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should have appeared so inconsistent and self-contradictory to those to whom it first came, as christians of later ages have made it. The terms in which it was delivered to them were, no doubt, perfectly intelligible, although less so to us who live in times and places so very remote. It is our business, therefore, to go beyond the mere letter, and to use every help we can obtain for understanding its true import, particularly by encouraging every well-conducted attempt towards furnishing an accurate translation of it into our own tongue, allowing no more than its due proportion of merit to that commonly received. Our labour will not be without its reward. We shall see that "God is light, and that in him there is no darkness at all." Our faith will be immoveably established, and our joy will proportionably and greatly abound. Amen.

R. E.

THE

WORSHIP AUTHORISED

IN

THE NEW TESTAMENT,

COMPARED WITH THAT

COMMANDED BY MEN.

Directions relative to the object of worship, with specimens of prayers, of devout wishes, &c.

Found in the Christian Scrip- Found in the Book of Common

tures.

"Thou, when thou prayest, pray to thy FATHER, who is in secret, and thy FATHER, who seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. After this manner, therefore, pray ye; Our FATHER, who art in heaven." Matt. vi. 6, 9; Luke xi. 2.

"Jesus saith-the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the FATHER in spirit and in truth, for the FATHER seeketh such to worship HIM." John iv. 23.

Prayer, and in the writings of Presbyterians, c.

"The Catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in trinity, and trinity in unity."

Athanasian creed.

"Then likewise the minister shall say, Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; answer, As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end*." Morning service.

• In the reign of Constantius, Flavianus of Antioch introduced the custom of ascribing glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and in the latter part of the fourth century, Pope Damasus is said to have decreed that it should be said or sung at the end of the psalms.

From the Scriptures.

From the Common Prayer, &c.

"I bow my knees unto the FATHER of our Lord Jesus Christ, of WHOM the whole family in heaven and earth is named.” Eph. iii. 14, 15.

"Giving thanks always, for all things unto GOD, and the FATHER, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Eph. v. 20. see also ch. ii. 18; Rom. xv. 6; Col. i. 3, 12; iii. 17; James iii. 9; 1 Pet. i. 17*.

"To God the Father, God the Son,

And God the Spirit, three in one, Be honour, praise, and glory given,

By all on earth, and all in hea

ven." Watts' Doxology. "Above all things, ye must give most humble and hearty thanks to God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, for the redemption of the world," &c.

Communion service.

"It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto thee, O Lord! almighty and everlasting God, who art one God, one Lord! not one only person, but three per

It is said, Heb. i. 6. « When he bringeth in the first-begotten into the world, he saith, and let all the angels of God worship him :" and we read of particular persons worshipping our Lord. But it is well known that by the term worship is not always meant religious adoration. It is frequently used to describe those marks of respect which are paid to great characters. Some of the persons who are said to have worshipped Jesus were Jews. (Matt. viii. 2. ix. 18). Now the Jews paid religious worship to GOD only. Indeed, it is not asserted by the generality of those, who believe that Jesus Christ is God, that, at the period when the ruler worshipped or made obeisance to him, the doctrine of his deity was publicly taught. Consequently, that worship had nothing in it of a religious nature.

It is said, 1 Chron. xxix. 20. " All the congregation worshipped the LORD and the king :” and in Dan. ii. 46. « That Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation or present, and sweet odours unto him," as a mark of respect, agreeably to the eastern method of doing persons honour. Jesus, also, speaks of a servant who fell down before his master, and worshipped him. Matt. xviii. 26. When, therefore, we read that the leper worshipped Jesus -that his disciples, upon his ascension, worshipped him, &c., it is reason

From the Scriptures.

"If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is GREATER than I." John xiv. 28.

"At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O FATHER, Lord of heaven and earth, because THOU hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes; even so, FATHER, for so it seemed good in THY sight." Matt. xi. 25, 26; Luke x. 21.

"And he fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O MY FATHER, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as THOU wilt." Matt. xxvi. 39; see also verse 42; Mark xiv. 36; Luke xxii. 42; xxiii. 34, 46; Heb. v. 7.

"And Jesus lift up his eyes and said, FATHER, I thank thee that THOU hast heard me." John xi. 41.

"Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say, FATHER, save me from this hour? but for this

From the Common Prayer, &c.

sons, in one substance. For that which we believe of the glory of the Father, the same we believe of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, without any difference or inequality."

Upon the feast of trinity. "Religious worship is to be given to God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and to him alone."

The Assembly's Confession of Faith, ch. 21.

"The second part of prayer is adoration, and it contains, (1) A mention of his nature as God; and this includes his most original properties and perfections: his unity of essence, that there is no other God besides him: his inconceivable subsistence in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; which mystery of the trinity is a most proper object of our adoration and wonder, since it so much surpasses our understanding."

Watts' Guide to Prayer, p. 6.

able to understand the term as meaning nothing more, than that they did him homage as a great character, or as a divine prophet. All their reli. gious addresses were directed to the one God, the Father of Jesus. In Luke xiv. 10. are these words: "then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat."

Worshipful, and right worshipful, are expressions well known amongst us, as applied to men,

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"Holy FATHER, keep through thine own name, those whom THOU hast given me." John xvii. 11; see also, verses 1, 3, 5, 21, 24, and 25; Acts iv. 24, &c.

"Blessed be GOD, even the FATHER of our Lord Jesus Christ, the FATHER of mercies, and the GOD of all comfort, who comfort eth us in all our tribulation." 2 Cor. i. 3; see also Eph. i. 3. "Blessed be the GOD and FATHER of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again

unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 1 Pet. i. 3*.

"According to the will of GOD and our FATHER, to whom be glory, for ever and ever.” Gal. i. 4, 5.

From the Common Prayer, Sc.

"We must give honour to the three persons in the godhead distinctly to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost."

Henry's Method of Prayer. "Thou art the King of Glory, O Christ. Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father. We therefore pray thee to help thy servants, whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood.

"Make them to be numbered with thy saints in glory everlasting." Te Deum.

"O God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy upon us miserable sinners."

"O God the Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, have mercy upon as miserable sinners."

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* We read, Acts vii. 59, that "they stoned Stephen, calling (upon God is not in the original) and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit, or breath of life:" as if he had said, accept this sacrifice of my life, which I lay down for thy sake.' Stephen had just seen the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." The impression made by so grand a spectacle would not quickly wear off. Is it wonderful then, that he should address this Son of Man? Seeing Jesus in heaven, and knowing his power with God, John xi. 22, was as good a reason for Stephen to call for and desire his help, as it was for his disciples, who saw his power on earth, to entreat him to help them in a storm. Matt. viii. 24-27.

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