congregation; they serve as a standard of faith and practice; and they render the service more animating, by uniting the people with the minister in the performance of public worship.

Q. Are not prescribed forms of prayer for public worship sanctioned by Scripture, and the universal usage of the Church?

A. The public service of the Jews was according to prescribed forms of prayer. We are told, that David appointed the Levites to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord, and likewise at even, (1 Chron. xxiii. 30.) which duty could not be performed by many persons together, without some set form, in which they could all join. The whole book of Psalms may be considered as forms of prayer and praise, suggested by the Holy Ghost, for the joint use of the congregation. Our Saviour, by joining in communion with the Jewish Church, gave his sanction to set forms; and, finally, gave his strongest approbation to continuing the practice, by delivering to his disciples at least one set form of prayer. The apostles and disciples no doubt joined, till our Lord's ascension, in the Jewish worship, which was conducted according to a prescribed form. That the primitive Christians used set forms of prayer, is also evident from the expressions to be found in the earliest fathers, of common prayers, constituted prayers, &c. The Bishop in each diocess established set forms of prayer for the churches under his authority. Many of these ancient Liturgies are still extant.f So that forms of prayer, besides possessing many peculiar advantages, have the authority of Scripture, and the universal usage of the Church.

Q. What are the peculiar excellences of the Liturgy prescribed by our Church?

A. In the Liturgy of our Church there is an admirable mixture of instruction and devotion. The Lessons, the Creeds, the Commandments, the Epistles and Gospels, contain the most important and impressive instruction on the

*The concurrent testimonies of Josephus, Philo, &c. prove the use of prescribed forms of prayer among the Jews. The fact has been undeniably established by the learned Dr. Lightfoot and Dr. Hammond.

Liturgies ascribed to St. Peter, St. Mark, and St. James, which, though not composed by those persons, are certainly of an age very near them, a form of morning and evening prayer in the Apostolical constitutions, and the Liturgies of St. Bazil, St. Chrysostom, and St. Ambrose, are still extant.

doctrines and duties of religion; while the Confession, the Collects and Prayers, the Litany and Thanksgivings, lead the understanding and the heart through all the sublime and affecting exercises of devotion. In this truly evangelical and excellent Liturgy, the supreme Lord of the universe is invoked by the most appropriate, affecting, and sublime epithets; all the wants to which man, as a dependent and sinful being, is subject, are expressed in language at once simple, concise, and comprehensive; these wants are urged by confessions the most humble, and supplications the most reverential and ardent; the all-sufficient merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, are uniformly urged as the only effectual plea, the only certain pledge of divine mercy and grace; and with the most instructive lessons from the sacred oracles, and the most profound confessions and supplications, is mingled the sublime chorus of praise, begun by the minister, and responded with one heart and one voice from the assembled congregation. The mind, continually passing from one exercise of worship to another, and, instead of one continued and uniform prayer, sending up its wishes and aspirations in short and varied collects and supplications, is never suffered to grow languid or weary. The affections of the worshipper ever kept alive by the tender and animating fervour which breathes through the service, he worships his God and Redeemer in spirit and in truth, with reverence and awe, with lively gratitude and love; the exalted joys of devotion are poured upon his soul; he feels that it is good for him to draw near unto God, and that a day spent in his courts, is better than a thousand passed in the tents of the ungodly.

Q. By whom was the Liturgy of the Church drawn up? A. The Liturgy of the Church was originally compiled out of the various Liturgies of the primitive Church; and alterations and additions have, at different times, been made by the most eminent divines of the Church of England. In the late revisions of the Book of Common Prayer by the Protestant Episcopal Church in America, that Church was studiously careful" not to depart from the Church of England in any essential point of doctrine, discipline, or worship, or further than local circumstances require."s

Preface to the Book of Common Prayer.

Q. What should be our behaviour during the performance of public worship?

A. On our first entrance into the Church, we should fall down upon our knees in private prayer to God for the assistance of his holy Spirit in those solemn duties of religion which we come to perform. We should consider that we are in the immediate presence of a God who searches the heart, who cannot be deceived, and who will not be inocked: we should consider that he observes what we think, as well as what we say or do, and should therefore take care that the inward dispositions of our souls, and the outward demeanour of our bodies, be suitable to the sacred duties of his house, and the sanctity of his awful presence. In the ascription of praise we should stand; but, in supplication, a kneeling posture is most proper, being that which is prescribed by the Psalmist, and which is dictated by nature, in solemn adorations and humble confessions.

Q. In what manner do the morning and evening services of the Church commence ?

A. Some short sentences out of the holy Scripture are read by the minister. To these the people should diligently hearken, considering them as spoken by the inspiration or command of God himself at first, and now repeated by his minister, to put the people in mind of something which God would have them believe or do. The design of reading these sentences, is not only to bring our sins against God to our remembrance, but also his promises of pardon and forgiveness if we repent, in order that we may be excited to worship him with that reverence and godly fear which becomes those who are sensible of their own sinfulness and unworthiness to approach his divine majesty; and likewise with that faith and humble confidence which become those who believe that, upon our repentance, he will pardon and accept us, according to his promises.

Q. What is the design of the exhortation which follows

the sentences?

A. The design of the exhortation is to apply the foregoing sentences, and to direct the congregation how to perform the confession which follows. This is the minister's part alone, and not to be repeated after him by the congregation. It is their duty to take particular notice of every word and expression in it, as contrived on purpose to prepare them for

t Psal. xcv. 6.

the worship of God, by possessing their minds with a due sense of his special presence, and of the great end of their coming before him.

Q. Why is the general confession placed at the commencement of the prayers?

A. We learn from holy Scripture, that such as would pray with effect always began by confession," to the end that their guilt being removed by penitence, there might be no bar to God's grace and mercy. The Church has, therefore, rightly placed this confession at the beginning of our prayers. It is conceived in a very general form, in order that it may suit the whole congregation; and while they are repeating it sentence by sentence after the minister, they should call to mind their unworthiness and guilt, so as to be heartily sorry for their transgressions, and steadfastly to resolve against them for the time to come; imploring the mercy of God for the pardon of them, and his grace, that from henceforward they may entirely forsake them, and bring forth the fruits of an unfeigned repentance.

Q. What follows the confession?

A. God having committed to his ambassadors the ministry of reconciliation, the Church calls upon them to exercise it now, when the congregation have been humbled by the preceding confession. The priest, therefore, rising from his knees, and standing up, declares and pronounces for their comfort and support, that God pardoneth and absolveth all those who truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel. While the absolution is thus pronouncing, we should continue upon our knees, and hearken to it with perfect silence, not reading or repeating it along with the priest; for it is the priest's duty alone to make this declaration by authority from God, and in his name, as his ambassador. However, every particular person there present ought humbly and thankfully to apply it to himself, so far as to be fully persuaded in his own mind, that if, after an unfeigned and unshaken belief in Christ, he really and heartily repent, he will be absolved from all the sins he had before committed, as certainly as if God himself had declared it with his own mouth, since his minister has done it in his name, and by his power.

Q. Why does the Lord's Prayer immediately follow the absolution?

Ezra ix. 5, 6. Dan. ix. 4, 5.

A. Looking upon ourselves as absolved from our sins, through a faith that worketh true repentance, we, as reconciled unto God through his Son, have such boldness and access to the throne of divine grace, as by the spirit of adoption to cry out, Abba, Father, (Rom. viii. 15.) in the very form he taught us to pray, saying, Our Father who art in Heaven, &c.

Q. What have you to observe in regard to the course of the service after the Lord's Prayer?

A. Having recited the Lord's Prayer, we are to lift up our hearts to God in this petition of his minister for his grace, O Lord, open thou our lips; to which the answer is, what it ought to be, from the people, And our mouth shall show forth thy praise. Then immediately standing up, we put ourselves into a posture of giving praise to the one living and true God, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. For which purpose the minister first says, Glory be to the Father, &c.; the people, to show their consent, answer, As it was in the beginning, &c. The minister calling again upon the people, Praise ye the Lord; and the people answering, The Lord's name be praised: we go on accordingly to praise him, by saying or singing the ninety-fifth psalm, and then the psalms appointed for the day. After every one of which, (to testify that it is the same divine Being, three persons and one God, in honour of whom these Psalms were composed, and made use of in the Jewish Church, and who is still praised and worshipped by them in the Christian Church,) we repeat that incomparable hymn, Glory be to the Father, &c. Q. What is the design of the mode of worshipping God by responses, and of the alternate recital of the Psalms by the minister and the people?

A. The design of responses, and the alternate recital of the Psalms, is, by a grateful variety, to quicken the devotion of the congregation, and engage their attention. They, having thus a share in the service, must keep themselves prepared for their parts in it; but if the minister performed the whole, the people might grow heedless, and become unconcerned. Hence, in the ancient Jewish Church, they sung hymns and prayers by courses; and in all the old Christian Liturgies there are short sentences, which, from the people answering the priest, are called responses.

Q. Is it not the duty of the congregation to repeat audibly the responses, and the other parts assigned to them in the service?