nors may be prudent, the ministers faithful, and the people diligent, and all of them ready and vigorous for the duties of religion and every good work. §. V. AND THAT THEY MAY TRULY PLEASE THEE, POUR UPON THEM THE CONTINUAL DEW OF THY BLESS ING] As the grace of God is requisite to fit all the members of Christ's church for their several offices and duties; so his blessing is necessary to make their labours prosperous. Man is called by Philo the celestial plant, having his root reversed, and seeming to grow from heaven. And herein the comparison holds, that as plants require the influence of heaven to quicken them, and the dew thereof to moisten them; so those which are set in the church (the garden of God) require the salutary Spirit of grace to make them live, and the irrigations of the divine blessing to make them spring and bring forth fruit. It is not from our pains nor your diligence alone that success must come, not from him that plants, nor him that waters, but from God that gives the increase, 1 Cor. iii. 5, 6. Whole buckets of water poured on by the hand of man will not so much refresh the plant, as the gentler showers and dew from above; wherefore the dew is used to express plenty and abundant increase", particularly in knowledges, of which the dew falling from the clouds was the hieroglyphic among the Egyptians. Let us then most passionately gasp for this prolific dew, that we may not only please God by our constant and ready attendances upon prayers and other offices, but truly and throughly please him by our fruitfulness under these means; let it appear, by our humility and charity, our justice and 4*Ανθρωπον μόνον φυτὸν οὐράνιον, τὰς τροφὰς ὀλυμπίους καὶ ἀφθάρτους, ἀλλὰ μὴ γεώδεις καὶ φθαρτὰς ex. L. de insid. pejor. r Gen. xxvii. 28. Deut. xxxiii. 18, 28. Hosea xiv. 5. s Deut. xxxii. 1. Ægyptii eruditionem indicantes, colum pingunt rorem fundens. Caussin. Hieroglyph. Hor. Apol. 35. innocence, by the success of the ministers, and the improvement of every congregation, that we do not receive the grace of God in vain. For he is ready to give his blessing, if we be fit to receive it; he will not only sprinkle, but pour it on us; because we need large measures, and that not only at some seasons, but continually, at both the morning and evening sacrifice, lest affliction or temptation should wither us. O! what soul doth not long to be thus watered, since none can fructify without it, nor can any die or be barren that doth enjoy it! Let us humbly pray that the good orders of our bishops, the prayers and exhortations of our ministers, and the constant attendances of our people, may thus be watered from above, that we may bring forth an hundredfold, and send forth a pleasant savour of good workst like the fields of Palestina, when watered from the celestial springs. And so shall every member of Christ's church live and grow and flourish, than which nothing is more desirable. §. VI. GRANT THIS, O LORD, FOR THE HONOUR OF OUR ADVOCATE AND MEDIATOR JESUS CHRIST. AMEN.] We must not allow either the clergy or people to ask these petitions with any designs to advance their own glory, or to become famous for their gifts or graces. For the end must be the manifestation of the glories of our Advocate and Mediator, who at his triumphant ascension gave divine gifts" unto men, and accounts those who are endued with them as so many rays of his glory. It is Jesus who obtains by his pleading at the throne of grace, both the spirit and the blessing for us, and it is he that bestows both upon the church, for ↑ Et cum a siccitate continua, immaduerit imbre, tunc emittit illum suum halitum divinum, ex sole conceptum, cui comparari suavitas nulla potest. Plin. lib. 17. cap. 5. Gen. xxvii. 27. * 2 Cor. viii. 23. Sunt Christi gloria, quia nihil habent nisi dono Christi. Calvin. which he once gave his body, and on which he ever sets his love. Let him have the honour of all the holy and religious performances of his church; and let us earnestly desire, that by the flourishing of this his body all the world may see the prevalency of his intercession with God, the sincerity of his love to his ser-186 vants, his continual care of them, and bounty to them; which will surely cause all people to advance and magnify his holy name. Nothing is more the honour of Jesus now in heaven, than that his church be ruled with pious and wise governors, his ordinances administered by zealous and holy ministers, and all places abounding with religious, loyal, and charitable people. And what argument will sooner open the ears and pierce the heart of the Father of mercies, whose great design is to glorify his dear and only Son? This declares, that our petitions herein comply with his eternal purposes. We see the dishonour of some distempered members seems to reflect upon the head; and we are grieved for it, desiring sincerely the holy Jesus may have (as he deserves) all glory by the holiness and prosperity of his church, and we hope that heaven will say Amen hereto. The Paraphrase of the Prayer for the Clergy and People. O Lord, who art ALMIGHTY in power AND EVERLASTING in duration, who hast promised to be ever with thy church, we acknowledge thou art the GOD WHO ALONE WORKEST wonders in the calling, and hast ever shewed GREAT MARVELS for the preservation thereof in all ages; wherefore we beseech thee to SEND DOWN from above suitable gifts and graces upon all estates of men in the catholic church. Particularly UPON OUR BISHOPS, to direct them in the governing, upon our ministers AND CURATES, to assist them in the feeding of thy flock; AND also upon ALL CONGREGATIONS of Christian men and women, whose souls thou hast COMMITTED TO THEIR CHARGE: and that the account may be given up to the minister's com 187 fort, and the profit of thy church, let them all be inspired with THE HEALTHFUL and saving SPIRIT OF THY GRACE, to fit them for, and assist them in, all religious duties. AND THAT THEY all in their several places MAY TRULY PLEASE THEE by a right use of this grace, do thou plentifully POUR UPON THEм in all holy offices the effectual and the CONTINUAL DEW OF THY BLESSING, that thy messengers' pains may be successful, and thy people's lives fruitful in all good works. GRANT THIS which we ask of thee, O LORD, not to advance our own fame, but FOR THE HONOUR OF him that is OUR ADVOCATE AND MEDIATOR, whose peculiar glory it is to be able to obtain these blessings for thy church; hear us, therefore, not only for the benefit of thy church, but for the glory of thy dear Son JESUS CHRIST, to whose intercession for us do thou say AMEN. SECTION XXV. OF THE PRAYER OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. I. THE excellent composers of our Liturgy were so far from affectation of novelty, that when the ancient offices did afford them proper forms, they did not make new ones; wherefore they have taken this prayer verbatim out of the Greek Liturgies; and that none could have been more fit for this place, will appear by a more particular consideration thereof. A Practical Discourse on the Prayer of St. Chrysostom. §. III. ALMIGHTY GOD, WHO HAST GIVEN US GRACE AT THIS TIME WITH ONE ACCORD TO MAKE OUR COMMON SUPPLICATIONS UNTO THEE] This excellent conclusion of our prayers that bears the name of its renowned author, was well known to the Greek church; for it is still found extant in the Liturgies both of St. Chrysostom and St. Basil. And yet its own worth might sufficiently recommend it, if it wanted the reputation of those honourable names. For it is founded on our own experience, and the certainty of his promise who is infallible; it is carried on with such submission to the divine will, and designed so to our advantage, that nothing can be more judiciously contrived, or more pertinently applied to this close of our devotion. Where it seems to review and reinforce all our former petitions, to revive our hopes of acceptance, and encourage our zeal in them, yet so as to represent our necessities in the most humble and lowly manner, with submission to his wisdom, who best knows what is most expedient 188 |