After our hearts have been thus raised to God, by praising and magnifying him, in the preceding part of the service, it may reasonably be concluded, that we are put into a fit disposition to hear what he has spoken to us by his word. The first lesson, therefore, is taken out of the Old Testament, as being the type and forerunner of the New; and in our Church, the selection is made with abundant attention, after a two-fold manner. That is, on the ordinary week days, we begin Genesis on the first of January, and so continue to read on, till all the books of the Old Testament, with certain omissions,

General acknowledgements of God's goodness and mercy, and particularly his care and protection of good men:-23, 31, 36, 91, 100, 103, 107, 117, 121, 145, 146.

Thanksgivings for mercies vouchsafed to particular persons:-9, 18, 22, 30, 34, 40, 75, 103, 108, 116, 118, 138, 144

Thanksgivings for mercies vouchsafed to the Israelites in general: -46, 48, 65, 66, 68, 76, 81, 85, 93, 105, 124, 126, 129, 135, 136, 149. The different characters and lives of good and bad men are represented in the following:-1, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 24, 25, 32, 34, 36, 37, 50, 52, 53, 58, 73, 75, 84, 91, 92, 94, 112, 119, 121, 125, 127, 128, 133.

The excellency of God's law:-19, 119.

The vanity of human life:-39, 49,90.

Advice to magistrates :-82, 101.

The virtue of humility:-131.

The prophetical psalms, are 2, 16, 22, 40, 45, 68, 72, 87, 110, 118. The historical psalms are 78, 105, 106.

Prayers wherein the Psalmist seems extremely dejected, though not totally deprived of consolation, under his afflictions, are 13, 22, 69, 77, 88, 143.

Prayers where in the Psalmist asks help of God, in consideration of his own integrity, and the uprightness of his cause, are 7, 17, 26,

35.

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Prayers in time of trouble and affliction:- 4, 5, 11, 28, 41, 55, 38, 64, 70, 109, 120, 140, 141, 142.

Prayers expressing the firmest trust and confidence in God, under affliction :-3, 16, 27, 31, 54, 56, 57, 61, 62, 71, 86.

4

Prayers for pardon of sin:-6, 25, 38, 51, 130. The seven penitential psalms, are 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143.

Prayers composed when the Psalmist was deprived of an opportunity for the public exercise of religion, are 12, 43, 63, 84. Frayers of intercession, are 20, 67, 122, 132, 144.

Prayers composed when the people of God were under affliction or persecution, are 41, 60, 74, 79, 80, 88, 89, 91, 102, 123, 137.

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are gone through; but on Sundays and holydays, particular lessons are appointed to be used, and some have proper lessons of their own.

On saints'

days, however, the lessons are taken out of certain moral books, as Proverbs, &c. which being full of excellent instruction, are suitable for the commemoration of those who have led exemplary lives, and have finished them in the faith.

From the canons of the ancient Church we learn, that hymns and psalms were mingled with the lessons, in order to prevent weariness and distraction of thought. In our liturgy, there are two hymns introduced between the first and second lesson, the one entitled the Te Deum, and the other the Benedicite. The first is generally used, beginning, "We praise thee, O God,' a composition of superlative beauty, supposed to have been written by St. Ambrose on the occasion of St. Augustin's baptism. The second is a hymn of the Jewish. Church, early adopted into the Christian, and is an exact paraphrase of the 148th psalm.

After the Te Deum follows the second lesson, taken from some one of the gospels, or from the Acts of the Apostles, according to the arrangement in the Calendar, except on saints' days and holydays, when proper lessons are appointed to be read, instead of the lesson for the day of the month.

And here it may be proper to observe, that by. taking the second lesson in the evening service from the epistles, the whole New Testament, with the exception of the Revelations, is read through thrice, and the greater part of the Old Testament once, in the space of twelve months.

As the second lesson is always taken out of the Gospels or Acts, which contain a history of the great work of redemption, the Benedictus, composed by Zacharias, at the circumcision of John the Baptist, is properly introduced in this place; but the second hymn, called the Jubilate, which in

fact is the 100th psalm, is most commonly used by our clergy; and in it we are called upon to' serve the Lord in gladness,' for all his goodness and mercies unto us.

As faith is essential, is was deemed proper to place the Creed after the two lessons, and in it both minister and people are required to join, because it is the profession of every one present. In repeating this composition, (which, though perhaps not actually drawn up by the apostles, is undoubtedly to be traced near to the time in which they lived,) the custom is to turn to the east, in which quarter the chancel is always placed. This has been received in the Greek and Latin Church for upwards of a thousand years; and though the damnatory clause has alarmed some weak minds, all that is required of us to be believed in this famous composition, as necessary to salvation, is, that before all things we hold the Catholic faith; and the Catholic faith is explained to be this, that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the person nor dividing the substance.

The versicles, both before and after the Lord's prayer, which follows the Apostles' Creed, need no explanation; their object is sufficiently clear, and their meaning cannot be mistaken. It deserves remark, however, that the Church has such reverence for the Lord's prayer, that it has usually some prefatory sentences to introduce it, and some to follow it.

LETTER XIV.

The Collects-Litany-Evening Service.

MY ESTEEMED Children,

The Collects are short forms of prayer of universal application; though that for the day is ge

nerally collected from the Epistle and Gospel, or at least has some reference to it. The second collect is for Peace, and the third for Grace, blessings which it behoves us all to unite in praying for; because we can neither be happy here nor hereafter without them. The three following prayers-for the king-for the royal family-and for the clergy and people, are only to be used when the litany is omitted, which is never the case on Sundays, to which these remarks principally refer.

The Litany, or general supplication, is a very ancient part of divine service, for we find one composed by St. Ambrose, in many respects corresponding with our own, though ours is more properly founded on the Litany compiled by Gregory the Great, about the year 600. Indeed, among the Jews we find that it was usual for the priest to makė short petitions, and for the people to respond in a similar manner; and on this principle the Christian litanies were formed.

In the time of Edward VI. and Elizabeth, the Litany seems to have been used preparatory to the communion service, but it is now introduced immediately after the third collect, except where there are choirs, when the anthem is to be sung before this impressive service is begun. In collegiate churches and cathedrals, the Litany itself is commonly chanted by laymen, a practice which I cannot commend. Indeed, it is to be lamented, that singing in churches, which is so well adapted to add fervor to devotion, is either much neglected, or often practised rather as a trial of skill than as an offering of the heart.

The Litany consists of various parts.-1, The Invocation; 2, The Deprecations; 3, The Intercessions; and 4, the Supplications: which divisions are sufficiently obvious of themselves. In a word, it is a complete service of itself; and it is directed by the 15th canon of our Church that

when it is used in this manner,' every householder dwelling within half a mile of the church, is to come, or send one at least of his household to join with the minister in prayers.'

Before the prayer of St. Chrysostom, some occasional prayers are introduced, such as that in time of war and tumults, and the prayer for the parliament, during its session. But when neither of these would be suitable, the minister proceeds to the general thanksgiving, which was introduced at the last review of our liturgy, in order to render the service as complete as possible; and it is said to have been the composition of Bishop Sanderson.

When the Litany formed a distinct service, St. Chrysostom's prayer, and the Blessing, were a proper conclusion of it; but they are now always used to terminate the Morning Service, even on days when the Litany is not enjoined to be read. The prayer beginning Almighty God, who hast given as grace,' is deemed an undoubted composition of the pious person whose name it bears; and it can scarcely be necessary to observe, that the benedictory prayer which concludes the morning service, is taken from St. Paul, being the very words in which he finishes several of his epistles.

As the Apostles' creed follows the daily lessons, the Nicene Creed, or that drawn up in all its chief articles, by the first general council of Nice, in 325, is rightly placed after the Epistle and Gospel. Both creeds are founded on the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles, and it seems necessary in conclusion of the morning service, that we should declare our belief in the true faith. The Sermon next follows, and should be listened to with a willing mind and pious affections.

The Morning and Evening prayers are exactly the same, till we finish the versicles and doxology after the Lord's prayer. The Invitatory, or 95th psalm, is never used at Evening service, but we pro