success of this, as indeed of all our petitions, we rest on the advocacy of him, who died for our sins and sits at the right hand of the Father to make supplication for our pardon.

This prayer taken from the Romish ritual affords a striking instance of the sound judgment which the Compilers of our Liturgy shew in their adopting prayers from this source. This prayer is taken from their service, but in that God is entreated to turn from us all evils "for the sake of the intercession of his saints." The Liturgy of a Church which owns no intercessor but the Lord Jesus, not only removes this, but inserts a new clause of security for the reformed faith, “grant that in all our troubles, we may put our whole trust and confidence in thy mercy."

After this prayer are introduced occasional prayers, for deliverance from any pressure of public calamity which the nation at any time may sustain, as well as the supplications already adverted to, for the regular administration of public affairs, in the manner which may best promote the maintenance of true Religion, and the well being of the State. Though the enumeration of human wants and sufferings in the Litany be copious, yet it is of necessity general: now there may be seasons, when some specific blessing or some specific deliverance may be of such vital importance to the community, as to require that

provision should be made for extraordinary importunity by appropriate prayers, or for specific giving of thanks where such gracious deliverance has been vouchsafed. Our Church supplies us with forms for both : forms of supplication on occasions of the most usual general calamity, as tumult, plague, famine, &c. &c., and forms of thanksgiving where God of his mercy has heard our prayers and removed our affliction. In the Psalms, the Hymns after the Lessons, and other parts of the earlier service, the language of thanksgiving was mingled with that of praise; but at the last review of the Liturgy, to the deliverance from special afflictions, it was thought expedient to prefix that general thanksgiving in your Prayer books, which now makes a part of the daily service of your Church. And a most perspicuous and beautiful summary it is, of the blessings, temporal and spiritual, which we have received at God's hand, beginning with our entrance into this life, and rising to our hope of glory in the next. "In him we live, and move, and have our being:"* our existence is preserved by his Almighty power, and derives its every comfort from his fatherly goodness. But what are these compared with the redemption, which his inestimable love has bestowed on his unworthy servants? What thanks do we

* Acts xvii. 28.

not owe to him, for those means by which his grace is made effectual in the hope of glory strengthened and confined to the faithful in Christ Jesus. Not resting on the weak efforts of our own gratitude, we beseech our great benefactor himself to give us that due sense of all his mercies, that the seed of lively gratitude may take root in our hearts, to bring forth its fruit in our lives.

The Litany concludes, as does the morning service when it is not recited, with the prayer called, a prayer of St. Chrysostom, and the blessing on the congregation. The pious and learned composers of our Liturgy were above the modern affectation of novelty, and adopted in preference, what had been sanctioned by the former use of a congregation. From an ancient Liturgy by one of the venerable Fathers of the Church, a man skilled in the knowledge of God's word, and exemplary in its practice, they took this last prayer, offered at morning service. It is evidently a prayer to the Lord Jesus Christ, whom you will observe, it addresses under the title of Almighty God, for the promise referred to was his promise,* it is a conclusive and energetic renewal of all the supplications which we have offered, beginning with a recital of two grounds on which it hopes they may be favorably heard: first our experience of God's grace, by which

* Matthew xviii. 19, 20.

we have been just now led to make our common, our united supplications unto him: and secondly, the stability of our Lord's promise, that when a congregation, however small, "is gathered together in his name, there is he in the midst of them"* to grant their requests. On these grounds we beg of the Lord to fulfil the desires and petitions of us his servants : leaving it to his wisdom however, equally good often in refusing, as in complying with our wishes, to regulate the assent by their expediency but still praying absolutely for two things for which no importunity can be too great, and no solicitation inexpedient-" for the knowledge of God's truth in this life, and in that which is to come, life everlasting."

The Morning Service concludes with a blessing or prayer of benediction, offered up by the Minister for himself and for the congregation, in conformity with the usage of the Christian Church, and the Apostolic conclusions to their Epistles. "On this wise," says the Lord, "shall ye bless the children of Israel, saying unto them: the Lord bless thee, and keep thee: the Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace." After this divine model, which in the distinct nature, as in the number of its blessings, might be shewn to contain an

* Matthew xviii. 20. † Numbers vi. 23, &c.

allusion to the offices of the three persons of the adorable and ever blessed Trinity, we commit to them specially ourselves and our congregation: and may the redeeming grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to procure us pardon and justification, may the love of God to give us adoption and protection, and may the Holy Spirit, associating with our Spirit to sanctify our hearts, and to direct our wills, be with us all evermore. Amen.