"lead us into temptation," but will "deliver us from evil," we are taught to struggle against every temptation that we may meet with; to resist the first motion or inclination to commit sin; and, above all, not to live in the practice of anything which we know to be evil. Lastly, by the doxology in the conclusion of the prayer, we are taught to entertain a due reverence for that perfect Being, to whom belong " the kingdom, and the power, and the glory," who "heareth not sinners," John xi. 31; but who heareth those who "worship Him in spirit and in truth," John iv. 23, namely, those who worship Him with their hearts, and with the offering of a holy life.

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When this prayer occurs in the second lesson,whether the congregation kneel, or should repeat it after the minister, has been matter of doubt,-standing seems in this case a more suitable posture. The congregation should not repeat it after the minister, for it is their duty to "hear God's holy word," and no part of the lessons is appointed to be repeated by them.

There is commonly an introductory sentence to the Lord's prayer in our liturgy, for we know, from humiliating experience, that we are apt to become careless about what is familiar to us; and hence we are tempted to offer up this prayer with less earnestness and application than any prayer which we use. Indeed, when we consider the force and extent of each petition; what sublime and important matter is contained in the varied portions; what a height of adoration is expressed; what a depth of penitence; what a fulness of desire against temptation and sin: we cannot but feel that to utter this prayer with fervency, requires much recollection and thoughtfulness. Hence we may perceive the benefit of some short sentence preceding our repetition of it as a preparation of heart,

Let this be our feeling

"Lord, teach us to pray." and supplication, that this perfect form may become more blessed in our eyes, and purifying to our souls.

It has been justly observed, that the most delightful part of God's service is praise. It is a higher and nobler employment than prayer, inasmuch as satisfaction is above desire. In prayer we bring our empty vessels; in praise we carry them home rejoicing, full of the waters of salvation. Prayer will have an end, at least as to its present form, when faith shall be swallowed up in vision, and even hope have nothing left to long for; but praise shall endure throughout eternity, whose countless ages, as they roll interminably on, shall bear its ever-flowing tide to the remotest bounds of creation: when occupied in praise, we approach the nearest to our brethren round the throne; they praise the Lamb that was slain, and we can utter the same new song, though in feebler strains, even in this "house of our pilgrimage." For we are not called to gloomy sorrow, but to joy. It is the Christian's privilege to "rejoice evermore," and in everything to "give thanks." It is true that in the world we may meet with tribulation, but in Christ we have a joy with which the stranger intermeddleth not, and therefore it well becomes those that "fear the Lord, to speak often one to another" of his lovingkindness, and to be telling of "his salvation from day to day." *

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"It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks unto the Lord," but there is an especial propriety in praise, when those whom the same Lord has crowned with the same mercies meet in harmonious gratitude to stir up each other to renewed and warmer exultation, and to make the full choir of united hallelujahs swell upwards from earth to heaven, and come before

the throne of God as many clouds of incense, a pleasant and accepted sacrifice through Jesus Christ; and therefore it has ever been the practice of the Church to assemble her sons to the exercise of thanksgiving. "I will give Thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise Thee among much people *."

It should be borne in mind that the VERSICLES AND RESPONSES after the Lord's prayer and elsewhere, require to be connected with each other in order to render the sense perfect; and therefore, that the people should join mentally in those which the minister repeats; and the minister in like manner should join in the responses which the people return. Both parties. should take care that they do not confuse and disturb cach other by beginning their several portions too soon. The minister's first versicle should be finished before the people utter a word of response, and the people should have time to finish their response before the minister commences the second versicle, &c., so that both minister and people may have time enough deliberately to offer every portion, and make all of them together one continued act of devotion. The same rule must be observed in all those psalms and hymns which are used alternately.

The responses here prescribed consist of prayers and praises. The two first are prayers taken from that great storehouse of devotion, the Psalms of David. The first is from that penitential psalm, the 51st, when he had looked upon his guilt so long, that shame, and grief, and fear of punishment had almost sealed his life and made him speechless. This sentence occurs frequently in ancient liturgies, particularly in those of St. James and St. Chrysostom. The second is from the 70th, as also from the 40th Psalm; this also is of ancient use in the Greek Church, and is the

* GRINFIELD, On the Te Deum.

paraphrase of that remarkable supplication "Hosannah," which signifies "Save now Lord, we beseech thee," Psalm exviii. 25.

The other two versicles and responses are acts of praise. In this we imitate David, who commonly, when he had made his confession, declared his distress, and begged pardon, turned his petition into praises, because of his lively hope of acceptance. So we being full of hopes that our gracious Father will forgive us, rise up with joy to sing the excellent hymn of the dying martyr Polycarp, (to whom, as the Angel or Bishop of Smyrna, St. John is said to have addressed his Revelation,) being a paraphrase on the song of the seraphim, Isai. vi. 3. In the fourth century, the Arians attempted, but without success, to alter the conjunctions into prepositions, thus, "Glory be to the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Ghost." Inserted here it serves both as a hymn of praise, and as a confession of our right belief in the Holy Trinity in Unity.

The second "Praise ye the Lord," is the English translation of the Hebrew word, "Hallelujah," (appropriately placed here to indicate that we are passing from the penitential to the eucharistic part of the service,) to which the people answer "And our mouth shall show forth thy praise," hereby understanding that they will not merely hear the psalms and hymns read to them as matter of instruction only, but that they will bear a part in them with the minister.

The sentences, exhortation, absolution, and other parts of the liturgy which are spoken to the people only, ought to be uttered in quite a different manner and tone of voice from what becomes the confession, the Lord's prayer, and those other portions of the service which are directed and spoken to God.

The praises, and especially the Psalms, should be repeated standing; kneeling is not a proper posture

for such parts as are not directed to God, and sitting is an irreverent posture for such as are directed to Him, as all sober Christians must confess; but standing does tolerably well suit both parts, though it is not the very best for one of them; and therefore, since both these parts, namely, those which are, and those which are not, directed to God,-are so commonly and so suddenly altered, mingled, and interwoven, the one with the other, that the most suitable postures for each of them cannot be always used, certainly that one posture which best suits both of them together should be preferred.

The Church directs that the Psalms shall be either "said" (as in the parochial service) "or sung" (as in the choir service), and there are examples in Scripture of both these ways of praising God. His praises were celebrated in the Jewish Church by singing, 2 Chron. xxix. 30; and afterwards in the Christian Church, as appears from the language of St. Paul, Eph. v. 19; Col. iii. 16; and not to insist on those places which seem to require us to "say psalms," (such as Psalm cxviii. 2, Bible translation,) we find in Scripture several sacred hymns, particularly of Hannah, the blessed Virgin, Zacharias, Simeon, and the saints in heaven, Rev. vii. 12, xi. 17, which are related to have been said by them respectively; and the circumstances in the story do not make it probable that they were sung.

THE INVITATORY PSALM WHICH FOLLOWS THE RESPONSES is the 95th; it is preferred above many of the same general tenor, probably on account of the grave monitory warnings at the end of it, which, by the case of the Jews in the wilderness, describe forcibly the position and peculiar danger of a chosen people. It contains a threefold exhortation: 1st, to praise God; 2nd, to pray to Him; and 3rd, to hear His word;