down; and examined half fo narrowly for a fhort space, as ours have been for two centuries together: can it be imagin ed, that many times more and worse omiffions and improprie ties would not be found, in almoft every one of them, than they have pretended to find in our common prayer? Still we are far from faying, it is incapable of any alteration for the better. Yet this we must fay, that most of the alterations, propofed by fome perfons, have been thought by others, every way their equals, if not fuperiors, by no means to be amend ments. And as eminent a nonconformift as ever was, Mt Baxter, hath long fince owned, that almost every church on earth hath a worse liturgy than ours.

There hath indeed been a railing accufation*, even of Popery, brought against it: though it was firft compiled, then reviewed and approved, by Confeffors and Martyrs for the Proteftant caufe; and feveral articles of Popery are as flatly contradicted in it, as can be. Some parts of it, we acknowledge, were in the Romifh offices before: but not one tenth of the whole, as a very diligent person hath computed+, Most of this tenth part also was in much ancienter offices, before the Romish corruptions were introduced. And had it not; as even thefe prayers are intirely free from thofe corruptions, where can be the harm of ufing them? Had our Reformers rejected them, they would have been in reality never the farther diftant from the papifts. And by retaining them, they had a profpect of bringing many of the papists over to themfelves by fhewing, that they did not act from paffion and prejudice, but reafon and confideration; that they refpec ted the ancient offices and ufages of the purer ages of the church, and departed only from modern abufes and errors.

It hath alfo been alledged, that we wear the habits of the Papifts in offering up thefe prayers. But indeed, though it were no way material if we did, ours are very different from theirs. And if wearing any, which are not in common use, be condemned, what caufe is there for it? why may not facred, as well as civil offices of dignity and importance, be made fomewhat more folemn by veftments appropriated to them? The fitnefs of it hath been confefled by the conftant practice of mankind, and particularly of the Chriftian church in early

Jude ver. 9.

+ Dr. Bennet on the common prayer App. 1.

ages,

ages, and indeed of our Diffenting minifters themfelves; who change their drefs a little, when they officiate. And where is the harm, if we change ours a little more? Though, after all, if the wearing of fuch garments by us of the clergy were a fault, it would be intirely our own fault: and feeing us wear them could furely hurt no body.

But befides thefe general objections, there are feveral made against particular patlages, which ought to be confuted. This therefore I purpofe, God willing, to do in a proper number of difcourfes, on all the ftated offices of our Liturgy and not only to vindicate what is blamed, but explain alfo what too. many may poffibly not understand, and direct your notice to what may not be fufficiently obferved. All these things will very well come under the head, of which I promised at first to

treat.

II. That we fhould be very folicitous rightly to apprehend the fenfe and fitnefs of what we say and do in God's prefence. For though cenfuring without reafon is worse, yet efteeming without reafon is not the part of wife men. And fome per

haps are mighty zealous for our Liturgy, who yet know but very imperfectly, what good reason they have to be zealous for it. Indeed, amongst many advantages of public forms of prayer, there feems to be one difadvantage; that the words of them being in the main continually the fame, and thus becoming well known and familiar, we often hear them, and even fpeak our fhare of them, with fcarce any attention to them. But then it is equally true, that we often hear fermons, tho' they are new to us, with just as little regard; and therefore ould be likely very foon to hear extempore prayers alfo with no lefs negligence: which fault our Liturgy is in feveral refpects peculiarly calculated to prevent, as I fhall hereafter fhew But ftill the danger is great enough, to demand our utmoft care to guard against it. For however good our public offices are in themfelves, they convey no good to us, farther than we comprehend the import of them, and mind it: which, the better they are, the more they deferve from us. And, on the other hand, were they ever fo mean, this would be no excufe for omitting to get all the benefit we could from them; but a powerful motive, though a very unhappy one, to endeavour it most carnetly. Yet thinking them defective and VOL. II.

you.

4 G

blameable

:

blameable where they are not, or to a degree in which they are not, as multitudes have done, will naturally difcompofe, or deaden at leaft, our minds in the ufe of them and therefore, fhould be avoided, as far as it can. Now, perfons may indeed by their own private confideration enter very competently, both into the meaning and the grounds of most things contained in the Liturgy. They, who are able to purchase a few books, may likewife receive much additional information from the feveral very useful paraphrafes and commentaries upon it, that are extant. And they are much to blame, if they wilfully neglect either of thefe things. But ftill many cannot, and others are not likely to do them. To fuch therefore I fhall attempt to give fome inftruction concerning the fervice, in which we join fo often. The fewer need it, the better but thofe who do, it is of importance to affift. For with the more understanding we pray, with the more pleasure and earnestness we shall pray. And as on our praying, as we ought, depends our obtaining God's grace and bleffing; fo on that depends our only true comfort in this world, and our eternal happiness in the next.

SERMON

SERMON XCIII.

RELIANCE ON THE SPIRIT OF GOD, UNITED WITH A PROPER RESPECT TO OUR OWN UNDERSTANDING, IN OUR ADDRESSES TO THE ALMIGHTY.

I COR. xiv. 15,

I will pray with the Spirit, and I will pray with the understanding alfo: I will fing with the Spirit, and I will fing with the underfianding alfo.

FRO

ROM these words I have propofed to difcourfe on the two following fubjects:

I will pray

I. That good Chriftians are affifted by the Holy Ghost, in offering up their petitions and praifes to God. with the Spirit: I will fing with the Spirit.

II. That we should be very folicitous rightly to apprehend the fenfe and fitnefs of what we fay and do in his prefence. I will pray, I will fing, with the understanding alfo.

The former of thefe heads I have finifhed: and, after proving its truth, I made it my chief endeavour to prove further, that this aid from above is not fuch, as to afford any argument against using public forms of prayer; of which I fhewed you both the lawfulness and the expediency: answering, at the fame time, fome general objections against our own established form; but referving the more particular ones for the fecond head: under which I promifed to vindicate the principal things, which have been blamed in the ftated offices of our Liturgy; to explain fuch as may feem hard to underftand, or liable to be mifunderstood; and direct your atten4 G 2

tion

tion to fuch, as you may not otherwife obferve fufficiently. To this I fhall now proceed, following the order of the book.

But it will be proper first to take notice of the laudable cultom, that every one, who comes to join in the devotions of our church, fhould perform at his entrance into his place, a fhort preparatory act of worship in private. Now this, as well as every thing else, ought to be done with understanding: not to be an unmeaning formality, in ignorant compliance with common practice; but a ferious addrefs to God, that he would enable and incline us to attend in fuch manner to what we are about to hear, and fay, and do, that we may honour and please him, edify our fellow-worshippers, benefit and finally fave cur own fouls. For which purpofe, either thefe very words, which I have mentioned, may be ufed; or any others of the like import, chofen by ourselves; or, as perhaps is more ufual, thofe expreffive and excellent ones, that conclude the 19th pfalm: Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of beart, be acceptable in thy fight, O Lord, my ftrength, and my Reaeemer. Only, whatever our expreffions are, we should be extremely careful not to make fo very bad a beginning, as to put up this previous requeft either thoughtlessly or insincere ly. And the fare cars thould employ our minds throughout the whole. For that end, we fould avoid, as much as we can, all needlefs, but abfolutely all light and ladicrous conver sation, even before the fervice beglas. And after it is begun, the fewer of the more tranfient interefes of civility are exchanged, the better. For furely they make a very unfuitable mixture with the awful words, which we are hearing, or per haps repeating, at the fame time: and muft in fome degree take off our attention from them. Nor will it be a leis hindrance of our devotion, to remaik over curioufly, what other perfons are prefent, what appearance they make, or how they behave. Let not these directions, intreat you, either give offence, or be defpifed. Very good people, 1 fear the very best of us all, tranfgrefs them inadvertently, more or But a moment's reflection will fhew any one, that there is great propriety in obferving them: and they will experience more advantage from it, than perhaps they expect.

Our fervice begins, as did that of the primitive church",

with

Sacerdos ante Orationem, Præfatione premiffa parat Fratrum mentes, Cypr. de Orat. Dom.