearty charity that we may all declare our selves satisfied in these necessary things and may pray together without the least sparks of wrath Let us therefore remember these Prayers are put up only by and for the true members of the Church and this Creed is the Criterion to discern between the faithful and the false (e) Tessera signaculum quo inter fideles perfidosque seceâ—nitur Maxim Taurin So that by the hearty reciting thereof thou ownest the same Faith which glorified Saints did once profess and all holy Christians throughout the world do now believe and dost hereby declare thy self a true member of Christs holy Church Fides quam Sancti Apostoli praedicaverunt concilia firmaverunt Fatres consignaverunt Theodorus Ep. Rom. and so hast a right to its priviledges and a share in its Devotions § 4. The last and chiefest enquiry is concerning the manner how it is to be repeated of which we had need be careful least our frequent use of so excellent a part of these offices do take off our attention from these noble and necessary ends There are many requisite and becoming affections which our thoughts should now be actuated with concerning the certainty and the usefulness of these truths the happiness of those that know them and the misery of such as are ignorant of them But especially we must be careful in this part of our service 1. To be most heartily thankful to our gracious God that hath made these divine truths so manifest to us Shall the heathen Plato praise God that he was born in Greece and educated at Athens and the Jews bless him every day that made them sons of Abraham and sanctified them with his precepts and shall not we much more magnifie his favour towards us who by the advantages of our Birth and Education are so early instructed in these saving truths that are so necessary we cannot be happy without them so evident that we are scarce ever tempted to doubt of them and yet withall so mysterious that all the wisdome in the world could never without the help of Revelation have discovered them to us many Kings and Princes Prophets and Masters of the greatest reason have lived and dyed in ignorance of these principles which by Gods mercy you understand as clearly and believe as fully as any thing that sense or experience teacheth you Forget not therefore daily to pay the tribute of Praise to thy heavenly Master who hath made thee oâ—e of his own School and prevented thy going blindfold to destruction 2. Be sure to give your positive and particular assent to all and every article thereof receiving them all as undoubted Oracles from the mouth of the God of truth who neither will nor can deceive Our souls may safely rely upon them and require no other demonstration (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Strom. 50. but only whether it be certain that God did reveal them He that knows him and his eternal veracity will enquire no further and he that would believe firmly had need enquire so far and with the Bereans search the Scripture (g) Acts 17.11 Non temerè sed ratione nitimur ad fidem Orig. in Cels l. 3. and examine if these be confirmed there and then we may on good grounds annex our Credo I believe to every single Article when we have found it agreeing with the Word of God And though I believe be only once set down in the beginning of the first Article yet it must be understood and supplied by us in the front of every Article afterwards as it was wont to be in the antient form of Baptism and may be seen in the Creed for that office in our Liturgy the Priest asking at every Article Credis Dost thou believe and he answering Credo I believe Meditate that God himself doth so bespeak you I have given you my holy word and taught you all saving truth do you believe there is one God and let every ones heart eccho again I do believe it Do you believe he made Heaven and Earth I do believe it c. Nor must any man think it sufficient for the Minister to say the Creed for him it is not then thy Faith but his own Nor doth he confess it that doth not in heart or voice or both go
Deo propitiante intromittatur Concil Vasens can 5. that it should be said in the Morning and Evening Prayer and in the Communion Offâ—ce with great Contrition and Devotion By which it appears that though these words were so sacred that the Heathens used them in their Prayers (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrian in Epict. l. 2. c. 7. yet they learned them either from David or the Christian Church where the use hereof was so familiar that we read that Antioch was delivered from an Earth-quake by the Peoples going barefoot in procession and saying this short Litany Lord have mercy on us (d) Paul Diacon lib. 16. No doubt if with humility and fervency we repeat it Our souls may be delivered from sin and our following supplications might be more acceptable for it signifies Lord be gracious (e) Deus sis propitius Ita Vers Jun. Trem. unto us or shew compassion and favour toward us in receiving and answering the Prayers we are about to make especially the Lords Prayer wherein we must not presume to call God Father until we have intreated for grace and mercy But concerning the repetition of the LORDS PRAYER in this place our designed brevity allows us only here to say that being the best of all Prayers it cannot be used too often and having the best of all Authors for its Composer even him for whose sake all our requests are heard it may seem to consecrate the Petitions annexed to it since they are formed by this Pattern and contain nothing but what is agreeable to this form which hath upon it the Royal stamp of Divine Authority Nor should the frequency of its returns abate our devotion in the use since Jesus did thrice pray in the same words Only as before it was applied for the Confirmation of our Pardon so now it must respect the following Petitions to which we may so heartily unite it that they may be more acceptable for its sake and we may make amends for any Petition thereof which was not so zealously put up by reason of intervening distractions when it was said before by asking that with a doubled earnestness now which then we forgot or sligâ—tly passed over § 4. Psal 85.7 O Lord shew thy mercy upon us Answ And grant us thy salvation From the recital of that sacred Form of Prayer which Jesus left us we pass to the interlocutory Petitions by this grateful variety taking off the tediousness and adding to the pleasure of the duty as also quickening the attention and uniting the hearts of the performers And herein the Minister begins as the commissionated Embassador of Heaven yet the people follow and bear a part as a badge of their honour and an engagement to their watchfulness charity and devotion while both contribute heat to each others affections and vigour to these short and sweet ejaculations taken for the most part out of the great storehouse of Divine Offices the Psalms of David and being an Epitome of the ensuing Collects for Grace and Peace for Kings Priests and People that they may be replenished with all sorts of blessings The words of which sentences are so significant and comprehensive that it will be hard to make a better Collection and yet so plain and obvious that we discourse of them rather for the help of Devotion then any necessity of explication This first Versicle is a general Petition for Mercy and Salvation and seems to be the sum of all the weekly Collects for one or both of these are commonly the subject of them we prayed for Mercy in the Lord have mercy c. and now we beg some visible token thereof viz. some such wonderful deliverance (f) Psal 36.17 Psal 64. penult that all the world may see and say it is his salvation We need mercy to pardon pitty and help us in the way and we desire salvation at the end even that eternal salvation which is his by inheritance possession and purchase and can only be ours in his right and by his mercy so that it is fit we call it his salvation and first crave mercy (g) Quia non aliunde inducitur Deus ut salvator nisi quia misericors est Calv. in loc before we presume to ask it because we cannot otherwaies merit or obtain it but by his mercy § 5. Psal 20. ult O Lord save the Kingâ— Answ And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee This twentieth Psalm whence this is taken may be intituled a Prayer for the King for after many Petitions for his prosperity it concludes with this summary ejaculation even in these very words (h) Psal 20. ult LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Ita Vulg. Lat. Vatabl. vide Hammond Annot. Psal 20. d as the Greek Interpreters and their followers do on good grounds read them And for the Phrase it self it is the same with that so usual acclamation God save the King (i) 1 Sam. 10.24 Chal. Par. Sit faelix Rex 1 Kings 1.25.39 2 Kings 11.12 alibi Vivat Rex vel Vivat in aeternum wherein we do in one woâ—d wish the King prosperity and peace long life and health victory and everlasting felicity And this we do not as many Parasites only at the Coronation when every one adores the rising Sun but we repeat it most loyally and devoutly every day earnestly desiring his welfare and safety and because in his peace we shall have peace we humbly beg this request may alwaies find acceptance and that we may be heard and our dear and dread Soveraign blessed every day withall pre-ingaging as it were the Almighty against a time of more especial need viz. that when by reason of wars or tumults we come in the behalf of our Prince to beg a particular blessing for Him and his Armies that we may then prevail so that the Praying as well as fighting legiors may be esteemed the defence and guard of his Person and his Rights § 6. Psal 132.9 Endue thy Ministers with right ousness Answ And make thy chosen people joyful This Prayer for the holy Tribe indited by David seems to have been a part of the Jewish Liturgy for it was solemnly used by Solomon at the dâ—dication of the Temple Let thy Priests be clothed (k) 2 Chron. 6.46 Exod. 28.2 36. saith he with Righteousness alluding no doubt to the holy Garments appointed for their ministration which did signifie that extraordinary and peculiar sanctity which was required in those who approached so near to God The sense of which Petition our Church hath significantly given in the word endue lightly changed from the Latine indue which refers to the qualifications of the mind as the word Cloth to the covering of the body So that here we pray that they may have souls pure as their linnen Ephod and lives spotless and holy as the garments they are clothed with not content to have their outward man arrayed with the sign but endeavouring to
dye when the first of you two lovers descends to the grave If it arise from plenty it will make your delights wormwood to remember how quickly you may be stript of them what excellent things you have given for them and how speedily you must be taken from them however your peace and plenty must expire together Give us then O Lord that Peace which is grounded on thy truth and the merits of Jesus upon a sense of thy love and an experience of thy grace for this can never deceive nor fail us because it ends in everlasting Peace And let us not seek this in the Freindships of the wicked nor the storehouses of pleasure but in Jesus and an holy life in heavenly desires pious resolutions and religious Conversation In which the grace of God will help us for we are his servants and make our applications to him for it and since we seek not as the world seeks no doubt we shall find a Peace so sweet and ravishing as that nothing which the men of this World know can be compared to it § 3. That hoth our hearts may be set to obey thy Commandements It is the Epicure that desires Peace that he may wallow in sinful pleasures But our first and principal end in this Petition is that we may have no interruption to our holiness because our cheif desire is to lead a good life (k) De pace temporis per pacem pectoris transeamus ad pacem aeternitatis Durand lib. 4. cap. 39. And how pleasant will this sound in the ears of him who is the fountain of all holy desires good counsels and just works when we wish peace it self only as a means to righteousness I have observed before that peace first springs from a holy life and now must add that it encreases that holiness to which it owes its Original by a reciprocal gratitude The fear of Gods irrevocable displeasure and the accusations of conscience may discourage and persuade us we cannot safely undertake nor hope to finish a course of piety And then for want of this peace our good desires seldom come so far as religious resolutions seldomer to be righteous actions But this Peace will be as a guard (l) Phil. 4.7 Graec. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praesidio erit cordibus vestris See Rom. 15.13 to exclude these fears to keep us firm in our allegiance to God and to make us abound in hope and constancy to the end For in this we tast the sweetness of Religion the winning and yet solid delights it doth afford And then it will in our thoughts sure be so far esteemed above all other things that nothing can be able to separate us from the love of God (m) Qui in malis fuerit conversus est ad bonum dum gaudet de bonis quae invenit recordatur malorum quae evasit difficulter redit ad malum Opus imperfect in Matth. ap Chrysost hom 2. cap. 2. Thus his favour becomes our joy his Spirit our comforter his grace our help and his glory our reward And would any reject these priviledges and cast away these advantages for honour pleasures profit or friends Break his league with heaven to make such friendships Can any man that ever tasted the living waters of the divine grace long for the corrupt and standing pool of any sublunary contents If we desire our hearts should be so fixed let us beg an experience of this Peace Nothing draws us more powerfully ties more closely nor keeps us constant more surely then this For thus we shall learn to love holiness it self and to welcome all good motions and diligently to improve them till they bring forth their desired fruit § 4. And also that by thee we being defended from the fear of our enemies may pass our time in rest and quietness through the merits of Iesus Christ our Saviour Amen The sum of our happiness on earth is to lead quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty And if we can obtain the Peace of God we may be happy in both these And since our heavenly Master not only delights in the holiness but hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servants we use it as an argument to move him to grant us this Peace by representing that it will compleat our felicity for it will fix our hearts in the obedience of his laws and will make our â—ives most comfortable He must be highly base that will injure and offend an innocent and blameless man a friend of Heaven who deserves and gains the affections of most men (n) Qui infra diligitur idem supra diligitur R. Mos Aeg. Sat fautores semper habet qui recte facit Seneca Yet if such an one be injured he is sure of the aid of an Almighty defender and his own heart being filled with the Peace of God he enjoyes tranquillity in his own brest and is not to be constrained by violence from without not cannot be terrified by any fears within For since his care is to please God he daily experiences that heavens eye is over him and is more and more confirmed that his foundation is sure And thus be it night or day he can pass it over with all inward quietness so that nothing in this world can make such an one miserable Let us be earnest then with the author of all holiness to give us that Peace which may be the nurse and guard of our piety the support and comfort of our lives that our daies may be safe and our nights pleasant and every moment engage us to new acts of Praise And let us beg this Peace for the merits sake of Jesus who hath purchased a Covenant of Peace with his precious blood remembring we deserve by our sins to live in perpetual disturbance but for his sake we may hope for Peace and desire it as the readiest way to temporal yea and to eternal happiness Amen The Paraphrase of the Collect for Peace in the Evening Prayer O God the giver of every good and perfect gift from whom and by whose grace all holy desires first spring up in our hearts and all good Counsels and holy resolutions grow till they bring forth the fruit of righteous actions and all just works both holiness and the truest Peace which flows from it do proceed from thee Wherefore gracious Lord give unto us that acknowledg our selves thy servants such firm persuasions of our reconciliation to thee and such comfortable testimonies of our obedience to thy will that we may ever enjoy that Peace which is so sweet and sure that the world with all its Friendship and Plenty cannot give any Peace worthy to be compared with it Grant us so to tast this delicious fruit of a holy life that both our wavering and inconstant hearts by the experience of this Peace may be set firmly and resolved stedfastly to obey thy commandements to the encrease of our Piety and also that by thee
will humble us and make our request more zealous and mollifie him and make him more ready to grant them By his great mercy he will be moved to compassion to see us chained by night and sleep helpless and exposed to all mischiefs of soul and body and will send his grace to defend our souls and his Angels to guard our bodies that none of these perils shall hurt us And then our morning Praises must own it as an Act of great pitty How dare you suffer your eyes to sleep in the midst of such armies of Perils before you have besought him that never slumbers nor sleeâ—s to save you from them But if any be so confident it is not courage but desperate stupidity and inconsideration that makes him so daring The good man begs for Protection for this night and so again for the next and every time with a new Devotion having warmed his heart first with apprehensions of his own dangers and insufficiency to escape them § 7. For the love of thine only Son our Saviour Iesus Christ Amen Although with the Disciples we may be somewhat affraid when we enter into the cloud yet we must beware the darkness do not shut up the eye of our Faith by which we may behold him in whom God is well pleased when our bodily eyes are closed And if we discern him by Faith that very sight will make our darkness to be light For we may run to him and approach the Throne of Grace with him in our Armes The Molossian King was by law obliged to grant any Petition offered by one that brought his Son with him And the Kiâ—g of heaven cannot deny us when we most truly and humbly disclaim our own merits and beg his Protection for the love he bears to the holy Jesus who was the delight of his Soul from all eternity and yet â—e became one with us in his incarnation and made us one with him in our regeneration and we are the members of his body and the price of his bloud so that the Father loves us in and for him that have nothing attractive or lovely in our selves Again we intreat him to save us by all the love which Jesus bears unto us to whom we are neer as his own flesh deerer then his own life more esteemed then fallen Angels or a thousand worlds For his delight is with the Sons of men (z) Prov. 8.31 Wherefore we beseech our heavenly Father by that which will moove his bowels towards us by his own everlasting love to us and his affection to his only Son and by the inexpressible love of that his Son to us to give us a night comfortable and safe We are in darkness but our head is in a never ceasing light and he that gave him to redeem us from eternal darkness will not suffer us to perish in spiritual darkness nor leave us exposed to the mischiefs of one night that will so soon be over passed If our affections be as fervent as this argument is foâ—ceable 't is sure this Petition will not be denyed The Paraphrase of the third Collect for Aid against all Perils LEt the assurance of thy Providence the comforts of thy grace and the beams of thy favour Lighten our darkness and remove the discomfort of the approaching night we beseech thee to make in sweet and safe to us O Lord thou Father of lights and by thy great mercy behold and pitty the various miseries and mischiefs that we thy poor helpless Creatures are exposed unto That thou mayest preserve and defend us in our souls and bodies estate and friends from all perils and dangers which might befall us in any part of this night grant this dear Father not for our merits but for the love thou bearest to the person of the only Son and to us for his sake since he is our Saviour even Jesus Christ our Lord and our Redeemer Amen SECTION XVI Of the Collects for the King and the Royal Family The Analysis of the Prayer for the Kings Majesty This Prayer hath two general Parts 1. The Confession of the King of Heaven acknowledging 1. His great goodness O Lord our heavenly Father 2. His Supream Authority high and mighty King of Kings Lord of Lords the only ruler of Princes 3. His Universal Providence who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth 2. The Petitions for his Vicegerent on Earth requesting 1. A special Providence over him most heartily we beseech thee with thy favour to behold our most gracious Soveraign Lord King CHARLES 2. All kinds of blessings â—or him 1. Spiritual 1. Grace aâ—d so replenish him with the grace of thy holy spirit that he may alwaies incline to thy will and walk in thy way 2. Gifts endue him plenteously with heavenly gifts 2. Temporal 1. Prosperity grant him in health and wealth long to live 2. Victory strengthen him that he may vanquish and overcome all his enemies 3. Eternal with the general motive and finally after this life he may attain everlasting joy and felicity through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen A Practical Discourse on the Prayer for the Kings Majesty § 1. O Lord our heavenly Father The Almighty and Eternal God is without dispute the King of Heaven and Earth and supream governor of all the world But since his throne is in Heaven he is pleased to constitute Princes his Deputies on the Earth which he hath given to the Children of men (a) Psal 115.16 Wherefore since by him Kings reign (b) Prov. 8.15 Nos judicium Dei suscipimus in Imperatoribus qui gentibus illos praefecit id in eis seimus esse quod Deus voluit ideoque salvum volumus esse quod Deus voluit Tertul Apol. c. 32. we submit to his appointment of them and revere his Majesty in them and to him we make our supplications for them who hath power to defend them as well as authority to create them And he must needs have a peculiar regard toward them and love to them because they are anointed by him to administer his rights among us This hath encouraged all Nations to pray for their Governors so universally as if it had been an agreement among all mankind To omit the Heathen sacrifices and Prayers for the Cities and Emperors we shall find two Psalms (c) Psal 20. Psal 72. which were used by the Jews as Forms of Prayer for the King and both by Gods command and the desire of the Princes of the Gentiles who then were rulers over that people supplications were made to God in their behalf (d) Ezra 6.10 Jerem. 29.7 by those Jews who were under their protection But to come nearer we Christians are most expresly commanded by God and his holy Apostle (e) 1 Tim. 2.1 2. In obsequio quotidiano pro regibus pro his qui in sublimitate positi sunt orandum est Chrys in 1 Tim. 2. Pro potestatibus seculi Tertul. Apol. Obsecramus
not to pray that he who rules us may be governed by the will and walk in the waies of God and then judgment shall be executed religion maintained the Nation shall remain in peace and the Church in prosperity the Kingdom established the King and people exceeding happy in each other Evil men for their own designs may advise their Prince to attend nothing but the pursuing his own inclinations and to walk in the ways of his own heart but the Church knows it is his happiness honour and interest to will according to the will of God and act according to his law and therefore orders us to pray for such abundant measures of Grace as may incline his heart and guide his life into all the Paths of true holiness that his eminent dignity may make his virtue exemplary and conspicuoâ—s and thâ—t may refleâ—t again a lustre upon his honour to make him still more glorious And to encourage this Petition we may remember it is desired in heaven as well as on earth by him that can give as well as by us that ask for God himself enjoyns the Prince to have alwaies beside him a Coppy of his law (c) Deut. 17.18 Josh 1.8 to read on it meditate in it ask councel of it (d) Psal 119.124 Heb. viri consilii mei sunt and walk according to it that he might prosper all his daies And from thence came that ceremony still in use of delivering the word of God to the King (e) 2 Kings 11.12 at his Coronation the substance whereof is fully expressed in this excellent sentence which will most heartily be put up by all that desire the glory of God the benefit of the Prince and the welfare of this Nation § 6. Endue him plenteously with heavenly gifts In the first ages of the world there were usually many visible effects of the descent of the holy spirit (g) Numb 11.17 Judges 13.25 1 Sam. 10.10 and Chap. 16.13 upon such as were chosen to govern the people of God to beget in those under them a reverent opinion of these Persons whom all the world hath ever accounted sacred And there are still some footsteps of these miraculous gifts in the power of healing which God hath bestowed upon the lawful heir of this Crown as a testimony that our King is the Lords anointed To which we beseech our heavenly father to add the Spirit of wisdom and understanding the Spirit of counsel and might which are so necessary that in our prayers as well as Solomon's choice (g) 1 Kings 3.9 10 11. ubi Grotius ex Men. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they have the precedence of all outward blessings For these gifts will enable him to determine intricate cases to mannage weighty affaires to countermine subtle devices to disentangle cunningly proposed counsels in which general usefulness and the advisers self-interest are commonly closely twisted Wherefore we pray that he may have so quick an apprehension so sound a judgment and so couragious a mind that like many of his Royal progenitors he may with a spirit almost prophetical unriddle the dark Intrigues of Policy and with an Heroick resolution break through the most rugged difficulties that he may neither fear his Enemies nor too much incourage any of his seeming friends that he may neither be lifted up in prosperity nor dejected by adversity and may tread the narrow path between justice and clemency severity and indulgence and we are to hope that he who hath advanced our Soveraign to this dignity will be mindful of the necessities of his own anointed and fit him for the place he hath called him to so that all his people may reverence and love him and be happy under the Government of so wise and religious a Prince § 7. Grant him in health and wealth long to live Though Solomon chose wisdome and grace yet God added beyond his promise riches and honour long life and health as an accessary to the former (h) 1 Kings 3.11 Mathew 6.33 Wherefore according to our Saviours rule we pray for those in the first place and now we hope our all sufficient Lord who hath endless treasures of all sorts will not deny us these temporal blessings which are requisite to his external felicity And we have the primitive Christians (i) Nos enim pro salute Imperatoris Deum invocamus aeternum paulo post Oramus pro omnibus Imperatoribus vitam illis prolixam imperium securum c. quaecunque hominis Caesaris vota sunt Tert. Apol. cap. 30. Sacrificamus pro salute Imperatoris sed Deo nostro ipsius sed quomodo praecepit Deus purâ prece Idem ad Scapuli cap. 2. for our example in this as well as in other things who though they did offer no incense to fase Gods for the health and safety of the Emperour as the Gentiles did yet did daily and earnestly sacrifice to the true God with fervent prayers beseeching him to give their Princes health and wealth long life and peace and whatsoever Caesar or any man could wish for or desire as we learn out of Tertullian and all the ancient Liturgies But we must take these words in their full latitude and so they will comprehend all outward blessings so health signifies not only the good temperament of the body but as the Latin salus safety from all dangers (k) Isaiah 58.8 And wealth intimates not only riches but all manner of plenty and prosperity (l) Job 21.13 1 Corinth 10.24 And a long life is to be interpreted of a life of comfort and happiness (m) Non vivere sed valere est vita Prov. Rab. ita 1 Kings 1.31 Dan. 2.4 for the life of the miserable is almost a continual dying And now let us put all these together and the sum will be that we earnestly pray that his Majesties life may be long and his years many and prosperous that he may be freed from sickness and want that so his Reign may abound with all blessings Which we ought earnestly to desire for our own sakes because it is our concern the Supream power should be alwaies vigorous and safe prosperous and abounding in all plenty that he may be a terrour to his enemies and a defence to his loving and loyal subjects In his safety we are safe his health and wealth enables him to secure us in that which is ours since his strength and his time his treasures and his power are imployed and expended for the common good And because changes are alwayes dangerous sometimes destructive to a Nation we pray that our King may be long preserved in his gracious Reign over us And no doubt his majesty shall fare the better for the fervent prayers of the Church which he hath so well deserved by being the Restorer and Defender of its ancient doctrine and discipline § 8. Strengthen him that he may vanquish and overcome all his enemies Guiccardine the famous historian tells
which hath enabled us with one accord and a fervent devotion to make our Addresses to thee with new affections even in the presenting these our daily and common supplications unto thee we confess thou hast helped us to ask and therefore hope thou intendest to give and the rather because thou hast assured us and dost promise that when two or three even the smallest number of the faithful in obedience to thy command are gathered together to offer up their united prayers to the Father in thy name they shall find thee present in the midst of them for thou wilt grant their requests Wherefore since we have called upon thee by thine aid and are assembled in thy name fulfill now O Lord unto us this gracious promise and mercifully accept the desires and meditations which have been sent from the hearts the prayers and Petitions uttered from the mouths of thy Servants supplying their wants with the best things and at the fittest times as may be judged by thy infinite wisdome most expedient for them But however thou dealest in all other things let the interest of our souls be secured both here and hereafter by thy granting us in this world daily experiments and further knowledg of thy truth in the fulfilling of thy promises and the granting of our prayers that so we may never forsake thee here and in the world to come our happiness shall be compleated by thy bringing us then to life everlasting through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The Blessing taken out of 2 Corinth 13. ver ult § 9. THe grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with us all evermore Amen In all Religious Assemblies it hath been the custome to dismiss the people with a Blessing which was wont to be pronounced by the principal Person present (k) Heb. 7.7 sometimes by the King (l) 2 Sam. 6.18 1 Kings 8.55 but most commonly by the Priests (m) Numb 6.23 24 ver c. whose office was to bless in the Name of the Lord. And therefore under the Law there was a particular form of Benediction which the Jews to this day observe so religiously that they believe it ought to be repeated in the Holy Tongue (n) Fagius in Numb 6. Buxtorf Synag c. 14. See Nehem. 8.6 and to be received by the People with all reverence bowing their heads and prostrating their bodies so that no man may presume to look upon the Priests hands when they are stretched out to give it because they say then the glory of God rests upon them And in the Christian Church also they ever concluded with a blessing 't is likely the same we now use being endited by the Holy Spirit and used by St. Paul in the close of his Epistle to the Corinthians concerning which it was ordered that the Assembly should bow their heads (o) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Constit Ante benedictionem sacerdotis egredi populus non presunat Concil Agath can 31. when it was pronounced and decreed by a Councel that none might depart out of the Church till it was given But to give a greater strength to these Orders let us consider the excellency of this Divine Blessing and sure its own perfections will oblige us to stay for it and engage us to receive it with all devotion and reverence The legal Benediction was no more but a wish for temporal felicity but this contains the whole order of our salvation and brings in the glorious Trinity with the several gifts of each Person to make us compleatly happy The Father indeed is first in order but we begin with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that is the benefits purchased by his Passion because that is the first mover in our acceptance and obtains both the love of God the Father and the Communication of the Holy Ghost What can the pious soul ask or desire which is not comprehended in this Blessing here is the grace of the Son to pardon our sin the love of the Father to supply our wants the fellowship of the Blessed Spirit to strengthen our weakness The first to redeem us the second to justifie us the third to sanctifie us and all these not only at this present but to be confirmed to us and remain with us even when we are gone from the holy place in life and death and for ever Nor are these only desired but they are pronounced over us by the Embassador of God whom he hath sent to bless in his name and this Minister of Heaven being cheared with observing our Devotion doth from his soul wish and Ministerially as far as in him lies dispense these unspeakable blessings to us And what he doth on Earth shall be ratified in Heaven to every truly holy man Oh let us bow our heads and open our hearts to receive this universal blessing as from God himself and depart from the holy place full of comfort and joy that we have such a preservative against all evil and such a guide and encouragement to all good even the blessing of God to be with us and remain upon us for ever and to this let all the people say Amen The Blessing Paraphrased LEt The Grace and all the benefits of the death of our Lord Iesus Christ merit our Absolution and the love of God the Father seal our justification and the fellowship and Communication of the Graces of the Holy Ghost perfect our sanctification And let all these at present be with us and rest upon us all evermore Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS ERRATA The Reader is desired to excuse and amend the following Errata occasioned by the Authors great distance from the Press PReface page 8. read Pet. p. 8. marg l. 12. r. infirmorum p. 12. l. 5. r. recover it ib. marg l. 3. r. confectus p. 18. l. 2. r not approach p. 21. l. 1. r. had need be p. 22. marg l. 13. r. accipiat ib. l. 21. r. Magistri ib. l. 23. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 29. marg l. 3. r. Acies p. 32. l. 21. r. not be p. 35. l. 14. marg r. Quinque p. 43. l. 3. r. Sec. 1. § 5. p. 22 p. 66. marg l. 8. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 70. marg l. 4. r. tribus p. 72. l. 22. r. bloodshot p. 81. marg l. 10. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 90. marg l. 13. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 94. l. 12. r. in your p. 96. l. 4. r. sectile p. 105. marg l. 8. r. ignoscentium p. 114. marg l. 1. r. r. Lev. 10.13 p. 118. l. 29. r. it act ib. marg l. 11. r. nisi p. 129 marg l. 12. r. Med. p. 174. l. 24. r. reference p. 184 l. 30. dele 11 p. 199. marg l. 14. r. è p. 216. marg l. 13. r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 229. l. 35 r. his Divinity p 259. l. 21. r. therefore it p. 260. marg l. 13. r. hi veâ—o p. 269. marg l. 1. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 271. l. 3. r. enobled p. 313. marg l. 3. r. Prus ib. marg l. ult r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 315. l. 31. r. the other p. 319. l. 15. r. reciting p. 320. marg l. 18. r. occurre p. 349. marg l. 17. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
and be careful to express those practical inferences that are all along drawn from them in our lives and conversations heartily desiring we may live by these holy principles of truth and in these we must exercise especially Faith and Love concluding them with giving Glory to the Father who hath made us partakers of a right Faith in his Son by his Spirit and remembring that every Person of this Glorious Trinity joyns in these eminent works of Creation Providence Redemption and Sanctification let us heartily praise God the Father Son and Holy Ghost for all that is done or designed for the sons of men Let thy soul say Oh Lord I confess the truth of these things I believe them fully and I admire them highly and will ever love thee for declaring them I acknowledge thy Power in Creating thy Bounty in sustaining thy Wisdome in ordering and thy Mercy in relieving and preserving all the World I discern thy love in our Redemption I hope in thy might for a resurrection to life and I trust in thy Mercy for a share in thy glory Glory be to the Father c. for all this 2. The Psalms of Exhortation which are serious admonitions backed with powerful motives and convincing arguments and cleer examples by which we are stirred either to some Acts of moral Virtue (b) Psal 15. and 101. or to some Duties of positive Religion to fear God or study his Law or observe his Will (c) Psal 1. and 34. and 119. or else we are warned against sin by threatnings and examples (d) Psal 7. and 58. and 64. particularly against distrust in God by the History (e) Psal 78.105 106. of his Providence over his own people That we may profit by these it is requisite that we do weigh the promises and motives to holiness so seriously that we be convinced of our folly in neglecting these duties and resolved to set upon the sincere performance of them and it is necessary that we consider the evils that are appointed for and threatned to all sorts of sins and the sad instances and examples of sinners that have been made miserable thereby till we find our hearts moved with fear and penitence and till we have taken up purposes of speedy forsaking those dangerous courses so that here we are to exercise humility and Repentance fear of God and pious resolutions which being finished in the Doxology is a superadded act of Praise to the Father for sparing us to the Son for interceding for us and to the Holy Ghost for warning and convincing us and this Glory be to the Father c. doth declare you are thankful for the admonition and resolved to take warning and full of hopes of the Divine assistance to help you to forsake the evil and follow the good In these Psalms take the same resolutions which holy David did and encourage your selves with the same hopes love what he loves desire what he longed for believe and expect what he promiseth to himself hate what he hated take warning by what he observed and fear the same sad event if you go on in the same way with those sinners that are made examples to you evermore praising God for these gracious discoveries and saying Glory be c. 3. The Psalms of Supplication which are most ardent Petitions for all good things for your selves your Bretheren and the whole Church in all circumstances and upon all occasions These are private Prayers for Pardon of sin (f) Psal 25. and 51. and 143. for Restauration to Gods favour (g) Psal 4. and 42. and 63. for Patience in trouble (h) Psal 39. and 88. for deliverance from Spiritual or Temporal enemies (i) Psal 55. and 59 and 71. and 74. and also publique Prayers for the King (k) Psal 21. and 72. and for the Church and people of God (l) Psal 68. and 79. and 80. and such like Which that we may be fitly disposed for we must have a quick and feeling sense of our own and our bretherens wants a firm belief of Gods all-sufficiency a strong confidence in the intercession of Jesus Christ and a full persuasion of the acceptableness of these requests which are drawn up by the Holy Ghost And these devout prayers will give us occasion to shew our care of our own souls and our universal charity to all the world our love to Gods Church and our intire dependance on his Power and Mercy and may fitly be closed with a giving Glory to the Father who heareth us to the Son who pleads for us in Heaven and to the Holy Ghost who directs and assists us on Earth and we have cause to bless him who hath heard both our and others Prayers and will do so to the end of the world giving all persons in all ages past present and to come great-cause of Eucharist and thanksgiving for by this Gloria Patri added to our Prayers we declare our confidence and hope that he will grant us our desires who is and was and ever shall be the helper of all that flee to him for succour and we call to mind that many are now praising him in heaven for hearing these very Petitions we now put up Art thou poor or miserable sick or weak despised or slandered persecuted or oppressed here thou mayest breath out thy complaints to him that can help thee or those that are so Art thou under trouble of conscience or fear of Gods anger worsted by temptation or sluggish in holy duties or any waies spiritually indisposed here are most proper and pertinent forms for thy comfort and redress Art thou a well-wisher to all the world a lover of Gods people a friend to the Peace of Kingdoms and a faithful Subject to thy own Prince hast thou any detestation for sinners or desire of their Conversion any pitty for the calamitous and wishes for their deliverance if thou bring a charitable heart thou mayest pray for all or any of these in such prevailing words that ere thou hast done speaking thou mayest have such assurances of a gracious return as to sing Glory be to the Father c. 4. The Psalms of thanksgiving are those joyful songs of Praise and Eucharist and lovely descriptions of the Divine goodness to the World but especially to us and all his own people Such are those wherein God is praised for all his mercies (m) Psal 103. and 136. and 145. for those bestowed on our bodies (n) Psal 116. and 130. health plenty (o) Psal 65. and 104. victories over our enemies (p) Psal 18. and 144. and 149. as also for what he hath done for our souls (q) Psal 66. and 111. and 118. and in these Psalms are most earnest exhortations to joyn in praising his holy Name and most exact Characters of all Gods gracious dealings with us and all mankind wherefore that we may joyn in heart and voice let us bring with us hearts fully sensible of our