^5^/v^-^— /•
The
Ceacber's Praper Book:
being the
Book of Common Prayer,
with
Introductions, Analyses, Notes, and a Commentary
upon the Psalter,
by
The Right Rev. ALFRED BARRY, D.D., D.C.U
Late Canon of Windsor atxd Assistant Bishop of London,
formerly Bishop of Sydney, and Primate of
Australia and Tasmania;
and
J3 Glossary,
By the Rev. A. L. MAYHEW, MA I 5 f 3 0
COLLEGE
London: ^^HAK^
Eyre & Spottiswoode (Bible Warehouse),
3 3, Paternoster Row, E.C.
Edinburgh and New York.
BX
SIM5
BI3
^Si07s^
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.
In the Introductions and Notes to the Teacher's
Pb,ayer Book I have endeavoured to keep strictly
to the object indicated by the title ; and, without
any attempt at original research or exhaustive
treatment, to supply to Churchmen, and especially
to those who have to give religious teaching,
some knowledge of the origin, the principles, and
the substance of the Prayer Book, which they
are continually using, and which, perhaps through
that very familiarity, is apt to be imperfectly
understood. I have therefore not thought it neces-
sary to encumber its pages, and embarrass its
readers, with quotations from authorities, although
I have made free use of the many excellent works,
ancient and modern, on the Prayer Book itself,
and on Christian Antiquities, which are now within
the reach of the student, and have embodied in
the book the results of the study and teaching of
some years. I have also bad the advantage of
being allowed to submit the sheets to the super-
vision of my friend and colleague, Archdeacon
Cheetham ; whom I have to thank for many
valuable corrections and suggestions, although I
must not lay on him any responsibility for what
is written here.
On the many controverted subjects which have
necessarily presented themselves, while I have not
attempted to conceal my own opinion, I have
desired, as far as possible, to fix the attention o£
my readers mainly on what is historically certain,
PREFACE.
or is plainly expressed in the words of the Prayer
Book ; and on all other points to give them, not
so much my judgment, as sufficient materials for
forming a judgment of their own. Having done
this as thoroughly and as tersely as I could, I
now send the book in the earnest hope and prayer
that it may conduce to the serious and intelligent
use of the Prayer Book, which has been for cen-
turies the treasure of English devotion, which,
alike by its substance and by its tone, has largely
determined the history of the Church of England
and of English Christianity.
A. B.
PREFACE TO THE NEW EDITION.
This Edition (the 16th) represents a complete
recension of the original matter. The whole has
been again revised, and in great degree re- written.
But the alterations are almost entirely in the way
of addition and explanation ; hardly anything has
had to be withdrawn as incorrect or unnecessary.
In thankfulness for the proof of past usefulness
afforded by the issue of many successive Editions,
this last, and (it is hoped) completest Edition,
is sent out with prayer for God's further blessing
upon it.
A. B,
The Book of
Common Prayer,
And Administration of the Sacraments, and other Rites
and Ceremonies of the Church,
according to the Use of
The Church of England;
together with the
Psalter or Psalms of David,
Pointed as they are to be sung or said in Churches ;
and the Form and Manner of Making,
Ordaining, and Consecrating of
Bishops, Priests, and
Deacons.
$te iftejtste's Vvintite.
London :
Eyre & Spottiswoode (Bible Warehouse), Ltd.,
33, Paternoster Row, E.C.
Edinburgh and New York.
Nonpareil 241110.
INTRODUCTION.
The English Prayer Book embodies, in tangible form, the chief
principles of the English Reformation. It was no new book, drawn
up by the religious leaders of the 16th century, but was mainly a re-
formed republication of those old Services, which had grown up
through nearly a thousand years of English Christianity, being
themselves developments of the Liturgies of an even remoter an-
tiquity. So far it exemplified the famous Declaration (in the Act
against suing for dispensations at Rome, a.d. 1538), that the English
Church and nation in the Reformation " intended not to decline or
vary from the Congregation of Christ's Church, in things concerning
the Catholic faith of Christendom, or declared by Holy Scripture and
the Word of God necessary to salvation." But, at the same time,
it was the assertion of a right to remodel and reform, to add to and
to take from, those old Services, so as to adapt them to the needs
of the English people, and to the growth of spiritual knowledge and
liberty ; and in this respect it implied that claim of national reli-
gious independence— under the supreme authority of God's Word,
and appeal to a General Council of the Church freely chosen— which
was a distinct defiance of the Papal authority, and thus a resolute,
though independent, adhesion to the Reformation movement.
I. Materials and History.— The materials from which it was
compiled were large and various. There were, first, the Latin Ser-
vice Books; which may be, generally speaking, reduced to three,
(a) the Breviary, containing, besides the Calendar and Rubrical
directions, the Psalms, Hymns, Antiphons, Collects, Lections, &c,
to be said at the several hours of prayer, whether on ordinary daya
or days of special observance. (6) The Missal, containing its own
Calendar, Rubrics, and elaborate ritual directions, and the regular
Order of the Holy Communion Service, or " Mass," with the variable
Introits, Collects, Epistles, Gospels, &c, for various seasons of the
Ecclesiastical year, (e) The Manual, containing the Baptismal
Service, and other " Occasional Services." To these may be added
the Pontifical, containing the Ordination Service, and other Ser-
vices, which could be performed only by a Bishop. These Service-
Books were voluminous and intricate, each (except the Manual)
longer than our whole Prayer Book.
Of these various Latin Service Books there were extant several
forms or Uses. St. Augustine, on his mission to England, found
various Services already existing in the ancient British Church, not
improbably framed on the Gallican model, which has strong affini-
ties with the Eastern Liturgies, and differing considerably from the
authorized Roman form of his time. By the wise counsel of his
superior, Gregory the Great, he refrained from rigidly enforcing
ritual uniformity within the sphere of his own influence ; and the
variety of Service, thus caused, was still further increased by the
fact, that Christianity was largely diffused in the north and centre
ii INTRODUCTION.
of England by independent Celtic missionaries from Scotland. To
these causes is probably to be traced the co-existence of various
" Uses," when England became wholly Christianized. The chief of
these was the " Use of Sarum," or Salisbury, drawn up by Osmond,
Bishop of Salisbury, in 1085, and prevailing over the greater part of
the Southern Province. There were also the " York Use," marking
the independence of the old Northumbrian Christianity, the " Uses
of Bangor and Hereford," probably indicating the influence of the
old British Church of Wales, and others less known. With substan-
tial identity, these Uses presented, nevertheless, some not incon-
siderable variations, and did not follow strictly the Roman Use.
Besides these Latin Service Books, there were issued from time
to time what were called Primers, vernacular Prayer Books for the
people, containing nothing of the Service of the Missal or Manual ;
but Services for the Hours, taken from the Breviary, Selections of
Psalms and Prayers, the Creed, the Lord's Prayer and Ten Com-
mandments, the Ave Maria, a Litany, &c. Of these Primers there
are various editions extant, from a.d. 1400 to King Henry's Primer
of 1545, gradually increasing in fulness. They served as simple
manuals of Prayer and instruction for the people, existing side by
side with the Latin Offices, which were to the people as sealed
books ; and they were probably used largely during Service-time in
the Churches, and also in private devotion at home.
Now the Reformation in England, so far as it was a purely religious
movement, had two great objects in view— the publication of an
English Bible and of an English Service Book. The former was
secured in the reign of Henry vm., when, after the issue of Tyndale's
Bible (1525), Coverdale's Bible (1535), and Matthew's Bible (1537), the
" Great Bible " was published by authority in 1539, and set up for
reading in Churches in 1541, with order in 1542 that the Epistles and
Gospels should be read from it. Towards the second, some steps
were taken under much difficulty in the same reign. In 1540 a
Psalter in Latin and English was published ; in 1544 the English
Litany followed; in 1547 a Communion Service, supplementary to
the Mass, was prepared, but not put forth till early in 1548» after the
accession of Edward vi.
Meanwhile some steps were taken, both in England and elsewhere,
towards reformation of the Latin Service Books. In 1516, 1581, and
1541, reformed and simplified editions of the Sarum Breviary were
issued ; in 1533 appeared a reformed Sarum Missal ; and a reformed
Breviary was published on the Continent by Cardinal Quignonez,
under Papal authority, which was evidently of great use to the com-
pilers of our Prayer Book.
II. Prayrr Book of 1549.— These steps were but tentative and
preparatory. When the accession of Edward vi. gave a new impulse
to the Reformation, it was resolved to supersede both Latin Service-
Books and Primers by an English Prayer-Book, which should be the
Prayer-Book of both priests and people. This new Service Book
was, speaking generally, a reformed Sarum Use. including Breviary,
INTRODUCTION. iii
Missal, Manual, and Pontifical in one. But the compilers had hefore
them the Cotisultatio of Archbishop Hermann of Cologne, contain-
ing a vernacular Service, drawn up under Lutheran auspices, and
accordingly in a conservative spirit ; and from this they borrowed in
some degree. Nor did they shrink from original composition where
necessary, especially of Collects, and of the hortatory elements of
the Service. The result was the Prayer Book of 1549.
The main principles which guided the compilers were obviously
these three (see the original Preface " Concerning the Service of the
Church"):—
(a) Simplification. The old Service Books had gradually be-
come so long, so intricate, so full of special variations, so elaborate
in ritual directions, that even to the clerics and the highly educated
they were difficult, and to the people at large, even if written in
English, they would have been useless. It was resolved to cut down
this luxuriance, to introduce more regularity, even at the sacrifice
of appropriateness and beauty, to group the many Services together,
with some simplification and abridgment, to abolish all variety of
" Uses," and so to bring the new Service Book within the reach of
the mass of the people, as a common standard of faith, and a com-
mon manual of devotion.
(6) Purification, by returning as far as possible to primitive
purity of doctrine, ritual, and devotion, removing the accretions of
error or superstition which had grown over the old Services in
mediaeval times, and bringing the whole resolutely to the test of
accordance with Holy Scripture. In some cases this process was
carried so far as to remove some things, which were in themselves
sound and Catholic, but which had become so closely interwoven
with falsehood and corruption, that it appeared hopeless to disso-
ciate them from these in the minds of the people.
(c) Publication, by translating them from Latin into English, so
that the people should not only " assist " at the Service, but claim
it as their own ; and by casting them into such a form— sober in
tone, uncontroversial in thought (although clear and definite in
doctrine), free and simple in language— as might be sincerely and
heartily adopted by all baptized members of Christ. The responsive
character of the Services was made effective ; the provision for sys-
tematic reading of Holy Scripture was singularly complete; the
element of exhortation and teaching was considerably strengthened ;
and the laity were thus plainly recognised as full members of the
Church, having, under due spiritual conditions, a full indefeasible
right to its Services and Sacraments.
The first Prayer Book of Edward vi., compiled under these guid-
ing principles, was ordered by the first Act of Uniformity to be used
on Whitsunday (June 9th), 1549. It was substantially our present
book; but (putting aside mere detail.-;) it had the following import-
ant differences : —
(i) In Morning and Evening Prayer the Introduction, Exhorta-
tion, Confession, and Absolution were not found ; shewing that the
iv INTRODUCTION.
use of Public Confession and Absolution had not yet superseded, as
a rule, the habitual practice of Auricular Confession and special
Absolution.
(ii) In the Communion Service ("commonly called the Mass")
there was considerable difference both in order and substance— the
book of 1549 keeping, in both, to closer accordance with the ancient
liturgical forms. This difference is especially notable in the Prayer
for the whole estate of Christ's Church, the Consecration Prayer,
and the Words of Administration (see Notes on the Communion
Service).
(iii) In the Occasional Services, the book of 1549 retained in the
Baptismal Service the use of the Exorcism, the Chrism and the
Chrisom (or white garment) ; in the Visitation of the Sick Extreme
Unction was allowed, if desired, but in terms not implying in it any
sacramental character; the Funeral Service contained prayers for
the soul departed, and provided specially for the celebration of the
Holy Communion.
In the First Book there was no Ordinal ; but a form of Service waa
drawn up by a Commission, authorized in 1550, and added in a re-
vised form to the Prayer Book of 1552.
III. Revisions.— As the original Liturgy of 1549 embodied the
main principles which the English Reformation proposed to itself,
so the various Revisions, through which it passed, indicate the course
of thought and action, by which the Reformation Settlement was
finally established. The changes which have brought the Prayer
Book to its present form are the result of four revisions, in 1552 and
1559, in 1604 and 1662; these revisions themselves being, in some
degree, reactive one against another, as religious action and reaction
prevailed in the public mind. The character and result of each re-
vision may here be briefly indicated, and will be noticed more in
detail in notes on the several parts affected.
(A) In 1552, when the Prayer Book of 1549 had hardly yet had a full
trial, a revision was pressed on by the Crown, influenced by some
foreign reformers of the growing Calvinistic school, against the advice
of Cranmer and his chief colleagues in the Episcopate. The objects
of this revision were (1) Further simplification of Ceremony, for
which object the old Vestments were superseded by the use of the
surplice alone : the additional ceremonies in Baptism were disused ;
the Introits, the Agnu* Dei in the Communion Service, and the Post-
Communion sentences struck out. (2) Further precautions
against Superstitions, especially the doctrine of Transubstantia-
tion and its consequences. This led to a reconstruction of the
Communion Service, changing the order materially ; omitting the
Invocation of the Holy Spirit on the Elements, and the Oblation .•
altering the words of Administration ; appending the " Declaration
on Kneeling" in such terms as to deny any "real and essential
Presence" of Christ in the Sacrament; and disusing the word
" Altar." It also led to the entire abolition of the ceremony of
Extreme Cnction, and to the prefixing of the Confession and Abso-
INTRODUCTION. v
lution to the Morning Service, probably indicating a disuse of private
Confession, unless in exceptional cases. (8) Further departure
from old forms, which had been abused. This induced the disuse
in the Communion Service and Burial Service of Commemoration
of and Prayer for the Departed, and perhaps combined with the
desire of simplification to suggest the disuse of some ancient Cere-
monies. This revised form marks the extreme point of religious
innovation. It could hardly have come into use, for in 1553 the
reaction under Queen Mary abolished it altogether : but it materially
affected all subsequent forms, and, in its chief points, the revision
of 1552 has not been reversed.
(B) The next revision, however, was partly a reaction against it.
Elizabeth, on her accession in 1558, desired to rally round the Refor-
mation the mass of the people, even of those who wished to return to
the position taken up under Henry vm. With this view the Prayer
Book was revised in 1559 ; on the basis, however, not of that of 1549
(which it is said that she herself desired), but of that of 1552. The
chief alterations were as follows :— (1) The royal title of " Head of
the Church " was exchanged for that of " Supreme Governor."
(2) The Vestments of 1549 were provisionally restored. (8) The
"black-letter Saints' Days" were added to the Calendar (in 1561).
(4) The petition against the Pope was struck out of the Litany.
(5) The " Declaration on Kneeling " was removed. (6) The Words
of Administration in the Communion Service were altered to their
present form, including the forms both of 1549 and of 1552.
So revised, the Prayer Book was almost universally accepted ; and
it is all but certain that Pope Pius it. offered to sanction it, if only
his Supremacy could be recognised in England. It was the first
Prayer Book which waR used without change for any long period,
and approached closely to our present book.
(C) During this period grew up the great Puritan party— Puritan
in ritual and discipline, Presbyterian in views of Church government,
and Calvinistic in doctrine. After some vacillations in policy, their
resistance to the order and ritual established was held down with a
strong hand during the reign of Elizabeth. On the accession of
James I., educated as he was in a Presbyterian school, the Millenary
Petition for revision was presented by the representatives of this
party ; the Hampton Court Conference was held under the King's
presidency ; and the Prayer Book once more revised in 1604.
The result of the Conference, however, was (as the Proclamation
prefixed to the Revised Book declared) among " the things which,
moving great expectations before they be entered upon, in their
issue produce small effects." The changes were chiefly the addition
of some Prayers and Occasional Thanksgivings, the restriction of
Private Baptism to a " lawful minister," and the addition to the
Catechism of the Exposition of the Sacraments. The demand for
the adoption of the celebrated " Lambeth Articles " (embodying
distinctive Calvinistic doctrine) was rejected. The only important
result of the Conference was the formation of the "Authorized
Version" of the Bible in 1611.
ri INTRODUCTION.
(D) The dominance of the High-Church School of Andrewes and
Laud, under James i. and Charles i., left its traces in the " Scotch
Liturgy " of 1637— a revision of the Prayer Book of 1604, compiled by
some of the Scotch Bishops, under the general direction of Laud,
for use in the public worship of Scotland. It was prefaced by an au-
thoritative Proclamation in the King's name, and by an Introduction
dwelling on the value of a " prescript form of Common Prayer," and
the desirability of a general unity on the matter in "the Churches
under the protection of one Soveraigne Prince." There was no
attempt in it to conciliate Presbyterian prej udice, except perhaps by
the use throughout of the name " Presbyter" instead of " Priest."
On the contrary, its chief characteristic was a return substantially
in the Service of Holy Communion to the elder Form of 1549, restor-
ing the Prayer of Oblation and the Invocation. Its introduction
was the signal for the religious revolt in Scotland, which led to the
great Civil War. Accordingly in itself it soon passed away. But it
has still its permanent interest in the effect which it produced upon
the Revision of 1662, on the " Scotch Office," and through this
Office upon the Communion Service of the American Church. Then
followed the revolutionary reaction in the Long Parliament against
the whole Church system ; which, after the outbreak of the Civil
War and the alliance of the Parliament with the Scotch Presby-
terians, culminated in the abolition of the Prayer Book, and the
substitution of the Directory of Public Worship in 1645, and in various
Acts, prohibiting the use of the Prayer Book, even in private, under
severe penalties.
(E) Finally, at the Restoration in 1660, the King, "in pursuance of
the promise given before his return, and renewed in a Declaration
of October 25th, 1660, granted to the Puritan party the Savoy Confer-
ence, with a view to some revision of the restored Prayer Book. This
revision was professedly designed for comprehension. But it was
soon clear that this was nearly hopeless. On the one hand, the
Presbyterians, headed by Richard Baxter, first, claimed that a
Liturgy should "not be too rigorously composed, nor the Minister
confined thereto," and, in the next place, pressed for changes, which
would have revolutionized the Prayer Book in many points of prin-
ciple. On the other side, there was not only no readiness for con-
cession, even of a temporary character, but a desire for strict con-
formity, and gome disposition to make changes in the opposite
direction. The last opportunity, therefore, of comprehension was
lost, and the imposition of the revised Prayer Book of 1662 by the
Act of Uniformity led to the permanent establishment of Noncon-
formity in England. The revision, however, was carried out with
great care by a Committee of Convocation, submitted to Convoca-
tion, and sanctioned by Parliament.
IV. Prater Book of 1662.— Of the numerous alterations the
most important were— (1) the prefixing of the new Preface, setting
forth the history and nature of the Revision ; (2) the insertion (in
wilful opposition to the Puritans) of certain Apocryphal Lessons
(Bel and the Dragon and the History of Susanna) in the Calendar;
(3) the addition of several Prayers, e.ff.,the Prayer for all Conditions
INTRODUCTION. vii
of Men, and the General Thanksgiving ; (4) the taking of the Epis-
tles and Gospels and most other Scriptural Lections from the
Authorized Version ; (5) the addition to the Church Militant Prayer
of the commemoration of the faithful departed, and the insertion of
various Ritual Rubrics in the Communion Service ; (6) the restora-
tion of the " Declaration on Kneeling," with the significant change
of " real and essential Presence " into " corporal Presence " ;
(7) the addition of the Office for Baptism of Adults, of the Forms
of Prayer to be Used at Sea, and of the Services for January 30th
and May 29th ; (8) in the Preface to the Ordination Service, the ad-
dition to the words requiring ordination " according to the Form
hereafter following " of the words " or hath had formerly Episcopal
Consecration or Ordination"; (9) the addition to the Baptismal
Service of the Declaration on the Salvation of Baptized Infants,
and on the use of the Sign of the Cross.
It will be obvious that hardly any of these indicate concession to
the Puritans, that some were simply dictated by a desire for greater
completeness and order, and that others tended rather to oppose
and alienate those who had asked for the Revision.
V. Subsequent Alterations.— The Prayer Book has never again
been revised, although Revision has been often proposed. The most
serious attempt was made in 1689, with a view to the comprehension
of Nonconformists. In connection with the Toleration Act, passed
in that year, a Bill was brought in for " uniting His Majesty's Pro-
testant Subjects "—proposing certain immediate concessions, chiefly
in relaxation of subscription and ceremonial, and enacting that
a Royal Commission of thirty Bishops and Clergy, already appointed,
should complete a scheme for the Revision of the Prayer Book, " to
be communicated by the King to a Convocation and Parliament."
But by a resolution of the House of Commons, in which the Lords
afterwards concurred, an Address was presented to the Crown, pray-
ing that the whole question should first be referred to the advice of
Convocation. The Commission accordingly drew up a Report, re-
commending very numerous alterations in the Prayer Book and
Rubrics, of various kinds and degrees of importance. Some were
alterations of form and style ; such as additions to the Litany and
Versicles, revision and enlargement of Collects, and provision of
fresh Rubrics, explanatory and didactic. Some were relaxations, in
regard to the enforcement of the use of the Surplice, of kneeling at
Holy Communion, of the sign of the Cross and the requirement of
Sponsors at Baptism. Some touched matters of doctrine and prin-
ciple; such as the change of the word " Priest" to " Minister" at
the Absolution and elsewhere, the addition of an explanatory Rubric
to the Athanasian Creed, and a note to the Nicene Creed as to the
position of the Greek Church on the Filioque, the change of the
words of Ordination to a precatory form, and some modification of
the Absolution in the Visitation of the Sick. This Report was,
however, never published or presented to Convocation— the temper
of the Lower House being obviously hostile to all change— and the
whole project of Comprehension through Revision, not being strong-
ly supported by public opinion, fell to the ground.
1-5
viil INTRODUCTION.
The only changes which have since taken place are,—
(1) The disuse (in 1859) of the State Services for November 5th,
January 30th, and May 29th.
(2) The introduction of the New Lectionary in 1871.
(8) The introduction, by the Amendment of the Act of Uniformity
in 1872, of the Shortened Service, of liberty of using other Services
by sanction of the Ordinary, of license for separation of Services and
use of Hymns.
VI. Thus preserving throughout the main characteristics, both of
substance and style, which marked it at its first Compilation in
1549, the Prayer Book has exercised a most powerful influence, not
only as determining the tone and character of English devotion, and
as forming a standard of faith and of religious thought, but also as
affecting the whole development of English literature, of which,
after the English Bible, it was the first great monument. Nor has
its effect been confined to the English Church itself, the sister-
Communions in Ireland and Scotland, the daughter-Churches of
America and the Colonies, and the Missionary Churches included in
the Anglican Communion. There can be little doubt that it has
told on Christian bodies separated from the Church, wherever the
English language is spoken, and even beyond this limit, wherever its
numerous translations have penetrated. For the two great trophies
of the Reformation, the English Bible and the English Prayer Book,
we may well thank God.
THE
CONTENTS OF THIS BOOK.
Pagt
An Act for the Uniformity of Common Prayer 3
1. The Preface 7
2 Concerning the Service of the Church 8
3. Concerning Ceremonies, why some be abolished, and some
retained 10
4. The Order how the Psalter is appointed to be read 11
5. The Order how the rest of the holy Scripture is appointed
to be read 11
6. A Table of Proper Lessons and Psalms 12
7. The Calendar, with the Table of Lessons 16
8. Tables and Rules for the Feasts and Fasts through the
whole Year 28
9. The Order for Morning Prayer 37
10. The Order for Evening Prayer 44
11. The Creed of Saint Athanasius 48
12. The Litany 60
13. Prayers and Thanksgivings upon several occasions 54
14. The Collects, Epistles, and Gospels, to be used at the Minis-
tration of the holy Communion, throughout the Year. . 68
16. The Order of the Ministration of the holy Communion 136
16. The Order of Baptism both Publick and Private 148
17. The Order of Baptism for those of Riper Years 153
18. The Catechism 166
19. The Order of Confirmation 159
20. The Form of Solemnization of Matrimony 160
21. The Order for the Visitation of the Sick, and the Com-
munion of the Sick 163
22. The Order for the Burial of the Dead 168
23. The Thanksgiving of Women after Child-birth 171
24. A Commination, or denouncing of God's anger and judg-
ments against Sinners 172
25 The Psalter 176
20 Forms of Prayer to be used at Sea 269
-'7 The Form and Manner of Making, Ordaining, and Con-
secrating of Bishops, Priests, and Deacon* 264
28. Forms of Prayer on; Accession of Sovei eign 27S
20. Articles of Religion , 281
AN ACT
FOB TUB UNIFORMITY OF COMMON PRATER, AND SERVICE IN THE CHURCH,
AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE SACRAMENTS.
PRIMO ELIZABETHS.
WHERE at the death of our late Sovereign Lord King Edward the Sixth,
there remained one uniform Order of Common Service and 1 'raver, and
of the Administration of Sacraments, Kites and Ceremonies of the Church of
England, which was set forth in one Hook, intituled, The Book of Common
Prayer, and Administration of Sacraments, and other Rites and Ceremonies in
the Church of England, Authorized by Act of Parliament, holden in the fifth
and sixth years of our said late Sovereign Lord King Edward the Sixth,
intituled. An Act for the Uniformity of Common Prayer, and Administration of
the Sacraments ; The which Was repealed, and taken away by Act of Parlia-
ment, in the first Year of the Keign of our late Sovereign Lady Queen Hum,
to the great decay of the due honour of God, and discomfort to the Professors
of the Truth of Christ's Religion :
Be it therefore Enacted by the Authority of this present Parliament, That
the said Statute of Repeal, and every thins therein contained, only concern-
ing the said Book, and the Service, Administration of Sacraments, Rites and
Ceremonies, contained or appointed in or by the said Book, shall be void and
of none effect, from and after the Feast of the Nativity of St. John Baptist
next coming : and that the said Book with the Order of Service, and of the
Administnition of Sacraments. Kites and Ceremonies, with the Alterations,
and Additions therein added and appointed by this Statute, shall stand, and
be from and after the said Feast of the Nativity of St. John Baptist, in full
force and effect, according to the tenor and effect of this Statute : Any thing
in the foresaid Statute of Repeal to the contrary notwithstanding.
And further be it Enacted by the Queen's Highness, with the assent of the
Lords and Commons in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Au-
thority of the same, That all and singular Ministers in any Cathedral, or
Parish Church, or other place within this Realm of England, Wales, and the
Marches of the same, or other the Queen's Dominions, shall from and after
the Feast of the Nativity of St. John Baptist next coming, be bounden to say
and use the Mattins, Evensong, Celebration of the Lord's Supper, and Ad-
ministration of each of the Sacraments, and all their common and open
Prayer, in such order and form as is mentioned in the said Book, so Autho-
rized by Parliament in the said fifth and sixth Years of the Reign of King
Edward the Sixth : with one alteration, or addition of certain Lessons to be
used on every Sunday in the Year, and the Form of the Litany altered and
corrected, and two Sentences only added in the delivery of the Sacrament to
the Communicants, and none other, or otherwise. And that if any manner of
Parson, Vicar, or other whatsoever Minister, that ought or should sing or say
Common Prayer mentioned in the said Book, or minister the Sacraments,
from and after the Feast of the Nativity of St. John Baptist next coming,
refuse to use the said Common Prayer, or to minister the Sacraments in such
Cathedral or Parish-Church, or other places, as he should use to minister the
same, in such order and form, as they be mentioned, and set forth in the said
Book; or shall wilfully, or obstinately standing in the same, use any other
Rite, Ceremony, Order, Form, or Manner of celebrating of the Lord's Supper,
openly or privily, or Mattins, Evensong, Administration of the 8acraments,
or other open Prayers, than is mentioned and set forth in the said Book, [open
Prayer in and throughout this Act, is meant that Prayer which is for others to
come unto or hear, either in Common Churches, or Private Chapels, or Oratories,
commonly called the Service of the Church] or shall preach, declare or speak any
thing in the derogation, or depraving of the said Book, or any thing therein
contained, or of any part thereof, and shall be thereof lawfully convicted,
according to the laws of this Realm, by verdict of twelve men, or by his own
confession, or by the notorious evidence of the fact, shall lose and forfeit to
the Queen's Highness, her Heirs and Successors, for his first Offence, the
ix-3
ACT FOR UNIFORMITY OF COMMON PRAYER.
profit of all his Spiritual Benefices, or Promotions, coming or arising in one
whole Year next after his Conviction : And also that the Person so convicted,
shall for the same Offence suffer Imprisonment by the space of six Months,
without Bail or Mainprise. And if any such Person, once convict of any
Offence concerning the Premisses, shall after his first conviction eftsoons
offend, and be thereof in form aforesaid lawfully convict; That then the
same Person shall for his second Offence suffer Imprisonment by the space of
one whole Year, and also shall therefore be deprived, ipso facto, of all his
Spiritual Promotions, and. That it shall be. lawful to all Patrons, or Donors of
all and singular the same Spiritual Promotions, or of any of them to present
or collate to the same, as though the Person or Persons so offending were
dead. And that if any such Person or Persons, after he shall be twice con-
victed In form aforesaid, shall offend against any of the Premisses the third
time, and shall be thereof in form aforesaid lawfully convicted •, That then
the Person so offending, and convicted the third time, shall be deprived ipso
facto of all his Spiritual Promotions, and also shall suffer Imprisonment
during his life. And if the Person that shall offend, and be convicted in form
aforesaid, concerning any of the Premisses, shall not be beneficed nor have
any Spiritual Promotion, that then the same Person so offending and convict,
shall for the first offence suffer Imprisonment during one whole Year next
after hts said Conviction, without Bull or Mainprise. And if any such Person,
not having any spiritual Promotion, after his first Conviction shall eftsoons
offend in any thing concerning the Premisses, and shall in form aforesaid be
thereof lawfully convicted, that then the same Person shall for his second
Offence suffer Imprisonment during his Life.
And it is Ordained and Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if any
Person or Persons whatsoever, after the said Feast of the Nativity of St.
John Baptist next coming, shall in any Enterludes, Plays, Songs, Khimes, or
by other open Words, declare or speak any thing In the derogation, depraving,
or despising of the same Book, or of any thing therein contained, or any part
thereof: or shall by open fact, deed, or by open threatenings, compel or
cause, or otherwise procure or maintain any Parson, Vicar, or other Minister
in any Cathedral or Parish-Church, or in Chapel, or in any other place, to
sing or say any common or open Prayer, or to minister any Sacrament other-
wise, or in any other manner and form than is mentioned in the said Book ;
or that by any of the said means shall unlawfully interrupt, or let any Parson,
Vicar, or other Minister, in any Cathedral or Parish-Church, Chapel, or any
other place, to sing or say common and open Prayer, or to minister the
Sacraments, or any of them, in such manner and form, as is mentioned in the
said Book ; that then every such Person, being thereof lawfully convicted,
in form abovesaid, shall forfeit to the Queen our Sovereign Lady, her Heirs
and Successors, for the first Offence, an hundred Marks. And if any Person
or Persons, being once convict of any such Offence, eftsoons offend against
any of the last recited Offences, and shall in form aforesaid be thereof law-
fully convict ; that the same Person so offending, and convict, shall for the
second Offence forfeit to the Queen our Sovereign Lady, her Heirs and
Successors, four hundred Marks. And if any Person, after he in form afore-
said shall have been twice convict of any Offence concerning anv of the last
recited Offences, shall offend the third time, and be thereof In form above-
said lawfully convict, that then every Person so offending and convict, shall
for his third Offence, forfeit to our Sovereign Lady the Queen, all his Goods
and Chattels, and shall suffer Imprisonment during his Life. And if any
Person or Persons, that for his first Offence concerning the Premisses, shall be
convict in form aforesaid, do not pay the Sum to be paid by -virtue of his
Conviction, in such manner and form, as the same ought to be paid, within
six Weeks next after his Conviction ; That then every Person so eonvict, and
so not paying the same, shall for the same first Offence, Instead of the said
Sum, suffer Imprisonment by the space of six Months, without Bail or Main-
prise. And if any Person or Persons, that for his second Offence concerning
the Premisses, shall be convict in form aforesaid, do not pay the said Sum to
be paid by virtue of his Conviction and this Estatute, in such manner and
form as the same ought to be paid, within six Weeks next after his said
second Conviction ■, That then every Person so onvicted, and not paying the
same, shall for the same second Offence, instead of the said Sum, suffer Im-
prisonment during twelve Months, without Bail or Mainprise. And that from
and after the said Feast of the Nativity of St. John Baptist next coming, all
and every Person and Persons inhabiting within this Realm, or any other
the Queen's Majesty's Dominions, shall diligently and faithfully, having no
AN ACT
FOB THK UNIFORMITY OF COMMON PRATER, AND SERVICE IN THE CHURCH,
AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE SACRAMENTS.
PRIMO ELIZABETHS.
WHERE at the death of our late Sovereign Lord King Edward the Sixth,
there remained one uniform Order of Common Service and Prayer, and
of the Administration of Sacraments, Kites and Ceremonies of the Church of
England, which was set forth in one Hook, intituled. The Book of Common
Prayer, and Administration of Sacraments, and other Rites and Ceremonies in
the Church of England. Authorized by Act of Parliament, holden in the fifth
and sixth years of our said late Sovereign Lord King Edward the Sixth,
intituled. An Act for the Uniformity of Common Prayer, and Administration of
the Sacraments; The which was repealed, and taken away by Act of Parlia-
ment, in the first Year of the Keign of our late Sovereign Lady Queen Mary,
to the great decay of the due honour of God, and discomfort to the Professors
of the Truth of Christ's Religion :
Be it therefore Enacted by the Authority of this present Parliament, That
the said Statute of Repeal, and every thing therein contained, only concern-
ing the siid Book, and the Service, Administration of Sacraments, Rites and
Ceremonies, contained or appointed In or by the said Book, shall be void and
of none effect, from and after the Feast of the Nativity of St. John Baptist
next coming : and that the said Book with the Order of Service, and of the
Administration of Sacraments. Rites and Ceremonies, with the Alterations,
and Additions therein added and appointed by this Statute, shall stand, and
be from and after the said Feast of the Nativity of St. John Baptist, in full
force and effect, according to the tenor and effect of this Statute : Any thing
in the foresaid Statute of Repeal to the contrary notwithstanding.
And further be it Enacted by the Queen's Highness, with the assent of the
Lords and Commons in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Au-
thority of the same, That all and singular Ministers in any Cathedral, or
Parish Church, or other place within this Realm of England, Wales, and the
Marches of the same, or other the Queen's Dominions, shall from and after
the Feast of the Nativity of St. John Baptist next coming, be bounden to say
and use the Mattins, Evensong, Celebration of the Lord's Supper, and Ad-
ministration of each of the Sacraments, and all their common and open
Prayer, in such order and form as is mentioned in the said Book, so Autho-
rized by Parliament in the said fifth and sixth Years of the Reign of King
Edward the Sixth : with one alteration, or addition of certain Lessons to be
used on every Sunday in the Year, and the Form of the Litany altered and
corrected, and two Sentences only added in the delivery of the Sacrament to
the Communicants, and none other, or otherwise. And that if any manner of
Parson, Vicar, or other whatsoever Minister, that ought or should sing or say
Common Prayer mentioned in the said Book, or minister the Sacraments,
from and after the Feast of the Nativity of St. John Baptist next coming,
refuse to use the said Common Prayer, or to minister the Sacraments in such
Cathedral or Parish-Church, or other places, as he should use to minister the
same, in such order and form, as they be mentioned, and set forth in the said
Book; or shall wilfully, or obstinately standing in the same, use any other
Rite, Ceremony, Order, Form, or Manner of celebrating of the Lord's Supper,
openly or privily, or Mattins, Evensong, Administration of the Sacraments,
or other open Prayers, than is mentioned and set forth in the said Book, [open
Prayer in and throughout this Act, is meant that Prayer which is for others to
come unto or hear, either in Common Churches, or Private Chapels, or Oratories,
commonly called the Service of the Church] or shall preach, declare or speak any
thing in the derogation, or depraving of the said Book, or any thing therein
contained, or of any part thereof, and shall be thereof lawfully convicted,
according to the laws of this Realm, by verdict of twelve men, or by his own
confession, or bv the notorious evidence of the fact, shall lose and forfeit to
the Queen's Highness, her Heirs and Successors, for his first Offence, the
IX— 3
ACT FOR UNIFORMITY OF COMMON PRAYER.
profit of all his Spiritual Benefices, or Promotions, coming or arising in one
whole Year next after his Conviction : And also that the l'erson so convicted,
shall for the same Offence suffer Imprisonment by the space of six Months,
without Bail or Mainprise. And if any such Person, once convict of any
Offence concerning the Premisses, shall after his first conviction eftsoons
offend, and be thereof in form aforesaid lawfully convict; That then the
same Person shall for his second Offence suffer Imprisonment by the space of
one whole Year, and also shall therefore be deprived, ipso facto, of all his
Spiritual Promotions, and. That it shall bei lawful to all Patrons, or Donors of
all and singular the same Spiritual Promotions, or of any of them to present
or collate to the same, as though the Person or Persons so offending were
dead. And that if any such Person or Persons, after he shall be twice con-
victed in form aforesaid, shall offend against any of the Premisses the third
time, and shall be thereof in form aforesaid lawfully convicted •, That then
the Person so offending, and convicted the third time, shall be deprived ipso
facto of all his Spiritual Promotions, and also shall suffer Imprisonment
during his life. And if the Person that shall offend, and be convicted in form
aforesaid, concerning any of the Premisses, shall not be beneficed nor have
any Spiritual Promotion, that then the same Person so offending and convict,
shall for the first offence suffer Imprisonment during one whole Year next
after his said Conviction, without Bail or Mainprise. And if any such Person,
not having any spiritual Promotion, after his first Conviction shall eftsoons
offend in any thing concerning the Premisses, and shall in form aforesaid be
thereof lawfully convicted, that then the same Person shall for his second
Offence suffer Imprisonment during his Life.
And it is Ordained and Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if any
Person or Persons whatsoever, after the said Feast of the Nativity of St.
John Baptist next coming, shall in any Enterludes, Plays, Songs, Khimes, or
by other open Words, declare or speak any thing in the derogation, depraving,
or despising of the same Book, or of any thing therein contained, or any part,
thereof: or shall by open fact, deed, or by open threatenings, compel or
cause, or otherwise procure or maintain any Parson, Vicar, or other Minister
in any Cathedral or Parish-Church, or in Chapel, or in any other place, to
sing or say any common or open Prayer, or to minister any Sacrament other-
wise, or in any other manner and form than is mentioned in the said Book ;
or that by any of the said means shall unlaw fully interrupt, or let any Parson,
Vicar, or other Minister, in any Cathedral or Parish-Church, Chapel, or any
other place, to sing or say common and open Prayer, or to minister the
Sacraments, or any of them, in such manner and form, as is mentioned in the
said Book ; that then every such Person, being thereof lawfully convicted,
in form abovesaid, shall forfeit to the Queen our Sovereign Lady, her Heirs
and Successors, for the first Offence, an hundred Marks. And if any Person
or Persons, being once convict of any such Offence, eftsoons offend* against
any of the last recited Offences, and shall In form aforesaid be thereof law-
fully convict ; that the same Person so offending, and convict, shall for the
second Offence forfeit to the Queen our Sovereign Lady, her Heirs and
Successors, four hundred Marks. And if any Person, after he in form afore-
said shall have been twice convict of any Offence concerning anv of the last
recited Offences, shall offend the third time, and be thereof in form above-
said lawfully convict, that then every Person so offending and convict, shall
for his third Offence, forfeit to our Sovereign Lady the Queen, all his Goods
and Chattels, and shall suffer Imprisonment during his Life. And if any
Person or Persons, that for his first Offence concerning the Premisses, shall be
convict in form aforesaid, do not pay the Sum to be paid by virtue of his
Conviction, in such manner and form, as the same ought to be paid, within
six Weeks next after his Conviction •, That then every Person so eonvict, and
so not paying the same, shall for the same first Offence, instead of the said
Sum, suffer Imprisonment by the space of six Months, without Bail or Main-
prise. And if any Person or Persons, that for his second Offence concerning
the Premisses, shall be convict in form aforesaid, do not pay the said Sum to
be paid by virtue of his Conviction and this Estatute, in such manner and
form as the same ought to be paid, within six Weeks next after his said
second Conviction •, That then every Person so convicted, and not paying the
same, shall for the same second Offence, instead of the said Sum, suffer Im-
prisonment during twelve Months, without Bail or Mainprise. And that from
and after the said Feast of the Nativity of St. John Baptist next coming, all
and every Person and Persons inhabiting within this Realm, or any other
the Queen's Majesty's Dominions, shall diligently and faithfully, having no
ACT FOR UNIFORMITY OF COMMON PRAYER.
lawful or reasonable excuse to be absent, endeavour themselves, to resort to
their Parish Church or Chapel accustomed, or upon reasonable let thereof, to
some usual place, where Common Prayer, and such Service of God, shall be
used in such time of let, upon every Sunday, and other days ordained or used
to be kept as Holy-days, and then and there to abide orderly and soberly,
during the time of Common Prayer, Preaching, or other Service of Ood there
to be used, and ministered ; upon pain of Punishment by the Censures of the
Church, and also upon pain that every Person so offending, shall forfeit for
every such Offence, twelve Pence, to be levied by the Church-wardens of the
Parish where such Offence shall be done, to the use of the Poor of the same
Parish, of the Goods, Lands and Tenements of such Offender, by way of
Distress.
And for the due execution hereof, the Queen's most excellent Majesty, the
Lords Temporal and all the Commons in this present Parliament assembled,
do in God's name earnestly require and charge all the Archbishops, Bishops,
and other Ordinaries, that they shall endeavour themselves to the uttermost
of their knowledges, that the due and true execution hereof may be bad
throughout their Dioceses and Charges, as they will answer before God, for
such evils and plagues wherewith Almighty God may Justly punish his people
for neglecting this good and wholesome law. And for their Authority in this
behalf, be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That all and
singular the said Archbishops, Bishops, and other their Officers exercising
Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, as well in place exempt as not exempt, within
their Dioceses, shall have full Power and Authority by this Act, to reform,
correct and punish by Censures of the Church, all and singular Persons which
shall offend within any of their Jurisdictions, or Dioceses, after the said
Feast of the Nativity of St. John Baptist next coming, against this Act and
Statute; any other Law, Statute, Privilege, Liberty or Provision heretofore
made, had or suffered to the contrary notwithstanding.
And it is Ordained and Enacted by the Authority aforesaid. That all and
every Justice of Oyer and Determiner, or Justice of Assize, shall have full
Power and Authority in every of their open and general Sessions, to enquire,
hear and determine all and all manner of Offences, that shall be committed or
done contrary to any Article contained in this present Act, within the limits
of the Commission to them directed, and to make Process for the execution of
the same, as they may do against any Person being Indicted before them of
Trespass, or lawfully convicted thereof.
Provided always, and be it Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That all
and every Archbishop and Bishop, shall or may at all time and times, at his
liberty and pleasure, join and associate himself by virtue of this Act, to the
said Justices of Oyer and Determiner, or to the said Justices of Assize, at
every of the said open and general Sessions to be holden in any place within
his Diocese, for and to the enquiry, hearing, and determining of the Offences
aforesaid.
Provided also, and be it Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the
Books concerning the said Services, shall at the Costs and Charges of the
Parishioners of every Parish and Cathedral Church, be attained and gotten
before the said Feast of the Nativity of St. John Baptist next following; and
that all such Parishes and Cathedral Churches, or other places, where the
said Books shall be attained and gotten before the said Feast of the Nativity
of St. John Baptist, shall within three Weeks next after the said Books so
attained and gotten, use the said Service, and put the same in use according
to this Act.
And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That no Person or
Persons shall be at any time hereafter impeached, or otherwise molested of,
or for anv the Offences above mentioned, hereafter to be committed, or done
contrary to this Act, unless he or they so offending, be thereof indicted at the
next general Sessions, to be holden before any such Justices of Oyer and
Determiner, or Justices of Assize, next after any Offence committed or done
contrary to the tenor of this Act.
Provided always, and be it Ordained and Enacted by the Authority afore-
said. That all and singular Lords of the Parliament, for the third Offence
above mentioned, shall be tried by their Peers.
ACT FOR UNIFORMITY OF COMMON PRAYER.
Provided also, and be it Ordained and Enacted by the Authority aforesaid,
That the Mayor of London, and all other Mayors, Bailiffs, and all other Head-
Officers of all and singular Cities, Boroughs, and Towns-Corporate within this
Realm, Wales, and the Marches of the same, to the which Justices of Assize
do not commonly repair, shall have full Power and Authority by virtue of
his Act, to enquire, hear and determine the Offences abovesaid, and every of
them, yearly within fifteen Days after the Feast of Easter and Saint Michael
the Archangel, in like manner and form as Justices of Assize and Oyer and
Determiner may do.
Provided always, and be it Ordained and Enacted by the Authority afore-
said, Thai all and singular Archbishops and Bishops, and every of their
Chancellors. Commissaries, Archdeacons, and other Ordinaries, having any
peculiar Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, shall have full Power and Authority, by
virtue of this Act, as well to enquire in their Visitation, Synods, and else-
where within their Jurisdiction, at any other time and place, to take
Accusations and Informations of all and every the things above-mentioned,
done, committed, or perpetrated, within the limits of their Jurisdictions and
Authority, and to punish the same by Admonition, Excommunication,
Sequestration or Deprivation, and other Censures and Process, in like form,
as heretofore hath been used in like Cases by the Queen's Ecclesiastical Laws.
Provided always, and be it Enacted, That whatsoever Person offending in
the Premisses, shall for their Offences, first receive Punishment of the Ordi-
nary, having a Testimonial thereof under the said Ordinary's Seal, shall not
for the same Offence eftsoons be convicted before the Justices : And likewise
receiving for the said Offence, Punishment first by the Justices, shall not for
the same Offence eftsoons receive Punishment of the Ordinary : any thing
contained in this Act to the contrary notwithstanding.
Provided always, and be it Enacted, That such Ornaments of the Church
and of the Ministers thereof, shnll be retained, and be in use, as was in this
Church of England, by Authority of Parliament, in tne second Year of the
Reign of King Edward Hit Sixth, until other Order shall be therein taken by
the Authority of the Queen's Majesty, with the Advice of her Commissioners
appointed and authorized under the Great Seal of England for Causes
Ecclesiastical, or of the Metropolitan of this Realm. And also, that if there
•hall happen any Contempt or Irreverence to be used in the Ceremonies or
Rites of the Church, by the misusing of the Orders appointed in this Book,
the Queen's Majesty may, by the like advice of the said Commissioners or
Metropolitan ordain and publish such further Ceremonies or Rites as may be
most for the advancement of God's Glory, the edifying of his Church, and the
due reverence of Christ's holy Mysteries and Sacraments.
And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That all Laws,
Statutes and Ordinances, wherein or whereby any other Service, Administra-
tion of Sacraments, or Common Prayer, is limited, established, or set forth to
be used within this Realm, or any other the Queen's Dominions or Countries,
shall from henceforth be utterly void and of none effect.
THE PREFACE.
This Preface, first prefixed to the Revised Prayer Book of 1661,
was written by Bishop Sanderson, and amended in some trifling
points by a Committee of the Upper House of Convocation. Its
main purpose is to explain the causes and effects of the Revision
just completed. Its general tone, as might have been expected, is
averse to all change not absolutely necessary, and hostile to the party
pressing for revision; as that which "under the late usurped
powers^' had made the people disaffected to the Prayer Book, and
which now, to maintain its own consistency, attacked it with objec-
tions old and new.
It opens with the celebrated phrase, ascribing to the Church of
England the keeping " of the mean between two extremes/' which
has been commonly used as a description of her general character
and policy. But the phrase properly refers only to the line taken as
to the revision of the Prayer Book, as " avoiding too much stiffness in
refusing and too much easiness in admitting variation." In relation
to such revision it allows on the one hand (in the spirit of Art.
xxxiv.), that forms, rites, and ceremonies are in themselves " in-
different and alterable," and, on the other, claims (with Art. xx.)
that all modifications should be determined by "those that are
in places of authority " in the Church. Then, glancing at the history
of the past, since 1549, it alludes to the three Revisions already made
(the first under Edward vi., in 1552, the second under Elizabeth, in
1559, and the third under James I., in 1604), and asserts that through
all these "the main body and essentials" of the original Book of
1549 " have still continued the same."
Next, the Preface refers to the prohibition of the use of the Liturgy
under the Commonwealth. This was by an Order of Parliament on
January 3rd, 1645, " abolishing the Book of Common Pr^er,' and
" establishing " for use in all Churches " the Directory for the
Public Worship of God," followed, on August 23rd, by another
Order, enjoining the surrender of all Prayer-Books, and making
the use of the Liturgy, even in private, punishable by fine and im-
prisonment. It then recites the demand made, on the Restoration
of Charles n , for Revision, enforced by the publication of objec-
tions, some old and some new, against the Prayer Book (which,
" never having been legally abolished," came at once back into use),
and the consent of the King thereto. The Presbyterians, in fact,
had presented a petition to the Kine, allowing the lawfulness of a
Liturgy, but asking that the Prayer Book might be revised, and that
some ceremonies might be abolished, and the use of others made
optional. Charles answered by a " Royal Declaration on Ecclesias-
tical Affairs," in October 1660, allowing toleration of diversity for
a time, and promising a Conference, which met at the Savoy on
March 25th, 1661.
Of the demands for alteration then made, which were very
numerous, both general and special, it is declared that those
representing the two extremes— of changes, on the one hand, in
fundamental principles "of the Church of England or indeed of the
whole Catholic Church of Christ," and of mere frivolous objections,
on the other— have been rejected, and those which seemed " requisite
or expedient" willingly accepted, without, however, any allowance
of the objections made to the old Book, as unscriptnral, unsound, or
against the conscience of " a godly man." The objects of the
Revision are expressly declared to be, not the satisfaction of the
THE PREFACE.
r' hath been the wisdom of the Church of England, ever since the first com-
piling of her publick Liturgy, to keep the mean between the two extremes,
of too much stiffness in refusing, and of too much easiness in admitting any
variation from it. For, as on the one side common experience sheweth, that
whore a change hath been made of things advisedly established (no evident
necessity so requiring) sundry inconveniences have thereupon ensued ; and
those many times more and greater than the evils, that were intended to be re-
medied by such change : So on the other side, the particular forms of Divine
worship, and the Kites and Ceremonies appointed to be used therein, being
things in their own nature indifferent, and alterable, and so acknowledged ;
it is but reasonable, that upon weighty and important considerations, accord-
ing to the various exigency of times and occasions, such changes and altera-
tions should be made therein, as to those that are in place of Authority should
from time to time seem either necessary or expedient. Accordingly we find,
that in the reigns of several Princes of blessed memory since the Reforma-
tion, the Church, upon just and weighty considerations her thereunto mov-
ing, hath yielded to make such alterations in some particulars, as in their
respective times were thought convenient : yet so, as that the main body and
essentials of it (as well in the chiefest materials, as in the frame and order
thereof) have still continued the same unto this day, and do yet stand firm
and unshaken, notwithstanding all the vain attempts and impetuous assaults
made against it, by such men as are given to change, and have always dis-
covered a greater regurd to their own private fancies and interests, than to that
duty they owe to the publick. •
By what undue means, and for what mischievous purposes the use of the
Liturgy (though enjoined by the laws of the land, and those laws never yet
repealed) came, during tin; late unhappy confusions, to be discontinued, is
too well known to the world, and we are not willing here to remember. But
when, upon His Majesty's happy Restoration, it seemed probable, that, amongst
other things, the use of the Liturgy also would return of course (the same
having never been legally abolished) unless some timely moans were used to
prevent it : those men who under the late usurped powers had made it a great
part of their business to render the people disaffected thereunto, saw them-
selves in point of reputation and interest concerned (unless they would freely
acknowledge themselves to have erred, which such men are very hardly brought
to do) with their utmost endeavours to hinder the restitution thereof, in
order whereunto divers pamphlets were published against the Book of Com-
mon Prayer, the old objections mustered up, with the addition of some new
ones, more than formerly had been made, to make the number swell. In fine,
great importunities were used to His Sacred Majesty, that the said Book
might be revised, and such alterations therein, and additions thereunto made,
as should be thought requisite for the ease of tender consciences : where-
unto His Majesty, out of his pious inclination to give satisfaction (so far as
could be reasonably expected) to all his subjects of what persuasion soever,
did graciously condescend.
In which review we 'have endeavoured to observe the like moderation, as
we find to have been used in the like case in former times. And therefore of
the sundry alterations proposed unto us, we have rejected all such as were
either of dangerous consequence (as secretly striking at some established
doctrine, or laudable practice of the Church of England, or indeed of the
whole Catholick Church of Christ) or eisj of no consequence at all, but utterly
frivolous and vain. But such alterations as were tendered to us, (by what
persons, under what pretences, or to what purpose soever tendered) as seemed
to us in any degree requisite or expedient, we have willingly, and of our
own accord assented unto : not enforced so to do by any strength of argu-
ment, convincing us of the necessity of making the said alterations : for we
are fully persuaded in our judgments (and we here profess it to the world)
that the Book, as it stood before established by law, doth not contain in it
any thing contrary to the Word of God, or to sound doctrine, or which a
godly man may not with a good conscience use and submit unto, or which
is not fairly defensible against any that shall oppose the same ; if it shall
be allowed such just and favourable construction as in common equity
responses to the Commandments) to accept and apply God's Word,
but which had become so elaborate, and sometimes irrelevant, as to
obscure it: (c) by " Commemorations," that is, Antiphons, Versi-
cles, and Collects, commemorating Festivals, introduced into other
festal or non-festal Services ; and (d) Synodals ; that is, Canons of
Synods (diocesan or provincial), or notices of festivals appointed
by authority of such synods, usually read after the Lessons. It is, of
course, clear that of these objections, while some are matters of prin-
ciple, others are merely of method and detail, which might have been
met by reform, instead of abolition. Similarly it complains that,
whereas the whole Psalter was ordered to be said or sung every week
(not, however, in the regular order of the Psalms), yet, in practice,
partly by the interference of numerous festivals and partly by
negligence, "a few Psalms were daily said, and the rest utterly
omitted."
It then protests against the use of Latin instead of the vernacular
tongue, and the cumbrousness and artificiality of the rubrical and
ritual directions called " the Pie " (in the Latin Pica, a word of
uncertain derivation), as effectually preventing the Service from
being the Service of the people.
It next enunciates the four principles which obviously guided the
compilers of the Prayer Book in forming it mainly out of old
materials, and returning (as they believed) to the Primitive order,
viz., (a) Purification from all that was untrue or questionable and
superstitious, according to a Scriptural standard; (ft) Translation
into the vernacular language ; (c) Simplification, both in length
and order (even at the cost of completeness and beauty), so as to
make it intelligible and practically useful to the people ; (d) Unifor-
mity, abolishing the ancient variety of " Uses," with a view to unity
both of worship and of faith.
Lastly, it establishes an authoritative power of interpretation in
the Bishop (or, in cases of special difficulty, the Archbishop), on
all points of diversity or doubt, both in theory and in practice, in the
fullest and clearest terms.
The Act of Uniformity of Edward vi.," for the further encourage-
ment of learning" sanctions the use of all Services, except the Holy
Communion, " commonly called the Mass," in the Universities, "in
Greek, Latin, or Hebrew." The Act of Charles n. adds to the
Universities " the Colleges of Westminster, Winchester, and Eton,
and the Convocations," but mentions only Latin. It also directs the
Bishops of Hereford, St. David's, St. Asaph, Bangor, and Llandaff,
to see that the Book be truly and exactly translated into the British
or Welsh tongue," and duly circulated and used in Wales.
The Order to the Clergy to say " daily the Morning and Evening
Prayer (either privately or openly)," is all but absolute ; for it is
clear that the " urgent cause " recopnised must be one of real
emergency. In 1552 " preaching and studying of divinity " are
recopnised as such causes. It is notable that this order has been
increased in stringency in the successive Revisions of the Prayer
Book.
The Order for the Public use of the Daily Service is not quite
so absolute ; but it is still plain that it is intended to secure it
as a rule, and that disuse of the Service, without " reasonable
hindrance," is a contravention both of the letter and of the spirit
of the law.
CONCERNING THE SERVICE OF THE CHURCH.
were unread. And in this sort the book of Isaiah was begun in Advent,
and the book of Genesis in Septuagesima ; but they were only begun, and
never read through : after like sort were other books of holy Scripture used.
And moreover, whereas St. Paul would have such language spoken to the
people in the Church, as they might understand, and have profit by hearing
the same ; the service in this Church of England these many years hath
been read in Latin to the people, which they understand not ; so that they
have heard with their ears only, and their heart, spirit, and mind, have not
been editied thereby. And furthermore, notwithstanding that the ancient
Fathers have divided the Psalms into seven portions, whereof every one was
called a Nocturn : now of late time a few of them have been daily said, and
the rest utterly omitted. Moreover, the number and hardness of the rules
called the Pie, and the manifold changings of the service, was the cause, that
to turn the book only was so hard and intricate a matter, that many times
there was more business to find out what should be read, than to read it
when it was found out.
These inconveniences therefore considered, here is set forth such an order,
whereby the same shall be redressed. And for a readiness in this matter,
here is drawn out a Calendar for that purpose, which is plain and easy to
be understood ; wherein (so much as may be) the reading of holy Scripture
is so set forth, that all things shall be done in order, without breaking one
piece from another. For this cause be cut off Anthems, Responds, Invi-
tatories, and such like things as did break the continual course of the reading
of the Scripture.
Yet, because there is no remedy, but that of necessity there must be soma
Rules ; therefore certain Rules are here set forth ; which, as they are few in
number, so they are plain mid easy to be understood. So that here you have
an Order for Prayer, and for the reading of the holy Scripture, much agree-
able to the mind and purpose of the old Fathers, and a great deal more pro-
fitable and commodious, than that which of late was used. It is more pro-
fitable, because here arc left out many things, whereof some are untrue, soma
uncertain, some vain and superstitious ; and nothing is ordained to be read,
but the very pure Word of God, the holy Scriptures, or that which is agree-
able to the same ; and that in such a language and order as is most easy and
plain for the understanding both of the readers and hearers. It is also more
commodious, both for the shortness thereof, and for the plainness of the order,
and for that the rules be few and easy.
And whereas heretofore there hath been great diversity in saying and sing-
ing in Churches within this Realm ; some following Salisbury use, some Hereford
use, and some the use of Bangor, some of York, some of Lincoln ; now from
henceforth all the whole Realm shall have but one use.
And forasmuch as nothing can be so plainly set forth, but doubts may arise
in the use and practice of the same ; to appease all such diversity (if any arise)
and for the resolution of all doubts, concerning the manner how to understand,
do, and execute, the things contained in this Book ; the parties that so doubt, or
diversly take any thing, shall alway resort to the Bishop of the Diocese, who by
bis discretion shall take order for the quieting and appeasing of the same ; so
that the same order be not contrary to any thing contained in this Boek. And if
the Bishop of the Diocese be in doubt, then he may send for the resolution there-
of to the Archbishop.
THOUGH it be appointed, that all things shall be read and sung in the
Church in the English Tongue, to the end that the congregation may be thereby
edified ; yet it is not meant, but that when men say Morning and Evening Prayer
privately, they may say the same hi any language that they themselves do
understand.
And all Priests and Deacons are to say daily the Morning and Evening
Prayer either privately or openly, not being let by sickness, or some other urgent
cause.
And tho Curate that ministereth in every Parish-church or Chapel, being
at home, and not being otherwise reasonably hindered, shall say the same in the
Parish-church or Chapel where he ministereth, and sliall cause a bell to be tolled
thereunto a convenient time before he begin, that the people may come to hear
tted's Word, and to pray with him.
OF CEREMONIES.
This Preface also is probably due to Cranmer. In 1549 it was
placed at the end of the Book, after the Commination Service,
and followed by certain Ritual directions ; in 1552 it was transferred
to its present place.
It vindicates the right of the Church to distinguish between the
various Ceremonies previously in use " by the constitution of man " ;
on the ground that some, originally good, had been abused ; some
were from the beginning the offspring of indiscreet devotion " and
"zeal without knowledge"; some were still good both for decency
and edification.
The claim of this right for the Church accords with Art. xxxiv.
" Every particular or national Church hath authority to ordain,
change, and abolish ceremonies or rites of the Church ordained
only by man's authority, so that all things be done to edifying."
Those who act in the name of the Church are "those lawfully
called and authorized thereunto." Their action is morally limited
by the respect for individual freedom referred to below, and by that
desire to break as little as may be from the past, and from the rest
of Christendom, which the English Reformation invariably pro-
fessed ; but, once taken, it is asserted (as in the Article) that it
cannot be set aside by individual will. It is notable, as illustrating
the true sense of the "middle way" spoken of in Bishop Sander-
son's Preface, that the course taken is declared to be, not a com-
promise "to please and satisfy" both parties, but dictated by a
simple consideration how " to please God and profit both."
But, while the right to pronounce on this subject by authority is
asserted, yet " lest any man should be offended, whom good reason
might satisfy," the grounds of the policy adopted are clearly and
temperately set forth.
The need of reform of the ancient ceremonial is then urged, against
those who are "so addicted to their old customs" as to abhor all
change, on three grounds: (a) its exceeding cumbrousness and
artificiality, and frequent obscurity of meaning, on which St. Augus-
tine's Letter to Januarius (Ep. xliv. in Bened. Edn., Paris, 1&36) is
quoted ; (6) its tendency to foster formalism, and so to fall away from
the freedom and spirituality of the Gospel, which are contrasted
with the Ceremonial character of the Mosaic Law ; (c) its frequent
abuse, by superstitious error and corrupt motive, so engrained
that it could only be got rid of by cutting away the ceremony
itself. All these may easily be proved by examination of the
facts of the case. It is obvious that the third will require the
most stringent proof, as being against the general rule, Abu*u* vnn
tollit usum—a rule which, however, cannot be maintained universally
by any who understand how largely men are influenced by the
power of association.
On the other hand (as against the strong individualism and
tendency to innovation, naturally fostered, by reaction, during the
Reformation, and afterwards developed in the Puritan party), it is
urged that " the wilful and contemptuous breaking of a common
order and discipline is no slight offence before God." The cere-
monial now authorized is defended (a) by consideration of the need
in all Public Worship of Form and Ceremony in the abstract ; (b) by
10
OF CEREMONIES,
Why some be abolished, and some retained.
OF such Ceremonies an be used in the Church, and have had their begin-
ning by the institution of man, some at the first were of godly intent
and purpose devised, and yet at length turned to vanity and superstition :
lome entered into the Church by undiscreet devotion, and such a zeal as was
without knowledge ; and for because they were winked at in the beginning,
they grew daily to more and more abuses, which not only for their unpro-
fitableness, but also because they have much blinded the people, and ob-
scured the glory of God, are worthy to be cut away, and clean rejected :
other there be, which although they have been devised by man, yet it is
thought good to reserve them still, as well for a decent order in the Church,
(for the which they were first devised) as because they pertain to edification,
whereunto all things done in the Church (as the Apostle teacheth) ought to be
referred.
And although the keeping or omitting of a Ceremony, in itself considered,
is but a small thing ; yet the wilful and contemptuous transgression and
breaking of a common order and discipline is no small offence before God,
* Let all things be done among you," saith Saint Paul, " in a seemly and due
order :" the appointment of the which order pertaineth not to private men ;
therefore no man ought to take in hand, nor presume to appoint or alter any
publick or common order in Christ's Church, except he be lawfully called and
authorized thereunto.
And whereas in this our time, the minds of men are so diverse, that some
think it a great matter of conscience to depart from a piece of the least of
their Ceremonies, they be so addicted to their old customs ; and aguin on
the other side, some be so new-fangled, that they would innovate all things,
and so despise the old, that nothing can like them, but that is new : it was
thought expedient, not so much to have respect how to please and satisfy either
of these parties, as how to please God, and profit them both. And yet lest any
man should be offended, whom good reason might satisfy, here be certain causes
rendered, why some or the accustomed Ceremonies be put away, and some re-
tained and kept still.
Some are put away, because the great excess and multitude of them hath
so increased in these latter days, that the burden of them was intolerable ;
whereof St. Augustine in his time complained, that they were grown to such
a number, that the estate of Christian people was in worse case concerning
that matter, than were the Jews. And he counselled that such yoke and
burden should be taken away, as time would serve quietly to do it. But
what would St. Augustine have said, if he had seen the Ceremonies of late
days used among us ; whereunto the multitude used in his time was not to
be compared? This our excessive multitude of Ceremonies was so great,
and many of them so dark, that they did more confound and darken, than
declare and set forth Christ's benefits unto us. And besides this, Christ's Gos-
pel is not a Ceremonial Law, (as much of Moses' Law was,) but it is a
religion to serve God, not in bondage of the figure or shadow, but in the freedom
of the Spirit ; being content only with those Ceremonies which do serve to a
decent order and godly discipline, and such as be apt to stir up the dull mind
of man to the remembrance of his duty to God, by some notable and special
signification, whereby he might be edified. Furthermore, the most weighty
cause of the abolishment of certain Ceremonies was, that they were so far
abused, partly by the superstitious blindness of the rude and unlearned, and
partly by the unsatiable avarice of such as sought more their own lucre, than
the glory of God, that the abuses could not well be taken away, the thing remain-
ing still.
But now as concerning those persons, which peradventure will be offend-
ed, for that some of the old Ceremonies are retained still .• If they consider
that without some Ceremonies it is not possible to keep any order, or quiet
discipline in the Church, they shall easily perceive just cause to reform
their judgments. And if they think much, that any of the old do remain,
and would rather have all devised anew : then such men granting some
Ceremonies convenient to be had, surely where the old may be well used,
there they cannot reasonably reprove the old only for their age, without
bewraying of their own folly. For in such a ease they ought rather te have
10
the presumption in favour of what has been handed down from
antiquity, and tried by the experience of centuries ; (c) by examina-
tion of the ceremonial on its own merits, as to clearness, simplicity,
and unlikelihood of abuse. On this question it is interesting to
compare Hooker's statement in his Ecclesiastical Polity (Book v.,
cc. 6—10; of the principles on which all Ceremonial ought to be
judged. It is also suggested that it is not immutable, and may be
modihed, not by individual vagary, but bv the authority which
imposed it ; as was, in fact, done in subsequent Revisions.
Lastly, in strict accordance with the actual course of the English
Reformation, all authority to condemn other nations is repudiated.
The action of the Church of England is justified as taken indepen-
dently for the edification of its own people, and the like liberty is
claimed for other Branches of the Church.
TJie Order how the Psalter is appointed to be read.
The "division of the Hebrews" is named in contradistinction
from the division of the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate. In
this latter, what we call Psalms ix. and x. form one Psalm (Ps. ix.).
and our cxlvii. Psalm is divided into two (as Psalms cxlvi., cxlvii.).
The "Great Bible" was the last of the English translations put
forth under Henry vm. (1539—40) (following Tyndale's, Cover-
dale's, and Matthew's Bibles) ; and formally authorized to be set up
and read in Churches. Its translation of the Psalter is less accurate
than our Authorized Bible Version, but perhaps more flowing and
rhythmically beautiful.
It may be noted that one clause of the next section properly
belongs to this— providing that, independently of the appointment
of Proper Psahns in the Calendar, it shall be lawful on occasions
appointed by the Ordinary, and with his consent, to appoint Proper
Psalms superseding the regular Psalms of the day.
The Order how the rest of holy Scripture i$ appointed to be read.
Of these directions the second has been modified, and the 4th,
5th, 7th, and 8th added to suit the New Lectionary of 1871.
The chief differences of the Old from the New Lectionary in the
Common Lessons are the following:— (a) According to the Old
Lectionary, the New Testament was to be read thrice in the year,
omitting the Apocalypse altogether from the Order of Common
Lessons, the Gospels and Acts being always read in the Morning,
and the rest in the Evening Services ; (6) the selection from the
Old Testament was different, reading the books more continuously,
but omitting altogether the Books of Chronicles, introducing only
four chapters of Leviticus, and nine of Ezekiel, and appointing a
larger number of Lessons from the Apocryphal Books.
In respect of the Proper Lessons, (a) the selection differed con-
siderably in the Lessons for Sundays, much more in the Lessons
for Holy-days, (ft) The provision for alternative First Lessons at
Evensong, and the use of a Second Lesson by choice from the
Gospels at a second Evensong, had then no existence, (c) There
was no provision for the occasional appointment of Proper Lessons
by the Ordinary, (d) The case of coincidence of Holy-days with
Sundays was not provided for. The rule now given is a simple
substitute for the elaborate rules of the ancient Service Books. It
singles out for necessary preference over the Holy-day, Advent
Sunday, Easter-Day, Whit-Sunday, and Trinity-Sunday ; in all other
cases it leaves the choice to the Minister.
U
OF CEREMONIES.
reverence unto them for their antiquity, if they will declare themselves to be
more studious of unity and concord, than of innovations and new-fanjrleness,
which (as much as may bo with the true setting forth of Christ's religion) U
always to be eschewed. Furthermore, such shall have no just cause with
the Ceremonies reserved to be offended. For as those be taken away which
were most abused, and did burden men's consciences without any cause ; so
the other that remain, are retained for a discipline and order, which (upon
just causes) may be altered and changed, and therefore arc not to be esteemed
equal with God's law. And moreover, they be neither dark nor dumb Cere-
monies, but are so set forth, that every man may understand what they do mean,
and to what use they do serve. So that it is not like that they in time to come
should be abused as other have been. And in these our doings we condemn no
other nations, nor prescribe any thing but to our own people only : for we think
it convenient that every country should use such Ceremonies as they shall thiuk
best to the setting forth of God's honour and glory, and to the reducing of the
people to a most perfect and godly living, without error or superstition ; and
that they should put away other things, which from time to time they perceive to
be most abused, as in men's ordinances it often chanceth diversly in divers
countries.
The Order how the Psalter is appointed to be read.
THE Psalter shall be read through once every Month, as it in there appointed, both for
Morning and Evening Prayer. But in February it shall be read only to the twenty-
eighth, or twenty-ninth day of the month.
And, whereas January, March, May, July, August, October, and December have one-
and-thirty days apiece ; It is ordered, that the same Psalms shall be read the last day of
the said months, which were read the day before : so that the Psalter may begin again
the first day of the next month ensuing.
And, whereas the 119th Psalm is divided into twenty-two portions, and \n over-long
to be read at one time; It is so ordered, that at one time shall not be read above lour
or five of the said portions.
And at the end of every Psalm, and of every such part of the 119th Psalm, shall be re-
peated this Hymn,
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Hohj Ghott ;
At it wat in the beginning, it noic, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen,
Note, that the Psalter followeth the division of the Hebrews, and the translation of the
great English Bible, set forth and used in the time of King Henry the Eighth, and Edward
the Sixth.
The Order how the rest of holy Scripture is appointed to be read.
THE Old Testament is appointed for the First Lessons at Morning and Evening Prayer,
so as the most part thereof will be read every year once, as in the Calendar is appointed.
The New Testament is appointed for the Second Lessons at Morning and Evening
Prayer, and shall be read over orderly every year twice, once in the morning and once in
the evening, besides the Epistles and Gospels, except the Apocalypse, out of which there
are only certain Lessons appointed at the end of the year, and* certain proper Lessons
appointed upon divers feasts.
And to know what Lessons shall he read every day, look for the day of the month in the
Calendar following, and there ye shall find the chapters and portions of chapters that shall
be read for the Lessons, both at Morning and Evening Prayer, except only the moveable
feasts, which are not in the Calendar, and the immoveable, where there is a blank left
in the column of lessons, the Proper Lessons for all which days are to be found in the
Table of Proper Lessons.
If Evening Prayer is said at two different times in the same place of worship on any
Sunday (except a Sunday for which alternative Second Lessons are specially appointed in
the table,) the Second Lesson at the second time may, at the discretion of the minister, be
any chapter from the four Gospels, or any lesson appointed in the Table of Lessons from
the four Gospels.
Upon occasions, to be approved by the Ordinary, other lessons may, with his consent,
be substituted for those which are appointed in the Calendar.
And note that whensoever Proper Psalms or Lessons are appointed, then the Psalms end
Lessons of ordinary course appointed in the Psalter and Calendar (if they be different)
shall be omitted lor that time.
Note also that upon occasions to be appointed by the Ordinary, other Psalms may, with
his consent, be substituted for those appointed in the Psalter.
If any of the Holy-days for which Proper Lessons are appointed in the table fall upon a
Sunday which is the first Sunday in Advent, Easter Day, Whitsunday, or Trinity Sunday,
the Lessons appointed for such Sunday shall be read, but if it fall upon any other Sunday,
the Lessons appointed either for the Sunday or for the Holy-day may be read at the dis-
cretion of the minister.
Note also that the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel appointed for the Sunday shall serve all
the week after, wheie it is not iu this book otherwise ordered.
THE LECTIONARY OF THE CHURCH.
The Lectionary of the Church of England provides, with per-
haps greater care than has been shewn by any other Christian
body, for the complete and orderly reading of Holy Scripture in
Divine Service. Such reading, independently of its spiritual value
both for instruction and exhortation to the individual hearer,
tends for the Church at large to the continual maintenance of the
Scriptural standard of truth, and to the preservation of the " pro-
portion of faith," exhibiting in right order and variety all the
elements of Christian doctrine and practice. It has had, moreover,
the important effect of stamping a marked Scriptural impress on our
English literature.
In carrying out this study of Holy Scripture, the Church has
obviously intended to preserve a due harmony between two prin-
ciples—the principle of Regularity, by which the whole Bible is
read to the people in order, and the principle of Speciality, bringing
into prominence by selection the leading elements of the Scriptural
Revelation.
The Lectionary contains (a) the Proper Lessons for Sundays;
(ft) the Proper Lessons for Holy-days ; (c) the Common Lessons
of the year; to which may be added (d) the Series of Epistles
and Gospels.
(A) THE LESSONS PROPER FOR SUNDAYS.
The First Lessons are so ar-
ranged, as to present striking
and important chapters from the
various books of the Old Testa-
ment in order. In this arrange-
ment, according to old practice
(see Preface Concerning the
Service of the Church "), Isaiah is
read in Advent, and in Epiphany,
except for the last three Sundays,
on which Lessons are taken from
the Books of Job and Proverbs ;
and the Book of Genesis is begun
on Septuagesima, opening the
regular series, first of the His-
torical, then of the Prophetical
books, which is only broken in
upon by special Lessons for Whit-
Sunday and Trinity-Sunday.
Of Second Lessons there are
but few— for Septuagesima, Palm
Sunday, Easter-Day and the
First Sunday after Easter, Whit-
Sunday, and Trinity-Sunday ;
for all other Sundays the course
of Common Lessons remains un-
broken.
The selection of the Sunday
Lessons brings out both the
principles above referred to ; but
on the whole the dominant idea
is that of Regularity, with a
view to give to those who only
attend Church on Sundays a
course of Scriptural reading
12
which is orderly, if not complete.
As a rule, the Lessons are rather
longer than the average of the
Common Lessons.
It may be noted that in the
Prayer Books of 1549 and 1552,
there were no Proper Lessons
for ordinary Sundays. From 1 561
onwards the series was made
complete, and underweat but
little change till the establish-
ment of the New Lectionary in
1871.
The New Lectionary, by the
provision of alternative Lessons
at Evensong.largely increased the
number of Proper Lessons from
the Old Testament, keeping
generally to the same order, and
mostly including the old Lessons.
It added most of the Proper Les-
sons from the New Testament.
The tendency has therefore
been to increase the number and
variety of the Proper Lessons;
and it is interesting to observe
that this tendency has been car-
ried much further in the present
American Prayer- Book. As edu-
cation and intelligence advance,
it is of course possible to intro-
duce more variety, with less fear
of making the arrangement too
cumbrous for the mass of the
people.
i PROPER LESSONS
*OBE READ AT MORNING AND EVENING PKATEB, ON THB SUNDAYS,
AND OTHEE HOLT-DATS THROUGHOUT THE TEAR.
1 LESSONS PROPER FOR SUNDAYS.
Mattin:
Evemong.
Sunday i of Advent.
Second
Third
Fourth
Svndayi afttr Chrut-
mat.
30 to v. 27
Sundayt after the
Epiphany.
62 t>. 13 * 63 „ 64
Third
Fourth
Fifth
Job
ProTerbf
Job 27
Prorerbi 1
28 ',', Job — 29
3 „ Prorerbi 8
11 .. 16
Sexagetima
Quinquagetima..
LENT.
Fir»t Sunday..,
Fifth
Sixth
Second Leuon..
Ealter-Day.
First Lesson
Second Lesson...
Sunday after Eatter.
The First
Second Lesson
Second
Third
Fourth
Fifth ,
— 3
9
— 26
- 6 „ Genesis
-12 „
.28 „ Luke-2C».9to».21
Exodus —12 to v. 29 Exodus 12 v. 29 „ Exodus
Rer.-l v. 10 to v. 19 John 20 v. 11 to *. 19 „ Rev. —
Whit-Sunday.
First Lesson...,
Second Lesson.,
Num. 1« to *. 36 Num. 16 v. 36 „ I
1 Cor. 15 to v. 29 , John 20 ». 24 to «. 30
Num. 20to». 14 i Km.20«.14to21r.l0 „
_ 22 23,
Trinity-Sunday.
First Lesson
Second Lesson...
R«T 1 to ft 9
Deut. 4 v. 23 to v. 41 „ Deut.
21 v. 10
24
6
34 „ Joshua
M.
Genesis -
— 5 v. 16 „ Acts 18 v. 24 to 19 v.5
12
(B) THE LESSONS PROPER FOR HOLY-DAYS.
The principle of selection is
clearly that of Speciality— the
endeavour being to select Lessons
appropriate for each Holy-day in
particular, without reference to
those which precede and follow it.
(a) Of the Holy-days, those
which we may call " Dominical,"
as associated with the various
acts of the manifestation of Our
Lord Jesus Christ, form a regular
series, in which, for the sake
of completeness, Palm Sunday,
Easter-Day, and Whit-Sunday
have to be included. For these
(Christmas-Day, Circumcision,
Epiphany, Purification, Annun-
ciation, Ash-Wednesday, Holy
Week, Good Friday, Easter-Eve,
the Monday and Tuesday in
Easter - Week and Whitsun-
Week, and Ascension-Day) it
is easy to find Second Lessons
appropriate to the occasion, and
not difficult to select First
Lessons, especially from the
Prophetical books, bearing more
or less clearly upon it.
(6) For the other class of Holy-
days— the Saints' Days properly
so called — selection is more diffi-
cult and has been less successful.
When Second Lessons are ap-
pointed, it is, indeed, compara-
tively easy in most cases to select
chapters, in which the Saint is
mentioned, or in which he speaks
to us, and in others to fall back
on those of more general refer-
ence to the call and character of
the Saints. But for the First
Lessons there is often great diffi-
culty in finding chapters which
are in any way appropriate. This
difficulty, however, is not felt on
such days as St. Michael and All
Angels, All Saints' Day, and St.
John Baptist' 8 Day.
In the Prayer Books of 1549
and 1552, the number of Proper
Lessons was comparatively small.
From 1561 the selection re-
mained substantially unchanged
till 1871,when the New Lectionary
introduced alterations and ad-
ditions amounting almost to a
reconstruction of the whole. In
the "Dominical" Festivals, in-
deed, most of the old Lessons
remain ; but in the other class of
Festivals the change is almost
complete, the new Lessons from
the Old Testament being more
carefully selected, and taken
exclusively from the Canonical
books (except the Evening Lesson
for Holy Innocents' Day), and
several Lessons from the New
Testament being added. Proper
Lessons were, for the first time,
appointed for Ash-Wednesday
and Monday and Tuesday before
Easter.
The tendency, as in the
Lessons for Sundays, is to an
increase of number and variety.
13
5 LESSONS PROPER FOR SUNDAYS.
Jivtruong.
lay* after Trinity
Firrt
Second
Third
Fourth
Fifth
Sixth
Seventh
Eighth
Ninth
Tenth
Eleventh
Twelfth
Thirteenth
Fourteenth
Fifteenth
Sixteenth
Seventeenth
Eighteenth
Nineteenth
Twentieth
Twenty flrit.
Twenty-second..
Twenty-third....
Twenty-fourth..
Twenty-fifth ....
Twenty-iixth...
Twenty ievcuth
Joih. 3 v. 7 to 4 v. 15
Judgei 4
1 Samuel -2 to ». 27
Joih. S <
Judgei
If
) to ( v. 21 or Joshua
6 „ Judgei
2 Samuel-12 to ». 24 ., 2 Samuel 18
1 Chron. 22 „ 1 Chron. -28 to v. 21
2 Chron. 1 „ 1 Kings 3
1 King. -11 to v. 15 „ 11 v. 26
2 Kingi-
19
-2 to v. 16 ., 2 ICingi 4 *. 8 to v.38
6 to v. 24 ,. 7
10 to v. 32 „ 13
18 ,. 23 to ». 31
Nehem.— 1 A2to v. 9 „ Nehem. 8
J. rem. 22 „ Jerem. 85
Amos 8
Micah -4 * 5 to ¥. 8
Habakkuk -8
Ecolea. 11 * 12
Note.— That the Leatoni appointed in the above Table for the Twenty-ieventh Sunday
after Trinity ahall always be read on the Sunday next before Advent.
1 LESSONS PROPER FOR HOLY-DAYS.
(C) THE COMMON LESSONS.
In the Common Lessons the
dominant principle is, of course,
that of Regularity. The Series
of Daily Lessons from the Old
Testament is now so arranged
that, in the course of the year,
the main substance of the whole
is read through, with the omission
of the Psalter and the Song of
Solomon, and (except as regards
one chapter) the 1st Book of
Chronicles, which runs nearly
parallel with 2 Samuel. The
principle of selection is, however,
still so far applied, that portions
are omitted, which for any reason
are thought not likely to tend to
edification. This is done spar-
ingly in the purely historical
books, more frequently in the
Books of Leviticus and Num-
bers, and in some of the Pro-
phetical books ; and the Books of
Chronicles are only read so far
as seems needful to supplement
the narrative of the Books of
Kings. Under the Old Lection-
ary the principle of selection
was admitted, but far less freely
used. It omitted the Books of
Chronicles and the Song of
Solomon altogether, the Books
of Leviticus and Ezekiel almost
entirely, and much of the Book
of Numbers. Otherwise the read-
ing was almost continuous, and
the Lessons generally coincided
with the chapters.
To these are now added only a
few chapters from the " Apocry-
phal," or Ecclesiastical, Books
of Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, and
Baruch. (The Books of Tobit,
Judith, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus,
and Baruch, with the Story of
Susannah, and Bel and the Dra-
gon, were read under the Old
Lectionary.) The position, which
the Church of England assigns
to these "Apocryphal" Books
is laid down in Art. vi. It may
be added that they are, in various
degrees, of great interest, as a
link between the Old and New
Testaments.
The New Testament is read
through twice in the year, ex-
cept the Revelation of St. John,
which (with a few omissions) is
read once, at the close of the
year, falling in with the Advent
and Christmas seasons. It is
arranged that in the former half
of the year, the Oospels are read
in the morning and the Acts and
Epistles in the evening, and in
the latter half this order is re-
versed. Under the old system
the New Testament was read
thrice— the Oospels and Acts
always in the morning, the
Epistles in the evening ; but
the Apocalypse was altogether
omitted.
(D) For the EPISTLES and GOSPELS, see p. 57 a.
H
T LESSONS PROPER FOR HOLY-DAYS.
Contortion of St. Paul.
1 I.CHHHD. . . .
2 Leuon. . . .
Purifiea. of the Vxr. Mary.
1 Lesion. . . .
St. Matthiat.
1 Lciion. . . .
Annunciation of our Lady
1 Lemon. . . .
AihH-,dailday.
1 Leuon. ■ . .
2 Leu. m. . . ,
Monday bo/ore Baiter.
1 Leuon. . . .
2 Lemon. . . .
Tueiday before Batter.
1 Leuon. . . .
2 Lemon. . . .
Wedneiday btfort Batter.
2 Leuon. . . .
Thurtday before Eatter.
1 Leuon. . . .
2 Leuon. . . .
Good Friday.
1 Leuon. . . .
2 Leuon. . . .
Baiter Even.
1 Leuon. . . .
2 Luton. . . .
Monday in Eatter- Week.
1 Leuon. . .
2 Leuon. . . .
Tueiday in Baiter- Week.
1 Leuon. . . .
2 Leuon. . . .
St. Mark.
1 Leuon. . . .
55. Philip and Jamti.
2 Leuon. . . .
Attention-Day.
1 Leuon. . . .
2 Leuon. . . .
Monday in fThitiun-ffeek.
1 Leuon. . . ,
2 Leuon. . . .
Tueiday in WhittunrVtek.
1 Leuon. . . ,
2 Leuon. . . .
St. Barnabat.
1 Leuon. . , .
2 Leuon. . . .
St. John Baptitt.
1 Leuon. . . .
2 Leuon. . . .
1 Samuel 2 ». 27 to ». 36
3 to ». 16
2 Kin*. 13 ft 14 to ft 22
John 21 to ». 15
Daniel 7 ». 9 to «. 15
Luke 24 ». 44
■5 v. 12 to ». 24
Deuteronomy 33 to r. 12
Aou 4 ». 31
-2 to ». 10
— 22 t». If
-52 ft 7 to v. It
S
Lamentation*. 3 *. 34
John 15 ». 14
- 16 v. 16
-13 to v. 36
Hoiea 5v. 8to6i>. 4
6 to .. 14
-87tov 15
— « v. 16
1 to v. 15
4
14
THE PROPER PSALMS FOR CERTAIN DAYS.
These mark the four great Festivals, and the two chief Fasts
of the year. Those for Ash- Wednesday and Good Friday were in-
serted only at the last Revision in 1662.
The reasons for the selections made will generally he ohvious.
In most cases they follow the old Church usage ; in some the
corresponding usage among the Jews.
It is also provided (see ahove, The Order how the Ptalter is
appointed to be read) that on occasions appointed by the Ordinary,
and with his consent, selections of Proper Psalms may be used.
It may be noted that in the American Prayer Book the number
of days on which Proper Psalms are to be used has been largely
increased, and twenty selections of Psalms appointed, which the
Minister may at any time substitute for the Psalms of the day.
* LESSONS PROPER FOR HOLY-DAYS.
Mattint.
Eventong.
St. Ptttr.
1 Lesson
2 Lesion* ....
Bieklel 3 v. 4 to ». 15
John 21 ft 15 to ft 23
Zechariah — 3
AcU 4 v. 8 to ». 23
St. Jamti.
1 Lesion
2 Lesson
2 Kings 1 to v. 16
Luke 9 ft SI to v. 57
Jeremiah 26 ft 8 to ft 16
St. Bartholomew.
1 Lesson
Genesii 28 ft 10 to ft 18
Deuteronomy 18 ft 15
St. Matthew.
1 Lesson
1 Kingi 19 t». 15
1 Chroniclei 29 to v. 20
St. Michael
1 Lesson
2 Lesson
Genesis 82
AcU 12 ft 5 to ft 18
Daniel 10 t». 4
Revelation 14 v. 14
St. Lulu.
1 Lesion. . . .
SS. Simon & Jude.
1 Lesson
Ecclui. 38 to v. 16
Jeremiah 3 v. 12 to v. 19
Isaiah 28 ft 9 to ». 17
All Saint:
1 Lesion
2 Lesson
Wisdom 3 to v. 10
Hebrewillft 33 A 12 to ft 7
Wisdom 5 to ft 17
Revelation 19 to ft 17
1 PROPER PSALMS ON CERTAIN DAYS.
Mattim.
Eventong,
Mattim.
Eventong.
Chriltmal-Daij.
Psalm — -19
45
Psalm- 89
110
132
Pialm- 102
130
143
Pialm- 69
88
EaUer-Vay.
Aieeniion-Daij.
Pialm- 2
57
Ill
Pialm— 8
15
21
48
68
Pialm— US
114
Aih-1f'edne$day
Pialm 6
Pialm— 24
Good Friday.
Psalm 22
40
Whit-Sunday.
Pialm- 104
146
THE MINOK FESTIVALS OF THE CHUECH.
Of the " red letter " Festivals, that is, the Festivals for which
Services are provided, notices will be found in connection with the
Collect, Epistle, and Gospel of each. It should bo noted that in 1549
the Festival of St. Marv Magdalene was included in these. But it
was omitted in 1552, and has never since been restored.
Of the Minor or "black letter" Saints' Days none were found
in the Calendar of 1549. In 1552 St. George, St. Lawrence, and St.
Clement were inserted. In 1559 no change was made ; but in 1561 a
Commission was appointed, which selected a list, substantially that
which is now found in our Prayer Book. They were taken mainly from
the old Sarum Calendar, which differs considerably from the Roman.
The principle of selection is not always easy to discern, and in many
cases may have been affected by deference to old custom, general
or local, and even by connection with secular anniversaries. But,
on the whole, the commemorations are almost exclusively of Saints
of the Western Church, and, among these, do special honour to
martyrs, and to Saints connected either with the English or the
Gallican Church. It is to be observed that they are not marked in
the Church of England by any special religious observance, and
therefore stand on an altogether different footing from the "red
letter days."
JANUARY.
8th. Lucian, Priest and Martyr.
—A Gallican saint, of Roman
birth, sent as a priest to be one
of the companions of St. Denys
in his mission from Rome to
Gaul in a.d. 245. He is said to
have been especially the Apostle
of Beauvais, and perhaps also
its Bishop, and to have suffered
martyrdom there, a.d. 290.
13th. Hilary, Bishop (of Poi-
tiers) and Confessor (Note.— The
title of " Confessor " is usually
given to those who bore for
Christ suffering short of mar-
tyrdom ; but occasionally to
those who had witnessed for
Christ by special sanctity and
austerity of life).— An eminent
Gallican prelate and writer, con-
verted from Paganism in man-
hood, and (like St. Ambrose)
raised by acclamation from a lay
position to the Episcopate, as
Bishop of Poitiers (a.d. 850). His
life was chiefly devoted to the
struggle against Arianism and
Semi-Arianism, both in the East
and in the West ; for this service
he was exiled by Constantius, but
in a.d. 865 restored to his See.
where by union of firmness and
conciliation he succeeded in rally-
ing the Gallic Episcopate to the
Nicene faith. He died in peace in
868. He was one of the earliest of
the greater Latin Fathers in exe-
getical, dogmatic, and polemical
works. From his day "Hilary
Term " is named.
18th. Prisca, Virgin and Martyr.
— A Roman lady, martyr in the
8rd century, unknown except by
legend.
20th. Fabian, Bishop andMartyr.
— Fabianus was Bishop of Rome
a.d. 236-250; designated to the
office while still a layman, and,
according to legend, selected by
miracle ; a man of high character
and energy; celebrated by St.
Cyprian as having improved the
organization of the Church, and
ruled it with great integrity.
He suffered martyrdom in the
persecution of Decius ; and a
tombstone bearing his name
was recently found in the crypt
of an ancient cemetery on the
Appian Way.
21st. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr.
— A young Roman maiden, vow-
ed to purity, vilely assailed by
lust, and, in revenge for her
steadfast resistance, brought be-
fore the tribunal in the persecu-
tion of Diocletian (a.d. 804), and
put to death. Her memory is
celebrated by St. Ambrose, St.
Jerome, and St. Augustine (in
whose time her holy-day was
already kept), as a type of chas-
tity and innocence.
22nd. Vincent, Martyr. — A
Spanish Deacon, of Saragossa,
martyred with torture under
Diocletian (a.d. 304) ; celebrated
as "the invincible." as early as
the time of St. Ambrose and St
Augustine.
THE CALENDAR, with thb TABLE OF LESSONS.
JANUARY
HATH XXXI DAYS.
1
1
A
b
0
a
f
g
A
b
c
d
e
f
i
A
b
c
d
e
f
8
A
b
c
d
e
f
1
A
b
c
Circumcision
3
6
8
Lucian, P. & M. . .
10
11
1?
13
14
Hilary, Bp.&C...
l^
1C
17
18
If)
20
21
22
la
Fabian, Bp. & M..
Agnes, V. & M....
Vincent, Mart....
25
Conv. of St. Paul..
17
''8
?1
11 A
2 I.
Circumcision
T
c
d
f
1
A
b
c
d
e
f
f
A
b
■
d
e
f
1
A
b
c.
d
e
f
8
A
b
c
a
7
Epiphany
8
Lucian, P. & M...
10
11
1"
13
11
Hilary, Bp.&C...
lfi
18
IMsca, V. &M....
20
21
22
M
Fabian, Bp. & M..
Agnes, V. & II... .
Vincent, Mart....
u
Conv. of St. Paul..
.... :
31
,;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
MORNING PRATER.
First Lesson.
Isaiah —
Genesis
17 v. 9
- 1 to v. 20
2 v. 4
20 to 4 v. 16
- 5 to v. 28
6 v. 9
11 to 1
Second Lesson.
Romans
Matthew
10
13
17 to v. 23
18 s. \7
21 v. 33 to 22 v. 20
24 tow. 29
24 v. 52
25 v. 19
26 P. 18
27 v. 30
29 to v. 21 |
31 v. 36 !
32 v. 22
i 35 to v. 21 I
Isaiah 49 to v. 13
Genesis 37 «• 12
41 v. 17 to v. 53
42v.25
43 r. 25 to 44 v. 14
45 to v. 26
2 v. 17
1 v. 18
a
4 to v. 23
Luke 3 v. 15 to v. 23
Matth. 4 v. 23 to 5. v. 13
6 v. 13 to v. 33
5 v. 33
6 to t>. 19
6 v. 19 to 7 v. 7
7f.7
8 to v. 18
8 v. 18
9toi>. 18
9 v. 18
10 to v. 24
10 v. 24
ZZ 12 to v. 22
12 v. 22
13 to v. 24
13 v. 24 to v. 53
13 v. 53 to 14 v. 13
Galatians
Matthew
lv. 11
14 v 13
15 to v. 21
15 w. 21
16 to v. 24
16 v. 24 to 17 v. 14
17 v. J A
BVENii.G PRA.TBR.
First Lesson.
Peut. 10 v. 12iColos. 2
Genesis 1 v. 20 to 2 v. i ' Acts
3 to v. 20
4 v. 16
5 v. 28 to 6 v. 9
Isaiah 49 v. 13 to v. 24
Genesis 7
9to». 20
18 tor. 17
19 v. 12 to v. 30
. 21 to v. 22
Second LessoUo
8 tow.
2 to
John 8 to i
Acts 4 to j
4 v. 32 to 5 1
7*ov.
7 *. 35 to 8
8 v. 5 to v
24 v. 29 to v. 52 I
25 v. 5 to t>. 19
26 to v. 18
27 to v. 30
28
31 to v. 25 t
32 to v. 22
9 to
9
10 to
10 v.
13 to
13 v.
37 to v. 12
Jeremiah 1 to »*11 I
Genesis 39
41 to ». 17 j
41 v. 53 to 42 t;. 2.5 I
- 43 toe. 25 j
- 44 v. 14
Mv. 2!>te46«.3l
=
■ 15 to v.
26Scv.
• 1&V.30 tola v.
- 17 to i '
- 17 v.
16
it)
16
24
- — 18i>.24tol9».ai
;to
lfi
FEBRUARY.
3rd. B?a*iu8, Bishop and Mar-
tyr ("St. Blaise *').— Bishop of
Sebaste, in Armenia, of whom
nothing is known but the tradi-
tion that he was tortured (torn
by iron combs) and beheaded
under Diocletian (a.d. 316). He
was honoured as Patron of the
Woolcombers, and of the city of
Ragusa.
5th. Agatha, Virgin and Mar-
tyr—Like St. Agnes a type of
purity vainly assailed, and (in
revenge) martyred with torture
under Decius (or Diocletian) at
Catana, in Sicily ; mentioned by
Damasus, Bishop of Rome (806),
and put into the Calendar by
Gregory the Great.
14th. Valentine, Bishop— Only
known in tradition as a priest
and martyr at Borne, about a.d.
270. The title Bishop is probably
a simple error. The habit of
"choosing Valentines" seems
to have been a Pagan custom,
probably connected with the
season of the year, and associ-
ated by pure accident with the
Christian Festival.
THE CALENDAR, with the TABLE OF LESSONS.
FEBRUARY
HATH XXVIII DAYS,
And in every Leap-Tear 29 Dayi
MORNING PRAYBR.
First Lesson.
Second Lesson.
i
3
d
e
f
i
A
b
c
d
f
S
A
b
c
d
e
f
|
A
b
0
d
e
f
A
b
c
Fast.
Purifc. o/V.M...
Blasius, Bp. & M.
1
Agatha, V
& M..
7
8
10
11
14
Valentine,
Bishop.
17
lft
M
n
24
St. Matthias, Ap..
Gen. 46 v. 26 to 47 v. 13
Kxodus 13 to v. 17
Genesis 48
50
Exodus 2
4 to w. 24
5v. 15 to 6 v. 14
7 v. U
8 v. 20 to 9 v. 13
10 to v. 21
12 to v. 21
12 v. 43 to 13 v. 17
14 v. 10
15 v. 22 to 16 v. II
ZZ ZZ 21 to v. 18
23 v. 14
25 to v. 23
28 v. 29 to v. 42
ZZ 32 v. 15
33 t-. 12 to 34 v. 10
1 Sam. 2 v. 27 to v. 36
Kxodus 31 v. 27
39 v. 30
40 v. 17
Leviticus 14 to i>. 23
i 19 to v. 19
19
18 to v. 21
21 to 19 v. 3
to v. 27
19 i
. 27 to 20 v. 1/
- 20 v. 17
. »l (o v. M
- 21 v. 23
- 22 to r. 15
- 22 v. 15 to v. 41
22i>.41 to 23 v. 13
. 23 v. 13
- 24 to v. 29
. 24 v. 29
- 25 to v. 31
. 25 v. 31
- 26 to v. 31
- 26 v. 31 to v. 57
- 26 f. 57
- 27 to v. 27
27 to v. 57
27 v. 57
27
Matthew
_ 1 to v. 2!
1 v. 21
- 2 to v. 23
23 to 3 v. 13
3 v. 13
- • tow. 34
Fast.
Purific. of V. M. . .
Blasius, Bp. & M.
Agatha, V.'&m"
Valentine, Bishop.
...!!. *.!. '. '. Fast!
St. Matthias, Ap..
EVENING PRAYER.
Genesis-
Haggai-
Genesis -
Exodus-
22 v.
29 v.
34
Isaiah —
Kxod. 35 1
- 47 v. 13
- 2 to v. 10
49
- 1
- 3
. 27to.'it>. 15
. 28 to 7 v. 14
- 8 to v. 20
- 9 v. 13
lOv. 21ft 11
v. 21 to v. 43
17 to 14 v. 10
- 15 to v. 22
16 t;. 11
- 18
- 20 tor. 22
21 to 23 v. 10
- 24
- 28 to v. 13
35 to 30 v. 1 1
- 32 to v. 15
- 33 to v. 12
v. 10 to v. 27
22 v. 15
i>.29to36w. 8
- 40 tor. 17
22 to 10 ». 12
- 16 to v. 23
30 to 20 v. 9
Second Li'bnon.
Acts
19 v. 21
20 tor. 17
20 «. 17
21 to v. 17
21 w. 17 tor. 37
21 ».37to22r.2J
22».23to23». 12
23 r. 12
V to r. 18
27 r. 18
2b tor. 17
28 v. 17
Romans I
2 ton. 17
2r. 17
8 to » 1*
8 r. i»
9 to r. If
MARCH.
1st. David, Archbishop, the Pa-
Iron Saint of Wales. According
to the accepted traditions he was
son of a Welsh prince, founder
and abbot of a monastery ;
thence drawn to take victorious
part in the Pelagian contro-
versy, and made Archbishop of
Caerleon, whence he removed
the See far west to Menevia
(St. David's)— possibly in conse-
quence of Saxon invasion — pos-
sibly in connection with some
mission to Ireland. His death
is fixed at different dates, from
a.d. 541 to 601. (The earliest
extant account of him was not
written till 500 years after his
death, and has many legendary
elements in it.)
2nd. Chad, Bishop (Ceadda).—
Ho was by birth a Northumbrian,
but brought up in Ireland, and
afterwards at Lindisfarne under
St. Aidan. He was one of the
representatives of the independ-
ent refounding of Christianity in
the North (after the expulsion of
Paulinus, who had been sent
to York as missionary bishop
from Canterbury in 625) by the
Irish ("Scottish") missionaries.
His appointment to be Bishop
of York in rivalry to* the ab-
sent Wilfrid (664), marks the
conflict then going on, between
the older Irish Christianity and
the growing supremacy of Rome
and Canterbury. On the ground
of irregularity of consecration,
he was deposed by Archbishop
Theodore in favour of Wilfrid
(669) ; and, after a brief retire-
ment, established as Bishop in
the kingdom of Mercia, at Lich-
field, where he died in 672. Bede
gives a beautiful picture of his
simple character and saintly life
and death.
7th. Perpetua, Martyr. — One
of the African martyrs under
Severus (a.d. 2fc3). The "Acts
of St. Perpetua," written in
part by herself, have been pre-
served to us. They give a vivid
and detailed account of the im-
prisonment, trials, and martyr-
dom of herself and her fellow
sufferers, and of several symbolic
visions seen by her. The whole
record is full of reality. and some
beauty.although showing touches
of the visionary and ascetic ten-
dencies of Montanism.
J 2th. Gregory the Great, Bishop.
—Bishop of Rome (590—604), the
chief founder of the greatness of
the Papacy. Of noble birth, and
high rank and education, he be-
came a monk, and continued till
the end his love for monastic
life and principles. Made Pope
against his will in 590, he rose
to the exigencies of the critical
time, when the extinction of the
Western Empire made him at
once Bishop of the Roman
Church, Patriarch of the West,
and virtual sovereign and repre-
sentative of Rome itself ; and
proved himself as a ruler and
organizer, a preacher and writer,
unquestionably the greatest man
of his age. His pontificate was
marked by the conversion from
Arianism of the Spanish Visi-
goths and'the Lombards ; and by
the English Church he deserves
special commemoration, as hav-
ing been (through St. Augustine
of Canterbury) the true Apostle
of Anglo-Saxon Christianity.
He was the introducer of the
" Gregorian " music, superseding
the simpler Ambrosian; and
his Sacramento ry, following the
earlier one of Gelasius, is a
great storehouse of the ancient
Liturgical forms of the Western
Church, from which our Collects
are largely borrowed. Of his
writings the most famous is the
Magna Moralia—a symbolic and
allegorical interpretation of the
Bookof Job— whichbecame a text-
book in the Western Church.
18th. Edward, King of the West
SaxonsU.n. 975-978).— The youth-
ful son of King Edgar, murdered,
at the age of 16. by order of his
step-mother Elfrida, at Corfe
Castle, while drinking the stir-
rup cup, and canonized for his
piety and his devotion to the
ecclesiastical and monastic
cause.
21st. Benedict (of Nursia), Ab-
bot (a.d. 480— 543).— The founder
of the great Benedictine order
at Monte Cassino, on the site of
an old temple of Apollo, and
author of the Benedictine rule.
Of noble birth, repelled by the
licentiousness and utter con-
THE CALENDAR, with the TABLE OF LESSONS.
MARCH
HATH XXXI DAT8.
1
d
2
e
3
r
4
K
0
A
fi
b
7
c
a
(1
9
■
10
f
ii
B
12
A
13
1)
14
t
1ft
(1
16
e
17
f
18
19
t
20
b
21
0
22
d
23
e
24
r
25
K
M
A
27
b
M
0
2!)
d
30
e
31
t
David, Archbp.
Chad, Bishop...
Perpetua, M .
Gregory, M. B.
Edward, King of
[the West-Sax.
Benedict, Abbot.
Fast.
Annunc. of Vir.
[Mary.
MORNING PRAYER.
First Lesson.
Second Lesson.
Levit. . 25 to v. 18
26 to v. 21
Numbers 6
10 v. 1 1
11 v. 24
13 w. 17
14 w. 26
16 v. 23
20 to v. 14
21 to P. 10
22 to v. 22
Deuteronomy 1 to v. 19
2 to v. 26
3t>. 18
4«. 25 to v. 41
_ 5 v. 22
ZZ ZZ HtOV. 18
15 tot-. 16
18 v. 9
Genesis 3 to v. 16
Deut. 28 to v. 15
28 v. 47
- 31 v. 14 to v. 30
32 ». 44
Mark 4
. 35 to 5 v. 21
5t\ 21
6 to v. 14
6 v. 14 to v. 30
6 v. 30
7 to v. 24
7 v. 24 to 8 1). 10
8 v. 10 to 9 v. 2
9 v. 2 to v. 30
9 v. 30
10 tot). 32
10 v. 32
11 tor. 27
11 t).27to 12 w. 13
12 v. 13 to v. 35
12 v. 35 to 13 t). 14
13 v. 14
- 14 tor. 27
14 v. 27 to v. 53
14 v. 53
15 to v. 42
15 v. 42 & 16
1 to v. 26
1 v. 26 to v. 46
- 1 v. 46
2 to v. 21
2r. 21
3 tor. 23
4 to !•. 16
4 v. 16
6 to v. 17
Luke
EVENING PRATER.
First Lesson.
1
d
2
t
3
f
4
R
ft
A
ti
b
7
c
8
<1
9
e
10
f
11
ff
12
A
13
b
14
0
1ft
.1
16
e
17
f
18
K
19
A
2(1
b
21
0
22
d
23
8
24
t
2ft
26
I
27
b
28
•
2't
(1
30
e
31
f
David, Archbp.
Chad, Bishop..
c Perpetua, M...
Gregory, M. B.
Edward, King of
[the West-Sax.
Benedict, Abbot.
Annunc. of Vir
"f
Levit. 25 v. 18 to v. 44
26 v. 21
Num.9 v. 15 to 10 f. 11
11 to v. 24
14 to r. 26
16 to v. 23
- ZZ ~20 v. 14
21 v. 10 to v. 32
22 u. 22
~27 v. 12
Deuteron. 1 i>. 19
2 v. 26to3«;. 18
4 to v. 25
5 to v. 22
ZZ ZZ 7v. 12
10 ». 8
11_». 18
ZZ 24 v. 5
Isaiah 52 v. 7 to v. 13
Deut. 28 v. 15 to v. 47
29 „. 9
31 to v. 14
31 v. 30 to 32 v. 44
Joshua -
Second Lesson.
s 11 to v. 25
llv. 25
14 & 15 tot). 8
15 v. 8
1 to v. 26
1 v. 26 & 2
4 tot). 18
4 v. 18 & 5
7 to v. 25
7v.2ro
10 & 11 v. I
11 v. 2 to v. 17
II f. 17
12 tot). 28
12 «. 28 & 13
14 to v. 20
14 i). 20
15 to v. 35
15 v. 35
16
1 to v. 23
1 v. 23 to 2 i). 14
2 v. 14 & 3
38
fusion of bis age, he dedicated
himself from boyhood to an
ascetic life, first as a hermit,
then as a founder and organizer
of monasteries. His work mark-
ed a new era in Western Monas-
ticism, reviving it from de-
AFK
3rd. Richard, Bishop (of Chi-
chester, from 1245 to 1258).— A
man of high education and
character, Professor at Bologna,
afterwards Chancellor of Ox-
ford; nominated to the See by
Archbishop Boniface, against a
nominee of the King, and con-
firmed by the Pope. Hence a
struggle, and confiscation for a
time of the revenues of the See :
but he lived down enmity, and
ruled and died in universal
honour and veneration. He was
buried in Chichester Cathedral,
and subsequently reverenced as
"St. Richard."
4th. Ambrose, Bishop (S40— 897)
—the great Bishop of Milan
from 374—897. Of noble birth
and high education, governor of
Liguria at the time of vacancy
in the See of Milan, he was
designated by acclamation to
the See while yet a catechumen,
baptized, ordained, and conse-
crated at one time. He at once
became the leading prelate of
the West, strong in the confi-
dence of Emperors and in the
loyalty of his people, able to meet
and to mould a critical time of
growth and conflict by firm eccle-
siastical authority. He waged
successful war against Arianism
and dying Paganism, and in the
name of Christ stood forth to
rebuke the great Theodosius for
a bloody massacre at Thes-
salonica. He is known as the
organizer of the Ambrosian
ritual and music (introduced
from the East) at Milan, the
converter of St. Augustine, and
a writer of vigour, fervour, cul-
ture, and high ability, although
his strength lay mainly in action
and rule over men.
19th. Alphege, Archbishop (954
—1011).— Abbot of a Benedictine
monastery near Bath, Bishop of
Winchester, and Archbishop of
Canterbury during the great in-
vasion of the Danes, in revenge
for the massacre of the Danish
mercenaries on St. Brice's Day
gencracy to a lofty and refined
ideal, free from excessive aus-
terity, and admitting of high
culture and learning. His own
character, though not without
severity, was full of beauty and
holiness.
IL.
(1002). He was a man of a gentle
and saintly character, taken
prisoner by the Danes on the
sack of Canterbury, and mur-
dered at Greenwich after long
imprisonment and insult, be-
cause he would not ransom him-
self from the treasures of the
Church. His body was buried
in St. Paul's, and afterwards
translated with great pomp to
Canterbury.
28rd. St. George, Martyr,
called in the Eastern Church
"the Great Martyr," and com-
memorated in Syria by churches
founded in the 4th or 5th cen-
tury. By early tradition he is
described simply as a military
tribune, born in Cappadocia and
martyred at Nicomedia under
Diocletian (a.d. 303) ; some ac-
counts making him the young
man who tore down the Imperial
Edict of persecution, and was
put to death by torture. After-
wards, by accident or intention,
he was confused with George of
Cappadocia, the intruding Arian
Bishop of Alexandria against
Athanasius (a.d. 856). Certain
" Acts of St. George," forged or
corrupted by the Arians, bring-
ing him into conflict with "the
magician Athanasius," were con-
demned by a Synod under Pope
Gelasiusin494. Even his indepen-
dent historical existence has been
unnecessarily doubted. How the
well-known legend of St. George
—first found in complete form in
the Golden Legend, a.d. 1280—
was formed, and how his special
connection with England arose,
is uncertain. The legend was
known in England in the 7th
century,and recognised in Anglo-
Saxon ritual in the 9th. But
his special fame dates from the
Crusade of Richard I., and he
was acknowledged as the Patron
Saint of England (in place of iSt.
Edward) by Edward in., founder
of the Order of the Garter, and
of St. George's Chapel at Wind-
sor.
THE CALENDAR, with thb TABLE OF LESSONS.
APKIL
HATH XXX DAY8.
1
g
IS
2
A
2
3
b
4
c
10
;">
(1
f>
1!
18
7
r
7
1
t
9
A
II
10
1)
4
11
c
12
(1
M
13
e
1
14
f
15
g
9
16
A
17
17
b
6
18
c
19
d
20
e
21
f
22
23
a"
24
b
26
c
26
(1
27
e
28
f
19
30
A
Klchard, Up....
8. Ambrose, Bp.
Alphege, Abp.
St. George, M..
St. Mark. Kvan.
MORNING PRATER.
.1 ! J
Joshua 2
ZZ 9».3
21 v. 43 to 22 v. 11
Judges 2
ZZ ~ 6 v. 24
8 v. 32 to 9 v. 25
11 to v. 29
Ruth 1
1 Samuel 1
2 v. 21
14 to v. 24
luiah— ~~ 62 v. 6
1 Bamuel 17 to v. 31
i7 v.Hbio 18*. 17
20 to n. 18
i-iu — ZZL u
!ke ft v.
6 to v.
7 to v.
7*.
8 to v.
8t>.
9 to v.
9 v. 28 to v.
- 9 m 51 to 10 «.
11 to v.
11 v.
12 to v.
12 v.
13 to ».
13 «,
14tov,
14 ». 2ft to lft r
ZZ 17tov,
17 f
18to«
18 v. 31 to 19 v
19 v. lltov
19 •
SOtoir
20 v. 2; to 21
11
13
2
10
18
7
15
4V
IS
1
•
17
6
i
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
U
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
85
M
•27
M
M
30
A
b
c
d
c
f
6
A
b
c
d
•
f
S
A
b
c
d
e
f
A
b
c
d
e
f
A
Richard, Bp....
8. Ambrose, Bp.
Alphege, Abp. . .
St. George, M..
St. Mark, Evan*.
BYBNINO PRATER.
First Lesson.
3
10 to v. 16
22 v. 11
Judges 4
6 to v. 24
— Ti v. 29
Ruth — 2
1 Samuel 2 to v. 21
14 v. 24 to v. 47
Kaeklel 1 to v. 15
1 Sara. 17 «. 31 to v. 55
20 v. 18
- ~2ilt1i v. 1
19
Second Lund.
J Cor. ft
6*7*. 1
7».2
11 to v. 30
11 ». 30 to 12 ». 14
IS v. II ft IS
Galatians 1
4 to v. 21
4 v. 21 to 5 v. IS
ft v. 13
EphT — — 1
4 to v. 26
4 v. 25 to ft t.. M
ft P. 22 to 6 v. 10
6 v. 10
Phil. 1
Colos. 1 to v. 21
ltr. 21to2v. 8
a».«
2-5
MAY.
Srd. Invention (i.e. discovery)
of the Cross.— The tradition,
dating from the close of the 4th
century, is that the Empress
Helena, mother of Constantino
the Great, went to Jerusalem
in a.d. 826, to discover, purify.
and rescue from neglect and
heathen contamination, the sa-
cred sites. In searching for the
place of the Resurrection, the
three crosses were discovered,
and the true Cross distinguished
by its miraculous power to heal.
The Empress built the Basilica
of the Resurrection on the spot,
enshrining therein a portion of
the true Cross, and sent the rest
with the nails to Constantino.
It must, however, be noted that
nothing is said on this subject
by contemporary records of St.
Helena's visit and work at Jeru-
salem ; and that the later ac-
counts vary greatly, and present
some obviously legendary fea-
tures. But the story itself has
probably historical foundation.
{See "Holy Cross Day," Sept.
14th.)
6th. St. John ante Portam La~
tinam.— The reference is to the
legend (as old as the time of Ter-
tullian) that, in the persecution
of Domitian, the aged Apostle
was cast into a caldron of boil-
ing oil before the Latin Gate of
Rome, and, remaining unhurt,
was banished to Patmos. The
Roman Church of "St. John
before the Latin Gate" is of
early date.
19th. Dunstan, Archbishop (a.d.
924— 980).— The victorious cham-
pion of the Church and the
cause of monasticism and celi-
bacy of the clergy, in the strug-
gle under Edwy and Edgar,
and, after his elevation to the
primacy, virtually the prime
minister and ruler of England.
Educated at Glastonbury, of
which he became Abbot (intro-
ducing the Benedictine rule),
afterwards Bishop of Worcester
and of London, and Archbishop of
Canterbury in 959, he was a man
of high ability and education, fa-
natic in what he believed to be the
cause of God, ready alike to suffer
and to persecute for it; a stern
reformer and an able ruler, but
wanting in gentleness of spirit
and scrupulousness of action.
26th. Augustine, Archbishop —
(St. Augustine of Canterbury).
He was a Roman monk, the chief
agent in the conversion of the
Saxons, which was primarily the
work of Gregory the Great. He
landed in 596. baptized King
Ethelbert in 597, was consecra-
ted in Gaul as first Archbishop
of Canterbury in 598, and found-
ed the Bishoprics of Rochester
and London before his death
in 604. He was apparently an
earnest and eloquent, but not a
great man, guilty of some harsh-
ness and arrogance in relation
to the old British Church.
But he was happily encouraged
and guided in the founding and
organisation of the Church by
the larger and loftier mind of
Gregory ; and is rightly honoured
as having been privileged to be
the chief founder of English
Christianity.
27th. Venerabte Bede, Presbyter
(a.d. 678— 785).— Monk of Wear-
mouth and Jarrow. From his
childhood to his death, he was
the great teacher and writer of
the Anglo-Saxon Church; of
saintly character and extraordi-
nary scope of acquirements. Be-
sides his invaluable Ecclesias-
tical History of the English
Church, be was the author of
many Lives of Saints and
Martyrology, Commentaries on
the Old and New Testament,
and translations into the verna-
cular, on which (the Gospel of
St. John) he was engaged on the
very day of his death, besides
hymns and some scientific works.
The epithet ' ' Venerable," deserv-
ed alike by his work and his cha-
racter, was, according to an old
legend, inserted bv an angelic
hand in his epitaph—" Hue sunt
in fotsa Btedce lenerabilis o»s«."
THE CALENDAR, with the TABLE OF LESSONS*
MAY
MORNING PRAYER.
HATH XXXI DATS.
First Lesson.
Second Lesson.
1
1
3
b
c
d
e
f
I
b
c
d
e
f
A
b
c
d
e
f
I
A
b
c
d
e
f
I
A
b
c
d
St. Philip and St.
[James, Ap.
Invent, of Cross..
Isaiah 61
1 Samuel 26
2 Samuel 3 v. 17
- 7v.l8
13 v.38to 14 v. 26
15 v. r6
16 v. 15 to 17 «. 24
18 v. 18
19 „. 24
23 to v. 24
1 Kings 1 to v. 28
1 Chron. 29 v. 10
1 Kings 4 v. 20
6 to v. 15
8 v. 22 to v. 54
-— 11 v. 26
12 v. 26 to 13 v. 11
14 tov. 21
16 v. 8
18 tov. 17
22 to v. 41
2 Kings 2
6v. 24
8 to v. 16
10 to v. 18
John 1 v. 43
Luke 22 to v. 31
22 v. 31 to v. 54
22 v. 54
n
23 to v. 26
6
7
8
8t. John E. ante
[Port. Lat.
23 v. 26 to v. 50
23 v. 50 to 24 v. 13
24 v. 13
q
in
1 v. 29
11
1?
II
14
4 to v. 31
IB
it;
17
is
19
M
Dunstan, Archbp.
6 v. 22 to v. 41
n
7 to v. 25
7 v. 25
8 tov. 31
8v. 31
9 to v. 39
9 *. 39 to 10 v. 22
10 v. 22
11 tov. 17
11 v. 17 tov. 47
11 v. 47 to 12 v. 20
12 ». 20
w
VI
M
26
V7
Ven. Bede, Presb.
m
ao
II
EVENING PRATER.
First Lesson.
Second Lesson.
i
I
3
4
b
c
d
o
f
I
b
c
d
e
f
f
A
b
c
d
e
f
e
A
b
c
d
•
r
A
h
a
d
St. Philip and St.
[James, Ap.
Invent, of Cross..
Zechariah ■ 4
1 Samuel 28 v. 3
2 Samuel 1
7 tov. 18
12 to v. 24
15 tov. 16
16 to v. 15
17 v. 24 to 18 v. 18
19 to v. 24
21 tov. 15
24
1 Kings 1 v. 28 to v. 49
8 to v. 22
8v. 54 to 9 v. i0
11 tov. 26
12 to v. 25
13 v. 11
15 v. 35tol6v.8
- — ~18 v. 17
JKtags! ZZ 1
6 tow. 24
10 v. 18
Colossians 3 to v. 18
3 v. 18 to 4 v. 7
4v. 7
&
6
7
8
St. John E. ante
[Port. Lut.
s
9
10
11
q
1?
II
14
IS
1<>
.
17
1H
19
M
Dunstan, Archbp.
Titus 1
Philemon.
Hebrews 1
2 & 3 to v. 7
3 v. 7to4v. 14
4 ,.. u & 5
?1
n
y.i
u
tft
IS
V7
M
Augustin, Archbp.
Ven. Bode. Presb.
"4
M
*i
20
JUNE.
1st. Nicomede, Martyr— com-
memorated in the Sacramen-
tary of Gregory on September
15th, as the date of his martyr-
dom. Little is really known of
him, but he is said to have been
a martyr in the days of Domitian,
beaten to death with clubs.
5th. Boniface, Bishop.— The
"Apostle of Germany," born at
Crediton between 675 and 700,
educated at Exeter, and a monk
at Nutshalting near Winchester,
highly honoured for learning
and ability. Following in the
steps of St. Willibrod and other
English monks, he resolved to
devote himself under the sanc-
tion of Gregory n. to missionary
work in Germany, beyond the
old Roman frontier, among the
Saxons . After some preliminary
attempts, and some years of pre-
paration, he entered boldly on
the work, defying heathenism by
felling the Bacred oak at Geismar,
preaching and baptizing with
marvellous success ; afterwards
he was consecrated to the new
See of Mayence, founding monas-
teries and bishoprics, to organize
conquests already won; finally
martyred in Frisia on June 5th,
755. He was a man great indeed,
alike in holiness of character,
missionary enterprise, and power
of rule and organization.
17th. St. Alban, Martyr, ac-
cording to the old tradition, the
first martyr of Britain. He is
described as a young Roman
officer in the days of Diocle-
tian, who sheltered a Christian
priest, and was converted by him.
Enabling him to escape, and,
while yet a catechumen, offering
himself boldly as a Christian to
martyrdom, he was scourged
and beheaded at Verulamium,
a.d. 803. There the great Bene-
dictine Abbey of St. Alban's,
holding precedence of all others,
afterwards arose. The whole
tradition is late (in Bede, i. 6. 7) ;
and the Diocletian persecution
prevailed but little in Britain
(then under the rule of Con-
stantius). But it is difficult to
suppose that in it there is no
element of historic truth. In the
old Sarum and modern Roman
calendars St. Alban's Day is the
22nd. Probably the variation is
due to a confusion between the
two dates in Roman numerals
(xvii. and xxii.).
20th. Translation of King
Edward {see March 18th), com-
memorates the translation of
the body of the murdered young
king from a marsh near Corfe
Castle, where it was first buried,
to Shaftesbury.
•I
THE CALENDAR,
with tub TABLE OF LESSONS.
JUNE
MOR1CING PRATER.
HATH XXX DAYS.
First Lesson. Second Lesson.
1
?
e
f
1
b
c
d
e
f
b
c
f
I
b
c
d
e
f
A*
b
c
d
e
f
Nicomede, M
2 Kings 13
17 „. 24
2 Chron. 13
— 20 v. 31 & 21
29 v. 3 to v. 21
Deut. 33 to t>. 12
2 Kings 18 v. 13
— 19 v. 20
Isaiah 38 v. 9 to ft. 21
2 Kings 22
23 v. 21 to24». 8
25 ft. 8
Ezra 4
Nehemiah — 1
ZT 6&7to».5
Malachi 3 to v. 7
Nehemiah 13 to v. 15
Esiher 1
KaekieflTv. 4to v. 15
John 13 to v 21
13 „. 21
— 14
__ 15
1
Boniface, Bishop. .
16 to v. 16
16 „. |fl
7
__ — — — 17
18 to t<. 28
18^.28
10
19 to i». 25
11
IV
St. BamabiM, Ap.
Acts 4 *. 3.
John 19 e. 25
JO to v. 19
11
20 v. 19
lr>
lfl
17
II
St. Alban, Mart..
2 to v. 22
— 2 f. 22
30
Tr. of King Ed w..
4 to v. 32
23
24
n
Fast.
Matthew 3
77
29
St. Peter, Apostle.
John 21 v. 15 to v. 23
EVENING PRATER.
First Lesson.
Second Lesson.
?
e
f
I
b
c
d
e
f
K
A
b
c
d
e
f
f
A
b
c
d
e
"f
1
A
b
c
Nicomede, M
2 Kings 17 to v. 24
2 Chron. 12
16 & 17 to v. 14
20 to v. 31
- ~ ~26&27
2 Kings 18 to v. 9
2 Chron. 30 & 31 v. 1
Nahum 1
2 Kings 19 to v. 20
20
2 Chron. 33
2 Kings 23 to >■. 21
24 ft, 8 to 25 v. 8
Ezra 1&3
8». 15
10 to v. 20
Nehemiah 2
7 v. 73 & 8
Malachi 4
Nehemiah 13 v. 15
! Esther 2 v. 15 & 3
| Zechariah — — .1
| Job 2
Hebrews 8
3
10 to v. 18
10 v. 19
5
6
Boniface, Bishop..
U to». 17
11 v. 17
7
10
11
1?
St. Barnabas, Ap.
Acts 14 v. 8
11
14
t
1ft
lfl
17
18
St. Alban, Mart..
2 v. 1 1 to 3 v. 8
19
4*.7
20
V?
23
24
M
Fast.
Matthew 14 to ». 18
1 John J
?fi
?7
28
29 «
30 f
St. Peter, Apostle.
Acts 4 v. 8 to v. 23
Uohn 3 «. 16 to 4 v. 7
JULY.
2nd. Visitation of Virgin Maru,
that is, to Elisabeth (Luke i. 39).
— A late Festival, instituted by
Urban vi. in 1389, during the
great schism, and confirmed at
the Council of Basle (1481), in
order "that she, being honoured,
might reconcile her Son by her
intercession, and grant peace
and amity among the faithful."
4th. Translation of St. Martin
(of Tours) from Cande, where
he died, to the great Basilica of
Tours in 478. St. Martin, Bishop
of Tours (371—397), was the son
of a Romnn tribune, and himself
a soldier up to the age of 20.
He afterwards became the pupil
and friend of St. Hilary of Poi-
tiers, founded a monastery, and
was. against his earnest protest,
made Bishop of Tours in 371.
As a Bishop he still shewed
his soldierly character in reso-
lute war, partly against Arinn-
ism, but still more against the
last remnants of Paganism, and
vigorous assertion of spiritual
discipline. He is best known by
the celebrated story of his di-
viding his cloak with a naked
beggar, and in a dream seeing
the Lord Himself clothed in it,
and by the vision being con-
verted to Christ. The story of
his life is full of miraculous inci-
dents, and he became one of the
most famous of Saints in Gaul
and in England. (See Nov. 11th.)
loth. Swithnn, Bishop of Win-
chester, Translation. — Bishop (838
—862) at the beginning of the mo-
nastic reforms, and the increase
of the authority of Rome, which
lsd to the struggle under Dunstan
in the next century. He was
buried, by his own desire, outside
the Cathedral, where men might
walk over his grave. After canon-
ization in 912, his remains were
translated to a shrine in the
Cathedral ; and, according to the
legend, the Saint shewed his
anger by a rain which stopped
the work for forty days. Hence
the common belief that rain on
St. Swithun's day presages a
continued rain of forty days.
20th. Margaret, Virgin and
Martyr (in the Greek Marty r-
ologies Marina), said to have
been martyred at Antioch,. in
Pisidia (a.d.278); commemorated
as a "Great Martyr" by the
Greek Church on July 17th.
Nothing is really known about
her; but, being usually repre-
sented as trampling on or pierc-
ing a dragon, she was obviously
taken as a type of the power of
faith in the weak to confound
the strong.
22nd. St. Maru Magdalene —
This was a red-letter Saint's
Day, with Collect, Epistle, and
Gospel, in 1549. In the Collect
she was cited as an example of
penitence and forgiveness, and
in the Gospel ( Luke vii. 36-50) she
was identified with "the woman
who was a sinner," according to
the common Western tradition.
With this the Eastern tradition
disagrees, and Holy Scripture
gives no authority for it. All we
really know is that "out of her
went seven devils," that she
ministered to the Lord in Galilee
and on His last journey to Je-
rusalem, at the cross and the
grave ; and that she was blessed
with the first sight of Him after
the Resurrection (Lukeviii. 2, 3 ;
Mark xv. 40 ; xvi. 1 ; John xx.
1—18). Why a Commemoration,
so reasonable and spiritually
instructive, was dropped in 1552,
does not appear.
26th. St. Anne, mother of the
Blessed Virgin, wife of Joachim.
She appears in the Apocryphal
Gospels in a legend of long child-
lessness, followed by special pro-
mise and miraculous birth of her
child. The name is unknown in
Scripture or the early Fathers
before Epiphanius (\.t>. 368), and
the growth of the legend marks
the growing cultns of the Virgin.
The Emperor Justinian built a
church to St. Anne in the 6th
century.
THE CALENDAR
with thb TABLE OP LESSONS.
JULY
HATH XXXI DAT8.
MORNING PRAYKR.
First Lesson.
Second Lesson.
2
I
b
c
d
e
f
(?
A
b
c
d
e
f
A
b
c
d
e
f
(f
A
b
c
d
e
f
I
b
Visit/ of V! Mary.'
job 3
25,26
30 v. 12 to v. 27
38 v. 39 & 39
Proverbs 1 to v. 20
3 v. 27 to 4 v. 20
bv. 1.)
ZZ H to v. 15
12 v. 10
14 v. 9 to v. 28
i Kin^s 1 to «. 16
Provert>3 15 v. 18
16 v. 31 to 17 v. 18
19 v. 13
21 tor. 17
23 v. 10
Acts tv. 23
10 to v. 24
10 v. 24
4
Tr. of St. Martin..
zz zz zz !2
13 tow. 26
7
13 „. 26
8
__ 14
15 to v. 30
in
15 v. 30 to 16 t>. 16
n
16 v. 16
l?
17to«. 16
Ill
17 v. 16
14
18 to v. 24
18
M
Swithun, Bishop. .
18 v. 24 to 19u.2l
19 v, 21
17
20 to v. 17
18
20 v. 17
21 tow. 17
20
?1
21 v. 17 to v. 37
21 t\37to22 v. 23
22
22 v. 23 to 23 v. 12
23 v. 12
25
St. Jamt.1, Apostle.
Luke 9 v. 61 to v. 57
Acts 25
26
27
29
28 to v. 17
2ft v. 17
31
Romans 1
BTBN1NG PRAYBB.
First Lesson.
Second Lesson.
1
2
3
1
A
b
c
d
•
f
S
A
b
c
d
e
f
f
A
b
c
d
e
f
A
b
c
d
e
f
f?
A
b
Visit.' of V.' Mary.*
Job 4
22 v. 12 to v. 29
29 & 30 v. 1
- — ai „. 13
38 to v. 39
Proverbs 1 v. 20
3 to v. 27
4 v. 20to5». 15
6 to v. 20
10 v. 16
11 „. 15
14 v. 28 to 15 v. 18
Jer. 26 v. 8 to v. 16
Proverbs 16 to v. 20
18 v. 10
20 to v. 23
22 to i\ 17
24 D. 21
26 to v. 21
1 John 4 ». 7
4
1
Tr. of St. Martin. .
3 John.
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
8
4 to v. 23
4 t>. 23 to 5 y. 13
5 t>. 13 to v. 33
5 t>. 33
6 to v. 19
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
Swithun, Bishop. .
Margr'.'v.'ic* j&V.'.'.
8 to v. 18
8f. 18
9 to v. 18
9 v. 18
10 to i'. 24
10 v. 24
12 to v. 22
12 v. 22
13 to v. 24
13 t'. 24 to v. 63
13 v. 53 to 14 v. 13
Hi,. ,a
15 to v. 21
15 v. 2!
16 to v. 24
22
23
24
25
M
27
28
2(1
30
31
St. MaryMagrd. ..
Fart.
St. James, Apostle.
St. Anne
22
AUGUST.
1st. Lammas Day.— The Festi-
val of St. Peter ad vinculo in the
Sarum and Roman use. Various
derivations of the name are
given; hut far the most proba-
ble is that it is a corruption of
" Hiafmas," i.e. " Loaf-mass,"
the offering of the first-fruits of
the new harvest.
Oth. Trantfguration, observed
in the Eastern Church in the
8th century, in the West proba-
bly earlier; but first universally
authorized by Calixtus ill. in
1437, in commemoration of the
deliverance of Belgrade from the
Turks. The Transfiguration of
Our Lord, though it clearly
marks an epoch in His earthly
life, when He summed up the
effects of His ministry, and began
to prepare His disciples for His
humiliation and death by a reve-
lation of His glory (tee Matt. xvi.
13— xvii. S3), is but little dwelt
upon in Holy Scripture (except
in 2 Pet. i. 17), or in ancient
Church Commemoration. It has
been made a red-letter day in
the Calendar of the American
Church.
7th. Name cf Jem*, taken from
the Sarum Calendar; formerly
observed (as was natural) on the
Feast of the Circumcision, and
in the Roman Church, on the
2nd Sunday after Epiphany.
Why it should be placed here,
unless in connection with the
display of Our Lord's majesty in
the Transfiguration, it is hard to
say. The allusion is, of course,
to Phil. ii. 9—11.
10th. St. Lawrence, Martyr,
the chief Deacon of the Church
of Rome under Xystus n., and
martyred after him in a.d. 258,
in the persecution of Valerian.
He was tortured for refusing to
give up the Church treasures,
and broiled to death on an iron
frame like a gridiron. His name
is commemorated in the Calen-
dar of 354, and found in the
Sacramentary of Gregory the
Great. No martyrdom seems to
have made more impression in
the Middle Ages, or to have been
more hallowed by festal celebra-
tion and dedication of churches,
both in the East and the West.
28
28th. St. Augustine. Bishop
(354—430), the great Bishop of
Hippo, and father of Latin the-
ology, who has perhaps more
than any other writer affected
Christian thought, especially on
the doctrines of Justification and
Predestination, and whose in-
fluence was dominant with all
the great leaders of the Reform-
ation. He was a native of Tagaste
in North Africa, in his youth a
student of literature and teacher
of rhetoric, inclined to passion
and self-indulgence. Roused to
a higher life by Roman philoso-
phy, he became an enquirer in
the Manichean and Neo-Platonic
Schools, and although influenced
by the prayers of his saintly
mother Monica, he was *till not
persuaded to be a Christian. At
Milan he was converted and
baptized by St. Ambrose at the
age of S3, ordained priest and
consecrated Bishop at Hippo in
395, where he ministered till,
just before the conquest of North
Africa by the Vandals, he was
taken from the evil to cc ne, in
430. Although an earnest actor
in that critical time, his true
power was that of a teacher.
The spiritual self-revelation
before God of his Confessions ;
the profound theology of his
writings against Manichaeism,
Arianism, Pelagianism, and
Donatism; his wonderful Com-
mentaries on Scripture, Ser-
mons, and Letters; his con-
trast of the " City of God " with
the kingdom of the world, ex-
piring in the fall of Rome— all
have laid hold of the mind and
heart of Christendom with a
power fairly unexampled in the
history of the Church, if not of
the world.
29th. Beheading of St. John
Baptist . — The observation of this
Festival is of early date in both
the Eastern and the Western
Church, probably from a desire
to carry out, in the case of St.
John Baptist, the usual com-
memoration of martyrdom, with-
out trenching on the greater
Festival of his Nativity. Why
it was fixed to this day does not
appear.
THE CALENDAR, with thk TABLE OF LESSONS.
AUGUST
MORNING PRAYBR.
HATH XXXI DATS.
First Lesson.
Second Lesson.
1
2
c
d
0
f
I
b
c
d
e
f
A
b
c
d
n
f
|
A
b
e
d
f
A
b
c
d
Lammas Day
Proverbs 27 to v. 23
30 to v. 18
Eccles. 1
Jeremiah 2 to v. 14
5 w. 19
7 tow. 17
9 to t». 17
_Z 18 tow. 18
ZZ Z_ 22 v. 13
29 v. 4 to w. 20
31 to w. 15
33 to v. 14
35
36 ». 14
Genesis 28 v. 10 tow. 18
Jeremiah 38 w. 14
— 50 tow. 21
Ezekiel 1 to w. 15
3 v. 15
ZZ ZZ "If •. 17
Romans 2 to v. 17
2 w. 17
t
6
7
Transfiguration. . .
Name of Jesus ....
8 to w. 18
10
11
St. Lawrence, M. .
9 to w. 19
1?
13
11 to w. 25
11 w.25
14
in
16
17
14 & 15 tow. 8
15 w. 8
1 Cor. 1 to w. 26
1 v. 26 8c 2
4 to w. 18
4 v. 18 8c 5
ZZ ZZ 7 to w.25
7 w.25
ZZ ZZioTn v. 1
11 w. 2 tow. 17
1ft
19
?0
?1
M
?i
24
St. Bartkolometo . .
*7
28
2!)
30
Tl
St. Augustin, B...
Beheading of St.
[John Baptist.
EVENING PRAYSE.
First Lesson. Second Lesson.
?
0
d
e
f
A
b
c
d
e
f
A
b
c
d
e
t
1
A
b
c
d
e
f
f
A
b
c
d
Lammas Day
Proverbs 28 to w. 15
31 v. 10
Ecclei. 2 to w. 12
Jeremiah 1
Matt. 16 w. 24 tol7». 14
17w. 14
18 tow. 21
18 w. 21 to 19 w. 3
i 19 w. 3 to v. 27
19 v. 27 to 20 v. 17
20 w. 17
21 to w. 23
6
7
8
Transfiguration. . .
Name of Jesus ....
10
11
St. Lawrence, M. .
6 to w. 22 1 22 to w. 15
8v. 4 22 w. 15 tow. 41
13 v. 8 to v. 24 1 22 w. 41 to 23 w. 13
17 to v. 19 1 23 t>. 13
12
13
14
n
lfi
23 to v. 16 25 to w. 31
17
M
28 26 tow. 31
iq
in
?i
31 w. 15 to v. 88 26 w. 57
n
23
24
n
Fast.
St. Bartholomew . .
36 to w. 14 27 v. 27 to w. 57
38 to w. 14 27 w. 57
Deuteronomy 18*. 15 — 28
?7
51 w. 54
Ezekiel 1 w. 15
3 to w. 15
~TTw. 14
13 to w. 17
— — 1 W. £1
2ft
M
so
81
St. Augustin, B...
Beheading of St.
[John Baptist.
2 v. 23 to 3 w. 13
3 v. 13
4 to w. 35
SEPTEMBER.
1st. St. Giles, Abbot (.fligidius),
a Gallican Saint of the 7th
century, first a hermit, then
drawn from his hermitage by
Flavius, king of the Visigoths,
to found the famous Benedictine
Abbey of St. Giles, near Nismes.
He was the Patron Saint of
cripples (from a legend declaring
that in his love of mortification
he refused to be cured of an ac-
cidental lameness). Though un-
connected with England, he was
here specially honoured, and
many churches were dedicated
to him.
7th. Enurchus or Evortius.
Bishop of Orleans in the 4th cen-
tury. He is said to have been a
martyr or confessor ; but nothing
can be said to be really known of
him.
8th. Nativity of the Virgin
Mary, a Festival known at the
close of the 7th century ; but
specially honoured by Papal
authority in the 18th and 14th ;
probably marking the growth of
the belief in the Immaculate
Conception.
14th. Holy-Cross Bay, cele-
brating the exhibition of the
True Cross in the Basilica built
by the Empress Helena at Jeru-
salem in 8*6 {see "Invention of
the Cross," May 3rd).
17th. Lambert, Bishop^ of Maes-
tricht in the 7th century ; driven
from his See to monastic retire-
ment, hut restored by Pepin of
Heristal ; finally a martyr, a.d.
709. His relics were translated
to Liege, the Cathedral of which
is dedicated to him.
26th. St. Cyprian, Archbishop,
the great Bishop of Carthage,
exercising a kind of metropolitan
jurisdiction (from a.d. 248—258).
He was of high education and
rank, converted in his manhood,
and soon after raised to the Epis-
copate ; notable as the great
upholder and establisher in the
Western Church of Episcopal
dignity and authority, as the
secret of Church unity, and in
staunch resistance to the grow-
ing claims of Rome ; stern alike
against Puritanism and laxity in
the restoration of those who had
24
" lapsed " under persecution ;
maintaining even the need of
rebaptism of those baptized by
heretics, which was rightly op-
posed by the Bishop of Rome,
and disallowed by subsequent
Church authority. He was (after
Tertullian) the earliest of the
great Latin theologians, a writer
of great vigour of thought and
perfection of style. But his true
greatness was that of an eccle-
siastical ruler and pastor of un-
bounded influence and popular-
ity. He became in his old age a
martyr under the persecution of
Galerius in 258.
80th. St. Jerome (Hieronymus;
a.d. 342—420), the great critic
and scholar of the West, as Ori-
gen of the East, standing almost
alone among the Latin Fathers
in knowledge, not only of Greek,
but of Hebrew and Chaldee, and
in the instincts of sound and
scholarly criticism. He was
born at Stridon, in Pannonia, in
early life a teacher of grammar
and rhetoric ; after his baptism
he travelled to Gaul, Rome, and
the East, and spent some time
as a recluse in the desert of
Chalcis; thence, after visiting
Constantinople, he settled at
Rome, as the trusted coun-
sellor of Pope Damasus; after-
wards he returned to the East,
and spent the last thirty years of
his life in seclusion and study at
Bethlehem. His character was
strong and intensely earnest,
but violent, and often undisci-
plined and fanatic, as in his
championship of asceticism and
monasticism, and his various
controversies. But his service
in producing, direct from the
original, the great Latin Version
of the Western Church (the
" Vulgate "), superseding, ex-
cept in the Psalter and the Apo-
cryphal books, the varying and
inaccurate versions previously
existing, was simply priceless ;
and on points of Biblical criti-
cism his authority far outweighs
all others in the Patristic litera-
ture of the West. His Scriptural
Commentaries, his Letters and
Treatises, and his historical and
biographical works are also of
the highest value.
THE CALENDAR,
the TABLE OF LESSONS.
SEPTEMBER
HATH XXX DATS.
Giles, Abbot.
Kvurtius. Bishop.
Nat. ofVir. Mary
Holy-Cross Day.
Lambert, Bishop.
Fast.
, Matthew, Apos.
St. Cyprian, Abp.,
[AngeU.
St. Michael and all
St. Jerotn
MORNING PRATER.
First Lesson.
1
f
2
i
3
A
1
b
5
c
6
d
7
e
8
f
9
in
I
11
b
12
c
M
d
14
e
15
f
M
K
17
A
18
b
19
20
d
21
e
22
f
24
A
v.,
b
M
c
27
d
28
e
29
f
30
I *
Giles, Abbot |
Kvurtius, Bishop.
Nat. of Vir. Mary.
Holy-Cross Day..
Lambert, Bishop. .
!!!"!"!'.!!'FasV.
St. Matthew, Apos.
St. Cyprian, Abp..,
[AngeU.
St. Michael and all
St. Jerom
Ezekiel 13 o. 17
14 v. 12
18 to o. 19
20 to o. 18
20 o. 33 to v. 44
24 o. 15
2? tor. 26
28 to o. 20
32 to o. 17
33 0.21
34 o. 17
37 to o. 15
47 to o. 13
Daniel 2 to o. 24
ZZ ZZ 5 v. 17
7 to v. 15
9 too. 20
10 to o. 20
1 Kings 19 v. 15
Hosea 2 v. 14
5 o. 8 to 6 o. 7
13 to o. 15
Joel 1
2 w. 15 to o. 28
Oenesift 32
Joel *». 9
Second Lesson.
ICor. Ho.17
12 to o.28
12 o. 28 & 13
14 to ». 20
14 v. 20
15 to o.35
16 0.35
2 Cor. 1 to o. 23
1 o. 23 to 2 o. 14
2o. 14 & 3
ZZ ZZ 6 & 7 o. 1
7 o2
U too. 30
11 v. 30 to 12 v. 14
12 o. 14 & 13
Galatians 1
4 to o.21
4 o. 21 to 5 o. 13
5 o. 13
A"ct7 liTv. 5. to v. 18
Bphesians 1
EVENING PRATER.
Second Lesson.
14 to v.
— 16 o.
— 18 o.
0 o. 18 to v.
— 22 o.
— 1.7 v.
-— 33 too.
— 34 to v.
6 o. 16 to v.
9d
1 Chronicles 29 tot
Hosea 4 to t
— 9
11 & 12 to o.7
— 14
— 2 to o. 15
o.9
».4
o.4
Joel 2 to v
2 v. 28 to 3
Daniel 10
Amos 1 & 2 to
5 o. 21
• 6 to v. 14
6 o. 14 to o. 30
. 6o 30
. 7 to 0.24
. 7 o. 24 to 8 v. 10
. 8 o. 10 to 9 o. 2
9 o. 2 to »'. 30
. — a o. 30
. 10 to o. 32
. 10 v. 32
. 11 too. 27
-11 o.27 to 12 t). 13
12 v. 13 to o. 35
• 12 o. 35 to 13 o. 14
. 13 o. 14
- 14 to o. 27
. 14 v. 27 to o. 53
. 14 o. 53
. 15 to o. 42
15 o. 42 & 16
I Revelation
I Luke
1 to v. 26
26 to o. 57
1 o.57
2 to v. 21
2 o. 2!
3 to o. 23
4 to v. 16
14 o. 14
4o. 16
24
OCTOBER.
1st. Remigius, Bishop (of
Rheims, a.d. 435 — 533, " St.
Remi "), famous as the con-
verter and baptizer of Clovis,
anointing him at his corona-
tion with the sacred oil, from
which, as preserved at Rheims,
all kings of France subsequently
received unction. He became
the Metropolitan of the Prank-
ish Church, and died in extreme
old age in 533.
6th. Faith (Fides), Virgin and
Martyr, according to tradition,
in Aquitania, under the Dio-
cletian persecution. Although
nothing but this is recorded of
her, yet, perhaps from her sig-
nificant name, many churches
in England, including one in
the crypt of Old St. Paul's, were
dedicated to her.
9th. St. Denys, Bishop, the
patron Saint of France, a mis-
sionary bishop (of Paris), and a
martjT in the 3rd century (about
a.d. 272), under the persecution
of Aurelian. He was commonly
confused with Dionysius the
Areopagite, the convert of St.
Paul (Acts xvii. 34), and, by
tradition, the first Bishop of
Athens ; who was famous in the
Middle Ages as the supposed
author of the celebrated mystic
work on the " Celestial and Ec-
clesiastical Hierarchies," pub-
lished in his name, probably in
the 5th century, and translated
into Latin by the celebrated John
iSrigena in the 9th century.
13th. Translation of King Ed-
tcord the Confessor (reigned 1041
— 1066).— The commemoration is
of the translation of his relics
from the original shrine in his
own Abbey of Westminster
(erected by the Conqueror), to a
more magnificent shrine in the
Abbey under the auspices of
Archbishop Becket, on Oct. 13th,
1163. Edward the Confessor was
regarded as the patron Saint of
England, until superseded by St.
George in the 13th century.
17th. Etheldreda, Virgin (died
a.d. 679), a famous Saxon Saint
("St. Audray"), daughter of
Anna, King of East Anglia, twice
married, and through both mar-
riages resolutely preserving her
vow of perpetual virginity. Sepa-
rated from her second husband,
Egfrid, King of Northumbria,
she received the veil at the hands
of the celebrated Wilfrid, and
was the founder and Abbess of
the Monastery of Ely, which be-
came the great religious centre
of the eastern counties. Her
life of great sanctity and severe
asceticism is first recorded by
Bede, and was dwelt upon at
length by Thomas of Ely in the
reign of Henry ii. Her Festival
was of such celebrity, that it
seems to have superseded the
Vigil of St. Luke's Day.
25th. Crispin, Martyr, one of
the early missionaries in Gaul,
companion of St. Denys, be-
headed, according to tradition,
with his brother Crispinian,
a.d. 288. The brothers (like St.
Paul) maintained themselves by
labour with their own hands,
and, working as shoemakers, be-
came the patron Saints of the
craft. The day is memorable in
English history as the day of the
great victory of Agincourt, in
1415.
THE CALENDAR with the TABLE OF LESSONS.
OCTOBER
MORNING PBAYBB.
HATH XXXI DAYS.
First Lesson.
Second Lesson.
1
2
1
A
b
c
d
e
f
g
A
b
c
d
e
f
A
b
c
d
0
f
i
b
c
d
e
f
g
A
b
c
Kemigius, Bp
Amos 2 v. 4 to 3 v. 9
5 to v. 18
Jonah — 1
Micah 1 to v. 10
Nahum 2
Habakkuk 1
Zoph. 1 v. 14 to 2 v. 4
Haggai 2 to v. 10
Zechariah 1 to v. 18
Isaiah 55
Zechariah — -» 3
ZZ ZZ gv. 14
Ephesians 2
>>
6
7
Faith, V.&M....
6 v. 10
Philippians 1
A
9
in
St. Denys, Bishop.
CoL~ ZZ Tto t>.21
1 v. 21 to 2 v. 8
3 to v. 18
3 v. 18 & 4
1 Thess. 1
2 Thess. 1
n
l?
13
14
Trans. K. Edw...
It
17
18
10
Etheldreda.V....
?n
21
22
M
25
Crispin, Martyr. . .
Malachi 2
— 3 v. 13 & 4
Isaiah 28 v. 9 to v. 17
Wisdom 2
6 to v. 22
1 v. 18 & 2
2 Timothy
27
28
St.Simon&Sl.Jutit
30
I
EVENING PBAYBB.
First Lesson.
Second Lesson.
1
|
A
b
c
d
e
f
g
A
b
c
d
e
f
A
b
c
d
e
f
K
A
b
c
d
e
f
g
A
b
c
Remigius, Bp
Amos 4e. 4
5». 18to6e. 9
Obadiah.
Jonah 2
Micah 2
Nahum 1
Habakkuk 2
Zephaniah 1 to v. 14
2 p. 4
Haggai 1
_ 2e. 10
Zechariah 1 v. 18 & 2
Ecclus. 38 to v. 15
Zechariah 4
ZZ ZZ i"to v. 14
Malachi 1
3 to*. 13
Wisdom I
Jer. 3 v. 12. to v. 19
Wisdom 4 v. 7
6v. 28 to 7 v. 15
v r 8 to v. 19
Luko 5 to ». 17
5 v. 17
6 tow. 20
6v. 20
4
ft
6
7
7v. 24
8 to v. 26
8«. 26
9 toe. 28
9 v. 28 to v. 51
9 v. 51 to 10 v. 17
10 v. 17
11 to v. 29
11 v. 29
12 to e. 35
12 ». 35
13 to v. 18
13 v. 18
14 to v. 25
14 v. 25 to 15 v. 11
15 v. 11
17 to v. 20
17 v. 20
18 to v. 31
18 v. 31 to 19 v. 11
19 v. 11 tow. 28
19 v. 28
20 to v. 27
20 v. 2f to 21 v. 5
21 v. 6
H
9
in
St. Denys, Bishop.
n
l?
13
14
1">
Trans. K. Edw.. .
18
17
18
It
Etheldreda.V....
?n
VI
n
n
24
25
H
Crispin,' 'Martyr.'.!
27
28
Fast.
M
31
Fast.
NOVEMBER.
6th. Leonard, Confetsor (died
about 565). a Gallican Saint, who
laboured in what is now the
district of Le Mans, and then
became a hermit and head of
a monastery at a spot, still
called St. Leonard-des-bois, near
Limoges. He ministered especial-
ly to prisoners, often obtaining
their liberation, and became the
patron Saint of all prisoners and
captives.
11th. St. Martin, Bishop (of
Tours).— See note on July 4th.—
This day is one of those which,
as " Martinmas Day," became
important as a half-quarter day
in secular business.
18th. Britins, Bishop ("St.
Brice "), pupil of St. Martin of
Tours, and bishop as his suc-
cessor (a.d. 897—414). He was
in early life a gross sinner, con-
verted by St. Martin ; afterwards
a victim of slander, and driven
for seven years from his See, but
restored from 407 till his death.
On St. Brice's day (a.d. 1002)
was perpetrated the treacherous
massacre of the Danes in Eng-
land, by command of Ethelred,
so signally avenged by Swayn
and Canute.
15th. Machutug, Bishop (" St.
Malo "), a Welsh Saint, driven
by civil commotion to become a
hermit in an island near Brit-
tany (then Pagan), afterwards
Bishop of Aleth in Brittany (541
—564). The See of Aleth was
transferred to St. Malo, named
after him.
17th. Hugh, Bishop, the great
Bishop of Lincoln (a.d. 1186—
1200). He was born at Avalon in
Burgundy, where he entered, as
a deacon, the monastery of the
Grande Chartreuse. After ten
years he was brought over to
England, in 1181, as Prior of the
first English Carthusian mon-
astery at Witham ; made Bishop
of Lincoln against his will, still
constantly revisiting his old mon-
astery; famous in his episco-
pate for holiness, independence,
energy, and munificence ; builder
of a srreat , part of Lincoln Ca-
thedral, where he lies buried
in the shrine behind the high
altar.
26
20th. Edmund, King and Mar.
ti/r, a Saxon Saint, the last King
of East Anglia ( 855—870 ) . He was
taken prisoner by the Danes after
a brave struggle, and, refusing
life on condition of apostasy and
vassalage, was shot to death with
arrows. His relics were trans-
lated solemnly in after times to
the great Church of Bury St.
Edmunds.
22nd. Cecilia, Virgin and Mar-
tyr.—Of this famous Saint, cele-
brated in all the ancient Western
martyrologies, little definite is
known, the accounts being con-
tradictory and legendary in
character. She appears to have
been a Roman lady, converter
of her husband Valerian, who
suffered martyrdom with her
in the 2nd or 3rd century. Ac-
cording to legend, she enjoy-
ed angelic converse and music.
Pope Paschal i. (821), founding a
church, to which her relics were
translated, ordained and en-
dowed a service of perpetual song
of praise. Hence, probably, she
became the patron Saint of
sacred music, believed to have
been the inventress of the organ,
and able by her music to " draw
an angel down."
23rd. St. Clement, Bishop (of
Rome) in the 1st century, ac-
cording to Irenaeus the third
after the death of St. Peter.
Eusebius places his death in
a.d. 95 or 100. The old tradi-
tion, from Origen downwards
(uncertain but not improbable),
makes him the " Clement the
fellow - labourer " of St. Paul
(Phil. iv. 3). His Epistle to the
Corinthians, written late in the
1st century (and at one time
read as of almost canonical au-
thority), is of deep interest and
priceless historical value, in com-
parison and contrast with the
Scriptural Epistles. It ends with
a noble prayer, perhaps the first
specimen of an incipient liturgy.
The (so called) " Second Epistle
of Clement" is "an Ancient
Homily by an unknown author "
( Li ah (foot) . Of his life and d eath
nothing certain is known. Under
his name came out the famous
apocryphal " Clementine lit era-
THE CALENDAR
, with th* TABLE OF LESSONS.
1
NOVEMBER
TH XXX DATS.
MORNING PBAYEH.
Hi
First Lesson. Second Lesson.
1
1
a
e
f
A
b
c
d
e
f
«
A
b
c
d
e
f
S
A
b
e
d
e
f
K
A
b
c
d
All Saints' Day...
Wisdom 3 toe. 10 Heb. 11 v. S3* 11 toe. 7
— 9 2 Timothy 3
11 v. 15 tol2 I-. 3 — -
1
4
Ecclus. 1 to v. 14
3 v. 17 to e. 30
~U> v. 18
15 v. 9
18tov. 16
19 v. 13
24 to v. 24
33 v. 7 to v. 23
39 to v. 13
41 to v. 14
44 to v. 16
51 e. 10
Baruch 4 v. 36 * 5
Isaiah 1 v. 21
3 to v. 16
6 to v. 18
8v. 5toe. 18
9 v. 8 to 10 v. 5
J0 v. 20
11 v. 10
- — 19 to f. 16
Titus I
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
n
Leonard, Conf. . . .
St. Martin, Bp.'.'.!
Philemon.
Hebrews 1
2 & 3 to v. 7
3 v. 7 to 4 v. 14
4 v. 14 & 5
13
14
7
15
li
17
18
J0 i: 19
1M
11 v. 17
James 1
1 Peter 1 to v. 23
1 v. 22 to 2 v. 1 1
2 v. 11 to 3 v. 8
John 1 v. 35 to v. 43
20
?1
Edmund, King.. . .
22
23
?4
Cecilia, V. & M. . .
St. Clement, Bp. . .
25
Catherine, V. & M.
M
29
30
St. Andrew, Ap...
All Saints' Day...
Leonard, Conf . ...
St Martini *Bp. '.'.! -
Britiusi Bishop..!! j
Machutus, Bp
Hugh, Bishop. ... !
Edmund, King.... !
Cecilia,' V.'&'m.!! |
8t. Clement, Bp. . . j
Catherine, V, !*M. j
.!!!!!!!!!.'.".. Fast! :
SuAi^-ttt>, Ap... ■
SVBN1NQ PBAYKB.
First Lesson
Wisdom
17
- 2
. 4 v. 10
7».27
14 to v. 20
16 v. 17
18 v. 15
22 v. 6 to v. 24
24 v. 24
34 v. 15
37 v. Stow. 19
39 v. 13
42 v. 15
50 to v. 25
Baruch 4 to v. 21
Isaiah 1 to v. 21
ZZ 5 K.18
7 tor. 17
Sv. 18 to 9 v. 8
10 v. 6 to v. 20
11 tQV. 10
14 to v. 24
19 v. 16
65 tow. 17
Second Lesson.
5 to v. 17 i Revelation 19 to v. 17
11 to v. 15 Luke 22 to v. 31
22 v. 31 to v. 54
22 r. 54
23 to
John —
- 23 v. 26 to v. 50
-23 v. 50 to 24 v. 13
24 v. 13
L to v. 29
1 v.2»
3 to v. 28
3 v. 22
- 4 to v. 31
. 4 v. 31
— — 5 to v. 24
•i— 5i>. 24
... 6 to v. 22
- 6 v. 22 to v. 41
6 v. 41
_ _ 7 to v. 26
_ 7v.25
_— 8 to v. 31
- 8i>. 31
- 9 to v. 39
9 v. 39 to 10 v. 22
JO v. 22
11 tov. 17
lie. 17 tov. 47
John 12 v. 20 to «• 42
t«re " (Homilies, Recognitions, and
Epitome), accepted as genuine in
former times, now known to be
an early Christian romance, and,
as such, a favourite theme of
modern historical and speculative
criticism.
25th. Catherine, Virgin and
Martyr (of Alexandria), of whom
nothing certain is really known,
is yet the subject of an extraordi-
nary mass of picturesque legend.
In this she appears as an Alexan-
drian princess ; vowed solemnly
to perpetual virginity, and in
vision wedded to Our Lord Him-
self. On the rise of the persecu-
tion of Maximinus she defends
the faith in victorious disputation
against the heathen philosophers
of Alexandria ; then, refusing to
yield to the lust of the emperor,
is condemned to the spiked wheel
of torture, and, when the wheel
is shattered by angelic hands, is
beheaded, and her Dody borne by
angels to rest on mount Sinai.
She was reverenced as the patron
Saint of secular learning, when
consecrated to the service of
Christ.
DECEMBER.
6th. Nicolas, Bishop (of Myra
in Lycia), died a.d. 342 — Little
record of him remains, except
the fame of holiness and charity.
He is said to have travelled to
visit the holy places in Palestine,
and to have been a vehement
defender of the faith at the Ni-
cene Council. His relics were
translated to Bari, in Italy (1087),
in fear of Mohammedan desecra-
tion. For some reason unknown,
he became the patron of mer-
chants and sailors, and also of
boys, especially orphans, who
were taught to place themselves
under his care. The Christmas
legends of " St. Klaus " and his
gifts are a remnant of this dedi-
cation. The strange mediaeval
Festival of the "Boy Bishop"
began on St. Nicolas' Day.
8th. Conception of the Virgin
Mary ; a Festival connected with
the Nativity of the Virgin Mary
(Sept. 8th) ; a part of the same
growth of the idea of the Imma-
culate Conception. Like that
Festival, it was earlier in the
East than in the West: said
to have been introduced into
England by St. Anselm ; but not
held of obligation till the 14th
century.
13th. Lucy. Virgin and Martyr
(of Syracuse) ; a martyr, accord-
ing to tradition, in the 4th
century, under Diocletian, by
torture. Her legend is much
like those of St. Agatha and St,
Agnes.
27
16th. O Sapientia.— The name
marks that on this day began
the special Antiphons to the
Magnificat, continued up to
December 23rd. They were a
series of hymns to Our Lord,
beginning successively " O Wis-
dom," " O Adonai," " O Root
of Jesse," " O Key of David,"
"O dawning Light," "O King
and desire of all nations," " O
Emmanuel."
31st. Silvester, Bishop (of
Rome), from a.d. 814—335,
passing as a Priest through the
Diocletian persecution, and as
a Biphop through the Nicene
period, although from weak
health he did not attend the
Nicene Council. Little is known
of him historically, but in the
Middle Ages he was celebrated
in the legend of the Baptism and
" Donation " of Constantine.
An edict of the Emperor, forged
at some time between the 8th to
the 10th centuries, declares that,
on transferring the seat of the
Empire to Constantinople, he has
bestowed on the Pope and his
successors the sovereignty of the
West, and decrees for them all
the outward insignia of Imperial
rank. To this Dante refers in
the celebrated lines—
" O Constantine ! of how much ill was
cause,
Not thy conversion, but those rich
domains
Which the first, wealthy Pope received
frpmthee."
THE CALENDAR, thth thk TABLE OP LESSONS.
DECEMBER
HATH XXXI DATS.
Nicolas, Bishop...
Conception of Vir.
[Mary.
Lucy,"vir.'*"M."
O Sapient in
!!!!!!!!.!... .Fast.
St. Thomas, Apos.
'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.. ii.Fast."
Christmas-Day... .
St. Stephen, M.. ..
St. John, Evang...
Innocents' Day . . .
Silvester, Bisiwt*,
MORNING PRAYER.
First Lesson.
Second Lesson.
ill tor. 13 i 1 Peter
22 ft 15
24
26 to f. 20
28 to ». 14
29 to v. 9
30 to v. 18
31
33
35
40 ft 12
41 ft \7
42 v. 13 to 43 v. 8
44 to ft 21 2 John.
- 45 v. 8 3 John.
47 Jude.
49 tc v. 13 Kevelation
teter 3 v. 8 to 4 v. 7
Job
Isaiah
50
61 v. 9
52 v. 13 & 53
42 to ft 7
I «.
John 20 i'.
Kevelation
9 to v. 8 | Luke
Genesis 4 lo v. Ill Acts
Exodus 33 ft 9 | John 13 v
Jeremiah 31 to ft 18 1 Kevelation
Isaiah 61 — —
, fi"? t-. 8 I 21 v.
5
- 2
3
I
2 to ft 15
2ft 15
3 to ft 16
16 to 4 v. 7
iv.7
5
18 to 3 v. 7
4
6
19. to ft 21
8
tl
!4
2tof. 15
6
23 to ft 36
16
19 to v. II
•M
15 to 22 t> H
EVENING PRAYER.
First Lesson. I Second Lesson.
Nicolas, Bishop...
Conception of Vir.
[Mary.
Lucy.'VirV&M"!
O Sapientia
!!!!!!!!!!.'.'. .FaVt!
St. Thomas, Apos.
!!!!!!.'."!. '.'.Fast."
Christmas-Day. . . .
St. Stephen, M
St. John, Evang...
Innocents' Day....
Silvester, Bishop..
Isaiah 22 to v. 15 ' John 11 t». 47 to 12 v. 20
23
25
26 v. 20 St 27
28 v. 14
29 v. 9
30 v. 18
32
34
40 to v. 12
41 to«. 17
42 to v. 18
43 v. 8
44 v. 21 to 45 v. 8
46
49 v. 13 Rev.
51 to».9 —
52 to v. 13 I —
___ 54
35 John
66
7t>. 10 to v. 17
2Chron. 24». 15to».23
Isaiah 6
Baruch 4 ft 21 to v. 31
Isaiah 62
64 & 65 to». 8
66
Revelation
12 v. 20
13 to ft 21
13v. -'1
14
15
16 to ft 16
16 v. 16
17
18 to v. 28
18w. 28
19 to ft 25
19 v. 25
20 to ft 19
20 v. 19
21
2 to v. 18
3y. 7
5
7
14 to v. 8
10
13
15
Titus 3ti. 4. tot;. 9
Acts 8 to ft «.)
Revelation 1
— — "~ 19 ft 11
21 to ». 15
22 u. 6
TABLES AND KULES.
(i.) FOR THE MOVEABLE
The weekly Festival of the
Lord's Day, and the weekly fast
of Friday, as the day of the
Passion, are probably as old as
Christianity itself. All the later
system may be considered as a
growth from these, or an addition
grafted upon them: naturally
developing itself, as Christianity
became dominant over the life of
the world, and so came to express
itself in rite and law.
The Ecclesiastical year, as now
ordered, is divided into two chief
parts ; first, the Festal portion of
the year, from Advent to Trinity ;
secondly, the non-festal portion
i except in respect of Saints' day
Festivals),fromTrinitytoAdvent.
The object of Festal Celebra-
tion is clearly threefold: (a) Com-
memoration of the Manifesta-
tion of Our Lord Jesus Christ,
both in itself, and as reflected in
His chief Saints; (6) Practical
lessons therefrom of encourage-
ment, warning, and imitation ;
(c) Joyful and adoring thankful-
ness to God for His love thus
manifested to us.
I. The Festal system, in rela-
tion to the Manifestation of Our
Lord Himself, has two centres : —
(a) Easter, preceded by the
period of preparation, from Sep-
tuagesima to the end of Lent,
and followed by the great Pente-
conte, or period of fifty days, in-
cluding Ascension and ending
with Whit-Sunday. (Trinity-Sun-
day was afterwards added.) The
celebration of this great Fes-
tival, with its preparation and
sequel, is probably derived from
Apostolic times ; and Easter,
depending on the Paschal Full
Moon, is necessarily, within
limits, a moveable Festival.
The rule here given for finding
Easter is intended to carry out
the decree supposed to have been
passed at the Council of Niceea
(a.d. 325), settling authorita-
tively the controversy about the
time of keeping the feast. But
it would appear that it should
name, not the Full Moon, but the
14th day of the moon, which is
not always the same thing.
AND IMMOVEABLE FEASTS.
(fi) Christmas, preceded by
the season of advent, and fol-
lowed by that of the Epiphany.
Of the celebration of Christmas
Day on Dec. 25th we learn
from a Homily of St. Chrysostom
(about a.d. 386) that it had been
observed by the Western Church
"from the beginning," but had
only recently been introduced,
not without opposition and vari-
ety of practice, into the Eastern
Church. It is clear that in the
Eastern Church there was great
doubt as to the proper day, and,
in some cases, the Nativity was
celebrated on the same day as
the Epiphany. On what ground
it was fixed to Dec. 25th is un-
certain ; whether there is any
foundation for the old tradition
(referred to by 1st. Chrysostom)
that it was determined by refer-
ence to " the archives at Rome,"
is uncertain. Some have sup-
posed it to have been a Chris-
tianization of the Jewish winter
Feast of Dedication; others of
the heathen Festival of the winter
solstice, with some mystic refer-
ence to Our Lord as the Sun of
Righteousness. It may be noted
that the Christmas Festival is
still most of all associated with
natural joy and domestic affec-
tion. By Christmas, the period
of Advent and the Feasts of the
Circumcision, Epiphany, Purifi-
cation, and Annunciation are of
course determined.
II. The Saints' Day Cele-
brations are, in the Church
of England, restricted to the
Festivals of Apostles (.including
St. Paul and St. Barnabas) and
Evangelists; the Festivals of
St. John Baptist, St. Stephen
the first Martyr, the Innocents'
Day, St. Michael and all Angels,
and All Saints. In 1549, the
Feast of St. Mary Magdalene was
kept on July 22nd. Out of the
large number of Saints' days
observed in mediaeval times, a
certain number were afterwards
restored to the Calendar (" the
black-letter Saints' days"), but
without provision of any festal
Service.
TABLES AND RULES
POB THB MOVEABLE AND IMMOVEABLE FEASTS ; TOGETHER WITH THE
DAYS OF FASTING AND ABSTINENCE, THROUGH THE WHOLE YEAR.
RULES to know when the Moveable Feasts and Holy-days begin.
TJASTKR.nAY (on which the rest depend) is always the First Sunday after the Full
J^ Moon which happens upon, or next after the Twenty-first Day of March; and if the
Full Moon happens upon a J Su nday, Easter- Day is the Sundai, after. . '. _.
Advmt-sJiday is always the nearest Sunday to the Feast of St. Andrew, whether before
Septuagenma
Quinifuagenim*
Quadragesima
Kogatioti-Sunday
Ascension-Day
fVhit-Sunday
Trinity-Sunday
\ Sunday li }
Nine
Kight
Seven
Weeks before faster.
Five Weeks
Forty Days
Seven Weeks
Eight Weeks
A TABLE OF ALL THE FEASTS THAT ARE TO BE OBSERVED IN
THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
AU Sundays in the Year.
The Circumcision of our Lord JE-
SUS CHRIST.
The Epiphany.
The Conversion of St. Paul.
The Purification of the Blessed
Virgin.
St. Matthias the Apostle.
The Annunciation of the Blessed
Virgin.
St. Mark the Evangelist.
. Philip and St James the
Apostles
The Ascension of our Lord JESUS
CHRIST.
',. Barnabas.
The
Days
of the
Feasts
The
Days
of the
Feast*
of
(The Nativity of St. John Baptist.
St. Peter the Apostle.
St. James the Apostle.
St. Bartholomew the Apostle.
I St. Matthew the Apostle.
St. Michael and all Angels.
I St. Luke the Evangelist.
, Simon and St Jude, Apostle*
I AU Saints
St. Andrew the Apostle.
St. Thomas the Apostle.
The Nativity of our Lord.
St. Stephen the Martyr.
St. John the Evangelist.
, The Holy Innocents.
Monday and Tuesday in Easter- IVtek. Monday and Tuesday in Whitsun-Weck.
A TABLE OF THE VIGILS, FASTS, AND DAYS OF ABSTINENCE,
TO BE OBSERVED IN THE YEAR.
/•The Nativity of our Lord.
-_ I The Purification of the
i "• I Virgin Mary.
TZ™, < The Annunciation of the Blessed
Vigils^ virgin.
Easter- Day.— Ascension-Day.
Pentecost.— St. Matthias.
before
The
Evens
or Vigils
before
St. John Baptist.
St. Peter.— St. James.
St. Bartholomew.
St. Matthew.
St. Simon and St. Jude.
St Andrew. — St. Thomas.
AU Saints.
Note, that if
any of these Feast-Days fall upon a Monday, then the Vigil or Fast-Day shall
be kept upon the Saturday, and not upon the Sunday next before it.
Days of Fasting, or Abstinence.
li! t£23JX£3% Four Seasons, be- i&^fiS&r?*
ingjbe Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday j l^JZeruXtlJelemoer 18.
III. The Three Rogation-Days, teing the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, before
Holy -Thursday, or the Ascension of our Lord.
IV. AU the Fridays in the Year, except Christmas-Day.
A Solemn Day, for which a particular Service is appointed.
Tho Sixth Day of May, being the Day on which His Majesty began Hi?
happy Reign.
(U.) FOB V1G1L8, FASTS, AND DAYS OF ABSTINENCE.
The ideas of the Fast, as such,
are especially brought out in con-
nection with the Lenten Season :
(a) The natural expression, and,
at the same time, the deepening,
of religious sorrow and penitence
for sin {fee Collect for Ash-
Wednesday) : (6) The use of self-
discipline, subduing the flesh
to the spirit," that it may better
obey the motions of the Holy
Spirit {tee Collect for First
Sunday in Lent^ ; (c~\ Preparation
and aid to the offering of solemn
Prayer (see the connection of
Lent with Holy Week). On all
these see the First Part of the
Homily on Fasting. In all its
aspects it is clearly a means to a
higher end, and, since its neces-
sity and value vary to each in-
dividual, it is left by our Church
free, to be determined, as to its
method and degree, by each
man's conscience.
The Vigil, as its name im-
Elies, was originally a nocturnal
ervice, held on the eve of a
Festival, not perhaps necessarily
a fast in the first instance, but
naturally, and in process of time
invariably, kept as such; evi-
dently with a view to preparation
for solemn and joyful festal
worship. Afterwards, to remedy
certain disorders, the night
Services were disused, and the
name "Vigil" given to the day
preceding the Festival.
In this Table it seems that
Even (or " Eve") and Vigil are
used as synonymous terms ; and
the same is probably the case in
the note prefixed to the Table of
Collects (seep. 74). But in the
rubric after the Collect for St.
Stephen's Day we find mentioned
" New Year's Eve," although De-
cember 31st is not a Vigil or
Fast ; and it seems not unlikely
that the word Eve was properly
used for the day, or the Evening
of the day, preceding a Festival,
whether a Vigil or not.
The Fast appears to differ
from the Day of Abstinence
in this, that the latter is a day
of more partial and limited absti-
nence.
The Table of Vigils is. of
course, determined generally by
the Table of Feasts; but it is
to be noted that no Fr,st was
kept in the two great Festal
seasons— from Christmas to the
Purification, and from Easter to
Whitsuntide. Hence, in the one
season, there are no Vigils to
St. Stephen, St. John, and In-
nocents Day, the Circumcision,
Epiphany, and Conversion of
St. Paul ; in the latter, to St.
Mark. St. Philip and St. James,
and St. Barnabas. The Feast of
St. Michael and All Angels, as
commemorating the bliss of
heaven, has no vigil. The omis-
sion of the Vigil to St. Luke's
Day is less easily accounted for ;
probably it may be due to the
occurrence on the day preceding
of the well-known Feast of St.
Etheldreda.
The Fast of the Fobty Days
of Lent (.in which the Sundays
are not included) is of very early
origin, in commemoration of Our
Lord's Fast, and in preparation
for the great Festival of Easter.
The name "Embeb Days "is
either a mutilation of " Quat em-
ber" (from the Latin guatuor
tempora), or is derived from the
Anglo-Saxon Ymbren, a " revolu-
tion" or "recurrence," which,
in an English Council of Aenham
(a.d. 1009), is expressly referred
to as a vernacular rendering of
the Quatuor Tempora. The ob-
servance in the Roman Church,
and thence in the Western
Church generally, of special fasts,
in connection with Christmas,
Easter, Pentecost, and perhaps
Ascension, is early. By Pope
Leo I. (449—461) these fasts are
spoken of as the "Winter, Spring,
and Summerfasts," and a fourth,
or Autumnal fast, is mentioned
as kept in the seventh month.
From this time onward the fasts
appear to have been associated
with the four seasons, and with
prayer to God for their natu-
ral blessings— without, however,
complete disconnection from the
Ecclesiastical Festivals. The
usage was regulated by various
Councils (Mayence, in 813, Pla-
centia, 1095, &c.'), till it settled
down to our present usage. The
connection with Ordination is
later ; and it seems more likely
that the time of Ordination fol-
A TABLE TO FIND EASTER-DAY,
PKOM THE PRESBNT TIME TILL THE TEAK 8199 INCLUSIVE, ACCORDING
TO THE FOREGOING CALENDAR.
GOLDEN
NU.MBEH.
XIV.
III.
XIX.
VIII.
XVI.
V.
XIII.
II.
XVIII.
VII.
XV.
IV.
IX.
XVII.
VI.
DAYS OF
THE MONTH.
March 21
April
8UNDAY
LETTERS.
THIS Table contains so much of the
Calendar as is necessary for the
determining of Easter; to find which,
look for the Golden Number of the
Year in the First Column of the
Table, against which stands the Day
of the Paschal Full Moon ; then look
in the Third Column for the Sunday
Letter, next after the Day of the Full
Moon, and the Day of the Month
standing against that Sunday Letter
is Easter-Day. If the Full Moon
happens upon a Sunday, then (ac-
cording to the First Rule) the next
Sunday after is Easter-I)ay.
To And the Golden Number, or
Prime, add 1 to the Year of our Lord,
and then divide by 19; the Remain-
der, if any, is the Golden Number;
but if nothing remalneth, then 19 is
the Golden Number.
To hud the Dominical or Sunday
Letter, according to the Calendar,
until the Year 2099 inclu-
sive, add to the Year of
our Lord its Fourth Part,
omitting Fractions, and
alsotheNumber6: Divide
the Sum by 7 ; and if there
is no Remainder, then A
is the Sunday Letter : But
if any Number remaineth,
then the Letter standing
against that Number iu the small an-
nexed Table, is the Sunday Letter.
For the next following Century,
that is, from the Year 2100 till the
Year 2199 inclusive, add to the cur-
rent Year its Fourth Part, and also
the Number 5, and then divide by 7,
and proceed as in the last Rule.
Note, That in all Bissextile or Leap-
Years, the Letter found, as above,
will be the Sunday letter from the
intercalated Day exclusive, to the
End of the Year.
6
A
l
8
I
V
;<
B
4
D
5
c
6
B
29
lowed the established Fast, than
that the Fast was originated with
a view to the Ordination.
The Rogation Days were in-
stituted in Vienne by Mamertus,
a.i>. 452, at a season of special
physical calamity, for Litanies
and Processions of Supplication.
But the use of them gradually
extended, partly perhaps from
the feeling that there should be
a period of preparation for As-
cension, as for Christmas and
Easter; partly as associating
themselves with prayer and
thanksgiving for the fruits of the
earth, at the approach of the
harvest season, and for other
temporal and spiritual blessings.
(See the Homily for Rogation-tide
" That all good things come from
God. ")
THE TABLES FOR FINDING EASTER.
The various Tables for finding
Raster and the Moveable Feasts
dependent upon it are inserted
in the Prayer Book (supersed-
ing those previously found) from
the Act of Parliament of 1752,
adopting the Gregorian correc-
tion of the Julian Calendar.
The only Tables of any practi-
cal use are the third and fourth
—a Table of the Moveable Feasts
for a fixed period, and a Table
of the various Moveable Feasts,
according to the day on which
Easter falls in any year. The
others ar.e explicable only by
elaborate mathematical and as-
tronomical calculations.
It will be sufficient here to
explain certain principal words
and phrases.
1. The Golden Number of a
year marks its place in a cycle,
called the Metonic cycle (from
Meton, an Athenian astronomer
of b.c. 432) of 19 years, at the
end of which 235 revolutions of
the moon will have coincided
(within 2 hours and 3 minutes)
with the 19 revolutions of the
sun, and the Full Moons will ac-
cordingly recur on the same days
of the month. The year b.c. 1
was fixed as the 1st of such a
cycle. Hence the rule to find the
Golden Number : Add 1 to the
number of the year, and divide
by 19 ; the remainder, if any, is
the Golden Number; "if there
be no remainder," since the year
completes the cycle, " 19 is the
Golden Number."
2. The Sunday Letter.— The
letters A B C D E F G are affix-
ed in order to the successive
days of the year, beginning from
January 1st ; so that each letter
is associated with the same day
in each week of the year, except
(as will be seen below) in leap-
year. The Sunday Letter is
the letter which in such ar-
rangement stands before the
Sundays of the year. Now since
in an ordinary year the number
of days exceeds by 1 the 52
weeks, it is clear that if in any
such year January 1st be Sun-
day, or the Sunday Letter be A,
the January 1st of the next year
will be Monday, and therefore
the first Sunday will be January
7th. or the Sunday Letter will
be G ; and in the case of a leap-
year the first Sunday of the
next year will be January 6th,
or the Sunday Letter will be F.
In this case it may be remarked
that in the leap-year itself (since
no letter is prefixed to February
29th), the Sunday Letter will be
A up to February 28th, and G
after that day. Hence under the
old Julian Calendar, considering
b.c. 1 as the 1st year of a cycle,
having a Sunday Letter A, it is
clear that for each common year
there will be one day over an
exact number of weeks since
b.c. 1, and for each leap-year two
days. Hence if we take the
number of the year, and add its
fourth part for the number of
leap-years, the sum will give the
accumulation of extra days since
B.C. 1 ; dividing by 7, the quotient
will be the number of complete
weeks (which will not affect the
Sunday Letter), and the re-
mainder the number of odd
days, which will move the Sun-
30
ANOTHER TABLE TO FIND EASTER
TILL THE YEAR 2199 INCLUSIVE.
SUNDAY LETTERS.
GOLDEN
NUMBER.
A
B j C
D
B
F
G
l
April 16
17 ! 18
19
20
21
15
II.
April 9
10 4
5
6
7
8
III.
Mar. 26
27 ; 28
29
30
24
25
IV.
April 16
17 38
12
13
14
15
V.
April 2
3 4
5
6
7
1
VI.
April 23
24 25
19
— 20
21
22
VII.
April 9
10 il
12
— 13
14
15
VIII.
April 2
3 4
Mar.29
30
31
Apr. 1
IX.
April 23
17 18
19
20
21
22
X.
April 9
10 11
— 12
6
7
8
XI.
Mar. 26
27
28
— 29
30
31
Apr. 1
XII.
April 16
17
18
19
20
14
15
XIII.
April 9
3
4
5
6
7
8
XIV.
Mar. 26
27
23
29
23
21
25
XV.
April 16
17
11
-12
13
14
15
XVI.
April 2
3
4
— 5
6
Mar.31
Apr. 1
XVII.
April 23
24
18
— 19
20
21
22
XVIII.
April 9
10
11
— 12
13
14
8
XIX.
April 2
3
Mar.28
29
30
31
Apr. 1
mo make use of the preceding Table, find the Sunday Letter for the Year in
* the uppermost Line, and the Golden Number, or Prime, in the Column of
Golden Numbers, and against the Prime, in the same Line under the Sunday
Letter, you have the Day of the Month on which Easter falleth that Year.
But note, that the Name of the Month is set on the Left Hand, or just with
the Figure, and followeth not, as in other Tables, by Descent, but Collateral
30
day Letter, as above explained,
for one day to G, two days to
F, &c. Hence the rule given in
Table I.
Note.— There is a correction to
this, dependent on the fact that
in the Gregorian Calendar the
first year of each century (which
under the old Calendar would be
a leap-year) is not so reckon-
ed, unless the number of cen-
turies is divisible by 4. But as
in this century the number of
years so omitted (a.d. 100, 200,
800, 500, 600, 700, 900, 1000, 1100,
1800, 1400, 1500, 1700, 1800) is
just 14, a multiple of 7, this
correction will not apply to the
rule up to 1899.
Without going into details, it
is clear that the Golden Number
of a year, showing its place on
the Metonic cycle, will determine
the position of the Paschal Full
Moon, and the Sunday Letter on
the position of the nearest Sun-
day to the Full Moon so deter-
mined. Hence both are needed
for the calculation of Easter.
In the Calendar from March
21st to April 25th the Golden
Numbers will be found in the
margin, each placed opposite to
the day which in the corre-
sponding year is the day of the
Paschal Full Moon; the next
Sunday is always Easter-Day.
8. The Epact denotes the
number of days which must be
added (Greek epactce) to a period
of 12 complete lunations, or a
lunar year, to bring this up to a
solar year. This is a little less
than 11 days. Hence taking the
cycle of 19 years marked by the
Golden Numbers, and supposing
at the beginning the lunar and
solar year to correspond, the
Epact at the beginning of the
year i. will be 0, of year n. will
be nearly 11, of year in. nearly
22, of year iv. nearly 88, &c. As
soon, however, as the Epact ex-
ceeds SO, a correction is made
for the error of taking exactly
11 days as the excess of the solar
over the lunar year, by taking 80
days, which exceeds a true luna-
tion by about two-thirds of a
day, as if it were a true lunation,
and accordingly dropping 80 for
the Epact. Hence the Epacts of
the years will be 0, 11, 22, 8, 14, 2;".,
6, &c. There are, however, some
elaborate corrections which have
to be made for the true Epacts
under our present corrected
Calendar. The Epact clearly
denotes the age of the moon on
Jan. 1st of a given year, and so
on any day of that year, and
therefore on the calculation of
the Paschal Full Moon.
4. The name Bissextile, ap-
plied to leap-year, is derived
from the ancient custom of in-
serting the additional day in
such years after the 24th of
February. The 24th was called
in the Latin Calendar " the
sixth day before the kalends of
March" (a.d. vi., Kal. Mart.) ;
and it kept its name in leap-
year, although that name, of
course, properly belonged to
the inserted day. Hence, the
year having two " sixth days "
was called Bunexiug or Bittextilit.
In the Calendar of 1549 the in-
serted day was marked as the
25th, without altering the num-
bering of the subsequent days ;
and it was ordered that " the 25th
day of February, which in leap-
year is counted for two days,
shall in those days alter neither
Psalm nor Lesson." In 1662, the
present arrangement of inserting
the day at the end of the month,
and calling it the 29th, was intro-
duced.
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21
A TABLE
or THB
MOVEABLE FEASTS,
ACCORDING TO THE SEVERAL DAYS THAT EA8TER CAN
P088IBLY FALL UPON.
EASTER
<» M
* a a
g 5
SB1TCA-
TUB
FIRST
ROGA-
ASCEN-
WHIT-
sss
ADYEKT
DAY.
GBSIMA
SUNDAY.
DAT OP
iBirr.
TION
SCKDAf.
SION-
DAT.
SCNDAT.
SI' X DAY.
Mar. 22
< m-
Jan. 18
Feb. 4
Apr. 26
Apr. 30
May 10
27
Nov. 29
23
One
19
5
27
Muy 1
11
27
30
24
One
20
6
28
2
12
27
Dec. 1
25
Two
21
7
29
3
13
27
2
26
Two
22
8
30
4
14
27
3
27
Two
23
9
May 1
5
15
26
Nov. 27
28
Two
24
10
2
6
16
26
28
29
Two
25
— 11
3
7
17
26
29
30
Two
26
12
4
8
18
26
30
31
Two
27
13
6
9
19
26
Dec. 1
April 1
Three
28
14
— 5
10
20
26
8
2
Three
29
15
11
21
26
3
3
Three
30
16
8
12
22
25
Nov. 27
4
Three
31
17
9
13
23
25
28
. 6
Three
Feb. 1
18
10
14
24
25
29
6
Three
2
19
11
15
25
25
30
7
Three
3
20
12
16
26
25
Dec. 1
8
Four
4
21
13
17
27
25
2
9
Four
5
22
11
18
28
25
3
10
Four
6
23
15
19
29
24
Nov. 27
11
Four
7
24
16
20
30
24
28
12
Four
8
25
17
21
31
24
29
13
Four
9
26
18
22
June 1
24
30
14
Four
10
27
19
23
2
24
Dec. 1
15
Five
11
28
20
24
3
24
2
16
Five
12
Mar. 1
21
25
4
24
3
17
Five
13
2
22
26
5
23
Nov. 27
18
Five
14
3
23
27
6
23
28
19
Five
15
4
24
28
7
23
29
20
Five
16
5
25
29
8
23
30
21
Five
17
6
26
30
9
23
Dec. 1
— 22
Six
18
7
27
31
10
23
2
23
Six
. 19
8
28
June I
11
23
3
24
Six
20
9
29
2
12
22
Nov. 27
25
Six
81
10
30
3
13
28
28
Note, that in a Bissextile or Leap- Year, the Number of Sunday* after
Epiphany will be the same, as if Easter-Day had fallen Ona Day later
than it really does. And for the same reason, One Day must, in every
Leap- Year, be added to the Day of the Month given by the Table for
Septuagerima Sunday : And the like must be done for the First Day of
Lent (commonly called A sh-Wednenlay^ unless the Table (rives some Day
in the Month of March for it ; for in that Case, the Day given by liio
Table la the right Day.
A TABLE TO FIND EASTER-DAY,
THE YEAB 2200, TO THE YEAR 2299 INCLUSIVE.
GOLDBN
DAYS OF
BDKDAY
NUMBERS.
IBB MONTH
LK1THKS
VI.
March
21
c
22
D
XIV.
23
E
rpHE Golden Numbers in the
foregoing Calendax will point
i out the Days of the Paschal Full
III.
XI.
—
24
25
2fi
F
G
A
27
B
Moons, till the Year of our Lord
XIX.
28
C
D
E
F
J 2200 i at which Time, in order
VIII.
XVI.
—
29
30
31
that the Ecclesiastical Full Moons
may fall nearly on the same Days
V.
April
J
G
with the real Full Moons, the
XIII.
II.
2
A
B
c
Golden Numbers must be removed
3
4
to different Days of the Calendar,
6
D
as is done in the annexed Table,
X.
6
E
which contains so much of the
XVIII.
VII.
7
8
9
F
G
A
Calendar then to be used, as is
necessary for finding the Paschal
10
B
Full Moons, and the Feast of
XV.
11
C
Easter, from the Year^ 2200, to the
IV.
XII.
—
12
13
14
15
D
E
F
G
Year 2299 inclusive. This Table
is to be made use of, in all re-
spects, as the First Table before
16
A
inserted, for finding Easter till
IX.
XVII.
17
18
B
C
the Year 2199.
19
D
20
21
E
F
22
G
23
A
24
B
25
C
GENERAL TABLES
fob
FINDING THE DOMINICAL OR SUNDAY LETTEB,
AND TBI
PLACES OF THB GOLDEN NUMBERS IN THB CALBNDAB.
TABLE I.
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
B
c
D
E
p
G
A
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
8100 | 2200
2300
2400
2500
2000
2700
28)10
2900
3000
3100
3200
3300
S400
3500
3t»00
8700
3800
3900
4000
4100
4200
4:iO0 1 .^n
4400 J 4500
4600
4700
4800
4900
5000
5100
5200
5300
5400
57.00
5600
WOO
5800
5900
6000
6100
6200
6300
6400
6500
4600
6700
6800
6900
7000
7100
7200
7300
7400
7.500
7600
7700
7800
7900
8000
8100
8200
8300
8400
8500
fcc
To And the Dominical or Sunday Letter for any given Tear of our Lord,
add to the Year its Fourth Part, omitting: Fractions, and also the Number,
which in Table I. atandeth at the Top of the Column, wherein the Number
of Hundreds contained in that given Year is found : Divide the Sum by 7,
ami if there is no Remainder, then A is the Sunday Letter ; but if any
Number remaineth, then the Letter, which standeth under that Number at
the Top of the Table, is the Sunday Letter.
TABLE II.
B
1600
1700
1800
0
1
1
1900
2
B
2000
2
2100
2
2200
3
2300
4
B
2400
a
2500
4
2600
a
2700
5
B
2800
8
2900
6
3000
K
3100
7
B
3200
7
3300
7
3400
8
3500
a
B
3600
8
3700
it
3800
in
3900
10
R
4000
10
4100
u
4200
11
4300
12
B
4400
12
4500
):i
4600
4700
13
11
TBARS Of
OUR LORD
5200
6300
5400
5600
5700
5800
5900
GOOO
6100
6200
6300
6400
6500
6600
6700
6800
6900
7000
7100
7200
7300
7400
7500
7600
7700
7800
7900
8000
8100
8500
To And the Month and Days of the
Month to which the Golden Numbers
ought to be prefixed in the Calendar,
in any given Year of our Lord, con-
sisting of entire Hundred Years, and
in all the intermediate Years betwixt
that and the next Hundredth Year
following1, look in the Second Co-
lumn of Table II. for the given Year
consisting of entire Hundreds, and
Note the Number or Cypher which
stands against it in the Third Co-
lumn ; then, in Table III. look for
the same Number in the Colnmn
under any given Golden Number,
which when you have found, guide
your Eye Side-ways to the Left
Hand, and in the First Column you
will find the Month and Day to
which that Golden Number ought to
be prefixed in the Calendar, during
that Period of One Hundred Years.
The Letter B prefixed to certain
Hundredth Years in Table II. de-
notes those Years which are still to
be accounted Bissextile or Leup-
Years in the New Calendar; where-
as all the other Hundredth Years are
to be accounted only common Years.
35
TABLE HI.
PASCHAL
POll
MOO*.
n
£2
THE GOLDEN NUMBERS.
1
8
1
19
3
0
4
11
5
22
8
3
7
14
H
2ft
9|10
11
28
12
9
13
20
14
1
Ift
12
16
23
17
4
18
1ft
19
26
Mar. SI
c
6
17
Mar. 22
1)
9
20
1
12
23
4
Ift
H
7
18
29
If
21
2
K
21
ft
16
27
Mar. 23
e
10
II
2
13
21
ft
16
27
8
11.
0
11
22
3
14
2ft
6
17
28
Mar. 24
¥
11
22
3
14
2ft
6
17
28
I
20
1
12
2:<
4
1ft
26
7
|8
29
Mar. 25
U
12
13
23
24
4
ft
1ft
16
26
27
7
8
18
19
29
0
10
n
21
22
s
3
13
11
21
5
6
16
17
27
28
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* THE ORDER FOR
MORNING AND EVENING PRAYER
DAILY TO BE SAID AND USED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
rjlHE Morning and Evening Prayer shall be used in the accustomed Place of
■*- the Church, Chapel, or Chancel; except it shall be otherwise determined
by the Ordinary of the Place. And the Chancels shall remain as they have
done in times past.
And here is to be noted, that such Ornaments of the Church, and of the
Ministers thereof, at all Times of their Ministration, shall be retained, and
be in use, as were in this Church of England, by the Authority of Parliament,
in the Second Year of Uie Reign of King Edward the Sixth.
THE ORDER FOR
MORNING AND EVENING PRAYER.
(A) The first Rubric, as to the
Place of Prayer, is the same
which was inserted in 1559, and
has considerable historic inter-
est. In 1549 it was directed that
the Service should be said "in
the Quire," and "with a loud
voice," evidently with a view to
its being heard in the body of
the Church. In 1552, apparently
to meet objection as to audibili-
ty, it was ordered that it " shall
be said in such place of the
Church, Chapel, or Chancel, and
the Minister shall so turn him-
self, as that the people shall best
hear " ; and, in case of contro-
versy, the decision of the place
was left to the Ordinary. It was
then added, probably to prevent
needless alteration and destruc-
tion, " the Chancels shall remain
as in times past." The Prayer
Book of 1559 inclined, as usual,
in the direction of the older ar-
rangement. A direction was in-
serted (probably by Royal au-
thority alone) that the Service
should be said "in the accus-
tomed place," which would pro-
bably, in most cases, be the
Chancel ; but discretion of ruling
otherwise was left to the Ordi-
nary. Out of the use of this
discretion the " reading pue " or
" reading desk " outside the
Chancel appears to have origin-
ated, being first mentioned (as
"a decent and convenient seat
in the body of the church") in
some Episcopal Articles of Visi-
tation at Norwich in 1569. In
1662 the mention of it was intro-
duced into the Rubric before the
Commination Service.
(B) The second, the well-known
** Ornaments Rubric," has a
still more remarkable history.
It will be sufficient to give a
brief summary of that history,
without entering into the con-
troversies which have arisen on
the subject. It is best considered
under two heads, (1) the Vest-
ments of the Minister, (2) the
Ornaments of the Church.
1. The Rubric had no existence
in 1549 ; but, so far as the dress
of the Minister was concerned,
there was direction given in a
Rubric preceding the Commu-
nion Service, that the Priest for
that Office should put on " the
Vesture appointed for that min-
istration, that is to say, a White
Albe plain, with a Vestment or
Cope," and the assisting Priests
or Deacons " Albes with tuni-
cles " (sometimes called " Dal-
matics"). At the end of the
Preface " Of Ceremonies," &c,
it was laid down, that " in saying
or singing of Matins and Even-
song, Baptising and Burying,
the Minister in parish churches,
and chapels annexed to the same,
shall use a Surplice"; and that
in Cathedrals and Colleges the
academic hood might be worn by
graduates. It was added that
" in all other places every Minis-
ter shall be at liberty to use the
Surplice or no"; and that "it
is seemly that graduates, when
they preach, shall use such hoods
as pertaineth to their degrees."
It was also ordered "that the
Bishop celebrating the Holy
Communion, or executing any
other public ministration, should
have on him, besides his Rochet,
a Surplice or Albe, and a Cope
or Vestment, and also his Pas-
toral Staff in his hand, or else
borne or holden of his Chap-
lain." This Prayer Book wa»
formally authorized by Parlia-
ment in 1549.
In 1552 the Rubric was inserted
here, running thus : " The Min-
ister, at the time of the Commu-
nion, and at all other times of his
ministration, shall use neither
Albe, Vestment, nor Cope ; but,
being Archbishop or Bishop, he
shall have and wear a Rochet,
and, being a Priest or Deacon,
he shall have and wear a Sur-
plice only."
In 1559, without reviving the
Rubric to the Communion Ser-
vice, or the other directions of
1549, this Rubric was altered
thus : " The Minister at the time
of the Communion, and at all
other times of his ministration,
■hall use such Ornaments in the
Church as were in use by author-
ity of Parliament in the second
year of Edward vi., according to
the Act of Parliament set forth
in the beginning of this book."
The Act referred to (1 Eliz. c. 2.
sect. 25) authorized this condition
of things, " till other order shall
be taken by authority of the
Queen's Majesty, with the advice
of her Commissioners, appointed
and authorized under the Great
Seal of England for Causes Ec-
clesiastical, or of the Metropoli-
tan of the Realm " ; and it then
went on to give the Queen au-
thority, if there should be " mis-
using of the orders appointed in
this book," to ordain, with the
same advice, "such further cere-
monies or rites as may be most
for the advancement of God's
glory, the edifying of His Church,
and the due reverence of Christ's
holy Mysteries and Sacraments."
Whether other "order" was taken
by the Queen under the condi-
tions prescribed by the Act, has
been matter of controversy. But
In the " Interpretation " by the
Archbishop and Bishops of the
Royal Injunctions of 1559, it is
ordered that " the Cope in the
Administration of the Lord's
Supper, and the Surplice in
all other ministrations," should
be used. In the " Advertise-
ments" of 1564, it is laid down
that, " in Cathedrals and Colle-
giate Churches, in ministration
of the Holy Communion, the
principal Minister shall use a
Cope, with Gospeller and Epis-
toler agreeably, and, at all other
Prayers to be said at that Com-
munion Table, to use no Copes,
but Surplices " ; that " the Dean
and Prebendaries shall wear a
Surplice with silk hood in the
Choir (when they preach) " ; and
that " every Minister, saying
public Prayers, or ministering
the Sacraments, or other rites
of the Church, Bhall use a come-
ly Surplice with sleeves, to be
provided at the charge of the
Parish." Here no other Vest-
ment than the Cope and Surplice
is named.
This Rubric remained unal-
tered in the Revision of 1604;
but the order laid down in the
Advertisements of 1564 was ex-
pressly referred to, and adopted,
in the 24th Canon, passed in that
year.
In 1662, to the remonstrance
from the Puritan party, at the
Savoy Conference, against the
Rubric, on the ground that " it
seemeth to bring back the Cope,
Albe, and other Vestments for-
bidden" in 1552, the Bishops
simply answered, " We think it
fit that the Rubric remain as it
is," without either denying or
confirming the inference thus
drawn from it. It was, however,
re-cast in its present form, in
which it follows the exact words
of the Act (1 Eliz. c. 2. sect. 25)
— omitting, however, all notice
of any provisional character of
the arrangement— and is couched
in a somewhat less peremptory
form than the old Rubric.
36 a
Now, as a matter of history, it
is hardly questionable that (with
few and doubtful exceptions) all
Vestments, except the Surplice
and Hood in parish Churches.and
Copes in some Cathedrals, had
been disused after 1564 ; and this
fact made the words "retained
and be in use," natural enough
in the original Act of Parlia-
ment, somewhat inapplicable on
their revival in 1662. The altera-
tion, however, of the Rubric to
its present form seems to shew,
on the one hand, that the Re-
visers considered it important,
and intended it to have some prac-
tical effect in the future, and, on
the other hand, that they regard-
ed it as having something of a
permissive character, and as not
enforcing the introduction of the
vestments where they had not
been " retained." It is, however,
doubtful whether it had any
practical effect at the time. Sub-
sequently the Cope also fell into
disuse; and for many genera-
tions the Surplice and Hood,
with Stole or Scarf, and tome-
times the Black Gown in preach-
ing, were the only Vestments
known. Of late years, the use
of the old Vestments ordered in
the First Prayer Book, and au-
thorized by Parliament accord-
ingly, has been revived, on the
strong prima facie authority of
the Rubric of 1662. This revival
gave occasion to much contro-
versy and some litigation. The
Supreme Court, while sanction-
ing the provisions of the Canons
of 1604, pronounced against the
legality of the general revival of
the Vestments named in this
Rubric. But, notwithstanding
this decision, and certain trials
proceeding out of it, this revival
of the old Vestments has con-
siderably advanced.
The Convocation of Canter-
bury in 1879 recommended, in its
report to the Crown, the follow-
ing Rubric, " until further order
be taken by lawful authority " :
— " In saying Public Prayers and
ministering the Sacraments and
other rites of the Church, every
Priest and Deacon shall wear a
Surplice with a Stole or Scarf,
and the Hood of his degree ; and
in preaching he shall wear a
Surplice with a Stole or Scarf
and the Hood of his degree, or,
if he think fit, a Gown with Hood
or Scarf ; and no other orna-
ment shall at any time of his
ministrations be used by him
contrary to the monition of the
Bishop of the diocese. Provided
always, that this Rubric shall
not be understood to repeal the
24th, 25th, and 58th of the Canons
of 1604." No alteration has, how-
ever, been actually made.
2. As to the Ornaments of the
Church, the directions are far
less clear. It will be observed
that the Ornaments sanctioned
are not simply those that were
in use in the second year of
Edward vi., but those that wore
in use by authority of Parlia-
ment ; and it is hard to refer this
phrase to anything but the
authorization of the Prayer
Book of 1549. The nature, there-
fore, of these Ornaments has to
be gathered from indications in
the Prayer Book of 1549, from
consideration of the old usages,
so far as they are unrepealed,
and from the enactments and
Injunctions of the time. This is
often a task of much difficulty.
Thus, in respect of Candles
upon the Holy Table, lighted at
the time of Celebration, cere-
monially and not for the purpose
of giving light, the Royal In-
junctions of 1547, while ordering
other lights to be removed, ex-
pressly authorize "two lights
upon the High Altar before the
Sacrament, for the signification
that Christ is the very true Light
36 b
3—5
of the World." In 1549 a Draft
of Articles, apparently intended
to be embodied in Injunctions,
and certainly carried out in some
Episcopal Visitations, forbids
the Minister "to Bet any light
on the Lord's Board." But yet,
in the reign of Elizabeth, and
subsequently, the lights were
used, especially in the Boyal
Chapel and in certain Cathe-
drals. Gradually they fell into
general disuse, till they were
revived in our own time. But
the Lambeth Judgment of 1890
has shewn and pronounced that
they are not illegal, and— what-
ever may be thought of the
appropriateness of the symbol-
ism — the idea symbolized is
absolutely true and vital.
The Canons of 1604 (xx., lxxx.
— lxxxiv.) enumerate various
furniture for the Church. Thus
in Canon xx., in addition to the
Paten and Chalice ordered in
the Rubrics of the Communion
Service, it is ordered that the
wine be brought to the Com-
munion Table in "a clean and
sweet standing pot or stoop of
pewter, if not of purer metal."
In Canons lxxx. — lxxxiv. among
things pertaining to the Church
are enumerated (1) a great Bible
and Prayer Book, (2) a Font of
Stone, (8) " a decent Communion
Table covered in time of Divine
Service with a carpet of sillc or
other decent stuff," (4) " the Ten
Commandments to be set up,"
and "other chosen sentences
written," (5) a Pulpit, (6) an
Alms chest. No mention is here
made of Candlesticks.
In our own time the Supreme
Court has formally sanctioned
the " Credence Table," although
not expressly named, as implied
in the directions given for
placing the Elements on the
Holy Table in the Communion
Service, and while prohibiting
the placing of a Cross on the
Holy Table itself, has recognised
its appropriateness as an Orna-
ment in the Church and above
the Holy Table.
ANALYSIS qF THE MORNING AND EVENING SERVICES.
These Services, as first issued
(beginning with the Lord's
Prayer), were condensed and
reformed reproductions of some
of the " Hours " of the Sarum
Breviary— the Morning Service
uniting (with omission of all
repetitions of common elements)
the Services of Matins, Lauds,
and Prime ; the Evening Service
similarly uniting the ancient
Vespers and Compline. The
other Hours (lierce, Sexts, and
Nones), which appear to have
been less frequently used, were
omitted. The Prefatory portion,
subsequently added — the Sen-
tences, Exhortation, Confession,
and Absolution— is mainly origi-
nal, though it may have been
suggested by some forms of
Service used by foreign Protest-
ant congregations in England.
Out of these materials, how-
ever, the compilers of the Prayer
Book framed Services, which
have a thorough coherency and
completeness of idea, and a sin-
gular adaptation to the true
order of spiritual devotion.
(A) First, it will be noticed
that the Service recognises dis-
tinctly what may be called God's
fABT and Man's part in the
communion of worship. As now
ordered, it opens with the mes-
sage of God to His people,
calling, for penitence and pro-
mising forgiveness, which is met
by the response of Confession.
Next comes the pronouncement
36C
of Absolution in God's Name,
which naturally awakens in the
pardoned soul the outburst of
Praise and Thanksgiving in
Lord's Prayer, Psalms, and Can-
ticles. Before this dies away,
the voice of God speaks again in
the Lessons from His Word ; and
His revelation is accepted by the
response of faith in the Creed.
Lastly, in the sense of His grace,
and the knowledge of His will,
we turn to Prayer for ourselves
and for others, and end with
commendation of all to His
blessing. The Minister is now
the messenger of God to the
people, now the spokesman of the
people to God. In both aspects
of his Ministry he is the repre-
sentative of the One Mediator,
who has promised to be in the
midst of those who are gathered
in His Name, and in whom God
and Man are realized as having
communion with each other.
(B) Next> taking man's part
only, we observe the care with
which, as the Opening Exhorta-
tion shews, the whole complex
idea of worship is grasped.
After the preparation of Con-
fession and Absolution, fol-
lows, first, that element of wor-
ship which is highest, purest,
most unselfish, and therefore
most like the worship of Heaven
—the element of Praise and
Thanksgiving, delighting in
God's glory and His goodness.
To this succeeds the more
serious and thoughtful attitude
of the soul, listening to the
Voice of God in his Word, and
gladly and reverently answer-
ing in Confession of Faith.
Lastly, the consciousness of His
glory and the righteousness of
His will, and the contrast with
these of our own weakness and
sinfulness, stir the desire of
Prayer, which belongs to our
condition of imperfection and
progress, and is, indeed, a "fel-
low-working with God," accord-
ing to His will, for our salva-
tion. In this we may trace, not
only the fulness, but the right
spiritual order, of all the ele-
ments of Christian worship.
The analysis of the Service is
therefore obvious,—
I. Introduction — the Sen-
tences, Exhortation, Confession,
and Absolution.
II. Praise and Thanksgiv-
ing—the Lord's Prayer, Versi-
cles, Canticles, Psalms, and (out
of the strict order) the General
and Special Thanksgivings.
III. The Word of God— the
Lessons and the truth confessed
in the Creed.
IV. Prayer— the Lord's Pray-
er, the Versicles, the Collects
before the Anthem (general),
the Collects after the Anthem
(intercessory), the Occasional
Prayers, and the Grace of our
Lord."
36 ct
MORNING PRAYER.
I. THE INTRODUCTION TO
THE SERVICE.
This Introduction was first
prefixed to the Service in 1552,
probably because the general
practice of Private Confession
and Absolution began to be dis-
used.
The Openino Sentences at
once illustrate the twofold char-
acter of ail " Divine Service," as
(a) the manifestation of God to
man by Word and grace, and (6)
the answer of man's worship to
God. They are (so to speak) a
dialogue between God and His
people, like the " Lord's contro-
versy " in Micah vi., vii.
Thus the first sentence is a
prophetic promise of pardon to
the individual sinner; to which
answer the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th sen-
tences—all drawn from the great
Psalm of David's penitence-
expressing acknowledgment of
guilt, prayer for pardon, and
confidence in God's mercy to the
penitent.
Again, the 5th sentence is a
similar prophetic exhortation
and promise, addressed to the
whole congregation; and, in
reply to this, the 6th and 7th
sentences (taken from the pro-
phets of the Captivity) confess
our past abuse of God's forbear-
ance, and accordingly pray, not
to escape chastisement, but to
be chastised in mercy.
Lastly, in the 8th sentence we
have the Gospel call to repent-
ance ; and this draws out first (in
the 9th sentence), the cry of the
repentant child of God, which
Christ Himself taught us ; and
then (in the 10th and 11th), in
remarkable contrast, an utter-
ance of godly fear from the Old
Testament, and from the New a
striking declaration of godly con-
fidence, that (in virtue of the
Atonement and Intercession of
Christ) God is, not " merciful,"
but "faithful and just," to for-
give acknowledged sin.
The ExHonTATiON— the first of
many inserted by our Compilers
in the Prayer Book, for the much-
needed object of plain religious
teaching— unites perfect simpli-
city with fulness and accuracy of
idea. It is chiefly notable as
bringing out the three great ele-
ments of worship, (a) Thanks-
giving and Praise; (b) Hearing
God's Word ; (c) Prayer ; as em-
phasizing especially, in prepara-
tion for these. Confession of sin
(and Absolution); as implying
the conditions of pardon in " the
humble, lowly, penitent, and
obedient heart," and the hope
of pardon, in the knowledge that
the Throne of God is a " Throne
of the heavenly grace." (See the
Analysis of the Service.)
The General Confession,
drawn up in 1552, again illus-
trates the remarkable union of
simple fervour of tone with so-
lidity and exactness of thought,
characteristic of our Prayer
Book. It divides itself naturally
into three parts, (a) Covfetiion
of tin, which, simple as it is,
bringR out with singular com-
pleteness the whole doctrine of
evil — its essential character, as a
"straying from the ways" of
God's appointment— its root, in
the self-choosing of our own
"devices," and the self-will of
our own " desires "—its test, in
contrariety to God's declared
laws— its division into sins of
omission and commission— and
its effect in destroying not the
life, but the " health " of the
soul. On this whole passage see
Rom. vii. 8—25; (6) Prayer for
pardon, on condition, indeed, of
penitence and confession, but in
dependence solely on God's "pro-
mises declared unto mankind
in Christ Jesu Our Lord": (c)
Prayer for Grace, " for His sake "
(i.e. through His Atonement and
Intercession), that we may live
(see Tit. ii. 12) in "godliness"
(our duty to God) ; in " righte-
ousness (our duty to our neigh-
bour); and in "soberness" (our
duty to ourselves )— all being done
"to His glory" (see 1 Cor. x. SI).
With this Confession compare
the more fervent, but less com-
prehensive, Confessions in the
37
THE ORDER FOR
MORNING PRAYER,
DAILY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
f A t the beginning oj Morning Prayer the Minister shall read with a Iowa
voice some one or more of these Sentences of the Scriptures that follow. And
then he shall say that which is written after the said Sentences.
WHEN the wicked man turn-
eth away from his wicked-
ness that he hath committed, and
doeth that which is lawful and
right, he shall save his soul alive.
Ezek. xviii. 27.
I acknowledge my transgres-
sions, and my sin is ever hefore
me. Psalm Hi. 3.
Hide thy face from my sins,
and blot out all mine iniquities.
Psalm li. 6.
Tbe sacrifices of God are a bro-
ken spirit : a broken and a con-
trite heart, O God, thou wilt not
despise. Psalm li. 17.
Rend your heart, and not your
garments, and turn unto the Lord
your God : for he is gracious and
merciful, slow to anger, and of
great kindness, and repenteth him
of the evil. Joel ii. 13.
To the Lord our God belong
mercies and forgivenesses, though
we have rebelled against him :
neither have we obeyed the voice
of the Lord our God, to walk in
his laws which lie set before us.
Daniel ix. 9, 10.
0 Lord, correct me, but with
judgment ; not in thine anger, lest
thou bring me to nothing. Jer.
x. 24. Psalm vi. 1.
Repent ye ; for the Kingdom of
Heaven is at hand. St. Matt. iii. 2.
1 will arise, and go to my father,
and will say unto him, Father, I
have sinned against heaven, and
before thee, and am no more
worthy to be called thy son.
St. Luke xv. 18, 19.
Enter not into judgment witb
thy servant, O Lord ; for in thy
sight shall no man living be jus-
tified. Psalm cxliii. 2.
If we say that we have no sin,
we deceive ourselves, and the truth
is not in us : but, if we confess
our sins, he is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteous-
ness. 1 St. John i. 8, 9.
TV EARLY beloved brethren,
** the Scripture moveth ub in
sundry places to acknowledge and
confess our manifold sins and
wickedness; and that we should
not dissemble nor cloke them be
fore the face of Almighty God our
heavenly Father; but confess
them with an humble, lowly, peni-
tent, and obedient heart ; to the
end that we may obtain forgive-
ness of the same, by his infinite
goodness and mercy. And al-
though we ought at all times
humbly to acknowledge our sins
before God ; yet ought we most
chiefly so to do, when we assemble
and meet together to render
thanks for the great benefits that
we have received at his hands, to
set forth his most worthy praise,
to hear his most holy Word, and
to ask those things which are re-
quisite and necessary, as well for
the body as the soul. Wherefore
37
Communion and Commutation
Services.
The Absolution, also drawn
up by the Compilers— taking the
filace of an older precatory form
not unlike the Absolution of
our Communion Service) found
in the old Sarum Use of Prime
and Compline— is an authorita-
tive declaration of pardon. Pro-
nounced by the Priest alone,
standing in the attitude of au-
thority over the kneeling people,
it is God's answer to the Confes-
sion. It is properly the " Abso-
lution and Remission of sins";
for to " absolve " is to deliver
from the bondage of sin, and to
" pardon " or " remit " is to take
away its guilt— such guilt and
bondage being distinct, though
inseparable.
It contains (a) a Preamble, de-
claring the source of both Abso-
lution and Remission to be in
the love of God, revealed as " the
Father of the Lord Jesus Christ,"
and therefore as the God of
mercy to penitent sinners, adopt-
ed to sonship in Him, and set-
ting forth the "power and com-
mandment given to His Minis-
ters to pronounce " both in His
(Xame. For the Scriptural au-
thority for this power— distinctly
claimed in the words of Ordina-
tion of Priests— see, first, Our
Lord's declaration on the power
belonging to Himself as " Son of
Man (Matt. ix. 6) ; next, His
charges to His disciples (Matt.
xvi. 19; xviii. 18; John xx. 22,
23) j and lastly, the Apostolic
action thereon (1 Cor. v. 3—5;
2 Cor. ii. 6—8). It should be
gathered from the word "com-
mandment" that the Priest is
here, as in relation to the Sacra-
ments, simply a Minister, and
has no right to withhold Abso-
lution, if the conditions are ful-
filled ; (b) the Absolution ittelf,
"He pardoneth Gospel."
The conditions— necessarily em-
phasized in a General Absolu-
tion—as (see Catechism) for
Baptism and the Holy Commu-
nion, are " Repentance and
Faith" ("made perfect by
love ") ; for Repentance casts
off trust in self, and Faith places
it in God, revealed in the Gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ (comp.
Acts xx. 21) ; (c) an Exhortation
to prayer for these requisites—
for repentance, for the regenera-
ting grace of the Holy Spirit,
present and future, and for final
triumph— a prayer substantially
covered by the three petitions
of the Lord's prayer following,
"Forgive us our trespasses,"
" Lead us not into temptation,"
" Deliver us from evil."
With this Absolution compare
the Absolutions in the Commu-
nion Service and in the Visita-
tion of the Sick— differing in tone
and directness of application, but
in principle the same.
It is clear that the Church of
England, while providing for ex-
ceptional cases and characters
the benefit of Private Confession
and special Absolution (see the
first Exhortation in the Holy
Communion Service and the
Visitation of the Sick) yet is
content that, as the normal con-
dition of things (to use the words
of that Exhortation in 1549), her
children generally should "be
satisfied with humble Confession
to God and the General Confes-
sion of the Church."
The Rubric directing the " A-
men" "here and at the end of
all other Prayers" is curiously
worded, for the Absolution is,
of course, no prayer. Probably
" prayer " is used generally of all
religious forms.
II. The SERVICE of PRAISE
and THANKSGIVING inter-
woven with
III. The HEARING of the
WORD of GOD.
From this point the Praver
Book follows generally the Old
Service.
This section of the Service, like
the other chief sections, opens
with the Lord's Prayer (for
which see p. 41) ; but it should
be noticed that here (as in the
Post-Communion Service), since
it opens the Service of Praise, it
has appended to it the Doxology,
"Thine is... ever." This Dox-
ology is not found in St. Luke
(' xi. 2—4), nor in the best MSS.
of St. Matthew (vi. 9—18) ; and
it has been thought that it was
not originally a part of the Lord's
Prayer, but was added in ancient-
Liturgical use.
3S
MORNING PRAYER.
I pray and beseech you, as many
as are here present, to accompany
me with a pure heart, and humble
voice, unto the throne of the hea-
venly grace, saying after me ;
^ A general Confession to be said of
the whole Congregation after the
Minister, all kneeling.
ALMIGHTY and most merci-
ful Father ; We have erred,
and strayed from thy ways like
lost sheep. We have followed too
much the devices and desires of
our own hearts. We have offend-
ed against thy holy laws. We have
left undone those thiugs which we
ought to have done ; And we have
done those things which we ought
not to have done ; And there is no
health in us. But thou, O Lord,
have mercy upon us, miserable of-
fenders. Spare thou them, 0 God,
which confess their faults. Restore
thou them that are penitent ; Ac-
cording to thy promises declared
unto mankind in Christ Jesu our
Lord. And grant, O most merci-
ful Father, for his sake ; That we
may hereafter live a godly, righ-
teous, and sober life, To the glory
of thy holy Name. Amen.
T The Absolution, or Remission of
sins, to be. pronounced by the Priest
alone, standing; Hie people still
kneeling.
ALMIGHTY God, the Father of
- our Lord Jesus Christ, who
desireth not the death of a sinner,
but rather that he may turn from
his wickedness, and live ; and hath
given power, and commandment,
to his Ministers, to declare and
pronounce to his people, being
penitent, the Absolution and Re-
mission of their sins : He pardon-
eth and absolveth all them that
truly repent, and unfeignedly be-
lieve his holy Gospel. Wherefore
let us beseech him to grant us true
repentance, and his Holy Spirit,
that those things may please him,
which we do at this present ; and
that the rest of our life hereafter
may be pure, and holy ; so that
at the last we may come to his
eternal joy ; through Jesus Christ
our Lord.
% The. people shall answer here, and
at the end of all other prayers, Amen.
% Then the Minister shall kneel, and
say the Lord's Prayer with an au-
dible voice ; the people also kneeling,
and repeating it with him, both here,
and wheresoever else it is used in
Divine Service.
OUR Father, which art in hea-
ven, Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be
done, in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, As
we forgive them that trespass
against us. And lead us not into
temptation ; Rut deliver us from
evil: For thine is the kingdom,
The power, and the glory, For ever
and ever. Amen. «
IT Then likewise he shall say,
O Lord, open thou our lips.
Answer. And our mouth shall
shew forth thy praise.
Priest. O God, make speed to
save us.
Answer. 0 Lord, make haste
to help us.
\ Here all standing up, the Priest shall
say,
Glory be to the Father, and to
the Son : and to the Holy Ghost ;
Answer. As it was in the be-
ginning, is now, and ever shall
be : world without end. Amen.
Priest. Praise ye the Lord.
Answer. The Lord's Name be
praised.
1T Then shall be said or sung this Psalm
following: except on Easter-Day,
upon which another A ntliem is ap-
pointed; and on the Nineteenth day
of every Month it is not to be read
here, but in the ordinary Course of
the Psalm*.
:J8
The Rubric in 1519 and 1551 di-
rected that the Priest (or Minis-
ter) should beain the Lord's Prayer
with a loud voice. The present
Rabric was substituted in 1662.
The Versicles (Preces), which
follow, are the first specimens of
the short ejaculatory pravers of
our Service, contrasted with the
Collects (Orationes), which are
the longer and more thoughtful
prayers. The first four are taken,
as usual, from the Psalms (li.
15; lxx. 1), and pray for God's
help to praise Him aright, and
for His Salvation.
Then follows the Gloria Pa-
tbi, the utterance of distinctive-
ly Christian Praise to the Holy
Trinity, as co-equnl and co-eter-
nal. It is first clearly traceable
in the East, during the Arian
controversy of the 4th century,
although it probably belonged
in substance to older Christian
use. Thence it made its way to
the West, with some variation
as to the latter clause ; and has
been used in its present form and
position for at least 1,300 years.
The Exhortation following,
" Praise ye the Lord," is a para-
phrase of the Hebrew " Hallelu-
jah " ; which in 1549 was ordered
to be sung after it from Easter
to Trinity. The response, "the
Lord's Name be praised," was
added in 1662. from the Scotch
Liturgy of 1637.
The Psalm Venite Exulte-
mus is found (with interspersed
Invitatories) in the Sarum Bre-
viary, used from time immemo-
rial as the "Invitatory Pi«alm,"
opening the Service of Praise.
In the Service of the Synagogue
it is used on Friday Evening (as
preparatory to the Sabbath), and
the reference to it in Heb. iii. 7
— iv. 9 seems to shew that it was
thoroughly familiar to the Jews.
In the Eastern Church a con-
densed form of it is used.
After the invitation itself (vs.
1, 2) it gives a two-fold reason
for praising God : first (vs. 3—5),
because He is the Creator and
Ruler of the great universe ; and
next (vs. 6, 7), as the " Lord our
God," caring for us individually
as the Good Shepherd for His
sheep (comp. Ps. viii. 3—9) ;
lastly, it passes to a warning to
us His people, drawn from the
history of Israel, not to harden
our hearts, and, like Israel in the
wilderness, lose the promise of
His rest (comp. Heb. iii. 7—
iv. 11). It thus strikes at once
the key-note of mingled confi-
dence and awe, characteristic of
true Christian worship.
The version of the Venite fas
also of the Jubilate, Cantate Deo,
Deus Misereatur, and the Psalms
in the Occasional Services) natu-
rally follows that of the Psalter,
which is taken from the " Great
Bible " of Henry viii. ; but a few
slight variations are traceable
here and there.
For the use of the Psalms, see
notes on the Psalter.
The use of the Gloria at the
end of each Psalm may be taken
as a symbol of the duty of Chris-
tianizing the Psalms, by inter-
preting them— doctrinally, mo-
rally, and spiritually — in the
light of Our Lord's life and
teaching, which brings out into
perfection what under the Old
Covenant was in all points neces-
sarily imperfect (see Heb. vii. 19).
The Te Deum, by a tradition,
expressed in the title in some of
the later MSS., was commonly
ascribed to St. Ambrose, or to
St. Ambrose and St. Augustine.
Its origin is not certainly known.
Although a Western Hymn, it
bears in some places a marked
likeness to the Eucharistic
Hymn of the Liturgy of Jeru-
salem, and to the Morning
Hymn of the Eastern Church
(found in the Alexandrine MS.
of the New Testament). The
7th, 8th, and 9th verses are sin-
gularly like a well-known passage
of St. Cyprian. It is found also
with much variety of reading in
various MSS. The earliest litur-
gical notice of it is in the 6th
century; but it is obviously of
much earlier date, at least as old
as St. Augustine.
It is the great hymn of tri-
umphant Praise in the Western
Church, as the Gloria in Erce7sis
in the Eastern. It may be de-
scribed as at once (•) A Hi/mn of
Praise (vs. 1—13), first, the uni-
SB
MOUSING PRAYER.
Venite, exultemus Domino.
Psalm xcv.
OCOME, let us sing unto the
IiOrd : let us heartily rejoice
in the strength of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence
with thanksgiving : and shew our-
selves glad in. him with Psalms.
For the Lord is a great God:
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are all the corners
of the earth : and the strength of
the hills is Ids also.
The sea is his, and he made it :
and his hands prepared the dry
land.
O come, letus worship, and fall
down : and kneel before the Lord
our Maker.
For he is the Lord our God :
and we are the people of his pas-
ture, and the sheep of his hand.
To day if yc will hear his voice,
harden not your hearts : as in the
provocation, and as in the day of
temptation in the wilderness ;
When your fathers tempted me :
proved me, and saw my works.
Forty years long was I grieved
with this generation, and said : It
is a people that do err in their
hearts, for they have not known
my ways.
Unto whom I swore in my
wrath : that they should not enter
into my rest.
Glory be to the Father, and to
the Son : and to the Holy Ghost ;
As it was in the beginning, is
now, and ever shall be : world
without end. Amen.
t Then shall follow the Psalms in order
as they be appointed. And at the
end of every Psalm throughout the
Year, and likewise at the end of
Benedicite, Benedietus, Magnificat,
and Nunc dimittis, shall be repeated,
Glory be to the Father, and to
the Son : and to the Holy Ghost ;
Amwer. As it was in the be-
ginning, is now, and ever shall
be : world without end. Amen.
1f Then shall be read distinctly with
an audible voice the First Lesson,
taken out of tiieOld Testament, as
<jper
that day: He that readethsb stahd-
of
is appointed in the Calendar, except
there be proper Lessons assigned for
iug and turning himself, as he may
beat be heard of all such as are pre-
sent. And after that, shall be said
or sung, in English, the Hymn
called Te Deum Laudamus, daily
thioughout the Year.
% Note, That before every Lesson th$
Minister shall say, Here beginneth
such a Chapter, or Verse of such a
Chapter, ofsueh a Book : And after
every Lesson, Here endeth the First,
or the Second Lesson.
Te Deum Laudamus.
W~E praise thee, O God : we
acknowledge thee to be the
Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee :
the Father everlasting.
To thee all Angels cry aloud :
the Heavens, and all the Powers
therein.
To thee Cherubin, and Sera-
phin : continually do cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy : Lord God of
Sabaoth ;
Heaven and earth arc full of tile
Majesty : of thy Glory.
The glorious company of the
Apostles : praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the
Prophets : praise thee.
The noble army of Martyrs:
praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all
the world : doth acknowledge thee;
The Father : of an infinite
Majesty ;
Thine honourable, true : and
only Son ;
Also the Holy Ghost : the Com-
forter.
Thou art the King of Glory : O
Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son ;
of the Father.
When thou tookest upon thee
versal praise to the One God, the
Father everlasting, from earth
and heaven, ending in the sera-
phic song of the vision of Isaiah,
offered to the Thrice-Holy, as
"the Lord of hosts." that is, of
all rational beings (Isa. vi. 2, S) ;
next, the Christian song of praise
from Apostles, Prophets, Mar-
tyrs, and the whole Church to
the Three hlessed Persons of the
Holy Trinity ; (b) A Creed of the
Lord Jesus Christ (vs. 14— 19 >,
under form of address to Him,
dwelling on His eternal Royalty
and Sonship, His Incarnation
and Passion for us, His Conquest
of death, opening to us the
Kingdom of Heaven. His En-
thronement at the right hand
of God, and His future Judg-
ment—traversing, in fact, almost
exactly the ground of the second
paragraph of the Apostles' Creed,
and strikingly illustrating the
infinite value of liturgical use as
a standard of living truth ; last-
ly, (c) A Prayer to God in Christ
I vs. 20—29). hroken by a burst of
thanksgiving, "Day by day...
end"; much as the series of
Collects is broken by the An-
them. The prayer is first for the
whole Church of the Redeemed,
as His people and heritage, that
He will save and bless, govern
and lift them up for ever, num-
bering them with the Saints in
glory everlastincr, and then for
ourselves, that God will keep us
from sin, and let His mercy
lighten upon us. The whole
ends with an utterance of con-
fidence, " O God, in thee have I
trusted: I shall never be con-
founded."
There are a few mistransla-
tions, which slightly detract from
the beauty of the original ; ( 1 ) v. 1
should begin, " We praise Thee
as God" : (2) in v. 9, "the noble
army " should be " the white-
robed army" (see Rev. vi. 9-11) ;
(3) v. 1(5 should run, " When for
our deliverance Thou wast about
to take on Thee the nature of
man," a clear declaration of the
Incarnation ; (4) in v. 21 " num-
bered" (numernrt) should per-
haps be " rewarded " (munerari) ;
and (5) in v. 29 we should pro-
bably read. "I shall never be
confounded" (non confundar in
aternum).
This grand Canticle, by its
whole tenour, shews itself pecu-
liarly appropriate as a link be-
tween the Lessons from the Old
Testament and the New. It is a
splendid example of the union of
the light of Christian doctrine
with the glow of praise and ado-
ration. It has naturally been
used at all times as the great
festal expression of Christian
Thanksgiving and Praise. The
musical setting, called the Am-
brosian Te Deum, dates from
the end of the 5th century.
The Benedicite— used from
ancient times in the Service of
Lauds, both in the East and in
the West, and in 1549 directed
to be used in Lent in place of
the Te Deum (although it has no
special Lenten character)— has
no such peculiar appropriate-
ness. It is one of the Apocry-
phal additions to the Book of
Daniel, inserted (with a pre-
fatory Prayer of Azarias) be-
tween V*. 28 and 24 of ch. iii. :
and looks like an expansion of
Ps. cxlviii. The idea is simple
in the extreme, though worked
out with great detail— calling
again and again on all Creation
to sing the Creator's praise.
But we may trace an order and
method in it ; first, (a i the call
is given (vs. 1-10 • to all the great
Natural Powers and Forces— the
"Angels" being clearly looked
upon as God's ministers therein
(see Ps. civ. 4 ; Heb. i. 7). Next
(b), in vs. 11-17, the hymn ad-
dresses itself to all the pheno-
mena and changes through
which Nature passes, manifest-
ing her special beautv in each.
Then (c) in vs. 18-25, the Earth
and Sea, with all the wealth of
vegetable and animal life, are
called to join the hymn of Praise ;
and lastly, (d) in vs. 26-32, the
crowning sacrifice of thanksgiv-
ing is demanded from man gen-
erally, from Israel, as God's
people, from His priestB and
servants, from His Saints, living
and dead, and finally from the
" Three Children " in particular,
in the hour of their miraculous
deliverance. The whole is (like
Job xxxviii., xxxix., or Ps. civ.)
a eucharistic commentary on
the history of Creation (in
10
MORNING PRAYER.
to deliver man : thou didst not
abhor the Virgin's womb.
When thou hadst overcome the
sharpness of death : thou didst
open the Kingdom of Heaven to
all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand
of God : in the Glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt
come : to be our Judge.
We therefore pray thee, help
thy servants : whom thou hast
redeemed with thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered
with thy Saints : in glory ever-
lasting.
O Lord, save thy people : and
bless thine heritage.
Govern them : and lift them up
for ever.
Day by day : we magnify thee ;
And we worship thy Name :
ever world without end.
Vouchsafe, 0 Lord : to keep us
this day without sin.
0 Lord, have mercy upon us :
have mercy upon us.
O Lord, let thy mercy lighten
upon us : as our trust is in thee.
0 Lord, in thee have I trusted :
let me never be confounded.
% Or this Canticle,
Benedicite, omnia Opera.
OALL ye Works of the Lord,
bless ye the Lord : praise him,
and magnify him for ever.
O ye Angels of the Lord, bless
ye the Lord : praise him, and
magnify him for ever.
O ye Heavens, bless ye the
Lord : praise him, and magnify
him for ever.
0 ye Waters that be above the
Firmament, bless ye the Lord:
praise him, and magnify him tor
ever.
O all ye Powers of the Lord,
bless ye the Lord : praise him,
and magnify him for ever
O ye Sun and Moon, bless ye
the Lord : praise him, and mag-
nify him for ever.
O ye Stars of Heaven, bless ye
the Lord : praise him, and mag-
nify him for ever.
O ye Showers and Dew, bless ye
the Lord : praise him, and mag-
nify him for ever.
O ye Winds of God, bless ye
the Lord : praise him, and mag-
nify him for ever.
0 ye Fire and Heat, bless ye the
Lord : praise him, and magnify
him for ever.
0 ye Winter and Summer, bless-
ye the Lord : praise him, and
magnify him for ever.
O ye Dews and Frosts, bless jr©>
the Lord : praise him, and mag-
nify him for ever.
O ye Frost and Cold, bless ye<
the Lord : praise him, and mag-
nify him for ever.
0 ye Ice and Snow, bless ye the
Lord : praise him, and magnify
him for ever.
O ye Nights and Days, bless ye
the Lord : praise him, and mag-
nify him for ever.
0 ye Light and Darkness, bless-
ye the Lord : praise him, and
magnify him for ever.
O ye Lightnings and Clouds,
bless ye the Lord : praise him, and
magnify him for ever.
0 let the Earth bless the Lord :
yea, let it praise him, and mag-
nify him for ever.
0 ye Mountains and Hills, bless
ye the Lord : praise him, and
magnify him for ever.
O all ye Green Things upon the
Earth, bless ye the Lord : praise
1dm, and magnify him for ever.
O ye Wells, bless ye the Lord :
praise him, and magnify him for
ever.
O ye Seas and Floods, bless ve
40
Gen. i.. ii.). Except when this
has been read in the First Lesson
—on Septnagesima and Trinity
Sundays— the Benedicite has no
special appropriateness to this
place in the Service, and is,
therefore, rightly used only as
an occasional variation from the
far grander and more apposite
Te Deum. The custom of using
it in Advent seems especially
inappropriate to the Season.
The Benedictus, or Song of
Zacharias (Luke i. 08)— also used
in the old Service of Lauds— was
originally the only Canticle pro-
vided to follow the Second Les-
son. It would be difficult to find
any which could better sum up
the messages of both Testa-
ments. For in its first part (t».
1-8), it is a thanksgiving to the
"Lord God of Israel" for the
fulfilment in the Redemption
of Christ of the promise to
David, as drawn out by the Pro-
phets, and of the Covenant of
deliverance and holiness made
with Abraham; in the latter
(vs. 9-12), by the prophetic
charge to Our Lord's forerun-
ner, it sets forth the essence of
the salvation of the Gospel, in
the remission of sins through
the mercy of God, and in the
two-fold gift of light to those
who are in darkness, and guid-
ance for the wanderer into the
way of peace.
The version of the Benedictu*
(as also of the Magnificat and
Nunc Dimitti*) differs slightly,
both from the Great Bible and
from our Authorized Version.
The Jubilate— added in 1552
as an occasional variation from
the Benedictu* — has indeed some
appropriateness to this place
between the two Lessons, be-
cause it calls all nations to
the worship of thanksgiving and
praise to the God of Israel, as
the Creator and Shepherd of His
people, everlasting in mercy
from generation to generation.
But (unlike the Benedictu*) it
has, from the nature of the case,
no special Christian reference ;
and it should not, therefore, be
made, as it often is made, the
Canticle of regular use."
III. The third part of the
Service, the Hearing the
Word of God, includes the Les-
sons, and the answer of Faith
in the Creed. On the Lessons,
both Proper and Common, see
above, pp. 12-14. The Preface,
" Concerning the Service of the
Church," declares emphatically
the paramount importance at-
tached by the Church of Eng-
land to the orderly public read-
ing of Holy Scripture ; and this
is implied also in the very care-
ful directions for audibility and
distinctness of reading given
here in the Rubric.
For notes on the Creed, see
the corresponding place in the
Evening Service.
IV. THE SERVICE
OF PRAYER.
After the mutnal blessing of
the Dominus vobitcum, and the
three-fold Kyrie eleeaon (which
is an Invocation of the Holy
Trinity), this part of the Service
opens with the Lord's Prayer.
In 1549 it was to be said by
the Minister, with the response,
" But deliver us from evil, from
the people. The present Rubric
was substituted in 1552.
The Lord's Prayer is given
us as the model of the universal
prayer of all humanity and of
every day. Our Lord has left
us the types of more exceptional
utterances, in the Prayer of the
Agony iMatt. xxvi. 39-42). and
the great Intercession (John
xvii.).
In the fact of its appointment
we have Our Lord's sanction,
in spite of all mystery, of the
natural instinct and general
scope of human prayer; and
also His authority for the con-
tinual repetition of set forms of
prayer. Indirectly, moreover,
as being necessarily in perfect
accordance with the Will of God
(see 1 John v. 14) it throws a
flood of light on God's relation
to man, and on the needs and
capacities of human life.
The Address stamps on our
dailv worship the fundamental
truth of the Fatherhood of God
over all, implied in all vita]
41
MORNING PRAYER.
the Lord : praise him, and mag-
nify him for ever.
0 ye Whales, and all that move
in the Waters, bless ye the Lord :
praise him, and magnify him for
ever.
0 all ye Fowls of the Air, bless
ye the Lord : praise him, and
magnify him for ever.
O all ye Beasts and Cattle, bless
ye the Lord : praise him, and
magnify him for ever.
O ye Children of Men, bless ye
the Lord : praise him, and mag-
nify him for ever.
O let Israel bless the Lord :
praise him, and magnify him for
ever.
O ye Priests of the Lord, bless
ye the Lord : praise him, and
magnify him for ever.
O ye Servants of the Lord, bless
ye the Lord : praise him, and
magnify him for ever.
O ye Spirits and Souls of the
Righteous, bless ye the Lord :
praise him, and magnify him for
ever.
0 ye holy and humble Men of
heart, bless ye the Lord : praise
him, and magnify him for ever.
O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael,
bless ye the Lord : praise him,
and magnify him for ever.
Glory be to the Father, and to
the Son : and to the Holy Ghost ;
As it was in the beginning, is
now, and ever shall be : world
without end. Amen.
1 Then shall be read in like manner
the Second Lesson, taken out of the
New Testament. And after that, the
Hymn following ; except when that
shall happen to be read in the Chap-
ter for the Day, or for the Gospel on
Saint John Baptist's Day.
BenedictU8. St. Luke i. 68.
BLESSED be the Lord God of
Israel : for he hath visited,
and redeemed his people ;
And hath raised up a mighty
salvation for us : in the house of
his servant David ;
As he spake by the mouth of
his holy Prophets : which have
been since the world began ;
That we should be saved from
our enemies : and from the hands
of all that hate us ;
To perform the mercy promised
to our forefathers : and to re-
member his holy Covenant ;
To perform the oath which he
sware to our forefather Abraham :
that he would give us ;
That we being delivered out of
the hands of our enemies : might
serve him without fear ;
In holiness and righteousness
before him : all the days of our life.
And thou, child, shalt be called
the Prophet of the Highest : for
thou shalt go before the face of
the Lord to prepare his ways ;
To give knowledge of salvation
unto his people : for the remis-
sion of their sins,
Through the tender mercy of
our God : whereby the day-spring
from on high hath visited us ;
To give light to them that sit in
darkness, and in the shadow of
death : and to guide our feet into
the way of peace.
Glory be to the Father, and to
the Son : and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is
now, and ever shall be : world
without end. Amen.
% Or this Psalm,
Jubilate Deo. Psalm c.
OBE joyful in the Lord, all ye
lands : serve the Lord with
gladness, and come before hi?
presence with a song.
Be ye sure that the Lord he is
God : it is he that hath made us,
and not we ourselves ; we are his
people, and the sheep of his pas*
tore.
41
religion, but expressly revealed
in the Gospel (John i. 18). It is
thus a guide to the true spirit of
prayer— filial trustfulness and
reverence towards God, and
sense of communion with our
brethren in Him.
In the Petitions we are taught
the true order of the objects of
our desire, and therefore of our
life. First— in accordance with
Our Lord's teaching (Matt. vi.
S3)— before all thought of self,
we pray for that acknowledg-
ment of God's glory, which is
necessarily the highest blessing
of man— by the reverence of true
devotion, "hallowing his Name,"
by loyalty of heart, acknowledg-
ing and hastening His Kingdom,
and, by doing His will in active
and unwearied obedience — all
done " on earth, as in heaven,"
that is, " all for love, and nothing
for reward " (comp. Matt vi. 88).
Next, for our own needs ; and
here note that prayer for temporal
blessings is expressly sanctioned,
but strictly confined to the sim-
ple and modest desire for " daily
bread,"— "all things (see Cate-
chism) actually needful for our
bouIb and bodies," — while the
prayer for spiritual blessings
expands into deflniteness and
earnestness. In God's forgive-'
ness we seek the beginning, in
His support in and through
temptation the continuance, and
in deliverance from the evil—
"all sin and wickedness, find
our ghostly enemy and everlast-
ing death " — the triumphant
close, of spiritual life. To one
petition alone— the prayer for
forgiveness— is a condition at-
tached, viz., that of shewing for-
giveness ; because (we may sup-
pose) that duty is at once the
hardest to the natural man, and
the most characteristic of " the
mind of Christ Jesus." It is, of
course, not the meritorious cause
of the Divine forgiveness, but
the means of rightly receiving
it and making it our own (see
Matt, xviii. 21-85).
The. Doxologt, used above in
the Service of Thanksgiving, is
omitted here in the Service of
Prayer. For it is probably a
very early Liturgical addition,
following the general . rule of
a
closing prayer with ascription ot
glory. In form it reminds us of
the famous words of David (in
1 Chron. xxix. 11), "Thine, O
Lord, is the greatness, and the
power, and the glory," &c. It
ascribes to God the majesty of
universal " Kingdom " with its
intrinsic reality of "power," and
its " glory" of manifestation.
The Lord's Prayer is followed
by the Versicles, which are in
themselves a complete " Shorter
Litany " : first, praying gener-
ally for God's mercy and salva-
tion, then interceding for the
King. Ministers, and People,
and lastly, asking for Peace in
God as our only strength, and
for His grace to cleanse and hal-
low our souls. They thus anti-
cipate in brief the Collects which
are to follow. These VersicleB
are old, taken from the Festal
and Ferial (common) Precet of
the Sarum Breviary, an anti-
phon to the Collect for Peace,
and the 51st Psalm, which fol-
lowed the Precet.
As usual they are drawn large-
ly from the Psalms (see Ps. lxxxv.
7 ; cxxxii. 9 ; xxviii. 10 ; li. 10, 11).
The "standing up" of the
Priest during the VersicleB,
which is exceptional— applying
(if the Rubric be taken literally)
neither to the Lord's Prayer
preceding nor to the Collects
following — is apparently bor-
rowed from the practice in the
old Service of his rising up after
the 51st Psalm, with the words
" Extvrpat I)put," and proceed-
ing to the steps of the Altar to
say the rest of the Prayers.
These petitions are drawn out,
more completely and thoughtful-
ly, in the Collects. The word
Collect" is variously derived;
(a) by some from being said " ad
Collectam," i.e. at the assembly
of public worship; (b) by other's
from being a comprehensive sum-
mary of devotion and doctrine ;
(c) by others, from being the col-
lective prayer of the congrega-
tion, offered by one voice.
For the character and princi-
ple of arrangement of the Col-
lects or THE Day, see pp. 57-
58,
MORNING PRAYER.
0 go your way into Iris gates
with thanksgiving, and into his
courts with praise : be thankful
unto him, and speak good of his
Name.
For the Lord is gracious, his
mercy is everlasting : and his
truth endureth from generation
to generation.
Glory be to the Father, and to
the Son : and to the Holy Ghost ;
As it was in the beginning, is
now, and ever shall be : world
without end. Amen.
If Then shall be sung or said the
Apostles' Creed by the Minister and
the people, standing : except only
auch days as the freed of Saint
Athanasius is appointed to be read.
I BELIEVE in God the Father
Almighty, Maker of heaven and
earth :
And in Jesus Christ his only
Son our Lord, Who was conceived
by the Holy Ghost, Born of the
Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pon-
tius Pilate, Was crucified, dead,
and buried, He descended into
hell ; The third day he rose again
from the dead, He ascended into
heaven, And sitteth on the right
hand of God the Father Almighty ;
From thence he shall come to
judge the quick and the dead.
1 believe in the Holy Ghost ;
The holy Catholick Church ; The
Communion of Saints ; The For-
giveness of sins ; The Resurrection
of the body, And the life everlast-
ing Amen.
1 And after that, these Prayers fol-
lowing, all devoutly kneeling; the
Minister first pronouncing urith a
loud voice.
The Lord be with you.
Answer. And with thy spirit.
Minister. Let us pray.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
f Then the Minister, Clerks, and peo-
ple, shall say the Lord's Prayer with
a loud voice.
OUR Father, which art in hea-
ven, Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be
done, in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive them that trespass
against us. And lead us not into
temptation ; But deliver us from
evil. Amen.
5 Then the Priest standing up shall
say,
j O Lord, shew thy mercy upon
us.
Answer. And grant us thy sal-
vation.
Priest. 0 Lord, save the King.
Answer. And mercifully hear
us when we call upon thee.
Priest. Endue thy Ministers
with righteousness.
Answer. And make thy chosen
people joyful.
Priest. 0 Lord, save thy people.
Answer. And bless thine inhe-
ritance.
Priest. Give peace in our time.
0 Lord.
Answer. Because there is none
other that flghteth for us, but
only thou, 0 God.
Priest. 0 God, make clean our
hearts within us.
Answer. And take not thy holy
Spirit from us.
H Then shall follow three Collects ; the
first of the Day, which shall be the
same that is appointed at the Com-
munion; the second for Peace ; the
third for Grace to live well. And
the two last Collects shall never
alter, but daily be. said at Morning
Prayer throughout all the Year, as
followeth ; all kneeling.
The second Collect, for Peace.
OGOD, who art the author of
peace and lover of concord,
in knowledge of whom standeth
our eternal life, whose service la
M
The two Collects following are,
with a special emphasis, ordered
to be used unceasingly, because
they ask for the two blessings-
God's peace (passively received)
and His grace (used for action),
without which life is not worth
living.
The Collect for Peace is a
free translation from an old
Latin Collect, found in the Sac-
ramentarv of Gelasius (a.d. 494),
used at Lauds and in the Post-
Communion Service of the Sar-
um Use. The comparison of the
terseness of the Latin {quern
notse rivere, cui $ervire repnare
e$t) with the freedom of the
noble English version is singu-
larly striking, and instructive as
to right principles of translation.
The preamble addresses God, as
He is especially known in Christ
to be the God of Peace (Luke ii.
14; Isa. lvii. 19); and then, first
looking to the life of thought,
declares that "in the knowledge
of God standeth " (consists) " our
eternal life " (John xvii. 3) ; next,
looking to the life of action, de-
clares service to Him to be per-
fect freedom (John viii. 81—86;
Rom. vi. 15—23). The prayer it-
self is both for safety from all
adversaries (objective), and for
the knowledge of that safety,
casting out anxiety and fear
(subjective).
The Collect for Grace is
again an old Collect, found in
the Sacramentary of Gregory
(a.d. 600), and used in the Ser-
vice of Prime in the Sarum Bre-
viary. By the clause " who hast
safely brought us to the begin-
ning of this day," we see that it
is especially appropriate to an
early Service. The prayer still,
like the former, asks for God's
defence, although now from sin,
as well as danger ; but it goes on
to pray first for the governance
of all our actions by His provi-
dence, and next for our own will-
ing acceptance of that governance
as a means to righteous service.
Between these prayers for our-
selves, and the Intercessory Col-
lects which follow, is interposed
the Anthem. The Rubric direct-
ing its use was inserted in 1662,
probably stereotyping the earlier
practice, in which it would come
after the Service, then closing
with the Third Collect.
Curiously as the word has been
corrupted, there is little doubt
that n Anthem " is derived from
" Antiphon " (Antefn in old Eng-
lish). The old Antiphons were
properly musical responds of
Praise or Prayer, frequently ap-
pended to Collect, Psalm, or
Lection. Of these, mostly struck
out (see Preface to Prayer Book),
we have still survivals in the
musical responds before and af-
ter the Gospel, and in the "O
Lord, arise, help us," &c, of the
Litany.
Subsequently the name Anti-
phon came to be applied to any
sentence sung or said, whether
responsive or not. Thus in 1549
the name was applied not only
to the " Christ being raised from
the dead," &c, of the Easter-
Day Service, but also to two
sentences (" Remember not,"
&c, and "O Saviour of the
World," &c.) in the Visitation
of the Sick, and the "Turn Thou
us," &c, of the Commination
Service. Out of this last use the
modern Anthem has been deve-
loped. For it has altogether lost
the old responsive idea, and has,
moreover, allowed itself much
freedom and expansion — often
being even dramatic or descrip-
tive, instead of simply an utter-
ance of Prayer or Praise, and
now representing in our Service
the element of the higher non-
congregational music.
It is notable that this is the
only place in which the Prayer
Book itself gives direct authority
for the use of that variable ut-
terance of Praise, which has now
been so largely developed in
Hymnody, and has been formal-
ly legalized in the amended Act
of Uniformity (1879).
The five Prayers which follow
were placed in their present posi-
tion in 1661, having been pre-
viously inserted in the Litany.
The Collect for the Kino
is of unknown authorship, but
belongs to the 16th century. It is
first found appended to a Selec-
tion of " Psalms and Prayers "
printed by authority from 1545
to 1548, and it was included in
43
MORNING PRAYER.
perfect freedom ; Defend us thy
humble servants in all assaults
of our enemies; that we, surely
trusting in thy defence, may not
fear the power of any adversaries,
through the might of Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
The third Collect, for Grace.
OLOBD, our heavenly Father,
Almighty and everlasting God,
who hast safely brought us to
the beginning of this day ; Defend
us in the same with thy mighty
power ; and grant that this day we
fall into no sin, neither run into
any kind of danger ; but that all
our doings may be ordered by thy
governance, to do always that is
righteous in thy sight; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. A men.
T In Quires and Places where they
ring, herejolloweth the Anthem.
S Then these five Prayers following
are to be read here, except when the
Litany is read; and then only the
two last are to be read, as they are
there placed.
A Prayer for the King's Majesty.
OLORD our heavenly Father,
high and mighty, King of
kings, Lord of lords, the only
Ruler of princes, who dost from
thy throne behold all the dwellers
upon earth ; Most heartily we be-
seech thee with thy favour to be-
hold our most gracious Sovereign
Lord, King GEORGE; and so
replenish him with the grace of thy
Holy Spirit, that he may alway
incline to thy will, and walk in
thy way : Endue him plenteously
with heavenly gifts ; grant him in
health and wealth long to live ;
strengthen him that he may van-
quish and overcome all his ene-
mies ; and finally, after this life,
he may attain everlasting joy and
felicity ; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
A Prayer for the Royal Family.
ALMIGHTY God, the fountain
. of all goodness, we humbly
beseech thee to bless our gra-
cious Queen Mary, Edward
Prince of Wales, and all the
Royal Family : Endue them with
thy Holy Spirit ; enrich them
with thy heavenly grace ; pros-
per them with all happiness ; and
bring them to thine everlasting
kingdom ; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. A men.
A Prayer for the Clergy and
people.
ALMIGHTY and everlasting
- God, who alone workest great
marvels; Send down upon our
Bishops, and Curates, and all
Congregations committed to their
charge, the healthful Spirit of thy
grace; and that they may truly
please thee, pour upon them the
continual dsw of thy blessing.
Grant this, 0 Lord, for the honour
of our Advocate and Mediator,
Jesus Christ. Amen.
A Prayer of St. Chrysostom.
ALMIGHTY God, who hast
- given us grace at this time
with one accord to make our
common supplications unto thee ;
and dost promise, that when two
or three are gathered together in
thy Name thou wilt grant their
requests : Fulfil now, O Lord, the
desires and petitions of thy ser-
vants, as may be most expedient
for them ; granting us in this
world knowledge of thy truth,
and in the world to come life
everlasting. Amen.
2 Cor. xiii.
THE grace of our Lord Jesu9
Christ, and the love of God, and
the fellowship of the Holy Ghost,
be with us all evermore. Amen.
Here endeth the Order of Morning Prauer throughout the Year,
43
the Primer of 1553. Originally
it was of greater length, and ad-
dressed, as the title "King of
Kings" (see Rev. xix. 16) shews,
to Our Lord Himself. In 1559 it
was inserted in its present form
in the Litany, after " We hum-
bly beseech Thee," &c. It is a
fine specimen of the more flow-
ing rhetorical style of the later
Collects, with a magnificent pre-
amble on the supreme sovereign-
ty of God— praying with much
fervour for the Sovereign, both
personally and officially, and
asking for him present grace to
obey God's will, fulness of spirit-
ual gifts, temporal prosperity and
victory, and future felicity in
heaven.
The Prayer for the Royal
Family is first found in 1604 (in
the Litany), and was probably
composed by Archbishop Whit-
gift. Originally it ran, ,: O God,
who hast promised to be a father
to thine elect and their seed for
ever." It was altered to its pre-
sent form in the Scotch Prayer
Book of 1(>S7. It is (as is natural)
a fainter copy of the prayer for
the King.
The Prayer for Clergy and
People is from the Sacra-
mentary of Gelasius, used after
the Litany in the Sarum Bre-
viary. It is found in English in
a Primer of the 14th century, and
was appended to the English
Litany of 1544, but it was not in-
serted in the Prayer Book till
1559. The allusion in the pre-
amble, " Who alone workest
great marvel*," is. no doubt, to
the supernatural gift of Pente-
cost. The word "Curate" is
here, of course, used of all who,
under the Bishop, have " cure of
souls." The prayer is two-fold,
for " preventing " and "follow-
ing" grace (see Collect for Seven-
teenth Sunday after Trinity):
first, for " healthful " renewal of
the soul, and next, for the con-
tinual refreshment — the daily
" dew "—of God'B blessing.
The Prayer of St. Chrysos-
tom is a free translation from a
Greek Collect found in the Litur-
gies of St. Basil and St. Chrysos-
tom. It is a concluding petition
for the acceptance or all our
prayers, offered by the grace of
God, in virtue of the promised
Presence of Christ in the midst
of us (Matt, xviii. 19, 20) ; and
(plainly alluding to John xvii. 8)
it asks for the knowledge of God's
truth, and through this that
knowledge of God Himself, which
is the life eternal, in earnest
here, in fulness in the world to
come.
The Bekediction (2 Cor. xiii.
18) is the fullest expression by
St. Paul of the blessing which
was his " token in every Epistle"
(see 2 Thess. iii. 17). It begins
with Our Lord's Mediation ("the
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ " ),
and through it passes to the love
of God the Father, to which He
restores us, and the communion
of the Holy Spirit, which is His
fift to us (see John xv. 26 ; xvi. 7).
n it, as in the Baptismal formu-
la, we have a clear declaration of
the doctrine of the Holy Trini-
ty, revealed to us through the
'Christian verity " of the Incar-
nation.
EVENING PRAYER.
Note. — The printing of the Introductory portion— the Sentences,
Confession, and Absolution— as an integral portion of the Evening
Service, dates from 1662. In 1549 the Service, both in the Morning
and in the Evening, began with the Lord's Prayer; from 1552
onwards the Rubric at the beginning of the Morning Service ran
thus: "At the beginning, both of Morning Prayer, and likewise of
Evening Prayer, the Minister shall .... the said Sentences." This,
no doubt, implied the use not only of the Sentences and Exhorta-
tion, but of the Confession and Absolution also; and this use was,
indeed, explicitly ordered in the Scotch Liturgy of 1637.
44
THE ORDKE FOR
EVENING PRAYER,
DAILY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
t At the beginning of Evening Prayer the Minister shall read with a loud
voice some one or more of these Sentences of the Scriptures that follow-
And then he shall say that which is written after the said Sentences.
WHEN the wicked man turn-
eth away from his wicked-
ness that he hath committed, and
doeth that which is lawful and
right, he shall save his soul alive.
Ezek. xviii. 27.
I acknowledge my transgres-
sions, and my sin is ever before
me. Psalm li. 3.
Hide thy face from my sins,
and blot out all mine iniquities.
Psalm li. 9.
The sacrifices of God are a
broken spirit : a broken and a
contrite heart, 0 God, thou wilt
not despise. Psalm li. 17.
Rend your heart, and not your
garments, and turn unto the Lord
your God : for he is gracious and
merciful, slow to anger, and of
great kindness, and repentethhim
of the evil. Joel ii. 13.
To the Lord our God belong
mercies and forgivenesses, though
we have rebelled against him :
neither have we obeyed the voice
of the Lord our God, to walk in
his laws which he set before us.
Daniel ix. 9, 10.
0 Lord, correct me, but with
judgment ; not in thine anger,
lest thou bring me to nothing.
Jer. x. 2i. Psalm vi. 1.
Repent ye ; for the Kingdom of
Heaven is at hand. St.MatthXWX
1 will arise, and go to my father,
and will say unto him, Father, I
have sinned against heaven, and
before thee, and am no more
worthy to be called thy son. St.
Luke xv. 18, 19.
Enter not into judgment with
thy servant, 0 Lord ; for in thy
sight shall no man living be jus-
tified. Psalm cxliii. 2.
If we say that we have no sin,
we deceive ourselves, and the truth
is not in us : but, if we confess
our sins, he is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteous-
ness. 1 St John i. 8, 9.
DEARLY beloved brethren, the
Scripture moveth us in sun-
dry places to acknowledge and
confess our manifold sins and
wickedness ; and that' we should
not dissemble nor cloke them
before the face of Almighty God
our heavenly Father ; but confess
them with an humble, lowly, peni-
tent, and obedient heart ; to the
end that we may obtain forgive-
ness of the same, by his infinite
goodness and mercy. And al-
though we ought at all times
humbly to acknowledge our sins
before God; yet ought we most
chiefly so to do, when we assem-
ble and meet together to render
thanks for the great benefits that
we have received at his hands, to
set forth his most worthy praise,
to hear his most holy "Word, and
to ask those things which are re-
quisite and necessary, as well for
the body as the soul. Wherefore
I pray and beseech you, as many
as are here present, to accompany
me with a pure heart, and humble
voice, unto the throne of the hea-
venly grace, saying after me ;
The Magnificat, or thanks-
giving "Song of the Blessed
Virgin Mary " after the Annun-
ciation, seems obviously sugges-
ted by the Song of Hannah
(1 Sam. ii. 1—10) on the birth
of Samuel— a song, no doubt,
familiar to every Jewish maiden.
Not only, however, has it a
calmer and deeper simplicity;
but it is notable that in the
Song of Hannah there is a con-
clusion of exultation and tri-
umph over the enemies of the
Lord, to which we find nothing
to correspond in the sweeter
strains of the Magnificat.
The whole subject of the Mag-
nificat is (a) thanksgiving for
that which the Annunciation
had so graciously declared to the
" handmaiden of the Lord " her-
self—the exaltation of her " low
estate " to a high blessedness in
the eyes of all people ; (6) the
recognition of it as a glorious
instance of the general law of
exaltation of the lowly over the
great, the meek over the proud,
the poor and hungry over the
wealthy; <c) the acknowledg-
ment of the culminating mani-
festation of this general law in
the blessing to Israel— least and
" fewest of all people " ( Deut.
vii. 7)— according to the promise
made to Abraham and to his
promised seed (in whom "all
families of the earth were to be
blessed").
This Canticle (like the TeDeum
in the Morning Service) links
the two Lessons most appropri-
ately together — dwelling on the
promises of the Old Testament,
and their fulfilment in the New.
tains, to rejoice before the Lord,
as the Conqueror of all His
enemies, and the righteous Judge
of the earth (»«. 8—10). Only so
far as it has reference to the
universal Kingdom of the Mes-
siah, does it bear upon the New
Testament, as well as the Old.
The Cantate Domino — an-
other of that remarkable group
of Psalms of Praise (xci. — c.), to
which the Venite and the Jubi-
late belong— though not inap-
propriate to this place in the
Service, is obviously inserted
only for occasional variation from
the still more appropriate Map-
niflcat. It is simply a magnifi-
cent summons, first, to the
House of Israel, blessed by God
in the sight of the heathen
(r*. 1 — 4), then to all the nations
of the world themselves (v*.
ft— 7), and lastly to the earth and
the sea, the rivers and the moun-
45
Next comes the sweetest and
most solemn of all the Canticles,
breathing emphatically the spirit
of the evening calm, the Nunc
Dimittis— the thanksgiving of
the aged saint, ready to lie down
to rest, for the signal of his
departure in peace, given by the
sight of the Saviour, at once the
" glory of Israel " and the " light
of the Gentiles." In that two-
fold view of the mission of the
Lord Jesus Christ, the teaching
of the Old and New Testaments
is again most appropriately sum-
med up.
The Dbu8 Misereatttr, al-
though a Psalm more of prayer
than of praise, yet bears strong
likeness to the Cantate Domino
in this, that it is an aspiration
for the manifestation of the
blessing of God, first, to Hia
people in the sight of the nations
(r«. 1—3), then to the nations
themselves, whose righteous
Judge He is (vs. 4, 5), then over
the earth, calling forth fruitful-
ness and peace (v*. 6, 7). Like
that Psalm, it has only a second-
ary appropriateness to its place
here.
THE APOSTLES' CREED.
Theuse of a Creed— a short sum-
mary of the essentials of Chris-
tian Truth, resting ultimately
on faith in the word of the Lord
Jesus Christ— is necessarily as
old as Christianity itself. For
from the Day of Pentecost on-
wards, only " they who received "
the truth of Christ "were bap-
tized"; and the expression of
the reception of that truth would
naturally follow the order and
the substance of the Baptismal
formula, "in the Name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost." The well-
known passage (Acts viii. S7\
where a profession of faith is
required from the Ethiopian
eunuch as a condition of Bap-
EVENING PRAYER.
5 A general Confession to be said of
the whole Congregation after the
Minister, all kneeling.
ALMIGHTY and most merci-
ful Father; We have erred,
and strayed from thy ways like
lost sheep. We have followed too
much the devices and desires of
our own hearts. We have offend-
ed against thy holy laws. We have
left undone those things which we
ought to have done ; And we have
done those things which we ought
not to have done ; And there is no
health in us. But thou, 0 Lord,
have mercy upon us, miserable of-
fenders. Spare thou them, 0 God,
^ich confess their faults. Re-
sW>re thou them that are penitent;
According to thy promises declar-
ed unto mankind in Christ Jesu
our Lord. And grant, O most
merciful Father, for his sake;
That we may hereafter live a god-
ly, righteous, and sober life, To the
glory of thy holy Name. Amen.
% The Absolution, or Remission of
sins, to be pronounced by the Priest
alone, standing ; the people still
kneeling.
ALMIGHTY God, the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
desireth not the death of a sinner,
but rather that he may turn from
his wickedness, and live ; and hath
given power, and commandment,
to his Ministers, to declare and
pronounce to his people, being
penitent, the Absolution and Re-
mission of their sins : He pardon-
eth and absolveth all them that
truly repent, and unfeignedly be-
lieve his holy Gospel. Wherefore
let us beseech him to grant us true
repentance, and his Holy Spirit,
that those things may please him,
which we do at this present ; and
that the rest of our life hereafter
may be pure, and holy ; so that at
the last we may come to his eter-
nal joy ; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
* Then the Minister shall kneel, and
say the Lord's Prayer; the people
also kneeling, and repeating it with
him.
OUR Father, which art in hea-
ven, Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be
done, in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, As
we forgive them that trespass
against us. And lead us not into
temptation ; But deliver us from
evil: For thine is the kingdom,
The power, and the glory, For
ever and ever. Amen.
^ Then likewise he shall say,
O Lord, open thou our lips.
Answer. And our moulh shall
shew forth thy praise.
Priest. 0 God, make speed to
save us.
Answer. 0 Lord, make haste
to help us.
f Here all standing up, the Priest
shall say,
Glory be to the Father, and to
the Son : and to the Holy Ghost ;
Answer. As it was in the be-
ginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
Priest. Praise ye the Lord.
Answer. The Lord's Name be
praised.
^ Then shall be said or sung the Psalms
in order as they be appointed. Then
a Lesson of the Old Testament, as is
appointed. And after that. Magni-
ficat (or the Song of the blessed Vir-
gin Mary) in English, asfolloweth.
Magnificat. St. Luke i.
MY soul doth magnify the
Lord : and my spirit hath
rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded : the low-
liness of his hand- maiden.
For behold, from henceforth
all generations shall call me bless-
ed.
For he that Is mighty hath
tism, is omitted by the beet
MSS, ; but, if not genuine, it is
as least an early gloss, testifying
h the historical existence of this
requirement in primitive prac-
tice. "The good confession
before many witnesses" (cf.
1 Tim. v. 12), and "the form of
sound words'' (cf. 2 Tim. i. IS),
are generally thought to be ex-
emplifications of the same prac-
tice.
Such Creeds grew up freely
and naturally, varying in form
and in fulness, while agreeing in
main substance. Frequently,
perhaps usually, they took the
form of interrogations with an-
swers of adhesion, as in our own
Baptismal Service. Hence the
ancient name of the Creed (.Spm-
bolum) — as the watchword of
enrolment in the army of God.
The teaching of its truths to
those preparing for Holy Bap-
tism, of which we have many
specimens, was called the Tradi-
tio Spmboli; its recitation by
them at Baptism, the Redditio
Symboli. Through fear of mis-
use or profanation it was not
committed to writing ; it was to
be " written on the heart."
Now the Apostles' Creed— the
great Creed of the West— is the
very type of this kind of Creed.
It is traceable in various forms
from very early times. At the
close of the 2nd century we find
its substance in Ireneeus and
Tertullian ; we have record of it
in interrogative form at Borne in
the 3rd century; in the 4th
century it is found, almost iden-
tical with its present form, in
Buftnus and St. Augustine ;
gradually it emerges in written
form and with commentaries
upon it, till it appears in its pre-
sent completeness in the 8th
century, and from that time
onward never varies. "We see,
therefore, that it grew up freely,
and with local variations, out of
the Baptismal Confession: hav-
ing in itself no polemical pur-
pose, and no anathema appended
to it ; but intended only to bring
out with clearness, simplicity,
and due proportion, the essential
rudiments of the Christian faith.
Embodying, as its name implies,
the essence of the Apostolic
teaching, it is now to Holy Scrip-
m
ture what a grammar is to a
literature, although it must have
grown up in substance before
the New Testament was com-
plete. Of such Creeds we have
embryo formations in Scripture
itself (see 1 Cor. xv. 3—8; Phil,
ii. 6-8 ; Heb. vi. 1, 2 ; 1 Tim. iii.
16) ; in which doctrine (so to
speak) crystallizes into formal
definite shape. They are a prac-
tical necessity and an unmixed
blessing to the Church.
Substance.— This Creed is the
one accepted by our Church in
Baptism, taught in the Cate-
chism, used daily in the Services,
and made (see Visitation of the
Sick) the test of Christian faith
in the dying ; as containing the
absolute essentials of true Chris-
tianity. Its first paragraph is
simply the assertion of Religion
as such— the belief in a Living
God, Creator of the UniverM,
but Father of man. The secoPl
sets forth, from the Gospel, the
Nature of the Lord Jesus Christ,
as " the only Son " of God, and
the various acts of His Manifes-
tation— His Incarnation, His
Passion, His Resurrection and
Ascension, in the past; His sit-
ting at the right hand of God in
the present ; His Coming to Judg-
ment in the future — without theo-
logical comment or deduction.
The third is the belief (expressed
in the simplest terms) in the
Holy Ghost. These three ele-
ments of the Faith (as is shewn
by the summary given in the
Catechism) are indispensable to
the reality of the Christian life.
The fourth— naturally arising
out of the belief in the Holy
Ghost— declares the existence of
the Church into which we are
baptized— " Holy " because cen-
tred in God— f' Catholic " be-
cause the home of all humanity
—with its four great privileges-
Unity, Forgiveness of Sin, cer-
tainty of Resurrection, and the
indwelling " Eternal life." It
may be noted that on the first
three the great mass of Chris-
tians are absolutely at one. Di-
vision, where it exists, turns
mainly on the interpretation
(rather than the acceptance) of
the last subsidiary article.
Variations. — In different
formB of the Creed the chief
EVENING PRAYER.
magnified me : and holy is his
Name.
And his mercy is on them that
fear him : throughout all genera-
tions.
He hath shewed strength with
his arm : he hath scattered the
proud in the imagination of their
hearts.
He hath put down the mighty
from their seat : and hath exalted
the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with
good things : and the rich he hath
sent empty away*.
He remembering his mercy hath
holpen his servant Israel : as he
promised to our forefathers, Abra-
ham and his seed, for ever.
Glory be to the Father, <be.
As it was in the beginning, <kc.
% Or else this Psalm ; except it be on
the Nineteenth Day of the Month,
when it is read m the ordinary
Course of the Psalms.
Cantate Domino. Psalm xcviii.
OSING unto the Lord a new
song : for he hath done mar-
vellous things.
With his own right hand, and
with his holy arm : hath he gotten
himself the victory.
The Lord declared his salva-
tion : his righteousness hath he
openly shewed in the sight of the
heathen.
He hath remembered his mercy
and truth toward the house of
Israel : and all the ends of the
world have seen the salvation of
our God.
Shew yourselves joyful unto the
Lord, all ye lands : sing, rejoice,
and give thanks.
Praise the Lord upon the harp :
sing to the harp with a psalm of
thanksgiving.
With trumpets also and
shawms : O shew yourselves joy-
ful before the Lord the King.
Let the sea make a noise, and
all tbat therein is : the round
world, and they that dwell therein.
Let the floods clap their hands,
and let the hills be joyful toge-
ther before the Lord : for he com-
eth to judge the earth.
With righteousness shall he
judge the world : and the people
with equity.
Glory be to the Father, dee.
As it was in the beginning, dec.
% Then a Lesson of the New Testa-
tnent, as it is appointed. And after
that. Nunc dimittis (or the. Song of
Symeon) in English, asfolloivetn.
Nunc dimittis. St. Luke ii. 29.
LORD, now lettcst thou thy
servant depart in peace : ac-
cording to thy word.
For mine eyes have seen : thy
salvation,
Which thou hast prepared : be-
fore the face of all people ;
To be a light to lighten the
Gentiles : and to be the glory of
thy people Israel.
Glory be to the Father, dec.
As it was in the beginning, dee.
% Or else this Psalm ; except it be on
the Twelfth Dap of the Month.
Deus miacreatur. Psalm lxvii.
GOD be merciful unto us, and
bless us : and shew us the
light of his countenance, and be
merciful unto us :
That thy way may be known
upon earth : thy saving health
among all nations.
Let the people praise thee, O
God : yea, let all the people praise
thee.
O let the nations rejoice and be
glad : for thou shalt judge the folk
righteously, and govern the na-
tions upon earth.
Let the people praise thee, 0
God : yea, let all the people praise
thee.
Then shall the earth bring forth
40
variations consist in the frequent
absence (a) of the Article " He
descended into Hell (Hades)"—
never found in any Eastern
Creed— not, probably, because it
was held doubtful Scripturally,
or because it does not belong to
the conception of Our Lord'B
perfect humanity, but because
it 1b not of the same cardinal
importance as the rest : (b) of
"the Communion of Saints,"
wrongly supposed to be merely
a synonym of the " Holy Catho-
lic Church"; (c) of the "Life
Eternal," supposed to be im-
plied in "the Resurrection of
the Body."
It may be noted that in the
American Prayer • Book the
clause "He descended into
Hell" was bracketed, and the
use of it made optional ; but in
the revised Prayer-Book of 1892
this provision is removed, and
either the clause itself, or its
paraphrase, " He went to the
place of departed spirits," is to
be used.
Hote.— At the recitation of the
Creed two customs prevail gene-
rally in the Church,—
(a) The custom of bowing at
the name of Jxsus; which be-
longs, however, not to this occa-
sion only, although in practice
it has natutally attached itself
to it with especial solemnity. It
is ordered in the xviiith Canon
of 1604 (repeating a direction of
the Injunctions of Elizabeth)
that, "when in time of Divine
Service the Name of the Lord
Jesus shall be mentioned, due
and lowly reverence shall be
done . . in due acknowledgment
that the Lord Jesus Christ, the
true and eternal Son of Ood, is
the only Saviour of the world."
There is an evident allusion in
this reverent custom to Phil. ii.
9—11, where St. Paul marks out
" the Name which is above every
name" as that "at which" (or
rather " in which ") " every knee
shall bow " ; and this moreover
in direct connection with the ex-
altation of Our Lord's humanity,
after His two-fold humiliation
for us in the Incarnation and the
Passion.
(ft) The custom less universal,
but now increasingly observed,
of turning to the East. This
also is a survival of a general
custom of worship towards the
East— as the region of light, and
as accordingly symbolizing to us
the rising of Christ as the " Sun
of Righteousness" and "Day-
spring from on high"— which is
at least as old as Tertullian, in
the 2nd century. In the recita-
tion of the Creed, as the Sj/m-
bolitm or watchword of the
Christian warfare, there is a
special appropriateness in the
marshalling of all, as one army
of Christ, towards the East.
But the custom, as peculiarly
attaching to the Creed, may
perhaps be traced to the use of
the Creed in the ancient Bap-
tismal Service, in which the Re-
nunciation of Satan was recited
towards the West, as the region
of darkness, and it was then the
practice to turn for the recitation
of the Creed to the East, as the
region of light. This custom
has, however, no Canonical au-
thority in our Church.
With this Creed compare and
contrast the Nicene and Atha-
k asian Creeds ; as agreeing with
it in substance and differing in
history and in character.
The two Evening Collects (like
the Morning Collects) are to be
used continually, because they
ask for that which we continu-
ally need. They are not unlike
the others in idea: but the
Morning Collects breathe the
spirit of freshness and activity,
these of quiet restfulness and
calm.
The Collect fob Peace, like
the corresponding Collect of the
Morning Service, is found in the
Sacramentary of Gelasius, and
was used in the Litany of the
Sarum Breviary. The general
idea is the same, but it empha-
sizes more strongly the blessing
of peace, and it has still greater
beauty and fulness of meaning.
The preamble traces the course
of the spiritual experience of
God' 8 grace, first to kindle holy
desires, then to shape them into
" counsels," i.e. deliberate reso-
lutions of good ; and finally to
bring them to the fruit of "just
works " (see Collects for Easter-
Day, 5th Sunday after Easter,
EVENING PRAYEK.
her increase : and God, even our
own God, shall give us his blessing.
God shall bless us : and all the
ends of the world shall fear him.
Glory be to the Father, <Scc.
As it was in the beginning, &c.
1 Then shall be said or sung the Apos-
tles' Creed by the Minister and the
people, standing.
I BELIEVE in God the Father
Almighty, Maker of heaven
and earth :
And in Jesus Christ his only Son
our Lord, Who was conceived by
the Holy Ghost, Born of the Vir-
gin Mary, Suffered under Pontius
Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and
buried, He descended into hell ;
The third day he rose again from
the dead, He ascended into hea-
ven, And sittethon the right hand
of God the Father Almighty ;
From thence he shall come to
judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost;
The holy Catholick Church ; The
Communion of Saints ; The For-
giveness of sins ; The Resurrection
of the body, And the life everlast-
ing. Amen.
% And after that, these Prayers fol-
lowing, all devoutly kneeling ; the
Minister first pronouncing with a
laud voice,
The Lord be with you.
Answer. And with thy spirit.
Minister. Let us pray.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, liave mercy upon 11s
Lord, have mercy upon us.
% Then the Minister, Clerks, and peo-
ple, shall say the Lord's Prayer with
a loud voice.
/\UB. Father, which art in hea-
vy ven, Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be
done, in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, As
we forgive them that trespass
against us. And lead us not into
temptation ; But deliver us from
evil. Amen.
% Then the Priest standing up shall
say,
O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us;
Answer. And grant us thy
salvation.
Priest. 0 Lord, save the King.
Answer. And mercifully hear
us when we call upon thee.
Priest. Endue thy Ministers
with righteousness.
Answer. And make thy chosen
people joyful.
Priest. O Lord, save thy people.
Answer. And bless thine inhe-
ritance.
Priest. Give peace in our time,
O Lord.
Answer. Because there is none
other that fighteth for us, but
only thou, O God.
Priest. 0 God, make clean our
hearts within us.
Answer. And take not thy holy
Spirit from us.
f Then shall follow three Collects;
the first of the Day ; tfie second for
Peace; the third for Aid against all
Perils, as hereafter followeth: which
two last Collects shall be daily said
at Rnening Prayer without altera-
tion.
The second Collect at Evening
Prayer.
OGOD, from whom all holy de-
sires, all good counsels, and
all just works do proceed ; Give
unto thy servants that peace which
the world cannot give ; that both
our hearts may be set to obey thy
commandments, and also that by
thee we being defended from the
fear of our enemies may pass
our time in rest and quietness ;
through the merits of Jesus Christ
our Saviour. Amen.
The third Collect, for Aid against
all Perils.
LIGHTEN our darkness, we
beseech thee, 0 Lord ; and by
47
&c). The prayer itself asks for
the two essential elements of the
" peace which the world cannot
Kive," first, from within, a heart
in harmony with the law of our
heing, because set to obey God's
commandments, and, next, a con-
sciousness of God's guardianship
against all evil from without.
The Collect for Aid against
all Perils comes originally
from the same source, and was
used in the Sarum Breviary for
the later Service of Compline,
as indeed its language clearly
shews. It is the last prayer of
one who lies down to rest ; that
God will be to his own soul
within a light in the darkness,
and from without a salvation
against all dangers which may
beset the helplessness of the
sleeper.
THE ATHANASIAN CREED.
It should be noted that the
Prayer Book here lays down
nothing as to the authorship or
origin of the Creed. Till 1682 it
was simply called a " Confession
of Christian Faith," the words
then added only designate it as
" commonly called the Creed of
St. Athanasius."
(A) Use of the Creed.— In
the Sarum Breviary this Creed
was appointed for the Service of
Prime; there sung as a Psalm
in connection with the other
Psalms of the Service ; used, of
course, in Latin, and in a Ser-
vice which was hardly a Service
for the people. At the Reforma-
tion it was determined not only
to accept it (as in Art. viii.) in
its original purpose, as a Rule of
Faith ; but to take a new step
by bringing it before the people
in public, although but occasion-
al, use — evidently with a view of
asserting Catholicity of doctrine,
and of providing a " bulwark of
the faith " in days of much rash
speculation. Till 1662 it was di-
rected to be " sung after Bentdic-
tu$," without (apparently) any
displacement of the Apostles'
Creed from its usual place. This
use accords well with its original
character as an Exposition of
the Faith, which might naturally
be followed by a recitation of
the Creed. In 1549 it was used
only on six great Festivals ; in
1552 the other days were added,
with the effect of bringing the
number of recitations to thir-
teen in the year, and arranging
them so as to occur about once
a month. While, therefore, the
Church of England does not
make the acceptance of the Creed
a condition of membership or of
communion, she uses it as an
authoritative Confession of
Faith, which all her members are
bound to study and understand.
(B) Translation. — In the
translation some imperfections
may be noticed, (a) In t;. 1 and
in v. 42 "be saved " {aalvu» etse)
is properly " be in the way of
salvation," referring to the pre-
sent, not to the future. (6) In
v. 25 we should read. " In this
Trinity nothing is," &c, that is,
"there is no such thing as be-
fore or after, greater or less."
(c) V. 28 should run, " He there-
fore that will be in the way of
salvation, let him thus think of
the Trinity." (d) In v. 29, instead
of "believe rightly," we should
read " believe faithfully." (e) In
v. 42 to the word "faithfully"
" and firmly " should be added.
All the variations (except the
last, which appears to be acci-
dental) tend to emphasize, even
more strongly than in the origi-
nal, the importance of a clear
conviction of absolute truth.
(C) Authorship and His-
tort.— The authorship of this
Confession, and some points of
its history, are still uncertain.
But the main points of practical
importance are, on the whole,
sufficiently ascertained.
1. It is not in any proper sense
M Athanasian." The Latin text
is clearly the original, from
which there are several Greek
translations ; and the Creed is
certainly of Western origin,
bearing distinct traces of the
influence of the writings of St.
Augustine, especially the Be Tri-
vitate. It was probably called
the Fidei Athanaxii, in opposition
EVENING PRAYER.
thy great mercy defend us from
all perils and dangers of this night;
for the love of thy only Son, our
Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
% In Quires and Places where they
sing, herefolloweth the Anthem.
bring them to thine everlasting
kingdom; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer for the Clergy and
veople.
A Prayer for the King's Majesty.
0
ALMIGHTY and everlasting
-God, who alone workest great
high and mighty, King of m.^els; Send down upon our
kings, Lord of lords, the only Bishops and Curates and all
Rule; of princes, who dost from Congregations committed to their
chy throne behold all the dwellers j charge, the healthful Spirit of thy
apon earth ; Most heartily we be- I grace ; and that they may truly
seech thee with thy favour to be-
hold our most gracious Sovereign
Lord, King GEORGE; and so
replenish bimwith the grace of thy
Holy Spirit, that he may alway
incline to thy will, and walk in
chy way : Endue him plenteously
with heavenly gifts ; grant him in
health and wealth long to live ;
strengthen him that he may van-
quish and overcome all his ene-
mies ; and finally, after this life,
he may attain everlasting joy and
felicity ; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. A men.
A Prayer for the Royal Family.
ALMIGHTY God, the fountain
of all goodness, we humbly
beseech thee to bless our gra-
cious Queen Mary, Edward
Prince of Wales, and all the
Royal Family : Endue them with
thy Holy Spirit; enrich them
with thy heavenly grace ; pros-
per them with all happiness ; and
please thee, pour upon them the
continual dew of thy blessing.
Grant this, 0 Lord, for the ho-
nour of our Advocate and Medi-
ator, Jesus Christ. Amen.
A Prayer of St. Chrysostom.
ALMIGHTY God, who hast giv-
- en us grace at this time with
one accord to make our common
supplications unto thee; and dost
promise, that when two or three
are gathered together in thy Name
thou wilt grant their requests:
Fulfill now, 0 Lord, the desires
and petitions of thy servants, as
may be most expedient for them;
granting us in this world know-
ledge of thy truth, and in the
world to come life everlasting.
I Amen.
2 Cor. xiii.
THE grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and the love of God, and
the fellowship of the Holy Ghost,
be with us all evermore. Amen.
Here endeth the Order of Evening Prayer throughout the Year.
AT MOENING PRAYER.
H Upon these Feasts ; Christmas-day. the Epiphany, Saint Matthias, Easter-
day, Ascension-day, Whitsunday, Saint John Baptist, Saint James, Saint
Bartholomew, Saint Matthew, Saint Simon and Saint Jude. Saint Andrew,
and upon Trinity-Sunday, shall be sung or said at Morning Prayer, instead
of the Apostles' Creed, this Confession of our Christian Faith, commonly
called The Creed of Saint Athanasius, by the Minister and people standing.
Quicunque vult. i sary that he hold the Catholick
WHOSOEVER will be saved : Faith,
before all things it is neces- | Which Faith except every on©
4S
to the Fide* Arii, against which
it was especially directed. But
out of the name arose the old
tradition, which has no histori-
cal foundation, that it was pre-
sented to the Roman Church by
St. Athanasius, when he took
refuge there from proscription
and persecution in the East.
2. It is not strictly a Creed
{Symbolum), as is clear by its
expository form, its fulness Of
theological explanation, and its
admonitory clauses ; but rather
a "Rule of Faith," — an Expo-
sition and Defence of the Catho-
lic Creed of Christendom. The
name {Symbohim) is not applied
to it till the 12th century. Pre-
viously it is called Fides, Sermo,
Expotitio, and known most com-
monly as the Psalm Quicunque
Vult.
8. It probably originated in
Spain or Gaul, towards the close
of the long conflict against the
deep-rooted Arianism of the
Gothic races. The remarkable
Canon of the Council of Chalce-
don, a.d. 451, as to the Nature
of Our Lord, seems to have been
the model of its second part. In
the Canons of three Councils of
Toledo (a.d. 5?9, 683, and 688)
its substance (with variations) is
found ; and in a Council at
Autnn, supposed to be the
Council held in a.d 670, it is
directed that all Clerics " shall
learn the Apostles' Creed {Sym-
bolum) and the Fides sancti
Episcopi Athanasii." In docu-
ments put forth by authority in
connection with the Council of
Trieste (a.d. 791) and the great
Council of Frankfort (a.d. 794),
we find Expositions of the faith,
coinciding with it in parts, but
not quoting it as a whole. It
was not adopted in the Roman
Service till 930. It was never
formally authorized by any
General Council, or received by
the Eastern Church; but from
the year 800 onwards, it won its
way into regular and general use
in the Western Church.
4. The question of the date of
its composition is still unde-
termined. It depends partly
on external evidence— the date
of Psalters (e.g. the Utrecht
Psalter) containing it, and the
genm'nfiness of the Commentary
of Venantius Fortunatus (about
a.d. 570) upon it; partly on
internal evidence, such as a
consideration of the heresies
contemplated by it, especially
the Eutychian, condemned at
Chalcedon in 451 ; of the inser-
tion of the et Filio ("and from
the Son") in v. 28, which is not
known authoritatively till the
6th century ; and of the various
Expositions of the Faith simi-
lar but not identical with it,
put forth in the 6th, 7th, and
8th centuries. It is certain that
from the 9th century onwards
it has been used authoritatively
and universally in the Western
Church.
5. The question of its author-
ship is still more uncertain.
There is no external evidence.
Conjecture has referred it to
various authors, from Hilary of
Arte*, in the 5th century, to
Paulinus, or some other theo-
logian in the days of Charle-
magne, in the 9th.
6. Looking at all the circum-
stances of the case, it seems at
least doubtful whether it can be
referred, as.it now stands, to any
one date or any single author-
ship. It is not improbable that
it was gradually elaborated to
its present completeness out of
older materials, and gradually
accepted as an authoritative
Exposition of the Faith.
(D) Practical Concldsioks.
— Both these points (4 and 5),
however, which are thus unde-
cided, are of high critical inter-
est, rather than of practical
importance. The Creed has at
any rate a prescription in its
favour of the use of 1000 years in
the Western Church generally,
and of use in the vernacular in
the Church of England for more
than 300 years. It is well to dis-
tinguish between its authority,
as a Rule of Faith, which was
its original purpose, and its fit-
ness for the public use in the
Service, which has now been
added to that purpose. The
former obviously depends sim-
ply on its accordance with Scrip-
tural truth. The latter on its
intelligibility to the people, and
its power of edification. The
Irish Prayer Book draws this
distinction : for, in disusing the
AT MORNING PRAYER.
do keep whole and undented :
without doubt he shall perish
everlastingly.
And the Catholick Faith is
this : That we worship one God
in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity ;
Neither confounding the Per-
sons : nor dividing the Substance.
For there is one Person of the
Father, another of the Son : and
another of the Holy Ghost.
But the Godhead of the Father,
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,
is all one : the Glory equal, the
Majesty co-eternal.
Such as the Father is, such is
the Son : and such is the Holy
Ghost.
The Father uncreate, the Son
uncreate : and the Holy Ghost
uncreate.
The Father incomprehensible,
the Son incomprehensible : and
the Holy Ghost incomprehensible.
The Father eternal, the Son
eternal : and the Holy Ghost
eternal.
And yet they are not three
eternals : but one eternal.
As also there are not three in-
comprehensimes, nor three un-
created : but one uncreated, and
one incomprehensible.
So likewise the Father is Al-
mighty, the Son Almighty : and
the Holy Ghost Almighty.
And yet they are not three
Almighties : but one Almighty.
So the Father is God, the Son is
God : and the Holy Ghost is God.
And yet they are not three
Gods : but one God.
So likewise the Father is Lord,
the Son Lord : and the Holy
Ghost Lord.
And yet not three Lords : but
one Lord.
For like as we are compelled
by the Christian verity : to ac-
knowledge every Person by him-
self to be God and Lord ;
So are we forbidden by the Ca-
tholick Religion : to say, There
be three Gods, or three Lords.
The Father is made of none :
neither created, nor begotten.
The Son is of the Father alone :
not made, nor created, but be-
gotten.
The Holy Ghost is of the Fa-
ther and of the Son : neither
made, nor created, nor begotten,
but proceeding.
So there is one Father, not
three Fathers ; one Son, not three
Sons : one Holy Ghost, not three
Holy Ghosts.
And in this Trinity none is
afore, or after other : none is
greater, or less than another ;
But the whole three Persons are
co-eternal together : and co-equal.
So that in all things, as is afore-
said : the Unity in Trinity, and
the Trinity in Unity is to be wor-
shipped.
He therefore that will be saved :
must thus think of the Trinity
Furthermore, it is necessary to
everlasting salvation : that he also
believe rightly the Incarnation of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
For the right Faith is, that we
believe and confess : that our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is
God and Man ;
God, of the Substance of the Fa-
ther, begotten before the worlds :
and Man, of the Substance of his
Mother, born in the world ;
Perfect God, and perfect Man :
of a reasonable soul and human
flesh subsisting ;
Equal to the Father, as touch-
ing his Godhead : and inferior to
the Father, as touching his Man-
hood.
Who although he be God and
40
public recitation of the Creed,
it adds "this Church has not
withdrawn its witness, as ex-
pressed in the Articles of Reli-
gion and here renewed, to the
truth therein contained."
It seems clear that, since the
Church of England has taken
the bold and exceptional course
of requiring, not only (as in the
old Canons) that it should be
studied by the clergy, but that
it should be heard and repeated
by the people, it is incumbent
on her members to study, and on
her ministers to teach, its true
meaning.
(E) Substance of the Creed.
—In considering the substance
of the Creed, it is convenient
to distinguish the exposition of
the Catholic Faith itself from
the clauses called by some the
"damnatory," by others the
"monitory" clauses, by which
it is guarded.
As an Exposition or Faith
it stands out unique, in com-
parison with other Creeds, as
containing (a) an explicit de-
claration of the doctrine of the
Trinity in Unity, which in
earlier Creeds, as in Holy Scrip-
ture, is taught implicitly— by
dwelling successively on the
true Deity of the Three Divine
Persons, and taking for granted
the unity of the Godhead; (6)
an exposition of the relation to
each other of the two Natures
of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which,
again, earlier Creeds are content
simply to assert as coexistent
in His Person.
In both respects, although it
deals with profound mystery, any
careful study will shew that its
exposition is eminently clear
and masterly, and based at every
point on most certain war-
ranty of Holy Scripture."
This will be best seen by an
analysis of the Creed itself.
(I.) The exposition of the doc-
trineofthe Holy Trinity (vs. 8-28).
1. The statement of the essential
doctrine as a whole (vs. 3-6) ; de-
fining it as a recognition of
Unity in Trinity and Trinity in
Unity, with distinction of Per-
sons, but unity of Substance, i.e.
of essence or Godhead— " the
Glory equal, the Majesty coeter-
nal." The statement is evident-
ly as short, simple, and clear as
the subject can permit.
2. The illustration of this state-
ment (vs. 7-28), which might
easily be expanded or contract-
ed, and might even be omitted,
without impairing the doctrine
of the Creed, though with great
loss of force and clearness. It
takes up successively the Attri-
butes of Godhead — uncreated
Being (v. 8), Infinity (v. 9), (for
this expresses the true sense of
the word Immensus, translated
" Incomprehensible "), Eternity
(v. 10), Omnipotence (v. 18),
Deity (v. 15), Lordship (v. 17)—
ascribes all to the Three Divine
Persons ; and then reiterates
with a magnificent emphasis,
" Not Three, but One."
8. The statement of the distinc-
tion of each of the Three Persons
(vs. 20-24). This is prefaced by a
declaration (obviously true and
instructive) that this distinction
is forced upon us by a contem-
plation of the "Christian Verity,"
that is, of the Manifestation of
the Incarnate Godhead in Jesus
Christ, whereas the unity of the
Godhead is a part of the " Cath-
olic Religion " as such. It then
proceeds to speak of all the
Three Persons as " neither made
nor created " ; but, keeping
strictly to the language of Holy
Scripture, withoutj^presuming to
explain or develope it, desig-
nates the Son as "begotten of
the Father" (John i. 14), and
the Holy Ghost as proceeding
from the Father (John xv. 26).
(On the addition to the latter
statement of the words "and
the Son," see notes on the
Nicene Creed. ) Lastly, it depre-
cates the application of terms
"greater" or "less," "before"
or " after," which belong to
finite being, to the Divine Per-
sonality ; and sums up all by
returning to the original state-
ment, "the Unity in Trinity
and Trinity in Unity is to be
worshipped."
It is clear that, like the Nicene
Creed, it protests against the
two opposite attempts to explain
the mystery, which are repre-
sented mainly by Sabellianism
'"confounding the Persons"),
and Arianism ("dividing the
Substance"). But indepen-
dently of all polemic intention,
it obviously contains an emi-
nently explicit and Scriptural
exposition of what is meant by
the doctrine of the Trinity,
which at any rate ought not to
be (as it often is) charged with
intricacy or obscurity.
(II.) The exposition of the Two
Natures of Jesus Christ ("the
Christian Verity "), (vs. 29-37).
(a) The declaration of the co-
existence in Him of the Two Na-
tures—perfect Godhead anterior
to all created being (on which
see Phil. ii. 6; Col. i. 15-17 & ii.
9; Heb. i. 2, 3; John i. 1-14),
con substantial with the Father ;
and Perfect Manhood, both in
human body and human soul,
necessarily and infinitely infe-
rior to Godhead.
(6) The declaration of the per-
fect union in His Person of these
Two Natures, neither absorbing
or destroying the other— a union
compared to that which exists
in life between the bodily and
spiritual natures of each indivi-
dual man. All is summed up in
the simple faith, " God and man
is one Christ."
This section, again, clearly re-
jects the various attempts to ex-
plain the mystery of His Person
'represented by Apollinarianism,
Nestorianism, Eutychianism),
which followed the close of the
great Arian struggle ; but in it-
self is only an explicit drawing
out of what is contained impli-
citly in the whole doctrinal teach-
ing of the New Testament.
(III.) The recital of the various
Manifestations of Christ {vs. 88-
41), in which it follows the usual
line of the early Creeds, dwelling
on the Passion, the Descent into
Hades, the Resurrection, the
Ascension, and the Future Judg-
ment. But it alone adds expli-
citly the doom of the "eternal
fire" (see Matt. xxv. 41), which
in other Creeds is implied in the
reference to the Judgment, as
declared in Holy Scripture.
The Creed in itself, if duly
taught and explained, is not be-
yond the understanding of in-
telligent Christians, and its pub-
lie use has probably been of great
value for defence of the true
faith.
(F) The Minatory Clauses.
—To the Creed are appended
Clauses {vs. 1, 2, 28, 29, 42),
wrongly called the Anathema;
for this (as, for example, in the
old form of the Nicene Creed) is
a judicial pronouncement of ex-
communication on those who
will not accept the substance of
the Creed. They are not rightly
named " damnatory " ; for they
are properly clauses of solemn
warning or threatening ("moni-
tory" or "minatory" clauses),
as to the infinite spiritual im-
portance of a grasp of the Truth
of God. It is on these, rather
than on the Creed itself, that
serious difficulty has been felt.
They may be divided into—
(a) Positive declarations
(vs. 1, 28, 29), that, in order to be
in the way of salvation, which
Christ has opened to us, a man
should hold firmly the Catholic
Faith, on the Trinity and on the
Truth of the Incarnation— not,
of course, necessarily in scienti-
fic abstract knowledge, but in
substantial acceptance of faith.
This is a solemn protest, which
the words of Holy Scripture
abundantly justify, against the
shallow notion, contradicted by
all analogy of Nature and Hu-
manity, that for a man's spirit-
ual wellbeing it is a thing in-
different whether his belief be
true or false, provided that it is
sincere ; and it can hardly pre-
sent real difficulty to any thought-
ful student of God's Word and
His works.
(6) Negative declarations,
which appear to go beyond this,
by anticipating on false beliefs,
however sincere, the final judg-
ment of condemnation. Such
are v. 2, " without doubt he shall
perish everlastingly " (in ceter-
num), and v. 42, " he cannot be
saved" (i.e., "be in the way of
salvation "). It may be noted
that' in one MS. v. 2 is omitted,
and that in another v. 42 runs
thus : " This is the true and
Catholic Faith, which every man,
who desires to come to eternal
life, ought to know throughly
and guard faithfully." It was
proposed in 1689 to append a
Rubric to the effect that the
condemning clauses are to be
understood as relating only to
those who obstinately deny the
substance of the Catholic Faith.
This was not done. But in )»79
a formal declaration was put
forth by the Convocation of Can-
terbury—after full discussion of
many proposals for meeting the
difficulty — which, although it
wants the adhesion of the Convo-
cation of York for full authority,
yet conveys substantially the
sense in which these clauses are
maintained by the Church of
England.
" For the removal of doubts,
and to prevent disquietude in
the use of the Creed, commonly
called the Creed of St. A than a-
siuB, it is hereby solemnly de-
clared—
"1. That the Confession of
our Christian Faith, commonly
called the Creed of St. Atliana-
sius, doth not make any addition
to the faith as contained in Holy
Scripture, but wameth against
errors, which from time to time
have arisen in the Church of
Christ.
"2. That, as Holy Scripture in
divers places doth promise life
to them that believe, and declnre
the condemnation of them that
believe not, so doth the Church
in this Confession declare the
necessity for all who would be in
a state of salvation of holding
fast the Catholic Faith, and the
great peril of rejecting the same.
Wherefore the warnings in this
Confession of Faith are to be
understood no otherwise than
the like warnings of Holy Scrip-
ture ; for we must receive God's
threatenings, even as His pro-
mises, in such wise as they are
generally set forth in Holy Writ.
Moreover, the Church doth not
herein pronounce judgment on any
particular per$on or perron*, Ood
alone being the Judge of all."
The purpose of this Declara-
tion is evidently to assert the
infinite importance of Christian
truth, and the spiritual loss at-
taching to error, and yet to re-
fuse to pronounce that judgment
on individuals, which belongs to
God alone.
INTRODUCTION TO THE LITANY.
History.— The origin of the Litany (like its name, Xiraveia, a ser-
vice of supplication) is Greek. The Latin equivalent is Rogatio. In
the East accordingly we find that it is in early times applied to
various solemn Services of Prayer. In the Apostolic Constitu-
tions (not later than the 4th century), there is a responsive form of
Intercessory Prayer, with the reiteration of the Kyrie Eleeson at
every clause. In the vanou* ancient Liturgies, what are substan-
tially Litanies of deprecation, obsecration, and intercession, are
found as integral parts of the Service. But the name, originally
general in sense, came to be technically applied in the 4th century
to a Form of Supplication in times of special need, usually sung in
procession, with hymns and frequent responses, and with Collects at
the various halting places.
But, although in the Greek Service responsive forms of Intercessory
Prayer are still preserved, the development of the Litany is chiefly
Western. In the Western Church, although it probably grew up
naturally, somewhat later than in the East, its systematic use is
ordinarily traced to two sources— its institution for the three Roga-
tion Days by Mamertus, Bishop of Vienne (a.d. 467), on occasion of
fearful earthquakes, and in view of the many political and social
dangers of that troubled age, and its institution on occasion of
U9
pestilence by Gregory the Great (a.d. 590) for St. Mark's Day. Both
were adopted in England; the processional Service, with which
St. Augustine approached Canterbury, was a Rogation Day Litany,
and the St. Mark's Day Litany (the "Greater Litany") was for-
mally accepted by the Council of Clovesho in 717. In its original
purpose it was, therefore, a specially penitential Service, to be used
in times of calamity, and to be sung in solemn procession. This
latter custom, leading to abuse, was afterwards discontinued ; the
limitation to periods of special trouble was felt to be unnecessary ;
and so the Litany naturally came into not unfrequent use.
The old Litanies were generally of the same type as our own. A
Roman Litany of the 5th century contains the Kyrie Eleeson, a long
list of petitions for the prayers of the Saints, the Deprecations and
Intercessions (with the responses "Deliver us" and "We beseech
Thee to hear us"), the " O Lamb of God," &c. An English Litany
of the 9th or 10th century, written in Latin with an interlinear
Anglo-Saxon translation, approaches still more nearly to our present
form. In the mediaeval English Church, Litanies, written in Latin,
were used, not only on the Rogation Days, but on the week-days of
Lent. In the Primers, from the 14th century onwards, the Litany
in English is substantially identical with our own, even in many
details, except that it has a long series of Invocations of Saints.
Such Invocations are not found in the earliest forms, and, in striking
them out, we have returned to the primitive model.
The regular weekly use of the Litany dates from the 16th century.
In 1544 Cranmer, by desire of the king, with special reference to
" the miserable state of Christendom, plagued with cruel wars and
dissentions," drew up an authorized English Litany, from the old
Sarum and York Uses, with the help of Hermann's Conaultatio, but
with much free handling, both in arrangement and composition. It
retained three Invocations, "to St. Mary, Mother of God," "to
Angels and Archangels," " to all Saints in the blessed company of
Heaven" to "pray for us" ; and contained a prayer against "the
Bishop of Rome, and his detestable enormities." (The former were
struck out in 1549, the latter in 1559.) At first the Litany was a
separate Service— a " General Procession " (as it was called in the
royal letter accompanying it). In 1547 the Injunctions directed that
it be said " before High Mass " ; in 1549 it was ordered to be used on
Wednesdays and Fridays, before the Communion Service. In 1552
it was to follow Morning Prayer, and was ordered also for Sundays
(though not, of course, strictly appropriate to the festal character of
Sunday.), no doubt because otherwise it would not be heard by the
mass of the people ; and it was to be used " at other times, when it
shall be commanded by the Ordinary." In 1662 it was expressly
ordered to " be sung or said after Morning Prayer." The new Act
of Uniformity licenses its freer use, in the Morning or Evening, or
as a separate Service.
It should be, however, noticed that it is not complete in all the
elements of Divine Service, as it contains no reading of Scripture or
Creed, and hardly a trace of the element of Praise. Its mainly
penitential character should, moreover, be considered in any occa-
sional and separate use,
** I--5
In a Rubric of the Commination Service we find a reference to
" the place where they are accustomed to say the Litany " (distinct
from the " Reading Pew " and " Pulpit "), which various Injunctions
recognise as "in the midst of the Church." This clearly alludes to
the use of a " Faldstool or Desk," in that position, often referred to
as fulfilling the prophetic direction to the Priest to mourn and pray
to God "between the porch and the altar " (Joel ii. 17).
Substance.— The Litany divides itself naturally into two chief
parts, (a) the mors regular and systematic portion, from the begin-
ning to the Kijrie Eleeson preceding the Lord's Prayer, (&) a section
more broken and varied, from this point to the end. It is notable
that there is no direction given to determine by whom the former
part shall be "sung or said," while the latter part is expressly
assigned to "the Priest" and "the people." The ordinary analogy
of the Prayer-Book naturally suggests the usual custom, by which
this part also is sung or 6aid by the Priest, with response by the
Choir and Congregation ; and the alteration is supported by express
Rubric, where the Litany is used in the Ordination Service. But
from this custom there is occasional variation. The order " sung or
Baid," instead of "said or sung," indicates the original musical
character of the Litany.
(A) Part I.
This portion opens with a so-
lemn Invocation of the Holy
Trinity, emphasizing the God-
head of each Divine Person, and
finally addressing the " Holy,
Blessed, and Glorious Trinity,"
with earnest prayer for mercy
and salvation from sin. The rest
is addressed directly as Worship
to Our Lord Jesus Christ— in
this following the precedent of
our ancient Litanies and Hymns,
but differing from the general
tenour of Christian worship,
which, from the earliest times,
has mainly addressed God the
Father through the One Media-
tor, the Lord Jesus Christ
(1 Tim. ii. 5). Note that Our
Lord's universal command is
"to ask in His Name" (see
Matt, xviii. 19, 20; John xiv. 13, 14
& xv. 16 & xvi. 23, 24 ; and comp.
1 John iii. 23. 24) ; generally His
promise is " the Father will give
it you " (Matt, xviii. 19, 20 ; John
xv. 16 & xvi. 23, 24), but in one
case, " I will do it " (John xiv.
18, 14). With this the practice
of the Church seems exactly to
accord. Taken in connection
with the opening Invocation,
this part of the Litany may be
considered as our most solemn
Srayer for His Mediation— a
[ediation which, by its very
nature, implies His Godhead,
but which also brings out all the
points of His manifestation as
Man.
This portion of the Litany is
commonly divided into the De-
precations, Obsecrations, and
Petitions. In all these there is
a remarkable union of fervour
of supplication with a distinct
method of order and thought.
(a) Deprecations (Prayers
against all Evil).
(1) First there is an earnest
general prayer to be spared the
vengeance on " all our offences,
and the offences of our forefa-
thers " — which in effect, though
not in guilt (see Exod. xx. 5 ;
Ezek. xviii. 20), are visited upon
their children— emphasized by a
special pleading of our " redemp-
tion in His precious blood."
(2) Then follows, next, a prayer
for deliverance from "all evil
and mischief "—not in its pun-
ishment, but in itself; but es-
pecially from all spiritual evil-
sin, temptation of the devil,
God's wrath, and everlasting
damnation. (Comp. the ex-
planation in the Catechism of
SO
THE LITANY.
Man : yet he is not two, but one
Christ;
One ; not by conversion of the
Godhead into flesh : but by taking
of the Manhood into God ;
One altogether ; not by confu-
sion of Substance : but by unity
of Person.
For as the reasonable soul and
flesh is one man : so God and Man
is one Christ ;
Who suffered for our salvation :
descended into hell, rose again
the third day from the dead.
He ascended into heaven, he
sitteth on the right hand of the
Father, God Almighty : from
whence he shall come to judge
the quick and the dead.
At whose coming all men shall
rise again with their bodies : and
shall give account for their own
works.
And they that have done good
shall go into life everlasting : and
they that have done evil into ever-
lasting fire.
This is the Catholick Faith :
which except a man believe faith-
fully, he cannot be saved.
Glory be to the Father, &c
As it was in the beginning, dec.
THE LITANY.
5 Here followeth the LITANY, or General Supplication, to be sung or said
after Morning Prayer upon Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and at
other times when it shall be commanded by the Ordinary.
OGOD the Father of heaven :
have mercy upon us miser-
able sinners.
0 God the Father of heaven :
have mercy upon us miserable
sinners.
0 God the Son, Redeemer of
the world : have mercy upon us
miserable sinners.
O God the Son, Redeemer of the
world : have mercy upon us miser-
able sinners.
0 God the Holy Ghost, pro-
ceeding from the Father and the
Son : have mercy upon us miser-
able sinners.
0 God the Holy Ghost, proceed-
ing from the Father and the Son :
have mercy upon us miserable
sinners.
O holy, blessed, and glorious
Trinity, three Persons and one
God : have mercy upon us miser-
able sinners.
0 holy, blessed, and glorious
Trinity, three Persons and one
God : have mercy upon us miser-
able sinners.
Remember not, Lord, our of-
fences, nor the offences of our
forefathers; neither take thou
vengeance of our sins : spare
us, good Lord, spare thy people,
whom thou hast redeemed with
thy most precious blood, and be
not angry with us for ever.
Spare us, good Lord.
From all evil and mischief ; from
sin, from the crafts and assaults
of the devil ; from thy wrath, and
from everlasting damnation,
Good Lord, deliver us.
From all blindness of heart;
from pride, vain-glory, and hypo-
crisy; from envy, hatred, and
malice, and all uncharitableness,
Good Lord, deliver us.
From fornication, and all other
deadly sin ; and from all the de-
ceits of the world, the flesh, and
the devil,
Good. Lord, deliver us.
50
"Deliver us from evil"— "all
sin and wickedness, our ghostly
enemy, and everlasting death.")
(8) This is then drawn out into
special deprecations of different
forms of sin; sin against God,
"blindness of heart, pride,
vain-glory, and hypocrisy" (all
breaches of the Law of Faith) ;
sin against man—" envy, hatred,
malice, and all uncharitableness"
(all breaches of the Law of Love);
sin against self — " fornication
and all other deadly sin"
(breaches of the Law of Pu-
rity). All are summed up (with
obvious reference to the Bap-
tismal Vowj in petition against
" the deceits of the world, the
flesh, and the devil."
(The phrase "deadly sin" is
a survival of the old scholastic
division between "venial" and
"deadly sins"— a distinction
altogether delusive, if made be-
tween different kinds of sins.
For the essential sinfulness of
any particular sin clearly varies
in different men and at different
times, in relation to moral and
spiritual conditions, and even
to circumstances and degrees of
temptation. Moreover, by the
mercy of God, all sins are venial
if repented of ; all sins, if perse-
vered in to hardening of heart,
incapable of repentance, are
deadly.)
(4) After this, far less detailed
and fervent, comes prayer against
temporal evils, whether from
physical causes or from the sin
of man (as in "battle and mur-
der"), and against the "sudden
death" which they so often
bring ; which in itself is an evil
only Decause for it most of us are
apt to be unprepared.
(5) Lastly, prayer against the
evils which attach to society, as
such, and which seem to form a
olimax — poli tical, ecclesiastical,
spiritual. It is apparently im-
plied that " false doctrine," and
its two fruits, " heresy and
schism," are greater evils than
" sedition, conspiracy, and rebel-
lion," but less than the spiritual
deadness of "hardness of heart
and contempt of God^s Word and
commandment."
(6) Obsecrations.— These are
earnest supplications to Our
Lord as our Mediator, pleading
the redeeming virtue of all the
various acts of His manifestation
in our flesh, turning, in fact,
the Christian Creed into prayer.
But we note that, over and above
the great fundamental Articles
of that Creed— the Incarnation
and Nativity, the Cross and Pas-
sion and precious Death, the
Resurrection and Ascension, and
the Coming of the Holy Ghost—
a special stress is laid upon all
those things, which shew Our
Lord to have been made like us
and tempted as we are, though
without sin— His "Circumci-
sion," which marks His " obedi-
ence to the Law," His Baptism,
"fulfilling all righteousness,"
His " Fasting and Temptation,"
the solemn preparation through
trial for His Ministry, and the
"Agony and Bloody Sweat," the
struggle of His human will for
submission to the Passion. The
idea is exactly that of Heb. iv.
14-16. It has been noted that
the Intercession is here omitted,
and it was proposed in 1689 to
supply it. Probably it is consi-
dered taken for granted through-
out the Litany.
The whole of this section is
closed by an application — sub-
lime in its solemn simplicity —
both of Deprecations and Obse-
crations, to all the vicissitudes
of life, in "tribulation" and in
"wealth" (prosperity), to the
Btruggle of the last hour (comp.
the Prayer in the Burial Service,
" Thou knowest, O Lord," &c),
and to the Day of Judgment.
(c) Petitions (chiefly inter-
cessory).—(1) The first series
(strictly intercessory) is for va-
rious conditions of men. It fol-
lows the line of the Collects
after the Anthem— in prayer for
the Holy Catholic Church; for
the spiritual blessing and the
godliness of the Sovereign, and
for God's protection of him j for
the Royal Family ; for the know-
ledge, faithful Ministry and god-
ly life of the Clergy ; for the
Council and Nobility (as the
hereditary counsellors of the
Crown) ; for the Magistrates ;
for all "God's people" (perhaps.
61
THE LITANY.
From lightning and tempest ;
from plague, pestilence, and fa-
mine; from battle and murder,
and from sudden death,
Good Lord, deliver us.
From all sedition, privy con-
spiracy, and rebellion; from all
false doctrine, heresy, and scbism ;
from hardness of heart, and con-
tempt of thy Word and Com-
mandment,
Good Lord, deliver us.
By the mystery of thy holy In-
carnation ; by thy holy Nativity
and Circumcision ; by thy Bap-
tism, Fasting, and Temptation,
Good Lord, deliver us.
By thine Agony and bloody
Sweat ; by thy Cross and Passion ;
by thy precious Death and Burial ;
by thy glorious Resurrection and
Ascension ; and by the coming of
the Holy Ghost,
Good Lord, deliver us.
In all time of our tribulation ;
in all time of our wealth ; in the
hour of death, and in the day of
judgment,
Good Lord, deliver us.
We sinners do beseech thee to
hear us, 0 Lord God ; and that
it may please thee to rule and
govern thy holy Church universal
in tiie right way ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good
Lord.
That it may please thee to keep
and strengthen in the true wor-
shipping of thee, in righteousness
and holiness of life, thy Servant
GEORGE, our most gracious
King and Governour ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good
Lord.
That it may please thee to rule
his heart in thy faith, fear, and
love, and that he may evermore
have affiance in thee, and ever
seek thy honour and glorv :
We beseech thee to hear us, gooa
Lord.
That it may please thee to be
his defender and keeper, giving
him the victory over all his ene-
mies ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good
Lord.
That it may please thee to
bless and preserve our gracious
Queen Mary, Edward Prince
of Wales, and all the Royal
Family ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good
Lord.
That it may please thee to illu-
minate all Bishops, Priests, and
Deacons, with true knowledge and
understanding of thy Word ; and
that botli by their preaching
and living they may set it forth,
and shew it accordingly ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good
I Lord.
I That it may please thee to en-
due the Lords of the Council, and
| all the Nobility, with grace, wis-
j dom, and understanding ;
We beseech thze to hear us, good
Lord.
J That it may please thee to bless
and keep the Magistrates, giving
them grace to execute justice, and
to maintain truth ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good
Lord.
That it may please thee to bless
and keep all thy people ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good
Lord.
That it may please thee to give
to all nations unity, peace, and
concord ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good
Lord.
That it may please thee to give
I us an heart to love and dread thee,
I and diligently to live after thy
i commandments:
judging by the connection, our
own English people, called else-
where " God's people committed
to the charge " of the Sovereign,
although the Sarum Litany has
here cunotum Christianum popu-
lum); beyond this for the unity
and peace of all nations.
(2) The next series embraces,
in prayer both for ourselves and
for others, all the chief needs
and graces of human life. Thus
it asks for the gift of the love
and fear of God, and obedience
to His will, which are the duty
of man as man; and next for
grace to receive the revealed
Word and Spirit of God, which
is God's gift to Christians as
Christians. Then, dealing with
special forms of trial, it asks for
guidance to the erring ; for in-
crease of strength, support of
weakness, restoration of the fal-
len, and victory over Satan for
the tempted; for succour, help,
and comfort of the distressed;
for special protection to those
who are in different kinds of
danger ; for defence of the deso-
late and oppressed. Finally,
it prays for mercy upon all
men, and especially (in a peti-
tion found in Kastern Litanies,
but in the West peculiar to the
Anglo-Saxon Litany) for forgive-
ness and change of heart in our
" enemies, persecutors, and slan-
derers."
(8) LaBtly follow two petitions
—the first for temporal blessing
in the gift and preservation of
the " kindly fruits of the earth"
{i.e. the fruits of the earth after
their various kinds), the second
a comprehensive prayer— pecu-
liar to our Litany— for spiritual
blessing, for repentance and for-
giveness to the penitent, for
the gift of the Spirit, and for
power to use it to amendment of
life.
This portion of the Litany
closes (after the ancient models)
»dth the Agnus Dei— the prayer
to Our Lord, as the " Lamb of
God taking away the sins of the
world" (John i. 29), that is, em-
phatically as our Redemption
and Propitiation. The prayer is
tor Peace and Mercy. For both
we pray, "O Christ, hear us."
After this the old Litanies mosc
ly end with the Lord's Prayer, a
Psalm, and Collects.
(B) Part II.
The second part of the Litany,
opening again in the three-fold
Kyrie Eleeton with an invocation
of the Holy Trinity, differs from
the former in this, that (^except
in the Versicles following the
Gloria) it is addressed to God
the Father through Our Lord
Jesus Christ. The materials are
chiefly old, taken from various
sources ; but the composition is
original, and the style more bro-
ken and varied than in the for-
mer part.
(a) The Lord's Prayer here
seems to correspond to the
Lord's Prayer after the Dominu*
Vobiscum in the Morning Ser-
vice; and the correspondence
perhaps suggests that, when the
Litany is used with that Service,
repetition would have been a-
voided, if the Collect of the Day
and the two following had been
included in the Litany, and the
Litany had immediately followed
the Dominus Vobiscum.
The Versicles following-
praying that God will deal with
us in mercy, and not, as in strict
justice our iniquities deserve—
are suggested, as usual, by the
Psalms ( Ps. ciii. 10) ; and lead
on naturally to the Collect,
taken from a Mass to be used
in " Tribulation of Heart," and
bearing signs of composition in
times of persecution. It is an
utterance, on the one hand, of
deep repentance, under the sense,
both of the trouble and adver-
sity, and of the subtle tempta-
tions of life, and, on the other,
of a confidence in God's accept-
ance of penitence and His pro-
mise to hear our prayer. Its
petition is two-fold — first, for
safety and protection, then foi
a thankful sense of that protec-
tion (comp. Collect of Peace in
the Morning Service).
Instead of the Amen, this Col-
lect is follower! by an Antiphon
(see " Anthem " in Morning Ser«
vice) twice repeated with varia*
tion from Ps. xliv. 26, and ir
THE LITANY.
We beseech thee to hear us, good
Lord.
That it may please thee to give
to all thy people increase of grace
to hear meekly thy Word, and to
receive it with pure affection, and
to bring forth the fruits of the
Spirit ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good
Lord.
That it may please thee to bring
. into the way of truth all such as
have erred, and are deceived ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good
Lord.
That It may please thee to
strengthen such as do stand ; and
to comfort and help the weak-
hearted ; and to raise up them
that fall ; and finally to beat down
Satan under our feet ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good
Lord.
That it may please thee to suc-
cour, help, and comfort, all that
are in danger, necessity, and tri-
bulation ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good
Lord.
That it may please thee to pre-
serve all that travel by land or
by water, all women labouring of
child, all sick persons, and young
children ; and to shew thy pity
upon all prisoners and captives ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good
Lord.
That it may please thee to de-
fend, and provide for, the father-
less children, and widows, and all
that are desolate and oppressed ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good
Lord.
That it may please thee to have
mercy upon all men ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good
Lord.
That it may please thee to for-
give our enemies, persecutors,
and slanderers, and to turn their
hearts ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good
Lord.
That it may please thee to give
and preserve to our use the kindly
fruits of the earth, so as in due
time we may enjoy them ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good
Lord.
That it may please thee to give
us true repentance ; to forgive us
all our sins, negligences, and ig-
norances ; and to endue us with
the grace of thy Holy Spirit to
amend our lives according to thy
holy Word;
We beseech thee to hear us, good
Lord.
Son of God : we beseech thee to
hear us.
Son of God : we beseech thee to
hear us.
0 Lamb of God : that takest
away the sins of the world ;
Grant us thy peace.
O Lamb of God : that takest
away the sins of the world ;
Have mercy upon us.
0 Christ, hear us.
0 Christ, hear its.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
| f Then shall the Priest, andthepcople
with him, say the Lord's Prayer.
OUR Father, which art in hea-
ven, Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be
done, in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, As
we forgive them that trespass
against us. And lead us not into
temptation ; But deliver us from
evil. Amen.
52
eluding an intervening Veraicle
by the Priest from Ps. xliv. 1.
The general idea of it is there-
fore, as in the Psalm, a pleading
with God, uttered in time of
trouble, praying by His former
mercies for present deliverance.
But, whereas the Psalm prays to
God " for His mercy's sake," the
Antiphon, following out the idea
of Ps. lxxix. 9 (frequently em-
bodied elsewhere in the Old
Testament, as in Exod. xxxii.
12; Num. xiv. IS; Ezek. xx. 9;
Dan. ix. 19; Joel ii. 17), pleads
with God for " His Name's sake "
and " His honour," that it may
not be doubted or blasphemed,
through the triumph of evil and
the failure and sin of His peo-
ple. So Our Lord gives us as our
first petition, " Hallowed be Thy
Name." It is not, of course, that
anything can increase or dimin-
ish God's absolute glory and per-
fection ; but on the honour of
His Name depends the essential
happiness of His creatures, and
in His love He is pleased to con-
sider that He is '•glorified" by
their faith and adoration.
The plaintive strain of this An-
tiphon passes, with singular
beauty of idea, into the confi-
dent praise of the Gloria Patri.
(Comp. the " Day by day we
magnify Thee" in similar con-
text in the Te Deum.)
(6) The Versicles following
are again, like the earlier part
of the Litany, addressed to Our
Lord Jesus Christ. Taken from
the old Sarum Litany for St.
Mark's Day, where they are ap-
pointed for occasional use "in
time of war," they still bear the
impress of their original inten-
tion ; pleading with intense ear-
nestness for deliverance from
our enemies, comfort in affliction
and sorrow, forgiveness of sin,
and merciful acceptance at all
times of our prayers ; and ending
with an expression of full confi-
dence in His mercy.
(The title "Son of David" is
substituted, perhaps by error in
reading the abbreviated form,
for the Fili Dei Vivi of the ori-
ginal.)
The Collect, addressed to
God the Father, is taken, with
much alteration, from a Collect
in the Sarum Breviary. It is a
prayer, first, that He will, in com-
passion to our infirmities, turn
from us the evil we have deserv-
ed; Dext that, even in trouble,
we may still trust in Him and
serve Him, knowing that what
He does is well. In this it is an
echo of Our Lord's prayer in
Gethsemane, and it is emphati-
cally offered through Him, as our
Mediator and Advocate.
THE LITANY.
0
Priest. OLord, deal not with us
after our sins.
Answer. Neither reward us
after our iniquities.
Let us pray.
GOD, merciful Father, that
despisest not the sighing of a
contrite heart, nor the desire of
such as be sorrowful ; Mercifully
assist our prayers that we make
before thee in all our troubles
and adversities, whensoever they
oppress us; and graciously hear
us, that those evils, which the
craft and subtilty of the devil
or man worketh against us. he
brought to nought : and by the
providence of thy goodness they
may be dispersed ; that we thy
servants, being hurt by no perse-
cutions, may evermore give thanks
unto thee in thy holy Church;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
O Lord, arise, help us, and de-
liver us for thy Name's sake.
GOD, we have heard with our
ears, and our fathers have de-
clared unto us, the noble works
that thou didst in their days, and
in the old time before them.
0 Lord, arise, heip us, and de-
liver us for thine honour.
Glory be to the Father, and to
the Son : and to the Holy Ghost;
Answer. As it was in the begin-
ning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
From our enemies defend us.
0 Christ.
Graciously look upon our afflic-
tions.
Pitifully behold the sorrows of
our hearts,
Mercifully forgive the sins o
thy people.
Favourably with mercy hear our
prayers.
0
O Son of David, have mercy
upon us.
Koth now and ever vouchsafe to
hear us, O Christ.
Graciously hear us, 0 Christ ;
graciously hear us, O Lord Christ.
Priest. O Lord, let thy mercy
be shewed upon us ;
Answer. As we do put our trust
in thee.
Let us pray.
WE humbly beseech thee, O
Father, mercifully to look
upon our infirmities ; and for the
glory of thy Name turn from ua
all those evils that we most righ-
teously have deserved ; and grant,
that in all our troubles we may
put our whole trust and confidence
in thy mercy, and evermore serve
thee in holiness and purcness ot
living, to thy honour and glory ;
through our only Mediator and
Advocate, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
A Prayer of St. Chrysostom.
ALMIGHTY God, who hast
given us grace at this time
with one accord to make our com-
mon supplications unto thee ; and
dost promise, that when two or
three are gathered together in thy
Name thou wilt grant their re-
quests ; Fulfil now, O Lord, the
desires and petitions of thy ser-
vants, as may be most expedient
for them ; granting us in this
world knowledge of thy truth, and
in the world to come life everlast-
ing. Amen.
2 Cor. xiii.
THE grace of cur Lord Jesus
Christ, and the love of God.
and the fellowship of the Holy
Ghost, be with us all evermore.
Amen.
Here endeth the Litany.
PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS,
UPON SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
The Occasional Prayers and Thanksgivings are almost en-
tirely new ; although the old Litanies ended with a series of Collects,
including, among others, the prayer " O God, whose nature." &c,
the Collect for Peace in our Evening Service, the Collect for the
Clergy and People, a Prayer for all Conditions of Men, and for all
Souls. They have the greater diffuseness of style of the later
Collects, and, dealing as they do largely with the fortunes of the
nation as a nation, are naturally full of Old Testament allusions
and phrases. As they are concerned mainly with temporal blessings
and scourges, they bring out with peculiar emphasis the mystery—
to us probably insoluble— of that harmony of human prayer (as of
hitman action) with the Supreme Will of God manifesting itself in
Physical Laws," which is instinctively felt by all .humanity and
expressly declared to us in Holy Scripture. They occupy neces-
sarily a subordinate position ; and, more distinctly than any other
prayers, bear upon them an obvious conditionaiity, being offered
only " according to His Will" (1 John v. 14). It is almost needless
to add that they imply also that co-operation of action, which
fanaticism is apt to ignore, and worldliness to exaggerate,—" Strive
and pray."
PRAYERS.
For Rain. — This was inserted
in 1549, with some slight resem-
blance to an old Collect from
the Sacramentary of Gregory,
found in the Sarum Missal. The
preamble refers to Our Lord's
express promise in Matt. vi. 33
— the same chapter which con-
tains the Lord's Prayer, with its
petition, " Give us this day our
daily bread" — authorizing snp-
Elication for needful food, and
ence for the " moderate rain
and showers" necessary to
secure it. The blessing is
sought, as usual, not only for
our comfort, but for God's
glory.
For Fair Weather, also found
(with slight verbal variation) in
the Prayer Book of 1549; and
again bearing some resemblance
to an old Collect (from the
Sacramentary of Gregory) in the
Sarum Missal. It refers to the
promise of God after the Flood
(see Gen. viii. 21 & ix. 11), and
recognises physical plagues, as
chastisements for our iniquities
from His hand, destined to work
out their purpose by our repent-
ance and amendment, and then
to give place to thankful adora-
tion of Him who doth not wil-
lingly afflict.
In time of Dearth and Famine.
—The first prayer, inserted in
1552, follows out the same idea,
only tracing to God with especial
emphasis the guidance of all
physical forces and the gift of all
animal life, and asking His
blessing "for the love of Jesus
Christ Our Lord."
The alternative Prayer (also
inserted in 1552. but apparently
omitted in lf>59) was restored
with some verbal changes (pro-
bably by Bishop Cosin) in 1662.
The omission may have been
due to the fact that, as it refers
to the history of Israel in
2 Kings vi. 25— vii. 20, and as in
that case the famine came from
the enmity of man, and was
removed by the defeat of that
enmity, the preamble does not
absolutely accord in idea with
the substance of the Prayer.
The conclusion is specially sug-
gestive of the right use of tem-
poral blessing, first, for God's
glory, next, for relief of our
brethren, lastly, for our own
comfort.
In the time of War and Tumults,
inserted in 1552, the words " and
tumults" being significantly
added in 1662. There is a CoT-
lect for the same occasion in the
54
PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS,
UPON SEVERAL OCCASIONS,
* To be used before the two final Prayers of the Litany, or of Morning
and Evening Prayer.
PRAYERS.
For Rain.
OGOD, heavenly Father, who
by thy Son Jesus Christ hast
promised to all them that seek
thy kingdom, and the righteous-
ness thereof, all things necessary
to their bodily sustenance ; Send
us, we beseech thee, in this our
necessity, such moderate rain and
showers, that we may receive the
fruits of the earth to ourcomtort,
and to thy honour ; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. A men.
For fair Weather.
0 ALMIGHTY Lord God, who
for the sin of man didst once
drown all the world, except eight
persons, and afterward of thy
great mercy didst promise never
to destroy it so again ; We hum-
bly beseech thee, that although
we for our iniquities have wor-
thily deserved a plague of rain and
waters, yet upon our true repent-
ance thou wilt send us such wea-
ther, as that we may receive the
fruits of the earth in due season ;
and learn both by thy punishment
to amend our lives, and for thy
clemency to give thee praise and
glory ; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
In the time of Dearth, and
Famine.
OGOD, heavenly Father, whose
gift it is, that the rain doth
fall, the earth is fruitful, beasts
increase, and fishes do multiply ;
Behold, we beseech thee, the af-
flictions of thy people ; and grant
that the scarcity and dearth, which
we do now moat justly suffer for
our iniquity, may through thy
goodness be mercifully turned in-
to cheapness and plenty ; for the
love of Jesus Christ our Lord, to
whom with thee and the Holy
Ghost be all honour and glory,
now and for ever. Amen.
Or this.
OGOD, merciful Father, who,
in the time of Elisha the pro-
phet, didst suddenly in Samaria
turn great scarcity and dearth into
plenty and cheapness ; Hav« mer-
cy upon us, that we, who are now
for our sins punished with like ad-
versity, may likewise find a sea-
sonable relief : Increase the fruits
of the earth by thy heavenly be-
nediction; and grant that we,
receiving thy bountiful liberality,
may use the same to thy glory,
the relief of those that are needy,
and our own comfort ; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
In the time of War and Tumults.
0 ALMIGHTY God, King of all
kings, and Governour of all
things, whose power no creature
is able to resist, to whom it be-
longeth justly to punish sinners,
and to be merciful to them that
truly repent ; Save and deliver us,
we humbly beseech thee, from the
hands of our enemies ; abate their
pride, asswage their malice, and
confound their devices ; that we,
being armed with thy defence, may
be preserved evermore from all
perils, to glorify thee, who art the
only giver of all victory ; through
the merits of thy only Son, Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
M
Sarum Missal, taken from the
Sacramentary of Gregory ; but
the resemblance is slight. The
address is to God, as Almighty
in two senses— as King of kings
over all men, and Ruler over all
things— and as using both men
and things as instruments of
His chastisement and mercy.
The prayer is for victory, simply
as a deliverance from the pride
of strength, the malice of en-
mity, the devices of craft, array-
ed against us ; and it ends with
a promise to give glory, not to
ourselves, but to God alone, as
the Giver of all victory.
In time of any Common Plague
or Sickness, inserted in 1552,
enlarged in 1662 (by the refer-
ence to the people in the wilder-
ness). For the scourges of those
days it was even more needed
than now, and the Great Plague
of London in 1660 brought out
that need with terrible emphasis.
The reference is to the plagues
of Num. xvi. 44—50 and 2 Sam.
xxiv.— the one the chastisement
of rebellion, the other of pride—
and to the atonements of Aaron
and David, accepted by God's
mercy : the prayer is simply for
withdrawal of the present chas-
tisement through the Great
Atoner, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Ember- Week Prayers.— (For
the origin of the name Ember-
Week, see Table of Fasts, &c.)
The offering of such Prayers is
of anci2nt date, both in relation
to the natural Seasons and to
the occurrence of Ordinations.
The Collects, however, are origi-
nal, inserted in 1662, and refer-
ring only to the latter subject.
The former Prayer is the fuller
and the more solemn, laying
emphatic stress on the purchase
o f the Church by the Atonement
of Christ, praying both for
faithfulness and wisdom of
choice in the Bishops and for
grace in those chosen, and is
suitable for the earlier part of
the week; the latter, noting
simply the diversity of gifts and
Orders in the Church, seems to
presuppose the choice made,
praying only for those about to
be ordained, and is more suitable
for the later days. Both are full
of Scriptural allusion ; both
55
dwell on the two-fold ministry
of doctrine and life ; both on the
two-fold object sought, God's
glory and man's salvation.
A Prayer that may be said after
any of the former, i.e. as a gen-
eral expression of penitence and
pleading for mercy, after the
special prayers of the same
purport. It is, however, a pray-
er for deliverance, not from any
external punishment of sin, but
from sin's heaviest penalty — the
spiritual bondage, which it
brings on the soul. It is a
translation of a Collect (from
Gregory's Sacramentary) in the
Sarum Litany, inserted in the
Litany of 1544, afterwards, for
some unknown reason, omitted
till 1559.
Prayer for the High Court of
Parliament, inserted in 1662. It
is obviously taken from a prayer,
exactly coincident in the open-
ing and closing sections, though
different and less antithetical in
the central portion ("that all
things . . . generations"), issued
in 1625 and 1628, and supposed to
have been written by Laud. As
it stands, it is a fine specimen of
the more diffuse and rhetorical
style, which generally marks the
prayers composed in the later
Revisions. The term " religious
and gracious," originally applied
to Charles I., though not without
precedent in ancient Liturgies,
is notable, as departing from the
sound rule, elsewhere observed,
of refraining from the attribu-
tion to the Sovereign of any
personal qualities. (It was pro-
posed to strike out all such
epithets in the Scheme of Re-
vision in 1689.) The prayer itself
dwells forcibly on the two objects
of all right policy— the glory of
God and the welfare of the peo-
ple, both as a Church and as a
nation ; and prays that upon this
foundation, the conditions of
national welfare, described in an
ascending climax— as social,
moral, and spiritual — may be
established for ever.
Prayer for all Conditions of
Men, composed by Bishop Gun-
ning, and inserted in 1662.
Being intended as a substitute
for the Litany, it is said ovitb
PRAYERS.
In the time of any common
Plague or Sickness.
0 ALMIGHTY God, who in thy
wrath didst send a plague upon
thine own people in the wilder-
ness, for their obstinate rebellion
against Moses and Aaron ; and
also, in the time of king David, j
didst slay with the plague of Pes-
tilence threescore and ten thou-
sand, and yet remembering thy
mercy didst save the rest ; Have
pity upon us miserable sinners,
who now are visited with great
sickness and mortality; that like as
thou didst then accept of an atone-
ment, and didst command the de-
stroying Angel to cease from pun-
ishing, so it may now please thee
to withdraw from us this plague
and grievous sickness; through |
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
% In the Ember Weeks, to be said every
day, for those that are to be admitted
into Holy Orders.
ALMIGHTY God, our heavenly
•£*• Father, who hast purchased
to thyself an universal Church by
the precious blood of thy dear Son ;
Mercifully look upon the same,
and at this time so guide and go-
vern the minds of thy servants
the Bishops and Pastors of thy
flock, that they may lay hands sud-
denly on no man, but faithfully
and wisely make choice of fit per-
sons to serve in the sacred Ministry
of thy Church. And to those which
shall be ordained to any holy func-
tion give thy grace and heavenly
benediction ; that both by their
life and doctrine they may set
forth thy glory, and set forward
the salvation of all men ; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. A men.
Or this,
ALMIGHTY God, the giver of
all good gifts, who ol thy di-
vine providence hast appointed
divers Orders in thy Church ; Give
thy grace, we humbly beseech
thee, to all those who are to be
called to any office and administra-
tion in the same ; and so replenish
them with the truth of thy doc-
trine, and endue them with inno-
cency of life, that they may faith-
fully serve before thee, to the glo-
ry of thy great Name, and the be-
nefit of thy holy Church ; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
% A Prayer that may be said after
any of the former.
OGOD, whose nature and pro-
perty is ever to have mercy
and to forgive, receive our hum-
ble petitions ; and though we be
tied and bound with the chain of
our sins, yet let the pitifulness of
thy great mercy loose us ; for the
honour of Jesus Christ, our Me-
diator and Advocate. Amen.
% A Prayer for the High Court oj
Parliament, to oe read during their
Session.
MOST gracious God, we hum-
bly beseech thee, as for this
Kingdom in general, so especially
for the High Court of Parliament,
under our most religious and
gracious King at this time as-
sembled : That thou wouldest be
pleased to direct and prosper all
their consultations to the advance-
ment of thy glory, the good of thy
Church, the safety, honour, and
welfare of our Sovereign, and his
Dominions ; that all things may
be so ordered and settled by their
endeavours, upon the best and
surest foundations, that peace and
happiness, truth and justice, reli-
gion and piety, may be establish-
ed among us for all generations.
These and all other necessaries,
for them, for us, and thy whole
Church, we humbly beg in the
55
great probability) to have at
first included the substance of
the three Prayers for the King,
the Royal Family, and the
Clergy and people (after the
words "righteousness of life")
— perhaps in deference to the
desire for such long forms of
Prayer expressed by the Presby-
terians at the Savoy Conference,
and certainly not without pre-
cedent in the " Church Militant
Prayer," and the older originals
from which it is drawn. Of this
the word " Finally " remains as
an indication. The Prayer itself
is a singularly beautiful specimen
of the later type. Like the
petition for " all men " in the Lit-
any, and the 3rd Collect for Good
Friday, it is notable as extending
the scope of petition, beyond
even the Catholic Church, to all
mankind, in prayer for their
conversion to God's Truth and
Christ's Redemption. Taking,
of course, Holy Baptism for
granted in " all who profess and
call themselves Christians," it
seems to regard them all as
potentially members of that
Catholic Church, though it
clearly indicates the existence of
hereBy and schism by the prayer
that they may be " led into the
way of truth, and hold the true
faith so gained, in "unity of
spirit and the bond of peace"
(Eph. iv. 4), as well as individual
"righteousness of life." It
adds, lastly, a large and earnest
petition for all the afflicted,
that they may be at once com-
forted by patience now, and
relieved by a happy issue in
God's good time.
THANKSGIVINGS.
The General Thank igiving, com-
posed by Bishop Reynolds, and
inserted in 1662, follows the same
general type, with perhaps some
faint indication of the didactic
tendency common in the prayers
of that period. It will be seen
that it is half thanksgiving and
half prayer. It should be ob-
served that the thanksgiving,
while it touches on the blessings
of this life, passes them over
lightly, to dwell with strong em-
phasis on the inestimable spiri-
tual blessings of redemption,
grace, and hope of glory, corre-
sponding to the " justification,"
sanctification," and " glorifi-
cation" described in Holy Scrip-
ture, as the beginning, progress,
and end of spiritual life. The
Prayer is for the spirit of thank-
fulness, and for grace to express
that spirit "not only with our
lips but in our lives " of self-
devotion and righteousness.
The occasional custom of re-
peating this Thanksgiving after
the Minister, although in itself
appropriate enough, and follow-
ing the precedent of Confession
and Prayer, was certainly not
originally intended, and has per-
haps arisen from a mistaken
idea of the meaning of the word
" General."
Special ThanTctgivingi. — AU
these were inserted in 1604 (in
compliance with the very reason-
able request of the Puritan par-
ty), except the Thanksgiving for
the Restoration of Public Peace
at Home, added in 1662. They
are almost peculiar to the Eng-
lish Prayer Book, and those de-
rived from it. In the American
Prayer Book their number and
variety have been largely in-
creased. Generally speaking,
they are echoes of the corre-
sponding prayers, and are full of
Scriptural quotations or allusions
(chiefly taken from the Psalms).
Thus the Thanksgiving for
Rain alludes to the promise in
Deut. xi. 14 of " the former and
the latter rain," i.e. the spring
and autumn rainy seasons of
Palestine ; and takes up in its
thanksgiving the words of Ps.
lxviii. 9. Like the correspond-
ing Prayer, it recognises tem-
poral blessing as not only min*
istering to man's comfort, but
as setting forth God's glory.
The Thanksgiving for Fair Wea-
ther, not finding in the Psalms
any note of " the plague of im-
moderate rain and waters," of
which Eastern experience knew
so little, nevertheless quotes from
M
THANKSGIVINGS.
Name and Mediation of Jesus
Christ our most blessed Lord and
Saviour. Amen.
f A Collect or Prayer for all Con-
ditions of men, to be used at such
times when the Litany is not ap-
pointed to be said.
OGOD, the Creator and Pre-
server of all mankind, we
humbly beseech thee for all sorts
and conditions of men ; that thou
wouldest be pleased to make thy
ways known unto them, thy sav-
ing health unto all nations. More
especially, we pray for the good
estate of the Catholick Church ;
that it may be so guided and go-
verned by thy good Spirit, that all
who profess and call themselves
Christians may be led into the way
of truth, and hold the faith in uni-
ty of spirit, in the bond of peace,
and in righteousness of life. Fi-
nally, we commend to thy fatherly
goodness all those, who are any
ways afflicted, or distressed, in
mind, body, or cs- # This tobe said
tate ; [* especially when any de-
those for wftom our sire the Prayers
prayers are desir- 0I" the Congre-
ed,-] that it may sation'
please thee to comfort and relieve
them, according to their several
necessities, giving them patience
under their sufferings, and a hap-
py issue out of all their afflictions.
And this we beg for Jesus Christ
his sake. Amen.
THANKS
% A General Thanksgiving.
ALMIGHTY God, Father of all
. mercies, we thine unworthy
servants do give thee most humble
and hearty thanks for all thy good-
ness and loving-kindness to us, and
to all men ; [ * par- * This t0 be said
Ocularly to those when any that
who desire now have been pray-
to offer up their ed for desire to
praises andthanks- return praise.
givingsfor thy late mercies vouch-
safed unto them.] We bless thee
for our creation, preservation, and
all the blessings of this life ; but
above all, for thine inestimable
love in the redemption of the
world by our Lord Jesus Christ ;
for the means of grace, and for
the hope of glory. And, we be-
seech thee, give us that due sense
of all thy mercies, that our hearts
may be unfeignedly thankful, and
that we shew forth thy praise, not
only with our lips, but in our lives ;
by giving up ourselves to thy ser-
vice, and by walking before thee
in holiness and righteousness all
GIVINGS.
our days ; through Jesus Christ
our Lord, to whom with thee and
the Holy Ghost be all honour and
glory, world without end. Amen.
For Rain.
OGOD our heavenly Father, who
by thy gracious providence
dost cause the former and the lat-
ter rain to descend upon the earth,
that it may bring forth fruit for
the use of man ; We give thee hum-
ble thanks that it hath pleased
thee, in our great necessity, to send
us at the last a joyful rain upon
thine inheritance, and to refresh
it when it was dry, to the great
comfort of us thy unwprthy ser-
vants, and to the glory of thy holy
Name; through thy mercies in
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For fair Weather.
OLOKD God, who hast justly
humbled us by thy late plague
of immoderate rain and waters,
and in thy mercy hast relieved and
comforted our souls by this sea-
sonable and blessed change of
56
Ps. lxxix. 14 the expression of
praise and adoration, there call-
ed out by deliverance from per-
secution and bloodshed.
The Thanksgiving for Plenty—
accepted thankfully as an an-
swer to special prayer— follows
Ps. lxxxv. 12 in referring "the
increase of our land " to " the
loving-kindness " of God.
The Thanksgiving for Peace and
Deliverance from our Enemies ac-
knowledges (with Ps. lxi. 1, 2)
God as our Tower of Defence
against all enemies, and His
goodness in saving us from be-
ing a prey to them (Ps. exxxv.
1.2); and adds a prayer, like
many of the prophetic utter-
ances, for such continuance of
His mercies, as may make His
salvation and deliverance of us
manifest to all the world.
The Thanksgiving for restoring
Public Peace at Home (appropri-
ately added in 1662) again (with
Ps. Ixviii. 6) looks to God as the
giver of unity, and (with Ps. lxv.
7) as stilling " the madness of
the people." It bears, perhaps
naturally, some slight indication
< which in the original draft was
stronger i of the polemical feel-
ing, which disfigured the " State
Services " of the period. It is,
moreover, less of thanksgiving
than of prayer for the future,
with some apparent desire to
teach what that future ought to
be, and to lay peculiar stress
on the duties of " quietness and
peaceableness " (see 1 Tim. ii.
1,2), then naturally emphasized,
and of continued thankfulness
for the blessings we already
have.
The first Thanksgiving for De-
liverance from the Plague, &-c,
with the Psalmist, confesses the
scourge of God as justly deserved
by our sins, and praises Him as
in judgment remembering mer-
cy. Its answer to His mercy is
(see Rom. xii 1 ), as in the Prayer
of Oblation in the Communion
Service, a thankful dedication
of ourselves, our souls and bodies,
to Him.
The second, in the allusion to
"all the punishments on disobe-
dience threatened in Thy Law "
clearly refers to " the curse " of
Deut. xxviii. 15,24. It is specially
notable, as acknowledging the
weak nnworthiness even of our
repentance— accepted neverthe-
less in God's great mercy— and
ending with a singularly em-
phatic outpouring of praise and
thanksgiving.
INTRODUCTION TO THE
COLLECTS, EPISTLES, AND GOSPELS.
Orioin.— The arrangement of Collects, Epistles, and Gospels for
the Sundays and Holy-days of '..he Ecclesiastical year is taken from
the Sarum Missal, with (as usai".l) some simplification and abbrevia-
tion, and with full freedom of variation and of original composition,
wherever these seemed necessary for carrying out the objects kept
always in view by the Compilers of our Prayer Book. The selection
differs considerably from the modern Roman Use, and is, therefore,
a notable instance of the independent development of the English
Services, from the days of St. Augustine of Canterbury downwards.
The Epistles and Gospels.— From the account given of the
Christian Services by Justin Martyr in his Apology (where he
speaks of the reading of the " Memoirs drawn up by the Apostles,"
which are certainly our Gospels. " or the writings of the Prophets "),
it appears that readings from the historical or doctrinal portions of
Scripture formed, from the earliest times, a regular part of the
Communion Service. Both, indeed, appear to have been used ; for
in the Apostolical Constitutions the reading " of the Law and the
Prophets and the Epistles and Acts and Gospels" is referred to.
tr
THANKSGIVINGS.
0
0
weather; We praise and glorify
thy holy Name for this thy mercy,
and will always declare thy loving-
kindness from generation to gene-
ration ; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
For Plenty.
MOST merciful Father, who
of thy gracious goodness hast
heard the devout prayers of thy
Church, and turned our dearth
and scarcity into cheapness and
plenty; We give thee humble
thanks for this thy special bounty ;
beseeching thee to continue thy
loving-kindness unto us, that our
land may yield us her fruits of
increase, to thy glory and our
comfort; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
For Peace and Deliverance from
our Enemies.
ALMIGHTY God, who art
a strong tower of defence un-
to thy servants against the face
of their enemies ; We yield thee
praise and thanksgiving for our
deliverance from those great and
apparent dangers wherewith we
were compassed : We acknowledge
it thy goodness that we were, not
delivered over as a prey unto
them ; beseeching thee still to
continue such thy mercies to-
wards us, that all the world may
know that thou art our Saviour
and mighty Deliverer; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For restoring Publick Peace at
Home.
0 ETERNAL God, our heavenly
Father, who alone makest men
to be of one mind in a house, and
stillest the outrage of a violent
and unruly people ; We bless thy
holy Name, that it hath pleased
thee to appease the seditious tu-
mults which have been lately rais-
ed up amongst us ; most humbly
beseeching thue to grant to all of
us grace, that we may henceforth
obediently walk in thy holy com-
mandments; and, leading a quiet
and peaceable life in all godliness
and honesty, may continually offer
unto thee our sacrifice of praise
and thanksgiving for these thy
mercies towards us ; through Je-
sus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Deliverance from the Plague,
or other common Sickness.
OLORD God, who hast wound-
ed us for our sins, and con-
sumed us for our transgressions,
by thy late heavy and dreadful
visitation ; and now, in the midst
of judgment remembering mercy,
hast redeemed our souls from the
jaws of death ; We offer unto thy
fatherly goodness ourselves, our
souls and bodies which thou hast
delivered, to be a living sacrifice
unto thee, always praising and
magnifying thy mercies in the
midst of thy Church ; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Or this.
WE humbly acknowledge be-
fore thee, 0 most merciful
Father, that all the punishments
which arc threatened in thy law
might justly have fallen upon us,
by reason of our nianiioid trans-
gressions and hardness of heart :
Yet seeing it hath pleased thee of
thy tender mercy, upon our weak
and unworthy humiliation, to
asswage the contagious sickness
wherewith we lately have been
sore afflicted, and to restore the
voice of joy and health into our
dwellings ; We offer unto thy Di-
vine Majesty the sacrifice of praise
and thanksgiving, lauding and
magnifying thy glorious Name
for such thy preservation and pro-
vidence over us; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
57
Our Epistles and Gospels have for centuries represented both.
Naturally in the "Epistles" the New Testament, as its Canon
became formed and known, largely superseded the Old. The
arrangement supplies, as in all the ancient Liturgies, the reading of
the Word of God, necessary to any complete Service, and corresponds
to the series of Lessons at Morning and Evening Prayer. The
Epistle and Gospel of each day are, no doubt, intended to be con-
nected, although the closeness and obviousness of the connection
vary greatly.
The Gospel contains, generally speaking, the record of some act
or teaching of Our Lord, and the Epistle the Apostolic, or, in some
cases, the Prophetic, exposition of some doctrine represented there-
by ; or, in the case of a Saint's Day, the Gospel may give some
historical mention of the Saint, and the Epistle some word of his,
or some lesson which his life suggests. There are exceptions to this
rule, as, e.g., on Whit-Sunday, when " the Epistle." taken from the
Acts of the Apostles, is the historical record ; while the Gospel em-
bodies Our Lord's teaching as to the function and the nature of the
Holy Spirit. Hence we have represented in them the two founda-
tions, of actual fact and Divine teaching, on which our Christianity
is built. The Collect may be considered as gathering up both
lessons into prayer, and applying them, not only on the day to
which they properly belong, but through the whole ensuing week.
It is, therefore, not surprising that this arrangement is found to
date from early times. In the Western Church it is elaborated with
more variety and beauty than in the East. The greater part of our
Collects may be traced to the Sacramentaries of St. Leo (a.d. 420),
Gelasius (a.d. 494\ and Gregory the Great (a.d. 590)— even these
being in all probability mainly collections of older materials. The
earliest collection of Epistles and Gospels known is by tradition
ascribed to St. Jerome (the Comet Weronymi'i ; and, although pro-
bably of later origin, appears to embody the tradition of his time
(a.d. 342-420). It seems clearly to have determined the old Roman
Use, and corresponds far more closely with the Sarum Use, and our
own arrangement derived from it, than with the present Roman
Use. Independent arrangements, differing considerably from it.
are found in the old Gallican and Spanish Liturgies. In the ritual
of the Sarum Missal, the reading of both, especially of the Gospel,
was, after ancient precedent, invested with great solemnity, of
which our practice of standing up at the Gospel, with the use of the
preceding Antiphon. " Glory be to Tfiee, O Lord," and (less fre-
quently) the succeeding Antiphon, " Thanks be to Thee, O Lord,
for this Thy glorious Gospel," is the only survival. In the Prayer
Book of 1549, two sets of Collects, Epistles, and Gospels were pro-
vided on the Great Festivals, for use at the earlier and later Cele-
brations of the Holy Communion. The appointment of special
Introifs— to be sung as an introduction to the Communion Service-
was also retained. These were all taken from the Psalms, and one
for each Sunday was printed with the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel.
All were unfortunately struck out in 1552, and have never been
restored.
The Collects.— (For the origin of the word Collect see the note
on the Collects in the Morning Service.) The Collect (as contrasted
with the ejaculatory Versicle) represents the more thoughtful and
concentrated element of prayer in our Service. It almost always
contains a preamble, in the form of address, giving (so to speak) the
ground of the petition which follows, and invariably ends with a
claim of Our Lord's Intercession (unless the Collect be addressed
directly to Him), and mostly with an ascription of praise. Unlike
the Litany and Hymn, the Collect is rarely addressed to Our Lord ;
generally, after the ancient practice, to God the Father through
Him. It is not too- much to say that from these preambles to the
57a
Collects a full systematic statement of Christian Truth, as to the
Divine Nature and relations to man, might be drawn out. The old
Collects, translated from the Latin, with or without variation
(57 out of 82), may be generally distinguished from the later Col-
lects, composed at the Compilation or Revisions of the Prayer
Book, by greater terseness and incisiveness of style, and accuracy
of theological allusion. The later Collects, not inferior in beauty
and fervency of devotion, are more flowing and fuller of direct
Scriptural citation.
Principle of Arrangement. — The arrangement of our Collects,
Epistles, and Gospels, divides itself into two parts.
(A) First comes the Series for the Sundays of the year, and for
the great " Dominical " Holy days (those connected with the Mani-
festation of Our Lord) interspersed therein. This series is subdi-
vided as follows : —
I. Connected with Christmas-tide :—
(a) The Four Sundays of Advent.
(6) Christmas, with the three attendant Festivals of St. Ste-
phen, St. John Evangelist, and Innocents' Day, and with the
Sunday after Christmas, and the Feast of the Circumcision.
(c) The Epiphany, with the Six Sundays following.
II. Connected with Easter-tide : —
(a) Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquagesima Sundays.
(b) Ash-Wednesday and Five Sundays in Lent.
(c) Holy- Week— Palm Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
and Thursday before Easter, Good Friday, and Easter-Eve.
(d) Easter-Day, with Monday and Tuesday in Easter-Week,
and the Five Sundays after Easter.
(e) Ascension- Day and the "Day of Expectation" following.
(/) Whit-Sunday, with Monday and Tuesday in Whitsun-
Week.
(fir) Trinity-Sunday.
III. The Non-festal part of the Year : —
The Sundays after Trinity, which may be as many as twenty-
seven.
In the Sections I. and II. of this Series, corresponding to the
Festal portion of the year, the principle of Speciality or Appro-
priateness reigns ; although in the Sundays after Epiphany and
the Sundays after Easter there seems to be in the selection of the
Epistles some approach to regularity of succession. The Gospel
and Epistle bring out the great Christian truth commemorated in
each season, and the Collect applies it in prayer and adoration.
On the other hand, in Section III.— the non-festal half of the year,
which dwells not so much on Christian doctrine as on Christian life
—the principle of regularity of succession rules, manifestly in the
Epistles, less perfectly in the Gospels ; and the connection of the
Epistle with the < Gospel, and of the Collect with either, is in general
less strongly marked.
(B) Next comes the Series of Minor Holy-days beginning with
St. Andrew's Day (November 30th), which nearly coincides with the
beginning of Advent, and ending with All Saints' Day (Novem-
ber 1st). Of these Festivals some are still connected with the mani-
festation of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which marks the Festal portion
of the year. These are (besides the Innocents' Day, the Circum cision,
the Epiphany, already mentioned) the Purification, and the An-
nunciation. The rest— the Saints' Days properly so called— are
selections for special commemoration from a far larger number of
Saints' Days in the old Sarum Calendar, some of which have been
Mb
preserved, on a lower level of commemoration, in the " Black- Letter
Saints' Days." The principle of selection is clear and reasonable,
confining itself strictly to the record of Holy Scripture. It em-
braces the Festivals of St. John Baptist, of the Twelve Apostles,
of St. Barnabas and St. Paul, of the Evangelists, and of the first
martyr St. Stephen. To these are added the two comprehensive
commemorations of St. Michael and All Angels, and of All Saints.
The Gospels and Epistles of these Festivals are naturally chosen so
as to bring out, in fact and in teaching, the event or person com-
memorated in each; and on Festivals of general scope (like All
Saints' Day), or Festivals of Saints, of whom we know little person-
ally, to dwell on the general experience and inspiration of saintly
life.
The object of the Celebration of Saints' Days can hardly be
better described than in the words of the " Prayer for the whole
estate of Christ's Church" in the Prayer Book of 1549 :— " We give
unto Thee most high praise and hearty thanks for the wonderful
grace and virtue declared in all Thy saints. . . . whose
examples and steadfastness in Thy faith and keeping Thy holy
commandments, grant us to follow." It is, first, thankful com-
memoration of thtm, and of Christ in them ; and, next, instruction
and encouragement by example. In both we are greatly helped to
realize the Communion of Saints. It is clear also, that, under both
aspects, the very existence in them of imperfections and sins, over-
come by the grace of God, greatly increases the spiritual value of
these commemorations to us ; and also that our instruction is
drawn from the contemplation both of the saintly character and
work in general, and of the individuality of each saint commemo-
rated. Although the celebration of these days has been greatly
revived, we are still far from making full use of it, and lose much
thereby of that " teaching by example " which history, and especially
spiritual history, so vividly impresses on the mind. It is almost
needless to say that it has no connection whatever with the In-
vocation or Worship of Saints, which the Church of England
absolutely repudiates. (See Art. XXII.)
It may be noted generally that the series of Proper Lessons, which
is later on the whole in date than that of the Epistles and Gospels,
seems often to be adapted to them, so as to be either illustrative of,
or supplementary to, the teaching which they convey.
" Note that the Collect," &c— This Rubric is not free from ambi-
guity. It does not tell us (a) what " Festivals have Vigils or Eves "
—whether only those named in the list of days of Abstinence or
others; for, though not found in that list, "New Year's Eve" is
mentioned in the Rubric after the Collect on St. Stephen's Day ;
(b) what is to be done when a Festival falls on a Monday and the
Vigil is on Saturday Evening, or when Festivals follow each other.
Nor is it easy to see why the having a Vigil or Eve " should affect
the recitation of the Collect, which depended on the idea that the
Festival began after sunset on the previous day. The usual practice
is to use the Collect by anticipation in all cases, except where the
Eve has a Collect of its own. (In the American Prayer Book the
Rubric directs that "the Collect for any Sunday or other Feast may
be used at the Evening Service of the day before.")
£1>
THE
COLLECTS, EPISTLES, AND GOSPELS
TO BE USED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
J Note, that the Collect appointed for every Sunday, or for any Holy-day thai
hath a Vigil or Eve, shall be said at the Evening Service next before.
W<)t Just Suirtfag in 'atfbent.
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY God, give us grace
A that we may cast away the
works of darkness, and put upon
us the armour of light, now in
the time of this mortal life, in
which thy Son Jesus Christ came
to visit us in great humility ; that
in the last day, when he shall
come again in his glorious Majes-
ty to judge both the quick and the
dead, we may rise to the life im-
mortal, through him who liveth
and reigneth with thee and the
Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.
f This Collect is to be repeated every
day, with the other Collects in Ad-
vent, until Christmas- Eve.
The Epistle. Rom. 13. 8.
OWE no man any thing, but
to love one another: for he
that loveth another hath fulfilled
the law. For this, Thou shalt not
commit adultery, Thou shalt not
kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou
shalt not bear false witness, Thou
shalt not covet ; and if there be
any other commandment, it is
briefly comprehended in this say-
ing, namely, Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself. Love work-
eth no ill to his neighbour ; there-
fore love is the fulfilling of the law.
And that, knowing the time, that
now it is high time to awake out
of sleep : for now is our salvation
nearer than when we believed.
The night is far spent, the day is
at hand ; let us therefore cast off
the works of darkness, and let us
put, on the armour of light. Let us
walk honestly as in the day ; not
in rioting and drunkenness, not
in chambering and wantonness,
not in strife and envying. But
put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make not provision for the
flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
The Gospel. St. Matth. 21. 1.
WHEN they drew nigh unto
Jerusalem, and were come
to Bethphage, unto the. mount of
Olives, then sent Jesus two dis-
ciples, saying unto them, Go into
the village over against you, and
straightway ye shall find an ass
tied, and a colt with her: loose
them, and bring them unto me.
And if any man say ought unto
you, ye shall say, The Lord hath
need of them; and straightway he
will send them. All this was done,
that it might be fulfilled which was
spoken by the Prophet, saying,
Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Be-
hold, thy King cometh unto thee,
meek, and sitting upon an ass, and
a colt the foal of an ass. And the
disciples went, and did as Jesus
commanded them ; and brought
the ass, and the colt, and put on
them their clothes, and they set
him thereon. And a very great
multitude spread their garments
in the way ; others cut down
branches from the trees,and straw-
ed them in the way. And the mul-
titudes that went before, and that
followed, cried, saying, Hosanna
to the Son of David ; Blessed is
he that cometh in the Name of
the Lord ; Hosanna in the highest.
And when he was come into Je-
rusalem, all the city was moved,
saying, Who is this ? And th*
multitude said. This is Jesus tha
Prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
58
(I.) THE FIRST SECTION OF THE YEAR
{dependent on Christmcu).
(A) ADVENT.
The observance of Advent as a fixed Ecclesiastical season of defi-
nite length, is of comparatively late date ; belonging (like the Feast
of Christmas itself) originally to the Western Church, and adopted
much later in the Eastern Church. As soon as December 25th was
fixed for the celebration of the Nativity of Our Lord, it was natural
to introduce it, like the Easter Festival, by a period of penitence,
fasting, and devotion. Thus Advent observance grew up ; and it is
notable, that in the Gallican Church of the 6th century (as in the
Eastern Church now), the Quadragesima S. Martini, i.e. the period
of forty days from Martinmas (November 11th), was made the period
of preparation. The analogy to the forty days of Lent is obvious.
By the time of Gregory the Great, however, the keeping of the four
Sundays (with the previous Sunday as a kind of introduction) had
become fixed, and has since continued without variation.
It must be observed, however, that Advent seems to suggest the
looking forward to the whole of the Manifestation of Our Lord ; for
it unites in frequent contrast the ideas of the First Coming of the
Lord, which opens His Mediatorial kingdom, and the Second Coming,
which closes it. Accordingly it does not breathe the spirit of un-
mixed Christmas thankfulness and joy, but dwells strongly on the
thoughts of the great Judgment, and therefore on man's sin and its
awful responsibility. The old Dies Irae perhaps carries these thoughts
to an extreme ; but they are plainly traceable in all the Advent
Services and Hymns.
The Proper Lessons of Advent are all drawn from the Book of
Isaiah ; partly because of its Evangelical character, anticipating
the general spirituality and perfection of Gospel teaching; partly
because of its marked Messianic prediction, drawing out all the chief
features of the Revelation of Christ.
®()t Jtrst £nn&Hg m gibbent.
The key-note of this first Sun- noted that the Coming of Our
day of the Ecclesiastical year is Lord, recorded in the Gospel,
struck by the Epistle (of which was neither His First Coming,
the Collect is an echo), "The nor His Last Coming, to His
night is far spent, the day is at own city, and that it accordingly
hand ; let us therefore cast off seems to represent His frequent
the works of darkness, and put coming to us at special seasons
on the armour of light." The of the present life—" Behold ! I
call is to awakening out of sin, stand at the door and knock."
carelessness, or unbelief, in the The Collect is a magnificent
sense that the dawn of the Se- specimen of the new Collects
cond Advent is now a year nearer (composed in 1549), having no
to each of us; and it is to be preamble, but a double prayer
5Sa
—for resurrection in spirit now,
in reliance on the first Advent
of salvation (comp. Eph. v. 14),
and for resurrection to immortal
life, in body and spirit, hereafter,
in connection with the second
Advent of Judgment (see Phil,
iii. 20, 21)— the one being (as
usual in Holy Scripture) con-
sidered as the earnest of the
other.
The Epistle in the old Sarum
Use began (perhaps more appro-
priately) with v. 11, "And that,"
&c. Our Prayer Book, desiring
to enlarge the Epistle and soft-
en the abruptness of commence-
ment, has had the effect of in-
troducing a section, which is
distinct from the special Lesson
of the Advent season.
As it stands, the Epistle has
two lessons:— («) The general
lesson of Love, as the only debt
which can never be fully paid,
and as not only comprehending
all the commandments of the
law, but "fulfilling" it (i.e. per-
fecting its imperfection). (/>)
The Advent lesson of awaking
(by conversion or refreshment)
to newness of life, in the sense
of the increasing nearness of our
salvation— so as to " put on the
armour of light," which is the
Image of "the Lord Jesus
Christ," and to cast off, as un-
worthy of it, both riotous self-
indulgence and uncleanness
< sins of the appetites ), and strife
and envying (sins of the pas-
sions), both being "works of the
flesh" (see Gal. v. 19-21), and
"works of darkness" (see Eph.
v. 11, 12).
The Gospel, taken from the
Sarum Missal, records (from the
Gospel of St. Matthew) Our
Lord's triumphal entry and se-
cond cleansing of the Temple (as
each Jew before the Passover
cleansed his house from pollu-
tion). The event is recorded in
all the Gospels with singular
vividness of detail. The multi-
tudes following were the Gali-
lean pilgrims ; those going be-
fore, the inhabitants of Jeru-
salem, who went out to meet
and escort Him. The prophecy
of the peaceful kingdom of the
Messiah referred to is Zech. ix.
9; the cry of the people, " Ho-
sanna " ( Save, I beseech thee,"
&c), comes from Ps. cxviii. 25,
26 (a well-known Messianic
Psalm) ; Our Lord's quotation
is from Isa. lvi. 7; and His
words of rebuke are an appli-
cation of Jer. vii. 11. His Com-
ing then was to a people who
idolized their Temple (for even
the traffic in the Court of the
Gentiles was for the sacrifice and
the sacred tribute), but knew not
the true spirituality and univer-
sality of God's Worship. The
lesson, therefore, is clearly to
the Church rather than to the
world.
She £comb ^unban in ^bbetit.
The lesson of this Sunday
(taken again from the Epistle)
is addressed to thought rather
than emotion, calling us to grasp
the truth of God in Christ, re-
vealed in Holy Scripture, and so
to lay firm hold of the hope of
eternal life, to be fulfilled in per-
fection at the Second Advent.
The Collect, composed in
1549, full of emphatic thankful-
ness for the opening of the seal-
ed book of Holy Scripture to the
people, prays (a) generally for
grace to " read, mark, learn, and
inwardly digest" His Word (in
all the gradations of thoughtful
perception), and then (6), with
special Advent reference, to find
in it not only present comfort,
but hope of future perfection.
The Epistle comes from the
close of the Epistle to the Ro-
mans, which urges the unity of
Jew and Gentile in Christ. Af-
ter, therefore, (u) a reference to
the true character of "Holy
Scripture" (then the Old Tes-
tament only), as written for our
learning, and as the secret of
undying hope, it prays (6) for
unity in mind and mouth,"
that is, in faith and worship ;
(c) as an encouragement for Buch
prayer it dwells on the two-fold
mission of Our Lord to Jew and
Gentile (see Luke ii. 82) ; quot-
ing in illustration of this union
of the Gentiles with the people
of God, Ps. xviii. 41 ; Deut. xxxii.
43 : Ps. cxvii. 1 ; Isa. xi. 10; and
(d) ends with a blessing of hope,
62 b
»oy, tnd peace, through the pow-
er of the Holy Ghost.
The Gospel has less connec-
tion than usual with the Epistle.
It is a part of Our Lord's pro-
phecy to His disciples on the
Mount of Olives, after He had
closed His ministry to the Holy
City, on which they looked down.
It id a prediction of the close of
the old dispensation, in the de-
struction of Jerusalem; with
which mingle elements applic-
able properly to the close of the
new dispensation in the Last
Judgment— the type blending
with the antitype, (a) The signs
of the end are to be convulsions,
physical and spiritual ; and yet
the parable following implies
that these, sudden as they seem,
are but the completion of a pro-
cess of growth through conflict,
secretly going on now. (6) The
prophecy, "Then shall they
see," &c. repeated by Our Lord
before the Sanhedrim (Matt.
xxvi. 64), with obvious allusion
to Dan. vii. 18, 14— whatever
typical fulfilment it may have
had at the fate of the Holy City
—waits for its perfect fulfilment
at His Second Coming, (c) The
concluding paragraph refers only
to the close of the old dispensa-
tion ; but it is clear that among
the early Christians this was
often supposed to foretell the
end of the world itself in a speedy
Advent of Our Lord.
£|k ftbirb Snnban in SUbtnt.
The lesson of this Sunday is
obviously suggested by the Ordi-
nation, which, from time imme-
morial, has followed in the ensu-
ing week. The call, addressed
primarily to His ministers, se-
condarily to all His members,
is to Energy or Service in
preparation for His Coming.
The Collect, composed by
Bishop Cosln in 1661 (in substi-
tution for a shorter Collect of
1549), taking its idea from the
Epistle and Gospel, addresses
itself directly to Our Lord Jesus
Christ, referring in its preamble
to the mission of St. John Bap-
tist at His First Coming, and
praying that, in like manner,
His ministers now may prepare
His way (see Isa. xl. 3; Luke
i. 17), so that at the Second
Coming His people may be ac-
ceptable in His sight.
In the Epistle St. Paul dwells
on the two -fold character of
Christian ministers, (a) in hu-
mility, as being mere " servants
of Christ," and, for His sake, of
His people (2 Cor. iv. 5) ; and
(6) in authority, as being
"stewards of His mysteries,"
i.e. of the Word and Sacraments
—in both simply required to be
faithful to Him. He claims for
himself, and by implication for
them, responsibility to Christ
alone, thus appealing to a higher
judgment than that of men, or
of his own conscience, (even
though, he adds, " I know PQ,
4$
thing by" — that is, against—
"myself"), and looking onward
to the future manifestation of
all deeds and thoughts at the
Second Coming of the Great Day.
The Gospel sets forth St.
John Baptist as the type of the
true minister of Christ in the
strength made perfect in weak-
ness, (a) On the one hand it
shews his faith wavering for a
moment in the weariness of cap-
tivity. It records the mission of
his disciples to Our Lord, to in-
quire whether He was really the
true Messiah, and Our Lord's
appeal to the predicted signs
(see Isa. xxxv. 5, 6) now fulfilled,
as leading up to, and necessar-
ily connected with, the word of
preaching to the poor. (Note
in this the true function of
miracle in relation to the Word.)
So far the Baptist's weakness is
rebuked, (b) But Our Lord goes
on, in spite of that weakness, to
exalt His faithful forerunner as
" a prophet and more than a
prophet," because he was in a
peculiar sense — what all pro-
phets were generally— a "mes-
senger preparing the way" of
the Lord. In the application
of the lesson to ourselves, we
may remember Our Lord's words,
" Among them that are born of
women there hath not arisen a
greater than John the Baptist :
notwithstanding, he that is least
in the kingdom of heavenr i9
greater than he."
THE SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT.
And Jesus went into the temple
of God, and cast out all them that
sold and bought in the temple ;
and overthrew the tables of the
money-changers, and the seats of
Ef)t .Sccontr &un&ag in 'airbent.
Lord, all ye Gentiles, and laud
them that sold doves ; and said
unto them, It is written, My
house shall be called the house
of prayer ; but ye have made it
a den of thieves.
The Collect.
BLESSED Lord, who hast
caused all holy Scriptures to
be written for our learning ; Grant
that we may in such wise hear
them, read, mark, learn, and in-
wardly digest them, that by pa-
tience, and comfort of thy holy
Word, we may embrace, and ever
hold fast the blessed hope of ever-
lasting life, which thou hast given
us in our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.
The Epistle. Rom. 15. 4.
WHATSOEVER things were
written aforetime, were
written for our learning ; that we
through patience, and comfort of
the Scriptures, might have hope.
Now the God of patience and con-
solation grant you to be like-mind-
ed one towards another, according
to Christ Jesus : that ye may with
one mind, and one mouth, glorify
God, even the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Wherefore receive
ye one another, as Christ also re-
ceived us, to the glory of God.
Now I say, that Jesus Christ was
a minister of the circumcision for
the truth of God, to confirm the
Komises made unto the fathers :
id that the Gentiles might glori-
fy God for his mercy ; as it is writ-
ten, For this cause I will confess
to thee among the Gentiles, and
sing unto thy Name. And again
he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with
bis people. And again, Praise the
him, all ye people. And again,
Esaias saith, There shall be a root
of Jesse, and he that shall rise to
reign over the Gentiles, in him
shall the Gentiles trust. Now the
God of hope fill you with all joy
and peace in believing, that ye
may abound in hope, through the
power of the Holy Ghost.
The Gospel. St. Luke 21. 25.
AND there shall be signs in the
■fi sun, and in the moon, and in
the stars ; and upon the earth dis-
tress of nations, with perplexity,
the sea and the waves roaring ;
men's hearts failing them for fear,
and for looking after those things
which are coming on the earth:
for the powers of heaven shall be
shaken. And then shall they see
the Son of Man coming in a cloud
with power and great glory. And
when these things begin to come
to pass, then look up, and lift up
your heads ; for your redemption
draweth nigh. And he spake to
them a parable, Behold the fig-
tree, and all the trees ; when they
now shoot forth, ye see and know
of your own selves that summer
is now nigh at hand. So like-
wise ye, when ye see these things
come to pass, know ye that the
Kingdom of God is nigh at hand.
Verily I say unto you, This gene-
ration shall not pass away, till
all lM5 fulfilled : heaven and earth
shall pass away ; but my words
shall not pass away.
Wi)t Wrtr Statttras in ^Ubmt.
The Collect.
OLORD Jesu Christ, who at thy
first coming didst send thy
messenger to prepare thy way be-
fore thee ; Grant that the minis-
ters and stewards of thy mysteries
may likewise so prepare and make
ready thy way, by turning the
hearts of the disobedient to the
wisdom of the just, that at thy
second coming to judge the world
we may be found an acceptable
people in thy sight, who livest and
reignest with the Father and the
Holy Spirit, ever one God, world
without end. Amen.
50
$k< $onxfy JSunoHg in glbfatnt.
The Service of this Sunday
seems a more direct anticipation
of Christmas, dwelling on Our
Lord' 8 presence on earth, and
calling us again and again to
rejoice, in the sense of His gift
of salvation. Its call is to thank-
ful Devotion.
The Collect, unlike the
others, is old, from the Sacra-
mentary of Gregory (found also
in Gelasius). As it stood there,
it was addressed directly to Our
Lord; it is now altered to the
more usual form of address to
Ood the Father ; but, though the
alteration may be justified by
John ziv. 23, the prayer to the
Father " to oome among us "
breaks in on the general Advent
idea, and weakens the connection
with the Epistle and Gospel. The
prayer is for the presence of God
the Father with us, to deliver us
from the hindrance and bondage
of sin by the grace of His Spirit,
through the satisfaction of His
Son Our Lord, and it ends ap-
propriately with ascription of
praise to the Holy Trinity.
The Epistle comes from the
Epistle to the Philippians, which,
though written in prison, is per-
haps of all St. Paul's Epistles
fullest of peace and joy. Its
lesson is first (a) of " rejoicing
in the Lord," emphasized be-
cause of its difficulty in a sor-
rowful and sinful world; (6)
then, of "moderation," properly
"sense of what is seemly" in a
Christian, which exalts and pu-
rifies joy ; (c) lastly, of that with-
out which joy would be impossible
— the casting off all " careful-
ness" by the power of prayer
and thanksgiving, (d) It clenches
these exhortations by the Chris-
tian watchword (found in the
Syriac form Maranatha in 1 Cor.
xvi. 22), " The Lord is at hand " ;
and ends with the emphatic pro-
mise, not now of joy, but of the
" peace of God which passeth all
understanding."
The Gospel again returns to
St. John Baptist, but now as
refusing all glory for himself,
and heralding the immediate
coming of the Lord and Saviour.
He is not (he says) "the Christ " ;
nor "the Prophet" (of Deut.
xviii. 15-18), thought by some
to be distinct from the King
Messiah; nor (in literal resur-
rection) " Elias," although com-
ing in his spirit (see Luke i. 17,
and compare Matt. xi. 14, xvii.
10-13) ; he is but a "Voice" of
God, preparing the way of the
Lord. To the Pharisaio remon-
strance, based on this self-efface-
ment, he justifies his baptism,
as simply preparing for One, in-
finitely greater than himself, who
shall baptize with the Holy Ghost,
already standing unknown a-
mong them.
(B) CHRISTMAS-TIDE.
Some observance of the Nativity of Our Lord, as it is most
natural, was probably early in the Church. But it is clear that in
ancient days the true day of Our Lord's birth was considered to be
unknown. Clement of Alexandria names, as conjectural dates, May
20th and April 21st, and seems to discourage, as over-curious, any
inquiry into the matter. In the Western Church December 25th
appears to have been selected in early times ; in the East (as still
in the Armenian Church), the Nativity was blended with the
Epiphany, and kept on January 6th; and not till about the time
of St. Chrysostom did the Western usage prevail. The selection
may possibly have had some historical foundation, based, according
to some tradition, on a record of the true day of the Nativity in the
" Roman Archives," but it has been thought that the Festival was
fixed to its present date, in order to lay hold of, and hallow to
Christian use, the winter Feast of Dedication among the Jews, and;
still more, the heathen midwinter Festival of freedom and re-
joicing,—with allusion to the birth of " the Sun of Righteousness "
out of the winter of the spiritual darkness of the world. It is notable
that of all Festivals, Christmas has most thoroughly associated
itself with natural joy, domestic love, and universal charity.
SO
THE FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT.
The Epistle. 1 Cor. 4. 1.
LET a man so account of us, as
of the ministers of Christ, and
stewards of the mysteries of God.
Moreover, it is required in stew-
ards, that a man be found faith-
ful. But with me it is a very small
thing that I should be judged of
you, or of man's judgment : yea,
I judge not mine own self. For I
know nothing by myself, yet am I
not hereby justified ; but he that
judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore
judge nothing before the time, un-
til the Lord come, who both will
bring to light the hidden things of
darkness, and will make manifest
thecounsels of the hearts ; and then
Bhall everyman have praise of God.
The Gospel. St. Matth. 11. 2.
NOW when John had heard
in the prison the works of
Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
and said unto him, Art thou he
that should come, or do we look
for another ? Jesus answered and
said unto them, Go and shew John
again those things which ye do
hear and see : The blind receive
their sight, and the lame walk, the
lepers are cleansed, and the deaf
hear, the dead are raised up, and
the poor have the Gospel preached
to them : And blessed is he who-
soever shall not be offended in me.
And as they departed, Jesus began
to say unto the multitudes con-
cerning John, What went ye out
into the wilderness to sec ? a reed
shaken with the wind ? But what
went ye out for to see ? a man
clothed in soft raiment? behold,
they that wear soft clothing are in
kings' houses. But what went ye
out for to see ? a prophet? yea, I
say unto you, and more than a
prophet. For this is he of whom
it is written, Behold, I send my
messenger before thy face, which
shall prepare thy way before thee.
Wf)t JFourtf) Sutrtrag in 8totocnt.
The Collect.
OLORD, raise up (we pray thee)
thy power, and come among
us, and with great might succour
us; that whereas, through our
sins and wickedness, we are sore
let and hindered in running the
race that is set before us, thy
bountiful grace and mercy may
speedily help and deliver us ;
through the satisfaction of thy
Son our Lord, to whom with thee
and the Holy Ghost be honour and
glory, world without end. Amen.
The Epistle. Phil. 4. 4.
REJOICE in the Lord alway,
and again I say, Rejoice. Let
your moderation be known unto
all men. The Lord is at hand. Be
careful for nothing : but in every
thing, by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving, let your re-
quests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which pass-
eth all understanding, shall keep
your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus.
The Gospel. St. John 1. 19.
TH I S is the record of John,
when the Jews sent Priests
and Levites from Jerusalem to ask
him, Who art thou ? And he con-
fessed, and denied not ; but con-
fessed, I am not the Christ. And
they asked him, What then ? Art
thou Elias ? And he saith, I am
not. Art thou that Prophet ? And
he answered, No. Then said they
unto him, Who art thou ? that we
may give an answer to them that
sent us. What sayest thou of thy-
self ? He said, I am the voice of
one crying in the wilderness, Make
straight the way of the Lord, as
said the prophet Esaias. And they
which were sent were of the Pha-
risees. And they asked him, and
said unto him, Why baptizest thou
then, if thou be not that Christ,
nor Elias, neither that Prophet ?
John answered them, saying, I
baptize with water: but there
standeth one among you, whom
J<e know not : He it is who com-
ng after me is preferred before
me, whose shoe's latchet I am not
worthy to unloose. These things
were done in Bethabara beyond
Jordan, where John was baptiz-
ing.
60
(Tbristmns-vlajj.
In the Prayer Book of 1549 an
additional Collect, Epistle (Tit.
ii. 11-15), and Gospel (Luke ii.
1-14), were provided for the
early Communion.
The Collect, composed in
1549, first dwells in thankfulness
on the Incarnation of the only-
begotten Son of God ; next, com-
memorates our own entrance (.in
Baptism) on the regeneration
of human nature thereby given,
and (as a consequence of it) our
adoption to Sonship, by God's
grace and favour; and, lastly,
grays that this regeneration may
e continued and renewed in us
daily by the Holy Spirit. (See
the Catechism and the Baptis-
mal Service.)
The Epistle is the opening
of the Epistle to the Hebrews,
which brings out with singular
explicitness the true Deity of
the Lord Jesus Christ; first, in
His manifestation on earth, ex-
alting Him above all prophets,
as the revealer of God and the
heir of all things ; next, describ-
ing Him in His own nature, as
the "effulgence of the Father's
glory," "the visible manifesta-
tion of His substance," the Cre-
ator and sustainer of all things ;
lastly (in obvious reference to
such an gel- worship as is describ-
ed in Col. ii. 18), dwelling on
His exaltation above the highest
angelic being, in infinite supe-
riority of nature. This doctrine
is illustrated, in conclusion, by
Old Testament quotations ; from
Ps. ii. 7 and 2 Sam. vii. 14, dwell-
ing on the true Sonship of the
Messiah ; from Ps. civ. 7, claim-
ing for Him the worship of
Angels ; from Ps. xcvii. 7, civ. 4,
xlv. 6, 7, & cii. 25-27, contrasting
the mere ministry of Angels with
His infinite Majesty and Eternity
—all expressing the Deity of the
Messiah of Prophecy.
The Gospel is the still pro-
founder exposition of His God-
head in the Prologue to the
Gospel according to St. John.
(a) It describes Him by the name
used only in St. John, and ex-
pressing essential unity with the
Divine nature— the " Word,"
who "in the beginning" "was
with God, and was God " ; and
ascribes to Him the attributes
of Godhead— Eternity, Creative
Power, inherent Life, which is
the Light of men, shining in the
darkness of this world. (6) As
to His manifestation, dwelling
on the testimony of St. John
Baptist, it tells how the true
Light of all men came into the
world to His own creation, yet
His own creatures received Him
not; but how to those who re-
ceived Him He gave the Sonship
of God, in birth not of the flesh
but of the Spirit, (c) As to the
nature of that manifestation, it
shews how the Word became in-
carnate, and " tabernacled in our
flesh," making visible to man the
"glory of the only-begotten of
the Father."
In all three, taking f orgranted
the joyful fact of the rncarna- |
tion, the mind is led on to the
profound meaning of it, as the
mystery of mysteries."
The Peopeb Lessons from the
Old Testament are the two great
Messianic promises of Isaiah (ix.
1-8 & vii. 10-17). bringing out
the Divine glories and attributes
of One who is yet the Son of
Man, and His birth from a pure
Virgin to be our Emmanuel;
and from the New Testament,
St. Luke's record of the Nativity
manifested to the Shepherds and
hymned in Angelic Song ( Luke ii.
15), and the remarkable summary
by St. Paul (Tit. iii. 4-9) of the
new regenerate life, given freely
to man, in and through the mani-
festation on earth, " of the kind-
ness and love of God our Saviour."
Of the three Festivals, which
from very ancient times have
closely followed Christmas, the
Holy Innocents' Day alone has
any historical association with
it; and various ideal reasons
have been given for the connec-
tion with it of the other two;
some noting in the three Fes-
tivals the three kinds of martyr-
dom—in will and deed, in will
alone, in deed alone ; others the
three typical graces of self-sac-
rifice, love, and purity. But it is
more likely to have grown up acci-
dentally, than to have been con-
trived on a preconceived system.
61
THB NATIVITY OF OUR LORD, OR THE BIRTH-DAY OF CHRIST,
COMMONLY CALLED
Cljrtstmas=lBag.
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY God, who hast
. given us thy only-begotten
Son to take our nature upon him,
and as at this time to be born of
a pure Virgin ; Grant that we be-
ing regenerate, and made thy chil-
dren by adoption and grace, may
daily be renewed by thy Holy Spi-
rit ; through the same our Lord Je-
sus Christ, who liveth and reigneth
with thee and the same Spirit, ever
oneGod.world without end. A men.
The Epistle. Heb. 1. 1.
GOD, who at sundry times and
in divers manners spake in
time past unto the fathers by the
prophets, hath in these last days
spoken unto us by his Son, whom
he hath appointed heir of all
things, by whom also he made the
worlds ; who being the brightness
of his glory, and the express im-
age of his person, and upholding
all things by the word of his power,
When he had by himself purged
our sins, sat down on the right
hand of the Majesty onhigh ; be-
ing made so much better than the
angels, as he hath by inheritance
obtained a more excellent name
than they. For unto which of the
angels said he at any time, Thou
art my Son, this day have I begot-
ten thee ? And again, I will be to
him a Father, and he shall be to
me a Son ? And again, when he
bringeth in the first-begotten into
the world, he saith, And let all the
angels of God worship him. And
of the angels he saith, Who mak-
eth his angels spirits, and his mi-
nisters a name of fire. But unto
the Son he saith, Thy throne, 0
God, is for ever and ever ; a scep-
tre of righteousness is the sceptre
of thy kingdom : Thou hast loved
righteousness, and hated iniquity;
therefore God, even thy God, hath
anointed thee with the oil of glad-
ness above thy fellows. And,
Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast
laid the foundation of the earth ;
and the heavens aro the works of
thine hands : they shall perish, but
thou rem ainest ; and they all shall
wax old as doth a garment ; and
as a vesture shalt thou fold them
up, and they shall be changed ;
but thou art the same, and thy
years shall not fail.
The Gospel. St. John 1.1.
IN the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God. The
same was in the beginning with
God. All things were made by
him; and without him was not
any thing made that was made.
In him was life, and the life was
the light of men. And the light
shinethin darkness, and the dark-
ness comprehended it not. There
was a man sent from Gcd, whose
name was John. The same came
for a witness, to bear witness of
the light, that all men through
him might believe. He was not
that light, but was sent to bear
witness of that light. That was
the true light, which lighteth
every man that cometh into the
world. He was in the world, and
the world was made by him, and
the world knew him not. He
came unto his own, and his own
received him not. But as many
as received him, to them gave he
power to become the sons of God,
even to thorn that believe on his
Name : which were born, not of
blood, nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word was made flesh,
and dwelt among us (and we be-
held his glory, the glory as of the
only-begotten of the Father) full
of grace and truth.
G
Saint Stephen's Bag.
The Collect. I earth for the testimony of thy
RANT, O Lord, that, in all truth, we may stedfastly look up
our sufferings here upon | to heaven, and by faith behold the
Saint Stephen' I gag,
All that we know of St. Ste-
phen is that he is described in
Acts vii. & viii. as one of the
first deacons, "a man full of
faith and of the Holy Ghost" ;
probably a Hellenist (or " Gre-
cian") Jew. It is remarkable
that he was chosen by God to
make " a new departure " in the
proclamation of Christ — as a
preacher bringing out distinctly
the passing away of the Law and
the Temple— therefore exciting
the wrath of the Pharisees and
people, and receiving first the
crown of martyrdom— in all this
the forerunner of St. Paul, who
presided over his death.
The Collect was enlarged to
its present fulness and beauty
by Bishop Cosin, in 1661, from
the simpler form of 1 549, which
was slightly shortened from the
Sarum Missal. Its prayer is the
prayer of all Christians, in pro-
portion as they suffer for
Christ, and asks for the two-
fold gift, first, of the vision of
Christ, and in Him of the future
glory, and next, of the likeness
to Christ in the spirit of forgive-
ness, which His martyrs learn
from Him. It is addressed to
Our Lord Himself, and, taking
up the dying words of St. Ste-
phen, it speaks of Him as " stand-
ing " at the right hand of God,
rising up (as St. Chrysostom
suggests) to receive the soul of
the martyr.
The Epistle is simply the
record of the martyrdom itself.
We note (a) in St. Stephen's
vision the coincidence with Our
Lord's own words (in Matt.
xxvi. 64), and with Dan. vii. 13,
14; (6) in his dying words, the
Saint Jojm %
St. John — " the disciple whom
Jesus loved"— at once one of
" the Sons of Thunder," the Seer
of Patmos, and the Apostle of
Love— stands in marked contrast
with St. Stephen, chosen to fol-
low Christ first in death. For,
after active preaching, and ex-
posure to martyrdom and ban-
ishment, he had. to wait to ex-
treme old age at Ephesus, when
the other Apostles were at rest,
that he might put the last stroke
direct prayer to Our Lord as
Mediator, to receive his spirit
into the bosom of the Father
(comp. Luke xxiii. 46), and the
echo of the Prayer on the Cross,
"Father, forgive them" (see
Luke xxiii. 84, and contrast
2 Chron. xxiv. 22). The " laying
of the clothes" at Saul's feet
indicates that he, a Roman citi-
zen, was chosen to bear the
responsibility of what was clear-
ly a tumultuous and unlawful
act of sudden rage.
The Gospel is appropriately
chosen from Our Lord's pro-
phecy of the persecution of
Himself and His followers, and
the vengeance, which Jerusalem
should thus draw down from
His loving and unwilling hand.
The " Zacharias" alluded to (in
spite of some difficulty attaching
to the words " Son of Bara-
chias") is probably the Zechariah
of 2 Chron. xxiv. 20-22, whose
traditional tomb is in sight of
the Temple, where Our Lord
was speaking. The closing
words— the last which He utter-
ed before closing His Ministry
in Jerusalem — are the infinitely
pathetic utterance of "a Sa-
viour's Woe," and refer with sad-
ness to the shout of the people
on His triumphal entry, which
had proved to be so wanting in
depth of reality.
The Proper Lessons are the
records (Gen. iv. 1-11; 2 Chron.
xxiv. 15-28) of the deaths of Abel
and Zechariah, the first and the
last martyrs of the Old Testa-
ment record (see Matt, xxiii. 35) ;
and, from the Acts (vi. Sr viii.
1-9), the history of St. Stephen's
call, preaching, and burial.
(gfaangelist's £)an.
to the completion of Holy Scrip-
ture and the organisation of
the Christian Church.
The Collect (enlarged in
1662, from the simpler form
taken from the Sarum* Use in
1549) takes as its key-note (from
the Epistle) the utterance " God
is light," praying for light to
the Church, through the doc-
trine of the Apostle, himself
enlightened of God, and in that
light the two gifts, which blend
SAINT JOHN THE EVANGELIST'S DAY.
glory that shall be revealed ; and,
being filled with the Holy Ghost,
may learn to love and bless our
persecutors by the example of thy
first Martyr Saint Stephen, who
prayed for his murderers to thee,
O blessed Jesus . who standest at the
right hand of God to succour all
those that suffer for thee, our only
Mediator and Advocate . A men.
f Then shall follow the Collect of the
Nativity, which shall be said con-
tinually untoKew-year's Eve.
For the Epistle. Acts 7. 55.
STEPHEN, being full of the
Holy Ghost, looked up sted-
fastly into heaven, and saw the
glory of God, and Jesus standing
on the right hand of God, and said,
Behold, I see the heavens opened,
and the Son of Man standing on
the right hand of God. Then they
cried out with a loud voice, and
stopped their ears, and ran upon
him with one accord, and cast him
out of the city, and stoned him :
and the witnesses laid down their
clothes at a young man's feet,
whose name was Saul. And they
stoned Stephen, calling upon God,
and saying, Lord Jesus, receive
my spirit. And he kneeled down,
and cried with a loud voice, Lord,
lay not this sin to their charge.'
And when he had said this, he
fell
The Gospel. St. Matth. 23. 34.
BEHOLD, I send unto you
prophets, and wise men, and
scribes ; and some of them ye shall
kill and crucify ; and some of them
shall ye scourge in your syna-
gogues, and persecute them from
city to city ; that upon you may
come all the righteous blood shed
upon the earth, from the blood of
righteous Abel unto the blood of
Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom
ye slew between the temple and
the altar. Verily I say unto you, All
these things shall come upon this
generation. 0 Jerusalem, Jerusa-
lem, thou that killest the pro-
phets, and stonest them which are
sent unto thee ; how often would I
have gathered thy children toge-
ther, even as a hen gathereth her
chickens under her wings, and ye
would not ! Behold, your house is
left unto you desolate. For I say
unto you, Ye shall not see me
henceforth, till ye shall say, Bless-
ed is he that cometh in the Name
of the Lord.
Saint 3fof)tt tye Gbangeltsfs Bag.
j unto us ;) That which we have
The Collect.
MERCIFUL Lord, we beseech
thee to cast thy bright beams
of light upon thy Church, that it
being enlightened by the doctrine
of thy blessed Apostle and Evan-
gelist Saint John may so walk in
the light of thy truth, that it may
at length attain to the light of
everlasting life ; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. 1 St. John 1. 1.
THAT which was from the be-
ginning, which we have heard,
which we have seen with our eyes,
which we have looked upon, and
our hands have handled of the
word of life ; (for the life was ma-
nifested, and we have seen it, and
bear witness, and shew unto you
that eternal life, which was with
the Father, and was manifested
seen and heard declare we unto
you, that ye also may have fel-
lowship with us ; and truly our
fellowship is with the Father, and
with his Son Jesus Christ. And
these things write we unto you,
that your joy may be full. This
then is the message which we have
heard of him, and declare unto
you, That God is light, and in him
is no darkness at all. If we say
that we have fellowship with him,
and walk in darkness, we lie, and
do not the truth : but if we walk
in the light, as he is in the light,
we have fellowship one with an-
other, and the blood of Jesus
Christ his Son cleanseth us from
all sin. If we say that we have no
sin, we deceive ourselves, and the
truth is not in us. If we confess
C3
in one. of "knowledge of truth"
and ''life everlasting" (see
John xvii.8).
The Epistle is the solemn
Sjening of St. John's great
pistle, first («), declaring Oar
Lord as the Word of Life, and
emphasizing especially his own
visible and tangible knowledge
of Him on earth, as the ground
of his right so to declare Him,
that the knowledge may be the
secret of fellowship with God
through Him ; next (6), setting
forth God as Light, with whom
they only, who walk in light,
casting off the " works of dark-
ness," have fellowship ; lastly
(c), shewing this fellowship, not
as an inherent power of man's
nature, but as given to sin-
ners, confessing their sin, in
the cleansing blood of Christ,
through which God is (not
merciful, but) "faithful and
just" to forgive and to cleanse
the soul.
The Gospel comes from the
last chapter (a postscript, as it
seems) of the Gospel according
to St. John ; speaking of him-
self " as the disciple whom Jesus
loved," of St. Peter's enquiry
concerning him, gently rebuked
as presumptuous, and of the un-
founded belief, derived from
the words of Our Lord as to his
long tarrying on earth— which,
in spite of this passage, blossom-
ed into a luxuriance of later
legend— that he should not die.
The last verses contain, first, an
attestation (by the Church of
Ephesus?) of the authorship of
St. John, and next, a statement,
in hyperbolical terms, of the
multitude of the deeds of Christ,
of which the Gospel is but an
imperfect record (comp. John
xx. 80, 31).
The Proper Lessons are
(Exod. xxxiii. 9-23 ; Isa. vi.) the
records of the two great mani-
festations of the Divine glory,
to Moses and to Isaiah (on which
see John i. 18; xii. 41), antici-
pations of the fuller Revelation
to St. John; and (John xiii.
23-36; Rev. i.) two pictures of
St. John, as the disciple whom
Jesus loved, resting in His
bosom, and as the Seer of Pat-
mos, receiving the vision and
the message of the exalted Lord.
8>^t Innocents* £hin
The Festival dates from the
3rd century, though the day of
celebration may not always have
been the same. (In the Greek
Church it is kept on the 29th.)
Its celebration is most natural,
and if the claim of martyrdom
for the Innocents fails to satisfy
the rigid demands of reason, it
commends itself by a singular
beauty and pathos. Slain for
His sake, who called the little
children to Him as the very
types of His Kingdom, they come
to be looked upon, not only as in-
nocent sufferers, but as martyrs,
baptized by blood unto His sal-
vation—witnesses for Him (as
the old Sarum Collect had it)
" not by speaking, but by dying."
The Collect, altered in 1662
from a more literal translation
of the old Collect, quotes Our
Lord's own words, accepting
childish homage, and dwells on
the death of the Innocents as a
homage glorifying Him ; then
prays for the childlike heart of
innocence in ourselves (but in
the form of conscious victory
over sin), and for simple willing-
ness to suffer even to the end.
The Epistle accordingly sets
before us this high ideal, from
the vision in the Apocalypse of
" the hundred and forty and four
thousand,"— sealed as " the first-
fruits unto God and to the
Lamb" — the types of purity and
entire self-devotion to the service
of God — "without fault before
His throne," and so alone
"learning the new song" of
Heaven, while others could hear
only the vague grandeur of " the
voice of many waters and the
voice of a great thunder " (comp.
John xii. 28, 29).
The Gospel gives simply the
record of the angelic warning
to Joseph to flee with the
" young child and His mother "
into Egypt, and to remain there
until, after the death of Her
he should be called back. (7
quotation here of Hos. xi. 1 is j
instance of simple application <
prophetic words.) Then it tells
63
THE INNOCENTS' DAY.
our sins, he is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness. If
we say that we have not sinned,
we make him a liar, and his word
is not in us.
The Gospel. St. John 21. 19.
JESUS said unto Peter, Follow
me. Then Peter, turning
about, seeth the disciple whom
Jesus loved following ; which also
leaned on his breast at supper,
and said, Lord, which is he that
tetrayeth thee ? Peter seeing him
saith to Jesus, Lord, and what
shall this man do? Jesus saith unto
him, If I will that he tarry till I
come, what is that to thee ? Follow
thou me. Then went this saying
abroad among the brethren, That
that disciple should not die : yet
Jesus said not unto him, He shall
not die ; but, If I will that he tarry
till I come, what is that to thee ?
This is the disciple which testifleth
of these things, and wrote these
things, and we know that his tes-
timony is true. And there are also
many other things which Jesus
did, the which if they should be
I written every one, I suppose, that
I even the world itself could not
contain the books that should be
I written.
W$t Innocents' 29ag.
The Collect
0 ALMIGHTY God, who out of
the mouths of babes and suck-
lings hast ordained strength, and
madest infants to glorify thee by
their deaths ; Mortify and kill all
vices in us, and so strengthen us
by thy grace, that by the innocency
of our lives, and constancy of our
faith even unto death, we may
glorify thy holy Name ; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Epistle. Rev. 14. 1.
I LOOKED, and lo, a Lamb
stood on the mount Sion, anil
with him an hundred forty and
four thousand, having his Father's
Name written in their foreheads.
And I heard a voice from heaven,
as the voice of many waters, and
as the voice of a great thunder :
and I heard the voice of harpers
harping with their harps: and
they sung as it were a new song
before the throne, and before the
four beasts, and the elders ; and
no man could learn that song, but
the hundred and forty and four
thousand, which were redeemed
from the earth. These are they
which were not denied with wo-
men, for they are virgins: these
are they which follow the Lamb
whithersoever he goeth : these
were redeemed from among men,
being the first-fruits unto God,
and to the Lamb. And in their
mouth was found no guile; for
they are without fault before the
throne of God.
The Gospel. St. Matth. 2. 13.
THE Angel of the Lord ap-
peareth to Joseph in a dream,
saying, Arise, and take the young
child, and his mother, and flee in-
to Egypt, and be thou there until
I bring thee word ; for Herod will
seek the young child to destroy
him. When he arose, he took the
young child and his mother by
night, and departed into Egypt,
and was there until the death of
Herod ; that it might be fulfilled
which was spoken of the Lord by
the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt
have I called my Son. Then He-
rod, when he saw that he was
mocked of the wise men, was ex-
ceeding wroth ; and sent forth, and
slew all the children that were in
Bethlehem, and in all the coasts
thereof, from two years old and
under, according to the time which
he had diligently enquired of the
wise men. Then was fulfilled that
which was spoken by Jeremy the
prophet, saying, In Rama was
there a voice heard, lamentation,
and weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
and would not be comforted, be-
cause they are not.
<ia
5-«
of the slaughter of the Innocents
by the baffled wrath of Herod;
and connects it with the utter-
ance of Jeremiah (xxxi. 15), tell-
ing of the mourning, heard by
the prophetic ear, of Rachel,
from her grave in Bethlehem
(see Gen. xxxv. 19) over its
ruined and desolate homes— a
"sorrow" (see Jer. xxxi. 17)
" not without hope."
£be S unban after
This Sunday (as its Collect im-
plies) is simply the continuation
of the Christmas celebration.
The Epistle brings out, from
St. Paul's pleading against the
Judaistic legalism of the Gala-
tians, the perfect freedom of
Sonship in the redeemed and
regenerate soul, by virtue of the
Incarnation of the Son of God
in the likeness of a servant, made
under the Law to redeem us
from tliA legal bondage of child-
ish imperfection to the full
adoption of Sonship, which
brings with it confidence in the
Fatherhood of God, and heirship
of God with Christ. For it is
this freedom which is the secret
of the unclouded simplicity of
Christmas joy.
The PnoPER Lessons are
(Jer. xxxi. 1-18) the picture of
the salvation of Israel, and the
" weeping of Rachel for her chil-
dren," with which it is accom-
panied; and (Baruch iv. 21-81)
the exhortation, "Be of good
cheer, my children," on the way
through weeping and Buffering
to joy and salvation in "the
Everlasting."
(Ejmstmas-lpag.
The Gospel records again the
story of the Incarnation, but
now as told especially to the
Jews in the Gospel of St.
Matthew. It dwells, therefore,
on the message to Joseph as
" son of David," of the concep-
tion by the Holy Ghost, fulfilling
the prophecy of Isa. vii. 14, which
declares the Virgin-born Messiah
(who is always, as the " Seed of
Abraham " and " Son of David,"
the Son of Man) to be also an
" Emmanuel"— a God present on
earth— or (which is but equiva-
lent) a Jesus, "Jehovah our
Saviour."
The Proper Lessons (Isa.
xxxv., xxxviii., xl.) simply con-
tinue the Advent series from the
" Evangelical Prophet."
jc Cimtmrision of Christ.
The date of this Festival is, of
course, determined by Christ-
mas. Biit it is not till some
time after the establishment of
the Christmas Festival, that the
day has any designation except
as the octave of Christmas.
Possibly anti-Judaic feeling
might shrink from dwelling on
Our Lord's Circumcision ; and
the day seems for some time to
have been observed as a fast, in
protest against the riotous
heathen celebration of the 1st of
January ; of which protest there
is perhaps still an echo in the
Collect. The earliest notices of
it as " the Circumcision " are
Western, and appear to be
Gallican. With us now it blends
with the idea of New Year's Day,
tending to solemnize the open-
ing of the year by the thought
of responsibility and the need
of painful struggle against sin.
The Collect, freely rendered
in 1549 from a Benediction in
the Sarum Use, first notes the
Circumcision of Our Lord as an
"obedience to the Law" — in
respect of an infliction of pain,
intended as a warning against
sin — not for His own sake, but
" for man," as the beginning of
His suffering for us. Then it
prays for the " circumcision of
the spirit "—for the principle,
that is, which outward circum-
cision symbolizes. This is not
merely obedience, but obedience
through mortification of our
" hearts and members," our
souls and bodies, recognising
sin in us, and our need, in
struggling against it, to submit
to constraint of law and to
suffering.
The Epistle, substituted in
1549 for the old Sarum Epistle
(Tit. ii. 11-15), has perhaps less
appropriateness than that which
it superseded ; for it dwells rather
on the nullity of circumcision,
than on its spiritual significance.
Wot SutUrag after
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY God, who hast
given us thy only-begotten
Son to take our nature upon him,
and as at this time to be born of a
pure Virgin ; Grant that we being
regenerate, and made thy children
by adoption and grace, may daily
be renewed by thy Holy Spirit ;
through the same our Lord Jesus
Christ, who liveth and reigneth
with thee and the same Spirit, ever
oneGod,world without end. A men.
The Epistle. Gal. 4. 1.
NOW I say, that the heir, as
long as he is a child, differeth
nothing from a servant, though he
be lord of all ; but is under tutors
and governours, until the time |
appointed of the father. Even so
we, when we were children, were
in bondage under the elements of
the world : but when the fulness
of the time was come, God sent
forth his Son, made of a woman,
made under the law, to redeem
them that were under the law, that
we might receive the adoption of
sons. And because ye are sons,
God hath sent forth the Spirit of
his Son into your hearts, crying,
Abba, Father. Wherefore thou
art no more a servant, but a son ;
and if a son, then an heir of God
through Christ.
(£i)nstmas=IBag*
The Gospel. St. Matth. 1. 18.
THE birth of Jesus Christ was
on this wise: When as his
mother Mary was espoused to
Joseph, before they came together
she was found with child of the
Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her
husband, being a just man, and
not willing to make her a pub-
lick example, was minded to put
her away privily. But while he
thought on these things, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared
unto him in a dream, saying,
Joseph thou son of David, fear
not to take unto thee Mary thy
wife ; for that which is conceived
in her is of the Holy Ghost : And
she shall bring forth a Son, and
thou shalt call his name JESUS ;
for he shall save his people from
their sins. (Now all this was done,
that it might be fulfilled which
was spoken of the Lord by the
prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin
shall be with child, and shall bring
forth a Son, and they shall call
his name Emmanuel, which being
interpreted is, God with us.) Then
Joseph, being raised from sleep,
did as the angel of the Lord had
bidden him, and took unto him his
wife ; and knew her not till she had
brought forth her first-born son :
and he called his name JESUS.
Wt)z Circumcision of Christ.
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY God, who madest
thy blessed Son to be circum-
cised, and obedient to the law for
man ; Grant us the true Circum-
cision of the Spirit ; that, our
hearts, and all our members, be-
ing mortified from all worldly and
oarnal lusts, we may in all things
obey thy blessed will ; through the
same thy Son Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
The Ef/istle. Rom. 4. 8.
BLESSED is the man to whom
the Lord will not impute sin.
Cometh this blessedness then upon
the circumcision only, or upon the
uncireumcision also ? For we say,
that £aj|& was reckoned to Abra-
ham for righteousness. How was
it then reckoned ? when he was in
circumcision, or in uncireumci-
sion ? Not in circumcision, but in
uncireumcision. And he received
the sign of circumcision, a seal
of the righteousness of the faith
which he had yet being uncircum-
cised ; that he might be the father
of all them that believe, though
they be not circumcised ; that
righteousness might be imputed
unto them also : And the father
of circumcision to them who are
not of the circumcision only, but
also walk in the steps of that faith
of our father Abraham, which he
had being yet uncircumcised. For
the promise, that he should be the
6*
It contrasts it indeed with the
faith of Abraham, as being the
true condition of the Covenant
(of which Circumcision was bat
the sign and seal), and therefore
of the righteousness imputed to
him, and the promise attached
to that Covenant, which was not
to be through the Law, but was
to belong to all, circumcised or
uncircumcised, who imitated his
faith. Except so far as it em-
phasizes the higher sacredness
of our own Christian Covenant,
as not of the Law, but of the
Spirit, it hardly carries out the
special idea of the day.
Thb Gospel prefixes to the
brief notice of the Circumcision
the record (which belongs still to
Christmas) of the journey of the
shepherds to Bethlehem to see
the Infant Saviour, and of the
various effects of the Incarnation
— in the multitude mere wonder,
in the shepherds thanksgiving
and praise, in the mother of the
Lord the thoughtful and rever-
ent pondering in the heart. Cir-
cumcision was always connected
(like Baptism with us) with the
naming of the child, as now
entering for himself into Cove-
nant with God ; and so here Our
Lord at His Circumcision re-
ceived publicly the name Jesus
("Jehovah the Saviour"), in
which His Nature and Office are
gathered up.
Thb Proper Lessons are
(Gen. xvii. 9-27) the record of
the circumcision of Abraham
and his house, and (Deut. x. 12-
22) an exhortation to Israel to
seek the " true circumcision of
the heart"; and (Rom. ii. 17-
29; Col. ii. 8-18) the contrast
between circumcision "in the
spirit and the letter," and be-
tween the outward circumcision
and the " circumcision made
without hands," in which we are
"buried and risen with Christ
in Baptism."
(C)
THE EPIPHANY AND SUNDAYS FOLLOWING.
(tbc Orpipir.mji.
The Greek name of this Festi-
val (" the Manifestation ") turns
our thoughts to the East for its
origin. There it seems clear
that in the Epiphany the Greek
Church originally combined the
general celebration (on January
6th) of Oar Lord's Manifesta-
tions on earth— at His Nativity,
at His Baptism, and in His self-
revelation by miracle at Cana of
Galilee— all these perhaps being
conceived as happening on the
same day of the year. It was
consequently one of the greatest
Festivals, and especially one of
the days of solemn Baptism.
The manifestation to the Wise
Men, if recognised at all in the
East, was entirely subordinate.
In the Western Church from
early times (as in the East sub-
sequently) the Epiphany was
observed as a separate Festival ;
but its idea was different and
more restricted. Although the
old references to Our Lord's
Baptism and His first Miracle
were not extinct (see the Second
Lessons for the Epiphany, and
the Gospel for the Second Sun-
day after Epiphany), the mani-
festation to the Magi— striking
and significant, but lying as an
episode outside the history-
took such prominence as to
obscure all else, and in mediae-
val times associated with itself
a mass of picturesque legends.
The day was, therefore, closely
connected with Christmas, as
the name "Twelfth Day"
shews, and was looked upon as
the close of Christmas festivity.
The period which it introduces
is one of thoughtful meditation
on the Incarnation and earthly
life of Our Lord, before passing
to the preparation for Easter.
The Collect is a translation
of the old Sarum Collect (taken
from the Sacramentary of Gre-
gory) alluding to the manifesta-
tion by the Star, and praying
for an Epiphany of the Lord to
us, both by faith now, and by
the fruition, or enjoyment, of
His Godhead, when we see Him
face to face hereafter.
The Epistle, substituted in
1549 for an appropriate prophecy
of Isaiah (lx. 1-6), is the enun-
ciation by St. Paul (a) of the
special commission to him, to
proclaim the mystery—" from
the beginning hid in God," and
THE EFIPHANY.
heir of the world, was not to Abra-
ham,or to his sccd,through the law,
but through the righteousness of
faith. For if they which are of the
law be heirs, faith is made void, and
the promise made of none effect.
The Gospel. St. Luke 2. 15.
AND it came to pass, as the
. angels were gone away from
them into heaven, the shepherds
said one to another, Let us now
go even unto Bethlehem, and see
this thing which is come to pass,
which the Lord hath made known
unto us. And they came with
haste, and found Mary and Joseph ,
and the babe lying in a manger.
And when they had seen it, they
made known abroad the saying
which was told them concerning
this child. And all they that heard
it wondered at those things which
were told them by the shepherds.
But Mary kept all these things,
and pondered them in her heart.
And the shepherds returned, glo-
rifying and praising God for all
the things that they had heard and
seen, as it was told unto them.
And when eight days were accom-
plished for the circumcising of
the child, his name was called
JESUS, which was so named of
the angel before ho was conceived
in the womb.
% The same Collect, Epistle, and Gos-
pel shall serve for every day after
unto the Epiphany.
Qlty GFptpfcang,
o
F'
OR THE MANIFESTATION OF
The Collect.
GOD, who by the leading of a
star didst manifest thy only-
begotten Son to the Gentiles ; Mer-
cifully grant, that we, which know
thee now by faith, may after this
life have the fruition of thy glo-
rious Godhead ; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. A men.
The Epistle. Ephes. 3. 1.
OR this cause, I Paul, the
prisoner of Jesus Christ for
you Gentiles ; if ye have heard of
the dispensation of the grace of
God, which is given me to you-
ward : How that by revelation he
made known unto me the mystery
(as I wrote afore in few words,
whereby, when ye read, ye may
understand my knowledge in the
mystery of Christ) which in other
. ages was not made known unto the
sons of men, as it is now revealed
unto his holy Apostles and Pro-
phets by the Spirit; That the
Gentiles should be fellow-heirs,
and of the same body, and par-
takers of his promise in Christ, by
the Gospel : whereof I was made
a minister, according to the gift of
the grace of God given unto me
by the effectual working of his
power. Unto me, who am less
than the least of all saints, is this
CHRIST TO THE GENTILES.
grace given, that I should preach
among the Gentiles the unsearch-
able riches of Christ ; and to make
all men see what is the fellowship
of the mystery, which from the
beginning' of the world hath beeir
hid in God, who created all things
by Jesus Christ : to the intent,
that now unto the principalities
and powers in heavenly places
might be known by the Church
the manifold wisdom of God, ac-
cording to the eternal purpose
which he purposed in Christ Je-
sus our Lord : In whom we have
boldness and access with confi-
dence by the faith of him.
The Gospel. St. Matth. 2. 1.
WHEN Jesus was born in
Bethlehem of Judsea, in the
days of Herod the king, behold,
there came wise men from the east
to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he
that is born King of the Jews ? for
we have seen ids star in the east,
and are come to worship him.
When Herod the king had heard
these things, he was troubled, and
all Jerusalem with him. And
when he had gathered all the chief
priests and scribes of the people
together, he demanded of them,
where Christ should be born. And
they said unto him, In Bethlehem
65
therefore hitherto unknown to
man, but now revealed by the
Spirit— of the call of the Gen-
tiles into the full covenant of
God, (6) and, through this de-
claration of the unsearchable
riches of Christ, of the mani-
festation by the Church before
all men ana all angels of " the
manifold wisdom of God." It
dwells, therefore, upon the
reality, of which the Epiphany
to the Magi was bat a type and
promise.
Thb Gospel is the record—
even to us clearly for its sym-
>lic significance— of the visit
of the Wise Men— that is, the
Mapi (the "Three Kings" of
legend), the astrologers of the
East— to the cradle of Bethle-
hem, led by a star. This star
has been thought by some to be
a wonderful conjunction of plan-
ets which then took place, by
others to be a miraculous
luminary in heaven ; in either
case interpreted by their astro-
logy, as heralding the birth of
the great King, who (as we
know) was at that time expect-
ed, by friends and foes alike, to
arise out of Judaea. Led to-
wards knowledge by their own
science, they gain it in certainty
from the Revelation of God.
The prophecy quoted by the
Sanhedrim is Micah v. 2 — one of
the most striking and definite
of the Messianic prophecies.
The gifts offered were signifi-
cant—gold to a King, frankin-
cense to One Divine, myrrh, the
emblem of death, to a Sufferer.
In us they represent the offer-
ing to Him of our wealth and
energy, our adoration, and our
self-sacrifice.
The Proper Lessons are the
prophecies (Isa.lx.) of the mani-
festation of the Kingdom of
God, universal, glorious, un-
clouded in light and righteous-
ness, and (Isa. xlix. 13-24) of the
restoration of Israel from cap-
tivity and the gathering in of the
Gentiles; and (Luke iii. 15-28;
John ii. 1-12) the records of two
"Epiphanies" of Our Lord, in
the outpouring of the Spirit at
His Baptism, and in His first
manifestation by miracle.
The Sundays after Epiphany (which vary in number from one
to six, according as Easter falls early or late) have, as is usual in the
period following some great Festival, a thoughtful and practical
tone. The Epistles of the first four Sundays all come from the
Sractical close of the great Epistle to the Romans : the Gospels all
eal with self-manifestations of Our Lord, chiefly by miracle. The
5th and Oth Sundays, which are exceptional in occurrence, do not
present the same continuity of teaching.
The Proper Lessons of the first three Sundays complete the
series from Isaiah begun in Advent, and those of the last three are
the only Proper Lessons taken from the Books of Job and Proverbs.
&|jr ^ftrst Sunbag
Tht. Collect, a free and beau-
tiful translation of the old Sarum
Collect, strikes at once the prac-
tical note, praying for light to
1 ' know what we ought to do," and
grace to act on our knowledge.
The Epistle answers the
question, What is it that we
ought to do? It opens the last
section of that great Epistle to
the Romans, which has dwelt
most emphatically on free justi-
fication by the mercy of God
through Christ, and urges on ua
" by these mercies " the duty of
a living and rational sacrifice of
our bodies (as well as our souls) :
(a) shewing itself towards God
after % (gpip^ang.
by a change of soul from de-
pendence on the shallow fashion
of the visible world to a deep
inner accordance with His per-
fect Will ; (6) shewing itself to-
wards man in a resolution to
sink all individual self-assertion
in the Communion of the One
Body in Christ. This is the
true "self -denial," which Our
Lord declares to be the condi-
tion of following Him (Matt. xvi.
24). It is taken up and enlarged
in the Post-Communion Office
ir. the prayer of Oblation.
The Gospel begins the record
of the Manifestation of Our
Lord by the one glimpse given
THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY.
of Judsea : for thus it is written by
the prophet, And thou, Bethle-
hem, in the land of Juda, art not
the least among the princes of Ju-
da : for out of thee shall come a
Governour that shall rule my peo-
Ele Israel. Then Herod, when he
ad privily called the wise men,
enquired of them diligently what
time the star appeared. And he
sent them to Bethlehem, and said,
Go, and search diligently for the
young child, and when ye have
found him, bring me word again,
that I may come and worship him
also. When they had heard the
king, they departed ; and lo, the
Wyz JFtrst Suntfag
The Collect.
OLORD, wc beseech thee mer-
cifully to receive the prayers
of thy people which call upon
thee ; and grant that they may
both perceive and know what
things they ought to do, and also
may have grace and power faith-
fully to fulfil the same ; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. A men.
The Epistle. Rom. 12. 1.
I BESEECH you therefore, bre-
thren, by the mercies of God,
that ye present your bodies a liv-
ing sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto
God, which is your reasonable ser-
vice. And be not conformed to
this world ; but be ye transformed
by the renewing of your mind,
that ye may prove what is that
good, and acceptable, and perfect
will of God. For I say, through
the grace given unto me, to every
man that is among you, not to
think of himself more highly than
he ought to think, but to think
soberly, according as God hath
dealt to every man the measure of
faith. For as we have many mem-
bers in one body, and all members
have not the same office ; so we,
being many, are one body in
Christ, and every one members
one of another.
The Gospel. St. Luke 2. 41.
NOW his parents went to Je-
rusalem «very year at the
star which they saw in the east
went before them, till it came and
stood over where the young child
was. When they saw the star,
they rejoiced with exceeding great
joy. And when they were come
into the house, they saw the young
child with Mary his mothe**, and
fell down and worshipped him :
and when they had opened their
treasures,they presented unto him
gifts ; gold, and frankincense, and
myrrh. And being warned of God
in a dream that they should not
return to Herod, they departed
into their own country another
way.
after tf>e (JBpipfyartg.
feast of the Passover. And wfien
he was twelve years old, they went
up to Jerusalem, after the custom
of the feast. And when they had
fulfilled the days, as they return-
ed, the child Jesus tarried behind
in Jerusalem ; and Joseph and his
mother knew not of it. But they,
supposing him to have been in the
company, went a day's journey,
and they sought him among their
kinsfolk and acquaintance. And
when they found him not, they
turned back again to Jerusalem,
seeking him. And it came to pass,
that after three days they found
him in the temple, sitting in the
midst of the doctors, both hearing
them, and asking them questions.
And all that heard him were asto-
nished at his understanding and
answers. And when they saw him,
they were amazed : and his mother
said unto him, Son, why hast thou
thus dealt with us ? behold, thy
father and I have sought thee sor-
rowing. And he said unto them,
How is it that ye sought me ? wist
ye not that I must be about my
Father's business ? And they un-
derstood not the saying which he
spake unto them. And he went
down with them, and came to Na-
zareth,and was subject unto them :
but his mother kept all these say-
ings in her heart. And Jesus in-
creased in wisdom, and stature,
and in favour with God and man.
W
ns of His childhood; when at
the age of twelve years (at which
each Jewish boy became a " son
of the Law") He went up to
the Passover ; tarried in Jeru-
salem to sit at the feet of the
teachers of the Law "to hear
them," "to ask questions." and
to "answer" theirs; and declar-
ed to those who sought Him
that He must by spiritual ne-
cessity be "in His Father's
House," or " about His Father's
business." In this we read the
Sbe JScconb Sunbajj
The Collect (a literal trans-
lation of the old Sarum Collect !
is simple in the extreme, recog-
nising God's Almighty Provi-
dence, and praying for His peace
—a pence with self, with man,
and with God— which is the first
and last blessing of the Gospel
(see Luke ii. 14 ; John xiv. 27. &
xx. 10 — 21), though it may be for a
time broken by the resistance of
evil (Matt. x. 84).
The Epistle is a detailed ap-
plication of the general princi-
ples enunciated in the Epistle
of last Sunday ; first, under the
sense of individual responsibility,
by resolution to make full use of
any gift and corresponding func-
tion in the Church— whether of
prophecy and teaching, or of
practical rule and charitable
work— so as to yield a thought-
ful, earnest, single-hearted ser-
vice ; next, by the spirit of love
in all its forms— in affection for
the good, in kindliness and hu-
mility, in energy of service and
hopeful patience, in open-handed
charity and forgiveness, in uni-
versal sympathy and self -forge t-
self-sacrifice of absolute devo-
tion to God— in resolution, in
thought, and in action— which is
the dominant idea of true hu-
man life. But, next, under the
shadow of this supreme idea, we
find the other element of self-
denial and humility in His re-
turn to be subject to His earthly
parents, and His quiet growth
in favour of God and man."
The Gospel thus shews us in ex-
ample what the Epistle teaches
in precept.
after tjje Cpinbann.
fulness. (Compare the descrip-
tion of Charity in 1 Cor. xiii.)
The Gospel begins the record
of Our Lord's self-manifestation
by miracle — in this case given for
the confirmation of the faith of
His disciples— marking also His
public entrance on His Ministry,
and accordingly His resolute
though gentle renunciation of
the parental authority to which
He had been subject. The mi-
racle of Cana of Galilee is an
assumption of Creative Power,
doing in a moment what God's
Providence does by long process
and visible means ; and, like
God's creative power generally,
shews itself in gift of temporal
blessing, and sympathy with in-
nocent human joy. The two les-
sons which it especially teaches
are these, first, that the true
function of miracle is to be a
" sign " or manifestation of the
Lord, and next, that the asceti-
cism, fleeing from the world and
its joys— however it may be often
needed as a self-discipline or a
protest against evil— is not the
true ideal of Christian life.
&\>t &|>irb Sttnbau after % (Spipjjanjj.
The Collect (again a close
translation from the old 'Sarum
Collect), recognising our own
infirmity within, and the pre-
sence of danger and necessity
without, prays for God's protec-
tion—the only security, in a
world of conflict, for the peace
prayed for in last Sunday's Col-
lect.
The Epistle, continuing that
of last Sunday, recognises still
more plainly the conflict of evil
against us; forbidding revenge, I
teaching us to avoid offence and
do our best for peace ; and final-
ly, commanding us to leave all
retribution in God's hand, and
" overcome evil " simply " by the
power of good." The quotations
are from Deut. xxxii. 85 ; Prov.
xxv. 21, 22. The "coals of fire
upon the enemy's head " are cer-
tainly under the Gospel— what-
W)i Suonfc Surtoajr
The Collect
ALMIGHTY and everlasting
God, who dost govern all
things in heaven and earth ; Merci-
fully hear the supplications of thy
people, and grant us thy peace all
the days of our life ; through Je-
sus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. Rom. 12. 6.
HAVING then gifts differing
according to the grace that
is given to us, whether prophecy,
let us prophesy according to the
proportion of faith ; or ministry,
' let us wait on our ministering ; or
he that teacheth, on teaching ; or
he that exhorteth, on exhortation :
he that giveth, let him do it with
simplicity ; he that ruleth, with
diligence ; he that shcweth mer-
cy, with cheerfulness. Let love
be without dissimulation. Abhor
that which is evil, cleave to that
which is good. Be kindly affec-
tioned one to another with bro-
therly love, in honour preferring
one another : not slothful in busi-
ness ; fervent in spirit ; serving the
Lord ; rejoicing in hope ; patient
in tribulation ; continuing instant
in prayer ; distributing to the ne-
cessity of saints ; given to hospita-
lity. Bless them which persecute
you ; bless, and curse not. Rejoice
with them that do rejoice, and
weep with them that weep. Be of
the same mind one towards an-
other. Mind not high things, but
condescend to men of low estate.
after t\)t (Eptpfymj.
The Gospel. St. John 2. 1.
AND the third day there was
a marriage in Cana of Gali-
lee, and the mother of Jesus was
there. And both Jesus was called,
and his disciples, to the marriage.
And when they wanted wine, the
mother of Jesus saith unto him,
They have no wine. Jesus saith
unto her, Woman, what have I to
do with thee ? mine hour is not
yet come. His mother saith unto
the servants, Whatsoever he saith
unto you, do it. And there were
set there six water-pots of stone,
after the manner of the purifying
of the Jews, containing two or
three firkins apiece. Jesus saith
unto them, Fill the water-pots
with water. And they filled them
up to the brim. And he saith un-
to them, Draw out now, and bear
unto the governour of the feast.
And they bare it. When the ruler
of the feast had tasted the water
that was made wine, and knew not
whence it was, (but the servants
which drew the water knew,) the
governour of the feast called the
bridegroom, and saith unto him,
Every man at the beginning doth
set forth good wine, and when
men have well drunk, then that
which is worse : but thou hast
kept the good wine until now.
This beginning of miracles did
Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and ma-
nifested forth his glory, and his
disciples believed on him.
&f>e Ef)trti SurOratj after tJje (JHpip^ans.
The Collect.
AL M I G H T Y and everlasting
God, mercifully look upon
our infirmities, and in all our dan-
gers and necessities stretch forth
thy right hand to help and defend
us ; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Epistle. Rom. 12. 16.
BE not wise in your own con-
ceits. Recompense to no man
evil for evil. Provide things honest
in the sight of all men. If it be
possible, as much as lieth in you,
live peaceably with all men. Dear-
ly beloved, avenge not yourselves
but rather give place unto wrath ;
for it is written, Vengeance is
mine ; I will repay, saith the
Lord. Therefore, if thine enemy
hunger, feed him; if he thirst,
give him drink : for in so doing
thou shalt heap coals of fire on his
head. Be not overcome of evil,
but overcome evil with good.
The Gospel. St. Matth. 8. 1.
WHEN he was come down
from the mountain, great
multitudes followed him. And
behold, there came a leper and
67
ever they may have been under
the older Covenant— intended to
melt, not to consume.
The Gospel continues the
Epiphany by miracle ; but the
miracles here are of Redemption
from Buffering ; in the case of
the leprosy from a suffering,
which carried with it pollution
and consequent excommunica-
tion, and was viewed especially
as a curse on sin ; in the case of
the palsy from a suffering not so
much or pain, as of weakness,
paralysing all joy and usefulness
in life. In both cases it is clear
that the healing is symbolical of
Our Lord's spiritual office of re-
demption, from the foul guilt
and the paralysing helplessness
of sin. (On the law of leprosy
and its cure see Lev. xiii. &
xiv.) In the case of the leper,
His touch both shewed His gra-
cious sympathy, and asserted His
superiority to the Law. The
healing of the centurion's ser-
vant—bringing out the strong
simplicity of the faith of the
Roman soldier— at once teaches
that the faith of one man may
be accepted to the benefit of an-
other, and is made by Our Lord
Himself a symbolic prophecy of
the coming in of the Gentiles to
the Kingdom of God— there to
enjoy the Communion with Him,
which the children of the King-
dom rejected to their own con-
demnation.
&(je <#ourt{j jStmbag after i\t (Efjtpjrang.
The Collect (varied from the
old Sarum Collect) still recog-
nises both our danger and our
infirmity, and (in words which
form an admirable explanation
of the petition, "Lead us not
into temptation") asks both for
strength and protection, to
support us in all danger, and
carry us through all tempta-
tion.
The Epistle, still in continu-
ation of the former, dwells on
submission to temporal power,
which, under the Roman tyran-
ny, and in the first enthusiasm
of Gospel freedom, perhaps es-
pecially needed enforcement by
Apostolic authority (comp. 1 Pet.
ii. 11-17). It is, of course, ob-
vious that, as Our Lord teaches,
such subjection is limited by the
higher obedience to God (Matt,
xxii. 21). Temporal authority
(being necessary to human so-
ciety) is at once an ordinance
of God, carrying with it dignity,
and a ministry for His sake to
His people, implying responsi-
bility. Its function is, under
God's Providence, to put down
and punish evil, to sustain and
reward good. It is to be obeyed
accordingly in all its phases, with
deference as well as obedience,
not by constraint, but willingly
for conscience' sake; and is to
receive its due — the material due
of tribute and custom, the spiri-
tual due of fear and honour. (It
68
cannot be disobeyed, even when
it must be disobeyed, without
deep responsibility and certainty
of some evil consequence.)
The Gospel still sets forth
the Epiphany by miracle, but
here by miracles of beneficent
power over the convulsions of
Nature, and the possession by
evil spirits— the • two being pro-
bably recorded together, because
the one is symbolical of the
other. The rebuke of the storm
is one of the miracles, which,
dealing with the physical world,
preclude all idea of mere sub-
jective effect on the imagination.
The casting out devils is an in-
stance of a frequent work of His
redemptive mercy, recorded al-
ways in terms which recognise
most distinctly the reality of
demoniacal possession, as some-
thing more than the mere men-
tal disease which was its effect.
The suffering the devils to pass
into the swine stands out almost
exceptional, as a miracle involv-
ing destruction, doubtless justi-
fied by some exceptional circum-
stance and purpose, and certainly
forcing upon an unimpressible
people a startling conviction of
the reality of demoniacal power.
The Gadarenes perverted its les-
son, not to serious impression,
but to the fear which desires at
all hazards to be let alone. The
granting of their desire was its
own punishment.
THE FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY.
worshipped him, saying, Lord, if
thou wilt, thou canst make me
clean. And Jesus put forth his
hand, and touched him, saying, I
will ; be thou clean. And imme-
diately his leprosy was cleansed.
And Jesus saith unto him, See
thou tell no man, but go thy way,
shew thyself to the priest, and of-
fer the gift that Moses command-
ed, for a testimony unto them.
And when Jesus was entered into
Capernaum, there came unto him
a centurion beseeching him, and
saying, Lord, my servant lieth at
home sick of the palsy, grievously
tormented. And Jesus saith unto
him, I will come and heal him.
The centurion answered and said,
Lord, I am not worthy that thou
shouldest come under my roof ; but
speak the word only, and my ser-
vant shall be healed. For I am a
Qfyt JFourtl) Sutftag
The Collect.
OGOD, who knowest us to be
set in the midst of so many
and great dangers, that by reason
of the frailty of our nature we can-
not always stand upright ; Grant
to us such strength and protection,
as may support us in all dangers,
and carry us through all tempta-
tions; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. Rom. 13.1.
LET every soul be subject unto
the higher powers ; for there
is no power but of God : the pow-
ers that be are ordained of God.
Whosoever therefore resisteth the
power resisteth the ordinance of
God: and they that resist shall
receive to themselves damnation.
For rulers are not a terror to good
works, but to the evil. Wilt thou
then not be afraid of the power ?
do that which is good, and thou
Shalt have praise of the same : for
he is the minister of God to thee
for good. But if thou do that which
is evil, be afraid ; for he beareth
not the sword in vain : for he is
the minister of God, a revenger
to execute wrath upon him that
man under authority, having sol-
diers under me : and I say unto
this man, Go, and he goeth ; and
to another, Come, and he cometh ;
and to my servant, Do this, and
he doeth it. When Jesus heard
it, he marvelled, and said to them
that followed, Verily I say unto
you, T have not found so great
faith, no not in Israel. And I say
unto you, That many shall come
from the east and west, and shall
sit down with Abraham, and Isaac,
and Jacob, in the kingdom of hea-
ven. But the children of the king-
dom shall be cast out into outer
darkness : there Bhall be weeping
and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus
said unto the centurion, Go thy
way, and as thou hast believed, so
be it done unto thee. And his
servant was healed in the self-
same hour.
after ti)t 4Fptpr)ang.
doeth evil. Wherefore ye must
needs be subject, not only for
wrath, but also for conscience
sake. For for this cause pay ye
tribute also ; for they are God's
ministers, attending continually
upon this very thing. Render
therefore to all their dues ; tribute
to whom tribute is due, custom
to whom custom, fear to whom
fear, honour to whom honour.
The Gospel. St. Matth. 8. 23.
AND when he was entered into
-ii a ship, his disciples followed
him. And behold, there arose a
great tempest in the sea, insomuch
that the ship was covered with the
waves : but he was asleep. And
his disciples came to him, and
awoke him, saying, Lord, save
us, we perish. And he saith unto
them, Why are ye fearful, 0 ye of
little faith ? Then he arose, and
rebuked the winds and the sea,
and there was a great calm. But
the men marvelled, saying, What
manner of man is this, that even
the winds and the sea obey him !
And when he was come to the
other side into the country of the
Gergesenes, there met him two
ftbe JtftJ) Snnbag afar tfct fftyfetftf.
This and the following Sunday,
which occur less frequently than
the others, break the continuity
of idea traceable in them. This
Sunday, so far as it dwells on the
Epiphany at all, brings out the
Epiphany of present grace.
The Collect (from the same
source as before) still prays for
God's grace and protection ; but
here for the Church as the house-
hold of God, seeking and depend-
ing upon the Divine grace.
The Epistle accordingly, tak-
en from the last section of the
Epistle to the Colossians (there
following a description of "the
putting off the old man " of sin),
recognises Christians as already
"elect of God," and bids them
put on accordingly the likeness
of Christ ; first, and most truly,
in all the various phases of the
" Charity which is the bond of
pcrfeetness," growing under the
thankful sense of the peace of
God: next, in the wisdom com-
ing from the insight of a devo-
tion, which is able at once to
teach others and to pour out its
own thankfulness to God— in the
" psalms and hymns " of the mul-
titude and the " spiritual songs "
of the few; lastly, in the sense
that "whatever we do, in word
or deed," we do "in the >'ame
of the Lord Jesus Christ"— that
is, in acknowledgment of His
presence, with us and in us, as
the source at once of justification
and sanctiftcation before God.
The Gospel is the celebrated
Parable, explained by Our Lord
Himself, of the Church, or
"Kingdom of Heaven," as the
good seed, sown by the Son of
Man in the field of this world,
spoiled and choked by the
''tares"— a bastard counterfeit
of wheat, detected only by the
black poisonous grain formed in
the ear— sown by the Evil one
and his servants ; which yet must
not be rooted out violently, lest
the good seed intermixed should
suffer, but left to final division
and destruction at the harvest of
the Great Day. The lessons of
the Parable are many; as, for
example, that evil is the coun-
terfeit of good; that tares are
best destroyed, not by rooting
up. but by cultivation of the
good seed ; that evil, in the world
or in the heart, exists not by
God's Will, but by His permis-
sion, and exists only for a time.
i:
S^e &i*tb Snnban after i^e (Sptp^anjj.
This Sunday was inserted in
1662. Till then it was directed,
that, in the rare case in which a
sixth Sunday occurs, the Ser-
vices of the Fifth Sunday should
be repeated. Its Services dwell
on the Epiphany of the Fu-
ture.
The Collect (drawn up by
Bishop Cosin) is one of the
finest and most characteristic
specimens of the modern type.
(a) It quotes in the preamble
the description, in 1 John iii. 8
& John i. 12. 18, of the redeem-
ing work of Christ, negatively as
destroying the works of the
devil, positively as giving us the
adoption of sonship and heirship
of Eternal life; then (ft) (still
following 1 John iii. 3) prays
that the hope planted by His
Redemption in us may be to us
a se ed of purity how, and the
earnest of perfect likeness to
Him at His last Epiphany at
the Great Day. (c) It ends
with an ascription notable as
containing, contrary to ordinary
custom, a direct address to God
the Holy Ghost.
The Epistle (from which the
idea of the Collect is taken) is
one of the most striking pas-
sages from the First Epistle of
St. John, uniting profound ex-
position of doctrine with stern
practical warning, (a) In its
doctrinal teaching it starts from
the present fact of our adoption
to sonship in Christ out of an
alienated world : it looks on to
the perfection, of which this is
an earnest— the vision of Him
as He is, and our transformation
by that vision to His likeness.
( ft ) In practical exhortation, St.
John goes on to urge, as the
THE FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY.
possessed with devils, coming out
of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so
that no man might pass by that
way. And behold, they cried out,
saying, What have we to do with
thee, Jesus, thou Son of God ? art
thou come hither to torment us
before the time ? And there was a
good way oif from them an herd
of many swine, feeding. So the
devils besought him, saying, If
thou cast us out, suffer us to go
away into the herd of swine. And
he said unto them, Go. And when
Wi)t JFtfti) Suntrag
The Collect.
OLORD, we beseech thee to
keep thy Church and house-
hold continually in thy true reli-
gion ; that they who do lean only
upon the hope of thy heavenly
grace may evermore be defended
by thy mighty power; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. A men.
The Epistle. Col. 3. 12.
PUT on therefore, as the elect
of God, holy and beloved,
bowels of mercies, kindness, hum-
bleness of mind, meekness, long-
suffering ; forbearing one another,
and forgiving one another, if any
man have a quarrel against any ;
even as Christ forgave you, so
also do ye. And above all these
things put on charity, which is
the bond of perfectness. And let
the peace of God rule in your
hearts, to the which also ye are
called in one body ; and be ye
thankful. Let the word of Christ
dwell in you richly in all wisdom,
teaching and admonishing one an-
other in psalms, and hymns, and
spiritual songs, singing with grace
in your hearts to the Lord. And
Vfyt &txti) Suntfag
The Collect.
OGOD, whose blessed Son was
manifested that he might de-
stroy the works of the devil, and
make us the sons of God, and heirs
of eternal life ; Grant us, we lie-
seech thee, that, having this hope,
we rimy purify ourselves, even as
they were come out, they went in-
to the herd of swine : and behold,
the whole herd of swine ran vio-
lently down a steep place into the
sea, and perished in the waters.
And they that kept them fled, and
went their ways into the city, and
told every thing, and what was be-
fallen to the possessed of the
devils. And behold, the whole city
ctune out to meet Jesus : and
when they saw him, they besought
him, that he would depart out of
their coasts.
after tlje (HEpipfyang.
whatsoever ye do, in word or deed,
do all in the Name of the Lord
Jesus, giving thanks to God and
the Father by him.
The Gosjtel. St. Matth. 13. 21.
THE kingdom of heaven is
likened unto a man which
sowed good seed in his field. But
while men slept, his enemy came
and sowed tares among the wheat,
and went his way. But when the
blade was sprung up, and brought
forth fruit, then appeared the
tares also. So the servants of the
householder came, and said unto
him, Sir, didst not thou sow good
seed in thy field? from whence
then hath it tares ? He said unto
them, An enemy hath done this.
The servants said unto him, Wilt
thou then that we go and gather
them up? But he said, Nay; lest
while ye gather up the tares, ye
root up also the wheat with them.
Let both grow together until the
harvest ; and in the time of har-
vest I will say to the reapers, Ga-
ther ye together first the tares,
and bind them in bundles to burn
them : but gather the wheat into
my barn.
after ti)t eBptpfrmg.
he is pure ; that, when he shall
appear again with power and great
glory, we may be made like unto
him in his eternal and glorious
kingdom ; where with thee, O Fa-
ther, and thee, 0 Holy Ghost, he
liveth and reigneth, ever one God,
world without end. A num.
69
necessary result, purity of heart,
in obedience to the law of God,
without which we can have no
Bight or knowledge of Him
(comp. Matt. v. 8) ; and warns
his children against the delu-
sion, which separates ideal
righteousness from doing righ-
teously, and so throws men back
into the power of Satan, which
Our Lord came to destroy.
(Compare the order of teaching
in the Catechism— first the
Baptismal blessings, then the
Baptismal Vow.)
The Gospel similarly pro-
claims the Epiphany of the
Future, from Our Lord's own
prophecy to His disciples on the
eve of His Passion. In it (a)
He warns against false Christs,
even if they shew great signs
and wonders, and promises that,
when He comes, His Coming
shall shine as the lightning
from one end of Heaven to the
other, with no possibility of
doubt or hesitation. Then (ft)
He describes the preparation for
His Coming, in the convulsion*
of Nature and of Humanity,
breaking up the old world.
Lastly (e) He tells how "the
sign of the Son of Man " (the
Cross, as old interpreters be-
lieved) shall be seen in Heaven
to the terror of His enemies;
and then He Himself with His
angels shall come, and shall
gather His elect together.
(II.) THE SECOND SECTION OF THE YEAR
(dependent on Batter).
(A) SEPTUAGESIMA, SEXAGESIMA, QUINQUAGESIMA.
ThiB period forms a transition between the festal commemoration
of Christmastide and the penitential observance of Lent. Of these
three Sundays Quinquagesima is rightly named, being the 50th day
before Easter, as Pentecost is the 50th day after it. The other two
are evidently named, though inaccurately, by analogy thereto. The
names are used early in all Western Calendars, but have nothing
to correspond to them in the Eastern.
The Proper Lessons.— The First Lessons generally are taken
from Genesis, dwelling on the Creation, Paradise, the Fall, the
Flood, the New Covenant, and the early history of Abraham. . But
on Septuagesima a First Lesson at the second Evensong is Job
xxxviii., the declaration by the Lord " out of the whirlwind " of the
wonder and mystery of Creation ; and the Proper Second Lessons
(Rev. xxi. 1-9 ; xxi. 9— xxii. 6)— in contrast with the revelation of the
first Creation and the Earthly Paradise — bring out the picture of the
Creation of the new heaven and the new earth, and of the glory of
the new Jerusalem.
£rptrmgeBima.
The Collect (from the old one he takes the lesson of unity
Sarum Missal) at once antici-
pates two chief ideas of Lent —
the acknowledgment of our sin
and its just punishment, and
the prayer for forgiveness from
God's mercy in and through
Christ.
The Epistle brings in the
other chief Lenten idea of self-
discipline. Addressing the Cor-
inthians, spectators of the great
Isthmian games, St. Paul holds
out, as models for the spiritual
life, the eagerness of the race,
and the temperance in all
things" needful for the wrest-
ling or boxing ring. From the
and fixity of purpose, " running
not uncertainly " ; from the
other, of practical and definite
conflict, aiming blows at our
besetting sins, not " as one that
beateth the air.' ' For both ends,
he declares of himself that he
" buffets " and " enslaves " his
body, lest, having proclaimed
the race to others, he should be
rejected from it as unfit. The
whole passage brings home,
seriously and yet hopefully, the
struggle, the hardness, and the
danger of our spiritual course.
The Gospel seems to have no
connection with this idea, but
SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY.
The Epistle. 1 St. John 3. 1.
BEHOLD, what manner of love
the Father hath bestowed up-
on us, that we should be called the
sons of God : therefore the world
knoweth us not, because it knew
him not. Beloved, now are we
the sons of God, and it doth not
yet appear what we shall be : but
we know, that, when be shall ap-
pear, we shall be like him ; for we
shall see him as he is. And every
man that bath this hope in him
purifleth himself, even as he is
pure. Whosoever committeth sin
transgresseth also the law : for sin
is the transgression of the law.
And ye know that he was mani-
fested to take away our sins ; and
in him is no sin. Whosoever abid-
eth in him sinneth not : whosoever
sinneth hath not seen him .neither
known him. Little children, let
no man deceive you : he that doeth
righteousness is righteous, even as
he is righteous. He that commit-
teth sin is of the devil : for the
devil sinneth from the beginning.
For this purpose the Son of God
was manifested, that he might
destroy the works of the devil.
The Gospel. St. Matth. 24. 23.
THEN if any man shall say
unto you, Lo, here is Christ,
or there ; believe it not. For there
shall arise false Christs, and false
prophets, and shall shew great
signs and wonders; insomuch that
(if it were possible) they shall de-
ceive the very elect. Behold, I
have told you before. Wherefore,
if they shall say unto you, Behold,
he is in the desert ; go not forth :
behold, he is in the secret cham-
bers ; believe it not. For as the
lightning cometh out of the east,
and shineth even unto the west ;
so shall also the coming of the Son
of Man be. For wheresoever the
carcase is, there will the eagles be
gathered together. Immediately
after the tribulation of those days
shall the sun be darkened, and the
moon shall not give her light, and
the stars shall fall from heaven,
and the powers of the heavens
shall be shaken. And then shall
appear the sign of the Son of Man
in heaven : and then shall all the
tribes of the earth mourn, and they
shall see the Son of Man coming in
the clouds of heaven, with power
and great glory. And he shall send
his angels with a great sound of
a trumpet, and they shall gather
together his elect from the four
winds, from one end of heaven to
the other.
Qlfy Simtfag calUfc ^cptuageaima,
OR THE THIRD SUNDAY BEFORE LENT.
The Collect.
0LOK.D, we beseech thee fa-
vourably to hear the prayers
of thy people ; that we, who are
justly punished for our offences,
may be mercifully delivered by
thy goodness, for the glory of thy
Name ; through Jesus Christ our
Saviour, who liveth and reigneth
with thee and the Holy Ghost,
ever one God, world without end.
Amen.
The Epistle. 1 Cor. 9. 24.
KNOW ye not, that they which
run in a race run all, but one
receiveth the prize ? So run that
ye may obtain. And every man
that striveth for the mastery is
temperate in all things : now they
do it to obtain a corruptible crown,
but we an incorruptible. I there-
fore so run, not as uncertainly ; so
fight I, not as one that beateth the
air : but I keep under my body,
and bring it into subjection, lest
that by any means, when I have
preached to others, I myself should
be a cast-away.
The Gospel. St. Matth. 20. 1.
THE kingdom of heaven is like
unto a man that is an house-
holder, which went out early in
the morning to hire labourers into
his vineyard. And when he had
agreed with the labourers for a
penny a day, he sent them into hi?
vineyard. And he went out about
70
rather to supply the corrective
truth, warning' us against abuse
of right emulation to envy, and
of self-discipline to self-trust
and sense of merit. The Para-
ble, spoken in direct reference
to St. Peter's question. " We
have left all and followed thee,
what shall we have therefore?"
shews (see Bible heading' that
" God is debtor to no man."
Like other parables, drawn from
the outer world, it cannot convey
the full spiritual reality. Each
labourer comes when God is
pleased to call him; with the
first comers there is agreement
for a sufficient pay, with the
rest none ; at the end all receive
alike, and the first, though ac-
knowledging their pay as that
agreed upon, yet complain of the
apparent want of equity, and
receive the crushing answer, " Is
it not lawful for me to do what
I will with my own?" "Is
thine eye evil " (that is, grudg-
ing and envious) " because I am
good?" (that is, liberal). The
lesson is not the one so often
carelessly drawn in the phrase
"repentance at the eleventh
hour," for no call was neglected ;
but the lesson that it is faithful
and earnest acceptance of God's
service, not length or extent of
work, with which He is pleased.
Many who seem first shall
therefore be last; many who
are called and appear to obey
are not chosen in the end. All
must look only to God's grace ;
none must rely on his own merit,
still less carp at God's mercy to
others. (The need of the lesson
is plainly shewn in much of
the experience of the religious,
especially the ascetic, life.)
The Collect
slightly from the old Sarum
form) takes up the lesson taught
in the last Gospel, disclaims
self-trust, and throws the soul
wholly on God's protection.
The Epistle comes from the
impassioned and indignant close
of St. Paul's Second Epistle
to the Corinthians, pleading
against the rejection of his
Apostolic authority and teach-
ing under the influence of the
Judaizers. (a) It opens with an
ironical wonder that they who
are so wise, suffer gladly the fools
who enslave, devour, rob, op-
press, and insult them. (6^ Then
—perforce, and not without
apology ("I speak as a fool."
*c. 1— the Apostle feels bound to
set before them his own claim to
authority, and, for that purpose,
draws a picture of his life, which
is of priceless historical and spi-
ritual value. He dwells on his
privileges of Jewish descent : on
hi6 various labours and suffer-
ings for Christ (many of which
are not recorded in the Acts) ;
on the continual peril and the
hardness and suffering of his life ;
on his heavy responsibility for
the Churches ; and his painful
sympathy with perplexity and
weakness, (c) His glorying (he
says) is in his infirmities, by
Setntgtsumi.
(shortened which the grace of God is mag-
nified, and God knows that it is
true. The whole teaches the
lesson of the need, and yet
the distastefniness, of a righ-
teous self-assertion of authority
and character, when attack
on these hinders the work of
God.
The Gospel seems to have
little connection with the Epistle.
It is the Parable of the Sower,
interpreted by Our Lord Him-
self; the sowing of the sacred
Word (becoming the " engrafted
word able to save") by the Son
of Man and His Ministers ; the
various reception of it— only one
soil being hopelessly hardened,
from which the seed is at once
swept away— only one thorough-
ly good — the others representing
the great class of those who are
undecided, either from mere shal-
lowness or from worldly pre-
occupation, growing for a time,
and perhaps bearing some fruit,
but none to perfection. The
Parable, like all others, contains
but a part of the truth ; it does
not tell the reason of the variety
of soils ; it does not even suggest
how one soil may change into an-
other. Its lesson simply is of
the realitv of God's gift in itself,
of its reality to us according as
we receive it.
72
SEXAGES1MA SUNDAY.
the third hour, and saw others
standing idle in the market place,
and said unto them, Go ye also
into the vineyard, and whatsoever
is right I will give you. And they
went their way. Again he went
out about the sixth and ninth
hour, and did likewise. And about
the eleventh hour he went out,
and found others standing idle,
and saith unto them, Why stand
ye here all the day idle ? They say
unto him, Because no man hath
hired us. He saith unto them,
Go ye also into the vineyard, and
whatsoever is right, that shall ye
receive. So when even was come,
the lord of the vineyard saith un-
to his steward, Call the labourers,
and give them their hire, begin-
ning from the last unto the first.
And when they came that were
hired about the eleventh hour,
they received every man a penny.
But when the first came, they
supposed that they should have
received more ; and they likewise
received every man a penny. And
when they had received it, they
murmured against the good-man
of the house, saying, These last
have wrought but one hour, and
thou hast made them equal unto
us, which have borne the burden
and heat of the day. But he an-
swered one of them, and said,
Friend, I do thee no wrong ; didst
not thou agree with me for a pen-
ny ? Take that thine is, and go thy
way ; I will give unto this last even
as unto thee. Is it not lawful for
me to do what I will with mine
own ? Is thine eye evil, because I
am good ? So the last shall be first,
and the first last : for many be
called, but few chosen.
Zty Sun&ag calletf Sexagcsima,
OR THE SECOND SUNDAY BEFORE LENT.
wreck ; a night and a day I have
been in the deep ; in journeying
often ; in perils of waters ; in perils
of robbers ; in perils by mine own
countrymen ; in perils by the hea-
then ; in perils in the city ; in
perils in the wilderness ; in perils
in the sea ; in perils among false
brethren ; in weariness and pain-
fulness ; in watchings often ; in
hunger and thirst ; in fastings of-
ten ; in cold and nakedness ; be-
sides those things that are with-
out, that which cometh upon me
daily, the care of all the churches.
Who is weak, and I am not weak?
who is oft'ended, and I burn not ?
If I must needs glory, I will glory
of the things which concern mine
infirmities. The God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is
blessed for evermore, knoweth that
I lie not.
The Gospel. St. Luke 8. 4.
The Collect.
OLOItD God, whoseest that we
put not our trust in any thing
that we do ; Mercifully grant that
by thy power we may be defended
against all adversity ; through Je-
sus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. 2 Cor. 11. 19.
YE suffer fools gladly, seeing
ye yourselves are wise. For
ye suffer if a man bring you into
bondage, if a man devour you, if
a man take of you, if a man exalt
himself, if a man smite you on the
face. I speak as concerning re-
proach, as though we had been
weak : howbeit, whereinsoever any
is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am
bold also. Are they Hebrews ? so
am I. Are they Israelites ? so am
I. Are they the seed of Abraham?
so am I. Are they ministers of
Christ ? (I speak as a fool,) I am
more : in labours more abundant ;
in stripes above measure ; in pri-
sons more frequent ; in deaths oft.
Of the Jews five times received I
forty stripes save one ; thrice was
I beaten with rods; once was I
■toned; thrice I suffered ship-
WHEN much people were ga-
thered together, and were
come to him out of every city, he
spake by a parable : A sower went
out to sow his seed ; and as he
sowed, some fell by the way-side,
and it was trodden down, and the
71
Ggmnqnagesima.
Tmb Collbct (substituted in good and true
1549 for an old Collect evidently
referring to Confession and Pen-
ance at the opening of Lent) is
one of the most beautiful of the
later Collects. It at once de-
clares the main idea of this Sun-
day, in the prayer for the gift by
the Holy Ghost of Charity— that
is, Love in all its phases— as the
very life of Christian life, and
the bond of unity between all
virtues.
The Epistle is St. Paul's cele-
brated picture of Charity, that
is, Love (properly in its relation
to man, though there are analo-
gous features in its relation to
God). Under the beauty and
freedom of the description lies
a profound sequence of thought.
Following out the subject of .
spiritual gifts, treated in the
previous chapter, he (a) exalts
true Love above the two chief
gifts of tongues and prophecy,
and above even that faith in
God's special mission, which was
the condition of all miracles ; (6)
next, he contrasts the inner
reality of Love with its outward
signs towards God and man, the
devotion of martyrdom and the
sacrifice of our wealth to feed
the poor; (c) from these nega-
tive descriptions he passes to a
climax of the positive character-
istics of Love — patience and
kindliness, self-forgetfulness and
humility, unselfishness and readi-
ness to forgive (" reckoneth not
the evil"), delight in all that is
(B) LENT
(the name derived from the old English Lenckten, "spring," "the
Spring Fast").
(a) History.— The observation of a time of fasting and penitence
before Easter, as it is most natural, so appears to have been primitive.
But the duration of it varied even in the 2nd century. It seems,
however, at least highly probable that in the early centuries it most
usually lasted " forty hours "—the time during which Our Lord was
under the power of death— in accordance with His own words, " The
Bridegroom shall be taken awav from them, then shall they fast."
The " Great Sabbath" (Easter-Eve) always remained the chief Fast
of the year, more strictly observed in the East than even Good
Friday. By degrees the time was enlarged, though still with great
variation of observance, till it settled down, first to thirty-six days,
then, following the example of Our Lord in the wilderness, to forty
days. Still, in the reckoning of this time, there was variation,
arising partly from the Festal observance of Saturday (except on
Easter-Eve) as "the Sabbath" in the Fast. At last, about the
bearing, believ-
ing, hoping, and enduring "
without limit; (d) lastly, he
dwells on the eternal perma-
nence of Love, when in the per-
fection of the manhood of the
future all that belongs to our
present imperfect state of child-
ishness — prophecies, tongues,
knowledge — shall pass away.
Even of the graces which abide
—Faith, Hope, Love— Love is
greatest (because having most
likeness to the God, who is
Love).
The Gospel is apparently con-
nected with the idea of the day
by its opening with the predic-
tion of the great act and pattern
of Love — the unspeakable sacri-
fice of the Lord Jesus Christ for
our redemption. To this it adds
one exhibition out of many of
the Mercy which ruled in His
life— in the miracle wrought on
the blind man at Jericho at His
last visit to Jerusalem, a^ked
from Him as the Messiah (the
"Son of David"), granted to a
faith, persevering in spite of
rebuke from others, and made,
through the thanksgiving of the
people, the preparation for His
triumphal entry.
It seems clear that this em-
phasis on the spirit of love, which
counts not sacrifice, is intended
to teach us the true spirit of
Lenten self-discipline and self-
denial ; without which it may be
Pharisaic in self-righteousness,
or superstitious in self -torment.
QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY.
fowls of the air devoured it. And
some fell upon a rock, and as soon
as it was sprung up, it withered
§ away, because it lacked moisture.
I And some fell among thorns, and
j the thorns sprang up with it, and
I choked it. And other fell on good
I ground, and sprang up, and bare
j fruit an hundred-fold. And when
I he had said these things, he cried,
I He that hath ears to hear, let him
| hear. And his disciples asked him,
a saying, What might this parable
| be ? And he said, Unto you it is
I given to know the mysteries of the
[kingdom of God : but to others in
j parables ; that seeing they might
I not see, and hearing they might
| not understand. Now the parable
S is this : The seed is the Word of
God. Those by the w*ay-side are
they that hear ; then cometh the
devil, and taketh away the word
out of their hearts, lest they
should believe, and be saved.
They on the rock are they, which,
when they hear, receive the word
with joy ; and these have no root,
which tor a while believe, and in
time of temptation fall away. And
that which fell among thorns, are
they, which, when they have heard,
go forth, and are choked with
cares, and riches, and pleasures
of this life, and bring no fruit to
perfection. But that on the good
ground, are they, which in an
honest and good heart, having
heard the word, keep it, and bring
forth fruit with patience-
Hfyt Sunttag called 4§utri(iuag«stma,
OR THE NEXT SUNDAY BEFORE LENT.
The Collect.
OLORD, who hast taught us
that all our doings without
j charity are nothing worth ; Send
thy Holy Ghost, and pour into our
hearts that most excellent gift of
charity, the verybond of peace and
; of all virtues, without which whoso-
ever liveth is counted dead before
I thee : Grant this for thine only
I Son Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.
The Epistle. 1 Cor. 13. 1.
THOUGH I speak with the
tongues of men and of an-
gels, and have not charity, I am
become as sounding brass, or a
; tinkling cymbal. And though I
have the gift of prophecy, and
understand all mysteries, and all
knowledge ; and though I have
all faith, so that I could remove
mountains, and have not charity,
I am nothing. And though I be-
stow all my goods to feed the poor,
and though I give my body to be
burned, and have not charity, it
pronteth me nothing. Charity
suftereth long, and is kind ; cha-
rity envieth not ; charity vauntcth
not itself, is not puffed up, doth
not behave itself unseemly, seek-
eth not her own, is not easily pro-
voked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth
not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the
truth ; beareth all things, believeth
all things, hopeth all things, endur-
eth all things. Charity never fail-
eth : but whetherthere be prophe-
cies, they shall fail ; whether there
be tongues, they shall cease ; whe-
ther there be knowledge, it shall
vanish away. For we know in
part, and we prophesy in part.
But when that which is perfect is
come, then that which is in part
shall be done away. When I was
a child, I spake as a child, I un-
derstood as a child, I thought as a
child ; but when I became a man,
I put away childish things. For
now we see through a glass dark-
ly ; but then face to face : now I,
know in part ; but then shall 1
know even as also I am known.
And now abideth faith, hope,
charity, these three ; but the
greatest of these is charity.
The Gospel. St. Luke 18. 31.
rpHEN Jesus took unto him the
X twelve, and said unto them,
Behold, we go up to Jerusalem,
and all things that are written by
the prophets concerning the Son
of Man shall be accomplished.
For he shall be delivered unto the
Gentiles, and shall be mocked,
22
7th century, the present observancef reckoning forty days, exclu-
sively of Sundays, universally prevailed. In old days Lent was a
special period of penance and restoration of penitents, and of pre-
paration for the great Easter Baptism and Easter Communion.
(See Preface to Comminution Service.)
(6) Mkanino. — The ideas of the Lenten observance are (1) Peni-
tence, marked in the Ash- Wednesday t'ollect; (2) Setf-discipline and
Self-chattinement (marked in the Collect for the First Sunday);
(8) Special Devotion, and particularly adoring commemoration of the
Atonement, as especially on Passion Sunday and in Holy-Week.
All these involve the conception of the darker aspects of life— the
terrible reality of sin, and the need of. earnest prayer and painful
struggle against it. But as leading up to Easter, they involve also
the sure and certain hope of victory. The method of observance
of Lent is in the Church of England left to free spiritual obedience,
without any authoritative imposition of fixed rules by the Church
as a whole, as in some other Communions ; and its first two
elements are obviously means to secure the third, which is the chief
end.
name derived and conditions, and the charge to
the priests, as suppliants between
the porch and the altar, to plead
with God by His Covenant and
for the sake of His glory.
The Gospel is Our Lord's
teaching on fasting, as a sign
of penitence — accepting, and so
sanctioning, it as a religious
duty, in significant union with
prayer and almsgiving. He
dwells emphatically on the ne-
cessity of sincerity and humili-
ty before God in secret (as con-
trasted with Pharisaic hypocrisy
and ostentation before men),
laying up true and eternal trea-
sures in heaven, and not the
vain and transitory treasures of
man's approval on earth. (It is
almost needless to observe, that
this in no way forbids or decries
public observance of fasting, not
by individual choice, but in obe-
dience to Christian law.)
J Diet Cinerum).
from the practice of sprinkling
ashes on the heads of those who
were put to public penance and
temporary excommunication on
that day.
The Collect (composed in
15i9, with some suggestion
from the old Sarum Collect),
dwelling in its preamble on the
unfailing love of God to all His
creatures, and His special mercy
to the penitent, prays first for
a heart new in conversion and
contrite in repentance — acknow-
ledging the reality and inherent
wretchedness of sin— and then,
as surely consequent on this, for
God's perfect forgiveness.
The direction (given in 1662)
to repeat this Collect daily, car-
ries the lesson on through all
Lent.
The Epistle is the singularly
beautiful exhortation of the pro-
phet Joel to Judah, at a time of
great national chastisement. Its
first sentence is the message of
the Lord, calling for true re-
pentance of heart ; taken up by
the prophet with encouragement
from the unfailing mercy of God,
who does not willingly afflict, and
may "repent" of His chastise-
ment (which had cut off even
the means of presenting the
meat and drink offering, see
ch. i. 9), and turn it to blessing.
Then follows the call to solemn
universal penitence of the whole
people of God in all their classes
n
The Proper Lessons are (Isa.
lviii. 1-18) a declaration of the
true spirit of fasting observance
—the gentle and humble temper
before God, which naturally ex-
presses itself in charity to man,
and (Jonah iii.) a record of the
repentance of Nineveh, accepted
by the mercy of God ; then (Mark
ii. 18-28) Our Lord's acceptance
of penitent sinners and sanction
of the future fasting of His
Church, and (Heb. xii. 3-18) the
declaration of the blessing of
God's chastening, leading us to
repentance before it be too late.
ASH-WEDNESDAY.
and spitefully entreated, and spit-
ted on : and they shall scourge
him, and put him to death ; and
the third day he shall rise again.
And they understood none of these
things : and this saying was hid
from them, neither knew they the
things which were spoken. And
it came to pass, that as he was
come nigh unto Jericho, a certain
blind man sat by the way-side beg-
ging : and hearing the multitude
pass by, he asked what it meant, j
And they told him, that Jesus of j
Nazareth passeth by. And he
cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of I
David, have mercy on me. And
they which went before rebuked
him, that he should hold his
peace : but he cried so much the
more, Thou Son of David, have
mercy on me. And Jesus stood,
and commanded him to be brought
unto him : and when he was come
near, he asked him, saying, What
wilt thou that I should do unto
thee ? And he said, Lord, that I
may receive my sight. And Jesus
said unto him, Receive thy sight ;
thy faith hath saved thee. And
immediately he received his sight,
and followed him, glorifying God :
and all the people, when they saw
it, gave praise unto God.
THE FIRST DAY OF LENT, COMMONLY CALLED
gs^aartmcsfcas.
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY and everlasting
RJ\. God, who hatest nothing that
thou hast made, and dost forgive
t the sins of all them that are peni-
tent ; Create and make in us new
. and contrite hearts, that we wor-
thily lamenting our sins, and ac-
i knowledging our wretchedness,
may obtain of thee, the God of all
mercy, perfect remission and for-
giveness ; through Jesus Christ
I our Lord. Amen.
1% This Collect is to be read every day
j in Lent after the Collect appointed
\ for the Day.
For the Epistle. Joel 2. 12.
TURN ye even to me, saith the
Lord, with all your heart,
and with fasting, and with weep-
ing, and with mourning. And
rend your heart . and not your gar-
mcnts, and turn unto the Lord
your God : for he is gracious and
merciful, slow to anger, and of
great kindness, and repenteth him
of the evil. Who knoweth if he
will return, and repent, and leave
a blessing behind him, even a meat-
offering and a drink-offering unto
the Lord your God? Blow the
trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast,
call a solemn assembly, gather the
people, sanctify the congregation,
assemble the elders, gather the
children, and those that suck the
breasts; let the bridegroom go
forth of his chamber, and the bride
out of her closet ; let the priests,
the ministers of the Lord, weep
between the porch and the altar,
and let them say, Spare thy people,
O Lord, and give not thine heri-
tage to reproach, tiiatthe heathen
should rule over them : wherefore
should they say among the people,
Where is their God?
The Gospel. St. Matth. 6. 16.
WHEN ye fast, be not as the
hypocrites, of a sad coun-
tenance : for they disfigure their
faces, that they may appear unto
men to fast. Verily I say unto
you, They have their reward. But
thou, when thou fastest, anoint
thine head, and wash thy face,
that thou appear not unto men to
fast, but unto thy Father which is
in secret ; and thy Father, which
seeth in secret, shall reward thee
openly. Lay not up for yourselves
treasures upon earth, where moth
and rust doth corrupt, and where
thieves break through and steal :
but lay up for yourselves treasures
in heaven, where neither moth
nor rust doth corrupt, and where
thieves do not break through nor
steal : for where your treasure is.
there will your heart be also.
73
THE SUNDAYS IN LENT.
The Proper Lessons (from the Old Testament) continue the
Beries begun at Septuagesima from Genesis and Exodus, dwelling
on the history of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, and on the
mission of Moses. On Palm Sunday Proper Second Lessons are
appointed; for the Morning, Matt, xxvi., the narrative of the
Passion, down to the deliverance to Pilate ; and for the Evening.
Luke xix. 28-48 & xx. 9-21, the story of the Triumphal Entry and
the first words and deeds of the Holy-Week.
£|je Jfirst £nnb:tg in Jfjcnt.
The special lesson of this Sun-
day is the lesson of that kind of
Self-discipline, of which fast-
ing is the example and represen-
tative. It recognises the un-
doubted power of the body to
affect the soul (which modern
science so forcibly teaches) ; and
has three objects, (a) Self-chat-
tisement, in case of previous ex-
cess and self-indulgence ; (b)
Self-control, by subdual of even
natural appetites, " enduring
hardness as a soldier of Jesus
Christ j (c) Predisposition to
devotion, and especially to peni-
tence. Its method and extent
must vary with age, occupation,
climate, and constitution; and
hence are left by the Church to
the conscience of her members.
The Collect (composed in
1549), addressed to Our Lord,
and citing His own fast in the
wilderness, prays for the grace
of Abstinence, with a view to
subdual of the flesh, as a pre-
paration for obedience to His
godly motions" through the
Spirit.
The Epistle (taken from St.
Paul's unwonted disclosure of
his own "spiritual experience")
is a glorious picture of the true
Christian life. In it he (a) first
urges his converts to lay hold,
"in the accepted time," of the
florious privilege, given both to
[is ministers and His people,
of being "fellow-workers with
God." Next (b) he dwells on
the grave responsibility of giv-
ing, even before men, full proof
of the reality of this service to
Him (vs. 1-4); first, by suffer-
ings, hardships, and labours,
cheerfully borne (vs. 4, 5) ; next,
by all the "natural" graces of
mrity, knowledge, patience,
74
kindness (v. 6) ; then, by all the
supernatural gifts of the Holy
Ghost in love, truth, power, and
the whole " armour of righteous-
ness " (vs. 6, 7) ; lastly, through
all the contradictions, real or
apparent, of honour and dis-
honour, of life and death, of
sorrow and joy, of wealth and
poverty, of destitution and ful-
ness, in the spiritual life here
(vs. 8-10). It bears thus em-
phatically on the need of the
watchfulness and self-discipline
implied in the Collect.
The Gospel urges the same
truth by example, in St. Mat-
thew's record of the Temptation
of Our Lord. It should be noted,
(a) that the Temptation follow-
ed the great outpouring of the
Spirit at His Baptism, and that
He was led to it by the guid-
ance of the Spirit, though it was
brought on by the malice of the
devil ; (6) that it appealed in each
ca«e to natural impulse — the ap-
petite of hunger, the ambition to
do some great thing for God, the
desire to feel and to test God's
protection over us— and that the
principle of the sin involved wafe
the indulgence of such impulse,
without thought of God's will,
and without the patience of
faith; (c) that each temptation
was met by Our Lord simply in
the power of a trustful faith in
His Father, and answered from
Holy Scripture (Deut. viii. 3 t
vi. 16 & vi. 13), in that reverent
use of God's Word which is a
pattern to us ; (d) that the Temp-
ter accordingly "quoted Scrip-
ture to his purpose" (Ps. xci.
11, 12), by omitting the pregnant
words " in all thy ways," which
contradicted his abuse of it ; (e)
that the order of temptation dif-
fers in St. Matthew and St. Luke
Wqz JFirst Simtrag talent.
i
The Collect.
OLORD, who for our sake didst
fast forty days and forty
nights; Give us grace to use such
abstinence, that, our flesh being
subdued to the Spirit, we may ever
obey thy godly motions in righte-
ousness, and true holiness, to thy
honour and glory, who livest and
reignest with the Father and the
Holy Ghost, one God, world with-
out end. A men.
The Epistle. 2 Cor. 6. 1.
WE then, as workers together
with him, beseech you also,
that ye receive not the grace of
God in vain ; (for he saith, I have
heard thee in a time accepted, and
in the day of salvation have I suc-
coured thee: behold, now is the
accepted time ; behold, now is the
day of salvation ;) giving no of-
fence in any thing, that the mi-
nistry be not blamed ; but in all
things approving ourselves as the
ministers of God, in much pa-
tience, in afflictions, in necessities,
in distresses, in stripes, in impri-
sonments, in tumults, in labours,
in watchings, in fastings ; by pure-
ness, Dy knowledge, by long-suf-
fering, by kindness, by the Holy
Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the
word of truth, by the power of
God, by the armour of righteous-
ness on the right hand and on the
left, by honour and dishonour, by
evil report and good report ; as de-
ceivers, and yet true ; as unknown,
and yet well known ; as dying, and
behold, we live ; as chastened, and
not killed; as sorrowful, yet al-
way rejoicing; as poor, yet making
many rich; as having nothing;
and yet possessing all things.
The Gospel. St. Matth. 4. 1.
THEN" was Jesus led up of the
Spirit into the wilderness, to
be tempted of the devil. And when
he had fasted forty days and forty
nights, he was afterward an-hun-
gred. And when the tempter came
to him, he said, If thou be the Son
of God, command that these stones
be made bread. But he answered
and said, It is written, Man shall
not live by bread alone, but by
every word that proceedeth out of
the mouth of God. Then the devil
taketh him up into the holy city,
and setteth him on a pinnacle of
the temple, and saith unto him, If
thou be the Son of God, cast thy-
self down ; for it is written, lie
shall give his angels charge con-
cerning thee, and in their hands
they shall beiir thee up, lest at any
time thou dash thy foot against
a stone. Jesus said unto him, It
is written again, Thou shalt not
tempt the Lord thy God. Again,
the devil taketh him up into an
exceeding high mountain, and
sheweth him all the kingdoms of
the world, and the glory of them ;
and saith unto him, All these
things will I give thee, if thou wilt
fall down and worship me. Then
saith Jesus unto him, Get thee
hence, Satan ; for it is written,
Thou shalt worship the Lord thy
God, and him only shalt thou
serve. Then the devil leaveth him,
, and behold, angels came and mi-
! nistered unto him.
©i>e &tcon& 5unUag in Xent.
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY God, who seest
- that we have no power of our-
selves to help ourselves ; Keep us
both outwardly in our bodies, and
inwardly in ouf souls ; that we may
be defended from all adversities
which may happen to the body
and from all evil thoughts which
may assault and hurt the soul;
tnrough Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Epistle. 1 Thess. 4. 1.
WE beseech you, brethren, and
exhort you by the Lord Je-
sus, that as ye have received of
us how ye ought to walk, and to
please God, so ye would abound
more and more. For ye know
what commandments we gave you
by the Lord Jesus. For this is the
will of God, even your sanctinca-
tion, that ye should abstain from
fornication ; that every one of you
74
—the one probably following the
order of fact (see the dismissal
of the Tempter by Our Lord in
v. 10), and the other the general
order of idea in temptation,
through the appetites, the pas-
sion", and the spirit; (/) that
the intense reality of the strug-
gle is shewn by Our Lord's need
of the ministration of the an-
gels, as in the Agony of Geth-
semane.
» Swonb Sunbag in Stent
The second and third Sundays
follow out the line of thought
begun on the first Sunday. For
both bring before us, in the
Gospels, Our Lord's casting out
of devils, conquering Satan for
others, as in the Temptation for
Himself ; and in the Emstles urge
upon us struggle and prayer a-
gainst the works of darkness, es-
pecially against sensual sins.
The Collect (translated from
the old Sarum Collect) places
our helplessness in body and soul
under the protection of God—
of His Providence against adver-
sity— of His Grace against evil
thoughts.
The Epistle (taken from St.
Paul's earliest Epistle) is a repe-
tition of his own oral teaching
to the Thessalonians, in earnest
warning, mainly against lust and
uncleanness, secondarily, as of-
ten in his teaching, against the
spirit of covetousness (which is
in some points akin to lust, and
often replaces it in old age). So
far it is simply an enforcement
of high morality on a corrupt
age. But it goes on to brand
these sins as a disgrace to our
Christian calling, as drawing
down God's vengeance, and as
outraging the Spirit of God
given to us ; and thus it sup-
plies the vital religious motive,
which is the true strength of
morality.
The Gospel is a record of Our
Lord's casting out the devil from
the daughter of the Syro-Phce-
nician (marked here as a "wo-
man of Canaan," i.e. of the ac-
cursed race). It is especially
notable, (a) for Our Lord's appa-
rent neglect of her petition, de-
signed to draw her on to greater
earnestness; (6) for His limita-
tion of His work in life (with
few exceptions) to the lost
sheep of Israel" (comp. Matt.
x. 5, 6) ; and contrast John x.
16; Acts i. 8 & xiii. 82, 33), till
the time when He should be
"lifted up to draw all men to
Him " ; (c) for the marvellous
faith of the woman, accepting
the opprobrious title of " dog,
and turning it to the account of
her own humble request for the
mere crumbs of His bounty ; (d)
for the special blessing here
given (as in the case of the
centurion) to Gentile faith.
®be Sbirb Sunbag in %t\\t
The Collect (from the same
source) expresses even more
simply the hearty desire for
God's help, and prays for de-
fence against all enemies, spi-
ritual and temporal.
The Epistle takes up the
subject of last Sunday, but now
in the fuller and deeper teaching
of St. Paul's later Epistles, (a)
It begins (carrying on the lesson
of the previous chapter, vs. 81,
82) with an exhortation to Love,
after the pattern, first, of God's
free beneficence ; secondly, of the
self-sacrifice of Our Lord as the
Son of Man. (b) Then it goes
on to warning against unclean-
ness, covetousness, ribaldry, as
involving an idolatry of the world
and the flesh, and therefore a
loss of the kingdom of God, and
as drawing down His certain
judgment, (c) This warning is
emphasized by a contrast of the
old state of darkness— with its
" unfruitful " works, " of which
it is a shame even to speak "—
not to be for a moment shared
or condoned, and the new state
of light, in which (for so it
should be rendered) "whatever
is illuminated by light becomes
itself light" to others, (rfi Fi-
nally (in a quotation apparently
from some Liturgy or Hymn), it
75
THE THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT.
should know how to possess his
vessel in sanctifieation and ho-
nour ; not in the lust of concu-
piscence, even as the Gentiles
which know not God ; that no
man go beyond and defraud his
brother in any matter; because
that the Lord is the avenger of all
such, as we also have forewarned
you, and testified. For God hath
not called us unto uncleanness,
but unto holiness. He therefore
that despiseth despiseth not man,
but God, who hath also given unto
us his Holy Spirit.
The Gospel. St. Matth. 15. 21.
JESUS went thence, and de-
parted into the coasts of Tyre
and Sidon. And behold, a woman
of Canaan came out of the same
Son of David ; my daughter is
grievously vexed with a devil.
But he answered her not a word.
And his disciples came and be-
sought him, saying, Send her
away ; for she crieth after us. But
lie answered and said, I am not
sent, but unto the lost sheep of
the house of Israel. Then came
she and worshipped him, saying,
Lord, help me. But he answered
and said, It is not meet to take the
children's bread, and to cast it to
dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord ;
yet the dogs eat of the crumbs
which fall from their masters'
table. Then Jesus answered and
said unto her, O woman, great is
thy faith: be it unto thee even
as thou wilt. And her daughter
coasts, and cried unto him, saying, i was made whole from that very
Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou | hour. •
%%t &$tft .SunUag in lEcnt.
The Collect.
WE beseech thee, Almighty
God, look upon the hearty
desires of thy humble servants,
and stretch forth the right hand
of thy Majesty, to be our defence
against all our enemies ; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. Ephes. 5. 1.
BE ye therefore followers of
God, as dear children ; and
walk in love, as Christ also hath
loved us, and hath given himself
for us, an ottering and a sacrifice
to God for a sweet-smelling sa-
vour. But fornication, and all un-
cleanness, or covetousness, let it
not be once named amongst you,
as becometh saints ; neither filthi-
ness, nor foolish-talking, nor jest-
ing, which are not convenient ;
but rather giving of thanks : for
this ye know, that no whoremon-
ger, nor unclean person, nor covet-
ous man, who is an idolater, hath
any inheritance in the kingdom of
Christ, and of God. Let no man
deceive you with vain words : for
because of these things cometh the
wrath of God upon the children of
disobedience. Be not ye therefore
sometimes darkness, but now are
ye light in the Lord : walk as chil-
dren of light ; (for the fruit of the
Spirit is in all goodness, and righ-
teousness, and truth;) proving
what is acceptable unto the Lord.
And have no fellowship with the
unfruitful works of darkness, but
rather reprove them : for it is a
shame even to speak of those
things which are done of them
in secret. But all things that are
reproved are made manifest by the
light : for whatsoever doth make
manifest is light. Wherefore he
saith, Awake, thou that sleepest,
and arise from the dead, and Christ
shall give thee light.
The Gos-pel. St. Luke 11. 14.
JESUS was casting out a devil,
and it was dumb. And it came
to pass, when the devil was gone
out, the dumb spake; and the
people wondered. But some of
them said, He casteth out devils
through Beelzebub, the chief of
the devils. And others, tempting
him, sought of him a sign from
heaven. But he, knowing their
thoughts, said unto them, Every
kingdom divided against itself is
brought to desolation ; and a house
t>artakers with them : for ye were divided against a house falleth. If
75
r>
calls men "to awake from the
sleep " of carelessness, " to arise
from the death" of sin, that
" Christ may shine " upon the
soul.
The Gospel is the record of
the malignant cavil against Our
Lord's miracles, notable to deny
their reality, but referring them
to Beelzebub (that is, probably,
the power of magic), (a) His
answer appeals first to their rea-
son, urging that He who set forth
the Kingdom of God could not
be furthering the kingdom of
Satan, and next to their own
practice, able to cast out devils
in the name of Jehovah, and in
it alone, (ft) Then He goes on
to paint the picture of the cease-
it |je c^fourt^ .§
This being Mid-Lent Sunday,
was called the Die* refectionix,
" the day of refreshment" in the
austerity and watchfulness of
Lent.
The Collect (again from the
old Sarum Missal) marks this
idea, acknowledging our worthi-
ness of punishment, but asking
to be relieved, that is, refreshed
(ut reHpiremm) by the knowledge
of God's mercy.
The Epistle carries on this
idea by dwelling on the glad
freedom of the Gospel-covenant
of love, as distinguished from
the bondage of the Law, riveted
by fear. The passage (like 1 Cor.
x. 1-12; 2 Cor. hi. 6-18) is a
striking instance of symbolical
interpretation of the Old Testa-
ment (Gen. xxi. 1-14). not ex-
plaining away the simple histori-
cal reality, but bringing out the
general principles, which it ex-
emplifies. Hagar, the bondwo-
man, represents the Law ; Sarah,
the freewoman, the Covenant of
Promise. He who clings to the
Law is, like Ishmael, a child of
nature and bondage, a citizen
only of the Jerusalem which now
is, liable to be cast out of the
family of God; the true Chris-
tian is, like Isaac, a child of
promise and of the Spirit, a citi-
zen and heir of the Jerusalem
which is above. '.The quotation,
" Rejoice," &c, is from Isa. liv.
1.) The one, as of old, may per-
less war between Satan and Him-
self, "the strong man armed,"
and the " stronger," his conquer-
or. Addressing, perhaps, espe-
cially the wavering multitude,
He warns them that in this war
neutrality is impossible, and that
neglect of deliverance given
brings back a sevenfold bond-
age, (c) The whole closes with
the natural exclamation of a
woman, " Blessed is the womb
that bare Thee " ; and His an-
swer, deeply instructive as to the
true position and true blessed-
ness of the Mother of the Lord
(see Luke ii. 19), "Yea rather,
blessed are they who hear the
Word of God and keep it," in
reverence and obedience.
nnbag in %tni.
secute the other; but he shall
be cast out and defeated. The
lesson is not only an assertion
of our right to freedom, but a
warning against the spirit of
legalism and Pharisaism, which
is especially a snare of the watch-
ful and sell-disciplined life.
The Gospel (similarly harmo-
nizing with the name and idea
of the Sunday) is the record of
Our Lord's great miracle of re-
freshment to the five thousand
in the wilderness— the symbol of
His boundless gifts of grace and
blessing to the many wanderers
in the wilderness of this world.
The miracle, wrought perhaps
for the Passover-pilgrims to Je-
rusalem (see v. 4), naturally stir-
red men, more than anv which
went before, to hail Christ as
the Prophet, and to " take Him
by force to make Him King"
(v. 15). It alone is recorded by
all four Evangelists — by St.
John, with the vividness of an
eye-witness, and obviously for
the sake of the profound teach-
ing which followed it. In the
command to "gather up the
fragments " — which might have
seemed to the disciples strange,
in view of the profusion of His
miraculous gift — we have the true
Lenten lesson of watchfulness
that " nothing be lost " of His
free bounty, and of encourage-
ment " to gather up " by repent-
ance what would otherwise be
wasted.
7o
THE FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT.
Satan also be divided against him- I clean spirit is gone out of a man,
self, how shall his kingdom stand? he walketh through dry places,
because ye say, that I cast out
devils through Beelzebub. And if
I by Beelzebub cast out devils,
by whom do your sons cast them
out ? therefore shall they be your
judges. But if I with the finger
of God east out devils, no doubt
the kingdom of God is come upon
you. When a strong man armed
keepcth his palace, his goods are
in peace ; but when a stronger
than he shall come upon him, and
overcome him, he taketh from
him all his armour wherein he
trusted, and divideth his spoils.
He that is not with me is against
me : and he that gathereth not
with me scattereth. When the un-
seeking rest ; and finding none,
he saith, I will return unto my
house whence I came out. And
when he cometh, he findeth it
swept and garnished. Then goeth
he and taketh to him seven other
spirits more wicked than himself,
and they enter in, and dwell there ;
and the last state of that man is
worse than the first. And it came
to pass, as lie spake these things,
a certain woman of the company
lift up her voice, and said unto
him, Blessed is the womb that
bare thee, and the paps which
thou hast sucked. But he said,
Yea rather, blessed are they that
hear the Word of God, and keep it.
W)t jfourti) Sutifcag in %cnt.
The Collect.
GRANT, we beseeeh thee, Al-
mighty God, that we, who for
our evil deeds do worthily deserve
to be punished, by the comfort
of thy grace may mercifully be
relieved ; through our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Epistle. Gal. 4. 21.
TELL me, ye that desire to be
under the law, do ye not hear
the law ? For it is written, that
Abraham had two sons, the one
by a bond-maid, the other by a
free-woman. But he who was of
the bond-woman was born after
the flesh; but he of the free-
woman was by promise. Which
things are an allegory : for these are
the two covenants ; the one from
the mount Sinai, which gendereth
to bondage, which is Agar. For
this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia,
and answereth to Jerusalem which
now is, and is in bondage with her
children. But Jerusalem which is
above is free ; which is the mo-
ther of us all. For it is written,
Rejoice, thou barren that bearest
not; break forth and cry, thou
that travailest not : for the deso-
late hath many more children
than she which hath an husband
are the children of promise. But
as then he that was born after
the flesh persecuted him that was
born after the Spirit ; even so it is
now. Nevertheless, what saith the
Scripture ? Cast out the bond-
woman and her son ; for the son
of the bond-woman shall not be
heir with the son of the free-wo-
man. So then, brethren, we are
not children of the bond-woman,
but of the free.
The Gospel. St. John 6. 1.
JESUS went over the sea of
Galilee, which is the sea of
Tiberias. And a great multitude
followed him, because they saw his
miracles which he did on them
that were diseased. And Jesus
went up into a mountain, and
there he sat with his disciples.
And the Passover, a feast of the
Jews, was nigh. When Jesus then
lift up his eyes, and saw a great
company come unto him, he saith
unto Philip, Whence shall we buy
bread, that these may eat ? (And
this he said to prove him ; for. he
himself knew what he would do.)
Philip answered him, Two hun-
dred penny-worth of bread is not
sufficient for them, that every one
of them may take a little. One
of his disciples, Andrew, Simon
Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, I Peter's brother, saith unto hi
&\t i\{\\ gnnbng in %t\\\,
commonly called in old times
Passion Sunday, because of the
anticipation of the Passion in
the Epistle.
The Collect, however (a
translation of the old Sarum
Collect), has no special reference
thereto, and is, indeed, only a
shortened repetition of the Col-
lect for the Second Sunday.
The Epistle comes from that
part of the Epistle to the He-
brews which deals with Our
Lord's Sacrifice, as that of which
all the Jewish sacrifices were but
types, (a) The passage (v$. 1-8)
preceding it describes the visible
Sanctuary, as symbolic of the old
Covenant, and dwells especially
on the entrance of the High
Priest alone into the Holy of
Holies yearly on the Day of
Atonement. Our Epistle (6) de-
scribes Our Lord as the Great
High Priest, entering once for
all into the Holy Place of Hea-
ven, through the tabernacle of
His human body, by the Sacri-
fice of Himself ; thus (c) having
wrought an eternal redemption
for us, purifying, not (like the old
sacrifices) the outer, but the in-
ner man, and atoning, as the
Mediator of the new Covenant,
for the transgressions which the
old Covenant could not take a-
way. In brief, we have here an
almost complete statement of the
Atonement.
The Gospel seems to have no
close connection with the Epistle,
though it clearly refers to the
First Lesson (Exod. iii.), retain-
ed from the Old Lectionary. It
is the record of the close of Our
Lord's discussions with the Jews
at the Feast of Tabernacles
(John vii. & viii.), in which He
brings out, by an ascending cli-
max, the revelation of His real
nature, (a) He begins with as-
sertion of a sinlessness, and of a
claim to reveal the whole Word
of God, which could be made by
no mere man. This is met by
accusation of heresy and infatu-
ation. (6) But He goes on to the
still higher claim of a power to
save from death those who keep
His saying. This provokes a yet
fiercer denunciation of presump-
tion, as exalting Him above all
the prophets, and above Abra-
ham himself. Still (c) He con-
tinues unmoved the declaration
that this honour is given Him
not by Himself, but by God the
Father, and that Abraham him-
self "rejoiced to see His day."
Finally (d), in answer to a scoff
of incredulity, He utters the su-
preme words, " Before Abraham
was born, I AM " ; claiming the
incommunicable name of JEHO-
VAH. To this there can be but
one of two answers— the stoning
of the blasphemer or the adora-
tion of the Godhead in Him. The
Jews made the one ; it is ours to
make the other.
(C) HOLY-WEEK,
called also the "Great Week," the "Indulgence Week" (from
the great Absolution at Easter), and " Passion Week." Its obser-
vance, like that of Easter, is probably of very early date ; and, while
it brings to a climax the penitence and self-discipline of Lent, it
naturally absorbs both into the adoring contemplation of the
Passion and Resurrection of Our Lord. »
THE FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT.
There is a lad here, which hath
Ave harley-loaves, and two small
fishes : but what are they among
so many ? And Jesus said, Make
the men sit down. Now there was
much grass in the place. So the
men sat down, in number about
five thousand. And Jesus took
the loaves, and when he had given
thanks he distributed to the dis-
ciples, and the disciples to them
that were set down ; and likewise
of the fishes as much as they
&ty fflti) Simtrag in ICtttt
The Collect.
WE beseech thee, Almighty
God, mercifully to look upon
thy people ; that by thy great good-
ness they may be governed and
preserved evermore, both in body
and soul; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
would. When they were filled, he
said unto his disciples, Gather up
the fragments that remain, that
nothing be lost. Therefore they
gathered them together, and filled
twelve baskets with the fragments
of the five barley-loaves, which re-
mained over and above unto them
that had eaten. Then those men,
when they had seen the miracle
that Jesus did, said, This is of a
truth that Prophet that should
come into the world.
The Epistle. Heb. 9. 11.
CHRIST being come an High
Priest of good things to come,
by a greater and more perfect
tabernacle, not made with hands ;
that is to say, not of this building ;
neither by the blood of goats and
calves ; but by his own blood he
entered in once into the holy place,
having obtained eternal redemp-
tion for us. For if the blood of
bulls and of goats, and the ashes
of an heifer sprinkling the un-
clean, sanctifieth to the purifying
of the flesh ; how much more shall
the blood of Christ, who through
the eternal Spirit, offered himself
without spot to God, purge your
conscience from dead works to
serve the living God? And for
this cause he is the Mediator of
the new testament, that by means
of death, for the redemption of
the transgressions that were un-
der the first testament, they which
are called might receive the pro-
mise of eternal inheritance.
The Gospel. St. John 8. 46.
JESUS said, Which of you con-
vinceth me of sin ? and if I
say the truth, why do ye not be-
lieve me ? He that is of God hear-
eth God's words ; ye therefore hear
them not, because ye are not of
God. Then answered the Jews,
and said unto him, Say we not well,
that thou art a Samaritan, and
hast a devil ? Jesus answered, I
have not a devil ; but I honour
my Father, and ye do dishonour
me. And I seek not mine own
glory ; there is one that seeketh
and judgeth. Verily, verily, I say
unto you, If a man keep my say-
ing, he shall never see death.
Then said the Jews unto him,
Now we know that thou hast a
devil : Abraham is dead, and the
prophets ; and thou sayest, If a
man keep my saying, he shall
never taste of death. Art thou
greater than our father Abraham,
which is dead ? and the prophets
are dead : whom makest thou thy-
self ? Jesus answered, If I honour
mjrself, my honour is nothing ; it
is my Father that honoureth me,
of whom ye say, that he is your
God : yet ye have not known him ;
but I know him : and if I should
say, I know him not, I shall be a
liar like unto you; but I know
him, and keep his saying. Your
father Abraham rejoiced to see my
day, and he saw it, and was glad.
Then said the Jews unto him,
Thou art not yet fifty years old,
and hast thou seen Abraham?
Jesus said unto them, Verily, ve-
rily, I say unto you, before Abra-
ham was, I am. Then took they
up stones to cast at him : but Je-
sus hid himself, and went out of
the temple.
&\t £tmbng tu*t brfort (gnsitr,
commonly called Palm Sunday,
in commemoration of the Trium-
phal Entry of Our Lord, which
tfrom John xii. 1, 12) was reck-
oned as corresponding to this
day. Both in the East and West
there grew up on this day the
ceremony of " Blessing " and
distributing "the Palms," and
carrying them in procession with
litanies and h}Tmns. The cere-
mony was intended both as a
commemoration, and as a sym-
bol of our taking up the badge
of disfipleship. The Special
Lessons were Exod. xv. 27— xvi.
7 & Matt. xxii. 9. This was dis-
used in 1549, and no trace of the
commemoration, from which the
day derives its popular name,
was left in the Epistle or Gos-
pel. The Proper Second Les-
sons for Evensong in the New
Lectionary, however (Luke xix.
28-48; xx. 9-21), supply this
omission, by recording the Tri-
umphal Entry, and the first acts
and words of the Holy- Week.
The Collect is translated
with slight variation from the
old Sarum Collect. It is nota-
ble that it strikes an essentially
practical key-note for the medi-
tations of the Holy-Week, by
setting before us the double hu-
miliation of Our Lord, of which
the Epistle speaks, not in its
mystery, as belonging to Him
alone, but as an example to us,
shewing the way of humility and
patience, in which we are so to
follow Him as to partake of the
glory of His Resurrection.
The Epistle is that priceless
passage in the Epistle to the
Philippians, in which, from a
practical exhortation to love and
humility, as the " mind of Christ
Jesus," St. Paul bursts forth in-
to what may be called a glorious
Creed of Jesus Christ; (a)
first describing Him in His own
78
nature, as being from the begin-
ning "in the form," that is, the
nature, " of God " ; next (6)
dwelling on the Incarnation, in
which, "not counting this equal-
ity with God as a prize to be
clutched at " (for such is the true
rendering) He stripped Himself
of glory, took on Him the nature
of a servant, and even the like-*
ness of sinful men; then (c),
passing from this to the second
humiliation, the acceptance for
us of death, and that, the death
of the Cross ; lastly (d), describ-
ing the exaltation of His human-
ity to the unapproachable glory
of Heaven, so that in His Name
all created being should bow the
knee, and confess Him Lord. It
contains, in brief, the whole doc-
trine of Christ, and seems to
warn us, in contemplating the
pathetic history of the Passion,
never to disconnect it from the
thought of the true Godhead
and exalted glory of the Great
Sufferer.
The Gospel, till 1661, included
the whole " Passion of St. Mat-
thew" (Matt. xxvi. and xxvii.).
Now the former chapter has be-
come the Second Lesson, and
the latter the Gospel.
A careful study of the four
Gospel narratives will shew that
they give three distinct pictures
of che Passion. The first is
drawn by St. Matthew and St.
Mark, whose narratives, with the
exception of a few details pecu-
liar to each, are virtually one,
seeming to represent the Passion
as it might have been seen by
one who stood afar off in the
crowd. The second is that of
St. Luke, which, having up to
the time of the trial before Pi-
late nearly coincided with St.
Matthew and St. Mark, sudden-
ly varies from these, giving a
narrative full of peculiar details
QLl)t ^uttfrag next before (faster.
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY and everlasting
t\ God, who, of thy tender love
towards mankind, hast sent thy
Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, to
take upon him our flesh, and to
suffer death upon the cross,that all
mankind should follow the exam-
pleof his great humility; Meroiful-
ly grant, that we may "both follow
the example of his patience, and
also be made partakers of his re-
surrection ; through the same Je-
sus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. Phil. 2. 5.
LET this mind be in you, which
was also in Christ Jesus : who,
being in the form of God, thought
it not robbery to be equal with
God ; but made himself of no re-
putation, and took upon him the
form of a servant, and was made
in the likeness of men : and being
found in fashion as a man, he
humbled himself, and became obe-
dient unto death, even the death
of the cross. Wherefore God also
hath highly exalted him, and giv-
en him a Name which is above
every name ; that at the Name of
Jesus every knee should bow, of
things in heaven, and things in
earth, and things under the earth ;
and that every tongue should con-
fess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to
the glory of God the Father.
The Gospel. St. Matth. 27. 1.
WHEN the morning was come,
all the chief priests and
elders of the people took coun-
sel against Jesus, to put him to
death. And when they had bound
him, they led him away, and de-
livered him to Pontius Pilate the
governour. Then Judas who had
betrayed him, when he saw that
he was condemned, repented him-
self, and brought again the thirty
pieces of silver to the chief priests
and elders, saying, I have sinned,
in that I have betrayed the inno-
cent blood. And they said, What
is that to us ? see thou to that.
Aud he cast down the pieces of
silver in the temple, and departed,
and went and hanged himself. And
the chief priests took the silver
pieces, and said, It is not lawful
for to put them into the treasury,
because it is the price of blood.
And they took counsel, and bought
with them the potter's field, to
bury strangers in. Wherefore that
field was called, The field of blood,
unto this day. (Then was ful-
filled that which was spoken by
Jeremy the prophet, saying, And
they took the thirty pieces of sil-
ver, the price of him that was
valued, whom they of the children
of Israel did value, and gave them
for the potter's field, as the Lord
appointed me.) And Jesus stood
before the governour; and the
governour asked him, saying, Art
thou the King of the Jews ? And
Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.
And when he was accused of the
chief priests and elders, he an-
swered nothing. Then saith Pilate
unto him, Hearest thou not how
many things they witness against
thee ? And he answered him
to never a word, insomuch that
the governour marvelled greatly.
Now at that feast the governour
was wont to release unto the peo-
ple a prisoner, whom they would.
And they had then a notable pri-
soner, called Barabbas. There-
fore when they were gathered
together, Pilate said unto them,
Whom will ye that I release unto
you ? Barabbas, or Jesus which is
called Christ ? For he knew that
for envy they had delivered him.
When he was set down on the
judgment-seat, his wife sent unto
him, saying, Have thou nothing
to do with that just man: fori
have suffered many things this
day in a dream because of him.
But the chief priests and elders
persuaded the multitude that they
should ask Barabbas, and destroy
Jesus. The governour answered
and said unto them, Whether of
the twain will ye that I release
unto you? They said, Barabb »..<-.
Pilate saith unto them, What
78
such as could be known only to
one who stood near the Cross.
The third is that of St. John,
who (as wo know) stood at the
very foot of the Cross itself, and
who (in accordance with the cha-
racter of his Gospel as " a Sup-
plemental Gospel") fills up the
other narratives with peculiar
and characteristic details, thus
supplying not unfrequently the
key to their true significance.
This Gospel is the second part
of the general outline narrative
of St. Matthew. It tells us (a) of
the delivery of Our Lord by the
Sanhedrim to Pilate ; (ft) the re-
morse of Judas, mocked by the
chief priests, his suicide, the des-
tination assigned to the thirty
pieces of silver as the price of
blood, and a quotation from an-
cient prophecy illustrating the
whole. This section is peculiar
to St. Matthew, and the quota-
tion presents some critical diffi-
culty, for it only resembles (and
this not very closely) a passage
not in Jeremiah, but in Zecha-
riah (xi. 12, 13).* Then (o) pass-
ing to the tribunal of Pilate
outside the palace (see John
xviii. 28, 29), it notices only the
one question, "Art Thou the
King of the Jews?" Our Lord's
assent, and subsequent silence
in spite of Pilate's remonstrance ;
and goes on at once to the at-
tempt of Pilate to release Him—
which, if we had no other record,
might seem unaccountahle — the
warning dream of Pilate's wife
(peculiar to St. Matthew), the
rejection by the people, and the
clamour for His Crucifixion, and,
* In the Old Latin Version, and in some of the Fathers, the reading is simply
" by the prophet " ; and it has been thought that " Jeremiah " is the gloss of
some copyist, remembering confusedly Jer. xviii. and xix. It is notable that
the passage occurs in that part of our Rook of Zechariah which, by the
strongest internal evidence, is referred to the age of Jeremiah, the eve of
the Captivity ; and St. Jerome declares that he had seen the quotation in an
"apocryphal" Book of Jeremiah, which may perhaps mean a writing of
Jeremiah not included in the Book bearing his name.
after this (again peculiar to St.
Matthew), Pilate's washing his
hands, and the cry, "His blood
be on us and on our children " ;
(d) afterwards entering, or look-
ing into, the Preetorium, it de-
scribes the scourging, the mock-
ing, the scarlet robe, and the
crown of thorns ; (e) next, briefly
noticing the pressing of Simon
of Cyrene to bear the Cross, it
narrates the coming to Gol-
gotha, the offer of the vinegar
and gall, the parting His gar-
ments, the superscription, and
the guard round the Cross ; (/)
during the Crucifixion itself it
records the taunts of the people,
of the chief priests (so strangely
coinciding with Ps. xxii. 8), and
of the robbers crucified with
Him : and then the darkness
overhanging the land, and the
one bitter cry (quoting Ps. xxii.
1) which rang out from it ; last-
ly, the giving Him the vinegar
( which brought with it death),
the second loud cry, and the
death itself, (g) Then, it re-
lates the signs which marked
the death of the Lord, the rend-
ing of the veil, significant of the
opening of the access to God,
and (peculiar to St. Matthew's
record) the earthquake opening
the graves, and the rising (for a
time ?) of the dead after His Re-
surrection—the symbol and ear-
nest of the great Resurrection
of the future, (h) It ends with
the confession, wrung from the
centurion superintending the
Crucifixion, by the sight both of
the Passion itself and the signs
following, "Truly this was the
Son of God."
73
THE SUNDAY NEXT BEFORE EASTER.
shall T do then with Jesus, which
is called Christ? They all say unto
him, Let him be crucified. And
the governour said, Why, what
evil hath he done ? But they cried
out the more, saying, Let him be
crucified. When Pilate saw that
he could prevail nothing, but that
rather a tumult was made, he took
water, and washed his hands be-
fore the multitude, saying, I am
innocent of the blood of this just
person: see ye to it. Then an-
swered all the people, and said,
His blood be on us, and on our
children. Then released he Bar-
abbas unto them : and when he
had scourged Jesus he delivered
him to be crucified. Then the
soldiers of the governour took
Jesus into the common hall, and
gathered unto him the whole band
of soldiers. And they stripped
him, and put on him a scarlet
robe. And when they had platted
a crown of thorns they put it upon
his head, and a reed in his right
hand : and they bowed the knee
before him, and mocked him, say-
ing, Hail, King of the Jews. And
they spit upon him, and took the
reed, and smote him on the head.
And after that they had mocked
him they took the robe off from
him, and put his own raiment on
him, and led him away to crucify
him. And as they came out they
found a man of Cyrenc, Simon by
name ; him they com polled to bear
his cross. And when they were
come unto a place called Golgotha,
that is to say, a place of a skull,
they gave him vinegar to drink
mingled with gall : and when he
had tasted thereof, he would not
drink. And they crucified him,
anil parted his garments, casting
lots : that it might be fulfilled,
which was spoken by the prophet,
They parted my garments among
them, and upon my vesture did
they cast lots. And sitting down
they watched him there ; and set
up over his head his accusation
written, THIS IS JESUS THE
KING OF THE JEWS. Then
were there two thieves crucified
with him ; one on the right hand,
and another on the left. And they
that passed by reviled him, wag-
ging their heads, and saying, Thou
that destroyest the temple, and
buildest it in three days, save thy-
self: if thou be the Son of God,
come down from the cross. Like-
wise also the chief priests mocking
him, with the scribes and elders
said, He saved others, himself he
cannot save : if he be the King of
Israel, let him now come down
from the cross, and we will believe
him. He trusted in God ; let him
deliver him now, if he will have
him : for he said, I am the Son
of God. The thieves also, which
were crucified with him, cast the
same in his teeth. Now from the
sixth hour there was darkness over
all the land unto the ninth hour.
And about the ninth hour Jesus
cried with a loud voice, saying,
Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani } that
is to say, My God, my God, why
hast thou forsaken me ? Some of
them that stood there, when they
heard that, said, This man ealleth
for Elias. And straightway one
of them ran, and took a spunge,
and filled it with vinegar, and put
it on a reed, and gave him to
drink. The rest said, Let be, let
us see whether Elias will come to
save him. Jesus, when he had
cried again with a loud voice,
yielded up the ghost. And be-
hold, the vail of the temple was
rent in twain from the top to the
bottom, and the earth did quake,
and the rocks rent, and the graves
were opened, and many bodies of
saints which slept arose, and came
out of the graves after his resur-
rection, and went into the holy
city, and appeared unto many.
Now when the centurion, and they
that were with him, watching Je-
sus, saw the earthquake, and those
things that were done, they feared
greatly, saying, Truly this was the
Son of God.
fr-5
Throughout, the history is of
the Passion in its main visible
features, true and vivid, but im-
perfect, with none of the more
solemn and pathetic details, as
it might appear to one kept at a
distance by the soldiers, min-
gling with the crowd, and not
daring to associate himself with
the Sufferer.
Poitbag before Caster.
The Epistle (substituted in
1549 for Isa. 1. 5-10) is one of
the most magnificent passages
in Isaiah, describing the Re-
deemer, not as a Sufferer, but
as a Conqueror and Avenger.
It opens (a) with a picture of
One {vs. 1-6) coming from the
vanquished stronghold of Edom,
who, in answer to the prophet'R
inquiry who He is, and why He
comes with garments dyed in
blood, proclaims Himself the
Righteous Saviour of His people,
seeing Himself to be the only
helper of their helplessness, and
avenging that helplessness on
their heathen oppressors, be-
cause the day of Redemption is
oome. To this succeeds (&) the
answer of the Prophet in the
name of the people {vs. 7-14),
praising God for His loving-
kindness and mercy; declaring
that in their affliction He was
afflicted, and was ever ready to
save, to redeem, and to bear
them up; acknowledging their
sin and its deserved chastise-
ment ; but believing still in His
remembrance of the Covenant
with Moses, with its spiritual
blessings and visible deliverance
and guidance, and of His tender
care of them in the days of old.
Finally (c) he turns to prayer,
that God would look down upon
them, outcasts though they are,
unworthy to be the seed of Abra-
ham; that, as their Father and
Redeemer, He would call them
back from their wanderings and
hardness of heart ; that He would
no longer treat them (for this is
the true sense of the original) as
" those over whom He never bare
rule, those who are not called by
His Name." The whole is espe-
cially notable here, because pre-
senting to us— much as in the
Apocalypse— the vision of the
Second Coming of Christ, which
He Himself foretold in the hour
of His rejection (Mark xiv. 61, 62).
The Gospel is the first part
of the "Passion of St. Mark"
up to the condemnation of Our
Lord.
It agrees almost exactly
throughout with the record of
St. Matthew ; but adds (as is
usual with St. Mark) some of
the graphic touches which mark
eye-witness, as, for example (in
v. 13), the "man bearing a pitch-
er of water"; (in v. SO) "the
cock crowing twice"; (in vs. 51,
52) the curious episode of the
young man who fled away naked ;
(in v. 54) Peter's " warming him-
self at the fire." Some of these
appear also in the narrative of
St. Luke.
(a) As in the other Evangelists,
the narrative begins with the
Feast at Bethany, which, as we
learn from St. John (xii. 1), took
place before the Triumphal En-
try, but which appears to be
noticed here, because the rebuke
of Judas (see John xii. 7)— the
leader of the murmuring against
the woman (Mary, the sister of
Lazarus)— perhaps first suggest-
ed the Betrayal, now plotted
with the chief priests. Our
Lord's commendation— to be a
memorial of her for ever— is of
her loving delight in sacrifice,
offering to Him, without calcu-
lation, of her best, and that,
80
tfftonttag before faster.
For the Epistle. Isaiah 63. 1.
WHO is this that comethfrom
Edom, with dyed garments
from Bozrah ? this that is glorious
in his apparel, travelling in the
greatness of his strength ? I that
speak in righteousness, mighty to
save. Wherefore art thou red in
thine apparel, and thy garments
like him that treadeth in the wine-
fat ? I have trodden the wine -press
alone, and of the people there was
none with me : for I will tread
them in mine anger, and trample
them in my fury, and their blood
shall be sprinkled upon my gar-
ments, and I will stain all my rai-
ment. For the day of vengeance
is in mine heart, and the year of
my redeemed is come. And I
looked, and there was none to
help ; and I wondered that there
was none to uphold: therefore
mine own arm brought salvation
unto me, and my fury it upheld
me. And I will tread down the
people in mine anger, and make
them drunk in my fury, and I will
bring down their strength to the
earth. I will mention the loving-
kindnesses of the Lord, and the
praises of the Lord, according to
all that the Lord hath bestowed on
us, and the great goodness towards
the house of Israel, which he hath
bestowed on them, according to
his mercies, and according to the
multitude of his loving-kindness-
es. For he said, Surely they are my
people, children that will not lie :
so he was their Saviour. In all
their affliction lie w<is afflicted, and
the angel of his presence saved
them : in his love, and in his pity,
he redeemed them, and he bare
them, and carried them all the
days of old. But they rebelled,
and vexed his Holy Spirit ; there-
fore he was turned to be their ene-
my, and he fought against them.
Then he remembered the days of
old, Moses and his people, saying,
Where is he that brought them
up out of the sea with the shep-
herd of his flock ? where is he that
put his Holy Spirit within him ?
that led them by the right hand
of Moses, with his glorious arm,
dividing the water before them,
to make himself an everlasting
Name? that led them through
the deep as an horse in the wilder-
ness, that they should not stum-
ble ? As a beast goeth down into
the valley, the Spirit of the Lord
caused him to rest : so didst thou
lead thy people, to make thyself a
glorious Name. Look down from
heaven, and behold from the ha-
bitation of thy holiness, and of
thy glory : where is thy zeal, and
thy strength, the sounding of thy
bowrels, and of thy mercies to-
wards me ? Are they restrained ?
Doubtless thou art our Father,
though Abraham be ignorant of
us, and Israel acknowledge us not:
Thou, 0 Lord, art our Father, our
Redeemer, thy Name is from ever-
lasting. O Lord, why hast thou
made us to err from thy ways ?
and hardened our hearts from thy
fear? Return for thy servants'
sake, the tribes of thine inherit-
ance. The people of thy holiness
have possessed it but a little while:
our adversaries have trodden down
thy sanctuary. We are thine: thou
never barest rule over them ; they
were not called by thy Name.
The Gospel. St. Mark 14. 1.'
AFTER two days was the
feast of the Passover, and of
unleavened bread : and the chief
priests and the scribes sought how
they might take him by craft, and
put him to death. But they said,
Not on the feast-day, lest there
be an uproar of the people. And
being in Bethany, in the house of
Simon the leper, as he sat at meat,
there came a woman having an
alabaster box of ointment of spike-
nard, very precious ; and she brake
the box, and poured it on his head.
And there were some that had in-
dignation within themselves, and
said, Why was this waste of the
ointment made ? for it might have
been sold for more than three hun-
dred pence, and have been given
to the poor : and they murmured
against her. And Jesus said, Let
her alone ; why trouble ye her ?
moreover, at a critical time, be-
fore He was taken from them.
While it refuses to estimate ser-
vice by manifest usefulness, it
cannot be taken as determining,
in general, any intrinsic superi-
ority in the direct service of
honour to Him, as compared
with the service to the poor, His
representatives (Matt. xxv. 40).
(fc) The next scene is the cele-
bration of the Passover Feast,
of which (from comparison with
John xiii. 1, 29 & xviii. 28 & xix.
14, 42) it seems clear that Our
Lord anticipated the ordinary
time, whether by Galilean cus-
tom, or from special desire to
eat it with His disciples before
the Passion (see Luke xxii. 15).
Here we have the prediction of
the Betrayal, and the awful judg-
ment on the traitor, of the de-
sertion of the disciples (illustrat-
ed by quotation from Zech. xiii.
7), and of the denial of St. Peter;
and the Institution of the Holy
Communion, explaining the mys-
terious predictions of a year be-
fore (John vi. 53-58), by shewing
what it is to " eat the flesh and
drjnk the blood of the Son of
Man," superseding the Paschal
Feast, which had hallowed the
old Covenant, by the better Feast
which hallows the New.
(c) Thence, after the final Pas-
chal Hymn, we pass towards the
Mount of Olives and to the Agony
in Gethsemane— the shrinking
of His human will from the Pas-
sion of body, soul, and spirit, and
the bowing it by spiritual strug-
gle to the Will of the Father.
(In comparison with Matt. xxvi.
89, 42, we see that St. Mark's nar-
rative does not mark the subtle
and instructive distinction be-
tween the first and second utter-
ances of Our Lord.) We note
also the failure of the disciples,
in the "weakness of the flesh,"
"sleeping" (as St, Luke tells
us) " for sorrow," and so leaving-
Him to the loneliness, with which*
He pathetically reproaches all,,
and the eager St. Peter espe-
cially ; the sad irony of the last,
words, " Sleep on now, and take
your rest " ; and the calm readi-
ness to meet death (as in pre-
sage of victory), " Rise, let us be;
going."
(d) Immediately follows the'
Betbayal by the Judas-kiss of
unspeakable treachery, the sud-
den attempt of "one of them"
(St. Peter) to resist, the remon-
strance with His enemies for the-
violence of their attack on One,,
who had been always with themi
unprotected in the Temple, and:
the flight of the disciples. Then.
He is led away from the darkness,
of the Valley of Kedron up by the-
moonlit path to the gates of Je-
rusalem. Here occurs the pecu-
liar episode, which, both in its-
picturesqneness and its apparent;
triviality, marks the vivid story
of an eye-witness. Who the young-
man was, and why he followed
with only the linen cloth round
his naked body, we know not.
Conjecture makes him St. Mark
himself, Lazarus, or Simon of
Bethany.
(e) The record of the Condem-
nation BEFORE THE SANHEDBIM
agrees almost exactly with St.
Matthew, except that St. Mat-
thew (xxvi. 63) supplies the so-
lemn adjuration of the High
Priest, under which Our Lord
breaks the silence, hitherto kept
in spite of the repeated false
witness and previous question.
Here it is notable that St. John's
Gospel (ii. 19-21) alone explains
the accusation about the Temple
— a perversion of words actually
uttered by Our Lord. The answer
of Our Lord — " I am "—is abso-
lutely explicit in claim of Mes-
siahship, and the words follov
ing clearly allude to the c«
•I
MONDAY BEFORE EASTER.
she hath wrought a good work on
me : for ye have the poor with
you always, and whensoever ye
will ye may do them good ; but
me ye have not always. She hath
done what she could ; she is come
aforehand to anoint my body to
the burying. Verily I say unto
you, Wheresoever this Gospel
shall be preached throughout the
whole world, this also that she
hath done shall be spoken of for
a memorial of her. And Judas
Iscariot, one of the twelve, went
mnto the chief priests to betray
,liim unto them. And when they
iheard it they were glad, and pro-
mised to give him money. And
•he sought how he might conve-
miently betray him. And the first
day of unleavened bread, when
■.they killed the passover, his dis-
ciples said unto him, Where wilt
thou that we go and prepare, that
thou mayest eat the passover?
And he sendeth forth two of his
disciples, and saith unto them, Go
ye into the city, and there shall
meet you a man bearing a pitcher
of water; follow him: And where-
soever he shall go in, say ye to the
good-man of the house, The Mas-
ter saith, Where is the guest-cham-
ber, where I shall eat the passover
with my disciples? And he will
shew you a large upper-room fur-
nished, and prepared : there make
ready for us. And his disciples
went forth, and came into the city,
and found as he had said unto
them : and they made ready the
passover. And in the evening he
Cometh with the twelve. And as
they sat, and did eat, Jesus said,
Verily I say unto you, One of you
which eateth with me shall betray
me. And they began to be sor-
rowful, and to say unto him one
by one, Is it I ? and another said,
Is it I ? And he answered and said
unto them, It is one of the twelve
that dippeth with me in the dish.
The Son of Man indeed goeth, as
it is written of him : but woe to that
man by whom the Son of Man is
betrayed : good were it for that
man if he had never been born.
I And as they did eat, Jesus took
bread, and blessed, and brake it,
and gave to them, and said, Take,
I cat: this is my body. And he
took the cup, and when he had
given thanks he gave it to them :
. and they all drank of it. And he
I said unto them, This is my blood
I of the new testament, which is
I shed for many. Verily I say unto
i you, I will drink no more of the
I fruit of the vine, until that day
! that I drink it new in the Kingdom
of God. And when they had sung
an hymn they went out into the
mount of Olives. And Jesus saith
unto them, All ye shall be offend-
ed because of me this night : for
it is written, I will smite tbe shep-
herd, and the sheep shall be scat-
tered. But, after that I am risen,
I will go before you into Galilee.
But Peter said unto him, Although
all shall be offended, yet will not
I. And Jesus saith unto him,
Verily I say unto thee, That this
day, even in this night, before the
cock crow twice, thou shalt deny
me thrice. But he spake the more
vehemently, If I should die with
thee, I will not deny thee in any
wise. Likewise also said they all.
And they came to a place which
was named Gethsemane : and he
saith to his disciples, Sit ye here,
while I shall pray. And he taketh
with him Peter, and James, and
John, and began to be sore amaz-
ed, and to be very heavy, and saith
unto them, My soul is exceeding
sorrowful unto death; tarry ye
here, and watch. And he went
forward a little, and fell on the
ground, and prayed, that, if it
were possible, the hour might pass
from him. And he said, Abba,
Father, all things are possible un-
to thee ; take away this cup from
me ; nevertheless, not what I will,
i but what thou wilt. And he com-
eth and flndeth them sleeping, and
saith unto Peter, Simon, slecpest
thou ? couldest not thou watch
one hour? Watch ye and pray,
lest ye enter into temptation : the
spirit truly is ready, but the flesh
is weak. And again he went away
31
brated vision of Daniel (vii. 13,
14) of "the Son of Man"
"brought to the Ancient of
days," and invested with the
universal and eternal Kingdom.
Then follows— in the condemna-
tion for blasphemy, and the in-
sulting mockery of the servants
—the first rejection of Him by
His own people.
(/) Lastly, we have the record
of the Denial of St. Peter,
agreeing almost word for word
with the narrative of St. Mat-
thew. We note, as singularly
true to human nature, that each
denial was (so to speak) forced
upon him, partly by his boldness
in entering the High Priest's
palace, partly by his attempt to
conceal discipleship and by pre-
vious denials ; that each became
more hardened and emphatic,
even to perjury ; and that the
revulsion of feeling, when it did
come, came at once and with over-
whelming power.
The Proper Lessons from the
Old Testament (Lam. i. 1-16;
ii. 13-22) begin a series of selec-
tions from the Lamentations of
Jeremiah, uttered over the suf-
fering and shame of the Holy
City, as trodden down by her
triumphant enemies. So far
as they speak only of suffering,
they are applied to the Great
Sufferer ; so fur as they confess
sin and call to repentance,
they apply to us whose sinB
nailed Him to the Cross. The
Second Lessons (John xiv. 1-
15; 15-31) begin Our Lord's last
discourse to His disciples, (a)
declaring His departure " to pre-
pare a place for them " ; (6) mani-
festing Himself as the " Way, the
Truth, and the Life," so that, in
seeing Him they see the Father ;
(c) promising His Presence and
the Presence of the Father with
them through the gift of the Com-
forter ; and ( d ) thus leaving them
His peace for ever.
MONDAY BEFORE EASTER.
and prayed, and spake the same
words. And when he returned he
found them asleep again, (for their
eyes were heavy,) neither wist
they what to answer him. And
he conieth the third time, and
saith unto them, Sleep on now,
and take your rest : it is enough,
the hour is come; behold, the Son
of Man is betrayed into the hands
of sinners. Rise up, let us go ; lo,
he that betrayeth me is at hand.
And immediately, while he yet
spake, cometh Judas, one of the
twelve and with him a great mul-
titude with swords and staves,
from the cnief priests, and the
scribes, and the elders. And he
that betrayed him had given them
a token, saying, Whomsoever I
shall kiss, that same is he ; take
him, and lead him away safely.
And as soon as he was come he
gocth straightway to him, and
saith, Master, master ; and kissed
him. And they laid their hands
on him, and took him. And one
of them that stood by drew a
sword, and smote a servant of the
high priest, and cut off his ear.
And Jesus answered, and said unto
them, Are ye come out as against
a thief, with swords and with
staves, to take me ? I was daily
with you in the temple teaching,
and ye took me not: but the Scrip-
tures must be fulfilled. And they
all forsook him, and fled. And
there followed him a certain young
man, having a linen cloth cast
about his naked body ; and the
young men laid hold on him : and
he left the linen cloth, and fled
from them naked. And they led
Jesus away to the high priest : and
with him were assembled all the
chief priests, and the elders, and
the scribes. And Peter followed
him afar off, even into the palace
of the high priest; and he sat with
the servants, and warmed himself
at the fire. And the chief priests
and all the council sought for wit-
ness against Jesus to put him to
death ; and found none. For
many bare false witness against
him, but their witness agreed not
together. And there arose cer-
tain, and bare false witness against
him, saying, We heard him say,
I will destroy this temple that is
made with hands, and within three
days I will build another made
without hands. But neither so did
their witness agree together. And
the high priest stood up in the
midst, and asked Jesus, saying,
Answerest thou nothing? what is
it which these witness against
thee ? But he held his peace, and
answered nothing. Again the high
priest asked him, and said unto
him, Art thou the Christ, the Son
of the Blessed ? And Jesus said, I
am ; and ye shall see the Son of
Man sitting on the right hand of
power, and coming in the clouda
of heaven. Then the high priest
rent his clothes, and saith, What
need we any further witnesses ? ye
have heard the blasphemy : what
think ye ? And they all condemn-
ed him to be guilty of death. And
some began to spit on him, and to
cover his face, and to buffet him,
and to say unto him, Prophesy : and
the servants did strike him with
the palms of their hands. And as
Peter was beneath in the palace
there conieth one of the maids of
the high priest ; and when she saw
Peter wanning himself she look-
ed upon him, and said, And thou
also wast with Jesus of Nazareth.
But he denied, saying, I know not,
neither understand I what thou
sayest. And he went out into the
porch ; and the cock crew. And a
maid saw him again, and began to
say to them that stood by, This
is one of them. And he denied it
again. And a little after, they that
stood by said again to Peter, Sure-
ly thou art one of them ; for thou
art a Galilean, and thy speech
agreeth thereto. But he began to
curse and to swear, saying, 1 know
not this man of whom ye speak.
And the second time the cock crew.
And Peter called to mind the word
that Jesus said unto him, Before
the cock crow twice, thou shalt
deny me thrice. And when he
thought thereon, he wept.
ftneaban before (faster.
The Epistle (Isa. 1. 5-11)
stands in marked contrast with
the preceding, for it depicts the
Suffering Servant of the Lord
throughout; first (a), (vt. 5, 6)
in His obedience, willingly en-
during suffering and insult ;
next (b), (w. 7-9), in His calm
and perfect confidence that God
will justify Him, and that His
enemies shall fade and vanish
away; lastly (e), (vg. 10, 11), in
His message to those who, walk-
ing in obedience and godly fear,
have yet no light; it bids them
wait for God's good time, and
warns them that those who kin-
dle a light of their own devis-
ing shall lie down in shame and
sorrow. The application to
the Great Sufferer of Calvary
throughout— in His self-sacrifice,
His calmness, and His patient
endurance— and to those who
take up their cross and follow
Him, is obvious.
The Gospel, the second part
of the " Passion of St. Mark,"
should be compared throughout
with the Gospel of Palm Sunday
from St. Matthew. With this it
closely coincides, but is briefer—
in fact, is the briefest and sim-
plest history of the Passion. It
adds, however, a few independent
details — in v. 7, the fact that Ba-
rabbas had committed bloodshed
in the insurrection ; in v. 21, that
Simon was " the father of Alex-
ander and Rufus" (see Rom.
xvi. 18) ; in v. 25, that the Cruci-
fixion began at "the third
hour"; while it omits several
details given by St. Matthew—
the repentance and suicide of
Judas (xxvi. 3-9), the dream of
Pilate's wife (v. 19), and the
washing of his hands (vs. 24, 25) ;
and the greater signs following
upon the death of the Lord (»*.
51, 52). We may note that what
St. Matthew rails a "scarlet
robe," St. Mark with greater
precision describes as "purple,"
which is not what we call by that
name, but the bright scarlet of
royalty.
The Proper Lessons continue
those of the preceding day. The
First Lessons (Lam. iii. 1-34, 34
-66) form the central portion of
the Lamentations, bringing out
most clearly the great character-
istics of the book,— first, the deep
sense of suffering, of contempt
from man, of desolation before
God ; next, the confession of un-
worthiness and sin; and, lastly,
in spite of all, the continuance
of hope, and confidence in the
mercy of God. The Second Les-
sons (John xv. 1-14, 14-27),
carry on Our Lord's last dis-
course to His Apostles, (a) bring-
ing out in the Parable of the
Vine their unity with Him, with
its fruit of a love like His to all
mankind; (ft) warning them of
the hatred and persecution
which, like Him, they have to
expect from the world; (c) and
ending in the renewed promise
of the Comforter, by whose-
witness to Christ they also
shall be enabled to bear wit-
ness.
8S
®u*sttag before Caster.
For the Epistle. Isaiah 50. 5.
THE Lord God hath opened
mi*.ie ear, and 1 was not rebel-
lious, neither turned away back. I
gave my baek to the sniiters, and
my cheeks to them that plucked
off the hair : I hid not my face
from shame and spitting. For the
Lord God will help me, therefore
shall I not be confounded : there-
fore have I set my face like a
flint, and I know that I shall not
be ashamed. He is near that jus-
tifleth me ; who will contend with
me ? Let us stand together ; who
is mine adversary? let him come
near to me. Behold, the Lord God
will help me ; who is he that shall
condemn me ? Lo, they all shall
wax old as a garment : the moth
shall eat them up. Who is among
you that feareth the Lord, that
obeyeth the voice of his servant,
that walketh in darkness, and
hath no light? let him trust in
the Name of the Lord, and stay
upon his God. Behold, all ye that
kindle a fire, that compass your-
selves about with sparks ; walk in
the light of your lire, and in the
Bparks that ye have kindled. This
shall ye have of mine hand, ye
shall lie down in sorrow.
The Gospel. St. Mark 15. 1.
AND straightway in the morn-
ing the chief priests held a
consultation with the elders, and
scribes, and the whole council,
and bound Jesus, and carried him
away, and delivered him to Pilate.
And Pilate asked him, Art thou
the King of the Jews? And he
answering said unto him, Thou
sayest it. And the chief priests
accused him of many things : but
he answered nothing. And Pilate
asked him again, saying, Answer-
est thou nothing? behold how
many things they witness against
thee. But Jesus yet answered no-
thing : so that Pilate marvelled.
Now at that feast he released unto
them one prisoner, whomsoever
they desired. And there was one
named Barabbas, which lay bound
with them that had made insur-
rection with him, who had com-
mitted murder in the insurrection.
And the multitude, crying aloud,
began to desire him to do as he
had ever done unto them. But
Pilate answered them, saying, Will
ye that I release unto you the King
of the Jews ? For he knew that the
chief priests had delivered him for
envy. But the chief priests moved
the people, that he should rather
release Barabbas unto them. And
Pilate answered, and said again
unto them, What will ye then that
I shall do unto him whom ye call
the King of the Jews ? And they
cried out again, Crucify him. Then
Pilate said unto them, Why, what
evil hath he done ? And they cried
out the more exceedingly, Crucify
him. And so Pilate, willing to con-
tent the people, released Barabbas
unto them, and delivered Jesus,
when he had scourged him, to be
crucified. And the soldiers led him
away into the hall, called Pneto-
rium ; and they call together the
whole band. And they clothed
him with purple, and platted a
crown of thorns, and put it about
his head : and began to salute him,
Hail, King of the Jews. And they
smote him on the head with a
reed, and did spit upon him, and
bowing their knees worshipped
him. And when they had mocked
him they took off the purple from
him, and put his own clothes on
him, and led him out to crucify
him. And they compel one Simon
a Cyrenian, who passed by, com-
ing out of the country, the father
of Alexander and Rufus, to bear
his cross. And they bring him
unto the place Golgotha, which is,
being interpreted, The place of a
skull. And they gave him to drink
wine mingled with myrrh ; but he
received it not. And when they
had crucified him they parted his
garments, casting lots upon them,
what every man should take. And
it was the third hour, and they
crucified him. And the super-
scription of his accusation was
written over, THE KING OF
THE JEWS. And with him they
crucify two thieves, the one on his
SKebneuban before faster.
The Epistle— drawn from the
great Epistle to the Hebrews—
as a whole, is plain in its mean-
ing, carrying on the contrast of
the first and second Covenants,
brought out in the Epistle for
Passion Sunday. It refers (a)
to the consecration by blood of
the solemn Covenant of God with
Israel under Mount Sinai (Exod.
xxiv. 5-8), and of the Tabernacle
and the Priests (Lev. viii.) ; then
(6) contrasts with this blood of
bulls and goats, constantly offer-
ed, and availing only to cleanse
ceremonially the earthly copies
of heavenly things, the Blood of
Christ offered by Himself; and
(c) dwells on His entry for us
once for all through His atoning
Blood into the Holiest Place of
Heaven itself, there to remain
till He comes again, to complete
the salvation which He has won.
But the first clause, both in
translation and idea, is difficult.
The word rendered " testament "
ia the same which has been
throughout the whole context,
and in the New Testament ge-
nerally, translated "covenant"
(see Heb. viii. 6 — ix. 15), and to
alter the rendering of it is to
break the continuity of thought.
Moreover, the idea of a testa-
ment, as the will of a dying per-
son, seems to have no proper
connection with th6 relation of
God to man, which is perfected
in the Lord Jesus Christ, just
because He is not dead but
' ' alive for evermore . ' ' Probably,
on the whole, it is best to render
thus, "Where a covenant is"
(between God and sinners as
such) "there must be brought
forward" (or represented) "the
death of the covenanting person ;
for a covenant has force over the
dead ; for doth it ever avail while
he that made it liveth ? " The
reference will then be to the
sacrifice of the sin-offering— such
as hallowed the old Covenant-
representing the covenanter with
God as really dead before Him
in penalty of sin, and, by death
of the victim, delivering him
through the mercy of God, and
restoring him to unity with Him.
The coherence with all that goes
before and follows will thus be
maintained.
The Gospel is the first part
of the " Passion of St. Luke,"
and should be compared care-
fully with the narratives of St.
Matthew and St. Mark, with
which, on the whole, it agrees
closely, not however without
many notable omissions and in-
sertions. Like the Third Gospel
generally, this narrative of St.
Luke is marked by special beauty
and depth of pathos.
Following the same divisions
as in the Gospel for Monday
before Easter, w e observe that, —
(a) The Feast at Bethany is
altogether omitted, and the re-
solution of Judas to betray his
Master referred simply to the
temptation of Satan, without
notice of the occasion which
may first have suggested it.
(6) The Passoveb, Feast is
described with special fulness.
Several important details are
found in St. Luke alone — Our
Lord's earnest desire to eat it
with them, which may be con-
nected with His apparent an-
ticipation of the ordinary time ;
His refusal to drink of the Pas- j
chal Cup at Supper, in anticipa-
tion of the "new wine" of the
Kingdom of God ; the fact that,
only when the Paschal Supper
was over, did He break the bread
and give the cup to His disci-
ples. Moreover, in the Institu-
tion of the Holy Communion St.
Luke adds the important words
Si
WEDNESDAY BEFORE EASTER.
right hand, and the other on his
left. And the scripture was fulfil-
led, which saith, And he was num-
bered witli the transgressors. And
they that passed by railed on him,
wagging their heads, and saying,
Ah, thou that destroyest the tem-
ple, and buildest it in three days,
save thyself, and come down from
the cross. Likewise also the chief
priests mocking said among them-
selves, with the scribes, He saved
others ; himself he cannot save.
Let Christ the King of Israel de-
scend now from the cross, that we
may see and believe. And they
that were crucified with him re-
viled him. And when the sixth
hour was come, there was dark-
ness over the whole land until the
ninth hour. And at the ninth hour
The Emetle. Heb. 9. 16.
WHERE a testament is, there
must also of necessity be the
death of the testator: for a testa-
ment is of force after men are
dead ; otherwise it is of no strength
at all whilst the testator liveth.
Whereupon, neither the first tes-
tament was dedicated without
blood : for when Moses had spok-
en every precept to all the people,
according to the law, he took the
i blood of calves and of goats, with
; water, and scarlet wool, and hys-
I sop, and sprinkled both the book,
and all the people, saying, This is
the blood of the testament, which
God hath enjoined untoyou. More-
over, he sprinkled with blood both
the tabernacle, and all the vessels
of the ministry. And almost all
things are by the law purged with
blood ; and without shedding of
blood is no remission. It was
therefore necessary that the pat-
terns of things in the heavens
should be purified with these ; but
the heavenly things themselves
with better sacrifices than these.
For Christ is not entered into the
holy places made with hands,
which are the figures of the true,
but into heaven itself, now to ap-
pear in the presence of God for
1 Jesus cried with a loud voice, say-
i ing, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthanif
which is, being interpreted, My
God, my God, why hast thou for-
saken me? And some of them
that stood by, when they heard it,
said, Behold, he calleth Elias.
And one ran and filled a spunge
full of vinegar, and put it on a
reed, and gave him to drink, say-
ing, Let alone ; let us see whether
Elias will come to take him down.
And Jesus cried with a loud voice,
and gave up the ghost. And the
vail of the temple was rent in
twain from the top to the bottom.
And when the centurion, which
stood over against him, saw that
he so cried out, and gave up the
ghost, he said, Truly this man
was the Son of God.
before (JHaster.
us ; nor yet that he should offer
himself often, as the high priest
entcreth into the holy place every
year with blood of others : for then
must he often have suffered since
the foundation of the world ; but
now once in the end of the world
hath he appeared to put away sin
by the sacrifice of himself. And
as it is appointed unto men once
to die, but after this the judg-
ment : so Christ was once ottered
to bear the sins of many ; and
unto them that look for him shall
he appear the second time with-
out sin unto salvation'.
The Gospel. St. Luke 22. 1.
NOW the feast of unleavened
bread drew nigh, which is
called the Passover. And the chief
priests and scribes sought how they
might kill him ; for they feared the
people. Then entered Satan into
Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of
the number of the twelve. And
he went his way, and communed
with the chief priests and captains,
how he might betray him unto
them. And they were glad, and
covenanted to give him money.
And he promised, and sought op-
portunity to betray him unto them
in the absence of the multitude.
Then came the day of unleavened
84
"This do in remembrance of
Me"; containing the authority
for pleading His Sacrifice as a
memorial before God, and con-
tinuing this pleading "till He
comes " (1 Cor. xi. 26) ; supersed-
ing by this memorial the ancient
memorial of the Passover. It is
remarkable that St. Luke's ac-
count agrees almost verbally with
the record jriven by St. Paul (1
Cor. xi. 23-25). Again, in the
discourse after the Supper, St.
Luke alone tells us of the strife
for greatness in His Kingdom
among the disciples, which is at
once rebuked by Our Lord's own
example, making self-abasement
the true Law of that Kingdom
on earth, and which yet in its
highest aspiration is satisfied
by the promise of the heavenly
Feast, and of the "twelve
thrones " in the Kingdom of
glory. (The phrase, "I am a-
mong you as he that serveth,"
is curiously explained by the
washing the disciples' feet, just
over, which is recorded to us
only by St. John (John xiii.
1-17).) From St. Luke again we
read of the command to provide
for their own needs and defence
(in contradistinction to the prac-
tice of theirformer mission), and
of the unintelligent literalism of
obedience in the Apostles in re-
spect of the " two swords," which
explains how St. Peter came to
be armed in Gethsemane.
(c) St. Luke (the physician)
brings out especially the awful
reality of the Agony, alone tell-
ing us of the bloody sweat wrung
forth in the intensity of mental
struggle, and of the Angel sent
down (as at the Temptation) to
minister to Him.
(d) In the Betrayal we read
here of Our Lord's reproof to
the traitor, "Judas, betrayest
thou the Son of Man with a
kiss?" and of His healing the
ear of the wounded servant by
an act of mercy, which in the
turmoil probably the sufferer a-
lone knew.
(«) The record of the Condem-
nation is briefer, omitting the
testimony of the false witnesses,
and placing the mockery before
the arraignment in the Council.
(/) The story of the Denial
of St. Peter varies in detail
from the others, and contains
the pathetic description of the
look of Our Lord upon His failing
disciple, which drew forth the
sudden tears of penitence.
Everywhere we see traces of in-
dependent narrative and touches
of impressive and pathetic de-
tail.
The Proper Lessons.— The
First Lesson in the Morning
(Lam. iv. 1-21) completes the
series from the Lamentations,
contrasting the former glory and
beauty of Israel with its well-de-
served ruin ; the First Lesson in
the Evening (Dan. ix. 20-27) is
the great prophecy (in answer to
Daniel's prayer and confession)
of the Seventy Weeks, at the end
of which " Messiah shall be cut
off, but not for himself." The
Second Lessons (John xvi. 1-16,
16-38) complete Our Lord's last
discourse, (a) renewing more
fully still the promise of the
Comforter — His office to the
world, to "convince of sin, righ-
teousness, and judgment "—His
office to the Church, "to guide
into all the Truth," and so
"glorify the Son"; (6) announ-
cing His approaching departure
to the Father, and His future
spiritual Presence, turning their
sorrow into joy, and their im-
perfect knowledge into perfec-
tion; (c) finally, on their eager
profession of present faith and
knowledge, warning them of their
approaching desertion, and yet-
promising them final victory hv
Him.
WEDNESDAY BEFORE EASTER.
bread, when the passover must he
killed. And he sent Peter and
John, saying, Go and prepare us
the passover, that we may eat.
And they said unto him, Where
wilt thou that we prepare ? And
he said unto them, Behold, when
ye are entered into the city, there
shall a man meet you, bearing a
pitcher of water ; follow him into
the house where he entereth in.
And ye shall say unto the good-
man of the house, The Master
saith unto thee, Where is the
guest-chamber, where I shall eat
the passover with my disciples?
And he shall shew you a large up-
per-room furnished ; there make
ready. And they went, and found
as he had said unto them : and
they made ready the passover.
And when the hour was come he
sat down, and the twelve Apostles
with him. And he said unto them,
With desire I have desired to eat
this passover with you before I
sutler : for I say unto you, 1 will
not any more eat thereof, until it
be fulttlled in the Kingdom of God.
And he took the cup, and gave
thanks, and said, Take this, and
divide it among yourselves. For I
Bay unto you, I will not drink of
the fruit of the vine, until the
Kingdom of God shall come. And
he took bread, and gave thanks,
and brake it, and gave unto them,
saying, This is my body, which is
given for you : this do in remem-
brance of me. Likewise also the
cup after supper, saying, This cup
is the new testament in my blood,
which is shed for you. But behold,
the hand of him that betrayeth
me is with me on the table. And
truly the Son of Man goeth as it
was determined ; but woe unto
that man by whom he is betrayed.
And they began to enquire among
themselves, which of them it was
that should do this thing. And
there was also a strife among
them, which of them should be ac-
counted the greatest. And he said
unto them, The kings of the Gen-
tiles exercise lordship over them,
and they that exercise autho-
rity upon them are called bene-
factors. But ye shall not be so:
but he that is greatest among you,
let him be as the younger ; and
he that is chief, as he that doth
serve. For whether is greater, he
that sittcth at meat, or he that
serveth ? is not he that sitteth at
meat ? but I am among you as he
that serveth. Ye are they which
have continued with me in my
temptations. And I appoint unto
you a kingdom, as my Father hath
appointed unto me ; that ye may
eat and drink at my table in my
kingdom, and sit on thrones, judg-
ing the twelve tribes of Israel.
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon,
behold, Satan hath desired to have
you, that he may sift you as wheat:
but I have prayed for thee, that
thy faith fail not ; and when thou
art converted, strengthen thy bre-
thren. And he said unto him,
Lord, I am ready to go with thee
both into prison and to death.
And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the
cock shall not crow this day, before
that thou shalt thrice deny that
thou knowest me. And he said
unto them, When I sent you with-
out purse, and scrip, and shoes,
lacked ye any thing? And they
said, Nothing. Then said he un-
to them, But now, he that hath a
purse, let him take it, and like-
wise his scrip : and he that hath
no sword, let him sell his gar-
ment, and buy one. For I say un-
to you, That this that is written
must yet be accomplished in me,
And he was reckoned among the
transgressors : for the things con-
cerning me have an end. And
they said, Lord, behold, here are
two swords. And he said unto
them, It is enough. And he came
out, and went, as he was wont, to
the mount of Olives, and his dis-
ciples also followed him. And
when he was at the- place, he said
unto them, Pray, that ye enter
not into temptation. And he was
withdrawn from them about a
stone's cast, and kneeled down and
prayed, saying, Father, if thou be
willing, remove this cup from me:
85
&(mraban before (Ennttx,
called Maundy Paul, fir9t, to give a record of the
commonly
Thursday. The word Maundy
(although other derivations for
it have been suggested) appears
almost certainly to be derived,
like its French equivalent Mande,
from the Mandatum, "the new
commandment" given by Our
Lord in connection with the
washing of the disciples' feet
(John xiii. 84), and, perhaps also,
the " Do this in remembrance
of Me " of the Last Supper, just
ended. On this day, accordingly,
it became the custom for Popes,
Kings, and Bishops to wash pub-
licly the feet of poor men, and
accompany the ceremony with
alms-giving, which still continues
with us in the King's " Maun-
dy." The day was also marked
by the bathing of the Catechu-
mens, and the consecration of
the Chrism, preparatory to the
Easter Baptism, by the solemn
reconciliation of penitents, and
by the celebration— at any rate
in the African Church — of an
Evening Communion, in me-
mory of the first institution,
which was, however, disused and
discountenanced after the 7th
century.
The Epistle is the well-known
passage describing, and rebuk-
ing, the gross profanation of the
Holy Communion in the Corinth-
ian Church, probably arising in
part from its connection with
the Agape or Love-feast. It
seems that, instead of unity in
" the Lord's Supper," there were
divisions, through which each
person or knot of persons took
what became their "own sup-
per," and that excess and drun-
kenness disgraced the sacred
feast. The indignant rebuke of
this sacrilege — as a sin both a-
gainst the sacredness of "the
Church of God " and against
Christian brotherhood— leads St.
Institution, independent of, and
probably anterior to, our Gos-
pels in their present form, but
closely coincident with St. Luke's
narrative ; and, next, to warn
earnestly against this "unworthy
partaking," in which the sinner
"eats and drinks to himself a
judgment" (not "damnation,"
but, as appears below, a tempo-
ral judgment, sent in order that
they should " not be condemn-
ed "), and is " guilty " in respect
" of the body and blood of the
Lord," which he does not " dis-
cern," that is, distinguish from
common food. This sin had al-
ready been visited by judgments
of sickness and death. St. Haul
urges them to forsake it with-
out delay, and promises to order
hereafter whatever else is need-
ful—probably for guarding a-
gainst future profanation. It is
natural to conjecture that from
this time the separation of the
Holy Communion from the Agape
and its early celebration— which
we know to have already become
an established usage in the se-
cond century— began by Apos-
tolic authority.
The Gospel is the second part
of the " Passion of St. Luke," in
which, still more than in the first,
he gives a narrative quite inde-
pendent of the others, of special
pathetic beauty, containing many
details unrecorded by them, and
apparently drawn from a far
nearer point of view.
Thus (a) before Pilate he
records to us the formal accusa-
tion, clenched by the false state-
ment of "forbidding to give tri-
bute to Caesar" (see Luke xx.
20), which produced Pilate's pub-
lic inquiry, " Art Thou the King
of the Jews?" next (6), the
characteristic attempt of Pilate
86
THURSDAY BEFORE EASTER.
nevertheless, not my will, but
thine be done. And there ap-
E eared an angel unto him from
eaven, strengthening him. And
being in an agony, he prayed more
earnestly ; and his sweat was as it
were great drops of blood falling
down to the ground. And when
he rose up from prayer, and was
come to his disciples, he found
them sleeping for sorrow, and said
unto them, Why sleep ye? rise
and pray, lest ye enter into temp-
tation. And while he yet spake,
behold, a multitude, and he that
was called Judas, one of the twelve,
went before them, and drew near
unto Jesus to kiss him. But Jesus
said unto him, Judas, betrayest
thou the Son of Man with a kiss ?
When they who were about him
saw what would follow, they said
unto him, Lord, shall we smite
with the sword ? And one of them
smote the servant of the high
priest, and cut off his right ear.
And Jesus answered and said, Suf-
fer ye thus far. And he touched
his ear, and healed him. Then Je-
sus said unto the chief priests,
and captains of the temple, and
the elders who were come to him,
Be ye come out as against a thief,
with swords and staves ? When I
was daily with you in the tem-
ple, ye stretched forth no hands
against me : but this is your hour,
and the power of darkness. Then
took they him, and led him, and
brought him into the high priest's
house: and Peter followed afar
off. And when they had kindled
a fire in the midst of the hall, and
were set down together, Peter sat
down among them. But a certain
maid beheld him, as he sat by the
fire, and earnestly looked upon
him, and said, This man was also
with him. And he denied him,
saying, Woman, I know him not.
And after a little while another
saw him, and said, Thou art also
of them. And Peter said, Man, I
am not. And about the space of
one hour after, another confident-
ly affirmed, saying, Of a truth this
fellow also was with him ; for he
is a Galilean. And Peter said,
Man, I know not what thou say-
est. And immediately, while he
yet spake, the cock crew. And
the Lord turned, and looked upon
Peter; and Peter remembered the
word of the Lord, how he had said
unto him, Before the cock crow,
thou shalt deny me thrice. And
Peter went out, and wept bitter-
ly. And the men that held Jesus
mocked him, and smote him. And
when they had blindfolded him,
they struck him on the face, and
asked him, saying, Prophesy, who
is it that smote thee ? And many
other things blasphemously spake
they against him. And as soon as
it was day, the elders of the peo-
ple, and the chief priests, and the
scribes, came together, and led
him into their council, saying, Art
thou the Christ ? tell us. And he
said unto them, If I tell you, ye
will not believe : and if I also ask
you, ye will not answer me, nor
let me go. Hereafter shall the
Son of Man sit on the right hand
of the power of Ood. Then said
they all, Art thou then the Son of
God ? And he said unto them, Ye
say that I am. And they said,
What need we any further wit-
ness ? for we ourselves have heard
of his own mouth.
Omrstrag before faster.
heresies among you, that they who
are approved may be made mani-
fest among you. When ye come
together therefore into one place,
this is not to eat the Lord's sup-
when ye come together in the j per : for in eating every one tak-
ehurch, I hear that there be di- | eth before other his own supper ;
visions among you, and I partly and one is hungry, and another
believe it. For there must be also j is drunken. What, have ye not
The Epistle. 1 Cor. 11. 17.
TN this that I declare unto you,
I praise you not ; that ye come
together not for the better, but
for the worse. For first of all,
86
to get rid of responsibility, tak-
ing advantage of the fact of the
ministry in Galilee to send Our
Lord to Herod Antipas, who
was in all probability in the
same palace ; the vulgar curi-
osity of Herod (see Luke ix. 9),
which desired to see a miracle
wrought ; and his mockery of bis
silent Prisoner, arraying Him in
scorn in a "gorgeous robe"
(which may perhaps have been
the "scarlet robe" of mockery
in the Praetorium) ; and recon-
ciling himself to Pilate by parti-
cipation in one common guilt;
(c) again, he suggests the object
of the Scourging, which other-
wise might have seemed a wan-
ton cruelty, in Pilate's words,
" I will chastise Him, and let
Him go "—inconsistent with his
declaration of Our Lord's inno-
cence, but apparently implying
a vain hope that this lesser igno-
miny and suffering might con-
tent the people. It is remark-
able that he does not narrate the
actual scourging itself, (d) On
the Way to the Cross he tells
us of the company of mourners
that followed, and of Our Lord's
words, heard only by them and
by the soldiers, "Daughters of
Jerusalem, weep not for Me, but
weep for yourselves and your
children," foretelling— in words
drawn from ancient prophecy
(Hob. x. 8)— the utter destruc-
tion to come on the " dry tree "
of the Jewish dispensation, (e)
At the moment of the first
Agony of the actual Cruci-
fixion, he alone preserves to us
the prayer of infinite forgive-
ness, " Father, forgive them ; for
they know not what they do,"
which would be heard by those
to whom they specially applied
—the Roman soldiers nailing
Him to the Cross; (/) under
the Cross itself he alone re-
cords the repentance of one of
the robbers crucified with Him
(who had first, it would seem,
joined the railing against Him),
and the almost superhuman
faith, which— rebuking his im-
penitent comrade, recognising
his own sin, and the sinlessness
of Jesus— saw in the Crucified
the Lord of Glory, and received
the special blessing, "This day
shalt thou be with me in Para-
dise " ; and, only noting the fact
of the loud cry (not the Hebrew
words, which would be unintelli-
gible to a Gentile), adds the last
low utterance, " Father, into Thy
hands I commend my spirit " ;
and finally, (g) gives literally TnE
Cry of the Centurion, " Truly
this was a righteous man " (pro-
bably "the Righteous One";
see Acts iii. 14 & vii 52 & xxii.
14), which the other Evangelists
translated into the equivalent
Jewish term, " the Son of God" ;
and alone notes the revulsion of
feeling, which made even the peo-
ple " smite their breasts " in re-
morse.
The whole clearly indicates the
eye-witness of one who stood
near the Cross, and seems for
many reasons to point to a Ro-
man informant. According to
common tradition, the Third
Gospel belongs to the time of
St. Paul's imprisonment at Cse-
sarea, the great Roman garrison
city. Could the Centurion him-
self have gone on to the logical
conclusion of his confession, and,
as a Christian, been the witness
of all these things to the Evan-
gelist?
The Proper Lessons are (Hos.
xiii. 1-15; xiv.) the closing ut-
terances of Hosea, the prophet
of the fall of the kingdom of
Israel ; first pleading with Israel
God's former mercies, and the
people's continued sin ; then pro-
mising " ransom from the power
of the grave," and restoration
through faith and penitence to
fruitfulness and true wisdom by
m
THURSDAY BEFORE EASTER.
houses to eat and to drink in ?
or despise ye the church of God,
and shame them that have not ?
What shall I say to you ? shall I
praise you in this ? I praise you
not. For I have received of the
Lord that which also I delivered I
unto you, That the Lord Jesus,
the same night in which he was
betrayed, took bread ; and when
he had given thanks, he brake it,
and said, Take, eat ; this is my
body, which is broken for you:
this do in remembrance of me.
After the same manner also he
took the cup, when he had sup-
ped, saying, This cup is the new
testament in my blood: this do
ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remem-
brance of me. For as often as ye
eat this bread, and drink this cup,
ye do shew the Lord's death till
he come. Wherefore, whosoever
shall eat this bread, and drink this
cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall
be guilty of the body and blood of
the Lord. But let a man examine
himself, and so let him eat of that
bread, and drink of that cup. For
he that eateth and drinketh un-
worthily eateth and drinketh dam-
nation to himself, not discerning
the Lord's body. For this cause
many are weak and sickly among
you, and many sleep. For if we
would judge ourselves, we should
not be judged. But when we are
judged, we are chastened of the
Lord, that we should not be con-
demned with the world. Where-
fore, my brethren, when ye come
together to eat, tarry one for
another. And if any man hunger,
let him eat at home ; that ye come
not together unto condemnation.
And the rest will I set in order
when I come.
The Gospel. St. Luke 23. 1.
THE whole multitude of them
arose, and led him unto Pi-
late. And they began to accuse
him, saying, We found this fellow
perverting the nation, and forbid-
ding to give tribute to Caesar, say-
ing, That he himself is Christ a
King. And Pilate asked him,
saying, Art thou the King of the
Jews? And he answered him, and
said, Thou sayest it. Then said
Pilate to the chief priests, and to
the people, I find no fault in this
man. And they were the more
fierce, saying, He stirreth up the
people, teaching throughout all
Jewry, beginning from Galilee to
this place. When Pilate heard of
Galilee, he asked whether the man
were a Galilean. And as soon as
he knew that he belonged unto
Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him
to Herod, who himself was also at
Jerusalem at that time. And when
Herod saw Jesus he was exceeding
glad ; for he was desirous to see
him of a long season, because ho
had heard many things of him; and
he hoped to have seen some mira-
cle done by him. Then he question-
ed with him in many words ; but
he answered him nothing. And
the chief priests and scribes stood
and vehemently accused him.
And Herod with his men of war set
him at nought, and mocked him,
and arrayed him in a gorgeous
robe, and sent him again to Pilate.
And the same day Pilate and He-
rod were made friends together ;
for before they were at enmity
between themselves. And Pilate,
when he had called together the
chief priests, and the rulers, and
the people, said unto them, Ye
have brought this man unto me,
as one that perverteththe people :
and behold, I, having examined
him before you, have found no
fault in this man touching those
things whereof ye accuse him :
No, nor yet Herod: for I sent
you to him ; and lo, nothing wor-
thy of death is done unto him.
I will therefore chastise him, and
release him. For of necessity he
must release one unto them at the
feast. And they cried out all at
once, saying, Away with this man,
and release unto us Barabbas:
(who for a certain sedition made
in the city, and for murder, was
cast into prison.) Pilate therefore,
willing to release Jesus, spake
again to them. But they cried,
87
the healing mercy of God ; next
(John xvii.), Our Lord's Great
Intercession for the knowledge
of God, the Unity in Himself
with God and with one another,
and the final glory with Him,
which are the essential blessings
of His Church; and (John xih.
1-36) the record of the washing
of the disciples' feet after the
Last Supper, the warning of the
Betrayal, and the "new com-
mandment " of Love (all belong-
ing to this day).
(Soob <#"bag.
This beautiful name, of old
standing, is peculiar to the Eng-
lish Church. In ancient times
the day was called the " Day of
the Cross," "the Pasch of the
Cross," the Great Parcuceve
("Preparation"), and the like.
From the earliest days it was
naturally observed as a day of
strict fasting, penitence, and
prayer, with special thanksgiv-
ing for the Atonement, and spe-
cial intercession for all men, for
whom Christ died. The singing
of the " Reproaches " (expand-
ing Mic. vi. 8-5), and the Adora-
tion of the Cross, were added in
later times. In token of mourn-
ing the altars were stripped and
the sanctuary lights extinguish-
ed. The Holy Communion, con-
secrated on the previous day, was
received in silence (the " Mass
of the Presanctified"). At the
Reformation, when reservation
was forbidden, the practice of
both consecrating and receiving
undoubtedly came in. While in
its Festal aspect the celebration
may seem incongruous with the
solemn Fast, yet the shewing the
Lord* 8 death must be held to be
specially appropriate on the day
of the Passion.
The Collects (all taken from
the Sarum Missal) are a portion
of the Collects of Intei*cession
found in the Sacramentary of
Gelasius.
(a) The First is for the whole
Church, as the family of God,
redeemed to the adoption of son-
ship by the Betrayal, the Con-
demnation, and the Passion, of
the true Son of God.
(6) The Second, taking for grant-
ed the indwelling of the Holy
Spirit in the Church as a whole,
prays for each member that he
may give active service to God,
reoognising that he has his own
call and his own ministry for
Him.
(e) The Third (a combination
with much variation of three an*
cient Collects for Heretics, Jews,
and Pagans) prays for all Jews
and Turks (worshippers of One
God, but not of the Lord Jesus
Christ), then for Infidels (wor-
shippers of false gods or of no
God), and Heretics (worshipping
God in Christ, but not aright),
that God may take from them
the hindrances of ignorance,
hardness, contempt of His Gos-
pel, and bring them home to the
true Israel, the " one fold " f pro-
perly " one flock," see John X.
16) under " One Shepherd."
The Epistle is the conclusion
of the doctrinal teaching of the
Epistle to the Hebrews, on the
Priesthood and Sacrifice of Our
Lord, continuing the Epistles for
Passion Sunday and Wednesday
before Easter. It has three sec-
tions ; (a) the first deals with the
actual Sacrifice of Christ in
the past, contrasting it with the
merely symbolical sacrifices of
bulls and goats under the Law,
which by repetition confessed
their unreality ; interpreting
Ps. xl. 6-8 as representing the
doing away with these things by
the offering of Jesus Christ Him'
SS
GOOD FRIDAY.
saying, Crucify him, crucify him.
And he said unto them the third
time, Why, what evil hath he
done ? I have found no cause of
death in him: I will therefore
chastise him, and let him go. And
they were instant with loud voices,
requiring that he might he cruci-
fied : and the voices of them and
of the chief priests prevailed. And
Pilate gave sentence that it should
be as they required. And he re-
leased unto them him that for
sedition and murder was cast into
prison, whom they had desired ;
but iie delivered Jesus to their will.
And as they led him away, they
laid hold upon one Simon a Oyre-
nian, coming out of the country,
and on him they laid the cross,
that he might bear it after Jesus.
And there followed him a great
company of people, and of wo-
men, which also bewailed and la-
mented him. But Jesus, turning
unto them, said, Daughters of
Jerusalem, weep not for me, hut
weep for yourselves, and for your
children. For behold, the days
are coming, in the which they
shall say, Blessed are the barren,
and the wombs that never bare,
and the paps which never gave
suck. Then shall they begin to
say to the mountains, Fall on us ;
and to the hills, Cover us. For if
they do these things in a green
tree, what shall be done in the
dry? And there were also two
other, malefactors, led with him
10 be put to death. And when they
were come to the place which is
called Calvary, there they cruci-
fied him ; and the malefactors,
one on the right hand, and the
other on the left. Then said Je-
sus, Father, forgive them, for they
know not what they do. And
they parted his raiment, and cast
The Collects.
ALMIGHTY God, we beseech
■"• thee graciously to behold
this thy family, for which our Lord
Jesus Christ was contented to be
lots. And the people stood be-
holding ; and the rulers also with
them derided him, saying, He
saved others; let him save him-
self, if he be Christ, the chosen of
God. And the soldiers also mock-
ed him, coming to him, and offer-
ing him vinegar, and saying, If
thou be the King of the Jews, save
thyself. And a superscription also
was written over him in letters of
Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew,
THIS IS THE KING OF THF
JEWS. And one of the malefac-
tors, which were hanged, railed on
him, saying, If thou be Christ,
save thyself, and us. But the other
answering rebuked him, saying,
Dost not thou fear God, seeing
thou art in the same condemna-
tion ? And we indeed justly ; for
we receive the due reward of our
deeds, but this man hath done
nothing amiss. And he said unto
Jesus, Lord, remember me when
thou comest into thy kingdom.
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I
say unto thee, To-day shalt thou
be witli me in paradise. And it
was about the sixth hour : and
there was a darkness over all the
earth until the ninth hour. And
the sun was darkened, and the
vail of the temple was rent in the
midst. And when Jesus had cried
with a loud voice, he said, Father,
into thy hands I commend my spi-
rit : and having said thus, he gave
up the ghost. Now when the cen-
turion saw what was done, he glo-
rified God, saying, Certainly this
was a righteous man. And all the
people that came together to that
sight, beholding the things that
were done, smote their breasts,
and returned. And all his ac-
quaintance, and the women that
followed him from Galilee, stood
afar off, beholding these things.
©oott Jtittap,
betrayed, and given up into the
hands of wicked men, and to suf-
fer death upon the cross, who now
liveth and reigneth with thee and
the Holy Ghost, ever one God,
world without end. Amen.
self, once for all, in fulfilment of
the Will of God, and for the sane-
tiflcation of humanity; (6) the
second with His Priesthood
and Royalty at the right hand
of God in the present, waiting
for the victorious fulfilment of
the prophecy of Ps. ex. 1, and
giving the Holy Spirit (see Jer.
xxxi. 83, 84) to write God's will
on the heart ; (c) the third draws
the conclusion, that in virtue of
this Priesthood and Sacrifice, we
have confidence to enter through
the veil of His humanity, and by
His blood, into the Holy Place
of God's presence, baptized with
water and the Spirit, and hold-
ing Him fast by faith even to the
end.
The Gospel originally inclu-
ded John xviii. and xix., the
"Passion of St. John." The
former is now the Second Les-
son, but is so closely connected
with the latter that the two
should be considered as a whole.
In the whole record we trace
clearly two characteristics of the
Fourth Gospel— that it is a " Sup-
plementary Gospel," omitting as
far as possible what is previously
recorded, and supplying what
had been as yet omitted; and
that it is a " spiritual Gospel,"
always bringing out the hidden
meaning, underlying the visible
facts. Throughout, and espe-
cially in the record of the actual
Passion, it is represented to us
from the nearest point of view
by one who was, in fact and in
Bpirit, closest to Our Lord.
Observing the same general
divisions of the subject as before,
we find (a) that St. John (xii. 1-8)
puts in its right place the Sup-
per at Bethany (six days be-
fore the Passover), and records
the special cavil and rebuke of
Judas, who " was a thief and held
the bag" ; (6) that in recording
(xiii. 1-30) the Feast ("before
the Passover"), while he alone
tells us of the washing of the
disciples' feet, and the lesson of
humility therefrom, and of the
question as to the traitor, put at
St. Peter's request by " the dis-
ciple whom Jesus loved," lean-
ing back on Jesus' breast to
whisper his question, yet he
passes over the Institution of the
Holy Communion altogether ; (e)
that in the history of the Be-
trayal and Apprehension, St.
John— passing again over the
whole record of the Agony— alone
tells us how the guard (of Roman
soldiers) and the officers recoiled
and fell to the ground on sud-
denly facing the Majesty of their
unarmed Prisoner, and brings
out the freedom of His self-sur-
render and His care for his dis-
ciples' safety ; (d) next, he alone
tells us of the previous Examin-
ation before Annas (the true
high priest in the view of the
Pharisees), preceding the formal
trial in the Sanhedrim before
Caiaphas, of Our Lord's appeal
to His previous teaching and Hia
refusal of further answer, and of
the insults of the servants, borne
with calm patience and dignity
(contrast Acts xxiii. 1-5). («)
In relation to the Denial or
St. Peter, recorded with differ-
ences of detail, he tells how,
through "the other disciple"
(St. John himself) as "known to
the high priest," Peter gained
admission to the palace. (/) In
the Trial before Pilate, a-
bove all, he fills up, and so con-
stantly explains, the narrative of
the other Evangelists. He tells
us that the examination went on
partly within in private, partly
(in deference to Pharisaic scru-
ples) without ; he shews us why
the delivery to Pilate was made
at all, because the Jews had not
the power of life and death; he
relates the private conferences
between Our Lord and Pilate,
the half-sceptical and yet half-
GOOD FRIDAY.
ALMIGHTY and everlasting
■£*- God, by whose Spirit the
whole body of the Church Is go-
verned and sanctified ; Receive
our supplications and prayers,
which we offer before thee for all
estates of men in thy holy Church,
that every member of the same,
in his vocation and ministry,
may truly and godly serve thee ;
through our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ. Amen.
0 MERCIFUL God, who hast
made all men, and hatest no-
thing that thou hast made, nor
wouldest the death of a sinner, but
rather that he should be convert-
ed and live ; Have mercy upon all
Jews, Turks, Infidels, and Here-
ticks, and take from them all igno-
rance, hardness of heart, and con-
tempt of thy Word ; and so fetch
them home, blessed Lord, to thy
flock, that they may be saved
among the remnant of the true
Israelites, and be made one fold
under one shepherd, Jesus Christ
our Lord, who liveth and reigneth
with thee and the Holy Spirit,
one God, world without end.
Amen.
The Epistle. Heb. 10. 1.
THE law having a shadow of
good things to come, and not
the very image of the things, can
never with those sacrifices, which
they ottered year by year continu-
ally, make the comers thereunto
Krfect : for then would they not
ve ceased to be offered? because
that the worshippers once purged
should have had no more con-
science of sins. But in those
sacrifices there is a remembrance
again made of sins every year.
For it is not possible that the blood
of bulls and of goats should take
away sins. Wherefore, when he
cometh into the world, he saith,
Sacrifice and offering thou would-
est not, but a body hast thou pre-
pared me : In burnt- offerings and
sacrifices for sin thou hast had no
pleasure : Then said I, Lo, I come
(in the volume of the book it is
written of me) to do thy will, O
God. Above, when he said, Sa-
crifice and offering, and burnt-
offerings, and ottering for sin thou
wouldest not, neither hadst plea-
sure therein, which are oft'ex'cd by
the Law : then said he, Lo, I
come to do thy will, O God. He
taketh away the first, that he may
establish the second. By the which
will we are sanctified, through
the offering of the body of Jesus
Christ once for all. And every
priest standeth daily ministering,
and offering oftentimes the same
sacrifices, which can never take
away sins. But this man, after
he had offered one sacrifice for
sins for ever, sat down on the right
hand of God ; from henceforth
expecting till his enemies be made
his foot-stool. For by one offering
he hath perfected for ever them
that are sanctified : Whereof the
Holy Ghost also is a witness to us :
for after that he had said before,
This is the covenant that I will
make with them after those days,
saith the Lord, I will put my laws
into their hearts, and in their
minds will I write them ; and their
sins and iniquities will I remem-
ber no more. Now where remis-
sion of these is, there is no more
offering for sin. Having there-
fore, brethren, boldness to enter
into the holiest by the blood of
Jesus, by a new and living way,
which he hath consecrated for us,
through the vail, that is to say, his
flesh ; and having an High Priest
over the house of God ; let us draw
near with a true heart, in full as-
surance of faith, having our hearts
sprinkled from an evil conscience,
and our bodies washed with pure
water. Let us hold fast the profes-
sion of our faith without wavering;
(for he is faithful that promised;)
and let us consider one another to
provoke unto love, and to good
works ; not forsaking the assem-
bling of ourselves together, as the
manner of some is ; but exhorting
one another : and so much the
more, as ye see tiie day approach-
ing.
reverent Gentile, and His declar-
ation that " His Kingdom was
not of this world," which alone
explain why Pilate said, " I find
no fault in Him," and, being
generally reckless of human life,
was so anxious not to shed His
blood ; he tells us explicitly (what
St. Luke implies) that the mock-
ing and scourging were inflicted,
not in wanton cruelty, but in a
weak attempt to satisfy the mul-
titude and excite their pitv (" Be-
hold the Man ! " i ; he records
the fear excited in Pilate by the
declaration, " He made Himself
the Son of God " — the known
title of the Messiah — and dissi-
pated by Our Lord's answer, ac-
knowledging that the power of
the governor was " given from
above " ; the final victory gained
over the governor's evil con-
science and cowardice by the in-
sinuation, " Thou art not Csesar's
• friend " ; and, on the other hand,
the victory over Pharisaic reli-
gious patriotism in the cry, "We
have no king but Csesar." {g)
In the Passion itself, we hear
from him of the significant re-
fusal of Pilate to alter the title
on the Cross— half in taunt to the
Jews, half in reverence for the
Victim ; of the reason why the
soldiers (fulfilling Ps. xxii. 18)
cast lots for His seamless ves-
ture ; of the Farewell of Our
Lord to His Mother at the foot
of the Cross, and His commenda-
tion of her to the beloved disci-
ple ■ of the significant words,
" I thirst," accepting death onlv
when all was accomplished, and,
"It is finished," declaring the
close of struggle in victory. (A)
After the Passion, the break-
ing no limb of the Lord, but
piercing His side, out of which
came "blood and water"— phy-
sically (it is said) the sign of a
literally "broken heart —mys-
tically (see 1 John v. 6-9) having
a deep spiritual meaning. In
these he notes the fulfilment ot
the ordinance of the Passover
(Exod. xii. 46), and the prophecy
of Zechariah (xii. 10) of the fu-
ture mourning over " Him whom
they pierced.
Historically the record of St.
John alone gives coherence and
intelligibility to the other narra-
tives, shewing, at every point,
the vividness of eye-witness, and
the insight of reverent love. Spi-
rituallv, if the narrative of St.
Luke is fullest of pathos, teach-
ing us to weep with Christ, the
narrative of St. John is fullest of
solemnity and mystery, teaching
us to adore.
During the whole week, in re-
iterated record of fact, in pro-
phetic anticipation, and applica-
tion by Apostolic teaching, the
one object is to shew forth Our
Lord's Death, both as a Passion
and as an Atonement, and to stir
the repentance, the love, and
the adoration, of those whom by
it He has redeemed.
The Proper Lessons are (Gen.
xxii. 1-20 ) the history of the typi-
cal Sacrifice of Isaac, and (Isa.
lii. IS— liii. 12) the great picture
of the Suffering Messiah, "de-
spised and rejected of men," but
by the Sacrifice of His soul for
sin, bearing the sorrows and ini-
quity of men, and in His victory
seeing the travail of His soul
and "being satisfied " ; then
(John xviii.) the story of the first
part of "the Passion of St. John,"
and (1 Pet. ii.) St. Peter's de-
claration of the royalty and dig-
nity of Christians in the Saviour ;
his exhortation, based on this,
to purity, obedience, and self-
sacrifice ; and his comfort to the
despised slaves, teaching them
that their suffering is a following
of the Great Sufferer, who "bare
our sins in His own body on the
tree, that we, being dead to sin,
should live unto righteousness."
drasttr €btn,
called in the early Church, both
Eastern and Western, "the Great
Sabbath." It was, first, the Sab-
bath of Our Lord's rest in the
grave ; it was. next, the last Sab-
bath for His disciples, before the
Jewish ordinance was superseded
by the spiritual Festival of the
Lord's Day ; it is, lastly, the anti-
cipation for us of the Sabbath rest
of the unseen world (into which
Our Lord's human spirit on this
day entered), waiting for the Se-
cond Easter of the general Resur-
GOOD FRIDAY.
The Gospel. St. John 19. 1.
PILATE therefore took Jesus,
and scourged him. And the
soldiers platted a crown of thorns,
and put it on his head, and they
put on him a purple robe, and
said, Hail, King of the Jews : and
they smote him with their hands.
Pilate therefore went forth again,
and saith unto them, Behold, I
bring him forth to you, that ye
may know that I find no fault
in him. Then came Jesus forth,
wearing the crown of thorns, and
the purple robe. And Pilate saith
unto them, Behold the man ! When
the chief priests therefore and
officers saw him, they cried out,
saying, Crucify him, crucify him,
Pilate saith unto them, Take ye
him, and crucify him : for I find
no fault in him. The Jews an-
swered him, We have a law, and
by our law he ought to die, be-
cause he made himself the Son of
God. When Pilate therefore heard
that saying, he was the more a-
fraid ; and went again into the
judgment-hall, and saith unto Je-
sus, Whence art thou ? But Jesus
gave him no answer. Then saith
Pilate unto him, Speakest thou
not unto me ? knowest thou not
that I have power to crucify thee,
and have power to release thee ?
Jesus answered, Thou couldest
have no power at all against me,
except it were given thee from
above : therefore he that deliver-
ed me unto thee hath the greater
sin. And from thenceforth Pilate
sought to release him : but the
Jews cried out, saying, If thou let
this man go, thou art not Coesar s
friend: whosoever maketh him-
self a king speaketh against Caesar.
When Pilate therefore heard that
saying, he brought Jesus forth, and
sat down in the judgment-seat,
in a place that is called the Pave-
ment, but in the Hebrew, Gabba-
tha. And it was the preparation
of the passover, and about the
sixth hour : and he saith unto the
Jews, Behold your King ! But
they cried out, Away with him,
away with him, crucify him. Pi-
late saith unto them, Shall I cru-
cify your King? The chief priests
answered, We have no king but
Caesar. Then delivered he him
therefore unto them to be cruci-
fied : and they took Jesus, and led
him away. And he, bearing his
cross, went forth into a place call-
ed the place of a scull, which is
called in the Hebrew, Golgotha :
where they crucified him, and two
other with him, on either side one,
and Jesus in the midst. And Pi-
late wrote a title, and put it on the
cross ; and the writing was, JESUS
OF NAZARETH THE KING
OF THE JEWS. This title then
read many of the Jews : for the
place where Jesus was crucified
was nigh to the city : and it was
written in Hebrew, and Greek,
and Latin. Then said the chief
priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write
not, The King of the Jews ; but
that he said, I am the King of
the Jews. Pilate answered, What
I have written, I have written.
Then the soldiers, when they had
crucified Jesus, took his garments,
and made four parts, to every
soldier a part ; and also his coat :
now the coat was without seam,
woven from the top throughout.
They said therefore among them-
selves, Let us not rend it, but cast
lots for it, whose it shall be : that
the Scripture might be fulfilled,
which saith, They parted my rai-
ment among them, and for my
vesture they did cast lots. These
things therefore the soldiers did.
Now there stood by the cross of
Jesus, his motherland his mo-
ther's sister, Mary the wife of
Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
When Jesus therefore saw his mo-
ther, and the disciple standing by,
whom he loved, he saith unto his
mother, Woman, behold thy son.
Then saith he to the disciple, Be-
hold thy mother. And from that
hour that disciple took her unto
his own home. After this, Jesus,
knowing that all things were now
accomplished, that the Scripture
might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
Now there was set a vessel full of
v)U
rection. It is thus a pause of
sacred meditation between the
sorrow of the Passion aud the
gladness of Easter. It was in
ancient times the chief Fast and
Vigil of the whole year ; and the
chosen time for the great Kaster
Baptism of the Catechumens (to
which allusion is evidently made
in the Collect).
The Collect was inserted in
1662 by Bishop Cosin, altered
from a Collect in the Scotch
Liturgy of 1637, commonly attri-
buted to Laud. Till that time
no special Collect was provided,
the old Sarum Collect— speaking
(withpossible allusion to the Pas-
chal fire) of God as " illuminat-
ing this most holy night with
the glory of the Resurrection " —
having been disused. Like most
of the modern Collects, it is full
of Scriptural references (see
Rom. vi. 3-5 ; Col. iii. 3 ; Ps. ix.
13). It dwells on our baptism,
as a burial with Christ from the
old life of sin (so vividly repre-
sented in the ancient immer-
sion) ; and prays that here, living
according to this beginning, we
may continually " mortify " sin,
and in the hereafter, " through
the grave and gate of death, pass
to our joyful Resurrection." (See
the Second Lesson of the Even-
ing Service.)
The Epistle is chosen with
a similar double reference to the
" descent into Hades " of Our
Lord, and our Baptism into His
Resurrection, (a) It is the one
glimpse given us of the action
of Our Lord, as the Son of Man,
" when He had been put to death
in the flesh, but quickened in
the spirit." We know from Him-
self that He was in Paradise, the
place of joy and rest (Luke xxiii.
43). We lerfrn from St. Peter's
preaching at Pentecost that His
soul passed into Hades (or
Sheol), the abode of souls de-
parted, to break the chains of
death for Himself and for all
(Acts ii. 29). But St. Peter here
plainly declares that there, at
this time, "He made proclama-
tion to the spirits in prison " (or
"ward"), at any rate to tho^e
disobedient in the antediluvian
world ; and in 1 Pet. iv. 6, he
evidently alludes to this as a
"preaching of the Gospel to the
dead." However vague and mys-
terious this revelation is, it clear-
ly implies a continuance of Our
Lord s Mediatorial Work in -the
world unseen. It is only a
glimpse, but a glimpse of mercy
and salvation, (fc) Possibly by sug-
gestion of the Easter-Eve Bap-
tism, even then begun, the Apos-
tle digresses from the mention of
the Ark to dwell on the true
meaning of Baptism, not a mere
outward washing, but an accept-
ance of Christ in good conscience,
and spiritually efficacious in vir-
tue of His Resurrection and as-
cension to sovereignty at the
right hand of God.
The Gospel is simply the his-
torical record from St. Matthew
of the events of the day— the
Burial of Our Lord by Joseph of
Arimathtea in his own new tomb,
in a garden, close to Calvary;
the request of the chief Priests
for a guard to prevent the steal-
ing of His Body by the disciples ;
and the half-ironical consent of
Pilate (" Make it as sure as ye
can").
The Proper Lessons are
(Zech. ix.) the prophecy of vic-
tory over the enemies of God's
people, of the coming of the
Great King, of the deliverance
of the prisoners out of the pit,
and of the unclouded joy of His
ransomed people, and (Hos. v.
8— vi. 4) the picture of the past
rebellion of Israel, and their
return to God, in trust that " on
the third day He will raise them
up " ; and (Luke xxiii. 50-56)
the record (parallel to the Gos-
pel of the day) of the burial of
Our Lord, and (Rom. vi. 1-14)
the exposition of our spiritual
burial with Christ in Baptism
by death unto sin, and our spi-
ritual resurrection through His
Resurrection to newness of life.
(See the Collect of the day.)
(D) EASTER-TIDE.
Easter-Dat, as the day of that Resurrection of the Lord, from
which the first preaching of the Gospel actually started, was natu-
rally the first great centre of the Festal year; being, indeed, the
crown of the Lord's Hay festivals, which from the beginning became
91
EASTER EVEN.
vinegar : and they filled a spunge
with vinegar, and put it upon
hyssop, and put it to his mouth.
When Jesus therefore had received
the vinegar, lie said, It is finished :
and he bowed his head, and gave
up the ghost. The Jews therefore,
because it was the preparation,
that the bodies should not remain
upon the cross on the sabbath-day,
(for thatsabbath-day was an high-
day,) besought Pilate that their
legs might be broken, and that
they might be taken away. Then
came the soldiers, and brake the
legs of the first, and of the other
GHastn
The Collect.
GRANT, 0 Lord, that as we
are baptized into the death of
thy blessed Son our Saviour Jesus
Christ, so by continual mortifying
our corrupt affections we may be
buried with him : and that through
the grave, and gate of death, we
may pass to our joyful resurrec-
tion ; for his merits, who died,
and was buried, and rose again
for us, thy Son Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
Tlie Epistle. 1 St. Peter 8. 17.
IT is better, if the will of God
be so, that ye suffer for well-
doing, than for evil-doing. For
Christ also hath once suffered for
sins, the just for the unjust, that
he might bring us to God, being
put to death in the flesh, but
quickened by the Spirit. By which
also he went and preached unto
the spirits in prison ; which some-
time were disobedient, when once
the long-suffering of God waited
in the days of Noah, while the ark
was a preparing; wherein few.
that is, eight souls, were saved by
water. The like figure where-
unto, even baptism, doth also now
save us, (not the putting away
the filth of the flesh, but the an-
swer of a good conscience towards
God,) by the resurrection of Je-
•us Christ : who is gone into hea-
ven, and is on the right hand of
God, angels and authorities and
which was crucified with him.
But when they came to Jesus, and
saw that he was dead already,
they brake not his legs. But one
of the soldiers with a spear pierc-
ed his side, and forthwith came
thereout blood and water. And
he that saw it bare record, and his
record is true : and he knoweth
that he saith true, that ye might
believe. For these things were
done that the Scripture should be
fulfilled, A bone of him shall not
be broken. And again, another
Scripture saith, They shall look
on him whom they pierced.
=€Eben.
powers being made subject unto
him.
The Gospel. St. Matth. 27. 57.
WHEN the even was come,
there came a rich man of
Arimathsca, named Joseph, who
also himself was Jesus' disciple.
He went to Pilate, and begged the
body of Jesus. Then Pilate com-
manded the body to be delivered.
And when Joseph had taken the
body, he wrapped it in a clean
linen cloth, and laid it in his own
new tomb, which he had hewn out
in the rock ; and he rolled a great
stone to the door of the sepulchre,
and departed. And there was
Mary Magdalene, and the other
Mary, sitting over against the se-
pulchre. Now the next day that
followed the day of the prepara-
tion, the chief priests and Pha-
risees came together unto Pilate,
saying, Sir, we remember that that
deceiver said, while he was yet
alive, After three days I will rise
again. Command therefore that
the sepulchre be made sure until
the third day, lest his disciples
come by night and steal him away,
and say unto the people, He is
risen from the dead : so the last
error shall be worse than the ilrst.
Pilate said unto them, Ye have a
watch ; go your way, make it as
sure as you can. So they went and
made the sepulchre sure, sealing
the stone, and setting a watch.
91
the Holy-days of the Christian week, and thus eclipsed and gradually
superseded the Sabbaths of the old Covenant. But there was in the
early Church a long conflict (the Quarto-deciman Controversy) be;
tween the sense of this natural association with the Lord's Day, and
the desire to celebrate it yearly on the day — the third day after the
14th Nisan— which represented its historical connection with the
Jewish Passover. The Western Church, especially the Church of
Rome, insisted on the one ; many Eastern Churches (from the days
of St. Polycarp downwards,) on the other. Finally, by a decree of
the Nicene Council, a.d. 325, the former principle prevailed; and
Easter-Day was fixed as the Sunday nearest to the calculated anni-
versary of the actual Resurrection. Being determined by the Paschal
Moon, it is (in relation to the solar year) the centre of the Moveable,
as Christmas of the Immoveable, Feasts.
The name Easter is derived by Bede (whose authority is great)
from Eattre, a Saxon goddess, whose festival was the great Spring
Festival. Other derivations have been suggested, probably through
disinclination to find a Pagan etymology for the day ; but this is far
the most probable. Its old name was Pateha, the Pascha of the
Resurrection," both in the East and the West: and endless titles of
honour and reverence were heaped upon it. For, indeed, it is the
great day of distinctive religious Joy in the sense of the conquest of
sin and death ; while Christmas, being the Festival of the Childhood,
allies itself with the natural joys of humanity. The Pasch-egg, the
symbol of life out of what seemed dead— the salutation, " Christ is
risen," of Eastern custom— the early practice of freeing slaves and
ransoming captives— all shew bow from time immemorial Easter has
been the great Festival of Christian hope and love. The celebration
of it as the great Day of Baptism, and the great Day of Holy Com-
munion, especially of restored penitents, is the graver and more
thoughtful expression of the same truth.
<£a«trr-§an.
The Anthems.— In 1549, following the Sarum Use, the second and
third of these Anthems were sung "before Mattins," and followed by
a beautiful Collect, expanded from the Latin, commemorating both
the Passion and the Resurrection, and praying that we might
"daily die from sin " and "live with Him in the joy of His Resur-
rection." In 1552 these Anthems were directed to be used instead
of the Venite, and what is now the first Anthem was prefixed in
1662. The Anthems, as they now stand, embrace the whole idea of
Easter, dwelling, first, on the sacrifice of the true Passover for us in
the past, calling us to keep the Feast of our Redemption in purity
and truth, and thus linking together the commemoration of Good
Friday and the Easter Communion ; next, on our spiritual Resur-
rection in the present from the death of sin, through unity with the
risen Lord ; and, lastly, on the Resurrection of the future, of which
His Resurrection is the earnest and the pledge.
The Collect (from the old life—" hid " by a Divine commu-
Sarum Missal) first recites the nion "in God"— and so "hid"
conquest of death and opening through unity "with Christ"— ;
of the gate of eternal life by the and next, as promising us the
Resurrection, and then prays appearance with Him in glory at ;
that, by God's preventing and the Great Day. Its exhortation
assisting grace, we may lay hold is two-fold— to have the desire,
of its precious gift. and to catch the tone, of the
The Epistle is the opening of things above, where He sits in
the practical teaching of the glory, and for this purpose to
Colossian Epistle. It takes for mortify the lusts of the flesh,
granted our Resurrection with which draw down the wrath of
Christ, first, as bringing us God. In teaching and exhortation
through a death unto sin to a it thus unites the Resurrection of
new life— "hid" as a spiritual the present and of the future.
92
faster =30ag.
f At Morning Prayer, instead of the
I'salm, O come, let us sinx, <5 c. these
Anthems shall be sung or said.
CHRIST our passover is sacri-
ficed for us : therefore let us
keep the feast ;
Isot with the old leaven, nor
with the leaven of malice and
wickedness : but with the un-
leavened bread of sincerity and
truth. 1 Cor. v. 7.
CHRIST being raised from the
dead dieth no more : death
hath no more dominion over him.
For in that he died, he died un-
to sin once : but in that he liveth,
he liveth unto God.
Likewise reckon ye also your-
selves to be dead indeed unto sin :
but alive unto God through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Rom. vi. 9.
CHRIST is risen from the dead '
and become the first-fruits of
them that slept.
For since by man came death :
by man came also the resurrection
of the dead.
For as in Adam all die : even so
in Ciirist shall all be made alive.
1 Cor. xv. 20.
Glory be to the Father, and to
the Son : and to the Holy Ghost ;
As it was in the beginning, is
now, and ever shall be : world
without end. Amen.
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY God, who through
thine only-begotten Son Jesus
Christ hast overcome death, and
opened unto us the gate of ever-
lasting life ; We humbly beseech
thee, that, as by thy special grace
preventing us thou dost put into
our minds good desires, so by thy
continual help we may bring the
same to good effect ; through Je-
bus Christ our Lord, who liveth
and reigneth with thee and the
Holy Ghost, ever one God, world
without end. Amen.
The Epistle. Coloss. 3. 1.
IF ye then be risen with Christ,
seek those things which are
above, where Christ sitteth on the
right hand of God. Set your affec-
tion on things above, not on things
on tbe earth : For ye are dead,
and your life is hid with Christ in
God. When Christ, who is our life,
shall appear, then shall ye also
appear with him in glory. Morti-
fy therefore your members which
are upon the earth ; fornication,
uncleanness, inordinate affection,
evil concupiscence, and covetous-
ness, which is idolatry : For which
things' sake the wrath of God
cometh on the children of diso-
bedience. In the which ye also
walked some time, when ye lived
in them.
The Gospel. St. John 20. 1.
THE first day of the week com-
eth Mary Magdalene early,
when it was yet dark, unto the se-
pulchre, and seeth the stone taken
away from the sepulchre. Then
she runneth and cometh to Simon
Peter, and to the other disciple
whom Jesus loved, and saith unto
them, They have taken away the
Lord out of the sepulchre, and we
know not where they have laid
him. Peter therefore went forth,
and that other disciple, and came
to the sepulchre. So they ran
both together ; and the other dis-
ciple did outrun Peter, and came
first to the sepulchre; and he,
stooping down and looking in,
saw the linen clothes lying ; yet
went he not in. Then cometh
Simon Peter following him, and
went into the sepulchre, and seeth
the linen clothes lie ; and the nap-
kin that was about his head, not
lying with the linen clothes, but
wrapped together in a place by
itself. Then went in also that
other disciple which came first to
the sepulchre, and he saw, and
believed. For as yet they knew
not the Scripture, that he must
rise again from the dead. Then
the disciples went away again un-
to their own home.
The Gospel is the simple and
graphic record from St. John,
not of the actual Resurrection,
or of any appearance of the risen
Lord, Dut of the first discovery
of the empty sepulchre hy St.
Mary Magdalene, of the hasty
coming of St. Peter and St. John,
the eager entrance of St. Peter
into the sepulchre, and the faith
of the beloved disciple in the
reality of the Resurrection, and
of the return of the disciples
after the discovery to their own
homes.
In 1549 there was a provision
for a Second Communion, the
Collect being that of the First
Sunday after Easter; the Epis-
tle, 1 Cor. v. 6-8; and the Gos-
pel, Mark xvi. 1-8.
The Proper Lessons.— The
First Lessons (Exod. xii. 1—29,
29-51; xiv.) continue the series
of the Sundays in Lent, record-
ing the institution and celebra-
tion of the Passover, the death
of the first-born, the deliverance
of the people, and the final
achievement of that deliverance
at the Red Sea. The Second
Lessons are (Rev. i. 10-19) the
Vision in Glory of Him who " was
dead and is alive for evermore,"
and has "the keys of Hell and
Death " ; the record (John xx.
11-19) of the appearance of the
risen Lord to St. Mary Magda-
lene; and the vision (Rev. v.) of
the Lamb before the Throne of
Heaven, opening the sealed book
of mystery, and adored by the
four living creatures, and the
four and twenty elders (see
Epistle for Trinity-Sundav), as
the "Lamb that was slain,"
worthy to receive all glory and
blessing.
tonbag in &nnUt-Wittk.
The Epistle is St. Peter's
preaching to Cornelius, (a) It
is like his Sermons on the day
of Pentecost (Act* ii.) and in the
Temple (Acts iii.), in dwelling
first on simple facts— the Bap-
tism of St. John, the Ministry in
word and miracle of the Lord
Jesus Christ, the Passion at Je-
rusalem—all known to Mr hear-
ers; then on the Resurrection,
known by certain proofs to His
Apostles, and the charge which
He had given them to proclaim
Him both as the future Judge of
quick and dead, and as the giver
in the present of the promised
remission of sins. It seems then
to be going on, as before, to
claim this aa the fulfilment of
Prophecy, when it is cut short
by the sudden outpouring of the
Holy Ghost on the Gentiles. We
note here the general simplicity
of the first Gospel preaching, as
merely " witness of Christ." (6)
But it contains, as peculiar to
itself, the grand declaration—
especially striking as coming
from the Apostle of the Circum-
cision—of an universal salvation
from Him, who is no " respecter
of persons," that is (see Matt.
xxii. 16; James ii. 1; Rom. ii.
11), of outward condition and
privilege ; and who " accepts in
93
every nation" those who have
the "fear of God" and the
" work of righteousness," which
are (as history shews), in various
phases of purity and vividness,
instinctive in man, written by
the finger of God on the heart.
It is to be noted that this belief
in God's universal Fatherhood
is to him not a dissuasive, but an
incentive, to the calling of the
heathen into the higher condi-
tion of the faith and the grace
of Christ.
The Gospel is St. Luke's re-
cord of the appearance on the
road to Emmaus, in which we
note— what is characteristic of
his Gospel throughout — the pe-
culiar beauty and didactic tone
of the narrative. Thus (a) the
words of Cleopas shew vividly
and pathetically the despair
which the Crucifixion had struck
into the hearts of the disciples,
and the vague imperfect hope
stirred by the news of the empty
tomb and vision of Angels. (6)
Our Lord's teaching starts in
the Scriptures from the predict-
ed suffering of the Christ, as a
condition of His glory (see, for
example, Isa. liii.), and makes
"their hearts burn" with won-
der and hope, (c) Then, in " the
breaking of the bread," recall-
.ptotttrag m
The Collect
ALMIGHTY God, who through
thy only-begotten Son Jesus
Christ hast overcome death, and
opened unto us the gate of ever-
lasting life ; We humbly beseech
thoe, that, as by thy special grace
preventing us thou dost put into
our minds good desires, so by tliy
continual help we may bring the
same to good effect ; through Je-
sus Christ our Lord, who liveth
and reigneth with thee and the
Holy Ghost, ever one God, world
without end. Amen.
For the Epistle. Acts 10. 34.
PETER opened his mouth, and
said, Of a truth I perceive that
God is no respecter of persons ;
but in every nation he that fear-
eth him, and workcth righteous-
ness, is accepted with him. The
word which God sent unto the
children of Israel, preaching peace
by Jesus Christ ; (he is Lord of
all ;) that word (I say) ye know,
which was published throughout
all Judaja, and began from Gali-
lee, after the baptism which John
preached : how God anointed Je-
sus of Nazareth with the Holy
Ghost, and with power ; who went
about doing good, and healing all
that were oppressed of the devil :
for God was with him. And we
are witnesses of all things which
he did, both in the land of the
Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom
they slew, and hanged on a tree :
Him God raised up the third day,
and shewed him openly ; not to
all the people, but unto witnesses
chosen before of God, even to us,
who did cat and drink with him
after he rose from the dead. And
he commanded us to preach unto
the people, and to testify that it is
he who was ordained of God to be
the Judge of quick and dead. To
him give all the prophets witness,
that through his Name whosoever
believeth in him shall receive re-
mission of sins.
The Gospel. St. Luke 24. 13.
BEHOLD, two of his disciples
went that same day to a vil-
93
<East*r=<Kaecfe.
lage called Emmaus, which was
from Jerusalem about threescore
furlongs. And they talked toge-
ther of all these things which had
happened. And it came to pass,
that while they communed toge-
ther, and reasoned, Jesus himself
drew near, and went with them.
But their eyes were holden, that
they should not know him. And
he said unto them, What manner
of communications are these that
ye have one to another, as ye walk,
and are sad ? And the one of them,
whose name was Cleopas, answer-
ing, said unto him, Art thou only
a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast
not known the things which are
come to pass there in these days ?
And he said unto them, What
things ? And they said unto him,
Concerning Jesus of Nazareth,
who was a prophet mighty in deed
and word, Wore God and all the
people : And how the chief priests
and our rulers delivered him to
be condemned to death, and have
crucified him. But we trusted that
it had been he which should have
redeemed Israel : and besides all
this, to-day is the third day since
these things were done. Yea, and
certain women also of our com-
pany made us astonished, which
were early at the sepulchre; and
when they found not his body,
they came, saying, that they had
also seen a vision of angels, which
said that he was alive. And cer-
tain of them which were with us
went to the sepulchre, and found
it even so as the women had said ;
but him they saw not. Then he
said unto them, 0 fools, and slow
of heart to believe all that the
prophets have spoken : ought not
Christ to have suffered these
things, and to enter into his glory?
And beginning at Moses, and all
the prophets, he expounded unto
them in all the Scriptures the
things concerning himself. And
they drew nigh unto the village
whither they went ; and he made
as though he would have gone fur-
ther: but they constrained him,
saying, Abide with us, for it is to-
ing to them the Institution of
His Holy Communion, "their
eyes are opened to know Him " ;
the veil, whatever it was, which
hid His Person from them, being
taken away. Lastly (d), their
glad proclamation of His ap-
pearance is met by the declara-
tion by the eleven of another ap-
pearance to Simon, here (as in
1 Cor. xv. 5) alluded to, though
not directly recorded. Under
the vivid historic reality of the
record there is a typical repre-
sentation of universal Christian
experience. (Generally in the
Gospels we have probably only
specimens of the. appearances of
the Great Forty Days (Acts i. S),
as bringtng out to us the lessons
peculiarly characteristic of each
Gospel.)
The Proper Lessons are
(Exod. xv. 1-22) the Song of
Triumph over the deliverance
of Israel, and the destruction
of the Egyptian oppressors at
the Red Sea, and (Cant. ii. 10-
17) the invitation of the Bride-
groom to the Bride to arise and
•enter unto His joy, now that
"the winter is past" ; and (Luke
xxiv. 1-13 ; Matt, xxviii. 1-10) the
records of the vision of angels
at the empty sepulchre, of Our
Lord's appearance to the women,
and of His message to the Apos-
tles.
(Tntaban in dafiier-S&tth.
The Epistle is the close of
St. Paul's Sermon at Antio^h in
Pisidia, addressed both to Jews
and to Gentile proselytes. It
first (a) holds up to abhorrence
the rejection, condemnation, and
murder of Our Lord by the Jews
of Jerusalem; next (6), recites
His Resurrection as a fact, tes-
tified to by eye-witnesses, and
then dwells on it as the fulfil-
ment of God's promises — the
Royalty of the Son of God in
Ps. ii., and the raising up of the
Holy One in Ps. xvi. ; and so
goes on (c) to preach what was
to be St. Paul's especial lesson —
justification in His blood from
the sin, from which they could
not be justified by the Law, and
to warn them not (like those at
Jerusalem) to fulfil the prophe-
tic condemnation (Hab. i. 5) of
those who " despise and so per-
ish." The whole Sermon should
be compared with St. Peter's
Sermon at Pentecost and with
St. Stephen's defence, noting the
conclusion as especially charac-
teristic of St. Paul.
The Gospel, continuing the
Gospel of the Monday, records
the appearance of Our Lord to
the Apostles as a body, (a) It
opens with the repetition of the
words with which He had bidden
them farewell (John xiv. 27. 28),
"Peace be unto you"; (b) it
next tells how. in condescension
to their terror and wonder, He
gave them, by suffering Himself
to be handled and by eating be-
fore them, infallible signs of a
real bodily Presence ; and then,
(e) opening their understand-
ings, shewed them in the Scrip-
tures—all of which, " Law, Pro-
phets, and Psalms," He claims
for Himself— the teaching of the
Bufferings of the Christ, and the
remission of sins through Him,
in which they were to be " wit-
nesses of Him among all nations,
beginning from Jerusalem." It
is notable how the " Pauline
Gospel." like St. Paul's own
preaching (as in to-day's Epis-
tle), here dwells emphatically on
remission of sins in " Christ Cru-
cified."
The Proper Lessons are
(2 Kings xiii. 14-22) the story
of the death of Elisha, his pro-
phecy of deliverance, and the
raising of the dead man by the
touch of the bones of the pro-
phet; and (Ezek. xxxvii. 1-15)
the magnificent vision of the re-
vival of the dry bones by the
breath of the Lord to become a
great army of living men— a
type of the Resurrection of hu-
manity, as well as of national
revival; and (John xxi. 1-15,
15-25) the narrative, supple-
mental to the general record
of the Resurrection, of Our
Lord's appearance at the Sea
of Tiberias, the second miracu-
lous draught of fishes, the three-
fold pastoral charge to St.
Peter, and the mysterious refe-
rence to the future destiny ol
St. John.
94
TUESDAY IN EASTER- WEEK.
«rards evening, and the day is far
ipent. And he went in to tarry
with them. And it came to pass,
as he sat at meat with them, he
took bread, and blessed it, and
brake, and gave to them. And
their eyes were opened, and they
knew him, and he vanished out of
their sight. And they said one to
another, Did not our heart burn
within us, while he talked with us
EucsfcaB in
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY God, who through
thy only-begotten Son Jesus
Christ hast overcome death, and
opened unto us the gate of ever-
lasting life ; We humbly beseech
thee, that, as by thy special grace
preventing us thou dost put into
our minds good desires, so by thy
continual help we may bring the
same to good effect; through Jesus
Christ our Lord, who llveth and
reigneth with thee and the Holy
Ghost, ever one God, world with-
out end. A men.
For the Epistle. Acts 13. 26.
MEN and brethren, children of
the stock of Abraham, and
whosoever among you feareth
God, to you is the word of this
salvation sent. For they that dwell
at Jerusalem, and their rulers, be-
cause they knew him not, nor yet
the voices of the prophets which
are read every sabbath-day, they
have fulfilled them in condemn-
ing him. And though they found
no cause of death in him, yet de-
sired they Pilate that he should be
slain. And when they had fulfilled
all that was written of him, they
took him down from the tree, and
laid him in a sepulchre. But God
raised him from the dead : and
he was seen many days of them
which came up with him from
Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his
witnesses unto the people. And
we declare unto you glad tidings,
how that the promise which was
made unto the fathers, God hath
fulfilled the same unto us their
children, in that he hath raised
by the way, and while he opened
to us the Scriptures ? And they
rose up the same hour, and re-
turned to Jerusalem, and found
the eleven gathered together, and
them that were with them, saying,
The Lord is risen indeed, and hath
appeared to Simon. And they told
what things were done in the way,
and how he was known of them in
breaking of bread.
©a»ter=a8aecti.
up Jesus again ; as it is also writ-
ten in the second Psalm, Thou art
my Son, this day have I begotten
thee. And as concerning that he
raised him up from the dead, now
no more to return to corruption,
he said on this wise, I will give
you the sure mercies of David.
Wherefore he saith also in an-
other Psalm, Thou shalt not suffer
thine Holy One to see corruption.
For David, after he had served his
own generation by the will of God,
fell on sleep, and was laid unto
his fathers, and saw corruption :
But he whom God raised again
saw no corruption. Be it known
unto you therefore, men and bre-
thren, that through this man is
preached unto you the forgiveness
of sins : And by him all that be-
lieve are justified from all things,
from which ye could not be justi-
fied by the law of Moses. Beware
therefore, lest that come upon
you which is spoken of in the pro-
phets ; Behold, ye despisers, and
wonder, and perish : for I work a
work in your days, a work which
ye shall in no wise believe, though
a man declare it unto you.
The Gospel. St. Luke 24. 36.
JESUS himself stood in the
midst of them, and saith unto
them, Peace be unto you. But
they were terrified and affrighted,
and supposed that they had seen
a spirit. And he said unto them,
Why are ye troubled, and why do
thoughts arise in your hearts ? Be-
hold my hands and my feet, that
it is I myself: handle me, and
see ; for a spirit hath not flesh and
bones, as ye see me have. And
(E) THE SUNDAYS AFTER EASTER.
Thes9 Sundays after Easter have a two-fold function. On the one
haud, like the Sundays after Epiphany in relation to Christmas, they
simply deepen and enforce the great Easter truth. On the other
hand, in the later Sundays especially, they serve as a preparation for
the Ascension and Whitsuntide Festivals. Indeed, all the period
from Easter to Whitsuntide— the Penteeonte, or " Fifty Days —was
in the early Church looked upon as a whole, and considered as the
great Festal period of the year, I
The Proper Lessons from the Old Testament continue the regu-
lar series begun on Septuagesima Sunday, by selections from the
Books of Numbers and Deuteronomy. The first Sunday has two
Proper Lessons from the New Testament— the first portion (1 Cor.
xv. 1-29) of St. Paul's great exposition of the doctrine of the Resur-
rection, and (John xx. 24-30) the continuation of the Gospel of the
day, containing Our Lord's Self-revelation to St. Thomas and the
great confession of the "doubting Apostle."
&\tt Jftrst Sttnban after (faster.
This Sunday, the Octave of (John xix. 84, 85V
Easter, is commonly called " Low
S'liiday," probably in contrast
with the High Feast of Easter.
In early times it was called Do-
minica in AIM*, because on this
day the newly baptized appeared
for the last time in their white
robes, which were then laid reve-
rently aside.
The Collect, composed In
1 5 49, was then appointed for the
Fe *ond Communion on Easter-
Day. It was transferred to this
Sunday in 1662, instead of re-
peating, as before, the Collect
for Easter-Day. its preamble
is a quotation from Rom. iv. 25
— uniting the truths of the Pas-
sion and Resurrection. It points
to Our Lord as having " died for "
(i.e. on account of) "our sins,"
and risen " for " (i.e. on account
of) " our Justification "—that is,
shewing by His Resurrection that
it had been already accomplished
in the Passion; and the prayer
is from 1 Cor. v. 8, that we, being
thus justified in ' ' Chris t our Pass-
over," may put away the leaven
of evil, and serve God " in purity
and truth."
The Epistle has apparently
special reference to the great
Easter Baptism, (a) It dwells
on the "new birth" by faith in
Jesus Christ — always connected
(see Rom. vi. S— 11 ; Col. ii. 11,
12) with His Resurrection— as
having power to overcome the
world, (ft) With obvious allu-
sion to the "water and blood"
shed from His side on the Cross
an allusion
taken up in the Prayer for the
"sanctifying of the water" in
our Baptismal Service — it de-
clares Him as having "come'-" to
us, " not by water only," but also
" by the blood" of His Cross, in
which we are washed from sin
(see Rev. i. 5; vii. 14) ; and (c) it
connects this coming with the
witness of the Spirit (comp.
Rom. viii. 16, 17)— a witness not
of man, but of God— that there
is an eternal life for us by unity
with the Son of God. (The cele-
brated verse 7, " There are three
that bear witness in Heaven, the
Father, the Word, and the Holy
Ghost ; and these three are one,
must be rejected as spurious— a
gloss inserted probably in the
great age of controversy on the
Godhead of Our Lord.) The
whole passage, therefore, clearly
alludes to the beginning, the
continuance, and the perfection
of the Covenant of life, given us
by baptism of "water and the
Spirit," in the " blood " of Jesus
Christ.
The Gospel repeats (from St.
John) the record of the same
appearance of the Lord, quoted
from St. Luke in the preceding
Gospel. But St. John, after his
manner, adds, to the older record
the account (a) of the solemn
mission of the Apostles bv Our
Lord, (6) of the earnest of the
gift of the Spirit for that mis-
sion, and (c) of the charge to
minister for Him, under due con-
ditions, the remission of sins,
which is its chief part. All these
05
w
THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.
when he had thus spoken, he
shewed them his hands and his
feet. And while they yet believed
not for joy, and wondered, he
said unto them, Have ye here any
meat ? And they gave him a piece
of a broiled fish, and of an honey-
comb. And he took it, and did
eat before them. And he said unto
them, These are the words which
I spake unto you, while I was yet
with you, that all things must be
fulfilled which were written in the
law of Moses, and in the Prophets,
and iu the Psalms concerning me.
Then opened he their understand-
ing, that they might understand
the Scriptures, and said unto
them, Thus it is written, and thus
it behoved Christ to suffer, and to
rise from the dead the third day ;
and that repentance and remis-
sion of sins should be preached in
his Name among all nations, be-
ginning at Jerusalem. And ye are
witnesses of these things.
I&ty JFtrst Sun&ag after (faster.
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY Father, who hast
- given thine only Son to die
for our sins, and to rise again for
our justification ; Grant us so to
put away the leaven of malice and
wickedness, that we may alway
serve thee in pureness of living
and truth ; through the merits of
the same thy Son Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. 1 St. John 5. 4.
•WHATSOEVER is bom of
W
God overcometh the world ;
and this is the victory that over-
cometh the world, even our faith.
Who is he that overcometh the
world, but he that believeth that
Jesus is the Son of God ? This is
he that came by water and blood,
even Jesus Christ ; not by water
only, but by water and blood : and
it is the Spirit that beareth wit-
ness, because the Spirit is truth.
For there are three that bear re-
cord in heaven, the Father, the
Word, and the Holy Ghost : and
these three are one. And there
are three that bear witness in
earth, the spirit, and the water,
and the blood : and these three
agree in one. If we receive the
witness of men, the witness of God
i« greater
of God, which he hath testified of
his Son. He that believeth on the
Son of God hath the witness in
himself: he that believeth not
God hath made him a liar, be-
cause he believeth not the record
that God gave of his Son. And
this is the record, that God hath
given to us eternal life ; and tins
life is in his Son. He that hath
the Son hath life ; and he that
hath not the Son hath not life.
The Gospel. St. John 20. 19.
THE same day at evening, be-
ing the first day of the week,
when the doors were shut, where
the disciples were assembled for
fear of the Jews, came Jesus and
stood in the midst, and saith unto
them, Peace be unto you. And
when he had so said, he shewed
unto them his hands and his side.
Then were the disciples glad when
they saw the Lord. Then said Je-
sus to them again, Peace be unto
you : As my Father hath sent me,
even so send I you. And when
he had said this, he breathed on
them, and saith unto them, Re-
ceive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose-
soever sins ye remit, they are
remitted unto them ; and whose-
soever sins ye retain, they are
retained.
for this is the witness
QL\)t Second Sxmfcag after ©aster.
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY God, who hast
given thine only Son to be
unto us both a sacrifice for sin,
ami also an ensample of godly
life ; Give us grace that we may
always most thankfully receive
that his inestimable benefit, and
also daily endeavour ourselves to
follow the blessed steps of his
most holy life ; through the same
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
'Jo
three go together, and explain
one another: all work oat the
new Covenant in Jesus Christ,
of which the Epistle speaks.
&{je "srronb Sunbay after faster.
Ood ; and then, rising above mere
example, to set forth the whole
doctrine of the Atonement— as a
bearing of our sins, as a regene-
ration of humanity, as a healing
of the disease of our nature. < c)
Through that Atonement he re-
minds them that they, having
been astray, are now gathered in
by the Shepherd and Bishop of
their souls.
The Gospel, accordingly, it
Our Lord's own picture of Him-
self as the Good Shepherd. To
the frequent metaphor of "the
Lord the Shepherd " in the Old
Testament (see Ph. xxiii. ; lxxx.
1; Isa. xl. 11, &c), He adds the
new Revelation of Himself as
shewing His goodness bv giving
His life for the sheep, which are
His own. knowing them through
His perfect knowledge of the Fa-
ther, and preparing to gather His
other sheep, not of the fold of Is-
rael, so that there shall be " One
flock (not ' fold ') and One Shep-
herd."
It is notable that the Services
of this Sunday go back to the
CroBS, both as a Redemption and
an example of godly life to us,
taking the Resurrection for
granted, but not dwelling on it.
The Collect (composed in
1549) sets before us the Cross,
first as an Atonement, in which
Christ is alone; next, as an ex-
ample, in which, as in all His
life, we, by His command, are
to follow Him ; and prays for
thankful acceptance of the in-
estimable gift of the one, and
grace to " endeavour ourselves "
to follow the other.
The Epistle takes up the
same strain. Addressing despis-
ed and helpless slaves, St. Peter
(a) teaches submission even to
undeserved wrong, after the ex-
ample of the Lord JesuB Christ ;
(6) and proceeds, first, to draw
out that Divine example of inno-
cence and patience, trusting all
to the righteous judgment of
<f|jt (Tbirb Stmbajj afltr <£a«ttr.
The Collect (translated from
the old Sarum Collect) still seems
nddressed to the newly baptized,
" admitted into the fellowship of
Christ's religion." It describes
the light of God's truth as in-
tended to bring back those who
are and have been in error to the
right way (comp. Luke i. 78, 79) ;
it prays that all may have grace
"to eschew" (Lat. retpuere) all
things unworthy of a Christian
profession, and follow out by
positive obedience all that ac-
cords with it. (Compare the Ex-
hortation at the close of the Bap-
tismal Service.)
The Epistle is the passage,
preceding the Epistle of last
Sunday, in which St. Peter
urges Christiana, as " strangers
and pilgrims," to abstain from
"the fleshly lusts" of the pre-
sent life, not only for their own
sakes, but as a witness for God
before the heathen. More espe-
cially, and in view of slanders
against Christianity (perhaps
provoked by some abuse of Chris-
96
tian liberty), he proceeds to teach
the duty of obedience to all the
powers that be— to ** the King "
(as in Eastern phrase, long ab-
horred at Rome, he calls the Em-
peror) and to his governors— so
as to put all such ignorant slan-
ders to shame. He asserts the
freedom of Christians, but not
as a "cloak of maliciousness";
he commands all, in the service of
God, which is perfect freedom, to
"honour all men," while they
especially "love the brother-
hood," and in " fear of God " to
"honour the King." (Comp. St.
Paul's teaching in Rom. xiii.
1-7.)
The Gospel (like the Gospels
of the next four Sundays) is tak-
en from that discourse of Our
Lord (John xiv.-xvi.) on the eve
of the Passion, which is through-
out a prophecy of His Media-
torial Kingdom of glory in Hea-
ven, and ot grace on earth ; and
is therefore used as a preparation
for Ascension-Day and Whitsun-
tide.
nriHi
THE THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER
Epistle. 1 St. Peter 2. 19.
THIS is thank-worthy, if a man
for conscience toward God
endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
For what glory is it, if, when ye
be buffeted for your faults, ye
Pi
■ y<
ghall take it patiently ? But if,
when ye do wdi, and suffer for
it, ye take it patiently ; this is
acceptable with God. For even
hereunto were ye called : because
Christ also suffered for us, leaving
us an example, that ye should
follow his steps : who did no sin,
neither was guile found in his
mouth : who, when he was reviled,
reviled not again ; when he suf-
fered, he threatened not ; but
committed himself to him that
judgeth righteously : who his own
self bare our sins in his own body
on the tree, that we, being dead
to sins, should live unto righte-
ousness: by whose stripes ye
were healed. For ye were as sheep
going astray ; but are now return-
ed unto the Shepherd and Bishop
of your souls.
The Gospel. St. John 10. 11.
JESUS said, I am the good
shepherd : the good shepherd
giveth his life for the sheep. But
he that is an hirelingvand not the
shepherd, whose own the sheep
are not, seeth the wolf coming,
and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth ;
and the wolf catoheth them, and
scattereth the sheep. The hireling
fleeth, because he is an hireling,
and careth not for the sheep. I
am the good shepherd, and know
my sheep, and am known of mine.
As the Father knoweth me, even
so know I the Father : and I lay
down my life for the sheep. And
other sheep I have, which are not
of this fold ; them also I must
bring, and they shall hear my
voice ; and there shall be one fold,
and one shepherd.
E&e Wi)ixts Sunttag after ©asttr.
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY God, who shewest
, to them that be in error the
tight of thy truth, to the intent
that they may return into the way
of righteousness ; Grant unto all
them that are admitted into the
fellowship of Christ's Religion, that
they may eschew those things that
are contrary to their profession,
and follow all such things as are
agreeable to the same ; through
our Lord Jesus Christ. Am&n.
The Epistle. 1 St. Peter 2. 11.
DEARLY beloved, I beseech you
as strangers and pilgrims, ab-
stain from fleshly lusts, which war
against the soul ; having your con-
versation honest among the Gen-
tiles ; that, whereas they speak
against you as evil doers, they
may, by your good works which
they shall behold, glorify God in
the day of visitation. Submit your-
selves to every ordinance of man
for the Lord's sake ; whether it be
to the King, as supreme ; or unto
governours, as unto them that are
sent by him, for the punishment
of evil doers, and for the praise of
them that do well. For so is the
will of God, that with well-doing
ye may put to silence the ignor-
ance of foolish men : as free, and
not using your liberty for a cloke
of maliciousness ; but as the ser-
vants of God. Honour all men.
Love the brotherhood. Fear God.
Honour the King. .
The Gospel. St. John 16. 16.
JESUS said to his disciples, A
little while and ye shall not
see me ; and again, a little while
and ye shall see me ; because I go
to the Father. Then said some of
his disciples among themselves,
What is this that he saith unto us,
A little while and ye shall not see
me ; and again, a little while and
ye shall see me ; and, Because I
goto the Father ? They said there-
fore, What is this that he saith, A
little while ? we cannot tell what
he saith. Now Jesus knew that
they were desirous to ask him,
and said unto them, Do ye en-
quire among yourselves of that I
said, A little while and ye shall
not see me; and again, a little
96
The Gospel itself is a teach-
ing by paradox— which, like His
teaching by " Proverbs " (John
xvi. 25), has the intention and
effect of stimulating interest
and inquiry— telling how they
" shall not see Him " (properly
"behold Him," as in Revised
Version), and yet "shall see
Him." " because He is going to
the Father." (The difference of
the two words used probably
marks the distinction between
the sight of familiar intercourse
in the present,* and the vision of
His glorified humanity after the
Resurrection.) Then, having
arrested their attention, He an-
swers their unspoken question,
by setting before them the com-
ing sorrow in His absence, in
face of the exultation of the
world, and the succeeding joy
(of which this is as the birth-
throe), never Jg> be taken a-
way— a joy in His l*resen«,e, not
only for a time after His Re-
surrection, but "with them al-
way, even to the end of the
world."
£{je <£ouri{) Sttmbag after (Raster.
The Collect (slightly altered
from the old Sarum Collect), (a)
with manifest allusion to the
teaching of the Epistle and Gos-
pel, prays to God a3 (through the
frace of the Holy Spirit) "or-
ering the unruly wills and af-
fections of sinful men "; (6) next,
asks Him for the two great mo-
tives of obedience in their right
order of prominence, placing
first— what is purely of the spirit
— the love of God's command-
ments for their own sake, and
only as subsidiary to it— what
is "of the Law" — the desire of
His promised reward ; lastly (e),
describes the result of the obe-
dience so produced— that in all
the changes of life "our hearts
may there be fixed, where true
joys are to be found," that is. on
the Communion with God, given
in earnest now, promised in per-
fection hereafter.
The Epistle (like those of the
previous Sundays) comes from
the Catholic Epistles ; but in this
case from the Epistle of St. James
— the storehouse, not so much of
Christian doctrine, as of godly
morality. It contains a decla-
ration and an exhortation there-
upon. First (a), it points to the
general truth that every good
gift," that is, properly, "all gra-
cious giving," and every perfect
gift thus graciously bestowed, is
from the One Eternal and Un-
changeable God, called emphati-
cally the "Father of lights"
(both physical and spiritual), and
(in obvious reference to the phy-
sical luminaries of heaven) de-
scribed, in almost scientific lan-
as having no phases of
variation in light, and no shadows
of obscuration, caused by revo-
lution and change. This is the
general truth applying to the
whole Creation. Next (6) comes
the special exemplification of
the truth in the Regeneration of
Christians through the "Word
of Truth" received by His grace,
so that, renewed to all, and more
than all, man's original birth-
right, they may be the " first-
fruits of God's creatures." Last-
ly (e), we have the exhortation
to the receptiveness of soul, by
which alone (as the Parable of
the Sower shews) the Gospel can
become the " engrafted Word,"
that is, the Word growing into "
and becoming part of the nature.
Of this temper two phases are
noted— the conquest of impetu-
ous self-assertion, intemperate of
speech and wrath, and the con-
quest of impurity and " overflow
of maliciousness."
The Gospel comes again from
Our Lord's farewell discourse to
His disciples, but (curiously
nough) from the passage pre-
ceding that of the last Sunday.
It opens (a) with His consolation
for His departure in the promise
of the coming of the other " Pa-
raclete" (or "Advocate," t
1 John ii. 1). which could not
be till the work of Our Lord on
earth was completed in the As-
cension (comp. John vii. 39), and
His Mediatorial Kingdom in Hea-
ven begun ; it next (b) describes
the Office of the Paraclete to
"the world"— that is. to men
as estranged from God— first, to
"convince," or " convict," them
of the three great moral realities
97
THE FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.
while and ye shall see me ? Verily,
verily I say unto you, That ye
shall weep and lament, hut the
world shall rejoice : and ye shall
he sorrowful, hut your sorrow
shall be turned into joy. A wo-
man, when she is in travail, hath
sorrow, because her hour is come :
hut as soon as she is delivered of
the child, she remembereth no
more the anguish, for joy that a
man is born into the world. And
ye now therefore have sorrow :
but I will see you again, and your
heart shall rejoice, and your joy
no man taketh from you.
%\)t JFourtf) Suntfag after faster.
The Collect.
0 ALMIGHTY God, who alone
canst order the unruly wills
and affections of sinful men ;
Grant unto thy people, that they
may love the thing which thou
conimandest, and desire that
which thou dost promise; that
so, among the sundry and mani-
fold changes of the world, our
hearts may surely there be fixed,
where true joys are to be found ;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Epistle. St. James 1. 17.
EVERY good gift, and every
perfect gift is from above, and
cometh down from the Father of
lights, with whom is no variable-
ness, neither shadow of turning.
Of his own will begat he us with
the Word of truth, that we should
be a kind of first-fruits of his crea-
tures. Wherefore, my beloved
brethren, let every man be swift
to hear, slow to speak, slow to
wrath ; for the wrath of man work-
cth not the righteousness of God.
Wherefore lay apart all fllthiness
and superfluity of naughtiness,
and receive with meekness the
engrafted Word, which is able to
save your souls.
The Gospel. St. John 16. 5.
JESUS said unto his disciples,
Now I go my way to him that
sent me, and none of you asketh
me, Whither goest thou? But,
because I have said these things
unto you, sorrow hath filled your
heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the
truth ; it is expedient for you that
I go away : for if I go not away,
the Comforter will not come unto
you ; but if I depart, I will send
him unto you. And when he is
come, he will reprove the world of
sin, and of righteousness, and of
judgment: of sin, because they
believe not on me ; of righteous-
ness, because I go to my Father,
and ye see me no more ; of judg-
ment, because the prince of this
world is judged. I have yet many
things to say unto you, but ye
cannot bear them now. Howbeit,
when he, the Spirit of truth, is
come, he will guide you into all
truth : for he shall not speak of
himself ; but whatsoever he shall
hear, that shall he speak : and he
will shew you things to come. He
shall glorify me : for he shall re-
ceive of mine, and shall shew it
unto you. All things that the Fa-
ther hath are mine : therefore said
I, that he shall take of mine, and
shall shew it unto you.
Wi)t JFtftf) Suirtrag after faster.
The Collect.
OLORD, from whom all good
things do come ; Grant to us
thy humble servants, that by thy
holy inspiration we may think
those things that be good, and by
thy merciful guiding may perform
the same ; through our Lord Je-
sus Christ. Amen.
The Epistle. St. James 1. 22.
BE ye doers of the Word, and
not hearers only, deceiving
your own selves. For if any be a
hearer of the Word, and not a
doer, he is like unto a man be-
holding his natural face in a glass.
For he beholdeth himself, and go-
cth his way, and straightway for-
97
of "Sin," of " Righteousness,"
»n<1 of " Judgment*' between the
two, and, next, to connect all
these convictions with Christ
Himself — " Sin " as springing
from the unbelief in God through
Him, which is the root of moral
disorder ; " Righteousness," both
of God and of man, aa manifest-
ed in the exaltation of the Cruci-
fied to the right hand of God ;
" Judgment," aa shewn by the
beginning of the judgment of
the Evil One, "prince of this
world," in this exaltation of the
Conqueror ; lastly (e), it de-
scribes the Office of the Holy
8pirit to the Church, as repre-
sented by the Apostles, viz., to
"guide into all the truth" of
God and Man. by bringing
home to the soul the revelation
through the Son of the Will and
Nature of the Father, so far as
man can know them. Of these
functions the two lower melt
into the higher. In the first we
have the natural gift, by which
God speaks to the conscience of
the world, as yet not knowing
Christ ; in the next the leading
men, through that gift, to conver-
sion to Him ; in the third the
supernatural gift to the Church,
of the " knowledge which is the
life eternal."
ftbt Jfiftfc Snnban after faster
(COMMOKLT CALLED " ROGATION-SCKDAY ").
The Collect (a translation of
the old Sarum Collect), still look-
ing up to God as the Giver of
"all good things." prays for the
two-fold gift of preventing and
following" grace— the "inspira-
tion" of good and holy thoughts,
and the guidance" to carry out
such thoughts in action. For
" it is God who worketh in us
both to will and to do of His
good pleasure " (Phil. ii. 12, IS).
The Epistle is the continua-
tion of the Epistle of the pre-
ceding Sunday, adding to the
truths there taught, as to
the fulness of God s grace and
the opening of the soul to re-
ceive it, the lesson of practical
co-operation with the grace so
given and received. First (o\
in general, the superficial im-
pression of simple hearing of the
word (compared with the pass-
ing glance at the reflection of a
face in a mirror) is contrasted
with the effect of steadfast in-
sight through thought and prac-
tice into the Christian law of
liberty, and with the consequent
realisation of spiritual blessing.
Next (b), passing to particular
examples, the Apostle dwells on
control of the tongue, charity to
the afflicted, and purity from
worldlinesB, as true phases of
"pure and undefiled religion."
The word "religion " is literally
"worship," and it refers not to
the essence of what we call re-
ligion, but to its outward signs.
The lesson is the lesson, so cha-
racteristic of St. James, of prac-
tical and manifest reality in re-
ligious life.
The Gospel is the continua-
tion (after the omission of one
verse) of the Gospel for the Third
Sunday, and the conclusion of
Our Lord's last discourse to the
Apostles.
It begins (a) with His direction
to pray nereafter " in His Name,"
that is, in virtue of His Media-
tion, with promise that such
prayer shall always be answered
with full blessing. Hitherto His
Mediation had not been consum-
mated, and therefore they had not
so prayed. Next (6), referring
to His pnst teaching as given in
" Proverbs "—that is, Parables,
only shewing the Truth through
type and inference— He promises
that hereafter (in the gift of the
Holy Spirit) He will reveal to them
the inner reality of God. Then
(c), recurring to His command
to pray in His Name, He places
before them, not His own Inter-
cession (although that should be
given), but (as if in prophetic
jealousy of teaching, which makes
Him our ultimate rest, instead
of the Mediator between us and
the Godhead) the free love of the
Father to them who had believed
and loved the Son ; and adds, aa
enforcing His unity with God,
the plain declaration, "I came
forth from the Father ; agrain I
go to the Father." On this (d)
the disciples fasten eagerly, as a
declaration not in parable, but
THE ASCENSION-DAY.
getteth what manner of man he
was. But whoso looketh into the
perfect law of liberty, and con-
tinueth therein, he being not a
forgetful hearer, but a doer of the
work, this man shall be blessed in
his deed. If any man among you
seem to be religious, and bridleth
not his tongue, but deceiveth his
own heart, this man's religion is
vain. Pure religion, and undefll-
ed before God and the Father, is
this, To visit the fatherless and
widows in their affliction, and to
keep himself unspotted from the
world.
The Gospel St. John 16. 23.
VERILY, verily I say unto you,
Whatsoever ye shall ask the
Father in my Name, he will give
it you. Hitherto have ye asked
nothing in my Name : ask, and
ye shall receive, that your joy
may be full. These things have I
spoken unto you in proverbs : the
time cometh when I shall no more
speak unto you in proverbs, but I
shall shew you plainly of the Fa-
The Collect.
GRANT, we beseech thee, Al-
mighty God, that like as we
do believe* thy only-begotten Son
our Lord Jesus Christ to have
ascended into the heavens; so
we may also in heart and mind
thither ascend, and with him con-
tinually dwell, who liveth and
reigneth with thee and the Holy
Ghost, one God, world without
end. Amen.
For the Epistle. Acts 1. 1.
THE former treatise have I
made, O Theophilus, of all
that Jesus began both to do
and teach, until the day in which
he was taken up, after that he
through the Holy Ghost had given
commandments unto the Apostles
whom he had chosen: to whom
also he shewed himself alive after
his passion, by many infallible
proofs ; being seen of them forty
days, and speaking of the things
ther. At that day ye shall ask in
my Name: and I say not unto
you, that I will pray the Father
for you ; for the Father himself
loveth you, because ye have loved
me, and have believed that I came
out from God. I came forth from
the Father, and am come into the
world : again, I leave the world,
and go to the Father. His disci-
ples said unto him, Lo, now speak-
est thou plainly, and speakest no
proverb. Now are we sure that
thou knowest all things, and need-
est not that any man should ask
thee : by this we believe that thou
earnest forth from God. Jesus an-
swered them, Do ye now believe ?
Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is
now come, that ye shall be scat-
tered every man to his own, and
shall leave me alone : and yet I
am not alone, l>ecause the Father
is with me. These things I have
spoken unto you, that in me ye
might have peace. In the world
ye shall have tribulation ; but be
of good cheer, I have overcome
the world.
Qftt 3"sccttsi(m=l9ag.
pertaining to the Kingdom of
God : and, being assembled toge-
ther with them, commanded them
that they should not depart from
Jerusalem, but wait for the pro-
mise of the Father, which, saith
he, ye have heard of me. For
John truly baptized with water,
but ye shall be baptized with the
Holy Ghost not many days hence.
When they therefore were come
together, they asked of him, say-
ing, Lord, wilt thou at this time
restore again the kingdom to Is-
rael ? And he said unto them, It
is not for you to know the times
or the seasons, which the Father
hath put in his own power. But
ye shall receive power after that
the Holy Ghost is come upon you ;
and ye shah be witnesses unto
me, both in Jerusalem, and in all
Judsea, and in Samaria, and unto
the uttermost part of the earth.
And when he had spoken these
things, while they beheld, he was
all-sufficient for their faith in spite of all tribulation and weak-
His Word and in Himself. But ness, peace at last, because He
He gently rebukes their eager- Himself had overcome the world
ness, in foresight of their coming for them. From these promises
desertion of Him ; and then in He passes on, in the next chap-
the future promises them, in ter, to His great Intercession.
The Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday following are the Roga-
tion-Da ys (on which see above, Table of Fast*, &c. ). For these no
special Collects, Epistles, and Gospels are appointed, as was done in
the old Service books, and as was proposed by Bishop Cosin in 1662.
But there is a Homily ("that all good things come from God")
appointed to be used in three parts on the three days. From this it
appears that, besides the original penitential purpose of these days,
and their observation as preparation for the Ascension Festival,
they were used, in connection with the perambulation of the bounds
of the parishes (which is probably a survival of the old Processions),
as an occasion of prayer and thanksgiving to God for the fruits of
the earth. This use is enjoined in the Injunctions of 1559. The
more solemn celebration of these days has been in some measure
revived in our own time, and Services for it authorized by Convoca-
tion.
(F) ASCENSION-DAY AND THE SUNDAY FOLLOWING.
The observation of this Festival on the fortieth day after Easter
(see Acts i. 8) cannot be traced with certainty to an earlier period
than the 4th century. In the East the first notice of it is in the
Apostolical Constitution*; and Epiphanins complains that it was not
in his day adequately observed. In the West the earliest notice is by
St. Augustine, but in his time the observance was so thorough and
universal, that he supposes it to have had an Apostolic origin.
Necessarily it established itself as one of the great Festivals; and,
as such, it is marked in the Prayer Book by the appointment of
Proper Psalms and a Proper Preface in the Communion Service.
The comparative neglect of it, which is now being partially cor-
rected, is, therefore, entirely at variance with the intention of the
Prayer Book. But even in itself it is clear that the Ascension,
completing the triumph of the Resurrection, and being the entrance
of Our Lord on His Mediatorial Kingdom in glory, occupies a co-
ordinate place with the Incarnation, the Passion, and the Resurrec-
tion in the Manifestation of Him for our salvation, and in the
Sromise of exaltation of our humanity through Him, which that
[anifestation implies.
The Collect (a free transla- was of " the things of the King-
tion of the old Sarum Collect) dom of God," that is, the Church
first declares our faith in the to be founded at Pentecost, when
Ascension, and then (in the the promised " baptism with the
spirit of Eph. ii. 5, 6 and Col. iii. Holy Ghost " should take place.
1-4) prays that, knowing our Of these appearances and this
unity with Him, we may already teaching we have characteristic
raise our hearts and minds to specimens in the four Gospels.
the Heaven, where He has gone (b) We next note that on the eve
to prepare a place for us. of the Ascension, their natural
The Epistle (also taken from question as to the immediate
the old Sarum Misssl) is St. restoration of " the Kingdom of
Luke's record of the Ascension Israel"— the universal kingdom
in the Acts, enlarging the brief of the Messiah, in which they
notice at the close of his Gospel, thought that Israel would still
(a) We gather from it that Our occupy the place of privilege— is
Lord appeared to His disciples rebuked as intruding into the
"at intervals durine forty days," secrets of God, and their atten-
and that His teaching to them tion directed from it to their
9S a
own coming mission, extending
to "the \itmost parts of the
earth," in simple "witness for
Christ," and in virtue of the
power of the Holy Spirit. Lastly
(<?), we have the plain record of
the Ascension itself, at the mo-
ment (see Luke xxiv. 51) of His
solemn Blessing to them, through
the cloud of glory to the invisible
and mysterious Presence of God
which we call " Heaven " ; and
the appearance of the angels —
now as at all the great epochs
of His earthly life— to send the
Apostles back to work for Him
in the certain expectation of His
future Coming.
The Gospel is taken from that
section of the 16th chapter of
St. Mark, which is obviously a
postscript to the narrative, sum-
marizing the appearances after
the Besurrection. The appear-
ance recorded seems to be the
same as that of Luke xxiv. 33-
48 and John xx. 19-25. The
charge given is peculiar to St.
Mark, and characteristic of the
direct practical tone of his Gos-
pel. For it brings out clearly the
unspeakable issues of salvation
and condemnation, which turn
on the acceptance or rejection of
the Gospel Message to all the
world; and the various striking
signs of miracle— carrying on Our
Lord's own ministration both to
the body and to the soul— which
shall bring home that message
to the minds of men. (On these
see Acts ii. 1-6; v. 16; viii. 7;
x. 46 ; xiv. 10 ; xix. 6, 11-17 ; xxviii.
5, 6, 8, 9.) The notice of the
Ascension is brief, only dwelling
on the exaltation "to the right
hand of God " ; and is followed
by an equally brief reference to
the preaching of the Gospel as
commanded, and the accompany-
ing signs as promised, in the
charge of Our Lord.
The Proper Lessons are (Dan.
vii. 9-15) the great vision, ap-
plied by Our Lord to Himself
(Matt. xxvi. 64), of the exaltation
of the "Son of Man," in the
eternal and universal kingdom
of the "Ancient of Days ; (2
Kings ii. 1-16) the record of the
typical ascension of Elijah ; ( Luke
xxiv. 44-53) the brief record of
the Ascension, anticipating the
fuller account of the Acts, given
in the Epistle of the day; and
(Heb. iv.) the promise of the
rest remaining for the people of
God " in Heaven, in and through
the Great High Priest, the Son
of God, who has already passed
into the heavens.
§rmbay, after ^Ktn*hm-§i*g.
This magnificent Collect,
composed in 1549, is partly taken
from an old Antiphon for Ascen-
sion-Day in the Sarum Breviary,
which is, however, addressed to
Our Lord Himself, quoting as it
does His own words (John xiv.
18). Its preamble naturally ad-
dresses God as " the King of the
Glory" of Heaven, to which Our
Lord was restored in the great
triumph of the Ascension (see
John xvii. 5-24). Its prayer is
for the gift of the Holy Ghost,
first, to comfort in the present
those who would otherwise be
' comfortless " (properly " or-
phaned") here on earth, and
then to fit our souls for the fu-
ture exaltation to the place pre-
pared for us bv our great Fore-
runner (John xiv. 2, 3).
The Epistlf. (also taken from
the old Use) comes from the
First Epistle of St. Peter ("the
Apostle of Hope"), looking on to
the return of Our Lord from
Heaven. It speaks, in accord-
ance with the early ( hristian be-
lief, of the " end of all things " as
being literally (as to each of us it
is practically) "at hand"; and
bias us prepare for it by sobriety
in ourselves, by watchfulness in
devotion to God, by fervent cha-
rity to man ; and, in all these, by
deep sense of responsibility in
ministering both the Word of
Truth and the gift of grace, as
being a trust from God, to be
used for His glory through our
glorified Lord Jesus Christ. The
whole breathes the spirit of
thoughtful expectation implied
in the Collect, through which
this Sunday was called anciently
the Dominica Expectations .
The Gospel, like those of the
three previous Sundays, is taken
98 h
from Our Lord's last discourse, Word (see John xiv. 26), thus
but goes back to a portion pre- enabling them to bear their wit-
ceding them all. It is a brief ness through grace. (6) The
summary of the whole of His last charge to the Apostles is to co-
teaching to them, and His last operate with that witness ; and
charge, (a) The teaching is of for the sake of such witness to be
the promised Comforter, pro- prepared for persecution, "fore-
ceeding from the Father, sent by warned and so forearmed" a-
the Son, as "testifying of Christ, gainst it, that they may find il
by bringing to remembrance His no ground of " offence.'"
(G) WHITSUNTIDE.
88bit-£anban.
(The derivation of the name is uncertain. The easiest and sim-
plest derivation, calling the day Whit-Sunday, considers it to be
really " White Sunday," from the wearing of the white robes by
those newly baptized on the Eve. This labours under the difficulty
that (as the names "Whitsuntide," " Whitsun-week." &c, shew)
the prefix seems to be "Whitsun," and not "Whit"; but other
analogies shew that this difficulty is not fatal. It has also been
noted that the true White Sunday, the Dominica in Albit, is the
first Sunday after Easter ; but it is possible that in Northern coun-
tries considerations of climate may have transferred the general
Baptism to the later date. The only other admissible derivation is
that whioh supposes " Whitsun," through the German Pjlngsten,
to be a corruption of Pentecotten, which was certainly the old Anglo-
Saxon name for the day ; but no historical evidence of the process of
Buch corruption is forthcoming. On the whole, the former deriva-
tion seems to be the more probable.)
The celebration of this Festival, being the birthday of the Church,
is naturally, like that of Easter, of immemorial antiquity. Even in
the history of St. Paul we note (see Acts xx. 16, ana perhaps xviii.
21) his marked anxiety to keep the feast of Pentecost at Jerusalem.
The name Pentecotte was applied in early times to the whole fifty
days after Easter, regarded as the great festal period of the year,
from which all fasting was banished ; subsequently it became appro-
priated to Whit-Sunday itself, which was regarded as inferior only
to Easter, and afterward* perhaps to Christmas. The feast among
the Jews was the feast of the first-fruits, two loaves of the new wheat
solemnly offered to God as the Giver of all (Lev. xxiii. 15-22) ; by
common tradition it was associated with the giving of the Law on
Mount Sinai (see Exod. xix. 1). Christian writers delighted to trace
in the great gift of Pentecost the antitype of both these ideas — the
dedication to God of the first-fruits of the spiritual harvest, and the
writing of the Law " not on tables of stone, but the fleshy tables ot
the heart." The Church of England marks the day, by Proper
Psalms and Proper Preface in the Communion Service, as one of
the four great Festivals of the year.
Th» Collect (translated from pouring of the Spirit on the day:
the Sarum Missal), after reciting of Pentecost, which was the in-
the gift of Pentecost, prays for ward spiritual life of the Church,,:
the two-fold blessing of the Spirit and of the gift of Tongues,
to mind and heart— light for which was its outward sign. («)
right judgment of truth, comfort On the Coming of the Holy
and joy in His grace (see the Spirit— symbolized by the rush-
promises of Our Lord in John ing mighty wind, the emblem)
xiv. 26; xvi. 13-15, 2U-24). (see John iii. 7, 8> of invisible
The Epistle (from the same and mysterious power, and bl
source ) is the narrative of the out- the tongues of fire ' ' distributed '
SUNDAY AFTER ASCENSION-DAY.
taken up, and a cloud received
him out of their sight. And while
they looked stedfastly toward hea-
ten, as he went up, behold, two
men stood by them in white ap-
parel ; which also said, Ye men
of Galilee, why stand ye gazing
up into heaven ? This same Jesus,
which is taken up from you into
heaven, shall so come, in like
manner as ye have seen him go
into heaven.
The Gospel. St. Mark 16. 14.
JESUS appeared unto the eleven
as they sat at meat, and up-
braided them with their unbelief
and hardness of heart, because
they believed not them which had
seen him after he was risen. And
he said unto them, Go ye into all
the world, and preach the Gospel
to every creature. He that believ-
eth and is baptized shall be saved ;
but he that believeth not shall be
damned. And these signs shall
follow them that believe : In my
Name shall they cast out devils ;
they shall speak with new tongues ;
they shall take up serpents ; and
if they drink any deadly thing, it
shall not hurt them ; they shall
lay hands on the sick, and they
shall recover. So then after the
Lord had spoken unto them, he
was received up into heaven, and
sat on the right hand of God.
And they went forth and preach-
ed every where, the Lord working
with them, and confirming the
Word with signs following.
Shttrtrag after 3lsccnsion=Uag.
The Collect.
GGOD the King of glory, who
hast exalted thine only. Son
Jesus Christ with great triumph
unto thy kingdom in heaven ; We
beseech thee, leave us not com-
fortless ; but send to us thine Holy
Ghost to comfort us, and exalt us
unto the same place whither our
Saviour Christ is gone before, who
liveth and reigneth with thee and
the Holy Ghost, one God, world
without end. Amen.
. The Epistle. 1 St. Peter 4. 7.
rpHE end of all things is at
JL hand ; be ye therefore sober,
and watch unto prayer. And above
all things have fervent charity a-
mong yourselves : for charity shall
cover the multitude of sins. Use
hospitality one to another without
grudging. As every man hath re-
ceived the gift, even so minister
the same one to another, as good
stewards of the manifold grace of
God. If any man speak, let him
speak as the oracles of God : if
any man minister, let him do it as
of the ability which God giveth ;
that God in all things may be
glorified through Jesus Christ, to
whom be praise and dominion for
ever and ever. Amen.
The Gospel. St. John 15, 26, and
part of Chapter 16.
WHEN the Comforter is come,
whom I will send unto you
from the Father, even the Spirit
of truth, which proceedeth from
the Father, he shall testify of me.
And ye also shall bear witness,
because ye have been with me from
the beginning. These things have
I spoken unto you, that ye should
not be offended. They shall put
you out of the synagogues : yea,
the time cometh, that whosoever
killeth you will think that he do-
eth God service. And these things
will they do unto you, because
they have not known the Father,
nor me. But these things have I
told you, that, when the time shall
come, ye may remember that I
told you of them.
iHRf)it=Suntrag.
The Collect.
GOD, who as at this time didst
teach the hearts of thy faith-
ful people, by the sending to them
the light of thy Holy Spirit ; Grant
us by the same Spirit to have a
right judgment in all things, and
evermore to rejoice in his holy
comfort ; through the merits of
Christ Jesus our Saviour, wholiv-
09
to the Apostles, the emblems of
an indwelling life, shining oat
and kindling the world— we must
study tin John xiv.— xvi.) the
teaching of Our Lord, bringing
out not only the truth of the
action of the Divine Spirit on
the soul, which belongs to all
religion, and is fully revealed in
the Old Testament, but the Per-
sonality of the Comforter, HiB
relation to the Father and the
Son, and His Office to the world
and to the Church. (6) On the gift
of Tongues, we may compare
1 Cor. xiv., though it should
not be assumed that the gift at
Corinth was in all points exact-
ly a reproduction of the gift of
Pentecost. But here it is plain-
ly declared that the power given
was actually to declare in vari-
ous known and intelligible lan-
guages the wonderful works of
God. For the list given includes
not only various forms, but vari-
ous families, of language ; and
the exclamation of the hearers
plainly declares that each heard
the utterance in his own tongue
("dialect"). But it may also
be gathered that the power was
given, not for preaching, but for
ecstatic utterance of prayer and
praise ; that we cannot tell whe-
ther it was temporary or perma-
nent in the Apostles; and that
its main object was to be " a
sign, to those who believed not,"
that a new Kingdom had been
set up uniting all " peoples, na-
tions, and languages," and an
earnest of that which has since
been realized, the offering in
every language of praise to God
in Christ. (Note the repetitions
of the like gift in Acts iv. 81 ;
x. 44, 45.)
The Gospel goes back still
further in the great discourse of
Our Lord to His disciples, to the
first promise of the Comforter as
the Spirit of Truth, (a) With
that promise of an indwelling
and abiding Presence, invisible
to the world, known only to the
souls which receive it, Our Lord
expressly connects His own re-
turning Presence to them, who
would otherwise be " orphans,"
and— in answer to a wondering
question of St. Jude— adds also
the promise of the presence of
100
the Father, through the Son,
making His abode with those
who love the Lord Jesus Christ
and keep His sayings. In this
the whole mystery of commu-
nion in the Spirit with the Holy
Trinity is unveiled (comp. Eph.
iv. 4-fi). (6) To this He adds a
further promise, that the Com-
forter shall teach them what
as yet they cannot comprehend,
by bringing home the words of
Christ to their remembrance and
understanding. In this He shews
us the relation of the Revelation
of Truth in Himself to the In-
spiration of the Holy Ghost,
which opens the soul to receive
it. (c) Lastly, through this know-
ledge, He leaves them the peace
the world cannot give ; and bids
them even rejoice in His ap-
proaching departure to the Fa-
ther, conquering "the prince of
this world," and doing (through
the suffering on the Cross) the
Father's will;
The Proper Lessons from the
Old Testament are (Deut.xvi. 1-
18 ) the law of the three great Fes-
tivals, the Passover, the Feast
of Weeks (Pentecost), and the
Feast of Tabernacles ; next (Isa.
xi.), the prophecy of the King-
dom of the Messiah under the
manifold gift of the Spirit, in
righteousness and peace, filling
the earth with the knowledge of
the Lord ; thirdly (Ezek. xxxvi.
25-88), the promise of a cleans-
ing from iniquity, and the gift of
" a new heart and new spirit "
to Israel, in which is the earnest
of fruitfulness and blessing. The
Lessons - from the New Testa-
ment are (Rom. viii. 1-18) the
glorious picture of the life of the
Spirit, in its righteousness, its
accordance with the will of God,
its conquest of the flesh, and its
glad spirit of Sonship: the de-
scription in the parallel passage
(Gal. v. 16-26) of the conflict with
the flesh, and the victory of the
Spirit; and (Acts xviii. 24— xix.
21) the record of the outpouring
of the Holy Ghost on the disci-
ples of John, re-baptized in the
name of the Lord Jesus, the
special outburst of miraculous
power at Ephesus, and its vic-
tory over Jewish exorcism and
Gentile magic.
WHIT-SUNDAY.
eth and reigneth with thee, in the
unity of the same Spirit, one God,
world without end. Amen.
For tiie Epistle. Acts 2. 1.
WHEN the day of Pentecost
was fully come, they were
all with one accord in one place.
And suddenly there came a sound
from heaven, as of a rushing
mighty wind, and it filled all the
house where they were sitting.
And there appeared unto them
cloven tongues, like as of fire, and
it sat upon each of them : and
they were all filled with the Holy
Ghost, and began to speak with
other tongues, as the Spirit gave
them utterance. And there were
dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, de-
vout men, out of every nation un-
der heaven. Now when this was
noised abroad, the multitude came
together, and were confounded,
because that every man heard
them speak in his own language.
And they were all amazed, and
marvelled, saying one to another,
Behold, are not all these which
•peak Galilaeans ? And how hear
we every man in our own tongue
wherein we were born ? Parthians,
and Medes, and Elamites.and the
dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in
Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pon-
tus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pam-
phylia, in Egypt, and in the parts
of Libya about Cyrcne, and
Btrangere of Rome, Jews, and
Proselytes, Cretes, and Arabians,
we do hear them speak in our
tongues the wonderful works of
God.
The Gospel. St. John 14. 15.
JESUS said unto his disciples,
If ye love me, keep my com-
mandments. And I will pray the
Father, and he shall give you
another Comforter, that he may
abide with you for ever; even the
Spirit of truth, whom the world
cannot receive, because it seeth
him not, neither knoweth him :
but ye know him ; for he dwelleth
with you, and shall be in you. I
will not leave you comfortless ; I
will come to you. Yet a little
while, and the world seeth me no
more ; but ye see me : because I
live, ye shall live also. At that
day ye shall know, that I am in
my Father, and ye in me, and I in
you. He that hath my command-
ments, and keepeth them, he it is
that loveth me ; and he thatloveth
me shall be loved of my Father,
and I will love him, and will ma-
nifest myself to him. Judas saith
unto him, (not Iscariot,) Lord,
how is it that thou wilt manifest
thyself unto us, and not unto the
world? Jesus answered and said
unto him, If a man love me, he
will keep my words, and my Fa-
ther will love him, and we will
come unto him, and make our
abode with him. He that loveth
me not keepeth not my sayings :
and the word which ye hear is not
mine, but the Father's which sent
me. These things have I spoken
unto you, being yet present with
you. But the Comforter, which
is the Holy Ghost, whom the Fa-
ther will send in my Name, he
shall teach you all things, and
bring all things to your remem-
brance, whatsoever I have said
unto you. Peace I leave with you,
my peace I give unto you : not as
the world giveth, give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid. Ye have
heard how I said unto you, I go
away, and come again unto you.
If ye loved me, ye would rejoice,
because I said, I go unto the Fa-
ther: for my Father is greater
than I. And now I have told
you before it come to pass, that,
when it is come to pass, ye
might believe. Hereafter I will
not talk much with you : for the
prince of this world cometh, and
hath nothing in me. But that
the world may know that I love
the Father; and as the Father
gave me commandment, even so
I do.
100
Iftonbag in HBbitmin-ffiSeeh.
The Epistle (taken, like the
Gospel, from the Sarum Missal)
contains first, the narrative of
St. Peter's preaching in the
house of Cornelius, already giv-
en as the Epistle for Monday in
Easter week (which see). But it
goes on to record the special out-
pouring of the Holy Spirit, with
the Pentecostal gift of Tongues,
on his hearers, sanctioning by
a visible act of God Himself
(see Acts xi. 15-18) the admis-
sion of the Gentiles into the
Covenant of Christ. That Divine
gift more than justified the cele-
brated declaration— going, in its
full sense, beyond the immediate
application and perhaps the in-
tention of the Apostle— that God,
irrespective of " persons " (i.e.
of outward conditions), accepts
everywhere those who fear Him,
so far as they know Him (by the
universal instinct of God, see
Acts xvii. 26-28), and work righ-
teousness, so far as they know it,
bv the universal witness of the
conscience. For both these are
the " convictions of the Spirit *'
even "to the world" (see John
xvi. 8-11) ; and are made to lead
on to the fuller gift of the Com-
munion through the Spirit with
the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Ghost, of which, by Our Lord's
own Institution, Holy Baptism
is the means and the pledge.
The Gospel is the close of Our
Lord's teaching to Nicodemus on
being "born again of Water and
the Spirit." It declares, first,
the universal love of the Father
in sending the Son, not to con-
demn but to save the whole
world ; and next, the inevitable
distinctions which man's free-
dom and responsibility must
make among those whom God
would have to be saved. The gift
is free as the light of Heaven;
but some will come to it, and
shew their deeds as "wrought
in God"; others will condemn
themselves by hating the light
and fleeing from it, because they
delight in the works of darkness.
The two truths, God's grace and
man's responsibility, are brought
out in striking connection and
contrast.
(It is thought that in thii
Epistle and Gospel there is re-
ference to the great Baptism in
ancient times on the vigil of
Pentecost.)
The Proper Lessons are (Gen.
xi. 1-10) the history of the Con-
fusion of Tongues, of which the
Pentecostal gift was the rever-
sal; (Num. xi. 16-31) the de-
scription of the sharing of the gift
of the Spirit which was on Moses
with the seventy elders; and (1
Cor. xii. 1-14 ; xii. 27— xiii. IS) the
description by St. Paul of the
variety in unity of spiritual gifts,
and the exaltation of Charity
above all.
ftneabajj in ©Ibitsun-cStrrk.
The Epistle (taken, like the
Gospel, from the Sarum Missal)
is the narrative of another spe-
cial outpouring of the Holy Spi-
rit, with visible tokens (see v. 18)
—no doubt the gift of tongues,
and perhaps prophecy. This re-
petition of the Pentecostal gift
was in Samaria after the preach-
ing of Philip the Evangelist ; it
is distinguished from the ordi-
nary grace of Baptism ; and it is
connected with the prayer and
imposition of the hands of the
Apostles St. Peter and St. John.
It is possible that, in this case,
as in others, those who received
the special gift were designed for
a special ministry. In this im-
position of hands we have the
germ of the rite of Confirma-
tion, which has, however, passed
through many phases of remark-
able change (see Notes on Con-
Jlrmation Service).
The Gospel is the symbolic
representation of the Church,
founded at Pentecost, in Our
Lord's Parable or Allegory of
the Sheep-fold, drawn from the
familiar nature and conditions
of pastoral life in the East, pos-
sibly suggested by something
before the eyes of His hearers.
In this Parable He Himself is
the door of Mediation, through
which we enter into the fold of
God; the porter (if this feature
101
fftorrtjag in Wfijitzun=fflLttii,
The Collect.
GOD, who as at this time didst
teach the hearts of thy faith-
ful people, by the sending to them
the light of thy Holy Spirit ; Grant
us by the same Spirit to have a
right judgment in all things, and
evermore to rejoice in his holy
comfort; through the merits of
Christ Jesus our Saviour, who liv-
eth and reigneth with thee, in the
unity of the same Spirit, one God,
world without end. Amen.
For the Epistle. Acts 10. 34.
THEN Peter opened his mouth,
and said, Of a truth I per-
ceive that God is no respecter of
persons ; but in every nation he
that feareth him, and worketh
righteousness, is accepted with
him. The Word which God sent
unto the children of Israel, preach-
ing peace by Jesus Christ ; (he is
Lord of all ;) that Word, I say,
ye know, which was published
throughout all Judaea, and began
from Galilee, after the baptism
which John preached : how God
anointed Jesus of Nazareth with
the Holy Ghost, and with power ;
wbo went about doing good, and
healing all that were oppressed of
the devil : for God was with him.
And we are witnesses of all things
which he did, both in the land of
the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom
they slew, and hanged on a tree :
Him God raised up the third day,
and shewed him openly; not to
all the people, but unto witnesses
chosen before of God ; even to us
who did eat and drink with him
after he rose from the dead. And
he commanded us to preach unto
the people, and to testify that it
is he which was ordained of God
to be the Judge of quick and dead.
The Collect.
GOD, who as at this time didst
teach the hearts of thy faith-
ful people, by the sending to
them the light of thy Holy Spirit ;
Grant us by the same Spirit
to Lave a right judgment in all
To him give all the prophets
witness, that through his Name
whosoever believeth in him sball
receive remission of sins. While
Peter yet spake these words, the
Holy Ghost fell on all them which
heard the word. And they of
the circumcision, which believed,
were astonished, as many as came
with Peter, because that on the
Gentiles also was poured out the
gift of the Holy Ghost. For they
heard them speak with tongues,
and magnify God. Then answer-
ed Peter, Can any man forbid
water, that these should not be
baptized, which have received the
Holy Ghost as well as we ? And
he commanded them to be bap-
tized in the Name of the Lord.
Then prayed they him to tarry
certain days.
The Gospel. St. John 3. 16.
GOD so loved the world, that
he gave his only-begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in
him should not perish, but have
everlasting life. For God sent not
his Son into the world to condemn
the world, but that the world
through him might be saved. He
that iHilieveth on him is not con-
demned : but he that believeth
not is condemned already ; be-
cause he hath not believed in the
Name of the only-begotten Son
of God. And this is the condem-
nation, that light is come into
the world, and men loved dark-
ness rather than light, because
their deeds were evil. For every
one that doeth evil hateth the
light, neither cometh to the light,
lest his deeds should be reproved.
But he that doeth truth cometh
to the light, that his deeds may
be made manifest, that they are
wrought in God.
Euesttag in <52a^tt»un=a2accfe.
things, and evermore to rejoice
in his holy comfort ; through
the merits of Christ Jesus our
Saviour, who liveth and reigneth
with thee, in the unity of the
same Spirit, one God, world with-
out end. Amen.
101
is to be interpreted) must be
taken to be the Holy Spirit, who
opens to us the door of faith (see
2 Cor. ii. 12 ; Col. iv. 3 ; Acts xiv.
27) ; he who uses the door is a
true shepherd whom the sheep
know and follow ; those who
ignore it, " climbing up some
other way," are thieves and rob-
bers, coming to plunder and de-
stroy. As the door (or, as in ch.
xiv. 6, "the Way") Our Lord
comes to give life, and life in
abundance, knowing no stint or
limitation, except our capacity
to receive. (In the next verse
He goes on, varying the meta-
phor, to declare Himself also the
Good Shepherd.)
The Proper Lessons are (Joel
ii. 21-32) the promise of the im- ]
mediate restoration of God's fa- j
vour to Israel, and the further
promise (quoted by St. Peter at
Pentecost) of the future out-
Eouring of the Spirit on all
esh; (Micah iv. 1-8) the pro-
phecy of the coming of the King- -
dom of the Lord over all nations
in joy and peace; (1 Thess. v.
12-24) St. Paul's exhortation to
" quench not the Spirit," but to
bring forth the fruits of spiritual
life; and (1 John iv. 1-14) St.
John's test of the presence of
the true Spirit of the Lord, by
the confession of a true faith
in Jesus Christ, overcoming the
world, and by the temper of love,
conscious of the love of God to us.
Srinitji-grmbHjj.
The formal celebration of this
Festival is of Western observ-
ance (the Eastern Church cele-
brating on this day the " Fea«t
of all the Martyrs"), and of
comparatively late date. The
day was originally simply the
Octave of Whit-Sunday ; but in
the Sacramentary of Gregory the
original of our present Collect is
given, and this perhaps indicates
an informal appropriation of the
day to contemplation of the mys-
tery of the Holy Trinity. The
earliest formal notice of the Fes-
tival in England is in 1162 ; but
it is notable that the Sarum Use
in the previous century numbers
the succeeding Sundays as "af-
ter Trinity," whereas in the pre-
sent Greek and Roman Use they
are numbered as " after Pente-
cost." The Synod of Aries in
1260 consecrated the day to the
Holy Trinity, and the universal
observation of the day as Trini-
ty-Sunday was sanctioned by
John xxn. (1334). It fitly sums
up the whole series of Festivals
of the Manifestation of God in
Christ.
The Collect most truly dwells
on the knowledge "of the Trin-
ity, as derived from a true faith"
(that is, from faith in the Reve-
lation of the Lord Jesus Christ),
but on the recognition of the
Unity of God, the foundation of
all religion, as known through
"the Power of the Divine Ma-
jesty" (see Rom. i. 19,20). On
this it bases a two-fold prayer,
for steadfastness in this faith,
and for defence by this power.
The Epistle (as also the Gos-
Sel) is old, taken from the Sarum
lissal; and perhaps both still
retain traces of the ancient ob-
servance of the day as simply the
Octave of Pentecost. The Epis-
tle is the great opening vision of
the Apocalypse, after the Letters
to the Seven Churches. It is not-
able that, except in the three-
fold "Holy, Holy, Holy" of the
cherubic song, there is no allu-
sion to the doctrine of the Holy
Trinity. The vision is simply a
vision of the mysterious being of
God in Himself, (a) It first de-
scribes His enthroned Majesty
in all images of visible bright-
ness and grandeur, with the
emerald rainbow of the Cove-
nant of Mercy around it, and
the crystal sea of calmness and
purity beneath ; then (6) it
shews, as sitting crowned on
lower thrones, the "four and
twenty elders," symbolizing the
whole Church of God, under the
Old Testament and the New,
(sometimes supposed to have
been suggested by the four and
twenty courses of the Temple-
worship) ; next (c), it tells of the
voice of thunder proceeding from
the throne and the seven spirits
of God before it; and round a-
bout it the four "living crea-
tures," emblems of the natural
life of creation in its various
102
TRINITY-SUNDAY.
For the Epistle. Acts 8. 14.
WHEN the Apostles, which
were at Jerusalem, heard
that Samaria had received the
word of God, they sent unto them
Peter and John ; who, when they
were come down, prayed for them,
that they might receive the Holy
Ghost : (for as yet he was fallen
upon none of them ; only they
were baptized in the Name of the
Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their
hands on them, and they received
the Holy Ghost.
The Gospel. St. John 10. 1.
VERILY, verily I say unto you,
He that entereth not by the
door into the sheep-fold, but
climbeth up some other way, the
same is a thief and a robber. But
he that entereth in by the door
is the shepherd of the sheep •. to
him the porter openeth ; and the
sheep hear his voice, and he call-
eth his own sheep by name, and
®rinttg=
The Collect.
AL M I G H T Y and everlasting
. God, who hast given unto us
thy servants grace by the confes-
sion of a true faith to acknowledge
the glory of the eternal Trinity,
and in the power of the Divine
Majesty to worship the Unity;
We beseech thee, that thou would-
est keep us stedfast in this faith,
and evermore defend us from all
adversities, who livest and reign-
est, one God, world without end.
Amen.
For the Epistle. Rev. 4. 1.
AFTER this I looked, and be-
•£*- hold, a door was opened in
heaven : and the first voice which
I heard was as it were of a trum-
pet talking with me ; which said,
Come up hither, and I will shew
thee things which must be here-
after. And immediately I was in
the Spirit ; and behold, a throne
was set in heaven, and one sat on
the throne : and he that sat was to
look upon like a jasper and a sar-
dine stone : and there was a rain-
bow round about the throne, in
sight like unto an emerald. And
leadeth them out. And, when he
putteth forth his own sheep, ho
goeth before them, and the sneep
follow him ; for they know his
voice. And a stranger will they
not follow; but will flee from
him ; for they know not the voice
of strangers. This parable spake
Jesus unto them : but they under-
stood not what things they were
which he spake unto them. Then
said Jesus unto them again ; Ve-
rily, verily I say unto you, I am
the door of the sheep. All that
ever came before me are thieves
and robbers ; but the sheep did
not hear them. I am the door;
by me if any man enter in, he
shall be saved, and shall go in
and out, and find pasture. The
thief cometh not but for to steal,
and to kill, and to destroy : I am
come that they might have life,
and that they might have it more
abundantly.
Sunfcag.
round about the throne were four
and twenty seats ; and upon the
seats I saw four and twenty elders
sitting, clothed in white raiment ;
and they had on their heads crowns
of gold : And out of the throne
proceeded lightnings, and thun-
derings, and voices. And there
were seven lamps of fire burning
before the throne, which are the
seven spirits of God. And before
the throne there was a sea of glass
like unto crystal : and in the midst
of the throne, and round about
the throne, were four beasts full
of eyes before and behind. And
the first beast was like a lion, and
the second beast like a calf, and
the third beast had a face as a man,
and the fourth beast was like a
flying eagle. And the four beasts
had each of them six wings about
him ; and they were full of eyes
within : and they rest not day and
night, saying, Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty, which was,
and is, and is to come. And when
those beasts give glory, and ho-
nour, and thanks, to him that sat
on the throne, who liveth for ever
102
phases, rising through the lion,
the ox, and the eagle to the man
—borrowed from the great vision
of Ezekiel (i. 5-14; see also Isa.
vi. 2), and suggested (so tradition
declares) by the four standards
of Judah. Reuben, Ephraim, and
Dan in Num. ii. ; lastly (d), it
tells how, in the four living
creatures, all created life utters
ceaseless praise to the "Holy,
Holy, Holy, Lord God Almigh-
ty," and in the elders the Church
of the Redeemed falls down be-
fore the Eternal God. and ac-
knowledges Him, the Creator of
all by His Will, "worthy of
glory and honour and power "
(compare with this vv. 2-18 of
the TeDeum). The whole vision
thus enforces one leading idea of
Trinity-Sunday— the contempla-
tion of God, not in what He does,
but iu what He is.
The Gospel is the record of
Our Lord's conversation with
Nicodemus. (a) In answer to
his confession of the Lord "as
a Teacher come from God," it
begins by declaring, to his real
or assumed perplexity, the need
of regeneration by Water and the
Spirit as a condition for the vi-
sion of the Kingdom of God, and
for entrance into its Divine re-
alities— emphatically contrasting
with "the flesh," which the car-
nal eye can Bee, the mysterious
Presence of the Spirit, which
can be only known by its signs.
(b) On this it grounds a claim
for faith in the " heavenly
things," which He, the Son of
Man, who is always in Heaven,
alone knows and can reveal— a
faith by which they who look to
Him, raised up, like the brazen
serpent, for salvation, shall at-
tain eternal life. The Gospel
thus emphatically repeats the
truth of Whit-Sunday. It im-
plies at the same time the my*
tery of the Holy Trinity, by Re-
velation of the Spirit and of the
Son. as "in heaven" (that is)
in the Communion of the God-
head; and so brings out again
the special truth of Trinity-Sun-
day—the knowledge of the " hea-
venly realities " of the Godhead
itself, as mysteries, to be appre-
hended by faith in the true Word
(.or Revealer) of Godhead.
The Proper Lessons from the
Old Testament are (isa. vi. 1-
11) the great vision of the Lord
to Isaiah at his call, with the
Seraphic Song, "Holy, Holy,
Holy, is the Lord of Hosts ° ;
the appearance of the "three
men" (Gen. xviii.) to Abraham
before the fall of Sodom— a les-
son of very questionable appro-
priateness (continued from the
old Lectionary) ; for the " men
who went towards Sodom " are
(see Gen. xix. 1) clearly two
created angels ; and (Gen. i. 1—
ii. 4), as on Septuagesima, the
record of Creation, containing
the plural name of God (Elohim)
and the "Let us make man,"
evidently regarded as foresha-
dowing the revelation of the
Trinity. The Lessons from the
New Testament are (Rev. i. 1-
9) the revelation of God as " the
Alpha and Omega, which is and
which was and which is to come " ;
the great passage (Eph. iv. 1-
17) which bases the unity of the
Church on the " One Spirit," the
" One Lord," the " One God and
Father of All," and bids us grow
in the " unity of the faith " unto
perfection; and (Matt, iii.) the
record of the manifestation of
the Spirit, and the voice of the
Father, at the Baptism of the
" Beloved Son," incarnate on
earth.
(III.) THE NON-FESTAL PART OF THE YEAR.
The long series of Sundays after Trinity deals not so much with
Christian faith, as with Christian life. It appears to be devoted to
the practical enforcement of the lessons, naturally drawn from the
great Truths, which the earlier part of the year has brought out, in
the various manifestations of God in Christ, culminating in the
revelation of the mystery of the Holy Trinity. Thus the Collects
dwell on the spiritual relations of human life to God. and their
petitions have a strong practical stamp. The Epistles will be found
to be, generally speaking, a selection in orderly succession of salient
Eassages, first from the Catholic Epistles, then from the Epistles of
t. Paul. The Gospels contain mainly the Parables and Miracles of
THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.
and ever, the four and twenty
elders fall down before him that
■at on the throne, and worship
him that liveth for ever and ever,
and cast their crowns before the
throne, saying, Thou art wor-
thy, 0 Lord, to receive glory,
and honour, and power ; for thou
hast created all things, and for thy
pleasure they are and were created.
The Gospel. St. John 3. 1.
THERE was a man of the Pha-
risees, named Nicodemus, a
ruler of the Jews : the same came
to Jesus by night, and said unto
him, Rabbi, we know that thou
art a teacher come from God : for
3o man can do these miracles that
iou doest, except God be with
him. Jesus answered and said un-
to him, Verily, verily I say unto
thee, Except a man be born again,
he cannot see the Kingdom of God.
Nicodemus saith unto him, How
can a man be l>orn when he is old ?
can he enter the second time into
his mother's womb, and be born ?
Jesus answered, Verily, verily I
nay unto thee, Except a man be
born of water, and of the Spirit,
he cannot enter into the Kingdom
of God. That which is born of the
flesh is flesh ; and that which is
born of the Spirit is spirit. Mar-
vel not that I said unto thee, Ye
must be born again. The wind
bloweth where it listeth, and thou
hearest the sound thereof, but
canst not tell whence it cometh,
and whither it goeth ; so is every
one that is born of the Spirit.
Nicodemus answered and said
unto him, How can these things
be ? Jesus answered and said unto
him, Art thou a master of Israel,
and knowest not these things?
Verily, verily I say unto thee, We
speak that we do know, and tes-
tify that we have seen ; and ye
receive not our witness. If I have
told you earthly things, and ye
believe not ; how shall ye believe,
if I tell you of heavenly tilings ?
And no man hath ascended up to
heaven, but he that came down
from heaven, even the Son of man,
who is in heaven. And as Moses
lifted up the serpent in the wil-
derness, even so must the Son of
man be lifted up : that whosoever
believeth in him should not per-
ish, but have eternal life.
Ei)t JFtrst Shmfcas after ftrimtg.
The Collect.
OGOD, the strength of all them
that put their trust in thee,
mercifully accept our prayers;
and because through the weakness
of our mortal nature we can do
no good thing without thee, grant
us the help of thy grace, that in
keeping of thy commandments we
may please thee, both in will and
deed ; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. 1 St. John 4. 7.
BELOVED, let us love one an-
other : for love is of God, and
every one that loveth is l)orn of
God, and knoweth God. He that
loveth not knoweth not God ; for
God is love. In this was mani-
fested the love of God towards us,
because that God sent his only-
begotten Son into the world, that
we might live through him. Here-
in is love, not that we loved God,
but that he loved us, and sent his
Son to be the propitiation for our
sins. Beloved, if God so loved us,
we ought also to love one another.
No man hath seen God at any
time. If we love one another,
God dwelleth in us, and his love
is perfected in us. Hereby know
we that we dwell in him, and he
in us ; because he hath given us
of his Spirit. And we have seen,
and do testify, that the Father
sent the Son to be the Saviour of
the world. Whosoever shall con-
fess that Jesus is the Son of God,
God dwelleth in him, and he in
God. And we have known and
believed the love that God hath
to us. God is love ; and he that
dwelleth in love dwelleth in God,
and God in him. Herein is our
love made perfect, that we may
have boldness in the day of judg-
103
Our Lord, with passages of direct practical teaching, as from the
Sermon on the Mount. With but few exceptions, all are taken from
the Sarnm Missal with some occasional modifications.
The Proper Lessons carry us through the Books of the Old Tes-
tament in order ; first, through the Historical Books, from Joshua to
Nehemiah, omitting, however, Ezra and Esther ; then, through the
Prophetical Books, omitting Isaiah, which has occupied Advent,
Christmas, and Epiphany, and also Obadiah, Jonah, Nahum. and
Zechariah ; and for the Morning of the last Sunday of the Church
year, appointing the closing chapters of Ecclesiastes.
The principle of regularity rules, generally speaking, in the whole .
selection.
<l{jc «£ir8t Snnban afttr &xinit$.
The Collect fitly opens this
scheme of practical teaching by
a confession of inability to do
that which is good without " the
strength made perfect in our
weakness," and a prayer for
grace to please God by keeping
His Commandments both in will
and deed.
The Epistle is thecommcnce-
mentof that section of St. John's
First Epistle, which centres on
the aphorism, " God is Love" —
both in His own essential Na-
ture, and in His manifestation
of Himself to us. (a) This love
of God to us is shewn, above all
other manifestations, in the giv-
ing of His only Son "to be the
Saviour of the world," as " a
propitiation " for us, while still
unloving and sinful (see Rom.
v. 8). (6) By love in ourselves,
towards God and man, we be-
come capable of the knowledge
of the God, who is Love; seeing
through the revelation of Christ
as the Son of God, by the in-
dwelling gift of the Spirit, Him
who is invisible, and dwelling in
Him (comp. Eph. iii. 17-19). (e)
The practical inference is to cul-
tivate the spirit of love, which, as
it approaches perfection, casts
out fear ; rising through love of
man to the supreme love of Him,
who first loved us.
The Gospel is evidently de-
signed to enforce the lesson of
love by Our Lord's terrible Para-
ble of the Rich Man— the type of
a life, not so much flagrantly sin-
ful, as self-indulgent, careless of
men and unbelieving towards
God. We may note (a) that the
phrase " Abraham's bosom "—
one of those commonly used by
the Jews to designate the un-
seen world of the righteous souls
— seems intended to shew that
not in the possession of riches,
but in the idolatry and misuse
of riches, lies the danger of eter-
nal loss ; for Abraham was rich
and great in this world. (6)
That the word " hell " here sig-
nifies Hadet, the unseen world
of the apostate soul; waiting for
the final Judgment, not yet hav-
ing lost hope of relief, or remem-
brance and care for those left
behind on earth, (e) That the
prayer of the rich man and itg
rebuke shew that the root of his
evil life was in pure worldliness,
satisfied to the full with the
world's " good things." and re-
sulting in an unbelief as to the
witness of heavenly things in the
Law and the Prophets, which,
in, him, as in his brethren, even
the message of one rising from
the dead could not have dis-
pelled—the very opposite to the
self-sacrificing faitn, in which
Abraham was accepted before
God. Of this temper the neglect,
or rather the careless toleration,
of the poor Lazarus was simply
the sign.
Sfce £tccmb Sitnbag after ftrimig.
The Collect prays for the
protection of God's Providence
over the outward life, and for the
education of the soul in the fear
and love of God, to which such
protection is always promi&ed.
The Epistle is taken from an
earlier part of the First Epistle
of St. John than that of last Sun-
day. It (a) contrasts the hatred
ruling in the world (which, as
in the Sermon on the Mount,
104
THE SECOND SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.
ment ; because as he is, so are we
in this world. There is no fear in
love ; but perfect love casteth out
fear ; because fear hath torment :
He that feareth is not made per-
fect in love. We love him, be-
cause he first loved us. If a man
say, I love God, and hateth his
brother, he is a liar : for he that
loveth not his brother, whom he
hath seen, how can he love God,
whom he hath not seen? And
this commandment have we from
him, That he who loveth God love
his brother also.
The Gospel. St. Luke 16. 19.
THERE was a certain rich man,
which was clothed in purple,
and fine linen, and fared sumptu-
ously every day. And there was a
certain beggar named Lazarus,
which was laid at his gate full of
sores, and desiring to be fed with
the crumbs, which fell from the
rich man's table: moreover, the
dogs came and licked his sores.
And it came to pass, that the
beggar died, and was carried by
the angels into Abraham's bosom.
The rich man also died, and was
buried : and in hell he lift up his
eyes being in torments, and seeth
Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in
his bosom. And he cried and said,
Father Abraham, have mercy on
me, and send Lazarus, that he
may dip the tip of his finger in
water, and cool my tongue ; for I
am tormented in this flame. But
Abraham said, Son, remember
that thou in thy lifetime receiv-
edst thy good things, and likewise
Lazarus evil things ; but now he
is comforted, and thou art tor-
mented. And besides all this, be-
tween us and you there is a great
gulf fixed : so that they who would
pass from hence to you cannot ;
neither can they pass to us, that
would come from thence. Then
he said, I pray thee therefore,
father, that thou wouldest send
him to my father's house : for I
have five brethren ; that he may
testify unto them, lest they also
come into this place of torment.
Abraham saith unto him, They
have Moses and the prophets ;
let them hear them. And he said,
Nay, father Abraham ; but if one
went unto them from the dead,
they will repent. And he said
unto him, If they hear not Moses
and the prophets, neither will
they be persuaded, though one
rose from the dead.
Wi)t <8econfc Suttirag after ^rtnitg.
The Collect.
OLORD, who never failest to
help and govern them whom
thou dost bring up in thy stedfast
fear and love ; Keep us, we beseech
thee, under the protection of thy
good providence, and make us to
have a perpetual fear and love of
thy holy !N ame ; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. 1 St. John 3. 13.
MARVEL not, my brethren,
if the world hate you. We
know that we have passed from
death unto life, because we love
the brethren. He that loveth not
his brother abideth in death.
Whosoever hateth his brother is
a murderer: and ye know that
no murderer hath eternal life
abiding in 1dm. Hereby perceive
we the love of God, because he
laid down his life for us : and we
ought to lay down our lives for
the brethren. But whoso hath
this world's good, and seeth his
brother have need, and shutteth
up his bowels of compassion from
him ; how dwelleth the love of
God in him ? My little children,
let us not love in word, neither in
tongue ; but in deed, and in truth.
And hereby we know that we are
of the truth, and shall assure our
hearts before him. For if our
heart condemn us, God is greater
than our heart, and knoweth all
things. Beloved, if our heart
condemn us not, then have we
confidence towards God. And
whatsoever we ask, we receive of
him, because we keep his com-
mandments, and do those things
10*
is identified in principle with
the supreme guilt of murder)
with the Divine power of love,
ruling in those who know the
Love of God in the Sacrifice of
Christ, and therefore reflect its
spirit of compassion and charity ;
next (6), urges practical reality
in suoh love — not in word, but in
deed— which alone can satisfy
the judgment of our own con-
science, and so have confidence
before God's higher Judgment,
through the grace, which is His
answer to our prayers ; (c) lastly,
it sets forth the great command-
ment—faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ, and love for His sake
towards one another— to keep
which is the sign of our dwelling
in God by the Holy Spirit.
The Gospel is the Parable of
the Great Feast in St. Luke.
parallel to, but not identical
with, the Parable of the Marri-
age Feast in St. Matthew (Matt,
xxii. 1-14). (o) The invited
guests, who plead successively,
as excuses for absence, enjoy-
ment of possessions, engross-
ment in work, and absorption in
earthly ties of love and duty, are
the types of such men of the
world as Our Lord saw round
Him at the Pharisee's table,
careless of the general call of
God, and therefore apt to turn
away from His own special in-
vitation, (ft) The outcasts, who
are gathered in, first from the
streets and lanes of the city, and
then from the highways with-
out, are types of those despised
in the world— first, the publicans
and sinners within the Jewish
covenant, and, next, the heathen
without— who so often turned to
Him, accepting God's spiritual
blessings, and thus finding the
food which their souls craved
for. (c) The penalty pronounced
on the disobedient is that their
wilful rejection shall be made
effectual, and that the oppor-
tunity, once lost, shall never re-
cur. (Note the striking appli-
cation of this Parable in the
Second prefatory Exhortation,
in the Service of Holy Com-
munion.)
&|jt ftbirb Stmbitn after Srinitg.
The Collect is like the last,
in asking for the protection of
God against danger and adver-
sity. It connects this protec-
tion, however, not with the will-
ing service of godly fear and love,
but with the spirit of prayer, it-
with an ascription of glory to
Him.
The Gospel contains the first
two of the famous triad of para-
bles of mercy, spoken in answer
to the remonstrance of the Pha-
risees against that reception of
self a gift of the Spirit of God publicans and sinners, which
(see Rom. viii. 26).
The Epistle is the conclusion
of the First Epistle of St. Peter,
following an exhortation to mu-
tual consideration and deference
between the " elder " and the
"younger" (that is, probably,
the presbyters and the people).
The lesson is two-fold ; first (a),
of humility, shewn, indeed, to-
wards man, but based on a quiet
and trustful faith in the God who
blesses and exalts the humble;
next (6), of sober, vigilant pa-
tience, resisting the power of
evil, through quiet endurance of
such suffering as is ordained for
us in the following of Christ, (e)
Through such endurance the A-
postle prays that the God of all
grace may bring them to per-
fection, in firmness, energy,
and depth of faith, and ends
seemed to them to condone sin.
(a) The former Parable of the
Lost Sheep, paints Our Lord i
(see John x. 11) the Good Shep-
herd, seeking even one lost sheep
out of the flock with a tender in-
dividualizing mercy, bearing it
home to the fold, and rejoicing
over it with a special joy. The
moral declares that in heaven
there shall be, not indeed great-
er love, but greater joy, over one
lost penitent found, than over
those (if such there can be) who
never strayed. (6) The second
Parable, of the lost piece of
money, seems to represent the
Church ; which, when it has lost
by negligence one soul, stamped
with the image of the Great
King, seeks the lost with the
lighted candle of God's truth,
and having found it, rejoices over
205
THE THIRD SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.
that are pleasing in his sight. And
this is his commandment, That
we should believe on the Name of
bis Son Jesus Christ, and love one
another, as he gave us command-
ment. And he that keepeth his
commandments dwelleth in him,
and he in him : and hereby we
know that he abideth in us, by the
Spirifc which he hath given us.
The Gospel. St. Luke 14. 16.
A CERTAIN man made a great
supper, and bade many ; and
sent his servant at supper-time to
say to them that were bidden,
Come, for all things are now ready.
And they all with one consent be-
gan to make excuse. The first
said unto him, I have bought a
piece of ground, and I must needs
go and see it ; I pray thee have
me excused. And another said, I
have bought five yoke of oxen, and
I go to prove them ; I pray thee
have me excused. And another
said, I have married a wife, and
therefore I cannot come. So that
servant came, and shewed his lord
these things. Then the master of
the house being angry said to his
servant, Go out quickly into the
streets and lanes of the city, and
bring in hither the poor, and the
maimed, and the halt, and the
blind. And the servant said, Lord,
it is done as thou hast command-
ed, and yet there is room. And
the lord said unto the servant,
Go out into the high-ways and
hedges, and compel them to come
in, that my house may be filled.
For I say unto you, That none of
those men which were bidden
shall taste of my supper.
GTf)e Wt)ixls Stmttag after ^rtnttg.
The Collect.
OLORD, we beseech thee mer-
cifully to hear us ; and grant
that we, to whom thou hast given
an hearty desire to pray, may by
thy mighty aid be defended and
comforted in all dangers and ad-
versities ; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. A men.
The Epistle. 1 St. Peter 5. 5.
ALL of you be subject one to
another, and be clothed with
humility: for God resisteth the
proud, and giveth grace to the
numble. Humble yourselves there-
fore under the mighty hand of
God, that he may exalt you in
due time ; casting all your care
upon him, for he careth for you.
Be sober, be vigilant ; because
your adversary the devil, as a
roaring lion, walketh about seek-
ing whom he may devour : whom
resist stedfast in the faith, know-
ing that the same afflictions are
accomplished in your brethren
that are in the world. But the
God of all grace, who hath called
us into his eternal glory by Christ
Jesus, after that ye have suffered
a while, make you perfect, sta-
Wish, strengthen, tettle you. To
him be glory and dominion for
ever and ever. Amen.
The Gospel. St. Luke 15. 1.
THEN drew near unto him all
the Publicans and sinners for
to hear him. And the Pharisees
and Scribes murmured, saying,
This man receiveth sinners, and
eateth with them. And he spake
this parable unto them, saying,
What man of you having an hun-
dred sheep, if he lose one of them,
doth not leave the ninety and nine
in the wilderness, and go after that
which is lost, until he find it ? And
when he hath found it, he layeth
I it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And
j when he cometh home, he calleth
i together his friends and ncigh-
| bours, saying unto them, Rejoice
] with me, for I have found my
! sheep which was lost. I say unto
I you, That likewise joy shall be in
I heaven over one sinner that re-
penteth, more than over ninety
I and nine just persons, which need
j no repentance. Either what wo-
! man having ten pieces of silver, if
i she lose one piece, doth not light
! a candle, and sweep the house,
I and seek diligently till she find
! it ? And when she hath fcmnd it,
105
the finding, as the undoing of
past negligence. The moral is
much the same as before—the
joy "in the presence of the an-
?els of God " (watching over the
Ihuroh), over " one sinner that
repenteth." It may be noted
that the idea of penitence is not
expressed in either parable; it
is forcibly brought out in the
Parable of the Prodigal Son,
which follows.
£he <#0urt{r Smtbag afitr ftrinitg.
The Collect, still asking for
protection, acknowledging God
as the source of all strength
and holiness, and praying for
His abundant mercy, looks on
beyond the things temporal,
through which we pass here, to
the things eternal, granted us
in earnest now, but to be made
perfect hereafter (see 2 Cor. iv.
18). Its prayer is that the for-
mer may help, and not hinder,
the latter.
The Epistle is a warning-
interposed in St. Paul's glorious
picture of the freedom and vic-
torious energy of the " life of the
Spirit"— of the present condi-
tion of trial and sorrow, through
which it has to struggle to its
final triumph, but which he reck-
ons not worthy even of mention,
in comparison with the glory
which is to come. He speaks
first (a) of the burden on "all
creation "—that is, all the sen-
tient creation of which man is
the head. It is a burden both of
" vanity," i.e. transitoriness and
hollowness, and of actual suffer-
ing, under which the whole crea-
tion groans— in itself a sentence
of God on a fallen world, but
carrying with it always a hope of
deliverance, towards which the
creation strains in eager expec-
tation ; next (6), of the special
burden, resting on those who
have the earnest of the Spirit,
and who therefore long with an
intenser longing for the perfect
redemption, not only of the soul,
but of the body, which connects
them with this visible creation.
The whole passage is a striking
recognition of the unity of all
creation, under man's headship,
both in present bondage and
pain, and in the future of " the
glorious liberty of the children
of God."
The Gospel (taken from the
" Sermon on the Plain " in St.
Luke) is Our Lord's lesson, first
(a) of unlimited mercy, after the
pattern of the boundless mercy
of God— a mercy which, even by
man, shall be abundantly requit-
ed; (b) next, of warning against
the blindness of self-deceiving
partiality, refusing to see the
z'beam'f of gross sin in our-
selves, while it would pluck out
the " mote " of trivial defect from
our brother's eye, and against
the folly, which, while we are thus
blind, makes us claim to be lead-
ers of the blind (comp. Rom. ii.
17-24). The two lessons go to-
gether: for, when we know our-
selves, we learn to make infinite
allowance for others.
®{je <#iftjj Sunuajr after £riniig.
The Collect still dwells on
the guiding power of God's Pro-
vidence, but now as exercised for
the sake of the Church, that, the
course of the world being peace-
ably ordered, it may have scope
and peace for His service.
The Epistle, like that of the
Third Sunday, is taken from the
First Epistle of St. Peter, clos-
ing the command of submission,
civil and domestic, by the ex-
hortation "finally" to unity of
spirit, shewing itself both in love
and courtesy to the brethren,
and in return of good for evil,
blessing for railing, to the ene-
my, (b) This exhortation is en-
forced by a quotation from Ps.
xxxiv. 18-16, teaching, as the
conditions of happiness, truth-
fulness, energy in good, and love
of peace ; promising to the righ-
teous God s protection and an-
swer to prayer ; declaring to the
wicked His righteous retribution,
(c) Lastly, in view of coming per-
secution, the Apostle cheers his
brethren with the certainty that
it cannot really harm them, and
that in suffering for righteous-
ness' sake there is peace, and
106
THE FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
she calleth her friends and her
neighbours together, saying, Re-
joice with me, for I have found
the piece which I had lost. Like-
wise, I say unto you, There is
joy in the presence of the angels
of God over one sinner that re-
penteth.
Wi)t JFourtf) Surrtrag after ©rtnitg.
The Collect.
OGOD, the protector of all that
trust in thee, without whom
nothing is strong, nothing is holy ;
Increase and multiply upon us thy
mercy ; that, thou being our ruler
and guide, we may so pass through
things temporal, that we finally
lose not the things eternal : Grant
this, O heavenly Father, for Jesus
Christ's sake our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. Rom. 8. 13.
1 RECKON that the sufferingsof
this present time are not wor-
thy to be compared with the glory
which shall be revealed in us. For
the earnest expectation of the crea-
ture waiteth for the manifestation
of the sons of God. For the crea-
ture was made subject to vanity,
not willingly, but by reason of him
who hath subjected the same in
hope : because the creature itself
also shall be delivered from the
bondage of corruption, into the
glorious liberty of the children of
God. For we know that the whole
creation groaneth, and travaileth
in pain together until now. And
not only they, but ourselves also,
which have the first-fruits of the
Spirit, even we ourselves groan
Within ourselves, waiting for the
%%t JFtftf) .Sutftag after &rimtg.
adoption, to wit, the redemption
of our body.
The Gospel. St. Luke 6. 36.
BE ye therefore merciful, as
your Father also is merciful.
Judge not, and ye shall not be
judged : condemn not, and yo
shall not be condemned : forgive,
and ye shall be forgiven : give, and
it shall be given unto you ; good
measure, pressed down, and shak-
en together, and running over,
shall men give into your bosom.
For with the same measure that
ye mete withal, it shall be mea-
sured to you again. And he spako
a parable unto them, Can the
blind lead the blind ? shall they
not both fall into the ditch ? The
disciple is not above his master ;
but every one that is perfect shall
be as his master. And why be-
holdest thou the mote that is in
thy brother's eye, but perceivest
not the beam that is in thine own
eye ? Either how canst thou say
to thy brother, Brother, let me
pull out the mote that is in thine
eye, when thou thyself beholdest
not the beam that is in thine own
eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out
first the beam out of thine own
eye, and then shalt thou see clear-
ly to pull out the mote that is in
thy brother's eye.
The Collect.
GRANT, O Lord, we beseech
thee, that the course of this
world may be so peaceably order-
ed by thy governance, that thy
Church may joyfully serve thee in
all godly quietness ; through Je-
sus Christ our Lord. A men.
The Epistle. 1 St. Peter 3. 8.
BE ye all of one mind, having
compassion one of another,
love as brethren, be pitiful, be
courteous ; not rendering evil for
evil, or railing for railing ; but
contrariwise blessing ; knowing
that ye are thereunto called, that
ye should inherit a blessing. For
he that will love life, and see good
days, let him refrain his tongue
from evil, and his lips that they
speak no guile: let him eschew
evil, and do good ; let him seek
peace, and ensue it. For the eyes
of the Lord are over the righteous,
and his ears are open unto their
prayers : but the face of the Lord
is against them that do evil. And
106
consecration of the heart to God.
The whole accords with the
prayer of the Collect, but goes
beyond it, as shewing that, even
when the world rages, the Church
may have an inner peace in the
service of God.
The Gospel is the history (re-
corded by St. Luke alone) of the
miraculous draught of fishes af-
ter Our Lord's teaching out of
the ship, and of the call of St.
Peter, and with him of St. An-
drew, St. James, and St. John,
to full discipleship. (St. An-
drew and St. Peter had known
Him and believed on Him before
this, immediately after His Bap-
tism (see John i. 40-42), and
here evidently treat Him with
reverence; but apparently had
not till now " forsaken all and
followed Him.") We note the
awe, and even fear, in the con-
sciousness of sinfulness, pro-
duced in St. Peter by the pre-
sence of the Lord in His miracu-
lous power; and contrast with
them the eagerness with which,
after the second miraculous
draught of fishes (John xxi. 7),
he hurried to the feet of hia
Master. The promise of Our
Lord is properly "Thou shalt
catch men to keep them alive,"
thus doubly contrasting their
present occupation with their fu-
ture Apostleship, in which thej
should catch not fish, but men,
not to kill, but to bring to life.
ftfje Shftjj Srmbajr after (griraig.
Thb Collect brings out to ub
the harmony of the higher and
lower motives in the Service of
God — the higher motive of a
supreme love of Him above all
things— the lower motive of hope
of the good things, prepared for
such love, which pass men's
understanding." Both have their
place ; but the former must be
the leading idea. It is " the first
and great commandment."
The Epistle begins a series of
selections from the Epistles of
St. Paul in the order in which
they stand in our Bibles, extend-
ing almost without interruption
to the Twenty-fourth Sunday.
The Epistles of this and the next
two Sundays are from the Epistle
to the Romans.
The Epistle itself comes from
the sixth chapter ; which, follow-
ing the exposition of free justifi-
cation in the blood and by the
grace of Christ, guards against
the perverse suggestion, " Shall
we continue in sin that grace
may abound?" by a picture of
the life of the justified, as neces-
sarily conformed to the likeness
of Christ. Dwelling on Baptism,
as the entrance into that life, it
describes it as the sign and the
means of our partaking, both of
the death of Christ, as a death
unto sin and a destruction of its
power over us, and of His Resur-
rection " by the glory of the Fa-
ther " as the means of a new life
unto God. (Compare the an-
swer in the Catechism as to " the
inward and spiritual grace" of
Baptism.) It follows from this
that sanctification, through Hi*
indwelling Presence, begins ne-
cessarily from the moment of
justification in His Blood, and
continues for ever, if only we
yield ourselves to it.
The Gospel is that portion of
the Sermon on the Mount, in
which, after the opening descrip-
tion of the Christian character
in the Beatitudes, and of the
function of Christians, as at once
"the salt" and "the light" of
the world, Our Lord draws out
the outline of the Christian Law.
(a) The leading idea is the con-
trast of it, as a law of principle
and of liberty, with the law of
rule and restraint, which was
" the righteousness of the Scribes
and Pharisees." This contrast
is illustrated (6) by the exten-
sion of the sixth commandment
—given "to them" (not "by
them") of old time— from the
deed of bloodshed to the thought
of causeless anger, and the word
of contempt and abhorrence.
For the word "Raca" ("vain
fellow") is a term of contempt;
the words " Thou fool," of utter
condemnation and abhorrence—
not to be pronounced except with
grave authority (as in Matt, xxiii.
17, 19 by Our Lord Himself).
These are to be visited by a
climax of penalties— the lesser
i07
THE SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.
who is he that will harm you, if
ye be followers of that which is
good ? But and if ye suffer for
righteousness' sake, happy are ye :
and be not afraid of their terror,
neither be troubled ; but sanctify
the I/ord God in your hearts.
The Gospel. St. Luke 5. 1.
IT came to pass, that as the
people pressed upon him to
hear the Word of God, he stood by
the lake of Gennesareth, and saw
two ships standing by the lake;
but the fishermen were gone out
of them, and were washing their
nets. And he entered into one of
the ships, which was Simon's, and
prayed him that he would thrust
out a little from the land : and he
sat down, and taught the people
out of the ship. Now when he
had left speaking, he said unto Si-
mon, Launch out into the deep,
and let down your nets for a
draught. And Simon answering
said unto him, Master, we have
toiled all the night, and have tak-
en nothing ; nevertheless, at thy
word I will let down the net. And
when they had this done, they in-
closed a great multitude of fishes,
and their net brake. And they
beckoned unto their partners
which were in the other snip, that
they should come and help them.
And they came, and filled both the
ships, so that they began to sink.
When Simon Peter saw it, he fell
down at Jesus' knees, saying, De-
part from me, for I am a sinful
man, O Lord. For he was asto-
nished, and all that were with him,
at the draught of the fishes which
they had taken ; and so was also
James, and John, the sons of Zebe-
dee, which were partners with Si-
mon. And Jesus said unto Simon,
Fear not, from henceforth thou
shalt catch men. And when they
had brought their ships to land,
they forsook all, and followed him.
Vfyt &utf) Sunfcag after GTrimtg.
0
The Collect.
GOD, who hast prepared for
them that love thee such
good things as pass man's under-
standing ; Pour into our hearts
such love toward thee, that we,
loving thee above all things, may
obtain thy promises, which exceed
all that we can desire; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. Rom. 6. 3.
KNOW ye not, that so many of
us as were baptized into Je-
sus Christ were baptized into his
death ? Therefore we are buried
with him by baptism into death ;
that like as Christ was raised up
from the dead by the glory of the
Father, even so we also should
walk in newness of life. For if
we have been planted together in
the likeness of his death, we shall
be also in the likeness of his re-
surrection : knowing this, that our
old man is crucified with him,
that the body of sin might be de-
stroyed, that henceforth we should
not serve sin. For he that is dead
is freed from sin. Now if we be
dead with Christ, we believe that
we shall also live with him ; know-
ing that Christ being raised from
the dead dieth no more; death
hath no more dominion over him.
For in that he died, he died unto
sin once ; but in that he liveth, he
iiveth unto God. Likewise reckon
ye also yourselves to be dead in-
deed unto sin, but alive unto God
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Gospel. St. Matth. 5. 20.
JESUS said unto his disciples,
Except your righteousness
shall exceed the righteousness of
the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall
in no case enter into the Kingdom
of heaven. Ye have heard that
it was said by them of old time,
Thou shalt not kill : and whoso-
ever shall kill, shall be in danger
of the judgment. But I say unto
you, that whosoever is angry with
his brother without a cause shall
be in danger of the judgment:
and whosoever shall say to his
brother, Raca, shall be in danger
107
condemnation of the local court
of judgment, the greater con-
demnation of the Sanhedrin, the
utter destruction of the Ge-
henna of fire"— the fire in the
valley of Hinnom, hurning up
the refuse of the city, and the
type of the "fire which is not
quenched." Lastly (c), the Chris-
tian Law in this respect is car-
ried one step further— to enforce
reconcilement with a brother in
all cases, as a preliminary con-
dition of worship of God (com-
pare the condition of the for-
giveness asked in the Lord's
Prayer), and agreement even
with an adversary, before carry-
ing out the quarrel to the "bit-
ter end," with an implacable
severity, recoiling on our own
heads. For here we have the posi-
tive command to forgiveness and
reconciliation, going beyond the
negative prohibition of hatred
and wrong doing.
£{}< £tbent{> Snnbag after Srinitg.
The Collect, addressing itself
to God, as the Source of all
power and the Giver of all good,
prays Him to graft in our souls
the love of His name, issuing
both in the true religion of the
heart, and in goodness of prac-
tical life, matured and perfected
to the end.
The Epistle is the close of
the sixth chapter of the Epistle
to the Romans, contrasting the
old life of the flesh with the new
life of the Spirit. "Speaking
after the manner of men "—that
is. condescending to the language
of the world— it places them in
comparison ; it describes the one
as a " service of sin " (.both of
impurity and of iniquity), and
the other as a " service of righ-
teousness" (although, indeed, it
is no service, but perfect free-
dom) ; it appeals to their know-
ledge of the fruit of the one as
death, and of the fruit of the
otheras holiness and eternal life.
But it ends with the great dis-
tinction between these " fruits "
— that death is the "wages of
sin," earned necessarily, tinder
the law of human responsibility,
from the righteous judgment of
God, while eternal life is the gift
(or largess) of God's Love, freely
given, far above man's desert,
through the Lord Jesus Christ."
This distinction strikes the key-
note of the whole Epistle— tell-
ing on the one hand, of man's
sinfulness and the eternal Law
of Retribution, on the other
hand, of Salvation from sin and
its penalty by the free mercy of
God in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Gospel is the record (from
St. Mark) of Our Lord's second
great miracle of feeding the mul-
titude, wrought (it would seem)
on the remoter eastern side of
the lake, during His ministry in
these frontier-lands, half-hea-
then in population. The two
miracles are compared by Him-
self in Matt. xvi. 6-12, Mark viii.
14-22. Both are notable, as
miracles of creative power, and
as singularly wide in their scope,
so as (see John vi. 14, 15) to bring
home to the multitude the belief
in His Messiahship, and induce
them to think of making Him
their King by force. The sym-
bolic lesson of the miracles is
that which is suggested by His
own reference to them, noticed
above, and by His teaching (see
John vi.) after the former mira-
cle. The bread of this world, so
lavishly given, is but the type of
the Bread of Life, with which,
through what seem insufficient
means, He feeds all humanity in
the wilderness of this world.
<£|j£ <£i<)|)tb £»nbag afttr ftrinitg.
The Collect, again returning
to the subject of God's all-ruling
Providence, prays that it may
avert from us all that is evil, and
grant us all that is good— evil
being all that hinders, and good
all that aids, our spiritual growth
towards perfection.
The Epistle comes from
eighth chapter of the Epistle
the Romans, which— in stroE
contrast with the terrible sevent
chapter — paints to us in id«
perfection the picture of the sj
ritual life. In the precedii
verses St. Paul has set forth 1 '
108
THE SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.
of the council : but whosoever
shall say, Thou fool, shall be in
danger of hell- fire. Therefore if
thou bring thy gift to the altar,
anil there rememberest that thy
brother hath ought against thee ;
leave there thy gift before the
altar, and go thy way, first be re-
conciled to thy brother, and then
come and offer thy gift. Agree
with thine adversary quickly,
whiles thou art in the way with
him ; lest at any time the adver-
sary deliver thee to the judge, and
the judge deliver thee to the offi-
cer, and thou be cast into prison.
Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt
by no means come out thence,
till thou hast paid the uttermost
farthing.
QLfy Sebenti) &utrtrag after ^rinitg.
The Collect.
LORD of all power and might,
who art the author and giver
of all good things ; Graft in our
hearts the iove of thy Name, in-
crease in us true religion, nourish
us with all goodness, and of thy
great mercy keep us in the same ;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Epistle. Rom. 6. 19.
I SPEAK after the manner of
men, because of the infirmity
of your flesh : for as ye have yield-
ed your members servants to un-
cleanness, and to iniquity, unto
iniquity ; even so now yield your
members servants to righteous-
ness, unto holiness. For when ye
were the servants of sin, ye were
free from righteousness. What
fruit had ye then in those things
whereof ye are now ashamed ? for
the end of those things is death.
But now being made free from
sin, and become servants to God,
ye have your fruit unto holiness,
and the end everlasting life. For
the wages of sin is death : but the
gift of God is eternal life, through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Gospel. St. Mark 8. 1.
IN those days the multitude be-
ing very great, and having
nothing to eat, Jesus called his
disciples unto him, and saith unto
them, I have compassion on the
multitude, because they have now
been with me three days, and have
nothing to eat : and if I send them
away fasting to their own houses,
they will faint by the way ; for di-
vers of them came from far. And
his disciples answered him, From
whence can a man satisfy these
men with bread here in the wil-
derness ? And he asked them, How
many loaves have ye ? And they
said, Seven. And he command-
ed the people to sit down on the
ground. And he took the seven
loaves, and gave thanks, and brake,
and gave to his disciples to set be-
fore them ; and they did set them
before the people. And they had
a few small fishes ; and he bless-
ed, and commanded to set them
also before them. So they did eat,
and were filled : and they took up
of the broken meat that was left
seven baskets. And they that had
eaten were about four thousand-
And he sent them away.
8$e QBigfyti) Suntrag after Crinitg.
The Collect.
OGOD, whose never-failing pro-
vidence ordereth all things
both in heaven and earth ; We
humbly beseech thee to put away
from us all hurtful things, and
to give us those things which be
profitable for us ; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. Rom. 8. 12.
BRETHREN, we are debtors,,
not to the flesh, to live after
the flesh. For if ye live after the-
flesh, ye shall die ; but if ye through
the Spirit do mortify the deeds of
the body, ye shall live. For as
many as are led by the Spirit of
God, they are the sons of God,
100
gracious gifts of justification and
sanctification in Christ. In these
he draws the practical inference
that, in virtue of these gifts, we
owe ourselves to the new life of
the Spirit, which alone is life in-
deed—because it is the earnest
and witness both of our present
adoption to free sonship, which
is implied in the very words
" Our Father," and of our con-
sequent future heirship of His
glory, on condition of willing-
ness to share His suffering. This
is the true " service which is per-
fect freedom"; and, in propor-
tion as love casts out fear, it be-
comes all in all to us.
The Gospel is again from the
Sermon on the Mount. It is a
part of the final warning against
unreality, whether of teaching
or of life. It deals especially with
the "false prophets," wolves in
sheep's clothing, bidding that
they shall be tested by their prac-
tical fruits, and warning that not
outward adoration of the Lord,
but inward devotion to the Will
of the Father, is the condition
of entering into the Kingdom of
Heaven— because the sign of the
regeneration which is necessary
for such entrance (see John iii.
5, 6). The whole is in simpler
form accordant with the teach-
ing of the Epistle, as to the prac-
tical devotion of filial obedience,
due from all who profess to know
God in the Lord Jesus Christ.
&{>e Jtttttlj Sunban after Srinitn.
The Collect of this Sunday,
in deep sense of our helplessness
for good without God, prays for
the twofold gift of God's grace
—His preventing grace that we
may think, and His assisting
grace that we may do. what is
rightful, because according to
His Will (see Phil. ii. 11, 12).
The Epistle, beginning a se-
ries from the First Epistle to the
Corinthians, is a remarkable in-
stance (with which compare 2
Cor. iii. 7-18 and Gal. iv. 21-81)
of St. Paul's symbolical interpre-
tation of Old Testament history,
dealing with the facts of the nar-
rative as embodying the univer-
sal laws of human nature and
God' 8 dispensation, and as be-
ing, therefore, "ensamples" or
"types" of our own experience.
It traces accordingly the history
of Israel in the wilderness as
typical of our wanderings in the
wilderness of life; (a) their en-
trance upon it under the cloud
of God's mysterious' Presence,
through the Red Sea, in which
they were baptized for the new
life of freedom and trial, " unto
Moses" as (see Gal. iii. 19) the
"Mediator" of God's Covenant
with them; (6) their sustenta-
tion in it by spiritual food"
(the " bread from Heaven "). and
"spiritual drink " from the Rock
— spoken of (according to the
Jewish tradition 1 as "following
them "—the type of our " Rock
of Ages " ; (c) their sins and pun-
ishments—the sensuous idolatry
of the golden calf (Exod. xxxii.
6), and its punishment by the
sword of the Levites and the
plague— the fornication with the
Moabites at Beth-peor, and the
plague which avenged it (Num.
xxv. 1-9)— the "tempting" God
by unbelief and discontent on the
borders of the promised land, and
the plague of serpents (Num. xxi.
4-7)— the murmuring of absolute
rebellion, again punished by the
destroying angel of pestilence
(see Num. xiv. 37; xvi. 46-50).
It then (rt) draws the double
moral— to beware of the tempta-
tion, in which, " he who thinketh
that he standeth must take heed
lest he fall," and yet not to be a-
fraid of it, because God will give
us power to escape from it or
to bear it.
The Gospel is Our Lord's Par-
able of the Unjust Steward, (a)
It presents to us a type of keen
and unscrupulous worldly wis-
dom, by which the steward on
the eve of dismissal, unable to
work and ashamed to beg, makes
use of the office which he is about
to lose to entrap his master's
debtors (probably his tenants)
into a fraudulent falsification of
their accounts, the knowledge of
which would put them into his
power, and enable him, either by
favour or by fear, to live at their
expense. (*») The master, though
aware that he is being robbed,
cannot help commending the
109
THE NINTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.
For ye have not received the spirit
of bondage again to fear ; but ye
have received the spirit of adop-
tion, whereby we cry, Abba, Fa-
ther. The Spirit itself beareth
witness with our spirit, that we
are the children of God : and if
children, then heirs ; heirs of God,
and joint-heirs with Christ : if so
be that we suffer with him, that
we may be also glorified together.
The Gospel. St. Matth. 7. 15.
BEWARE of false prophets,
which come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly, they are
ravening wolves. Ye shall know
them by their fruits : do men ga-
ther grapes of thorns, or figs of
thistles ? Even so every good tree
bringeth forth good fruit : but a
corrupt tree bringeth forth evil
fruit. A good tree cannot bring
forth evil fruit ; neither can a cor-
rupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Every tree that bringeth not forth
good fruit is hewn down, and cast
into the tire. Wherefore by their
fruits ye shall know them. Not
every one that saith unto me,
Lord, Lord, shall enter into the
Kingdom of heaven ; but he that
doeth the will of my Father winch
is in heaven.
Cfje Jlmtf) Suntoag after Erinttg.
The Collect.
GRANT to us, Lord, we beseech
thee, the spirit to think and
do always such things as be right-
ful ; that we, who cannot do any
thing that is good without thee,
may by thee be enabled to live
according to thy will; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. 1 Cor. 10. 1.
BRETHREN, I would not that
ye should be ignorant, how
that all our fathers were under the
cloud, and all passed through the
sea ; and were all baptized unto
Moses in the cloud, and in the sea ;
and did all eat the same spiritual
meat, and did all drink the same
spiritual drink : (for they drank of
tiiat spiritual Rock that followed
them ; and that Rock was Christ.)
But with many of them God was
not well pleased: for they were
overthrown in the wilderness.
Now these things were our exam-
Kles, to the intent we should not
ist after evil things, as they also
lusted. Neither be ye idolaters,
as were some of them ; as it is
written, The people sat down to
eat and drink, and rose up to play.
Neither let us commit fornication,
as some of them committed, and
fell in one day three and twenty
thousand. Neither let us tempt
Christ, as some of them also
tempted, and were destroyed of
1 serpents. Neither murmur ye, as
some of them also murmured,
and were destroyed of the de-
stroyer. Now all these things
happened unto them for ensam-
ples : and they are written for our
admonition, upon whom the ends
of the world are come. Wherefore
let him that thinketh he standeth
take heed lest he fall. There hath
no temptation taken you, but
such as is common to man : but
God is faithful, who will not suffer
you to be tempted above that ye
are able ; but will with the temp-
tation also make a way to escape,
that ye may be able to bear it.
The Gospel. St. Luke 16. 1.
JESUS said unto his disciples,
There was a certain rich man
which had a steward; and the
same was accused unto him that
he had wasted his goods. And he
called him, and said unto him,
How is it that I hear this of thee ?
Give an account of thy steward-
ship ; for thou mayest be no longer
steward. Then the steward said
within himself, What shall I do ?
for my lord taketh away from me
the stewardship : I cannot dig, to
beg I am ashamed. I am resolved
what to do, that, when I am put
out of the stewardship, they may
receive me into their houses. So
he called every one of his lord's
debtors unto him, and said unto
109
shrewdness of the dishonesty;
and Our Lord draws from the
parable, first, the moral that the
children of the world are " in
their generation" — that is, from
their own point of view, and for
their own objects — wiser than the
children of light, and then the
command to all so to use the
temporary possession of the rich-
es of this world (the " mammon
of unrighteousness " j as to pre-
pare for themselves a place in
the everlasting habitations (see
Matt. vi. 19-21). (c) The appeal
is not to the highest motive, the
love of God and of righteousness,
bnt to the lower, yet allowable,
motive of a wise self-interest,
such as is used, but perverted,
in the practice of the world.
" What shall it profit a man, if
he gain the whole world, and
lose his own soul?"
<L be £entlj Sunbnn after £^rinit|j.
The Collect is an appeal to
God mercifully to hear our pray-
er, and, that it may be granted,
to guide us by His Spirit into the
right line of prayer, according to
His Will (see Rom. viii. 26, 27 ;
1 John v. 14, 15). (Prayer, like
action, is an appointed means of
"our fellow-working with God "
under His Providence and by His
Grace.)
The Epistle, also from the
First Epistle to the Corinthians,
is the opening of St. Paul's teach-
ing, in answer to a letter from
the Corinthian Church, on the
subject of the extraordinary spi-
ritual gifts, which had caused
perplexity and contention at Co-
rinth. He begins (a) by remind-
ing them that all such gifts in
the Church depend upon, and
are tested by, the fundamental
condition of that knowledge,
through the Spirit, of Jesus as
the Lord, to which they had
turned from idolatry (see 1 John
iv. 1-8) ; next (6), he dwells on
the unity underlying all such
gifts— a unity of source from the
One Spirit— a unity of ministry
(or service) under the One Lord
Jesus Christ— a unity of effect, as
subordinate parts of the work of
the One God ; (c) finally, he illus-
trates this principle by speaking
of the various gifts, first, of wis-
dom, knowledge, and faith, then
of healing and other miracles,
next of prophecy and spiritual
discernment, lastly of the use
and interpretation of tongues—
as all due to the manifold opera-
tion of the Holy Ghost, and given
to be used for practical good. It
is, of course, obvious that in
principle the teaching applies to
all spiritual gifts whatever, ordi-
nary or extraordinary, recognis-
ing in them the mysterious com-
bination of individuality with
unity, of man's freedom with
God's grace, which is the law of
human life.
The Gospel is a mournful il-
lustration of the need of this
combination in the record of Our
Lord's weeping over Jerusalem
on the eve of His triumphal en-
try, because, in spite of His gift
both of light and grace, she would
not see the things which belong-
ed to her peace in the appointed
time of her visitation, and so was
drawing on her an utter destruc-
tion by the hands of her ene-
mies. Of this incapacity of true
spiritual insight, the profanation
of the Temple, under pretence of
conducing to its service of God
(on which see Gospel for First
Sunday in Advent), was a sign.
<£|je (Eltbtntfy Snnban after Srttuig.
The Collect appeals to God,
as declaring His Almightiness
chiefly in shewing mercy (see
Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7), and asks for
His grace in the measure which
we need, to enable us to run the
race of iife in the right course,
and obtain that share of the trea-
sure in heaven which is its prize
(see Heb. xii. 1, 2; 1 Cor. ix. 24-
27).
The Epistle— still from the
First Epistle to the Corinthians
— is the beginning of the great
chapter on the Resurrection,
which St. Paul describes as a
"Gospel," in which we stand,
and by which we must be saved.
uo
THE TENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.
the first, How much owest thou
unto my lord ? And he said, An
Hundred measures of oil. And he
said unto him, Take thy bill, and
sit down quickly, and write fifty.
Then said he to another, And how
much owest thou ? And he said,
An hundred measures of wheat.
And he said unto him, Take thy
lord commended the unjust stew-
ard, because he had done wisely :
for the children of this world are
in their generation wiser than
the children of light. And I say
unto you, Make to yourselves
friends of the mammon of un-
righteousness; that when ye fail,
they may receive you into ever-
bill, and write fourscore. And the lasting habitations.
Wl)t QLtntl) Sunttag after GTrimtg.
The Collect.
LET thy merciful ears, 0 Lord,
be open to the prayers of thy
humble servants ; and that they
may obtain their petitions make
them to ask such things as shall
please thee ; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. 1 Cor. 12. 1.
CONCERNING spiritual gifts,
brethren, I would not have
you ignorant. Ye know that ye
were Gentiles, carried away unto
these dumb idols, even as ye were
led. Wherefore I give you to un-
derstand, that no man speaking
by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus
accursed; and that no man can
say that Jesus is the Lord, but by
the Holy Ghost. Now there are
diversities of gifts, but the same
Spirit. And there are differences
of administrations, but the same
Lord. And there are diversities of
operations, but it is the same God,
who worketh all in all. But the
manifestation of the Spirit is giv-
en to every man to profit withal.
For to one is given by the Spirit
the word of wisdom ; to another
the word of knowledge by the
same Spirit ; to another faith by
the same .Spirit ; to another the
gifts of healing by the same Spi- I taught daily in the temple
Hfyt dBUbmtl) Sxmfcag after Crmitg,
rit ; to another the working of mi-
racles ; to another prophecy ; to
another discerning of spirits ; to
another divers kinds of tongues ;
to another the interpretation of
tongues. But all these worketh
that one and the self-same Spirit,
dividing to every man severally as
he will.
The Gospel. St. Luke ID. 41.
AND when he was come near,
he beheld the city, and wept
over it, saying, If thou hadst
known, even thou, at least in this
thy day, the things which belong
unto thy peace ! but now they are
hid from thine eyes. For the days
shall come upon thee, that thine
enemies shall cast a trench about
thee, and compass thee round,
and keep thee in on every side,
and shall lay thee even with the
ground, and thy children within
thee ; and they shall not leave in
thee one stone upon another ; be
cause thou knewest not the time
of thy visitation. And he went
into the temple, and began to cast
out them that sold therein, and
them that bought, saying unto
them, It is written, My house is
the house of prayer : but ye have
made it a den of thieves. And he
The Collect.
OGOD, who declarest tby al-
mighty power most chiefly in
shewing mercy and pity ; Merci-
fully grant unto us such a measure
of thy grace, that we, running the
way of thy commandments, may
pbtaiu thy gracious promises, and
be made partakers of thy heaven-
ly treasure ; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. 1 Cor. 15. 1.
BRETHREN, I declare unto
you the Gospel which I preach-
ed unto you, which also ye have
110
8-5
(a) In words, which have almost
the terse precision of a Creed, he
recites the Atoning Passion, the
Burial, and the Resurrection of
Christ as "according to the Scrip-
tures," that is, as the fulfilment
of prophecy (corap. Acts ii. 21-
34; iii. 13-18, &c, &c.) ; (b) he
then enumerates successively the
eye-witness of the Resurrection,
by St. Peter (Luke xxiv. 84), by
the Twelve (Luke xxiv. 86 ; John
xx. 19), by above five hundred
brethren at once i perhaps the
appearance recorded in Matt,
xxviii. 1«, 17). by St. James 'not
recorded in the Gospels), lastly
by himself at his conversion, as
"one born out of due time."
(c) This last mention of himself
suggests to him a digression on
his own unworthiness to be call-
ed an Apostle, and on the mai-
vellous grace by which he had
laboured " more than they all" :
and from this he returns to en-
force strongly the Resurrection,
as the substance of preaching
and the foundation of faith.
The Gospel (as on the two
E receding Sundays) is from St.
iuke— the Parable of the Phari-
see and the Publican, of which
the special object and the spe
cial moral are given us with un-
usual distinctness. It should be
noted (a) that the Pharisee's
worship implies self-righteous-
ness, because it is confined to
thanksgiving without prayer, al-
though the thanksgiving to God
that he had been free from ex-
tortion, injustice, adultery, is in
itself unobjectionable ; that the
characteristic evil of Pharisaic
pride, which trusted in self-righ-
teousness and despised others,
comes out explicitly in the words
"as other men ore." "as this
Publican," and in the compla-
cent enumeration of fasting and
tithegiving beyond the literal re-
quirements of the law; (b) that
the Publican's prayer is literally,
" God be reconciled to me the
sinner," in allusion probably to
the sin-offering then being sacri-
ficed in the Temple ; and that it
is contrasted with the other, as
forgetting all except himself as
sinful and God as merciful, and
throwing the whole soul on Him
in humble faith. In this faith
he was "justified"— in virtue of
the universal Law of God's dis-
pensation, exalting the humble
and abasing the proud.
£b« Kfoelftb Stmban nfttr ftrimtg.
The Collect, acknowledging
God's willingness to hear, as an-
ticipating the utterance of our
prayer, and His graciousness in
giving, as exceeding our desires
and our merits, prays that this
overflowing mercy may be pour-
ed on us, alike in the forgiveness
of sin and the gift of blessing,
which we can only ask through
the mediation of Our Lord Jesus
Christ. It is an implied Gospel
in itself of God's Love, man's
unworthiness, and the salvation
of Christ.
The Epistle passes to the
earlier portion of the Second E-
pistle to the Corinthians, which
is remarkable as an unfolding of
St. Paul's spiritual experience.
It is first (a) a declaration of his
confidence through Christ to-
wards God, not reckoning any-
thing done as of himself, but
relying on his mission and grace
as a minister of the Gospel Cove-
nant. This leads on (b) to a con-
trast between the Old and New
Covenants— the one of the letter,
written on stones, and bringing
only condemnation— the other of
the Spirit, written on the heart,
and bringing life. If the former
had a transitory glory— the glory
of God reflected on the face of
Moses (see Exod. xxxiv. 29, 3d)—
how much more is the other glo-
rious for ever, in those, who (see
below, v. 18) reflect with unveiled
face the glory of Christ, and are
changed from glory to glory by
the Spirit. On this contrast
comp. Heb. ix.
The Gospel is the record of
the miracle of the healing of the
man deaf and partially dumb, in
the half-heathen country of De-
capolis, lying chiefly on the east-
ern side of the Jordan. In re-
spect of this miracle we note (a).
Our Lord's use (as in John ix. 6)
of visible means— perhaps to ap-
peal to the understanding and
faith of the man through the one
in
THE TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.
received, and wherein ye stand : by
which also ye are saved, if ye keep
in memory what I preached unto
you, unless ye have believed in
vain. For I delivered unto you
first of all, that which I also re-
ceived, how that Christ died for
our sins, according to the Scrip-
tures ; and that he was buried ;
and that he rose again the third
day, according to the Scriptures ;
and that he was seen of Cephas,
then of the twelve : after that, he
was seen of above five hundred
brethren at once ; of whom the
greater part remain unto this pre-
sent ; but some are fallen asleep :
after that, he was seen of James ;
then of all the Apostles : and last
of all, he was seen of me also, as
of one born out of due time. For
I am the least of the Apostles,
that am not meet to be called an
Apostle, because 1 persecuted the
Church of God. But by the grace
of God I am what I am : and his
grace which was bestowed upon
me was not in vain ; but I laboured
more abundantly than they all ;
yet not I, but the grace of Cod
which was with me. Therefore
whether it were I or they, so we
preach, and so ye believed.
The Gospel. St. Luke 18. 9.
JESUS spake this parable unto
certain which trusted in them-
selves that they were righteous,
and despised others : Two men
went up into the temple to pray ;
the one a Pharisee, and the other
a Publican. The Pharisee stood
and prayed thus with himself,
God, I thank thee, that I am not
as other men are, extortioners,
unjust, adulterers, or even as this
Publican : I fast twice in the week,
I give tithes of all that I possess.
And the Publican, standing afar
off, would not lift up so much as
his eyes unto heaven, but smote
upon his breast, saying, God be
merciful to me a sinner. I tell you,
this man went down to his house
justified rather than the other :
for every one that exalteth himself
shall be abased ; and he that hum-
bleth himself shall be exalted.
QH)t GTtoriftf) Stmttag after STrimtg.
The Collect.
AL M I G H T Y and everlasting
■ God, who art always more
ready to hear than we to pray,
and art wont to give more than
either we desire, or deserve ; Pour
down upon us the abundance of
thy mercy ; forgiving lis those
things whereof our conscience is
•afraid, and giving us those good
things which we are not worthy
to ask, but through the merits
and mediation of Jesus Christ,
thy Son, our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. 2 Cor. 3. 4.
SUCH trust have we through
Christ to God-ward : not that
we are sufficient of ourselves to
think any thing as of ourselves ;
but our sufficiency is of God. Who
also hath made us able ministers
of the New Testament ; not of the
letter, but of the Spirit : for the
of death written and engraven in
stones was glorious, so that the
children of Israel could not sted-
fastlv behold the face of Moses
for the glory of his countenance,
which glory was to be done away ;
how shall not the ministration of
the Spirit be rather glorious ? For
if the ministration of condemna-
tion be glory, much more doth
the ministration of righteousness
exceed in glory.
The Gospel. St. Mark 7. 31.
JESUS, departing from the
coasts of Tyre and Sidon,
came unto the sea of Galilee,
through the midst of the coasts of
Decapolis. And they bring unto
him one that was deaf, and had an
impediment in his speech; and
they beseech him to put his hand
upon him. And he took him a-
side from the multitude, and put
letter killeth, but the Spirit giv- his fingers into his ears, and he
eth life. But if the min^/ation I spit, and touched his tongue ; and
111
avenue of sense left open; (6)
next, the record by St. Mark (as
bo often) of the actual Aramaic
word Ephphatha used by Our
Lord; (0) the significant men-
tion of His sigh at the moment
of healing, like His weeping at
the grave of Lazarus (John xi.
85); implying, we cannot but
suppose. His deep sense of the
burden of pain and privation on
all creation, from which in this
miracle He could but deliver one
single sufferer; perhaps also of
the heavier curse of sin, from
which sorrow and sickness come ;
(d) the command given, as usual,
by Our Lord, to keep the know-
ledge and lesson of the miracle
to themselves for whom it was
wrought, and yet the natural
and hardly blameworthy disobe-
dience which proclaimed it far
and wide. Contrast the com-
mand given to the Gadarene de-
moniac (Mark v. 19, 20).
&{k ftfytttttify jtanbag after ftriniig.
The Collect confesses that
only by God's gift of grace can
we serve Him aright, and prays
that we may so Berve Him to the
end, as to attain to His heavenly
promises.
The Epistle is the first of a
series from the Epistle to the Ga-
latians, written in remonstrance
and rebuke against a falling a-
way to the Judaizing idolatry of
the Law. It is (a) an appeal to
the Old Testament covenant it-
self, as being emphatically one
of promise to Abraham and his
seed, on sole condition of faith ;
(h) it shews that the Law of Mo-
ses, given long afterwards, could
not alter this fundamental prin-
ciple of the covenant, but was
only a subsidiary thing; added
to curb transgression and to
Crd the promise ; brought
ae to Israel, not directly to
the spirit within each man,
but by the hands of angels and
through the "mediation" of
Moses ; (c) not, however, that the
Law thwarts the promise, but in
its right function, by shutting up
all under the conviction of sin, it
brings home the promise to hum-
ble and self-renouncing faith.
What is here said on the func-
tion of the Mosaic law, is true of
all law in our relation to God ; it
may neither be neglected, nor
exalted to the first place (see
1 Tim. i. 7-11).
The Gospel illustrates the su-
periority of living principle to all
limitations of rule and law by the
Parable of the Good Samaritan,
in itself too graphic and signifi-
cant to require comment. But
we may note (a) that the claim
of unique authority, implied in
Our Lord's declaration of the
blessedness, above prophets and
kings of old times, of those who
saw and heard Him evidently
drew out the question of the law-
yer; (/>) that his question (like
that of the " first and great com-
mandment" in Matt. xxii. 86;
Mark xii. 28) was not in itself
wrong; for teachers professing
to speak for God might rightly
be tested by accordance to His
Law ; but that, when he was
made to give the answer out of
his own familiar teaching, he was
piqued into an attempt to per-
plex Our Lord by a well-known
question of Jewish controversy,
Who is my neighbour ? " (c)
that, in the moral of the para-
ble, Our Lord does not ask, " To
whom was tbe wounded man
neighbour?" that is, Who was
bound to help him? but. Who
was neighbour to him ? that is,
Who felt and used the privilege
of helping him ? By this He re-
buked the grudging narrowness
of the question, and taught that
it was "blessed to give rather
than to receive " ; lastly (d), that
the parable, besides its obvious
lesson, has, in virtue of its sym-
bolical character, afurther mean-
ing, in which it shadows forth
" the kingdom of heaven." The
wounded traveller is clearly hu-
manity itself , going down to the
city of destruction, falling into
the hands of the enemy, stripped
of glory, and half dead by the
wounds of sin ; the sacrifice of
the priest passes him by; the
stern law of the Levite fails to
succour him, although it " looks
on" and discloses his sin: the
good Samaritan, the Lord Him-
self, despised and rejected of men
(see John viii. 48;, binds up his
112
THE THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.
looking up to heaven, he sighed,
and saith unto him, Ephphatha,
that is, Be opened. And straight-
way his ears were opened, and the
string of his tongue was loosed,
and he spake plain. And he charg-
ed them that they should tell no
man : but the more he charged
them, so much the more a great
deal they published it ; and were
beyond measure astonished, say-
ing, He hath done all things well;
he maketh both the deaf to hear,
and the dumb to speak.
Wf)e Ef)irteetttf) Suntoag after ^Trinttg.
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY and merciful God,
. of whose only gift it cometh
that thy faithful people do unto
thee true and laudable service ;
Grant, we beseech thee, that we
may so faithfully serve thee in
this life, that we fail not finally
to attain thy heavenly promises ;
through the merits of Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. Gal. 3. 16.
TO Abraham and his seed were
the promises made. He saith
not, And to seeds, as of many ; but
as of one ; And to thy seed, which
is Christ. And this I say, That
the covenant that was confirmed
before of God in Christ, the Law,
which was four hundred and thirty
i rears after, cannot disannul, that
t should make the promise of
none effect. For if the inheritance
be of the Law, it is no more of
promise ; but God gave it to A-
braham by promise. Wherefore
then serveth the Law? It was add-
ed because of transgressions, till
the seed should come, to whom
the promise was made ; and it was
ordained by angels in the hand of
a mediator. Now a mediator is
not a mediator of one ; but God is
one. Is the Law then against the
promises of God ? God forbid : for
if there had been a law given which
could have given life, verily righ-
teousness should have been by the
Law. But the Scripture hath con-
cluded all under sin, that the pro-
mise by faith of Jesus Christ might
be given to them that believe.
The Gospel. St. Luke 10. 23.
BLESSED are the eyes which
see the tilings that ye see.
phets and kings have desired to
see those things which ye see, and
have not seen them ; and to hear
those things which ye hear, and
have not heard them. And be-
hold, a certain Lawyer stood up,
and tempted him, saying, Master,
what shall I do to inherit eternal
life ? He said unto him, What is
written in the Law ? how readest
thou? And he answering said,
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart, and with all
thy soul, and with all thy strength,
and with all thy mind ; and thy
neighbour as thyself. And he
said unto him, Thou hast answer-
ed right ; this do, and thou shalt
live. But he, willing to justify
himself, said unto Jesus, And who
is my neighbour ? And Jesus an-
swering said, A certain man went
down from Jerusalem to Jericho,
and fell among thieves, which
stripped him of his raiment, and
wounded him, and departed, leav-
ing him half dead. And by chance
there came down a certain Priest
that way, and, when he saw him,
he passed by on the other side.
And likewise a Levite, when he
was at the place, came and looked
on him, and passed by on the
other side. But a certain Samari-
tan, as he journeyed, came where
he was; and, when he saw him,
he had compassion on him, and
went to him, and bound up his
wounds, pouring in oil and whie,
and set him on his own beast, and
brought him to an inn, and took
care of him. And on the morrow,
when he departed, he took out two
pence, and gave them to the host,
and said unto him, Take care of
him ; and whatsoever thou spend-
est more, when I come again, I
For I tell you, That many pro- will repay thee. Which now of
112
wounds, pours in the oil and wine
of His grace, brings the sinner
to the inn. His Church on earth,
and leaves him to His ministers
to be tended and cured, till He
comes again to repay the service.
In this, the supreme act of God's
mercy in Christ, we have the ideal
and the inspiration of all lesser
acts of mercy.
&|je J^arttrntfr Sanban after (Trinita.
The Collect prays for the
three great Christian graces, of
faith, nope, and charity — all as
conducing to the spirit of free
love of God's service, by which
alone we can attain to His pro-
mises in heaven, because by it
alone we can have the true hea-
venly-mindedness.
Thk Epistle, still from the
Epistle to the Galatians, is the
picture of the actual struggle of
the spirit and the flesh (with
which compare the more ideal
treatment, bringing out both
principles in marked contrast,
in Rom. vii., viii.). (a) Life is
described as a state of imperfec-
tion and conflict, in which nei-
ther the spirit nor the flesh is as
yet able, unrestrained, to do the
things that it would. But the
conflict is one in which, if we
will but walk in the Spirit of God
— not under compulsion of law,
but in freedom of self-sacrifice—
we must conquer, having through
the Cross of Christ " crucified
the flesh." (ft) The works of the
flesh are enumerated, in the sins
of appetite, the sins of passion
and strife, and the superstitious
sins of witchcraft and idolatry.
The fruits of the Spirit are shewn
in love, with its fruits of joy and
peace, in forbearance and kindli-
ness, in faith and temperance.
Perhaps neither catalogue is ex-
haustive ; and the latter espe-
cially seems to be determined
by the preceding exhortation to
unity and peace.
The Gospel contains the mi-
racle of the healing of the ten
lepers. Leprosy was looked upon
as an accursed disease, through
which the sufferer became an out-
cast from human companionship,
and stood afar off crying, " Un-
clean, unclean." The priests were
the judges of it (see Lev. xiii.,
xiv.); hence the command of
Our Lord, " Shew yourselves to
the priests," in order to offer
sacrifice and be received back
into the communion of Israel.
The nine lepers obey, and do no
more ; the tenth alone (and he a
despised Samaritan) does the
duty which cannot be enjoined,
because, if enjoined, it loses all
its grace— the duty of thankful-
ness and adoration to his Healer.
Our Lord sorrows in wonder over
the ingratitude of the nine ; yet,
as they must have had some faith
in order to obey, they received
from Him the reward of bodily
healing; the Samaritan alone
had the faith of the heart, which
receives Our Lord's spiritual
blessing. The whole is an ex-
ample of the free, glad service of
the Spirit, of which the Epistle
speaks.
&fce Jfifteentjr 5anban after Crinitg.
The Collect is a two-fold
1>rayer, first for the Church at
arge, that God will keep it by
His mercy ; and next, for her in-
dividual members, that God will
keep their frailty from evil, and
lead them to good, till their sal-
vation be accomplished.
The Epistle is the last of the
three selected from the Epistle
to the Galatians. It contains the
postscript, written "in large let-
ters" (for so the original should
be rendered) with St Paul's own
hand, to sum up the teaching of
the whole Epistle. The Apostle
(a) warns them against those
who, themselves not keeping the
law, would yet by enforcing cir-
cumcision on others avoid Jew-
ish persecution, and glory in the
visible and fleshly token of their
submission ; (ft) he lays down his
own rule— glorying in the Ooss
of Christ, through which he and
the world are crucified and be-
come nothing to each other, and
recognising the regeneration in
113
THE FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.
these three, thinkest thou, was I He that shewed mercy on him.
neighbour unto him that fell a- Then said Jesus unto him, Go,
inong the thieves ? And he said, I and do thou likewise.
Wf)t jFourteentf) SunUag after ®rimtg.
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY and everlasting
. God, give unto us the in-
crease of faith, hope, and charity ;
and, that we may obtain that
which thou dost promise, make
us to love that which thou dost
command ; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. Gal. 5. 16.
I SAY then, Walk in the Spirit,
and ye shall not fulfil the lust
of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth
against the Spirit, and the Spirit
against the flesh; and these are
contrary the one to the other ; so
that ye cannot do the things that
ye would. But if ye be led by the
Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are
manifest, which are these, adul-
tery, fornication, uneleatmess, las-
civiousness, idolatry, witchcraft,
hatred, variance, emulations,
wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
envyings, murders, drunkenness,
revellings, and such like : of the
which I tell you before, as I have
also told you in time past, That
they who do such things shall not
inherit the kingdom of God. But
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, long-suffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, meekness, tem-
perance : against such there is no
law. And they that are Christ's
have crucified the flesh, with the
affections and lusts.
The Gospel. St. Luke IT. 11.
AND it came to pass, as Jesus
A went to Jerusalem, that he
passed through the midst of Sa-
maria, and Galilee. And as he en-
tered into a certain village, there
met him ten men that were lepers,
which stood afar off. And they
lifted up their voices, and said,
Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
And when he saw them, he said
unto them, Go, shew yourselves
unto the priests. And it came to
pass, that, as they went, they were
cleansed. And one of them, when
he saw that he was healed, turned
back, and with a loud voice glori-
fied God, and fell clown on his
face at his feet, giving him thanks ;
and he was a Samaritan. And Je-
sus answering said, Were there not
ten cleansed ? but where are the
nine? There are not found that
returned to give glory to God, save
this stranger. And he said unto
him, Arise, go thy way, thy faith
hath made thee whole.
Wyt fflttenti) Suntfag after ^rinitg.
The Collect.
KEEP, we beseech thee, 0 Lord,
thy Church with thy per-
petual mercy : and, because the
frailty of man without thee can-
not but fall, keep us ever by thy
help from all tilings hurtfuL and
lead us to all things profitable
to our salvation ; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. A men.
The Epistle. Gal. 6. 11.
YE see how large a letter I have
written unto you with mine
own hand. As many as desire to
make a fair shew in the flesh,
they constrain you to he circum-
cised ; only lest they should suffer
persecution for the cross of Christ.
For neither they themselves who
are circumcised keep the law ;
but desire to have you circum-
cised, that they may glory in your
flesh. But God forhid that I
should glory, save in the cross of
our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom
the world is crucified unto me, and
I unto the world. For in Christ
Jesus neither circumcision avail-
eth any thing, nor uncircumcision,
but a new creature. And as many
as walk according to this rule,
peace he on them, and mercy, and
upon the Israel of God. From
113
Christ, whether in circumcision
or nncircnmcision, to be all in
all; (c) finally he blesses those
who walk by this rule, and defies
all to trouble him — i.e. question
his Apostleship or his teaching
— for he bears in the marks of
suffering the stamp of true fol-
lowing of Christ.
The Gospel is the climax of
the continuous teaching of the
Sermon on the Mount, (a) For-
bidding all division of sen-ice
and love, it holds up, as the ideal
of Christian life, an absolute faith
in God's Providence over us,
from which follows an absolute
devotion to Him, with no distrac-
tion of thought by the anxieties
of the visible world. (6) As a
ground of such faith, in respect
of the necessaries of life, Our
Lord points to the care of God
over the fowls of the air ; in re-
spect of the beauty and grace of
life, to His clothing in more than
regal glory the lilies of the field
(c) His command, accordingly,
is to " take no thought," i.e. no
restless anxiety, for either, espe-
cially to spare all such anxiety
for the morrow— to "seek first
the kingdom of God and His
righteousness," and to trust that,
so far as they are needed, all
" other things shall be added to
us." (Compare here the peti-
tions of the Lord's Prayer first
for God's glory, only then and
briefly for "daily bread.") In
seeking to approach to this ideal,
we may note that the amount of
thought, properly so called.which
each must take in life varies
infinitely ; but that " anxiety."
however natural to our weak-
ness, is a misery, and even a
sin, in those who can cast their
care upon God. (Comp. Phil. iv.
6.7.)
£{» Sixtetntjj £unban nfttr Srinttn.
The Collect is again a prayer
for the Church— first, that by
God's mercy it may be cleansed
from sin and defended against en-
mity ; next, that it may be " pre-
served " (for growth in grace) by
His help and goodness.
The Epistle begins a series
from the Epistle to the Epho-
Rians (only interrupted on the
Eighteenth Sunday). After a
brief exhortation not to " faint
at his tribulations for them,"
which in their effect are a Rlory
to them, it is a magnificent burst
of prayer and adoration, (a)
The prayer is to God. as the Fa-
ther, from whom all fatherhood
is named, that, strengthened by
the Spirit, they may be led
through all the stages of Chris-
tian illumination, beginning in
the faith which receives Christ
into the heart, deepened and
grounded in the love, which
makes faith perfect, issuing at
last in the apprehension in all
its extent of the mystery of sal-
vation, " the love of Christ which
passeth knowledge," and so at
last filled up to all the fulness of
the communion with God. (In
this prayer is implied the true
and normal order of the deve-
lopment of the Christian life,
through faith, love, knowledge,
saintliness, in the likeness of
Christ Himself.) (5) The prayer
passes into adoration in the
Church through Christ Jesus of
Him, who. by the indwelling
power of His grace, will grant
more than we ask, more than we
can conceive. Nowhere, even in
this Epistle, is there a more glo-
rious specimen of the rising unto
" the heavenly places," of which
it so often speaks.
The Gospel b the pathetic
history (from St. Luke alone) of
the raising of the widow's son at
Nain— the second instance of
Our Lord's raising the dead, in
itself even more public and won-
derful than the first (the raising
of Jairus' daughter), and creat-
ing a wider-spread wonder and
adoration. But while this public
effect of the miracle is brought
out, we note especially the stress
laid on His compassion for the
widowed and childless mother,
as an individual and personal
ground for this miracle of mercy.
The universal and individual
purposes of His Revelation of
redeeming love are, as always,
harmonized with each other.
114
THE SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.
henceforth let no man trouble me ;
for I bear in my body the marks
of the Lord Jesus. Brethren, the
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be
with your spirit. Amen.
The Gospel. St. Matth. 6. 24.
NO man can serve two masters :
for either he will hate the
one, and love the other ; or else
he will hold to the one, and des-
pise the other. Ye cannot serve
(rod and Mammon. Therefore I
say unto you, Take no thought
for your life, what ye shall eat, or
what ye shall drink ; nor yet for
your body, what ye shall put on :
Is not the life more than meat,
and the body than raiment ? Be-
hold the fowls of the air; for they
sow not, neither do they reap, nor
gather into barns ; yet your hea-
venly Father feedeth them. Are
ye not much better than they?
Which of you by taking thought
can add one cubit unto his stature?
And why take ye thought for rai-
ment ? Consider the lilies of the
field how they grow : they toil not,
neither do they spin : and yet I say
unto you, That even Solomon in
all his glory was not arrayed like
one of these. Wherefore, if God so
clothe the grass of the field, which
to-day is, and to-morrow is cast
into the oven ; shall he not much
more clothe you, 0 ye of little
faith? Therefore take no thought,
saying, What shall we eat? or what
shall we drink ? or wherewithal
shall we be clothed ? (for after all
these things do the Gentiles seek:)
for your heavenly Father knoweth
that ye have need of all these
things. But seek ye first the king-
dom of God, and his righteousness,
and all these things shall be add-
ed unto you. Take therefore no
thought for the morrow ; for the
morrow shall take thought for the
things of itself : sufficient unto the
day is the evil thereof.
W)i 5ucteentf) Simttag after ^rinttg.
Tlie Collect.
OLORD, we beseech thee, let
thy continual pity cleanse
and defend thy Church ; and, be-
cause it cannot continue in safety
without thy succour, preserve it
evermore by thy help and good-
ness; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. Ephes. 3. 13.
I DESIRE that ye faint not at
my tribulations for you, which
is your glory. For this cause I bow
my knees unto the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the
whole family in heaven and earth
is named, that he would grant you,
according to the riches of his glory,
to be strengthened with might by
his Spirit in the inner man ; that
Christ may dwell in your hearts by
faith ; that ye, being rooted and
grounded in love, may be able to
comprehend with all saints, what
is the breadth, and length, and
depth, and height ; and to know
the love of Christ, which passeth
knowledge, that ye might be filled
with all the fulness of God. Now
unto him that is able to do exceed-
ing abundantly above all that we
ask or think, according to the
Eower that worketh in us, unto
im be glory in the Church by
Christ Jesus, throughout all ages,
world without end. Amen.
The Gospel. St. Luke 7. 11.
AND it came to pass the day
-£*- after, that Jesus went into a
city called Nain ; and many of his
disciples went with him, and much
people. Now when he came nigh
to the gate of the city, behold,
there was a dead man carried out,
the only son of his mother, and
she was a widow ; and much peo-
ple of the city was with her. And
when the Lord saw her, he had
compassion on her, and said unto
her, Weep not. And he came and
touched the bier, (and they that
bare him stood still,) and he said,
Young man, I say unto thee,
Arise. And he that was dead sat
up, and began to speak: and he
delivered him to his mother. And
114
%\jt Stbtnteentjj Snnban afttr ftrimtg.
The Collect is simply a prayer
for the " preventing " (anticipat-
ing) and following grace of God,
that it may be to us the source
of devotion to good works.
The Epistle contains in brief
the central idea of the Epistle to
the Ephesians— the great Epistle
of Church unity. From a prac-
tical exhortation to lowliness,
gentleness, and forbearance, a*
means to unity of spirit, St. Paul
passes on to declare, with all the
precision of a Creed, the whole
doctrine of the Unity of the
Church. The grounds of that
Unity are the indwelling Pre-
sence of the "One Spirit," the
"One Lord" Jesus Christ, the
One " God and Father of all."
The ordained means of entrance
into that Unity is the " One Bap-
tism " (see Matt, xxviii. 19). The
conditions of so entering into it
and growing in it are the " One
Hope," the " One Faith," the
One bond of peace" or Cha-
rity. It is clear that the basis
of that unity is unshaken, for it
rests on God alone ; that the
appointed means of that unity
is all but universally preserved
in the various branches of the
Church ; that it is in respect of
the conditions, that the sin of
man breaks the unity which God
has ordained. Yet, even here,
the " One Hope " is still un-
touched, and the " One Faith,"
in respect of the great essentials,
largely remains ; it is the One
"bond of peace" and mutual
Charity which is wanting.
The Gospel contains two dis-
tinct subjects. We have first (a)
one of the instances of Our Lord' s
teaching as to the Sabbath, in
rebuke of the literal and super-
stitious rigour of the Pharisees,
appealing to their own practice
in emergency, as a confession
that a work of charity to the suf-
fering is no breach, but a true
observance, of the principle of
the Sabbath— viz., rest from or-
dinary worldly occupation and
devotion of the soul to God.
Next (ft), a " Parable "—drawn
from the courtesies of society, in
which self-forgetfulness is ho-
noured and rewarded— enforcing
the general truth that by God's
universal law " whosoever exalt-
eth himself *hall be abased " (be-
cause he trusts in and honours
himself), " and he that humbleth
himself shall be exalted" (be-
cause he rests on something high-
er and better than himself )— not,
of course, that this exaltation
should be the object of humility,
which would then cease to be
genuine, but that it must he its
result. (This law of God. like
all others, is in thiB world inter-
fered with by the power of evil :
only in the next shall it com-
pletely triumph.)
&{>e (fig^ttenii? Snnbag after ftrinitg.
The Collect is a prayer for
grace to fulfil the Baptismal
vow, not only by resistance to
sin, but by a positive devotion
in singleness of heart and mind
to the following— the imitation—
of God (see Eph. v. 1).
The Epistle (drawn from
1 Cor.) interrupts the series of
selections from the Epistle to
the Ephesians. It is St. Paul's
opening thanksgiving, through
which, as is not unusual, we may
see what the Corinthian Church
had, and what it lacked. St.
Paul thanks God for their rich
intellectual gifts of " utterance "
and "knowledge," the fruits of
the " witness " of Christ in them
(see John xv. 26. 27; Acts i. 8>j
he implies that they need to look
for and trust in the power of the
Lord to give the moral gifts (in
which the Epistle Bhews that
they were less rich) of stability
and purity.
The Gospel is the record of the
close of what has been called ' ' the
Day of Gainsaying " in the Holy-
Week. It contains (a) the ques-
tion of the Lawyer, which, unlike
the earlier questions, although
designed to try Our Lord, was
asked in no unfriendly or cap-
tious spirit (see Mark xii. 34),
and was therefore directly an-
775
THE SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.
there came a fear on all, and they
glorified God, saying, That a great
Prophet is risen up among us, and
that God hath visited his people.
And this rumour of him went
forth throughout all Judaea, and
throughout all the region round
about.
W)t Sebottccnti) Sttrrtrag after SErhiitg.
The Collect.
LORD, we pray thee that thy
grace may always prevent
and follow us, and make us con-
tinually to be given to all good
works ; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. Ephes. 4. 1.
I THEREFORE the prisoner of
the Lord beseech you, that ye
walk worthy of the vocation where-
with ye are called, with all low-
liness and meekness, with long-
suffering, forbearing one another
in love ; endeavouring to keep the
unity of the spirit in the bond of
peace. There is one body, and
one Spirit, even as ye are called
in one hope of your calling ; one
Lord, one faith, one baptism, one
God and Father of all, who is
above all, and through all, and in
you all.
The Gospel. St. Luke 14. 1.
IT came to pass, as Jesus went
into the house of one of the
chief Pharisees to eat bread on the
sabbath-day, that they watched
him. And behold, there was a
certain man before him which had
the dropsy. And Jesus answering
spake unto the Lawyers and Pha-
risees, saying, Is it lawful to heal
on the sabbath-day ? And they
held their peace. And he took
him, and healed him, and let him
go ; and answered them, saying,
Which of you shall have an ass,
or an ox, fallen into a pit, and will
not straightway pull him out on
the sabbath-day ? And they could
not answer him again to these
things. And he put forth a par-
able to those which were bidden,
when he marked how they chose
out the chief rooms, saying unto
them, When thou art bidden of
any man to a wedding, sit not
down in the highest room ; lest a
more honourable man than thou
be bidden of him ; and he that
bade thee and him come and say
to thee, Give this man place ; and
thou begin with shame to take the
lowest room. But when thou art
bidden, go and sit down in the
lowest room ; that, when he that
bade thee cometh, he may say
unto thee, Friend, go up higher :
then shalt thou have worship in
the presence of them that sit at
meat with thee. For whosoever
exalteth himself shall be abased ;
and he that humbleth himself
shall be exalted.
QLty €igf)tontJ) Simttag after ©rinitg.
in you ; so that ye come behind
in no gift ; waiting for the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
shall also confirm you unto the
end, that ye may be blameless in
the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Gospel. St. Matth. 22. 34.
WHEN the Pharisees had
heard that Jesus had put
the Sadducees to silence, they
were gathered together. Then one
of them, who was a Lawyer, ask-
ed him a question, tempting him,
and saying, Master, which is the
great commandment in the Law ?
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt
T/ie Collect.
LORD, we beseech thee, grant
thy people grace to withstand
the temptations of the world, the
flesh, and the devil, and with
pure hearts and minds to follow
thee the only God ; through Je-
sus Christ our Lord. A men.
The Epistle. 1 Cor. 1. 4.
T THANK my God always on
-*- your behalf, for the grace of
God which is given you by Jesus
Christ ; that in every thing ye are
enriched by him, in all utterance,
and in all knowledge ; even as the
testimony of Christ was confirmed
115
swcred by Him (from Deut. vi. 5
and Lev. xix. 18). Ho then de-
clares emphatically that on this
great commandment of love
Yi hang all the Law and the Pro-
phets"— all the revelations of
God's Will. Next (ft), Our Lord
turns on his assailants, and con-
victs their ordinary designation
of the Messiah as "the Son of
David" of insufficiency, by ap-
peal to the title "Lord" given
to Him in the well-known Mes-
sianic Psalm of David (Ps. ex.).
The effect was, first, to put his
questioners to silence ; next, to
suggest to the thoughtful some
higher conception of the king-
dom which is " not of this world "
(see John xviii. 88-88) than the
ordinary carnal expectation of
the Jews.
&be $tinctetnt|j Sunban after ftrinitg.
The Collect, acknowledging
our inability to please God in
our own strength, prays for the
grace of the Holy Spirit, both to
guide the understanding by His
Light, and rule the conscience
by His authority.
The Epistle returns to the
Epistle to the Ephesians. It is
the opening of the practical sec-
tion of the Epistle, basing its
teaching very remarkably on the
great truth of Unity in Christ,
which is its chief doctrinal sub-
ject ( see Epistle for Seventeenth
Sunday). After a dark picture of
the " Vanity " — that is, the delu-
sion and blindness— of their form-
er heathen life, bringing with it
both alienation from God, and
Bensual debasement, St. Paul (a)
first, contrasts with this their
Christian life, as having been
taught of Christ and learned
Christ, in its putting off of the old
decaying nature, and the putting
on the new man, created after the
image of God inrighteousnessand
holiness; and next (6), proceeds
to deal with flagrant sins in rela-
tion to the great truth of Unity.
Lying is forbidden, because "we
are members one of another,"
and it breaks the bond of fellow-
ship ; anger, because it " gives
place to the devil " (the " setter
at variance") ; stealing, because
it is the opposite to the charity,
which, by the fruits of our la-
bour, relieves the needs of our
brethren ; filthiness, because it
sins against the duty of mutual
edification, (c) Finally, he urges
them especially to shrink from
" grieving the Holy Spirit," who
seals them as Christ's, and cast
out all evil tempers, which sin
against love, having before them
the pattern of the forgiving love of
God granted to them for Christ's
sake.
The Gospel is perhaps the
most notable instance of Our
Lord's teaching as to the sym-
bolic meaning of His miracles.
(a) The miracle is the healing of
the paralytic, in answer to the
faith of those who brought him,
and who (as we learn from Mark
ii. 3 ; Luke v. 18) actually broke
through the roof to let him down
to the feet of Jesus, (ft) In an-
swer to a charge of presumptu-
ous blasphemy, Our Lord makes
the power to say, "Arise, take
up thy bed and walk," the test
and symbol of the higher power
to say, " Thy sins are forgiven
thee." For Our Lord's work of
redemption of body and soul is
one, as both are united and tell
upon each other ; and the visible
miracles of healing are signs of
the invisible miracles of grace
and pardon, (c) The multitude
read the lesson aright, and " glo-
rified God, who had given such
power " to the true Son of Man.
it &6mttiei(j Sanbag after Crituig.
The Collect is a prayer for
preservation by God's goodness
from all that may " hurt us " ;
and it is implied that to be
" hurtful " to us is to hinder our
"readiness in body nhd soul " to
fulfil what God would have us do
—which is, to Bhew forth His
glory, and to grow to the perfec-
tion which He ordains for us.
The Epistle continues the
practical exhortation of the F-
pistle to the Ephesians. It fol«
116
THE NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.
love the Lord thy God with all
thy heart, and with all thy soul,
and with all thy mind. This is the
first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it,
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself. On these two command-
ments hang all the Law and the
Prophets. While the Pharisees
were gathered together, Jesus
asked them, saying, What think
ye of Christ ? whose son is he ?
They say unto him,
He saith unto them, How
The son of
David. "
then doth David in spirit call him
Lord, saying, The Lord said unto
my Lord, Sit thou on my right
hand, till I make thine enemies
thy foot-stool ? If David then call
him Lord, how is he his Son?
And no man was able to answer
him a word; neither durst any
man from that day forth ask him
any more questions.
Wi)t $tneUenti) Sunfcag after GTrimtg.
The Collect,
OGOD, forasmuch as without
thee we are not able to please
thee ; Mercifully grant, that thy
Holy Spirit may in all things di-
rect and rule our hearts ; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. Ephes. 4. 17.
THIS I say therefore, and tes-
tify in the Lord, that ye hence-
forth walk not as other Gentiles
walk, in the vanity of their mind ;
having the understanding darken-
ed, being alienated from the life
of God through the ignorance that?
is in them, because of the blind-
ness of their heart: who, being
past feeling, have given them-
selves over unto lasciviousncss, to
work all uncleanness with greedi-
ness. But ye have not so learn-
ed Christ; if so be that ye have
heard him, and have been taught
by him, as the truth is in Jesus :
that ye put off, concerning the
former conversation, the old man,
which is corrupt according to the
deceitful lusts ; and be renewed
in the spirit of your mind ; and
that ye put on the new man, which
after God is created in righteous-
ness and true holiness. Where-
fore, putting away lying, speak
every man truth with his neigh-
bour ; for we are members one of
another. Be ye angry and sin not :
let not the sun go down upon your
wrath : neither give place to the
devil. Let him that stole steal no
more ; but rather let him labour,
working with his hands the thing
which is good, that he may have
to give to him that needeth. Let
no corrupt communication pro-
ceed out of your mouth, but that
which is good to the use of edify-
ing, that it may minister grace
unto the hearers. And grieve not
the Holy Spirit of God, whereby
ye are sealed unto the day of re-
demption. Let all bitterness, and
wrath, and anger, and clamour,
and evil-speaking, be put away
from you, with all malice. And
be ye kind one to another, ten-
der-hearted, forgiving one an-
other, even as God for Christ's
sake hath forgiven you.
The Gospel. St. Matth. 9. 1.
JESUS entered into a ship, and
passed over, and came into
his own city. And behold, they
brought to him a man sick of the
palsy, lying on a bed. And Jesus,
seeing their faith, said unto the
sick of the palsy, Son, be of good
cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee.
And behold, certain of the scribes
said within themselves, This man
blasphemeth. And Jesus, know-
ing their thoughts, said, Where-
fore think ye evil in your hearts ?
For whether is easier to say, Thy
sins be forgiven thee ? or to say,
Arise, and walk ? But that ye may
know that the Son of man hath
power on earth to forgive sins,
(then saith he to the sick of the
palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and
go unto thine house. And he
arose, and departed to his house.
But when the multitude saw it,
they marvelled, and glorified God,
who had given such power unto
men.
116
lows u vivid contrast between
the works of darkness and the
kingdom of light. It is itself an
exhortation, first, to " circum-
gpectness" (or strictness) of life,
" buying up "—that is, using tho-
roughly—the opportunity given
us in evil days," and searching
thoughtfully into the true will of
God; next, to abstinence from
the ruinous excess of drunken-
ness, superseding its wild excite-
ment by the enthusiasm of the
Spirit, which pours itself out in
the " psalms and hymns " of col-
lective worship, and " the spirit-
ual songs" of special adoration ;
lastly, to thankfulness for all
God s blessings, and mutual sub-
mission to each other for His
sake. Throughout it is an appeal
for self-discipline, but aa guided
by the higher " self-denial " of
devotion to God.
The Gospel is the Parable of
the Wedding Garment from St.
Matthew, with which we may
compare the Parable of the Great
Feast from St. Luke (see Gospel
for Second Sunday after Trinity).
(a) In the preparation of the
Feast, and the thankless rejec-
tion of it by the invited guests
(absorbed in the business of this
world) and in the gathering in
of new guests from the highways,
they are alike; in all else they
differ. (6) In this parable, for
example, the rejection of a king's
invitation is an insult, followed
up in some cases by outrage on
the servants, which is terribly
avenged ; and here the allusion
to the Jews' rejection of Our
Lord's invitation, their persecu-
tion of His servants, and their
utter ruin, is too clear to be mis-
taken, (e) But the characteristic
feature is the neglect by one of
the guests to put on the wedding
garment, provided always by the
bounty of the king, and the
punishment of exclusion and im-
prisonment in " the outer dark-
ness." The wedding garment to
us is the righteousness of Christ,
which we are to put on, and in
which alone we can approach to
the Marriage Feast of the Lord
(see the first Prefatory Exhor-
tation in the Service of Holy
Communion), (d) Our Lord's
comment, the same as after the
Parable of the Labourers in the
Vineyard, applies to both classes
of "the called "—those who re-
ject the invitation, and those who
.think to enjoy it unprepared.
&\t ftfotirtg-firj! Stmbag afttr ftrhritg.
The Collect is a twofold pray-
er—first, for pardon and cleans-
ing from sin, and, next, for peace,
by which we may be devoted to
God' 8 service, without fear or dis-
traction. The former is clearly
the entrance on the latter; for
(see Rom. v. 1-5) "being justi-
fied by faith we have peace with
God.'^
The Epistle is the grand
conclusion of the Epistle to the
Ephesians. It is (a) a vivid de-
scription of the struggle of Chris-
tian life— against "the wiles of
the devil "—against the "prin-
cipalities and powers " of his evil
angels— against " spiritual prin-
ciples of wickedness in heavenly
things." (Compare the record
of the Temptation of Our Lord. )
(6) Next follows exhortation to
put on the whole armour of God,
anticipated in brief in Rom. xiii.
12; 1 Thess. v. 8, 9, but here
worked out in vivid and detailed
117
reference to the armour of the
Roman soldier who kept the im-
prisoned Apostle— the girdle of
truth, the breastplate of righte-
ousness, the sandals of peace, the
shield of faith, the helmet of
salvation, and the sword of the
Spirit. (There is a remarkable
description, bearing some like-
ness to this, of the armour of
God, but as clothing the Lord
Himself, in Wisd. v. 17-20.) (c)
Lastly it is implied that this is
to be put on by the power of
prayer, for themselves and for
all saints; and (aa he adds) es-
pecially for himself, that in his
imprisonment he may still be the
ambassador of Christ, and have
boldness and utterance to speak
out the mystery of the Gospel,
The whole passage is a striking
specimen of the union of medita-
tive and half-poetic beauty with
impassioned earnestness, which
is so characteristic of this E-
pistle.
Efa fttoentiety Surttag after STrinitg.
The Collect. | are bidden, Behold, 1 have prepar-
0 ALMIGHTY and most mer-
ciful God, of thy bountiful
goodness keep us, we beseech thee,
from all things that may hurt us ;
that we, being ready both in body
and soul, may cheerfully accom-
plish those things that thou
wouldest have done; through Je-
sus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. Ephes. 5. 15.
SEP] then that ye walk circum-
spectly, not as fools, but as
wise, redeeming the time, because
the days are evil. Wherefore be
ye not unwise, but understanding
what the will of the Lord is. And
be not drunk with wine, wherein
is excess ; but be filled with the
Spirit ; speaking to yourselves in
psalms, and hymns, and spiritual
songs; singing and making me-
lody in your heart to the Lord ;
giving thanks always for all things
unto God and the Father, in the
Name of our Lord Jesus Christ ;
submitting yourselves one to an-
other in the fear of God.
The Gospel. St. Matth. 22. 1.
JESUS said, The Kingdom of
heaven is like unto a certain
king, who made a marriage for his
son ; and sent forth his servants
to call them that were bidden to
the wedding ; and they would not
come. Again, he sent forth other
servants, saying, Tell them wbich
&l)£ Ctoentg=fir»t Stmtoag after ©rmttg.
The Collect. I cipalities, against powers, against
C\ RANT, we beseech thee, mer- i the rulers of the darkness of this
ed my dinner ; my oxen and my
fatlings are killed, and all things
are ready; come unto the mar-
riage. But they made light of it,
and went their ways, one to his
farm, another to his merchandise :
and the remnant took his ser-
vants, and entreated them spite-
fully, and slew them. But when
the king heard thereof, he was
wroth ; and he sent forth his ar-
mies, and destroyed those mur-
derers, and burnt up their city.
Then saith he to his servants, The
wedding is ready, but they who
were bidden were not worthy. Go
ye therefore into the high- ways,
and as many as ye shall iind bid
to the marriage. So those ser-
vants went out into the high-ways,
and gathered together all, as many
as they found, both bad and good ;
and the wedding was furnished
with guests. And when the king
came in to see the guests, he saw
there a man which had not on a
wedding-garment. And he saith
unto him, Friend, how earnest
thou in hither, not having a wed-
ding-garment ? And he was speech-
less. Then said the king to the
servants, Bind him hand and foot,
and take him away, and cast him
into outer darkness: there shall
be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
For many are called, but few are
chosen.
VJ ciful Lord, to thy faithful
people pardon and peace, that
they may be cleansed from all
their sins, and serve thee with a
quiet mind ; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. Ephes. 6. If
MY brethren, be strong in the
Lord, and in the power of his
might. Put on the whole armour
of God, that ye may be able to
stand against the wiles of the de-
vil. For we wrestle not against
flesh and blood, but against prin-
world, against spiritual wicked-
ness in high places. Wherefore
take unto you the whole armour
of God, that ye may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and,
having done all, to stand. Stand
therefore, having your loins girt
about with truth ; and having on
the breast- plate of righteousness ;
and your feet shod with the pre-
paration of the Gospel of peace ;
above all, taking the shield of
faith, wherewith ye shall be able
to quench all the fiery darts of the
wicked; and take the helmet of
117
The Gospel is St. John's re-
cord of Our Lord's second mi-
racle in Galilee; where, as He
Himself says half-reproachfully.
miracles were especially needed
(as they were most largely grant-
ed) to draw men to faith in Him.
(The nobleman, properly " king's
officer," has been by conjecture
identified with " Clmza, Herod's
steward," whose wife ministered
to Our Lord. See Luke viii. 8.)
The miracle— in itself not unlike
the healing of the centurion's
servant (Matt. viii. 5-18), but re-
corded by no other Evangelist-
has a special interest in its de-
lineation of the various stages of
faith. The nobleman first be-
lieved in Our Lord's power, or
he would not have come to Him ;
next, without any visible sign of
fulfilment, he believed His pro-
mise, " Thy son liveth" ; lastly,
when that promise was realized,
he believed on Him with his
whole house, that is, accepted
Him as his Lord and Saviour.
We may trace here the stages
of faith marked in Christian
theology— Credo Christum, Credo
Christo, Credo in Christum. The
last— the full acceptance in trust
of the salvation of God in Him—
is the " justifying faith " of St.
Paul's teaching ; up to which
the lower stages of faith, that
He is what He is, and that His
word is truth, are designed to
lead.
£|)t gfotntg-BKonb Smibng after ftrinhg.
The Collect is a prayer for
the Church, as the household of
God, that it may be kept continu-
ally in " godliness "—the realiza-
tion, that is, of communion with
God— so as to be free from ad-
versity by His protection, and
devoutly given to His service.
The Epistle enters on the E-
pistle to the Philippians. It is
the opening of the Epistle ; (a)
an expression of St. Paul's un-
mixed thankfulness to God, on
behalf of the Philippian Church
—the moBt faithful of all his
Churches— for their unbroken
"fellowship in the Gospel" since
their first call ; and of his confi-
dence that God's grace, which
has begun, will complete the
good work in them. These are
grounded on the knowledge
which he treasures in his heart,
of the part taken by their loving
sympathy and help, in his bonds
and in his work for Christ. Next
follows (ft), a declaration of his
earnest longing for them in Chris-
tian love, and a prayer for them,
that to this enthusiastic energy
they may add the intellectual
gifts of knowledge and judgment,
so that, proving all things, they
may stand "without offence,"
and in full-grown righteousness,
at the great day. (Contrast with
this St. Paul's thanksgiving and
prayer for the Corinthians in E-
pistle for the Eighteenth Sun-
day.)
m
The Gospel is Our Lord's Pa-
rable of the Unmerciful Servant,
called out by St. Peter's enquiry
as to the limits of forgiveness— a
frequent enquiry in the schools
of Jewish morality, (a) In its
general scope it is clear, as an
enforcement of the unlimited
scope of forgiveness, and an il-
lustration of the petition, " For-
give us our trespasses, as we for-
give them that trespass against
us "—with a vivid contrast of the
greatness of our debt to God,
and the littleness of our neigh-
bour's debt to us. (6) But, since
the old debt forgiven is laid a-
gain on the unmerciful servant,
by an act, which in the case of a
mere money debt, would be un-
gracious and even unjust, the
parable teaches us— what indeed
the conditionality of the petition
in the Lord's Prayer implies—
that God's pardon of sin, though
freely given, cannot be effectu-
ally received in a hard and un-
forgiving heart. For the forgive-
ness of a moral debt must be
conditional on the right spiritual
state of the receiver. In this
point, indeed, lies its deeper
teaching ; as shewing us why the
faith, which is the condition of
our access to God's free salvation,
must " work by love " (Gal. v. 6) ;
for love is likeness to God, who
Himself is love, and is therefore
the sign of a real unity with
Christ (John xiii. 84 ; 1 John iv.
8, IP).
THE TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.
salvation, and the sword of the
Spirit, which is the Word of God :
praying always with all prayer
and supplication in the Spirit, and
watching thereunto with all per-
severance, and supplication for
all saints ; and for me, that utter-
ance may be given unto me, that
I may open my mouth boldly, to
make known the mystery of the
Gospel, for which I am an ambas-
sador in bonds; that therein I
may speak boldly, as I ought to
speak.
The Gospel. St. John 4. 46.
WHERE was a certain noble-
J- man, whose son was sick at
Capernaum. When he heard that
Jesus was come out of Judfea into
Galilee, he went unto him, and
besought him that he would come
down and heal his son ; for he was
at the point of death. Then said
W>t ©toentg=secorrti
The Collect.
LORD, we beseech thee to keep
thy household the Church in
continual godliness ; that through
thy protection it may be free from
all adversities, and devoutly given
to serve thee in good works, to
the glory of thy Name ; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The EpiMle. Phil. 1. 3.
I THANK my God upon every
remembrance of you, (always
in every prayer of mine for you all
making request with joy,) for your
fellowship in the Gospel from the
first day until now ; being confi-
dent of this very thing, that he
who hath begun a good work in
you will perform it until the day
of Jesus Christ ; even as it is meet
for me to think this of you all, be-
cause I have you in my heart, in-
asmuch as both in my bonds, and
in the defence and confirmation
of the Gospel, ye all are partakers
of my grace. For God is my re-
cord, how greatly I long after you
all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.
And this 1 pray, that your love
may abound yet more and more
in knowledge, and in all judg-
Jesus unto him, Except ye see
signs and wonders, ye will not be-
lieve. The nobleman saith unto
him, Sir, come down ere my child
die. Jesus saith unto him, Go
thy way, thy son liveth. And the
man believed the word that Jesus
had spoken unto him, and he
went his way. And, as he was
now going down, his servants met
him, and told him, saying, Thy
son liveth. Then enquired he of
them the hour when he began to
amend : and they said unto him,
Yesterday at the seventh hour
the fever left him. So the father
knew that it was at the same hour,
in the which Jesus said unto him,
Thy son liveth ; and himself be-
lieved, and his whole house. This
is again the second miracle that
I Jesus did, when he was come out
I of Judaja into Galilee.
&tmtoag after Crtnitg.
ment : that ye may approve things
that are excellent, that ye may be
sincere, and without offence, till
the day of Christ: being filled
with the fruits of righteousness,
which are by Jesus Christ, unto
the glory and praise of God.
The Gospel. St. Matth. 18. 21.
PETER said unto Jesus, Lord,
how oft shall my brother sin
against me, and I forgive him ?
till seven times ? Jesus saith unto
him, I say not unto thee, until
seven times; but until seventy
times seven. Therefore is the
Kingdom of heaven likened unto
a certain king, which would take
account of his servants. And when
he had begun to reckon, one was
brought unto him, which owed
him ten thousand talents. But
forasmuch as he had not to pay,
his lord commanded him to be
sold, and his wife and children,
and all that he had, and payment
to be made. The servant there-
fore fell down and worshipped
him, saying, Lord, have patience
with me, and I will pay thee all.
Then the lord of that servant was
moved with compassion, and loos-
118
&$t &fo«ntg-tj)irh Srmbag after Crinttg.
Th k Collect, appealing to God
as at once our refuge and strength
in danger and the author of all
godliness, asks that the prayers
of the Church may be always
heard— accepted, even if they be
not granted— and that what is
asked in faith may be obtained
in effect, if it be according to His
Will.
Thk Epistle is from the lat*er
part of St. Paul' 8 Epistle to tne
Philippians, which, to warning
against Judaizing self -righteous-
ness (see vt. 8-16), adds a still
more emphatic warning, even
with tears, against lawless pro-
fligacy (perverting, no doubt, his
doctrine of Christian freedom).
Those who preach this he de-
scribes as enemies of the Cross
—doomed to destruction, as wor-
shipping their belly, glorying in
what should be their shame, ab-
sorbed in earthly things. This
rebuke leads on to a glorious pic-
ture (in .contrast) of our "citi-
zenship in Heaven," and of our
sure and certain hope of its
perfection— changing even the
body of humiliation" to the
likeness of His " Body of Glory "
— when at His appearing He shall
complete the working, which
subdues all to Himself. (Comp.
1 Cor. xv. 24-28.)
The Gospel (probably in con-
nection with this " citizenship of
Heaven") is the record of the
ensnaring question about the tri-
bute and Our Lord's answer. It
will be noted (a) that He makes
His questioners answer them-
selves by producing the tribute-
money— the Roman coin bearing
Caasar's image— because the very
use of this was an acknowledg-
ment of the actual reign of Csesar,
and therefore of the duties which
it implies (comp. Bom. xiii. 1-7) ;
(ft i next, that He draws no mark-
ed line (as was perhaps expected)
between some things as ' things
of Csesar," and others as " thinsrs
of God" ; for the service of God,
embracing our whole soul and
life, includes and moulds the
lower service of Caesar, and what
are called the " secular " and the
" religious life " can no more be
separated than the body and the
soul; lastly (c) that, as usual,
His answer, while it is confusion
to the dishonest questioners, is
full of instruction to the thought-
ful and candid mind.
&{>e Kfoentg-fonrt^ Stmbag after ftrutitg.
The Collect is a prayer that
God will absolve His people from
their offences ; and it is to be
noted that it dwells on the effect
of His Absolution as a deliver-
ance, not so much from the guilt
of sin, as from the bondage, which
prayer for their growth in wis-
dom and understanding; in fruit-
fulness in the good works, which
are worthy of the Lord and in-
crease their knowledge of Him ;
in strength to endure all things
it brings with it, in the evil habit
which is like a demoniacal pos-
session of the soul.
The Epi8Tlb ends the series
of selections from St. Paul's E-
pistles with a passage from the
Epistle to the Colossians. It
forms the opening of the E-
pistle. It is first (a) a thanks-
giving for their faith, love, and
nope— springing as fruit from
the word of truth, received into
the soul by grace— reported to
him by Epaphras, his delegate,
and a faithful minister to them
(as also to Laodicea and Hier-
apoli8, see iv. 12, 13); next (6),
with patience and joy ; in thank-
fulness to God for their inherit-
ance of the kingdom of Heaven.
This prayer covers the whole
spiritual life— in knowledge, in
action, in endurance, and in de-
votion.
The Gospel is St. Matthew's
narrative of two miracles of Our
Lord on his return from Gadara,
with which the fuller accounts
in Mark v. 22-43 & Luke viii. 41-
56 may be compared. They are
miracles of deliverance from sick-
ness and death, symbolical of the
better deliverance from sin, for
which the Collect prays. We have
(a) the healing of the woman with
the issue of blood, which illus-
119
THE TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.
ed him, and forgave him the debt.
But the same servant went out,
and found one of his fellow-ser-
vants, which owed him an hun-
dred pence ; and he laid hands on
him, and took him by the throat,
saying, Pay me that thou owest.
And his fellow- servant fell down
at his feet, and besought him,
saying, Have patience with me,
and I will pay thee all. And he
would not ; but went and cast him
into prison, till he should pay the
debt. So when his fellow-servants
saw what was done, they were very
sorry, and came and told unto
Eije Stoentg=tl)irXf
The Collect.
OGOD, our refuge and strength,
who art the author of all god-
liness ; Be ready, we beseech thee,
to hear the devout prayers of thy
Church; and grant that those
things which we ask faithfully we
may obtain effectually; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. Phil. 3. 17.
BRETHREN, be followers to-
gether of me, and mark them
which walk so as ye have us for
an ensample. ( For many walk, of
whom I have told you often, and
now tell you even weeping, that
they are the enemies of the cross
of Christ ; whose end is destruc-
tion, whose god is their belly, and
whose glory is in their shame, who
mind earthly things.) For our
conversation is in heaven; from
whence also we look for the Sa-
viour, the Lord Jesus Christ ; who
shall change our vile body, that
it may be fashioned like unto his
glorious body, according to the
working whereby he is able even
their lord all that was done. Then
his lord, after that he bad called
him, said unto him, 0 thou wick-
ed servant, I forgave thee all that
debt, because thou desiredst me :
shouldest not thou also have had
compassion on thy fellow-servant,
even as I had pity on thee ? And
his lord was wroth, and delivered
him to the tormentors, till he
should pay all that was due unto
him. So likewise shall my hea-
venly Father do also unto you, if
ye from your hearts forgive not
every one his brother their tres-
passes.
Sunttag after ©rinitg.
to subdue all things unto him-
self.
The Gospel. St. Matth. 22. 15.
THEN went the Pharisees and
took counsel how they might
entangle him in his talk. And
they sent out unto him their dis-
ciples, with the Herodians, saying,
Master, we know that thou art
true, and teachest the way of God
in truth, neither carest thou for
any man : for thou regardest not
the person of men. Tell us there-
fore, what thinkest thou? Is it
lawful to give tribute unto Caesar,
or not ? But Jesus perceived their
wickedness, and said, Why tempt
ye me, ye hypocrites ? shew me the
tribute-money. And they brought
unto him a penny. And he saith
unto them, Whose is this image
and superscription ? They say un-
to him, Csesar's. Then saith he
unto them, Render therefore unto
Caesar the things which are Cae-
sar's ; and unto God the things
that are God's. When they had
heard these words, they marvelled,
and left him, and Went their way.
Sflfoe 3Ttomt2=fourtJ) Sunttaj after Crtmtg.
The Collect.
OLORD, we beseech thee, ab-
solve thy people from their
ofTences ; that through thy boun-
tiful goodness we may all be de-
livered from the bands of those
sins, which by our frailty we have
committed: Grant this, 0 hea-
venly Father, for Jesus Christ's
sake, our blessed Lord and Sa-
viour. A men.
The Epistle. Col 1. 3.
WE give thanks to God and
the Father of bur Lord Je-
sus Christ, praying always for you, '
119
tratcR remarkably the source and
conditions of healing to body or
soul . The source is independent
of all faith or unbelief, viz., the
virtue (i.e. power) which is in
Christ as the Incarnate Son of
God ; the condition of reception
is the touch of faith, which draws
out that virtue ; while without it
men " throng and press " round
in vain. The woman's faith was
timid, and perhaps supersti-
tious ; but it was real, and there-
fore accepted by Him. Next (6),
the raising of the ruler's ( Jairus')
daughter, notable as the first
raising of the dead by Our Lord,
in which He accepted (see Mark
v. 86) the faith of the father— en-
during in despite of apparent
hopelessness, and in face of the
incredulity of the mourners and
the people— for the blessing of
his child.
®He ftfoentn-fiftb £unbajt after ftrimtn.
This Sunday, by ancient prac-
tice, has been celebrated as a
kind of eve of Advent, antici-
pating the great Advent Lesson.
The Collect accordingly
seems to speak of the awaken-
ing or revival, in which God stirs
up the will to energy of service,
in bringing forth good works,
and so obtaining reward— both
" plenteous," the one in free love
to God, the other in His free
gift to us.
The Epistle is a passage from
the prophecies delivered by Jere-
miah after the captivity of Jeco-
niah. It is a prophecy (repeated
in xxxiii. 14-16) uttered in the
midst of ruin and sorrow, pro-
mising future deliverance and
greatness in the Kingdom of the
Messiah. As Son of Man, He is
called (as in Isa. xi. 1) "the
Branch" of the stem of Jesse.
But as Son of God, He is here,
" Jehovah our righteousness " ;
as in Isa. vii. 14 He is Emman-
uel, " God with us." (Compare
the sense of the name Jesus,
" Jehovah our Saviour.") But
these are foreshadowed in the
coming deliverance from the
Empire of Babylon, over which
Israel had been scattered— a de-
liverance which is to outshine in
theirgrateful remembrance even
the Exodus from Egypt- The
Advent promise of a Kingdom of
God, which is also a kingdom of
deliverance from the bondage of
sin to the freedom of righteous-
ness, here begins to be brought
out.
The Gospel is a repetition of
the Gospel for the Fourth Sun-
day in Lent (which see) . It seems
clear that it is used on this Sun-
day, the last of the Ecclesiastical
vear, in order to teach us to look
back on the rich feast of His
grace, which has in it been set
before us, and even now, by re-
pentance and prayer, " to gather
up the fragments" of what has
been wasted, that nothing may
be wholly lost.
(IV.) THE MINOR FESTIVALS OF THE CHURCH.
In these are included two of the minor celebrations connected
with the Manifestation of Our Lord— the Purification and the An-
nunciation. The rest are Saints' Days. These are, with few excep-
tions, the commemorations of the day of known or traditional
martyrdom . This is seen from a passage in the Letter of the Church
at Smyrna (c. xviii.) on the martyrdom of St. Polycarp, early in the
second century. " So we, having taken his bones .... out of
the fire, laid them to rest in a suitable place. There, as far as pos-
sible, assembling with exultation and joy, we shall by God's permis-
sion keep the birthday of his martyrdom, both for the memory of
those who have already fought the fight, and for the training and
preparation of those who are to come." These two original pur-
poses of commemoration and edification were mixed up in after
times with superstitious veneration of relics, and with invocation
and virtual worship of the Saints ; and the number of such celebra-
tions, often on a merely legendary basis, was inordinately increased
Our Prayer Book, preserving the primitive and natural celebration,
190
THE TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.
since we heard of your faith in
Christ Jesus, and of the love which
ye have to all the saints ; for the
hope which is laid up for you in
heaven, whereof ye heard hefore
In the word of the truth of the
Gospel ; which is come unto you,
as it is in all the world, and bring-
eth forth fruit, as it doth also in
you, since the day ye heard of it,
and knew the grace of God in
truth. As ye also learned of Epa-
phras, our dear fellow-servant,
who is for you a faithful minister
of Christ ; who also declared unto
us your love in the Spirit. For
this cause we also, since the day
we heard it, do not cease to pray
for you, and to desire that ye
might l>e tilled with the know-
ledge of his will in all wisdom and
spiritual understanding : that ye
might walk worthy of the Lord
unto all pleasing, being fruitful in
every good work, and increasing
in the knowledge of God ; strength-
ened with all might, according to
his glorious power, unto all pa-
tience and long-sutfering with joy-
fulness ; giving thanks unto the
Father, which hath made us meet
to be partakers of the inheritance
of the saints in light.
Tlte Gospel. St. Matth. 9. 18.
WHILE Jesus spake these
things unto John's disci-
ples, behold, there came a certain
ruler, and worshipped him, say-
ing, My daughter is even now
dead ; but come and lay thy hand
upon her, and she shall live. And
Jesus arose, and followed him,
and so did his disciples. (And be-
hold, a woman, which was diseas-
ed with an issue of blood twelve
years, came behind him, and
touched the hem of his garment ;
for "she said within herself, If I
may but touch his garment, I
shall be whole. But Jesus turned
him about, and, when he saw her,
he said, Daughter, be of good
comfort, thy faith hath made thee
whole. And the woman was made
whole from that hour.) And when
Jesus came into the ruler's house,
and saw the minstrels and the
people making a noise, he said
unto them, Give place ; for the
maid is not dead, but sleepeth.
And they laughed him to scorn.
But when the people were put
forth, he went in, and took her
by the hand, and the maid arose.
And the fame hereof went abroad
into all that land.
8$t ®toetttg=fiftf) .Suitfrag after GTrimtg.
The Collect.
STIR up, we beseech thee, O
Lord, the wills of thy faithful
people ; that they, plenteously
bringing forth the fruit of good
works, may of thee be plenteously
rewarded; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
For the Epistle. Jer. 23. 5.
BEHOLD, the days come, saith
the Lord, that I will raise
unto David a righteous Branch,
and a King shall reign, and pros-
per, and shall execute judgment
and justice in the earth. In his
days Judah shall be saved, and
Israel shall dwell safely : and this
Is his Name whereby he shall be
called. THE LORD OUR RIGH-
TEOUSNESS. Therefore behold,
the days come, saith the Lord,
that they shall no more say, The
Lord liveth, which brought up the
children of Israel out of the land
of Egypt ; but, The Lord liveth,
which brought up, and which led
the seed of the house of Israel
out of the north-country, and
from all countries whither I had
driven them ; and they shall dwell
in their own land.
The Gospel. St. John 6. 5.
WHEN Jesus then lift up his
eyes, and saw a great com-
pany come unto him, he saith
unto Philip, Whence shall we buy
bread that these may eat ? (And
this he said to prove him ; for he
himself knew what he would do.)
Philip answered him, Two hun-
dred penny-worth of bread is not
sufficient for them, that every one
of them may take a little. One
of his disciples, Andrew, Simon
120
removed all traces of tnese corruptions of its original simplicity,
and restricted the public celebration almost entirely to the Saints
of the New Testament.
Saint ginbrefo's
The festival of St. Andrew,
which is of very ancient observ-
ance, both in the East and in
the West, appropriately opens
the series, because he is the first
recorded disciple of Our Lord,
and in some sense His first E-
vangelist, as bringing to Him his
own greater brother, St. Peter
(John i. 40, 41). In the Gospel
narrative St. Andrew is noted
in association with the chosen
Three, at the call in Galilee
(Matt. iv. 19), and on occasion of
Our Lord's prediction of the fall
of Jerusalem (Mark xiii. S) ; and
in association with Philip, his
fellow-townsman, in the first call
in Judaea (John i. 40), at the
feeding of the five thousand
(John vi. 8), and at the coming
of the Greeks to Our Lord in the
Holy-Week (John xii. 22). Of
his special character and work
Scripture records nothing. Tra-
dition tells us of his preaching
in various quarters, and of his
crucifixion at Patrse, in Greece,
on a cross of the form which now
bears St. Andrew's name; and
legendary writings, claiming to
be "Acts of St. Andrew," were
current in the seventh century.
The Collect (composed in
1552, and replacing the Collect of
1549, which alluded to St. An-
drew's " sharp and painful death
upon the cross") refers to the
final call in Galilee, noting St.
Andrew as the type of true self-
devotion, and praying that we
may hear in the Word the same
Divine Voice, and give up our-
selves with a like unreserve to
the same Divine Will.
The Epistle is taken from
that section of the Epistle to the
Romans, which deals with the
turning away of Israel from the
Lord Jesus Christ, and shews
by repeated quotations, that it
extension of the call of God to
Jew and Gentile (with quotation
of Isa. xxviii. 16) ; next (6), it
speaks of the necessity of a
preacher to tell of the Saviour
and awaken faith, and of the
need and glory of the mission so
to preach the Gospel (with quo-
tation of Isa. lii. 7). In this we
have a picture of the Apostolic
word and mission. Lastly (c), it
tells of the refusal of the Gospel
message, as foretold by Isaiah
(liii. 1) ; although heard through
the whole world, like the voice
of Nature's witness to God (see
Ps. xix. 4) ; and that, too, in
spite of the prophecies of the
calling in of those hitherto aliens
(Deut. xxxii. 21 ; Isa. lxv. 1), and
of the disobedience and apostasy
of those who were the Lord's
people (Isa. lxv. 2). In this we
nave the picture of the resistance
and unbelief in the Gospel, for
which Christ's servants must be
prepared.
The Gospel is the record of
St. Andrew's final call (with St.
Peter, St. James, and St. John)
to full disci pleship. Before this
he had known and confessed Our
Lord as the Messiah (John i. 40,
41), but apparently had not yet
forsaken his calling as a fisher-
man to follow Him wholly, and
to be hereafter an Apostle and a
"fisher of men." It is on this
complete surrender of worldly
occupations and home ties that
stress is laid in the Collect.
The Proper Lessons from the
Old Testament simply set forth
(Isa. liv.) the proclamation of the
Kingdom of God to the Gentiles,
its blessing and its invincible
power, and (Isa. lxv. 1-17 1 its re-
jection by God's rebellious peo-
ple, excepting only the " elect " ;
and those from the New Testa-
ment record (John i. 35-43) St.
took place against the warning Andrew's first call, and (John xii
of their own Scriptures. It con
tains, first (a), a short incisive
description of the one condition
of acceptance — a faith deeply felt
and openly confessed— and of the
121
20-42) his announcement to Our
Lord of the coming of "certain
Greeks" to Him, and Our Lord's
teaching thereon of His death
and glorification.
SAINT ANDREWS DAY.
Peter's brother, saith unto him,
There is a lad here, which hath
five barley-loaves, and two small
fishes ; but what are they among
so many ? And Jesus said, Make
the men sit down. Now there was
much grass in the place. So the
men sat down, in number about
five thousand. And Jesus took
the loaves, and, when he had
given thanks, he distributed to the
disciples, and the disciples to them
that were set down, and likewise
of the fishes, as much as they
would. When they were filled,
he said unto his disciples, Gather
up the fragments that remain,
that nothing be lost. Therefore
they gathered them together, and
filled twelve baskets with the frag-
ments of the five barley-loaves,
which remained over and above
unto them that had eaten. Then
those men, when they had seen
the miracle that Jesus did, said,
This is of a truth that Prophet
that should come into the world.
f If there be any more Sundays 6c-
fore Advent- Sunday, the Service
of8ome of those Sundays that were
omitted after the Epiphany shall be
taken in to supply so many as are
here wanting. And if there be fewer,
the overplus may be omitted : Pro-
vided, that this last Collect, Epistle,
and Gospel shall always be used upon
the Sunday next before Advent.
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY God, who didst
- give such grace unto thy holy
Apostle Saint Andrew, that he rea-
dily obeyed the calling of thy Son
Jesus Christ, and followed him
without delay; Grant unto us
all, that we, being called by thy
holy Word, may forthwith give
up ourselves obediently to fulfil
thy holy commandments; through
the same Jesus Christ our Lord.
A men.
The Epistle. Rom. 10. 9.
IF thou shalt confess with thy
mouth the Lord Jesus, and
shalt believe in thine heart that
God hath raised him from the
dead, thou shalt be saved. For
with the heart man believeth
unto righteousness, and with the
mouth confession is made unto
salvation. For the Scripture saith,
Whosoever believeth on him shall
not be ashamed. For there is no
ditt'erence between the Jew and
the Greek: for the same Lord
over all is rich unto all that call
upon him. For whosoever shall
call upon the Name of the Lord
shall be saved. How then shall
they call on him, in whom they
have not believed ? And how shall
they believe in him, of whom they
have not heard ? And how shall
they hear without a preacher?
Saint Unttreto's Bag.
And how shall they preach, ex-
cept they be sent ? As it is written,
How beautiful are the feet of them
that preach the Gospel of peace,
and bring glad tidings of good
things ! But they have not all
obeyed the Gospel. For Esaias
saith, Lord, who hath believed
our report ? So then faith cometh
by hearing, and hearing by the
Word of God. But I say, Have
they not heard ? Yes verily, their
sound went into all the earth, and
their words unto the ends of the
world. But I say, Did not Israel
know ? First Moses saith, I will
provoke you to jealousy by them
that are no people, and by a fool-
ish nation I will anger you. But
Esaias is very bold, and saith, I
was found of them that sought
me not ; I was made manifest
unto them that asked not after
me. But to Israel he saith, All
day long I have stretched forth
my hands unto a disobedient and
gainsaying people.
Tite Gospel. St. Matth. 4. 18.
JESUS, walking by the sea of
Galilee, saw two brethren, Si-
mon called Peter, and Andrew his
brother, casting a net into the sea,
(for they were fishers;) and he
saith unto them, Follow me ; and
I will make you fishers of men.
And they straightway left their
nets, and followed him . And going
121
Saint Stomas % ^poutlt.
The name Thomaa in the He-
brew, as Dldymu* in the Greek,
simply means a "twin brother,"
and as St. Thomas is named in
all the catalogues with St. Mat-
thew (see Matt. z. S; Mark iii.
18; Lukevi. 15), he is sometimes
thought to have been his brother.
His character is marked in St.
John's Gospel by a few touches
— the desponding but devoted
affection ready to die with his
Master (John zi. 16) ; the blank
ignorance, in spite of all that he
had heard, whither Our Lord
should depart and by what way
(John xiv. 5) ; and the doubt of
the Resurrection, obstinate, but
overcome with absolute complete-
ness, and leading to the fullest of
all Apostolic confessions (John
zx. 28). Of his subsequent his-
tory Scripture has no record.
Early tradition carries him as a
missionary to Persia, and later
tradition even further east to
India, where it tells of his mar-
tyrdom. The ancient Christian-
ity, planted on the Malabar coast
in very early times, traces itself
traditionally to his Apostolic
preaching.
The Collect (composed in
1549) points the moral of the
Festival. It speaks of the doubt
of St. Thomas as overruled to
confirmation of faith; and, in
the spirit of Our Lord's words to
him, prays for a faith, perfect
and without doubt, which 6hall
not need, as his faith needed,
reproof. The way of "honest
doubt," craving for evidence of
truth, although not condemned,
is contrasted with the more ex-
cellent way of undoubting faith.
The Epistle is St. Paul's de-
scription to the Ephesians of the
call of the strangers to God's
covenant into the city and house-
hold of God. He pictures the
Church (perhaps with allusion to
the great Temple of Ephesus) as
a Temple of God, built upon the
Apostles and Prophets as foun-
dation (see Rev. zzi. 14) ; but he
describes Jesus Christ, as the
corner-stone, binding both foun-
dation and building in one ; and
not content with this metaphor,
declares how " in Him " the whole
Church grows to perfection, and
the individual stones are built up
together. The selection of the
Epistle may be suggested by the
completeness of the confession
of St. Thomas, greater even than
that of St. Peter, on which Our
Lord declared that He had built
His Church (Matt. xvi. 18).
The Gospel is the famous re-
cord (a) of St. Thomas's doubt,
refusing the witness of his bro-
ther Apostles, and craving for
tangible witness of his own
choice, not only of the substan-
tiality, but of the identity of the
body of the risen Lord; next (6),
of Our Lord's gracious conde-
scension to this desire, giving him
the evidence, which he had no
right to claim; thirdly (c). of
St. Thomas's instant confession,
rushing by reaction from doubt
into the fullest intuition of Our
Lord's true Godhead; lastly id),
of Our Lord's acceptance of this
faith— which was really faith, be-
cause its inference went far be-
yond what sight and touch could
prove— but of His gentle rebuke
of the preceding doubt, and His
higher blessing on those who,
without sight, are yet ready to
believe.
The Proper Lessons describe
(Job xlii. 1-7) the conversion of
Job, by "seeing" God, to repent-
ance and self-abasement, and
(Isa. xxxv.) the glory of the
Kingdom of God, strengthening
the weak and comforting them
"that are of a fearful heart";
and record (John xx. 19-24) the
appearance of Our Lord, preced-
ing that to St. Thomas, and
(John ziv. 1-8) St. Thomas's de-
sponding question, answered by
Our Lord's declaration of Him-
self, as "the Way, the Truth,
and the Life."
C^t Conbtrgiott of £t. £aaL
The Festival of this Apostle is
not, as usual, of the day of his
martyrdom (which by tradition
is said to have been the same as
that of St. Peter), but of his mi-
raculous Conversion; and it is
122
SAINT THOMAS THE APOSTLE.
on from thence he saw other two
brethren, James the son of Zebe-
dee, and John his brother, in a
ship with Zebedee their father,
Saint Cfcomas
The Collect.
AL M I G H T Y and everliving
God, who for the more con-
firmation of the faith didst suffer
thy holy Apostle Thomas to be
doubtful in thy Son's resurrec-
tion ; Grant us so perfectly, and
without all doubt, to believe in thy
Son Jesus Christ, that our faith in
thy sight may never be reproved.
Hear us, O Lord, through the
same Jesus Christ, to whom, with
thee and the Holy Ghost, be all
honour and glory, now and for
evermore. Amen.
The Epistle. Ephes. 2. 19.
NOW therefore ye are no more
strangers and foreigners, but
fellow-citizens with the saints, and
of the household of tiou , and are
built upon the foundation of the
Apostles and Prophets, Jesus
Christ himself being the chief
corner-stone ; in whom all the
building, fitly framed together,
groweth unto an holy temple in
the Lord ; in whom ye also are
buildcd together for an habitation
of God, through the Spirit.
The Gospel. St. John 20. 24.
THOMAS, one of the twelve,
called Didymus, was not with
H!H)t dTonfocrsion
The Collect.
OGOD, who, through the preach-
ing of the blessed Apostle
Saint Paul, hast caused the light
of the Gospel to shine throughout
the world ; Grant, we beseech
thee, that we, having his wonder-
ful conversion in remembrance,
may shew forth our thankfulness
unto thee for the same, by follow-
ing the holy doctrine which he
taught ; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
For the Epistle. Acts 9. 1.
AND Saul, yet breathing out
• threatening!? and slaughter
mending their nets ; and he call-
ed them. And they immediately
left the ship and their father, and
followed him.
tye Apostle.
them when Jesus came. The other
disciples therefore said unto him,
We have seen the Lord. But he
said unto them, Except I shall see
in his hands the print of the nails,
and put my finger into the print
of the nails, and thrust my hand
into his side, I will not believe.
And after eight days again his dis-
ciples were within, and Thomas
with them : then came Jesus, the
doors being shut, and stood in the
midst, and said, Peace be unto
you. Then saith he to Thomas,
Iteach hither thy finger, and be-
hold my hands ; and reach hither
thy hand, and thrust it into my
side ; and be not faithless, but be-
lieving. And Thomas answered
and said unto him, My Lord, and
my God. Jesus saith unto him,
Thomas, because thou hast seen
me, thou hast believed ; blessed
are they that have not seen, and
yet have believed. And many
other signs truly did Jesus in the
presence of his disciples, which
are not written in this book. But
these are written, that ye might
Ixilieve that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God ; and that believing
ye might have life through his
Name.
of Saint $aul.
against the disciples of the Lord,
went unto the high priest, and de-
sired of him letters to Damascus to
the synagogues, that, if he found
any of this way, whether they were
men or women, he might bring
them bound unto Jerusalem. And,
as he journeyed, he came near Da-
mascus, and suddenly there shin-
ed round about him a light from
heaven. And he fell to the earth,
and heard a voice saying unto
him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest
thou me ? And he said, Who art
thou, Lord ? And the Lord said,
I am Jesus whom thou persecut'
122
upon this, rather than on his
wonderful character and work,
that the Services lay stress. For
that Conversion was historically
the most important event in the
Church after the Day of Pente-
cost, and spiritually is most full
of encouragement and instruc-
tion, as one of the greatest ex-
hibitions of the infinite power of
God's grace.
The Collect (suggested by the
old Sarum Collect), alluding to
the world-wide scope of St. Paul's
Apostolic work, prays that we
may rightly commemorate his
Conversion, and shew thankful-
ness for it, by following the holy
teaching to which it led.
The Epistle is the record of
St. Paul's Conversion, as it oc-
curs in the narrative of the Acts,
with which his own two recitals
of it (Acts xxii. 1-21: xxvi. 1-23)
may be oompared. It is impos-
sible not to observe the remark-
ably simple and graphic style of
the record, full of vivid and mi-
nute detail, and with no trace
whatever of imagination. We
may note (a) that the opportu-
tunity for persecution at Damas-
cus was supplied by the chance
possession of the city by king
Aretas (2 Cor. xi. 82), who court-
ed the favour of the Jews in his
struggle with Herod Antipas ;
(6) that the actual vision of the
Risen and Ascended Lord was to
St. Paul, not only the source of
conversion, but the credential of
Apostleship (see 1 Cor. ix. 1 ; xv.
8) ; that (e) the blindness from
excess of light (of which it has
been thought that he bore traces
through his whole life) was at
once a humbling chastisement,
and an opportunity for silent
self-communing and repentance ;
that (d ) his- zeal urged him at
once to preach the Gospel both
at Damascus and at Jerusalem,
but that God ordained a further
period of retirement for him— in
the former case in Arabia (Gal.
i. 17), in the latter at Tarsus
(Acts ix. 29, SO)— before his A-
postolic work should really be-
gin ; (e) that he is declared to be
a " chosen vessel," " separated,"
as he himself says in Gal. i. 15,
"from his mother's womb," for
a world - wide ministry ; and,
whereas he asks, " What wilt thou
have me do ? " he is taught " how
great things he must suffer";
that (/), even after his miracu-
lous Conversion, he was bidden
to enter the Church, and "re-
ceive the Holy Ghost " through
the appointed way of Baptism;
and that (g) the Conversion «eems
to have stayed the persecution
of which he had been the head,
and given the Churches rest (see
Acts ix. 81).
The Gospel is Our Lord's
answer to St. Peter's question,
" What shall we have therefore? "
— a question rebuked ( see Maft.
xx. 1-16) by the Parable of the
Labourers in the Vineyard, but.
yet drawing forth a promise,
first, of infinite glory and dignity
in Heaven at the " regeneration
or (see Acts iii. 21) restitution of
all things, and, next, of recom-
pense even in this life (see Mark
x. 80) for every sacrifice of earth-
ly treasures made for Him. Its
applicability to the Apostle, who,
above all others, sacrificed most,
and that with joy (see Phil. iii.
4-8), is obvious. But perhaps the
special appropriateness is found
in the final declaration that " the
last shall be first" (comp. St.
Paul's own words in 1 Cor. xv.
8-10).
The Proper Lessons are (Isa.
xlix. 1-18) a prophetic picture of
the rejection of the Saviour by
the Jews and His acceptance by
the Gentiles; (Jer. i. 1-11) the
record of the call of Jeremiah, or-
dained " from the womb " ( comp.
Gal. i. 15) to be the witness for
God. in a strength made perfect
in weakness (comp. 2 Cor. xii. 9) ;
(Gal. i. 1-llj St. Paul's declara-
tion of his own direct mission
from Christ Himself; and (Acts
xxvi. 1-21) his narrative of his
conversion, and pleading of its
significance, before Agrippa.
&\t $urifuation of £5i. $$arn i\t Virgin.
The alternative title ("the
Presentation of Christ in the
Temple"), though not used in
123
common parlance, suggests the
lesson drawn in all the Services
of the day. It carries out, in-
THE PURIFICATION OF SAINT MARY.
est : it is hard for thee to kick
against the pricks. And he, trem-
bling and astonished, said, Lord,
what wilt thou have me to do?
And the Lord said unto him, Arise,
and go into the city, and it shall
be told thee what thou must do.
And the men which journeyed
with him stood speechless, hearing
a voice, hut seeing no man. And
Saul arose from the earth, and
when his eyes were opened he
saw no man ; but they led him by
the hand, and brought him into
Damascus. And he was three
flays without sight, and neither
did eat nor drink. And there was
a certain disciple at Damascus,
named Ananias, and to him said
the Lord in a vision, Ananias.
And he said, Behold, I am here,
Lord. And the Lord said unto
him, Arise, and go into the street
which is called Straight, and en-
quire in the house of Judas for
one called Saul, of Tarsus : for
behold, he prayeth, and hath seen
in a vision a man named Ananias,
coming in, and putting his hand
on him, that he might receive his
sight. Then Ananias answered,
Lord, I have heard by many of
this man, how much evil he hath
done to thy saints at Jerusalem ;
and here he hath authority from
the chief priests to bind all that
call on thy Name. But the Lord
said unto him, Go thy way ; for
he is a chosen vessel unto me, to
bear my Name before the Gen-
tiles, and kings, and the children
of Israel : for I will shew him how-
great things he must suffer for my
Name's sake. And Ananias went
his way, and entered into the
house ; and, putting his hands on
him, said, Brother Saul, the Lord,
(even Jesus that appeared unto
thee in the way as thou earnest,)
hath sent me, that thou mightest
receive thy sight, and be filled with
the Holy Ghost. And immediate-
ly there fell from his eyes as it had
been scales ; and he received sight
forthwith, and arose, and was bap-
tized. And when he had received
meat, he was strengthened. Then
was Saul certain days with the
disciples which were at Damascus.
And straightway he preached
Christ in the synagogues, that he
is the Son of God. But all that
heard him were amazed, and said,
Is not this he that destroyed them
which called on this Name in Je-
rusalem, and came hither for that
intent, that he might bring them
bound unto the chief priests?
But Saul increased the more in
strength, and confounded the Jews
which dwelt at Damascus, proving
that this is very Christ.
The Gospel. St. Matth. 19. 27.
PETER answered and said un-
to Jesus, Behold, we have for-
saken all, and followed thee ; what
shall we have therefore? And
Jesus said unto them, Verily I say
unto you, That ye which have
followed me, in the regeneration
when the Son of man shall sit in
the throne of his glory, ye also
shall sit upon twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
And every one that hath forsaken
houses, or brethren, or sisters, or
father, or mother, or wife, or
children, or lands, for my Name's
sake, shall receive an hundred-
fold, and shall inherit everlasting
life. But many that are first shall
be last, and the last shall be first.
THE PRESENTATION OP CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE,
COMMONLY CALLED,
Stye purification of Saint JWarn. fye Vixgin.
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY and everliving
God, we humbly beseech thy
Majesty, that, as thy only-begotten
Son was this day presented in the
temple in substance of our flesh,
so we may be presented unto thee
with pure and clean hearts, by the
same thy Son Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
123
deed, the original idea of the
Festival. For it was called the
Hypapante or "Meeting" (with
Simeon and Anna) on its first
institution in the East, and only
received the name of the Puri-
fication " in the West and much
later. Its date is necessarily
fixed by Christmas. The name
"Candlemas Day" is derived
from the custom of a procession
with torches— superseding lit is
thought) the heathen festival of
torches to Ceres in the early part
of Febr nary— clearly celebrating
the coming of the true " light to
lighten the Gentiles," and also
(according to some ancient au-
thorities) the going out with
lamps to meet the Bridegroom.
The Collect is a translation
of the old Barum Collect (taken
from the Sacramentary of Gela-
sius) dwelling on Our Lord's
presentation as a dedication of
His true humanity to God, and
praying that we, being justified
and sanctified through Him, may
be presented in like self-dedica-
tion.
The Epistle, inserted in 1662
from the Sarum Missal (the E-
pistle for the preceding Sunday
having been used up to this time),
is the celebrated prophecy in
Malachi of the Coming of * the
Lord," "the messenger of the
Covenant," to His Temple, after
His way has been duly prepared.
But it is notable that, in accord-
ance with the general austerity
of Malachi's prophecy, His Com-
ing is looked upon as one which
sinful humanity can hardly a-
bide— as a refiner's fire, dividing
the evil from the good and purg-
ing those who shall be permitted
to offer sacrifice— as a Coming in
Judgment, witnessing against
the unholy, the unjust, and the
profane. With the first Coming
in great humility the prophecy
therefore blends the idea of the
second Coming in Judgment.
The Gospel is St. Luke's re
cord of the Presentation in the
Temple, in obedience to Exod.
xxii. 29 (the dedication of the
first-born), with the sacrifice for
Purification as offered by the
poor (see Lev. xii. 8). In both
we have exnmples of the "obe-
dience to the Law for man," in
which He is made the type of
our humanity. For He, as the
Son of God, could need no con-
secration, and His miraculous
Birth by the overshadowing
Power of the Holy Ghost, could
bring with it no necessity for
Purification. The lessons of the
day are pointed briefly by the
proclamation, through Anna, of
His redemption, and more fully
by the aged Simeon, both in the
NuncDimittit, hailing "the Light
of the Gentiles " and " the glory
of Israel," and in the prophecy
of the future distinction of be-
liever and unbeliever, and the
suffering of the Saviour, piercing
the loving Mother's heart like a
sword. In the one we have the
lesson of the Incarnation, in the
other of the Cross. The close of
the Gospel marks the growth of
His humanity under the Spirit
of God, from the one to prepara-
tion for the other.
The Proper Lessons are
(Exod. xiii. 1-17) the law of the
dedication of the first-born in
connection with the first Pass-
over, and (Hag. ii. 1-10) the de-
claration (not unlike that of
Malachi) of the greater glory of
the Second Temple, because in
it the Peace of God should be
given.
Saint gftattbias's gag.
Of St. Matthias we learn liter-
ally nothing from Holy Scripture
except his election to Apostle-
ship. Tradition speaks of his
preaching and martyrdom in
Cappadocia. His festival in the
Eastern Church is kept on Au-
gust 9th, and its use in the
West seems to be later than in
the case of other Apostolic Festi-
vals.
The Collect (composed in
1649) seizes on the one great
lesson of the day, the fall of
Judas and the substitution of
Matthias, and so prays against
false Apostles and for faithful
and true pastors.
The Epistle is the record of
the appointment of St. Matthias
at the instance of St. Peter, from
among the hundred and twenty
124
SAINT MATTHIAS'S DAY.
For Uie Epistle. Mai. 3. 1.
BEHOLD, I will send my mes-
senger, and he shall prepare
the way before me : and the Lord,
whom ye seek, shall suddenly
come to his temple ; even the mes-
senger of the covenant, whom ye
delight in ; behold, he shall come,
saith the Lord of hosts. But who
may abide the day of his coming ?
and who shall stand when he ap-
peareth ? for he is like a refiner's
fire, and like fullers' soap. And
he shall sit as a refiner and puri-
fier of silver ; and he shall purify
the sons of Levi, and purge them
as gold and silver, that they may
offer unto the Lord an offering in
righteousness. Then shall the of-
ferings of Judah and Jerusalem
be pleasant unto the Lord, as in
the days of old, and as in former
years. And I will come near to
you to judgment, and I will be a
swift witness against the sorcer-
ers, and against the adulterers,
and against false swearers, and
against those that oppress the
hireling in his wages, the widow,
and the fatherless, and that turn
aside the stranger from his right,
and fear not me, saith the Lord
of hosts.
The Gospel. St. Luke 2. 22.
AND when the days of her pu-
rification, according to the
Law of Moses, were accomplished,
they brought him to Jerusalem,
to present him to the Lord; (as
it is written in the Law of the
Lord, Every male that openeth
the womb shall be called holy to
the Lord ;) and to offer a sacri-
fice, according to that which is
said in the Law of the Lord, A
pair of turtle-doves, or two young
pigeons. And behold, there was a
man in Jerusalem, whose name
was Simeon ; and the same man
was just and devout, waiting for
the consolation of Israel : and the
Holy Ghost was upon him. And
it was revealed unto him by the
Holy Ghost, that he should not
see death, before he had seen the
Lord's Christ. And he came by
the Spirit into the temple ; and
when the parents brought in the
child Jesus, to do for him after
the custom of the Law, then took
he him up in his arms, and bless-
ed God, and said, Lord, now let-
test thou thy servant depart in
peace, according to thy word :
for mine eyes have seen thy sal-
vation, which thou hast prepared
before the face of all people ; a
light to lighten the Gentiles, and
the glory of thy people Israel.
And Joseph and his mother mar-
velled at those things which were
spoken of him. And Simeon bless-
ed them, and said unto Mary his
mother, Behold, this child is set
for the fall and rising again of
many in Israel; and for a sign
which shall be spoken against ;
(yea, a sword shall pierce through
thy own soul also ;) that the
thoughts of many hearts may be
revealed. And there was one Anna
a prophetess, the daughter of Pha-
nuel, of the tribe of Aser ; she was
of a great age, and had lived with
an husband seven years from her
virginity : and she was a widow of
about fourscore and four years ;
which departed not from the tem-
ple, but served God with fastings
and prayers night and day. And
she coming in that instant gave
thanks likewise unto the Lord,
and spake of 1dm to all them that
looked for redemption in Jerusa-
lem. And when they had perform-
ed all things according to the Law
of the Lord, they returned into
Galilee to their own city Naza-
reth. And the child grew, and
waxed strong in spirit, filled with
and the grace of God
wisdom ;
was upon him.
Saint JWattfyas's Bag.
The Collect. I Matthias to be of the number of
0 ALMIGHTY God, who into the twelve Apostles ; Grant that
the place of the traitor Judas thy Church, being alway preserv-
didst choose thy faithful servant I ed from false Apostles, may be
m
disciples who had gathered round
the Twelve. We note (a) that
the apostasy of Judas is describ-
ed by St. Peter as a fulfilment
of the typical utterances of the
Psalmist (Pa. lxix. 25 and cix. 7)
against the traitors and enemies
of God, although we need not
suppose that this was known to
the utterer ; (6 » that the descrip-
tion of the end of Judas (which
may perhaps be a note of the
historian rather than a part of
St. Peter's speech) is, with our
present knowledge, only to be
harmonized by conjecture with
Matt, xxvii. 8-8, although such
conjectural harmony is not diffi-
cult ; i r) that St. Matthias is spo-
ken of as " one who had compa-
nied " with the Apostles through
the whole of Our Lord's Ministry
(by old and probable conjecture
one of the Seventy), and that the
Apostolic mission is described
emphatically as a "witness of
the Resurrection" (comp. Acts
ii. 22-88 ; iii. 15-21, Ac, &c.) ; (ri)
that the choice between two,
both selected as fit for the charge,
by lot after solemn prayer to God,
as "knowing the hearts of all
men," was in accordance with
the idea of Prov. xvi. 83, and with
ancient practice (see Num. xxvi.
55: xxxiii. 51; Josh. vii. 15-18;
1 Sam. x. 20, 21 ; xiv. 88-42).
The Gospel is that remarkable
glimpse of the deeper teaching
of Our Lord (such as pervades
the Gospel according to St. John)
given us by St. Matthew, as also
by St. Luke (Luke x. 21-24). It
occurs in St. Luke in connection
with the mission of the Seventy,
whence perhaps the choice of it
for St. Matthias's Day. In it
Our Lord (a) declares His Gos-
pel, hidden from the wise of this
world, to be revealed to the sim-
plicity of babes (comp. Matt,
xviii. 8 ; xix. 14 ; 1 Cor. i. 28-29 ;
ii. 1-10) ; (b) He asserts His sole
Mediation, both in the Revela-
tion of the Father (comp. John
i. 18 ; vi. 44-46, &c.),and the pos-
session in His Kingdom of all
things " delivered unto Him
(comp. John iii. 35 ; xiii. 3 ; xvi.
15) ; and (c) He bids all who tra-
vail to come to Him, to take His
easy yoke and light burden upon
them, to follow Him in meekness
and lowliness, and so only to have
rest. In all these things He speaks
in words which could belong to
no mere man, but only to the In-
ternal Son of God.
The Proper Lessons are
(1 Sam. ii. 27-36) the message
of rebuke and condemnation
through the " man of God " to
Eli, and (Isa. xxii. 15-25) the
message of Isaiah, of rebuke to
Shebna. the type of worldliness,
of blessing to Eliakim, the type
of the true servants of God.
&be Srmmuiation of tj>t fllesseb tfirgtn 3$arn.
This Festival (fixed in date by
Christmas) is of early origin ; it
was apparently an old established
Festival in the seventh century-
Like the Purification, it is pro-
perly a Festival of Our Lord
Jesus Christ, and this idea is
preserved in the Collect. But,
since it dwells on the Blessed
Virgin, as highly favoured of the
Lord, it naturally passed into a
commemoration of her; and (as
is shewn by its popular name
"Lady Day") became the chief
of the various Festivals, which in
later times marked the ever-in-
creasing reverence directed to-
wards the Mother of the Lord.
Out of this natural reverence
have unhappily resulted a mass
of extraordinary legend, and a
veneration which has become ac-
tual worship, and has practically
trenched on the sole Mediation
of Our Lord Himself. But it is
beyond all dispute that Holy
Scripture and primitive anti-
quity, while they bring out her
blessedness and dignity, give no
vestige of authority for all that
has gone beyond this, either in
the Eastern or in the Western
Church.
The Collect is a summary in
prayer of the whole Manifesta-
tion of Our Lord Jesus Christ on
earth. It tells of His Incarna-
tion, known by the angel's mes-
sage, and goes on (perhaps in
consideration of the occurrence
of the Festival in Lent, and near
Holv-Week and Easter) to pray
that through His Passion we may
125
THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY.
ordered and guided by faithful
and true pastors ; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. A men.
For the Epistle. Acts 1. 15.
IN those days Peter stood up in
the midst of the disciples, and
said, (the number of the names
together were alxmt an hundred
and twenty,) Men and brethren,
this Scripture must needs have
been fulfilled, which the Holy
Ghost by the mouth of David
spake before concerning Judas,
which was guide to them that
took Jesus : for he was number-
ed with us, and had obtained part
of this ministry. Now this man
purchased a field with the reward
of iniquity ; and falling headlong
he burst asunder in the midst,
and all his bowels gushed out.
And it was known unto all the
dwellers at Jerusalem, insomuch
as that field is called in their pro-
per tongue, Aceldama, that is to
say, The field of blood. For it is
written in the book of Psalms,
Let his habitation be desolate,
and let no man dwell therein ;.
and, His bishoprick let another
rake. Wherefore, of these men
which have companied with us all
the time that tiie Lord Jesus went
in and out among us, beginning
from the baptism of John, unto
that same day that lie was taken
up from us, must one be ordain-
Hfyt Annunciation of t\)t
The Collect.
WE beseech thee, 0 Lord, pour
thy grace into our hearts ;
that, as we have known the in-
carnation of thy Son Jesus Christ
by the message of an angel, so by
his cross and passion we may be
brought unto the glory of his
resurrection ; through the same
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Epistle. Isaiah 7. 10.
MOREOVER, the Lord spake
again unto Ahaz, saying, Ask
thee a sign of the Lord thy God ;
ask It either in the depth, or in
the height above. But Ahaz said,
ed to be a witness with us of his
resurrection. And they appointed
two, Joseph called Barsabas, who
was surnamed Justus, and Mat-
thias. And they prayed, and said,
Thou, Lord, which knowest the
hearts of all men, shew whether
of these two thou hast chosen;
that he may take part of this mi-
nistry and apostleship, from which
Judas by transgression fell, that
he might go to his own place. And
they gave forth their lots; and
the lot fell upon Matthias, and
lie was numbered with the eleven
Apostles.
The Gospel. St. Matth. 11. 25.
AT that time Jesus answered
and said, I thank thee, 0 Fa-
ther, 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. All things arc
delivered unto me of my Father :
and no man knoweth the Son, but
the Father; neither knoweth a:iy
man the Father, save the Son, and
he to whomsoever the Son will re-
veal him. Come unto me, all ye
that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Take my
yoke upon you, and learn of me ;
for I am meek and lowly in heart :
and ye shall find rest unto your
souls. For my yoke is easy, and
my burden is light.
13UssrtJ Uirgin JHarg.
I will not ask, neither will I tempt
the Lord. And he said, Hear ye
now, 0 house of David ; Is it a
small thing for you to weary men,
but will ye weary my God also?
Therefore the Lord himself shall
give you a sign ; Behold, a Virgin
shall conceive, and bear a son, and
shall call his name Immanuel.
Butter and honey shall he eat,
that he may know to refuse the
evil, and choose the good.
The Gospel. St. Luke 1. 26.
AND in the sixth month the
angel Gabriel was sent from
God unto a city of Galilee named
Nazareth, to a Virgin espoused to
125
share the glory of His Resurrec-
tion.
The Epistle is the great pro-
phecy of Isaiah to Ahae of the
Virgin - born ' ' Emmanuel " — a
prophecy probably having (see
v. 16) some immediate typical
fulfilment, but in its ultimate
meaning known by the Jews to
be Messianic, and applied in
Matt. i. 23 to the birth of Our
Lord. It is to be noted that it
belongs to that highest phase of
Messianic prophecy, which looks
upon the Messiah not merely as
the perfect Son of Man, " refus-
ing the evil and choosing the
good," but rather as the mani-
festation on earth of " God with
us."
The Gospel is the record by
St. Luke of the Annunciation
itself. In it we may note, (a)
the Angelic Salutation, "Hail!
thou that art highly graced " or
" favoured," which clearly refers
not to character but to privilege ;
while, on the other hand, " Bless-
ed art thou among women" is
a phrase illustrated by v. 45.
" Blessed is she that believed,
and by Our Lord's teaching,
" Yea, rather, blessed are they
that hear the Word of God and
keep it " (Luke xi. 28). The one
dwells on God's favour ; the other
implies the reception of it in
humble faith, (b) The Angelic
Promise ; first, of the birth of
Jesus, " the Lord the Saviour,"
in His essential nature the *' Son
of the Highest," in the human-
ity, which He assumed, the Son
of David, heir of the promise
(2 Sam. vii. 12-16) which an-
nounced Him a King for ever;
next, the declaration that this
birth shall be by the overshadow-
ing power of the Holy Ghost, so
that the child shall be indeed,
not only the "seed of the wo-
man," but the Son of God. (<?)
The reception of the blessing, in
singular calmness of faith (such
as expresses itself in the Magni-
ficat), losing all sense of personal
littleness in the adoring con-
sciousness of God's favour. In
this lies the special beauty of
the character of the Blessed Vir-
gin, as the highest type of pure
and trustful womanhood.
The Proper Lessons are (Gen.
iii. 1-16) the history of the Fall,
ending in the first promise of the
seed of the woman, who "shall
bruise the serpent's head " ; and
(Isa. Hi. 7-13) the proclamation
of the good tidings of Peace to
Zion.
Saint park's g)an.
St. Mark the Evangelist— al-
most certainly the " Marcus, my
son " of 1 Pet. v. 13— is known by
early and trustworthy tradition
to have been the amanuensis of
St. Peter in his Gospel, and in
it to have given to the world,
shortly after the Apostle's death,
probably the oldest, certainly the
simplest and most graphic, of
the Gospels. Later tradition,
less assured, makes him Bishop
and martyr at Alexandria, and
the great Alexandrine Liturgy
bears his name. He is generally,
but not certainly, identified with
the "John, whose surname is
Mark," son of the Mary to whose
house St. Peter repaired after his
deliverance from prison (Acts xii.
12). and nephew of St. Barnabas.
This Mark was "minister" to
St. Paul and St. Barnabas in
part of their first missionary
journey; but left them at Perga,
and was therefore on the second
journey rejected by St. Paul (with
the effect of division from St.
Barnabas), and subsequently be-
came companion of St. Barnabas
in Cvprus (Acts xiii. 4, 13; xv.
36-39). Afterwards it is clear
from Col. iv. 10; Philemon 24:
and 2 Tim. iv. 11, that he was
gradually restored to St. Paul's
confidence, and sent for to min-
ister to him in his last imprison-
ment.
The Collect (suggested by
the old Collect taken from the
Sacramentary of Gregory, but
considerably altered therefrom)
dwells emphatically on the hea-
venly doctrine of the Gospel of
St. Mark, and quoting from the
Epistle, prays for the gift of
thoughtful steadfastness in the
truth, untouched by childish fic-
kleness and impressibility.
The Epistle is the conclusion
of the doctrinal section of the
Epistle to the Ephesians, imme-
SAINT MARK'S DAY.
a man whose name was Joseph, I over the house of Jacob for ever;
of the house of David : and the and of his kingdom there shall be
Virgin's name was Mary. And no end. Then said Mary unto the
the angel came in unto her, and j angel, How shall this be, seeing I
know not a man ? And the angel
said, Hail, thou that art highly
favoured, the Lord is with thee ;
blessed art thou among women.
And when she saw him sbe was
troubled at his saying, and cast in
her mind what manner of saluta-
tion this should be. And the an-
gel said unto her, Fear not, Mary ;
For thou hast found favour with
(rod. And behold, thou shalt con-
ceive in thy womb, and bring forth
a Son, and shalt call his name
JESUS. He shall be great, and
shall be called the Son of the
Highest ; and the Lord God shall
give unto him the throne of his
father David. And he shall reign
answered and said unto her, The
Holy Ghost shall come upon thee,
and the power of the Highest shall
overshadow thee: therefore also
that holy thing which shall be
born of thee shall be called the
Son of God. And behold, thy
cousin Elisal)eth, she hath also
conceived a son in her old age;
and this is the sixth month with
her who was called barren: for
with God nothing shall be impos-
sible. And Mary said, Behold the
handmaid of the Lord ; be it unto
me according to thy word. And
the angel departed from her.
Saint PUrlt's ©ag.
The Collect.
0 ALMIGHTY God, who hast
instructed thy holy Church
with the heavenly doctrine of thy
Evangelist Saint Mark ; Give us
grace, that, being not like children
carried away with every blast of
vain doctrine, we may be esta-
blished in the truth of thy holy
Gospel ; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
The EpMle. Ephes. 4. 7.
UNTO every one of us is given
grace, according to the mea-
sure of the gift of Christ. Where-
fore he saith, When he ascended
up on high, he led captivity cap-
tive, and gave gifts unto men.
(Now that he ascended, what is it
but that he also descended first
into the lower parts of the earth ?
He that descended is the same
also that ascended up far above
all heavens, that he might fill all
things.) And he gave some Apos-
tles, and some Prophets, and some
Evangelists, and some Pastors and
Teachers; for the perfecting of
the saints, for the work of the
ministry, for the edifying of the
body of Christ ; till we all come
in the unity of the faith, and of
the knowledge of the Son of God,
unto a perfect man, unto the mea-
sure of the stature of the fulness
of Christ ; that we henceforth be
no more diildren, tossed to and
fro, and carried about with every
wind of doctrine, by the sleight
of men, and cunning craftiness,
whereby they lie in wait to de-
ceive ; but speaking the truth in
love, may grow up into him in all
things, which is the head, even
Christ: from whom the whole
body fitly joined together, and
compacted by that which every
joint supplieth, according to the
effectual working in the measure
of every part, maketh increase of
the body, unto the edifying of it-
self in love.
The Gospel. St. John 15. 1.
I AM the true vine, and my Fa-
ther is the husbandman. Every
branch in me that beareth not
fruit he taketh away,- and every
branch that beareth fruit, he purg-
eth it, that it may bring forth more
fruit. Now ye are clean through
the word which I have spoken
unto you. Abide in me, and I in
you. As the branch cannot bear
fruit of itself, except it abide in
the vine ; no more can ye, except
ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye
are the brandies. He that abid-
eth in me, and £ hi him. the same
126
y— o
diately following the great pas-
sage on the Unity of the Church
in God, which is the Epistle for
the Seventeenth Sunday after
Trinity. Its subject is the in-
finite variety of God's gifts, and
the concentration of all on one
great purpose. It begins (a) with
Christ as the giver of all gifts.
Quoting Ps. Ixviii. 18, it applies
it to Him, as having ascended
on high and descended to the
depths beneath "so as to fill all
things," but with a significant
variation of "gave gifts to men "
instead of "received gifts for
men." Next (6), it enumerates
the various functions of Ministry
in the Church, ordained by Him
— the extraordinary functions of
Apostles and Prophets— the or-
dinary functions of Evangelists
to the unconverted, of Pastors
and Teachers to those already
in Christ (comp. 1 Cor. xii. 28 't.
(e) It then describes the twofold
object of all Ministry— the per-
fection of individual souls, and
the building up of the whole
body, (d) Lastly, it describes
this individual perfection as the
growing, thoughtfully and con-
sistently, into the fulness of the
image of Christ, by " being true
in love " ; and the edification of
the whole body as growth by unity
with Christ the Head, through
which life is diffused through
the whole, and all its parts in-
crease in perfect harmony.
The Gospel conveys the same
truth, but from the lips of Our
Lord Himself on the eve of His
Passion. In this discourse, how-
ever—the Church having not yet
been constituted as a whole — the
whole idea is of individual unity
with Christ. By a Parable— pos-
sibly suggested by the golden
vine on the Temple gate— He
speaks of Himself as the Vine;
we are the hranches, deriving all
power of fruit-bearing from union
with the Vine, pruned by God's
hand to increase that power,
doomed, if fruitless still, to be
cut off and burned. Of that union
with Him the sign is our keep-
ing His commandments, and so
continuing in the love of Christ,
even as He Himself does the Will,
and abides in the Love, of the
Father.
Th« Proper Lessons are (Isa.
lxii. 6-12) a picture of the Minis-
try of the kingdom of God. in its
work of intercession, trusting in
His promise, and of preparation
of the people to enter into that
promise ; and (Ezek. i. 1-151 the
description of the Throne of
Glory, and the four living crea-
tures around the Throne. (This
last, no doubt, has reference to
the interpretation which makes
the four living creatures, here
and in the Apocalypse (Rev. iv.
6-8), the symbols of the four
Evangelists.)
Saint IJjjilip an& Saint James's $ag.
It seems impossible to give any
sufficient reason for coupling to-
gether these two Apostles, as has
been done from early times in
the Western Church: for in all
the Gospel lists of the Apostles,
St. Philip is coupled with St.
Bartholomew (Matt. x. 8; Mark
iii. 18; Luke vi. 1*). (The Greek
Church separates them, keeping
St. Philip's Day on November
Uth, and St. James's Day on
October 9th.) The union of the
two, however, suggests the har-
mony of the desire of knowledge
characteristic of St. Philip (see
the Gospel) with the stern prac-
tical reality characteristic of
St. James the "brother of the
Lord," who is evidently (though
perhaps erroneously) identified
with St. James the Less, the
Apostle.
Of St. Philip we have notices
only in St. John. He was one
of the first disciples " found " by
Our Lord— possibly like St. An-
drew, his fellow-townsman of
Bethsaida, a disciple of St. John
the Baptist — and he broueht
Nathanael to Him; he is asso-
ciated with St. Andrew at the
feeding of the five thousand,
and the coming of the Greeks
to Christ; and (see the GospeD
he is described as especially
craving for the knowledge of God
(John i. 43; vi. 5-9; xii. 21, 22;
xiv. 8, 9). Beyond this we know
nothing. Early tradition speaks
of his preaching in Phrygia,
and in later times apocryphal
127
SAINT PHILIP AND SAINT JAMES'S DAY.
bringeth forth much fruit; for
without me ye can do nothing. If
a man abide not in me, he is cast
forth as a branch, and is wither-
ed; and men gather them, and
oast them into the Are, and they
are burned. If ye abide in me,
and my words abide in you, ye
shall ask what ye will, and it shall
much fruit ; so shall ye be my
disciples. As the Father hath lov-
ed me, so have I loved you : con-
tinue ye in my love. If ye keep my
commandments, ye shall abide in
my love ; even as I have kept
my Father's commandments, and
abide in his love. These things
have I spoken unto you, that my
be done unto you. Herein is my joy might remain in you, and that
Father glorified, that ye bear your joy might be full.
&aint Philip atttr Saint Uamca's Bag.
grace of the fashion of it perish-
eth: so also shall the rich man
fade away in his ways. Blessed is
the man that endureth tempta-
tion ; for when he is tried, he shall
receive the crown of life, which
the Lord hath promised to them
that love him.
Tfie Gospel. St. John 14. 1.
ND Jesus said unto his disci-
ANJ
The Collect.
0 ALMIGHTY God.whom truly
to know is everlasting life ;
Grant us perfectly to know thy
Son Jesus Christ to be the way,
the truth, and the life ; that, fol-
lowing the steps of thy holy Apos-
tles, Saint Philip and Saint James,
we may stedfastly walk in the
way that leadeth to eternal life ;
through the same thy Son Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. St. James 1. 1.
JAMES, a servant of God and of
the Lord Jesus Christ, to the
twelve tribes which are scattered
abroad, greeting. My brethren,
count it all joy when ye fall into
divers temptations ; knowing this,
that tbe trying of your faith work-
eth patience. But let patience
have her perfect work, that ye
may be perfect and entire, want-
ing nothing. If any of you lack
wisdom, let him ask of God, that
giveth to all men liberally, and
upbraideth not, and it shall be
given him. But let him ask in
faith, nothing wavering; for he
that wavereth is like a wave of the
sea, driven with the wind, and
tossed. For let not that man think
that he shall receive any thing of
the Lord. A double-minded man
is unstable in all his ways. Let
the brother of low degree rejoice
in that he is exalted ; but the rich
in that he is made low ; because
as the flower of the grass he shall
pass away. For the sun is no
sooner risen with a burning heat,
but it withereth the grass, and
the flower thereof falleth, and the i Father that dwelleth in me, he
_les, Let not your heart be
troubled ; ye believe in God, be-
lieve also in me. In my Father's
house are many mansions ; if it
were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you :
and if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come again, and re-
ceive you unto myself, that where
I am, there ye may be also. And
whither I go ye know, and the way
ye know. Thomas saith unto him,
Lord, we know not whither thou
goest, and how can we know the
way ? Jesus saith unto him, I am
the way, the truth, and the life :
no man cometh unto the Father
but by me. If ye had known me,
ye shouid have known my Father
also: and from henceforth ye
know him, and have seen him.
Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew
us the Father, and it sufflceth us.
Jesus saith unto him, Have I been
so long time with you, and yet
hast thou not known me, Philip ?
He that hath seen me hath seen
the Father ; and how sayest thou
then, Shew us the Father? Be-
lievest thou not that I am in the
Father, and the Father in me ?
The words that I speak unto you
I speak not of myself; but the
127
books were extant under his
name.
Of St. James the Apostle, the
son of Alphseus (Matt. x. 2;
Mark iii. 18; Luke vi. 15), some-
times supposed to be the same
as "James the Less" (or rather
" the little ") of Mark xv. 40, we
know nothing except his name in
the Apostolic catalogue. James,
"the Lord's brother," with whom
he is clearly identified by the use
of the Epistle (though the iden-
tification is uncertain), is one of
the most marked figures in the
Acts of the Apostles and in con-
temporary history. As Bishop of
Jerusalem, he is essentially the
representative of Jewish Chris-
tianity; presiding at the first
Apostolic Council, and holding
out to St. Paul the right hand
of fellowship (Acts xv. 18-31), and
recognised by him as being, with
St. Peter and St. John, one of
the " pillars " of the Church (Gal.
ii. 9) ; subsequently receiving the
Apostle on his last visit to Jeru-
salem, and suggesting his par-
ticipation in a Nazaritic vow
(Acts xxi. 17-25). An early tra-
dition (of Hegesippus) describes
him vividly in his austere and
ascetic life, as held in reverence
as "James the Just" by all Je-
rusalem, and martyred in ven-
geance for his Christianizing in-
fluence by Pharisaic violence-
His Epistle, essentially Jewish
in character, is a storehouse of
godly morality, in which Chris-
tian doctrine is everywhere im-
plied, but not explicitly wrought
out ; and was probably addressed
both to Jewish Christians and
to those Jews who, though not
Christian, would listen to "the
servant of Jesus Christ."
The singularly beautiful Col-
lect (composed in 1549 and en-
larged in 1662) brings out the
harmony of the "knowledge of
God which is life eternal"
through Christ, "the Way, the
Truth, and the Life " (see John
xvii. 3 ; xiv. 6), with the steadfast
walking in the way to life, follow-
ing the eteps of the Apostles in
the imitation of Jesus Christ.
The Epistle is the opening of
the Epistle of St. James, ad-
dressed to the Jewish commu-
nity, "the twelve tribes of the
dispersion." In accordance with
the strong practical reality, cha-
racteristic of the whole Epistle,
it urges (a) the blessing of ' ' temp-
tation" (that is, trial) and its
function in working out through
endurance the perfection of our
nature. (6) Such trial is to be
borne infaith, with prayer, single-
minded and unwavering, for wis-
dom as the gift of God ; (c) it is
to be recognised in all degrees
and stations of life — the low de-
gree which is exaltation, the
wealth, transitory and superfi-
cial, which is abasement (see
Matt, xxiii. 12 ; xix. 28, 24) ; and
(d) finally, it shall be rewarded
with the crown of life, promised
bv the Lord to all who love Him.
Throughout, the idea is of the
" steadfast walking" in the way
of life.
The Gospel is the opening of
Our Lord's last discourse to His
disciples (John xiv.— xvi.). To
His gracious declaration that
His approaching departure is to
the mansions of the Father's
House to prepare a place for
them, so that they know whither
He goes and by what way, there
are two answers made by them.
The first (a) is the remonstrance
of St. Thomas, declaring that
they knew not whither He goes,
much less the way ; to which He
replies by the great declaration
that He Himself, being the Truth
and the Life, is the Way, and
that in Him they see and know
the Father (and therefore the
Father's House to which He
goes). The second (6) is the
eager cry of St. Philip, that He
will only shew them the Father
for a moment, and it is enough ;
in reply to which He complains
half-reproachfully that, after so
long a time of discipleship, they
yet know not that He is one with
the Father, shewing forth the
Godhead in His words and His
visible works on earth— ready to
give power to do yet greater
works when He has ascended
into heaven, and to hear and
answer prayer in His Name. The
whole sets forth emphatically
the mediation of Christ, as open-
ing heaven to His disciples, and
giving the knowledge of God,
which is life eternal.
The Proper Lessons from the
Old Testament are (Isa. lxi. ) the
128
SAINT BARNABAS THE APOSTLE.
doeth the works. Believe me, that
I am in the Father, and the Fa-
ther in me ; or else believe me for
the very works' sake. Verily, veri-
ly I say unto you, He that believ-
eth on me, the works that 1 do
shall he do also ; and greater
Saint ISamafcas tf>c Apostle.
The Collect.
OLORD God Almighty, who
didst endue thy holy Apos%
Barnabas with singular gifts of
the Holy Ghost ; Leave us not, we
beseech thee, destitute of thy
manifold gifts, nor yet of grace
to use them alway to thy honour
works than these shall he do ; be-
cause I go unto my Father. And
whatsoever ye shall ask in my
Name, that will I do, that the Fa-
ther may be glorified in the Son.
If ye shall ask any thing in my
Name, I will do it.
and glory ; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
For the Epistle. Acts 11. 22.
TIDINGS of these things came
unto the ears of the Church
which was in Jerusalem ; and they
sent forth Barnabas,that he should
go as far as Antioch. Who, when
he came, and had seen the grace
of God, was glad ; and exhorted
them all, that with purpose of
heart they would cleave unto the
Lord. For he was a good man,
and full of the Holy Ghost, and of
faith : and much people was add-
ed unto the Lord. Then depart-
ed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek
Saul. And when he had found
him, he brought him unto Anti-
och. And it came to pass, that a
whole year they assembled them-
selves with the Church, and taught
much people : and the disciples
were called Christians first in An-
tioch. And in these days came
prophets from Jerusalem unto
Antioch. And there stood up one
of them named Agabus, and signi-
fied by the Spirit, that there should
be great dearth throughout all the
world ; which came to pass in the
days of Claudius Cajsar. Then the
disciples, every man according
to his ability, determined to send
relief unto the brethren which
dwelt in Judaja. Which also
they did, and sent it to the elders
by the hands of Barnabas and
Saul.
The Gospel. St. John 15. 12.
THIS is my commandment,
That ye love one another, as
I have loved you. Greater love
hath no man than this, that a man
lay down his life for his friends.
Ye are my friends, if ye do what-
soever I command you. Hence-
forth I call you not servants ; for
the servant knoweth not what his
lord doeth : but I have called you
friends ; for all things that I have
heard of my Father I have made
known unto you. Ye have not
chosen me, but I have chosen you,
and ordained you, that ye should
go and bring forth fruit, and that
your fruit should remain : that
whatsoever ye shall ask of the
Father in my Name, he may give
it you.
Saint 3Jofm baptist's 3Bap.
The Collect. \ rebuke vice, and patiently suffer
ALMIGHTY God, by whose
. providence thy servant John
Baptist was wonderfully born, and
sent to prepare the way of thy Son
our Saviour, by preaching of re-
pentance ; Make us so to follow
his doctrine and holy life, that we
may truly repent according to his
preaching ; and after his example
constantly speak the truth, boldly
for the truth's sake ; through Je-
sus Christ our Lord, A men.
For the Epistle. Isaiah 40. 1.
COMFORT ye, comfort ye my
people, saith your God. Speak
ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and
cry unto her. That her warfare is
accomplished ; that her iniquity
is pardoned : for she hath received
128
setting forth of the kingdom of
the Messiah in its victorious
energy and blessing, and (Zech.
iv.) the symbolical blessing of
the two " anointed ones," Zerub-
babel and Jeshua, in the restored
Israel of God; and from the
New Testament (John i. 48-51)
the first call of Philip and Na-
thanael. ■
Saint gjarnabas % gipastlr.
The surname " Barnabas,"
"son of (prophetic) exhorta-
tion," was given to Joses (Jo-
seph), a Levite of Cyprus, the
first giver of the price of his land
to the Christian community. We
read of him afterwards as the in-
troducer of St. Paul after his con-
version to the brethren at Jeru-
salem ; and as his companion in
the preaching at Antioch, in the
mission with alms to Jerusalem,
in the first missionary journey to
Cyprus and Asia Minor, and at
the Council at Jerusalem. After-
wards i see Gal. ii. 13) he is car-
ried away at Antioch by the dis-
simulation of the Judaizers, and
so separated from St. Paul, and,
on the eve of the second mission-
ary journey, has contention with
him about John Mark, and is
parted from him, and so passes
out of the history (see Acts iv.
36, 37; xi. 22— 30; xiii— xv.). Of
his subsequent life we have no
historical record, or even trust-
worthy tradition. But it is be-
lieved that he was stoned to death
at Salamis, in Cyprus, and his
body is said to have been dis-
covered there in the fifth cen-
tury, and translated to a great
basilica built in his honour.
There is extant an Epistle bear-
ing his name, evidently spurious,
though of early date ; and Ter-
tullian ascribes to him the au-
thorship of the Epistle to the
Hebrews.
The Collect (composed in
the first preaching to the Gen-
tiles there, and his cordial ap-
proval of the new work, charac-
teristic of his "goodness" (or
graciousness) of nature, stirred
by the Holy Spirit to a large-
hearted faith ; (6) his association
with himself in the work thus
blgun of Saul, now in retirement
at Tarsus, and their joint preach-
ing, marked by the emergence of
the name "Christian" (comp.
Acts xxvi. 28 ; 1 Pet. iv. 16), pro-
bably at first a nickname, but
indicating the recognition of
Christianity as distinct from Ju-
daism; and (c) their joint mis-
sion with alms to the Church at
Jerusalem, begun on occasion of
the well known famine of that
time foretold by Agabus, but con-
tinued long afterwards by St.
Paul.
The Gospel (evidently allud-
ing to the loving character of St.
Barnabas) is that part of Our
Lord's last discourse to His dis-
ciples, which sets forth His com-
mandment of love as the mark
of true Christians, because fol-
lowing the pattern of His own
love— shewn first and most in
His Sacrifice for them— shewn
also in His choice of them, to be
not slaves, but friends, knowing
the revelation of the Father,
bearing fruit of good works, and
receiving all things from God
through prayer, in His Name.
The Proper Lessons are
1519i, dwelling on St. Barnabas (Deut. xxxiii. 1-12) the blessing
as especially " the Apostle of the "* iw«cioa r.r> t« v,i= am-,
Holy Ghost," prays that we, like
him, may have both spiritual
gifts, and grace to use them for
God's glory.
The Epistle is the record of
the work of St. Barnabas at An-
tioch—(a) his mission of enquiry
from the Apostles on occasion of
of Moses, up to his emphatic
benediction of his own tribe of
Levi ; (Nah. i.) the alternate de-
clarations of God's vengeance on
His enemies and blessing on His
people; and (Acts iv. 81-87; xiv.
8-28) the records of St. Barnabas*
gift of his land, and his visit with
St. Paul to Lystra and Derbe.
Saint Jojm baptist's |pan.
The Festival is not of the mar- course (see Luke i. 26. 88), by
tyrdom, but of the nativity of Christmas. The celebration of
St. John Baptist, determined, of his martyrdom is fixed, both in
lSSa
the East and in the West, on
August 29fch. The character of
St. John, like that of bis proto-
type Elijah (Luke i. 17; Matt. xi.
14; xvii. 10-13), stands out as the
model of austere and ascetic self-
sacrifice, especially fit for one
who, simply preaching repent-
ance and preparing for the com-
ing of the Christ, had a compara-
tively narrow mission, confined
to moral teaching and warning
(Luke i. 17; iii. 7-14), with no
miracle to work (John x. 41),
and no new Gospel to declare.
In his willing acceptance of this
simple mission— less than that
of the least in the Kingdom of
Heaven (Matt. xi. 11 )— in his being
content to lose himself in Him
whom he proclaimed (John i.
19-27 ; iii. 25-30)— and in his pa-
tient endurance of suffering, ap-
parently broken only by one
moment of weakness (Matt. xi.
2-7)— lie the great lessons of his
life to us. ( See Gospels for Third
and Fourth Sundays in Advent.)
Our Lord's own witness to St.
John is borne in Matt. xi. 7-19.
The Collect (composed in
1549), after glancing at the won-
derful birth of the Baptist, passes
on at once to his preaching of
repentance, which it prays that
we may accept ; and his life of
truthfulness, boldness, and pa-
tient suffering for the Truth,
which it prays that we may
follow.
The Epistle is the great pas-
sage, opening the second part of
the Book of Isaiah, which St.
John applied to himself (Matt,
iii. 8; Luke iii. 4-6; John i. 23).
It begins (a) with the general
message of comfort to Jerusa-
lem, now chastened by God's
hand and pardoned ; it goes on
(6) to the message of the voice
crying in the wilderness, to pre-
pare the Lord's way, to smooth
all hindrances before His feet, to
reveal to all flesh the glory of
God; then (c), contrasting the
perishableness of all earthly
power and greatness with the
eternity of the Word of God, it
proclaims the Gospel of good
tidings— the actual Coming of
the Lord as the Good Shepherd
of Israel, strong and tender in
His guardianship of the flock.
In these three successive phases
it is a very Gospel of the Old
Testament.
The Gospel is St. Luke's re-
cord of the birth of the Baptist ;
of the opening of the sealed lips
of Zacharias, at his confirmation
of the assignment to the child of
the name of John (" the grace of
Jehovah") and of the impres-
sion of joy and wonder upon all.
Then it passes on to the pro-
phecy of Zacharias (in the Beve-
dictus) ; first proclaiming the re-
demption of Israel, in fulfilment
of the promise to David, which
forms the great theme of His
holy prophets, and the covenant
of deliverance and holiness with
Abraham; and then foretelling
the mission of the child to pre-
Eare the way of the Lord, by
eralding the coming of salva-
tion in the remission of sins, and
the gift of light from on high to
those who are in darkness, which
guides their feet into the way of
The Pbopeb Lessons are (Mai.
iii. 1-7; iv.) the last prophecies
in the Old Testament of the
Coming of the Lord into His
Temple (see Epistle for the Puri-
fication), and of the preparatory
mission of Elijah, before " the
rising of the Sun of Righte-
ousness with healing in His
wings " ; and from the New Tes-
tament (Matt. iii. and xiv. 1-13)
the records of St. John Baptist's
preaching and his Baptism of
Our Lord, and of his martyrdom
by the malignity of Herodias,
acting on the shallow weakness
of Herod Antipas.
Saint IMer'g gag.
This Festival, originally a Fes-
tival of both St. Peter and St.
Paul, on the traditional anni-
versary of their common martyr-
dom, is of great antiquity, cer-
tainly known from the 4th cen-
tury downwards, and kept both
in the East and the West on this
day. This institution of the Fes-
tival of the Conversion of St.
Paul has now transferred the
commemoration of that Apostle
to another dav.
Of the chosen Twelve, the cha-
racter and work of St. Peter are
more clearly brought out than in
the case of any other Apostle,
except perhaps St. John. On all
occasions he is their leader, both
during Our Lord's earthly life,
and at the first proclamation of
the Gospel — his threefold denial
having been (so to speak) wiped
out by his threefold confession
and the threefold charge of Our
Lord to him after the Resurrec-
tion (John xxi. 15-17). On hiin,
in virtue of his good confession.
Our Lord declared that He would
build His Church (see Gospel i ;
and the keys of the Kingdom of
Heaven were given to nim, to
open the door of faith, first to
the Jews and then to the Gentiles
(Acts ii.; x.). He has been called
"the Apostle of Hope" ; his wit-
ness—both as recorded in the
Acts of the Apostles and em-
bodied in his Epistles— is em-
phatically of Christ risen and
glorified. His character, ardent,
impulsive, capable of feeling and
inspiring high enthusiasm, full
of love to Christ, in spite of its
reactions of failure and hesita-
tion, is the type of those natures,
by which, rather than by the
calm and well-balanced charac-
ters, it pleases God mostly to
move the world.
The Collect (composed in
1549) takes St. Peter as the type
of the Bishops and Pastors of
the Church, alike in the " excel-
lent gifts" of the Holy Ghost
and in the great Pastoral Com-
mission ; and. borrowing his own
words (see I Pet. v. 4), prays that
through the "Word of the Gospel,
faithfully preached and obedi-
ently followed, both they and
their people may obtain " the
crown of everlasting glory."
The Epistle is the record of
St. Peter's deliverance from pri-
son at the time when Herod
Agrippa i., to " please the Jews,"
persecuted the Church, striking
especially at its heads. The his-
tory is singularly graphic and
simple— evidently derived from
the Apostle himself— describing
the prayers of the Church for the
imprisoned Apostle, the minut-
est circumstances of his stricb
captivity and of the angelic ap-
pearance, the first tliought of
St. Peter that it was but a vi-
sion, and his gradual awaking in
astonishment and thankfulness
to a conviction of its reality.
With this deliverance our record
of St. Peter's Apostolic work
ceases, except in respect of his
appearance at the Council of
Jerusalem (Acts xv. 6-11), of the
subsequent conferences between
him and St. Paul, and their con-
flict at Antioch (Gal. ii. 6-15).
His Epistle— addressed to those
of the Dispersion, but so convey-
ing the full Christian doctrine
as to be a link between the Epis-
tle of St. James and the Epistles
of St. Paul— seems to indicate
Apostolic labours in Asia Minor
and the East. Early tradition
conneots him with the Church
at Antioch ; but is singularly re-
ticent as to his subsequent his-
tory, excepting as to the fact of
his martyrdom by crucifixion at
Rome.
The Gospel is the record of
Our Lord's question at Csesarea
Philippi, St. Peter's confession,
and the memorable blessing
which followed it. (a) The ques-
tion seems to sum up the results
of Our Lord's Galilean Ministry
in and near Capernaum— among
the people a vague conviction
that He was some great Prophet
— in the disciples the firm faith
in the essential truth of the
Gospel, expressed by St. Peter,
"Thou art the Christ, the Son
of the living God " (comp. John i.
49; vi. 68, 69; xi. 27). (b) This
truth Our Lord declares to be a
revelation from the Father Him-
self; and, in direct connection
with this declaration. He goes
on to refer to the name Cephas
or Peter, which He Himself had
given to Simon, and which signi-
fies a "stone," and to promise,
"On this rock (Petra) will I
build my Chnrch." Many have
thought that the Rock is Him-
self (as in 1 Cor. x. 4) ; and it is,
of course, true that ultimately
" Other foundation can no man
lay than Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. iii.
lit. But the context seems irre-
sistibly to suggest that St. Peter,
simply as the exponent of the
living faith, is to be the founda-
139
SAINT JOHN BAPTIST'S DAY.
of the Lord's hand double for all
her sins. The voice of him that
crieth in the wilderness, Prepare
ye the way of the Lord, make
straight in the desert a high- way
for our (Jod. Every valley shall
be exalted, and every mountain
and hill shall be made low, and
the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough places plain. And
the glory of the Lord shall be re-
vealed, and all flesh shall see it to-
gether : for the mouth of the Lord
hath spoken it. The voice said,
Cry. And he said, What shall 1
cry ? All flesh is grass, and all the
goodliness thereof is as the flower
of the field. The grass withereth,
the flower fadeth, because the
Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon
It: surely the people is grass. The
grass withereth, the flower fadeth ;
but the word of our God shall stand
for ever. 0 Zion, that bringest
good tidings, get thee up into the
high mountain : 0 Jerusalem, that
bringest good tidings, lift up thy
voice with strength ; lift it up,
be not afraid : say unto the cities
of Judah, Behold your God. Be-
hold, the Lord God will come with
strong hand, and his arm shall rule
for him : behold, his reward is with
him, and his work before him. He
shall feed his flock like a shepherd;
he shall gather the lambs with his
arm, and carry them in his bosom,
and shall gently lead those that
are with young.
The Gospel. St. Luke 1. 57.
ELISABETH'S full time came
that she should be delivered ;
and she brought forth a son. And
her neighbours and her cousins
heard how the Lord had shewed
great mercy upon her ; and they
rejoiced with her. And it came
to pass, that on the eighth day
they came to circumcise the child;
and they called him Zacharias,
after the name of his father. And
his mother answered and said,
Not so ; but he shall be called
John. And they said unto her,
There is none of thy kindred that
is called by this name. A.nd they
made signs to his father, how lie
would have him called. And he
asked for a writing-table, and
wrote, saying, His name is John.
And they marvelled all. And liis
mouth was opened immediately,
and his tongue loosed, and he
spake, and praised God. And fear
came on all that dwelt round
about them ; and all these sayings
were noised abroad throughout all
the hill-country of Judaea. And
all they that had heard them laid
them up in their hearts, saying,
What manner of child shall this
be ? And the hand of the Lord was
with him. And his father Zacha-
rias was filled with the Holy Ghost,
and prophesied, saying, Blessed
be the Lord God of Israel : for he
hath visited and redeemed his
people, and hath raisGd up an
horn of salvation for us in the
house of his servant David ; as he
spake by the mouth of his holy
prophets, which have been since
the world began ; that we should
be saved from our enemies, and
from the hand of all that hate us;
to perform the mercy promised to
our fathers, and to remember his
holy covenant ; the oath which he
sware to our father Abraham, that
he would grant unto us, that we,
being delivered out of the hands
of our enemies, might serve him
without fear, in holiness and righ-
teousness before him all the days
of our life. And thou, Child,
shalt be called the Prophet of the
Highest : for thou shalt go before
the face of the Lord to prepare
his ways ; to give knowledge of
salvation unto his people, by the
remission of their sins, through
the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the day-spring from on
high hath visited us ; to give light
to them that sit in darkness and
in the shadow of death, to guide
our feet into the way of peace.
And the child grew, and waxed
strong in spirit ; and was in the
deserts till the day of his shewing
unto Israel.
129
tion (as is aaid of all the Apostles
in Eph. ii. 10 and Rev. xxi. 14)
on which the Church, now first
spoken of, is to be built. To any
one looking at the passage with-
out bringing in other considera-
tions, it seems obvious that this
designation of St. Peter is no
more attached to him personally,
and no more capable of trans-
mission to his supposed succes-
sors, than the name "Satan"
S'ven to him in v. 23. (c) Lastly,
e gives to St. Peter, again as
the representative of the Apos-
tles (couip. Matt, xviii. 18), the
keys," the symbol of authority
in the Kingdom of Heaven, and
— whatever may be the case in
other passages— it seems clear
that here, as regards the " bind-
ing and loosing," the reference
is not to judicial authority, but
to authority to ordain law and
declare truth. The whole pas-
sage should be compared with
John xx. 21-23.
The Proper Lessons are
(Ezek. iii. 4-15) the call of Exe-
kiel to preach the Word to the
people whether they will bear
or forbear," given out of the
mysterious glory of the Lord ;
(Zech. iii.) the defence of Jeshua
against the accusation of Satan,
and the prophecy of the Branch :
(John xxi. 15-23) the pastoral
charge to St. Peter after the
Resurrection ; and (Acts iv 8-28)
the bold witness of the Apostle
before the Sanhedrim in the
name of " Jesus Christ of Naza-
reth."
Saint $amts t\t gtpostle.
Of St. James we know nothing
from Holy Scripture, except that,
called with his brother St. John,
and with St. Andrew and St.
Peter, he became one of the
chosen Three, and received with
his brother the name of " Boa-
nerges, the Sons of Thunder" —
evidently implying an ardent
and fiery zeal, such as they
shewed in their indignation a-
gainst the inhospitable Sama-
ritan village (Luke ix. 51-56) ;
and that, possibly in consequence
of that zeal, he was singled out
by Herod Agrippa i. as the first
martyr in the Apostolic band;
thus obtaining one of those
places of honour in the Kingdom
of God which he and his brother
had desired (Matt. xx. 20-23), by
at once drinking the cup," and
"being baptized with the bap-
tism " of Christ.
The Collect (composed in
1549), like the Collect for St.
Andrew's Day, commemorates
the unreserved self-devotion of
St. James, and prays that we
may imitate it, but (noting the
words "they left their father
Zebedee," in Mark i. 29) dwells
especially on the sacrifice of all
ties of the world and the flesh at
the call of Christ.
The Epistle is the record of
the dearth in Jerusalem, the
mission of St. Barnabas and St.
Paul with alms from the Gentile
Church of Antioch, and the mar-
tyrdom of St. James by the
hands of Herod— in pursuance
of the policy of conciliation of
the Jews to the unpopular Hero-
dian sway, which contemporary
history describes.
The Gospel narrates the
prayer of the two sons of Ze-
bedee through their mother
for the places of honour in Our
Lord's Kingdom. As the other
two of the chosen Three, they
may have been stirred by the
promise of the keys to St. Pe-
ter in Matt. xvi. 18, and 6f
Thrones to all the Apostles in
xix. 28; and by their ready an-
swer to Our Lord's question,
which they must have in some
measure understood, it is clear
that they were prepared for the
cup of suffering and the baptism
of blood. The desire is, indeed,
rebuked in them— as also the in-
dignation with which the rest of
the Apostles received it— by re-
ference of all things to the Su-
preme will of the Father, assign-
ing to each his right place in the
Kingdom, and by the lesson of
humility and willing service of
which Our Lord's own Sacrifice
is the pattern. But in God's
Providence it was granted; for
St. James had the place of ho-
nour as the first martyr, St. John
as the last of the Apostles, com-
pleting the canon of the Holy
Saint Jeter's Bag.
The Collect.
0 ALMIGHTY God, who by thy
Son Jesus Christ didst give
to thy Apostle Saint Peter many
excellent gifts, and commandedst
him earnestly to feed thy tiock ;
Make, we beseech thee, all Bishops
and Pastors diligently to preach
thy holy Word, and the people
obediently to follow the same,
that they may receive the crown
of everlasting glory ; through Je-
sus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Epistle. Acts 12. 1.
ABOUT that time Herod the
- king stretched forth his hands
to vex certain of the Church. And
he killed James the brother of
John with the sword. And, be-
cause he saw it pleased the Jews,
he proceeded further to take Peter
also. (Then were the days of un-
leavened bread.) And when he
had apprehended him, he put him
in prison, and delivered him to
four quaternions of soldiers to
keep him, intending after Easter
to bring him forth to the people.
Peter therefore was kept in prison;
but prayer was made without ceas-
ing of the Church unto God for
him. And when Herod would
have brought him forth, the same
night Peter was sleeping between
two soldiers, bound with two
chains; and the keepers before
the door kept the prison. And
behold, the angel of the Lord
came upon him, and a light shin-
ed in ttie prison ; and he smote
Peter on the side, and raised him
up, saying, Arise up quickly. And
his chains fell off from his hands.
And the angel said unto him, Gird
thyself, and bind on thy sandals :
and so he did. And he saith unto
him, Cast thy garment about thee,
Saint Barnes
The Collect.
GRANT, 0 merciful God, that
as thine holy Apostle Saint
James, leaving his father and all
that he had, without delay was
obedient unto the calling of thy
and follow me. And he went out
and followed him ; and wist not
that it was true which was done
by the angel ; but thought he saw
a vision. When they were past the
first and the second ward, they
came unto the iron gate that lead-
eth unto the city, which opened
to them of his own accord ; and
they went cut, and passed on
through one street, and forthwith
the angel departed from him. And
when Peter was come to himself,
he said, Now I know of a surety,
that the Lord hath sent his angel,
and hath delivered me out of the
hand of Herod, and from all the
expectation of the people of the
Jews.
The Gospel. St. Matth. 16. 13.
WHEN Jesus came into the
coasts of Ca3sarea Philippi,
he asked his disciples, saying,
Whom do men say that I, the Son
of man, am? And they said, Some
say that thou art John the Baptist,
some Elias, and others Jeremias,
or one of the prophets. He saith
unto them, But whom say ye that
I am ? And Simon Peter answer-
ed and said, Thou art Christ, the
Son of the living God. And Jesus
answered and said unto him, Bless-
ed art thou, Simon Bar-jona : for
flesh and blood hath not revealed
it unto thee, but my Father which
is in heaven. And I say also unto
thee, That thou art Peter, and
upon this rock I will build my
Church ; and the gates of hell
shall not prevail against it. And
I will give unto thee the keys of
the kingdom of heaven : and what-
soever thou shalt bind on earth
shall be bound in heaven ; and
whatsoever thou shalt loose on
earth shall be loosed in heaven.
tift Apostle.
Son Jesus Christ, and followed
him ; so we, forsaking all worldly
and carnal affections, may be
evermore ready to follow thy holy
commandments; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
130
Scripture, and the constitution
of the Church.
The Proper Lessons are (2
Kings i. 1-lfl) the history of the
calling down the Are of ven-
geance from heaven by Elijah,
and (Luke ix. 51-57) the desire
of the two sons of Zebedee to do
the like, which Our Lord re-
bukes, as inconsistent with the
spirit of the Gospel : and (Jer.
xxvi. 8-J6) the attempt of the
priests to put Jeremiah to death
for speaking the word of the
Lord, and his bold defiance of
their enmity.
Saint Dartkolonufo % Spastic.
The name Bartholomew being
only a patronymic, he is gene-
reverence from the people. The
miraoles— wrought, not only for
rally identified with Nathanael. the people of Jerusalem, but for
the " Israelite without guile, ***• ">v.„u;*„^*-a ~« .11 »w» *i«s
brought by St. Philip to Our
Lord (John i. 45, 46 >, and we
note that his name is joined with
that of St. Philip in all the cata-
logues of the Apostles. He is
said by early tradition to have
preached in " India," and suf-
fered martyrdom there— leaving
behind him a copy of St. Mat-
thew's Gospel, which was found
in the 2nd century by Pantaenus,
the head of the famous Alexan-
drian School. As we know no-
thing special of him, it will be
seen that the Collect, Epistle,
and Gospel refer to the Apostolic
mission in general.
The Collect (translated with
characteristic variations from
the old Sarum Collect, taken
from the Sacramentary of St.
Gregory) refers to the general
Apostolic mission, exemplified
in St. Bartholomew, and prays
for grace to love the Word, and
both to preach and receive the
same.
The Epistle is the record of
the great outburst of miraculous
power, and of consequent pro-
gress of the Word, which follow-
ed the first persecution by the
Sadducees, and which raised the
Apostles, and St. Peter as their
leader, to unique dignity and
the inhabitants of all the cities
round about— were, according to
Our Lord's charge to the Apos-
tles (Matt. x. 8 >, miracles of heal-
ing of sickness and of casting out
devils. It may be noted that
miraculous power seems to have
been granted at various epochs
in the history, marked as epochs
of special progress.
The Gospel tells us of the
strife for greatness after the
Last Supper, which Our Lord at
once rebukes by His own exam-
ple, as inconsistent with the true
idea of His Kingdom, and yet
meets, so far as it involved no
jealousy and self-assertion, by
the promise of Thrones of Au-
thority in that Kingdom. The
reference, " I am among you as he
that serveth," in itself obscure,
is strikingly illustrated by St.
John's record of the washing the
disciples' feet at this very mo-
ment (John xiii. 2-5).
The Proper Lessons are
(Gen. xxviii. 10-18) the great
vision of Jacob at Beth-el (pos-
sibly in reference to John i. 51,
spoken to Nathanael), and (Deut.
xviii. 15-22) the prediction of the
preat Prophet to come, and the
lesser prophets, who are types of
Him.
£amt J$att|tto % Q^antlt.
Of this Apostle we may be said
to know only the circumstance
of his call— recorded by the first
three Evangelists (Matt. ix. 9;
Mark ii. 14 ; Luke v. 37)— and the
character of his Gospel, (a) In
St. Luke's record he is called
"' Levi," and in St. Mark's "Levi
the son of Alphaeus," and this
would seem to indicate that he
was brother of "James the Less "
111
(see Mark iii. 18), as possibly of
St. .Thomas also (see note on
St. Thomas' 8 Dav). The name
Matthew ("the gift of God")
may be an Apostolic surname.
The call of St. Matthew seems
to have awakened the earliest
murmur of opposition apainst
Our Lord, stirred, perhaps in the
earliest instance, by jealousy of
His choice of one of the hated
SAINT BARTHOLOMEW THE APOSTLE.
For the Epistle. Acts 11. 27, and
part of Chap. 12.
IN those days came prophets
from Jerusalem unto Antioch.
And there stood up one of them
named Agabus, and signified by
the Spirit, that there should be
great dearth throughout all the
world ; which came to pass in the
days of Claudius C'resar. Then
the disciples, every man according
to his ability, determined to send
relief unto the brethren which
dwelt in Judaea. Which also they
did, and sent it to the elders by
the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
Now about that time Herod the
king stretched forth his hands to
vex certain of the Church. And he
killed James the brother of John
with the sword. And, because he
saw it pleased the Jews, he pro-
ceeded further to take Peter also.
Tiie Oospel. St. Matth. 20. 20.
THEN came to him the mother
of Zebedee's children with her
sons, worshipping him, and desir-
ing a certain thing of him. And
he said unto her, What wilt thou?
She saith unto him, Grant that
one on thy right hand, and the
other on the left, in thy kingdom.
But Jesus answered and said, Ye
know not what ye ask. Are ye
able to drink of the cup that I
shall drink of, and to be baptized
with the baptism that I am bap-
tized with ? They say unto him,
We are able. And he saith unto
them, Ye shall drink indeed of
my cup, and be baptized with the
baptism that I am baptized with :
but to sit on my right hand, and
on my left, is not mine to give ;
but it shall be given to them for
whom it is prepared of my Father.
And when the ten heard it, they
were moved with indignation a-
gainstthe two brethren. But Jesus
called them unto him, and said,
Ye know that the princes of the
Gentiles exercise dominion over
them, and they that arc great ex-
ercise authority upon them. But
it shall not be so among you : but
whosoever will be great among
you, let him be your minister ;
and whosoever will be chief among
you, let him be your servant : eveu
as the Son of man came not to be
ministered unto, but to minister,
and to uive his life a ransom for
these my two sons may sit, the many.
Saint 33artf)olonuto tty ^postl*.
much that they brought forth the
0„ sick into the streets, and laid them
ALMIGHTY and everlastng Qn ^ and couch that at the
God, who didst give to thine leagt the shadow of Peter passing
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY and everlasting
God, who didst give to thine
Apostle Bartholomew grace truly
to believe and to preach thy Word;
Grant, we beseech thee, unto thy
Church, to love that Word which
he believed, and both to preach
and receive the same; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Epistle. Acts 5. 12.
BY the hands of the Apostles
were many signs and won-
ders wrought among the people :
(and they were all with one accord
in Solomon's porch . and of the
rest durst no man join himself to
them: but the people magnified
them: and believers were the more
added to the Lord, multitudes
both of men and women :) iusu-
by might overshadow some of
them. There came also a multi-
tude out of the cities round about
unto Jerusalem, bringing sick
folks, and them which were vexed
with unclean spirits; and they
were healed every one.
The Gospel. St. Luke 22. 24.
AND there was also a strife a-
. mong them, which of them
i should be accounted the greatest.
! And he said unto them, The kings
I of the Gentiles exercise lordship
over them ; and they that exercise
\ authority upon them are called
| benefactors But ye shall not be
j so : but he that is greatest among
■ j you, let him be as the youngei>
131
publicans, but shewing itself (see
Mark ii. 22 — iii. 7) in various
phases of cavil and opposition.
(6) The Gospel according to St.
Matthew— according to old tra-
dition written in Hebrew (or
Aramaic), although nothing but
the Greek Gospel has yet been
discovered— is beyond all others
the Jewish Gospel, full of refer-
ence to the Ola Testament, es-
pecially rich in discourses and
parables of Our Lord, and bring-
ing out emphatically His royalty
as the Messiah (see esp. Matt.
xxviii. 18-20). (c) Of St. Mat-
thew's subsequent history Scrip-
ture is silent, and tradition is
vague and various — pointing,
however, to labours in the East.
The Collect (composed in
1549) naturally dwells on the
chief lesson of the day— the con-
trast between the sordid work of
the publican and the glorious
mission of Apostle and Evange-
list—and prays for deliverance
from the bondage of worldliness,
and for grace to follow the Lord
Jesus Christ.
The Epistle (keeping the
same contrast in view) is St.
Paul's protestation to the Corin-
thians of the perfect simplicity
and disinterestedness of his
Apostob'c ministry — preaching
the truth without deceit or per-
version, and so bringing to the
conscience of all who are not
hopelessly reprobate the light
which shone upon his own soul-
preaching not himself, but the
Lord, and for Him content to be
a servant of His people— having
for its one object the giving the
knowledge of God's glory in Jesus
Christ.
The Gospel is St. Matthew's
own record of his call from the
" receipt of custom," that is, the
"place of toll," on the borders
of the Lake of Gennesaret. St.
Luke adds (Luke v. 28) what
St. Matthew omits— that "he
left all." At the farewell feast
the presence of publicans and
sinners produces a murmur, pos-
sibly of mere Pharisaic exclusive-
neBs, possibly of honest per-
plexity, against what might seem
a dangerous condonation of sin.
Our Lord answers, first, in the
form of proverb, justifying the
presence of the Great Physician
of the soul to those who are
spiritually sick; next (as in Matt,
xii. 7), by a quotation of Hos. vi.
6, on the general principle of
God's dealings with men, pre-
ferring above all outward offer-
ings mercy to the repentant
sinner.
The Proper Lessons are (1
Kings xix. 15-21) the call of
Elisha by Elijah, in accordance
with the command of the Lord,
and the farewell feast (like that
of St. Matthew); and (1 Chron.
xxix. 1-20) the description of the
sacrifice of all wealth and trea-
sure by David and the people to
the service of God.
Saint Htkbael anb all glngtlg.
This Festival (kept in the East-
ern Church on November 8th) is
naturally of ancient observance.
For, although the nature of an-
gels is but little revealed to us,
their ministration is clearly de-
scribed, first, to the chosen family
and to the chosen nation in the
Old Testament, then to Our Lord
Himself upon earth, from His
infancy to His Resurrection, and
lastly to the Church and to in-
dividual souls for His sake, in the
New Testament. While, there-
fore, worship of them is an idola-
try, which St. Paul sternly re-
bukes (Col. ii. 18), and which
they indignantly refuse (Rev.
xxii. 8, 9), yet thankfulness and
reverence for them as "fellow-
servants," higher in the one
Communion of Saints, whose
service is the pattern of our own.
and for whose guardianship we
may look, are most natural and
seemly. St. Michael is simply
the chief of this angelic band.
He is described in the Old Testa-
ment (Dan. x. 13. 21 ; xii. 1 ;
comp. Jude 9) as the guardian
angel of the Jewish people ; in
the New Testament (Rev. xii. 7)
he is the great warrior archangel,
fighting for God and His Church
against the power of the devil.
Beyond this, though fancy has
created a mass of legend, we can-
not be said to know anything.
The Collect (translated from
the old Sarum Collect, taken
132
SAINT MATTHEW THE APOSTLE.
and he that is chief, as he that
doth serve. For whether is great-
er, he that sitteth at meat, or he
that serveth ? is not he that sit-
teth at meat ? but I am among
you as he that serveth. Ye are
they which have continued with
me in my temptations. And I ap-
point unto you a kingdom, as my
Father hath appointed unto me ;
that ye may eat and drink at my
table in my kingdom, and sit on
thrones judging the twelve tribes
of Israel.
Saint ifflattfjEto tfje Apostle.
o
0
Christ Jesus the Lord ; and our-
selves your servants lor "Jesus'
sake. For God, who commanded
the light to shine out of darkness,
hath shined in our hearts, to give
the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God, in the face of Jesus
Christ.
The Gospel. St. Matth. 9. 9.
AND as Jesus passed forth
from thence, he saw a man
named Matthew, sitting at the re-
ceipt of custom : and he saith unto
him, Follow me. And he arose,
and followed him. And it came to
Eass, as Jesus sat at meat in the
ouse, behold, many Publicans
and sinners came, and sat down
with him and his disciples. And
when the Pharisees saw it, they
said unto his disciples, Why eat-
eth your Master with Publicans
and sinners ? But when Jesus
heard that, he said unto them,
They that be whole need not a
physician, but they that are sick.
But go ye and learn what that
meaneth, I will have mercy, and
not sacrifice ; for I am not come
to call the righteous, but sinners
to repentance.
Saint Jttirfjael an* all Angels.
The Collect. against the dragon, and the dra-
EVERLASTING God, who gon fought and his angels ; and
hast ordained and constitut- prevailed not, neither was their
place found any more in heaven.
And the great dragon was cast
out, that old serpent, called the
devil and Satan, which deceiveth
the whole world ; he was cast out
into the earth, and his angels were
cast out with him. And I heard
a loud voice sayingin heaven, Now
is come salvation, and strength,
and the kingdom of our God, and
the power of his Christ : for the
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY God, who by thy
blessed Son didst call Matthew
from the receipt of custom to be
an Apostle and Evangelist ; Grant
us grace to forsake all covetous
desires, and inordinate love of
riches, and to follow the same thy
Son Jesus Christ, who liveth and
reigneth with thee and the Holy
Ghost, one God, world without
end. Amen.
The Epistle. 2 Cor. 4. 1.
THEREFORE seeing we have
this ministry, as we have re-
ceived mercy, we faint not ; but
have renounced the hidden things
of dishonesty, not walking in craf-
tiness, nor handling the Word of
God deceitfully, but by manifes-
tation of the truth commending
ourselves to every man's con-
science in the sight of God. But
if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to
them that are lost : in whom the
God of this world hath blinded
the minds of them which believe
not, lest the light of the glorious
Gospel of Christ, who is the image
of God, should shine unto them.
For we preach not ourselves, but
ed the services of Angels and men
in a wonderful order ; Mercifully
grant, that as thy holy Angels al-
way do thee service in heaven, so
by thy appointment they may
succour and defend us on earth ;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
For the Epistle. Rev. 12. 7.
THERE was war in heaven:
Michael and his angels fought
132
from the Sacramentary of Gre-
gory) dwells on the "wonderful
order " in which the hierarchy of
heaven (see Eph. i. 21 ; Col. i. 10)
and the manifold human society
of earth, are all " constituted
to work out the Will of God;
and, recognising the heavenly
function of the angels in the
service of heaven, prays for the
performance of their earthly
function of succour and defence
to us (see Heb. i. 14).
The Epistle deals with the
former function. It is taken
from the Apocalypse, after the
sounding of the Seventh Trum-
pet, and the revelation of the
kingdoms of the earth as the
kingdom of God. It describes a
struggle in heaven, the counter-
part of the conflict between the
Woman (the Church) and the
dragon on earth. That struggle
ends in the victory of the good
angels over Satan and the cast-
ing out from heaven of the great
Accuser of the brethren, who
overcome him by the blood of
the Lamb, and by their witness
to it in life and in death. Then
follows on earth the last and
intensest conflict of good and
evil. However mysterious the
revelation may be in detail, we
cannot misunderstand its general
teaching on the service of the
angels in that ceaseless war of
light and darkness, which goes
on, not only visibly on earth, but
invisibly in heaven.
The Gospel refers to the se-
cond angelic function, in Our
Lord's warning not to despise
His little ones "whose angels
always behold the face of God."
This gracious declaration is made
to clench His solemn teaching—
in answer to the question " Who
is greatest in the Kingdom of
Heaven ? "—of the need of child-
like humility for entrance and
greatness in that Kingdom, and
of the infinite guilt— beyond all
punishment, and to be averted
by any sacrifice— of those who
misguide children and childlike
souls. (The common belief in
individual guardian angels is
neither affirmed nor contradicted
in this passage.)
The Proper Lessons are (Gen.
xxxii.) Jacob's vision of the an-
gels at Mahanaim, and of the
man" who wrestled with him
at Penuel ; (Dan. x. 4-21) Daniel's
vision of the angel and the de-
scription of the protection of
Michael over Israel; (Acts xii.
5-18) the record of the angelic
deliverance of St. Peter from
prison, and (Rev. xiv. 14-20) the
revelation of the angelic minis-
try, as executing the wrath of
God.
£amt |Tukt % (fbangeltst.
Of St. Luke we know only his
companionship with St. Paul and
his Gospel and Acts of the Apos-
tles, (a) He is called "the be-
loved physician," and believed to
have been a native of Antioch;
he is the companion of St. Paul
from Troas to Philippi in the
second missionary journey ; from
Philippi to Jerusalem in the
third, and, after the captivity at
Csesarea, to Rome; he is with
St. Paul in his first captivity at
Rome, and is his sole faithful
companion in the last (Acts xvi.
9 ; xx. ; xxi. ; xxvii. ; xxviii. ; Col.
iv. 14; Philemon 24; 2 Tim. iv.
11). Tradition speaks of him as
surviving the Apostle, and dying
a martyr in his old age. (b) The
Gospel according to St. Luke—
the "Greek Gospel," as it has
been called— stands out from the
rest by its signs of higher educa-
tion in style and method, its
study of earlier records, its pecu-
liar beauty and pathos, its di-
dactic tone, and its special refer-
ence (well suiting the " Pauline
Gospel ") to Atonement and for-
giveness of sin in the Lord Jesus
Christ. The Acts is a continua-
tion of the Gospel— a series of
pictures of the great epochs of
the development of the Church,
embracing, in the Hebrew, the
Greek, and the Roman, the three
chief elements of ancient civili-
zation—in the first instance by
the preaching of the Apostles
generally and of St. Stephen,
the first martyr, afterwards, al-
most exclusively, by the labours
of St. Paul. Both are addressed
to Theophilus- -evidently a Ro-
man of high rank— and bear
233
SAINT LUKE THE EVANGELIST.
tycuser of our brethren is cast
down, which accused them before
our God day and night. And they
overcame him by the blood of the
Lamb, and by the word of their
testimony ; and they loved not
their lives unto the death. There-
fore rejoice, ye, heavens, and ye
that dwell in them. Woe to the
inhablters of the earth, and of the
sea : for the devil is come down
unto you, having great wrath, bc-
causo he knoweth that he hath
but a short time.
The Gospel. St. Matth. 18. 1.
AT the 'same time came the
disciples unto Jesus, saying,
Who is tne greatest in the King-
dom of heaven ? And Jesus called
a little child unto him, and set
him in the midst of them, and
said, Verily I say unto you, Ex-
cept ye be converted, and become
as little children, ye shall not en-
ter into the Kingdom of heaven.
Whosoever therefore shall hum-
ble himself as this little child, the
same is greatest in the Kingdom
of heaven. And whoso shall re-
ceive one such little child in my
Name, rcceivcth me. But whoso
shall offend one of these little ones
which believe In me, It were bet-
ter for him that a millstone were
hanged about his neck, and that
he were drowned in the depth of
the sea. Woe unto the world
because of offences: for It must
needs be that offences conic : but
woe to tlxat man by whom the of-
fence cometh. Wherefore If thy
hand. or thy foot offend thee, cut
them off, and, cast them from
thee : it irf better for thee to enter
into life halt or maimed, rather
than having two hands or two
feet to be cast into everlasting
Are. And If thine eye offend thee,
pluck it out, and cast it from
thee : it is better for toco to enter
into life with one eye. rather than
having two eyes to be cast Into
hell-fire. Take heed that ye, de-
spise not one of these little ones ;
for I say unto you, That In hea-
ven their angels do always beliold
the face of my Father which Is in
heaven.
Saint TL\x\t t\)t GF&angcIiat.
The Collect. pearlng. Do tby diligence to come
ALMIGHTY God, who callcdst
Luke the Physician, whose
pralso is in the Gospel, to be an
Evangelist, and Physician of the
soul ; May it please thee, that, by
the wholesome medicines of the
doctrine delivered by him, all the
diseases of our souls may be heal-
ed ; through the merits of thy Son
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. 2 Tim. 4. 5.
WATCH thou iu all things,
endure afflictions, do the
work of an Evangelist, make full
proof of thy niluistry. For 1 am
now ready to bo offered, and tbo
time of my departure Is at hand.
I have fought a good fight, I have
finished my course, I have kept
the faith. Henceforth there Is laid
up for iuo a crown of righteous-
ness, which the Lord, the righte-
ous Judge, shall give me at that
day: and not to me only, but un-
to all them also that love his ap-
shortly unto me : for Demas hath
forsaken me, having loved this
present world, and is departed
unto The8salonlca ; Cresccns to
Galatla, Titus unto Dalmatia.
Only Luke Is with mo. Take Mark
and bring him with thee : for he Is
profitable to me for the ministry.
And Tychlcus have I sent to
Ephesus. The cloke that I left at
Troa9 with Carpus, when thou
comest, bring with thee ; and the
books, but especially the parch-
ments. Alexander the copper-
smith did me much evil : the
Lord reward him according to his
works. Of whom be thou ware
also, for ho hath greatly withstood
our words.
The Gospel. St. Luke 10. 1.
THE Lord appointed other se-
venty also, and sent them two
and two before his face Into every
elty and place whither he himself
would come. Therefore said he
133
trace* of information from Bo-
man sources.
The Collect (composed in
154», and slightly varied in !«52;
turns entirely on St. Lnke'» office
as the " beloved physician " called
to be ** a physician of the soul,"
and healing it* disease by his
wholesome doctrine.
The Epistle is the pathetic
close of St. Paul's last Epistle,
written almost with a dying
hand, from his prison at Rome.
It (a; charges Timothy to watch,
to endure, to carry ont to the
utmost his work of evangelism
and of ministry ; it, next, <b) de-
scribes the Apostle's peaceful
and thoughtful confidence, on
the eve of his departure | con-
trast 1 Cor. ix. 27; Phil. iii.
11-14), that his work was done,
his battle for the faith over, and
his reward ready— a confidence
which he expressly declares that
all faithful servants of the Lord
may share. Lastly, (c) describ-
ing St. Paul's own loneliness, in
which "only Luke is with him,"
and giving Timothy various
charges, it prays him, as the
Apostle's beloved son, to come
before he dies, and to bring
Mark to minister to him.
The Gospel is Our Lord's mis-
sion of the Seventy, among whom
St. Luke, who alone records tbeiz
appointment, is said to have
been numbered, although the
Preface to his Gospel has been
thought to exclude him from the
eye-witnesses of the Gospel. It
may be compared with the mis-
sion of the Twelve in Matt, x.,
which, unlike this, was expressly
limited to the lost sheep of the
house of Israel. It is a mission
to prepare the spiritual harvest ;
and it bids them go forth, "as
lambs among wolves," with no
earthly support, living simply
and trustfully, bringing peace,
and absorbed in their spiritual
work.
The Pkopeb Lessons are 'Isa.
lv.) the call to drink freely of the
water of life, in penitence and
faith, in peace and joy ; and
(Ecclns. xxxviii. 1-15) the praise
of the physician, as a minister of
God to us for good.
£atni .Simon anb $ntnt |rtbr, SLpoBtlrs.
These two Apostles are found
in juxtaposition in all the A-
postclic catalogues immediately
after "James the son of Alpbae-
ns." In the list of " the breth-
ren of the Lord" we have
" James, and Judas, and Simon "
'Matt. xiii. fifr) ; and it has been
natural to identify the two lists,
and hold that the three Apostles
were brethren to one another,
and "brethren of the Lord."
The identification is, however,
very doubtful, especially in view
of John vii. 5. (a) 8t. Simon is
called " the Cananite " 'not " Ca-
naanite," as in the Authorised
Version) in Matt. x. 4; Mark iii.
18; and "Zelotes" in Luke vi.
15. The one is a Syriac surname,
the other its Greek equivalent,
signifying that the Apostle had
been one of the "Zealots," the
extreme section of the Pharisaic
and patriotic party. There is no
other notice of the Apostle,
either in Holy Scripture or in
trustworthy tradition. <b> St.
Judeis called in St. Luke " Judas
of James." The word to be or-
dinarily supplied in such phrases
is "the son." The word "the
brother " in the Authorised Ver-
sion is probably suggested by the
"Judas the brother of James,"
in Jude 1 . He is almost certainly
the same who is described by St.
Matthew and St. Mark as " Leb-
beeus " or " Thaddaeus "—names
of uncertain derivation, poenibly
derived from Hebrew words sig-
nifying "the heart" and the
"breast," and supposed to be
names of endearment. The one
notice of him in Holy Fcriptnre
is in reference to his question to
Our Lord in John xiv. 22. Tra-
dition speaks of him as preach-
ing at Edessa and neighbouring
regions of the East; and the
" Kestorian " Liturgy bears the
name of " St. Adaeus (or Thad-
daeus). There being thns no
special notice in Holy Scripture
of either Apostle, the Collect and
Gospel refer to the general Apos-
tolic mission and dignity.
The Collect (composed in
1549 s quoting Eph. ii. 20-22, de-
scribes the Church as "built up-
134
SAINT SIMON AND SA1JNT JUDE, APOSTLES.
unto them, The harvest truly is
great, but the labourers are low ;
pray ye therefore the Lord of tho
harvest, that he would send forth
labourers into his harvest. (Jo
your ways ; behold, I send you
forth as, lambs among wolves
Carry neither purse, nor scrip,
nor shoes, and salute no man by
the way. And into whatsoever
house ye enter, first say, Peace be
to this house. Ami If the son of
peace be there, your peace shall
rest upon it . if not, it shall turn
to you again. And In the same
house remain, eating and drink-
ing such things as thoy give : for
the labourer is worthy of his hire.
Saint Simon ant> Saint 3kf0f, Apostles.
0
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY God, who Inst
built thy Church upon the
foundation of the Apostles and
Prophets, Jesus Christ himself be-
ing the head corner-stone ; Grant
us so to be joined together In uni-
ty of spirit by their doctrine, that
we may be mado an holy temple
acceptable unto thee ; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. St. Jude 1.
JUDE, the servant of Jesus
Christ, and brother of James,
to them that are sanctified by God
the Father, and preserved In Jesus
Christ, and called : Mercy unto
you, and peace, and love be mul-
tiplied. Beloved, when I gave all
diligence to write unto you of the
common salvation, it was needful
for me to write unto you, and ex-
hort you, that ye should earnestly
contend for the faith which waa
once delivered unto the saints.
For there are certain men crept
in unawares, who wero before of
old ordained to this condemn-
ation ; ungodly men, turning the
grace of ohr God into lasclvious-
ncss, and denying Ihc only Lord
God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
I will therefore put you In re-
membrance, though yo onco knew
this, bow that the Lord, having
saved tho people out of tho land of
Egypt, afterward destroyed them
that believed not. And the angels
which kept not their first estate,
but left their own habitation, he
hath reserved in everlasting chains
under darkness uoto the judg-
ment of the great day. Even as
Sodom and Gomorrha, and the
cities about them in like manner
giving themselves over to fornlcu-
tion, and going after strange flesh,
are set forth for an example, suf-
fering ihc vengeance of eternal fire.
Likewise also these filthy dreamers
defile the fiesh, despise dominion,
and speak evil of dignities.
The Gospel. St. John 15. 17.
THESE things I command you,
that yo lovo one another. If
the world hate, you, yc know that
it hated mc bctorc It hated you.
If ye were of the world, the world
would love his own : but because
ye are not of the world, but I have
chosen you out of the world, there-
fore the world hatcth you. Re-
member the word that 1 said unto
you, The servant is not greater
than the lord : If they have perse-
cuted me, they will also persecute
you ; If they have kept my saying,
they will keep yours also. But all
these things will they do unto you
for my Name's sake, because they
know not him that sent me. If I
had not come and spoken unto
thorn, they had not had sin : but
now they have no cloke for their
sin. He that hateth me hateth
my Father also. If I had not done
among them the works which
none other man did, they had not
had sin ; but now have they both
seen, and hated both mo and my
Father. But this comoth to pass,
that the word might bo fulfilled
that Is written In their law, They
hated me without a cause. But
when the Comforter is come,
whom I will send unto you from
the Father, even the Spirit of
truth, which piocecdeth from the
Father, he shall testify of me.
And ye also shall bear witness,
because yc have been with me
from the beginning.
134
on the foundation of the Apostles
and Prophets," Our Lord being
the " corner-stone," binding both
building and foundation in one ;
and accordingly prays for unity
in the truth taught by them, that
we may be one Temple, holy and
acceptable to God. In this Col-
lect the Church is viewed as a
Temple, based on Christ as the
Truth ; in the succeeding Collect
as a Body, living by Christ as the
Life.
The Epistle, identifying
(though perhaps erroneously)
Jude the Apostle with Jude " the
brother of James," is the opening
of the General Epistle of tho
latter. It is written probably
late in the Apostolic Age, warn-
ing against a twofold error creep-
ing into the Church, and per-
verting " the faith once delivered
to the Saints " — a moral error of
Antinomian profligacy— a doc-
trinal error in the denial of the
Godhead of the Lord Jesus
Christ. (It bears a singular re-
semblance to the Second Epistle
of St. Peter. ) The warning is em-
phasized by a reference to the
unfaithfulness and judgment of
Israel in the wilderness, and then
(in connection with sensual sin;
to the fall of the Angels, and the
destruction of Sodom and Go-
morrha.
The Gospel is a part of Our
Lord's last discourse (imme-
diately following the Gospel for
8t. Barnabas' Day, and coincid-
ing with a part of the Gospel
for the Sunday after Ascension).
After a reiteration of the com-
mandment of love, it warns the
Apostles to expect hatred and
persecution from the world for
His Name's sake, such as He
Himself.had experienced, against
the plainest witness both in His
words and His works ; and bids
them, in the strength of the Com-
forter, witnessing of Christ, to
bear their witness also of Him,
as having known the whole of
His earthly Ministry.
The Proper Lessons are (Isa.
xxviii. 9-17) the description of
the simple and gradual teaching,
leading up to the declaration of
Him who is at once the founda-
tion and the corner-stone; and
( Jer. iii. 12-19) the call of Israel
to return to the Lord, and the
promise of reunion and blessing
and the gathering in of all na-
tions.
gill $mnW glan.
This glorious Festival, sum-
ming up the special Saints' Day
celebrations, dates in the West
from about a.d. 610, when the
Pantheon, turned into a Chris-
tian Church, was appropriately
dedicated to " the Blessed Virgin
and to All Saints." In the East
a Festival, first, of All Martyrs,
then of All Saints, was and is
kept on the first Sunday after
Pentecost. Its great idea is the
unity of Christians, living and
dead, of all ages, countries, and
races, in Christ, and the perfec-
tion of that unity in the bliss of
heaven. The unity here implied
with the faithful departed was
emphasized afterwards by the
celebration, on November 2nd,
of "All Souls' Day."
The Collect (composed in
1549) at once brings out this idea.
It speaks of the Communion of
Saints in the mystical body of
Christ, and with special reference
to the Saints who have gone be-
136
fore, prays for grace to follow
them in virtuous and godly living
here, and to partake with them
of joys unspeakable hereafter.
The Epistle, taken from the
Apocalypse, between the opening
of the Sixth and Seventh Seals,
describes un a figure similar to
that of Ezek. ix. 2-4) the sealing
of the servants of God, for their
safety in the hour of wrath and
judgment. Of the tribes of Israel
(Dan being omitted for some
reason unknown) twelve times
twelve thousand are sealed. Be-
yond these, from all people, na-
tions, and languages are gathered
the innumerable company of All
Saints, in the white robes of
righteousness and with the palms
of victory, raising a triumphal
Song of Salvation and Praise,
taken up by "the angels round
the Throne, and the four living
creatures and the twenty-four
elders," in a yet fuller strain of
praise and adoration.
&ll Saints' ©ag.
0
The Collect
ALMIGHTY God, who hast
knit together thine elect In
one communion and fellowship,
in the mystical body of thy Son
Christ our Lord ; Grant us grace
so to follow thy blessed Saints in
all virtuous and godly living, that
we may come to those unspeak-
able joys, which thou hast pre-
pared for them that unfelgnedly
lovo thee;- through Jesus Christ
our Lord. A men.
For the Epistle. Rev. 7. 2.
AN D I saw another angel as-
cending from tho east, hav-
ing the seal of the living God :
and he cried with a loud voice
to the four angels, to whom it
was given to hurt the earth, and
the sea, saying, Hurt not the
earth, neither tho sea, nor the
trees, till we have sealed the ser-
vants of our God in their fore-
heads. And I heard the number
of them which were scaled ; and
there were scaled an hundred
and forty and four thousand, of
all the tribes of the children of
Israel.
Of the tribe of Juda were scaled
twelve thousand.
Of tho tribe of Reuben were
sealed twelve thousand.
Of the trlbo of Gad wcro scaled
twelve thousand.
Of the tribe of Aser were sealed
twelve thousand.
Of the trllM) of Nephthali were
sealed twelve thousand.
Of the tribe of Manasscs were
sealed twelve thousand.
Of the tribe of Simeon were
sealed twelve thousand.
Of tbc tribe of Levi were 6caicd
twelve thousand.
Of the tribe of Iasachar were
scaled twelve thousand.
Of the tribe of Zabuion were
scaled twelve thousand.
Of tho. tribe of Joseph were
sealed twelve thousand.
Of the tribe of Benjamin were
sealed twelve thousand.
After this I beheld, and lo, a
great multitude, which no man
could number, of all nations, and
kindreds, and people, and tongues,
stood before the tlirone, and be-
fore the Lamb, clothed with white
robes, and palms in their hands ;
and cried with a loud voice, say-
ing, Salvation to our God whloh
sltteth upon the throne, and un-
to the Lamb. And all the angels
stood round about the throne, and
about the elders, and the four
beasts, and fell before the throne
on their faces, and worshipped
God, saying, Amen ; Blessing, and
f;lory, and wisdom, and thanksgtv-
ng, and honour, and power, and
might, be unto our God for ever
and ever. Amen.
The Gospel. St. Matth. 5. 1.
JESUS, seeing the multitudes,
went up Into a mountain ; and
when he was set, his disciples
came unto him. And be opened
his mouth, and taught them, say-
ing, Blessed are the poor in spirit :
for thelr's is the kingdom of hea-
ven. Blessed are they that mourn:
for they shall be comforted. Bless-
ed are the meek : for they shall
inherit the earth. Blessed are
they which do hunger and thirst
after righteousness: for they shall
bo filled Blessed aro the merci-
ful : for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed aro the pure in heart : for
they shall see God. Blessed are the
pcaco- makers: for they shall be
called the children of God. Bless-
ed arc they which aro persecuted
for righteousness' sako : for thelr's
is tho kingdom of heaven. Bless-
ed are ye, when men shall revile
you, and persecute you, and shall
say all m;inncr of evil ngalnst you
falsely for my sake. Kejolce, and
be exceeding glad, for great is
your reward In heaven for go per-
secuted they the prophetc which
were before yon.
135
The Gospel expresses in the
Eight Beatitudes the elements of
the saintly or Christ-like charac-
ter, and the blessing on each.
(a) In the first seven, the two
elements of truth ( or righteous-
ness) and love, which are (see
Eph. iv. 15) the image of Christ,
are represented— love in the first,
third, and fifth, the tempers of
humility, meekness, and mercy-
truth in the second, fourth, and
sixth, the tempers of mourning
(for sin), hunger and thirst after
righteousness, and purity of
heart; and both truth and love
meet in the work of the peace-
makers, who are the true chil-
dren of the God of Peace. The
Eighth Beatitude— applied es-
pecially to the disciples— is that
pronounced on the willing suffer-
ing for and with Christ, sent to
us in different degrees, as the
condition of glorv with Him here-
after. (6) The Blessings given
correspond in each case to the
temper blessed. The most re-
markable, perhaps, are the pro-
mise that the meek, that is, the
gentle and kindly, shall "inherit
the earth "—enjoying the happi-
ness and sunshine of life; and
the promise that the pure in heart
shall have a foretaste of the bliss
of heaven, which is the true home
of purity, by "seeing God " with
keen spiritual insight (comp. 1
John iii. 2, 8).
The Proper Lessons are
(Wisd. iii. 1-10) the beautiful
description of the souls of the
righteous in the hand of God, in
present peace and prospect of
future glory : (Wisd. v. 1-17) the
picture of the triumph of the
despised saint, and the utter
shame and failure of the wicked
in the day of judgment; (Heb.
xi. 38— xii. 7) the catalogue of the
trials and sufferings of the faith-
ful witnesses for God, whom we
follow, looking to their Lord and
ours; and (Rev. xix. 1-1") the
vision of the triumph of the King
of kings and His Saints over all
the powers of evil.
INTRODUCTION TO THE
HOLY COMMUNION SEKVICE.
The Liturgy.— This Service is the first, as it is the most sacred,
of all Christian Services. To it, indeed, is especially appropriated
the name Liturgy, which properly signifies any sen-ice whatever
done in the name of the whole community, and which in Scriptural
and early Christian usage is applied generally to all service of
common worship to God (see Dan. vii. 10 ; Luke i. 28 ; Acts xiii. 2 ;
Heb. viii. 1, 2, 6). This appropriation appears to signify not only
that it is par excellence the Service — the most sacred and most dis-
tinctively Christian Service— of the Church, but that in it the
public worship of Christians first took a fixed and traditional form.
Naturally this was so : for it was the one Rite ordained by Our Lord
Himself "in remembrance" of Him ; and the earliest name, desig-
nating the Service or the Consecrated Elements, the Holy Euchah-
ist — the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving "—is directly derived
from the Greek word {eucharittesas) "having given thanks," used
in the records of Our Lord's Institution in Luke xxii. 19; 1 Cor.
xi. 23.
First Notices of Liturgical Service.— How soon this Service
assumed a set form, whether preserved by oral tradition or in
writing, is uncertain. The formation of the Christian Liturgy, as
of the Christian Creed, was evidently a natural and gradual growth.
It has been pointed out that " the teaching of the Apostles and the
Communion, and the breaking of the bread and the prayers," de-
scribed in Acts ii. 42, as the characteristic elements of the life of the
Church after Pentecost, are exactly those which are expressed in
735 a
the earliest Christian Liturgies. It has been generally thought that
there are traces of Liturgical forms in the New Testament itself (as,
for example, in the quotations in 1 Cor. ii. 9 and Eph. v. 14, in the
embryo Creed of 1 Tim. iii. 16, and in the many " faithful sayings "
of the Pastoral Epistles) ; and, although it is utterly improbable
that in the Apostolic age anything like the elaborate Liturgies of
later days existed, it is likely enough that round the elements ne-
cessarily invariable— the Lord's Prayer and the Words of Institution
—some rudimentary form of Service had even then grown up. Such
growth is indeed plainly traceable. In the remarkable utterance of
prayer found in the First Epistle of St. Clement (chaps, lix.— lxi.).
Bishop Lightfoot sees traces of a gradual development of Liturgical
form. In the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles" (at the close of
the first century) directions are given (chaps, viii., ix.) as to the
forms of Eucharistic thanksgiving, at the breaking of the Bread
and drinking of the Cup, and after reception of both, while " the
Prophets " are to be left free in these matters. In Pliny's letter to
Trajan (a.d. 110) we hear of the Christians as "binding themselves
to Christ by a Sacramentum," and " singing a hymn to Him as God."
Finally, in the famous descriptions of the Christian worship, given
twice over by Justin Martyr in his first Apology (a.d. 139), first as
following the celebration of Baptism, and then as forming a part
of the Service of every Sunday, the process of development is almost
complete. Taking the two accounts together, we find from him
that, as soon as the worshippers are assembled, (a) " The memoirs
written by the Apostles or the writings of the Prophets are read, as
far as time allows. Then .... the president over the brethren
delivers an admonition and exhortation to the imitation of the good
things there set forth. (6) After this we all stand up in common,
and utter prayers, (c) After the prayers we greet one another with
the kiss of peace, (d) Next, when we have censed our prayer, bread
is brought to the president, together with wine and water, and (e) he
sends up prayers and thanksgivings so far as he is able"— or (as in
the other account) " sends up praise and glory to the Father of All
through the Name of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and utters at
length thanksgiving for our having been thought worthy of these
blessings,"— " and all the people respond 'Amen'"; (/) then the
distribution and reception of the bread and wine and water, thus
blessed, take place, and they are sent by the deacons to those who
are not present, (ff) And " those who have means and goodwill give
according as each chooses, and that which is given is laid up in the
hands of the president " for various works of charity. " This food"
{he continues) "is called among us Eucharist . . . for we do not
receive it as common bread or common drink ; but, as Jesus Christ
our Saviour, having become incarnate by the Word of God, took
tiesh and blood for our salvation, so we have been taught that this
food, consecrated by prayer in the word handed down from Him, is
the fle^h and blood of the Incarnate Jesus." Then, from the
" Memoirs of the Apostles, called Gospels," he gives an account of
the Institution.
In the latter of these passages we find the ancient name Euchar-
ist, and a simple but unmistakeable statement of the early Euchar-
istic doctrine. In the former we trace the following elements of
the Service : (a) Reading of Holy Scripture and Sermon thereon ;
(b) Common prayer by the whole congregation; (e) the Kiss of
Peace ; (d) the Presentation of the Elements ; (c) Prayer and Eu-
charistic thanksgiving by the officiating Minister, consecrating the
Elements, the bread and the mixed cup ; (/) Distribution, reception,
and reservation for the absent ; (p) Almsgiving for the poor. How
far the prayers of the congregation or the minister were fixed or
variable is uncertain; but the whole tenour of Justin's description,
especially in section (c). seems clearly to imply that a measure of
variation still existed, while it is probable that some parts were in-
7-35 6
variable. Gradually, however, the principle of a fixed Service pre-
vailed, embodying itself in many Liturgies, varying in detail, but
shewing general unity of substance, and strong resemblances even
in form.
The Ancient Liturgies.— For it is found that in the large number
of Ancient Liturgies existing, amidst great variety of detail, yet as
regards the central portion (or "Canon") of the Service, there is
this remarkable agreement in substance and often in language, and
that the elements noticed in the account of Justin Martyr are in-
variably found. The Liturgies may be divided into five (or six)
classes (see Hammond's and Brightman's Liturgies Knutern and
Wertern), all dating from early days, although having been, in
different degrees, modified and added to in course of time.
(a) The Liturgies of the West Syrian family, of which the Liturgy
of St. James and " the Clementine Liturgy are early types, and
with which are connected (b) the Liturgies of St. BaBil and
St. Chrysostom (now used in the Greek Church) and the Armenian
Liturgy.
(<?) The Liturgies of Alexandria and Egypt generally, of which
the Greek " Liturgy of St. Mark" is the best representative.
(d) The Liturgies of East Syria or Persia, commonly called the
Nestorian Liturgies, used in the Assyrian or Chaldsean Churches.
(e) The Liturgies of Spain and Gaul (" Mozarabic and Gallican"),
supposed to be connected with the Liturgy used at Ephesus, com-
monly called " the Liturgy of St. John," and certainly occupying
an intermediate position between the Eastern and other Western
types.
(/) The Liturgy of Rome (or of St. Peter), and those varying
from it, but of the same stock, as the Ambrosian Liturgy of Milan,
and probably the Anglican Uses (of which the Sarum is the best
type), although these are by some connected with the Gallican
family.
These are in their present forms Services of great elaborateness
and beauty, full of variations, which shew independence of develop-
ment. There is a marked distinction in many points, between the
Eastern Uses (a), (b), (c), (d), and the Western Uses (*), (/). But,
underlying all this variety, there is so remarkable a substantial
nnity, that a normal structure in all can be plainly traced.
Thus, in the Preparatory part of the Service, at the whole or part
of which Catechumens and Penitents, not admitted to Communion,
were present, there are invariably— (1) Prayers of Preparation;
(2) Lections from Holy Scripture (the Epistle and Gospel) ;
(8) Prayers for the Catechumens and dismissal of them ; (4) Offer-
tory with oblation of the unconsecrated Elements ; (5) the Kiss of
Peace ; (6) the Creed.
Again, in the Service Proper, or " Canon," we find — (1) the Eu-
charistic Thanksgiving in the Surxum Corda (" Lift up your hearts"),
the Preface, and the Ter-Sanctus (" Holy, Holy. Holy, Lord God of
Hosts ") ; (2) Commemoration of the work of Redemption and In-
stitution; (8) Second oblation of the Elements, and (except in the
Roman Uses) Invocation of the Holy Spirit; (4) Prayer for the
whole Church living and dead ; (5) the Lord's Prayer ; (6) Prayer
of Access; (7) Reception; (8) Post-Communion of Thanksgiving.
It will be noticed that in these elements, common to all or almost
all, there is a close correspondence with the very early account given
by Justin Martyr. The conclusion is irresistible, that these Litur-
gies are developments, more or less independent, from a common
original, belonging to Apostolic or sub- Apostolic times ; which may,
according to some well-known declarations and perhaps to intrinsio
probability, have been preserved at first by oral tradition, but which
gradually passed, as the Services became more elaborate, into writ-
ten forms of great fulness and beauty.
135 C
The Liturgy of 1549.— The Liturgy used in England up to the
16th century was, of course, of the Western type. But, as we have
already seen isee Introduction), while it probably followed in the
main the old Roman Use, that Use had been modified from the be-
ginning, by the influence of the Services which St. Augustine found
already existing, in what may be called generally a "Gallican"
direction. Hence, in its various Uses, of which the Use of Sarum
was the chief, it differed in many points from the Use afterwards
established at Rome, and some of these are distinctly traceable in
our English Prayer Book.
For, in feeling their way towards a Vernacular Office of Holy
Communion, our Reformers first (in 1548) drew up an English Ser-
Tice, supplementary to the Latin Mass, for the use of the people,
containing what are now our Third Exhortation, the Invitation,
Confession, Absolution, Comfortable Words, Prayer of Access, the
Words of Administration, and the Blessing. Much of this was ori-
ginal, and much was borrowed from Hermann's Consultatio. When
it was resolved to proceed further, and frame a complete English
Communion Office, this was done, as usual, by reformation and
translation of the ancient Service, rather than by the introduction
of new forms. The Sarum Missal accordingly formed the main
basis ; but in working out the new Service, it seems clear that the
compilers consulted also Eastern Liturgical Uses (perhaps both
directly and through some forms of the Gallican Liturgy), and thus
restored some ancient and almost universal elements, which had
fallen out of the prevailing Western Uses, in England as elsewhere,
under the influence of Rome. They then directed their efforts, as
usual, to purification of the Service from all corrupt excrescences,
and to such simplification of it, both in word and in ritual, as might
bring it within the reach of the people. While, however, they car-
ried out these objects resolutely, and introduced many variations of
order and substance, they nevertheless preserved the ancient struc-
ture, and the chief elements common to the ancient Liturgies.
This will be clear from a brief analysis of the Service, which dif-
fered more than any other part of the Prayer-Book from our present
form.
(A) Ante-Communion Service.
(a) The Lord's Prayer and Collect for Purification of heart.
(b) The Kyrie Eleenon and Gloria in Excelsim.
(c) The Prayer for the Sovereign, and the Collect of the Day.
(d) The Epistle and Gospel.
(e) The Creed.
(/) The Sermon, and (occasionally) one of two Exhortations to
Communion.
(g) The Offertory, and dismissal from the Quire of non-Com-
municants.
(B) The Communion Service Proper.
(a) First Oblation of the Elements.
(6) Sursum Cor da, Preface, and Sanctus.
(c) Prayer for the whole Church.
(d) Consecration Prayer, including the Invocation of the Holy
Spirit, the Words of Institution, and the Second Oblation,
" celebrating and making the memorial which Thy Son
hath willed us to make."
(c) The Lord's Prayer, the Pax Vohiscum, and Exhortation to
" keep the Feast."
(/) The Invitation, Confession, Absolution, and Comfortable
Words (Preparation of the Communicants).
((/) Prayer of Humble Access.
(A) Reception, with the singing of the Annus Dei.
(i) Post-Communion Anthem and Thanksgiving,
(fcj Blessing.
13 d 1(.
Changes in 1552.— Such was the first Communion Office of the
Reformed Church of England. With it our native reformers were,
it would seem, generally contented. But in 1552, partly under
foreign influences, acting upon the King's Council, important
changes were made both in the Order and in the Substance of the
Service. Now in the Act of Uniformity, enforcing the use of the
revised Form, the Prayer Book of 1549 was described as "a very
godly Order, agreeable to the Word of Qod and the primitive
Church," and the object of Revision declared to be simply the re-
moval of " doubts as to the fashion and ministration of the same,"
and the " explaining and perfecting " of it. Hence any intention to
alter it in fundamental principle was disclaimed; and attentive
examination will shew that no such alteration was made. But the
changes were more considerable than in any other part of the Prayer
Book ; they tended, perhaps designedly, to lessen the close resem-
blance to ancient forms preserved in 1549 ; and were evidently made
with a view to satisfy the more extreme Reformers.
The chief of these changes were the following :—
(a) Changes in the order of the Service; connecting the Church
Militant Prayer with the Offertory, and making it a part of the
Ante-Communion Service; placing the section, which constitutes
the preparation of the Communicants, earlier in the Service, so as
to fit them to take their part in the Eueharistic Thanksgiving and
in response to the Consecration Prayer ; transferring to the Post-
Communion the Hrayer of Oblation and the Gloria in Excelnis. All
these changes had special purpose and significance, for the sake of
which it was no doubt thought worth while to vary from the ancient
order.
(b) Change in the Great Proper of Interception, limiting it to the
"Church Militant on Earth." and omitting altogether the thanks-
giving for God's grace declared in His Saints departed, and the
prayer that they might rest in peace and be, with us, set on the
right hand at the Great Day. This limitation was a departure from
universal primitive practice, probably in obedience to a desire to
discourage the excessive veneration of Saints which had grown up
to the great harm of the Church, and the various corruptions of
doctrine and practice, which had attached themselves, as it then
seemed indissolubly, to prayers for the Saints departed.
(c) Change in the Consecration Prayer, substituting for the direct
Invocation to God, "with His Holy Spirit and Word to bless and
sanctify these creatures of bread and wine that they may be unto us
the Body and Blood of His most dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ,"
the more general words, " Grant that we, receiving these Thy crea-
tures of bread and wine .... may be partakers of His most
blessed Body and Blood " ; and omitting the sentence of Oblation
(which in the earlier form was " to be rehearsed without elevation,
or shewing the Sacrament to the people" for worship), which de-
clared that "we do celebrate and make here before Thy Divine Ma-
jesty with these Thy holy gifts the memorial which Thy Son hath
willed us to make." The direct Invocation, thus omitted, is found
substantially in all Eastern Liturgies, there, however, always follow-
ing the Oblation ; and the formal Oblation is found in all ancient
Liturgies, usually in stronger and less guarded terms than those of
our first Prayer Book. In both changes we trace a desire to get rid
at any sacrifice of serious prevalent errors— the " Transubstantia-
tion, which overthroweth the nature of a Sacrament" (Art. xxviii.),
and the " sacrifice of Masses, in which it was commonly said that
the Priest did offer Christ for the quick and dead to have remission
of pain or guilt " (Art. xxxi.).
(d) Chance in the word* of Admin titration, omitting the benedic-
tion handed down from old times. " The Body (or ' Blood ') ....
life," and substituting the exhortation, "Take and eat (or 'drink')
K5e
. . . thanksgiving "—the effect being to omit reference to the abso-
lute grace of the Sacrament and to lay stress simply on the need of
preparation to receive it.
(e) Insertion (apparently by sole authority of the Crown) of the
veil-known "Declaration on Kneeling" disclaiming in the strongest
terms all Adoration of the Elements, or of any " real and essential
Presence therein of Christ's natural Flesh and Blood " — aimed dis-
tinctly at the Doctrine of Transubstantiation, and the practical in-
ference of adoration closely connected with it.
This Service, thus changed, came but little into use, for in 1553 the
reaction under Queen Mary swept all away. But it had a permanent
effect on the subsequent history of the Prayer Book.
Our present Service. — The object and the result of these changes
are clear enough. One great desire of the Reformation was to " turn
the Mass into a Communion," to point out (see Arts, xxv., xxviii.)
that the Holy Sacrament was not ordained to be " gazed upon, car-
ried about," "lifted up or worshipped," but to be "rightly used"
and "worthily received" "in a heavenly and spiritual manner by
Faith." Accordingly, while the strongest expressions were used as
to the mysterious reality of the Sacrament, as that in which " the
Body and Blood of Christ are verily and indeed taken and received
by the faithful," there was great stress laid on the need of spiritual
preparation of the soul, and great care taken to make the laity par-
takers in the whole Service, instead of spectators, assisting at a Ser-
vice, which in its entirety belonged to the Priest. Another desire,
at least as strong, was to root out all vestiges of that corruption, by
which the primitive conception of the Service as a " Memorial," not
only to ourselves and before man. but before God, commemorating
and pleading the One All-perfect Sacrifice on Calvary, and so repre-
senting on earth the Divine intercession of Our Great High Priest
in Heaven— always marked in ancient times by the universal appli-
cation to the rite of the names "Offering" and "Sacrifice" — had
been so perverted as to obscure the sole and all-sufficient Propitia-
tion made once for all On these two principles the Reformation in
England mainly turned ; and the changes made in our Communion
Service were obviously intended to stamp both unmistakeably on
the Worship and Faith of the Church.
Subsequent modifications, while introducing improvements in
detail, have left the main changes of 1552 untouched. In 1559 it
was said that Elizabeth desired to return to the basis of 1549 ; but
it was found impossible to do so. Accordingly all that was done
was to combine the old and new forms of Administration, and to
expunge the " Declaration on Kneeling." In the Scotch Liturgy of
1687, drawn up under Laud's direction and sanction, there was in
the Consecration Prayer a return substantially to the form of 1549.
But in 1602, although the High Church School was then in the
ascendant, no attempt was made in this direction. All that was
done was to add to the Church Militant Prayer the present conclud-
ing sentence commemorating the faithful departed, to reintroduce
the Declaration on Kneeling with significant change, and to give
certain ritual directions for reverent treatment of the consecrated
Elements.
The Communion Office, therefore, as it stands now— although
perhaps even more distinctly as it originally stood — is the most
striking specimen of the general principle of the Prayer Book-
preserving, as far as possible, the old substance and form handed
down from primitive antiquity, but boldly dealing with it, whenever
such dealing seemed necessary, so as to remove errors and corrup-
tions, which had gathered round and perverted the ancient truth.
io5./
THE ORDER OF THE
ADMINISTRATION OF THE LORD'S SUPPER,
OR
HOLY COMMUNION.
The Title.— The two names, by which the second great " Sacra-
ment of the Gospel " is designated in the Prayer Book, are—
(a) The Lord's Supper, as here, in the Catechism, and in
Art. xxviii. This name is no doubt taken from 1 Cor. xi. 20;
where, however, from the context it seems doubtful whether the
reference does not at least include the Agape or Love-feast, then
following the Sacrament itself. But in itself this name, like the
frequent Scriptural appellation, the "breaking of the bread"
(Luke xxiv. 35 ; Acts ii. 42, 46 ; xx. 7, 11), carries us back at once to
the Institution of the Sacrament, as being, like the old Passover, a
feast on the sacrifice of " Christ our Passover" already offered for
us, given us at the "Table of the Lord" (1 Cor. x. 21), and made
"in remembrance of Him." It was specially emphasized at the
time of the Reformation, in order to impress upon the people (see
Art. xxvii.) that "the Sacrament was ordaiued of ChriBt, not to be
gazed upon or to be carried about, but that we should reverently
use it," by receiving it through faith, " turning " (as has been said)
"the solitary Mass into a Communion," at which all are one in
Him.
(6) The Holt Communion, which, as being fuller and deeper in
meaning, has now generally superseded the other. For it is taken
from 1 Cor. x. 16, which may be regarded as an authoritative Apos-
tolic explanation of the Words of Institution ; and it brings out the
true Sacramental efficacy of this Holy Ordinance, as the Divinely-
appointed means of a Spiritual Communion with God in Christ, so
that by it "we dwell in Him and He in us; we are one with Him
and He with us."
The most ancient name, the Holt Eucharist, is not found ex-
pressly in the Prayer Book ; but is represented in paraphrase by the
u sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving" in the Prayer of Oblation.
In the Prayer Book of 1549 the title Mass was still used as an
alternative title. It had been for more than 1.000 years the ordinary
title in the Western Church ; but it has no doctrinal meaning, being
(according to the best authorities) derived simply from the " Ite,
mi*.<a e*t " of the dismissal of those not admissible to the Com-
munion; whence the Ante-Communion Service came to be called
Mi*»a Caterhumenorum, and the Communion Service itself Mixta
Fidelium. It was dropped in 1552, and has never since had any
authoritative use in the Church of England.
The Rubrics preceding the Service first require previous notice
of at least one day to be given by intending Communicants to the
Priest, evidently with a view to the exclusion of the unfit. But
they go on to define the only cases in which the Parish Priest has a
right to repel from the Holy Communion, viz., the cases of notorious
and scandalous sin, and of "malice and hatred" against our neigh-
bours. Even in these cases notice is at once to be given to the
Ordinary, with a view to judicial investigation and action, " accord-
ing to the Canon," that is, the Ecclesiastical Law. (The 20th and
27th Canons of 1603 direct that notorious "defamers of the Prayer
Book, and of the Royal Supremacy, and churchwardens neglecting
the duty of presentment of offenders," should also be repelled. It
23f
THE ORDER OF THE
ADMINISTRATION OF THE LORD'S SUPPER,
OB
HOLY COMMUNION.
his former naughty life, that the Congregation may thereby be satisfied,
which before, were offended; and that he have recompensed the parties, to
whom he hath done, wrong; or at least declare himself to be in full purpose
f QO many as intend to be partakers of the holy Communion shall signify
a5 their names to the Curate, at least some time Uie day before.
% And if any of those, be an open and notorious evil liver, or have done any
wrong to his neighbours by word or deed, so that the Congregation be.
thereby offended ; the Curate, having knowledge thereof, shall call him and
advertise him, that in any wise he presume not to come to the Lord's Table,
until he have openly declared himself to have truly repented and amended
uation may thereby be satisfied,
have recompensed the parties, to
«c
so to do, as soon as he conveniently may,
5 The same order shall the Curate use with those betwixt whom he perceive.th
malice and hatred to reign ; not suffering them to be partakers of the
Lord's Table, until he know tliem to be reconciled. A nd x/one of tlie parties
so at variance be. content to forgive from the bottom of his heart all thai the
other hath trespassed against him, and to make amends for that he himself
hath offended , and the. other party will not be persuaded to a godly unity,
but remain still m his frowardness and malice: the Minister in that case,
ought to admit thvpemtent person to the holy Communion, and not him that
is obstinate. Provided that every Minister so repelling any, as is spetifieii
in thi', or the next precedent Paragraph of this Kubrick, shall be obliged to
give an account of the same to the Ordinary within fourteen days after at
the farthest. And the Ordinary shall proceed against the o fending person
according to the Canon.
5 The Table at the Communion-time having a fair white linen cloth upon it,
shall stand in the Body of the Church, or in the ChanceL where Morning
and Evening Prayer are appointed to be said. And the Priest standing at
the north side of the Table shall say the Lords Prayer, with the Collect
following, 'he people kneeling.
OUR Father, which art in hea-
ven, Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be
done, in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our dally bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, As
we forgive them that trespass
against us. And lead us not into
temptation ; But deliver us from
evil. Amen.
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY God, unto whom
all hearts be open, all desires
known, and from whom no secrets
are hid ; Cleanse the thoughts of
our hearts by the inspiration of
thy Holy Spirit, that we may per-
fectly love thec, and worthily mag-
nify thy holy Name ; through
Christ our Lord. Amen,
1 Then shall the Priest, turning to the
people, rehearse distinctly all the
TEN COMMANDMENTS ; and
the people still kneeling shall, after
every Commandment, ask God mercy
for their transgression thereof for
the time past, and grace to keep the
same for the time to come, as follow-
ed.
Minister.
GOD spake these words, and
said ; I am the Lord thy
God : Thou shalt have none other
gods but me.
People. Lord, have mercy upon
us, and incline our hearts to keep
this law.
Minister. Thou shalt not make
to thyself any graven image, nor
the likeness of any thing that is in
heaven above, or in the earth be-
neath, or In the water under the
136
is,however, doubtful whether these Canons, having the authority
only of the clergy in Convocation, can bar any rights of the laity.)
Except so far as these Rubrics give discretionary authority, the
Minister, as in the case of Absolution, is simply a minister, and
cannot rightly impose any other conditions for reception of the
Sacrament, or refuse it to any who has presumably the requisite
qualification. The inner spiritual fitness can be absolutely judged
of by God alone.
These provisions for discipline have now fallen generally into
practical disuse.
The Position of the Holt Table and the Minister. — There
has been much difficulty, (a) as to the position of the Holy Table;
(b) as to the position of the Priest in his ministration.
(a) In 1549 the Priest was directed "to stand before the Altar,"
evidently supposed to be in the usual place at the East end of the
Church. In 1550, first on exhortation by Bishop Ridley, and after-
wards by order of the Council, " altars were taken down, and in-
stead of them tables set up in some convenient part of the Church."
The present Rubric was accordingly inserted in 1552, and as it then
ran. " The Table, having at the Communion time a fair white linen
cloth upon it, shall stand," &c, it was apparently designed that the
position " in the Body of the Church or Chancel " should be per-
manent. In 1559, however, after the restoration of altars under
Queen Mary, the Injunction of Elizabeth, first saying that "there
seemeth no matter of great moment whether the altar be removed
or not. saving for uniformity," goes on to lay down expressly that
" the Holy Table be set in the place where the Altar stood . . .
saving when the Communion of the Sacrament is to be distributed,
at which time the same shall be so placed in good sort within the
Chancel" as to be convenient for reception, and then "be placed
where it stood before." This appears to have been commonly done
— the Holy Table, when brought down, being placed lengthwise—
until the reign of Charles i., when, after much variety of practice
and vehement controversy, the custom of bringing down the Holy
Table at the time of Communion, and placing it lengthwise in the
Church, was generally disused, chiefly under the influence of Land,
and it remained at all times placed " Altar-wise " at the East end of
the Church. Accordingly, in the Scotch Prayer Book of 1637, the
Rubric was altered, so as to direct that the Holy Table should stand
at the uppermost part of the Church or Chancel." In 1662 Bishop
Cosin naturally proposed a corresponding alteration in the revised
Prayer Book, to accord with what was then becoming, as it has
since become more absolutely, the actual practice. But the pro-
posal was set aside, and the old Rubric, although practically obso-
lete, has ever since been allowed to stand.
(6) Closely connected with this direction is the direction as to the
position of the Priest. In the old Sarum Missal a part of the Ser-
vice was to be said in dextro cornu altaris (which then meant the
right-hand side looking towards it, or the South end of the West
side) and the rest " in the midst." In the Prayer Book of 1549 the
direction was " to stand humbly afore the midst of the altar," of
course with his back to the people, except when he was directed
to turn to them. In 1552 the present Rubric was introduced,
with obvious reference to the contemporaneous direction as to
the position of the Holy Table lengthways in the Chancel or
Body of the Church; whence the use of the word "North side"
and not " North end." The effect was that the Priest was still
directed to occupy the same position relatively to the Table, al-
though the Table itself had its position changed. Then, however,
came the replacing of the Table " Altar-wise," and this raised the
question how, under these new conditions, the Rubric should be
obeyed. It is curiou« that the Puritan party, disliking the " Altar-
wise" position of the Eoly Table, contended that such obedience
136 a
had been rendered impossible ; for that " North side " did not mean
" North end " ; while Andrewes and Laud and most of their school
adopted the North-end position as obeying the Rubric, and the
Scotch Prayer Book of 1637 actually had "North side or end."
(Similarly in 1662 we find corrections into " North part " and " North
end " proposed, although struck out again.) At the Savoy Confer-
ence, the Bishops, in reference to the position of the Minister, had
contended that " when he speaks for the people to God it is fit that
he should not turn to them, but that they should all turn another
way, as the ancient Church ever did." This certainly must be held
to point to the "Eastward position," and instances havebeenfound
of its adoption accordingly in the 17th century. But the general
practice, becoming subsequently all but universal, settled the ques-
tion in favour of -standing at the North end looking South, till of
late years the other position, commonly called the " Eastward
position," has been frequently revived. The question has been
further complicated by the Rubric before the Consecration Prayer,
inserted in 1662, directing that "when the Priest, standing before
the Holy Table, hath so ordered the Bread and "Wine that he may
with the more readiness and decency break the Bread before the
People, and take the Cup into his hands, he shall say the Prayer of
Consecration." In this Rubric the words " before the Table" may
reasonably be thought to direct " the Eastward position " ; and yet
that position makes it difficult to obey the subsequent direction to
break the Bread " before the people "—which words, although they
may be held simply to forbid a custom, objected to by the Puritan
party, of breaking or cutting up the bread before the Service, yet
both in their own meaning and as illustrated by the history and
ideas of the Reformation, most probably mean " in the sight of the
people." In the old position (still theoretically allowed in 1662) the
two directions were perfectly compatible. Here also, in fact, the
almost universal practice was to " stand before the Table" to order
the Elements, and then to return to the North end, so as to break
"the Bread before the people." But this has been of late years
frequently put aside, and the Eastward position preserved through-
out. The question, as a legal question, is difficult of solution, be-
cause of the change of the position of the Holy Table ; but, in itself,
if it could be dissociated from other controversies, it would be of
little intrinsic importance or significance. For, as the Holy Com-
munion must be on any supposition regarded as our highest act of
worship, the Eastward position has, in the offering of the Consecra-
tion Prayer, that appropriateness, as placing the Priest at the head
of the people, which was urged by the Bishops in 1662. By the
Lambeth Judgment of 1890 (as also by the Supreme Court) it has
accordingly been pronounced to be lawful ; while it has been au-
thoritatively declared, that it is not to be taken as symbolizing any
special form of the doctrine of the Holy Communion, and that the
Law of the Church requires that the ritual acts should be visible to
the Congregation— in accordance with the whole idea of our Service,
and with the practice of Our Lord Himself at the Institution. How
this is to be done, when the Eastward position is taken, the Judg-
ment does not direct.
Division's of the Service.— The Service is divided into three
Sarts :— (a) The Ante-Communion, to the end of the Church
[ilitant Prayer; (b) The Communion Service proper, to the end
of the Administration ; (c) The Post-Communion.
(A) The Ante-Communion Service.
This Service is apparently intended to embody the threefold pre-
paration (as required in the Catechism) of Repentance, Faith, and
Love— of Repentance, by the recitation of the Ten Command-
ments, with the repeated responses of prayer for forgiveness an'i
grace to amend; of Faith, by the Special Lections from God's
136 b
Word (the Epistle and Gospel), and our answer to them in the
Creed ; of Love, by the charitable contribution at the Offertory,
and the Prayer for the whole Church " Militant here on Earth."
The Lord's Prayer, as al-
ways, opens the Service ; but it
and the Collect following were
originally used in the private
preparation of the Priest. Of
this there is still a trace in the
almost universal practice of its
recital by the Priest alone, con-
tradicting (strictly speaking) the
express direction of the Rubric
before the Lord's Prayer in the
Morning Service.
The Collect (taken with vari-
ations from the Sarum Missal)
is a Collect of preparation, cor-
responding to the " O Lord, open
Thou our lips," &c, of the Morn-
ing Service. For, addressing
God as the searcher of hearts,
it prays for purification of our
hearts by His grace, that we may
"perfectly love Him"— the fear
arising from conscious pollution
being cast out (1 John iv. 18) —
and accordingly " worthily mag-
nify His Holy Name" in our
" Sacrifice of Praise and Thanks-
giving."
The recital of the Ten Com-
mandments, ordered in 1552 (and
perhaps suggested by a foreign
Reformed Service), is peculiar to
our English Communion Service.
It was, no doubt, intended to
secure the regular instruction of
the people in the Moral Law —
partly on account of the mutila-
tion of the Commandments com-
mon then, and still not unfre-
quent in Romish manuals, but
Btill more on account of the
growth, in those troubled times,
of Antinomianism. despising
moral duties under cover of trust
in free salvation through faith
(see Rom. iii. 7. 8; vi. 1, 2, 14).
There was obviously a similar
idea in the direction in Canon
lxxxii. of 1604 for the "setting
up of the Ten Commandments
at the East end of the Church or
Chancel, where the people may
best see and read the same.
In the present Scotch Commu-
nion Office the declaration of
Our Lord as to the "two great
Commandments," which are the
substance of the Law (Matt,
xxii. :u-40) is allowed to be read
as a substitute for the Decalogue
itself. In the Office of the Ameri-
can Prayer Book (mainly derived
from the Scotch Office) this de-
claration may either be added to
the Decalogue, as an indication
of the sense in which Christians
are to interpret the Command-
ments, or substituted for it. For
the sense in which the Ten Com-
mandments are to be understood
by Christians, see Catechism.
The Responses express the
twofold prayer of true penitence
—for forgiveness of the past, and
for grace of amendment in the
future. The last clearly alludes
to the celebrated promise of Jer.
xxxi. 81 (quoted in Heb. viii.
8-12; x. 15-17), that the Law
should be written not in letter
upon stone, but in spirit upon
the heart.
The Collects for the Kino
seem now out of place here, con-
sidering the subsequent occur-
rence of the Church Militant
Prayer. But in 1549 that Prayer,
being united with the Consecra-
tion Prayer, would not be used
by non-Communicants ; and, be-
sides, it was directed that on
Wednesdays and Fridays the
Service, if there were no Com-
munion, should end after the
Offertory, with Collects and
Blessing. Hence the Prayer for
the Sovereign was inserted here.
(In the Alexandrian Liturgy
there was a Collect for the Em-
peror before the Lections, cor-
responding nearly to this place.)
When the order of the Service
was changed, and the Church
Militant Prayer made a part of
the Ante-Communion Service, no
alteration was made here.
Both Collects were apparently
composed in 1549, although some
expressions may have been sug-
gested by the old " Mass for the
King." (a) The former is far
fuller in meaning. It prays for
the Church (possibly, as in the
Litany, for our own Church) as
well as for the King ; and its
prayer is not only that he may
do his duty in seeking God's
glory above all things, but that
we may do our duty of honour
and obedience to him "in Him
136c
and for Him." (ft) The latter
simply prays for the King, that
God, in whose hand are the
hearts of kings, will give him
grace both to do his duty to-
wards Him, and to preserve His
people, committed to his charge,
f'in wealth, peace, and godli-
ness " — that is, in material,
moral, and spiritual well-being.
For the Collect, Epistle, and
Gospel see the preceding sec-
Sfcion. In the old Liturgies the
reading of both, but especially
of the Gospel, was attended with
much expressive ritual solem-
nity. In 1549 only the doxology,
"Glory be to Thee, O Lord,"
which is of great antiquity, was
ordered. The Rubric ordering
it was dropped in 1552, but the
practice has almost universally
remained ; and to it is frequently
added a corresponding doxology,
at the close of the Gospel,
"Thanks be to Thee, O Lord,
for this thy glorious Gospel."
The Creed, commonly called
the Nicene Creed, is the great
Creed of the Eastern Church, as
the Apostles' Creed of the West-
ern.
History.— Unlike the Apos-
tles' Creed, it did not grow,
freely and with variation of form,
out of Baptismal Profession : but
was formally composed, with the
distinct purpose of meeting the
Arian heresy, and certain other
heresies which grew out of it,
in the 4th century, when, after
the Conversion of Constantine,
Christianity emerged as the fu-
ture religion of the Empire. It
was originally drawn up at the
first General Council, at Nicsea
(a.d. 325), summoned by desire
of the Emperor to define the
true Christian faith, not so much
by argument as by Apostolic
tradition. Accordingly it was
formed out of the existing Creeds
produced at the Council from
the various Eastern Churches,
chiefly on the basis of the Bap-
tismal Creed of Ceesarea, but
with the addition of the phrase
" being of one substance " (Ho)>w-
ousion) " with the Father," bring-
ing out unequivocally the true
Godhead of the Lord Jesus
Christ, on which the whole con-
troversy turned. So drawn up,
it was substantially, although
136(1
not literally, our present Creed,
down to the words, " I believe in
the Holy Ghost." An Anathema
was added, making the acknow-
ledgment of its central truth a
condition of Church member-
ship. Then followed a long
struggle with Arianism, sup-
ported by Greek philosophy and
by Imperial power. During this
time various Creeds were formed ;
and the latter portion of our
Creed was added to meet further
heresies which arose in that spe-
culative age. It is commonly
supposed to have been accepted
at the Council of Constantinople
(a.d. 381), though its substance
is found earlier than this, de-
clared by Epiphanius (a.d. 347)
to be already of authority. But
no Creed is found in the Canons
of that Council ; and it is nota-
ble, that at the Council of Ephe-
sus (a.d. 431), the old form of
the Creed was declared to be
authoritative, and all additional
Creeds forbidden. Not till after
the Council of Chalcedon (a.d.
451) did the present form super-
sede it absolutely. Subsequently,
in the Latin version of the Creed,
the words "and from the Son,"
Filioque, were added in the con-
flict against Arianism in Gaul
and Spain. They are first found
— added tacitly, as if a part of
the original— at a Council of
Toledo in a.d. 589. They then
made their way, not without pro-
test and controversy, by force of
public opinion and theological
teaching in the West, without
sufficient authority, and against
remonstrance, even of the Popes
Hadrian i. and Leo m. Finally
they established themselves in
the course of the 9th century,
and out of this insertion arose
the unhappy controversy and
division between the Eastern
and Western Churches, in which
the Eastern Church is strong,
both upon Scriptural and Eccle-
siastical grounds, although no
substantial difference of doctrine
appears really to exist between
the Churches. With this disas-
trous exception it has been the
Creed of the whole Catholic
Church for more than 1 ,500 years.
Substance and Use.— Being
thus framed with a distinct pur-
pose of asserting, without en-
10—5
deavouring to explain, the great
mystery of the Gospel— the true
Manhood and Godhead of the
Lord Jesus Christ— and subse-
quently the true Nature and
Personality of the Holy Ghost, it
is natural that, while following
generally the same line as the
simpler Apostles' Creed, it should
dwell with great theological ful-
ness and accuracy on the two
points, which heresy had brought
into question, (o) Accordingly
it speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ
as the " Only-begotten Son of
God" (John i. 14), "Begotten
before all worlds " (ages) (Col. i.
15) ; and to this declaration of
His Sole and Eternal Sonship, it
adds that He is " God of (out of)
God," " Light of Light," " Very
God of Very God," clenching all
by the phrase " of one substance
(essence) with the Father "
(corap. Phil. ii. 6), and ascribing
to Him agency in that Creation
of all things (Col. i. 16, 17 ; Heb.
i. 2; John i. 1-8, 10), which is
the peculiar attribute of Deity.
(6) Similarly it declares the Holy
Ghost to be a true Person, " the
Lord and the Giver of Life,"
"proceeding from the Father"
(John xv. 26): claims for Him
equally with the Father and the
Son worship and glorification;
and marks, in the case of the
Prophets (of the Old Testament
and the New) His Divine work of
Inspiration. For the rest (c) it
agrees substantially with the
Apostles' Creed in its recitation
of the acts of Our Lord's Mani-
festation (only omitting the " de-
scent into Hades"), and of the
privileges of the One Holy Ca-
tholic and Apostolic Church,
.Jiitting, however, "the Com-
munion of Saints" (implied in
the word " One "), and explicitly
connecting the remission of sins
with the "One Baptism." The
formation of this Creed not be-
ing, as in the case of the Apos-
tles' Creed, by free growth, but
through a necessity formally met,
was not, of course, an unmixed
good; for schisms and contro-
versies followed upon it for gene-
rations. But it was made by
heresy absolutely necessary, for
preservation of the essentials of
tha Christian faith; and indeed,
it has proved its priceless value
as a standard of Scriptural truth.
It was accordingly ordered to be
recited at the Holy Communion
in the East early in the 6th cen-
tury, and about fifty years later
in the West. This order the
Church of England has pre-
served, thus virtually making the
Creed a condition, not of en-
trance into the Church in Bap-
tism, but of participation in the
fuller privilege of Holy Com-
munion.
The Notices here to be given
are (a) notices of Festivals or
Fasts to be observed ; (b) notice
of the Holy Communion ; (c) the
Banns of Matrimony, although,
by a (probably erroneous) in-
terpretation of an Act of Par-
liament of 17.'<3, these have been
commouly transferred, so as
to follow the Second Le.-sou,
and the portion of the Ru-
bric ordering their publication
here has been omitted; (.</.■
Briefs, that is, Letters from
the Crown, or other author-
ity, directiug collection of alms
ioi- curtain purposes; ye) Cita-
tions, that is, notices to ap-
pear before courts, or to perform
other legal duties; (/) Excom-
munications, or other ecclesias-
tical censures (see Canon lxv.);
(g) Notices ordered by the Sove-
reign or the Ordinary of the
Church.
Here only is the Sermon pro-
vided for as a part of the Service
itself. At other Services it is a
separate thing, generally follow-
ing the Service. Accordingly
here, not only is there no autho-
rity for change of vestment from
the Surplice to the Academic
gown, for the insertion of a
Hymn, or for the use of a pre-
fatory prayer: but by silence
these things may reasonably be
considered as negatived. In the
Canons of 1604 (Canon lv.) a
" Bidding Prayer" is directed to
be used before Sermons ; but, as
it simply covers ground which is
elsewhere covered, in the Church
Militant Prayer, and other parts
of the Service, it seems likely
that it was intended to be used
only when (as now regularly at
the Universities, and occasion-
ally elsewhere) Sermons were
preached without connection
with the Service,
737
THE COMMUNION.
earth. TLiou shalt not bow down
to them, nor worship them : for I
the Lord thy God am a jealous
God, and visit the sins of the fa-
thers upon the children unto the
third and fourth generation of
tbem that hate me, and shew
mercy unto thousands in them
that love me, and keep my com-
mandments.
People. Lord, have mercy.upou
us, and incline our hearts to keep
this law.
Minister. Thou shalt not take
the Name of the Lord thy God in
vain : for the Lord will not hold
him guiltless, that takcth his
Name in vain.
People. Lord, have mercy upon
us, and incline our hearts to keep
this law.
Minister. Remember that thou
keep holy the Sabbath-day. Six
days shalt thou labour, and do all
that thou hast to do ; but the
seventh day is the Sabbath of the
Lord thy God. In it thou shalt do
no manner of work, thou, and thy
son, and thy daughter, thy man-
servant, and thy maidservant, thy
cattle, and the stranger that is
within thy gates. For in six days
the Lord made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that in them
is, and rested the seventh day :
wherefore the Lord blessed the
seventh day, and hallowed it.
People. Lord, have mercy upon
us, and incline our hearts to keep
this law.
Minister. Honour thy father
and thy mother; that thy days
may be long in the land which the
Lord thy God givcth thee.
People. Lord, have mercy upon
us, and incline our hearts to keep
this law.
Minister. Thou shalt do no
murder-
People. Lord, have mercy upon
us, and iucliue our hearts to keep
this law.
Minister. Thou shalt not com-
mit adultery.
Pcoj>lc. Lord, have mercy upon
us, and incline our heartb to keep
this law.
Minister. Thou shalt not steaL
People. Lord, have mercy upon
us, and incline our hearts to keep
this law.
Minister. Thou shalt not bear
false witness against thy neigh-
bour.
People. Lord, have mercy upon
us, and incline our hearts to keep
this law.
Minister. Thou shalt not covet
thy neighbour's house, thou shalt
not covet thy neighbour's wife,
nor his servant, nor his maid, nor
his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing
that is his.
People. Lord, have mercy upon
us, and write all these thy laws in
our hearts, wo beseech thee.
1 Then shall follow on* of theie two
Collects for tkt King, the Priest
standing as before, and saying,
Let us pray.
ALMIGHTY God, whose king-
: dom is everlasting, and power
infinite; Have mercy upon the
whole Church ; and so rule the
heart of thy chosen Servant
GEORGE, our King nnd Go-
vernour, that he (knowing whose
minister lie is) may above all
things seek thy honour and glory:
and that we, and all his subjects
(duly considering whose authority
he hath) may faithfully serve,
honour, and humbly obey him, in
thee, and for thee, according to
thy blessed Word and ordinance ;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who with thee ;md the Holy Ghost
liveth and reignetli, ever one God,
world without end. Amen.
Or,
ALMIGHTY and everlasting
. God, we are taught by thy
holy Word, thatthcheartsof Kings
are in tliy rule and governance,
and that thou dost dispose and
turn them as it seemeth best to
thy godlv wisdom : We humbly
beseech thee so to dispose and go-
vern tho heart of GEORGE thy
Servant, our King and Gover.
nour, that, in all bis thoughts,
words, and works, he may ever
seek thy honour and glory, and
137
Of the Homilies (see Art.
xxxv.) there were two books, one
put out in 1547, the other in 1559,
partly to supply lack of power to
preach, and partly to stop con-
troversy and secure sound and
popular teaching.
The Offertory is properly the
Anthem said or sung while the
offerings are being made ; al-
though subsequently it seems to
have been applied to the Obla-
tion of the Elements. It is now
generally used to denote the Alms
collected.
The Collection of Alms at the
Holy Communion is described as
an invariable part of the Service
by Justin Martyr (a.d. 181);, and
is thought to be alluded to in
1 Cor. xvi. 2. It represents to us
the regular duty and privilege of
religious almsgiving, for the re-
lief of the poor, and for the main-
tenance of the Service of God.
On the former object St. Paul
lays especial stresB in 2 Cor. ix.
12-1 4, attributing to it a three-
fold object— the relief of the
"necessity" of exceptional and
unavoidable distress, the proof
of practical Christianity, or " sub-
jection to the Gospel, and tho
unity through mutual prayer and
thanksgiving of giver and re-
ceiver. To the latter there is
constant reference, both in the
Old Testament and the New. It
is a homage of acknowledgment
of God's sovereignty, and, as in
the first-fruits under the Jewish
Law (see Deut. xxvi. 5-10), an
implied confession that all we
have is from Him.
It will be observed that the
Sentences represent different
aspects of the subject. Thus,
the first five sentences deal with
Almsgiving generally, (a) in its
highest motive, as, like all good
works, tending to God'R glory;
(6) in its lower, but allowable,
motive, as "laying up treasure
in Heaven " ; (c) as a sign of the
love which is the spirit of the
Golden Rule ; (d) as a test of
sincere devotion to Christ's Ser-
vice ; (e) as (in the example of
Zacchseus) a mark of thankful-
ness and penitence. The next
five (6th- 10th) apply to one great
object of the Offerings, the main-
tenance of the Clergy i and Ser-
vice*) of the Church, urging
238
strongly their right to such main-
tenance, as proved by common
sense and reason, by the example
of the Law, and by the ordinance
of Christ ; and exhorting that it
be given liberally and cheerfully.
The rest Ulth-'ioth) refer to the
other great purpose, the relief of
the poor, " especially them that
are of the household of faith " ;
and similarly insist upon it in
various lights— now as a sacrifice
to God, now as an ontpouring of
love to man, " shewn for God's
sake," now as a good work, which
shall not miss its reward from
Him, here and hereafter. There
is hardly a single aspect of the
subject, which is not glanced at
in some one of these Sentences ;
but the predominant idea is that
of an offering consecrated to God,
although designed for the good
of man. The version of -these
Sentences, as also of the " Com-
fortable Words," is an indepen-
dent version (probably by Cran-
mer), not agreeing exactly with
the Great Bible, and has remain-
ed unaltered in subsequent re-
visions.
The first Rubric following (in-
serted in 1661) is designed to
mark the religious character of
the Offering by directing that—
when collected by the Deacons
or Church Officers— it shall be
brought to the Priest, and by
him humbly presented " to God
at His Holy Table. In the Church
Militant Prayer which follows,
its acceptance is prayed for as
part of the solemn Eucharistic
Worship. Till 1661 the direction
was that the Churchwardens
should put the alms into the
Poor Man's Box, and that on the
" Offering days " the " accus-
tomed Offerings" should be
" paid to the Curate." The
solemn presentation of the Offer-
ings was first directed in the
Scotch Liturgy of 1637, and evi-
dently adopted from this in 1662.
The second Rubric connects
with this Offering the placing on
the Holy Table of the Bread and
Wine. It was inserted in 1662,
and (like the preceding) is clearly
borrowed from the Scotch Lit-
urgy of 1637, which directs that
the Presbyter shall "offer up and
place on the Holy Table the
Bread and Wine prepared for
THE COMMUNION.
Btudy to preserve thy people com-
mitted to his charge, In wealth,
Seace, and godliness : Grant this,
» merciful Father, for thy dear
Son's sake, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
* Then shall be said the Collect of
the Dai/. And immediately after
the Collect the Priest shall read
the Epistle, saying. The Epistle
[or. The portion of Scripture ap-
pointed for the Epistle] is written
In the Chapter of be-
ginning at the Verse,; And
the Epistle ended, he shall say. Here
endeth the Epistle. Then shall he
read the Gospel (the people all stand-
ing up) saying, The holy Gospel is
written in the Chapter of
.— — beginning at the Verse.
And the Gospel ended, shall be sung
or said the Creed following, the peo-
ple still standing, as before.
I BELIEVE in one God the Fa-
ther Almighty, Maker of hea-
ven and earth, And of all things
visible and invisible :
And In one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
Begotten of his Father before all
worlds, God of God, Light of
Light, Very God of very God, Be-
gotten, not made, Being of one
substance with tiie Father, By
whom all things were made, Who
for us men, and for our salvation
came down from heaven, And was
Incarnate by the Holy Ghost of
the Virgin Mary, And was made
man, And was crucified also for
us under Pontius Pilate. He suf-
fered and was buried, And the
third day he rose again according
to the Scriptures, And ascended
into heaven, And sitteth on the
right hand of the Father. And
he shall come again with glory to
judge both the quick and the
dead : Whose kingdom shall have
no end.
And I believe in the Holy Ghost.
The Lord and giver of life, Who
proceedeth from the Father and
the Son, Who with the Father and
the Son together is worshipped
and glorified, Who spako by the
Prophets. And I believe one
Catbolick and Apostolick Church.
I acknowledge one Baptism for
the remission of sins. And 1 look
for the Resurrection of the dead,
And the life of the world to
come. Amen.
% Then the Curate shall declare unto
the people what holy-days, or Fast-
ing-days, are in the WeeK following
to be observed. And then also (if
occasion be) shall notice be given of
the Communion ; and Britjs, Cita-
tions*, and Excommunications read.
And nothing shall be proclaimed or
published in the Church, during the
time of Divine Service, but by the
Minister : nor by him any thing, but
what is prescribed in the Jiulcs of
this Book, or enjoined by the King,
or by the Ordinary of the place.
V Then shall follow the Srrmon, or
one of th» Homihcs already set
forth, or hereajicr to be set forth,
by authority.
1 Then shall the Prtest return to the
Lord's Table, and begin the Offer-
tory, saying one or more ot these
Sentences following, at he thinketh
most convenient in his discretion.
LET your light so shine before
men, that they may see your
food works, and glorify your
'ather which is in heaven. St.
MaLth. v.
Lay not up for yourselves trea-
sure upon the earth ; where the
rust and moth doth corrupt, and
where thieves break through and
steal : but lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven; where nei-
ther rust nor moth doth corrupt,
and where thieves do not break
through and steal. St. Matth. vi.
Whatsoever ye would that men
should do unto you, even so do
unto them ; for this is the Law
and the Prophets. St. Matth. vii.
Not every one that salth unto
me, Lord, Lord, shall enter Into
the Kingdom of heaven ; but he
that doeth the will of my Father
which is in heaven. St. Matth. vii.
Zacchreus stood forth, and said
unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, the
half of my- goods I givo to the
poor ; and if I have done any
wrong to any man, I restore four-
fold. St. Luke xix
Who gocth a warfare at any
time of his own cost ? Who plant-
cth a vineyard, and eateth not of
the fruit thereof ? Or who feedcth
a flock, and eateth not of the milk
of the flock ? 1 Cor. U.
138
the Sacrament." It was, in fact,
proposed in 1662, that these very
words should be introduced;
and, though this was not done,
the words ^' and oblations " were
then added to "alms'* in the
Church Militant Prayer. The
ceremony itself is a perpetuation
of what was called in the old
Liturgies "the First Oblation,"
or the "First and Second Obla-
tions," viz., the offering by the
laity of Bread and Wine for the
Sacrament (probably together
with other gifts), the selection
from these of that which was to
be actually used, and the pre-
sentation of this upon the Altar,
with prayer for God's acceptance
and His blessing upon it for Sa-
cramental use. In some of the
ancient Liturgies forms of prayer
and hymn expressing this are
provided ; in others the Oblation
takes place silently.
In 1549 a Rubric ordered that
the Priest, when "putting the
wine into the Chalice," should
" put thereto a little pure and
clean water." The admixture of
water is in accordance with al-
most universal primitive use —
following, moreover, in all pro-
bability, Our Lord's own practice
at the Institution — and has been
interpreted in various symbolical
meanings. It should, however,
according to this ancient use, be
made at the Credence Table be-
fore the Service. Hence the
Lambeth Judgment decided
that, as the Rubric of 1549 had
been struck out, it should not
form a part of the Service itself,
but that the use of the Chalice
previously mixed is not against
the present Law of the Church
of England.
A Prayer for the whole
state of Christ's Church has
from time immemorial naturally
formed part of the Service, which
expresses the Communion of all
Saints with God in Christ, and
therefore with one another.
Generally it is intimately con-
nected with the Consecration
Prayer, and expressly includes
the dead as well as the living.
These characteristics were pre-
served in the Prayer Book of
1549. The Prayer was then for
"the whole State of Christ's
139
Church"; and it ended in a
special thanksgiving for the
grace and virtue declared in all
Saints," especially "the most
blessed Virgin Mary " and "the
holy Patriarchs, Prophets, Apos-
tles, and Martyrs," and in a com-
mendation to God of those de-
parted in faith, with prayer that
He would " grant them mercy
and everlasting peace," and that
" we and they may at the great
Day be seton his right hand." In
1552 (in reaction against various
erroi-s and superstitions which
had tfi-own up round the belief of
the Church as to the world un-
seen) all this was struck out ; the
Prayer was restricted to the
"Church Militant here in Earth,"
and ended with the petition for
those in adversity. In 1662 it
was at flr*t proposed to return to
the old name ; this, however, was
rejected, but the closing sentence
commemorating the faithful de-
parted was inserted, taking the
place of the fuller form of 1549,
which had been already restored
with modifications in the Scotch
Liturgy of 1637.
The Prayer, as it now stands,
quoting the authority of St. Paul
(in 1 Tim. ii. 1-8) for universal
intercession with thanksgiving,
is a summary of intercessory
prayer; for the Church that it
may be kept in " truth, unity,
and concord," and that all her
members may "agree in the
truth of God's Holy Word," and
shew unity by " godly love " ; for
all Kings, Princes, and Gover-
nors, especially the King, and
all in authority under him ; for
all " Bishops and Curates," that
they may rightly minister the
Word and Sacraments ; for all
God's people, especially the con-
gregation present, that they may
receive the Word, and serve Him
accordingly in holiness and righ-
teousness; for all who are in
trouble and adversity. So far it
traverses nearly the same ground
as the Litany or the " Prayer for
all Conditions of Men." But the
closing paragraph is peculiar to
it, expressing in singular force
and beauty the commemoration
of those who, although parted
from us, are still one in the mys-
tical communion of the Body of
Christ, and praying that with
THE COMMUNION
If we have sown unto you spi-
ritual things, is it a great matter
if we shall reap your worldly
things ? 1 Cor. ix.
Do ye not know, that they who
minister about holy things live of
the sacrifice ; and they who wait
at the altar are partakers with the
altar ? Even so bath the Lord also
ordained, that they who preach
the Gospel should live of the Gos-
pel. 1 Cor. ix.
He that soweth little shall reap
little ; and he that soweth plente-
ously shall reap plenteously. Let
every man do according as he Is
disposed m his heart, not grudg-
ing, or of necessity ; for God lov-
«th a cheerful giver. 2 Cor. ix.
Let him that is taught in the
Word minister unto him that
teacheth, in all good things. Be
not deceived, God is not mocked :
for whatsoever a man soweth that
shall he reap. Gal. vl.
While we have time, let us do
good unto all men ; and specially
unto them that are of the house-
hold of faith. Gal vt.
Godliness Is great riches, if a
man be content with that he hath:
for we brought nothing into the
world, neither may we carry any
thing out. 1 Tim. vl.
Charge them who are rich in
this world, that they be ready to
Sve, and glad to distribute ; lay-
g up in store for themselves a
good foundation against the time
to come, that they may attain
eternal life. 1 Tim. vi.
God is not unrighteous, that he
will forget your works, and labour
that proceedeth of love; which
love ye have shewed for his Name's
sake, who havp ministered unto
the saints, and yet do minister.
Heb. vi.
To do good, and to distribute,
forget not ; for with such sacrifices
God is pleased. Heb. xiil.
Whoso hath this world's good,
and seeth his brother have need,
and shutteth up his compassion
from him, how dwelleth the love
of God in him ? 1 St. John ill.
Give alms of thy goods, and
never turn thy face from any poor
man ; and then the face of the
Lord shall not be turned away
from thee. Tobit iv.
Be merciful after thy power. If
thou hast much, give plenteously :
if thou hast little, do thy diligence
gladly to give of that little : for
so gabherest thou thyself a good
reward in the day of necessity.
Tobit iv.
He that hath pity upon the poor
lendeth unto the Lord : and look,
what he layeth out, it shall be paid
him again. Prov. xix.
Blessed be the man that provid-
eth for the sick and, needy: the
Lord shall deliver him in the time
of trouble. Psalm xli.
T Whilst these Sentences are in read-
ing, the Deacons, Church-wardens,
or other fitperson appointed for that
purpose, shall receive thfi Alms for
Hie Poor, and other devotions of t)ie
people, in a decent bason to be pro-
vided by the Parish for that pur-
pose ; and reverently bring it to the
Priest, who shall humbly present and
place it upon the holy Table.
% And when there is a Communion,
the Priest shall then place upon the.
Table so much Bread and Wine, as
he shall think sufficient.
After whichdone, the Priest sJiall say.
Let us pray for the whole state of
Christ's Church militant hero
in earth.
ALMIGHTY and everliving
God, who by thy holy Apostle
hast taught us to make prayers,
and supplicatious, and to give
thanks, for all men ; We hum-
bly beseech thee most mercifully
[» to accept our
"alms anj \ obla- ^J/JoT^
twins, and] to re- tionSi then shaU
ceive these our thewords[of de-
pravers, which we ceptin.c: our alms
offer unto thy Di- ^°^$«
vine Majesty ; be- ^
seeching thee to Inspire continu-
ally the universal Church with the
spirit of truth, unity, and con-
cord : And grant, that all they
that do confess thy holy Name
may agree in the truth of thy holy
Word, and live in unity, and godly
love. We beseech thee also to save
139
them we may come to His hea-
venly kingdom.
The words "and oblations"
added to "alms" in 1662, are
variously interpreted. Some un-
derstand them to refer to the
" other devotions of the people " ;
which are indeed called " obla-
tions " in the Scotch Liturgy of
1637 ; as also in Durel's autho-
rized Latin Version of the Prayer
Book of 1662, and his French
Version of the same date. Others
refer them to the bread and wine
just solemnly laid before God at
tatives of the parishioners, and
so may be held to be their obla-
tion, presented by the Priest be-
fore God. It is clear that the
words may fairly bear either in-
terpretation, and may have been
intended to admit both. Con-
sidering the tendency to return,
as far as possible, to ancient pre-
cedents in 1662, the latter seems
the more probable.
With the Church Militant
Prayer ends the Introductory or
Ante - Communion Service. If
there is no Communion, the Ser-
vice is here closed with Collect
and Blessing (see Rubric at the
end of the Service).
[is Holy Table ; which have been
provided for the Service by the
Churchwardens as the represen-
(B) The Communion Service Proper.
Of the Introductory Exhortations the first and third were in-
serted in 1549, the second in 1552. They were designed to meet the
want of simple vernacular instruction, especially felt in relation to
the chief Service of the Church, which had been associated with so
much superstition and error.
I. The First Exhortation is
found in snbstance in the Prayer
Book of 1549. But it was there
appointed to be need only when
the people were negligent in
coming to the Communion, and
the Priest was directed to say
" these or like words unto these.
In 1552 it was altered to its pie-
Bent form, and placed after what
is now the second Exhortation,
to be " said sometime at the dis-
cretion of the Curate." In 1662
it was appointed for regular use
after the Sermon or Homily. It
has, however, practically fallen
into disuse, in spite of its didactic
importance and value.
The first sentence, in giving
notice of the Holy Communion,
at once brings out the twofold
view of the Sacrament, derived
from the words of Institution,
which is reiterated again and
again in the Service, (a) It is
regarded, first, as a Memorial,
to be received in " remembrance
of Christ's meritorious Cross and
Passion," in accordance with His
command, "Do this in remem-
brance of Me" (Luke xxii. 19;
I Cor. xi. 24;, "shewing the
Lord's death till He come" (1
Cor. xi. 26). The words of In-
stitution evidently refer to the
Jewish use of the word here ren-
dered " remembrance," applying
to offerings made to God (Lev.
xxiv. 7; Num. x. 10: come Heb.
x. 8), and especially to the Pass-
over, which was, not only to the
soul of the receiver, but before
Man and before God, the great
Memorial of His Covenant with
Israel. They therefore describe
the Sacrament as a feast on a
Sacrifice, offered once for all for
the remission of sin, which (as in
all eating of Sacrifices) is an ap-
propriation of its blessing and a
pleading of it, in reliance of Our
Lord's Intercession in Heaven,
before the Throne of God. This
points especially to the gift of
Justification, coming from
Unity with our Saviour Jesus
Christ. (6) It is described, next,
as our Spiritual Food and sus-
tenance, in accordance with the
words. "Take, eat, this is my
Body ; " Drink ye all of this,
this is my Blood (Matt. xxvi.
26, 27; Mark xiv. 22. 24; Luke
xxii. 19, 20; 1 Cor. xi. 24, 25);
which stand necessarily in close
connection with Our Lord's
teaching, a year before (John vi.
54, 55), declaring " His flesh to
be meat indeed, and His blood
drink indeed," "the meat which
endureth unto everlasting life."
This view is emphasized by St.
Paul, when he declares the Bread
and the Cup to be a " commu-
nion" or participation "of the
Body and Blood of Christ" (1
Cor. x. 16). It points especially
to the gift of Sanctification,
THE COMMUNION
and defend all Christian Kings,
Princes, and Governonrs ; and
specially thy servant GEORGE
ouf King ; that under him we may
be godly and quietly governed :
And grant unto his whole Council,
and to ail-that arc put in authority
under him, that they may truly
and Indifferently minister justice,
to the punishment of wickedness
and vice, and to the maintenance
of thy true religion, and virtue.
Give grace, 0 heavenly Father, to
all Bishops and Curates, that they
may l>oth by their life and doc-
trine set forth thy true and lively
Word, and rightly and duly ad-
minister thy holy Sacraments :
And to all thy people give thy
heavenly grace ; and specially to
this congregation here present ;
that, with meek heart and due
reverence, they may hear, and re-
ceive thy holy Word ; truly scrv-
ing thee in holiness and righteous-
ness all the days of their life. And
we most humbly beseech thee of
thy goodness, 0 Lord, to comfort
and succour all them, who in this
transitory life are in trouble, sor-
row, need, sickness, or any other
adversity. And we also bless thy
holy Name for all thy servants de-
parted this life in thy faith and
fear ; beseeching thee to give us
grace so to follow their good ex-
amples, that with them we may
be partakers of thy heavenly king-
dom : Grant this, 0 Father, for
Jesus Christ's sake, our only Me-
diator and Advocate. Amen.
T When the Minister ffiveth warning
for the celebration of the holy Com-
nlunion, (which he shall always do
tgaonthe Sunday, or some I/oli/-dai/t
immediately preceding,) after the
Sermon or llomily ended, he shall
read this Exhortation following.
TAEAKLY beloved, on day
U next I purpose, through God's
assistance, to administer to all
Buch as shall be religiously and
devoutly disposed the most com-
fortable Sacrament of the Body
and Blood of Christ ; to be by them
received in remembrance of his
meritorious Cross and Passion ;
whereby alone wc obtain remission
of our sins,and arc made partaken
of the Kingdom of heaven. Where-
fore it is our duty to render most
humble and hearty thanks to Al-
mighty God our heavenly Father,
for that he hath given his Son our
Saviour Jesus Christ, not only to
die for us, but also to be our spi-
ritual food and sustenance in that
holy Sacrament. Which being so
divine and comfortable a thing to
them who receive it worthily, and
so dangerous to them that will
presume to receive it unworthily;
my duty is to exhort you in the
mean season to consider the dig-
nity of that holy mystery, and the
great peril of the unworthy re-
ceiving thereof ; and so to search
and examine your own con-
sciences,(and that not lightly, and
after the manner of dissemblers
with God ; but so) that ye may
come holy and clean to such a
heavenly Feast, in the marriage-
garment required by God in holy
Scripture, and be received as wor-
thy partakers of that holyTable.
The way and means thereto is ;
First, to examine your lives and
conversations by the rule of God's
commandments ; and whereinso-
ever ye shall perceive yourselves
to have offended, either by will,
word, or deed, there to bewail
your own sinfulness, and to confess
yourselves to Almighty God, with
full purpose of amendment of life.
And if ye shall perceive your of-
fences to be such as are not only
against God, but also against your
neighbours ; then ye shall recon-
cile yourselves unto them ; being
.ready to make restitution and
satisfaction, aocording to the ut-
termost of your powers, for all in-
juries and wrongs done by you to
any other; and being likewise
ready to forgive others that have
offended you, as ye would have
forgiveness of your offences at
God's hand : for otherwise the re-
ceiving of the holy Communion
doth nothing else but Increase
• your damnation. Therefore If
any of you be a blasphemer of
God, an hindcrer or slanderer of
140
by conformity to the Image of
Christ, expressly connected with
the Indwelling of Christ in us,
and of us in Him. These two
ideas of the Sacrament are found
worked out more fully in subse-
quent parts of the Service.
The same paragraph then goes
on to dwell on the blessing of
worthy partaking, and the great
danger of unworthy partaking;
and urges that in coming to tho
Feast at God's Table we should,
in accordance with Our Lord's
teaching (Matt. xxii. 1 1, 12), " put
on the Wedding Garment" given
by the great King Himself ; which
is undoubtedly the "righteous-
ness of Christ, freely made ours
by the mercy of the Father (see
Gal. iii. 27; Rom. xiii. 14 j Eph.
iv. 24; Col. iii. 10).
The second paragraph declares
how this is to be put on. Taking
for granted Faith— the "full trust
in God's mercy" spoken of be-
low—it dwells especially on Re-
pentance, first, in self-examina-
tion, in general confession and
resolution of amendment before
God ; next, in reconciliation,
satisfaction, and forgiveness, in
relation to man ; thirdly, in spe-
cial penitence for special and
flagrant sins, lest, as with the
traitor Judas, the profaning of
the Sacrament by impenitent re-
ception should be to us a deliver-
ance to Satan (John xiii. 27). In
1519 it was added that in such
case "neither the absolution of
the priest can any way avail
them, nor the receiving of the
Holy Sacrament doth anything
else than increase their damna-
tion." In this paragraph is de-
clared to us the regular and
proper way of preparation for
Christians in general.
The third paragraph provides
for exceptional cases, in which
a "man cannot quiet his own
conscience," but requires "fur-
ther comfort" in assurance of
God's forgiveness, and "further
counsel" as to the right way of
receiving it. In these cases the
man is invited to come to the
Priest himself, or " to some other
discreet and learned Minister of
God' 8 Word," to "open his
grief" (evidently the special
thing which troubles his con-
science)., and, "by the ministry
141
of God*6 Holy Word," to receive
according to his need, first, the
"benefit of Absolution," and,
next, the guidance of " ghostly
counsel and advice." No rule is
laid down as to the frequency of
such Confession, which, indeed,
must largely depend on character
and circumstance. But it is clear,
first, that the initiative is left
wholly to the man himself, and,
next, that Confession is neither
made obligatory, nor even re-
commended as the normal and
regular practice of the devout
Communicant. In 1549 there was
an exhortation to those who " are
satisfied with a general Confes-
sion" (evidently the Confessions
in the Services) not to "be of-
fended with those who use the
auricular and secret Confession
to the Priest " ; and to these last
not to be offended with those
"who are satisfied with humble
Confession to God, and the Gene-
ral Confession to the Church."
(This was omitted in 1552, and
was not restored in any subse-
quent Revision.) It is well to
compare with this passage the
directions given as to Confession
in the Visitation or the Sick.
II. The Second Exhortation,
inserted in 1552, and said to have
been composed by Peter Martyr
at the instance of Bucer (al-
though the style certainly bears
no trace of foreign origin), was
placed in its present position for
exceptional use in 1662. Being
addressed to those who, through
ignorance or carelessness, habitu-
ally hold aloof, it naturally enters
hardly at all into the mystery
and blessing of the Sacrament,
but confines itself to a singularly
fervent remonstrance against the
ingratitude of refusal, when we
are "lovingly called and bidden
by God Himself," and against
the plea of worldly business and
sinful life, as excuses for absence.
It then solemnly invites all in the
Name of Jesus Christ, and ex-
horts them, "as they love their
salvation," to obey the call, con-
sidering "how great injury
(wrong) they do to God " by dis-
obedience, and "how sure a pun-
ishment hangs over their heads
for the same." Till the Revision
of 1662 this Exhortation also
THE COMMUNION.
his Word, an adulterer, or be in
malice, or envy, or in any other
grievous crime, repent you of your
sins, or else come not to that holy
Table ; lest, after the taking of
that holy Sacrament, the devil
enter into you, as he entered into
Judos, and fill you full of all ini-
quities, and bring you to destruc-
tion both of body and soul.
And because it is requisite, that
no man should come to the holy
Communion, but with a full trust
in God's mercy, and with a quiet
conscience ; therefore if there be
any of you, who by this means
cannot quiet his own conscience
herein, butrequireth further com-
fort or counsel, let him come to
me, or to some other discreet and
learned Minister of God's Word,
and open his grief ; that by the
ministry of God's holy Word he
may receive the benefit of ab-
solution, together with ghostly
counsel and advice, to the quiet-
ing of his conscience, and avoid-
ing of all scruple and doubtfulness.
% Or, in case he shall see the people
negligent to come to the holy Com-
munion, instead of the former, he
shall use this Exhortation.
DEARLY beloved brethren,
on I intend, by God's
grace, to celebrate the Lord's Sup-
r:r : unto which, hi God's behalf,
bid you all that are here present;
and beseech you, for the Lord Je-
sus Christ's sake, that ye will not
refuse to come thereto, being so
lovingly called and bidden by God
himself. Ye know how grievous
and unkind a thing it is, when a
man hath prepared a rich feast,
decked his table with all kind of
provision, so that there lacketh
nothing but the guests to sitdown ;
and yet they who are called (with-
out any cause) most unthankfully
refuse to come. Which of you in
such a case would not be moved ?
Who would not think a great in-
jury and wrong done unto him ?
Wherefore, most dearly beloved
In Christ, take ye good heed, lest
ye, withdrawing yourselves from
tlib' holy Supper, provoke God's
Indignation against you. It Is an
easy matter for a man to say, I
will not communicate, because I
am otherwise hindered with world-
ly business. But such excuses are
not so easily accepted and allowed
before God. If any man say, I am
a grievous sinner, and therefore
am afraid to como: wherefore
then do ye not repent and amend?
When God calleth you, are ye not
ashamed to say ye will not come?
When ye should return to God,
will ye excuse yourselves, and say
ye are not ready ? Consider ear-
nestly with yourselves how little
such feigned excuses will «.vail be-
fore God. They that refused the
feast in the Gospel, because they
had bought a farm, or would try
their yokes of oxen, or because
they were married, were not so
excused, but counted unworthy
of the heavenly feast. I, for my
!>art, shall be ready ; and, accord-
ng to mine Office, I bid you in the
Name of God, I call you in Christ's
behalf, I exhort you, as ye love
your own salvation, that ye will be
partakers of this holy Commuuion.
And as the Son of God did vouch-
safe to yield up his soul by death
upon the Cross for your salvation;
so it is your duty to receive the
Communion in remembrance of
the sacrifice of his death, as he
himself hath commanded : which
if ye shall neglect to do, consider
with yourselves how great injury
ye do unto God, and how sore
Eunishment hangeth over your
eads for the same ; when ye
wilfully abstain from the Lord's
Table, and separate from your
brethren, who come to feed on
the banquet of that most heaven-
ly food. These things if ye ear-
nestly consider, ye will by God's
grace return to a better mind : for
the obtaining whereof we shall not
cease to make our humble peti-
tions unto Almighty God our nea-
venly Father.
% At the time of the celebration of the
Communion, the Communicants be-
ing convenitntlu placed for the re-
ceiving of the holy Sncramtnt, the
J'rlest shall say this Exhortation.
Hi
deprecated— as a "fault much
greater" even than absence —
the standing by "as gazers and
lookers on," and advised all who
would not communicate to de-
part, yet " to ponder with them-
selves from whom they depart."
III. The Third Exhortation
belongs to the time of the Com-
munion itself, "when the people
are conveniently placed for the
receiving of the Holy Sacra-
ment." In 1549 there was a Ru-
bric after the Offertory directing
that "all that mind not to re-
ceive the Holy Communion shall
depart out or the Quire, except
the Priest and Clerks," the Com-
municants " tarrying still in the
Quire, or in some convenient
place near the Quire." Since
1552 there has been no express
direction for the withdrawal of
non-Communicants. But it is to
be noted that the Second Exhor-
tation, composed in 1552, express-
ly deprecated " gazing and look-
ing on " ; and it is clear, from the
general tenour of the Service,
that it addresses itself only to
those who desire to communicate
— in this according with the de-
claration as to the true purpose
of the Sacrament in Art. xxv. —
and recognises no others as tak-
ing any part in the Celebration.
This Exhortation goes over
much the same ground as the
First Exhortation, but with
greater emphasis and fervency.
(a) In relation to the Holy Com-
munion itself, it lays chief stress
on the view of it as a Sacrament
the warning of St. Paul (1 Cor.
xi. 27-82) that the unworthy par-
taker is "guilty of," i.e., in re-
of, 'rthe Body and Blood
spect
of Christ,
"not considering,'
of Unity with Christ, applying to
rd's
it expressly Our Lord's words
from John vi. 58-58, that by it we
"spiritually eat His flesh and
drink His blood," that accord-
ingly through this Communion
we enjoy His Indwelling Pre-
sence, working out that spiritual
Unity with Him, and in Him
with God and Man, for which
He prayed in the great Interces-
sion (John xvii.). At the end it
does, indeed, dwell upon it as a
Memorial, but chiefly in relation
to our own remembrance of His
death, and "the innumerable
benefits which by His precious
bloodshedding He hath obtained
to us." (6) In respect of prepara-
tion for the Holy Communion,
it brings out most emphatically
that is properly, not distinguish-
ing or hallowing, "the Lord's
Body." It adds as in our Autho-
rized Version) that " he eats and
drinks damnation to himself."
This is to us an unfortunate mis-
translation ; for the original word
is "judgment," and this is ex-
pressly interpreted (as, indeed,
this Exhortation reminds us) of
temporal chastisements, sent that
we might not incur eternal dam-
nation i see v«. 30, 32); and it is
often a needless terror to scru-
pulous consciences, (c) The right
preparation is then laid down
(much as in the Catechism) in
repentance, faith, and charity
with all men ; but above all in the
true Eucharistic spirit of thank-
fulness to God "for the redemp-
tion of the world by the death
and passion of Our Saviour
Christ," who "ordained these
holy mysteries" "to our great
and endless comfort."
In 1549 it was ordered that,
where there was frequent Com-
munion, this Exhortation might
be read once a month. It is now
often disused altogether, for the
sake of brevity; but such com-
plete disuse is without a vestige
of authority, and is a great spiri-
tual loss to the people.
IV. The Invitation, Confes-
sion, Absolution, and Com-
fortable Words. —The whole of
this section was taken from the
Supplemental Service of 1548,
and placed in the Prayer Book
of 1549, just before the Prayer of
Access and the Administration.
It was chiefly original, except
the Absolution, which was partly
taken from the Sarum Missal;
but it borrowed some expres-
sions, and especially the use of
the Comfortable 'words, from
Hermann's Comultatio. Pro-
bably it was composed by Cran-
mer himself, and is one of the
most beautiful specimens of the
later forms of prayer.
The Invitation, taking for
granted the preparation of repent-
ance, love, and desire to lead the
" new life " of obedience to God
142
THE COMMUNION.
DEARLY beloved in the Lord,
ye that mind to come to the
holy "Communion of the Body and
Blood of our Saviour Christ, must
consider how Saint Paul cxhort-
cth all persons diligently to try and
examine themselves, before they
presume to eat of that Bread, and
drink of that Cup. For as the
benefit is great, if with a true
penitent heart and lively faith we
receive that holy Sacrament ; (for
then wo spiritually eat the flesh of
Christ, and drink his blood ; then
we dwell in Christ, and Christ in
us ; we are one with Christ, and
Christ with us ;) so is the danger
great, if we receive the same un-
worthily. For then we are guilty
of the Body and Blood of Christ
our Saviour ; we eat and drink our
own damnation, not considering
the Lord's Body ; we kindle God's
wrath against us ; we provoke him
to plague us with divers diseases,
and sundry kinds of death. Judge
therefore yourselves, brethren,
that ye be not judged of the Lord ;
repent you truly for your sins
past; have a lively and stedfast
faith in Christ our Saviour; a-
mend your lives, and be in perfect
charity with all men ; so snail ye
be meet partakers of those holy
mysteries. And above all things
ye must give most humble and
hearty thanks to God, the Father,
the Son, apd the Holy Ghost, for
the redemption of the world by
the death and passion of our Sa-
viour Christ, both God and man ;
who did bumble himself, even to
the death upon the Cross, for us,
miserable sinners, who lay in dark-
ness and the shadow of death ;
that he might make us the chil-
dren of God, and exalt us to ever-
lasting life. And to the end that
we should alway remember the
exceeding great love of our Mas-
ter, and only Saviour ,Jesus Christ,
thus dying for us and the innu-
merable benefits which by his pre-
cious blood-shedding he hath ob-
tained to us ; he hath instituted
and ordained holy mysteries, as
pledges of his love, and for a con-
tinual remembrance of his death,
to our great and endless comfort.
To him therefore, with the Father
and the Holy Ghost, let us give
(as we are most bounden) conti-
nual thanks; submitting ourselves
wholly to his holy will and plea-
sure, and studying -to serve him in
true holiness and righteousness all
the days of our life. Amen.
1 Then shall the Priest say to them
that come to receive the holy Com-
munion,
YE that do truly and earnestly
repent you or your sins, and
are in love and charity with your
neighbours, and intend to lead a
new life, following the command-
ments of God, and walking from
henceforth in his holy ways ; Draw
near with faith, and take this holy
Sacrament to your comfort ; and
make your humble confession to
Almighty God, meekly kneeling
upon your knees.
% Then shall this general Confession
be made, in the name of all tho*e.
that are minded to receive the holy
Communion, by one of the. Ministers;
both he and all the people kneeling
humbly m>on their Knees, and say-
ing,
ALMIGHTY God, Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker
of all things, Judge of all men ,
We acknowledge and bewail our
manifold sins and wickedness,
Which we, from time to time,
most grievously have committed,
By thought, word, and deed, A-
gainst thy Divine Majesty, Pro-
voking most justly thy wrath and
indignation against us. We do
earnestly repent, And are heartily
sorry for these our misdoings;
The remembranoo of them is
grievous unto us ; The burden of
them is intolerable. Have mercy
upon us, Have mercy upon us,
most merciful Father ; For thy
Son our Lord Jesus Christ's sake,
Forgive us all that is past ; And
grant that we may ever hereafter
Serve and please thee In newness
of life, To the honour and glory of
thy Name ; Through Jesus Christ
our Lord- Amen.
142
and of walking in His holy ways,
calls on the Communicants ,rto
draw near with faith," probably
in the literal sen*e of leaving the
body of the Church, and coming
up into, or near to, the Quire—
a practice still occasionally pre-
served—and to make confession
before God. (There is no direc-
tion given as to the posture of
the people during the Invitation ;
but general analogy, and the
words " meekly kneeling on your
knees" at the close. seem clearly
to implv that they should stand,
and not kneel. )
The Confession was originally
directed to be made in the name
of the Communicants, " by one
of them, or by one of the Minis-
ters, or by trie Priest himself,"
apparently without their joining
audibly therein. In 16R2 (per-
haps in deference to an objection
made at the Savoy Conference
against public prayer by a lay-
man) it was directed to be said
" by one of the Ministers," and
by the addition of the final words,
"and saying" (which in strict-
ness are hardly congruous with
the preceding direction), it was
made congregational. It is clear
from the succeeding Rubric
v" Then shall the Priest stand
up ") that the Priest should kneel
during the Confession, whether
he himself says it, or not.
The Confession itself should be
compared with the Confession in
the Morning Service. It does not
dwell on the distinction of the
various phases of sin; it brings
out perhaps less clearly the three
elements of Confession — Confes-
sion proper, Prayer for forgive-
ness, and Prayer for grace. But
its general tone is more fervent ;
and it lays greater and more em-
phatic stress on the deep sorrow
for sin, the grievousness of its
remembrance, and the sense of
its intolerable burden, whichmay
be expected to be felt by devout
communicants more intensely
than by an ordinary congrega-
tion.
The Absolution should simi-
larly be compared with the Ab-
solution of the Morning Service.
It is, of course, like it in basing
all Absolution on the Love of
God and His promises in the
Lord Jesus Christ, and in mak-
ing all reception of it conditional
on repentance and faith. But it
is unlike it (a) in being, like the
most ancient forms, Precatory (or
Benedictory), not Declaratory;
(6) in being special, addressed to
the congregation themselves, not
to " all who truly repent and un-
feignedly believe" ; (c) in bring-
ing out with great clearness the
various elements of God's bless-
ing—the pardon of the guilt and
deliverance from the bondage of
sin— the strengthening by Hi»
grace of all positive goodness-'
and the consummation of all in
the gift of "everlasting life."
Like the Confession, it has
greater fervency and solemnity
of tone, than that of the Morning
Service.
The Comfortable Words. —
The first is original, the others
are taken from Hermann's Ccm-
mdtatio, which includes them in
a long Exhortation, and adds
John iii. 85 and Acts x. 48.
As they now stand, the first
two, from the lips of Our Lord
Himself, simply imply His own
love to those who travail and
are heavy laden" with the bur-
den of Bin and sorrow, but dwell
emphatically on the love to the
whole world of the Father, who
sent His Son to give eternal life
to all who believe on Him. Ihe
first is His own promise of re-
freshment—rest (that is) in this
life ; the second, of everlasting
life, perfected in the world to
come. The last two, on the other
hand, from the writings of the
Apostles, naturally bring out
more expressly Our Lord's work
of Salvation— St. Paul dwelling
(in one of the " faithful sayings ™
of his Pastoral Epistles) on His
Atonement on Earth, St. John
on His present Intercession for
sinners in Heaven. Our Lord
looks directly to the Father ; His
Apostles to the Father through
Him.
V. The Great Eucharistic
Thanksgiving.— The next por-
tion of the Service, which is es-
pecially the great Eucharistic
Thanksgiving, is in substance of
immemorial antiquity ; and it is
notable that we pass to it from
what is comparatively modern
without the slightest sense of
break or jar of tone. It may also
243
THE COMMUNION.
* Then shall the Priest {or the Bishop,
being present,) stand up, and turning
himself to the people, pronounce this
Absolution.
ALMIGHTY God, our heaven-
ly Father, who of his great
mercy hath promised forgiveness
of sins to all them that with hearty
repentance and true faith turn
unto him ; Have mercy upon you ;
pardon and deliver you from all
your sins ; confirm and strengthen
you in all goodness ; and bring
you to everlasting life ; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Avien.
H Then shall the Priest say,
Hear what comfortable words
our Saviour Christ saith unto all
that truly turn to him.
COME unto me all that travail
and are heavy laden, and 1
will refresh you. St.Matth. xi. 28.
So God loved the world, that
he gave his only-begotten Son, to
the end that all that believe in
him should not perish, but have
everlasting life. St. John iii. 16.
Hear also what Saint Paul saith.
This is a true saying, and wor-
thy of all men to he received, That
Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners. 1 Tim. i. 15.
Hear also what Saint John saith.
If any man sin, we have an
Advocate with the Father, Je-
sus Christ the righteous ; and he
is the propitiation for our sins.
1 St John ii. 1.
* After which the Priest shall pro-
ceed, saying,
Lift up your hearts.
A nswer. We lift them up unto
the Lord.
Priest. Let us give thanks unto
our Lord God.
Answer It is meet and right so
to do.
t Then shall the Priest turn to the
Lord's Table, and say,
IT is very meet, right, and our
bounden duty, that we should
at all times, and in all places, give
thanks unto thee, 0 Lord, * Holy
Father, Almighty, Everlasting
God.
7A«c writ [ Holy Father] muit bt omitttd
•)» Trinity- baud* j.
^ Here shall follow the Proper Pre-
face, according to the time, if there
be any specially appointed: or else
immediately shall Jollow,
THEREFORE with Angels and
Archangels, and with all the
company of heaven, we laud and
magnify thy glorious Name , ever-
more praising thee, and saying,
Holy, holy ,holy, Lord God of hosts,
heaven and earth are full of thy
glory : Glory be to thee, 0 Lord
most High. Amen.
Proper Prefaces.
Upon Christmas-day, and seven
days after.
BECAUSE thou didst give Je-
sus Christ thine only Son to
be born as at this time for us;
who, by the operation of the Holy
Ghost, was made very man of the
substance of the Virgin Mary his
mother ; and that without spot of
sin, to make us clean from all sin.
Therefore with Angels, <kc.
Upon Easter-day, and seven days
after.
BUT chiefly are we bound to
praise thee for the glorious
Resurrection of thy Son Jesus
Christ our Lord : for he is the very
Paschal Lamb, which was offered
for us, and hath taken away the
sin of the world; who by his death
hath destroyed death, and by his
rising to life again hath restored
to us everlasting life. Therefore
with Angels, dec.
Upon Ascension-day, and seven days
after
THROUGH thy most dearly
beloved Son Jesus Christ our
Lord ; who after his most glori-
ous Resurrection manifestly ap-
peared to all his Apostles, and in
their sight ascended up into hea-
ven to prepare a place for us ; that
where he is, thither we might al-
so ascend, and reign with him in
glory. Therefore with Angels, <tc.
Upon Whit-sunday, and six days
after.
THROUGH Jesus Christ our
Lord ; according to whose
most true promise, the Holy Ghost
came down as at this time from
143
be observed that fas in the Mom-
ing Service) the Absolution is
naturally followed by a burst of
Thanksgiving. The Surrum Car-
da (" Lift up your hearts "), the
solemn Thanksgiving, and the
Ter-Sanctu*, or Angelic Hymn,
•re found in all extant Liturgies
of the East and the West, and
may with confidence be traced
almost up to the Apostolic age.
The Scrsum Corda. — This
Exhortation of the Priest to lift
up the heart in thanksgiving to
God, and its response of accept-
ance by the people, are found in
verbal identity in all the Ancient
Liturgies. They express one
great characteristic of the whole
Service, that it is a representa-
tion on Earth of the pleading of
the great Sacrifice by Our Lord
in Heaven ; in which, therefore,
"in heart and mind we thither
ascend, and with Him continu-
ally dwell."
The Thanksgiving is a brief
survival of what in all the An-
cient Liturgies, especially those
of the East, was a solemn Eu-
charistic Tlmnksgiving of great
fulness and beauty, dwelling on
the Infinite Goodness of God,
both in Creation and in Redemp-
tion. As it stands, it is simply
a declaration of the " meetness
and the " bounden duty," even in
such a world as this, and by sin-
ners such as we are, of " thanks-
giving at all times and in all
places" (comp. Phil. iv. 4-7).
Only in the knowledge of the
conquest of sin and death can
such a declaration be reason-
able. (We may note a slight
mistranslation of the original,
which should run, " Holy Lord,
Almighty Father, Everlasting
God," noting the two great At-
tributes of Sovereign Holiness
and Almighty Love in the Eter-
nity of the Godhead.)
The Proper Prefaces mark
out in the great Festivals the
chief acts of the Manifestation
of the Godhead in Humanity—
the Incarnation, the Resurrec-
tion, the Ascension, the Descent
of the Holy Ghost — and then sum
up all in the adoration of the
Godhead in itself in the Holy
Trinity.
In the Sarum Missal there
were also Proper Prefaces for
144
Epiphany, Ash- Wednesday and
Lent, Festivals of Apostles and
Evangelists, and Festivals of the
Blessed Virgin ; and the Trinity
Preface was continued on all the
Sundays after Trinity.
Of our Proper Prefaces, those
for Easter-Day, Ascension-Day,
and Trinity Sunday are free
translations of the forms in the
Sarum Missal, found in the Sa-
cramentaries of Gelasius and
Gregory; those for Christmas
andWhitsunday were composed
in 1549.
The Preface for Christmas
Day dwells, first, on the twofold
Nature of Our Lord, as " con-
ceived of the Holy Ghost, born
of the Virgin Mary " ; and next,
on the sinlessness of His Na-
ture, as a condition necessary for
that Mediation, which makes us
" clean from all sin."
The Preface for Easter Day
(quoting from 1 Cor. v. 7 & John
i. 29) describes Our Lord as the
true Passover, " the Lamb that
taketh away the sin of the world,"
and goes on more fully to declare
His Passion as the destruction
by death of the power of death,
and His Resurrection as the re-
storation to man of the eternal
life, which is the " Image of God "
in him (comp. Rom. iv. 24, 25;
Heb. ii. 14, 15).
ThePrefacefor Ascension Day
simply proclaims the fact of the
Ascension, and then connects
this with Our Lord's declaration
that He " went to prepare a place
for us" (John xiv. 2, 3; comp.
Col. iii. 4), so that they who are
His may ascend and be with Him
in glory (John xvii. 24).
The Preface for Whit-Sunday
(less terse and forcible than the
rest) recites the Descent of the
Holy Spirit at Pentecost, as the
fulfilment of Our Lord's promise
of the Comforter to teach and
guide unto all truth (John xiv.
26; xvi. 18) ; then speaks of " the
gift of divers languages," which
appears to have been for ecstatic
prayer and praise (see Acts ii. 11,
18; 1 Cor. xiv. 14, 15. 18), and, as
distinct from it, the gift of preach-
ing or " prophecy " (see 1 Cor. xiv.
8. 4), which was the means of re-
alizing—what the gift of tongues
prefigured — the universal king-
dom of the Lord Jesus Christ;
THE COMMUNION.
heaven with a sudden great sound,
as it had been a mighty wind,
In the likeness of fiery tongues,
lighting upon the Apostles, to
teach them, and to lead them to
all truth ; giving them both the
Sft of divers languages, and also
ildncss with fervent zeal con-
stantly to preach the Gospel unto
all nations ; whereby we have been
brought out of darkness and er-
ror into the clear light and true
knowledge of thee, and of thy Son
Jesus Christ. Therefore with An-
gels, ike.
Upon the Fecst of Trinity only.
WHO art one God, one Lord ;
not one only Person, but
three Persons 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. Therefore with An-
gels, <tc.
5 After each of which Prefaces shall
immediately be sung or said,
THEREFORE with Angels and
Archangels, and with all the
company of heaven, we laud and
magnify thy glorious Name ; ever-
more praising thee, and saying,
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of
hosts, heaven and earth are full
of thy glory : Glory be to thee, 0
Lord most High Amen.
5 Then shall the Priest, kneeling down
at the Lord's Table, say in the name
of' all them that shall receive the
Communion this Prayer following.
WE do not presume to come
to this thy Tabic, O merciful
Lord, trusting in our own right-
eousness, but in thy manifold and
great mercies. We are not worthy
so much as to gather up the
crumbs under thy Table. But thou
art the same Lord, whose pro-
perty is always to have mercy :
Grant us therefore, gracious Lord,
so to cat the flesh of thy dear Son
Jesus Christ, and to drink his
blood, that our sinful bodies may
be made clean by his body, and
our souls washed through his
most precious blood, and that wc
may evermore dwell in him, and
he in us. Amen.
5 When the Priest, standing before
the Table, hath so ordered the Bread
and Wine, that he may with the more
readiness and decency break the
Bread before the people, and tale
the Cup into his hands, he shall say
the Prayer of Consecration, as fot-
loweth.
ALMIGHTY God, our heaven-
ly Father, who of thy tender
mercy didst give thine only Son
Jesus Christ to suffer death upon
the Cross for our redemption ;
who made there (by his one obla-
tion of himself once offered) a
full, perfect, and sufficient sacri-
fice, oblation, and satisfaction, for
the sins of the whole world ; and
did institute, and in his-holy Gos-
pel command us to continue, a
perpetual memory of that his
precious death, until his coming
again ; Hear us, 0 merciful Fa-
ther, we most humbly beseech
thee ; and grant that we receiving
these thy creatures of bread and
wine, according to thy Son our
Saviour Jesus Christ's holy insti-
tution, in remembrance of his
death and passion, may be par-
takers of his most blessed Body
and Blood: who, in the same
night that he was betrayed,
(a) took Bread; (a) Here the
and, when he had PrieM is to take
given thanks, (b) {*• /«<«» *"«°
he brake it, and *»*""*' .
gave it to his dis- (»> *** h«™
ciplcs,saying,Tuke, %„%?* the
eat, (c) this is (c) And here
my Body which is to iay /„* hand
given for you : Do upon all the
this in remem- Bread.
brancc of me. Likewise after sup-
per he (d) took «f) Here he is
the Cup. and, when to take the Cup
he had given tnto his hand:
thanks, he gave it to them, saying,
Drink ye all of this ; for this
^;,i8*niy J?1()0d <*> And here
of the New Testa- to lay his hand
ment, which is shed upon every ves-
for you and for f ' 0* '.'., Cha\
many for the re- 'tf^Vrl
mission of sins: Do is any Wine to
this, as oft as ye 6c consecrated.
144
lastly, describes our entrance in-
to it as a passage from darkness
to light, and from error to true
knowledge of God in Him.
The Preface for Trinity Sun-
day is merely a declaration of
the doctrine of the Holy Trinity,
and of the faith which believes
in the Three Blessed Persons, as
co-equal in the Divine Glory.
The Ter-Sanctus (or " Trium-
phal Hymn"), sometimes called
the Trisagion— a name which,
however, is frequently applied to
a different Hymn in the Eastern
Church— is found in all Eastern
and Western Liturgies, with va-
riation in the Prefatory portion.
It claims for the Church on Earth
the joining, by anticipation,
"with Angels and Archangels"
in the perfect adoration of hea-
ven ; and it is accordingly a quo-
tation from the Seraphic Hymn
of Isa. vi. 3 (repeated also with
variations in the Te Drum), with
which we may compare Rev. iv.
8. In this glorious Hymn we note
(a) the threefold repetition of
" Holy," shadowing forth the
Holy Trinity; (ft) the address
to the Lord of Sabaoth," or
" Hosts," that is, to God as the
King of all His rational crea-
tures; and (e) the declaration,
going beyond this, that the whole
universe of Heaven and Earth is
full of His glory, or (see margin)
that " His glory is the fulness of
the whole Earth." In most of the
ancient forms there is inserted
before the last clause, " Hosanna
in the highest, Blessed is He that
cometh in the Name of the Lord "
— uniting with this adoration of
the Godhead the rejoicing over
it* Manifestation in the Coming
of the Son of God and Man to
His people, in visible Presence
once, in spiritual Presence now.
This was omitted in 1552; per-
haps as not being a part of what
can be said to be sung "with
Angels and Archangels.
(In 1519 the Prefatory portion,
" Therefore .... saying," was
divided from the Hymn itself,
and the direction was given that
the " Clerks should sing " the
latter ; in this following the an-
cient custom, which gave the
Hymn itself to the people— s
custom illustrated in the musical
settings of the Ter-Sanctus. The
144 a
Rubric has been dropped, but
custom still rightly assigns the
Preface to the Priest alone, and
the Hymn to the Choir and Con-
gregation.)
VI. The Consecration and
Reception.— The Prayer of
Access (composed in 1549) corre-
sponds more closely to a similar
Prayer called " the Prayer of In-
clination " (bowing the head) in
the Eastern Liturgies, than to
anything to be found in the West-
ern forms. It is a Prayer of spi-
ritual preparation, of singular
fervour and beauty, (a) In its
confession of unworthiness and
humility it clearly alludes to the
well-known saying of the Syro-
phoenician woman in Matt. xv.
27, and expresses our trust that
God is always ** the same God "
in that Attribute of perpetual
mercy, which is of the essence of
Him who " is Love." (6) In its
prayer, although it embodies the
whole idea of Holy Communion
— the dwelling in Christ and
Christ in us— it dwells mainly on
the gift through that Blessed Sa-
crament of Purification from
Sin by unity with the Sinless;
and, extending this both to body
and soul, it seems to connect the
purification of our sinful bodies
with the "eating His Flesh,"
and the purification of our soul
with the "drinking His Blood"
—the blood being the emblem of
the life of the soul itself. It may
be noted that in stricter theolo-
gical language it is more com-
mon to refer to the partaking of
His Body the gift of spiritual
strength, and the gift of purifi-
cation and justification to the
partaking of His Blood.
The Prayer of Consecra-
tion. (On the preceding Rubric
see notes on the Rubrics at the
opening of the Service.)
This Prayer, as composed in
1549, was evidently modelled up-
on Eastern rather than upon the
old Western forms. For it re-
sembled the former, first, in the
recital of the work of Redemp-
tion by the Atonement ; next, in
the express Invocation of the
Holy Spirit ("with Thy Holy
Spirit and Word vouchsafe to
bless and sanctify these Thy
gifts and creatures of bread and
wine, that they may be unto us
the Body and Blood of Thy
most dearly beloved Son Jesus
Christ " ), not found in Liturgies
of the Roman type; lastly, in
the general substance of the
Prayer of Oblation, which im-
mediately followed the words of
Institution. The changes made
in 1552 have, however, consider-
ably obscured this resemblance.
(.See Introduction.)
The Prayer, as it now stands,
consists (a) of a long and strik-
ing preamble, bringing out with
significant clearness and empha-
sis " the one Oblation of Christ,
as offered once for all," so that
in no true sense can His pro-
pitiatory Sacrifice be repeated
in the worship of the Church;
and expressing with great com-
pleteness the doctrine of the
Atonement as being a " full
Sacrifice," a "perfect Oblation."
and an all-" sufficient satisfac-
tion"; (b) of a recital of His
command, on which alone the
Sacrament depends for its effi-
cacy, to continue "a perpetual
memory" or "memorial," plead-
ing His Sacrifice till He comes
again, and through His Divine
Intercession applying it to the
salvation of our souls ; (c) of the
prayer itself, which is very brief
and simple, " Grant that we
.... may be partakers of His
most blessed Body and Blood,"
notable as declaring (against
Transubstantiation) that the
consecrated elements are still
bread and wine, and yet, re-
ceived in remembrance of Him
according to His holy Institu-
tion, are the appointed means
of partaking (see 1 Cor. x. 16) of
the Body and Blood of Christ;
(rf) of the recital of the Institu-
tion, corresponding very closely
with the records of St. Paul and
St. Luke (1 Cor. xi. 28-25 ; Luke
xxii. 19, 20) — with rubrical direc-
tions (inserted in 1662) for the
performance of the manual acts,
which represent the acts of Our
Lord Himself at the Institution.
In all its parts substantially, and
in the last literally, it follows the
type traceable through the old-
est forms up to primitive times.
The Reception.— The Rubric
lays stress on the delivery of the
Communion " in both kinds " to
the people (comp. Art. xxx.) ,- it
144 b
directs it to be given "into their
hands": and it expressly pro-
vides for the repetition of the
full words of Administration to
each recipient.
There is no express direction
as to the posture of the Priest in
receiving, but the intention was
probably to include him in the
words " all meekly kneeling." It
may be noted that in the form
of 1549 (as also of 1637) the re-
ception by the Priest immedi-
ately followed the Prayer of
Access, at which he was ex-
pressly directed to kneel. The
analogy, moreover, of the pos-
ture in the Confession and the
Prayer of Access undoubtedly
implies that, while in minister-
ing to the Congregation he
should stand, yet in receiving
he is but their leader and repre-
sentative, and should kneel with
them. In 1662 it was proposed
to insert words making this
clear, but the proposal was not
carried out.
The history of the words of
Administration is curious and
instructive. The Prayer Book
of 1549, following the old prac-
tice, had the former clause only,
" The Body (or Blood) life,"
which is of the nature of a Bene-
diction, bringing out clearly the
gift in the Sacrament of the
Body and Blood of Christ, and
praying that, according to Our
Lord's promise, it may preserve
both body and soul (both being
redeemed by Him) to eternal
life. In 1552 these words were
struck out, and for them was
substituted the second clause,
"Take and eat .... thanks-
giving"; "Drink .... thank-
ful," which is simply an exhor-
tation to use the blessing of the
Sacrament by receiving it in re-
membrance of His death for us
individually, and by " feeding on
Christ in the heart by faith with
thanksgiving." Since 1559, by
the union of both, God's part
and man's part in the ordinance
—the reality of God's gift and
the need of man's conscious re-
ception of it through faith— have
been brought out in perfect
clearness and harmony. To omit
either portion is contrary not
only to the letter, but to the
spirit, of the order of the Church.
In 1549 it was directed that the
words, " O Lamb of God," &c.
las in the Litany), should be
sung during the reception; and
that after it one of a series of
sentences from Holy Scripture
should be sung as a " Post-Com-
munion." These directions were
struck out in 1552. and have
never been restored. But the
Lambeth Judgment decided that
the singing of the Agnut Dei in
this place, although not ordered,
is neither illegal nor inappro-
priate.
The Rubrics providing for Con-
secration of additional Bread
and Wine, and for the reverent
covering of the Consecrated Ele-
ments remaining, were added in
1662. It may be noted that the
former, in accordance with the
universal custom of the Western
Church, implies that for conse-
cration nothing but the recital
of the Words of Institution is
absolutely necessary. The lat-
ter, like the provision for reve-
rent consumption after the Ser-
vice, is significant of the sacred-
ness attaching to that which has
been consecrated " according to
Christ's holy Institution." Be-
yond this its significance cannot
fairly be pressed.
(C) The Post Communion Office.
The Lord's Prayer, opening
this part of the Service, which is
naturally one of Thanksgiving,
has. as in the corresponding
place in the Morning Service,
the Doxology appended to it.
In 1549, as in most ancient
Liturgies, both of the East and
of the West, and probably in
accordance with primitive prac-
tice, the Lord's Prayer was join-
ed with the Consecration Prayer
as an integral part of the Con-
secration. The alteration (for
what reason is unknown) was
made in 1552.
The Puater of Oblation,
which follows, was originally
subjoined to the Consecration
Prayer, and opened thus :—
"Wherefore, O Lord, Heavenly
Father, according to the Insti-
tution of Thy dearly beloved Son
Jesus Christ, we Thy humble
servants do celebrate and make
here before Thv Divine Majesty,
with these Thy holy gifts, the
memorial which Thy Son hath
willed us to make ; having in re-
membrance His blessed Passion,
mighty Resurrection, and glori-
ous Ascension, rendering unto
Thee most hearty thanks for the
innumerable benefits procured
unto us by the same; entirely
desiring Thy Fatherly good-
ness," &c. As it then stood, it
brought out the whole idea of
Sacrifice, closely connecting ("af-
ter ancient precedent) the " Me-
morial " of the One Great Sacri-
fice, pleading it before God, with
our Eucharistic Sacrifice of
praise and thanksgiving, and our
Dedicatory Sacrifice of ourselves
(see Heb. xiii. 10, 15, 16). This
connection is now less clear, and
the Prayer itself placed less ap-
propriately than in its first posi-
tion. As it now stands, it has
three parts: («) prayer for ac-
ceptance of our " sacrifice of
praise and thanksgiving," and
for the benefits of His Passion
to ourselves and to the whole
Church; (6) a solemn dedication
of ourselves, souls and bodies, as
a living sacrifice (see Rom. xii.
1), with prayer that we may be
perfected by His grace and bless-
ing ; (c) a declaration of our un-
worthiness. and a prayer that,
in spite of it, God will accept
this sacrifice as "our bounden
duty and service " — " not weigh-
ing our merits, but pardoning
our offences," through Our Lord
Jesus Christ.
The Thanksgiving Prater,
which is now an alternative, was
originally the only one used here.
Composed in 1549, it was partly
suggested by the thanksgiving
in this part of the Eastern Litur-
gies, and partly by Hermann's
Contultatio. Although less full
of meaning than the other, it
has a greater appropriateness to
this place in the Service. It is
(a) thanksgiving to God, describ-
ing with great fulness the grace
of the Holy Communion in all
who have duly received it ; for it
dwells upon it both as our spiri-
tual food, and as the pledge,
through God's favour to us, of
146
THE COMMUNION".
shall drink it, in remembrance
of me. A men.
t Then shall the 31 mister first receive
the Communion in both kinds him-
self, and then proceed to deliver the
same to the Bishops, Priests, and
Deacons, in like manner, ( if any be
present,) and after that to the people
also in order, into their hands, all
meekly kneeling. A nd, when lie de-
livered the Bread to any one, he
shall say,
THE Body of our Lord Jesus
Christ, which was gtven for
thee, preserve thy body and soul
unto everlasting life. Take and
eat this in remembrance that
Christ died for thee, and feed on
him in thy heart by faith with
thanksgiving.
t And the Minister that delivereth the
Cup to any one shall say,
THE Blood of our Lord Jesus
Christ, which was shed for
thee, preserve thy body and soul
unto everlasting life. Drink this in
remembrance that Christ's Blood
was shed for thee, and be thank-
ful.
% If the consecrated Bread or Wine
be all spent before all have commu-
nicated, the Priest is to consecrate
more according to the Form before
prescribed ; beginning at [Our Sa-
viour Christ in the game night, <$■&]
for the blessing of the Bread; and at
^Likewise after Supper, #c.]/or the
blessing of the Cup.
% When all have communicated, the
Minister shall return to the Lord's
Table, and reverently place upon tt
what remaineth of the consecrated
Elements, covering the same with a
fair linen cloth.
5 Then shall the Priest say the Lord's '
Prayer, the people repeating after
him ccery Petition.
OUR Father, which art in hea-
ven, Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be
done, in earth as it is tn heaven:
Give us tins day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, As
we forgive them that trespass
against us. And lead us not into
temptation ; But deliver us from
evd: For thine is the kingdom,
The power, and the glory, For
ever and ever. Amen.
5 After shall be said as followeth.
OLORD and heavenly Father,
we thy humble servants en-
tirely desire thy fatherly goodness
mercifully to accept this our sacri-
fice of praise and thanksgiving ;
most humbly beseeching thee to
grant, that by the merits and death
of thy Son Jesus Christ, and
through faith in his blood, wc and
all thy whole Church may obtain
remission of our sins, and all other
benefits of his passion. And here
we offer and present unto thee, 0
Lord, ourselves, our souls and
bodies, to be a reasonable, holy,
and lively sa6riflce unto thee ;
humbly beseeching thee, that all
we, who are partakers of this holy
Communion, may bo fulfilled with
thy grace and heavenly benedic-
tion. And although we be un-
worthy, through our manifold sins,
to offer unto thee any sacrifice,
yet we beseech thee to accept this
our bounden duty and service ;
not weighing our merits, but par-
doning our offences, through Je-
sus Christ our Lord; by whom,
and with whom, in the unity of
the Holy Ghost, all honour and
glory be unto thee, 0 Father Al-
mighty, world without end. Amen.
Or this.
ALMIGHTY and everliving
God, we most heartily thank
thee, for that thou dost vouchsafe
to feed us, who have duly received
these holy mysteries, with the
spiritual food of the most precious
Body and Blood of thy Son our
Saviour Jesus Christ ; and dost
assure us thereby of thy favour
and goodness towards us ; and
that we are very members incor-
porate In the mystical body of thy
Son, which is the blessed company
of all faithful people ; and are also
heirs through hope of thy ever-
lasting kingdom, by the merits of
the most precious death and pas-
sion of thy dear Son. And wo
most humbly beseech thee, 0 hea-
venly Father, so to assist us with
thy "grace, that we may continue
in that holy fellowship, and do all
145
our unity with Christ, and there-
fore of our membership in the
mystical Body of Christ now,
and of our heirship through His
atoning Passion of the eternal
kingdom of the hereafter. It is
next (ft) a prayer that, since we
are in the holy fellowship of this
unity, God will give us grace to
continue in it, and shew forth the
fruits of it in good works.
The Gloria in Excelsis was
in 1549, after ancient precedent,
placed at the beginning of the
Service. Its position in the Post-
Communion Service (since 1552)
is peculiar to the English Office,
but has an obvious appropriate-
ness and beauty (comp. Our
Lord's own practice at the Last
Supper, recorded in Matt. xxvi.
30).
(No direction is given here for
change of posture : but the pre-
dominant tone of praise and
thanksgiving, and the close ana-
logy to the Te Deum, suggest the
greater propriety of standing;
which is, indeed, expressly or-
dered in the American Prayer
Book.)
This glorious hymn appears to
be of Greek origin. It is found
in an expanded form in the
Apostolical Constitutions (of
about the 4th century), and with
additions, agreeing somewhat
with our Te Deum, as the " Morn-
ing Hymn " in the Alexandrine
MS. of the Greek Testament,
written in the 5th century.
(There is, indeed, a curious
coincidence with its opening
words in the thanksgiving of
St. Poly carp at his martyrdom.)
But its Euchari8tic use in full
is Western; although the East-
ern Liturgy of St. James and
the (so-cailed) Nestorian Litur-
gy have the opening Scriptural
clause. Its Latin form seems at
least as old as Hilary of Poictiers
(a.d. 350), and from the 6th cen-
tury it is found in the opening
portion of the Western Litur-
gies.
It may be compared with the
Te Deum as being, though with
less distinctness and elaborate-
ness, a Hymn, a Creed, and a
Prayer, (a) The first paragraph,
opening with the song of the
Angels at the Nativity (whence
the whole of the Hymn is often
146
called " the Angelic Hymn "),
goes on with accumulated em-
phasis, not only to praise, bless,
worship, glorify God, but, above
all, to thank Him for the mnni-
festation of His glory. In the
form given in the Alexandrine
MS., this Hymn of Praise^ like
the Te Deum, is offered explicitly
to the Holy Trinity : " O Lord,
heavenly King, God the Father
Almighty; O Lord, only-begot-
ten Son Jesus Christ, and Holy
Spirit." (6) The second is a
Creed in the form of Prayer
addressed to Our Lord Jesus
Christ. It dwells on Him, first,
in His Nature as the Only-be-
gotten Son of God, and there-
fore as our " Lord God " ; next,
in His Atonement as the " Lamb
of God, taking away the sins of
the world " ; lastly, in His Ma-
jesty as "sitting at the right
hand of God." It prays that He
will " have mercy upon us and
receive our prayer," to offer it in
His Divine Intercession for us in
Heaven. (The repetition of the
clause " Thou that takest ....
have mercy upon us," not found
in the original, was first made
in the Service of 1552.) <c) The
third is a Doxology through Him,
as the "only Holy" One, the
" only Lord, and one with the
Father and the Holy Ghost in
the eternal glory.
The Blessing (composed in
1549) has again closer parallels
in the Eastern Liturgies of Con-
stantinople and Alexandria than
in the Western Liturgies. It is
(a) an extended form of the Pax
Vobiscum, quoted from Phil. iv. 7.
praying for the Peace beyond
all understanding, keeping our
minds in the knowledge of God
and onr hearts in the love of
God, through His Son Jesus
Christ; with (6) the addition, ac-
cording to ancient form, of bless-
ing in the Name of the Holy
Trinity— to be "amongst us " as
a bond of unity, and to continue
" with us" to eternal salvation.
The Occasional Collects. —
The Rubric directing these to be
used after the Offertory belongs
to 1549; when, if there was no
Communion, the Service was to
end after the Offertory with Col
lect and Blessing. It was pro-
THE COMMUNION.
guch good works as thou hast pre-
pared for us to walk in ; through
Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom,
with thee and the Holy Ghost, be
all honour and glory, world with-
out end. Amen.
H Then shall be said or sung,
GLORY be to God on high, and
in earth peace, good will to-
wards men. We praise thee, we
bless thee, we worship thee, we
glorify thee, we give thanks to
thee for thy great glory, O Lord
God, heavenly King, God the Fa-
ther Almighty.
O Lord, the only-begotten Son
Jesu Christ ; O Lord God, Lamb
of God, Son of the Father, that
takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us. Thou that
takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us. Thou that
takest away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer. Thou that
sittest at the right hand of God the
Father, have mercy upon us.
For thou only art holy ; thou
only art the Lord ; thou only, 0
Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art
most high in the glory of God the
Father. Amen.
1 Then the Priest (or Bishop if he be
present) shall let them depart with
this Blessing.
THE peace of God, which pass-
eth all understanding, keep
your hearts and minds in the
knowledge and love of God, and
of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord :
and the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Ghost, be amongst you and remain
with you always. Amen.
1 Collects to be said after the Offer-
tory, when there is no Communion,
every such day one or more ; and the
lame may be said also, as often as
occasion ><hall serve, after tlie Col-
lects either of Morning or Evening
Prayer, Communion, or Litany, by
the discretion of the Minister.
ASSI8T us mercifully, 0 Lord,
in these our supplications
and prayers, and dispose the way
of thy servants towards the attain-
ment of everlasting salvation ;
that, among all the changes and
chances of this mortal life, they
may ever be defended by thy must
gracious and ready help ; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
0 ALMIGHTY Lord, and ever-
lasting God, vouchsafe, we
beseech thee, to direct, sanctify,
and govern, both our hearts and
bodies, in the ways of thy laws,
and in the works of thy command-
ments ; that through thy most
mighty protection, both here and
ever, we may be preserved in body
and soul ; through our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
GRANT, we beseech thee, Al-
mighty God, that the words,
which we have heard this day with
our outward ears, may through
thy grace be so grafted inwardly
in our hearts, that they may bring
forth in us the fruit of good living,
to the honour and praise of thy
Name ; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
PREVENT us, O Lord, in all
our doings with thy most
gracious favour, and further us
witli thy continual help ; that in
all our works begun, continued,
and ended in thee, we may glorify
thy holy Name, and finally by
thy mercy obtain everlasting life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
\ LMIGHTY God, the fountain
A of all wisdom, who knowest
our necessities before we ask, and
our ignorance in asking ; We be-
seech thee to have compassion
upon our infirmities ; and those
things, which for our unworthi-
ness we dare not, and for our
blindness we cannot ask, vouch-
safe to give us, for the worthiness
of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
ALMIGHTY God, who hast
promised to hear the peti-
tions of them that ask in thy Son's
Name; We beseech thee merci-
fully to incline thine ears to us
that have made now our prayers-
146
posed in 1662 to change it, so as fourth are prayers for God's
to accord with the subsequent blessing on our hearts and bodies,
direction in such cases to add " preventing M and furthering us
the Church Militant Prayer, but in our life and work ; the others
this was not done. The Rubric refer rather to worship, praying
allowing their use at " Morn- for acceptance of prayer, for the
ing and Evening Prayer, Com- grafting in the soul of the Word
munion, or Litany" was added (James i. 21) that it may yield
in 1552. the fruit of good works, for God's
Of these Collects, the first, compassion on our infirmity in
second, and fourth are translated prayer— for Christ's sake giving
from the Sarum Use; the rest us what "for our unworthiness
were composed in 1549. As might we dare not, and for our blind-
be gathered from the directions ness we cannot ask"— and for
for general use. they have no the grant in His Son's Name of
special reference to the Holy all that in prayer is accordant to
Communion. The second and His Will.
(D) The Final Rubrics.
(1) The first Rubric was inserted in 1552. Previously the Service
in such cases was to end with the Offertory, Collect, and Blessing—
the Church Militant Prayer being closely connected with the Con-
secration.
(2) The second and third Rubrics provide with marked emphasis
that, even in the smallest Parishes, there shall be no celebration,
unless there be communicants to partake with the Priest. A similar
provision is found in the Communion of the Sick. The object waa
to "turn the (Solitary) Mass into a Communion," in accordance
with the idea of the original Institution. It was, of course, sup-
posed that, in obedience to the Rubric at the beginning of the Ser-
vice, due notice of intention to communicate would have been given.
But the rule is absolute, and both emphatic and significant. Al-
though it may at times involve some difficulty and even apparent
spiritual loss, it cannot be set aside without plain disobedience to
our Church Order.
(S) The fourth and eighth Rubrics deal with frequency of Com-
munion. It was obviously supposed that, as a rule, the Holy Com-
munion would be celebrated frequently, and, indeed, there was in
1549 a Rubric directing that some one of the household, which
offered the bread and wine for the Communion, should always com-
municate, so that "the Minister may accordingly solemnize so high
and holy mysteries." In all Cathedrals and Collegiate Churches
and Colleges, where there are many clergy, it is enjoined on them to
communicate at least weekly. For the laity the attendance abso-
lutely enjoined is at " three times in the year, of which Easter to be
one" : but this is clearly a minimum, not indicating what is desir-
able or right. Non-communicating membership of the Church was
not even contemplated as possible (see Canons xxi. and xxii. of
1604).
(4) The fifth Rubric was substituted in 1552 for a Rubric enjoin-
ing the use of wafer bread, " unleavened and round." Its wording,
" it shall suffice," seems to indicate non-enforcement, rather than
suppression, of the ancient custom, sanctioned in the older Rubric ;
and this was certainly the view taken in the Injunctions of 1559 and
correspondence thereon. In general practice, however, with some
exceptions of late years, the use of " the best wheateu bread " be-
pame universal. The use of leavened or unleavened bread is a point
of diversity, and has often been a point of controversy, between the
Eastern and Western Churches.
(5) The sixth Rubric was inserted in 1662 (borrowed from a Rubric
jn the Scotch Liturgy of 1637). Previously no distinction was made,
and all that remained was given to the ourate for his own use. The
©bject was, no doubt, to provide against irreverent use of what
W
THE COMMUNION.
and supplications unto thee ; and
grant, that those things, which we
have faithfully asked according to
thy will, may effectually be ob-
tained, to the relief of our neces-
sity, and to the setting forth 01
thy glory; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
1 Upon the Sundays and other Holy-days (if there be no Communion) shall
be said all that is appointed at the Communion, until the end of the general
Prayer [For the whole state of Christ's Church militant here in earth]
together with one or more of these Collects last before rehearsed, concluding
uritlt the Blessing. •
n And there shall be no celebration of the Lord's Supper, except there be a
conrement number to communicate with tlie Priest, according to his dis-
cretion.
* And if there be not above twenty persons in the Parish of discretion to re-
ceire the Communion ; yet there shall be no Communion, except four (or three
at the least) communicate with the Priest.
1 And in Cathedral and Collegiate Churches, and Colleges, where there are
many Priests and Deacons, they shall all receive the Communion with tlie
Priist every Sunday at tlie least, except tliey have a reasonable cause to the
contrary.
% And to tale away all occasion of dissension, and superstition, which any
person luith or might have concerning the Bread and Wine, it shall suffice
tluxt the bread be such as is usual to be eaten ; but the best and purest
Wheat Bread that conveniently may be gotten.
f And if ami of the Bread and Wine remain unconsecrated, the Curate shall
have it to his oivn use : but if any remain of that which was consecrated, it
shall not lie carried out of the Church, but the Priest and such other of the
Communicants as he shall then call unto him, shall, immediately after the
Blessing, reverently eat and drink Hie same.
^ Tlie Bread and Wine for the Communion shall be provided by the Curate
and the Church- wardens at the cfiarges of the Parish.
% And note, Mat every Parishioner shall communicate at the least three
times in the year, of which Easter to be one. And yearly at Easter every
Parishioner shall reckon with the Parson, Vicar, or Curate, or his or their
Deputy or Deputies ; and pat/ to tliem or him all Ecclesiastical Duties, ac-
custoniubly due, then and at that time to be. paid.
% After the Divine Service, ended, the money given at tfie Offertory shall be
disposed of to such pious and charitable uses, as the Minister and Church-
wardens shall think fit. Wherein if tiny disagree, it shall be disposed of as
i the Ordinary shall appoint.
^ Whereas it is ordained tn mis Office for the Administration of the Lord'?
Supper, that the Communicants should receive the same kneeling; (which order
is well meant, for a signification of our humble and grateful acknowledgment
of the benefits of Christ therein given to all worthy Receivers, and for tht
avoiding of such profanation and disorder in the holy Communion, as might
otherwise ensue ;} yet, lest the same kneeling should by any persons, either out
of ignorance and infirmity, or out of malice and obstinacy, be misconstrutii
and depraved; It is hereby declared. That thereby no Adoration is intended,
or ought to be done, either unto the Sacramental Bread or Wine there bodilt
received, or unto any Corporal Presence of Christ's natural Flesh and Blood.
For tlie Sacramental Bread and Wine remain still in their verii natural sub-
Itances, and therefore may not be adored; (for that were idolatry, to Ite
abhorred of all faithfid Christians ;) and the natural Body and Blood of out
Saviou- Christ are in Hei'ren. and not here; it being against the truth j
Christ's natural Jioily to be at one time in more places titan ont
U7 11
has been consecrated to God. But one effect is absolutely to pro-
hibit Reservation of the Consecrated Elements. Reservation is in
itself a primitive practice, noticed by Justin Martyr in the 2nd cen-
tury ; and in 1549 it was still allowed (see the Communion of the
Sick). The reason of its disuse, and virtual prohibition, in the
Church of England is clearly implied in the xxviiith Article : " The
Sacrament .... was not by the ordinance of Christ reserved, car-
ried about, lifted, or worshipped." Whether that prohibition might
be, under due safeguards, modified by authority is an important
question. But no individual Minister has a right to set it aside
without higher authority.
(8) The seventh Rubric orders that the Bread and Wine, which
in old times were offered by individuals, shall be provided by the
Parish.
(7) The eighth refers to the "Easter Offerings " of "all Ecclesias-
tical duties, accustomably due," to which were often added volun-
tary gifts.
(8) The last, dealing with the disposal of the money given at the
Offertory, was inserted in 1662. The general objects of the Collec-
tion are shewn in the Offertory Sentences (which see). The Rubrio
clearly recognises, in respect of temporalities, the co-ordinate
power with the Minister of the Churchwardens, as representatives
of the parish, and a right on either side of appeal to the Bishop.
The Rubric does not strictly apply to other Collections in Church,
although by analogy these are mostly treated in the same manner.
The Declaration on Kneeling (or "Black Rubric") has a
curious and instructive history. The objection to kneeling at the
Holy Communion began to manifest itself in 1552, and was after-
wards maintained with singular tenacity by the Puritan party
throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. Evidently to meet this, a
Declaration was drawn up, and added, by sole authority of the
Royal Council, on the flyleaf of most copies of the Prayer Book of
1552. Ic then opened with a statement of the misconstructions put
upon Church Order "by ignorance and infirmity," or " by malice
and obstinacy," and of the desire out of "brotherly charity" to re-
move the same ; and continued as it now stands, except that, in-
stead of "the Corporal Presence," the "real and essential Presence
of Christ's natural Flesh and Blood," was denied. In 1559 it was
dropped, being perhaps regarded as no integral part of the Prayer
Book. In 1662— the objection to kneeling still being strongly urged
—it was inserted in its present form, with the important and sig-
nificant change indicated above. Its statements must be compared
with the closing sentences of Arts. xxv. and xxviii.
As it now stands, it (a) maintains the customary attitude of kneel-
ing, as an expression of humble thankfulness, and as a safeguard
against profanation and disorder ; (b) explains clearly that it is not
meant to imply Adoration, either of the Elements, which are still
"in their very natural substances," or of any "Corporal Presence
of Christ's natural Flesh and Blood," which " are in heaven," at
the right hand of God. (The phrase "corporal" evidently means
" carnal " or " material.") It is only in this Declaration, as origin-
ally worded, that the celebrated term " Real Presence " is found in
our Prayer Book. Even then the denial of it was limited, for it was
of real presence of " the natural Body and Blood of Christ." Now
even this limited denial has been withdrawn, and words have been
substituted shewing, beyond possibility of misconstruction, that
what is denied is a natural and carnal presence. For a presence
" after a heavenly and spiritual manner " is for that very reason a
"real and essential presence." There can be no doubt that the
especial reference was to the ordinary belief of the Romish Church ;
in which, under the shadow of the doctrine of Transubstantiation —
in itself a subtle metaphysical theory, intended to rationalize the
J*7 <X
Eucharistic mystery— such carnal conceptions have certainly, and
\ ery naturally, grown up. But the words are general, and protest
ugrunst such conceptions under any form.
THE OCCASIONAL OFFICES.
These are the Services which, unlike the preceding, can be used
for each individual only once, or occasionally, in his life. All, ex-
cept the Commination Service, are taken with variation and simpli-
fication from the ancient Manual, and they embody the religious
consecration of the chief phages of natural life. The Baptismal
and Confirmation Services hallow its beginning and its early stn^es
of growth; the succeeding Services deal with the later stages of
Marriage, Child-birth, Sickness, and Death ; and thus the whole of
human life is covered from the cradle to the grave. All, and espe-
cially the Burial Service, contemplate a condition of things, in
which all Englishmen, being regarded as members of the English
Church, were considered as having a right to her ministrations, and
as being subject to her authority and discipline. Of this condition
the former element still remains, but the latter has in great degree
passed awav. Hence, singularly impressive and beautiful as they
confessedly' are. the Services are in parts inappropriate to some of
those for whom they are still used.
Of the Commination Service for Ash-Wednesday the first part
was drawn np in 1549 to meet the decay of discipline : the latter
part, from the 51st Psalm to the end, was taken from the old Ser-
vice Book.
INTRODUCTION TO
THE BAPTISMAL OFFICES.
Baptism in the Church of Christ.— The Administration of Holy
Baptism, like that of the Holy Communion, is, of course, as old as
Christianity itself. For it starts from the ordinance of Our Lord
after His Resurrection (Matt, xxviii. 19), fulfilling St. John Baptist's
prediction of the Baptism with the Holy Ghost (Matt. iii. 11), and
carrying out His own teaching of the new birth " by Water and the
Holy Ghost" (John iii. 5). Accordingly it marks all the stages of
growth of that Kingdom— the birth of the Church on the Day of
Pentecost (Acts ii. 38-41) ; its extension to the Samaritans and to
the Eunuch, a proselyte of the gate (viii. 12, 16, S6-38) ; its further
extension to the Gentiles, in the person of Cornelius and his friends,
even after the outpouring of the Holy Ghost (x. 47, 48), and to the
jailor of Philippi, the first-fruits of European Christianity (xvi. 33) ;
and the conversion to the full faith in Christ of those already bap-
tized with the Baptism of St. John (xix. 5). In the Epistles of the
New Testament it is accordingly referred to again and again, as a
matter of course, as the means of entrance on the Christian Cove-
nant. St. Peter speaks of it simply as that which " doth now save
us " (1 Pet. iii. 21). St. Paul dwells on the various effects of its re-
fenerating grace— now. as baptizing us "by One Spirit into One
lodv " (1 Cor. xii. 13)— now as the " putting on Christ " (Gal. iii. 17),
and as that in which we are " dead with Christ and risen with Him "
(Rom. vi. 3-11)— now (in his later Epistles) as, in contrast with cir-
cumcision, a true spiritual unity with Him in His death and Resur-
rection (Col. ii. 12), and as supplying, in the " One Lord, one Faith,
one Baptism" the motto of Christian Unity (Eph. iv. 6). Every-
where, both historically and doctrinally, it is regarded as the normal
condition of entrance on Christian life— the "washing" (or font)
" of regeneration " (Tit. iii. 5) whereby " we are saved " ; the " birth
of water and the Spirit," for entrance into the kingdom of God
(John iii. 5).
147 b
The Essentials op Baptism.— From the beginning the admini
stration of Baptism naturally clothed itself in ritual forms, in addi-
tion to the simple essentials of Baptism itself. These essentials are
expresslv laid down in Matt, xxviii. 19, bv the command of Ora
Lord Himself to "baptize" (with water) "into the Name of the
Father, and of the Son. and of the Holy Ghost" ; and His ordinance
was no doubt carried out literally in the Church, from the Day of
Pentecost downwards. It is true that in some passages of Holy
Scripture Baptism is described as being "into the Name of Jesus
Christ" (see Acts ii. 88; viii. 16; x. 48; xix. 5). But there seems
little doubt that this phrase simply describes Baptism as an en-
trance into the faith in Christ, and into unity with Christ, and
through Him with the Godhead ; which is actually called the being
"baptized into Christ" in Buch passages as Rom. vi. 8; Gal. iii. 27.
For there is no trace of any formula of Baptism, in the East or the
West, except Baptism into the Name of the Holy Trinity; and,
indeed, in one of these very passages (Acts xix. 2, 8), St. Paul's
astonishment at the reply, " We have not so much as heard whether
there be any Holy Ghost," is expressed in the question, " Into what
then were ye baptized? " which is probably an allusion to the Bap-
tismal formula. Round these essential and universal parts of
Baptism, as round the Words of Institution in the Holy Commu-
nion, there grew up a large variety of solemn and significant ritual.
The Growth of the Ritual op Baptism.— But there is not found
in the Offices of Baptism anything like that remarkable mingling
of substantial unity with independent variation, which has been
already referred to in relation to the Offices of Holy Communion.
Probably they did not so soon take fixed Liturgical shape ; nor was
the preservation of common forms deemed of so much importance
as in the ministration of the other Sacrament, which is the con-
tinual manifestation and means of Christian unity.
Thus in "the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles," directions are
given for the performance of Holy Baptism, that it should be in the
Name of the Holy Trinity, and that it should be prepared for by
Fasting of the " baptizer and baptized and of any others who can."
In case of necessity affusion, instead of immersion, is allowed.
Closely corresponding to this is the more detailed account of the
Administration of Baptism, as of Holy Communion, given by Justin
Martyr in his First Apology (chap, lxxix). "We will now" (he
says) " relate how we dedicated ourselves to God, having been made
new creatures through Christ. As many as are convinced and be-
lieve the truth of what we teach and affirm, and undertake to be
able to live accordingly, are taught both to pray and with fasting to
ask of God remission of past sins, while we join with them in their
Srayers and in their fast. Then they are led to a place where there
i water, and are born again, after the same manner as we ourselves
were born again. For they then make their bath in the water in
the Name of God the Father and Lord of the Universe, and of our
Saviour Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Ghost .... For Christ said.
'Except ye be born again, ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of
Heaven.' " In this description we trace (a) a preparation of the
Catechumens by instruction; (6) the use by them, and by the
Church with them, of prayer and fasting; (e) a Baptismal Vow;
(d) a Baptism (called, as a matter of course, " Regeneration") into
the Name of the Holy Trinity— the formula being evidently para-
phrased by Justin for the instruction of the heathen. These ele-
ments are found, with much amplification and variety of expression,
in subsequent descriptions of Baptism and later Liturgical forms.
Thus in the West in the descriptions of Tertullian, towards the
end of the 2nd century, we trace the preparation of the Cate-
chumens, with prayer and fasting; the solemn renunciation of the
Devil ; the " responses " of the baptized, no doubt to the questions
as to Faith; the thrice repeated Immersion in the Name of the
147 c
Holy Trinity ; and to these are added— what Justin does not men-
tion—the anointing with consecrated oil. In the East the Cate-
chetical directions of St. Cyril of Jerusalem (a.d. 847) describe the
assembly in the Baptistery, the turning to the West for the solemn
renunciation of Satan, the turning to the East for the solemn pro-
fession of faith in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; the unction
preparatory to Baptism, the answer to the questions of Faith, the
threefold Immersion; the clothing in white garments, and the
anointing with the consecrated oil ; and the subsequent partici-
pation of the Holy Communion. We trace in these early notices
a gradual development of ritual; which in later times grew into
much variety and elaborateness of ceremonial. It involved also
some modifications arising out of that supersession (as a rule) of
Adult by Infant Baptism, which gradually took place, when Chris-
tianity became a settled and inherited religion, as a natural de-
velopment from the idea of Baptism and the institution of Christ
Himself. But in all cases the principal points of the ritual trace-
able in these early notices were preserved.
The Three Services of the Sarum Manual.— In the Church of
England the administration of Baptism had developed (as in the
Sarum Manual) into three distinct Services— the Order of making
a Catechumen, the Blessing of the Font, and the Rite of Baptism
itself.
The principal points in the first of these were the reception of the
child with the sign of the Cross, blessing, and prayer ; the touching
the lips with consecrated salt as the emblem of wisdom and purifi-
cation ; the " Exorcism," or adjuration of Satan to give up all
attack on the child, as now dedicated to God; the Gospel of Our
Lord's command to bring little children to Him ; the touching the
child' 8 ears and nostrils with saliva with the word Ephphatha ; the
recitation of the Lord's Prayer, the Ave Maria, and the Creed ; and,
finally, the leading the child into the Church, addressing him by
name, and bidding him " enter into the Temple of God."
The second Service, after a long opening Litany, proceeded (much
as in the Communion Service) to the Sursum Corda and Thanks-
giving, to prayer for the Sanctification of the water, and to pouring
oil into the water, as " a conjunction of the water of Baptism and
the anointing with the Spirit."
The third Service began with the Vow of Renunciation, followed
by the anointing ; next came the Vow of Faith and the acceptance
of Baptism ; then the Baptism, with a second anointing, and the
putting on of the Chrisom (or white garment) and the placing a
lighted taper (emblematic of the light of life) in the child's hands.
The Office of Public Baptism in 1549.— Out of these three Ser-
vices, united and greatly simplified, the Service of 1549 was made ;
borrowing, however, considerably, especially in the hortatory por-
tions, from the Consultatio of Hermann, which in its turn borrowed
from the " Baptismal Book" of Luther. It differed from our Ser-
vice in details, and to some extent in order ; it retained the Exor-
cism, Anointing, and Chrisom; it had a separate Service for
Blessing of the Font (at the renewal of the water at least once a
month), which contained in a more detailed form the Prayers which
now precede the actual Baptism in our Service ; and it had nothing
but the Exhortation to the Sponsors after the Baptism itself.
The Present Service. — In 1552 the Service was brought sub-
stantially into its present form. The separate Blessing of the Font
was discontinued. The Three Ceremonies of Exorcism. Anointing,
and putting on the Chrisom were abolished, probably in deference
to the strong desire for simplicity of ritual, characteristic of the
period. The first of these ceremonies may perhaps have implied
some exaggerated conception of the power of Satan over the unbap-
tized ; but the other two were sound and beautiful in their symbolic
meaning, and it is hard to conceive that they were liable to super-
ior '•'
KtitiouB abuse. Still, although of great antiquity, they were un-
doubtedly non-essential ; they are not referred to in the earliest
notices of Baptism; and our Church was perfectly free to use or
disuse them. It is interesting to note that the emphatic declara-
tion and thanksgiving for the Regeneration of the child were added
at this very time.
As it now stands, the Service may be divided into four parts :—
(A) The Introduction, containing the opening Exhortation
and PrayerB, and the Gospel, with Exhortation and Thanksgiving
thereon.
(B) The Baptismal Vow and solemn acceptance of Baptism by
the Sponsors in the name of the child.
(C) The Baptism itself, with prefatory Pravers for the child and
for the sanctification of the water, followed by the reception into
the Church and the signing with the Cross.
CD) The Post-Baptismal Service, of Prayer, Thanksgiving, and
Admonition to the Sponsors.
The Office of Private Baptism, with subsequent Public Recep-
tion into the Church, has been naturally determined by the Office
of Public Baptism, both in its original form in 1519 and in its
subsequent changes. It has, however, gradually assumed greater
definiteness of regulation, in respect both of accordance in form
with the Public Office, and of direction (introduced in deference to
the request of the Puritan party in 1604) that Baptism should be by
the "lawful Minister," although Lay Baptism is still held valid.
The Office of Puhlic Baptism of Adults was introduced in
1662, to meet the needs described in the Preface to the Prayer Book.
It follows the Office of Baptism of Infants, with certain significant
changes (noted at the commencement of the Service itself).
The Principles of these Services.— These Services clearly indi-
cate the position which the Church of England, faithfully adhering
to ancient tradition, assigns to the Sacrament of Baptism, as the
regular entrance upon the Christian Covenant, under the appoint-
ment of Christ Himself. (With this indication may be compared
the more explicit and technical declarations of the Catechism and
of Articles ix., xv., xvi., xxvii.) The details of ritual and doctrine
will be noted under the various sections of the Service itself. But
it is obvious generally that, as usual, the Service recognises both
God's part in the free gift of salvation, and man's part in the
acceptance of this gift by faith— in the case of Adults actual faith,
in the case of Infants the promise of faith hereafter. Such is the
universal character of all Scriptural covenants of God, whether with
the individual or the race. The formal covenant of Circumcision
among the Israelites, the spiritual covenant of Baptism in the
Church of Christ, are both striking applications of this universal
principle.
Thus implying important doctrinal considerations, the Services
were naturally objected to on principle by the Puritan party, who
would have laid down a different basis of Christian membership.
These objections were most distinctly expressed in 1662. In par-
ticular it was urged (a) that ministers should not be obliged to
baptize the children of the unbaptized, or of wicked and ungedly
persons; (6) that the declaration of Regeneration should not be
pronounced over all, "whether they be the children of Christians or
not"; (c) that Sponsors should not be necessaiily required, and
that the interrogatories of Repentance and Faith should be ad-
dressed to the parents; (d) that the use of the Sign of the Cross
should be abolished or made optional. Of these it is clear that the
first two touch the fundamental principles of the universal duty of
the Church to baptize, and the universal promise of Christ to the
baptized ; the third is a matter of discipline, setting aside what was
147 e
undoubtedly a very ancient usage in the Church ; the fourth is again
not a matter of essential principle, but involves a superstitious
horror of what is a natural sign of Christian membership. But
none of the changes desired was conceded ; and the refusal of con-
cession defines still more emphatically the position previously taken
up in regard to the need, and significance of Holy Baptism.
THE OFFICE OF
PUBLIC BAPTISM OF INFANTS.
(A) The Introductory Portion.
The Rubrics.— The first Rubric up to 1662 had a preamble, re-
citing the custom in the primitive Church of baptizing as a rule only
" at Easter and Whitsuntide " (to which Epiphany was added in the
East and in some Western Churches) ; and expressing a desire to
conform to this in spirit, though not in letter, by making Baptism
as public as possible. Of the two reasons for such publicity given in
the present Rubric the latter is the more important ; and it may be
noted that with neglect of publicity of Baptism imperfect concep-
tions of Baptismal doctrine have mostly been associated. At the
same time this rule of publicity is not to interfere in any case with
the ministration of Baptism in case of necessity.
The second Rubric, requiring three Sponsors, was inserted in 1662.
The institution of Sponsors is of great antiquity, at, least as old as
Tertnllian (2nd century). It seems to have been intended to bring
out the concern of the Church at large, through these as her re-
presentatives, in the Baptism of each of her children. It had also
a twofold practical object— in the case of Adult Baptism to testify
to the character and sincerity of the candidate, and in the case of
Infant Baptism to give additional security for the Christian educa-
tion of the baptized. But the number required varied; in early
days only one was required, afterwards two or more. Our Rubric
apparently stereotyped old English custom. In Canon xxix. of 1604
fathers were forbidden to be Sponsors, and none admitted to Spon-
sorship except communicants. It is, however, universally under-
stood that the provision of Sponsors is not so much a matter of
necessity, that Baptism is to be refused in default of it.
The third Rubric provides for due notice to the "Curate" of
Baptisms, and fixes the place of Baptism in the Service after the
Second Lesson in the Morning or Evening Prayer— possibly be-
cause, after the Canticle immediately following, the Creed is recited
as a public Confession of Christian faith. The Font is directed to
be filled afresh for each Baptism. In 1549 it was ordered that the
water should be changed once a month, with a special prayer for the
sanctification of the water, taken from the old Benedictio Fontis.
The Exhortation (after the invitation to prayer for these
preliminary question) was com- blessings — both the individual
posed in 1549, with some surges- gift of the new nature by bap-
tions from Hermann's Comulta- tism with the Holy Spirit, and
tio. It starts (a) with a declara- the engrafting into Christ's
tion of the "original sin" (i.e. Church— for the child now pre-
the inborn sinfulness) of human sented.
nature as it is, which it needs no The Prayers.— The former ia
revelation to teach ; (b) then goes taken (with free variation) from
on to Our Lord's words to Nico- the Connultatio. (a) It opens with
demus. setting forth regenera- two Scriptural types of Baptism
tion "by water and the Spirit" —the passage of Noah and his
as the condition of entrance into children through the Flood (see
His Kingdom, and therefore as 1 Pet. iii. 20, 21) from the old
His promise to all who are called world of guilt and condemnation
into it; (c) on this it bases an to the new world of forgiveness
147 I
and covenant with God (see Gen.
viii. 20— ix. 9), and the passage
of Israel through the Red Sea
(1 Cor. x. 1, 2) from the old con-
dition of bondage to the new life
of freedom and probation. (6) It
then refers to the Baptism of Our
Lord (and the outpouring of the
Holy Spirit on Him) as by anti-
cipation sanctifying Christian
Baptism, not merely as (like St.
John's Baptism) a symbol of re-
pentance, but as an ordinance
for the mystical " washing away
of sin." (c) Finally it applies
both these types in prayer, that
the child, thus washed and sanc-
tified, may be " received into the
Ark of Christ's Church," like
Noah, and in fulness of faith,
hope, and charity, may, like Is-
rael, " pass the waves of this
troublesome life " into the " pro-
mised land " "of eternal life. '
(After this prayer came, in 1549,
the signing with the sign of the
Cross on the forehead and breast .)
The latter prayer is translated
from the Orrto ad faciendum Cate-
chumenum in the Sarum Manual,
where it is addressed directly to
Our Lord Jesus Christ. Hence
in the preamble the phrases " the
Life " of the believers, "the Re-
surrection of the dead" (see John
xi. 25, 26 and xiv. 6). (a) Look-
ing to the condition of the child
for whom it prays, it appeals to
God as the help of helplessness,
the deliverer from bondage, the
life out of deadness of soul now,
and out of the deadness of the
grave hereafter; and (ft) then
pleads earnestly Our Lord's un-
restricted promise to prayer
(Matt. vii. 7, 8) on behalf of
those who now pray, and him for
whom they pray, that he may be
washed from sin, and come to the
eternal Kingdom.
The Gospel (substituting the
record of St. Mark for the corre-
sponding passage in St. Matthew
(xix. 18-15) found in the Sarum
Manual) is chosen, not from any
of the passages bearing directly
on Baptism, but from the bless-
ing by Our Lord of little chil-
dren, as not only fit for His King-
dom, but as being the very types
of the spirit which is the con-
dition of entrance into it. For
this decisively settles the one
question which naturally arises
as to Infant Baptism— whether
unconscious infants are fit to
enter by it into covenant with
God in Christ— by shewing on
His own authority that there is
no age too early to be within the
scope of His salvation and of His
grace. In this sense our Article
ixx vii.) declares that Infant Bap-
tism "is in any wise to be re-
tained, as most agreeable to the
Institution of Christ," i.e. as
most accordant with the very
idea of our covenant with God
in Him— on which Baptism is
the entrance— as a covenant of
free and unconditional mercy.
For this reason also, no doubt,
the practice of Infant Baptism
grew up naturally and silently,
without any distinct command,
gradually superseding (according
to the analogy of Circumcision)
the Adult Baptism which was at
first the rule.
In 1549, before the Gospel the
"Exorcism," taken from the
Sarum Manual, and found in
various forms from early times,
came in. This was an apostro-
phe to the Evil Spirit to come
out of the children whom Christ
had called, to remember the
judgment pronounced against
him. and not to presume to ex-
ercise tyranny henceforward over
those whom " Christ had bought
with His precious Blood." It was
disused in 1552, perhaps as liable
to superstitious use as a charm,
and questionable in what it im-
plies as to the power of Satan
over the unbaptized.
The Exhortation and
Thanksgiving.
The Exhortation (partly sug-
gested by the Contultatin) is a
remarkably simple and beauti-
ful comment on the Gospel. It
dwells emphatically on Our
Lord's commanding the children
to be brought to Him, blessing
them, and making their inno-
cency a type of the life in Him,
and calls on us to believe with-
out shadow of doubt that He will
now, by His spiritual presence in
the midst of us, "embrace the
child in the arms of His mercy,"
and give him the eternal tor
spiritual* life and the member-
ship of His eternal kingdom. In
this He " alloweth " — that is,
148
THE MINISTRATION OF
PUBLICK BAPTISM OF INFANTS,
TO BE USED IN THE CHURCH.
preterit i
her of CI
t The people are to be admonished, that it is most convenient that Baptism
should not be administered but upon Sundays, and other Holy-days, when the
number of people come togecher ; as well for that the Congregation there
<snt may testify the receiving of them that be newly baptized into the num-
„—• of Christ's Church ; as also because in the Baptism of Infants every Man
present maybe put in remembrance of his own profession made to God in his
Baptism. For which cause also it is expedient that Baptism be ministered
in the vulgar tongue. Nevertheless, (if necessity so require,) Children may be
baptized upon any other day.
t And note, that there shall be for every Male-child to be baptized two Godfathers
and one Godmother ; and for every Female, one Godfather and two God-
mothers.
% When there are Children to be baptized, the Parents shall give knowledge
thereof over night, or in the morning before the beginning of Morning Prayer,
to the Curate. And then the Godfathers and Godmothers, and the people with
the Children, must be ready at the Font, either immediately after the last
Lesson at Morning Prayer, or else immediately after the last Lesson at
Evening Prayer, as the Curate by his discretion shall appoint. And the Priest
coming to the Font, (which is then to be filled with pure Water,) and standing
there, shall say,
HATH this Child been already bap-
tized, or no ?
T // they answer, No : Then shall the
Priest proceed asfolloweth.
DEARLY beloved, forasmuch as all
men are conceived and born in sin ;
and that our Saviour Christ saith, None
can enter into the kingdom of God, ex-
cept he be regenerate and born anew of
Water and of the Holy Ghost ; 1 Iwseech
you to call upon God the Father, through
our Lord Jesus Christ, that of his boun-
teous mercy he will grant to this Child
that thing which by nature he cannot
have ; that At may be baptized with
Water and the Holy Ghost, and received
into Christ's holy Church, and be made
a lively member of the same.
t Then shall the Priest say,
Let us pray.
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who
of thy great mercy didst save Noah
And his family in the ark from perish-
ing by water , and also didst safely lead
the children of Israel thy people through
the Ked Sea, figuring thereby thy holy
Baptism ; and by the Baptism of thy
well-beloved Son Jesus Christ, in the
river Jordan, didst sanctify Water to
the mystical washing away of sin ; We
beseech thee, for thine infinite mercies,
that thou wilt mercifully look upon this
Child ; wash Aim and sanctify him with
the Holy Ghost ; that he, being delivered
from thy wrath.may be received into the
ark of Christ's Church ; and being sted-
fast in faith, joyful through hope, and
rooted in charity, may so pass the waves
of this troublesome world, that finally
he. may come to the land of everlasting
life, there to reign with thee world
without end ; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amfn.
ALMIGHTY and immortal God, the
aid of all that need, the helper of
all that flee to thee for succour, the life
of them that believe, and the resurrec-
tion of the dead ; We call upon thee for
(At* Infimt, that he, coming to thy holy
Baptism, may receive remission of his
sins by spiritual regeneration. Keceive
him, O Lord, as thou hast promised by
thy well-beloved Son, saying, Ask, and
ye shall have ; seek, and ye shall find ;
knock, and It shall be opened unto you:
So give now unto us that ask ; let us
that seek find ; open the gate unto us
that knock ; that this Infant may enjoy
the everlasting benediction of thy hea-
venly washing, and may come to the
eternal kingdom which thou hast pro-
mised by Christ our Lord. Amen.
1 Then shall the people stand up, and
the Priest shall say.
Hear the words of the Gospel, written
by Saint Mark, in the tenth Chapter,
at the thirteenth Verse.
THEY brought young children to
Christ, that he should touch them ;
and his disciples rebuked those that
brought them. But when Jesus saw it,
he was much displeased, and said unto
them, Sutter the little children to come
unto me, and forbid them not ; for of
such is the kingdom of God. Verily I
say unto you, Whosoever shall not re-
ceive the kingdom of God as a little
child, he shall not enter therein. And
he took them up in his arms, put his
hands upon them, and blessed them.
T After the Gospel is read, the Minister
shall make this brief Exhortation
upon the words of the Gospel.
BELOVED, ye heur in this Gospel thq
words of i mj ;• Saviour Christ, that \m
148
IMS
sanctions— the charitable work
of bringing the children to Him
in His own appointed way.
The Thanksgivinu (taken al-
most verbally from the Conntl-
tatio) is for God's call of us and
His whole Church, to knowledge
of His grace, i.e. His Love and
Mercy, and accordingly to faith
in Him. It then passes on to
prayer for ourselves that we may
grow in this calling, and for the
child that by regeneration he
may be brought into it.
In the Prayer Book of 1549 the
Exhortation ended with an in*
vitation to recite, in token of
our Christian membership, the
Lord's Prayer and the Creed,
which accordingly intervened be-
tween it and the Thanksgiving.
(B) The Baptismal Vow.
The solemn vow of Renuncia-
tion of Sin (and Satan), and of
Profession of Faith, is traceable
from the earliest times in the
Baptismal Service, varying only
in form and detail. Justin Mar-
tyr (see Introduction) describes
to the heathen the "Self-dedi-
cation " of the Christian before
Baptism : " They who are con-
vinced and believe the truth, and
promise to be able to live accord-
ingly, are taught to pray and with
fasting to ask God for remission
of past sins, while we join with
them." It denoted, of course,
the conscious entrance by man
on the Covenant with God, to
which he has been called bv His
Grace through the Lord Jesus
Christ.
The Exhortation according-
ly marks emphatically this idea
of Covenant. It bids us believe
that God' 8 part in that Covenant,
preceding in the infant all con-
scious action of his own, will be
most assuredly done, in full re-
mission of sins, in the gift (in
germ) of sanctiflcation, and in
the reception to membership of
the Kingdom of Heaven. It
then bids the Sponsors promise
for the child, until he come of
age to take the promise on him-
self, that he will do man's part
in this covenant, as being his
bounden duty and his highest
happiness. In the form of their
answers their impersonation of
the child himself is so distinctly
149
marked, that it was made ground
of objection at the Savov Con-
ference; and till 1662 this was
even more striking, because the
words "in the name of this
child" were not found. The
whole marks distinctly the need
of gradual adhesion of will for
growth in the sanctifying grace
of Baptism, in all who come to
age of freedom and responsi-
bility.
The Renunciation.— In an-
cient times this renunciation was
simply of Satan, made with a
picturesque vividness by turning
to the West as the region of
darkness, and crying out in three
separate utterances, " I renounce
thee, Satan," " and thy works,"
"and thy pomp and worship."
A similar threefold division of
the answer in relation to the
devil, the world, and the flesh
was preserved in the Service of
1549. But in this later form we
have a fuller conception of the
evil to be renounced ; for by " the
devil and his works " (see 1 John
iii. 8) we understand evil in it-
self ; by " the world," the tempta-
tions to evil from without ; by
"the flesh," the proneness to
evil through lusts within. The
three describe, not different
classes of sins, but different
aspects of sin as such.
The PRorsssiON of Faith.—
In the ancient Services this pro-
fession was made in similar form,
turning to the East, as the region
of light, and answering separate
interrogations, in relation to
each Article or group of Articles
successively. The threefold ques-
tion and answer corresponding
to the three paragraphs of the
Creed were preserved in 1549.
The profession is made in the
words of the Apostles' Creed, as
the simplest expression of the
essentials of Christian faith,
which indeed is first found (in
substance) in early Latin writers
under the form of answers to
these successive questions — the
Creed itself thus originating in
Baptismal Profession, but being
handed down by oral tradition,
and not committed to writing
(comp. 1 Pet. iii. 21). It is, of
course, understood tliat the faith
professed is not merely the Credo
Deum, the belief of the intellect
PUBLICK BAPTISM OF INFANTS.
commanded the children to be brought
unto him ; how he blamed those that
would have kept them from him ; how
be exhorteth all men to follow their in-
nocency. Ye perceive how by his out-
ward gesture and deed he declared his
food will toward them ; for he em-
braced them in his arms, he laid his
hands upon them, and blessed them.
Doubt ye not therefore, but earnestly
believe, that he will likewise favour-
ably receive thit present Infant; that
he will embrace Aim with the arms of
his mercy ; that he will give unto Aim
the blessing of eternal life, and make
him partaker of his everlasting king-
dom. Wherefore we being thus per-
suaded of the good will of our heavenly
Father towards this Infant, declared by
his Son Jesus Christ ; and nothing
doubting but that he favourably aliow-
eth this charitable work of our's in
bringing thit Infant to his holy Bap-
tism ; let us faithfully and devoutly
give thanks unto him, and say,
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God,
heavenly Father, we give thee
B humble thanks, for that thou hast
vouchsafed to call us to the knowledge
of thy grace, and faith in thee : Increase
this knowledge, and confirm this faith
in us evermore. Give thy Holy Spirit to
this Infant, that he may be born again,
and be made an heir of everlasting sal-
vation ; through our Lord Jesus Christ,
who liveth and reigneth with thee and
the Holy Spirit, now and for ever.
Amen.
J Then shall the Priest speak unto the
Godfathers and Godmothers on this
vise.
DEARLY beloved, ye have brought
this Child here to be baptized, ye
have prayed that our Lord Jesus Christ
would vouchsafe to receive him, to re-
lease Aim of his sins, to sanctify Aim
with the Holy Ghost, to give Aim the
kingdom of heaven, and everlasting
life. Ye have heard also that our Lord
Jesus Christ hath promised in his Gos-
pel to grant all these things that ye
have prayed for: which promise he, for
his part, will most surely keep and per-
form. Wherefore, after this promise
made by Christ, tAi« Infant must also
faithfully, for his part, promise by you
that are his sureties, (until A« come of
age to take it upon himself,) that Ae will
renounce the devil and all his works,
and constantly believe God's holy Word,
and obediently keep his commandments.
I demand therefore,
DOST thou, in the name of this Child,
renounce the devil and all his works,
the vain pomp and glory of the world,
with all covetous desires of the same,
and the carnal desires of the llesh, so
that thou wilt not follow, nor be led by
Answer. I renounce them all.
Minister.
DOST thou believe in God the Father
Almighty, Maker of heaven and
earth?
And in Jesus Christ his only-begotten
Son our Lord ? And that he was con-
ceived by the Holy Ghost ; born of the
Virgin Mary ; that he suffered under
Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and
buried ; that he went down into hell,
and also did rise again the third day ;
that he ascended into heaven, and sit-
teth at the right hand of God the Father
Almighty ; and from thence shall com*
again at the end of the world, to judge
the quick and the dead ?
And dost thou believe in the Holy
Ghost ; the holy Catholick Church ; the
Communion of Saints ; the Remission
of sins ; the Resurrection of the flesh ;
and everlasting life after death 1
Answer. All this I stedfastly believe.
Minister.
XXTILT thou be baptized in this faith?
"" Answer. That is my desire
Minister.
"IXTILT thou then obediently keep
" God's holy will and command-
ments, and walk in the same all the
days of thy life i
Answer. I will.
1 Then shall the Priest say,
O MERCIFUL God, grant that the
old Adam in tAi* Child may be so
buried, that the new man may be raised
up in Aim. Amen.
Grant that all carnal affections may
die in Aim, and that all things belong-
ing to the Spirit may live and grow in
Aim. A men.
Grant that he may have power and
strength to have victory, and to tri-
umph, against the devil, the world, and
the flesh. Amen.
Grant that whosoever is here dedicat-
ed to thee by our office and ministry
may also be endued with heavenly
virtues, and everlastingly rewarded,
through thy mercy, O blessed Lord
God, who dost live, and govern all
things, world without end. Amen.
ALMIGHTY, everliving God, whose
most dearly beloved Son Jesus
Christ, for the forgiveness of our sins,
did'hed out of his most precious side
both water and blood ; and gave com-
mandment to his disciples, that they
should go teach all nations, and bap-
tize them In the Name of the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Ghost ; Regard,
we beseech thee, the supplications of
thy congregation i sanctify this Water
to the mystical washing away of sin ;
and grant that this Child, now to be
baptized therein, may receive tli« ful-
149
that God is. nor even the Credo
Deo, the belief that His Revela-
tion in Christ is true, but the
Credo in Deum, the belief of heart
as well as mind, throwing the
whole soul in trust upon God in
Christ. (It will be noticed that
the Creed is given here with some
slight verbal variations from the
regular form.)
The Acceptance of Baptism
into this faith, made in the name
of the child, is intended once
more to bring out the need of
free adhesion of the soul, under
the guiding grace of God, in
order to lay hold of His salvation.
The child cannot yet make it;
but he can put no bar of sin in
the way of God's mercy, and
therefore his acceptance is pre-
sumed ; and, as he grows up, he
grows up (see Catechism 'i in the
thankful acceptance of what has
been done and promised for him,
and so the grace given him in
germ gradually develops to per-
fection.
The Vow of Obedience is not
found in the ancient forms, nor
was it introduced into our Ser-
vice till 1662. It is, of course,
implied in the Vow of Renuncia-
tion in its full scope, for it is but
the positive side of the duty there
implied. So in the Catechism
the requisites for Baptism, cover-
ing the whole of the Baptismal
Vow, are given simply as "Re-
pentance and Faith." But here,
as in the earlier part of the Cate-
chism, it is thought well to bring
it out explicitly ; in order to re-
mind men that renunciation of
sin is best carried out, not by
mere watching and striving a-
gainst sin, but by the additional
force of positive obedience in
love.
(C) The Baptism itself.
The Prayers, of which the
first is taken in substance from
a Gallican Missal, and the se-
cond taken in substance from
the old Benedictio Fonti*. were
still used in 1549 as a distinct
service at the changing of the
water in the Font, before any
Baptism took place therein. In
1552 they were shortened and
transferred to their present posi-
tion.
250
The former Prayer, for those
about to be baptized, seems in
its four petitions to cover the
whole area of Christian life ; (a)
as beginning in the burial with
Christ of the old nature and the
raising of the new (see Col. ii.
12) ; (6) continuing in the con-
stant mortification of the flesh
and growth of the things of the
Spirit ; (c) shewing itself in vic-
tory over the devil, the world,
and the flesh, which is the fulfil-
ment of the Baptismal Vow ;
(d) ending in the being endued
(or clothed) with heavenly per-
fection in the likeness of Christ
(see 2 Cor. v. 2-4;, and the conse-
quent enjoyment of everlasting
bliss in Him.
The latter Prayer (correspond-
ing to the Consecration Prajer
in the Communion Service) is
for the blessing of God on the
ordinance which Christ Himself
instituted, (a) In its preamble
it has two references, the first
mystical (see John xix. 34, 35;
1 John v. 6-8), to the shedding
from Our Lord's pierced side both
of water and blood, taken clearly
as symbolic of the cleansing from
Bin, not in water only, but in the
Atoning Blood of the Saviour;
the second, plain and practical,
to the command given before
His Ascension to make all na-
tions His disciples by Baptism
in the Name of the Holy Trinity,
on which command alone our
faith in the grace of Baptism
rests. (6) Its prayer corresponds
to this preamble, for it asks, first,
that the water may, in virtue of
that Atonement, be " sanctified
to the mystical washing away of
sin." and then that the child to
be baptized therein may receive
the fulness of the promised
grace, and, having received, may
so use it as to remain for ever
among God's faithful and elect
children. (The Prayer for the
Sanctification of the Water,
found in fuller form in the Ser-
vice of 1549, was omitted in 1552,
and only restored at the last re-
vision of 1662.)
The Baptism, simple as it is
in ritual, is in every point signifi-
cant, (a) The taking the child
into the arms of the Priest de-
notes its being taken from its
parents into the arms of Christ'
:
PUBL1CK BAPTISM OF INFANTS.
N.
IN
ness of thy grace, and ever remain in
the number of thy faithful and elect
children ; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
T Then the Priest thall take the Child
into his hands, and shall sap to the
Godfathers and Godmothers,
Name this Child.
1 And then naming it after, them {if
they shall certify him that the Child
may well endure it) he shall dip it
in the Water discreetly and warily,
saying,
I baptize thee In the Name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost. Amen,
t But if they certify that the Child is
weak, it shall suffice to pour Water
upon it, saying the foresaid words,
I baptize thee In the Name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost. Amen.
It Then the Priest shall say,
TX7E receive this Child into the
*» congregation of Christ's flock,
*and do sign Ann with
• Here the Priett the sign of the Cross,
thall make aCr<M in token thal hereafter
upon the ChMs he ghaU not be ashum_
ed to confess the faith
Christ crucified, and manfully to tight
ider his banner, against sin, the world,
and the devil ; and to continue Christ's
faithful soldier and servant unto his
life's end. Amen.
t Then shall the Priest say,
SEEING now, dearly beloved bre-
thren, that this Child is regenerate,
and grafted into the body of Christ's
Church, let us give thanks unto Al-
mighty God for these benefits ; and with
one accord make our prayers unto him,
that this Child may lead the rest of his
life according to this beginning.
% Then shall be said, all kneeling;
UR Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name. Thy king-
dom come. Thy will be done, in earth
u it is in heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread. And forgive us our tres-
passes, As we forgive them that tres-
pass against us. And lead us not into
temptation j But deliver us from evil.
Amen.
t Then shall the Priest say,
E yield thee hearty thanks, most
merciful Father, that it hath
pleased thee to regenerate this Infant
with thy Holy Spirit, to receive him for
thine own Child by adoption, and to
incorporate Aim into thy holy Church.
And humbly we beseech thee to grant,
that he, being dead unto sin, and living
unto righteousness, and being buried
with Christ in his death, may crucify
the old man, and utterly abolish the
whole body of sin : and that, as he is
made partaker of the death of thy Son,
he may also be partaker of his resurrec-
tion ; so that finally, with the residue
of thy holy Church, he may be an inhe-
ritor of thine everlasting kingdom;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
1 Then, all standing up, the Priest shaU
say to the Godfathers and Godmo-
thers this Exhortation following.
FORASMUCH as this Child hath pro-
mised by you his sureties to renounce
the devil and all his works, to believe
in God, and to serve him ; ye must re-
member, that it is your parts and duties
to see that this Infant be taught, so soon
as fie shall be able to learn, what a so-
lemn vow, promise, and profession, ht
hath here made by you. And that he
may know these things the better, ye
shall call upon him to hear Sermons ;
and chiefly ye shall provide, that he
may learn the Creed, the Lord's Prayer,
and the Ten Commandments, in the
vulgar tongue, and all other things
which a Christian ought to know and
believe to his soul's health ; and that
this Child may be virtuously brought up
to lead a godly and a Christian life ;
remembering always, that Baptism doth
represent unto us our profession; which
is, to follow the example of our Saviour
Christ, and to be made like unto him ;
that, as he died, and rose again for us,
so should we, who are baptized, die
from sin, and rise again unto righte-
ousness ; continually mortifying all our
evil and corrupt anections, and daily
proceeding in all virtue and godliness
of living.
Y Then shall he add and say,
YE are to take care that this Child be
brought to the Bishop to be con-
firmed by him, so soon as he can say the
Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten
Commandments, in the vulgar tongue,
and be further instructed in the Church-
Catechism set forth for that purpose.
f It is certain by God's Word, that Children which are baptized, dying before thty
commit actual sin, are undoubtedly saved.
H To take away all scruple concerning the use of the sign of the Cross in Baptism;
the true explication thereof, and the just reasons for the retaining of it, may b*
seen in the xxxth Canon, first published in the Year MDCIV.
150
O1
W1
mercv, to be made one with Him.
(A) The giving of the personal
name to the child shews that
he is now regarded as having
a separate individuality in the
Covenant of God. (c) The im-
mersion, or the pouring on of
water, signifies the washing away
of natural corruption in the
Blood of Christ, (d) The Bap-
tism " into " (not " in ") the Name
of the Holy Trinity signifies the
entering into Communion with
the Godhead, through unity
with Christ our Mediator, by
which (see Catechism) the child
becomes " a member of Christ,"
"a child of God," "elect, and
sanctified by the Holy Ghost."
The Rubric still directs the
old practice of Immersion, at
the option of the Sponsors, Af-
fusion being permitted in case
of weakness of the child. The
ancient form was undoubtedly
that of Immersion, generally a
threefold Immersion (as directed
in the old Sarum Manual and in
the Prayer Book of 1549), which
had a far closer accordance with
the symbolism both of Burial
and Resurrection with Christ,
and of perfect cleansing of the
whole man. This form accorded
with Eastern custom : for it the
ancient Baptisteries were built.
But from early times (as is seen
in the " Teaching of the Twelve
Apostles"), especially in the
West, from considerations of
climate and convenience, and
possibly for the avoidance of
Bcandal, the Affusion of Water,
originally supplementary to the
Immersion, became a not unfre-
quent substitute for it ; and has
gradually come, in despite of old
custom and the literal directions
of the Rubric, to prevail almost
universally. The variation of
custom does not touch the essen-
tials of Baptism, which are sim-
ply the use of water in the name
of the Holy Trinity.
In 1549 two ceremonies were
preserved in this place.
(a) The very ancient ceremony
of putting on of the White Gar-
ment (the " Chrisom ") consider-
ed as " a token of the innocency
which by God's srrace in this holy
Sacrament of Baptism is given
to thee, and for a sign whereby
thou art admonished as long as
151
thou livest to give thyself to in-
nocency of living." The inno-
cency given is clearly the "put-
ting on Christ " in Baptism (see
Gaf. iii. 27).
(6) The later, but still ancient
ceremony of Anointing (which in
the old Services preceded the
putting on of the Chrisom), with
the prayer, " Almighty God, who
hath regenerated thee by Water
and the Holy Ghost .... vouch-
safe to anoint thee with the
unction of His Holy Spirit and
bring thee to the inheritance of
everlasting life."
Both ceremonies, which, though
beautiful and significant, are not
essential to Baptism, were abo-
lished in 1552. (Possibly the dis-
use of the Chrisom may have cor-
responded to the general disuse
of Immersion.)
The Reception of the Child.
— This ceremony originally pre-
ceded Baptism in the old Ser-
vices and in the Prayer Book of
1549. It was transferred to this
place with much appropriateness
in 1552.
It has no sacramental charac-
ter, but by a beautiful symbolism
it represents two things; first,
(a) the acknowledgment of the
child, as made by Baptism a
member of the visible Church
of Christ (an "inheritor of the
Kingdom of Heaven"); next,
the solemn dedication of the
child, signed in token of alle-
giance with the Sign of the
Cross, to be a soldier and ser-
vant under the banner of Christ
crucified in the great battle of
life.
The use of the Sign of the
Cross in this Service is the sur-
vivor of many such uses (arising
out of most natural and ancient
custom) in the old Services, as,
for example, in Confirmation,
Holy Communion. Ordination,
Consecration of Churches and
Altars, and Extreme Unction.
Its retention (as the closing Ru-
bric of this Service shews) ex-
cited the most vehement protest
and opposition of the Puritan
party, partly in dislike to all
ceremonial and fear of super-
stitious use, partly in horror of
what was supposed to be " Pop-
ish " ; and it was thought neces-
sary to give in the xxxth Canon
THE MINISTRATION OF
PRIVATE BAPTISM OP CHILDREN
i
IN HOUSES. I
f The Curate* of every Parith shall often admonish the people, that they defer
not the Baptism of their Children longer than the first or second Sunday next
after their birth, or other Holy-day falling between, unless upon a great and
reasonable cause, to be approved by the Curate.
H And also they shall warn them, that without like great cause and necessity
they procure not their Children to be baptized at home in their houses. But
when need shall compel them so to do, then Baptism shall be administered on
this fashion:
1 First let the Minister of the Parish {or, in his absence, any other lawful Mi-
nister that can be procured) with them that are present call upon God, and
say the Lord's Prayer, and so many of the Collects appointed to be said before
in the form of Publick Baptism, as the time and present exigence will suffer.
And then, the Child being named by some one that is present, the Minister
shall pour Water upon it, saying these words ;
NI baptize thee In the Name of the
• Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost. Amen.
5 Then, all kneeling down, the Minister
shall give thanks unto Ood, and say,
WE yield thee hearty thanks, most
merciful Father, that it hath pleas-
ed thee to regenerate this Infant with
thy Holy Spirit, to receive Aim for thine
own Child by adoption, and to incor-
porate Aim into thy holy Church. And
we humbly beseech thee to grant, that as
he is now made partaker of the death of
thy Son, so he may be also of his resur-
rection ; and that finally, with the re-
sidue of thy Saints, he may inherit thine
everlasting kingdom; through the same
thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
5 And let them not doubt, but that the
Child so baptized is lawfully and suffi-
ciently baptized, and ought not to be
baptized again. Tet nevertheless, if
the Child, which is after this sort
baptized, do afterward live, it is ex-
pedient that it be brought into the
Church, to the intent that, if the Mi-
nister of the same Parish did himself
baptize that Child, the Congregation
may be certified of the true Form, of
Baptism, by him privately before
used : In which case he shall say thus,
I CERTIFY you, that according to the
due and prescribed Order of the
Church, at such a time, and at such a
place, before divers witnesses I bap-
tized this Child.
5 But if the Child were baptized by any
other lawful Minister, then the Mu
mister of the Parish, where the Child
was born or christened, shall examine
and try whether the Child be lawful-
ly baptized, or no. In which case, if
those that bring any Child to the
Church do answer, that the same
Child is already baptized, then shaU
the Minister examine them further.
BY whom was this Child baptized ?
Who was present when this Child
was baptized ?
Because some things essential to this
Sacrament may happen to be omitted
through fear or haste, in such times of
extremity ; therefore I demand further
of you,
With what matter was this Child
baptized ?
With what words was this Child
baptized 1
1 And if the Minister shall find by the
answers of such as bring the Child,
that all things were done as they
ought to be ; then shall not he chris-
ten the Child again, but shall receive
him as one of the flock of true Chris-
tian people, saying thus,
I CERTIFY you, that in this case all
is well done, and according unto due
order, concerning the baptizing of this
Child ; who being born in original sin,
and in the wrath of God, is now, by the
laver of Regeneration in Baptism, re-
ceived into the number of the children of
God, and heirs of everlasting life :forour
Lord Jesus Christ doth not deny his
grace and mercy unto such Infants, but
most lovingly doth call them unto him,
as the holy Gospel doth witness to our
comfort on this wise.
St. Mark x. 18.
THEY brought young children to
Christ, that he should touch them ;
and his disciples rebuked those that
brought them. But when Jesus saw it,
he was much displeased, and said unto
them, Sutler the little children to come
unto me, and forbid them not : for of
such is the kingdom of God. Verily 1
say unto you, Whosoever shall not re-
ceive the kingdom of God as a little
child, he shall not enter therein And
he took them up in his arms, put his
hands upon them, and blessed them.
151
of 1604 an elaborate explanation
and defence of it on the ground
of ancient authority and intrinsic
reasonableness. (In the Ameri-
can Prayer Book it is provided
that it may be omitted on the
request of the Sponsor, "al-
though the Church knoweth no
worthy cause of scruple concern-
ing the same.")
(D) The Post-Baptismal
Service.
This portion of the Service was
added with great advantage in
1552; the old Services and the
Prayer Book of 1549 having no-
thing after the Baptism except
the final Exhortation to the Spon-
sors. In the use of the Lord's
Prayer, with the Thanksgiving
following, it is not unlike the
Post-Communion Office.
The opening Exhortation
declares unhesitatingly that the
children brought to Christ ac-
cording to His ordinance receive
the benefits of the Christian Co-
venant, and are therefore "re-
generate, and grafted into the
body of Christ's Church," so par-
taking of His Indwelling Pre-
sence, which is the Life Eternal.
Comp. Art. xxvii., and the equi-
valent phrase in the Catechism
declaring Baptism "a death un-
to sin and a new birth unto righ-
teousness." It should be noted
that Regeneration (clearly ap-
plied to Baptism in Tit. iii. 5)
implies, like the natural birth
with which it is compared, first,
a complete change of condition,
by being brought into the Cove-
nant of unity with Christ, and so
being justified in His blood ; and
next, the germ of a new life of
grace or sanctification, which is
gradually developed with the true
humanity of the child, and be-
comes his in actual energy, only
in proportion as he grows up in
the faith and repentance of the
Baptismal Vow. The phrase is
therefore even more applicable
to Infant than to Adult Baptism,
to which, indeed, the Scriptural
word " Resurrection" (see Rom.
vi. 3-11; Col. ii. 12, 18) is more
suitable, as implying the passage
at once into a full-grown new-
ness of life. It will be observed
that the doctrine of Regenera-
tion implies the need of con-
tinual growth, and admits of
conscious Revival after negli-
gence, and of Conversion in case
of wilful neglect or sin.
The Lord's Prayer following
might perhaps (as in the Post-
Communion Office) have appro-
priately ended with the Dox-
ology, as beginning a Service of
Thanksgiving.
The Thanksgiving again (a)
dwells on the Regeneration of
the Infant, with its twofold gift
of individual sonship of God, and
of inclusion in the corporate life
of the Church. The gift is abso-
lute, so far as Justification is
concerned. Hence the Rubric
at the end as to the salvation of
baptized Infants. But since ac-
tual Sanctification is in those
who grow up to consciousness
conditional on assent of will,
there follows (6) prayer for the
child, first, that as dead to sin,
and living to God, he may cru-
cify and mortify the fleshly power
of sin (see Rom. vi. 6 ; Gal. v. 24;
Rom. viii. 18 ; Col. iii. 5) ; next,
that, as partaker of the Resur-
rection of Christ, he may have
the new life of righteousness (see
Rom. vi. 5) ; lastly, that he may
come to the eternal Kingdom of
Heaven.
The Final Exhortation to
the Sponsors urges their duty in
respect of the child ; first, to see
that he is duly instructed, pub-
licly in the Church by Sermons,
and privately in the Creed, Lord's
Prayer, and Ten Commandments
(as the basis of right Faith, De-
votion, and Practice), and in all
other needful teaching built up-
on this foundation : next, to see
that he is trained in godliness
and virtue, remembering that
Baptism represents to us the
Christian profession of growth
into the likeness of Jesus Christ,
both by mortification of sin and
by the new life of righteousness ;
lastly, to take care that in due
course he is brought to Confir-
mation.
The Rubrics —The first, as to the Salvation of Infants, was in
1662 transferred to this place from the Preface to the Confirmation
Service. It is drawn from & declaration put out in 1586, and pub-
152
PRIVATE BAPTISM OF INFANTS.
t After the Gospel is read, the Minister
shall make this brief Exhortation
upon the words of the GospeU
BELOVED, ye hear in this Gospel the
words of our Saviour Christ, that he
commanded the children to be brought
unto him ; how he blamed those that
would have kept them from him ; how
he exhorted all men to follow their in-
nocency. Ye perceive how by his out-
ward gesture and deed he declared his
good will toward them ; for he embrac-
ed them in his arms, he laid his hands
upon them, and blessed them. Doubt ye
not therefore, but earnestly believe, that
he hath likewise favourably received
this present Infant; that he hath em-
braced him with the arms of his mercy;
and {as he hath promised in his holy
Word) will give unto him the blessing
of eternal life, and make him partaker
of his everlasting kingdom. Wherefore,
we being thus persuaded of the good
will of our heavenly Father, declared by
his Son Jesus Christ, towards this In-
fant, let us faithfully and devoutly give
thanks unto him, and say the Prayer
which the Lord himself taught us >
OUR Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name. Thy king-
dom come. Thy will be done, in eai th
as it is in heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread. And forgive us our tres-
passes, As we forgive them thut tres-
pass against us. And lead us not into
temptation ; Dut deliver us from evil.
Amen.
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God.
heavenly Father, we give thee
humble thanks, that thou hast vouch-
•afed to call us to the knowledge of thy
grace, and faith in thee ; Increase this
knowledge, and confirm this faith in us
evermore. Give thy Holy Spirit to this
Infant, that he, being born again, anil
being made an heir of everlasting salva-
tion, through our Lord JesusChrist, may
continue thy servant, and attain thy pro-
mise i through the sume our Lord Jesus
Christ thy Son, who liveth and reigneth
with thee and the Holy Spirit, now and
for ever. Amen.
1 Then shall the Priest demand the
Name of the Child ; which being by
the Godfathers and Godmothers pro-
nounced, the Minister shall say,
DOST thou, in the name of this Child,
renounce thedevil and all his works,
the vain pomp and glory of this world,
with all covetous desires of the same,
and the carnal desires of the flesh, go
that thou wilt not follow, nor be led by
them J
Answer. I renounce them all.
Minister.
DORT thou believe in God the Father
Almighty, Maker of heaven and
earth ?
W1
And in Jesus Christ his only-begotten
Son our Lord ? And that he was con-
ceived by the Holy Ghost ; born of the
Virgin Mary ; that he suffered under
Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and
burled ; that he went down into hell,
and also did rise again the third day;
that he ascended into heaven, and sit-
teth at the right hand of God the Father
Almighty ; and from thence shall coma
again at the end of the world, to judge
the quick and the dead ?
And dost thou believe in the Holy
Ghost ; the holy Catholick Church ; the
Communion of Saints ; the Remission
of sins ; the Resurrection of the flesh ;
and everlasting life after death ?
Answer. All this I stedfastly believe.
Minister.
TXflLT thou then obediently keep
T' God's holy will and command-
ments, and walk in the same all the
days of thy life?
Answer. I will.
t Then the Priest shall say,
E receive this Child into the
congregation of Christ's flock,
. ,r -,. r, . . *and do slSn him with
X l" LtF?at the 8i«n of the Cross,
%%*£*£& inetshanntohtahherrfter
forehead he sha" not be asham-
ed to confess the faith
of Christ crucified, and manfully to fight
under his banner, against sin, the world,
and the devil ; and to continue Christ's
faithful soldier and servant unto Aw
life's end. Amen.
T Then shall the Priest say,
QEE1NG now, dearly beloved bre-
M thren, that this Child is by Baptism
regenerate, and grafted into the body of
Christ's Church, let us grive thanks unto
Almighty God for these benefits ; and
with one accord make our prayers unto
him, that he may lead the rest of his
life according to this beginning.
T Then shall the Priest say,
"yTTE yield thee most hearty thanks,
T » most merciful Father, that it hath
pleased thee to regenerate this Infant
with thy Holy Spirit, to receive him for
thine own Child by adoption, and to
incorporate him into thy holy Church.
And humbly we beseech thee to grant,
that he being dead unto sin, and living
unto righteousness, and being buried
with Christ in his death, may crucify
the old man, and utterly abolish the
whole body of sin : and that, as he is
made partaker of the death of thy 8on,
he may also be partaker of his resurrec-
tion ; so that finally, with the residue
of thy holy Church, he may be an inhe-
ritor of thine everlasting kingdom!
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
1 Then, all standing up, the Minister
shall make this Exhortation to the
Godfathers ard Godmothers.
X52
tished in " the Institution of a Christian Man " in 1587. But in it*
original form it added the words " and otherwise not," most happily
omitted from it in the Prayer Book.
The xxxth Canon referred to in the second Rubric, dwells on the
primitive and universal use of the sign of the Cross, on the desire of
the Church of England to retain, eo far as possible, such old Catholic
customs, and on the insufficiency of the plea of past abuse to take
away necessarily the use of what is in itself harmless or good ; then
goes on to explain that it is no integral part of the Sacrament, nor
held absolutely essential for the reception into the Church ; and
ends with a protest against individual refusal of what is ordained by
public authority.
THE OFFICE OF
PRIVATE BAPTISM OF INFANTS.
The Opening Rubrics.— The first two declare— what was till 1662
embodied in the title of the Service— that Baptism, as soon as may
be after birth, and Public Baptism where possible, represent the .
right and normal condition of things, and that Private Baptism is to
be allowed only in case of necessity. Even in this case it was con-
stantly opposed by the Puritan party in the Church, and distinctly
objected to at the Savoy Conference (see Introduction)— the objec-
tion, of course, indicating a very different idea as to the general
necessity of Baptism from that which is laid down in the Prayer
Book.
The third lays down the regulations for such Private Baptism-
Co) As to the Minister of Baptism. (1) In the old Sarum Manual
it is declared : " It is not lawful for a layman or woman to baptize,
except in case of necessity" ; but it is added that the Priest is to
teach frequently to his people the essentials of Baptism, bo that "if
necessity present itself, they may know how to baptize Infants in
due ecclesiastical form " ; and that, if children be baptized by lay
hands with water in the Name of the Holy Trinity, no rebaptism is
to take place. These regulations express the principle gradually
recognised in the early Church (although not without hesitation and
objection, especially to the ministration of womenl. that Lay Bap-
tism is to be held irregular but valid. (2) In the Prayer Book till
1604 the matter was left perfectly open, it being directed that any-
one of those present might baptize, without any notice of irregu-
larity in Lay Baptism. i,S) In 1601, on the request of the Puritan
party (on this point supported by the King), it was ordered that
Baptism should be by a " lawful Minister," and in 1662 this phrase
was denned as "the Minister of the Parish, or in his absence anv
other lawful Minister." But, in accordance with the general law of
the Church, it is held, and ha* indeed been lesrally determined, that
this regulation does not invalidate Lay Baptism, but simply esta-
blishes the well-known rule, Fieri, non debuir : factum valet. Prac-
tically, therefore, we have returned to the old Sarum Order in this
respect.
(fc)As to the Form ok Baptism. Till 16(52 the direction was simply
to " call on God for His grace, and say the Lord's Prayer, if time
will suffer," and then to baptize. The present directions were sub-
stituted in 1662. For the Collects, directed to be used if time allow,
it would probably be best to choose those immediately preceding the
Baptism itself in the Office of Public Baptism.
The fourth Rubric directs public certificate by the Priest of the
Private Baptism by himself, or examination by him into the Minis-
ter and nature of other Private Baptism. The former of these was
directed in 1604 ; the latter alone was found up to that date. It will
be noted that the examination is confined to two points— evidence
as tq^the Minister and witnesses of the Baptism, and evidence of
Baptism in due form, by water and in the Name of the Holy Trinity.
Ml
BAPTISM OF SUCH AS ARE OP RIPER YEARS.
PDKASMUCH as this Child hath pro-
mised by you his sureties to renounce
the devil and all bis works, to believe
in God, and to serve him ; ye must re-
member, that it is your parts and duties
to see that this In/ant be taught, so soon
as he shall be able to learn, what a so-
lemn vow, promise, and profession he
hath made by you. And that he may
know these things the better, ye shall
call upon him to hear Sermons ; and
chiefly ye shall provide, that he may
learn the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and
the Ten Commandments, in the vulgar
tongue, and all other things which a
Christian ought to know and believe to
his soul's health ; and that this Child
may be virtuously brought up to lead a
godly and a Christian life ; remember-
ing alway, that Baptism doth repre-
sent unto us our profession ; which is,
to follow the example of our Saviour
Christ, and to be made like unto him ;
that, aa he died, and rose again for us,
•o should we, who are baptized, die
from sin, and rise again unto righte-
ousness ; continually mortifying all our
evil and corrupt atfections, and daily
proceeding in all virtue and godliness
of living.
1 But if they which bring the Infant to
the Church do make such uncertain
answers to the Priest's questions, as
that it cannot appear that the Child
was baptized with Water, In the Name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost, (which are essential
parts of Baptism,) then let the Priest
baptize it in the form before appoint-
ed for Publick Baptism of Infants ;
saving that at the dipping of the
Child, in the Font, he shall use this
form of words.
IF thou art not already baptized, JV. I
baptize thee In the Name of the Fa-
ther, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost. Amen.
THE MINISTRATION OP
BAPTISM TO SUCH AS ARE OF RIPER YEARS,
AND ABLE TO ANSWER FOR THEMSELVES.
1 When any such persons, as are of riper years, are to be baptized, timely notice
shall be given to the Bishop, or whom he shall appoint for that purpose, a
tseek before at the least, by the Parents, or some other discreet person* ; that
so due care may be taken for their Examination, whether they be sufficiently
instructed in the Principles of the Christian Religion ; and that they may be.
exhorted to prepare themselves with Prayers and Fasting for the receiving of
this holy Sacrament.
t And if they shaU be found fit, then the Godfathers and Godmothers {the people
being assembled upon the Sunday or Holy-day appointed') shall be ready to
present them at the Font immediately after the second Lesson, either at Morn-
ing or Evening Prayer, as the Curate in his discretion shall think Jit.
T And standing there, the Priest shall ask, whether any of the persons here pre-
sented be baptized, or no : If they shall answer, No ; then shall the Priest say
thus,
DEARLY beloved, forasmuch as all
men are conceived and born in sin,
(and that which is born of the flesh is
flesh,) and they that are in the flesh
cannot please God, but live in sin, com-
mitting many actual transgressions ;
and that our Saviour Christ saith, None
can enter into the kingdom of God, ex-
cept he be regenerate and born anew of
Water and of the Holy Ghost; I beseech
you to call upon God the Father, through
our Lord Jesus Christ, that of his boun-
teous goodness he will grant to these
persons that which by nature they cun-
not have ; that they may be baptized
with Water and the Holy 'Ghost, and re-
ceived into Christ's holy Church, and be
mad* lively members of the same,
t Then shall the Priest say.
Let us pray.
(5 A\nd here all the Congregation shall
kneeM
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who
of thy great mercy didst save Noah
and his fumily in the ark from perishing
by water ; and also didst safely lead the
children of Israel thy people through the
Hed Sea. figuring thereby thy holy Bap-
tism ; and by the Baptism of thy well-
beloved Son Jesus Christ, in the river
Jordan, didst sanctify the element of Wa-
ter to the mystical washing away of sin;
We beseech thee, for thine infinite mer-
cies, that thou wilt mercifully look upon
tAese.thy servants ; wash them and sancti-
fy them with the Holy Ghost, that they,
being delivered from thy wrath, may be
received into the ark of Christ's Church ;
and being stedfast in faith, joyful
through hope, and rooted in charity,
may so pass the waves of this trouble-
some world, that finally they may come
to the land of everlasting life, there to
reign with thee world without end ;
through JesUB Christ our Lord. Amen.
15b
Only in defect of these is Rebaptism allowed ; and it is then made
distinctly conditional.
The Office fob the Reception of the Child.— After the pre-
liminary declaration that all has been " well done and according to
trne order," and that the Baptism is therefore valid— as receiving
the child by the " laver of regeneration " (Tit. iii. 5) into the sonship
of God, by the unfailing mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ— the Ser-
vice takes up the Office of Public Baptism at the Gospel, and follows
it, generally, to the end, with the verbal changes necessary, and the
omission of the Baptism itself and the Prayers immediately pre-
ceding. But (perhaps accidentally) it preserves the old place of the
Lord's Prayer after the Exhortation on the Gospel, instead of trans-
ferring it to the Post-Bartismal Service. Till 1662 the Creed was
also recited here, as in the Service of Public Baptism of 1549 ; and
the Service itself was shorter, omitting the signing with the Cross
and the declaration of Regeneration.
THE OFFICE OF
PUBLIC BAPTISM OF ADULTS.
This Service was added in 1662. In the Preface, then drawn up, it
is declared that it was so inserted because "by the growth of Ana-
baptism . . . . it is become necessary," and " may be useful for
the baptizing of Natives in our Plantations and others converted to
the faith." It was drawn up by a Committee of Convocation, chiefly
by Bishop Griffith of St. Asaph, on the pattern of the Office for Pub-
lic Baptism of Infants, with the following modifications :—
(a) The opening Rubric directs notice to be given to the Bishop,
or his delegate, at least a week before, by the parents or other diB-
creet persons (the Sponsors?) ; in order that care may be taken to
see that the Candidates be (as for Confirmation) duly instructed in
the principles of Christianity, and exhorted to prepare themselves
by Prayer and Fasting.
(6) The opening Exhortation recognises in them the existence not
only of original sinfulness but of actual sin.
(c) The Gospel is John iii. 1-8, the opening of Our Lord's discourse
to Nicodemus on Regeneration by water and the Spirit, as the con-
dition of seeing and entering the Kingdom of God.
(d) The Exhortation thereon dwells, first, on this teaching of Our
Lord ; next, on His declaration to His Apostles, " He that believeth
and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark xvi. 16) ; then on St. Peter's
exhortation to Baptism on the Day of Pentecost (Acts ii. 38-40), and
his teaching on Baptism in 1 Pet. iii. 21 : and it makes our confidence
in Our Lord's willingness to receive the Candidates dependent on
their " truly repenting and coming to Him by faith."
(«) The Baptismal Vow is taken by the Candidates themselves in
the presence of the Sponsors as their witnesses.
(/) The Thanksgiving in the Post-Baptismal Service is altered so
as to resemble the Thanksgiving following the Exhortation on the
Gospel in the Public Baptism of Infants, except in praying, not that
those baptized " may be born again," but that " being born again
.... they may continue God's servants, and attain His pro-
mises."
(g) The Final Exhortation is addressed, with the needful modifi-
cations, partly to the Sponsors as witnesses, partly to the newly-
baptized.
The Rubrics after the Service direct that Confirmation shall fol-
low Baptism as soon as may be, so that the newly-baptized may be
admitted to the Holy Communion ; and that the Service shall be
used only when those presented shall have come to years of discre-
tion, and have been duly instructed, as for Confirmation. Other-
wise the Service for Infants is still to be used, with simply the
change of the word " Infant " into " Child " or " Person."
154
BAPTISM OF SUCH AS ARE OF RIPER YEARS.
\LMIGHTY and immortal God, the
aid of all that need, the helper of
all that flee to thee lor succour, the life
of them that believe, and the resurrec-
tion of the dead ; We call upon thee for
these persons, that they, coming to thy
holy Baptism, may receive remission of
their sins by spiritual regeneration. Re-
ceive them, O Lord, as thou hast promis-
ed by thy well-beloved Son, saying', Ask,
and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall
And ; knock, and it shall be opened
unto you : So give now unto us that
ask j "let us that seek find ; open the
gate unto us that knock; that these per-
sons may enjoy the everlasting benedic-
tion of thy heavenly washing, and may
come to the eternal kingdom which
thou hast promised by Christ our Lord.
I T Then thall the people stand up, and
the Priest shall say.
Hear the words of the Gospel, written
by Saint John, in the third Chapter,
beginning at the first Verse
THERE was a man of the Pharisees,
named Nicodemus, a ruler of the
■ Jews. The same came to Jesus by night,
and said unto him, Kabbi, we know
that thou art a teacher come from Hod;
' for no man can do these miracles that
I thou doest, except God be with him.
] Jesus answered and said unto him,
i Verily, verily I say unto thee. Except
a man be born again, he cannot see
the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith
unto him. How can a man be born
' when he is old ? Can he enter the se-
cond time into his mother's womb, and
be born? Jesus answered. Verily, verily
I say unto thee, Except a man be born
{ of water and of the Spirit, he cannot
] enter into the kingdom of God. That
' which is born of the flesh is flesh ; and
i that which is born of the Spirit is spirit,
j Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye
; must be born again. The wind bloweth
; where it listeth, and thou hearest the
I sound thereof ; but canst not tell whence
it cometh, and whither it goeth : so is
every one that is born of the Spirit.
! f After which he shall say this Exhor-
tation following.
BLOVED, ye hear in this Gospel the
express words of our Saviour Christ,
that except a man be born of water and
of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
kingdom of God. Whereby ye may per-
ceive the great necessity of this Sacra-
ment, where it may be had. Likewise,
immediately before his ascension into
heaven, (as we read in the last Chapter
Of Saint Mark's Gospel,) he gave com-
mand to his disciples, saying, Go ye
Into all the world, and preach the Gos-
pel to every creature. He that believeth
and is baptized shall be saved ; but he
that believeth not shall be damned.
Which also sheweth uulous the great
B'
benefit we reup thereby. For which
cause Saint I'eter the Apostle, when
upon his first preaching of the Gospel
many were pricked at the heart, and
suid to him and the rest of the Apostles,
Men and brethren, what shall we do?
replied and said unto them, Repent, and
be baptized every one of you for the re-
mission of sins, and ye shall receive the
gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise
is to you and your children, and to all
that are afar off, even as many as the
Lord our God shall call. And with
many other words exhorted he them,
saying. Save yourselves from this un-
toward generation. For (as the same
Apostle testifieth in another place) even
Baptism doth also now save us, (not
the putting away of the filth of the flesh,
but the answer of a good conscience to-
wards God,) by the resurrection of Je-
sus Christ. Doubt ye not therefore, but
earnestly believe, that he will favour-
ably recei ire these present persons, truly
repenting, and coming unto him by
faith; that he will grant them remission
of their sins, and bestow upon them the
Holy Ghost ; that he will give them the
blessing of eternal life, and make them
partakers of his everlasting kingdom.
Wherefore we being thus persuaded
of the good will of our heavenly Father
towards these persons, declared by his
Son Jesus Christ ; let us faithfully and
devoutly give thanks to him, and say,
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God,
heavenly Father, we give thee
humble thanks, for that thou hast
vouchsafed to call us to the knowledge
of thy grace, and faith in thee: Increase
this knowledge, and confirm this faith
in us evermore. Give thy Holy Spirit to
these persons, that they may be born
again, and be made heirs of everlast-
ing salvation ; through our Lord Jesus
Christ, who liveth and reigneth with
thee and the Holy Spirit, now and for
ever. Amen.
If Then the Priest shall speak to the
persons to be baptized on this wise :
Ty- E L L-B E L O V E D, who are come
" hither desiring to receive holy
Baptism, ye have heard how the con-
gregation hath prayed, that our Lord
Jesus Christ would vouchsafe to receive
you and bless you, to release you of your
sins, to give you the kingdom of heaven,
and everlasting life. Ye have heard also,
that our Lord Jesus Christ hath promis-
ed in his holy Word to grant all those
things that we have prayed for ; which
promise he, for his part, will most surely
keep and perform.
Wherefore, after this promise made
by Christ, ye must also faithfully, for
your part, promise in the presence ot
! these your Witnesses, and this whole
congregation, that ye will renounce the
| devil and all his works, and constantly
154
THE CATECHISM.
Its Meaning and Histort. — To " catechize " i3 properly to give
systematic and rudimentary instruction in any form, and the word
is especially applied in ecclesiastical usage to the instruction given
to those who are preparing for Adult Baptism or Confirmation.
Most frequently it signifies instruction in the form of question and
answer ; and in this sense it takes two chief forms — first, the draw-
ing out in clearness from the learner's mind by leading questions
the knowledge, which is already in some degree possessed and im-
perfectly grasped; and next (as in the "Catechism") the use of
a form of set questions and answers committed to memory, as a
manual of elementary knowledge, and a basis for further instruc-
tion. The nucleus of our Catechism is clearly the Creed, the Lord'*
Prayer, and the Ten Commandments, taught from time immemorial
as the models of Faith, Devotion, and Practice. These were con-
tained in the various " Primers " issued in the Church of England
(see Introduction to the Proper Boole), and it was again and again
ordered that the parish priests should teach them in English to the
people. But the Catechism itself dates from 1549. As first com-
posed, it was, with some verbal variations, our present form down
to the end of the explanation of the Lord's Prayer. It may have
been suggested by the existence of a Catechism in the Contultatio;
but in itself it is original. The latter part, on the Sacraments,
which is more technical and scholastic in form, was added in 1604
at the request of the Puritan Divines in the Hampton Court Con-
ference, and is said to have been composed by Bishop Overall. It
is perhaps fitter for those who are actually preparing for Confirma-
tion than for young children.
It should be noticed that besides this "Short Catechism" (see
Preface in the Confirmation Service), a fuller Catechism for more
educated and advanced learners was authorized— first drawn up by
Bishop Poynet and published in 1553, and then revised and enlarged
by Dean Nowell, and published in 1570.
Substaucb.— The Catechism, as it now stands, is an invaluable
standard of elementary Christian truth, simple, but clear and
definite, in regard to doctrine, practice, and worship. It falls
naturally into the following divisions : —
(1) Exposition of the Baptismal Covenant.
(2) The Creed and its explanation.
(3) The Ten Commandments and their explanation.
(4) The Lord's Prayer and its explanation.
(5) The doctrine of the Sacraments.
(I.) Exposition of the Bap- simply to accept with thankful-
tismal Covenant. ness his share in the Christian
In this it is to be noted (a> C0™"*^*8 *lven him bv the
that, with singular appropriate- c?n of God. and to pray to con-
ness, the whole starts not from tinue therein,
abstract doctrine, but from the The answer "JV. or M." it
child's own individual conscious- variously interpreted. By some
ness of his Baptismal adoption it is thought to indicate, as typi-
in Christ, signified by the very cal names for boys and girls,
existence of his Christian " Nicolas," the patron saint of
name" ; (6) that, in accordance boys (see note on December 6th
with the whole Scriptural idea in the Calendar,) and " Mary."
of Covenant with God, it begins By others it is supposed to be a
with God's blessings freely given corruption of the " N." or " JViv"."
to him, and. only after these (nomen or notnina in the Latin),
have been fully explained, dwells This gives perhaps a simpler and
on his corresponding duty to easier derivation; although it
God ; (c) that it teaches the child has been urged against it that
IBS
BAPTISM OF SUCH AS ARE OF RIPER YEARS.
believe God'» holy Word, and obediently
keep his commandments.
1 Then thall the Priest demand of each
of the persons to be baptized, severally,
these questions Allowing :
Question.
DOST thou renounce the devil and
all his works, the vain pomp and
rlory of the world, with all covetous
desires of the same, and the carnal de-
sires of the flesh, so that thou wilt not
follow, nor be led by them ?
Answer. I renounce them all.
Question. *
DOST thou believe in God the Father
Almighty, Maker of heaven and
earth? ■■ •
And in Jesus Christ his only-begotten
Son our Lord ? And that he was con-
ceived bv the Holy Ghost ; born of the
Virgin Mary ; that he suffered under
Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and
buried : that he went down into hell,
and also did rise again the third day ;
that he ascended into heaven, and sit-
teth at the right hand of God the Father
Almighty ; and from thence shall come
again at the end of the world, to judge
the quick and the dead ?
And dost thou believe in the Holy
Ghost ; the holy Catholick Church s the
Communion of Saints ; the Remission
of sfns ; the Resurrection of the flesh ;
and everlasting life after death ?
Answer. All this I stedfastly believe.
Question.
WILT thou be baptized in this faith?
Answer. That is my desire.
Question. •
WILT thou then obediently keep
God's holy will and command-
ments, and walk in the same all the
days of thy life ?
Answer. I will endeavour so to do,
God being my helper.
t Then shall the Priest say,
O MERCIFUL God, grant that the old
Adam in these persons may be so
buried, that the new man may be raised
up in them. Amen.
Grant that all carnal affections may
die in them, and that all things belong-
ing to the Spirit may live and grow in
them. Amen.
Grant that they may have power and
strength to have victory, and to tri-
umph, against the devil, the world, and
the flesh. Amen.
Grant that they, being here dedicated
to thee by our office and ministry, may
also be endued with heavenly virtues,
and everlastingly rewarded, through
thy mercy, O blessed Lord God, who
dost live, and govern all things, world
without end. Amen.
ALMIGHTY, everliving God, whose
most dearly beloved Son Jesus
Christ, for the forgiveness of our sins,
did shed out of his most precious side
both water and blood, and gave com-
mandment to his disciples, that they
should go teach all nations, and bap-
tize them In the Name of the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Ghost ; Regard,
we beseech thee, the supplications of
this congregation ; sanctify this Water
to the mystical washing away of sin ;
and grant that the persons now to be
baptized therein may receive the fulness
of thy grace, and ever remain in the
number of thy faithful and elect chil-
dren, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
1 Then shall the Priest take each per-
son to be baptized by the right hand,
and placing him conveniently by the
Font, according to his discretion,
shall ask the Godfathers and Godmo-
thers the Name; and then shall dip
him in the water, or pour water upon
him, saying,
I baptize thee In the Name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost. Amen,
1 Then shall the Priest say,
WE receive this person into the con-
gregation of Christ's flock ; and do
* sign him with the sign ' . ^\
of the Cross, in token * Here the Print
N,
that hereafter he shall
sheUltnaktaCrou
-tfess the faith of Christ
crucified, and manfully to fight under
his banner, against sin, the world, and
the devil ; and to continue Christ's
faithful soldier and servant unto his
life's end. Amen.
% Then shall the Priest say,
CEEING now, dearly beloved bre-
*^ thren, that these persons are rege-
nerate, and grafted into the body of
Christ's Church, let us give thanks unto
Almighty God for these benefits, and
with one accord make our prayers unto
him, that they may lead the rest of their
life according to this beginning.
1 Then shall be said the Lord's Prayer,
all kneeling.
OUR Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name. Thy king-
dom come. Thy will be uone, in earth
as it is in heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread. And forgive us our tres-
passes, As we forgive them that trespass
against us. And lead us not into tempt-
ation ; But deliver us from evil. Amen.
WE yield thee humble thanks, O
heavenly Father, that thou hast
vouchsafed to call us to the knowledge
of thy grace, and faith in thee ; In-
crease this knowledge, and confirm this
faith in us evermore. Give thy Holy
Spirit to these persons; that, being now
born again, and made heirs of everlast-
ing salvation, through our Lord Jesus
155
the use of double Christian
names is comparatively late. In
the Marriage Service the old
editions have X. (clearly nomen)
both for man and woman ; in
later editions, apparently by
error, M. was used for the man
and 2v. for the woman ; but this
error has been corrected of late
years.
The statement of the Baptis-
mal Blessings begins with the
personal relation of the child to
Christ as a "member of Him"
(1 Cor. xii. 27) ; that is, as having
that close individual unity witli
Him, which is again and again
enforced by different metaphors
in Holy Scripture (see John xv.
1-6 ; Gal. iii. 27-29 ; Eph. i. 28 ;
ii. 20-22, Ac), and which the
teaching of the Baptismal Ser-
vice brings out so plainly. Then
from this are made to branch
out the two consequent relations
to God and Man— the "sonship
to God" by adoption in His dear
Son (Rom. viii. 14-17; Eph. v.
I, 2), and the "inheritance"—
that is, participation both pre-
sent and future—" of the King-
dom of Heaven," implying the
unity with men in the " Commu-
nion of Saints" into which all
enter, who are made one in the
Lord Jesus Christ (John xvii.
II, 21). In all there is an in-
direct appeal to the spirit of
Love— love to the Saviour, love
to Our Father, love to all as
brethren in His family— which is
naturally characteristic of child-
hood; and this appeal rightly
precedes all consideration of the
detailed duties which arise from
it.
On the Baptismal Vow see
the Baptismal Service. It may,
however, be here noted that,
while full exposition is given
hereafter of the principles of
Faith and Obedience (in the
Creed and the Ten Command-
ments) there is no exposition of
the various sins renounced as
the works of "the devil, the
world, and the flesh." For chil-
dren there should be knowledge
of evil, not as a positive and sub-
Btantive thing, but simply as the
negation of the good, which has
been positively tauffht, and
brought home to. their con-
ferences and hearts. It is sum*
an
cient to teach them that " the
works of the devil" signify evil
in itself— the evil which Christ
came to destroy (I John iii. 8);
that in "the pomps" (the out-
ward show) and the vanity"
(the empty transitoriness) of
the world," so far as it is " wick*
ed," lies temptation to evil from
without ; and that " the lusts of
the flesh" imply temptation
from within to negative or posi-
tive evil.
. The Baptismal Obligation is
next accepted thankfully as a
fact. Such obligation to vows,
to which the child has given no
consent, is justified, because the
vows simply embody his natural
duty as a child of God in the
Lord Jesus, and his highest spiri-
tual interest in this world and
the next. The Baptismal con-
dition is described as already a
"state of salvation" — a state
(that is) carrying with it justifi-
cation in the blood of Jesus
Christ, and the gift of sanctifl-
cation, to be realized by con-
scious acceptance, as soon as
possible. For such acceptance
the continual grace of God is to
be sought by prayer.
(II.) The Creed and its
Explanation.
• For the history and substance
of the Apostles' Creed, see
Morning Service. It is naturally
used in the Catechism, as con-
taining in the simplest and most
easily intelligible form the rudi-
ments of Christian faith ; and it
is for the child the key and guide
to the study of Holy Scripture.
In the Explanation we may
again note (a) the personal in-
dividuality of relation, impressed
on the child, to the Father, Son,
and Holy Ghost for his Creation,
Redemption, and Sanctification ;
(6) the confidence with which,
as born again in Baptism, the
child is taught to claim for him-
self Redemption, Election (to
Christian privilege), and Sancti-
fication—this confidence of tone
according exactly with the de-
clarations of the Baptismal Ser-
vice ; (c) the omission of all re-
ference (unless it be implied in
the words "elect people of God")
to the last Articles on the Church
A CATECHISM.
Christ, they may continue thy servants,
and attain thy promises ; through the j
same Lord Jesus Christ thv Sou, who |
liveth and reigneth with thee, in the
unity of the same Holy Spirit, everlast-
ingly. Amen.
\ Then, all standing up, the Priest
shall use this Exhortation following ;
speaking to the Godfathers and God-
mothers first.
F>RASML'CH as these persons have
promised in your presence to re-
nounce the devil and all his works, to
believe in God, and to serve him ; ye
must remember, that it is your part and
duty to put them in mind, what a so-
lemn vow, promise, and profession they
have now made before this congregation,
and especially before you their chosen
witnesses. And ye are also to call upon
them to use all diligence to be rightly
instructed in God's holy Word : that so
they may grow in grace, and in the
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and live godly, righteously, and soberly
in this present world.
(T And then, speaking to the new bap-
tized persons, he shall proceed, and
«a.V.)
AN D as for you, who have now by
Baptism put on Christ, it is your
part and dutv also, being made the chil-
dren of God and of the light, by faith in
Jesus Christ, to walk answerably to
your Christian calling, and as becometh
the children of light ; remembering al-
ways that Baptism representeth unto us
our profession ; which is, to follow the
example of our Saviour Christ, and to
be made like unto him ; that as he died,
and rose again for us ; so should we,
who are baptized, die from sin, and rise
again unto righteousness ; continually
mortifying all our evil and corrupt af-
fections, and daily proceeding in all
virtue and godliness of living.
t It is expedient that every person, thus
baptized, should be confirmed by the
Bishop so soon after his Baptism as
conveniently may be ; that so he may
be admitted to the holy Communion.
T If any persons not baptized in their
infancy shall be brought to be baptiz-
ed before they come to years of discre-
tion to answer for themselves ; it may
suffice to use the Office for Publick
Baptism of Infants, or (in case of
extreme danger) the Office for Pri-
vate Baptism; only changing the word
[Infant] for [Child or Person] as oc-
casion requireth.
A CATECHISM,
THAT IS TO SAY,
AN INSTRUCTION TO BE LEARNED OF EVERY PERSON, BEFORE HE
BE BROUGHT TO BE CONFIRMED BY THE BISHOP.
Christ our Saviour. And I pray unto
God to give me his grace, that I may
continue in the same unto my life's end
Catechist.
Rehearse the Articles of thy Belief.
Answer.
T BELIEVE in God the Father Al-
Question.
"Wf HAT is your Name ?
™ Answer. N. or M.
Question Who gave you this Name ?
Answer. My Godfathers and Godmo-
thers in my Baptism ; wherein I was
made a member of Christ, the child of
God, and an inheritor of the kingdom
of heaven.
Question. What did your Godfathers
and Godmothers then for you ?
Answer. They did promise and vow
three things in my name. First, that I
should renounce the devil and all his
works, the pomps and vanity of this
wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of
the flesh. Secondly, that I should be-
lieve all the Articles of the Christian
Faith. And thirdly, that I should keep
God's holy will and commandments,
and walk in the same all the days of
my life.
Question. Dost thou not think that
thou art bound to believe, and to do, as
they have promised for thee ?
Answer. Yes verily ; and
help so I will And I heartily thank our
heavenly Father, that he hath called me
to this state of salvation, through Jesus
nighty, Maker of heaven and earth:
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our
Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy
Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Butter-
ed under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified,
dead, and buried, He descended into
hell ; The third day he rose again from
the dead, He ascended into heaven,
And sitteth at the right hand of God the
Father Almighty ; From thence he shall
come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost ; The holy
Catholick Church ; The Communion of
Saints ; The F'orgiveness of sins ; The
Resurrection of the body ; And the Life
everlasting. Amen.
Question. What dost thou chiefly learn
in these Articles of thy Belief?
Answer. First, I learn to believe in
God the Father, who hath made mo,
and all the world.
156
and its privileges— possibly as
involving subjects too abstract
and general for childish compre-
hension.
(III.) The Tex Commandments
and their Explanation.
The Ten Commandments are
given according to the version
in the narrative of Exodus xx.,
with which may be compared
the remarkable variations of the
version of Dent. v. 6-21. It has
been held by many authorities
that the " Commandments writ-
ten on the tables of stone " were
the Commandments themselves,
without the explanations and
reasons given, as in the Second,
Third, Fourth, and Fifth Com-
mandments. 'In this shorter
form they were quoted in 15*9.)
By revelation in the Command-
ments God manifests Himself
not in His Omnipotence, bat in
His essential Righteousness,
binding together for ever Re-
ligion and Morality. By the pre-
face claiming obedience in virtue
of His deliverance of the people.
He reveals Himself as a God of
Love and Mercy.
The division made— of the first
four and the last six Command-
ments—is the old Hebrew divi-
sion, and the division, moreover,
corresponding best to the true
distinction of subject. In some
ancient Christian writers a less
accurate division is made, into
three for the First table and
seven for the Second— the 1st
and 2nd Commandments being
united in one (although they are
clearly distinct in idea), and the
10th Commandment divided, so
as to distinguish the concupi-
scence of covetousnessf rom that
of lust.
In the Explanation may be
noted two principles — amply
sanctioned by Our Lord's teach-
ing in the Sermon on the Mount
(Matt. v. 17-48)— (a) that the
generally negative character of
the oricrinal Commandments is
changed into the positive duty,
based on love, which is "the
fulfilling of the Law " (Rom. xiii.
9, 10) ; (6) that their scope,
wherever in themselves they re-
late only to actions, is extended
to words and thoughts, which
are identical with such actions
in essential principle.
Thus in the Duty towards
God, the First Commandment,
which is the basis of all the rest,
is expanded into the " Faith im
God," and, as flowing from this,
"the fear and love" of God,
"with all the heart, mind, soul,
and strenirth (see Matt. xxii. 87,
88); the Second, from prohibi-
tion of Idolatry, is changed to
positive injunction of spiritual
Worship ("to worship Him, to
give Him thanks, to call upon
Him"); the Third similarly to
positive Reverence to " His
Holy Name and His Word " ;
the Fourth (with remarkable
breadth of interpretation) is ex-
plained as binding us to true
Service "all the days of our
life." both by work and by rest
and worship. (It was at one
time proposed to add " especially
on the Lord's Day," which would
certainly have corresponded to
the original emphasis on the
Sabbath day: but this was not
acceded to.)
Again, the Duty towards mt
Neighbour opens with a general
declaration (preparatory to the
special Commandments) of the
Golden Rule — " to love my
neighbour as myself, and to do .
to all men, as I would they should
do unto me." Then the Fifth
Commandment is extended from
parents to all authorities, na-
tional, domestic, and spiritual,
and made to enjoin the general
duty of Reverence to "all our
betters "—that is, to all who in
God's Providence are above us;
the Sixth Commandment from
prohibition of the extreme act
of murder to the Love, which
forbids all hurt in deed or in
word, all malice and hatred in
heart ; the Seventh changed from
prohibition of Adultery to com-
mand of Temperance, Sober-
ness, and Chastity; the Eighth
adds to prohibition of literal
"picking" (pilfering) and steal-
ing, the command of truth and
Justice in all dealings ; the
Ninth from the law against de-
liberate perjury, passes to the
Truthfulness which forbid? all
"evil-speaking, lying, and slan-
dering ; the Tenth extends the
prohibition of covetousness to
157
A CATECHISM".
Secondly, in God the Sou, who hath
redeemed me, and all mankind.
Thirdly, in God the Holy Ghost, who
sanctifieth me, and all the elect people
<x Sad.
Question.
You said, that your Godfathers and
Godmothers did promise for you, that
vou should keep God's Commandments.
Tell me how many there be ?
Answer. Ten.
Question. Wluch be they »
Answer.
THE same wliich God spake in the
twentieth Chapter of Exodus, say-
ing, I am the Lord thy God. who
brought thee out of the land of Egypt,
out of the house of bondage.
I. Thou shalt have none other gods
but me.
II. Thou shalt not make to thyself
any graven linage, nor me likeness of
any thing that is in heaven above, or
in "the earth heueath, or in the water
under the earth. Thou shalt not bow
down to them, nor worship them : for 1
the Lord thy God am a jealous God, and
visit the sins of the fathers upon the
children unto the third ami fourth ge-
neration of them that hate me, and
shew mercy unto thousands in them
that love me. and keep my command-
III. Thou shalt not take the Name of
the Lord thy tied in vain : for the Lord
will not hold him guiltless that taketh
his Name in vain.
IV. Keinember that thou keep holy
the Sabbath-day. Six days shalt thou
labour, and do all that thou hast to do ;
bat the seventh day is the Sabbath of
the Lord thy God. In it thou shalt do
no manner of work, thou, and thy son,
and thy daughter, thy man-servant,
and thy maid -servant, thv cattle, and
the stranger that is within thy gates.
For in six days the Lord made heaven
and earth, the sea, and ail that in them
is, and rested the seventh day ; where-
fore the Lord blessed the seventh day,
and hallowed it.
V. Honour thy father and thy mother,
that thy days may be long in the land
which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
VI. Thou shalt do no murder.
VII. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
VIII. Thou shalt not steal.
IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness
■gainst thy neighbour.
X. Thou shalt not covet thy neigh-
bour's house, thou shalt not covet thy
neighbour's wife, nor his servant, nor
his maid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor
any thing that is his.
Question.
What dost thou chietiy learn by these
Commandments ?
Answer 1 learn two things : my duty
towards God, and my duty towards my
Neighbour.
Question. What is thy dutv towards
God?
Answer. My duty towards God, Li to
believe in him, to fear him, and to love
him with all my heart, with all my
mind, with all my soul, and with all
my strength ; to worship him, to give
him thanks, to put my whole trust in
him, to call upon him, to honour his
holy Name and his Word, and to serve
him truly all the days of my life.
Question. What is thy duty towards
thy Neighbour ?
Answtr. My duty towards my Neigh-
bour, is to love him as myself, and to do
to all men, as I would they should do
unto me : To love, honour, and succour
my father and mother : To honour and
obey the Kinc. and all that are put in
authority unde*- him To submit myself
to all my jrovernours, teachers, spiritual
pastors and masters : To order myself
lowly and reverently to all my betters :
To hurt no body by word nor deed : To
be true and just in all my dealing : To
I bear no malice nor hatred in my heart :
I To keep my hands from picking and
j stealing, and my tongue from evil-
i speaking, lying, and slandering : To
keep my body ui temperance, soberness,
and chastity: Not to covet nor desire
other men's goods; but to learn and la-
bour truly to get mine own living, and
to do my duty in that state of lite, onto
\% hich it shall please God to call me.
Cattekist.
My good Child, know this, that thou
art not able to do these things of thy-
self, nor to walk in the Commandments
of God, and to serve him, without his
special grace : which thou must learn
at all times to call for by diligent prayer.
Let me hear therefore/if thou canst say
the Lord's Prayer.
Answer.
OUR Father, which art in heaven.
Hallowed be thy Name. Thy king-
dom come. Thy wUl be done, in earn
as it is in heaven. Give us this day out
daily bread. And forgive us our tres-
pass'es, As we forgive them that trespass
against us. And lead us not into tempta-
tion ; But deliver us from evil. Amen.
Quest ion. What desirest thou of God
in this Prayer ?
Answer. I desire my Lord God our
heavenly Father, who 'is the giver of all
goodness, to send his grace unto me,
and to ail people ; that we may wor-
ship him, serve him. and obey him, as
we ought to do. And I pray unto God,
that he will send us all things that be
needful both for our souls and bodies ;
and that he will be merciful unto us,
and forgive us our sins ; and that it
will please him to save and defend
us in all dangers ghostly and bodily ;
and that he will keep us from all sin
and wickedness, and from our ghostly
157
the command of Content to hold
our own, "to learn and labour
to get our own living," and "to
do our duty in the station," what-
ever it be, to which it "shall
please God to call us." (It may
be noted that this last clause is
frequently misquoted, as " it has
pleased God to call us," and then
misrepresented as discouraging
the desire of right progress and
advancement in life.)
(IV.) The Lord's Prayer
and its Explanation.
For the Lord's Prayer, see
Morning Service. The Opening
Admonition dwells emphatically
on Prayer, as being for the
child the first means of grace
consciously recognised, without
which he cannot do the things
promised for him.
The Explanation differs much
in the fulness of its various parts.
Thus (a) it emphasizes the ad-
dress "Our Father which art in
Heaven," by dwelling on Him as
"the giver of all goodness," and
it expresses the desire of His
grace for "me and all people,"
implied but not expressed in the
Prayer itself; •(&) briefly sum-
marizes the first three petitions
in Worship, Service, and active
Obedience, and reduces to the
simple " as we ought to do " the
beauty and suggestiveness of " On
earth as in Heaven"; (c) then
again interprets the petition " for
daily bread" as desire of "all
things needful" (in this life)
"both for our souls and bodies " ;
(d) simply repeats " Forgive us
our sins," but fully explains
" Lead us not into temptation "
as a prayer for "safety and de-
fence in all dangers " (that they
may not become " temptations "
to us>, and expands the simple
" Deliverance from evil " into
"keeping from sin and wicked-
ness," the Evil One, " our ghostly
enemy." and " everlasting death
as the fruits of sin ; lastly (e) em-
phasizes the "Amen" as an ex-
pression of " trust in God's mercy
and goodness through Jesus
Christ Our Lord." It is strange
that the condition of forgiveness
("as we forgive,". &c.) is alto-
gether omitted.
258
(V.) The Explanation or
the Sacraments.
(1) The definition of Sacra-
ments narrows the ancient ap-
arly
Christian times it was used with
plication of the phrase. In earl
a wide generality, and applied to
almost any sacred thing, which
involved an underlying mysteri-
ous significance; either includ-
ing the thing itself as a whole,
or only its outward sign and sem-
blance. In our use it is restricted
to means of grace in the Church,
having an outward and visible
sign, ordained by Christ Him-
self ; but within this limitation
it has something of the ancient
ambiguity. For it first defines
a Sacrament as only the " out-
ward and visible sign of an in-
ward and spiritual grace given to
us," which sign is " ordained of
Christ Himself as a means where-
by we receive the same" grace,
" and a pledge to assure us there-
of " ; and yet in the next answer
it declares that in a Sacrament
there are two parts— both the
sign ordained and the grace
given. It is in the latter and
wider sense that the word Sacra-
ment is almost universally used.
Of Sacraments thus defined, it
states that there are " Two
only as generally " (universally)
"necessary to salvation," "Bap-
tism and the Supper of the
Lord"— the one being by Our
Lord's command the regular
entrance upon the Christian
Covenant of unity with Him,
r the perfection of
and the other the perfection
that Divine unity. Thereby it
places these two sacred Ordi-
nances alone on a footing of
supreme sacredne«s, refusing to
class with them the other "five
commonly called Sacraments"
in mediaeval times, "Confirma-
tion, Penance, Orders, Matri-
mony, Extreme Unction" (see
Art. xxv.). Of these the Church
of England estimates each on its
own merits ; and her estimate of
them is better understood from
the Occasional Services, than
from the rather vague language
of Art. xxv. But she declares
none " generally necessary to sal-
vation." The Catechism then
proceeds on each of the Sacra-
ments to define the outward sign,
the spiritual grace given by God,
A CATECHISM.
stedf astly believe the promises of God
made to them in that Sacrament.
Question. Why then are Infants bap-
tized, when by reason of their tender
age they cannot perform them ?
Ansukr. Because they promise them
both by their Sureties ; which promise,
when they come to age, themselves are
bound to perform.
Question. Why was the Sacrament of
the Lord's Supper ordained ?
Answer. For the continual remem-
brance of the sacrifice of the death of
Christ, and of the benefits which we re-
ceive thereby.
Question. What is the outward part
or sign of the Lord's Supper ?
Answer Bread and Wine, which the
Lord hath commanded to be received.
Question. What is the inward part, or
thing signified ?
Answer. The Body and Blood of Christ,
which are verily and indeed taken and
received by the faithful in the Lord's
Supper.
Question. What are the benefits where-
of we are partakers thereby V
Answer. The strengthening and re-
freshing of our souls by the Body and
Blood of Christ, as our bodies are by the
Bread and Wine.
Question. What is required of them
who come to the Lord's Supper '/
Answer. To examine themselves,
whether they repent them truly of their
former sins, stedfastly purposing to lead
a new life ; have a lively faith 111 God's
mercy through Christ, with a thankful
remembrance of his death ; and be in
charity with all men.
1 The Curate of every Parish shall diligently upon Sundays and Holy-days,
after the second Lesson at Evening Prayer, openly in the Church instruct and
examine so many Children of his Parish sent unto him, as he shall think con-
venient, in some part of this Catechism.
% And all Fathers, Mothers. Masters, and Dames, shall cause their Children,
Servants, and Prentices, (which have not learned their Catechism,) to come
to the Church at the time appointed, and obediently to hear, and be ordered
by the Curate, until such time as they have learned all that is here appointed
for them to learn.
t So soon as Children are come to a competent age, and can say, in their Mother
Tongue, the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments ; and also
can answer to the other (Questions of this short Catechism; they shall be
brought to the Bishop. And every one shall have a Godfather, or a Godmother
as a Witnes* of their Confirmation,
1 And whensoever the Bishop thall give knowledge for Children to be brought
unto Kim for their Confirmation, the Curate of every Parish shall either
bring, or send in writing, with his hand subscribed thereunto, the names of all
si<rh persons within his Parish, as he shall think fit to be presented to the Bi-
sk-p tu be confirmed. And, if the Bis/top approve of them, he shall confirm
Mum in manner following.
nemy, and from everlasting death.
Vnd this 1 trust he will do of his mercy
■mil goodness, through cur Lord Jesus
hrist. And therefore 1 say, Amen, So
MM
Question.
HOW many Sacraments hath Christ
ordained in his Church '.'
Answer. Two only, as generally ne-
jetsary to salvation, that is to say, Bap-
ism, and the Supper of the Lord.
Question. What meanest thou by this
A'ord Sacrament?
Answer. I mean an outward and visi-
j.e sign of an inward and spiritual
{•rare g ven onto us, ordained by Christ
nmseif. as a means whereby we receive
:he same, and a pledge to assure us
thereof.
'Question. How many parts are there
in a Sacrament ?
Answer. Two ; the outward visible
sign, and the inward spiritual grace.
Question. What is the outward visible
;n or form in llaptism ?
Answer. Water , wherein the person
is baptized In the Name of the Father,
vnd of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Question. What is the inward and
piritual grace ?
Answer. A death unto sin, and a new
birth unto righteousness : for being by
nature born in sin, and the children of
wrath, we are hereby made the children
of grace.
Question. What is required of persons
to be baptized ?
Answer. Repentance, whereby they
forsake sin ; and Faith, whereby they
158
and the spiritual preparation
needed for its due reception.
(2) On Baptism, compare the
opening of the Catechism itself,
the Baptismal Service, and Art.
xxvii.
It may here be noted (a) that
the two essentials of Baptism—
the use of Water and the Name
of the Holy Trinity— are ex-
plicitly recognised; (ft) that in
the definition of the grace of
Baptism, the technical word
" Regeneration " is explained
(from Rom. vi. 4, 11 ; Eph. ii. 3-5)
as " a death unto sin and a new
birth unto righteousness," where-
by we pass from a fallen con-
dition under God's wrath to a
" state of salvation " under His
grace — an explanation which
sums np with singular complete-
ness the whole doctrine of Bap-
tism, as contained in Holy Scrip-
ture, and brought out more in
detail in the first answer of the
Catechism; (c) that (owing pro-
bably to composition at different
times) there is a verbal, though
not a real, discrepancy with the
earlier part of the Catechism as
to the requisites for Baptism;
which are here two— Repentance
and Faith, whereas in the Bap-
tismal Vow they are three— Re-
nunciation, Faith, and Obedi-
ence; (d) that the difficulty as
to Infant Baptism is here ex-
plicitly recognised and answered
by bringing out the anticipation
of these requisites in promise to
be fulfilled hereafter, while in
the Service it is tacitly set aside
by the recital of the command of
Christ " to suffer the little chil-
dren to come to Him."
(8) On the Lord's Supper, see
the Service of Holy Communion,
and compare Arts, xxviii.-xxxi.
It is to be noted here (a) that,
instead of the single reference,
as in Baptism, to an "inward
and spiritual grace," there is a
double reference, first, to "the
inward part or thing signified "
—the Body and Blood of Christ,
mystically but really given to ns
—and next to "the benefits," or
grace, which we receive thereby ;
(ft) that great stress is laid on
the real reception of the Body
and Blood of Christ "by the
faithful," i.e., on condition of
faith (comp. Arts, xxviii., xxix.);
(c) that the spiritual benefits are
described practically (and sym-
bolized by the physical effects of
the Bread and Wine) as spiritual
strength (of edification) and spi-
ritual refreshment (of revival),
without the deeper references (as
in the Prayer of Access) to the
cleansing by remission of sins,
and to the Indwelling of Christ
in us ; (d) that the requirements
laid down for coming to the Holy
Table add to the Repentance and
Faith, required for Baptism, the
active energy of Love, in thank-
fulness to God and charity toman.
The Rubrics following the Catechism.— (a) The direction for
Public Catechizing of Children contemplates strictly only ex-
amination in the Catechism ; but in practice it has been extended
to other examination by question and answer. It may, indeed, be
regarded as now developed into the general Catechetical or rudi-
mentary instruction given in any form in Church or School. But
the direction for its use in Church is addressed emphatically both to
the "Curate" and to Parents and Masters of the children, and, in
respect of practical usefulness, cannot be adequately superseded by
any other teaching. Till 1662 it was ordered to be given " half an hour
before Even Song," so that it need not have gone on, as now, in the
presence of the congregation. In 1549 it was to be " once in six weeks
at least." Subsequent alterations have enjoined greater frequency.
(ft) The order for bringing children to Confirmation till 1662
directed that the Bishop, by himself or by deputy, should " appose,"
i.e., examine the children, besides requiring the certificate of the
Parish clergyman ; and there is still a trace of this direction in the
words "if the Bishop approve them." The age is to be a "com-
petent age," or what is called in the Confirmation Service " years of
discretion," that is, of thoughtful distinction between good and evil.
Tt will evidently vary according to character, education, and cir-
cumstances, as will also the amount of knowledge— based on the
Catechism— which may rightly be required.
J58u
THE OEDEE OF CONFIRMATION.
INTRODUCTION.
The rite of Confirmation, tracing its origin to the very earliest
history of the Church, has yet passed through many variations in its
administration and use.
Its first Origin is undoubtedly to be found in the laying on of
hands by the Apostles, twice recorded in the Acts (viii. 12-17; xix.
4-6), and clearly referred to as a well-known practice in Heb. vi. 2.
This imposition of hands with prayer, immediately following Bap-
tism, is in both cases described as a means of receiving the gift of
the Holy Ghost, and it evidently conveyed the special spiritual gifts
of tongues and prophecy. It is not recorded (although it may have
taken place) after the great Baptism of the Day of Pentecost ; and
the account given in Acts viii. 12 indicates that, unlike Baptism, it
was administered only by the Apostles themselves.
In the Early Church, by a natural development from this
Apostolic practice, Confirmation was looked upon as a kind of com-
pletion of Baptism, administered by the Bishops alone, and con-
sidered not as a regeneration, but as a strengthening and confirming
of the regeneration of Baptism. The rite of anointing with the
consecrated Chrism, which became a regular part of the ordinance,
assumed a greater prominence than even the imposition of hands
itself, so that the ordinance itself was known as the " Unction" (and
the "Seal")— probably connected in thought with the "anointing
of Our Lord with the Holy Ghost" (Acts x. 38) following His Bap-
tism—and it has been thought that to this name and idea allusions
may be traced in Holy Scripture itself (2 Cor. i. 21 ; 1 John ii. 20).
In fact, the imposition of hands in the Eastern Church has been
superseded by the use of the Chrism, ministered by all Priests,
although consecrated by the Bishop ; and in the Western Church,
while each child was marked with the Chrism, the imposition of
hands was merely represented by the stretching out of hands over
the candidates generally. The Church of England has in this, as in
many other things, returned to the primitive practice.
The Dissociation from Baptism in the Western Church appears
to have been due to two causes. The first was simply practical.
The administration of Baptism, originally confined (except in case
of emergency) to the great Baptismal Seasons of Easter and Pen-
tecost, and then conducted in the presence and under the direction
of the Bishop, was extended to other times, when the Bishop, who
alone could confirm, was frequently absent. The second involved
principle. On the growth of Infant Baptism, superseding Adult
Baotism as the rule of the Church, it was naturally felt that a rite,
which signified full establishment in grace, and was even called
perfectio, could only be received by conscious adhesion of will
through faith, and was therefore inappropriate to the unconscious-
ness of infancy. While, therefore, the Eastern Church, tenacious
of ancient custom, still ministered Confirmation immediately after
Baptism, we find in the Western Church directions given, in Canons
of Councils and otherwise, that those baptized by a deacon or pres-
byter should be subsequently brought to a Bishop to be confirmed,
and that Bishops should traverse their dioceses at stated intervals
for Confirmation ; and by degrees the practice of leaving a space of
some years between Baptism and Confirmation grew up. Thus dis-
sociated from Baptism, the rite assumed a greater independent
importance. It was commonly called a " Sacrament." though never
put on a level with the Two great Sacraments, and was used with
especial solemnity for the receiving into the Church of those who
had been baptized by heretics.
15Sb
Subsequent History.— Finally the rite of Confirmation, without
losing the prominence of its true ancient idea, as a strengthening
hy the gift of the Holy Ghost of those who, after being baptized,
had grown up to years of discretion, was also used, since the " Church
thought good so to order," for the subsidiary purpose of a solemn
re-dedication of themselves by the baptized, confirming in their
own persons the vow taken for them by their Sponsors. It was
accordingly ordered that they should first be instructed and ex-
amined in the faith, like candidates for Adult Baptism, and that
they should publicly renew their vow. The age of Confirmation
was still longer delayed with a view to these requisites, and it was
ordered that, as a rule, only the confirmed should be admitted to the
Holy Communion. This use of the ordinance, however, though of
infinite practical value, is still only a secondary use, and a compara-
tively modern development.
In the Sarum Manual the Service of Confirmation was simple and
brief. It included prayer for the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit,
followed by anointing and signing with the Cross, with the words
" I sign thee with the sign of the Cross and confirm thee with the
Chrism of Salvation," and concluding with a Psalm and appropriate
Prayer and Benediction. But except in the custom of the elevation
of the hands of the Bishop at the opening prayer, the Imposition of
hands itself seems, as in Western Services generally, to have dis-
appeared. In the Prayer Book of 1549 the Imposition of hands was
brought once more into its right prominence, the sign of the Cross
was retained, but the use of the Chrism (retained in the Baptismal
Service) was in this Service discontinued. The words of Confirma-
tion were " I sign thee with the sign of the Cross and lay my hands
upon thee, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost "—followed by the blessing "the Peace of the Lord be
with you," and the response "And with thy spirit." In 1552 the
Service was brought to its present form, excepting the opening Ex-
hortation and Question (added in 1062).
As it stands, it still brings out. although less distinctly than in the
older form, the two aspects of the Service— the blessing of God as
marked by the imposition of hands (comp. Gen. xlviii. 9-20 ; Mark
x. 16) expressly associated with the sevenfold gifts of the Spirit, and
implying establishment and progress to full-grown Christian charac-
ter and privilege ; and the solemn self-dedication to God by renewal
of the Baptismal Vow, trusting in this blessing of God, and opening
the soul to receive it.
The Preface was inserted in torn had the authority of Church
1662, taken in substance from the practice ; and, lest any should be
Rubric of 1549 and the succeed- uneasy at the postponement of
ing editions ; which Rubric was, the rite, it was declared that
however, much fuller in its ex- those who are baptized "have
position of the idea of Confirma- already all things necessary to
tion, as now administered. For their salvation, and, if they de-
it not only, like our present Pre- part out of this life in their in-
face, recognised the importance fancy, are undoubtedly saved."
of so arranging that those who (In the American Prayer Book
come to be confirmed may be there follows here a formal pre-
able intelligently to renew their sentation of the Candidates, and
vow; but it also dwelt on the as a Lesson, Acts viii. 14-17.)
gift to them, by imposition of The question of the renewal
hands and prayer, of " strength of the Vow and the answer, al-
and defence against all tempta- though, no doubt, at all times
tions to sin. and assaults of the implied, were first explicitly in-
world and the devil," as specially serted in 1662, with a view to
seasonable at an age when chil- more solemnly impressing on
dren "begin to be in danger to those confirmed the reality and
fall into sundry kinds of sin." obligation of the Baptismal Cove-
It was also stated that this cus- nant. The form bears consider-
159
THE ORDER OF CONFIRMATION,
OR LAYING ON OF HANDS UPON THOSE THAT ARE BAPTIZED AND
COME TO YEAR8 OF DISCRETION.
T Upon the day appointed, all that are to be then confirmed, being placed, and
standing in order, before the Bishop ; he lor tome other Minister appointed
by him) shall read this Preface following.
TO the end that Confirmation may be
ministered to the more edifying of
Mich as shall receive it, the Church hath
thought good to order, That none here-
after shall be Confirmed, but such as can
Bay the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and
the Ten Commandments ; and can also
answer to such other Questions, as in
the short Catechism are contained :
which order is very convenient to be ob-
served; to the end, that children, being
now come to the years of discretion, and
having learned what their Godfathers
and Godmothers promised for them in
BaptiBm, they may themselves, with
their own mouth and consent, openly
before the Church, ratify and confirm
the same; and also promise, that by the
grace of God they will evermore en-
deavour themselves faithfully to observe
such things, as they, by their own con-
fession, have assented unto.
S Then shall the Bishop say,
DO ye here, in the presence of God,
and of this congregation, renew the
solemn promise and vow that was made
in your name at your Baptism ; ratify-
ing and confirming the same in your
own persons, and acknowledging your-
selves bound to believe, and to do, all
those things, which your Godfathers and
Godmothers then undertook for you ?
% And every one shall audibly answer,
I do.
The Bishop.
OUR help is in the Name of the Lord ;
Answer. Who hath made heaven
and earth.
Bishop. Blessed be the Name of tho
Lord ;
Answer. Henceforth, world without
end.
Bishop. Lord, hear our prayers.
Answer. And let our cry come unto
thee.
The Bishop. Let us pray.
ALMIGHTY and everliving God, who
hast vouchsafed to regenerate these
thy servants by Water and the Holy
Ghost, and hast given unto them for-
giveness of all their sins ; Strengthen
them, we beseech thee, O Lord, with
the Holy Ghost the Comforter, and daily
increase in them thy manifold gifts of
grace ; the spirit of wisdom and under-
standing ; the spirit of counsel and
ghostly strength ; the spirit of know-
ledge and true godliness ; and fill them,
O Lord, with the spirit of thy holy fear,
now and for ever. Amen.
before the Bishop, he shall lay h
ng
hand upon the head of every one
severally, saying,
DEFEND, O Lord, this thy Child for
this thy Servant J with thy heavenly
grace, that he may continue thine for
ever ; and daily increase in thy holy
Spirit more and more, until he come
unto thy everlasting kingdom. Amen.
T Then shall the Bishop say.
The Lord be with you.
Answer. And with thy spirit.
T And {all kneeling down) the Bishop
shall add.
Let us pray.
OUR Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name. Thy king-
dom come. Thy will be done, in earth
as it is in heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread. And forgive us our tres-
passes, As we forgive them that tres-
pass against us. And lead us not into
temptation ; But deliver us from evil.
Amen. <
1 And this Collect.
ALMIGHTY and everliving God, who
makest us both to will and to do
those things that be good and accepta-
ble unto thy divine Majesty ; We make
our humble supplications unto thee for
these thy servants, upon whom (after
the example of thy holy Apostles) we
have now laid our hands, to certify them
(by this sign) of thy favour and graci-
ous goodness towards them. Let thy
fatherly nand, we beseech thee, ever be
over them ; let thy Holy Spirit ever be
with them ; and so lead them in the
knowledge and obedience of thy Word,
that in the end they may obtain ever-
lasting life ; through our Lord Jesus
Christ, who with thee and the Holy
Ghost liveth and reigneth, ever one God,
world without end. Amen.
O ALMIGHTY Lord, and everlasting
God, vouchsafe, we beseech thee,
to direct, sanctify, and govern, both our
hearts and bodies, in the ways of thy
laws, and in the works of thy com-
mandments ; that, through thy most
mighty protection both here and ever,
we may be preserved in body and soul ;
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ. Amen.
1 Then the Bishop shall bless them,
saying thus,
THE Blessing of God Almighty, the
Father, the Son, and the Holy
Ghost, be upon you, and remain with
you ior ever. Amen.
I H And there shall none be admitted to
\ the holy Communion, until such time
as he be confirmed, o~ be ready and
desirous to be confirmed.
159
12
able resemblance to a correspond-
ing form in Hermann's Con$ul-
tatio.
The Versicles, translated
from the old Service, are taken
(as usual) from the Psalms (Ps.
cxxiv. 7 ; cxiii. 2; cii. 1), express-
ing successively confidence,
thanksgiving, and prayer.
The Prayer, also translated
from the old Service, and itself
of immemorial antiquity, is not-
able, first (a), as expressing in
the clearest terms confidence in
the benefits of regeneration and
forgiveness, as given in Bap-
tism; next (6), as bringing out
the true idea of Confirmation,
viz., the " strengthening by the
Holy Ghost the Comforter," and
the "increase" of the spiritual
life, already implanted, to full
maturity; lastly (c), as dwelling
on the "sevenfold gifts" of the
Spirit, The description is quoted
from Isa. xi. 2, 3, thus referring
especially to the outpouring of
the Spirit on the " Rod of Jesse,"
which in measure is given also
to those who are His ; but it adds
to that description the words " of
true godliness," thus making up
the sacred number seven. The
three pairs of gifts seem to cor-
respond to the intellectual, the
moral, and the devotional aspects
of life, and all are clinched by
the "spirit of holy fear" (or re-
verence).
The Imposition of Hands.—
In 1549 this was preceded by a
prayer that God would " mark
them His for ever" by the sign
of the CrosB, and "confirm and
strengthen them by the inward
unction of the Holy Ghost," —
corresponding to the old words
of Administration. In 1552 the
prayer was omitted and the pre-
sent form of Administration sub-
stituted . It is a Prayer of Bene-
diction for God's defence of the
child by His heavenly grace, that
he may both continue His for
ever, and increase in His grace
till he comes to the everlasting
kingdom. It thus draws out the
threefold spiritual strength— of
stedfastness, of progress, and of
victory.
The Aftbr-Servicb. — The
Lord's Prater (preceded by the
Dominut Vobitcum) was inserted
in 1662, according to the usual
plan of all the Church Services,
to open the concluding Prayers.
The Rubric preceding directs
that " the Bishop shall say " it,
but the analogy of the use of the
Prayer in the Post-Communion
and Post-Baptismal Services
seems to suggest that, as usual,
the people should join with him.
The First Collect following,
composed in 1549, and suggested
by a prayer in the Contultatio,
first claims for Confirmation an
Apostolic origin, and a symbolic
character as a seal of God's fa-
vour to His children ; and then
prays that God's own hand may
be over them, and His Spirit
always with them, leading them
through knowledge and obedi-
ence to eternal life.
The Second Collect is one
of the Occasional Collects of the
Communion Service, having no
special appropriateness to the
Service, except that its leading
idea is of preservation and pro-
gress under God's Spirit.
The Blessing is (with slipht
modification) the latter clause
of the great Blessing of the Com-
munion Office.
The concluding Rubric, em-
bodying ancient directions on
the subject, lays down as a mat-
ter of Church Order, that Con-
firmation shall precede Holy
Communion ; but it allows those
who are ready and desirous to
be confirmed " at the first avail-
able opportunity to come (it
would seem provisionally) to the
Holy Table. Probably, when-
ever there is the right spiritual
preparation, to admit the uncon-
firmed to Holy Communion is
rather irregular than strictly un-
lawful.
159 a
THE FORM OF
SOLEMNIZATION OF MATEIMONY.
Since in the Church of Christ the institution of Marriage, on which
the purity and stability of human society depend, was always held
to have been consecrated afresh by the authority of Our Lord
Himself, and made a type of His relation to His Church, it was
naturally surrounded with ceremonial forms of special solemnity,
representing the hallowing of its life-long contract by the sanction
and blessing of God. Out of these our Church has retained — in this
following the ancient Western practice— the use of the ring and the
joining of hands.
Our Service is taken in substance from the old Office in the
Manual, omitting the formal Benediction of the Ring, and the
special form of the Nuptial Mass immediately following the Service.
In the Sarum Manual the words of betrothal, and the words on
putting on the ring, were always in English. In the York Manual
the opening exhortation and the questions and answers were in
English also. Some of the hortatory portions are borrowed, as
usual, from Hermann's Co?imltatio. There has been no change
since 1549, except the omission of the " tokens of spousage, as gold
and silver," presented with the ring, and the change into a recom-
mendation of the original order, that the newly-married persons
should receive the Holy Communion at the time of Marriage. Of
all our Services it preserves most of the old substance and style.
It divides itself naturally into two parts— (a) the Marriage Service
proper, performed in the body of the Church ; (ft) the succeeding
Service at the Holy Table, evidently intended as an introduction to
the Holy Communion following.
(A) The Marriage Service The Hours of Marriage were
Proper. formerly limited (see the lxii.
On the publication of the Canon of 1604) to the hours be-
Banns, see Notices after the tween eight and twelve in the
Creed in the Communion Ser- morning; partly, no doubt, to
vice. The original direction secure publicity and sobriety,
simply ordered the Banns to be partly, perhaps, in view of the
asked, taking the place in the administration of the Holy Com-
Service as known. In 1662 the munion which was to follow,
direction was " immediately be- 'i,ne time nas now Deen extended
fore the sentences for the Offer- °y law> so as to include the hours
tory." The present Rubric is in uP.to 3 p.m.
accordance with a later Act of • In tne following Seasons mar-
Parliament, as to which, how- riages were prohibited in the
ever, it is doubtful whether the Manual:— (a) Advent to the oc-
direction for publication after tave oi Epiphany, (ft) Septua-
the Second Lesson was not de- gesima to the octave of Easter
signed to apply to the Evening inclusive, (c) Rogation-Sunday
Service only. to Trinity-Sunday. This list in-
The alternative to the use of eludes the chief Festal Seasons
Banns is the Licence of the and Fasts of the Christian year.
Bishop, ordinary or special. The Opening Exhortation.—
which was evidently intended to The first and last sentences are
be used only under exceptional from the old Service, the rest
circumstances. chiefly from the Consultatio. {a)
159 b
In the original the opening ran :
"We are gathered together he-
fore God, and His angels, and
all His saints, in the presence of
His Church," &c. (6) Next fol-
lows a very emphatic declaration
of the sacredness of Marriage, as
belonging to unfallen humanity
by Divine Institution (Gen. if.
24 ; Matt. xix. 5) ; hallowed as a
type of the mystical union be-
tween Christ and His Church
(Eph. v. 22-83) ; honoured (even
in its festive aspect) by Our
Lord's presence and first mira-
cle at Cana of Galilee (John ii.
1-11) ; and declared on Apostolic
authority to be "honourable a-
mong all men" (Heb. xiii. 4).
Of these the first and second are
the most important points, indi-
cating the true position of Mar-
riage inhumanity as first created,
and as redeemed by Christ, and
thus declaring against the exces-
sive admiration of celibacy, which
represented marriage as merely
a condescension to weakness. In
the second part (c) it strikes a
lower key, and in deprecating
light ana carnal entrance upon
marriage, dwells emphatically on
its physical uses for procreation
of children and remedy against
incontinence (in words which
Beem to us plain-spoken almost
to coarseness) before it passes
to the higher moral relation of
" mutual society, help, and com-
fort " which it creates. It ends
(ri) with the final repetition of
the charge already given at the
publication of the Banns, to de-
clare cause, if there be cause,
against the marriage. It thus
(e) leads on to a roost solemn
adjuration of the same tenour to
the persons coming to be mar-
ried, pronouncing marriage a-
gainst God's law to be no mar-
riage in His sight.
The Betrothal.— The ques-
tions and the words of betrothal
are taken almost exactly from
the ancient form, and retain
much of the old quaintness of
tone. The pledge is first, on
both sides, a pledge of mutual
love, honour, and support ; next,
on the man's side, of comfort
and protection, and, on the wo-
man's, of service and obedience.
It is emphatically declared that
this pledge is to be kept through
all changes and trials of life, till
the union shall be severed by
death. In this pledge St. Paul
teaches us to recognise a type of
the relation between Christ and
the Church, imitating the self-
sacrificing love of Christ to the
Church, and the free loyalty of
the Church to her Master. In
this the man " plights " his troth,
taking the initiative ; the woman
" gives " hers in return.
The woman is " given " in mar-
riage by her father or nearest
relative ; for, according to the
old law, she was always under
some guardianship, and the con-
sent of her guardian was there-
fore required. For the man
there is no such requirement,
unless he be under age.
The whole breathes exactly the
spirit of the teaching of the New
Testament; which, while it as-
serts for woman a complete spiri-
tual and social equality (see Gal.
iii. 28), yet confirms what nature
itself suggests— the free subordi-
nation of the woman, and the
corresponding duty of the man
to bear the larger share of the
burden of life (see 1 Cor. xi. 1-12;
Eph. v. 22-88; Col. iii. 18, 19;
1 Tim. ii. 10-14; 1 Pet. iii. 1-7).
The " joining of hands " is from
time immemorial the pledge of
covenant, and is here an essential
part of the marriage ceremony.
The Marriage rite itself. —
The use of the ring, probably of
pre-Christian antiquity, is de-
scribed in the succeeding prayer
as the token of the marriage
covenant — from the man the
token of his confiding to his wife
all authority over what is his,
and for the woman the badge of
belonging to his house. The old
Service has a quaint rubric di-
recting it to be placed on the
thumb and the second and third
fingers, with the recitation of the
names of the Holy Trinity, and
then to be "left" on the fourth
finger of the left hand, because
thence "there is a vein leading
direct to the heart." In the
Service of- 1549 the use of " spou-
sal money "—probably a remnant
of the time when the man gave
a dowry as a kind of purchase of
THE FORM OP
SOLEMNIZATION OF MATRIMONY.
T First the Banns of all that are to be married together must be published in
the Church three several Sundays, during the time of Morning Service, or of
Evening Service, (if there be no Morning Service,) immediately after the Se-
cond Lesson ; the Curate saying after the accustomed manner,
may not lawfully be joined together, let
him now speak, or else hereafter for
ever hold his 1
I PUBLISH the Banns of Marriage
between iv. of — and X. of — . If
any of you know cause, or just Impedi-
ment, why these two persons should
not be joined together in holy Matri-
mony, ye are to declare it. This is the
first [second, or third'] time of asking.
1 And if the persons that are to be
married dwell in divers Parishes, the
Banns must be asked in both Pa-
rishes; and the Curate of the one
Parish shall not solemnize Matri-
mony betwixt them, without a Certi-
ficate of the Banns being thrice asked,
from the Curate of the other Parish.
1 At the day and time appointed for
solemnization of Matrimony, the per-
sons to be married shall come into
the body of the Church with their
Sriends and neighbours: and there
standing together, the Man on the
right hand, and the Woman on the
left, the Priest shall say,
DEARLY beloved, we are gathered
together here in the sight of God,
and in the face of this congregation, to
^in together this Man and this Woman
i holy Matrimony ; which is an ho-
nourable estate, instituted of God in the
time of man's innocency, signifying
unto us the mystical union that is be-
twixt Christ and his Church ; which
holy estate Christ adorned and beauti-
fied with his presence, and first miracle
that he wrought, in Cana of Galilee ;
and is commended of Saint Paul to be
honourable among all men : and there-
fore is not by any to be enterprised, nor
taken in hand, unadvisedly, lightly, or
wantonly, to satisfy men's carnal lusts
and appetites, like brute beasts that
have no understanding; but reverently,
discreetly, advisedly, soberly, and in the
fear of God ; duly considering the causes
for which Matrimony was ordained.
First, It was ordained for the procrea-
tion of children, to be brought up in the
fear and nurture of the Lord, and to the
praise of his holy Name.
Secondly, It was ordained for a reme-
dy against sin, and to avoid fornica-
tion ; that such persons as have not the
gift of continency might marry, and
keep themselves undefined members of
Christ's body.
Thirdly. It was ordained for the mu-
tual society, help, and comfort, that the
one oujiht to have of the other, both in
prosperity and adversity. Into which
holy estate these two persons present
come now to bo joined. Therefore if any
man can shew any just cause, why they
peace.
T And also, speaking unto the persons
that shall be married, hs shall say,
I REQUIRE and charge you both, as
ye will answer at the dreadful day of
judgment when the secrets of all hearts
shall be disclosed, that if either of you
know any impediment, why ye may not
be lawfully joined together in Matri-
mony, ye do now confess it. For be
ye well assured, that so many as are
coupled together otherwise than God's
Word doth allow are not joined toge-
thsr by God; neither is their Matrimony
lawful.
\At which day of Marriage, if any man
do alledge and declare any impedi-
ment, why they may not be coupled
together in Matrimony, by God's Law,
or the Laws of this Realm ; and will
be bound, and sufficient sureties with
him, to the parties ; or else put in a
Caution (to the full value of such
charges as the persons to be married
do thereby sustain) to prove his al-
legation : then the solemnization
mast be deferred, until such time
as the truth be tried.
1 If no impediment be alledged, then
shall the Curate say unto the Man,
M TXflLT thou have this Woman to
' " thy wedded wife, to live toge-
ther after God's ordinance in the holy
estate of Matrimony ? Wilt thou love
her, comfort her, honour, and keep her
in sickness and in health ; and, forsak-
ing all other, keep thee only unto her,
so long as ye both shall live ?
5 The Man shall answer, I wilL
T Then shall the Priest say unto the
Woman,
N. TjyiLT thou have this Man to thy
~™ wedded husband, to live toge-
ther after God's ordinance in the holy
estate of Matrimony ? Wilt thou obey
him, and serve him, love, honour, and
keep him in sickness and in health ;
and, forsaking all other, keep thee only
unto him, so long as ye both shall live ?
\ The Woman shall answer, I wilL
f Then shall the Minister say.
Who giveth this Woman to be married
to this Man ?
t Then shall they give their troth to
each other in this manner.
The Minister, receiving the Woman at
her father's or friend's hands, shall
160
his wife's services— was still re-
tained, but struck out in 1552.
The words to be spoken by the
man are taken from the old Ser-
vice, still using, according to
ancient practice, the word " wor-
ship" for service and honour.
They declare the dedication both
of person and substance to the
marriage bond, and the religious
consecration of that pledge in
the Name of the Holy Trinity.
The Prater following is sub-
stituted for the form of " Bless-
ing the ring" in the old Service,
from which much of its phrase-
ology is taken. It prays that the
marriage covenant, of which the
ring is a pledge, may be kept
both by mutual love and by com-
mon obedience to God's law: and
(in one of the many Old Testa-
ment allusions found in this Ser-
vice) holds up the wedded life of
Isaac and Rebecca as a pattern
of its faithful observance. In
the original prayer of 1549 there
was an allusion to the "spousal
gfts" to Rebecca, recorded in
en. xxiv. 22.
The solemn Declarations
which follow are evidently sug-
gested by the Coruultatio. The
first is quoted from Our Lord's
words in Matt. xiz. 5, 6, declar-
ing, as against the former per-
mission or divorce, the indissolu-
ble character of the marriage
bond as the true ideal— not even
under His law to be relaxed,
"except it be for fornication."
The second notes, as essentials
of marriage, on the one hand the
public assent of the parties, and
the mutual pledge of their troth,
symbolized by the gift of the
ring and the joining of hands ;
and, on the other, the solemn
ratification of this pledge by au-
thority of the Church in the
Name of the Holy Trinity.
The Blessing, taken from the
old Manual, is one of singular
beauty and solemnity. It not
only invokes God's favour to
"bless, preserve, and keep " them
in this world, but looks beyond
it to the life everlasting, to which
the wedded life here, under spiri-
tual benediction, should be the
way. Like the Service generally,
it clearly implies the belief that
161
ties hallowed and blessed here
will still have some higher reality
hereafter.
(B) The Post-Matrimonial
Service.
The Service of the Marriage
itself here ends; and the Mar-
riage would probably be valid
even without the Service next
following, which is one of Prayer
and Blessing on the newly-mar-
ried; leading on, as in the old
Manual, to the Holy Commu-
nion, which should conclude the
whole.
The Rubric, as it stands, only
directs " the Minister or Clerks u
to go to the Lord's Table ; but
the practice (as probably the in-
tention) is to carry out the Ru-
bric of 1549 : " Then shall they "
—the whole marriage party — " go
into the Quire."
Of the two alternative Psalks,
apparently intended to be sung
in procession, the former (Ps.
exxviii. ), taken from the old Ser-
vice, is the one which has a
special nuptial appropriateness;
dwelling as it does emphatically
on the gift of domestic blessing,
under the shadow of the larger
blessing on Israel, to all who
fear the Lord. The other (Ps.
lxvii.) — one of the Psalms of
Evening Service — is simply one
of prayer for God's general bless-
ing, and of expression of thanks-
giving from God's people, from
the nations," and from all the
earth ; and is probably inserted
only as an alternative Psalm, in
cases for which the other would
be inappropriate.
The Rubric following is pecu-
liar in its direction that the
Priest, though the Service is one
of Prayer, should turn his face
to the people. Possibly the idea
was that the Service was really
one of Benediction, or there m*vy
have been a special desire for
audibility.
The Versicles (translated
from the old Service) are drawn
as usual from the Psalms (lxxxvi.
2; xx. 1, 2; lxi. 8; cii. 1), asking
for preservation, help in trouble,
strength against evil, and an-
swer to prayer. They are sub-
SOLEMNIZATION OF MATRIMONY.
caute the Man with hit right hand to
take the Woman by her right hand,
and to say after him as followeth.
IN. take thee N. to my wedded wife,
to have and to hold from thiB day
forward, for better for worse, for richer
for poorer, in sickness and in health, to
love and to cherish, till death us do
part, according to God's holy ordinance;
and thereto I plight thee my troth.
T Then shall they loote their hand*;
and the Woman, with her right hand
taking the Man by hit right hand,
nhall likewise tay after the Minitter.
Iy. take thee jV. to my wedded hus-
band, to have and to hold from this
day forward, for better for worse, for
richer for poorer, in sickness and in
health, to lore, cherish, and to obey,
till death us do part, according to God's
holy ordinance ; and thereto I give thee
my troth.
t Then thall they again loote their
handt ; and the Man thall give unto
the Woman a King, laying the tame
upon the book with the accuttomed
duty to the Priett and Clerk. And
the Priett, taking the King, thall de-
liver it unto the Man, to put it upon
the fourth finger of the Woman' t left
hand. And the Man holding the
King there, and taught by the Priett,
thall tay,
\yiTH this Ring I thee wed, with my
" body I thee worship, and with all
my worldly goods I thee endow: In the
NanM of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Ghost. Amen,
t Then the Man leaving the King upon
the fourth finger of the Woman' t left
hand, thev thall both kneel down;
and the Minitter thall tay.
Let us pray.
O ETERNAL God, Creator and Pre-
server of all mankind, Giver of all
spiritual grace, the Author of everlast-
ing life ; Send thy blessing upon these
thy servants, this man and this woman,
whom we bless in thy Name ; that, as
Isaac and Rebecca lived faithfully to-
gether, so these persons may surely
perform and keep the tow and cove-
nant betwixt them made, (whereof this
Ring given and received is a token and
pledge,) and may ever remain in per-
fect love and peace together, and live
according to thy laws ; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
t Then thall the Priett join their right
handt together, and tay.
Those whom God hath joined toge-
ther let no man put asunder.
T Then thall the Minister tpeak unto
the people.
PORASMUCH as N. and N. have
x consented together in holy wedlock,
and have witnessed the same before God
and this company, and thereto have
given and pledged their troth either to
G*
other, and have declared the same by
giving and receiving of a Ring, and by
joining of hands, I pronounce that they
be Man and Wife together, In the Name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost. Amen.
T And the Minitter thall add thU
Bletting.
OD the Father, God the Son, God
the Holy Ghost, bless, preserve, and
keep you ; the Lord mercifully with his
favour look upon you : and so till you
with all spiritual benediction and grace,
that ye may so live together in this life,
that in the world to come ye may have
life everlasting. Amen.
T Then the Minitter or Olerkt, going to
the Lord't Table, thall tay or ting
thit Ptalm following.
Beati omnes. Psalm 128.
BLESSED are all they that fear the
Lord : and walk in hi* ways.
For thou shalt eat the labour of thine
hands ; O well is thee, and happy shalt
thou be.
Thy wife shall be as the fruitful vine :
upon the walls of thine house ;
Thy children like the olive-branches :
round about thy table.
Lo, thus shall the man be blessed :
that feareth the Lord.
The Lord from out of Sion shall so
bless thee : that thou shalt see Jeru-
salem in prosperity all thy life long ;
Yea, that thou shalt see thy children's
children : and peace upon Israel.
Glory be to the Father, <yc.
As it was in the beginning, tfc-
t Or thit Ptalm.
Deus misereatur. Psalm 67.
("10D be merciful unto us, and bless
" us : and shew us the light of his
countenance, and be merciful unto us.
That thy way may be known upon
earth : thy saving health among all
nations.
Let the people praise thee, () God :
yea, let all the people praise thee.
O let the nations rejoice and be glad :
for thou shalt judge the folk righteous-
ly, and govern the nations upon earth.
Let the people praise thee, O God :
yea, let all the people praise thee.
Then shall the earth bring forth her
increase : and God, even our own God,
shall give us his blessing.
God shall bless us : and all the ends
of the world shall fear him.
Glory be to the Father, fyc.
As it was in the beginning, tfc.
T The Ptalm ended, and the Man and
the Woman kneeling before the Lord's
TabU;, the Priest standing at the Ta-
ble, and turning his face towards
them, shall say,
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Ans. Christ, have mercy upon us.
Aftn. Lord, have mercy upon us
161
Btantially the same as those used
in the Viritation of the Sick and
the Churching of Women.
Of the Collects (all taken from
the old Service) the first opens
with an address to God, as f' the
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Ja-
cob"—the God (that is) who is
revealed in the Old Testament
as blessing especially the chosen
family in their domestic life. Its
prayer is first for the spiritual
blessing of the newly-married
f>ereons, by the seed of eternal
ife sown in their hearts and
growing through obedience to
God's Word ; next, for their tem-
poral blessing, that, living under
obedience to His will, they may
abide in His protection and His
love. In the Service of 1549, as
in the old Manual, the allusion
was not to the blessing of Abra-
ham and Sarah, but to the mis-
sion of Raphael to Tobias and
Sara, daughter of Raguel (Tobit
iii. 17).
The Second Collect is for the
fruitfulness of the marriage, and
for a life of love together, long
enough to see the children
" Christianly and virtuously
brought up." The latter was
substituted in 1662 for prayer to
see "their children's children,
unto the third and fourth gene-
ration."
The Third Collect — most
beautiful of all— dwells first on
the primaeval blessing on mar-
riage, as knitting man and wo-
man together in a bond not to be
broken, and next on its higher
consecration to be a type of the
" spiritual marriage and unity be-
tween Christ and His Church" ;
and then prays (in accordance
with the latter idea) that the
man may "give himself" in lov-
ing sacrifice for his wife, and that
the woman may be loving and
obedient "in all quietness, so-
briety, and peace." Up to 1662
this Collect had the quainter form
of a prayer that she might be
"loving as Rachel, wise as Re-
bekah, faithful and obedient as
Sarah."
The Blessing- again goes back
to the primaeval blessing on " our
first parents," and invokes God's
grace, both of sanctification and
blessing, that the newly-married
may above all things please Him,
and so their love may be a " holy
love to their lives' end."
The succeeding Rubric till 1662
ran thus : " Then shall begin the
Communion, and after the Gos-
pel shall be said a sermon, where-
in ordinarily the office of a man
and wife shall be declared accord-
ing to Holy Scripture, or, if there
be no sermon, the Minister shall
read as followeth." The Sermon
or Exhortation was therefore to
form a part of the Communion
Service. This having been al-
tered, it now stands without pro-
vision for concluding blessing.
The Exhortation itself, com-
posed in 1519, is simply a recita-
tion of the chief Scriptural texts
from Eph. v. 25-88; Col. iii. 18,
19; 1 Pet. iii. 1-7, alternately
addressed to husbands and wives.
It is provided only in default of
a freer and more personal ad-
dress.
The final Rubric, declaring
it "convenient" — that is, appro-
priate to the true idea of Chris-
tian marriage — that the newly
married should receive the Holy
Communion at their marriage or
as soon after as may be, was sub-
stituted at the revision of 1662
for the absolute direction of the
older Rubric. But the whole
spirit of that revision shews that
the relaxation was intended to
apply, only where it was impos-
sible or unseemly to carry out
the ancient rule.
THE ORDER FOR
THE VISITATION OF THE SICK,
This Service, excepting the Exhortations, is drawn, with much
correction and simplification, from three closely connected Services
in the Sarum Manual of great elaborateness and impressiveness—
" the Order for the Visitation of the Sick," the Service of " Extreme
Unction," and the " Commendation of the Soul." The Exhorta-
169
SOLEMNIZATION OF MATRIMONY.
OUR Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name. Thy king-
dom come. Thy will be done, in earth
as it I* in heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread. And forgive us our tres-
passes, As we forgive them that tres-
pass against us. Ann lead us not into
temptation ; But deliver us from evil.
Amen.
if in. O Lord, save thy servant, and
thy handmaid ;
Ans Who put their trust in thee.
Mln. O Lord, send them help from
thy holy place ;
Ans. And evermore defend them.
if in. Be unto them a tower of strength,
Aw. From the face of their enemy.
Min. O Lord, hear our prayer.
Am. And let our cry come unto thee.
Minister.
OGOD of Abraham, God of Isaac, God
of Jacob, bless these thy servants,
and sow the seed of eternal life in their
hearts ; that whatsoever in thy holy
Word they shall profitably learn, they
may in deed fulfil the same. Look, O
Lord, mercifully upon them from hea-
ven, and bless them. And as thou didst
send thy blessing upon Abraham and
Sarah, to their great comfort, so vouch-
safe to send thy blessing upon these thy
servants ; that they obeying thy will,
and alway being in safety under thy
protection, may abide in thy love unto
their lives' end ; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
1 This Prayer next following shall be
omitted, where the Woman is past
child-bearing.
O MERCIFUL Lord, and heavenly-
Father, by whose gracious gift
mankind is increased ; We beseech
thee, assist with thy blessing these two
persons, that they may both be fruitful
in procreation of children, and also live
together so long in godly love and
honesty, that they may see their chil-
dren Christianly and virtuously brought
up. to thy praise and honour ; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
OGOD, who by thy mighty power
hast made all things of nothing ;
who also (.after other things set in or-
der) didst appoint, that out of man
(created after thine own image and
similitude) woman should take her be-
ginning ; and, knitting them together,
didst teach that it should never be law-
ful to put asunder those whom thou by
Matrimony hadst made one : O God,
who hast consecrated the state of Ma-
trimony to such an excellent mystery,
that in it is signified and represented
the spiritual marriage and unity be-
twixt Christ and his Church ; Look mer-
cifully upon these thy servants, that
both this ■man may love his wife, ac-
cording to thy Word, (as Christ did love
Uis spouse the Church, who gave him-
self for it, loving and cherishing it even
as his own Mesh,) and also that this
woman may be loving and amiable,
faithful and" obedient to her husband ;
and in all quietness, sobriety, and peace,
be a follower of holy and godly ma-
trons. O Lord, bless them both, and
grant them to inherit thy everlasting
kingdom : through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
t Then shall the Priest say,
ALMIGHTY God, who at the begin-
ning did create our first parents,
Adam and Eve, and did sanctify and
join them together in marriage ; Pour
upon you the riches of his grace, sancti-
fy and bless you, tha ye may please
him both in body and soul, and live to-
gether in holy love unto your lives' end.
Amen.
T After which, if there be no Sermon de-
claring the duties of Man and Wife,
the Minister shall read asfolloweth.
ALL ye that are married, or that in-
tend to take the holy estate of
Matrimony upon you, hear what the
holy Scripture doth Bay as touching the
duty of husbands towards their wives,
and wives towards their husbands.
Saint Paul, in his Epistle to the Ephe-
sians, the fifth Chapter, doth give this
commandment to all married men ;
Husbands, love your wives, even as
Christ also loved the Church, and gave
himself for it, that he might sanctify
and cleanse it with the washing of wa-
ter, by the Word ; that he might pre-
sent it to himself a glorious Church, not
having spot, or wrinkle, or any such
thing ; but that it should be holy, and
without blemish. So ought men to love
their wives as their own bodies. He
that loveth his wife loveth himself : for
no man ever yet hated his own flesh,
but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even
as the Lord the Church : for we are
members of his body, of his flesh, and
of his bones. For this cause shall a man
leave his father and mother, and shall
be joined unto his wife ; and they two
shall be one flesh. Tins is a great mys-
tery ; but I speak concerning Christ and
the Church. Nevertheless, let every one
of you in particular so love his wife,
even as himself.
Likewise the same Saint Paul, writ-
ing to the Colossians, speaketh thus to
all men that are married ; Husbands,
love your wives, and be not bitter
against them.
Hear also what Saint Peter, the
Apostle of Christ, who was himself a
married man, saith unto them that are
married ; Ye husbands, dwell with your
wives according to knowledge ; giving
honour unto the wife, as unto the
weaker vessel, and as being heirs to-
gether of the grace of life, that your
prayers be not hindered.
162
12-5
tions, though occupying the same places as those of the old Service,
and often borrowing from them, are mostly new, and are of great
force and beauty.
The Service itself has been little changed since 1549, except by the
addition in 1662 of the final Commendation, and of the four beautiful
Collects appended to the Service. But in the first Prayer Book there
was provided, for use if the sick man desired it, a short and simple
form of Service of Extreme Unction, which, however, was markedly
different in character from the old Service, and did not distinctly
imply any properly sacramental character in the rite. (The anoint*
ing was to be on the breast and forehead only, with the words, " A»
with this visible oil thy body outwardly is anointed, so our Heavenly
Father, Almighty God, grant of His infinite goodness that thy soul
inwardly may be anointed of the Holy Ghost." Then followed a
prayer for restoration to health, if God so willed ; and in any case
for pardon and "ghostly strength" "against the devil, sin, and
death.") This was struck out in 1552.
Our present Service divides itself into three parts. (A) The In-
troductory Prayers. (B) The Exhortation, Examination, and (if
need be) Confession and Absolution. (C) The Concluding Service
of Prayer and Commendation.
(A) The Introductory
Prayers.
This portion, taken from the
old Services, has been greatly
simplified, and shews many sig-
nificant changes in what has been
retained.
The Salutation ov Peack is a
literal obedience to Our Lord's
command to His Apostles (Matt.
x. 12; Luke x. 5), specially ap-
propriate in time of sickness,
although applying generally to
all pastoral visits.
The short extract from the
Litany (leading on as usual to
the Kyrie Eleesan and the Lord's
Prayer) was originally an "An-
them," i.e. antiphon or respond,
to Psalm cxliii., with which the
Service opened in 1549- being
the last of the seven Penitential
Psalms, used on the way and at
the house in the ancient form.
The Versicles are the same as
in the Marriage Service, with the
addition (from Ps. lxxxix. 22, 28)
of prayer against the power of
the Enemy, to tempt or to hurt,
as being specially felt in the hour
of weakness and pain.
The First Collect is e general
prayer of much fervour— applic-
able not only to the case of sick*
ness, but to all hours of trial in
life— for God's visitation and re-
lief; as shewn, first, in the reality
and assurance of His mercy; next,
in His defence against all temp-
tation of evil ; and, lastly, in the
unbroken sense of peace and
safety in Him. The three seem
nearly to correspond to the idea
of the last three petitions of the
Lord's Prayer.
The Second Collect, still more
fervent in supplication, applies
especially to sickness, contem-
plating serious danger, (a) It
looks on sickness as a "fatherly
correction," sent to add strength
to the faith and seriousness to
the repentance, which are the
two invariable conditions of ap-
proaching God. (6) It contem-
plates the blessed results of such
correction, rightly received, un-
der both alternatives, of recover-
ing to a holier and better life, or
of passage through death to the
life eternal.
This portion forms a little Ser-
vice in itself, or a fit prelude to
the Communion of the Sick.
163
THE VISITATION OF THE SICK.
Hitherto ye have heard the duty of
the husband toward the wife. Sow
likewise, ye wives, hear and learn your
duties toward your husbands, eveu as
it is plainly set forth in holy Scripture.
Saint Paul, in the aforenamed Epistle
to the Ephesians, teacheth you thus ;
Wives, submit yourselves unto your
own husbands, as unto the Lord. For
the husband is the head of the wife,
even as Christ is the head of the Church :
and lie is the Saviour of the body.
Therefore as the Church is subject unto
Christ, so let the wives be to their own
husbands in every thing. And again he
saith, Let the wife see that she rever-
ence her husband.
And in his Epistle to the Colossians,
Saint Paul giveth you this short lesson;
Wives, submit yourselves unto your
own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
Saint Peter also doth instruct you
very well, thus saying ; Ye wivej, be in
subjection to your own husbands; that,
if any obey not the Word, they also
may without the Word be won bjr
the conversation of the wives ; while
they behold your chaste conversation
coupled with" fear. Whose adorning,
let it not be that outward adorning of
plaiting the hair, and of wearing of
gold, or of putting on of apparel ; but
let it be the hidden man of the heart,
in that which is not corruptible ; even
the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit,
which is in the sight of God of great
price. For after this manner in the old
time the holy women also, who trusted
in God, adorned themselves, being in
subjection unto their own husbands ;
even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling
him lord ; whose daughters ye are as
long as ye do well, and are not afraid
with any amazement.
1 It is convenient that the new-married persons should receive the holy Com-
munion at the time of their Marriage, or at the first opportunity after their
Marriage.
THE ORDER FOR
THE VISITATION OF THE SICK.
t When any person is sick, notice shall he given thereof to the Minister of the
Parish ; who, coming into the sick person's house, shall say,
PEACE be to this house, and to all
that dwell in it.
t When he cometh into the sick mart's
presence he shall say, kneeling down,
REMEMBER not, Lord, our iniqui-
ties, nor the iniquities of our fore-
fathers : Spare us, good Lord, spare thy
people, whom thou hast redeemed with
thy most precious blood, and be not
angry with us for ever.
Answer. Spare us, good Lord.
% Then the Minister shall say,
Let us pray.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
OUR Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name. Thy king-
dom come. Thy will be done, in earth
as it is in heaven. Give us this day our
dally bread. And forgive us our tres-
passes, As we forgive them that trespass
against us. And lead us not into tempt-
ation ; But deliver us from evil. Amen.
Min. O Lord, save thy servant ;
Ana. Which putteth his trust in thee.
Min, Send him help from thy holy
place j
Ana. And evermore mightily defend
I'm.
Min. Let the enemy have no advan-
tage of Am:
Ans. Nor the wicked approach to
hurt Aim.
Min. Be unto Aim, O Lord, a strong
tower,
Ans. From the face of his enemy.
Min. O Lord, hear our prayers.
Ans. And let our cry come unto thee.
Minister,
OLORD, look down from heaven,
behold, visit, and relieve this thy
servant. Look upon Aim with the eyes
of thy mercy, give Aim comfort and
sure confidence in thee, defend Aim from
the danger of the enemy, and keep Aim
in perpetual peace and safety ; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
HEAR us, Almighty and most mer-
ciful tiod and Saviour ; extend thy
accustomed goodness to this thy ser-
vant who is grieved with sickness.
Sanctify, we beseech thee, this thy fa-
therly correction to Aim ; that the sense
of his weakness may add strength to his
faith, and seriousness to his repentance:
That, if it shall be thy good pleasure to
restore Aim to his former health, he may
lead the residue of Ai.» life in thy fear,
and to thy glory : or else, give Aim
grace so to take thy visitation, that,
after this painful life ended, he may
dwell with thee in life everlasting ;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
163
(B) The Exhortation, Exami-
nation, Confession, and
Absolution.
The First Exhortation,
drawn up in 1549 (taking the
place of a Bhorter Exhortation
in the Manual), (a) dwells on the
ordering by God of all things for
good— on the one hand, the youth,
strength, health, and life, which
are His original gifts to man's
natural condition— on the other
hand, the age, weakness, sick-
ness, and death, which belong to
a fallen humanity, and which He
overrules to blessing. (6) Next
it applies this general faith to
the particular case of sickness;
suggesting its two functions, as
testing and so strengthening
faith, before the eyes of men
now, and before the Judgment
hereafter, and as chastising sin,
and so taking away what may
offend God ; and promising that,
if it be borne penitently, patient-
ly, thankfully, and submissively,
it shall "help forward in the
right way that leadeth to ever-
lasting life."
The Second Exhortation (to
be used if the sick man is not too
ill to bear it) strikes a higher
note. For not only (from Heb.
xii. 6-10) does it urge the bless-
ing of the chastisement in love
from a Father's hand, sent us in
proportion as there is in us sin
to be chastised, and to be borne
patiently and thankfully, but it
declares suffering to have in it-
self this comfort, that it is a par-
taking of the Cross of the great
Sufferer, which has sanctified
sorrow for ever, and in which we
" suffer with Him that we may
also be glorified together" (see
Bom. viii. 17, 18 ; 2 Tim. ii. 11,
12). (The same gradation of
thought is found in Col. i. 11,
from " patience and longsuffer-
ing " to " joyfulness.") The for-
mer idea belongs to all true re-
ligion ; the latter is the especial
privilege of the Christian faith,
which gladly "takes up the
Cross " in order to " follow " our
Master. The Exhortation ends
by reminding the sufferer of his
Baptismal profession, and urges
the duty of self-examination.
To this Exhortation accord-
ingly succeeds Examination in
the Faith, on the model of the
Baptismal profession, and there-
fore in the words of the Apostles'
Creed. It is notable that in the
old Manual the Examination,
after reciting explicitly faith in
the Holy Trinity, followed gene-
rally the line of the Apostles'
Creed, if the sick man were
laicut vel nimpliciter Hteratus :
otherwise the priest was to set
before him " fourteen Articles of
Christian faith, of which the first
seven belong to the mystery of
the Holy Trinity, and the last
seven to the humanity of Christ,"
somewhat resembling certain
parts of the Athanasian Creed;
and concluding with the words,
"This is the Catholic Faith,
which unless thou shalt firmly
and faithfully believe, as Holy
Mother Church believeth, thou
canst not be saved."
To this Examination succeeds
a direction to exhort to peni-
tence, forgiveness, and restitu-
tion—much as in the First Ex-
hortation in the Communion
Service; adding also advice to
discharge the last responsibility
as to worldly goods, by making a
will, and, in this, if possible, re-
membering the poor. This direc-
tion takes the place of two Ex-
hortations in the old Service, of
great force and beauty, dealing
with these duties of charity, for-
giveness, and restitution, and
then dwelling with marked em-
phasis on the full and free mercy
of God to the true penitent.
Next comes the provision for
Confession and Absolution. It
164
THE VISITATION OF THE SICK.
T Then shall the Minister exhort the
tick person after this form, or other
like.
DEARLY beloved, know this, that
Almighty God is the Lord of life
and death, and of all things to them
pertaining, as youth, strength, health,
age, weakness, and sickness. Where-
fore, whatsoever your sickness is, know
you certainly, that it is God's visitation.
And for what cause soever this sickness
is sent unto you ; whether it be to try
your patience for the example of others,
and that your faith may be found in the
day of the Lord laudable, glorious, and
honourable, to the increase of glory and
endless felicity ; or else it be sent unto
you to correct und amend in you what-
soever doth offend the eyes of your hea-
venly Father ; know you certainly, that
if you truly repent you of your sins, and
bear your sickness patiently, trusting
in God's mercy, for his dear Son Jesus
Christ's sake, and render unto him
humble thanks for his fatherly visita-
tion, submitting yourself wholly unto
his will, it shall turn to your profit, and
help you forward in the right way that
leadeth unto everlasting life.
1 // the person visited be very sick, then
the Curate may end his exhortation
in this place, or else proceed.
TAKE therefore in good part the
chastisement of the Lord : For (as
Saint Paul saith in the twelfth Chapter
to the Hebrews) whom the Lord loveth
he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son
whom he receiveth. If ye endure chas-
tening, God dealcth with you as with
sons ; for what son is he whom the
father chasteneth not? But if ye be
without chastisement, whereof all are
partakers, then are ye bastards, and
not sons. Furthermore, we have had
fathers of our flesh, which corrected us,
and we gave them reverence : shall we
not much rather be in subjection unto
the Father of spirits, and live ? For they
verily for a few days chastened us after
their own pleasure ; but he for our
profit, that we might be partakers of
his holiness. These words, good brother,
are written in holy Scripture for our
comfort and instruction; that we should
patiently, and with thanksgiving, bear
our heavenly Father's correction, when-
soever by any manner of adversity it
shall please his gracious goodness to
visit us. And there should be no greater
comfort to Christian persons, than to be
made like unto Christ, by suffering pa-
tiently adversities, troubles, and sick-
nesses. For he himself went not up to
joy, but first he suffered pain ; he en-
tered not into his glory before he was
crucified. So truly our way to eternal
joy is to suffer here with Christ ; and
our door to enter into eternal life is
gladly to die with Christ ; that we may
*»e again from death, and dwell with
him in everlasting life. Now therefore,
taking your sickness, which is thus
profitable for you, patiently, I exhort
you, in the Name of God, to remember
the profession which you made unto
God in your Baptism. And forasmuch
as after this life there is an account to
be given unto the righteous Judge, by
whom all must be judged, without re-
spect of persons, I require you to ex-
amine yourself and your estate, both
toward God und man; so that, accusing
and condemning yourself for your own
faults, you may find mercy ut our hea-
venly Father's hand for Christ's sake,
and not be accused and condemned in
that fearful judgment. Therefore I shall
rehearse to you the Articles of our Faith,
that you may know whether you do
believe as a Christian man should, or
no.
T Here the Minister shall rehearse the
Articles of the Faith, saying thus,
T)OST thou believe in God the Father
-*-' Almighty, Maker of heaven and
earth ?
And in Jesus Christ his only-begotten
8on our Lord ? And that he was con-
ceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the
Virgin Mary ; that he suffered under
Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and
buried ; that he went down into hell,
und also did rise again the third day ;
that he ascended into heaven, and sit-
teth at the right hand of God the Father
Almighty; and from thence shall come
aguin at the end of the world, to judge
the quick and the dead ?
And dost thou believe in the Holy
Ghost ; the holy Catholick Church ; the
Communion of Saints ; the Remission
of sins ; the Resurrection of the flesh ;
and everlasting life after death ?
T The sick person shall answer,
AH this I stedfastly believe.
IT Then shall the Minister examine whe-
ther he repent him truly of his sins,
and be in charity with all the world;
exhorting him to forgive, from the
bottom of his heart, all persons that
have offended him ; and if he hath
offended any other, to ask them for-
giveness ; and where he hath done
injury or wrong to any man, that he
make amends to the uttermost of hit
power. And if he hath not before
disposed of his goods, let him then be
admonished to make his Will, and to
declare his Debts, what he oweth, and
what is owing unto him ; for the bet-
ter discharging of his conscience, and
the guietness of his Executors. But
men should often be put in remem-
brance to take order for the settling
of their temporal estates, whilst they
are in health.
T These words before rehearsed may be
said before the Minister begin hit
Prayer, at he thall tee caute.
164
is perfectly clear that it follows
substantially the same line as in
the First Exhortation in the
Communion Service, as to Pri-
rate Confession and Special Ab-
solution, (a) The Confession is
to be made only if, after all in-
struction and exhortation and
prayer, the sick man "feels his
conscience troubled with any
weighty matter." (6) By the
" special confession of his sins "
is evidently intended not an ex-
haustive confession of all sins,
but a special confession of the
particular matters which are on
his conscience, (c) Till 1662 the
initiative was left absolutely to
the penitent (as in the Service of
Holy Communion) : " Then shall
the sick man," Ac. Now the
Minister is to "move him" to
Confession, but clearly in the
spirit of the Exhortation in the
Communion Servioe, without
making Confession necessary, or
urging it as the proper and regu-
lar condition of things, (rf) The
Absolution is to be given only " if
he humbly and heartily desire
it," not as a condition of receiv.
ing the Holy Communion. The
position of the Church on this
matter is, however, made still
more striking by contrast with
the old Service, which had here
a full and forcible Exhortation,
declaring that to have a pure and
clean heart confession of all sin
is necessary, urging that in such
confession nothing should be
omitted, lest it should rise up to
our shame in the Day of Judg-
ment, and bidding the sick man
rise by Confession "from the
slough of misery and sin," that
so he may be fit " to eat of the
Bread of Life— the Sacrament of
the Body of Christ."
The Absolution is taken from
the Sarum Manual (which, how-
ever, referred only to the sins
confessed or intended to be con-
fessed), with the addition of the
J6S
preamble, which is not unlike
that of the Absolution in the
Morning Service. The first clause
(like the Absolution in the Ser-
vice of Holy Communion) is Pre-
catory or Benedictory ; and it is
notable that this was the ancient
form of Absolution for many
centuries. The second clause is
Declaratory and quasi-judicial, in
a form not found before the 12th
century ; and in the old Service
its meaning is illustrated by the
concluding sentence : "And Ire-
store thee to the Sacraments of
the Church." In spite of objec-
tion it has been retained in our
Prayer Book in order, by its tone
of special clearness and autho-
rity, to meet the special needs
of the hour of sickness and ap-
proaching death. The principle,
however, involved is exactly the
same as in the other Absolutions.
The priest acts ministerially in
the Name of Christ, who has
given him power and command-
ment ; and the spiritual benefit of
Absolution, as distinct from its
restoration to the visible Com-
munion of the Church, can be
received only by those who " truly
repent and believe." ( See Notes
on the Absolution in Morning
Service and the Preface to the
COMMINATION SERVICE).
The Bubric of 1549 directed
that this Form of Absolution
should be used in all Private
Confessions. In 1552 this direc-
tion was omitted, and the words
" after this sort " substituted for
the more definite words " after
this Form." In the American
Prayer Book the whole section
is omitted; in the Irish Prayer
Book the Absolution in the Com-
munion Service is substituted.
(C) The Concluding Service
of Prayer.
The Collect (altered from the
old Form) is virtually a fervent
THE VISITATION OF THE SICK.
T The Miniiter should not omit earn-
estly to move such sick persons as are
of ability to be liberal to the poor.
f Here shall the sick person be moved
to make a special Confession of his
tins, if he feel his conscience troubled
with any weighty matter. After which
Confession, the Priest shall absolve
him {if he humbly and heartily de-
Are it) after this sort.
OUR Lord Jesus Christ, who hath left
power to his Church to absolve all
sinners who truly repent and believe in
him, of his great mercy forgive thee
thine offences : And by his authority
committed to me, I absolve thee from
all thy sins, In the Name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Amen.
1 And then the Priest shall say the
Collect following.
Let us pray.
OMOST merciful God, who, accord-
ing to the multitude of thy mercies,
dost so put away the sins of those who
truly repent, that thou rememberest
them no more ; Open thine eye of mercy
upon this thy servant, who most earn-
estly desireth pardon and forgiveness.
Renew in him, most loving Father,
whatsoever hath been decayed by the
fraud and malice of the devil, or by his
own carnal will and frailness ; preserve
and continue this sick member in the
unity of the Church ; consider his con-
trition, accept his tears, asswage his
pain, as shall seem to thee most expe-
dient for him. And forasmuch as he
put t nh Aw full trust only in thy mercy,
impute not unto him his former sins,
but strengthen him with thy blessed
Spirit 4 and, when thou art pleased
to take him hence, take him unto thy
favour, through the merits of thy most
dearly beloved Son Jesus ChriBt our
Lord. Amen.
VThcn shall the Minister say this Psalm.
In te, Domine, speravi. Psalm 7L
FT thee, O Lord, have I put my trust ;
let me never be put to confusion •
but rid me, and deliver me in thy righ-
teousness ; incline thine ear unto me,
and save me.
Be thou my strong hold, whereunto
I may alway resort : thou hast pro-
mised to help me ; for thou art my house
of defence, and my castle.
Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand
of the ungodly : out of the hand of the
unrighteous and cruel man.
For thou, O Lord God, art the thing
that I long for : thou art my hope, even
from my youth.
Through thee have I been holden up
ever since I was born : thou art he that
took me out of my mother's womb ; my
praise shall alway be of thee.
I am become as it were a monster unto
many : but my sure trust is in thee.
0 let my mouth be filled with thj
praise : that I may sing of thy glory
and honour all the day long.
Cast me not away in the time of age:
forsake me not when my strength i'ail-
eth me.
For mine enemies speak against mt,
and they that lay wait for my soul take
their counsel together, saying : God
hath forsaken him, persecute him, and
take him ; for there is none to deliver
him.
Go not far from me, O God : my God,
haste thee to help me.
Let them be confounded and perish
that are against my soul : let them be
covered with shame and dishonour that
seek to do me evil.
As for me, I will patiently abide al-
way : and will praise thee more and
more.
My mouth shall daily speak of thy
righteousness and salvation : for I know
no end thereof.
1 will go forth in the strength of the
Lord God : and will make mention of
thy righteousness only.
Thou, O God, hast taught me from
my youth up until now •. therefore will
I tell of thy wondrous works.
Forsake me not, O God, in mine old
age, when I am gray-headed : until I
have shewed thy strength unto this
generation, and thy power to all them
that are yet for to come.
Thy righteousness, O God, is very
high, and great things are they that
thou hast done : O God, who is like
unto thee ?
Glory be to the Father, and to the
Son : and to the Holy Ghost ;
As it was in the beginning, is now,
and ever shall be : world without end.
Amen.
t Adding this.
SAVIOUR of the world, who by
thy Cross and precious Blood hast
redeemed us, Save us, and help us, we
humbly beseech thee, O Lord.
H Then shall the Minister say,
THE Almighty Lord, who is a most
strong tower to all them that put
their trust in him, to whom all things
in heaven, in earth, and under the
earth, do bow and obey, be now and
evermore thy defence ; and make thee
know and feel, that there is none other
Name under heaven given to man,
in whom, and through whom, thou
mayest receive health and salvation
but only the Name of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Amen.
f And after that shall say,
NTO God's gracious mercy and pro-
tection we commit thee. The Lord
bless thee, and keep thee. The Lord
I make his face to shine upon thee, and
' be gracious uuto thee. The Lord lift
o
u]
165
and comprehensive prayer for all
the benefits of God's Absolution
to the penitent, given in the
abundance of His mercy. It
prays God to look upon him with
the eyes of His mercy— to renew
what has been "decayed" by
sin, to preserve him in the unity
of the Church, to comfort his
sorrow, and assuage his pain, and
finally to forgive his sins, to
strengthen him by the Holy
Spirit and take him, when his
time shall come, to the heavenly
kingdom.
The Psalm which follows ^with
its Antiphon > is taken from the
old Service of Extreme Unction.
Originally a Psalm of mingled
entreaty and confidence at a time
of danger and Buffering from
enemies, full of a sense of man's
weakness and God's strength, it
is applied here to the assaults of
the spiritual enemy in the hour
of suffering and death.
The prayer following is a bean-
tiful specimen of the ancient
Antiphon, applying the suppli-
cation of the Psalm, with special
trust in the Cross and precious
Blood of the Redeemer and Sa-
viour of the world.
The Blessing, " The Almighty
Lord," concluded the Service till
1662. It was composed in 1549,
perhaps with some reminiscence
of old forms. It invokes on the
sick man a twofold gift— first,
of the outward defence of the
Almighty Lord, the tower of
strength to all who trust in Him ;
and, next, of a firm inward faith
in the saving Name of the Lord
Jesus Christ (see Acts iv. 12).
The Commendation was added
in 1662, committing the sick man
—in the triple formula of the old
Jewish blessing (Num. vi. 24-26)
—to God's protection, grace, and
peace.
The four singularly beautiful
Pbayers, appended to the Office.
were added in 1662. The first
(a), for a sick child, is an appli-
cation to the case of the child of
the prayer of the first two Col-
lects of the Visitation Service-1-
naturally omitting the reference
to the sickness as a correction
intended to strengthen faith and
lead to repentance, and bringing
out more emphatically the alter-
native of prolonged life in God's
service, or an early call to rest in
the Lord; (6) the second, "when
there appeareth small hope of re-
covery," similarly applies— with
an increased fervour— the peti-
tions for forgiveness and spiritual
strength, found in the same
prayers, to the case of death,
apparently approaching, unless
a Rpecial Providence restore to
life, and asks for the sufferer, a
right preparation for the dark
hour; (c) the Commendatory
Prayer is at once a commenda-
tion of the soul to God's mercy,
praying that it may be washed
in the blood of Christ from all
defilements of the world, the
flesh, and the devil, before it is
presented before the pure eyes
of God, and a prayer for our-
selves that, by the sight of mor-
tality, we may learn to apply our
hearts to the wisdom which shall
bring us to life everlasting;
(rf) the last Prayer, for those
"troubled in mind or con-
science," asking for God's pity
upon His afflicted servant, and
the gift to him of the true con-
fidence of the soul in God and in
God alone, is a beautiful appli-
cation to the personal need of
the sufferer of the supplications
and promises of Holy Scripture
(see Job xiii. 26; Isa. xlii. 1-3;
Ps. li. 8; Rom. vi. 6)— praying
that he may have strength in
temptation, long-suffering mercy
on his weakness, joy in Borrow
and depression, and light and
peace in the hour of natural
fear.
166
THE VISITATION OE THE SICK.
np his countenance upon lliee, and give
thee peace, both now and evennoie.
Amen.
0
A Prayer for a sick Child.
ALMIGHTY God. and merciful
Father, to whom alone belong the
issues of life and death ; Look down
from heaven, we humbly beseech thee,
with the eyes of mercy upon this child
now lving upon the bed of sickness :
Visit him, O Lord, with thy salvation ;
deliver him in thy {food appointed time
from hi* bodily puin, and save his soul
for thy mercies' sake : That, if it shall
be thy pleasure to prolong his days here
on earth, he may live to thee, and be an
instrument of thjr glory, by serving
thee faithfully, and doing good in his
generation ; or else receive Aim into
those heavenly habitations, where the
souls of them that sleep in the Lord
Jesus enjoy perpetual rest and felicity.
Grant this, O Lord, for thy mercies'
sake, in the same thy Son onr Lord Je-
sus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with
thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God,
world without end. Amen.
A Prayer for a sick person, when there
appeareth small hope 0/ recovery.
O FATHER of mercies, and God of all
comfort, our only help in time of
need ; We fly unto thee for succour in
behalf of this thy servant, here lying
under thy hand in great weakness of
body. Look graciously upon him, O
Lord ; and the more the outward man
decayeth, strengthen Aim, we beseech
thee, do much the more continually
with thy grace and Holy Spirit in the
inner man. Give Aim unfeigned repent-
ance for all the errors of his life past,
and stedfast faith in thy Son Jesus ;
that Am sins may be done away by thy
mercy, and Am pardon sealed in heaven,
before Ae go hence, and be no more seen.
We know, O Lord, that there is no word
impossible with thee ; and that, if thou
wilt, thou canst even yet raise Aim up,
and grant Aim a longer continuance
amongst us : Yet, forasmuch as in all
appearance the time of Am dissolution
draweth near, so fit and prepare Aim,
we beseech thee, against the hour of
death, that after Am departure hence in
peace, and in thy favour, Am soul may
be received into thine everlasting king-
dom, through the merits and mediation
of Jesus Christ, thine only Son, our
Lord and Saviour. Amen.
A commendatory Prayer for a sick per-
son at the point of departure.
O ALMIGHTY God, with whom do
live the spirits of just men made
perfect, ufter they are delivered from
their earthlv prisons : We humbly com-
mend the s'oul of this thy servant, our
dear brother, into thy hands, as into the
hands of a faithful Creator, iind most
merciful Saviour ; most huwibly be-
seeching thee, that it may be precious
in thy sight. Wash it, we pray thee, in
the blood of that immaculate Lamb,
that was slain to take away the sins of
the world ; that whatsoever defilements
it may have contracted in the midst
of this miserable and naughty w«rld,
through the lusts of the flesh, or the
wiles of Satan, being purged and done
away, it may be presented pure and
without spot before thee. And teach us
who survive, in this and other like daily
spectacles of mortality, to see how frail
and uncertain our own condition is ;
and so to number our days, that we may
seriously apply our hearts to that holy
and heavenly wisdom, whilst we live
here, which may in the end bring as to
life everlasting, through the merits of
Jesus Christ thine only Son our Lord.
A Prayer for persons troubled in mind
or in conscience.
O,
BLESSED Lord, the Father of mer-
cies, and the God of all comforts; We
beseech thee,look do wn in pity and com-
passion upon this thy afflicted servant.
Thou wrltest bitter things against Aim,
and makest Aim to possess Ai» former
iniquities; thy wrath lieth hard upon
Aim, and Am soul is full of trouble :
But, O merciful God, who hast written
thy holy Word for our learning, that
we, through patience and comfort of
thy holy Scriptures, might have hope ;
give Aim a right understanding of Aim-
»ei/, and of thy threats and promises ;
that he may neither cast away Ais con-
fidence in thee, nor place it any where
but in thee. Give Aim strength against
all Aw temptations, and heal all Am dis-
tempers. Break not the bruised reed,
nor quench the smoking flax. Shut not
up thy tender mercies in displeasure ;
but make Aim to hear of joy and glad-
ness, that the bones which thou hast
broken may rejoice. Deliver Aim from
fear of the enemy, and lift up the light
of thy countenance upon Aim, and give
Aim peace, through the merits and me-
diation of Jesus Christ our Lord.
166
THE COMMUNION OF THE SICK.
This Service was brought into its present form in 1552. In the
Prayer Book of 1549 the ordinary ancient practice was so far fol-
lowed, that if " on the same day there had been a celebration of the
Holy Communion at the Church," the Priest was ordered " to re-
serve so much of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood as shall
serve the sick person, and as many as shall communicate with him ";
otherwise to celebrate the Holy Communion with him ; and, if the
Communion was to be ministered the same day to several sick
persons, to celebrate only in one case, and to reserve for the rest.
In that case only the Confession and Absolution and Comfortable
Words were to be used before the Administration, and the Post-
Communion Prayer and Blessing after it. When the practice of
Reservation, itself primitive, had been disused on account of the
superstitions attached to it, it was, of course, necessary to provide
a Service for all cases of Private Administration.
The Rubric first emphatically urges the public Communion in
the Church as being the proper and normal celebration of the Holy
Sacrament, to which all should have regular resort, especially in the
times of sickness and danger to life. But from this regular rule it
next allows exception in case of emergency— precisely as in the case
of Baptism— following in this respect the dictates of reason and
charity, and the principle involved in the ancient custom of reser-
vation. To this exceptional provision continual objection was fre-
quently made by the Puritan party in the Church— arguing an im-
perfect view of the grace of the Holy Sacrament itself, as distinct
from the edification of the Church by the Service of Holy Com-
munion. In spite of all such objection, it was resolutely main-
tained; but it is notable that, except in the case of contagious
disease, provision was carefully made to preserve the true character
of the rite as a Communion, by enacting that " three, or two at the
least," should always be ready to communicate with the sick man,
and to secure all that is necessary for "reverently ministering" the
Sacrament with all due solemnity.
The Collect (composed in in the Epistle to the Hebrews,
1519) repeats the constant prayer which forms the theme of the
of the Visitation Service, recog- second Exhortation in the Visi-
nising God's loving chastisement, tation 8ervice.
and praying for His blessing, The Gospel is Our Lord's de-
whether in recovery or death in claration of His present gift of
the faith of Christ. eternal life to all who believe,
The Epistle is similarly the saving from all condemnation at
opening sentence of the passage the Great Day.
Of the concluding Rubrics, the first (a) is evidently intended to
guard against infection from the sick man ; the second (6) contains
instruction on what is called " Spiritual Communion," declaring
that, when through any unavoidable hindrance, the sick man can-
not receive the Sacrament with his mouth, yet, if he have the earnest
desire to do so. and the right spiritual preparation, he " doth eat and
drink the Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ profitably to his
soul's health." It is remarkable that the old Service, in spite of the
mediaeval tendency to somewhat carnal and material views of tht>
Presence of Ghrist in His Sacrament, expresses this idea most em-
phatically, directing the Priest to say in such cases, " Brother, in
this case true faith and good will suffice ; only believe, and thou hast
eaten " (Tantum crede, et manducasti). The idea is, of course, this—
that God is not bound by the limitation of His appointed means of
grace, although we are bound to their faithful use, whenever possible.
The third (c) is a provision for uniting this Office with that of the
Visitation. The last (d) provides for relaxation, in case of con-
tagious sickness, of the rule requiring the presence of other com-
municant? with the sick man.
167
THE COMMUNION OF THE SICK.
T Forasmuch as all mortal men be subject to many sudden perils, diseases, and
sicknesses, and ever uncertain what time they shall depart out of this life :
therefore, to the intent they may be always in a readiness to die, whensoever it
shall please Almighty God to call them, the Curates shall diligently from time
to time (but especially in the time of pestilence, or other infectious sickness)
exhort their Parishioners to the often receiving of the holy Communion of the
Body and Mood of our Saviour Christ, when it shall bepublickly administered
in the Church ; that so doing, they may, in case of sudden visitation, have the
less cause to be disquieted for lack of the same. But if the sick person be not
able to come to the Church, and yet is desirous to receive the Communion in
his house ; then he must give timely notice to the Curate, signifying also how
many there are to communicate with him, (which shall be three, or two at the-
least,) and having a convenient place in the sick man's house, with all thing's
necessary so prepared, that the Curate may reverently minister, he shall
there celebrate the holy Communion, beginning with the Collect, Epistle, arv$
Gospel, here following.
The Collect,
f, everliving
of mankind, who dost correct those
whom thou dost love, and chastise
every one whom thou dost receive ; We
beseech thee to have mercy upon this
thy servant visited with thine hand,
and to grant that he. may take his sick-
ness patiently, and recover his bodily
health, (if it be thy gracious will ;) and
whensoever his soul shall depart from
the body, it may be without spot pre-
sented unto thee ; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. Heb. 12. 5.
MY son, despise not thou the chas-
tening of the Lord, nor faint when
thou art rebuked of him. For whom the
Lord loveth he chasteneth ; and scourg-
eth every son whom he recelveth.
The Gospel. St. John 5. 24.
T7ERILY, verily I say unto you, He
* that heareth my word, and believeth
on him that sent me, hath everlasting
life, and shall not come into condemn-
ation ; but is passed from death unto
life.
t After which the Priest shall proceed according to the form before prescribed
for the holy Communion, beginning at these words [Ye that do truly, <fcft]
T At the time of the distrtbvMon of the holy Sacrament, the Priest shall first
receive the Communion himself, and after minister unto them that are ap-
pointed to communicate with the sick, and last of all to the sick person.
1 But if a man, either by reason of extremity of sickness, or for want of warn-
ing in due time to the Curate, or for lack of company to receive with him, or
by any other Just impediment, do not receive the Sacrament of Christ's Body
and Blood, the Curate shall instruct him, that if he do truly repent him of his
sins, and stedfastli/ believe that Jesus Christ hath suffered death upon the
Cross for him, and shed his Blood for his redemption, earnestly remembering
the benefits he hath thereby, and giving him hearty thanks therefore, he doth
eat and drink the Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ profitably to his soul's
health, although he do not receive the Sacrament with his mouth,
f When the sick person is visited, and receiveth the holy Communion all atone
time, then the Priest, for more expedition, shall cut off the form of the Visita-
tion at the Psalm [In thee, O Lord, have I put my trust, &c] and go straight to
the Communion.
1 In the time of the Plague, Sweat, or such other like contagious times of sick-
ness or diseases, when none of the Parish or neighbours can be gotten to com-
municate with the sick in their houses, for fear of the infection, upon special
request of the diseased, the Minister may only communicate with him.
167
THE ORDER FOR
THE BUKIAL OF THE DEAD.
Introduction.— This Service is one of the most striking instances
of a compilation from various sources, which yet has all the effect of
an original of perfect coherency and solemn beauty. It is drawn,
with much alteration and simplification, and considerable additions,
from various Services in the old Manual and elsewhere — the " Com-
mendation of the Soul," the " Burial of the Dead," the " Mass for
the Dead," and the " Office for the Dead." These Services were
very full and elaborate in Ceremonial, including the recitation of
numerous Psalms, the constant repetition of the Requiem ("Grant
him, O Lord, eternal rest "), censing and sprinkling with holy water,
and the Blessing of the Grave.
The Service of 1549 was in some points different from our present
Form, and more perfect in two respects. In it the custom (trace-
able up to primitive times) of prayer for the dead was preserved, in
the same simplicity which marked it in the " Prayer for the whole
Church" in the Communion Service— commending them to God,
asking for them rest in Him now, and salvation with us at the Last
Day. In 1552 such prayer was omitted in both places, no doubt on
account of the many superstitions and practical abuses which had
become associated, as it then seemed indissolubly, with prayer for
the departed. At the same time the Form of Communion to be
used at Funerals, appended to the Service in 1549, was also omitted,
probably for a similar reason, in view of the common belief in the
offering of Masses, as propitiatory, for the dead (see Art. xxxi.).
Since 1552 no changes have been made except in detail.
The Service was drawn up at a time when it was presumed, first,
that all Englishmen would be members of the Church of England,
and next, that there would be such Church discipline as would place
under censure and excommunication all who were guilty of open and
scandalous sin. It was framed accordingly; and all difficulties,
which have since attached to its use, arise from the failure in these
two presupposed conditions. Provision has been made by recent
law to meet these difficulties to some extent. As the law at present
stands, the parish priest is bound to use the Service, if required,
over all who die in his parish (not excluded by the opening Rubric)
on penalty of immediate suspension ; he may, however, at the desire
or with the consent of the "representatives of the dead, substitute a
form of Service wholly Scriptural ; he may also read, in the case of
those excluded by the opening Rubric, a short Service (different
from either of the two other Services) approved by the Ordinary ;
and at the demand of the representatives of the dead, the body
may be committed to the grave in the churchyard or consecrated
cemetery without Service, or with any Service of a " Christian
and orderly " character, conducted by other person than the parish
priest.
The Opening Rubric was inserted in 1662, probably, however,
stereotyping previous practice, and certainly accordant with the
whole idea of the Service— the unbaptized having not yet been
admitted into the Christian covenant according to the law of the
Church, the excommunicate having been cut off from it, and those
dying in the act of deliberate self-murder (unless in unsound mind)
being held to be virtually excommunicate thereby.
(A) The Introductory Part of Of the Opening Sentences the
the Service. first two are taken from the old
This is generally said in the Services ; the third was added in
Church, unless for physical or 1549. The first (a) is the repeti-
other reasons it is thought better tion in Faith of the full Gospel
to go at once to the grave. promise by Our Lord Himself.
168
THE ORDER FOR
THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD.
T Here it to be noted, that the Office ensuing is not to be used for anil that dU
unbaptized, or excommunicate, or have laid violent hands upon themselves.
T The Priest and Clerks meeting the Corpse at the entrance of the Church-yard,
and going before it, either into the Church, or towards the Grave, shall say,
or sing,
I AM the resurrection and the life,
saith the Lord : he that believeth
in me, though he were dead, yet shall
he live : and whosoever liveth and be-
lieveth in me shall never die. St. John
xi. 23, 26.
I KNOW that my Redeemer liveth,
and that he shall stand at the latter
day upon the eurtli. And though after
my skin worms destroy this body, yet
in my flesh shall I see God : whom I
shall see for myself, and mine eyes
shall behold, and not another. Job xix.
25, 26, 27.
WE brought nothing into this world,
and it is certain we can carry
nothing out. The Lord gave, and the
Lord hath taken away ; blessed be the
Name of the Lord. I Tim. vi. 7. Job i.
21.
t After they are come into the Church,
shall be read one or both of these
Psalms following.
Dixi, custodiam. Psalm 39.
I SAID, I will take heed to my ways :
that I offend not in my tongue.
I will keep my mouth as it were with
a bridle : while the ungodly is In my
sight.
I held my tongue, and spake nothing :
I kept silence, yea, even from good
words ; but it was pain and grief to
me.
My heart was hot within me, and
while I was thus musing the fire kin-
dled : and at the last I spake with my
number of my days : that I may be cer-
tified how long I ha ve to live.
Behold, thou hast made my days as
it were a span long : and mine age is
even as nothing in respect of thee ; and
verily every man living is altogether
vanity.
For man walketh in a vain shadow,
and disquieteth himself in vain : he
heapeth up riches, and cannot tell who
■hall gather them.
And now, Lord, what is my hope :
truly my hope is even in thee.
Deliver me from all mine offences :
and make me not a rebuke unto the
foolish.
I became dumb, and opened not my
mouth : for it was thy doing.
Tako thy plague away from me ; I
am even consumed by means of thy
heavy hand.
When thou with rebukes dost chasten
man for sin, thou mukest his beauty to
consume away, like as it were a moth
fretting a garment : every man there-
fore is but vanity.
Hear my prayer, O Lord, and with
thine ears consider my calling : hold
not thy peace at my tears.
For I am a stranger with thee : and a
sojourner, as all my fathers were.
O spare me a little, that I may re-
cover my strength : before I go hence,
and be no more seen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the
Son : and to the Holy Ghost •,
As it was in the beginning, is now,
and ever shall be : world without end.
Amen.
Domine, refugium. Psalm 90.
LORD, thou hast been our refuge :
from one generation to another.
Before the mountains were brought
forth, or ever the earth and the world
were made : thou art God from ever-
lasting, and world without end.
Thou turnest man to destruction :
again thou sayest, Come again, ye chil-
dren of men.
For a thousand years in thy sight are
but as yesterday : seeing that is past as
a watch in the night.
As soon as thou scatterest them, they
are even as a sh-ep : and fade away
suddenly like the grass.
In the morning it is green, and grow-
eth up : but in the evening it is cut
down, dried up, and withered.
For we consume away in thy displea-
sure : and are afraid at thy wrathful
indignation.
Thou hast set our misdeeds before
thee : and our secret sins in the light of
thy countenance.
For when thou art angry all our days
are gone : we bring our years to an end,
as it were a tale that is told.
The days of our age are threescore
years and ten ; and though men be so
strong, that they come to fourscore
years : yet is their strength then but
labour and sorrow ; so soon passeth it
away, and we are gone.
But who regardeth the power of thy
wrath : for even thereafter as a man
feareth, so is thy displeasure.
So teach us to number our days :
""He is the Resurrection," so
that, though we be dead, we shall
live again in virtue of our unity
with Him ; and " lie is the Life,
the eternal life, so that, believing
in Him. we can never die. In
thiB saying the whole teaching of
the New Testament on Resur-
rection and Life is summed up.
(6) The second is a sentence of
Hope, from one of the older
books of the Old Testament (into
which we naturally read a Chris-
tian meaning), expressing in the
original simply the rudimentary
belief of Job in a Redeemer (or
Avenger) who shall plead his
cause, and his hope that, though
his body be destroyed by wasting
sickness, yet that in his true un-
dying personality he shall " see
God. (c) The third is a com-
posite sentence (from 1 Tim. vi. 7
and Job i. 21) of Resignation.
confessing that the things of this
world do not belong to our true
life, and blessing the God who
gave, and who takes, away, as He
sees best.
The Psalms.— In 1549, Pss. cxvi.
cxxxix. cxlvi., with the Lesson,
were directed to be said in the
Church either before or after
burial. From 1552 onwards, these
were omitted. In 1662 the Pre-
sent Psalms, xxxix. and xc, were
inserted here, (a) Ps. xxxix. is
by tradition a " Psalm of David "
— a Psalm of sadness, at first
dumb, then breaking out into
prayer, in the deep sense of the
shortness of life, its sorrow under
the chastening of God, and its
vanity and transitoriness ; first,
that he may know his end ; next,
that God, who is his hope, will
spare and comfort him. (6) Ps.
xc, "the Prayer of Moses, the
man of God," is more calm and
thoughtful— meditating on God's
eternity andman's transitoriness,
praying for instruction thereby
in true wisdom, and expressing
confidence that, if we perish,
God's glory endures, and that
under His blessing even our
work, if done in Him, remains.
The Lesson is the conclusion
of the great chapter (1 Cor. xv.)
which contains beyond all others
the explicit teaching of the New
Testament on the Resurrection,
written to meet speculative
doubts and fears in the intel-
lectual community at Corinth.
In the preceding sections of this
chapter St. Paul had, first (a), in
v». 1-11, given a detailed and in-
dependent record of the fact of
the Lord's Resurrection and the
witnesses to that fact, ending
with himself, as "one born out
of due time " ; next (b), in vt. 12-
19, declared emphatically that, if
there be no resurrection for man,
as man, the Resurrection of the
Son of Man is impossible, and
therefore Christian faith is a de-
lusion, and Christian preaching
a lie. Prom this point the Lesson
begins, passing on (c), in vt. 20-
28, to explain this by a declara-
tion of Our Lord as a second
Adam, in whom "all are made
alive," and of His Resurrection
as His entrance on the Mediator-
ial Kingdom, in which for us He
shall subdue all enemies — Death
being the last— and then deliver
up the Kingdom to God the
Father. Here (rf) occurs (in vt.
29-84) a digression of appeal to
their own practice, in the Bap-
tism on behalf of the dead (when
one desiring Baptism died before
he could receive it), and in the
daily jeopardy of life and sacri-
fice, which would be untenable
against the Epicurean "Let us
eat and drink." if really "to-
morrow we die." From this («)
he returns (in vt. 85-49) to notice
two speculative difficnlties-^-by
what power Resurrection can be
effected, and what shall be the
body of the future. These ques-
tions, he says, only a " fool " can
ask; for the mystery of Resur-
rection is no greater than the
acknowledged, yet inscrutable,
mystery of birth and growth from
the germ ; and the difference of
the future body— the "spiritual
body," incorruptible, glorious,
and strong— from the natural
bodv, corruptible, poor, and
weak, is but another instance
of tne infinite variety of God's
works in heaven and earth, fa-
miliar to us, though in cause and
method unknown. All we need
know is that the new power of
Resurrection, and the new body
of the future, will come by our
putting on the Image of "the
Lord from heaven." Lastly (/),
sweeping aside all speculation,
he declares the " mystery "—the
169
THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD.
that wo may apply our hearts unto
wisdom.
Turn thee again, O Lord, at the last :
and be gracious unto thy servants.
O satisfy us with thy mercy, and that
soon : so shall we rejoice and be glad
all the days of our life.
Comfort us again now after the time
that thou hast plagued us : and for the
years wherein we have suffered adver-
sity.
Shew thy servants thy work : and
their children thy glory.
And the glorious Majesty of the Lord
our God be upon us : prosper thou the
work of our hands upon us, O prosper
thou our handy-work.
Glory be to the Father, and to the
Son : and to the Holy Ghost ;
As it was in the beginning, is now,
and ever shall be : world without end.
Amen.
^ Then shall follow the Lesson taken
out of the fifteenth Chapter of the
former Epistle of Saint Paul to the
Corinthians.
1 Cor. 15, 20.
NOW is Christ risen from the dead,
and become the first-fruits of them
that slept. For since by man came
death, by man came also the resurrec-
tion of the dead. For as in Adam all
die, even so in Christ shall all be made
alive. But every man in his own order:
Christ the first-fruits ; afterward they
that are Christ's, at his coming. Then
cometh the end, when he shull have
delivered up the kingdom to God, even
the Father ; when he shall have put
down all rule, and all authority, and
power. For he must reign, till he hath
put all enemies under his feet. The last
enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
For he hath put all things under his
feet. But when he saith, all things are
put under him, it is manifest that he is
excepted, which did put all things un-
der him. And when all things shall be
subdued unto him. then shall the Son
also himself be subject unto him that
put all things under him, that God may
be all in all. Else what shall they do
which are baptized for the dead, if the
dead rise not at all ? Why are they then
baptized for the dead ? and why stand
we in jeopardy every hour ? I protest by
your rejoicing, which I have in Christ
Jesus our Lord, I die daily. If after
the manner of men I have fought with
beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth
it me, if the dead rise not ? Let us eat
and drink, for to-morrow we die. Be
not deceived : evil communications cor-
rupt good manners. Awake to righte-
ousness, and sin not ; for some have not
the knowledge of God. I speak this to
your shame. But some man will say,
liow are the dead raised up ? and with
what body do they come ? Thou fool,
that which thou sowest is not quicken-
ed, except it die. And that which thou
sowest, thou sowest not that body that
shall be, but bare grain, it may chance
of wheat, or of some other grain : But
God givetli it a body, as it hath pleased
him, and to every seed his own body.
All flesh is not the same flesh ; but there
is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh
of beasts, another of fishes, and another
of birds. There are also celestial bodies,
and bodies terrestrial ; but the glory of
the celestial is one, and the glory of the
terrestrial is another. There is one glory
of the sun, and another glory of the
moon, and another glory of the stars ;
for one star differeth from another star
in glory. So also is the resurrection of
the dead : It is sown in corruption ; it
is raised in incorruption : It is sown in
dishonour ; it is raised in glory : It is
sown in weakness ; it is raised in pow-
er : It is sown a natural body ; it is
raised a spiritual body. There is a na-
tural body, and there is a spiritual b6dy.
And so it is written, The first man
Adam was made a living soul ; the last
Adam was made a quickening spirit.
Howbeit, that was not first which is
spiritual, but that which Is natural ;
and afterward that which is spiritual.
The first man is of the earth, earthy :
the second man is the Lord from heaven.
As is the earthy, such are they that are
earthy : and as is the heavenly, such
are they also that are heavenly. And as
we have borne the image of the earthy,
we shall also bear the image of the hea-
venly. Now this I say, brethren, that
flesh and blood cannot inherit the king-
dom of God ; neither doth corruption
inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew
you a mystery : We shall not all sleep,
but we shall all be changed, in a mo-
ment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the
last trump, (for the trumpet shall
sound,) and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
For this corruptible must put on incor-
ruption, and this mortal must put on
immortality, So when this corruptible
shall have put on incorruption, and this
mortal shall have put on immortality;
then shall be brought to pass the saying
that is written, Death is swallowed up
in victory. O death, where is thy sting?
0 grave, where is thy victory ? The
sting of death is sin, and the strength
of sin is the law. But thanks be to God,
which giveth us the victory through our
Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my be-
loved brethren, be ye stedfast, immove-
able, always abounding in the work of
the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that
your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
1 When they come to the Grave, while
the Corpse is made ready to be laid
into the earth, the Priest shall say,
or the Priest and Clerks shall sing :
"jl/J A N that is born of a woman hath
i,J- but a short time to live, and is full
169
secret of Cod (that is) told by
Christ— or the great Resurrec-
tion, swallowing up corruption
in incorruption, and death in
immortality ; and ends with a
burst of thanksgiving to God,
who gives us the victory through
Our Lord Jesus Christ, and a
calm exhortation to earnest and
steadfast work, since we know
that it cannot be "in vain in the
Lord."
(B) The Service at the
Grave.
Of the opening Anthem, the
first clause (Job xiv. 1, 2) is from
the old "Vigils of the Dead";
the rest is a free translation of a
Lenten Anthem (Ming at Com-
pline), dating from the 9th cen-
tury.
It is throughout the expression
of natural human sorrow nnd
sense of awe at the sight of the
open grave, crying out for God's
salvation and mercy as our only
stay in the hour of death.
It has a profound and instruc-
tive gradation of thought. It
opens (a) with Job's declaration
or the transitoriness and sorrow
of life ; (b) hence confessing that
" in the midst of life we are in
death," and that God, our only
succour, is justly displeased at
our sins (for " the sting of death
is sin") ; but (c) crying out ear-
nestly to God, the Holy, the
Almighty, the All-merciful, to
keep us from the bitterness of
"eternal death," the death of
the spirit, which is alienation
from God; and (d) lastly, with
the same earnest supplication,
E raying that He who reads the
eart and knows its weakness,
will not suffer the crowning
struggle of the last hour to
loosen the grasp of faith in Him.
This cry of human weakness
is (so to speak) stilled by the
solemn Commendation. This, in
the Service of 1549, was a com-
mendation of the soul to God,
and the body to the ground. In
1552 the form was changed, ac-
knowledging the soul as already
in the hands of God, and com-
mitting only the body to the
earth, as now simply "earth
(committed) to earth, ashes to
ashes, dust to dust. The rattle
170
of the earth on the coffin marks
the last symbolic confession of
mere mortality. To this, by a
glorious transition, succeeds the
triumphant declaration of "the
sure and certain hope of the
Resurrection to eternal life" at
the Second Coming of Him, who
shall change our " body of humi-
liation" into the likeness of His
" Body of Glory." From this
point onward the tone of the
Service is of comfort and hope.
The Second Anthem (an Anti-
phon from the "Vigils of the
Dead") is the voice from Heaven
heard by St. John (Rev. xiv. IS)
immediately following the vision
of the Lamb and His Saints in
glory, and accordingly declaring
that henceforth" the old terror
of death is gone, because the
faithful " die in the Lord," and
the labour of life passes into rest.
In the verse following it is added
that their works do not die, but
follow with them into the world
unseen.
The concluding Service of
Prayer now opens, as usual, with
the Kprie Elee*on and the Lord's
Prayer. This was followed in
1549 by Versicles, praying that
God would not enter into judg-
ment with His servants, that He
would deliver their souls from
the gates of Hell, and grant
them to see His goodness in the
land of the living (Ps. cxliii. 2;
xlix. 15; xxvii. 18; cii. 1).
The First Collect was altered
in 1552 from two composed in
1549, expressly commending the
soul of the dead to God, and
praying that both he and we
may at the Last Day be accepted
in Christ and be made partakers
of His Resurrection. It expresses
our faith that the souls of the
faithful still live with God in rest,
joy, and felicity; then thanks
God for the deliverance of the
soul of " our brother " from tliis
world of sin and sorrow, and
prays that God, having accom-
plished the number of His elect,
will hasten the kingdom of glory,
and that "we with all who are
departed in faith." may have our
consummation therein. It is a
prayer of victory over natural
sorrow, hard to win, and only to
)
THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD.
of misery. He cometh up, and is cut
down, like a flower ; he fleeth ns it
were a shadow, and never continueth
in one stay.
In the midst of life we are in death :
of whom may we seek for succour, but
of thee, O Lord, who for our sins art
justly displeased ?
Yet, O Lord God most holy, O Lord
most mighty, O holy and most merciful
Saviour, deliver us not into the bitter
pains of eternal death.
Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of
our hearts ; shut not thy merciful ears
to our prayer ; but spare us. Lord most
holy, O God most mighty, O holy and
merciful Saviour, thou most worthy
Judge eternal, suffer us not, at our last
hour, for any pains of death, to fall
from thee.
1 Then, while the earth thaXl he cast
upon the Body by some standing by,
the Priest shall say,
"PORASMUCH as it hath pleased Al-
•*- mighty God of his great mercy to
take unto himself the soul of our dear
brothtr here departed, we therefore com-
mit Am body to the ground ; earth to
earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust ; in
sure and certain hope of the Resurrec-
tion to eternal life, through our Lord
Jesus Christ ; who shall change our vile
body, that it may be like unto his glori-
ous body, according to the mighty
working, whereby he is able to subdue
all things to himself.
% Then shall be said or sung,
T HEARD a voice from heaven, saying
■*■ unto me, Write, From henceforth
blessed are the dead which die in the
Lord : even so saith the Spirit ; for they
rest from their labours.
t Then the Priest shall say,
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
OUR Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name. Thy king-
dom come. Thy will be done, in earth
as it is in heaven. Give us this day out
daily bread. And forgive us our tres-
passes, As we forgive them that trespass
against us. And lead us not into tempt-
ation ; But deliver us from evil. Amen.
Priest.
ALMIGHTY God, with whom do live
the spirits of them that depart
hence in the Lord, and with whom the
soals of the faithful, after they are de-
livered from the burden of the flesh,
are in joy and felicity ; We give thee
hearty thanks, for that it hath pleased
thee to deliver this our brother out of
the miseries of this sinful world ; be-
seeching thee, that it may please thee,
of thy gracious goodness, shortly to ac-
complish the number of thine elect, and
to hasten thy kingdom ; that we, with
all those that are departed in the true
faith of thy holy Name, may have our
perfect consummation and bliss, both in
body and soul, in thy eternal and ever-
lasting glory; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
The Collect.
O MERCIFUL God, the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who is the re-
surrection and the life ; in whom who-
soever believeth shall live, though he
die ; and whosoever liveth, and believ-
eth in him, shall not die eternally : who
also hath taught us, by his holy Apostle
Saint Paul, not to be sorry, as men
without hope, for them that sleep in
him ; We meekly beseech thee, O Fa-
ther, to raise us from the death of sin
unto the life of righteousness ; that,
when we shall depart this life, we may
rest in him, as our hope is this our bro-
ther doth ; and that, at the general Re-
surrection in the last day, we may be
found acceptable in thy sight ; and re-
ceive thut blessing, which thy well-be-
loved Son shall then pronounce to all
that love and fear thee, saying, Come,
ye blessed children of my Father, re-
ceive the kingdom prepared for you
from the beginning of the world : Grant
this, we beseech thee, O merciful Fa-
ther, through Jesus Christ, our Medi-
ator and Redeemer. Amen.
THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God, and the fellow-
ship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all
evermore. Amen.
170
be won where faith in Christ is
strong, and where there is good
hope that the dead has died in
the Lord.
The Secomd Collect (taken
from the Communion Office, fol-
lowing the Burial Service in 1549),
calling on God emphatically as
the "Father of the Lord Jesus
Christ," quotes Our Lord's own
declaration at the grave of Laza-
rus (John xi. 25, 26), " I am the
Resurrection and the Life," and
St. Paul's exhortation (1 Thess.
iT. IS, 14) not to " sorrow without
hope"; and prays that, rising
now to the new life of righteous-
ness, we may have the twofold
blessing— rest in God in death
(as we hope that our brother
rests), and at the Great Day the
call with those on the right hand
to the Kingdom of the Father.
These two most beautiful Col-
lects evidently suppose the dead
to have died in the Communion
of the Church of Christ, and in
the profession of Christian faith.
In them, therefore, lies the chief
difficulty of the use of the Ser-
vice over those who have lived a
notoriously immoral and ungodly
life ; because they do not merely
abstain from all judgment of the
dead (which all would desire to
do), but express a positive hope
and thankfulness, on which we
dare not venture without solid
ground. The reality of the diffi-
culty cannot be doubted ; but it
is bard to know how it can be
satisfactorily met.
In 1549 there followed the spe-
cial Communion Service, with Ps.
xlii. as an Introit, our present
Second Collect as the Collect, the
Epistle from 1 Thess. iv. 18-18,
and the Gospel from John vi.
35-39.
THE CHUKCHING OF WOMEN.
The use of some such Service after child-birth is most ancient,
both in the East and in the West ; and it is possible that it may
have been borrowed from the older Jewish observance, involving
the double idea of Purification and of Thanksgiving. Our present
Service is taken from the Service for the " Purification of Women"
in the Sarum Manual ; and the old title was retained in 1549, but
changed to the present title in 1552.
Place awd Time or Service.
It was directed in the Manual that the Service should be per-
formed at the Church door; and at the close the Priest took the
woman by the hand, and led her into the Church with the words,
" Enter into the Temple of God. that thou mayest have eternal
life." In 1549 the place was changed to " near the Quire door " ; in
1552 to "nigh unto the place where the Table standeth"; in 1662
the present vaguer direction was substituted. The phrase "de-
cently apparelled " has been thought to contain a reference to the
old practice of wearing a veil. The time at which the Service should
take place is not laid down ; but both custom, and inference from
the closing Rubric, suggest that it should come just before the
Communion Service.
The Psalm.— Till 1662 Psalm
cxxi. was used (which, with Psalm
cxxviii., had been used in the
old Service). In 1662 the present
alternative Psalms were substi-
tuted. The Psalm cxvi. is one
of thanksgiving for deliverance
from danger and sorrow by God's
mercy and a vow of self-dedica-
tion and worship of Him ; Psalm
cxxvii. a thanksgiving for domes-
171
tic peace and blessing, especially
the blessing of children.
Then the Service of Prater
opens, as usual, with the Kt/rie
and Lord's Prayer ; next, in-
cludes the same Versicles as in
the Marriage Service; and ends
with a Collect, partly of thanks-
giving, partly of prayer, for holy
life here and eternal glory here-
after.
THE THANKSGIVING OF WOMEN AFTER CHILD-BIRTH,
COMMONLY CALLED,
THE CHURCHING OF WOMEN.
T The Woman, at the usual time after her Delivery, shall come into the Church
decently apparelled, and there shall kneel down in some convenient placef as
hath been accustomed, or as the Ordinary shall direct: And then the Priest
shall say unto her,
FORASMUCH as it hath pleased Al-
mighty God of his goodness to give
you safe deliverance, and hath preserv-
ed you in the great danger of Child-
birth ; you shall therefore give hearty
thanks unto God, and say,
(% Then shall the Priest say the U6th
Psalm.)
Dilexi quoniam.
I AM well pleased : that the Lord hath
heard the voice of my prayer ;
That he hath inclined his ear unto
me : therefore will I call upon him as
long as I live.
The snares of death compassed me
round about : and the pains of hell gat
hold upon me.
I found trouble and heaviness, and I
called upon the Name of the Lord : O
Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.
Gracious is the Lord, and righteous :
yea, our God is merciful.
The Lord preserveth the simple : I
was in misery, and he helped me.
Turn again then unto thy rest, O my
soul : for the Lord hath rewarded thee.
And why? thou hast delivered niy
soul from death : mine eyes from tears,
and my feet from falling.
I will walk before the Lord : in the
land of the living.
I believed, and therefore will I speak;
but I was sore troubled : I said in my
haste, All men are liars.
What reward shall I give unto the
Lord : for all the benefits thut he hath
done unto me ?
I will receive the cup of salvation :
and call upon the Name of the Lord.
I will pay my vows now in the pre-
sence of all his people : in the courts of
the Lord's house, even in the midst of
the«, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord.
Glory be to the Father, and to the
Son : and to the Holy Ghost ;
As it was in the "beginning, is now,
and ever shall be : world without end.
Amen.
Or, Psalm 127. Awi Dominus.
EXCEPT the Lord build the house :
their labour is but lost that build it.
Except the Lord keep the city : the
watchman waketh but m vain.
It is but lost labour that ye haste to
rise up early, and so late take rest, and
eat the bread of carefulness : for so he
giveth his beloved sleep.
Lo, children and the fruit of the
womb : are an heritage and gift that
cometh of the Lord.
Like as the arrows in the hand of the
giant : even so are the young children.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver
full of them : they shall not be ashamed
when they speak with their enemies in
the gate.
Glory be to the Father, and to the
Son : and to the Holy Ghost ;
As it was in the beginning, is now,
and ever shall be : world without end.
Amen.
\ Then the Priest shall say.
Let us pray.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
OUK Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name. Thy king-
dom come. Thy will be done, in earth
as it is in heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread. And forgive us our' tres-
passes, As we forgive them that tres-
pass against us. And lead us not into
temptation ; But deliver us from evil :
For thine is the kingdom, The power,
and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen.
Min. O Lord, save this woman thy
servant :
Ans. Who putteth her trust in thee.
Min. Be thou to her a strong tower ;
Ans. From the face of her enemy.
Min. Lord, hear our prayer.
Ans. And let our cry come unto thee.
Minister. Let us pray.
O ALMIGHTY God, we give thee
humble thanks for that thou hast
vouchsafed to deliver this woman thy
servant from the great pain and peril of
Child-birth ; Grant, we beseech thee,
most merciful Father, that she, through
thy help, may both faithfully live, and
walk according to thy will, in this life
present ; and also may be partaker of
everlasting glory in the life to come ;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
T The Woman, that cometh to give her
Thanks, must offer accustomed Offer-
ings ; and, if there be a Communion,
it is convenient that she receive the
holy Communion.
171
The final Rubric in 1549 di-
rected that the woman should
present her child's Chrisom, or
white garment, with the " offer-
ing" (a thank-offering for the
Service of God). The direction
as to the Holy Commnnion is as
in the Marriage Service. In both
ideas of the Ordinance, as a re-
storation to the privilege of wor-
ship, and as a Thanksgiving, the
attendance at the Holy Com-
munion is certainly most "con-
venient," i.e., appropriate.
THE COMMINATION.
The former part of this Service— the " Commination " properly so
called— was composed in 1549 ; the latter part is borrowed from the
Benedictio Cinerum appointed in the old Manual for Ash-Wednesday.
In 1549 the Service was fixed for Ash- Wednesday only ; in 1552 for
"divers times in the year" ; in 1662 the present direction was sub-
stituted.
This Commination (be it observed) is not, as is sometimes igno-
rantly or carelessly supposed, an invoking of God's curse on sin, but
simply a warning that it must rest on sin, till penitence follows.
Its introduction in the 16th century was, no doubt, thought season-
able at the time when compulsory Auricular Confession and Penance
were passing away, with a view especially to meet a certain tendency
to neglect God's Law, on pretence of the sufficiency of faith alone.
Hence its austere severity of warning, chiefly from the Old Testa-
ment, before proceeding to the promise of forgiveness in Christ.
It is certainly not less necessary in our own times, in view of ten-
dency to condone or excuse sin.
In the Rubric the word " reading pew " was introduced in' 1662,
for the first time recognising its existence (traceable since 1559) in
the Church.
(A) The Commination itself.
The Introduction refers to
the primitive discipline of public
Confession and Penance inflicted
on notorious offenders, especial-
ly at the opening of Lent, with
a view to Absolution and restora-
tion to Communion at Easter-
This gradually gave place, first,
to private Confession (beginning
in the case of sins of which it
was a scandal to speak) to a
Priest specially appointed as a
" Penitentiary," followed at first
by public, afterwards by private,
Absolution; and finally to sys-
tematic Private Confession and
Absolution, made a regular part
of Christian life and a necessary
preparation for Holy Commu-
nion, and exalted to the dignity
of a Sacrament. When this was
abolished as obligatory, the Re-
formers of the 16th century, being
stern upholders of discipline, de-
sired (as this Exhortation shews)
to return to the substance of the
primitive practice. Finding this
impracticable, they inserted this
solemn Service of Warning with a
view to " these dangerous days " ;
falling back, at the same time,
on the General Confession and
Absolution as a rule, and on Pri-
vate Confession and Absolution
as the exception.
Of the Commination Sen-
tences the first seven are select-
ed from Deut. xxvii. 15-26, the
solemn roll of curses to be pro-
nounced from Mount Ebal.
They condemn the breach of the
various Commandments of the
Second Table. The eighth is,
from Jer. xvii. 5, against the
ungodliness of a mere worldly
172
A COMMINATION,
OR DENOUNCING OF GOD'S ANGER AND JUDGMENTS AGAINST
SINNERS,
With certain Prayers, to be used on the first Day of Lent, and at other times,
at the Ordinary shall appoint.
1 After Morning Prayer, the Litany ended according to the accustomed man'
ner, the Priest shall, in the Heading-Pew or Pulpit, say,
BRETHREN, in the Primitive Church
there was a godly discipline, that,
at the beginning of Lent, such persons
as stood convicted of notorious sin were
put to open penance, and punished in
this world, that their souls might be
saved in the day of the Lord ; and that
others, admonished by their example,
might be the more afraid to otfend.
Instead whereof, until the said dis-
cipline may be restored again, (which
Is much to be wished) it is thought
good, that at this time (in the presence
of you all) should be read the general
sentences of God's cursing against im-
penitent sinners, gathered out of the
seven and twentieth Chapter of Deuter-
onomy, and other places of Scripture ;
and that ye should answer to every
Sentence, Amen ; To the intent that, be-
ing admonished of the great indignation
of God against sinners, ye may the ra-
ther be moved to earnest and true re-
pentance ; and may walk more warily
in these dangerous days ; fleeing from
such vices, for which ye affirm with
your own mouths the curse of God to
be due.
CURSED is the man that maketh any
carved or molten image, to wor-
ship it.
1 And the people shall answer and say,
Amen.
Min. Cursed is he that curseth his
father or mother.
Aim. Amen.
Min. Cursed is he that removeth his
neighbour's land-mark.
Ans. Amen.
Min. Cursed is he that maketh the
blind to go out of his way.
Ans. Amen.
Min. Cursed is he that perverteth the
judgment of the stranger, the father-
less, und widow.
Ans. Amen.
Min. Cursed is he that smiteth his
neighbour secretly.
Ans. Amen.
Min. Cursed is he that lieth with his
neighbour's wife.
Ans. A men.
Min. Cursed is he that taketh reward
to slay the innocent.
Ans. Amen.
Min. Cursed is he that putteth his
trust in man, and taketh man for his
defence, and in his heart goeth from the
Lord.
Ans. Amen.
Min. Cursed are the unmerciful, for-
nicators, and adulterers, covetous per-
sons, idolaters, slanderers, drunkards,
and extortioners.
Ans. Amen.
Minister.
NOW seeing that all they are accurs-
ed (as the prophet David beareth
witness) who do err and go astray from
the commandments of Uod ; let us
(remembering the dreadful judgment
hanging over our heads, and always
ready to fall upon us) return unto our
Lord God, with all contrition and meek-
ness of heart ; bewailing and lamenting
our sinful life, acknowledging and con-
fessing our offences, and seeking to
bring forth worthy fruits of penance.
For now is the axe put unto the root ot
the trees, so that every tree that "Dnng-
eth not forth good fruit is hewn down,
and cast into the fire. It is a fearful
thing to fall into the hands of the liv-
ing God : he shall pour down rain upon
the sinners, snares, tire and brimstone,
storm and tempest ; this shall be their
portion to drink. For lo. the Lord is
come out of his place to visit the wick-
edness of such as dwell upon the earth.
But who may abide the day of his com-
ing ? Who shall be able to endure when
he appeareth ? His fan is in his hand,
and he will purge his floor, and gather
his wheat into the barn ; but he will
burn the chart' with unquenchable fire.
The day of the Lord cometh as a thief
in the night : and when men shall say,
Peace, and all things are safe, then shall
sudden destruction come upon them, as
sorrow cometh upon a woman travail-
ing with child, and they shall not es-
cape. Then shall appear the wrath of
God in the day of vengeance, which
obstinate sinners, through the stub-
bornness of their heart, have heaped
172
life; and the ninth is direct-
ed against an agglomeration
of the various sins of the flesh,
condemned everywhere in Holy
Scripture. The "Amen" at
the end of each— since they are
declarations and not impreca-
tions—must be taken to mean
"So it is," not "So be it," "af-
firming the curse of God to be
due." It will be observed that
the denunciation is only of im-
penitent sinners, and that, stern
as it is, it is intended to lead up
to the most gracious promises of
pardon to repentance.
The Exhortation, although it
is really a succession of quota-
tions from Holy Scripture, yet
preserves a singular coherency of
idea, and a no less remarkable
fervour and spirituality of tone.
Tt is, first, (a) a declaration of
the sure and searching character
of God's judgments, falling sud-
denly on the wilfully blind and
impenitent, vainly deprecated in
remorse, when the hour of re-
pentance has passed away, and
culminating in the "Depart
from Me, ye cursed " of Our
Lord's terrible Parable (Matt.
xxv. 31). (See Matt. iii. 8, 10;
Ps. xi. 7; Mai. iii. 2; Matt. iii.
12 ; 1 Thess. v. 8 ; Prov. i. 28-30 ;
Matt. xxv. 10, 11, 31.) (6) Next
a call to timely penitence, while
the day of salvation lasts, en-
forced by the most gracious pro-
mises of forgiveness from the
Old Testament and the New (see
2 Cor. vi. 2 ; John ix. 4, 5 ; xii. 36 ;
Isa. i. 18; Ezek. xviii. 80-32).
(c) Lastly, the Gospel call to faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ, our
Mediator and Advocate, as ready
to receive and willing to par-
don, calling us to take His yoke
upon U3 and find rest, promising
us a place on His right hand and
His blessing at the Great Day
(1 John ii. l, 2; Isa. liii. 5, 6;
Matt. xi. 29, 30; xxv. 83, 34).
Nothing can more fully express
173
the threefold " conviction of Sin.
Righteousness, and Judgment"
given by the Holy Spirit (John
xvi. 7-11).
(B) The Service of Suppli-
cation.
The Rubric mentions the place
"where they are accustomed to
say the Litany." This is shewn
by the Injunctions of 1549 to be
in "the midst of the Church,"
so as to mark the congregational
character of the Service ; and it
became customary to place there
a " Litany-desk " for the officiat-
ing Minister or Ministers.
The Psalm (the 51st) is one of
the Seven Penitential Psalms
appointed in the old Manual—
the other six being now used as
Proper Psalms for Ash- Wednes-
day. It is by ancient tradition
the Psalm of David's penitence
after his great sin, and has been
for centuries the deepest and
most fervent expression of "the
godly sorrow which worketh re-
pentance unto salvation." For,
while it is full of a penitent
humility, of a deep sense of sin,
and of the most intense suppli-
cation for the cleansing, and re-
newing grace of the Holy Spirit,
it still cherishes an unshaken
faith in God's unfailing mercy,
a sure hope of restoration through
that mercy to purity and glad-
ness, and a confidence that He
will accept the sacrifice of a
broken and contrite heart. In
these lies the distinction between
true repentance and remorse;
and to us these convictions
should be even more vivid than
to David, because we know the
perfect Atonement of the Lord
Jesus Christ. (See the Intro-
duction and Notes on it in the
Ptalter.)
The Service of Prayer then
opens, as usual, with the Kyrie
and the Lord's Prayer.
The Versicles are again like
those of the other Occasional
A COMMINATION.
unto themselves ; which despised the
goodness, patience, and long-sufferance
of God, when he calleth them continu-
ally to repentance. Then shall they call
upon me, (saith the Lord,) but I will
not hear ; they shall seek me early, but
they shall not find me ; and that, be-
cause they hated knowledge, and re-
ceived not the fear of the Lord, but
abhorred my counsel, and despised my
correction. Then shall it be too late to
knock when the door shall be shut ; and
too late to cry for mercy when it is the
time of justice. O terrible voice of most
Just judgment, which shall be pro-
nounced upon them, when it shall be
said unto them, Go, ye cursed, into the
tire everlasting, which is prepared for
the devil and his angels. Therefore,
brethren, take we heed betime, while
the day of salvation lasteth ; for the
night cometh, when none can work.
Hut lei us, while we have the light, be-
lieve in the light, and walk as chil-
dren of the light ; that we be not cast
into utter darkness, where is weeping
and gnashing of teeth. Let us not
abuse the goodness of God, who calleth
us mercifully to amendment, and of his
endless pity promiseth us forgiveness of
that which is past, if with a perfect and
true heart we return unto him. For
though our sins be as red as scarlet,
they shall be made white as snow ; and
though they be like purple, yet they
shall be made white as wool. Turn ye
Csaith the Lord) from all your wicked-
ness, and your sin shall not be your
destruction : Cast away from you all
your ungodliness that ye have done :
Make you new hearts, and a new spirit :
Wherefore will ye die. O ye house of
Israel, seeing that I have no pleasure in
the death of him that dieth, saith the
Lord God ? Turn ye then, and ye shall
live. Although we have sinned, yet
have we an Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous : and he is
the propitiation for our sins. For he
was wounded for our offences, and
smitten for our wickedness. Let us
therefore return unto him, who is the
merciful receiver of all true penitent
sinners ; assuring ourselves that he is
ready to receive us. and most willing
to pardon us, if we come unto him with
faithful repentance ; if we submit our-
selves unto him, and from henceforth
walk in his ways ; if we will take his
easy yoke, and light burden upon us,
to follow him in lowliness, patience,
and charity, and be ordered by the
governance of his Holy Spirit ; seeking
always his glory, and serving him duly
in our vocation with thanksgiving :
This if we do, Christ will deliver us
from the curse of the law, and from the
extreme malediction which shall light
upon them that shall be set on the left
hand ; and he will set us on his right
hand, and give us the gracious bene-
diction of his Father, commanding us
to take possession of his glorious king-
dom : Unto which he vouchsafe to bring
us all, for his infinite mercy. Amen.
t Then shall they all kneel upon their
knees, and the Priests and Clerk*
kneeling {in the place where they are
accustomed to say the Litany) thall
say this Psalm.
Miserere mei, Deus. Psalm St.
HAVE mercy upon me, O God, after
thy great goodness : according to
the multitude of thy mercies do away
mine offences.
Wash me throughly from my wicked-
ness : and cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my faults : and
my sin is ever before me.
Against thee only have I sinned, and
done this evil in thy sight : that thou
mightest be justified in thy saying, and
clear when thou art judged.
Behold, I was shapen in wickedness i
and in sin hath my mother conceived
me.
But lo, thou requirest truth in the
inward parts : and shalt make me to
understand wisdom secretly.
Thou shalt purge me with hyssop,
and I shall be clean : thou shalt wash
me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Thou shalt make me hear of joy and
gladness : that the bones which thou
hast broken may rejoice.
Turn thy face away from my sins :
and put out all my misdeeds.
Make me a clean heart, O God : and
renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy pre-
sence : and take not thy Holy Spirit
from me.
O give me the comfort of thy help
again : and stablish me with thy free
Spirit.
Then shall I teach thy ways unto the
wicked : and sinners shall be converted
unto thee.
Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O
God, thou that art the God of my
health : and my tongue shall sing of
thy righteousness.
Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord :
and my mouth shall shew thy praise.
For thou desirest no sacrifice, else
would I give it thee : but thou delight-
est not in burnt -offerings.
The sacrifice of God is a troubled
spirit : a broken and contrite heart, O
God, shalt thou not despise.
O be favourable and gracious unto
Sion : build thou the walls of Jerusa-
lem.
Then shalt thou be pleased with
the sacrifice of righteousness, with the
burnt -offerings and oblations: then shall
they offer young bullocks upon thine
altar.
Glory be to the Father, and to the
Son : and to the Holy Ghost.
173
Services, with, however, the in-
sertion of the fifth and sixth,
which are especially penitential
(from Ps. lxxix. 9), praying that
God will help and deliver us "for
His Name's sake."
Of the Collects, the former
(a) is a simple Prayer for God's
absolution to those who feel and
confess their sins ; the latter (b)
is a fuller and more fervent ex-
pression of the same prayer,
opening (like the Ash-Wednes-
day and Good Friday Collects)
with a preamble of confidence in
God' 8 mercy to all that He has
made, and crying to Him to for-
give, to receive and comfort, to
spare our weakness and misery
even in chastisement, and to pre-
pare us for communion with Him
in the world to come.
The Confession, called nn
"Anthem" (or Antiphon) in
1549, is drawn almost entirely
from the expressions of penitence
in the Old Testament (see Lam.
v. 21 ; Joel ii. 12, 18, 17, &c). It
is one of great fervour in confes-
sion of sin, expression of sorrow
"in weeping, fasting, and pray-
ing," and cry for pardon in " the
multitude of God's mercies." In
comparison with those of the
Morning and Communion Ser-
vices, it is perhaps of even greater
intensity, but of less comprehen-
siveness of idea.
The Blessing, added in 1662,
is a shortened form of the old
Jewish Blessing (Num. vi. 24-26).
It will be noticed that the whole
Service draws largely from the
Old Testament.
m
A C0MMINAT10N.
Ans. As It was in the beginning, is
now, ami ever shall be : world without
end. Amen.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
OUH Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name. Thy king-
dom come. Thy will be done, in earth
as it is in heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread. And forgive us our tres-
passes, As we forgive them that tres-
pass against us. And lead us not into
temptation ; But deliver us from evil.
Amen.
Min. O Lord, save thy servants ;
Ans. That put their trust in thee.
Min. Send unto them help from above.
Ans. And evermore mightily defend
them.
Min. Help us, O God our Saviour.
Anm And for the glory of thy Name
deliver us ; be merciful to us sinners,
for thy Name's sake.
Min. O Lord, hear our prayer.
Ans. And let our cry come unto thee*
Minister Let us pray.
LORD, we beseech thee, mercifully
hear our prayers, and spare all
those who confess their sins unto thee ;
that they, whose consciences by sin are
accused, by thy merciful pardon may
be absolved ; through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
OMOST mighty God, and merciful
Father, who hast compassion upon
all men, and hatest nothing that thou
hast made ; who wouldest not the death
of a sinner, but that he should rather
turn from his tin, and be saved ; Mer-
o
eifully forgive us our trespasses ; re-
ceive and comfort us, who are grieved
and wearied with the burden of our
sins. Thy property is always to have
mercy ; to thee only it appertaineth to
forgive sins. Spare us therefore, good
Lord, spare thy people, whom thou
hast redeemed; enter not into judgment
with thy servants, who are vile earth,
and miserable sinners ; but so turn
thine anger from us, who meekly ac-
knowledge our vileness, and truly re-
pent us of our faults, and so make haste
to help us in this world, that we may
ever live with thee in the world to
come ; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
T Then shall the people say this that
foUoweth, after the Minister.
TURN thou us, O good Lord, and so
shall we be turned. Be favourable,
O Lord, Be favourable to thy people,
Who turn to thee in weeping, fasting,
and praying. For thou art a merciful
God, Fuil of compassion, Long-suffer-
ing, and of great pity. Thou sparest
when we deserve punishment, And in
thy wrath thinkest upon mercy. Spare
thy people, good Lord, spare them, And
let not thine heritage be brought to
confusion. Hear us, O Lord, for thy
mercy is great, And after the multitude
of thy mercies look upon us ; Through
the merits and mediation of thy blessed
Sou, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
T Then the Minister alone shall say.
THE Lord bless us, and keep us ; the
Lord lilt uu the light of his coun-
tenance upon us, and give us p.-ace,
now and for evermore. Amen.
m
13
INTRODUCTION TO THE PSALTER.
The main purpose of this Introduction — as prefatory to the
special annotations on each Psalm — is to examine the general
character, style, and structure of the Psalter, especially in
relation to its use in the Service of the Church in all ages.
(I.) The Peculiar Characteristics of the Psalms. — The
Psalms occupy a peculiar position in Holy Scripture. Thil
peculiarity was indicated in the threefold Jewish division of the
Old Testament — known certainly (see Preface to Ecclesiastic as)
in the second century B.C. as already old, and described in Luke
xxiv. 44 as a division into "the Law, the Prophets, and the
Psalms." In this description "the Psalms" evidently include1
the kindred Books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Canticles,
commonly united with the Psalter in " the writings" OT0Hagi<H
graph a. But the Psalms, properly so called, express the domii
nant idea of the whole. For in the Law and the Prophets"
we have the Word of God to man ; in the History reciting fo«
man's knowledge and admonition the record of His creation and
government of the world ; in the Law and Prophecy, revealing
to man His Will, and through His Will something of Hii
Nature. But in " the Psalms " — primarily in the Psalter itself^
as to some extent in the other Books included with it in the
same division — we have the answer of the human soul under the
inspiration of God to the Divine Message. Most often that
answer is of the nature of simple Adoration, whether in Coni
iession and Prayer, or in Praise and Thanksgiving ; sometime!
of meditation and reflection on God's Word, or on His works in
Nature and History; sometimes even of enquiry and remon-
strance, when such meditation has brought home to the soul the
sense of perplexity and mystery in God's dealings with man.
In form this answer of the soul clothes itself in the language ol
poetry, but a poetry of a singularly free and unartificial typej
unlike that of modern literatures in this — that it is marked, no^
by formal arrangement of words in rhyme or metre, but by a
simple correspondence of ideas, so repeated in successive clauaet
as, by parallelism or by antithesis, to illustrate each other, t(
enforce the thought conveyed, and to impress it on the memory
The Psalm is thus the lyric poetry of the Old Testament;
Such poetry we find in all literatures, embodying the expressiot
of inward thought and emotion, as distinct from the epic recital.
or the dramatic representation, of things without. But it if
notable that, whereas in many literatures the lyric element.,
being most deeply coloured by the special characteristics of age
and nation, is apt to be the most evanescent in its vitality, tht
Psalms have proved to be the most enduring of all parts, even
of the Old Testament, as an expression of thought and emotion
in all ages. The reason of this is obvious. It is that they deal
174 a
INTRODUCTION TO THE PSALTER.
with that relation of the soul to God, which is always the same
p essence, although it may vary in form and degree, and which,
therefore, while it is in all points exalted and in some modified
by our higher consciousness of God through the light and grace
pi the Lord Jesus Christ, has been realized in all the ages and
aces of Christendom in the same essential features, as by
Jewish prophet or psalmist in his ancient and peculiar covenant
vith the Lord Jehovah.
Psalms not in the Psalter.— This " Psalmic element " of
he Old Testament is not confined to the Psalter. Psalms, in
;his general sense of the word, are naturally found scattered
through the Historical and Prophetic Books. Thus in the time
)f the Exodus we find the Psalm of triumph (Exod. xv. 1-21) after
he passage of the Red Sea; the Song of the Well (Num. xxi.
17, 18) ; the quotation from the Song xii the " Wars of the
" ord " (Num. xxi. 14, 15) ; and the magnificent Song of Moses
'taught to the children of Israel") in Deut. xxxii. In Josh.
:. 13 (as also in 2 Sam. i. 18) we find reference to the book of
fasher," probably the "book of the Upright," a celebi-ation of
be worthies of Israel, somewhat resembling in tone the Psalm
)roperly so called. The Song of Deborah (Judg. v.) is a magni-
icent specimen of a patriotic hymn of triumph and rejoicing
>efore God in the hour of victory ; the Song of Hannah (1 Sam.
i. 1-10) of deep religious thanksgiving; the Elegy of David
»ver Saul and Jonathan (2 Sam. i. 19-27) of religious mourning.
nthe Book of Job a large portion is of the nature of the Psalm,
,s being direct address of communing and pleading with God
see chs. iii., x., xxxi.). Turning to the books included with
he Psalter in the Jewish division, we find grand passages of
lidactic and meditative poetry in the Book of Proverbs (see
>rov. i. 20-32 ; ii. 1-22; iii. 13-26), and of allegorical poetry in
Ccclesiastes (see Eccl. xii. 1-7) ; while the whole of Canticles is
■n Idyll of pastoral life and love, under which ancient interpre-
ers delighted to read a religious meaning. Interspersed again
a. the Prophetic Books are passages virtually Psalms ; in which
he prophet turns from his usual task as messenger of God to
aen, to speak either for himself or for them to God. Such is
he song of thanksgiving in Isa. xii. ; the lamentation of remon-
trance in Jer. xx. 7-18 ; the cry of faith in the very face of
eath in Jonah ii. 1-9 ; the psalm of glad resignation before the
)ivine Majesty in Hab. iii. ; the thanksgiving of Hezekiah for
estored life in Isa. xxxviii. 9-20. The Book of Lamentations is
•ne long psalm of mourning, full of Confession and Prayer —
he greater part being cast into an acrostic form. Even of
)avid himself we have (2 Sam. xxiii. 2-6) a notable psalm — the
' last words of the sweet Psalmist of Israel " — not included in
he Psalter.
INTRODUCTION
The Psalter in relation to Temple Worship. — The con-
tents of the Psalter were, no doubt, determined by use in the
worship of the Tabernacle and of the Temple. Of such use we
have traces in the record of the first dedication of the Temple
(2 Chron. v. 13 ; vii. 3) ; where we find described the burst of
instrumental music, with " cymbals and psalteries, and harps
and trumpets," from the Levites " which were the singers,"
and the response of the people, " Praise the Lord : for He is
good: for His mercy endureth for ever" (see Ps. cxviii. 1;
cxxxvi. <fec). Similarly, at the restorations of the worship of the
Temple by Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah (2 Chron. xx. 19, 21 ; xxix.
27-30), we find mention of the same offering of " praise to the
Lord, for His mercy endureth for ever," and of the Song of the
Lord " with the instruments ordained by David, king of Israel,"
and expressed " in the words of David and of Asaph the Seer."
Again, in Ezra iii. 10 and Neh. xii. 40, 45, 40, we find the revival
of the Psalmody of the old Temple made a prominent part of the
worship, which hallowed the building and dedication of the new.
This destination is also indicated in the headings to the
Psalms. These headings — found in the Hebrew MSS., and
translated in our Bible Version — though not to be taken as of
absolute authority, yet embody ancient and most interesting
traditions, and are recognised as of high historical value. In
these no less than fifty-five Psalms are inscribed, " For the chief
Musician," clearly for use in worship ; and (as will be seen
hereafter) several are attributed to the authorship of those who
are known to have been the heads of the families of the Levites
attached to the Temple. Subsequently the Talmud enumerates
particular Psalms, as accompanying particular sacrifices, and
appointed, at least in the Second Temple, for the Service of
particular days. In the time of Our Lord and His Apostles it
would appear that the use of the Psalms in the Temple Service
regularly followed the meat and drink offering (which had been
preceded by Prayers, Readings, and Blessing) ; that for each of
the six days of the week was appointed a special Psalm, viz.,
Ps. xxiv., xlviii., lxxxii., xciv., lxxxi., xciii., while to the Sabbath
was appropriated Ps. xcii., which in the ancient heading bears
the title " a Psalm for the Sabbath Day." Besides these there
were Psalms appointed for days and occasions of special solem-
nity ; such as the "Great Hallel " (Ps. cxiii. — cxviii.) at the
chief yearly Festivals, and " the Songs of Degrees " on the pil-
grimages to the Holy City. It was no doubt by such use that
the Psalms, beyond all other parts of Holy Scripture, became
familiar in the Jewish, as afterwards in the Christian Church ;
and it is a remarkable evidence of such familiarity, that of all
the quotations from the Old Testament in the New it has been
calculated that about two-fifths are taken from the Psalms alone.
174c
TO THE PSALTER.
The Hebrew Title.— The original Hebrew title of the whole
Book, signifying " the Praises," or " Songs of Praise," and the
title " the Prayers," which in Ps. lxxii. 20 (" the prayers of
David the son of Jesse are ended") seems to refer to the
division of the Psalter (Ps. xlii. — lxxii.) then closed, indicate
this origin of the Psalter itself. It has been remarked that,
considered strictly, many of the Psalms do not altogether fall
under either category of praise or prayer. But these names are
well justified by their use in worship, of which the higher
element, marking the perfect worship of Heaven, is Praise, and
the lower element, belonging to our present state of imperfec-
tion, is Prayer. The headings of special Psalms carry out this
general description. Thus some Psalms (as Ps. xxxviii., lxx.)
are "for Remembrance" — that is "Memorial" of prayer and
penitence before God. Others (as Ps. c.) are "for Thanks-
giving." Others again (as Ps. lx.) represent the didactic element
in worship. They are " for Teaching," perhaps, like the Song
of Moses, to be committed to memory. Some of the Hebrew
names, moreover, given to particular Psalms carry out this last
meaning ; as Maschil (" Instruction " or " skill " in execution) ;
Michtam, probably "a golden Psalm," rendered in the Greek
version by a word signifying "inscription for a pillar." All
these names, connecting the Psalms with the worship and
teaching of the Service of God, describe them in their intrinsic
character and purpose.
The Greek Title. — On the other hand the name "Psalms,"
originating in the Greek Septuagint Version, and from it passing
into all modern European languages, describes simply their
poetical form and musical setting, as " songs accompanied by
stringed instruments." It is a historical justification of the
use of instrumental music in the Service of God ; and from the
diffei-ent headings of Psalms iv., vi. ("for strings"), and Ps. v.
(" for flutes "), it is clear that in practice it was held to include
not only stringed instruments, but also the wind instruments,
which in our own days furnish the most usual accompaniment.
Some of the Hebrew designations attached to special Psalms
mark varieties of musical style. Thus Shtr (see Ps. xlvi.) seems
to mean simply "a Song," while Mizmor (see Ps. xlviii.) is
"a Song accompanied by music." Shiggaion is probably an
"Ode" of more imaginative and erratic style. (It is curious
that these correspond remarkably to the " Psalms and Hymns
and Spiritual Songs," described in Ephes. v. 19, as belonging to
early Christian worship.) Other headings, according to the
usual interpretation, supply other musical details. In Ps. xlvi.,
the word Alamoth (" after the manner of maidens ") is thought
to indicate the use of treble voices, and in Ps. vi. Sheminith
(" on the octave ") the use of bass. In Ps. xxii., xlv., lvi., the
174<1
INTRODUCTION
Hebrew words signifying " the Hind of the Dawn," " after the
Lilies," and " the Silent Dove," are generally supposed to
represent the names of the tunes to which these Psalms were
set. The word Selah, often interspersed, translated by the
Greek diapsalma, or "interposed symphony," is thought to be
the signal " Strike up ! " given for such musical interlude. All
seems to shew that the use of the Psalms in worship was to the
ancient Israelites, not only an education of devotion, but a
training also in sacred music.
The Divisions of the Psalter. — This same use of the
Psalter in worship is further indicated by its ancient division
into five books, each ending with a solemn doxology. These
books are as follows : —
Book I. Ps. i.— xli.
Book II. Ps. xlii.— lxxii.
Book III. Pp. lxxiii. — lxxxix.
Book IV. Ps. xc. — cvi.
Book V. Ps. cvii. — cl.
The exact number five may probably have been suggested by
analogy with the five Books of the Law and the five Books of
the Prophets (the twelve Minor Prophets forming but one book).
But in general these Books appear to represent a gradual his-
torical growth of the Psalter from time to time, in connection
with the organisation or the restoration of the Temple Service.
The First Book (Ps. i. — xli.), in which almost all the Psalms
are referred to David, stands alone. It is by general consent
believed to have been the original Psalter, probably collected
by Solomon, to whom the First Psalm prefixed to the Book is
traditionally ascribed, and presumably forming the first body of
Psalms for use in the Temple.
The Second and Third Books are closely connected, and evi-
dently belong to a later period.
The date of the Second Book (Ps. xlii. — lxxii.), which contains
eighteen Psalms ascribed to David, and eight to the "sons of
Korah," and which ends with the words " the. prayers of David
the son of Jesse are ended," is doubtful. It is referred by
most authorities to the later times of the kingdom ; by some
to the revivals of Jehoshaphat or Hezekiah.
The Third Book (Ps. lxxiii. — lxxxix.) is mainly ascribed to
other authors, "Asaph," and "the sons of Korah," and is
evidently of later formation. From the labours of collection
ascribed to the men of Hezekiah in Prov. xxv. 1, and the
mention in the record of Hezekiah's Services of " the words of
David and Asaph the Seer" (2 Chron. xxix. 30), it has been
thought by many that the formation both of this and of the
preceding book belongs to his time.
174 e
TO THE PSALTER.
The Fourth and Fifth Books (Ps. xc. — cvi., and cvii. — cl.) are
again closely connected, and are generally referred to a later
date, probably to the restoration of the Exiles in the days of
Ezra and Nehemiah. Except seventeen Psalms ascribed to
David, one to Moses, and one to Solomon, they are anonymous,
and have few descriptive or musical titles ; and most of the
book, especially the Songs of Degrees (Ps. cxx. — cxxxiv.), and
such Psalms as Ps. cxxxvii., evidently belong to the period
after the return from Exile.
It has been contended by many that some of the Psalms are
of still later date, belonging even to Maccabean times. By
some critics, indeed — against the testimony of all ancient tradi-
tion— the great bulk of the Psalter has been referred to the
period after the Exile, and much of it to the time of the Mac-
cabees. But the evidence for this supposition, which contra-
dicts the constant Jewish tradition of the close of the Canon
in the generation after the completion of the Restoration, ap-
pears to be insufficient, and not unfrequently based on some-
what arbitrary criticism. As the Psalter undoubtedly became
the Service-Book of the Second Temple, it is very likely — as,
indeed, our own experience in the use of Hymnody would
suggest — that Psalms may have been in course of time modi-
fied and added to, with a view to adapt them to the worship
of later ages. But substantially it is probable that it grew up
as has been described above.
(This division accounts for the fact that some Psalms are
repeated. Thus Ps. xiv. (in the Bible Version) in the First
Book, and Ps. liii. in the Second Book are nearly identical ;
Ps. lxx. in the Second Book is a repetition of Ps. xl. 16-21 in
the First; and Ps. cviii. in the Fifth Book is made up of
passages from Ps. lx. and lvii. in the Second Book.)
Elohistic and Jehovistic Psalms.— It might have been
hoped that some clue to the relative date of the various parts
of the Psalter would be gained from the well-known distinction
between the Elohistic and Jehovistic Psalms — that is, the
Psalms in which the more ancient and general name of God
(Elohim) is used, and those in which it is replaced by the later
and more distinctive title of Jehovah. But on examination
this idea breaks utterly down. Speaking generally, the First
Book, undoubtedly the earliest, and especially the Psalms of
David which it contains, are Jehovistic ; and the same is true
of the Fourth and Fifth Books, which are obviously the latest.
<m the other hand, the intermediate Second and Third Books,
especially the Psalms of Asaph and the sons of Korah, are
Elohistic. The distinction is probably due merely to difference
of authorship, or possibly difference of occasion and character;
and there is, of course, no reason whatever, historical or
174/
INTRODUCTION
theoretical, why the two names should not have been used side
by side.
(II.) Authorship of the Psalms. — This gradual formation
of the Psalter stretches over a period of at least five hundred
years. The Psalms are the work of many ages and many
authors ; their general unity of tone and character belongs to
their unity of Inspiration and purpose. About a third of the
Psalms are anonymous. The ancient headings prefixed to the
Psalms refer the other two-thirds to various authors. Of these,
seventy-three (Ps. iii. — ix. ; xi. — xxxii. ; xxxv. — xli. ; li. — lxv. ;
lxviii. — lxx. ; Ixxxvi., ci., ciii. ; cvii. — ex.; exxii., exxiv., exxxi.,
exxxiii. ; exxxviii. — cxlv.) are ascribed to David; two (Ps. lxxii.,
exxvii.) to Solomon ; one (Ps. xc.) to Moses. Of the rest,
twelve (Ps. 1., lxxiii. — lxxxiii.) are attributed to "Asaph," de-
scribed iu 1 Chron. vi. JJ9 as the head of the family of the
Levites descended from Gershom the son of Levi, which was
one of the three families set by Davidt " over the Service of
Song." He seems to have stood out with special prominence
as the chief musician " ; so that in Ezra ii. 41 " the sons of
Asaph" seem equivalent to "the singers." To the second of
these families descended from Kohath, son of Levi, but called
"the sons of Korah" (grandson of Kohath), are ascribed
twelve Psalms (Ps. xlii. — xlix., lxxxiv., lxxxv., lxxxvii.,
Ixxxviii.), of which one (Ps. lxxxviii.) is referred to Heman,
their head, contemporary with Asaph. To Ethan, the corre-
sponding head of the family of the Merarites, is ascribed one
Psalm (Ps. lxxxix.).
What weight is to be assigned to these inscriptions has
been a matter of much controversy. It must, of course,
be allowed that they are not of absolute authority, and that
in some cases they appear to be inconsistent with the style
and substance of the Psalms to which they are prefixed. By
one School of Commentators they are unhesitatingly set aside
as worthless. The age and possible authorship of each Psalm
are confidently determined by simple conjecture — on the ground,
moreover, not so much of linguistic criticism as of supposed
internal evidence ; and by some the old universal belief in the
Psalms, as in any degree " the Psalms of David." is summarily
dismissed. But here, as in other cases, it appears impossible,
on sober consideration, to disregard altogether the authority of
an almost unvarying Jewish tradition, merely because in some
few cases it seems to be erroneous ; and certainly the a priori
grounds, on which this sweeping conclusion is justified, are
themselves open to much criticism, as involving many arbitrary
assumptions as to the supposed spiritual and poetic capacity of
this or that age, and, in the case of David at any rate, a
singular misconception of his true character. Giving to the
IU q
TO THE PSALTER.
whole evidences, external and internal, their due weight, we
shall he safe in concluding that the ancient tradition, although
not infallible, is entitled to very serious regard.
What may be the precise sense of the ascriptions them-
selves is, again, a matter for thoughtful consideration. In some
cases they undoubtedly are literal ascriptions of authorship ;
in others, a " Psalm of David" or a "Psalm of Asaph" may
simply mean that the Psalm was found in a collection bearing
their names, much as in the " Proverbs of Solomon." Each
case will have accordingly to be considered on its own merits.
It is also to be remembered that the date of the composition
of a Psalm must be distinguished from the date of its inclusion
in the regular use of the Psalter. The later Books, for example,
contain several Psalms ascribed to David. In this inclusion
note must be taken of the great probability that these ancient
Psalms may have been adapted to later use ; and, indeed, in
some of the ancient versions the names of later prophets
(Jeremiah, Haggai, Zechariah) are actually subjoined to the
name of David in the titles of Psalms.
Accordingly, accepting provisionally this degree of authority
in the old traditions, we may examine each class of the Psalms,
referred by them to various authors.
Psalms of David. — Of the Psalms of David not a few may
be referred, either by inscription or by strong internal evidence,
to various periods of his life. These references are examined
in detail in the annotations to each Psalm ; a few, however,
may be noticed here.
Some may well belong to the period of his early life till his
accession to the throne. Of these Ps. viii. (the contemplation
of the heavens), Ps. xxiii. ("the Lord is my Shepherd"), and
Ps. lxxviii. (the vision of God in the storm), breathe the asso-
ciations of his early shepherd life. The rest are of the days
of flight and exile. Ps. vii. belongs to some persecution by
" Cush the Benjamite " ; Ps. lix. describes the time when the
bloodhounds of Saul were watching his house ; Ps. lii. de-
nounces the malice of Doeg at the time of David's flight ;
Ps. xxxiv. (as also perhaps xxxv.) praises God for deliverance,
when he feigned madness before Achish ; Ps. lvi., also com-
posed in Gath, is a Psalm of anxiety and cry for help; Ps. liv.
describes the bitterness of his soul when the Ziphites betrayed
him; Ps. lvii. and cxlii., composed "in the cave " of Adullam
or Engedi, alternate between sense of danger and confidence of
faith in God. Through these it has been remarked that there
run certain general characteristics — an abruptness and vivid-
ness of style, a strong sense of innocence, a certain fierceness
of wrath against his enemies, and an almost unclouded trust
| in God.
in h 13—5
INTRODUCTION
The second class of Psalms refer to the period of his great-
ness and prosperity . With the bringing up of the Ark it is
impossible not to associate Ps. xxiv. (" Lift up your heads, O
ye gates ") and Ps. xv. (" Who shall ascend unto the hill of the
Lord"); possibly to this time, perhaps more probably to the
Dedication Festival of Solomon, belongs the magni6cent
Psalm lxviii. ("Let God arise"), taking its motto from the
words used at the setting out of the Ark in the wilderness
(Num. x. 35). Ps. lx. marks the decisive struggle against the
Syrians (seo 2 Sam. x. 0-19). To the completion of victories
(see 2 Sam. xxii. 1) clearly belongs Ps. xviii. — a Te Deum of
triumphant thanksgiving (" I will praise thee, O God, my
strength") ; and perhaps also Ps. xx. and xxi., full of trust in
God in the hour of battle, and of the blessing and triumph
of the King. To the time of the promise of " the sure mercies
of David " (2 Sam. vii. 12-2"), Ps. ex. (" Jehovah said unto my
Lord ") may well be referred. Ps. ci. (the king's vow of mercy
and judgment) marks the same time of prosperity and peace in
the favour of God. Perhaps to this time also belongs Ps. xxx.,
connected in the heading with the " Dedication of the House,"
either his own house, or (as Jewish tradition has it) the site
of the future Temple on Mount Moriah after the numbering
of the people. In all these may be noted greater perfection
and maturity of style, a more kingly tone of dignity, and a
deeper thought and intensity of devotion.
Other Psalms, again, belong to the last period of decline and
decay after his great sin. Ps. li. declares itself expressly as
the outpouring of godly sorrow, not without hope, in the hour
of his repentance ; and possibly to the same time may be
referred Ps. xxxii., "Blessed is he whose unrighteousness is
forgiven." Ps. vi., xxxviii., xxxix., xli., are all similarly
Psalms of deep self-abasement and sorrow, indicating appa-
rently special sickness and suffering, and full of marked
reference to treason of trusted friends. They may well belong
to the time of weakness and decay before the rebellion of
Absalom, and indicate the treachery of false friends like Ahitho-
phel. Ps. iii. is expressly referred to the flight from Absalom ;
and Ps. lxiii. to the first halt in the " wilderness of Judah."
Through all there runs a deeper and sadder tone, pathetic in
sense of weakness and suffering, but yet with an underlying
peace and hope. Like a gleam at sunset, after these come the
"last words of David," not included in the Psalter (2 Sam.
xxiii. 2-5), full of the sense of the unfailing glory and strength
of righteousness, and , the trust, even in defect therefrom, in
the sure promise of God.
Psalms of Asaph. — The Psalms of Asaph (whatever be the
exact meaning of the title) have certainly marked character-
174 1
TO THE PSALTER.
istics of their own. They use the general name Elohim
instead of the deeper and more awful name Jehovah. The?
dwell especially (see Ps. lxxvii. 15 ; lxxxi. 5 ; lxxx. 1) oi
"Joseph" and Israel, as distinct from Judah, and in the las
case on " Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasses," the tribes o
the western camp in the wilderness, close to which the Ger
shonite Levites pitched (see Num. ii. 18-24 ; iii. 23) ; and ii
Ps. lxxviii. 67, 68 on the transference of the supremacy
from Ephraim to Judah. They seem to have a meditative anc
thoughtful cast; as in Ps. lxxiii., putting before us the grea
problem of God's moral government, which forms the subjee
of the Book of Job ; and in the grand Psalm 1., urging the tru<
spirituality of sacrifice and of covenant with God. They hav<
frequently a national character, of lamentation in Ps. Ixxiv.
lxxix., lxxx., of triumph in Ps. lxxv., lxxvi., lxxxi. One is th<
first great historical Psalm (Ps. lxxviii.), surveying the storj
of Israel from the Exodus to the choice of David. Similarly
Ps. lxxxiii., in prayer against a confederacy of enemies, chron-
icles God's deliverance from Sisera and from Midian in th*
ancient days of Gideon. Another is a grave didactic admonitior
(Ps. lxxxii.) to the judges of Israel. If they have not tin
depth and vigour of the Psalms of David, they suit well the
grave authoritative character of the chief of the Levites anc
" the seer."
Psalms of the Sons of Korah.— The Psalms of this family
of Levites, and Heman their chief (Ps. xlii. — xlix., lxxxiv.,
lxxxv., lxxxvii., lxxxviii.), are, as perhaps might be expected
in the main Psalms not so much of personal devotion, as oi
national and ecclesiastical feeling, looking to God especially as
the King of Israel. Thus Ps. xliv. is the cry to God in some
national disaster; Ps. xlvi., xlvii., xlviii. form a group ol
thanksgivings to " God our hope and strength " in the hour oi
deliverance, when " He goes up with the sound of the trumpet,"
'and "reigns over the heathen from His holy seat." Ps. xlv.
is a Marriage Hymn (probably at the wedding of Solomon) ;
Ps. lxxxiv. (" O how amiable are thy dwellings ") is a song of
devotion in the Temple ; Ps. lxxxv. a thanksgiving to God
for "turning away captivity" ; and Ps. lxxxvii. a song of the
glory of Zion "above all dwellings of Jacob." But in this
group there are some deeply personal Psalms, one of which
(Ps. lxxxviii.) is ascribed expressly to Heman. Ps. xlii., xliii.
(which form really one Psalm) express the longing for God in
'exile from Him, with the burden, Why art thou so cast down,
pQ my soul. . .Put thy trust in God." Ps. xlix. is a pensive
meditation on the vanity and transitoriness of all mortal
things. Ps. lxxxviii. (greatly resembling some notable passages
|$n the Book of Job) is the cry of the dark hour, in sense of
174 k
INTRODUCTION
present sorrow, and in terror of the shadowy mystery of the
world beyond the grave, and yet in a sad but steadfast trust in
God. All three bear so strong a personal impress of pensive-
ness and of intense but not unclouded faith, that it is difficult
not to refer them to individual authorship.
These are closed by a long Psalm of Ethan, head of the
sons of Merari (Ps. lxxxix.), pleading the covenant of the sure
mercies of David, and crying out through it for deliverance
from humiliation and the burden of God's displeasure.
(III.) Later Groups of Psalms. — Other marked groups,
though not ascribed to any particular authors, may also be
noted. Thus Ps. xci. — c. have been thought to form a group,
some of the Psalms being actually connected together in the
MSS. ; and in these certain striking similarities to the latter
part of the Book of Isaiah have been pointed out. (See the
Introduction to the Psalter in the Speaker's Commentary.)
They are almost entirely Psalms of glad confidence and thanks-
giving. Ps. xci. breathes the faith in Him "who gives His
angels charge over us " ; Ps. xcii. (a " Psalm for the Sabbath ")
declares how good a thing it is to praise and bless God ; Ps. xciii.,
xcvii., xcviii., xcix., are all Psalms of Adoration, proclaiming
that "the Lord is King" over Israel and over all the earth;
Ps. xciv. is a confident invocation of Him "to whom vengeance
belongeth" ; Ps. xcv. is the great Psalm of Invitation to the
Worship of the Lord, our Creator and our Father^ Ps. xcvi.,
xcviii. call on us to "sing to the Lord the new Song" before
the heathen and over all the earth ; and Ps. c. is the traditional
Psalm of Jubilation to God, because He is good and " His mercy
endures from generation to generation."
A similar group of Psalms are those usually called the Great
Hallel (cxiii. — cxviii.), used by the Jews at the three great
Festivals, and the Feast of Dedication. These are naturally
Psalms of Thanksgiving to the Lord from the House of Israel,
and from the Priesthood, " the House of Aaron," with constant
remembrance of His mercies of old. The first two Psalms
(cxiii., cxiv.), sung together at an early stage of the Passover
Feast, are simply an ascription of Praise to the Lord as the
protector of the lowly, with reminiscences of the going forth
of the Presence of the Lord, " when Israel went out of Egypt."
The last four (Ps. cxv. — cxviii.), sung together at a later stage,
begin (Ps. cxv.) with a contrast of the greatness of the Loid
with the vanity of the idols of the heathen, and an exultant
confidence in His promised blessing. Then (Ps. cxvi.) follows
an expression of faith, even out of affliction and perplexity, an
enquiry, " What can I render to the Lord? " and an offering to
Him of the sacrifice of thanksgiving. To this succeeds (in
Ps. cxvii.) a short concluding burst of Praise to the Lord before
1741
TO THE PSALTER.
all nations. Finally, Ps. cxviii. — the "Hosanna" Psalm,
from which the cries of welcome at Our Lord's triumphal
entry into Jerusalem were taken — especially appropriated to the
exuberant thanksgiving of the Feast of Tabernacles — presents in
dramatic vividness the picture of a king, coming with his train
to the Temple, welcomed by the Priests from within, and sur-
rounded by the shouts of the people from without, which hail
him "who cometh in the Name of the Lord," and finally
entering into the Temple to thank and praise the Lord as his
God. The whole form a magnificent group of Psalms of Adora-
tion and Praise, belonging in measure to the earthly kingdom,
in perfection to the heavenly kingdom of the Messiah.
Another equally remarkable group is the series of Songs of
Degrees — that is properly, " Songs of the Ascents." This title
is considered by some interpreters to describe a certain regular
gradation in the structure of the Psalms. But it is more usually
interpreted either (as in the LXX.) of Psalms sung on the broad
" steps " of the Temple, with the number of which the number
of the Psalms (fifteen) curiously corresponds, or of " Songs
ef the Goings up" of the Pilgrims to the Temple, collected
or composed in the gladness of its restoration after the Cap-
tivity. These are Ps. cxx. — exxxiv. ; four ascribed to David
(Ps. exxii., exxiv., exxxi., exxxiii.), one to Solomon (Ps. exxvii.) ;
but mostly of later date. They seem to fall into lesser groups,
through which, amidst much variety of tone and idea, we trace
indications of their general purpose. Thus Ps. cxx. is tho
utterance of the Pilgrim, who dwells amidst men of contention,
and longs for peace in God ; in Ps. exxi. he lifts up his eyes to
the hills of Jerusalem, and feels God's protection day and night
in his approach to it ; in Ps. exxii. he stands in sight of the
Holy City, glad to enter into the House of the Lord, and praying
for the peace of Jerusalem. Again, Ps. exxiii. is a cry of one
despised and oppressed ; Ps. exxiv. (ascribed to David) of one
against whom the waves of enmity break, but who is delivered
by the Lord of heaven and earth; in Ps. exxv. he looks on
Jerusalem surrounded by the mountains, seeing in its position
a type of the encompassing protection of God ; and in Ps. exxvi.
exults in the turning of the Captivity of Zion, by which they
who have sown in tears now reap in joy. Then the more
reflective Ps. exxvii. (ascribed to Solomon) is the declaration of
the vanity of all human care, unless the Lord build the house
and keep the city ; succeeded by Ps. exxviii., a Psalm of domestic
joy and blessing for all who fear the Lord. Next we find a
group of sadder tone ; Ps. exxix. is the prayer of the soul,
persecuted but not forsaken, to the Lord, who will confound the
.enemies of his people ; Ps. exxx. (the De Profundis) is a cry
of patient faith out of the very depths of sorrow and death;
INTRODUCTION
and Ps. cxxxi. throws the soul, like the " soul of the weaned
child," upon the bosom of the Lord. Lastly, we have in
Ps. exxxii. the remembrance of the longing of David to build
the house of the Lord, of the sure promise given to him, and
the abundant blessing on priests and people in the Temple ;
Ps. exxxiii. dwells on the glory of godly unity ; and Ps. exxxiv.
is the final burst of praise and blessing from the servants of the
Lord.
Besides these well-marked groups, there is an interesting
succession of Psalms (cii. — cvii.), broken indeed by the division
of the Fourth and Fifth Books, but certainly having a remark-
able coherence of idea. Thu3 Ps. cii., ciii. are the Psalms of
the spiritual life of the individual; the one of "the afflicted
pouring out his complaint before the Lord," and ending in faith
in the Unchangeable God ; the other of unclouded joy, praising
the Lord for all His benefits, especially for His forgiveness,
forbearance, and sympathy towards His weak and sinful children.
Ps. civ. is the great Psalm of Nature," following with wonder
and thankfulness the marvellous order of Creation, and seeing
God everywhere in His works. Ps. cv., cvi. are " Psalms of
History," tracing out, from the first covenant with Abraham
through the wandering life of the Patriarchs, and in the history
of the people in Egypt, in the wilderness, and in the Promised
Land, the goodness of God, prevailing over the weakness and the
sinfulness of man. Ps. cvii. is the " Psalm of Life " — a series of
pictures of life's emergencies and trials, in exile, captivity, sick-
ness, danger on the sea, fruitfulness or famine — not perhaps
without reference to the history of Israel, but embracing the
vicissitudes of human life as such, and ending each section with
the burden, " O that men would therefore praise the Lord for
His goodness ! "
The Psalms in the Jewish Church. — Such were the original
purpose and general character of the Psalms in the Jewish
Church. It is impossible to doubt that, at least as much as any
other element of the Old Testament, they told on the spiritual
education of individuals, and the religious faith and character
of the nation. In their direct relation to worship, they express,
and so tend to preserve, the spirituality of devotion, which gave
religious vitality to the ritual and ceremonial system; they
bring out the true idea of the sacredness of the Temple and the
priesthood, of the splendid and joyous worship of the sanctuary,
and especially of its sacrifices in all their various forms ; while
at the same time they are, perhaps even more often, the out-
pouring of the private devotion, in which the soul is alone face
to face with God. In their larger relation to religious faith and
life they are the inspired response to the Prophetic teaching,
shewing the acceptance and understanding of the message of
174 n
TO THE PSALTER.
God. Thus, if it was a part of the Prophetic mission to teach
obedience to the Law of God in the spirit and not in the letter,
through love and not through fear, what can express the accep-
tance of that teaching more remai-kably than the reiterated
delight in "the statutes," "the commandments," "the testi-
monies," which pervades the great 119th Psalm ? If the
Prophet taught the spiritual sacrifice of the soul, as contrasted
with mere outward sacrifice and worship (as, for example, in
Isa. i. 10-20; Mic. vi. 6-8), the Psalms are the expression of
desire to offer from the heart the sacrifice of thanksgiving (Ps. 1.
7-15), of penitence (Ps. li. 16, 17), and of obedience (Ps. xl.
8-13). If again the Prophet had to exalt Jehovah, as the only
true King of Israel, of whom earthly kings were but the vice-
gerents, and to shew that the strength of Israel lay in no
material power, but in faithfulness to this religious allegiance,
the Psalms (see Ps. xx., xxi., lvii., ci.) are full of the heartiest
acknowledgment of this spiritual loyalty from kings and people
alike. If the Prophets in their ministry to the future had to
keep alive faith in the great Promise to Abraham and to David,
by preparing for the coming of the Messiah, the Psalms, as will
be seen hereafter, are full of Messianic anticipation, through the
sense of that communion of humanity with God, of which the
coming of the Messiah was to be the perfection. Everywhere
the Psalm, like the Prophecy, is the recognition of the presence
of God in the soul and. of thedevotion of the soul to Him. It
may dwell on God in history, in the wonderful record of the life
of the Chosen People (Ps. lxxviii., cv., cvi.) ; it may contemplate
God in Nature and Life (Ps. civ., cvii.) ; it may extol the glory
of the Law and the beauty of worship (Ps. cxix., lxxxiv., xcii.).
But the true essence of the Psalm comes out most emphatically
in such consciousness of the Presence of God to the soul, as is
expressed in Ps. cxxxix., and in the "thirst for God, yea, even
for the living God," which breathes in Ps. xlii., lxiii. In it is
expressed the vital principle of true spiritual religion.
(IV.) The Psalms in the Christian Church. —Hence it was
but natural that from Jewish usage in the Temple, or, perhaps
even more, in the Synagogue, the Psalms should pass into the
public and private devotion of the Church of Christ. In the
first account given us of an assembly of the disciples, we find a
quotation from Ps. lxix. 25 rise at once to the lips of St. Peter
(Acts i. 20) in his address to the brethren ; we find that Ps. xvi.
8-11, and Ps. ex. 1, 2, supply the prophecies of the Eesurrection
and Ascension, on which he dwells in his first Sermon on the
Day of Pentecost; and in the first record of united Christian
worship it is Ps. ii. which suggests the idea and form of the
; prayer. The passages (in Eph. v. 19 ; Col. iii. 16) which suggest
> to Christians the " speaking to themselves," and " admonishing
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INTRODUCTION
one another," in "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs";
the command, "Is any merry? let him sing Psalms" (James
v. 13); even the complaint, "Every one hath a psalm, hath
a doctrine " (1 Cor. xiv. 26)— all clearly indicate a free use
of the Psalms in public and private devotion. The constant
quotation of the Psalms in the New Testament (already noticed)
appeals to the familiarity arising from such use. These indica-
tions of the practice of the Apostolic age naturally lead on to
countless passages in the writings of the Fathers, which shew
how high a place was occupied by the Psalms in the worship
and in €he teaching of subsequent ages ; till at last, with the
Canticles and the later Hymns, catching to some degree their
inspiration from them, they may be said to have moulded the
whole of the element of Praise and Thanksgiving in the Services
of the Church.
Liturgical Arrangements of the Psalter.— Subsequently
we find elaborate arrangements of the Psalms for continual use,
both in the East and in the West, evidently independent, though
not so wholly dissimilar as to obliterate some community of
principal features. In the Western Church, with which we are
especially concerned, the theory of the various arrangements of
the Psalms was that, although not in order of succession, and
not without some repetitions, the whole Psalter should be sung
weekly; that on the numerous holy-days, festal or penitential,
special selections should supersede the regular Psalms of the
day ; and that of all the Occasional Services appropriate Psalms
should form a prominent part. With the Psalms were used
" Antiphons," or responses of Prayer and Praise. These were
originally designed to lay hold of the main idea of each Psalm,
with a view to its better adaptation to Christian worship. In fact,
the Gloria Patri, used from old times in the West at the end of
each Psalm, in the East at the end of each group of Psalms,
may be regarded as the most striking and universal specimen of
such Antiphons. But in practice, so far at any rate as the
public Services were concerned, the complaint of the Preface to
the Prayer Book of 1549 was well founded : " Notwithstanding
that the ancient Fathers have divided the Psalms into seven
portions, whereof every one was called a Nocturn ; now of late
times a few of them have been daily said and the rest utterly
omitted"; and the Antiphons, beautiful in themselves, were
often irrelevant, rather obscuring than elucidating the sense of
the Psalms. Happily in the various Primers selections from
Psalms were found in English, containing among others the
Seven Penitential Psalms, the " Psalms of Degrees," the
"Psalms of the Passion," &c. ; and these were, no doubt,
largely used in the devotions of the people both at Church
and at home.
174p
TO THE PSALTER.
The Prayer Book Arrangement. — In the Prayer Book of
1549, in this point, as in all others, resolution was taken to
simplify the previous elaborate arrangements, with a view to
form Services of really Common Prayer, and to provide for
such regularity of recitation as should make the whole Psalter
thoroughly familiar to the people. This led to the substitution
of the monthly for the weekly recitation of the Psalter, the
Psalms being sung in strict order of succession, and a moderate
number assigned to each Morning and Evening Service. With
a view better to preserve this principle of regularity, and under
the idea that "Anthems, Responds, and Invitatories " "did
break the continued course of the reading of the Scriptures,"
the compilers of the Prayer Book, instead of simplifying them,
struck all out, often with loss of much beauty and instructive-
ness. At the same time, retaining the use of appropriate
Psalms in the Occasional Services, they considerably reduced
their number. Similarly, while keeping to the principle of
Special Selections of Psalms for solemn occasions, they re-
stricted this interference with the regular arrangement to the
four great Festivals — Christmas, Easter, Ascension, and Whit-
suntide (to which in 1559 the two chief Fasts, Ash-Wednesday
and Good Friday, were added) ; and, even in regard to Psalms
occupying the place of Canticles in the Daily Services (such as
Ps. xcv.), provided very carefully against any chance of repeti-
tion. Subsequently the Psalms used specially as Introits in
the Prayer Book of 1549 (see Introduction to the Collects,
Epistles, and Gospels) were struck out. In fact, in the Psalms,
even more than in the Lessons, the principle of regularity has
been allowed complete predominance, and speciality confined
within the narrowest limits. The appropriateness of the Ser-
vices to particular occasions may have been impaired thereby ;
and, indeed, in the American Prayer Book it has been thought
well to rectify this defect by increase of the number of the
days for which Proper Psalms are appointed, and by the pro-
vision of selections of Psalms which may be substituted at
the discretion of the Minister for the Psalms of the day.
But the desired result has certainly followed, in the wide ex-
tension of knowledge and use of the Psalter by all classes of the
members of the Church of England.
(V.) The Christian Use of the Psalms. — With this familiar
ft use of the Psalter as a treasure-house of Christian thought and
S devotion are closely connected two questions of great interest.
Their Evangelical Character.— This question, indeed,
bears directly on the propriety of the use itself. Is the spirit
of the Psalter, belonging as it does to the Old Covenant, so
:far " Evangelical " that it can rightly express the religious
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INTRODUCTION
life of Christians under "the New ? The practice of ages has,
indeed, unhesitatingly answered the question in the affirmative ;
and the leading characteristic of the Psalms already noticed —
the profound sense of a spiritual Communion with a God. who
has covenant with man, and on whom the soul can rest with an
absolute trust — may well justify the answer. In our deeper
knowledge of this fundamental conception, on which the Psalms
rest, we may even be able to enter more fully into their inspired
meaning than those who first heard or sang them, and so may
claim them as not less, but more, properly our own. But
while this is true in the main, yet still in many points we
have to do what the appending of the Gloria to each Psalm
may be held to symbolize — that is, to translate them into the
fuller and higher language of the Gospel. For of them, as of
all other parts of the ancient system, it is true that " the Law "
— the old Covenant — " made nothing perfect." Thus, for ex-
ample, in relation to the future life — while there is undoubtedly
the germ of the full Christian belief, certainly in a future state,
perhaps in a Resurrection — yet this imperfection is marked by
the alternation of the sure confidence of Ps. xvi., xvii. that
" God will not leave the soul in hell," and that we shall
"awake uo after His likeness," with the bewilderment of
Ps. lxxxviii., cxv., in regard of the "land where all things"
— oven God's glory — would seem "to be forgotten," and "the
dead go down into silence, and praise Him not." It is an
imperfection which, except in dark hours of passing despon-r
dency, none should feel, for whom the Lord Jesus Christ " has
brought life and immortality to light." Again, in the relation
to God, while — with such notable exceptions as Ps. li. — there
is less profound sense of the unworthiness of man to assert
innocence and challenge judgment, than belongs to the fuller
conception which the Christian has of "the exceeding sinful-
ness of sin," yet — strange as this may seem — there is also a
less complete subordination of the spirit of fear and awe to
love, than accords with such consciousness of God's love to us,
as is breathed by St. Paul in the eighth chapter of the Epistle
to the Romans, or by St. John in the fifth chapter of his first
Epistle. Still more evidently in relation to man, the fierceness
of the "Imprecatory Psalms" (see Ps. xxxv. 4-8; lxix. 22-28;
cix. 6-20), crying oat for vengeance on the enemies of the
Psalmist, as enemies of goodness and of God — a vengeance,
which, after the fashion of old times, may be extended even to
their children — belongs to the "spirit of Elias" rather than
the " spirit of Christ." So the last martyr of the Old Testa-
ment (2 Chron. xxiv. 20-22) died with the cry "The Lord
look upon it, and require it," the first martyr of the New
with the prayer of forgiveness, " Lord, lay not this sin to
TO THE PSALTER.
their charge" (Acts vii. 60). These Psalms, indeed, have
their lessons to us still, warning us against weak condona-
tion of evil and lukewarmness in the battle against it. It
is eternally right to hate sin, to recognise the unceasing need
of struggle against it and those who sustain it, to long for and
trust in a Divine retribution, to rejoice in believing that the
enemies of God must fall. But Our Lord has taught us, while
we hate the sin, to love and pity the sinner, while we look for
judgment, to leave it wholly to God's Bighteousness and Mercy,
and to beware of thinking that the enemies of God's servants
are necessarily enemies of God Himself. In these things, and
such things as these, it is right to read the Psalms (as probably
we mostly do half -unconsciously) in the light of the word and
the grace of Christ, dispelling whatever is in them of darkness
and imperfection, and transfiguring their brightness into a
diviner beauty.
Their Messianic Witness. — The other question is of less
practical urgency, though hardly of less religious interest.
How far are the Psalms Messianic ? How far did they, con-
sciously or unconsciously, foreshadow the true Christ ?
Here also Christian tradition has pronounced a similar affir-
mative; and has sometimes pushed, even to the verge of fan-
ciful exaggeration, its instinctive consciousness of this witness
to Chiisb in the Psalter. That in some sense there is Messianic
anticipation in the Psalter is absolutely certain, as by the un-
doubting belief of the Jews before Our Lord came, so by the
express claim of Himself (see, for example, Matt. xxii. 42) and
His Apostles (see Acts ii. 25-35 ; xiii. 33-35). Considering, in-
deed, the universal tendency to Messianic expectation in the
whole idea of the Ancient Covenant, and so in the whole of
the Old Testament Eevelation and in Jewish thought, it is in-
conceivable that in this utterance of what is deepest and most
spiritual in that Covenant, such anticipation should be wanting.
Accordingly, when we read the Psalter carefully, Aye un-
doubtedly trace this expectation of the Messiah in His two-
fold nature, as the true Son of Man and as the manifestation
of "God with us," constantly underlying its utterances, and
breaking forth plainly again and again. His royalty, as Son
of David, in a kingdom over all nations, which i3 a kingdom
of God, is perhaps the dominant idea ; less marked, and less
recognised by Israel, but not less real, is the foreshadowing
of His suffering, and of His partaking, as Son of Man, of the
[weakness and burden of humanity ; nor less evident, in con-
trast with this, the acknowledgment of Him as the true Son
of God.
But it may be well to examine more closely this Messianic
application in a few characteristic instances. It will then
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INTRODUCTION
appear that in some cases this anticipation is unconscious. The
application of the Psalms, even on the highest authority, may
be simply application. Thus, when the denunciation of the
treachery of the "familiar friend " of Ps. xli. 9 is applied by
Our Lord to the treason of Judas (John xiii. 18), and when the
judgment invoked in Ps. lxix. 25 ; cix. 8, is applied by St. Peter
to his terrible doom, it is not necessarily implied that such
application was known and intended by the Psalmist. So
again, the complaint of Ps. lxix. 21, " They gave me gall to
eat; and when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink,"
while it was signally fulfilled in the great Passion of Calvary,
was probably to the Psalmist only a figure of insulting and
malignant cruelty. In such cases as these, although to us
there must be association with the Christ after the event,
there may well have been no conscious anticipation of Him.
But,, putting these aside, the Messianic foreshadowings of
the Psalms are, as a rule, typical rather than directly prophetic.
There are, indeed, Psalms which are of the character of pro-
phecy, because in them the writer does not express any emotion
or aspiration of his own, but contemplates as from without the
revelation of the Kingdom of God. Such is Ps. ii. (quoted
in Acts xiii. 33; Heb. i. 5), foretelling the struggle against
enemies, and the enthronement in Zion of a King, who is the
Son of God. Such, again, is Ps. xlv. (quoted in Heb. i. 8),
contemplating in exultation the marriage feast of the King,
who is hailed with the Divine title. Such, above all, is Ps. ex.,
quoted by Our Lord Himself as well as His Apostles (Matt,
xxii. 44; Acts ii. 34; Heb. i. 13; x. 12), as foreseeing the
" Lord of David," the " Priest after the order of Melchisedech,"
enthroned at the right hand of God, till His enemies be made
His footstool. These are direct prophecies, and — whatever
lesser fulfilments they may have had — it is impossible to doubt
that they pointed on to the expected Messiah.
But these are exceptional. As a rule, the Psalm is simply the
expression of a conscious communion with God, which implies
two things — the revelation of Jehovah Himself to the soul of
man (such as is promised in Jer. xxxi. 33), writing itself plainly
both on mind and heart ; and the exaltation of humanity, as
made in the Divine Image, to an inspired realization of this
Kevelation of God. Now, it is not only clear, but it was
familiarly known to the Jews, that both these elements of the
communion with God were to be perfected in the Messiah ; for
the Messiah was at once an " Emmanuel" (Isa. vii. 14), a mani-
festation of " Jehovah our Righteousness" (Jer. xxiii. 6); and
on the other hand, a Son of Man, "seed of Abraham" and
"Son of David," although on Him are accumulated (as in
Isa. ix. 6) attributes far above humanity, essentially Divine.
174 1
TO THE PSALTER.
So far, therefore, as any Psalmist realized the Communion
with God in both its phases, so far he always was, and often
knew himself to be, a type of the Messiah ; so far he used
language true in measure of himself, true without measure
of Him who was to come." He prophesied (so to speak)
from within.
Thus, to take the celebrated example of Ps. xvi. 8-11, it is
obviously in its original conception the expression of a joyful
and thankful sense of unity with God, first in the familiar
blessings of this world, next in the unknown mystery of Hell
(Hades) and the grave; yet it is no less obvious (as both
St. Peter and St. Paul argue) that it must be fulfilled perfectly,
not in David, who underwent the common lot of man, but in
Him who broke the chains, because He had " the keys, of Hell
and of death." So also Ps. xl. 6-10 is in itself a declaration
of the truth, so often urged by the Prophets, that sacrifice in
itself is nothing, and the devotion of heart and life is every-
thing ; but yet, so far as it announces the passing away of the
old sacrificial system, as merely typical of good things to come,
it is clear (as is argued in Heb. x. 1-10), that it could be
uttered only by the great Antitype Himself. Similarly in the
great Messianic Psalm (Ps. cxviii.), while we have primarily a
vivid dramatic picture of a triumphant King, coming with his
train to worship in the Temple, yet the instinct of the people
of Jerusalem on the day of Our Lord's triumphal entry rightly
applied to the Messiah the cry " Hosanna " and the blessing on
"Him who cometh in the Name of the Lord." Nor less
strikingly, in that memorable picture of the suffering for a
time in this world of sin of the Messenger of God (Ps. xxii.),
we recognise, indeed, the pathetic utterance of the soul of the
persecuted Psalmist himself, and yet, even had not Our Lord
on the Cross taken this utterance as His own, we could hardly
have failed to read in the whole Psalm a marvellous foreshadow-
ing, even in its details, of the great Passion on Calvary — corre-
sponding from the side of inner consciousness to the celebrated
picture from without of the Suffering Messiah in Isa. liii. In
these instances, as in many others, the general principle is
clearly brought out. As Christian life is the conscious repro-
duction of the Life of Christ manifested on earth, so, far more
vaguely but still truly, the godly life of the ancient servants of
God was a foreshadowing of that which was to be revealed. It
is in virtue of this fundamental principle that all Christian agea
have followed the early Apostolic teaching, by acknowledging in
the Psalms a typical witness of Christ.
(VI.) The Form of the Psalms. — It remains now only to
notice briefly the peculiar poetical form of the Psalm, and the
various methods of its musical recitation.
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INTRODUCTION
The poetry of the Psalm, like all the other poetry of Holy
Scriptures, although in the original it has a kind of rhythmical
cadence in each clause, is chiefly marked by a parallelism of
idea, generally expressed within the limits of each verse, some-
times extending to groups of verses. Each verse is mostly of
the nature of a distich, in which there is a close correspondence
of the two members in three chief relations.
(a) Most frequently this relation is a relation of Identity —
the latter half of the verse simply repeating the idea of the
former in different words ; as —
" The Lord hath heard my petition,
The Lord will receive my prayer."
Or—
" His travail shall come on his own head,
His wickedness shall fall on his own pate."
(b) Sometimes the relation is of Antithesis — the latter clause
supplying an idea exactly opposite to that of the former; as —
" The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous ;
But the way of the ungodly shall perish."
Or—
" There is neither speech nor language :
But their voices are heard among them."
(c) Sometimes the relation is of Inference — the latter clause
containing a conclusion drawn from the former; as —
" The Lord is known to execute judgment ;
The ungodly is trapped in the work of his own hands."
Or—
" The Lord is my Shepherd :
Therefore can I lack nothing."
Occasionally, but more rarely, the verse assumes the character
of a tristich, or three-line stanza — the latter member being (so
to speak) enlarged ; as —
" Thou shalt shew me the path of life :
In Thy Presence is fulness of joy ;
At Thy right hand is pleasure lor evermore."
Or—
"My heart was glad ;
My irlory rejoiced ;
My flesh shall rest in hope."
Occasionally even of a tetrastich or four-line stanza ;
" The ungodly have drawn the sword,
They have bent their bow :
To cast down the poor and needv,
To siay such as are of right conversation."
174 v
TO THE PSALTER.
Besides, however, this parallelism in successive verses, we
find cases in which the correspondence extends over groups of
successive verses ; as — ■
" Lift up your heads, O ye gates,
Be lift up, ye everlasting doors ;
And the King of Glory shall come in.
Who is the King of Glory ?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O ye gates ;
Be lift up, ye everlasting doors :
And the Kins of Glory shall come in.
Who is the King of Glory?
The Lord of blosts:
He is the King of Glory."
In this case, as in some others, the beginning and end of
the connected group of verses is marked by the insertion of
" Selah," indicating (as we have seen) the interposition of ^a
musical symphony. By this (for example) we see that Ps. iii.
is divided into three stanzas ; the first two of two verses each,
contrasting the sense of trouble expressed in vs. 1, 2, with the
sense of God's protection in vs. 3, 4; the last of four verses
applying both in mingled prayer and thanksgiving. So again
Ps. lxi. is similarly divided into two stanzas, each of four
verses.
In other cases this division of idea is marked by the recur-
rence of a burden with or without the interposed " Selah."
Thus in Ps. xlvi., the last two sections (vs. 4-7, 8-11) end with
the joyful exclamation —
"The Lord of Hosts is with us ;
The God of Jacob is our refuge."
Again, in Ps. xlii., xliii., which are virtually one Psalm, we
have three such sections — each ended with the cry —
" Why art thou so heavy, O my soul ?
Why art thou so disquieted within me ?
Put thy trust in God ;
I will yet give Him thanks :
Who is the help of my countenance and my God."
The grandest instance is, however, Ps. cvii., in which the
first four sections, containing distinct pictures of life's vicissi-
tudes, are ended with a burden, of which the first member is
;: always the same —
" O that men would prase God for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men ! "
while the second member varies at each successive repetition.
174 w
INTRODUCTION
In a few Psalms the acrostic principle is preserved in succes-
sive clauses (as in Ps. cxi., cxii.) ; in successive verses (as in
Ps. xxv., xxxiv., cxlv.) ; of in successive groups of verses (as
in Ps. xxxvii., cxix.). (Occasionally this acrostic arrangement
is imperfectly carried out, as notably in Ps. ix., x.) This is,
however, exceptional ; it has more artificiality of system than
usual, and tends to break up the sense of the Psalm into
separate ideas or maxims. It was probably adopted as a help
to memory.
In these various ways, without being subjected to the rigid
fetters of metre or rhyme, the language of the Psalms has
impressed upon it that modulation and partial artificiality of
form, which in all literatures seems to intensify, by confining
within limits, the imaginative force of poetry. It is remark-
able, and singularly conducive to the universal use of the
Psalter, that since this kind of poetic form, unlike those of
more modern poetry, attaches to idea more than word, it admits
of free rendering in all the various languages into which the
Psalms have been translated.
The Musical Recitation of the Psalms. — In some degree
correspondent to this parallelism is the nature of the music, to
which in the Christian Church the Psalms have been set. Of
the methods of musical recitation of the Psalms, as they
e isted in the Jewish Church, although much speculation,
more or less probable, has been employed, we cannot be said
to know anything with certainty. In the Christian Church we
not only know from very early times that, as their original
intention demanded, they were sung and not said, and, where
there was opportunity, musically accompanied ; but we learn
of three methods of singing them. Sometimes they were sung
in full by the whole Congregation ; sometimes they were sung
responsively, a Precentor singing alternate verses and Congre-
gation or Choir taking up the others ; sometimes, and most
frequently of all, they were sung antiphonally by the two sides
of the Choir or the Congregation. The last method is of
immemorial antiquity in the East, and it is said to have been
introduced into the West by St. Ambrose in the fifth cen-
tury. With this introduction is connected the origination of.
the old Ambrosian settings, which were afterwards improved
by Gregory the Great (about a.d. 600) into the well-known
Gregorian Tones. From that time onwards the prevalence of
antiphonal singing — not, however, without some exemplifica-
tions of the other two forms — has been the rule of the Church;
and various forms of Chant have been introduced, all having
the same character of correspondence, as is perceptible in the
idea of the Psalms themselves, and in the older forms pre-
serving the completeness of each verse as a whole. Like other
174 x
TO THE PSALTER.
preservations of ancient usage, it was attacked by the more
extreme Puritan party, who would have superseded its congre-
gational use by the new Hymnody, and in plain disregard of
the intrinsic character of the Psalter, claimed that it should be
used only as other parts of Holy Scripture are used. Even in
1689, among other proposals of the Revisers, it was suggested
that all chanting should be abolished. But happily these
proposals have never been carried out. In her use of the
Psalter the Church of England has remained in harmony with
the best traditions of the ancient Church ; and the Psalms have
continued to be the leading element in her Service of Praise,
and a most powerful influence over the spiritual devotion of her
members.
[It should be noticed that the Psalter in the Prayer Book is
still taken from the Version of the "Great Bible" of 1540,
which, unlike the Authorised Bible Version of 1611 and the still
more accurate Revised Version of 1885, often follows the
Vulgate, and through it the Septuagint, where they vary from
the present Hebrew text. For this older Version had become
by familiarity so endeared to the people, that it was felt unde-
sirable to change it, and it certainly seems to lend itself with
special appropriateness and beauty to Liturgical use.]
Illy
TH K
PSALMS OF DAVID.
THE FIRST BOOK OF THE PSALTER.
This contains forty-one Psalms ; of which all, except Ps. i., ii.,
x., xxxiii. (which have no titles), are ascribed to David. It is
undoubtedly the earliest in date, and it is thought by some to
have been the original Psalter, completed in the time of Solomon
for the service of the Temple.
Psalm I.
This Psalm, which, unlike almost all the Psalms of the First Book, is
anonymous, appears to have been i reflxed to that Book as a kind of
didactic Preface. (It is notable that in some of the best MSS. of Acts
xiii. 33 a quotation from our second Psalm is given as from "the first
Psalm," as though this Psalm was not reckoned as an integral part of the
Book.) The Psalm is obviously paraphrased in Jer. xvii. 5— S. In its style
and tone of thought it breathes the spirit of the Book of Proverbs and
some parts of the Book of Job, and has been not improbably referred to
the age, and perhaps the hand, of Solomon, at the time when the inaugu-
ration of the Temple Service would suggest the formation of a Psalter.
The subject is the contrast of the blessing of God on the lighteous and
His cur«e on the wicked— according alike with the " first thoughts " of
simple faith, and the "third thoughts" of mature conviction, to which the
soul returns after the sense of the contradictions and imperfections of life,
so emphatically brought out in the Book of Job and many of the Psalms.
v. 1. There is here a climax in the
stages of evil : first, the entering into
the ideas and thoughts of the un-
godly (properly, of those who have
no stay or rest: comp. Is. lvii. 20,
21) : next, the deliberate stand taken
in the way of active sin ; lastly, the
assumption of the seat of leadership
and authority among the profane
scoffers at God and at goodness.
•>. 2. Stress is laid on the Law-
taken in its largest sense as the
known declaration of God's will— as
drawing to itself both the heart in
delight, and the mind in constant
meditation (see Deut. vi. 6—9).
rv. 3, 4. The image is singularly
perfect. The tree draws through its
root, from the moisture of the river
of God, the power of growth and
freshness in all the heat of. trial ; it
is always green in living beauty ; at
right seasons it yields solid fruit ;
n.urt this fruit is brought to perfec-
t.on. (Comp. John xv. 1—8.) In the
175
close of verse 4 the metaphor is
applied.
v. 5. The contrary image does not
exactly correspond; for the wicked
are not worthy of comparison even
with a worthless tree : they are
briefly described as mere chaff, se-
parated by God from the true wheat,
and swept away by the wind from
the high threshing-floor. (Comp.
Matt. iii. 12.)
i*r. 6, 7. At the end all metaphor is
dropped. The Judgment comes in
this world or the next; the wicked
cannot stand before it, or find place '
in the holy " congregation" of God's
people. (Comp. Be v. vi. 15 ; vii. 9.
10. ) For the way of the righteous is
"known," that is, blessed of God
(see Is. xliii. 1 ; Job xxiii. 1" ; John x.
2—4; 2 Tim. ii. 19); therefore, being
His way, it leads to life. The wav of
the ungodly loses itself nefessarily
in darkness, simply because it is
the self-chosen way, which God dis-
owns.
THE
PSALMS OF DAVID.
Day l. JHornmg
PSALM 1.
Beatus vir, qui non abiit, <kc.
BLESSED is the man that hath
not walked in the counsel of
the ungodly, nor stood in the way
of sinners : and hath not sat in
the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law
of the Lord : and in his law will
he exercise himself day and night.
3 And he shall he like a tree
planted by the water-side : that
will bring forth his fruit in due
4 His leaf also shall not wither :
and look, whatsoever he doeth, it
shall prosper
5 As for the ungodly, it is not so
with them : but they are like the
chaff, which the wind scattereth
away from the face of the earth.
6 Therefore the ungodly shall
not be able to stand in the judg-
ment : neither the sinners in the
congregation of the righteous.
7 But the Lord knoweth the
way of the righteous : and the way
of the ungodly shall perish.
PSALM 2.
irefremuerunt gentes ?
"HY do the heathen so fu-
riously rage together : and
why do the people imagine a vain
thing?
2 The kings of the earth stand
up, and the rulers take counsel
together : against the Lord, and
against his Anointed.
3 Let us break their bonds a-
sunder : and cast away their cords
from us.
4 He that dwelleth in heaven
shall laugh them to scorn : the
Lord shall have them in derision.
5 Then shall he speak unto
them in his wrath : and vex them
in his sore displeasure.
6 Yet have i set my King : upon
my holy hill of Sion.
7 I will preach the law. where-
prager.
of the Lord hath said unto me :
Thou art my Son, this day have
I begotten thee.
8 Desire of me, and I shall give
thee the heathen for thine inhe-
ritance : and the utmost parts of
the earth for thy possession.
9 Thou shalt bruise them with
a rod of iron : and break them
in pieces like a potter's vessel.
10 Be wise now therefore, 0 ye
kings : be learned, ye that are
judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord in fear : and
rejoice unto him with reverence.
12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry,
and so ye perish from the right
way : if his wrath be kindled, (yea,
but a little,) blessed are all they
that put their trust in him.
PSALM 3.
Domine, quid multiplicati ?
LORD, how are they increased
that trouble me : many are
they that rise against me.
2 Many one there be that say
of my soul : There is no help for
Mm in his God.
3 But thou, 0 Lord, art my
defender : thou art my worship,
and the lifter up of my head.
4 I did call upon the Lord with
my voice : and he heard me out
of his holy hill.
5 I laid me down and slept, and
rose up again : for the Lord sus-
tained me.
6 I will not be afraid for ten
thousands of the people : that
have set themselves against me
round about.
7 Up, Lord, and help me, O
my God : for thou srnitest ali
mine enemies upon the cheek-
bone ; thou hast broken the teeth
of the ungodly.
8 Salvation belongeth unto the
Lord : and thy blessing is upon
thy people.
175
Psalm II.
This Psalm stands out in vigorous contrast with the didactic calmness
of the preceding. It is a prand prophetic Psalm, settinp forth with
singular dramatic vividness the establishment, the conflict, and the
victory, of the kingdom of the "Anointed One." No one who considers
the grandeur of its promises can doubt that in its full sense it is a Messi-
anic Psalm, as was certainly held by ancient Jewish interpreters, and as
is expressly declared in the New Testament (Acts iv. 26; xiii. 3.3; Heb.
i. 5; v. 5; comp. Rev. ii. 27). Naturally it is used as one of the Proper
Psalmj for Easter-Day. But the type of this greater Antitype is evidently
some anointed kinir of Israel, menaced by rebellion of subject nations, yet
relying on the Divine decree, and proudly confident of triumph. Now the
Psalm is referred to David in Acts iv. 25, and both its position in the
Psalter and its style suit well with that reference. In the great promise
to David (2 Sam. vii. 14) we read, " I will be to him a Father, and he shall
be to me a Son " — there applied to his promised successor, though quoted
in Ps. lxxxix. 20 — 37 as applicable to David himself. Probably therefore
the "Anointed" of this Psalm is primarily David himself or Solomon;
the occasion either the final risings against David after the establishment
of his kingdom (2 Sam. viii., x.) or the rebellions against Solomon in his
early days, clearly indicated in 1 Kin. xi. 14—85.
The Psalm falls into four sections : (a) rr. 1—3, the rebellion of the
enemies; [b) vv. 4— 6,^;he rebuke of the Lord Jehovah; (r) vv. 7—9, the
triumphant claim of the promise by the Anointed One; id) vv. 10—12, the
warning against rebellion by the Psalmist.
v. 1. Thep*ople— properly," the peo-
ples," that is, the subject nations.
v. 2. Hi* Anointed. " The Lord's
Anointed" is the name given to the
kings of Israel, especially in the
days of Pavid and Solomon (1 Sam.
ii. 10; xii. 8, 5; xvi. 6, &c). All
these are types of Him, who was
" anointed with the Holy Ghost
and with power " (Acts x. 38), to
whom properly the words apply.
"Thou art the Son of God; Thou
art the King of Israel " (John i. 49 h
We note that the words of this verse
strike the key-note of the first re-
corded praver in the persecuted king-
dom of Christ (Acts iv. 24—27).
vv. 4, n. Laugh them to tcorn. So
in Ps. xxxvii. 13; lix. 8, the lord
Himself, like His prophet (1 Kin.
xviii. 27 >, is represented as first visit-
ing His foes with the righteous scorn
stirred by the sight of vanity and
folly; then, as speaking in the
righteous wrath, which visits what
is more than folly. This belongs to
the sterner revelation of the Old
Testament ; yet even Our Lord uses
irony (Mark vii. 9) and the most
unsparing severity of denunciation
(Matt, xxiii. 1—33).
v. 6. Yet have I, &c. The " I " is
emphatic ; the establishment of the
Kingdom is Divine and therefore
unassailable. The hill of Zion, the
citadel of David, and the place of
, the first habitation of the ark in
I David's time (2 Sam. v. 7—9 ; vi. 12),
; is the type at once of holiness and of
strength (Ps.xlviii. 1—8).
v. 7. It should be fas in the Bible
| Version), " I will declare the de-
| cree." The Anointed One speaks
, with clear reference to the great
promise of God, made to the seed of
David (2 Sam. vii. 14).
This day have I begotten Thee— that
is (as the context shews), " I have
proclaimed Thee My Son, and so
raised Thee to a higher sonship.
j The words are applied to Our Lord's
Resurrection and Ascension (Acts
! xiii. 33 ; Heb. i. 5), in which He en-
ters on His Messianic royalty, and
is i see Col. i. 18) "the first-born
from the dead."
vv. 8, 9. The universality of the
Messianic kingdom is always one of
its essential features, fulfilling the
universal promise to Ab'aham (see
Ps. lxxii. 8—11 ; Dan. vii. 13, 14. 27).
In accordance with the occasion of
the Psalm, its character as a king-
dom of peace and love is lost in the
declaration of its final triumph over
the enemies (comp. Rev. ii. 27 ; xix.
11—21).
v. 12. Kist the Son. The word ren-
dered "Son" is not the same M in
v. 7 ; it is an Aramaic word, and is not
found except in the later Hebrew
(see Prov. xxxi. 2). The translation
775 a
of our version certainly best suits the
context; it is that of the Syriac
version, and of some of the best
Hebrew scholars. The kiss is, of
course, the sign of homage to the
Anointed King (comp. 1. Sam. xi.).
But the majority of the ancient
versions and Targums are against
it. The LXX. and Vulgate have
" accept discipline " or warning ;
others render "worship in purity"
Psalm YL—cont
worship the chosen one.'
or " worship tne cnosen one." If
our version be rejected, probably
the LXX. rendering is best. It is
an exhortation to yield to the Divine
decree, lest the wrath of God be pro-
voked. The latter part of the verse
is best rendered, "lest He" (Je-
hovah) "be angry, and so ye perish
on your way. In a little " (speedily )
" is His wrath kindled. Blessed are
they that trust in Him."
Psalm III.
The superscription, " A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his
son " (2 Sam. xv. 14), may be unhesitatingly accepted, as supported both by
the style and substance of the Psalm. It is evidently a Morning Hymn
(seer. 5), divided into four sections,each (except the third) closing with
the Selah, indicating a musical interlude. Of these sections (a) the first
(vv. 1, 2) describes the gathering of the scornful enemies ; (6) vv. 3, 4, are
the expression of unshaken confidence in the Lord ; (c) vv. 5, 6, accordingly
defy the countless enemies in God's Name; (d) vv. 7, 8, cry to Him for
victorious help and blessing on His people.
all who " worship towards this
house."
5. / laid me down, &c. — probably
v. 1. Lord, how, &c. The rapid
growth of the conspiracy is em-
phatically marked in the history
(2 Sam. xv. 12—14) ; and it was
clearly for the time beyond David's
power to resist ; hence his hurried
flight.
v. 2. Therein no help for him in God.
Compare the thought expressed in
the curse of Shimei (2, Sam. xvi. 8),
I The Lord hath delivered the king-
dom into the hand of Absalom."
David is looked upon as under Di-
vine wrath. God's chastisement is
mistaken for condemnation.
v. 3. Mil defender— properlv, as in
the Bible Version, " a shield about
me" (see Ps. xviii. 2; xxviii. 7);
my worship— properly, "my glory."
There is a climax in the promise of
protection, glory, triumph.
v. 4. J did call, &c— properly, " I
cry, and He answereth me."
Out of Hi* holy h il /-evidently
Mount Zion, where the ark was still
left (2 Sam. xv. 24—29) by David's
on the evening of his flight, laying
his unsheltered head in the wilder-
ness, not without imminent danger
of death (2 Sam. xvii. 1—22). In the
fresh morning he rises in trustful
sense of God's hand over him.
v. 6. Ten thousands of the people (see
2 Sam. xv. 12; xvii. 11).
v. 7. Up, Lord. The call, like the
Exsurgat Deus of Ps. lxviii., is evi-
dently taken from the prayer of
Moses in the wilderness at the
moving of the ark (Num. x. 35).
The ark is far away ; but the Lord
of Hosts is with David — to smite the
foe like wild beasts "on the jaw,"
and "to break the teeth" of their
devouring fury.
v. 8. In this last verse there is a
peculiar beauty. In the midst of the
desertion and ingratitude of Israel.
David forgets himself in prayer for
them. "Thy blessing be on Thy
express command. In spirit David j people." (Comp. 2 Sam. xxiv. 17.)
still worships before it, and realizes I Whether God give him victory or
God's Presence there, answering his
prayer. Compare the prayer of So-
lomon (1 Kin. viii. 30, 33, &c.) for
not, he pleads for the covenant with
His people; in which He is their
salvation.
Psalm IV.
This Psalm, by many correspondences of detail with Ps. hi., and by the
allusion in v. 9, is evidently referred to the same time and occasion. It is
the contemporaneous Evening Hymn of the fugitive king (used as the first
Psalm at Compline in the old Service book).
(. in the heading we find, as in fifty-four other Psalms (almost all Psalms
hi David, Asaph, or the sons of Korah), "to the Chief Musician," or
175 &
Psalm IV— cont.
" Precentor," implying a direction to use the Psalm in the Temple Service;
and in this case there is the addition "upon Xeginoth," that is, to accom-
Eaniment of " stringed instruments." This heading must, of course,
elong to the time of its insertion in the Psalter, not of its composition in
the wilderness.
It falls into three sections : (a) the opening verse of prayer (v. 1) ; (6) the
address of rebuke and caution to the "sons of men" (vv. 2— 5) ; (e) the
encouragement of despondency and distress (rr. 6—9).
v. I. O God of my rlghteoutneo*.
The phrase is emphatic. David was
thought to be cast off by the Lord ;
but in His grace and forgiveness he
finds through penitence the true
"righteousness which is by faith"
(see P*. li. 7— li).
Hatt net me at lihertv— properly (as
in R.V.), " set me at large, that is,
given me room in the straits of diffi-
culty (see Ps. xviii. S6j.
v. 2. Sons of men. The original
word seems to imply " sons of the
great" or "the brave," evidently
the professed warriors or "mighty
men," whom the wars of Saul and
David had so brought out as to
make them "too strong" for the
king. The address throughout may
be to the warriors with Absalom, or
alternately (in r», 2, 8 and vv. 4, 5) to
them and to the " sons of Zeruiah"
on his own side.
vv. 2, 8. Horn long. The remon-
strance is twofold— against open re-
bellion, " turning his glory into
shame" (see A.V.), and against base-
less calumny ("leasing," i.e. "ly-
ing ") . From these he appeals to the
evidence of God's acceptance of his
prayer, as a sign that he is " godly "
(comp. John ix. 80—33). The word
rendered "godly," frequent in the
Psalter, appears to mean either
"merciful" or (as in margin of R. V.),
" one who receives mercy " (of God) .
The latter sense seems best to suit
the context here.
v. 4. Stand in awe. There is much
to be said for the reading of the
LXX. (adopted in Eph. iv. 26). "Be
angry" (if ye will) "and sin not" ;
especially if it be taken as applied to
moderate the fierceness of such men
as Joab against those who were still
brethren. The counsel of self-com-
muning " in the chamber" is not un-
like the " Let not the sun go down
on your wrath " of Eph. iv. 26. The
command to take refuge in God,
offering the "sacrifices of righteous-
ness " (see Ps. li. 19), is similarly an
appeal from the wrath of men to the
righteous judgment of Him who has
said, " Vengeance is mine " (comp.
Rom. xii. 19;.
vv. 6—8 are evidently an encourage-
ment to his own men, despondent
in their weariness and distress for
food (2 Sam. xvii. 29)— speaking of a
joy in the "light of God's counte-
nance," " more than they have when
their corn and wine and oil are in-
creased" (see R.V.) The reference
is clearly to the prosperous camp of
the enemies, who had all Judah at
their back. In v. 7 there is a re-
miniscence of the priestly blessing
(Num. vi. 26). Comp. Ps. xxxi. le ;
lxvii. 1 ; lxxx. 8, 7, 19.
v. 9 is the last waking utterance
of faith (exactly corresponding with
iii. 5) in God, who gives the "peace"
and safety " which the world cannot
give."
Psalm V.
This Psalm is evidently (see v. 3) another Morning Hymn. In the heading
it is called "A Psalm of David." Evidently the Psalmist is now at Jerusalem,
having access to the Sanctuary, in which he delights to take refuge from
the treachery and hatred of his enemies. If it be really David's, it may
perhaps be referred to the time of depression and weakness, just before the
outburst of the rebellion of Absalom— laying as it does emphatic stress on
treachery and falsehood, guided by evil counsel.
The addition "to the Chief Musician" indicates its designation for
Temple worship, and " upon NeHloth " directs its use with a " flute accom-
paniment," perhaps because of its pathetic and plaintive character.
It has three divisions : (a) the introductory prayer (vv. 1—8) ; (b) the
confidence in acceptance (vv, 4 — 7) ; (c) prayer against the enemies of man
and God (vv. 8—18),
176
Dayl.
THE PSALMS.
Day 1.
PSALM 4.
Cum invocarem.
HEAR me when I call, O God
of my righteousness : thou
hast set me at liberty when I was
in trouble ; have mercy upon me,
and hearken unto my prayer.
2 0 ye sons of men, how long
will ye blaspheme mine honour :
and have such pleasure in vanity,
and seek after leasing ?
3 Know this also, that the Lord
hath chosen to himself the man
that is godly : when I call upon
the Lord, lie will hear me.
4 Stand in awe, and sin not :
commune with your own heart,
and in your chamber, and be still.
5 Offer the sacrifice of righte-
ousness : and put your trust in the
Lord.
6 There be many that say :
Who will shew us any good ?
7 Lord, lift thou up : the light
of thy countenance upon us.
8 Thou hast put gladness in my
heart : since the time that their
corn, and wine, and oil, increased.
9 I will lay me down in peace,
and take my rest : for it is thou,
Lord, only, that makest me dwell
in safety.
PSALM 5.
Verba mea auribus.
PONDER my words, 0 Lord :
consider my meditation.
2 0 hearken thou unto the,
voice of my calling, my King, and
my God : for unto thee will I make
my prayer.
3 My voice shalt thou hear be-
times, O Lord : early in the morn-
Day 1.
ing will I direct my prayer unto
thee, and will look up.
4 For thou art the God that hast
no pleasure in wickedness : neither
shall any evil dwell with thee.
5 Such as be foolish shall not
stand in thy sight : for thou hatest
all them that work vanity.
6 Thou shalt destroy them that
speak leasing : the Lord will ab-
hor both the blood-thirsty and
deceitful man.
7 But as for me, I will come
into thine house, even upon the
multitude of thy mercy : and in
thy fear will I worship toward thy
holy temple.
8 Lead me, 0 Lord, in thy
righteousness, because of mine
enemies : make thy way plain be-
fore my face.
9 For there is no faithfulness
in his mouth : their inward parts
are very wickedness.
10 Their throat is an open se-
pulchre : they flatter with their
tongue.
11 Destroy thou them, 0 God ;
let them perish through their own
imaginations : cast them out in the
multitude of their ungodliness ; for
they have rebelled against thee,
12 And let all them that put
their trust in thee rejoice : they
shall ever be giving of thanks,
because thou defendest them ;
they that love thy Name shall be
joyful in thee;
13 For thou, Lord, wilt give thy
blessing unto the righteous : and
with thy favourable kindness wilt
thou defend him as with a shield.
letting prager.
PSALM 6.
Domine, ne in furore.
OLORD, rebuke me not in thine
indignation : neither chasten
me in thy displeasure.
2 Have mercy upon me, 0 Lord,
for I am weak : 0 Lord, heal me,
for my bones are vexed.
3 My soul also is sore troubled :
but, Lord, how long wilt thou
punish me ?
4 Turn thee, 0 Lord, and de-
liver my soul : 0 save me for thy
mercy's sake.
5 For in death no man remem-
bereth thee : and who will give thee
thanks in the pit ?
6 I am weary of my groaning ;
every night wash I my bed : and
water my couch with my tears.
7 My beauty is gone for very
trouble : and worn away because
of all mine enemies.
8 Away from me, all ye that
176
Psalm
tr. 1, 2. The "words" of the
Psalmist are described as includ-
ing the two phases of worship— the
" meditation," which is the low
murmur of nearly silent prayer, and
the " calling," that is, the cry of
impassioned vehemence.
r. 3. There is an emphasis on the
phrase " in the morning" (as in Ps.
cxxx. 6 ; cxxxix. 18). The " waking
thoughts " of the Psalmist are
" bright with God's praise." The
word direct is properly " set in or-
der," a word specially used for the
preparation of sacrifice (Lev. i. 7, 8 ;
vi. 12), to which prayer is here by im-
plication likened, as explicitly in
Ps. cxli. 2. The same comparison is
even more frequently and naturally
applied to thanksgiving < Ps. i. 14 ;
lxix. 80, 81 ; cvii. 22 ; Heb xiii. 15).
c. 4. This special conception of
God, as One who in His righteous-
ness rejects the evil and loves the
good, is evidently suggested by the
circumstances of the Psalmist. But,
as usual, it is in the sense not of
his own goodness, but of " the mul-
titude of God's lovingkindnesses "
that he ventures to approach Him
(r. 7) ; and even then in the " fear "
of humble reverence.
vc. 5, 6. There is a climax in the
description of wickedness— begin-
ning with "folly" (empty boastful-
ness), passing on to deliberate
"work of iniquity" and" lying,"
ending at last in the union of
" bloodthirs tineas and deceit " (.with
'-cont.
apparently a personal reference,
possibly to Ahithophel).
v. 7. The words "house" and
" temple " have been supposed to
shew that the Psalm was written
after the time of David ; and cer-
tainly it is to the fixed Temple that
they are most commonly applied.
But as they seem to mean only
"habitation and "palace," there
is no reason why they should not
have been used of the Tabernacle on
Mount Zion.
v. 9. The chief emphasis is through-
out on treachery— in the mouth that
cannot be trusted, the inner heart
a gulf of wickedness, the throat a
sepulchre leading to the abyss, the
tongue " made smooth " (like a ser-
pent's) that the prey may slip over it.
v. 10. Finally this treachery is
viewed not as a wrong to man, but
a sin against God. Thereupon fol-
lows the praver (like that of 2 Sam.
xv. 31) that "their counsel may be
turned to foolishness," and that the
wanton " multiplication of trans-
gressions" may cast them cut of
God's favour.
w. 12, 18. The tone of the Psalm
suddenly changes from plaintiveness
to the brightest hope. Those who
take refuge in God are to have not
only safety and comfort under His
shield, but such joy and exultation
in His blessing, as is, even amidst
the contradictions of this life, the
natural heritage of the children of
God. Comp. Phil. iv. 4 ; 1 Thess. v.
16-18; 1 Pet. iv. 18.
Psalm VI.
This Psalm (the first of the seven Penitential Psalms, used on Ash-Wed-
nesday) is at first sight more of sorrow than penitence ; but the under-
current of repentant consciousness is seen in the view of trouble, as God's
" rebuke and chastening," and in the sense of the loss of His Presence (r. 4).
It is traditionally " A Psalm of David " ; and with this the style and
character well agree. The whole idea of the Psalm— in its mingled sorrow
nnd hope— is like that of Ps. v., and it may well refer to the same period of
depression which preceded the rebellion of Absalom. But in Ps. v. the
main cause of that depression is from enmity without ; here, rather from
sickness and sorrow within.
The heading, besides noting the accompaniment of stringed instruments
(as in Ps. iv.), adds "upon Sheminith," which seems to mean "on the
octave "—to be sung, that is, by bass voices, as suiting its sad and sombie
tone of thought.
It falls into three divisions : (a) vv. 1—8, the cry " O Lord, how long ?"
(b) vv. 4—7, the picture of the sufferer, fainting in excess of sorrow even to
death ; (e) vv. 8—10, the sudden brightness of comfort and confidence
in God.
v. 1. The sorrow is viewed partly aspects the prayer, repeated in Ps.
iiR rebuke on the past, partly as xxxviii. 1, is no doubt, that, if pc*
chastening for the future. In both ' sible, it may pass away altogether
176a
Psalm Vl.-cont.
but that in any case it may not be
sent in the severity of God's righ-
teous displeasure. It approaches
the idea of Jer. x. 24 (" O Lord, cor-
rect me . . . bring me to nothing").
v. 3. The original (see A.V.) is far
more striking in its abruptness, sim-
ply, " O Lord, how long . . ? " (Comp.
Ps. xiii. 1 ; xc. 13 ; Rev. vi. 10.) The
suffering is evidently twofold— bodily
pain piercing to the bones (see Job
xxx. 17; xxxiii. 19j and trouble of
soul.
v. 4. Turn thee, O Lord. The words
imply (as in xxii. 1 ; xc. 18, &c.) a
sense of God's face turned away. In
this is the essence of sorrow ; in this
His servant faints, and cannot live.
v. 5. In the pit — that is, in the
Sheol or Hades, the shadowy region
of the departed soul, distinguished
from the resting-place of the body
(see xvi. 10). The whole tone of this
verse (with which compare Ps. xxx.
9 ; lxxxviii. 11 ; cxv. 17 ; Is. xxxviii.
18) belongs to the ancient twilight of
belief in the future life, as real in-
deed, but unknown and dark, and
j therefore standing in strong con-
trast with the brightness of blessing
and opportunity in this life. In the
New Testament, on the contrary,
all is changed by the revelation of
Christ. " To depart, &c, is far bet-
ter " (Phil. i. 21, 23), and " to be ab
sent from the body is to be present
i with the Lord " (2 Cor. v. 8), because
our "life is hid in Him," "who is
the Resurrection and the Life."
v. 7. The picture is one of extreme
weakness and despondency— such
as seems from the history to have
characterized David at the time
to which the Psalm is referred. Mp
beauty should be (as in A.V. and
R.V.) "my eye," "dim" and worn
out with excess of weeping.
v. 8. Here, even more than in Ps,
v. 12, there is an almost startling
suddenness of change in tone. The
Psalmist's foes are defied; for he
feels that his prayer is heard and
answered ; and therefore all enmitj
i is instantly confounded.
Psalm VII.
This Psalm is called in the heading Shiggaion, which appears to signify
a poem of a freer and more erratic kind— an " ode " or "spiritual song"
(Eph. v. 19)— and well deserves that title by its bold vividness of painting
and freedom of transition from one thought to another. It is " A Psalm
of David," evidently, by its freshness of tone and style, belonging to hi?
earlier days. In the heading it is said to have been sung concerning the
words of Cush the Benjamite "— some unknown adherent of Saul who
had slandered David to his master. (Comp. 1 Sam. xxiv. 9 ; xxvi. 19.) The
idea that the name is metaphorically used must be rejected. This probably
refers it to the days of Saul's persecution and David's wandering— the days
of present trouble, but of conscious innocence and certain hope.
It contains (a) a prayer of trust in God (vv. 1, 2) ; (6) a vehement
protestation of innocence and defiance of accusation (vv. 3—5); (c) a cry
to God to arise in the judgment, which must surely come (vv. 6—17) ; (d) a
final burst of praise (v. 18).
v. 2. Lest he devour, &c. The verse
(as also v. 5), singling out one chief
enemy, suits well the time of Saul's
fierce and deadly enmity against Da-
vid's " glory," which he envied, and
his " life," from which he feared ruin.
Before it David avows himself abso-
lutely helpless in 1 Sam. xxiv. 14;
xxvi. 20.
vv. 3, 4. These verses, in which
David indignantly repels some defi-
nite accusation of iniquity and in-
gratitude to friends, are sometimes
interpreted thus : " If I have re-
warded evil to him who dealt friendly
with me; if I have displaced" (or
"despoiled") "him that without
cause was my enemy," so keeping the
usual parallelism. But our rendering
is probably best, making the second
half of the line a parenthetical re-
collection of an act, going beyond
even the returning good for good;
and it is almost impossible not to
refer it to David's generosity to Saul,
when he was hunting his life "with-
out a cause" (1 Sam. xxiv. 4—15;
xxvi. 7-20).
17$ ft
Psalm VII— eont.
vv. 6, 7. The prayer to God to arise
in judgment goes beyond the Psalm-
ist's immediate need. It is a grand
invocation of the universal retribu-
tion on evil from HiB hand. For v. 6
should be, " Let the host of the peo-
5>les be gathered round Thee" (for
udgment), " and over it return Thou
on high " (unveiling Thy presence
from the height of the judgment
seat).
v. 8. Here we have one of those
almost startling protestations of
innocence common in David's ear-
lier Psalms. It is used in relation
to the undeserved persecution, so
patiently and nobly borne ; and, so
used, it is natural and right. But it
stands in marked contrast with the
sense of unworthiness before God
brought out in the Psalms of deeper
spiritual insight, and still more with
the penitent consciousness of guilt
running through those which were
written after his great sin. In us,
who have fuller knowledge of God,
and of the true idea of humanity
in JesuB Christ, such protestations
must be less unreserved.
v. 9. Guide should be (as in A.V.)
"establish"; defence is (as in Ps.
iii. 3; v. 12) "shield." Wickedness
comes of itself " to an end " : the
inner righteousness "of the heart
and reins" must be "established"
for ever, because it is the image of
the Eternal.
v. 10. The words " strong and pa-
tient" are taken from the LXX. They
are not found in the Hebrew ; nor do
they exactly suit the context, which
emphasizes not so much God's pa*
tience, as the preparation, already
beginning, of certain retribution for
the impenitent. It is better to ren-
der (with R.V.) "God is a righteous
Judge, yea, a God that hath indig-
nation every day."
v. 13. Heordaineth, &c, should be.
"He maketh His arrows arrows of
Are "—the lightnings of His wrath.
The metaphor is taken from the
arrows, bearing with them the flame
of some inflammable stuff wrapped
round them, commonly used in an-
cient sieges.
v. 15. The sudden change of person
marks the abrupt style of the Psalm.
By a striking transition the sinner
is seen, unconscious of the gather-
ing storm of retribution, travailing
slowly in the monstrous birth of
iniquity, first conceiving evil in the
heart, then bringing forth falsehood
in word and deed. The judgment
also is viewed as the inevitable con-
sequence, under God's law, of his
own deed ; he digs the pit of treach-
ery for his own feet; he hurls at
others the open violence, only to fall
back on his own head.
v. 17. The last verse, as so often,
marks the clearing up of all vicissi-
tudes of feeling into thanksgiving
and praise of Jehovah, not only ai
the Most High, but as the All-
righteous. It is like the von confun-
dar in ttternum of the Te Deum.
Psalm VIII.
This Psalm, also "A Psalm of David," is clearly a Psalm of the night.
There is nothing to determine its date, although we are naturally tempted
to refer it to the night-watches of his shepherd life, or of his life as a
fugitive, with which latter, possibly, the heading Gittith (see below) may
agree. Whenever written, it shews a calm maturity of thought and
expression. The idea which runs through it is of the union of littleness
and greatness in man, as but one creature of the vast universe, and yet one
whom God brings into covenant with Himself. To us the sense of both
elements of the antithesis should be immeasurably strengthened ; for we
know infinitely more at once of the vastness of Nature and of the wonder of
God's covenant with man, crowned in the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Accordingly in the New Testament we find this picture of the humiliation
and exaltation of humanity in general applied in all its fumess to the
contrast between the Incarnation and Passion, and the Ascension and
Glorification of the true Son of Man (1 Cor. xv. 27; Heb. ii. 6—9). Hence
its use as one of the Psalms of Abceksion-Day.
It expresses its main idea, first (a) by implication (in vv. 1—8), speaking
in one breath of the exhibition of God's glory in the heavens, and the con-
fession of it by the infant tongue; next (6) explicitly \cv. 4—9), in the
JW
Day 1.
THE PSALMS.
Day 1.
work vanity : for the Lord hath
heard the voice of my weeping.
9 The Lord hath heard my pe-
tition : the Lord will receive my
prayer.
10 All mine enemies shall be
confounded, and sore vexed : they
shall be turned back, and put to
shame suddenly.
PSALM r.
Domine, Deixs mens.
OLORD my God, in thee have
I put my trust : save me from
all them that persecute me, and
deliver me ;
2 Lest he devour my soul, like
a lion, and tear it in pieces : while
there is none to help.
3 O Lord my God, if L have
done any such thing : or if there
be any wickedness in my hands ;
4 If I have rewarded evil unto
him that dealt friendly with me :
yea, I have delivered him that
without any cause is mine enemy;
5 Then let mine enemy perse-
cute my soul, and take me : yea,
let him tread my life down upon
the earth, and lay mine honour in
the dust.
6 Stand up, O Lord, in thy
wrath, and lift up thyself, because
of the indignation of mine ene-
mies : arise up for me in the
judgment that thou hast com-
manded.
7 And so shall the congregation
of the people come about thee :
for their sakes therefore lift up
thyself again.
8 The Lord shall judge the
people ; give sentence with me,
O Lord : according to my righ-
teousness, and according to the
innocency that is in me.
9 O let the wickedness of the
ungodly come to an end : but
guide thou the just.
10 For the righteous God : tri-
eth the very hearts and reins.
11 My help cometh of God :
who preserveth them that are true
of heart.
12 God is a righteous Judge,
strong, and patient : and God is
provoked every day.
13 If a man will not turn, he
will whet his sword : he hath bent
his bow, and made it ready.
- 14 He hath prepared for him
the instruments of death : he
ordaineth his arrows against the
persecutors.
15 Behold, he travaileth with
mischief : he hath conceived sor-
row, and brought forth ungodli-
ness.
16 He hath graven and digged
up a pit : and is fallen himself
into the destruction that he made
for other.
17 For his travail shall come
upon his own head : and his wick-
edness shall fall on his own pate.
18 I will give thanks unto the
Lord, according to his righteous-
ness : and I will praise the Name
of the Lord most High.
PSALM 8.
Domine, Dominus noster.
OLORD our Governour, how
excellent is thy Name in all
the world : thou that hast set thy
glory above the heavens !
2 Out of the mouth of very
babes and sucklings hast thou or-
dained strength, because of thine
enemies : that thou mightest still
the enemy, and the avenger.
3 For I will consider thy hea-
vens, even the works of thy fin-
gers : the moon and the stars,
which thou hast ordained.
4 What is man, that thou art
mindful of him : and the son of
man, that thou visitest him ?
5 Thou madest him lower than
the angels : to crown him with
glory and worship.
6 Thou makest him to have do-
minion of the works of thy hands :
and thou hast put all things in
subjection under his feet ;
7 All sheep and oxen : yea, and
the beasts of the field ;
8 The fowls of the air, and the
fishes of the sea : and whatsoever
walketh through the paths of the
seas.
9 O Lord our Governour : how
excellent is thy Name in all the
world !
177
PsALM Vlll-cont.
contrast of the littleness of man in himself and the majesty in which God
has clothed him.
The heading directs it to be used on Qittith (as in Ps. lxxxi. of Asaph, and
Ps. Ixxxiv. of the sons of Koran i, and this appears certainly to mean in the
lyre, or after the music, of Gath, which the Targumsays that David brought
back after his sojourn there (1 Sam. xxvii. 1—4).
v. 1. The antithesis of this verse is
remarkable. God's "glory" in itself
is " set above "—perhaps better " up-
on " — " the heavens," His " Name,"
that is, His revelation to His rational
creatures, is " in all the earth."
v. 2. Ordained (or founded Wr«nyrA.
This gives the real sense of the He-
brew rather than the reading of the
LXX., " perfected praise "—which
is perhaps a true gloss explanatory
of the meaning, and is applied by Our
Lord Himself (Matt. xxi. 16) to the
acclamations of the children on His
triumphal entry. There is a wonder-
ful boldness and beauty in the idea
that God manifests and founds His
strength, not so much in the gran-
deur of Nature as in the human ac-
knowledgment of His kingdom, even
by the childish tongue— the universal
instinctive witness to Him as the
Supreme ruler in righteousness,
against "the enemy and the self-
avenger" (self -truster). Compare a
similar juxtaposition of ideas in
Ps. cxlvii. 3, 4.
c. 4. The cry "What is man ? " in
itself expresses that bewildering and
humiliating sense of man's little-
ness, in presence of the revelation
of the vastness of Creation through
the star-lit sky, which increases with
our intellectual conception of that I
vastness. But the addition " that
Thou visitest him," expressing the
moral faith in God, as One who has
communion and covenant with man,
is the utterance of all true religion,
which changes bewilderment intc
adoration . and humiliation into sense
of exaltation through God's grace.
v. 5. Lower than the angel* — the
rendering of the Septuagint, quoted
in the New Testament (Heb. ii. 7—9),
and of other ancient versions. The
original word Elohim might bear this
sense see Ps. lxxxii. 6), bat the com-
mon use of the word, and the context
here, are both in favour of the trans-
lation (see R.V.) " than God." The
Psalm (like Gen. i. 27, 28) dwells on
man as having in him the image of
God veiled in flesh, and in virtue of
this being " crowned with glory and
dominion" over all the works of
God's hands. Nothing less than
this is the consciousness of all true
religion, brought out perfectly in
the knowledge of the Incarnation;
and in it there should be no thought
of any being, except the soul and
God.
v. 9 is the repetition of the first
verse, but now with deeper and
more thoughtful consciousness, af-
ter the reflections of the intervening
verses.
Psalm IX.
This Psalm has so many points of likeness with Ps. x. as to argue com-
mon authorship and close connection. In Ps. ix. there is a distinct,
although imperfect, acrostic arrangement, which, after an interval, is
obviously taken up in Ps. x. 1, 2 and 13—20; and Ps. x., almost alone in
Book I., has no heading of its own. Hence in the LXX. the two are made
one Psalm. But decisive against this is the slightest consideration of their
whole tone and character ; for Ps. ix. is a glad song of victory over the
heathen, Ps. x. a troubled prayer against domestic rebellion. Probably
the latter is a supplement to the former, added not long after by the same
hand.
The heading makes Ps. ix. " A Psalm of David." The acrostic arrange-
ment, especially in its incompleteness, is no decisive argument against this
ascription to him. If it be accepted, the Psalm may be well referred to
the great crowning victory over the Syrians and Ammonites, recorded in
2 Sam. x.. which was soon followed by David's great sin and the internal
troubles which succeeded it.
177 m
Psalm IX— cont.
It adds " on Muth-labben," which seems to mean "Death of the Son,"
and is usually supposed to be the name of some well-known tune, to be
used for this Psalm. We may observe that the verbal order is unusuallj
symmetrical, falling into ten sections of four lines each.
The order of subject is also well marked : (a) the opening of praise (vv,
1, 2) ; (6) the triumphant picture of judgment upon the heathen (vv. 3—6) ;
(<?) the opposite picture of God's protection over His people (vv. 7—10) ;
(d) the remembrance of prayer in trouble answered by His goodness (vv,
11—16) ; (c) the final contrast of the failure of self-trusting humanity and
the hope of the faithful in God (vv. 17—20).
vv. 1, 2, take up and expand the
closing verse of Ps. vii., to which in
general idea this Psalm bears much
resemblance.
v. 3. While, &c. It should be, " be-
cause my enemies . . . because they
fall," &c.
v. 4. That 'judges* right— -rather judg-
ing righteously. Here fas in vv. 8, 9,
12, 16) the goodness of God to His
people is viewed as no arbitrary fa-
vour,but the support of righteousness
against wrong, of true faith against
godlessness.of the covenant, in which
all nations shall be blessed, against
all that ignores and would obliterate
it. As in the prophetic books, He is
seen as "the Judge of the whole
world," who must ,rdo right."
v. 6. O thou enemy, &c. This ren-
dering is certainly wrong. It should
be (much as in R.V.) " the enemy are
come to an end, they are desolate for
ever : the cities which Thou hast de-
stroyed, the very memory of them
has perished."
v. 9. Due time. The original is
simply "time of trouble."
A defence and refuge, properly, a
high fortress ; such as crowned many
points of the hill-country of Pales-
tine, which David knew so well in
his early times of trouble.
v. 12. When He maketh. God is
spoken of as "the Avenger of blood,"
that is— according to ancient East-
ern custom, recognised and regulated
by the Law (Num. xxxv. 12-28)— the
nearest of kin. exacting vengeance
for blood shed by violence. That
vengeance God exacts for all (Gen.
ix. 5) ; but in the use of this special
phrase here (as in Job xix. 25) God's
Fatherhood towards Israel seems to
be implied. He is nearer to each
than the nearest of kin.
vv. 13. 14. If the reading of these
rerses be correct, they must be a
177 b
quotation of "the complaint of the
poor," i.e. the afflicted, referred tc
in the previous verse. Otherwise
they would break unmeaningly on
the triumphant tenour of the whole
Psalm, which is, indeed, the fulfil-
ment of the prayer itself, " that I
may shew all Thy praises," &c.
vv. 15, 16. Probably there is some
special reference to devices of the
enemy, which had signally defeated
themselves. But the idea itself—
that wickedness works its own ruin,
and deceit deceives itself— is the ex.
pression of a great Law of God's
Providence, and therefore is fre-
quent in the Psalms (see v. 11 ; vii.
15-17, &c).
vv. 17, 18. Shall be turned into hell
—properly, " shall return to Shedl "
or Hades (see vi. 5)— that is, shall
pass away in death to the unknown
spiritual world, just as the body
shall return to the dust. The idea
is not of the punishment of evil, but
of its unsubstantiality and transito-
riness. Being without God— forget-
ting Him whom to some degree they
might know (Rom. i. 19— 23)— the
nations are "subject to vanity" and
" have no hope." (Comp. Rom. viii.
19—22 ; Eph. ii. 11, 12.) On the other
hand, "the patient abiding " of faith,
even though it seem forgotten, shall
reach the eternal reality. In such
passages there is undoubtedly the
vague but certain hope of a future
beyond the grave.
vv. 19, 20. Up, Lord (see iii. 7).
These verses may (like vv. 13, 14)
describe the utterance of "the pa-
tient abiding of the meek" spoken
of above. But perhaps they are
better taken as a final prayer that
God will complete and continue His
judgment, shewing the proud ene-
mies that, after all, they are before
Him but weak men.
Psalm X.
This Psalm, closely connected with Psalm ix.— a mournful supplement,
under changed circumstances, to its triumphant thanksgiving— draws a
singularly vivid and terrible picture of a time of rebelliousness and dis-
order, of treachery and godlessness in Israel. If it be a Psalm of David,
it may well belong to the time of disorganisation and decay before the
rebellion of Absalom.
It has three distinct parts : (a) the indignant description of the pride,
the cruelty, and the treachery of the wicked (vc. 1—12) ; (b) an earnest
prayer to God for help against them (vv. 18—17) ; (c) a burst of praise over
the anticipation, or reality, of God's answer to that prayer (vv. 18—20).
v. 8. The thievirh cornen, &c,
should be " the lurking places of the
villages." Outside these the robber
lurks; in his den he murders, and
still his eyes lay ambush for more
victims. Like the lion in his lair, he
watches for them and drags down his
prey. He stoops to crouch low, that
the helpless may fall into his jaws.
v. 11. The original is, " He crouch-
eth, he boweth down, that the help-
less may fall under his strong ones."
If the metaphor is kept, this should
mean his strong teeth or claws.
v. 12. This verse returns to the
idea of v. 4. All the treachery and
cruelty of the enemy are ruthless and
reckless, because while he uses the
Name of God, he ignores Him as a
living Ruler and Judge. To him He is
the unknowing and unknown ; and to
say this is to say " There is no God."
vv. 13—17 are a prayer of the
mingled pathos and remonstrance
with God, so frequent in the Psalms
—pleading, indeed, the cause of the
poor, the helpless, the fatherless,
for whom He cares, but pleading also
the scandal of contemptuous blas-
phemy—accordingly praying not
only for the "breaking of the power
of wickedness and malice " against
men, but for "the taking away of
ungodliness," till it vanishes from
before God. The idea is that of
Ps. Ixxix. 9, 10; Dan. ix. 19, pray,
ing God "for his Name's sake," be-
cause the ignoring of His Name is to
men in effect worse than the worst
cruelty and oppression.
vv. 18- 20. In this outburst of glad
confidence in God's answer to the
prayer, the sentence "the heathen
. . . . land" has an apparent
abruptness. Probably the victory
over the heathen comes in simply as
associated naturally with the king-
ship of Jehovah, and as typical,
moreover, of His righteous avenging
of His own, on all— the "men of the
earth " and earthly— who ignore Him
and persecute them.
v. 2. The best rendering appears
to be—
" In the pride of the wicked, the
poor is set on Are ;
In the snares which they have
devised, the poor are taken."
There is here the double idea, which
runs through the Psalm, of the proud
cruelty which consumes, and the
treachery which ensnares.
v. 3. This should be —
" The wicked sings praise over his
own heart's lust ;
The covetous utters blessing, yet
despises the Lord."
The image is striking ; the hymn of
praise and blessing he utters over his
own successful lust ; God, to whom
alone it is due, he utterly despises.
The R.V., however, taking the word
"bless" to signify "bid farewell,"
gives, perhaps, a simpler sense,
" renounceth, yea, contemneth the
Lord."
v. 4. Neither u God. The true
rendering is either (with A.V. and
some ancient versions), " In the
pride of his countenance he will
not enquire; God is not in all his
thoughts," — expressing a foregone
conclusion, in which the wish is fa-
ther to the thought ; or (with R.V.),
" In the pride of his countenance,
he saith, He will not require it.
"All his thoughts are, There is no
God."
(Comp. Ps. lxxiii. 2 ; xciv. 7.)
v. 5. Grievous. It should be "firm"
or "secure," because God's judg-
ment is too high for him to see, and
at human enmity he scoffs.
v. 7. His words are "the cursing"
of pride, and the " deceit of guile " ;
under these lurk the " mischief and
iniquity," which are the Satanic op-
posites of the love and truth, the es-
sentials of true humanity.
vv. 8—10. The mingled treachery
and violence of the robber, lying in
wait for the helpless, naturally sug-
gest the metaphor of the lion crouch-
ing for his prey, expressed in vv. 9, 10.
178
Day 2.
THE PSALMS.
Day 8.
Day 2.
looming ^rager.
PSALM 9.
Confitebor tibi.
I WILL give thanks unto thee,
0 Lord, with my whole heart:
I will speak of all thy marvellous
works.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in
thee : yea, my songs will I make
of thy Name, 0 thou most High-
est.
3 While mine enemies are dri-
ven back : they shall fall and pe-
rish at thy presence.
4 For thou hast maintained my
right and my cause : thou art set
in the throne that judgest right.
5 Thou hast rebuked the hea-
then, and destroyed the ungodly :
thou hast put out their name for
ever and ever.
6 O thou enemy, destructions
are come to a perpetual end :
even as the cities which thou hast
destroyed ; their memorial is pe-
rished with them.
7 But the Lord shall endure for
ever : he hath also prepared his
seat for judgment.
8 For he shall judge the world
in righteousness : and minister
true judgment unto the people.
9 The Lord also will be a de-
fence for the oppressed : even a
refuge in due time of trouble.
10 And they that know thy
Name willput their trust in thee :
for thou, Lord, hast never failed
them that seek thee.
11 O praise the Lord which
dwelleth in Sion : shew the peo-
ple of his doings.
12 For, when he maketh inqui-
sition for blood, he remembereth
them : and forgetteth not the
complaint of the poor.
13 Have mercy upon me, O
Lord ; consider the trouble which
I suffer of them that hate me :
thou that liftest me up from the
gates of death.
14 That I may shew all thy
praises within the ports of the
daughter of Sion : I will rejoice
in thy salvation.
15 The heathen are sunk down
in the pit that they made : in the
same net which they hid privily,
is their foot taken.
16 The Lord is known to execute
judgment : the ungodly is trapped
in the work of his own hands.
1 7 The wicked shall be turned
into hell : and all the people that
forget God.
18 For the poor shall not alway
be forgotten : the patient abiding
of the meek shall not perish for
ever.
19 Up, Lord, and let not man
have the upper hand : let the hea-
then be judged in thy sight.
20 Put them in fear, O Lord :
that the heathen may know them-
selves to be but men.
PSALM 10.
Ut quid, Domine ?
WHY standest thou so far off,
0 Lord : and hidest thy face
in the needful time of trouble ?
2 The ungodly for his own lust
doth persecute the poor : let them
be taken in the crafty wiliness
that they have imagined.
3 For the ungodly hath made
boast of his own heart's desire :
and speaketh good of the covet-
ous, whom God abhorreth.
4 The ungodly is so proud, that
he careth not for God : neither is
God in all his thoughts.
5 His ways are alway grievous :
thy judgments are far al>ove out
of his sight, and therefore defieth
he all his enemies.
6 For he hath said in his heart,
Tush, I shall never be cast down :
there shall no harm happen unto
me.
7 His mouth is full of cursing,
deceit, and fraud : under his
tongue is ungodliness and vanity.
8 He sitteth lurking in the
thievish corners of the streets :
and privily in his lurking dens
doth he murder the innocent ; his
eyes are set against the poor.
9 For he lieth waiting secretly,
even as a lion lurketh he in his
den : that he may ravish the poor.
178
Psalm XI.
This Psalm is ascribed to David, and in all probability rightly. It is
an answer of confident faith to despondent counsels of friends in time of
danger. The simplicity and vigour of style, and the strong consciousness
of innocence, \>eem to refer it to his early days of danger in the court of
Saul.
Its structure is simple : (a) the counsels of faintheartedness (r v. 1—8) ;
(6) the answer of faith (re. 4—8).
v. 1 begins the quotation of the
timid advice of friends, " Flee, as a
bird, to the hill" (comp. 1 Sam.
xxvi. 20)— clearly the hill-country of
Judah, where David so often did
take refuge.
v. 2. Within the quiver. It should
be upon the tiring. The same meta-
phor is continued, pointing to the
stealthy arrow, already aimed at the
fugitive, as at a bird in its flight.
r. 3 is another remonstrance,
dropping all metaphor. " If the
foundations" of society "be cast
down"— if truth and justice fail
where they should most be sought
—"what can the righteous do?" (for
so it should be rendered)— what avail
innocence and true service?
v. 4. The answer is plain and so-
lemn. If all on earth has failed,
God is unchanged; He sits above,
high in Majesty of Eternal Righte-
ousness, yet not too high to behold
the earth, and work out judgment
thereon.
r. 6. AJloweth. This rendering ob-
scures the true idea of the passage.
It should be "trieth," glancing here
at the true explanation of the pro-
blem which so vexed Job. The ad-
versity of the righteous is discipline
•'"■■' »• II, JOj UUI. 111. 11, li. 111 ■!•.
xii. 4—17), the destruction of the un-
! godly is vengeance (Heb. x. 26—31).
i v. 7. Snares. This word breaks the
■ metaphor, and some would read ac-
] cordingly, more simply, "coals of
fire." But the word may well stand.
The frequent idea of God's wrath
; catching the wicked as in a snare,
is perhaps especially suggested here
by vv. 1, 2 ; and breach of metaphor
v frequent in ancient poetry, and,
Indeed, in all poetry of intense
feeling.
Fire and brimstone. The allusion
to the destruction of Sodom (Gen.
xix. 24) is unquestionable. Compare
Ps. xviii. 12, 13.
Storm and tempest, properly "fiery
: wind " ; generally referred to the
deadly Simoon of the desert.
v. 8. His countenance, &c. The
rendering shoxild be either (as in
| A. V.), ,rHis countenance beholds
the upright," or more probably (with
R.V.) "The upright shall behold
His face." It is the privilege of
; "the pure in heart" to "see God,"
*.u the Presence of mercy and righ-
teousness which Moses saw (Ex.
xxxiv. 5 — 8) — veiled perhaps, though
• still bright, through' all the clouds
, of this life— unveiled in the life to
i come (see Ps. xvii. 15; 1 John iii. 2).
Psalm XII.
This Psalm, also called "A Psalm of David," stands in marked contrast
with the confidence and conscious innocence of the preceding Psalm. It
is an utterance, pensive and half-despondent, though still hearing and
believing God's promise. The evil here, moreover, is not persecution, but
deceit, not open violence, but crafty injustice. The description is more
like that given by the later prophets (.see Jer. vi. 2 ; Mic. vii. 2, &c.) ; if it
really belongs to David's reign, it suits best with the tone of his declining
years.
Like other Psalms of the same character (see Ps. vi.), it was to be sung
"upon Sheminith," i.e. " on the Octave " by the heavy bass voices.
It opens (a) with complaint and prayer against evil (vv. 1—5) ; and to
these succeed (b) the promise of the Lord and the acceptance of it in a
faith, saddened by the present, yet hopeful for the future (w. 6—9).
179
Day 2.
THE PSALMS.
Day 2.
10 He doth ravish the poor :
when he getteth him into his net.
11 He falleth down, and hum-
bleth himself : that the congre-
gation of the poor may fall into
the hands of his captains.
12 He hath said in his heart,
Tush, God hath forgotten : he
hideth away his face, and he will
never see it.
13 Arise, O Lord God, and lift up
thine hand : forget not the poor.
14 Wherefore should the wick-
ed blaspheme God : while he doth
say in his heart, Tush, thou God
carest not for it.
15 Surely thou hast seen it :
for thou beholdest ungodliness
and wrong.
lfi That thou mayest take the
matter into thine hand : the poor
committeth himself unto thee ;
for thou art the helper of the
friendless.
17 Break thou the power of the
ungodly and malicious : take away
his ungodliness, and thou shalt
find none.
18 The Lord is King for ever
and ever : and the heathen are
perished out of the land.
19 Lord, thou hast heard the
desire of the poor : thou preparest
their heart, and thine ear heark-
eneth thereto ;
Day 2.
20 To help the fatherless and
poor unto tneir right : that the
man of the earth be no more ex-
alted against them.
PSALM 11.
In Domino confido.
IN the Lord put I my trust:
how say ye then to my soul,
that she should flee as a bird unto
the hill ?
2 For lo, the ungodly bend their
bow, and make re:uly their arrows
within the quiver : that they may
privily shoot at them which are
true of heart.
3 For the foundations will be
cast down : and what hath the
righteous done ?
4 The Lord is in his holy tem-
ple : the Lord's seat is in heaven.
5 His eyes consider the poor :
and his eye-lids try the children
of men.
6 The Lord alloweth the righ-
teous : but the ungodly, and him
that delighteth in wickedness doth
his soul abhor.
7 Upon the ungodly he shall
rain snares, fire and brimstone,
storm and tempest : this shall be
their portion to drink.
8 For the righteous Lord loveth
righteousness : his countenance
will behold the thing that is just.
CEbming Ifrajjer.
H
PSALM 12.
Salvummefac.
ELP me, Lord, for there is
not one godly man left : for
the faithful are minished from
among the children of men.
2 They talk of vanity every one
with his neighbour : they do but
flatter with their lips, and dissem-
ble in their double heart.
3 The Lord shall root out all
deceitful lips : and the tongue
that speaketh proud things ;
4 Which have said, With our
tongue will we prevail : we are
they that ought to speak, who is
lord over us ?
0 Now for the comfortless trou-
bles' sake of the needy : and be-
cause of the deep sighing of the
poor,
6 I will up, saith the Lord :
and will help every one from him
that swelleth against him, and
will set him at rest.
7 The words of the Lord are
pure words : even as the silver,
which from the earth is tried,
and purified seven times in the
fire.
8 Thou shalt keep them, O
Lord : thou shalt preserve him
from this generation for ever.
9 The ungodly walk on every
side : when they are exalted, the
children of men are put to re-
buke.
179
14-5
P8ALM XII.— COHt.
v. 1. Not one godly man Uft. So
Elijah said, "I, even I, alone am
left," while God had "reserved to
Himself seven thousand in Israel "
(1 Kin. xix. 10, 14, 18). The iudg-
ment even of God's servants lacks
the mercy and discrimination of His
judgment.
v. 2. Vanity is here "falsehood."
The latter part of the verse is a para-
phrase of the abruptness of the
original, " with nattering lips, with
a double heart, they speak."
v. 3 should be a prayer, " May the
Lord," &c.
v. 4. We are they, &c. — properly,
" Our lips are with us," either, " Our
tongues are our own," or, " Our
tongues are our strength." The
special evil contemplated is charac-
teristic of an outwardly peaceful
condition of society— the crafty and
self-confident power of the tongue,
especially oppressive towards the
poor and simple; who are patheti-
cally described as " comfortless," be-
cause unsupported in trial, and
"as sighing deeply," because they
dare not cry out.
v. 6. / will up. The answer to the
cry, " Up, Lord ! " so often repeated
(see Ps. iii. 7 ; ix. 1» ; x. IS) ; will help
.... rest, should probably be, " will
i establish in salvation him who pants
for it " (as " the hart for the water
brooks," Ps. xlii. 1).
«. 7. The words of the Lord— that is,
the promise of salvation just made —
are strikingly described as " tried
seven times in the fire " of fierce and
obstinate resistance of evil — then,
and not till then, to come out " pure,"
from all human misconception of
their meaning, and from all tempo-
rary hindrances to perfect fulfilment.
The application of the metaphor is
unusual ; for commonly it is not
God's truth, but man's faith in it,
which is tried in the fire (1 Pet. i. 7 ;
iv. 12; 1 Cor. iii. 18; Rev. iii. 18).
But its accuracy has again and again
been verified in the history of the
Church.
r. 9. This verse should be rendered,
" The ungodly prowl round on every
side ; vileness is exalted among the
children of men." It is a sad de-
scription of the character of " this
generation "—from one, not, indeed,
disbelieving God's promise of salva-
tion from it, but perhaps half com-
plaining that it is still allowed to
continue.
Psalm XIII.
This Psalm, again ascribed with great probability to David, seems (like
Ps. xi.) to belong to the time of his early persecution by Saul "his enemy."
But it represents a different phase of feeling— the hour of impatient longing
for deliverance, darkened by doubt whether God's face is not hid from
him, but clearing up at last into confidence in His salvation. What was
originally written of conflict with a temporal enemy has been often applied
by God's servants to the struggle against the spiritual foe in their hours of
distress.
The Psalm passes by natural gradation from (a) vehement complaint and
remonstrance (re. 1, 2) through (6) earnestness of prayer (it. 3, 4), to (c) a
burst of confidence and joy (t'r. 5, 6).
v. 1. How long, &c. The complaint
is but an expansion of the " Lord,
how long? " of Ps. vi. 3. The ques-
tion may be a double question, " How
long r" " Shall it be for ever F " or a
single question, in the natural self-
contradiction of half - despondent
faith, " How long shall this endless
forgetfulness last ? "
v. 2. So vexed in my heart. The
original is "with sorrow of heart by
day " — suggesting the idea of the vain
179 a
"counsels" of the night-watches,
giving way to weary sorrow on wak-
ing.
My enemy, here and in v. 4, has
clearly a definite personal meaning,
referring, perhaps, to Saul, perhaps
to one of his instruments (comp. Ps.
vii.)— in distinction from the many
who " trouble " the Psalmist and
would " rejoice " over his fall.
v. 8. Lighten m hie eyes. This phrase
probably, though not necessarily,
Psalm XIII.— cont.
marks this as a Psalm of the night
watches. In the physical darkness,
the gloom of trouble and despond-
ency always becomes heavier. David
feels that it is overpowering his
strength, and that he will literally
"sleep the sleep of death," unless
some gleam of hope comes.
v. 4. The parallelism of the origi-
nal is lost in the translation of the
last clause, which should run, " Lest
my oppressors rejoice that I am
shaken."
vv. 5, 6. In this prayer the hour of
darkness passes away, not merely
into trust in God's mercy, but into
joyful assurance of salvation, break-
ing out in songs of praise to Him,
who, even in adversity, had "dealt
lovingly"— or rather -bountifully"
—with His servant. So in Col. i. 11
we have the climax of "patience,
long-suffering, joyfulness " ; and in
Gal. v. 22 read that the true fruit of
the Spirit is " love, joy, peace." The
spiritual life, which knows no joy
in the midst of trouble, has not yet
attained to perfection.
(The last clause, " Yea, I will,"
&c, taken from the LXX., is not in
the Hebrew, although it certainly
completes the perfection of the pa-
rallelism. It is repeated from vii. 17.)
Psalm XIV.
(In this Psalm vv. ~>, 6, 7 of our Prayer Book Version are not in the
Hebrew, and are accordingly omitted in the Bible Versions. They are
found in some MSS. of the Septuagint, and so of the Vulgate (which the
Prayer Book Version follows), and may possibly have found their waj
thither from Bom. iii. 10 — 18, where they are quoted by St. Paul from
various parts of the Old Testament in connection with vv. 2 — 4 of this
Psalm.)
This Psalm (of which Ps. liii. is a repetition with slight variations) is
called " A Psalm of David." The style and the substance, which describes
much the same condition of things as Ps. xii., agree well with this. The
only apparent objection to this is the allusion to the " Captivity " in the
last verse, on which see note.
The opening verse is introductory ; then follows (a) the picture of Jeho-
vah looking down on the corrupted earth in His wrath {vv', 2—4, 8) ; and
the Psalm ends ( b ) with the terror of the wicked, and the confident prayer
for salvation of the righteous (vv. 9—11).
v. 1. The fool (nabal) is said in Is.
xxxii. 6 to be " one who worketh in-
iquity, to practise hypocrisy, and
utter error against the Lord " ; in
Ps. lxxiv. 18, 22 the name is applied
to the people or the individual, who
blaspheme God. Compare also the
application of the word to Nabal
(1 Sam. xxv. 25). It is clear by the
context that the application here is
connected with the moral perversity
of one who does " not like to retain
God in his knowledge " and has "his
heart darkened" thereby (Bom. i.
21, 28). But the regarding evil as
"folly" — so common in the Pro-
verbs, though rare in the Psalms —
still places the source of it in the
wilful neglect or blindness of the
Understanding, which refuses the
manifold witness given by God of
Himself, stifles the natural instinct
of God, and having refused to see
Him, declares complacently that He
is not (Bom. i. 19—22). From this
follows the consequence of moral
179 b
" corruption "—by the loss of the
supreme relation of duty— express-
ing itself in " abominable doings."
v. 3. Looked down (see Gen. vi. 12;
xviii. 21; Ps. xxxiii. 13, 14). The
phrase is, of course, one of those
which apply to God the vigilance,
searching yet merciful, of a human
judge.
v. 4. There is none. The language
is the sweeping language of human
despondency, as in Ps. xii. 1. There
was, indeed (see v. 9), a righteous
" generation," but so small and op-
pressed, as to be of no account be-
fore man, though known and loved
by God.
v. 8 is the word of Jehovah Him-
self, condemning the utter folly of
the wicked, under the two cognate
aspects described by Our Lord in
Luke xviii. 2— the oppression which
"regards not man," devouring the
poor (Mic. iii. 1—3) like daily bread—
Psalm XIV.— cont.
the practical atheism which " calls
not on God."
vv. 9—11. The Psalmist pictures
with singular truth to nature the
effect of the condemnation of God :
first, the trembling of momentary
fear and compunction, like that of
Felix (Acts xxiv. 25) ; then the re-
action of mockery against trust in an
unseen God by one who is "poor,"
i.e., helpless. Against this he prays
for God s " deliverance out of Zion."
v. 11. The latter part of this verse
(" When the Lord," &c.) can hardly
suit with any condition of things in
David's time. It is true that ™ cap-
tivity " is used in a wide sense (see
Job xlii. 10; Ezek. xvi. 53) of any
state of ruin and misery; but the
concluding phrase, "Then shall,"
Ac. evidently belongs to some truly
national disaster and deliverance.
i Yet the Psalm itself cannot be re-
| ferred to a late period. Probably it
is best to take this concluding sen-
i tence as a liturgical addition of sub-
sequent date (comp. Ps. cxxvi. 1).
Psalm XV.
This Psalm— ascribed again with great probability to David— seems, by
its marked resemblance to xxiv. 3—5, to have been written at the same
time, that is, at the time of the establishment of the Ark on Mount Zion
(i Sam. vi. 12—19). The whole idea of the Psalm is simply the enforcement
of the truth, so often taoght by the Prophets, that the true worship of God
is the devotion of the heart, expressing itself in the life (see Is. i. 11— 18;
Mic. vi. 6—8; Ps. xl. 6—10; 1. 8—15). It was probably specially needed,
and, therefore, emphatically uttered, at the very moment of the inaugura-
tion of the local sanctuary in Zion, hallowing the new city of David.
Dealing with the exaltation of pure humanity to the Presence of God, it is
naturally used as one of the Psalms for Ascension-Day.
v. 1. Dwell should be "sojourn as
a guest," while rest really signifies to
"dwell." The former word is ap-
propriately used in relation to the
moveable "Tabernacle," the latter
to the hill, where it was now fixed.
vv. 2—5. The characteristics of the
man fit to approach the presence of
God are drawn out with great dis-
tinctness: (a) Truth and Righ-
teousness— a pure life, an active
energy of righteousness, an inner
truthfulness of heart (v. 2); (6) Kind-
liness—with no slander ("deceit")
on his tongue, no malice in his ac-
tions, no taking up of reproach
("slander") and repeating it wan-
tonly {v. 3) ; (c) Humility (v. 4)—
thinking little of himself, much of
all other servants of God (Rom. xii.
10; Phil. ii. 3). It is impossible not
to refer here to David's own acts
and words at this time ; see 2 Sam.
vi. 20—22. (It is, however, to be noted
that the more usually accepted in-
terpretation of the original of v. 4 is
(as in the LXX. and our Bible Ver-
sions) " In whose eyes the reprobate
is despised, but he honoureth," &c.
The reference would then be not to
m
Humility, but to spiritual discern-
ment between the good and the
evil.) (d) Unselfishness and Gene-
rosity (v. 5)— keeping his word to
his own hurt, refraining from all
usury (forbidden in Exod. xxii. 25;
Lev. xxv. 36 1, disdaining all bribes.
The whole may be summed up in the
"being true in love " of Eph. iv. 15.
Much of it reminds us of the picture
of Charity in 1 Cor. xiii. 4—6. We
note that throughout it is the duty
to man which is marie the test of
love of God (comp. Matt. xix. 17—
19; James i. 27; 1 John iv. 20, 21).
There is a passage of remarkable
similarity in Is. xxxiii. 13 — 17.
v. 5 curiously combines two read-
ings—that of the Hebrew, "to his
own hurt," and that of the LXX.,
" to his neighbour." The whole ver-
sion, though very beautiful, is un-
usually paraphrastic in this Psalm.
v. 6. The conclusion is not, " Who-
so doeth these things shall approach
God"; but a higher promise, "He
shall never fall" or be moved";
because catching some likeness of
the Divine Righteousness, he shall
partake of jts unshaken permanence.
Day 2.
THE PSALMS.
Day a.
PSALM 13.
Usque quo, Domine ?
HOW long wilt thou forget me,
0 Lord, for ever : how long
wilt thou hide thy face from
me?
2 How long shall I seek coun-
sel in my soul, and be so vexed in
my heart : how long shall mine
enemies triumph over me ?
3 Consider, and hear me, 0
Lord my God : lighten mine eyes,
that I sleep not in death.
4 Lest mine enemy say, I have
prevailed against him : for if I be
cast down, they that trouble me
will rejoice at it.
5 But my trust is in thy mer-
cy : and my heart is joyful in thy
salvation.
6 I will sing of the Lord, be-
cause he hath dealt so lovingly
with me : yea, I will praise the
Name of the Lord most Highest.
PSALM 14.
Dixit insipiens.
THE fool hath said in his heart :
There is no God.
2 They are corrupt, and be-
come abominable in their doings :
there is none that doeth good, no
not one.
3 The Lord looked down from
heaven upon the children of men :
Day 3.
to see if there were any that would
understand, and seek after God.
4 But they are all gone out of
the way, they are altogether be-
come abominable : there is nono
that doeth good, no not one.
5 Their throat is an open se-
pulchre, with their tongues have
they deceived : the poison of asps
is under their lips.
6 Their mouth is full of curs-
ing and bitterness : their feet are
swift to shed blood.
7 Destruction and unhappiness
is in their ways, and the way of
peace have they not known : there
is no fear of God before their eyes.
8 Have they no knowledge, that
they are all such workers of mis-
chief : eating up my people as
it were bread, and call not upon
the Lord ?
9 There were they brought in
great fear, even where no fear was :
for God is in the generation of the
righteous.
10 As for you, ye have made a
mock at the counsel of the poor :
because he putteth his trust in
the Lord.
11 Who shall give salvation un-
to Israel out of Sion ? When the
Lord turneth the captivity of his
people : then shall .Jacob rejoice,
and Israel shall be glad.
Morning Prager.
PSALM 15.
Domine, quis habitabit t
LORD, who shall dwell in thy
tabernacle : or who shall rest
upon thy holy hill ?
2 Even he, that leadeth an un-
corrnpt life : and doeth the thing
which is right, and speaketh the
truth from his heart.
3 He that hath used no deceit
in his tongue, nor dono evil to his
neighbour : and hath not slander-
ed his neighbour.
4 He that setteth not by him-
self, but is lowly in his own eyes :
ana maketh much of them that
fear the Lord.
5 He that sweareth unto his
neighbour, and disappointeth him
not : though it were to his own
hindrance.
6 He that hath not given his
money upon usury : nor taken
reward against the innocent.
7 Whoso doeth these things :
shall never fall.
PSALM 16.
Conserva me, Domine.
PRESERVE me, O God : for
in thee have I put my trust.
2 0 my soul, thou hast said
unto the Lord : Thou art my God,
my goods are nothing unto thee.
3 All my delight is upon the
saints, that are in the earth : and
upon such as excel in virtue.
180
Psalm XVI.
This Psalrn is not only in the heading termed "A Psalm of David," but
is expressly referred to him in the Apostolic arguments of Acts ii. 25 — 31 ;
xiii. 35, as one known by all to be his. Like Psalms lvi.— lx.— all ascribed
to David— it is called Michtam, which is either (according to most ancient
authorities) "a golden Psalm," or (according to the versions of the LXX.
and Vulgate) "a Sculpture Psalm," one of strongly marked incisive
thought. It seems by its character of fresh joyous confidence to belong to
the early part of his career ; some, from the allusion in v. 4, have referred
it to the time of his wanderings in heathen or half -heathen lands ; but
against this is the description of his prosperity in v. 7.
It is a Psalm doubly notable : (a) first, because it contains one of the
brightest and most unhesitating expressions of faith in the Presence
of God, as extending through and beyond death. It therefore stands
in marked contrast with the desponding doubts of such Psalms as
Ps. lxxxviii.— basing itself on the conviction, which Our Lord declared to
underlie the whole Covenant, that " God is not the God of the dead, but of
the living." (b) Secondly, because it is quoted most explicitly in the New
Testament as a Messianic prophecy— an inspired utterance, which was no
doubt in some degree applied by the Psalmist to himself, as having a
spiritual unity with God, indestructible by death, but which could be in
its full meaning spoken of the Messiah alone (Acts ii. 25—31 ; xiii. 35). For
in Him alone was the unity with God to be perfect— so that He should be
at once "the Son of David" and yet "God with us "—therefore in Him
alone was it impossible that humanity could be " holden by death," either
in the "prison" of Hades (1 Pet. lii. 19) or "the corruption" of the
grave.
The Psalm falls into two sections : (a) in vv. 1—7 the declaration of faith
in the Lord alone, as against idolatry, and the thankful sense of His bless-
ings, temporal and spiritual, here; (6) in vv. 8—12 an extension of that
faith beyond the grave to the conviction of eternal life and bliss in God.
v. 1 is the customary introduction
of declaration of trust in Jehovah
(see vii. 1; xi. 1), prefacing alike
thanksgiving and complaint, praise
and prayer, because it lies at the root
of all religious life.
v. 2. O my tout. These words are
not in the original. By a slight vari-
ation of the. present text we should
read (with the ancient versions), " I
have said," Ac.
My goods are nothing unto Thee. The
most probable sense of this difficult
verse is," My prosperity is not beyond
Thee," i.e. (as in R.V.) "I have no
good beyond Theo"— no true bless-
ing of life except in Thee.
v. 3. This verse, also one of great
difficulty and of some abruptness,
in respect of connection with the
preceding verse, is best rendered
with the R.V. text or margin, —
" I have said to the saints that are
in the earth,
They are the excellent, in whom
is all my delight,"
Or simply,—
"As for the saints," &c.
The Psalmist, in his sense of unity
with God, recognises the Communion
of Saints, just as he repudiates indig-
nantly in. the next verse the fellow-
ship of those who "go after " or " woo
by gifts another god."
v. 5. Drink offerings of blood. The
use of blood as a drink offering was
against the whole direction of the
Mosaic law, which allowed "the
blood which is the life" only to be
offered before God in sin offering,
otherwise to be "poured on the
earth as water" (Lev. vii. 26; Deut.
xii. 16, 23). The phrase here may be
literally taken to designate heathen
sacrifice as such, or metaphorically,
to signify sacrifice unholy, or offered
by unholy hands.
vv. 6, 7. Portion. Comp. Num.
xviii. 20 ; Deut. x. 9, where it is said
of the tribe of Levi, " The Lord is
his inheritance." The believer is
thus as a priest before God ; in this
is his true heritage. But it seems to
be implied that to this possession "of
the kingdom of God and His righ-
teousness all else shall be added."
PsALM XVI.— cont.
%
"His lines (see A.V.) fall in plea-
sant places," and "his heritage is
goodly" — in temporal prosperity as
well as in spiritual blessing. Com-
pare David's words in 2 Sam. vii.
18—29.
vv. 8 — 10. Warning should be sim-
" 'counsel," and chasten should be
instruct." The idea is not of god-
ly fear or sorrow, but of the thought-
ful wisdom given by God, through
which the heart (" the reins "), com-
muning with itself in the night-
season, looks beyond the visible and
the present to the inner life and the
eternal hereafter. Then it finds in
the faith that God is always with
him— a living Presence leading him
by his " right hand "—that certainty
of immortality (see Matt. xxii. 31, 32,
and compare John xi. 24—26), not
only firm, but exultant, which other-
wise the loftiest human speculation
lacks.
v. 10. Glory (as in Ps. vii. 6; xxxii.
12 ; lvii. 9) signifies the spirit of man,
made in God's image, and therefore
the reflection of the glory which is
properly His (comp. 1 Cor. xi. 7).
Here it is opposed to my flesh, which
clearly means the body, but the
living body. The spirit exults; the
body " dwells in safety " : for this is
the true rendering (as in R.V.).
Our version, "rest in hope" (taken
from the LXX.), is suggested by a
wrong idea of the passage. For this
verse looks to the present, not the
future.
v. 11. In this the Psalmist passes
in thought beyond the grave. He
expresses his joyful confidence that
the soul, of which (as in Job iv. 13—
19; vii. 10, 11; x. 21, 22) he knows
that it shall pass into Sheol — the
shadowy unknown world— shall not
be left there, deserted by the God in
whom it has lived. In this he speaks
the conviction, held in greater or
less clearness by all true religion.
But he evidently implies further that
God's "holy one" shall not "see
corruption" or "the pit" (of abso-
lute destruction) ; and taking this
in connection with the parallel of
the spirit and the flesh in the pre-
vious verse, it seems that he grasps
in some degree the idea of a resur-
rection of the body out of the grave
(see on this Is. xxvi. 19, 21 ; Dan. xii.
2; possibly Job xix. 26, 27), which
in its perfection belongs especially
to Christian faith.
In all this the Psalmist, so far as
he is a holy one, is a type of "the
Holy One of God" ; in whom alone
(as St. Peter and St. Paul argue) the
promise, like all the higher promises
to humanity, is absolutely fulfilled.
The Psalmist "was laid to his fathers
and saw corruption." His Lord and
ours, by the intrinsic power of the
indwelling Godhead, was untouched
by the chains of Hades, and by the
corruption of the grave. We, who
are His, and who yet have been un-
der the power of sin, pass into both,
and by Him are brought out of both.
v. 12. The path of life— evidently
the way to the new life in God (on
which see John xiv. 2— 6)— for the
soul out of Hades, for the body out
of the pit. That new life is described
as a true Heaven— that is, as bliss,
not given in measure but in "ful-
ness," not in time, but for "ever-
more."
Psalm XVII.
This Psalm is called in the heading " A Prayer" (as also Ps. lxxxvi., xc,
cii., cxlii.), probably from the " supplication" dwelt upon in verse 1. It is
traditionally ascribed to David ; and both in style and matter corresponds
well with the tone of the Psalms of his early days, during the unrighteous
persecution of his innocence. It presents some striking links of connection
with Ps. xvi., although it differs from it somewhat in tone. The objections
made to the ascription of this Psalm (as of Ps. xvi.) to David rest simply
on the baseless assumption that such confidence in a future life as is found
in v. 15 belongs only to the period after the Exile.
The Psalm (a) opens with a prayer (vv. 1—7) based on a strong protesta-
tion of innocence; it next (b) draws a picture (vv. 8—12) of the pride, per-
sistency, and fierceness of the persecutors; lastly (mi 13—16), in renewed
prayer for God's protection, contrasts the self-satisfied prosperity of the
worldly, which must pass away, with the spiritual blessing of communion
with God, which will last for ever.
180 •
Psalm XVII.— cont.
vv. 1—5. This stronj,' protestation
of innocence Hike that of Ps. vii. 3
—8) has properly a double reference
—first to innocence in relation to his
persecutors, next to single-hearted
devotion to the service of God. On
both the Psalmist could speak boldly,
without self-deception or self-com-
placency, appealing to God who
knows the heart, and praying Him
"to behold equity" (v. 2). At the
same time it is true that the nn-
doubting tone of this protestation
belongs in character to David's early
days, before his fall had taught him
his own weakness, and that, in the
deeper sense of sin which belongs
to the Gospel, it can but seldom be
the full language of Christian ex-
perience.
v. 3. My mouth shall not offend (or
"swerve"). The idea (as in the
denial of "feigned lips" in v. 1) is
that of a religious profession honest-
ly taken up, and earnestly kept to
through all trials.
vv. 4, 5 would be better rendered—
" As for men's works,— by the word
of Thy lips
I have kept me from the way of
the destroyer.
My steps have held fast to Thy
ways,
My feet have not slipped."
God's commandment has been his
security— against temptation to the
way of sinners, and falling from
God's ways, as truly as against the
violence of the enemy. So it was
with David in the wilderness, when
he resisted the temptation to re-
venge himself on Saul, and yet was
kept safe from his hands (1 Sam.
xxiv., xxvi.).
vv. 6—8. These verses express with
the greatest vividness the confi-
dence which lies at the root of all
true vital religion— the confidence
in God's personal care and love
for the soul that trusts in Him—
not hoping, but knowing, that He
hears its prayer— not being content
to feel vaguely His general Pro-
vidence over the Universe, but re-
lying on the special tenderness,which
deals with each as if he stood alone.
v. 8. On the beautiful image of this
verse compare the still fuller expres-
sion of Deut. xxxii. 10, 11. The for-
mer clause describes the soul as
precious, the latter as tenderly be-
loved.
181
vv. 10—12. They are incloted, Ac.
An incisive picture, singularly true
to nature, of sleek selfishness and
proud self-sufficiency, not incom-
patible, on occasion, with crafty and
ruthless activity against the right-
eousness, which thwarts and rebukes
them. (Compare the description of
the same character, given with great
fulness and beauty, in Wisdom ii. 6—
19).
v. 11 should be (as in R.V.) "They
set their eyes" (watch) "to cast us
to the ground."
In v. 12 the change to the singular
number indicates the prominence of
some one leader (Saulr).
v. IS. Which ia a ncord of thine. It
should be simply (as in R.V.) "by
Thy sword," as in the next verse
"by Thy hand." The idea of our
version might stand grammatically ;
but, though true in itself, it does not
suit the general notion of the Psalm,
in which the evil are viewed, not as
instruments, but as rebels, in rela-
tion to God.
vv. 14—16, like many other pas-
sages (such as Job xxi. 7—18; Ps.
Ixxiii. 12), clearly show how little
" the old fathers looked," or, indeed,
could have looked, "only for transi-
tory promises." While they held,
and rightly held, that under the
general law of God's Providence
happiness should follow obedience
to the Will of Him, who made and
guides all things, they yet recognised
the disturbing influence of evil in
the world, through which the un-
righteous prosper, having to the full
the onlv portion they care for (comp.
Matt. vi. 2, 5; Luke xvi. 25), leaving
wealth and fame to their children.
At times this was to them a sore
trial of faith (Ps. Ixxiii. 3)— sorer
than to us who have the clear vision
of the future life. But they felt that
far above this outward prosperity
was that which the worldly cannot
have— the communion with God, in
itself the life eternal of the soul.
v. 16. This verse is either a prayer
or an expression of assurance. It
should be, "As for me, I shall" (or
"let me") "behold Thy face in
righteousness; I shall be" (or "let
me be") "satisfied, when I awake,
with Thy Likeness" (or Image.)
Its sense cannot well be doubtful.
Day 3.
THE PSALMS.
4 But they that run after ano-
ther god : shall have great trouhle.
5 Their drink-offerings of blood
will I not offer : neither make
mention of their names within my
lips.
6 The Lord himself is the portion
of mine inheritance, and of my
cup : thou shalt maintain my lot.
7 The lot is fallen unto mo
in a fair ground : yea, 1 have a
goodly heritage.
8 I will thank the Lord for giv-
ing me warning : my reins also
chasten me in the night-season.
9 I have set God always before
me : for he is on my right hand,
therefore I shall not fall.
10 Wherefore my heart was
glad, and my glory rejoiced : my
flesh also shall rest in hope.
11 For why? thou shalt not
leave my soul in hell : neither
shalt thou suffer thy Holy One
to see corruption.
12 Thou shalt shew me the path
of life ; in thy presence is the ful-
ness of joy : and at thy right hand
there is pleasure for evermore.
PSALM 17.
Exaudi, Domine.
HEAR the right, 0 Lord, con-
sider my complaint : and
hearken unto my prayer, that
goeth not out of feigned lips.
2 Let my sentence come forth
from thy presence : and let thine
eyes look upon the thing that is
equal.
3 Thou hast proved and visited
mine heart in the night-season ;
thou hast tried me, and shalt
find no wickedness in me : for I
am utterly purposed that my
mouth shall not offend.
4 Because of men's works, that
Day 3.
are done against the words of thy
lips : I have kept me from the
ways of the destroyer.
5 O hold thou up my goings in
thy paths : that my footsteps slip
not.
6 I have called upon thee, O
God, for thou shalt hear me : in-
cline thine ear to me, and hearken
unto my words.
7 Shew thy marvellous loving-
kindness, thou that art the Sa-
viour of them which put their
trust in thee : from such as resist
thy right hand.
8 Keep me as the apple of an
eye : hide me under the shadow
of thy wings,
9 From the ungodly that trou-
ble me : mine enemies compass me
round about to take away my soul.
10 They are inclosed in their
own fat : and their mouth spcak-
eth proud things.
11 They lie waiting hi our way
on every side : turning their eyes
down to the ground ;
12 Like as a lion that is greedy
of his prey : and as it were a lion's
whelp, lurking in secret places.
13 Up, Lord, disappoint him,
and cast him down : deliver my
soul from the ungodly, which is
a sword of thine ;
14 P'rom the men of thy hand,
O Lord, from the men, I say, and
from the evil world : which have
their portion in this life, whose
bellies thou flllest with thy hid
treasure.
15 They have children at their
desire : and leave the rest of their
substance for their babes.
16 But as for me, I will behold
thy presence in righteousness : and
when I awake up after thy like-
ness, I shall be satisfied with it.
©toning ^ragcr.
PSALM 18.
Diligam te, Domine.
1WILL love thee, 0 Lord, my
strength ; the Lord is my stony
rock, and my defence : my Sa-
viour, my God, and my might, in I
whom I will trust, my buckler,
the horn also of my salvation, and
my refuge.
2 I will call upon the Lord,
which is worthy to be praised : so
shall I be safe from mine enemies.
3 The sorrows of death com*
181
Psalm XVII— cont.
The Psalmist trusts that now "he
shall behold the Face of God in
righteousness," and in it have the
higher spiritual life. Therefore (as
in Ps. xvi. 9, 10) he draws the infer-
ence which Our Lord Himself justi-
fies, that death cannot break the tie
of this communion; therefore that
he shall " awake," and be " satisfied
with " the " Image," the unveiled
Presence of God (as in Num. xii. 6 —
8), having in fulness that which on
earth he can only desire and long for
(comp. 1 John iii. 1, 2). The corre-
spondence with xvi. 9—11 makes
this sense of the verse even clearer.
All other explanations of the "a-
waking" utterly fail to rise to the
true spirit of the passage, and could
never have been thought of, except
to support the false conclusion, that,
because the knowledge of a future
life in heaven was not unchequered
by doubt in the saints of old, there-
fore it had no flashes of brightness
and reality.
Psalm XVIII.
In the heading this magnificent Psalm is designated with unusual
explicitness " To the Chief Musician, a Psalm of David, the servant of
the Lord, who spake unto the Lord the words of this Song, in the day that
the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the
hand of Saul ; " and the Psalm, under a similar heading, is embodied with
many slight variations in the Second Book of Samuel (ch. xxii.). It was,
therefore, clearly written to be sung on some solemn occasion or occasions
(like the Song of Moses in Deut. xxxii.) ; and its date is fixed, both by
external and by internal evidence, to the time of David's full prosperity
after the completion of his conquests and the crushing of all revolts, and
after the sealing of his prosperity by the great promise through Nathan (see
2 Sam. vii.— x.), before his great sin and its chastisement darkened his
glory, and took away the bright hopefulness of his life. It is a great Te
Deum of victorious thanksgiving, which has, indeed, natural touches of
fierce exultation and delight in the sense of strength and prowess, but in
which these are absorbed into the dominant idea of God's majesty, as
shewn in righteousness and goodness, and therefore regarded not only with
awe and faith, but with confidence of love.
Its structure (with a view perhaps to its solemn festive use) is strongly
marked and symmetrical, the verseB falling into clearly defined groups. It
opens (a) with a brief exordium of enthusiastic thanksgiving (vv. 1, 2) : it
then (6) paints, in striking magnificence of expression, David's overwhelm-
ing trouble, and the visible intervention of the Lord to judge His enemies
and deliver His servant (vv. 3—19) ; from this it passes (c) to a declaration
of the ground of this deliverance, as a succour of righteousness against
evil, in which the Lord manifests Himself to each according to his works
(00. 20—30) ; thence, (rf) describing David's own part in the victory under
the blessing of God, it tells of his victorious strength, crushing the vain
struggles of his enemies, and ruling the conquered children of the strangers
(00. 81—46) ; and ends (e), as it began, with ascription of praise and bless-
ing to Him, from whose lovingkindness to His Anointed the triumph comes
(00. 47—51).
0. 1. I will love Thee. The word
"love" here (as in John xxi. 16) is
expressive of personal affection, as
distinct from reverence and faith-
impossible to those who contemplate
only God's infinite majesty— possible
only to one who feels himself a child
of God.
The rapid accumulation of imagery
marks this verse as an outburst of
enthusiasm : all the seven titles (in
182
metaphors drawn from the warfare
of a mountain country) are varia-
tions on the one theme of God, as
the " strength" of His servant. God
is the high cliff of safety, the for-
tress of defence, the active Deliverer.
God is the rock of strength on which
to rest secure (comp. Deut. xxxii. 4,
15, 18, &c). the shield of protection,
the horn of strong salvation.the high
tower (" refuge ") of exalted majesty.
Day 3.
THE PSALMS.
Day 3.
passed me : and the overflowings
of ungodliness made me afraid.
4 The pains of hell came about
me : the snares of death overtook
me.
5 In my trouble I will call upon
the Lord : and complain unto my
God.
6 So shall he hear my voice out
of his holy temple : and my com-
plaint shall come before him, it
shall enter even into his ears.
7 The earth trembled and quak-
ed : the very foundations also of
the hills shook, and were removed,
l)ecause he was wroth.
8 There went a smoke out in
his presence : and a consuming
fire out of his mouth, so that coals
were kindled at it.
9 He bowed the heavens also,
and came down : and it was dark
under his feet.
10 He rode upon the cherubims,
and did fly : he came flying upon
the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his secret
place : his pavilion round about
him with dark water, and thick
clouds to cover him.
12 At the brightness of his pre-
sence his clouds removed : hail-
stones, and coals of fire.
13 The Lord also thundered
out of heaven, and the Highest
gave his thunder : hail-stones,
and coals of fire.
14 He sent out his arrows, and
scattered them : he cast forth
lightnings, and destroyed them.
15 The springs of waters were
seen, and the foundations of the
round world were discovered, at
thy chiding, 0 Lord : at the blast-
ing of the breath of thy displea-
sure.
16 He shall send down from on
high to fetch me : and shall take
me out of many waters.
17 He shall deliver me from
my strongest enemy, and from
them which hate me : for they
are too mighty for me.
18 They prevented me in the day
of my trouble : but the Lord was
my upholder.
19 He brought me forth also
into a place of liberty : he brought
me forth, even because he had a
favour unto me.
20 The Lord shall reward me
after my righteous dealing : ac-
cording to the cleanness of my
hands shall he recompense me.
21 Because I have kept the ways
of the Lord : and have not forsaken
my God, as the wicked doth.
22 For I have an eye unto all
his laws : and will not cast out his
commandments from me.
23 I was also uncorrupt before
him : and eschewed mine own
wickedness.
24 Therefore shall the Lord
reward me after my righteous
dealing : and according unto the
cleanness of my hands in his
eyesight.
25 With the holy thou shalt
be holy : and with a perfect man
thou shalt be perfect.
26 With the clean thou shalt be
clean : and with the froward thou
shalt learn frowardness.
27 For thou shalt save the peo-
ple that are in adversity : and
shalt bring down the high looks
of the proud.
28 Thou also shalt light my
candle : the Lord my God shall
make my darkness to be light.
29 For in thee I shall discomfit
an host of men : and with the
help of my God I shall leap over
the wall.
30 The way of God is an un-
dented way : the word of the Lord
also is tried in the fire ; he is the
defender of all them that put their
trust in him.
31 For who is God, but the
Lord : or who hath any strength,
except our God ?
32 It is God, that girdeth me
with strength of war : and mak-
eth my way perfect.
33 He maketh my feet like
harts' feet : and setteth me up
on high.
34 He teacheth mine hands to
fight : and mine arms shall break
even a bow of steel.
35 Thou hast given me the de-
fence of thy salvation : thy right
182
Psalm XVIII.— cont.
v. 3. The sorrowt of death. Here,
and in the next verse, the true ren-
dering is the " bands " or " cords "
of death and Hades. But in 2 Sam.
xxii. 5 this verse has the "waves of
death," suiting; far better with the
flood of ungodliness (properly " Be-
lial " or " Lawlessness ) in the
second clause.
v. 6. Hit Holy Temple, i.e. (as in
1 Kin. viii. 80, 89 1 the Temple of
Heaven, His dwelling place. God
is no God, if He be not " the high
and holy One which inhabiteth
Eternity ;" yet He is not our God,
unless we are sure that "our com-
plaint will come before Him " there.
Both ideas are united in the ad-
dress of the Lord's Prayer, "Our
Father, which art in Heaven."
re. 7—15. The intervention of the
Lord here, as so often in the Pro-
phets (see, for example, Nah. i.2— (5 ;
Zeph. i. 14—18, &c, &c), is repre-
sented in the visible manifestations
of His majesty, as on the Mount
Sinai. But the picture here is so
extraordinarily vivid, that it may well
have been more than mere metaphor.
Perhaps David's remembrances of
his career of victory may have
brought back some days on which,
as in the victories of Joshua and
Barak, the powers of Nature fought
by God's command for Israel. First
comes, as on Sinai, the shock of
earthquake, with the outburst of
(volcanic?) Are (vv. 7, 8); then the
darkness gathers in the heavens as
" the pavilion of the Lord," and the
wings of the storm wind are the
cherubic chariot bearing Him on
high (vv. 9—11) ; at last the cloud is
riven asunder before the brightness
of His Presence,the lightning arrows
of the Lord flash out, the hail falls,
and the thunder shakes the earth,
till it is seen laid open to its very
foundations (vv. 12—15). Then, by
a striking contrast, out of this terri-
ble majesty comes the gentle mercy
of deliverance from the sea of trouble
and from the hand of the enemy,
bearing up the helpless soul in the
Everlasting Arms (vv. 16 — 19).
v. 8. Out in Hi* presence; properly
(here and in v. 15) " out of His nos-
trils," by a bold metaphor corre-
sponding to the " out of His mouth "
below.
v. 10. The cherubim. So in the
fuller description of Ezekiel (i.,
182 a
x.) the " cherubim " or " winged
creatures "—evidently the symbols
of the great forces of Nature, em-
bodied in various forms of created
being, and in this view represented
in the Temple— bear up the " Throne
of the Lord." These forces are the
servants of His will ; He is entlironed
in majesty above them all.
vv. 12, 13. Haihtones and coali of
fire. With this reiterated emphasis
compare the equally emphatic de-
scription in Ex. ix. 23, 24 of the " hail
and fire mingled with the hail." See
also the description in Job xxxvii.
1-12.
v. 15 must signify the desolation
and ruin when the convulsion has
passed— the very depths of the earth
being laid bare, ploughed up by the
torrent and the earthquake.
v. 16. Here and in the succeeding
verses the past tense should be used.
" He sent," " He took," &c. From
His terrible majesty the Lord stoop-
ed to save His servant.
v. 18. They prevented me (as in r. 4,
"overtook me"), i.e. were before-
hand with me, too swift and subtle
for my own defence of myself.
tw. 20—30 take up the beautiful
contrast of perfect calmness and
simplicity (begun in v. 16) with the
terrible magnificence of the previous
section— like the " still small voice"
after the wind and the earthquake
and the fire. It is in His moral at-
tributes of righteousness that God
is really known to man, calling out
and dealing with righteousness in
him. One who so knows God has
no terror before His awful majesty.
vc. 20 — 24. Here (as in Psalm vii.
3—10; xvii. 1—3) David feels con-
scious of such righteousness in cleav-
ing to God. In an instructive paren-
thesis (v. 23) he acknowledges "hia
own wickedness " as an inborn power
to be eschewed and conquered by
" keeping the ways of God," and
" having an eye unto all His laws."
But there is in this place no sense of
the condition, in which man " knows
the law as hoiy and just and good,"
and yet is so bound with the chain of
sin as to be unable to obey it. For
this we must look to such Psalms as
xxxii. and li. Clearly the Psalm
was written before David's fall;
possibly this self-consciousness of
righteousness may have been in
part the secret of that fall.
Psalm XVIII.— cont.
v. 25. Holy should be " gracious "
or "merciful." "Blessed are the
merciful, for they shall obtain
mercy."
vv. 25, 26 declare the truth that
God shews Himself towards men ac-
cording to their spiritual condition
—simply because no man can know
God or have communion with Him
without the spiritual preparation of
some imperfect likeness to Him.
So (as the petition " Forgive us our
trespasses" teaches us) only the
merciful can receive His mercy;
only they who do His will in right-
eousness can discern His righteous-
ness ; only the " pure in heart" can
" see God" in His holiness. So, on
the other hand, the self-willed and
perverse make His will to be to
them what the Tempter represented
it— hard, arbitrary, impracticable.
vv. 28— SO describe the twofold gift
of God— light to see and strength
to fight— for all who keep His word,
proved to them by the fire of trial,
and still trust in Him.
vv. 31 — 46. In this section of the
Psalm there is again a change to a
more enthusiastic consciousness of
strength and victory, sensible of its
own courage and skill, although as
given by God, and even exulting over
the vain struggles and prayers of the
enemies.
v. 31. Who hath any strength— pro-
perly, "who is the Rock?" with
probable reference to the Song of
Moses, through which this Name of
God runs like a recurring keynote.
(See Deut. xxxii. 4, 15, 18, 30, 31.)
vv. 32—34 draw the picture of the
ideal warrior, strong, agile, skilful in
arms, such as David was in his early
days.
v. 32. MaketJi my xcay perfect — not
in righteousness, but in unerring
resolution.
v. 34. A bow of steel— properly, of
I brass," the hardened bronze used
before iron. Note in 2 Sam. i. 18,
I David bade them teach Judah the
use of the bow."
v. 85. Loving correction should be
I graciousness." The idea in our
version, though of profound spirit-
ual truth, is alien from the genius
of the passage. The warlike meta-
phor continues. God spreads the
mi
shield of salvation over the warrior,
sustains him in weariness, stoops to
him graciously, so as to raise liim
up to greatness, and makes a way
for him through the battle.
vv. 37—46 describe vividly the
proud career of the conqueror— pur-
suing, smiting, destroying, tramp-
ling down the enemies ; exulting in
their vain cries for help, and prayers
to God; finally becoming a head
over the nations, and drawing the
heathen trembling out of their
strongholds. It is a grand picture,
but hardly the grandest, because it
seems to want (as war generally
must want) the touch of pity. See
the examples of fierceness in Da-
vid's character before and after this
time (1 Sam. xxv. 13— 22; 2 Sam. xii.
26—81).
vv. 45, 46 should probably be ren-
dered " the children of the stranger
shall make (or feign) submission to
me ; they shall fade away, and come
trembling out of their strongholds."
The picture is of a pretended alle-
giance, turned by chastisement to
real abjectness of submission. Note,
in 2 Sam. x., xii. 26—31, the rebellion
of the Ammonites with the aid of
Syria, its complete overthrow and
cruel punishment.
vv. 47—51 end the Psalm by a re-
currence to the opening thanksgiv-
ing ; but— in evident connection with
the victory over the " strangers "
described in the previous section-
lay stress on the proclamation of
the glory of the Lord to the hea-
then through the greatness of His
Anointed. How this was fulfilled in
David, and still more in Solomon,
the history tells us. (See 1 Kings v.
8—9 ; viii. 41—43 ; x. 24.) But the
application of the verse by St. Paul
(Rom. xv. 9) shews that in this
point, as in others, they were but
the types of the true Messiah and of
His universal Kingdom over the
Gentiles.
v. 51. Unto David His Anointed and
to his seed for evermore. This verse
has been thought by some to be a
liturgical addition to the Psalm.
Certainly mention by David of his
own name is most unusual. But
it may be explained by the manifest
reference to the great promise of
Nathan, "the sure mercies of David "
(2 Sam. v;i. 12—17).
Psalm XIX.
This Psalm— by tradition a "Psalm of David," and consigned to "the
Chief Musician** for the worship of the Tabernacle or Temple, is ap-
parently, by the allusion in vv. 5, 6, a Morning Hvmn, as Ps. viii. an Even-
ing Hymn, suggested by the contemplation of the heavens. It contains
not only a magnificent meditation on the glory of God, the Creator of the
universe, as witnessed to by them, but a significant contrast between the
vague though sublime manifestation of His majesty, and the clear revela-
tion, through the Law, of the Will, and bo of the moral Nature, of Jehovah,
as God in covenant with man. The abruptness of the transition from the
one to the other (in v. 7) has given rise to the idea that we have here two
distinct utterances included in one Psalm. But it is in itself full of spiri-
tual significance ; the Psalmist seems to lose himself before God's Infinity
in Nature (exactly as in Ps. viii. 8, 4), and so turns eagerly to that in which
he finds God as his own God, and therefore finds himself again. The Psalm
is accordingly used for celebrating on Chkistmas Day the manifestation of
" God with us " in the humanity which we can know and love.
The divisions are clear; (a) in vd. 1 — 6, a meditation on the physical
glory of the heavens; (6) in vv. 7— 11, a meditation on the moral glory of
the Law ; (c) finally (in vv. 12 — 15), a prayer to be kept from sin, and made
acceptable to God.
vr. 1—4. The idea of this medita-
tion, with all its fervour, has yet
a philosophic accuracy of thought.
The heavens declare, not God's Will
or His Nature, but simply the Omni-
potence and the Wisdom of Design
of the great First Cause. It is of
these, and these only, that " day unto
day uttereth speech, night unto
night sheweth knowledge." For in
this witness " there is no definite
speech or language ; " nay (for so ap-
parently should verse 3 be rendered),
their very voices are not heard,"
clearly and nnmistakeably, except
by those who are otherwise taught
to hear. Yet "their music is gone
out unto all lands, and their witness
to the ends of the world." It would
be impossible to express more clearly
what the witness of Nature can, and
what it cannot, teach. It is real,
continuous, universal; but inarticu-
late and indefinite — needing, and
receiving, confirmation from God's
Word. So, in an often quoted pas-
sage, Bacon says, "Thy creatures
have been my book, but Thy Word
much more. I have sought Thee
in the courts, fields, and gardens;
I have found Thee in Thy temple."
v. 8. But their voice*, &c. Our ver-
sion, which is that of the LXX. and
Vulgate, is almost certainly inaccu-
rate. The most probable rendering
is (as in R.V.) " Their voice cannot
be heard" — well paraphrased by
Addison,
" In solemn silence all
" Roll round the dark terrestrial
ball."
183
v. 4. Their sound — properly, " their
line," and this may be either " their
appointed sphere" of infhience (as
in Jer. xxxi. 89) or " their string " or
music. The latter gives far the more
poetic sense. In their silence there
is not only music, but a " word" of
message to men's ear.
St. Paul (in Rom. x. 18) applies
this universality of message to the
spiritual universality of the Gospel.
vv. 5, 6. This emphatic stress on
the Sun, and the Sun only, seems to
shew that the Psalm was written in
the early morning, when the Eastern
Sun was just rising; first, in the
bright joyotisness of morning, then
in the growth of gigantic and terri-
ble power, up to the unsparing and
ubiquitous heat of noonday. The
Sun, as the centre of force and the
fosterer of all life, is to all idolatry
the great visible God, to true reli-
gion the emblem and minister of the
Sun of Righteousness."
vv. 7—9. This meditation on the
revealed Will of Jehovah has, in
brief, almost the exhaustive com-
pleteness of Psalm Cxix. It is first
(«) described by the general name of
"the Law," and stress is laid on its
"perfection," as able to "restore"
the soul, bringing it back from error
and wandering ; then (6) it is called
(as the Decalogue in Ex. xxv. 161
"the testimony of Jehovah," the
witness of what He is, which gives
to the simple " wisdom "—that is,
the key to the meaning of life;
thirdly (c), passing from this gene-
rality, its special " statutes " and
Day 3.
THE PSALMS.
Day 3.
hand also shall hold me up, and
thy loving correction shall make
me great.
36 Thou shalt make room enough
under me for to go : that my foot-
steps shall not slide.
37 I will follow upon mine ene-
mies, and overtake them : neither
will I turn again till I have des-
troyed them.
38 I will smite them, that they
shall not be able to stand : but
fall under my feet.
39 Thou hast girded me with
strength unto the battle : thou
shalt throw down mine enemies
under me.
40 Thou hast made mine ene-
mies also to turn their backs up-
on me : and I shall destroy them
that hate me.
41 They shall cry, but there
shall be none to help them : yea,
even unto the Lord shall they cry,
but he shall not hear them.
42 I will beat them as small as
the dust before the wind : I will
cast them out as the clay in the
streets.
43 Thou shalt deliver me from
the strivings of the people : and
thou shalt make me the head of
the heathen.
44 A people whom I have not
known : shall serve me.
45 As soon as they hear of me,
they shall obey me : but the
strange children shall dissemble
with me.
46 The strange children shall
fail : and be afraid out of their
prisons.
47 The Lord liveth, and blessed
be my strong helper : and praised
be the God of my salvation.
48 Even the God that seeth that
I be avenged : and subdueth the
people unto me.
49 It is he that delivercth me
from my cruel enemies, and set-
teth me up above mine adver-
saries : thou shalt rid me from
the wicked man.
50 For this cause will I give
thanks unto thee, O Lord, among
the Gentiles : and sing praises un-
to thy Name.
51 Great prosperity gireth he
unto his King : and sheweth lov-
ing-kindness unto David his An-
ointed, and unto his seed for
evermore.
Day 4.
JHornmg ^Jrager.
PSALM 19.
Cceli enarrant.
THE heavens declare the glory
of God : and the firmament
sheweth his handy- work.
2 One day telleth another : and
one night certineth another.
3 There is neither speech nor
language : but their voices are
heard among them.
4 Their sound is gone out into
all lands : and their words into
the ends of the world.
5 In them hath he set a taber-
nacle for the sun : which cometh
forth as a bridegroom out of his
chamber, and rejoiceth as a giant
to run his course.
6 It goeth forth from the utter-
most part of the heaven, and run-
neth about unto the end of it
again : and there is nothing hid
from the heat thereof.
7 The law of the Lord is an
undeflled law, converting the soul :
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
and giveth wisdom unto the simple.
8 The statutes of the Lord are
right, and rejoice the heart : the
commandment of the Lord is
pure, and giveth light unto the
eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean,
and endureth for ever : the judg-
ments of the Lord are true, and
righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they
than gold, yea, than much fine
gold : sweeter also than honey,
and the honey-comb.
11 Moreover, by them is thy
servant taught : and in keeping
of them there is great reward.
12 Who can tell how oft he of-
fendeth : O cleanse thou me from
my secret faults,
Psalm XIX.— cont.
commandments are described, as in
their concrete form, " right and re-
joicing the heart," which leans up
to receive in them the clear defini-
tions of its indefinite sense of right ;
and in their essential principles as
" pure," and therefore, because they
reflect God's Nature, able to en-
lighten the eyes to " see God ; "
next (d) the fear of God thus re-
vealed to man, the godly fear of
reverence, is " clean "—a power able
to cleanse the soul, and that "for
ever ; " lastly (e) the " judgments " of
God, fulfilling His Law and justify-
ing this godly fear, are " righteous
altogether," bringing that perfect
retribution on good and evil, in the
foresight of wiiich alone our souls
can have rest.
c. 10. In this verse the Psalmist
dwells (as again in Ps. cxix. 72) on
the preciousne«s and sweetness of
God's commandments in themselves,
before passing on to the recognition
of their warning, and the hope of
reward for their observance.
vv. 12, 18. In these verses there is
the mark of a deep and humble
self-knowledge. The contemplation
of God awakens the consciousness
of imperfection and sin (comp. Job
xlii. 5, 6)— wrought out far more fully
than in the previous Psalm (e. 23),
into the twofold prayer to be
cleansed from unconscious sins of
frailty and to be kept from the pre-
sumptuous sins of wilfulness.
v. 15. My Strength (properly
"Rock") and my Redeemer. This
sense of sin adds to the grace of
God, as "the Rock" on which to
rest, the thought of him as "the
Redeemer" delivering -man out of
the self -chosen bondage of sin, as
He delivered Israel out of the bon-
dage of Egypt (see Ex. xv. 13; l's.
lxxvii. 15; Is. lxiii. 9).
Psalm XX.
This Psalm, called in the heading "A Psalm of David," belongs in all
probability to David's time, though it seems doubtful whether it was
composed by him or for him. It is a prayer for victory on the eve of a
war, as Ps. xxi. is a thanksgiving for victory granted. The Syriac version,
in the heading, expressly refers it to the war with the Ammonites and
Syrians, with which the marked reference in v. 7 to "the chariots and
horses " of the enemy well corresponds (see 2 Sam. viii. 4 ; x. 18).
The Psalm is evidently liturgical. In vv. 1—5 we have (a) the prayer of
the people for their King before the sanctuary at the moment of sacrifice ;
to which (6) succeeds the utterance of confidence in the answer to that
prayer by the King himself or by the High Priest (v. 6) ; and the whole
ends (vv. 7—9) with an acceptance of that confidence by the people and a
reiteration of their first prayer.
Both Psalms have been considered Messianic by Jewish and Chris-
tian interpreters; but they are evidently Messianic only so far as the
victorious royalty of David was typical of the triumphant kingdom of the
true Messiah.
dwelleth between the cherubim"
may follow him and his army. Com-
pare the prayer of Solomon (.1 Kings
viii. 44, 45).
v. 3. Thy offerings— properly, the
" meat offering," especially called
" a memorial" (Lev. ii. 1, 2), which
accompanied the burnt sacrifice.
p. 4. Thy heart's desire. Evidently
the King after sacrifice is engaged in
silent prayer. The people ask that,
whatever his petition is, it may be
granted.
v. 1. The juxtaposition of the
names " Jehovah " and " God of
Jacob" (as in Ex. iii. 6, 14; 1 Kings
xviii. 36) is significant. Jehovah—
the 'Eternal Absolute Being— is yet
in His special covenant the God of
Israel.
v. 2. This verse corresponds well to
the time of David when the " sanc-
tuary " was in " Zion." The King is
evidently offering his sacrifice there ;
the prayer is that from that sanc-
tuary the blessing of " Him that
ma
Psalm XX.— cont.
v. 5. Thy salvation— probably, "the
salvation granted to thee " (the
king) ; triumph is in the original
(as in A.V. and R.V.) " set up our
banners."
f». 6 is the utterance of a single
voice after the chorus of prayer,
in all probability of the King him-
self. He lifts his head from prayer,
and the certainty that the Lord
hears him, as His anointed servant,
and will save him, flashes upon his
mind. It is characteristic that, while
the people pray for help " out of the
sanctuary" on earth, he raises his
thought to the " holy heaven," God's
true dwelling place, as Solomon
does again and again in his prayer
(1 Kings viii.). (The wholesome
strength should be the saving
strength.)
vv. 7, 8 may be assigned also to
the King. But the change from " I "
to "we rather suggests that here
the people, catching the enthusiasm
of his faith, already anticipate the
victory they had prayed for; they
see the chariots and horses over-
thrown in ruin, while those who
" make mention of the Name of the
Lord" tower over them in triumph.
V. 9. Save, Lord, &c. Probably the
correct rendering is that of the
LXX. and Vulgate, " O Lord, save
the king ! May He hear us, when we
cry unto Him ; " used as the second
Versicle after the Lord's Prayer in
our Morning Service, and the origi-
nal of our " God save the King ! "
The words " of heaven " in our ver-
sion are not in the original. The
verse is the repetition in broad gene-
rality of the special prayers for the
King already uttered.
Psalm XXI.
This Psalm is closely connected with the preceding in date and author-
ship—a hymn of triumph over the victory there prayed for. The phrase
in v. 2, " Thou hast given him his heart's desire " obviously corresponds
to the " Grant thee thy heart's desire " of Ps. xx. 4. The allusions more-
over in vv. 3, 9 suit well with the history of the same Ammonitish war. But
this glorious exaltation of David is but a type of the perfect victory over all
enemies of the royalty of the Son of David. The Psalm is, therefore,
naturally used as one of the Proper Psalms of Ascension Day.
Like Ps. xx. it shews clearly its liturgical form. It opens (a) with a
triumphant thanksgiving of the people for their King {vv. 1—8) ; it then (6)
addresses to the King himself the expression of confidence in the continu-
ance of his victory {vv. 9—12) ; and ends (c) with a reiteration of prayer and
praise to the Lord Jehovah {v. 13).
v. 1. Shall rejoice. In this verse,
perhaps, and certainly in vv. 3, 5, 6. 7,
the verbs are better rendered in the
present tense. It is for present joy
that the people thank God.
v. 3. Prevent him, i.e., anticipate
his prayer, giving "more than he
i desires or deserves."
Thou shalt set a crown, &c. The
phrase itself is simply an expression
of the gift of God's " crowning
■mercy." But there may well be a
literal reference to the conquest of
IRabbah (2 Sam. xii. 30), when the
■ splendid crown of the king of Am-
nion was solemnly " set on David's
head."
v. 4. For ever and ever. The ex-
ression itself is simply hyperbolical,
P
like the " O King, live for ever," of j power, precisely in prop<
Eastern courtiership. But in the i his trust in Him. lo fc
case of David it is natural to trace was idolatry.
183 h
reference to the great promise
through Nathan that "his throne
should be established for ever"
(2 Sam. vii. 16) so that he should
live for ever in his posterity; and,
we know, moreover, that the earthly
perpetuity was but a type and earn-
est of the kingdom which is literally
for ever and ever (see Daniel vii. 14) ;
in which alone is literally " ever-
lasting felicity," because in it alone
is the joy of God's countenance un-
veiled and full.
v. 7. In this verse is expressed
(as so often in prophecy) the true
characteristic of Jewish royalty, as
distinguished from the ordinary
Eastern despotism — that the King is
but the minister and vicegerent of
Jehovah, great in majesty and
fortion to
orget this
Psalm XXI.— cont.
vv. 9—12. In the address to the i excused perhaps, and in the eyes of
King (as in David's own words in
P8. xviii.) there is a certain fierce-
ness of exaltation in the foresight
of the utter destruction of the
enentv ; and in v. 9 we seem to see a
literal allusion to the crnel penalty,
"in the hrick-kiln," or furnace, in-
flicted upon the conquered inhabi-
tants of Rabbah (2 Sam. xii. 31) ;
the people justified, by some special
obstinacy and treachery in rebellion,
referred to in v. 11.
v. 13. In Thine own strength. The
words are emphatic. All power is
of the Lord alone; He therefore
alone can be absolutely exalted in
praise.
Psalm XXII.
In the heading this also is " A Psalm of David " " upon Aljeleth Shahar,"
i.e. " the hind of the dawn." This latter phrase probably denotes the tune
to which it was to be sung, although some interpreters have traced in it
metaphorical allusion to the substance of the Psalm.
The beauty of style and pathetic force of idea thoroughly accord with the
ascription to David ; the only reason against accepting this ascription is
the difficulty of discovering any time in David's life to which the imagery
of the Psalm can be with any degree of probability referred— a difficulty
which cannot be met by the supposition that the Psalmist describes no
experience of his own (although h» profeeses to do so in every line), and
simply projects his thought unto a prophetic picture of One to come. The
prophecy of the Psalms (see Introduction, sect, v.) is in its nature typical.
No one who reads the Psalm— even without consideration of Our Lord's
own utterance of the first verse in the central agony of the Passion (Matt,
xxvii. 46j, and of the express references of verse 18 to Him in Matt, xxvii.
35 ; John xix. 24 — can fail to see in it an extraordinarily vivid and detailed
prefiguring of the Crucifixion, which was realized in it and in it alone;
while of the triumphant close it is even more clear that it can be adequately
fulfilled only in the eternal and universal kingdom of the Messiah. But to
suppose that the language is not in some way expressive of the anguish and
hope of the Psalmist is to misunderstand its whole character, and to explain
away its intense reality. Yet he must have felt that the words transcended
his own experience. He was, and possibly he felt himself to be, the
imperfect type of the great future Suffering and Triumph, which were to
" bless all the families of the earth."
Hence the difficulty of ascribing the Psalm to David must remain acknow-
ledged. Some, accordingly, have referred it to later authors, to Jeremiah,
to some unknown sufferer in the Captivity. But in our ignorance of every
part of the life of David it may be doubted whether this difficulty is
insuperable.
By whomsoever written, the Psalm— corresponding from within to the
picture of the great Sufferer drawn in Isaiah liii. from without— is, indeed,
most rightly used on Good Friday as the great Psalm of the Passion. Its
prophetic representation of Calvary cannot be ignored, and cannot, except
by the foresight of supernatural inspiration, be accounted for.
It is (a) a complaint of agonized suffering and desolation before God— a
sorrow like no other sorrow (vv. 1—8) ; (6) a prayer of intense supplication
for God's deliverance in the sense of overwhelming cruelty and absolute
helplessness (vv. 9—21) ; (c) a sudden burst of thanksgiving, in anticipation
of that deliverance, and of the drawing through it of all nations to God
(.vv. 22—32).
184
Day 4.
THE PSALMS.
Day 4.
13 Keep thy servant also from
presumptuous sins, lest they get
the dominion over me : so shall I
be undented, and innocent from
the great offence.
14 Let the words of my mouth,
and the meditation of my heart :
be alway acceptable in thy sight,
15 0 Lord : my strength, and
my redeemer.
PSALM 20.
Exaudiat te Domirms.
THE Lord hear thee in the day
of trouble : the Name of the
God of Jacob defend thee ;
2 Send thee help from the sanc-
tuary : and strengthen thee out
of Sion ;
3 Remember all thy offerings :
and accept thy burnt-sacrifice ;
4 Grant thee thy heart's desire:
and fulfil all thy mind.
5 We will rejoice in thy salva-
tion, and triumph in the Name of
the Lord our God : the Lord per-
form all thy petitions.
6 Now know I, that the Lord
helpeth his Anointed, and will
hear him from his holy heaven :
even with the wholesome strength
of his right hand.
7 Some put their trust in cha-
riots, and some in horses : but we
will remember the Name of the
Lord our God.
8 They are brought down, and
fallen : but we are risen, and
stand upright.
9 Save, Lord, and hear us, 0
King of heaven : when we call
upon thee.
PSALM 21.
Domine, in virtute tua.
THE King shall rejoice in thy
strength, 0 Lord : exceed-
DAT 4.
ing glad shall he be of thy salva-
tion.
2 Thou hast given him his
heart's desire : and hast not de-
nied him the request of his lips.
3 For thou shalt prevent him
with the blessings of goodness :
and shalt set a crown of pure gold
upon his head.
4 He asked life of thee, and
thou gavest him a long life : even
for ever and ever.
5 His honour is great in thy
salvation : glory and great wor-
ship shalt thou lay upon him.
6 For thou shalt give him ever-
lasting felicity : and make him
glad with the joy of thy counte-
nance.
7 And why ? because the King
putteth his trust in the Lord :
and in the mercy of the most
Highest he shall not miscarry.
8 All thine enemies shall feel
thy hand : thy right hand shall
find out them that hate thee.
9 Thou shalt make them like a
fiery oven in time of thy wrath :
the Lord shall destroy them in
his displeasure, and the fire shall
consume them.
10 Their fruit shalt thou root
out of the earth : and their seed
from among the children of men.
11 For they intended mischief
against thee : and imagined such
a device as they are not able to
perform.
12 Therefore shalt thou put
them to flight : and the strings of
thy bow shalt thou make ready
against the face of them.
13 Be thou exalted, Lord, in
thine own strength : so will we
sing, and praise thy power.
Abetting Prager.
PSALM 22.
Deus, Deus mens.
MY God, my God, look upon
me ; why hast thou forsaken
me : and art so far from my
health, and from the words of
my complaint ?
2 O my God, I cry in the day-
time, but thou hearest not : and
in the night-season also I take no
rest.
3 And thou continuest holy :
0 thou worship of Israel.
4 Our fathers hoped in thee :
they trusted in thee, and thou
didst deliver them.
5 They called upon thee, and
184
Psalm XXII.— com*.
V. 1 . My God, tcA.v Hcut Thou forsaken
me. In this cry there is a deep spiri-
tual beauty of self-contradiction . He
who seems to have "forsaken me"
is " my God " still. Such is the ex-
perience in measure even of the dark
hour of the struggling saint. So far
as he is in sin, he is forsaken : so far
as he clings to the Divine righteous-
ness, God is his God still. When Our
Lord Himself chose these words, as
the expression of the mysterious
agony of spiritual darkness.'in which
He " was made sin for us," He must
surely have entered into the fulness
of that twofold experience ; nor can
the cry of desolation, which opens
the Psalm, have been even for a mo-
ment dissociated in thought from its
triumphant close.
v. 8. Otfiou worship, &c— properly,
" O thou that dwellest in the praises
of Israel," i.e. art enthroned in the
hearts of Thy people. The Psalmist
draws a pathetic contrast between
the deliverance of the fathers in days
gone by, and his own abject and
desolate condition ; but he still clings
to the same belief in the holiness
and righteousness of God as eternal
and unchangeable.
v. 6. A worm, to be trampled upon
by every careless foot (see Job xrv.
6; Is. xli. 14). Compare the descrip-
tion in Is. liii. 2, 8, 7 of the " despised
and rejected of men."
v. 8. He trusted in God. This is the
reading of the LXX. and Vulgate,
quoted in Matt, xxvii. 43. The
original seems to be, " Cast it "
(literally "roll it") "upon the
Lord " (comp. Ps. xxxvii. 5), a
taunting quotation of the sufferer's
own pious wish, in ironical recom-
mendation to try its efficacy now.
There is something terribly striking
in the infatuation, by which the
chief priests fell into the use of
these familiar words of taunt— thus
indirectly confessing the Sufferer on
Calvary to be the righteous Sufferer
of this Messianic Psalm.
vv, 9, 10. The Psalmist here takes
up this taunt of his enemies, plead-
ing how, from his mother's womb,
he had cast himself on the Lord as
indeed his God, and found rest in
Him ; and praying that now, in the
crisis of agony and helplessness, as
in quieter times, God will not be far
185
from him. Already the terrible idea
that God had forsaken him is passing
away.
vv. 12, 13, 16. Each image in these
verses is distinct. The brutal cruelty
of his enemies is likened now to the
fierce violence of the bulls of Bashan,
now to the ravening thirst of the lion
for blood, now to the greedy ferocity
of the dog.
vv. 14, 15 describe with all the
vividness of eyewitness the pangs
of such a death, as the death of
the Cross— the faintness, in which
the blood seems turned to water ; the
straining, even to dislocation, of the
limbs ; the failure of the heart ; the
parching thirst of the " strength
dried up " by fever and exposure ;
and the gradual sinking into the
" dust of death." It must have
passed beyond any literal experience
of the Psalmist.
w. 17, 18. Still more striking, if
possible, is the coincidence in these
verses. The rendering " they pierced
my hands and my feet," which is
that of almost all the ancient ver-
sions, and of some Hebrew MSS.,
varying from the present Masoretic
text, is infinitely the best. In fact i
it, or the variant renderings, " they J
bound." " they wounded," alone can 1
be said to suit the passage. For the ]
Masoretic text as now read, "they
surrounded, like a lion, my hands
and feet," is forced and incongruous,
and could have been suggested only
by a desire to evade the force of this
passage. Certainly that force is i
great. It depicts the piercing of the 1
limbs, the exposure of the strained ■
body, the cruel gaze of men, the
dividing the garments, as of a male-
factor, and even the detail— as it
would have seemed the chance detail
—of the casting lots for the seamless
vesture (John xix. 23, 24).
vv. 19—21 are the final cry of the
intensest suffering, agonized with
pain, but now unvexed by doubt. In
the words " Thou hast heard me,"
or rather" answered me" icomp.
v. 2), which should probably be se-
parated from the rest, is marked
the instantaneous change to thank-
ful confidence and peace— like the
transition on the Cross to the "It
is finished." and " Father, into Thy
hands I commend my spirit."
Day 4.
THE PSALMS.
Day l.
were holpen : they put their trust
in thee, and were not confounded.
6 But as for me, I am a worm,
and no man : a very scorn of men,
and the out-cast of the people.
7 All they that see me laugh
me to scorn : they shoot out their
lips, and shake their heads, saying,
8 He trusted in God, that he
would deliver him : let him deliver
him, if he will have him.
9 But thou art he that took me
out of my mother's womb : thou
wast my hope, when I hanged yet
upon my mother's breasts.
10 I nave been left unto thee
ever since I was born : thou art
my God even from my mother's
womb.
11 O go not from me, for trou-
ble is hard at hand : and there is
none to help me.
12 Many oxen are come about
me : fat bulls of Basan close me
in on every side.
13 They gape upon me with
their mouths : as it were a ramp-
ing and a roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones arc out of joint :
my heart also in the midst of my
body is even like melting wax.
15 My strength is dried up like
a potsherd, and my tongue cleav-
eth to my gums : and thou shalt
bring me into the dust of death.
16 For many dogs are come
about me : and the council of
the wicked layeth siege against me.
17 They pierced my hands and
my feet ; I may tell all my bones :
they stand staring and looking
upon me.
18 They part my garments a-
mong them : and cast lots upon
my vesture.
19 But be not thou far from me,
O Lord : thou art my succour,
haste thee to help me.
20 Deliver my soul from the
gword : my darling from the pow-
er of the dog.
21 Save me from the lion's
mouth : thou hast heard me also
from among the horns of the
unicorns.
22 I will declare thy Name unto
my brethren : in the midst of the
congregation will I praise thee.
23 0 praise the Lord, ye that
fear him : magnify him, all ye of
the seed of Jacob, and fear him,
all ye seed of Israel ;
24 For he hath not despised,
nor abhorred, the low estate or
the poor : he hath not hid his
face from him, but when he called
unto him he heard him.
25 My praise is of thee in the
feat congregation : my vows will
perform in the sight of them
that fear him.
26 The poor shall eat, and be
satisfied : they that seek after the
Lord shall praise him ; your heart
shall live for ever.
27 All the ends of the world
shall remember themselves, and
be turned unto the Lord : and all
the kindreds of the nations shall
worship before him.
28 For the kingdom is the
Lord's : and he is the Governour
among the people.
29 All such as be fat upon earth;
have eaten, and worshipped.
30 All they that go down into
the dust shall kneel before him :
and no man hath quickened his
own soul.
31 My seed shall serve him :
they shall be counted unto the
Lord for a generation.
32 They shall come, and the
heavens shall declare his righ-
teousness : unto a people that
shall be born, whom the Lord hath
made.
PSALM 23.
Dominus regit me.
THE Lord is my shepherd :
therefore can I lack nothing.
2 He shall feed me in a green
pasture : and lead me forth be-
side the waters of comfort.
3 He shall convert my soul :
and bring me forth in the paths of
righteousness, for his Name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil : for thou art
with me ; thy rod and thy staff
comfort me.
5 Thou shalt prepare a table
185
Psalm XXII.— eont.
v. 20. Hi/ darling— literally, "my
onlvone"— is here (as in Ps. xxxv.
17) applied to the soul, man's " eter-
nal jewel."
v. 21. Unicorn*. Here, as in Job
xzxiz. 9, the " bisons " or " buffalos,"
corresponding to "the bolls of Ba-
san " of v. 12.
vv. 22—31. In the triumphant close
of this Psalm it is especially notable,
as bearing on its ultimate applica-
tion, that the Sufferer dwells on his
triumph and deliverance, not as
touching himself, but as bringing
knowledge of God and salvation from
generation to generation, first to the
great congregation " of Israel, then
to " all the ends of the earth." To
One alone can this be applied in any
fulness of meaning : to Him it is ex-
pressly applied in Heb. ii. 12.
v. 25. Of Thee— properly, "from
Thee," by Thy inspiration; as in
Ps. Ii. 15. " Thou shalt open my lips.
O Lord, and my mouth shall shew
forth Thy praise."
Mi/ rows will I perform, that is, I
will offer the thank offering vowed in
the time of trouble (comp. lxvi. 18—
15). The flesh of this offering was,
by the "law of the peace offering,"
to be eaten by all who were clean
(see Lev. vii. 11—21). Hence it is
added the poor (that is, as in A.V.,
"the meek") shall "eat and be
satisfied " and praise the Lord, and
"their heart shall live for ever."
I Again, it is impossible not to look
from the type to the Antitype— to
our own Eucharistic feast on the
great Sacrifice once offered, which
he that eateth shall indeed "live for
ever " (John vi. 58—58).
vv. 27—29. This knowledge of the
Lord, and this partaking of the
spiritual feast, are to be open to
all the ends of the world "—alike
to "all the fat ones" of earthly
prosperity, and to all who are
" going down into the dust," in weak-
ness—even to him " who cannot keep
his soul alive" (see R.V.), but in
death itself rests on the true life in
God.
vv. 31, 32. These last verses should
be rendered (as in R.V.)
" A seed shall serve Him ;
It shall be told of the Lord to
the (next) generation :
They shall come and declare His
righteousness
To the people yet to be born,
that He hath done it."
They speak of "a seed" not only
faithful in service, but delighting to
tell of the Lord, and of the salvation
which He has wrought from genera-
tion to generation (comp. Ps.lxxviii.
3—6). The connection shows that
this seed is not Israel only, but those,
who are gathered from all the ends of
the earth in the universal kingdom
promised to the Son of David.
Psalm XXIII.
This, the simplest and loveliest of Psalms, is by most probable tradition
a " Psalm of David"— full certainly of the recollections of his old shep-
herd-days, whether written then, or (as is more generally thought) in later
times, perhaps when the flight from Absalom had brought him back to the
old scenes and old associations of the wilderness of Judah. To this latter
time " the preparation of the table against them that trouble me " (comp
2 Sam. vii. 27—29), the passing " through the valley of the shadow of death "
(2 Sam. xvii. 1—22), and the yearning for " the House of the Lord," would
more appropriately belong. The Jewish Targums interpret it of God's care
for His people, as the "Shepherd of Israel" (comp.lxxx. 1). But the whole
tone of the Psalm is intensely personal ; and of all Psalms none comes home
with more depth of spiritual meaning to the Christian, who knows even
better than David the Good Shepherd, as the Shepherd of his feoul.
v. 1. The Lord is my Shepherd. The
image is most common in the Old
Testament (see Ps. lxxviii. 52 ; lxxx.
1; Is. xl. 11; lxiii. 11; Jer xxii. 3,
4; Ezek. xxxiv. 11 — 16), generally,
however, with a collective applica-
ma
tion to Israel, instead of the tender
fersonal application of this passage.
n the New Testament the same
image is taken up of " God in
Christ," but with the all-important
addition, "The Good Shepherd
Psalm XXIII.— eont.
giveth His life for the Sheep "
Uobn x. 1—16 ; Heb. xiii. 20 j 1 Pet.
ii. 25 ; v. 4).
Can I lack nothing. This is the first
blessing of the Divine Shepherding
—fulness both of the " strengthen-
ing" of the green pasture, and the
''refreshing" of the "waters of
rest" from fatigue and noonday
heat. God gives not only life and
strength, but peace and joy.
v. 8. He shall convert — properly,
" He restoreth." This is the second
blessing, restoration either from
weakness or wandering (Luke xv.
4—6), and guidance in the right way.
He not only quickens, but sustains
and edifies.
v. 4. J will fear no evil. This is the
third and crowning blessing— an as-
sured salvation in " the valley of the
shadow of death," alike from fear
and danger, by the nearer presence
of God with us (romp. 2 Cor. v. 6—8;
Phil. i. 23), by "His rod" to guide
and chasten, by "His staff" to pro-
tect against the last enemy. The
dangers surrounding the pastoral
life in Palestine— so familiar to Da»
vid himself (1 Sam.xvii. 34,35)— give
vividness and appropriateness to this
part of the pictuie.
v. 5. Thou shalt prepare, &c. Here
the pastoral metaphor is broken ;
and this break is the strongest argu-
ment for referring the Psalm to the
time when, by unexpected gift of
God through His servants, corn, oil,
and wine refreshed David and his
servants fainting in the wilderness
(see 2 Sam. xvii.27— 29). To us, here
as in Ps. xxii. 26, the application to
the Eucharistic feast, given us by
our Good Shepherd in the wilderness
of life, is irresistible.
v. 6. Thy lovingMndness, &c. — pro-
perly, " Only goodness and mercy."
In spite of trouble and enmity, and
the sense of God's chastisement, the
Psalmist refuses to recognise any-
thing in His life but God's goodness
and mercy ; and, recognising these,
desires in thankfulness to " dwell in
the house of the Lord "—in thankful
communion with Him— all " the
length of davs " (corop. 1 Thess. v.
16—18; Phil. iv. 6, 7).
Psalm XXIV.
This glorious "Psalm of David" is most clearly referred by its own
character and subject to the solemn day when David, in the fulness of joy
and triumph, brought the Ark to its place on Mount Zion, towering over
the city so recently conquered from the Jebusites in the Name of the Lord
(2 Sam. vi. ; 1 Chr. xv.). The former portion (a), vv. 1—6, may have been
sung on the way, describing the glorious majesty of Jehovah, as the Creator
of the world and the God of Israel, and next (as in Ps. xv.) the moral
conditions of "ascending into the hill" of His Presence; the latter (6),
vv. 7— 10— separated from this by the musical interlude (" Selah")— marks*
the time when the procession stood before the door of the new tabernacle
erected for the Ark, demanding entrance for the Lord, and answered by the
Priests from within. In fact the antiphonal character of the Psalm is
marked throughout.
(Note the arrangement of the seven choirs of Levites recorded in 1 Chron.
V. 16—24).
By a natural application this has become one of the Psalms of Ascension
Day, commemorating the entrance of the King of Glory— His humiliation
now having been laid aside— through the everlasting doors of Heaven to the
Throne of His glorified Humanity at the right hand uf God (Phil.ii. 9—11 ;
Eph. i. 20—23.)
vv. 1, 2 (sung probably in full
chorus) exalt the majesty of Jeho-
vah as the Almighty Creator, first,
of " the earth and its fulness," the
realm of inanimate and animate
Nature ; then of " the world "—the
words " compasB of " are not in the
Hebrew— and the men "who dwell
in it," the realm of His rational
creatures. As always in the Old
Testament the Lord is no mere
tutelary God, but, while He makes
lUb
Psalm XXIV.— eont.
Special
theGc
1 covenant with Israel, is yet
e God of the whole earth.
v. 2. He hath prepared. &c. See
Gen. i. 9, It ; Ps. cxxxvi. 6.
vv. 8, 4 (clearly antiphonal in cha-
racter). The question is asked by
one voice (or chorus), "Who shall
ascend?" &c. The answer given
(exactly as in Ps. xv.) expresses the
moral conditions of communion with
God— parity of outward life and
purity of heart, with no unreality
of faith before God, and no deceit
towards man. (See notes on Ps. xv.)
vv. 5, 6 (again in full chorus) de-
clare that he shall receive not only
blessing, but the gift of righteous-
ness—the righteousness for which
he has been described as striving.
By the well-known spiritual paradox
purity is at once the condition and
the effect of " seeing God " (comp.
Matt. v. 8 with 1 John iii. 2).
v. 6. Seek Thy face, O Jacob. This
rendering is certainly erroneous. As
the text stands it must be trans-
lated, "These are they that seek
Thy face — (these are) Jacob," the
true Israel. But this is very harsh ;
and probably the true reading (as
in R.V.) is that of all the ancient
versions, "O God of Jacob."
vv. 7, 9. Lift up, &c. The gates are
too low to admit "the High and
Holy One," they must be lifted up
above themselves.
Everlasting doort. In respect of
the type, the "everlasting" is but
a hyperbole, whether it looks back
to the past or forward to the future.
In the antitype only it has its literal
1 meaning.
The King of Olory (like " the Lord
I of Glory" in 1 Cor. ii. 8; James ii. 1)
seems clearly to allude to the mani-
festation of the Shekinah— the cloud
I of the glory of the Lord, which had
rested on the Ark of God at the in-
auguration of the ancient Taber-
nacle.
vv. 8, 10. The Lord strong and
might!/; the Lord of Hosts. These
titles are not identical. In both
there lingers the idea of martial
triumph over the sanctuary wrested
from the heathen. But in the for-
mer God is viewed as alone the
Conqueror, "the Man of War" (as
in the song at the Red Sea in Ex.
xv. 8); in the latter— the higher
title, first found in 1 Sam. i. 11, and
expressly noted in 2 Sam. vi. 2, as
the Name of the God of Israel, and
constantly used in the Psalms and
the Prophetic Books— He is hailed
as the King over "the hosts" or
arn.ies of all His rational creatures,
both on earth and in heaven, work-
ing out His almighty will through
their hands.
Psalm XXV.
This Psalm bears evident marks of connection with Ps. xxxiv. Not
-only is there much similarity in tone and substance between them; but
both are acrostic, and, moreover, acrostic with the very same variations
from strict acrosticism, in omitting the Hebrew letter Van and adding a
concluding verse beginning with Pe ; although in this Psalm there is an
additional irregularity in the omission of Koph and the repetition of
Besch. Both are in the headings referred to David, and Ps. xxxiv. to a
particular time in his early life. But the ascription is doubted by many ;
partly on account of the acrosticism, which, however, especially in
irrepular form, can be no conclusive argument (see notes on Ps. ix., x.)f
partly because of the calm, didatic beauty of the Psalm, and its deep
spiritual consciousness of the soul itself and of God, which do not accord
well with the style of the Psalms of David, especially those of his
early life.
Its various parts, by the effect of the alphabetical arrangement, naturally
run into one another. It is a -prayer throughout ; but we may trace
(a), in vv. 1, 2, a simple prayer of faith that they who trust in the Lord
"may not be ashamed; "next '.6), in vv. 3—6, a more detailed prayer for
the grace of righteousness and the gift of pardon; thirdly (c), in vv. 7—10,
an expression of the Psalmist's trust in God's willingness to grant these
gifts, with prayer that they may he his; then (d), in vv. 11—14, a siniilal
2Sb
Days.
THE PSALMS.
Day 5
before me against them that trou-
ble me : thou hast anointed my
head with oil, and my cup shall
be full.
6 But thy loving-kindness and
mercy shall follow me all the
days of my life : and I will dwell
in the house of the Lord for ever.
Day 5.
Jttoming ^ragcr.
PSALM 24.
Domini est terra.
THE earth is the Lord's, and
all that therein is : the com-
pass of the world, and they that
dwell therein.
2 For he hath founded it upon
the seas : and prepared it upon
the floods.
3 Who shall ascend into the
hill of the Lord : or who shall
rise up in his holy place ?
4 Even he that hath clean hands,
and a pure heart : and that hath
not lift up his mind unto vanity,
nor sworn to deceive his neigh-
bour.
5 He shall receive the blessing
from the Lord: and righteousness
from the God of his salvation.
6 This is the generation of them
that seek him : even of them that
seek thy face, O Jacob.
7 Lift up your heads, O ye
gates, and be ye lift up, ye ever-
lasting doors : and the King of
glory shall come in.
8 Who is the King of glory :
it is the Lord strong and mighty,
even the Lord mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, 0 ye
gates, and be ye lift up, ye ever-
lasting doors : and the King of
glory shall come in.
10 Who is the King of glory :
even the Lord of hosts, he is the
King of glory.
PSALM 25.
Ad te, Domine, levavi.
UNTO thee, 0 Lord, will I lift
up my soul ; my God, I have
put my trust in thee : O let me
not be confounded, neither let
mine enemies triumph over me.
2 For all they that hope in thee
shall not be ashamed : but such as j
transgress without a cause shall
be put to confusion.
3 Shew me thy ways, 0 Lord :
and teach me thy paths.
4 Lead me forth in thy truth,
and learn me : for thou art the
God of my salvation ; in thee hath
been my hope all the day long.
5 Call to remembrance, 0 Lord,
thy tender mercies : and thy lov-
ing-kindnesses, which have been
ever of old.
6 0 remember not the sins and
offences of my youth : but ac-
cording to thy mercy think thou
upon me, 0 Lord, for thy good-
ness.
7 Gracious and righteous is the
Lord : therefore will he teach
sinners in the way.
8 Them that are meek shall he
guide in judgment : and such as
are gentle, them shall he learn his
way.
9 All the paths of the Lord are
mercy and truth : unto such as
keep his covenant, and his testi-
monies.
10 For thy Name's sake, 0 Lord:
be merciful unto my sin, for it is
great.
11 What man is he, that fear-
eth the Lord : him shall he teach
in the way that he shall choose.
12 His soul shall dwell at ease :
and his seed shall inherit the land.
13 The secret of the Lord is
among them that fear him : and
he will shew them his covenant.
14 Mine eyes are ever looking
unto the Lord : for he shall pluck
my feet out of the net.
15 Turn thee unto me, and have
mercy upon me : fori am desolate,
and in misery.
16 The sorrows of my heart are
enlarged : 0 bring thou me out,
of my troubles.
17 Look upon my adversity
and misery : and forgive me all
my sin.
18 Consider mine enemies, hoW(
18«
15
P8ALM XXV.— cont.
expression of trust in God's protection and blessing of the righteous;
finally </•), in vv. If,— 22, an entreaty that God will look on his own per-
sonal affliction and danger from the enemies, and will also send deliver-
ance to Israel.
f. 1. I lift up— out of the confu-
sion and troubles of earth, up to the
calmness and peace of God's Pre-
sence.
v. 2. Tranigret* — properly " are
faithless" or "revolt" from God.
The sense is that they who wait in
trust shall not "be ashamed" (by
disappointment) ; while they who
faithlessly refuse to wait shall be
brought to shame (comp. Is. xxviii.
16, quoted in Rom. ix. 33; 1 Pet. ii.
d). (Compare the closing verse of
the TeDeum.)
vv. 3 — 6. In these verses there is
■i profound sense that the knowledge
and love of righteousness are God's
gifts, not to be won by our own
merit, but to be claimed from Him
only through " His mercy and loving-
kindness," which have been sure
from the beginning. With this is
naturally associated the sense of
our own frailty, expressing itself in
prayer for forgiveness both of the
past and the present. We ask that
God will forget, our sins (even " the
sins of our youth," which we must
not forget), but that He will always
remember us in His goodness.
I vv. 7—11 express exactly what is
[ implied in the preceding prayer—
the faith that God will teach His
ways even to sinners, who are " meek
I and humble," and that all " His ways
j are mercy and truth" to them, if
only they cling to His Covenant of
I mercy ; and then clench this by
short ejaculatory prayer.
j vv. 12—16 similarly express faith
I in the gift of knowledge, blessing,
I secret communion with God, to
| those who fear Him, even in the
i midst of trouble; and end with a
| fuller and more pathetic prayer,
! uttered out of the midst of afflic-
j tion.
j vv. 17—20. This prayer is taken up
j in the concluding section, evidently
| referring to some time of special
j trouble and persecution, through
I which the Psalmist trusts and
| waits.
I v. 21 (like the corresponding verse
of Ps. xxxiv.) is a kind of postscript,
after the completion of the alpha-
I betical arrangement — possibly a
! liturgical addition— of prayer for
| the "redemption of Israel out of
i all his troubles" (comp. Ps. iii. 8;
xiv. 11).
Psalm XXVI.
This Psalm, also traditionally ascribed to David, has many points of
similarity with the preceding, although its tone shews a greater incisive-
ness and simplicity, and a stronger sense of antagonism to the ungodly.
It is clearly written in prospect of speedy approach to God in the
Sanctuary* dwelling on the purification of heart, which is the only true
preparation.
It is first (a), in rv. 1—5, an appeal of the Psalmist to the all-seeing eye
of God, to test and judge his innocency ; next (6) in vv. 6—8, a declaration
of his resolution to purify his soul in preparation for approach to the
altar; thirdly (<?), in vv. 9—11, a prayer for separation from the wicked;
and lastly (d), v. 12, a thankful sense of deliverance and acceptance with
God.
w. 1-rS. In this protestation of
innocency — i.e. singleheartedness be-
fore God— there is a constant under-
current of "trust in the Lord,"
looking to His " mercy," as well as
His "truth," which emphatically
distinguishes it from Pharisaic self-
righteousness. The Psalmist lays
his soul before God, to be tried
through the very "rein9 and heart," I
287
not because he is conscious of free-
dom from sin and frailty, but because
he knows that he has given himself
to God, and so can trust to accept-
ance in His mercy. So in v. 11, im-
mediately after the declaration; ' I
will walk in my integrity," follows
the prayer, " O deliver me, and b«
merciful unto me."
Day 5.
THE PSALMS.
DayS.
many they are : and they bear a
tyrannous hate against me.
19 O keep my soul, and deliver
me : let me not be confounded,
for I have put my trust in thee.
20 Let perfectness and righte-
ous dealing wait upon me : for my
nope hath been in thee.
21 Deliver Israel, 0 God : out
of all his troubles.
PSALM 26.
Judica me, Domine.
BE thou my Judge, O Lord, for
I have walked innocently :
my trust hath been also in the
Lord, therefore shall I not fall.
2 Examine me, 0 Lord, and
prove me : try out my reins and
my heart.
3 For thy loving-kindness is
ever before mine eyes : and I will
walk in thy truth.
4 I have not dwelt with vain
persons : neither will I have fel-
lowship with the deceitful.
Day 5.
5 I have hated the congregation
of the wicked : and win not sit
among the ungodly.
6 I will wash my hands in in-
nocency, O Lord : and so will I go
to thine altar ;
7 That I may shew the voice of
thanksgiving : and tell of all thy
wondrous works.
8 Lord, I have loved the habi-
tation of thy house : and the
place where thine honour dwell-
eth.
9 O shut not up my soul with
the sinners : nor my life with the
blood-thirsty ;
10 In whose hands is wicked-
ness : and their right hand is full
of gifts.
11 But as for me, I will walk
innocently : 0 deliver me, and be
merciful unto me.
12 My foot standeth right : I
will praise the Lord in the con-
gregations.
QEbtniriQ pragtr.
PSALM 27.
Dominus illuminatio.
THE Lord is my light, and my
salvation ; whom then shall I
fear : the Lord is the strength of
my life ; of whom then shall I be
afraid ?
2 When the wicked, even mine
enemies, and my foes, came upon
me to eat up my flesh : they
stumbled and fell.
3 Though an host of men were
laid against me, yet shall not my
heart be afraid : and though there
rose up war against me, yet will
I put my trust in him.
4 One thing have I desired of
the Lord, which I will require :
even that I may dwell in the house
of the Lord all the days of my life,
to behold the fair beauty of the
Lord, and to visit his temple.
5 For in the time of trouble he
shall hide me in his tabernacle :
yea, in the secret place of his
dwelling shall he hide me, and set
me up upon a rock of stone.
6 And now shall he lift up mine
head : above mine enemies round
about me.
7 Therefore will I offer in his
dwelling an oblation with great
gladness : I will sing, and speak
praises unto the Lord.
8 Hearken unto my voice, O
Lord, when I cry unto thee : have
mercy upon me, and hear me.
9 My heart hath talked of thee,
Seek ye my face : Thy face, Lord,
will I seek.
10 O hide not thou thy face
from me : nor cast thy servant
away in displeasure.
11 Thou hast been my succour :
leave me not, neither forsake me,
0 God of my salvation.
12 When my father and my mo-
ther forsake me : the Lord taketh
me up.
13 Teach me thy way, O Lord :
and lead me in the right way, be-
cause of mine enemies.
14 Deliver me not over into the
will of mine adversaries : for there
are false witnesses risen up against
me, and such as speak wrong.
15 I should utterly have faint-
187
Psalm XXVI.— cont.
vv. 4, 5. There is a climax in this
description of sin, singularly true to
experience— first, unreality and self-
deception; then the deceit of dis-
simulation towards others ; next, de-
liberate combination for evil doing ;
lastly, authoritative leadership in
wickedness. Comp. Ps. i. 1.
v. 6. / will wash, &c. This verse
and the next are full of allusions to
the ritual of sacrifice as carried out
by the priests. First, we have the
washing of the hands for purifica-
tion, as ordered in Ex. xxx. 17—21 ;
then the "compassing" (for so it
should be rendered) "the altar,"
evidently as a part of the sacrifice,
perhaps for "the sprinkling of the
blood round about the altar" de-
scribed in Lev. iii. 2, 8, 13 ; then the
song of thanksgiving and praise of
the wondrous works of God, so often
noticed as a part of the service of
the priests and Levites. The Psalm-
ist, in virtue of the true priesthood
of each believer, takes up all these
in their spiritual sense. He will
wash his hands in innocency by
repentance; he will compass the
altar in faith in God's mercy; he
will "sing and make melody in his
heart unto the Lord."
v. 9. Shut not up — properly (as in
A.V.), " Gather "—that is, number
me not with the transgressors in the
gathering of judgment (see Matt,
xiii. 20). These transgressors are
branded, as usual, with the double
mark of bloodthirsty violence and
fraud open to the bribes of corrup-
tion ("gifts"). They form a con-
gregation of evil, in contrast with
the congregation of the servants of
the Lord.
v. 12. Standeth right— properly, "on
level ground," without fear of stum-
bling, either from frailty within
or enmity without. For this the
Psalmist praises, not himself, but
the Lord.
Psalm XXVII.
This Psalm— also in the heading "A Psalm of David"— has many points
of similarity to the preceding Psalm. By its allusions (in vv. 3, 11, 12), it
may be probably assigned to the time of the rebellion of Absalom; al-
though the note in the LXX. " before he was anointed " refers it to his
earlier life.
The Psalmist is exiled from the House of the Lord, which he loves, yet
he trusts soon to see it again in joy and triumph; a host is gathered
against him, and false witnesses slander him ; yet he patiently waits upon
the Lord's leisure.
It has two distinct parts, passing into each other (as in Ps. xix., xxiv.)
by an abrupt transition, (a) In vv. 1—7, there is a confident utterance of
faith in the time of struggle, and hope of speedy victory ; (fc), in vv. 8—14,
a change to earnest prayer, under the sense of desertion and enmity of
men, clinging more closely to God. The conclusion (c), in vv. 15, 16,
partakes of the character of both these elements. It is a cry of one almost
fainting in trouble, yet sustained by " waiting upon the Lord."
v. 1. My light and my talvation. In
many Psalms the twofold blessing of
light and salvation is acknowledged
from God. But here the Lord is
Himself the Light (comp. Mic. vii.
8 f Ps. lxxxiv. 12) and the Salvation
(comp. Ex. xt. 2); just as in the
New Testament God in Christ is
"the Light" (John i. 7—9; 1 John
i. 5), and is to us "wisdom and righ-
teousness and sanctitication and re-
demption" (1 Cor. i. 30).
vv. 2. 8. The antagonism is two-
fold—that of a band of bitter ene-
mies, ready to devour, and that of
a greater host, which they gather
against him for war. Nothing could
187a
more accurately describe the posi-
tion of David in the rebellion of
Absalom.
v. 4. Beauty— probably
ness" and "favour."
gracious-
To visit nit temple. This should
probably be (as in R.V.), to enquire
in Hit Temple (see 2 Sam. xxii. 2, 4,
10, 11). The "Temple" referred to
is clearly (see v. 6) the "tent" or:
"tabernacle" of the Lord; which is
said to be to the Psalmist not only
sanctuary to hide in, but a "high
rock" of refuge, possibly with some
reference to its lofty position upon
Mount Zion.
Psalm XXVII.— cont.
V. 7. An oblation, &c. The true
rendering is more striking, " sacri-
fices of joy" or "shouting" (as in
A.V. and R.V.)— the thank-offer-
ings given with songs of praise.
v. 9. This verse should be (as in
R.v.),
" When Thou taidst, Seek ye My
Face,
My heart said unto Thee.
Thy face, Lord, will I seek."
v. 10 When my father, &c. Comp.
Is. xlix. 15, " Can a woman forget her
sucking child — yea, they may for-
get, but I will not forget thee." See
also Is. lxiii. 16. There is no need
to seek in the actual condition of
the Psalmist any explanation of a
phrase obviously proverbial. The
love of the Lord to His people is
constantly compared to the love of a
father for his children (comp. Ps.
ciii. 13). Here it is declared how
much the natural type falls short of
the Antitype.
v. Hi Right tea}/— properly, as in
Ps. xxvi. 12, the "even way," with
qo occasion of stumbling in it.
v. 12. Speak wrong— rather (as in
A.V.), "breathe out cruelty." Such
men were Shimei and Ahithophel
(2 Sam. xvi. 7, 8; xvii. 1—3).
v. 13. I thould utterly have fainted.
These words are not in the Hebrew,
which breaks off with striking ab-
ruptness, "O, if I did not believe
to see the goodness of the Lord in
the land of the living ! " and then
adds, " Tarry thou," &c.
In the land of the living (see Ps.
cxvi. 9), as opposed to the "pit,"
[Sheol). The Psalmist is threatened
with death; but he believes that
God will save him from it, and bless
him in this life— to which, as so often
in the Old Testament, he clings as
the known familiar place of God's
blessing (comp. Ps. lxxxviii. 10 — 12;
Is. xxxviii. 18, 19).
v. 14. Our translation loses the
emphatic repetition of the original,
which (as in A.V.) runs thus, " Wait
upon the Lord, be of good courage
.. Wait, I say, upon the Lord." The
stress is on the " wait "; "Though it
tarry, wait for it" (Hab. ii. 3). The
lesson is the lesson of patience,
which experience and age had taught
the Psalmist well.
Psalm XXVIII.
This Psalm— called in the heading "A Psalm of David"— is singularly
ike Ps. xxvi. in its mingled supplication and confidence, in its sense of the
mtagonism of the evil and their coming destruction, and in its love of the
Sanctuary of the Lord. But, whereas Ps. xxvi. clearly implies a tem-
porary separation from that Sanctuary, this seems in v. 2 rather to in-
licate an actual approach to it, and in v. 7 an answer to prayer, which fills
;he soul with joy.
It contains three parts; (a), in vv. 1, 2, a cry to the Lord from one who
ifts up his hands towards the Sanctuary; (/;), in vv. 3—6, a prayer for
separation from the wicked and from the ruin soon to fall upon them ;
6), in rr. 7—10, a burst of thanksgiving in certainty of prayer heard, and
urther prayer for God's people and His Anointed.
v. 1. Strength— properly "Rock"
as in Ps. xviii. 4; xix. 15 ; xxxi. 8, 4).
Think no xcorn— properly, " be not
ilent (or "deaf") from me." i.e.
'turn not from me in silence."
The pit. The Sheol or Hades of the
inseen world.
v. 2. Mercy seat— properly the in-
lermost part or " oracle " (see 1
287 b
Kings vi. 5, 16, 19, &c, Ac). The
phrase might be applicable to one
far away, worshipping (like Daniel)
" towards Jerusalem," as, indeed, it
is used again and again in Solo-
mon's prayer (1 Kings viii. 22—61).
But it rather seems to denote one
present in the Tabernacle, and look-
ing towards the veiled Presence of
God in the H oly of Holies.
Fsal* XXVtII.— cont.
vv. 3— «. The scope of the prayer
in mainly for distinction from the
ungodly and from their fate. The
longing for righteous retribution
has here no touch of personal feel-
ing; it is rather prophetic than
maledictory.
»'. 7. The sudden change to thank-
ful and almost exulting confidence
accumulates metaphors to describe
the goodness of God. (Comp. Ps.
xviii. 1.) He is to the Psalmist
himself "the Strength" of energy,
and the "shield" of protection, the
" stronghold of Salvation " to His
anointed and His people, and the
Good Shepherd feeding His sheep.
It is difficult not to suppone it ut-
tered after a pause on some mani-
festation of acceptance of prayer.
r. 10. It is to be noted that the
Psalmist at once turns the sense of
acceptance to an occasion of prayer,
not for himself individually, but for
the people (with the king, the Lord's
anointed), as being God's inherit-
ance, His sheep, whom He feeds and
bears up for ever.
Psalm XXIX.
This " Psalm of David" seems to belong in composition or recollection
to his early shepherd days. It is a magnificent description of God's voice
heard in the storm, in which every detail and every locality are vividly
marked. From the sevenfold repetition of the " Voice of the Lord " it has
been finely called the " Psalm of the Seven Thunders." The heading in
the LXX. seems to indicate its use at the close of the Feast of Tabernacles ;
but it is now used by the Jews as a Psalm of the Feast of Pentecost, on <
which they commemorate the giving of the Law in the thunders of Sinai. 1
Like Ps. viii., xix., it contemplates God in Nature, but here in Nature's I
convulsions, not its silent majesty.
It opens (a), in r». 1, 2, with an invitation to the worship of the God of j
Heaven; it passes on (6), in vo. 3— i, to depict the storm, its roar, its fury,.:
pas
thro:
enthroned above the waterflood, a King for ever.
v. 1. This verse, in which our ver-
sions follows the LXX. and the Vul-
gate, Bhould be rendered—
"Ascribe unto the Lord, ye sons
of God (or ' of the mighty '),
Ascribe unto the Lord glory and
strength."
Comp. Ps. xcvi. 7 ; 1 Chron. xvi.
28,29.
Sons of God. This phrase probably
denotes the angels, as in Job i. 6;
h. 1; xxxviii. 7; the other interpre-
tation, " sons of the mighty ones,"
the princes of earth, is not unlike
" the kindreds of the nations " in the
parallel Ps. xcvi. 7. But the former
interpretation infinitely better suits
the context. The Psalmist looks up
to the calmness of heaven, above the
storm, and calls on the inhabitants of
that heaven to worship the Lord.
v. 2. Holt/ worship— -properly (as in
A..V.), "in the beauty of holiness"
(comp. Ps. xcvi. 9; 2 Chron. xx. 21) ;
that is, in the beautiful vestments of
the Sanctuary, in which the angels
are conceived as arrayed— signifying,
like the wedding garment of Our
288
Lord's Parable, the vesture of holi-l
ness, in whi<'h the soul must clothe!
itself before God by His own gift.
vv. 3, 4 describe the gathering of J
the storm. Our version misses the!
sense. It should be (much as in]
A.V.)-
" The voice of the Lord is upon the
waters ;
The God of glory thundereth ;
The Lord is upon many waters ; j
The voice of the Lord in power ; ]
The voice of the Lord in ma-
jesty."
The " waters." " the many waters,"
ire clearly the thunderclouds, the!
waters above the firmament (compi .
Ps. xviii. 9—11 ; civ. 3, 4). The Lord J
is enthroned upon the clouds ; the!
voice of His thunder breathes power j
and majesty.
vv. 5, 6. In these is grandly painted j
the burst of the full fury of the storm ;
shivering the cedars of Lebanon;;
making the great Lebanon itself and
Sirion — the snowy Hermon. the high-
est peak of the Anti- Lebanon isee
Deut. iii. 9)— to "leap like a young
Day 5.
THE PSALMS.
Day 5.
ed : but that I believe verily to
see the goodness of the Lord in
the land of the living.
16 O tarry thou the Lord's
leisure : be strong, and he shall
comfort thine heart; and put thou
thy trust in the Lord.
PSALM 28.
Adte, Domine.
UNTO thee will I cry, 0 Lord
my strength : think no scorn
of me; lest, if thou make as though
thou hearest not, I become like
them that go down into the pit.
2 Hear the voice of my humble
petitions, when I cry unto thee :
when I hold up my hands towards
the mercy-seat of thy holy temple.
3 O pluck me not away, neither
destroy me with the ungodly and
wicked doers : which speak friend-
ly to their neighbours, but imagine
mischief in their hearts.
4 Reward them according to
their deeds : and according to the
wickedness of their own inven-
tions.
5 Recompense them after the
work of their hands : pay them
that they have deserved.
6 For they regard not in their
mind the works of the Lord, nor
the operation of his hands : there-
fore shall he break them down,
and not build them up.
7 Praised be the Lord : for he
hath heard the voice of my hum-
ble petitions.
8 The Lord is my strength, and
my shield; my heart hath trusted
in him, and I am helped : there-
fore my heart danceth for joy, and
in my song will I praise him.
9 The Lord is my strength
and
he is the wholesome defence of
his Anointed.
10 0 save thy people, and give
thy blessing unto thine inherit-
ance : feed them, and set them
up for ever.
PSALM 29.
Afferte Domino.
BRING unto the Lord, O ye
mighty, bring young rams
unto the Lord : ascribe unto the
Lord worship and strength.
2 Give the Lord the honour due
unto his Name : worship the Lord
with holy worship.
3 It is the Lord, that command-
eth the waters : it is the glorious
God, that maketh the thunder.
4 It is the Lord, that ruleth
the sea ; the voice of the Lord is
mighty in operation : the voice of
the Lord is a glorious voice.
5 The voice of the Lord break -
;eth the cedar- trees : yea, the Lord
breaketh the cedars of Libanus.
6 He maketh them also to skip
like a calf : Libanus also, and
Sirion, like a young unicorn.
7 The voice of the Lord divid-
cth the flames of Are; the voice
of the Lord shaketh the wilder-
ness : yea, the Lord shaketh the
wilderness of Cades.
8 The voice of the Lord maketh
the hinds to bring forth young,
and di3covereth the thick bushes :
in his temple doth every man
speak of his honour.
9 The Lord sitteth above the
water -flood : and the Lord re-
maineth a King for ever.
10 The Lord shall give strength
unto his people : the Lord shall
give his people the blessing of
peace.
Day 6.
PSALM 30.
Exaltabo te, Domine.
I WILL magnify thee, O Lord,
for thou hast set me up : and
not made my foes to triumph
over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried unto
thee : and thou hast healed me.
'6 Thou, Lord, hast brought my
JHorning ^ragtr.
soul out of hell : thou hast kept
my life from them that go down
to the pit.
4 Sing praises unto the Lord, 0
ye saints of his : and give thanks
unto him for a remembrance of
his holiness.
5 For his wrath endureth but
the twinkling of an eye, and in his
188
Psalm XXIX
unicorn" ("antelope" or "bison,"
comp. Ps. cxiv. 4, 6) ; dividing (pro-
perly "hewing out") the forked
lightning.
pp. 8, 9 Bhew the storm passing
to the south to "the wilderness of
Kadesh" (see Num. xiii. 26), there
shaking the forest, making the hinds
cast their young, and stripping the
trees of their leaves ("discovering
the thick bushes "). The simplicity
and homeliness of description, com-
pared with the grandeur of the pre-
ceding verses, seem to indicate a
description of what was before the
eyes.
v. 8. In Hit temple, kc. The true
rendering is, " In His Temple every-
thing shouts His glory." The "Tem-
ple " may be the Temple of the
Universe, in which the echoes of
the storm are the answering confes-
sion from all Nature of the majesty of
God ; or, according to more common
usage, the Temple of Heaven, where
above the storms of earth the angelic
song rises for ever (comp. Is. vi. 8).
v. 9. The first clause is, " The Lord
hath sat above the Flood," a word
only used of the Deluge (in Gen. vi.
— xi.). It is best taken as a natural
and striking reference, suggested by
the storm, to the God who once de-
stroyed the earth by the Flood, and
promised never so to destroy it again.
As then, so now, " He sitteth above
the waters a King for ever."
v. 10. There is an exquisite beauty
in the calmness of this promise of
strength and peace, like the serene
brightness of the evening, when the
tempest has passed away. They who
are " His people " need not fear, even
in the wildest storm (comp. Pb. xlvi.
1-4).
Psalm XXX.
This Psalm is described as " a Psalm ; a Song at the Dedication of the
House ; of David." If this means "at the Dedication of the house of
David," the reference may be either to his own house on Mount Zion
(2 Sam. v. 11, 12; vii. 1), or to "the House" of the Lord, commonly sup-
posed to be the site of the future Temple on Mount Moriah, of which David
on dedicating it after the cessation of the plague said (1 Chron. xxii. 1),
" This is the Hourse of the Lord." In favour of the former is the allusion
to triumph over his enemies (v. 1) ; in favour of the latter— which seems on
the whole more probable— the allusions to a proud prosperity rebuked, to a
danger bringing him near to the gates of death, and to the change of the
sackcloth of mourning (see 1 Chron. xxi. 16) into gladness. Some inter-
preters indeed supply (as in R.V.) "a Praltn" before "of David," and
suppose this to have been a "Psalm of David" applied and used at the
Dedication of the Temple, either after the Captivity or in the time of Judas
Maccabeus. But this interpretation does not exclude the other,
The Psalm falls into two parts ; (a) the thanksgiving for deliverance and
life (©p. 1 — 5) ; (b) the recital of his past self-confidence, its chastisement,
and forgiveness (cv. 6—12).
I down to the grave ; such as David
saw, with so much anguish, dying in
c. 1. Set me up — properly (as in
A.V.), " lifted me up," implying de-
liverance out of trouble or danger.
Mi/foes,&c. If the Psalm be referred
to the time after the numbering of
the people, it is hard, in our ignor-
ance of its exact date in David's
reign, to know what foes are referred
to. But in 2 Sam. xxiv. 13 it is im-
plied that there were still enemies
unconquered, before whom David
might flee.
v. 2. Healed me. The words are
best taken literally of recovery from
sickness. May David have been him-
self smitten by the pestilence, though
" not to death " ?
v. 3. From them, &c— that is. from
being numbered with them who go
188 a
thousands around him (2 Sam. xxiv.
17).
t\ 4. For a remembrance — properly
" to the memorial of His Holiness/'
i.e. to the Name of the Lord (see
Ex. iii. 15; Is. xxvi. 8).
v. 5. Heavines», &c. This verse '
should be rendered —
" Weeping may sojourn with us for
a night,
But with the morning comes a
shout of joy." •
The metaphor is drawn from the
weary nights of sickness, and the in-
finite relief of the dawn. Weeping
is not man's true inheritance : it is a
Psalm XXX.— cont.
stranger tarrying only a night ; with
the appearance of the morning it is
swallowed up in the shout of the joy
" which no man taketh from us."
v. 6. In my prosperity, &c. Nothing
■san describe better than thes e words
ohe state of mind which tempted
David to number the people. Pride
cloked itself in the guise of a thank-
fulness—not perhaps insincere— to
the Lord who " made his hill- the
hill of Zion— so strong" ; but it was
the pride of over-security still, tak-
ing for granted the continuance of
God's favour, almost as a right.
v. 8. Right humbly. The original
is simply " made supplication to the
Lord" ; our version is a kind of gloss,
drawing out the true moral implied.
vv. 9—1 1 are the words of the prayer
spoken of in v. 8, against the dreary
shadow of death, and for help and
mercv in the present life.
v. 10. Shall the (hint, &c. There is
an almost exact parallel in Ps.
lxxxviii. 10—12. Comp. also Ps.
xxvii. 15; Is. xxxviii. 18, 19. The
future life is not ignored or doubted,
but it is too vague and shadowy to be
what it is, or should be, to us— a
place of even fuller manifestation of
God's goodness and man's thanks-
giving.
vv. 12, 13. In these there is the
same rapid transition from agony of
praver to confident joy, as in xxviii.
6,7.
v. 13. Every good man. This is a
plain mistranslation. It should be,
That my glory might sing praise
to Thee," &c. "My glory" (as in
Ps. xvi. 9; lvii. 8) is "my soul."
Psalm XXXI.
This Psalm — the plaintive utterance of a sorrowful, though unshaken,
faith— is traditionally ascribed to David ; and, if written by him, must be-
long to one of the troubled periods of his life— the days of his early perse-
cution or the rebellion of Absalom. The depth of sorrow and strong sense
of sin and weakness pervading it would refer it rather to the latter time.
The style, moreover, is less terse and incisive than in his earlier Psalms.
Some critics have ascribed it to Jeremiah, on the ground of certain resem-
blances of tone and expression, which, however, are far from conclusive,
and which may simply indicate the use by the Prophet of older words
familiar to him through the Temple worship.
It begins {a) in vv. 1—9 with the utterance of faith, commending the
spirit in confidence to the God of Truth. Then (6) the tone suddenly
changes to a plaintive key, dwelling (in vv. 10—15) with sorrowful emphasis
on the greatness of his distress— passing, however, (c) into a prayer of
" sorrow not without hope" (vv. 16—20). Finally (d) this again clears up
into a still stronger expression of faith and love of Him who loveth us
{vv. 21—27).
the keeping of the soul to Him, as
unto a faithful Creator " ( 1 Pet. iv.
19). When Our Lord took them up
on the Cross (Luke xxiii. 46) He con-
secrated them to a higher sense, in
which thousands of His followers
have since used them— only, as in
the case of St. Stephen (Acts vii.
59), through Him— commending the
spirit to the Father, as in life, so in
the awful crisis of death, and in face
of the unseen world which it opens
to us.
v. 7. Sup"rstitious vanities, the false
gods of the heathen, often called
" vanities " or unrealities (comp.
Jon. ii. 8 ; Deut. xxxii. 21 ; 1 Kings
xvi. 13, 26; Jer. ii. 5, &c).
v. 9. In a large room. See Ps. iv. 1 ;
xviii. 19.
vv. 10—15 describe a condition of
bodily sickness and deep mental
vv. 3. 4 are a singularly beautiful
example of the apparent self-contra-
diction of prayer, "Be thou to me a
rock of refuge . . . For thou art my
rock." We pray that God will shew
Himself what yet we believe that He
is ; that we may feel what in some
sense we already know. The cry of
faith in trial is mostly, " Lord, I be-
lieve : help Thou my unbelief." We
"know in part," but would "know
even as we are known."
v. 6. Into Thy hands, &c. The
Psalmist's words are originally a
commendation of his "spirit"— not
his life, but his soul— to God in the
struggle of life ;• appealing to Him as
a " Redeemer " from sin and sorrow
(see Ps. xix. 15), and as a "God of
Truth " who has promised to bless,
and therefore "is faithful and just "
to fulfil His promise; "committing
1&-*
Psalm XXXI.— cont.
depression— assailed by enmity and
slander, and conspiracy from with-
out, and by consciousness of iniquity
within— suiting well with the time of
David's flight from Absalom.
v. 13. Among all mine enemies, bitt
especially among my neighbours. This
rendering, which appears rightly to
represent the existing text, is cer-
tainly strange. Various corrections
have been proposed to avoid it. But
the text is probably correct. The
words "to my neighbours exceed-
ingly " are a bitter afterthought of
the Psalmist, implying that his
neighbours— those who had been his
familiar intimates— had become his
worst enemies. So it was with
Ahithophel ; so probably with many
others. The whole is a vivid descrip-
tion of the desertion of what seemed
a falling cause— by his open enemies,
by his treacherous friends, and by
strangers from without, who feared
to recognise him. By Absalom's usur-
pation David seemed already "dead
and out of mind," a vessel once pre-
cious and now " broken."
v. 17. In this verse hope breaks
through the cloud, and encourages
the prayer to Him in whom he trusts.
My time. It should be " my times." i
The plural is significant of the ap- I
pointed seasons of life's changes — I
" a time to weep and a time to !
laugh"— as all in God's hand, por- i
tioned out to us as we need them, I
and in each case to be patiently lived
through in faith.
vv. 21—23. The change of tone is I
here sudden and complete; when
the dark hour passes, the conclud-
ing expression of faith is fuller and
brighter than in the beginning.
v. 21. Prepared. It should be
"wrought out." God's goodness is
always laid up in secret : in due time
it is wrought out before the eyes of
men.
r. 22. Comp. Ps. xxvii. 5. The pro-
rokings should be " the clottings " of
secret treachery, as the "strife of
tongues " is the onset of open slan-
der.
v. 23. In a ttrong city. The ex-
pression is clearly metaphorical—
whether suggested by any actual
experience in the crisis of Absalom's
rebellion we cannot tell.
v. 24. When I made haste, or (as in
A.V.) "in my haste" (comp. Ps%
cxvi. 11). David's character was
clearly, even in old age, impressible
and impulsive. The thrill of mo-
mentary despair from such a soul as
his was not a bar to the acceptance
of its prayer.
vv. 26, 27. There is something
specially beautiful in this turning of
his own experience into a general
lesson to the saints of love, strength,
and hope (comp. 2 Cor. i. 4. where
St. Paul uses the comfort which he
had needed and felt to enable him
to comfort others). Love is to come
first; then, "rooted and grounded
in love," we shall be "strong and
established in heart ; " lastly, out of
present comfort will grow " hope in
the Lord" for the future.
Psalm XXXII.
This Psalm— the second of the Penitential Psalms, used accordingly on
Ash Wednesday, as by the Jews on the great Day of Atonement— is clearly
to be ascribed to David, and referred to the time of mingled penitence and
thanksgiving, after he had received the assurance of forgiveness for his
great sin, and of restoration to communion with God. (It thus represents
a later phase of experience than Psalm li.) It is called Maschil— that
is, either a Psalm of instruction (see v. 9), or a Psalm of high musical
execution.
It is divided into four sections by the interposed Selah. (a) In vv. 1-
is the thanksgiving for forgiveness, contrasted with the description of the
previous hopelessness of misery ; (6), in vv. 5, 6, the record of his confession
of sin and its acceptance; lc), in vv. 7, 8, the acknowledgment in this of
the ground of confidence and even joy ; (<•?), in vv. 9—12, the warning of the
voice of God against further wandering, and the willing acceptance of it by
the penitent soul.
m
Day 6.
THE PSALMS.
Day 6.
pleasure is life : heaviness may
endure for a night, but joy cometh
in the morning.
6 And in my prosperity I said,
I shall never be removed : thou,
Lord, of thy goodness hast made
my hill so strong.
7 Thou didst turn thy face from
me : and I was troubled.
8 Then cried I unto thee, 0
Lord : and gat me to my Lord
right humbly.
9 What profit is there in my
blood : when I go down to the pit ?
10 Shall the dust give thanks
unto thee : or shall it declare thy
truth?
11 Hear, O Lord, and have
mercy upon me : Lord, be thou
my helper.
12 Thou hast turned my heavi-
ness into joy : thou hast put off
my sackcloth, and girded me with
gladness.
13 Therefore shall every good
man sing of thy praise without
ceasing : 0 my God, I will give
thanks unto thee for ever.
PSALM 31.
In te, Domine, speravi.
IN thee, 0 Lord, have I put my
trust : let me never be put to
confusion, deliver me in thy right-
eousness.
2 Bow down thine ear to me :
make haste to deliver me.
3 And be thou my strong rock,
and house of defence : that thou
mayest save me.
4 For thou art my strong rock,
and my castle : be thou also my
guide, and lead me for thy Name's
sake.
5 Draw me out of the net, that
they have laid privily for me : for
thou art my strength.
6 into tby hands I commend
my spirit : for thou hast redeemed
me, O Lord, thou God of truth.
7 I have hated them that hold
of superstitious vanities : and my
trust hath been in the Lord.
8 I will be glad, and rejoice in
thy mercy : for thou hast con-
sidered my trouble, and hast
known my soul in adversities.
9 Thou hast not shut me up
into the hand of the enemy : but
hast set my feet in a large room.
10 Have mercy upon .me, O
Lord, for I am in trouble : and
mine eye is consumed for very
heaviness ; yea, my soul and my
body.
11 For my life is waxen old with
heaviness : and my years with
mourning.
12 My strength faileth me, be-
cause of mine iniquity : and my
bones are consumed.
13 I became a reproof among
all mine enemies, but especially
among my neighbours : and they
of mine acquaintance were afraid
of me ; and they that did see me
without conveyed themselves from
me.
14 I am clean forgotten, as a
dead man out of mind : I am be-
come like a broken vessel.
15 For I have heard the blas-
phemy of the multitude : and fear
is on every side, while they con-
spire together against me, and
take their counsel to take away
my life.
16 But my hope hath been in
thee, 0 Lord : I have said, Thou
art my God.
17 My time is in thy hand ; de-
liver me from the hand of mine
enemies : and from them that per-
secute me.
18 Shew thy servant the light of
thy countenance : and save me for
thy mercy's sake.
19 Let me not be confounded,
O Lord, for I have called upon
thee : let the ungodly be put to
confusion, and be put to silence
in the grave.
20 Let the lying lips be put to
silence : which cruelly, disdainful-
ly, and despitefully, speak against
the righteous.
21 O how plentiful is thy good-
ness, which thou hast laid up for
them that fear thee : and that
thou hast prepared for them that
put their trust in thee, even be-
fore the sons of men !
22 Thou shalt hide them privi-
ly by thine own presence from the
189
Psalm XXXII.— cont.
vv. 1, 2. In these verses are de-
scribed three distinct aspects of sin
and of its forgiveness. First, it is
"transgression" of some definite
commandment, and this is "for-
given," or properly "lifted up," and
taken away ; then it is " sin," the
general habit of wrong doing, and
this is " covered " or " atoned for ; "
lastly, it is " iniquity " or inward de-
filement of soul, ana this is " not im-
Suted," but forgiven by God's mercy,
tader each of these it is God's free
pardon of sin (or "justification")
which is to be grasped by penitent
faith ; and in this sense the passage
is quoted by St. Paul in Rom. iv. 6 — 8.
v. 8. While I held my tongue, that
is, refused the confession of sin.
"Complaining" (or literally "roar-
ing") is not penitence; suffering,
even if under it we waste away, is not
atonement.
vv. 4. 5 should be in the past tense ;
describing the former state of im-
penitent misery.
v. 5, / will, &c. It should be, " I
acknowledged." David is describing
his past confession, followed (as in
2 Sam. xiii. IS) by the immediate
gift of pardon, but evidently in it-
self the outcome of long internal
anguish and struggle.
v. 7. For thi$, &c. The Psalmist
(as in it. 11, 12) makes his own ex-
perience the warning and encourage-
ment of all God's people. Godly
thought, though face to face with
God, does not ignore our brethren.
In a time, &c— literally, in " a time
of finding;" that is, either a time
in which we find God, " a time of
acceptance," or a time in which Godl
finds us out, " a time of visitation."
In the great waterfloods, that Is*
the " sea of troubles," the floods of
danger and sorrow. Comp. Is. xliii.
2, "When thou walkest through thei
waters, I will be with thee ; and1,
through the rivers, they shall not.
overflow thee."
vv. 9, 10 most probably represent
the warning utterance of God ; some'
take them to be the words of the:
Psalmist, but this seems forced andl
abrupt. They evidently convey the;
warning to the forgiven penitent,.
" Thy sins are forgiven, go and sin.
no more."
v. 10. Lest they fall upon thee— pro-
bably " else they will not come nigh
thee." The penitent is to be guided!
simply by God's eye ; he is not to-
need the coercion fit only for brute-
beasts, without which they will re-
fuse all service. As St. Paul ex-
presses it, he is " not to be under
law but under grace," freely accept-
ing God's service through love of
Him who hath so loved us.
v. 11. There is an instructive bold-
ness in this exhortation to the
righteous— evidently those who are
justified by God— not only to put
away hopeless sorrow, but to rejoice
and shout for joy. It is not said
that they shall be kept from " the
sorrows which remain for the wick-
ed," but that even in sorrow, per-
haps through sorrow, "mercy shall
compass them about." Note St.
Paul's distinction (2 Cor. vii. 9—11)
between "godly sorrow" and "the
sorrow of this world."
Psalm XXXIII.
This Psalm has no superscription, and contains no distinct evidence of
authorship or date. Its regularity of construction and sustained unity of
tone may perhaps be taken as indications of a late date. Probably it was
subjoined to the previous Psalm (with which it is united in some MSS.) as
a specimen of the " songs of deliverance " alluded to in v. 7. It was evi-
dently intended for liturgical use, and accordingly its parallelism is very
strongly marked.
It opens (a) with a call to praise God (vv. 1—8) ; then (b) it bases that
call on the sense of His moral attributes of truth and mercy (vv. 4, b\i
as manifested (c) in the creation of the universe (vv. 6—9), (d) and in the }
government of humanity, and especially of His own people (vv. 10 — 18) ; itj
ends (e) with a prayer for His blessing on those who wait for and hope in
Him (vv. 19—21).
v. 2. Lute and instrument, &c. It
should be "a ten-stringed lute"
(see Ps. xcii. 3; oxliv. 9). The two
instruments— the harp and lute —
(both stringed and played with the
190
hand or quill) are always distinguish-
ed and placed in connection.
r. 3. A new song for blessings
"new every morning," out of ever-
renewed thankfulness— the earm
,
Day 6.
THE PSALMS.
Day 6.
^.provoking of all men : thou shalt
keep them secretly in thy taber-
nacle from the strife of tongues.
23 Thanks be to the Lord : for
he hath shewed me marvellous
great kindness in a strong city.
24 And when I made haste, I
said : I am cast out of the sight
of thine eyes.
25 Nevertheless, thou heardest
the voice of my prayer : when I
cried unto thee.
26 0 love the Lord, all ye his
saints : for the Lord preserveth
them that are faithful, and plen-
teously rewardeth the proud
doer.
27 Be strong, and he shall es-
tablish your heart : all ye that put
your trust in the Lord.
DAT 6.
flH&enmg drawer.
PSALM 32.
Beati, quorum.
BLESSED is he whose unright-
eousness is forgiven : and
whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man unto whom
the Lord imputeth no sin : and in
whose spirit there is no guile.
H For while I held my tongue :
my bones consumed away through
my daily complaining.
4 For thy hand is heavy upon
me day and night : and my mois-
ture is like the drought in sum-
mer.
5 I will acknowledge my sin
unto thee : and mine unrighte-
ousness have I not hid.
6 I said, I will confess my sins
unto the Lord : and so thou for-
gavest the wickedness of my sin.
7 For this shall every one that
is godly make his prayer unto
thee, in a time when thou mayest
be found : but in the great water-
floods they shall not come nigh
him.
8 Thou art a place to hide me
in, thou shalt preserve me from
trouble : thou shalt compass me
about with songs of deliverance.
9 I will inform thee, and teach
thee in the way wherein thou shalt
go : and I will guide thee with
mine eye.
10 Be ye not like to horse and
mule, which have no understand-
ing : whose mouths must be held
with bit and bridle, lest they fall
upon thee.
11 Great plagues remain for the
ungodly : but whoso putteth his
trust in the Lord, mercy embrac-
eth him on every side.
12 Be glad, O ye righteous, and
rejoice in the Lord : and be joy-
ful, all ye that are true of heart.
PSALM 33.
Ezultate, justi.
REJOICE in the Lord, 0 ye
righteous : for it becometh
well the just to be thankful.
2 Praise the Lord with harp :
sing praises unto him with the lute,
and instrument of ten strings.
3 Sing unto the Lord a new
song : sing praises lustily unto
him with a good courage.
4 For the word of the Lord is
true : and all his works are faith-
ful.
5 He loveth righteousness and
judgment : the earth is full of the
goodness of the Lord.
6 By the word of the Lord were
the heavens made : and all the
hosts of them by the breath of his
mouth.
7 He gathereth the waters of the
sea together, as it were upon an
heap : and layeth up the deep, as
in a treasure-house.
8 Let all the earth fear the
Lord : stand in awe of him, all ye
that dwell in the world.
9 For he spake, and it was done :
he commanded, and it stood fast.
10 The Lord bringeth the coun-
sel of the heathen to nought : and
maketh the devices of the people
to be of none effect, and casteth
out the counsels of princes.
11 The counsel of the Lord shall
endure for ever : and the thoughts
of his heart from generation to
generation.
12 Blessed are the people, whose
1W
Psalm XXXIII.— cont.
Of the " new song" of Heaven (Rev.
▼.9).
v. 4. God's " Word " and " Works "
are distinguished. By v. 6 we see
that in Nature the "Word" is the
expression of His creative law and
purpose; and the "Works" are the
carrying out of that purpose in de-
tail. In relation to man, the Word
is the direct revelation of Him who
is indirectly revealed in His works —
a revelation, moreover, of His moral
Nature, true and faithful, loving
righteousness and abundant in good-
ness. It is to be noted that, as usual
in Holy Scripture, the praiBe of man
is claimed for God, not simply be-
cause of His Infinite Being or Al-
mighty Power, but because of His
moral relations to us, of truth and
faithfulness, righteousness and good-
ness. The former we can fear or
adore ; through the latter only can
we love Him.
v. 6. The allusion to Gen. i. is
evident, even in the successive re-
ferences to the heaven, the sea, and
the earth. There we read again and
again, " God said" and it wns done ;
and we also read that " the Spirit of
the Lord moved upon the face of the
waters." The immediate purpose of
tli is verse (as still more emphatically
of v. 9) is to dwell oh the speedy and
facile creation of all by the Almighty .
To us there is seen, latent beneath
this, the foreshadowing of " the
Word " and " the Spirit " as engaged
in the Creative work.
v. 7. As an heap. (So in Ex. xv. 8 ;
Ps. lxxviii. 13.) The metaphor is
suggested by the appearance of the
sea from the shore, seeming to over-
hang the land ; as in a treasure house
—the reservoir of His waters for the
fertilization of the world (comp.
Job xxxviii. 22).
vv. 10, 11. The " counsel brought
to nought " (like the wisdom of the
world in 1 Cor. i. 21—28) is the self-
choosing and self-reliant thought of
the godless; it stands here in con-
trast with " the counsel of tire Lord,
which endures for ever," and which,
gives something of its own un-
changeableness to all such wisdom
as rests upon it. Hence the Psalmist
alludes in v. 12 to the people who
know and obey " the Lord Jehovah "
as their God, before returning, in
vv. 18—17, to His universal kingdom
over the world. (The words "and
casteth out the counsels of princes,"
which break the parallelism, are not
in the Hebrew, but are added here
from the LXX. and Vulgate.)
v. 14. He fashioneth, Ac. He made
the heart; therefore He, and He
alone, understands all its works.
v. 16. The horse and the chariot
are looked upon as the emblems of
invasion and conquest (comp. Ps.
xx. 7; cxlvii. 10; Prov. xxi. 81; and
note the exclamation of 2 Kings ii.
12 ; xiii. 14). Hence the use of them
was forbidden to Israel (Deut. xvii.
16), and not adopted till the days of
Solomon. Hence the disclaiming
here of all confidence in them.
v. 18. The sudden introduction of
the ideas of famine and danger of
death probably indicates the preva-
lence of such famine in the days of
the Psalmist. May the Psalm have
been written for the revival of Jeho-
shaphat, about the time of the great
famine in the days of Elijah P
vv. 19—21. In this application of
the truth of the Psalm the emphasis
is evidently on patience — the pa-
tience which "tarries for the Lord,"
"trusts in His Name" for the pre-
sent, and therefore "hopes" for the
future. In proportion to our idea
of what should be under God's all
righteous Will is the trial of pa-
tience under that which is. Job felt
this trial, which his friends felt not,
because he thought and spoke of the
Lord the thing that was right.
Psalm XXXIV.
The style of this Psalm, especially in the acrostic arrangement, with its
curious imperfections, obviously implies a common authorship with Ps.
xxv. (see notes on Ps. xxv.). The heading here is remarkable, " A Psalm
of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech ; who drove
him away and he departed." It is not lightly to be set aside ; for it must
have been derived from tradition, because ther i? nothing in the Psalm
191
Day 6.
THE PSALMS.
Day 6.
God is the Lord Jehovah : and
blessed are the folk, that he hath
chosen to him to be his inheritance.
13 The Lord looked down from
heaven, and beheld all the chil-
dren of men : from the habitation
of his dwelling he considereth all
them that dwell on the earth.
14 He fashioneth all the hearts
of them : and understandeth all
their works.
15 There is no king that can
be saved by the multitude of an
host : neither is any mighty man
delivered by much strength.
16 A horse is counted but a
vain thing to save a man : neither
shall he deliver any man by his
great strength.
17 Behold, the eye of the Lord
is upon them that fear him : and
upon them that put their trust in
his mercy ;
18 To deliver their soul from
death : and to feed them in the
time of dearth.
19 Our soul hath patiently tar-
ried for the Lord : for he is our
help, and our shield.
20 For our heart shall rejoice
in him : because we have hoped
in his holy Name.
21 Let thy merciful kindness,
O Lord, be upon us : like as we
do put our trust in thee.
PSALM 34.
Benedicam Domino.
J WILL alway give thanks unto
the Lord : his praise shall ever
be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make her boast
in the Lord : the humble shall
hear thereof, and be glad.
3 O praise the Lord with me :
and let us magnify his Name to-
gether.
4 I sought the Lord, and he
heard me : yea, he delivered me
out of all my fear
5 They had an eye unto him,
and were lightened : and their
faces were not ashamed.
6 Lo, the poor crieth, and the
Lord heareth him : yea, and sav-
eth him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord tar-
rieth round about them that fear
him : and delivereth them.
8 0 taste, and see, how gracious
the Lord is : blessed is the man
that trusteth in him.
9 0 fear the Lord, ye that are
his saints : for they that fear him
lack nothing.
10 The lions do lack, and sufTer
hunger : but they who seek the
Lord shall want no manner of
thing that is good.
11 Come, ye children, and heark-
en unto me : I will teach you the
fear of the Lord.
12 Whatman is he that lusteth
to live : and would fain see good
days ?
13 Keep thy tongue from evil :
and thy lips, that they speak no
guile.
14 Eschew evil, and do good :
seek peace, and ensue it.
15 The eyes of the Lord are
over the righteous : and his ears
are open unto their prayers.
16 The countenance of the Lord
is against them that do evil : to
root out the remembrance of them
from the earth.
17 The righteous cry, and the
Lord heareth them : and deliver-
eth them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is nigh unto them
that are of a contrite heart : and
will save such as bo of an hum-
ble spirit.
19 Great are the troubles of the
righteous : but the Lord deliver-
eth him out of all.
20 He keepeth all his bones : so
that not one of them is broken.
21 But misfortune shall slay
the ungodly : and they that hate
the righteous shall be desolate.
22 The Lord delivereth the souls
of his servants : and all they that
put their trust in him shall not be
destitute.
1U1
Psalm XXXIV.— cont.
to suggest it as a conjecture ; and the use of the title " Abimelech "— which
is evidently a title— (see Gen. xx., xxvi.), instead of the proper name '' Ach-
ish," 6eems to argue antiquity and independence of 1 Sam. xxi. Against
it are to be set the acrosticism (which is not conclusive) and the sustained
and didactic tone.
In it we have (a), in vv. 1—4, the Psalmist's own spiritual experience of
God's deliverance granted to faith ; (6), in vv. 5 — 10, an extension of this
personal experience generally to all the " poor," who are the " Saints of
the Lord ; " (e), in vv. 11—16, an admonition to " the children " to seek
God's blessing, and to prepare the heart for it; (d), in vv. 17—22, a renewed
declaration of the experience of salvation, especially by the contrite and
sorrowful.
vv. 2, S. The salvation of the in-
dividual is an encouragement to all
"the humble," and, therefore, a
ground for inviting them to a com-
mon thanksgiving. Personal know-
ledge of God cannot be separated
from the Communion of Saints.
v. 6 (like v. 5) should be in the
past tense. The Psalmist dwells
on the experience of the afflicted in
the past— heard and "brightened,"
and not confounded by failure. The
allusion of v. 7 may perhaps indicate
that he had specially in his mind
the cry of Jacob in his agony of fear
and distress, and the signal answer
of blessing vouchsafed (see Gen.
xxxii. 7—12, 24—30).
v. 7. The Angel of the Lord. The
use of the singular number is re-
markable, especially in connection
with the " encamping round about "
(comp. 2 Kin. vi. 17). As in Gen.
xlviii. 16; Ex. xiv. 19; xxiii. 20;
xxxii. 34; Josh. v. 14, 15; Dan. vi. 22,
it implies a special visible manifes-
tation of the presence and power of
God (comp. Ex. iii. 2 with 4). In
Gen. xxxii. the word Mahanaim
. signifies " the two camps," yet the
vision to Jacob is of one in whom he
saw " the face of God." The "Angel
of the Lord" is the leader of the
angelic host.
v. 8. To "taste" (see Heb. vi. 4)
is a thing of practical experience ;
to " see " of the understanding.
To do is, as our Lord teaches, the
way to know (John vii. 17) ; faith
and love (says St. Paul in Eph. iii.
17— 19) precede comprehension. St.
Bernard's well-known words are
Often quoted, Ni*i gustaveris, non
videbi*. The words are applied in
1 Pet. ii. 3 to our own relation to the
Lord Jesus Christ.
v. 11. Come, ye children. This ad-
191 i
dress, unique in the Psalms, is
frequent in the Proverbs. The
Psalmist, in turning to those who
are children in age or character,
naturally assumes a more didactic
tone ; appeals to the lower motive of
desire for happiness ; dwells on the
plainer righteousness of act and
word rather than the subtler righ-
teousness of thought ; and sustains
faith by the promise of God's care
of the righteous and answer to their
prayer, and by the threat of retribu-
tion of the wicked. This is not the
highest teaching, the " strong meat "
for the full grown, but it is the
appropriate " milk" for " children."
(See the quotation, 1 Pet. iii. 10—12,
and comp. 1 Pet. ii. 2.)
v. 17. The righteout cry. The ori-
ginal is simply, " They cried." The
insertion is unfortunate, for the em-
phasis, as is seen in the next verse,
is on the cry itself— the cry of the
sorrowful and contrite ; and the
whole idea is distinct from that of
vv. 19, 20, which refer distinctly to
"the righteous." The penitent cries
in fancied desolation, and is deliver-
ed ; the righteous is conscious of
the Divine protection always about
him.
v. 20. Not one of them »'* broken.
The celebrated passage, John xix.
33—36, may perhaps refer to this
promise (as it certainly refers to
Ex. xii. 46i— fulfilled in Him, who is
indeed "the Righteous One," even
on the Cross.
v. 22. As in Ps. xxv. 21 this verse is a
conclusion, independent of the acros-
tic arrangement. It lays final stress
on the consciousness, not merely of
God's protection and blessing, but
of His redemption, that is, deliver-
ance from evil— sorrow, sin, and
death.
Psalm XXXV.
This Psalm is called in the heading a " Psalm of David." By som*
critics it has been referred to Jeremiah, on account of some remarkable
resemblances to Jer. xviii. 19— 23; Lam. ii. 16. But these are not impro-
bably due to reminiscence of the Psalm ; and the tone and character of
the Psalm— with its martial images, its forcible abruptness, and its fierce-
ness against enemies— suit far better with the vehement and warlike
spirit of David in the early days of his persecution, than with the gentler
and more plaintive sadness of the suffering prophet. It is to be classed
with Ps. lxix. and cix., as "Imprecatory Psalms" (on which see Intro-
duction, section v.) ; in its indignation against cruelty and treachery it is
accordant with eternal righteousness — in its personal wrath against ene-
mies it belongs to the Old Testament rather than the New.
It falls into three divisions, (a), in vv. 1—10, a cry for God's protection
and vengeance on his enemies ; (6), in vv. 11—17, a justification of that cry
by a vivid picture of their ingratitude and treachery; (c), in vv. 18—28, a
return to prayer for such deliverance, as may be a rebuke to the evil and a
comfort to the good.
v. 1. Plead Thou my eaute. The
mixture of metaphor is eminently
natural, if David be the author. It
is first drawn from the law-court ;
for David was really accused before
Saul (see vv. 11, 12). But his actual
condition, attacked and defended by
the sword, suggests an immediate
change to the images of the battle-
field. God is his shield and buckler
of defence (as in Ps. xviii. 2, 80, 35,
&c), and his spear of aggressive war-
fare ; in both aspects his salvation."
Similarly verses 4—8 begin in simple
desire of shame and failure for his
enemies, and then pass at once into
metaphor— first a metaphor drawn
from the wars of the Lord, then a
metaphor suggested by that hunting
of his soul as a prey, of which he so
pathetically complains in 1 Sam.
xxiv. 11, 14 ; xxvi. 20.
vv. 5, 6. The Angel of the Lord (see
Ps. xxxiv. 7). The picture drawn in
these verses is of a rout of the ene-
mies of the Lord's people, which the
unseen Angel of the Lord leads.
But there may, perhaps, be a refer-
ence to the awful day of the ven-
geance of the Angel of the Lord
upon the Egyptians— when their
way was "dark and slippery" in the
Red Sea, and when their strength
was scattered like chaff before the
I strong wind " of the Lord (see Ex.
xv. 7—10).
vv. 7, 8. The metaphor here sud-
denly changes to that of the chase—
the pitfall for the beast of prey and
the net for the feebler game. The
prayer is that the cruel hunter may
fall into the one, and be entangled
in the other.
v. 10. All my hone*. &c. The bones
are looked upon as the seat of bodily
191b
pain (see Ps. vi. 2) ; by a bold meta-
phor they are here joined with " the
soul" in the cry of rejoicing over
relief.
Who is like unto Theet This excla-
mation of adoring wonder (comp.
Ex. xv. 11 ; Ps. lxxi. 19 ; lxxxvi. 8,
&c.) is especially called out, not
simply by God's Almighty Power, or
even His Righteousness, but by that
condescension to the weak and ex-
altation of the lowly, which forms
the theme of the Song of Hannah
and of the Magnificat.
vv. 11—16. The description here is
of a kind of conspiracy of false wit-
ness, treachery, ingratitude, mean
triumph, and ribald scoffing over the
fall of one who had been envied.
Of this the history in 1 Sam. xviii.,
xix., shews little trace, dwelling
only on the jealousy of Saul. But
experience of the world, especially
in courts, shews too plainly how
ready such conspiracy is to take
advantage of the first signs of royal
jealousy. It is interesting to com-
pare David's unrestrained denuncia-
tion of these baser enemies with the
enduring loyalty and tenderness,
which, though sorely tried, he still
cherished for Saul.
vv. 13, 14. The contrast in these
verses is singularly striking — almost
anticipating the ' Love ye your ene-
mies," &c. of the Gospel teaching,
and remarkably opposed to the fierce-
ness of denunciation, notable in the
close of this Psalm and in many
others:
v. IS. Shall turn (or perhaps " may
it turn") into mine own bosom. The
sense has been variously interpreted;
but it seems clearly to be that the
prayer, defeated by the unworthi-
Psalm XXXV.— cont.
ness of its objects, shall return to
bless him who uttered it (comp.
Matt. x. 18).
v. 15. Unawares — properly, "men
whom I know not," whom (that is)
I had disdained to know.
Making mouths, &o. It should be
(as in A.V. and R.V.), "They rend
me and cease not."
r. 16. With the flatterers, &c. The
true rendering seems to be (much as
in A. V.), "like ribald jesters at
feasts"— the parasites, hangers on
at the royal table.
p. 17. Mi/ darling (i.e. my soul). See
Ps. xxii. 20.
v. 18. So will I give Thee thank*. &c.
Here the idea is suggested, which is
more fully worked out in vv. 27, 28—
that the deliverance of God's ser-
vant is a cause of thankfulness and
infinite rejoicing, not to him only,
but to the great congregation it-
self. Whatever shows God's good-
ness and righteousness is the high-
est blessing of all men.
v. tl. Fie on tAee— rather (as in
A.V.), "Aha, aha, our eye hath seen
it," a cry of scornful rejoicing, much
like the " There, there " of t>. 25.
v. 24. Judge me, &c. The prayer
returns to the idea of v. 1, but in a
nobler strain. There it was simply
a desire of God's favourable judg-
ment; here it is the higher desire
that the judgment may be "accord-
ing to righteousness," in trust that,
if it be so, his enemies will not
triumph over him. There the de-
liverance was asked for the sake of
the Psalmist himself; here for the
sake of all God's servants, that they
may "shout with joy," and say,
" Blessed be the Lord.
Psalm XXXVI.
The calm reflectiveness of this singularly beautiful Psalm stands in
striking contrast with the vehemence of Ps. xxxv. If, according to the
heading, it be ascribed to David, "the servant of the Lord," of whom it is
well worthy, it must belong to the maturity of his later days.
It opens (a), in vv. 1—4, with a terrible picture of the heart of the un-
godly, ignoring God and resting only on self; (6), thence, by an abrupt
transition, it rises (in vv. 5—9) to an enthusiastic description of God's
goodness, manifested in all its infinity to man ; and so (c) ends, in -it. 10—
12, with prayer for the enjoyment of that goodness and the defeat of the
ungodly.
v. 1. My heart, &c. In accordance
with most ancient versions, we
should probably read "his heart,"
and render thus,—
"The oracle of transgression in
the wicked speaks in his own
heart;
There is no fear of God before
his eyes."
The wicked listens only to his own
heart; it becomes his oracle, an
oracle of sin ; of the reverence and
fear of God he knows nothing. Self-
worship and ignoring of God are to
each other both cause and effect ;
out of these comes the " strong delu-
sion " of an unnatural voice, urging
to sin. The description is like that
of the " reprobate mind," as describ-'
ed in Rom. i. 18—32 ; vii. 8—24.
v. 2. The rendering of this very
difficult verse should probably be,
" He flattereth himself," or " it (the
voice of evil) flatters him "in his own
sight. Probably the last clause should
be (as in R.V.), " That his sin shall
not be found out and be hated."
v. 8. He hath left off. He has the
3St
special guilt of having known the
path of good, and deliberately left it.
v. 4. In this verse the stages of
downward progress are terribly
marked— the secret plotting of mis-
chief, the " setting himself" delibe-
rately in the way of sin, and the
loss of all natural "abhorrence of
evil," which is the final sign of the
hardened reprobate heart.
vv. 5 — 9. The abrupt transition
marks the glad eagerness with
which the Psalmist turns for relief
from the horror of the godless soul
to the glory of the God whom it dis-
owns, and from whose light it is
hidden in self -chosen darkness.
vv. 5, 6. In these the greatness of
the moral attributes of God is sym-
bolized by the greatness of Nature.
His mercy and faithfulness to His
covenant are unbounded as the
sphere of heaven ("The glorious
sky, embracing all, Is like the
Maker's love"). His righteousness
is unshaken and changeless as the
"mountains of God." His judgments
are inscrutable as the great deep.
Day 7.
DAT 7.
THE PSALMS.
tiayl.
fKornmfl draper.
PSALM 35.
Judica, Domine.
PLEAD thou my cause, 0 Lord,
with them that strive with
me : and fight thou against them
that fight against me.
2 Lay hand upon the shield and
buckler : and stand up to help
me.
3 Bring forth the spear, and
stop the way against them that
persecute me : say unto my soul,
I am thy salvation.
4 Let them be confounded, and
put to shame, that seek after my
soul : let them be turned back,
and brought to confusion, that
imagine mischief for me.
5 Let them be as the dust before
the wind : and the angel of the
Lord scattering them.
6 Let their way be dark and
slippery : and let the angel of the
Lord persecute them.
7 For they have privily laid
their net to destroy me without
a cause : yea, even without a cause
have they made a pit for my soul.
8 Let a sudden destruction come
upon him unawares, and his net,
that he hath laid privily, catch
himself : that he may fall into his
own mischief.
9 And, my soul, be joyful in
the Lord : it shall rejoice in his
salvation.
10 All my bones shall say. Lord,
who is like unto thee, who dcli-
verest the poor from him that is
too strong for him : yea, the poor,
and him that is in misery, from
him that spoileth him ?
11 False witnesses did rise up :
they laid to my charge things that
I knew not.
12 They rewarded me evil for
good : to the great discomfort of
my soul.
13 Nevertheless, when they were
sick, I put on sackcloth, and hum-
bled my soul with fasting : and
my prayer shall turn into mine
own bosom.
14 I behaved myself as though
it had been my friend, or my bro-
ther : 1 went heavily, as one that
mourneth for his mother.
15 But in mine adversity they
rejoiced, and gathered themselves
together : yea, the very abjects
came together against me una-
wares, making mouths at me, and
ceased not.
16 With the flatterers were busy
mockers : who gnashed upon me
with their teeth.
17 Lord, how long wilt thou
look upon this : 0 deliver my
soul from the calamities which
they bring on me, and my darling
from the lions.
18 So will 1 give thee thanks
in the great congregation : 1 will
praise thee among much people.
19 0 let not them that are mine
enemies triumph over me ungod-
ly : neither let them wink with
their eyes that hate me without a
cause.
20 And why ? their communing
is not for peace : but they imagine
deceitful words against them that
are quiet in the land.
21 They gaped upon me with
their mouths, and said : Fie on
thee, fie on thee, we saw it with
our eyes.
22 This thou hast seen, O Lord :
hold not thy tongue then, go not
far from me, O Lord.
23 Awake, and stand up to
judge my quarrel : avenge thou
my cause, my God, and my Lord.
24 Judge me, O Lord my God,
according to thy righteousness :
and let them not triumph over
me.
25 Let them not say in their
hearts, There, there, so would we
have it : neither let them say, We
have devoured him.
26 Let them be put to confu-
sion and shame together, that
rejoice at my trouble : let them
be clothed with rebuke and dis-
honour, that boast themselves
against me.
192
Pbalm XXXVI.— cont.
v. 7. In this verse, as usual, tbe
Psalmist turns from the infinite
greatness of God to His individual
salvation of "man and beast."
Men need not shrink from Him as
an Unknown Creative Power, but
may gather "under the wings" of
a known and loving God.
v. 8. Here he goes a step further,
to recognise the closer Presence of
God as revealed to His chosen peo-
ple in His house, there welcoming
them to the " plenteousness " of His
Table, and " giving them drink of the
river of His pleasures " Uike the river
of living water in Ezek. xlvii. 1—12 ;
Rev. xxii. 1). They are admitted to
theprivileges of the true priesthood
v. 9. The union here of life and
light exactly corresponds to the ful-
ness of the perfect Revelation of God
in the Lord Jesus Christ (John i. 4).
" In Him was life, and the life was
the light of men." The Lord Jeho-
vah is the " well " or living source of
all life, bodily and spiritual; and
while the wicked walks in self-chosen
darkness, the servant of God sees
light in the Light of God's counten-
ance (comp. John i. 4—9 ; 1 John i.
5—7)-
vv. 10—12, by a striking transition,
pass from the general prayer for the
continuance of God's favour, as al-
ready given, to the upright in heart,
and the more special prayer for the
Psalmist himself against the proud
recklessness of his enemies, to a sud-
den vision of its fulfilment. " There
are they fallen," &c.
Psalm XXXVII.
This Psalm— ascribed in the heading to David— has little to indicate date
or authorship, except perhaps the remarkable coincidences with the Book
of Proverbs and the Book of Job (comp. v. 1 with Prov. xxiv. 19 ; v. 16 with
Prov. xv. 16; v. 4 with Job xxvii. 10 ; v. 6 with Job xi. 17, &c). In spirit it
approaches closely to the didactic tone of these books, and even to their
proverbial terseness and antithesis ; it is the utterance of mature wisdom,
dealing with the perplexity which so vexed the soul of Job and the Psalmist
of Ps. lxxiii — the prosperity of the wicked and the suffering of the righ-
teous—and. after long experience of the perplexities of life, returning to
the instinctive belief in a righteous retribution. Its answer is simply, " Look
to the end ; " it urges on us that faith in the perfect retribution of the
Divine Righteousness, without which we can hardly believe in God. As in
the Old Testament generally, this is looked for largely in this world, and
declared to be the experience of a long life. We have been taught to
look for it mainly, though not exclusively, in the world to come. In form
the Psalm is an acrostic Psalm of singular beauty, more perfect than
Ps. ix., x., xxv., xxxiv., but still slightly irregular, in assigning to most
letters two verses, to some only one.
The acrostic form and the antithetical style of the Psalm make it diffi-
cult to divide it into sections. But (a) in vv. 1—11, we have the simple counsel
of patience and trust as against fretfulness and envy; (6) in vv. 12—20 a
picture of the virulent antagonism of the evil against good, and their
certain defeat ; (c) in vv. 21—32, the experience of a long life, showing the
ultimate victory of mercy and graciousness over selfishness and wrong;
and (d) in dp. 38— 41, the final declaration of the transitoriness of the
prosperity of evil, and the present peace and ultimate triumph of the
servants of God.
v. 1. Fret not fas in vv. 7, 8) forbids
all repining or faithlessness towards
God, as be not envious forbids all
jealousy towards man. The former
is the subtler temptation of a righ-
teous soul ; its remedy is clearly,
" Leave it to the Lord : " " What is
that to thee ? Follow thou me."
v. 3. Verily thou Shalt be fed— pro-
perly, " feed on faithfulness " or ** se-
curity." The sense is either "rest
on security," or (as the parallelism
191
would rather suggest) "delight in
faithfulness." The idea is, " Do
good and trust in God," " Dwell in
the land (of His Covenant) and keep
that covenant faithfully." The work
is ours ; the issues are His.
v. 6. He will make, Ac. It is im-
plied that there may be a time of
darkness, but it shall pass, first, into
the dawn, then into the noontide of
an eternal day (comp. Ps. xxx. 5). So
in vv. 7, 8, the lesson is of patience,
Day!.
THE PSALMS.
Dayt.
27 Let them l>e glad and re-
joice, that favour my righteous
dealing : yea, let them say alway,
Blessed he the Lord, who hath
pleasure in the prosperity of his
servant.
28 And as for my tongue, it
shall be talking of thy righteous-
ness : and of thy praise all the day
long.
PSALM 36.
Dixit injustu8.
MY heart sheweth me the wick-
edness of the ungodly : that
there is no fear of God before his
eyes.
2 For he flattereth himself in
his own sight : until his abomi-
nable sin be found out.
8 The words of his mouth are
unrighteous, and full of deceit :
he hath left on" to behave himself
wisely, and to do good.
4 He Imaglneth mischief upon
his bed, and hath set himself in
no good way : neither doth he
abhor any thing that is evil.
5 Thy mercy, O Lord, reach-
eth unto the heavens : and thy
faithfulness unto the clouds.
6 Thy righteousness standeth
like the strong mountains : thy
judgments are like the great deep.
7 Thou, Lord, shalt save both
man and beast ; How excellent is
thy mercy, O God : and the chil-
dren of men shall put their trust
under the shadow of thy wings.
8 They shall be satisfied with
the plenteousness of thy house :
and thou shalt give them drink
of thy pleasures, as out of the
river.
9 For with thee is the well of
life : and In thy light shall we see
light.
10 0 continue forth thy loving-
kindness unto them that know
thee : and thy righteousness unto
them that are true of heart.
11 0 let not the foot of pride
come against me : and let not the
hand of the ungodly cast me down.
12 There are they fallen, all
that work wickedness : they are
cast down, and shall not be able
to stand.
Day 7.
t&btnins ^rager.
PSALM 37.
Noli cemtilari.
Ip RET not thyself because of
the ungodly : neither be thou
envious against the evil doers.
2 For they shall soon be cut
down like the grass : and be wi-
thered even as the green herb.
3 Put thou thy trust in the
Lord, and be doing good : dwell
in the land, and verily thou shalt
be fed.
4 Delight thou in the Lord :
and he shall give thee thy heart's
desire.
5 Commit thy way unto the
Lord, and put thy trust In him :
and he shall bring it to pass.
6 He shall make thy righteous-
ness as clear as the light : and thy
just dealing as the noon-day.
7 Hold thee still In the Lord,
and abide patiently upon him :
but grieve not thyself at him,
whose way doth prosper, against
the man that doeth after evil
counsels.
8 Leave off from wrath, and
let go displeasure : fret not thy-
self, else shalt thou be moved to
do evil.
9 Wicked doers shall be rooted
out : and they that patiently abide
the Lord, those shall inherit the
land.
10 Yet a little while, and the
ungodly shall be clean gone : thou
shalt look after his place, and he
shall be away.
11 But the meek-spirited shall
possess the earth : and shall be
refreshed In the multitude of
12 The ungodly seeketh coun-
sel against the just : andgnasheth
upon him with his teeth.
13 The Lord shall laugh him
to scorn : for he hath seen that
his day is coming.
14 The ungodly have drawn
19?
Psalm XXXVII.— cont.
checking and putting away natural
indignation, which (as experience
has shown too plainly) will move
"only to do evil," taking God'fc
judgment into our own hands. The
secret of such patience is, " Hold
thee still upon the Lord" (comp.
Ps. lxii. 1, 5, 8). What can outward
prosperity matter to a soul which
(see Pb. xvii. H— 16) " beholds God's
Presence in righteousness, and shall
be satisfied with it ? "
v. 10. Yet a little while. Whether
as men reckon in this life, or as all
this life is in comparison with the
hereafter.
v. 11. The meek^pirited shall possess
the earth. This promise is repeated
by Our Lord (Matt. v. 5). Its mean-
ing is explained by the following
words : The meek— that is, the gen-
tle placid spirit— shall have under all
circumstances here *' the abundance
of peace," extracting the gold of
true happiness from what to others
would be ugly and worthless. The
restless has, but enjoys not; the
gentle and contented seems to have
not, yet enjoys.
vv. 14—17. In these verses is intro-
duced a new idea. The prosperity
of the wicked is not only an offence,
but, by the natural enmity of evil to
good, a danger to the just. Faith in
God, as it is our comfort in the one,
so is our ground of confidence against
the other. The one shall vanish ; the
other defeat itself.
v. 16. Comp. Prov. xv. 16; xvi. 8.
Here, again, it is implied that in-
equality of external prosperity is
redressed by internal capacity of
enjoyment. (The context would
suggest that we should understand
this in respect of power rather than
of wealth.)
v. 20. As the fat of lambs. The im-
age is taken from the burnt offering,
ascending wholly in the smoke to
God ; but it would be strange to re-
present the destruction of the wicked
as a sacrifice of worship. The true
rendering is fas in R.V.) " the excel-
lency of the pastures " — that is " the
glory of the meadows " — " the grass
which to-day is and to-morrow is
cast into the oven" (comp. v. 2).
v. 2,1. Is merciful and liberal — pro-
perly, " she weth mercy and giveth,"
bringing out more strikingly the
antithesis, between dishonesty to-
wards the confiding on the one
hand, and free gift out of pure
mercy on the other. Comp. Eph. iv.
28. It goes beyond v. 26 and Ps.
cxii. 5.
v. 26. And his seed, &c. What he
has lent freely or given is lent to the
Lord, and it shall be repaid to his
seed after him. As the sin, so the
goodness, of the fathers is. in its
effect, "visited on their children."
vv. 81—31. Here once more there
is a fresh image— not of the open
violence, but of the slanderous accu-
sation of the wicked against the just.
The promise is that, where the law
of God in the heart teaches wisdom
and righteousness, false accusation
shall be silenced, and unrighteous
judgment redressed. It may be, as
it most often is, in this world; it
will be at the perfect Judgment of
the Great Day.
v. 35. Thou shalt see it— not for
exultation, but for satisfaction of
that sense of righteous retribution,
without which there can be no faith
in God. So it is now in measure
(as one who saw the fall of Robes-
pierre cried out, " Yes ! there is a
God " ) ; so must it be perfectly in
the end. The Saviour is Himself to
be the Judge.
v. 36. A green bay-tree— properly,
" a green tree in its own native
soil," therefore " striking root down-
ward and bearing fruit upward."
v. 37. Comp. Prov. xxiv. 30, 81.
v. 88. Peace at the last. In this
phrase we have the double keynote
of the whole Psalms—" peace " as
distinct from external prosperity-
"at the last," as distinct from the
appearance of the moment. The
better rendering is, perhaps (as in
A.V. and R.V. i. " Mark the perfect
man, behold the upright, for the end
of that man is peace." So in v. 39,
"the end of the wicked shall be
cut off." The interpretation which
makes "the end" to signify simply
"the posterity " (as in v. 29), seems
quite inadequate to the spirit of the
passage.
v. 40. In the time of trouble. It is
promised, not that they shall have
no trouble, but that,,in it and through
it, they shall be saved. There are
very different degrees of struggle to
equally true servants of God ; ac-
cording to these are the degrees also
of comfort and strength.
m
Day 7.
THE PSALMS.
out the sword, and have bent
their bow : to cast down the poor
and needy, and to slay such as are
of a right conversation.
15 Their sword shall go through
their own heart : and their bow
shall be broken.
16 A small thing that the righ-
teous hath : is better than great
riches of the ungodly.
17 For the arras of the ungodly
shall be broken : and the Lord
upholdeth the righteous.
18 The Lord knoweth the days
of the godly : and their inherit-
ance shall endure for ever.
19 They shall not be confound-
ed in the perilous time : and in
the days of dearth they shall have
enough.
20 As for the ungodly, they
shall perish ; and the enemies of
the Lord shall consume as the fat
of lambs : yea, even as the smoke,
shall they consume away.
21 The ungodly borroweth, and
payeth not again : but the righte-
ous is merciful, and liberal.
22 Such as are blessed of God
shall possess the land : and they
that are cursed of him shall be
rooted out.
23 The Lord ordereth a good
man's going : andmaketh his way
acceptable to himself.
24 Though he fall, he shall not
be cast away : for the Lord up-
holdeth him with his hand.
25 I have been young, and now
am old : and yet saw 1 never the
righteous forsaken, nor his seed
begging their bread.
26 The righteous is ever mer-
ciful, and lendeth : and his seed
is blessed.
27 Flee from evil, and do the
thing that is good : and dwell for
evermore.
28 For the Lord loveth the
Day 7.
thing that is right : he forsaketh
not his that be godly, but they
are preserved for ever.
29 The unrighteous shall be
punished : as for the seed of the
ungodly, it shall be rooted out.
30 The righteous shall inherit the
land : and dwell therein for ever.
31 The mouth of the righteous
is exercised in wisdom : and his
tongue will be talking of judg-
ment.
32 The law of his God is in his
heart : and his goings shall not
slide.
33 The ungodly seeth the righ-
teous : and seekcth occasion to
slay him.
34 The Lord will not leave him
in his hand : nor condemn him
when he is judged.
35 Hope thou in the Lord, and
keep his way, and he shall pro-
mote thee, that thou shalt possess
the land : when the ungodly shall
perish, thou shalt see it.
36 I myself have seen the
ungodly in great power : and
flourishing like a green bay-tree.
37 I went by, and lo, he was
gone : I sought him, but his place
could no where be found.
38 Keep innocency, and take
heed unto the thing that is right :
for that shall bring a man peace
at the last.
39 As for the transgressors, they
shall perish together : and the end
of the ungodly is, they shall be
rooted out at the last.
40 But the salvation of the
righteous cometh of the Lord :
who is also their strength in the
time of trouble.
41 And the Lord shall stand by
them, and save them : he shall
deliver them from the ungodly,
and shall save them, because they
put their trust in him.
Day 8.
JWorning draper.
PSALM 38.
Domine, ne in furore.
PUT me not to rebuke, O Lord,
in thine anger : neither chas-
ten me in thy heavy displeasure.
2 For thine arrows stick fast in
me : and thy hand presseth me
sore.
3 There is no health in my
flesh, because of thy displeasure :
194
Psalm XXXVIII.
This Psalm— the third of the Penitential Psalms, used hy us on Asa
Wednesday, as by the Jews on the great Day of Atonement— is headed
(like Ps. lxx.) " A Psalm of David to bring to remembrance," or " to make
memorial." The most natural sense is to refer it to the Psalmist himself,
laying his suffering and penitence as "a memorial" before God (like the
offering of Lev. ii. 2; comp. Acts x. 4). But it is also taken as simply
marking a liturgical use of the Psalm, in connection with the " memorial "
of the meat offering or incense. The Psalm evidently (like Ps. vi., xxxii.)
belongs to the time of bitter suffering, bodily and mental, after David's
great sin, which gave occasion to the rebellious intrigues of Absalom, and
the growth of disloyalty and disaffection. But in tone it is even fuller of
sorrow and agony of penitent prayer, though still looking to the " Lord
his Salvation;" and it bears striking resemblance to some of the most
sorrowful passages in the book of Job.
It contains (a), in vv. 1—10, a complaint of bitter suffering of body and
soul under God's righteous punishment; (6), in vv. 11 — 14, a'similar complaint
of enmity and treachery at the hands of men ; (c), in vv. 15—22, a prayer of
humble confidence for the salvation of the Lord to one who repents and
confesses his sin.
freshment before the Psalmist turns
to complain of the second burden of
man's cruelty. In the confidence
that God knows our desire and hears
our cry, even if He will not yet grant
relief, there is security against de-
spair. His rebuke is not vengeance,
but chastening (see Prov. iii. 11, 12 ;
Heb. xii. 5-1S).
v. 1 coincides exactly with Ps. vi. 1
(see note there).
v. 2. Comp. Job vi. 4, " The arrows
of the Almighty are within me, the
poison of which drinketh up my
spirit."
vv. 8—8. Tho description is ob-
viously of some severe bodily sick-
ness, over and above the anguish of
soul with which it was connected.
It speaks i in v. 8) of disease, corrupt-
ing the flesh and racking the bones ;
in vv. 5 — 7 of festering sores and dis-
ease in the loins ; in vv. 7, 8 of the
alternate heats and chills of fever.
Yet while the Psalmist cries out in
complaint, he acknowledges in it all
the rebuke and chastening of God for
iniquity — now regarded as a flood
" going over the head " — now as " a
heavy burden" weighing down both
soul and body. Of such sickness in
David the history gives no record;
but indicates before the rebellion of
Absalom a time of feebleness and
failure. It was appropriate that
Bensual sin should bring its corporal
penalty.
v. 5. Through my foolishness — that
is my Bin, regarded (as in the Pro-
verbs) as essentially folly.
v. 6. 1 am brought, &c. This verse
should be "I am bent" (or "con-
vulsed ") ; " I am bowed down ; I go
mourning all the day."
v. 7. Disease should be " burning,"
as in v. 8 feeble should be "benumb-
ed with cold." There is evident
allusion to the alternate heat and
chill of fever.
v. 9 comes in like a gleam of re-
vv. 11—14 draw a vivid picture of
the desertion or apathy of friends, of
the treachery and slander of enemies
—all borne silently, as though un-
heard,in a patience, partly of dignity,
of conscious sin (as in David
fore Shimei, 2 Sam. xvi. 10). Evi-
dently describing the Psalmist's own
bitter experience, as aggravating
bodily by mental suffering, it is im-
possible not to regard them, in all
points except the last, as a type of
the great suffering and majestic si-
lence of Calvary.
vv. 15, 16 give two diverse reasons
; for his silence. One is of confident
faith, " Thou shalt answer for me, O
i Lord my God," committing his way
! to the Lord (see Ps. xxxvii. 5—7).
! In this is the sense of dignity and
i strength. In the other is the cau-
i tious humility of conscious weak-
ness ; for i'. 16 rightly rendered is,
" For I said. Lest they rejoice over
: me ; lest, when my foot slippeth,
| they vaunt themselves against me."
1 He will not speak (see Ps. xxxix. 1
— 3) lest some rash utterance of his
agony should give occasion to his
enemies.
vv. 17—20 once more dwell on his
double suffering from within and
m
Day 8.
THE PSALMS.
neither is there any rest in my
bones, by reason of my sin.
4 For my wickednesses are gone
over my head : and are like a sore
burden, too heavy for me to bear.
5 My wounds stink, and are
corrupt : through my foolishness.
6 I am brought into so great
trouble and misery : that I go
mourning all the day long.
7 For my loins are filled with
a sore disease : and there is no
whole part in my body.
8 I am feeble, and sore smit-
ten : I have roared for the very
disquietness of my heart.
9 Lord, thou knowest all my
desire : and my groaning is not
hid from thee.
10 My heart panteth,mystrength
hath failed me : and the sight of
mine eyes is gone from me.
11 My lovers and my neigh-
bours did stand looking upon my
trouble : and my kinsmen stood
afar off.
12 They also that sought after
my life laid snares for me : and
they that went about to do me
evil talked of wickedness, and
imagined deceit all the day long.
13 As for me, I was like a deaf
man, and heard not : and as one
that is dumb, who doth not open
his mouth.
14 I became even as a man that
heareth not : and in whose mouth
are no reproofs.
15 For in thee, 0 Lord, have I
put my trust : thou shalt answer
for me, 0 Lord my God.
16 I have required that they,
even mine enemies, should not
triumph over me : for when my
foot slipped, they rejoiced greatly
against me.
17 And I, truly, am set in the
plague : and my heaviness is ever
in my sight.
18 For 1 will confess my wick-
edness : and be sorry for my sin.
19 But mine enemies live, and
are mighty : and they that hate me
wrongfully are many in number.
20 They also that reward evil
for good are against me : because
I follow the thing that good is.
Day 8.
21 Forsake me not, O Lord my
God : bo not thou far from me.
22 Haste thee to help me : 0
Lord God of my salvation.
PSALM 39.
Dixi, custodiam.
I SAID, I will take heed to my
ways : that I offend not in my
tongue.
2 I will keep my mouth as it
were with a bridle : while the
ungodly is in my sight.
3 I held my tongue, and spake
nothing : I kept silence, yea, even
from good words ; but it was pain
and grief to me.
4 My heart was hot within me,
and while I was thus musing the
fire kindled : and at the last 1
spake with my tongue ;
5 Lord, let me know mine end,
and the number of my days : that
I may be certified how long I have
to live.
6 Behold, thou hast made my
days as it were a span long : and
mine age is even as nothing in
respect of thee ; and verily every
man living is altogether vanity.
7 For man walketh in a vain
shadow, and disquieteth himself
in vain : he heapeth up riches,
and cannot tell who shall gather
them.
8 And now, Lord, what is my
hope : truly my hope is even in
thee.
9 Deliver me from all mine
offences : and make me not a
rebuke unto the foolish.
10 I became dumb, and opened
not my mouth : for it was thy
doing.
11 Take thy plague away from
me : I am even consumed by the
means of thy heavy hand.
12 When thou with rebukes
dost chasten man for sin, thou
makest his beauty to consume
away, like as it were a moth fret-
ting a garment : every man there-
fore is but vanity.
13 Hear my prayer, O Lord,
and with thine ears consider my
] calling : hold not thy peace at my
I tears.
iW
Psalm XXXVIII.-eowf.
from without. It is profoundly sig-
nificant of the difference between
true and false humility, that, while
before God he confesses his iniquity
without reserve, yet, before men, he
assert3 his integrity of purpose—" I
follow the thing that good is." What-
ever he himself may be, his cause is
that of right against wrong, good
against evil ; and on that conscious-
ness, even in his humblest penitence,
he knows that he can rest.
vv. 21, 22. In this prayer there is,
as usuai, the mingling of confidence
and intense supplication. He knows
that Jehovah is "my God," " my sal-
vation ; " yet he cries out, " Be net
far from me," "haste Thee to help
me." It is the prayer that God may
be felt to be what we know that He is.
Psalm XXXIX.
This Psalm of David clearly belongs to the same period of his life as the
preceding, for in vv. 1—3 there is a plain allusion to the resolute silence
under persecution recorded in Ps. xxxviii. 13, 14. But it represents a very
different phase of his spiritual experience. The agony of suffering has
given way to thoughtful meditation ; the trial of the present forces him to
look in earnestness of hope into the future ; the sense of the burden of life
suggests prayer for rest before death. Again we trace singular resemblances
to the more meditative and solemn chapters of the Book of Job. Naturally
and appropriately this Psalm, speaking to the soul in exquisite beauty and
pathetic calmness, has been used as the Proper Psalm of our Burial
Service.
It is headed (as also Ps. lxii., lxxvii.) "for the Chief Musician for
Jeduthun," called in 2 Chron. xxxv. 15 " the king's seer," apparently the
same as Ethan (1 Chron. xv. 17—191, the head of the Levites, the sons i
Merari, to whom Ps. lxxviii. is ascribed.
It opens (a), in vv. 1—4, with an introduction, telling of his former silence
and the utterance which broke it ; then follows that utterance, broken by
the Selah into three parts ; a prayer (6), in vv. 5, 6, to know the length i
the short span of life; a meditation (c), in vv. 7—12, on the vanity of life,
made occasion for an entreaty that God will spare ; (d), in vv. 13—15, a cry
for rest and refreshment before death closes his pilgrimage.
vv. 1 — 4 obviously refer to the si-
lence of Ps. xxxviii. 13— 16— half of
faith, half of humility— kept till it
became intolerable, and so (though
still kept before man) giving way to
the outpouring of prayer to God.
v. 8. Yea, even from Qood icordf.
The original is simply "from good ;"
and must be interpreted either as in
our version, or as " so as to receive
no good" or "comfort." The for-
mer conveys the far more striking
idea — that silence in such case is
golden, beyond all speech, whether
bad or good.
v. 4. The fire kindled. Comp. Jer.
xx. 9. " His word was in my heart as
» burning fire, and I was weary of
forbearing, and I could not stay."
v. 5. How long I have to live — pro-
perly (as in A.V. and R.V.). "how
frail I am," i.e. when I shall reach
ft
the limit of endurance and break
down. During his silence the keen
anguish of suffering has passed into
the calmer sadness of the thought.
What and when shall the end be!
Then the feeling that it cannot
far off merges the sense of bitterness
in the sense of the vanity and short-
ness of life— a mere span, as nothing
before the Eternal. The last clause
should be (as in A. V.), " Every man
at his best state is but vanity " (.pro-
perly "a breath").
v. 7 may be better rendered—
" Man walketh as a vain shadow ;
They make much ado about no-
thing;
He heapeth up and cannot tell
who shall gather."
The thought of the previous ver?e is
here wrought out. Life is a shadow;
its joy and grief are but vain ado ; its
7.95 a
possessions are but held on brief un-
certain tenure, to pass away we know
not whither.
v. 8. My hope is even in thee. It is
impossible, in such a contrast as this,
to limit the Psalmist's hope to this
life. How can the life, which "is
but a breath," have room for a hope
in God worthy of the name I As in
the Book of Job, the conception of
the future life may be vague, but it
is real, and is invariably connected
with firm belief in a true relation of
man to God.
vv. 9 — 12 imply the same condition
and utter the same prayer as Ps.
xxxviii. ; but the calmer and sadder
conclusion to which they come is
peculiar to this Psalm. "Every
man is but vanity " ; therefore may
God spare his frailty, and be not ex-
treme to mark what is done amiss.
r. 10 is emphatic, " It was Thy
doin g . " Therefore it could be borne
Psalm XXXIX.— cont.
v. 12. As it were — garment. The
original is simply " as by the moth"
(see Job xiii. 28)— the decay from
what seems but a slight cause, unseen
but complete.
v. 14. A stranger and a sojourner,
&c. (comp. 1 Chron. xxix. 15; Ps.
cxix. 9; Heb, xi. 13; Eph. ii. 9;
1 Pet. ii. 11). The two ideas are dis-
tinct. The ' ' stranger " is simply the
absolute foreigner, pilgrim to a dis-
tant home ; the " sojourner " is one
who has ties and duties for a time in
a land where yet he has no rights or
citizenship. The former suggests
the idea of man's future ; the latter
gives the true conditions of his pre-
sent.
v. 15. Recover strength — properly,
"that I may shine" (or "smile")
"again." that " I may have a gleam
of comfort" — like the smile in the
hour of death— at once the sunset
after a cloudy day, and the anti-
in silent patience ; therefore it must | cipation of the Eternal morning
be well. " Though He slay me, yet (comp. Job vii. 8, 9, 21 ; x. 20, 21 ;
will I trust in Him." I xiv. 6;.
Psalm XL.
The earlier part of this Psalm is again closely connected with the pre-
ceding. The Psalmist's cry has been heard, la) Raised up, alike out of
the agony of suffering depicted in Ps. xxxviii., and the sense of transitoriness
and unreality of Ps. xxxix., he pours out his resolution of self-sacrifice and
witness for God, as in thankful enquiry, What shall I render to the Lord?
(vv. 1—18). In the latter section (substantially repeated in Ps. lxx) there
is a change of tone, so complete that the Psalm, as it stands, has been
thought to be a compilation, uniting two Psalms for Liturgical use; or, if
of one authorship, to represent two different periods of fife's experience.
Certainly it renews (b) the sense of danger and trouble still round him,
lightened but not removed, and calls out (rt\ 14—21) renewed prayer, in a far
less agonized and more confident tone than in Ps. xxxviii.
The Psalm, applied in Heb. x. 5—10 to Our Lord's perfect sacrifice of
eelf-devotion, is naturally used as a Good Friday Psalm, following appro-
priately on the intenser consciousness of suffering, and triumph through
suffering, in Psalm xxii. It is one of the instances (see Introduction,
sect, v.) of the typical foreshadowing (conscious or unconscious) of the
true Son of Man, through the spiritual experience of the Psalmist. What
is real, but imperfect, in the type, is perfect in the Antitype. Only in
Him there could not be, except so far as He bore it for us, the consciousness
(as in v. 15) of the burden of sin.
vv. 1—7 are simply the outpouring
of wonder and praise over his de-
liverance, as being not only salva-
tion to himself, but also a lesson of
instruction and encouragement to
the servants of God.
v. 2. Horrible pit— properly either
(as in the margin) " a pit Of noise,"
that is, a " pit of roaring waters " or
"a pit of destruction." Ihe latter
sense suits better the connection
with the following words. Ihe meta-
phor is of one struggling out of the
dangerous pit or swamp to the solid
rock. (The idea that there is a literal
reference to the circumstances of Je-
remiah's imprisonment (Jer. xxxviii .
6) which has led to the ascription of
this Psalm to Jeremiah, appears to
be quite groundless.)
v. 3. A new song (comp. Ps. xxxiii.
8), the old song of faith, made ever
new by renewed and special mer-
cies.
795 b
Psalm XL.— cont.
vv. 5, 6 are perhaps the words of
the " nevr song " ; first of " thanks
be to the Lord"; then of rejoicing
that in this deliverance is set forth,
for the conversion of many, the bless-
edness of one who loves God and
truth ; la?t, of wondering adoration
of a goodness beyond all human con-
ception.
v. 6. And yet Thee. This version
is strangely erroneous. It should be
(as in A.V. and R.V.) "they cannot
be reckoned up in order unto thee."
The exclamation is of one lo3t in the
attempt to estimate and describe
God's goodness— shewn, not only in
His works, but in " the thoughts to-
wards us," which even those works
can but imperfectly embody.
vv. 8 — 10. The general meaning of
these verses is perfectly clear. The
Psalmist enumerates the legal sacri-
fices, first, in their material division
of bloody and unbloody sacrifice
("sacrifice and meat offering");
next, in their two main ideas, the
"burnt offering" of self-dedication,
and the ' ' sin offering ' ' of atonement ;
and then (exactly in the spirit of
1 Sam. xv. 22 ; Ps. 1. 8—15 ; li. 10, 17 ;
Isa. i. 10—19; Mic. vi. 6—8) declares
their utter worthlessness in them-
selves, without the two-fold sacrifice
of self, in the open ear of submission
and the active self-devotion of glad
and willing obedience. His words
express the essence of all vital re-
ligion, and are accordingly taken up
again and again by the servants of
God. But they have their highest
and only perfect application (as in
Heb. x. 2—10) in Him, of whose all-
perfect sacrifice all outward sacrifices
were but types.
But in the details there is some
difficulty. Thus, in (a ) m i ne ears hunt
thou opened (properly "digged"), it
has been thought that there is allu-
sion to the boring of the ear of one
who made himself a slave for ever
(Exod. xxi. 6; Deut. xv. 17). But
in all probability the meaning is
simply " hast opened the ear," clear-
ing away all obstruction to hearing.
The LXX. has the translation " a
body hast thou prepared (perfected)
for me"— possibly by variation of
reading or error of transcription —
more probably as an explanatory
paraphrase ; and this reading is
adopted, as suiting his argument,
by the writer of the Epistle to the
Hebrews. (6) In the volume it it
written of me should be "it is pre-
scribed to me," or it may be by a
more striking rendering, " with the
volume in my hand written for me "
— appealing to the written Law of
God in its true spiritual sense.
v. 10. / am content should be " I de-
light" (comp. Rom. vii.22).
Thy law it within my heart, written
there by the Spirit (comp. Jer. xxxi.
31— Si, quoted in Heb. viii. 8—12).
vv. 11 — 13 add to the silent witness
of example the open witness of word,
not content to enjoy the inner sense
of God's righteousness and mercy,
but refusing to keep back the de-
claration of it from the whole con-
gregation (either through timidity
or through natural reserve).
vv. 14 — 21. In these verses, to the
burst of thanksgiving there succeeds
a deep though momentary conscious-
ness of evil, passing, however, almost
immediately into a quiet confidence
in the Redeemer of the " poor and
needy "—the afflicted (.that is) and
helpless.
v. 15. The first and deepest con-
sciousness is of sin finding him out
(comp. 2 Sam. xvi. 10, 11) ; it is evi-
dently this which adds an extremer
bitterness to the exulting taunts of
his enemies (see vv. 17, 18, and comp.
Ps. xxxv. 24—26) ; and we note that,
while he prays that deliverance may
put these to shame, it is not so much
for his own relief as for the joy and
encouragement of those who " love
the Lord's salvation."
v. 21. Helper and redeemer. God's
"help" is sought by man as man;
His "redemption" (or "deliverance")
(comp. Ps. xix. 14) from sin and sor-
row by man, as sinful.
Psalm XLI.
This " Psalm of David " seems again to belong to the time of weakness
and decay preceding the rebellion of Absalom, when his enemies had hoped
for his death, and finding their hopes frustrated were ready to conspire
against him. In v. 9 it is almost impossible not to think that Ahithophel is
alluded to.
196
Day 8.
THE PSALMS.
Day 8,
14 For I am a stranger with
thee : and a sojourner, as all my
fathers were.
15 0 spare me a little, that I
may recover my strength : before
I go hence, and be no more seen.
PSALM 40.
Expeetans expectavi.
I WAITED patiently for the
Lord : and he inclined unto
me, and heard my calling.
2 He brought me also out of
the horrible pit, out of the mire
and clay : and set my feet upon
the rock, and ordered my go-
ings.
3 And he hath put a new song
in my mouth : even a thanksgiv-
ing unto our God.
4 Many shall see it, and fear :
and shall put their trust in the
Lord.
5 Blessed is the man that hath
set his hope in the Lord : and
turned not unto the proud, and
to such as go about with lies.
6 O Lord my God, great are
the wondrous works which thou
hast done, like as be also thy
thoughts which are to us-ward :
and yet there is no man that or-
dereth them unto thee.
1 If I should declare them, and
speak of them : they should be
more than I am able to express.
8 Sacrifice, and meat-offering,
thou wouldest not : but mine ears
hast thou opened.
9 Burnt-ott'erings, and sacrifice
for sin, hast thou not required :
then said I, Lo, I come,
10 In the volume of the book
it is written of me, that I should
fulfil thy will, 0 my God : I am
Day 8.
content to do it ; yea, thy law is
within my heart.
11 I have declared thy righ-
teousness in the great congrega-
tion : lo, I will not refrain my lips,
0 Lord, and that thou knowest.
12 I have not hid thy righ-
teousness within my heart : my
talk hath been of thy truth, and
of thy salvation.
13 I have not kept back thy
loving mercy and truth : from the
great congregation.
14 Withdraw not thou thy
mercy from me, 0 Lord : let thy
loving-kindness and thy truth
alway preserve me.
15 For innumerable troubles
are come about me ; my sins have
taken such hold upon me that I
am not able to look up : yea, they
are more in number than the
hairs of my head, and my heart
hath failed me.
16 0 Lord, let it be thy plea-
sure to deliver me : make haste,
0 Lord, to help me.
17 Let them be ashamed, and
confounded together, that seek
after my soul to destroy it : let
them be driven backward, and put
to rebuke, that wish me evil.
18 Let them be desolate, and
rewarded with shame : that say un-
to me, Fie upon thee, fie upon thee.
19 Let all those that seek thee
be joyful and glad in thee : and
let such as love thy salvation say
alway, The Lord be praised.
20 As for me, I am poor and
needy : but the Lord careth for
me.
21 Thou art my helper and re-
deemer : make no long tarrying,
O my God.
TEtoemng Prager.
PSALM 41.
Beatus qui intclligit.
BLESSED is he that consider-
ed the poor and needy : the
Lord shall deliver him hi the time
of trouble.
2 The Lord preserve him, and
keep him alive, that he may be
blessed upon earth : and deliver
not thou him into the will of his
enemies.
3 The Lord comfort him, when
he lieth sick upon his bed : make
thou all his bed in his sickness.
4 I said, Lord, be merciful unto
me : heal my soul, for I have sinned
against thee.
196
Psalm XLI.— cont.
It contains (a), in vv. 1— 3, a blessing on those who shew compassion and
sympathy to the distressed ; (fc>, in vv. 4—9, a complaint, in contrast with
this, of the cruelty and treachery pursuing: the Psalmist in the hour of his
suffering ; (e), in vv. 10—12, a prayer of faith, that by God's mercy he may
be raised up again.
v. 1. The poor and need u— properly,
the "afflicted" or "sick." The
verses following should probably be
(as in A.V. and R.V.) not a prayer,
but a description of the blessedness
of the helper of the afflicted—" The
Lord will deliver him." They ex-
actly express the Beatitude in the
Sermon of the Mount, " Blessed are
the merciful, for they shall obtain
mercy." They promise preservation
and deliverance (v. 2 », comfort and
relief in sickness <r. 3). In the de-
sertion of the faithless the Psalmist
has in grateful thought those who
were faithful still.
c. 3. Make thou all hit bed— mo-
perly, "thou changest," Ac. The
sense is probably not (as in our ver-
sion) the smoothing the uneasy bed
of sickness, but the changing it com-
pletely from the bed of sickness to
the bed of recovery.
vv. 4—8 place in striking contrast
the humble prayer of the penitent
sufferer, and the malignant longing
of his enemies for his death; and
then go on to describe graphically
the treacherous visit of some one
leader of this malignity, " speak-
ing the vanity " ' (or falsehood) of
pretended condolence, whispering
malice by the bedside, and telling
it onfc plainly outside the door.
Finally, in the bitterness of his
soul, the sufferer cries out, " Even
my .... against me."
v. 8. Let the tentence, Ac. — properly,
"An evil thing (literally a thing
of Belial," that is. perhaps, " a judg-
ment on wickedness") cleaveth to
him" (comp. 2 Sam. xvi. 7, 8).
v. 9. Mine own familiar friend.
Every word seems to suit Ahitho-
phel. The privy counsellor was
called the "king's friend" (2 Sam.
xv. 87; xvi. 16; 1 Kin. iv. 5^; the
counsel of Ahithophel was ' ' trusted ' '
like the oracles of God (2 Sam. xvi. ,
23) ; he had the special honour and |
pledge to allegiance of eating at the I
king's table. The application by Our
Lord Himself of this verse to Judas
(John xiii. 18) is simply an applica-
tion of that which is typically suit-
able. In almost all points what the
false counsellor was to David, the
false Apostle was to the Son of Da-
vid ; but it has been noted that the
words " in whom I trusted " are not
used by Him, who " knew what was
in man."
v. 10. I shall reward them. This is
one instance among many of a desire
of vengeance npon enemies. So
far as it implies simply indignation
against treachery and malignity, it
is absolutely right ; so far as David
speaks as a king, charged to main-
tain his authority and execute frag-
ment, it is again right ; but so far as
it involves personal anger and wish
for personal vengeance, it belongs to
the old imperfection of " Thou shalt
love thy neighbour and hate thine
enemy, in contradistinction from
the higher teaching of the perfe
law of Love in the Lord Jest
Christ.
v. 12. / am in my health. This is
a wrong rendering. It should be as
in A.V.\ " As for me thou upholdest
me in mine integrity." The words
stand in instructive contrast with
the humble prayer for pardon of sin
in v. 4. David "knows" that this
prayer has been heard ; and feels, in
spite of the sin which he confesses,
that his heart is still given to God,
and that his cause is the cause of
righteousness and of God. There-
fore he hesitates not to use the
words "in mine integrity," and to
express the most absolute confidence
in GodV. favour and deliverance for
ever.
v. IS. This verse is the doxologv
appended to the First Book of the
Psalter, closing with this Psalm (*ee
Introduction, sect. i). In this case
it suits well the triumphant tone of
the close of the Psalm, though it
does not properly belong to it.
296 a
THE SECOND BOOK OF THE PSALTER.
This book (Ps. xlii. — lxxii.) contains eight Psalms (xlii. —
xlix.) ascribed to the sons of Korah, one (Ps. 1.) ascribed to
Asaph, eighteen to David (Ps. li. — lxv., lxviii., lxix., lxx.), one
(Ps. lxxii.) to Solomon; three only (Ps. lxvi., Ixvii., lxxi.) are
anonymous. The whole section is "Elohistic" — using the
name Elohim instead of Jehovah— even in the Psalms ascribed
to David. This peculiarity is probably due to the compiler
(see Introduction, sect. i). The Book is closely connected in
style and character with Book III., and was probably formed at
a date considerably later than the first Book (see Introduction,
sect. i).
Psalm XLII.
This Psalm is closely connected with Ps. xliii., as is evident both by the
style and by the recurrence of the burden, " Why art thou," &c. The
"sons of Korah," to whom it is ascribed, were the company of Levites
descended from Kohath, the son of Levi, named — strangely as it seems to
us— from Korah, grandson of Kohath, the leader of the great rebellion
against Moses (see Num. xvi. 1 ; I Chr. vi. 22; 2 Chr. xx. 19). They were
the doorkeepers of the Temple (1 Chr. ix. 17 ; xxvi. 1 ; Neh. xi. 19), and
were also, under the direction of Heman (1 Chr. vi. 33), appointed for
" the service of song."
The name will, of course, cover much variety of date and authorship.
Unlike, however, many of the Psalms bearing this inscription, Ps. xlii. is
one of strong individuality, as of singular beauty— the utterance of a man
banished from the sanctuary of God which he loves, at once " thirsting for
the living God," and yet feeling, even in despondency, His support and
comfort. Its divisions are clearly marked by the burden: (a), in vv. 1—7.
we have simply the cry of longing and mournful remembrance of the glad
worship of days gone by ; (b), in vv. 8—15, a more vivid picture of the storm
of trouble and enmity, under which faith in God is still unconquered.
v. 1. Denireth. . . . lonaeth — properly so lovingly remembered in v. 4: but
(as in A.V.), " panteth after." The
marginal reading "brayeth after,"
though it will suit the passage, is
less likely and less beautiful. The
deepest longing of the soul for God
is silent ; for no " cry " can fully ex-
press it.
v.*. Athirst for God. The Hebrew
word for " living God " is rare, found
in the Psalter only here and in
lxxxiv. 2. But the thirst for a " Liv-
ing God "—a Divine Person, a true
Father— as distinct from the vague
consciousness of a Supreme Power,
is the secret of all vital religion.
It is of the satisfaction of this long-
ing that Our Lord declares that
they who come to Him shall " never
thirst." In the Psalmist, as in all
it is in essence the deeper desire
for that inner spiritual communion
with Him, which underlies all visible
worship and gives it meaning, and
which in turn is sustained and fur-
ther deepened through such worship.
Yet perhaps in those who knew but
one place of the manifestation of
God's presence, the immediate de-
sire must have occupied a larger
place than in us, who h«ve known of
the worship everywhere "in spirit
and in truth," and who see God face
to face in the revelation of the Lord
Jesus Christ.
v. 3. In this verse (as in v. 13) the
Psalmist describes his exile as em-
bittered by the scorn of those who
are not only his enemies, but who (as
true servants of God, the longing I in xxii. 8) delight in taunts over God's
implies evidently the immediate de- apparent desertion of His servant,
sire of "appearing before God" in | v. 4, For I vent, &c— properly,
the worship of His visible sanctuary. " how I went," &c. The words are
I960
Psalm XIAI.—cont.
the expression of the memories, in
which he "pours out his heart"—
the memories of the pilgrim proces-
sion which he (ur a priest or Levite)
had led to the Temple in such festal
son? as is represented by the " Songs
of Degrees." The contrast is hitter,
between the solitude of exile and the
communion of worship, between the
tears of sorrow and the shout of
praise.
vv. 6, 7. The cry is of "the spirit
which is willing" to " the flesh which
is weak"— half rebuke, half comfort
—expressing at once a present confi-
dence in the help of God, and a hope
of the future day, when all sorrow
shall be lost in praise. It is the con-
stant cry of this our state of imper-
fection, though it belongs especially
to the hours of Bpecial trouble.
v. 8. Concerning the land, &c. It
should be " from the land of Jordan,
from the Hermons, from the hill of
Mizar." The verse describes the
scene of banishment as on the other
side of Jordan; "the Hermons"
are apparently the far-off mountains
of Anti-Libanus, of which the snowy
peak of Hermon is the highest ; the
mountain Mizar ("little ) is some
nearer hill, to us unknown, perhaps
contrasted in its littleness with the
lofty Hermon. From some point in
this mountain country the exile looks
back, and " weeps, when he remem-
bers Zion."
v. 9. One deep calleth another.
" Deep calleth to deep," as if calling
1 and answering each other in combi-
nation to overwhelm. The " water-
pipes" are the "waterspouts" or
cataracts down the mountains,
i (The word is used only here and in
1 2 Sam. v. 8.) There seems to be a
mixture of the ordinary metaphor
of a deep sea of troubles (see Ps.
lxxxriii. 7> with the image of the
swollen torrents, sweeping all before
them, which the Psalmist had be-
fore his eyes— the one the emblem
of the depth and multitude of afflic-
tions, the other of their sudden
fierceness.
I vv. 10—15 express more vividly both
elements of the soul's experience.
There is the deep sense of sorrow-
God apparently forgetting and man
taunting with taunts which " smite
the bones like a sword"— but there
is also the underlying faith in God's
' " lovingkindness " as the light of
" the daytime " and the " song " of
the night. It is hardly accidental
that for the call on God for the
" help of His countenance " (in v. 7) is
now substituted the Rtill more child-
like cry to Him, as " the help of my
countenance and my God."
Psalm XLIII.
In this last utterance— virtually a conclusion of Ps. xlii.— we find a more
distinct prayer for judgment between himself and his enemies, and a far
brighter confidence of hope.
v. 1. Judge me, O God fas in Ph.
xxvi. 1 ; xxxv. 1, 24), is the appeal,
not to God' 8 mercy only, but to His
righteousness, against both ungodli-
ness and evil-doing. He is to the
righteous by promise "the God of
their strength" ; why does His sup-
port seem, even for a moment, to
fail?
v. 8. Thy light and thy truth. In
this phrase, peculiar to this Psalm,
it has been thought that there is
an allusion, natural in a priestly
writer, to the Urim and Thummim
(Ex. x:tviii. 30; commonly rendered
" Lieht and truth "), so Avell re-
mem oered among the glories of the
Temple. Similarly in the plural
" tabernacles " — peculiar to this
Psalm with two others of the same
authorship (xlvi. 4; lxxxiv. 1), and
one of the " Songs of Degrees 1
(cxxxii. 7)— we trace the technical
and familiar name of the sanctuary
in its two parts, the Holy Place and
the Most Holy. The prayer of the
Psalmist is for the reality, of which
the Urim and Thummim were the
symbols— that it may be his com-
fort now, and may bring him back
hereafter to the special dwelling-
place of the " God of his joy and
gladness," there to hymn in the
sacred music the God who is "his
God."
197
Day 8.
THE PSALMS.
Day 8.
5 Mine enemies speak evil of
me : When shall he die, and his
name perish ?
6 And if he come to see me, he
speaketh vanity : and his heart
conceiveth falsehood within him-
self, and when he cometh forth
he telleth it.
7 All mine enemies whisper to-
gether against me : even against
me do they imagine this evil.
8 Let the sentence of guiltiness
proceed against him : and now
that he lieth, let him rise up no
more.
9 Yea, even mine own familiar
friend, whom I trusted : who did
also eat of my bread, hath laid
great wait for me.
10 But be thou merciful unto
me, O Lord : raise thou me up
again, and I shall reward them.
11 By this I know thou favour-
est me : that mine enemy doth
not triumph against me.
12 And when I am in my health,
thou upholdest me : and shalt set
me before thy face for ever.
13 Blessed be the Lord God
of Israel : world without end.
Amen.
PSALM 42.
Quemadmodum.
LIKE as the hart desireth the
water-brooks : so longeth my
soul after thee, 0 God.
2 My soul is athirst for God,
yea, even for the living God :
when shall I come to appear be-
fore the presence of God ?
3 My tears have been my meat
day and night : while they daily
say unto me, Where is now thy
God?
4 Now when I think thereupon,
I pour out my heart by myself :
for I went with the multitude,
and brought them forth into the
house of God ;
5 In the voice of praise and
thanksgiving : among such as keep
holy-day.
6 Why art thou so full of hea-
viness, O my soul : and why art
thou so disquieted within me ?
7 Put thy trust in God : for I
will yet give him thanks for the
help of his countenance.
8 My God, my soid is vexed
within me : therefore will I re-
member thee concerning the land
of Jordan, and the little hill of
Hcrmon.
9 One deep calleth another,
because of the noise of the water-
pipes : all thy waves and storms
are gone over me.
10 The Lord hath granted his
loving-kindness in the day-time :
and in the night-season did I sing
of him, and made my prayer unto
the God of my life.
11 I will say unto the God of
my strength, Why hast thou for-
gotten me : why go I thus hea-
vily, while the enemy oppresseth
me?
12 My bones are smitten asun-
der as with a sword : while mine
enemies that trouble me cast me
in the teeth ;
13 Namely, while they say
daily unto me : Where is now thy
God?
14 Why art thou so vexed, O
my soul : and why art thou so
disquieted within me ?
15 O put thy trust in God : for
I will yet thank him, which is
the help of my countenance, and
my God.
PSALM 43.
Judica me. Dens.
GIVE sentence with me, 0 God,
and defend my cause against
the ungodly people : 0 deliver me
from the deceitful and wicked
man.
2 For thou art the God of my
strength, why hast thou put me
from thee : and why go I so hea-
vily, while the enemy oppresseth
me?
3 0 send out thy light and thy
truth, that they may lead me :
and bring me unto thy holy hill,
and to thy dwelling.
4 And that I may go unto the
altar of God, even unto the God
of my joy and gladness : and upon
the harp will I give thanks unto
thee, O God, my God.
5 Why art thou so heavy, O
197
16
Psalm XLIV.
In regard to this Psalm— ascribed to " the sons of Koran "—the occasion
and meaning are perfectly clear, but the date of its composition is very
difficult of determination. It is certainly written at a time of great
disaster— defeat, captivity, and humiliation in the sight of the heathen-
yet a disaster under which the Psalmist can plead faithfulness in the
people, and call with humble earnestness for the help of the Lord. It is
difficult to refer this to any special period in the history of the monarchy,
although indeed the difficulty may well arise from our almost complete
ignorance of many portions of that history. By many critics the Psalm
is referred to the time of the great Maccabean struggle; hut — to say
nothing of the ancient tradition that the Canon was closed long before
this— the position of the Psalm in the Psalter, the reference to the sons
of Korah, the style of the Hebrew, and some even of the circumstances
described, are against this. The use of the call in v. 28, "Awake, Lord,"
Ac, in the days of John Hyrcanns (recorded in the Talmud), rather
points to the previous existence of the Psalm long enough to have become
familiar. It would suit better the time of return from Captivity ; yet even
to this some of the same objections apply. Probably it is of earlier date,
referring to some invasion and captivity and disgrace, unrecorded in the
fragmentary Scriptural record.
It opens (a), in vv. 1—9, with a remembrance of the old blessing and
victorious confidence of Israel, ending in a prayer that they might be
renewed now to the afflicted people of God; to tins succeeds (6), in
vv. 10—17, a vivid picture of present ruin and humiliation; and the Psalm
closes (c), in vv. 18—26, with a protestation of faithfulness, and a cry to the
Lord to awaken and help His people..
vv. 1—4. The recital of the ancient
blessings of God tc His people is not
only a natural sadness of remem-
brance, but an implied pleading with
Him— much as in Solomon's prayer
(1 Kin. viii. 53)— that these His
blessings should not prove to be in
vain. This idea is brought out ex-
plicitly in Ps. lxxix. 9, and thence
added to verse 1 of thiB Psalm when
used as an Antiphon in our Litany.
v. 2. And cast them out. It should
be "and spread them" (the Israel-
ites) " abroad " ; so corresponding
to the antithesis of the previous
clause, and carrying out the meta-
phor of the "planting." Compare
the fuller description of Ps. lxxx.
8—11.
In vv. 5—9 the Psalmist calls to
remembrance the thankful and con-
fident declarations of Israel in the
old and happy times of victory. He
would gladly take them up now, but
is driven to the mournful contrast of
the complaint of vv. 10—17.
v. 5. Send help, properly (as in
A.V.), " command deliverances."
It needs but God's Word of autho-
rity; under this Israel is ready to
fight. Their bow and sword are not
their ultimate trust; yet t,as of old)
they are to be used.
vv. 10—17 describe a condition of
more than temporary defeat or dis-
aster. (Comp. lxxix. 1—4; lxxx. 5,
6.) The forebodings of Solomon's
prayer (1 Kin. viii. 33, 34, 44—50) are
more than fulfilled ; as the supplica-
tion of that prayer is afterwards
taken up. The armies of Israel have
been defeated; the people are de-
voured, scattered in a captivity so
numerous that each is sold for
nought " ; the very name of Israel
is a scorn to the neighbouring na-
tions (the old enemies of the people
in Philistia and Edom, Moab and
Ammon\ and a by-word in the more
distant lands of the heathen t, Egypt
or Syria or Assyria) ; the triumph of
the slanderer and blasphemer of God
is to His servants both a shame and
a perplexity. We cannot point to
any period in the history of the
monarchy, in which we know of any
condition of things corresponding
to this terrible description. But in
the prophets, even before the Cap-
tivity, we have similar pictures of
national disaster (see, for example,
Joel iii. 2—6; Micah i. 6—16; Isa.
lxiii. 17, 18 ; lxiv. 10—12).
vv. 18—21. The peculiarity of this
passage— in which it stands contrast;
ed with the frequent confessions
'
THE PSALMS.
Day 9.
Day 9.
my soul : and why art thou so I I will yet give him thanks, which
disquieted within me ? is the help of my countenance,
6 0 put thy trust in God : for | and my God.
Day 9. Wonting $rager.
PSALM 44.
Deus, auribu8.
WE have heard with our ears,
0 God, our fathers have told
us : what thou hast done in their
time of old ;
2 How thou hast driven out
the heathen with thy hand, and
planted them in : how thou hast
destroyed the nations, and cast
them out.
3 For they gat not the land
in possession through their own
sword : neither was it their own
arm that helped them ;
4 But thy right hand, and thine
arm, and the light of thy counte-
nance : because thou hadst a fa-
vour unto them.
5 Thou art my King, 0 God :
send help unto Jacob.
6 Through thee will we over-
throw our enemies : and in thy
Name will we tread them under,
that rise up against us.
7 For I will not trust in my
bow : it is not my sword that shall
help me ;
8 But it is thou that savest us
from our enemies : and puttest
them to confusion that hate us.
9 We make our boast of God
all day long : and will praise thy
Name for ever.
10 But now thou art far off,
and puttest us to confusion : and
goest not forth with our armies.
11 Thou makest us to turn our
backs upon our enemies : so that
they which hate us spoil our goods.
12 Thou lettest us be eaten up
like sheep : and hast scattered us
among the heathen.
13 Thou sellest thy people for
nought : and takest no money for
them.
14 Thou makest us to be re-
buked of our neighbours : to be
laughed to scorn, and had in de-
rision of them that are round
about us.
15 Thou makest us to be a by-
word among the heathen : and
that the people shake their heads
at us.
16 My confusion is daily before
me : and the shame of my face
hath covered me ;
17 For the voice of the slan-
derer and blasphemer : for the
enemy and avenger.
18 And though all this be come
upon us, yet do we not forget
thee : nor behave ourselves fro-
wardly in thy covenant.
19 Our heart is not turned back :
neither our steps gone out of thy
way;
20 No, not when thou hast
smitten us into the place of dra-
gons : and covered us with the
shadow of death.
21 If we have forgotten the
Name of our God, and holden
up our hands to any strange god :
shall not God search it out ? for
he knoweth the very secrets of the
heart.
22 For thy sake also are we kill-
ed all the day long : and are count-
ed as sheep appointed to be slain.
23 Up, Lord, why sleepest thou :
awake, and be not absent from us
for ever.
24 Wherefore hidest thou thy
face : and forgettest our misery
and trouble ?
25 For our soul is brought low,
even unto the dust : our belly
cleaveth unto the ground.
26 Arise, and help us : and de-
liver us for thy mercy's sake.
PSALM 45.
cormeum.
MY heart is inditing of a good
matter : I speak of the things
which I have made unto the King.
2 My tongue is the pen : of a
ready writer.
3 Thou art fairer than the chtt-
•dren of men : full of grace are
198
Psalm XLIV.— cont.
the prophetic books, especially in the
era of the Captivity (see Is. lxiv. 5,
6, 7 ; Dan. ix. 6—14 ; Neh. i. C, 7 ; ix.
S3, 84)— is that, while they acknow-
ledge disaster as a righteous judg-
ment on sin, the Psalmist here pro-
tests before the Searcher of hearts
that under all and through all God's
people are faithful to His covenant,
and that it is indeed as His people
that they suffer (see r. 22). This
would undoubtedly suit well the
Maccabean time, but it need not
belong to that time only.
v. 20. The place of dragon* — really
" the place of jackals " (comp. Jer.
ix. 11 ; x. 22), the dreary desolation
of the wilderness.
r. 28. Up, Lord (comp. vii. 7; xxxv.
23 ; lix. 4, 5), why *U*pe*t thou ! It is
recorded that the use of this fervent
call on God in the Maccabean times
was protested against, on the ground
that " He that keepeth Israel shall
neither slumber nor sleep." It is
but the transient utterance of natu-
ral complaint in the dark hour, when
it seemed for a moment that God
"made as though He heard not,"
like the Baal whom Elijah scorned
(1 Kings xviii. 27), or like the im-
passive gods of heathen philosophy,
who cared not for human things.
Out of this the Psalmist emerges in
«. 26 into confidence in God's salva-
tion ; but we note that he no longer
claims reward for faithfulness as
above (cv. 18—20) ; he throws him-
self wholly on His "mercy." (t>. 22
is quoted in Rom. viii. 86, and ap-
plied to the persecutions, which can-
not " separate us from the love of
Christ.")
Psalm XLV.
This Psalm— emphatically noted as at once Maschil, a "meditation," and
"a song of loves"— is evidently a song at the marriage of a king. That it
is Messianic, prefiguring the kingdom of the true Son of David and His
marriage with His Church, must be concluded from the superhuman
grandeur of its imagery, from some features of its details, and even from
its admission into the Psalter; and this conclusion is drawn accordingly
in ancient Jewish interpretation, and sanctioned by the authority of the
New Testament (see Heb. i. 8, 9). To that kingdom alone can its utter-
ances apply in anything like perfection. Hence the Psalm is naturally used
as one of the Proper Psalms for Christmas Day— to celebrate the manifes-
tation of the Divine King in human flesh. But it seems equally clear that,
as usual in the Psalms, this Antitype is foreshadowed by an immediate and
visible type in the marriage of a prince of the house of David, inheriting
his promise (see v. 6), with some foreign royal bride. The traditional
interpretation refers this to Solomon's marriage with the daughter of
Pharaoh. In spite of much recent criticism, this is far the most probable.
Certainly the royalty of Solomon alone could even approach to the great-
ness and majesty here described. The only objection worth notice is that
the king is painted as a warrior, while Solomon was a man of peace ; but yet
he had his great army, his wars, and even his conquests (2 Chr. viii. 3, 4),
and this especially at the beginning of his reign, when his marriage took
place (see 1 Kings xi. 14—25) ; and the war of the king in the Psalm is
simply one of easy triumph in the cause of righteousness and peace. Of the
other occasions conjectured, the assignment of it to the marriage of Ahab
with Jezebel is monstrous. Ahab was no son of David, and no faithful
servant of God would have celebrated his ill-omened marriage. The
marriage of Jehoram with Athaliah labours under the latter difficulty,
and the kingdom of his day could hardly have been described in imagery of
such grandeur. Clearly Solomon, the immediate son of David and heir of
the promise, would most naturally be the type of the true Son of David to
come. The heading describes it as on Shoshannim, "the Lilies," probably
the name of the tune to which it was to be sung.
The Psalm (after the first two introductory verses) consists of (a\ in
vv. 8 — 10, an address of praise and welcome to the king, blessed of God
for ever, victorious in righteousness, and glorious in beauty; (6) in vv. 11
—13, an address to the bride, calling her to forget her own people and
worship her royal spouse ; (c), in vv. 14—18, a concluding picture of the
entrance of the bride into the palace, and a prediction of blessing on the
marriage.
198 q,
Psalm XLV.— cont.
v. 1 is, perhaps, best rendered with
R.V. (marg.)—
"My heart is overflowing with a
goodly matter ;
I speak— my work is for the
king."
v. 3. The first glory ascribed to the
king is that of beauty and " grace
shed upon his lips'*— both specially
appropriate to Solomon— both to bo
pevfected in the Messiah (comp. Isa.
xxxiii. 17; Luke iv. 22).
Because, foe, should be "there-
fore" (as in A.V. and R.V.).
vv. 4—6. The second glory is of
victory over his enemies. The king
is to gird on the sword of his glory
and majesty ("worship and re-
nown ") ; he is to ride on in the
cause of " truth and meekness and
righteousness " ; the prowess of his
right hand is to " teach him terrible
deeds"; his enemies are to be
fierced and subdued by his arrows,
t is to be noted that the description
is of an almost unresisted triumph
in the cause, not of fresh conquest
and warlike strength, but of " truth
and righteous gentleness." This
favours the application to Solomon ;
it paints still better the kingdom of
the true " Prince of Peace."
v. 6. Even in the midst, &c— pro-
perly, " They are in the hearts of the
king's enemies."
v. 7. Thy seat, 0 God. Of this
verse three renderings are possible,
(a) that of our version, (6) that which
translates "God is thy Throne for
ever." much as we read " God is our
Rock" or "our Shield"; and (c)
(as in R.V. margin), "Thy throne
is the throne of God." The Septua-
gint version (followed in Heb. i. 8)
might lend itself to either (a) or (6),
though better to the former, which
other ancient versions contain ex-
plicitly, (a) The startling applica-
tion of the name "God" (Elohint) to
the human type is supported by Ex.
vii. 1; xxi. 6; xxii. 7; Ps. lxxxii. 6;
and perhaps 1 Sam. xxviii. 13; the
application to the Antitype contains
the perfect truth, which this usage
imperfectly foreshadows (comp. John
x. 34—36). Against it, however, is
the emphatic use of " God, thy God"
m. v. 8. (b) The second rendering is
somewhat harsh and unexampled,
although, Indeed, a magnificent em-
bodiment of the great promise to
David. It would express substan-
tially, though not explicitly, the
198 b
superhuman character of the royalty
of the true Son of David, (c) The
third reading avoids all difficulty.
It embodies the promise to David •,
it corresponds admirably with the
fulfilment in the Antitype. But it
is far less striking and poetical than
either of the other renderings, and
has no support in the Ancient Ver-
sions.
vv. 6, 7. The third glory of the
Divine royalty is the eternity fore-
shadowed in the promise to David
(2 Sam. vii. 12—16), foretold again
and again in completeness of the
Messianic kingdom (see e.g. Dan.
vii. 14) ; and the perfect righteous-
ness, which is even more character-
istic of that kingdom.
vv. 8, 9. The oil of gladness (comp.
Ps. civ. 15). The anointing with oil
is the symbol of blessing, suggested,
like the myrrh, aloes, and cassia, by
the actual custom of bridal ceremony
(comp. Esther ii. 12). We may note
the abundance of spices in the days
of Solomon (1 Kings x. 2, 10), and
the importation and use of ivory
(1 Kings x. 18, 22). If our transla-
tion stand, the " ivory palaces " must
mean " ivory caskets " ; but the best
rendering is (as in R.V.), " Out of
the ivory palaces stringed instru-
ments have made thee glad."
v. 10. The verse implies (as in the
case of Solomon) many wives of
various races (see 1 Kings xi. 3),
but one supreme above all, like
"the daughter of Pharaoh."
In a vesture of gold, wrought about ,
foe. This is evidently taken from
the LXX. version. It should be
simply " in vesture of gold of Ophir "
— again characteristic of the time of
Solomon (see 1 Kings ix. 28; xii. 21 ;
Job xxviii. 16).
v. 11. It is notable, as illustrating
this exhortation, that, while Solo-
mon's marriage with "strange wo-
men" is branded as a sin (see 1 Kings
xi. 1—4) and the cause of his idola-
try, no censure is pronounced on the
union with the daughter of Pharaoh,
as though she actually adopted the
worship and the faith of Israel.
v. 12. Thy Lord God. The word
" God "is not in the original. It is
simply "thy Lord" (comp. Gen.
xviii. 12); and the "worship" is
that of mere reverence. Our ver-
sion (taken from the Vulgate) was
probably suggested by the Messianio
interpretation.
Psalm XLV.— cont.
9. 18. The daughter of Tyre. We
note in Solomon's days the half-
dependent position of lyre, the type
of ' the rich among the people " (see
1 Kings v. 1—12; ix. 10— 14, 27, 28;
2 Chr. ii. 3—16). The words *hall be
there are not in the Hebrew, and
one rendering of the passage is " O
daughter of Tyre, with a gift, the
rich, &c."— thus making the bride
herself a daughter of Tyre, but this
breaks the parallelism, and is other-
wise improbable.
v. 14. All gloriou* within. What-
ever mystic meanings of this phrase
naturally suggest themselves in the
application to the Antitype, it Beems
clear that in the literal sense the
meaning is " in the inner chamber."
The Psalmist draws a graphic pic-
ture of the bride, first, in the splen-
dour of her golden robe in the inner
chamber ; then as brought in prooes-
sion to the king in the embroidered
mantle, or on the embroidered ta-
pestry laid down for her to walk
on; lastly, as entering with music
and shout of gladness into the
king's palace.
v. 17. The address seems to be
to the bride, carrying on the ex-
hortation to forget her father's
house. She is to exchange the
glory of her royal ancestors for the
greater glory of her royal children,
who shall rule the world. Again the
application to the Church, as the
spouse of Christ, comes out irresisti-
bly ; the " fathers " are but the in-
heritors of the old Covenant; the
children, literally ruling in all lands,
are the trophies of the New.
v. 18, on the other hand, is evi-
dently addressed to the King— mark-
ing, as in all the promises to David,
the two characteristics of univer-
sality and eternity in His Kingdom.
Psalm XLVI.
There can be little doubt that this Psalm, with Ps. xlvii., xlviii.— all
ascribed to the sons of Korah " — form a triplet of songs of triumph and
thanksgiving on some signal triumph by the special favour of " the Lord
of Hosts," over a gathering of enemies, which had threatened to overwhelm
the city of God. Two occasions of such triumph suggest themselves— the
destruction of the host of Sennacherib, and the great victory of Jehoshaphat
(recorded in 2 Chr. xx. 1—30) over the host of Moab, Ammon, and their
allies. In favour of the former have been noted several similarities between
this Psalm and the prophecies of Isaiah— the "Immanuel" of vii. 14,
viii. 8, 10, the inviolable strength of Zion in xxxvii. 22, Ac. But the earlier
occasion is supported by some curious coincidences. The victory was
promised by the Levite Jahaziel as the salvation of the Lord, with the word,
', The Lord is with you " (2 Chr. xx. 15—17) ; the promise was hailed and
repeated on the eve of battle in music by the Levites " of the son s of Korah , ' '
and the victory hymned with psalteries and harps and trumpets in the
house of the Lord" (vv. 19, 21, 28); and the rather abrupt allusion to the
shattering of the ships of Tarshish in xlviii. 6 irresistibly suggests the time
when the memory of the disaster to the ships of Jehoshaphat recorded in
1 Kings xxii. 48 ; 2 Chr. xx. 37 was fresh. On the whole, it seems more
probable that in these Psalms we have a magnificent thanksgiving over this
earlier victory.
This Psalm— the original of Luther's famous hymn {Ein' fette Burg it>t
nnser Gott)— is divided by the musical interlude (Selafi) into three parts:
(a) the proclamation of " God our strength" through the earthquakes and
storms of trouble (vv. 1— 3) ; (6) a glorying in the indwelling Presence
of God, as the source of gladness and peace (vv. 4—7) ; (c) a picture of
the mighty work of God, shattering enmity and reducing the enemies
to silence (vv. 8—11). Strength, peace, victory, are the blessings of "God
with ug."
It is ordered to be sung on Alamoth, that is, "by women's voices," like
the triumph song of Miriam (hi Exod. xv. 20, 21), or the songs over the
victories of Saul and David U Sam. xviii. tij.
Day 9.
THE PSALMS.
Day 9.
thy lips, because God hath bless-
ed thee for ever.
4 Gird thee with thy sword
upon thy thigh, 0 thou most
Mighty : according to thy wor-
ship and renown.
5 Good luck have thou with
thine honour : ride on, because
of the word of truth, of meek-
ness, and righteousness ; and thy
right hand shall teach thee terri-
ble things.
6 Thy arrows are very sharp,
and the people shall be subdued
unto thee : even in the midst a-
mong the King's enemies.
7 Thy seat, 0 God, endureth
for ever : the sceptre of thy king-
dom is a right sceptre.
8 Thou hast loved righteous-
ness, and hated iniquity : where-
fore God, even thy God, hath
anointed thee with the oil of glad-
ness above thy fellows.
9 All thy garments smell of
myrrh, aloes, and cassia : out of
the ivory palaces, whereby they
have made thee glad.
10 Kings' daughters were among
thy honourable women : upon thy
right hand did stand the queen in
a vesture of gold, wrought about
with divers colours.
11 Hearken, O daughter, and
consider, incline thine ear : forget
also thine own people, and thy
father's house.
12 So shall the King have plea-
sure in thy beauty : for he is
thy Lord God, and worship thou
him.
13 And the daughter of Tyre
shall be there with a gift : like as
the rich also among the people
shall make their supplication be-
fore thee.
14 The King's daughter is all
glorious within : her clothing is
of wrought gold.
15 She shall be brought unto
the King in raiment of needle-
work : the virgins that be her fel-
lows shall bear her company, and
shall be brought unto thee.
16 With joy and gladness shall
they be brought : and shall enter
into the King's palace.
17 Instead of thy fathers thou
shalt have children : whom thou
mayest make princes in all lands.
18 I will remember thy Name
from one generation to another :
therefore shall the people give
thanks unto thee, world without
end.
PSALM 46.
Deus no8ter refugium.
GOD is our hope and strength :
a very present help in trou-
ble.
2 Therefore will we not fear,
though the earth be moved : and
though the hills be carried into
the midst of the sea.
3 Though the waters thereof
rage and swell : and though the
mountains shake at the tempest
of the same.
4 The rivers of the flood thereof
shall make glad the city of God :
the holy place of the tabernacle
of the most Highest.
5 God is in the midst of her,
therefore shall she not be remov-
ed : God shall help her, and that
right early.
6 The heathen make much ado,
and the kingdoms are moved :
hut God hath shewed his voice,
and the earth shall melt away.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us :
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
8 O come hither, and behold
the works of the Lord : what de-
struction he hath brought upon
the earth.
9 He maketh wars to cease in
all the world : he breaketh the
bow, and knappeth the spear in
sunder, and burneth the chariots
in the lire.
10 Be still then, and know that
I am God : I will be exalted among
the heathen, aud I will be exalted
in the earth.
11 The Lord of hosts is with us :
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
199
Psalm XLVI.— eont.
v. 1. Hope and strength— properly,
(as in A.V.), "refuge and strong-
hold." The metaphor is taken, as
usual, from a mountain stronghold,
remaining unshaken on its deep
foundations through the double con-
vulsion of the earthquake, which at
once casts " the hills into the midst
of the sea" (comp. Matt. xxi. 21),
and raises its waters— the great
" tidal wave " — to engulf all that is
not overthrown.
v. 4. Of the flood thereof. This ver-
sion obscures the meaning. It should
be, "There is a river, of which the
streams, "ire; drawing a striking con-
trast between thesurging waves of the
troubled world and the quiet fertiliz-
ing waters of the city of God—" the
waters of Shiloah, which go softly"
(Isa.viii.6) — so wonderfully described
in Ezek. xlvii. 1 —12 and Rev. xxii. 1,2.
v. 5, In the midst of her. The
Psalmist passes from the thought
of " God our strength " to trace that
strength to His indwelling Pre-
sence in the midst of the city of God,
and in " His holy dwelling" "be-
tween the cherubim." Hence the
help granted "right early" — lite-
rally, " when the morning dawns "—
after the night of trouble ; and the
voice of command uttered, before
which the earth melteth (comp. Mic.
i. 4; Amos ix. 5 ; Isa. lxiv. 1—8).
v. 7. The Lord of hosts; ...the God of
Jacob (comp. Ps. lxxxiv. 8). The
union of these titles represents the
two-fold character in which God is
revealed — in His Eternal majesty, as
Jehovah, Lord " of hosts " — that is
(see note on xxiv. 10), God of all the
multitudes of earth and heaven—
and in His special covenanted rela-
tion to His people as the " God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." From
the one aspect comes the sense of
awe and adoration ; from the other
of trust and love. " God with us "
was the watchword, alike in the vic-
tory of Jehoshaphat (2 Chr. xx. 17)
and in the deliverance in the days of
Ahaz (Isa. vii. 14).
vv. 8—10. In this section the Psalm-
ist, after the storm of trouble had
ceased, looks down upon the de-
struction wrought by the Divine
Judgment. The weapons of war are
to be shattered, before the final
utterance of victory, which bids the
nations be still before His majesty.
So even Our Lord declared of His
own Kingdom, " I came not to send
peace, but a sword." But in any
experience the secret of faith is
" God with us."
Psalm XLVII.
The position of this Psalm, between Pb. xlvi. and xlviii., suggests its
being referred to the same occasion. In itself it is only evident that it is a
Temple Psalm of triumph and thanksgiving to God, as having shewn forth
His glory by deliverance of His people before all the nations of the earth.
Nothing, however, could better suit the procession of thanksgiving " with
psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the House of the Lord " after the
victory of Jehoshaphat, when " the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of
those countries" (2 Chr. xx. 26, 27). From the words "God is gone up,"
it is naturally used as a Psalm for Ascension-Day, hymning the triumph
of Him who ascended, when he had won his victory by " descending first to
the lower parts of the earth."
It is divided by the Selah into two parts : {a), in vv. 1—4, the call to praise
and thanksgiving; and (6), in vv. 5—9, the glad response to that call.
v. 1. Ye people should be, "ye
peoples." The idea throughout is
of God's manifestation of His glory
to all the nations.
v. 2. For the Lord is to be feared.
By a striking paradox the awful
greatness of the Lord and His wrath
on His enemies are made to furnish
the ground for joy and trust (comp.
199 a
the opposite idea in Ps. exxx. 4,
" There is mercy with Thee ; there-
fore shalt Thou be feared"). Till
"perfect love casts out fear," the
same consciousness of God as a living
God, really guiding the world, must
breathe fear through the sense of
our unlikeness, love through" the con-
sciousness of our likeness, to Him.
Psalm XLVII— cont.
v. 8. He shall, &c. The verbs should
be in the present tense, as in R.V.
(marg.). It is in the present sense
of God's subdual of his enemies, and
His choice of the inheritance for His
people — " the excellency " (see A.V.
and R.V.), that is, the pride, "of
Jacob, whom He loveth" — that the
thanksgiving is uttered.
v. 5. God is gone up. From this
phrase some of the older interpre-
ters refer this Psalm (like xv. and
xxiv.) to the carrying up of the ark
in the days of David and Solomon.
It may perhaps have been suggested
by the triumphal procession after
the victory up to the Temple. But
in itself it simply conveys the meta-
phorical idea that God's visible in-
terposition for His people, so often
called His "coming down" (comp.
Gen. xi. 5 ; xviii. 21 j Exod. iii. 8 ; Isa.
lxiv. 1), is now over, and He is " gone
up " to the rest and glory of Heaven,
amidst the music of praise. Natu-
rally it is taken as foreshadowing the
actual ascension of God Incarnate
from earth to Heaven after His vic-
tory won (comp. Ps. lxviii. 18, and St.
Paul' s comment in Eph . iv . 8—10), and
sung accordingly on Ascension-Day
v. 7. With understanding. The
word is the technical word MaschiJ, a
"psalm of instruction," or a "strain
of skill."
v. 9. This verse should be rendered
(as in R.V.)—
" The princes of the peoples gather
themselves together
(To be) a people of the God of
Abraham.
For to God belong the shields of
the earth ;
Very highly exalted is He."
The "shields of the earth" are its
princes, considered as warriors and
defenders of their people (see Hos.
iv. 18). They bow before the great
Conqueror, and count it honour to
be numbered with His people (comp.
Ps. lxviii. 29—31). Probably it is not
so much the conversion of the na-
tions, which was to be the promise of
the hereafter, but rather the homage
of their fear in the present, which
is here referred to.
Psalm XLVIII.
This Psalm, the last of the group, apparently follows Ps. xlvii. as the
Psalm sung after the procession has entered the Temple. The Psalmist
rejoices in the material strength and beauty of the city of God, telling her
bulwarks and marking her palaces, and delighting in the terrified confusion
of her enemies. But throughout he sees the type of her higher spiritual
glories in God as " our God for ever and ever." The Psalm is appointed as
a Psalm for Whit-Sunday— looking on the Church of Christ as the holy
city of God. •
The Psalm falls readily into four sections : (a), in vv. 1, 2, a burst of
exultation over the glory of the city of God; (b), in vv. 8—7, a picture of
the discomfiture of the enemy by the breath of the Lord ; (c), in vv. 8—10,
an utterance of praise to Him for His judgments of mercy and righteous-
ness ; (rf), in vv. 11—13, a call to the people to mark and to glory in the
greatness of Zion.
v. 2 is more literally, "Fair in
elevation, the joy of the earth is the
Mount Zion, the angle" ("sides")
I of the north, the city of the great
King." The phrase "the sides of
the north" (apparently topographi-
cal and not metaphorical) seems to
refer to the temple hill, the north-
eastern angle of the city. The tra-
ditional position of Zion is on the
south-west. Perhaps, therefore, the
simplest idea is to suppose the Psalm-
ist to include in one view Mount Zion
on the south, the temple hill on the
north, and the city of the great King,
the city of Jerusalem itself, lying
below both. To him in his exulta-
tion, as to Jeremiah in his sorrow
(Lam. ii. 15), it is "the perfection of
beauty, the joy of the whole earth."
But his delight is not in its material
strength or its historic glory; it is
because " God in her palaces is a sure
refuge."
v. 4. To see such things— properly,
"to see it" (Jerusalem). The very
sight of its glory to the kings gather-
ed against it, and yet "passing it
by," as impregnable.was an astonish-
ment and an abject terror.
vv. 5, 6. The latter verse should be
rendered, "Thou breakest the ships
of Tar3hish by the east wind." The
199 b
16—5
Psalm XLVIII.— cont.
"ship of Tarshish" (see I Kings x.
22 ; xxii. 48 ) was the name for a great
merchant ship (like oar "East In-
diaman"), the type (as in Isa, ii. Id)
of proud stateliness. The metaphor
is therefore twofold : the destruction
is sudden as the pangs of travail,
utter as the wreck of the proudest
ships before the storm wind. But
the abrupt introduction of the naval
metaphor is probably due to the
recent remembrance of the actual
wreck described in 1 Kings xxii. 4S ;
2 Chr. xx. 36, 37.
v. 7- A* we have heard, &c. In this
verse are united the past, of which
" we have heard," from our fathers
(see Ps. xliv. 1), the present, which
"we have seen," and the future,
which is to be "established for
ever."
v. 8. We wait, &c. It should be,
"we have thought of Thy loving-
kindneRS," &c. The two chosen
manifestations of God, "according
to His Name" (comp. the revelation
to Moses in Exod. xxxiv. 5—7) are His
" lovingkindness " and His "righ-
teousness." Both are shewn in " His
judgments " ; both are remembered
in His Temple with joy.
vv. 11, 12 dwell with patriotic
affection on the glories of Zion :
bidding Israel "count her towers,"
"mark the bulwarks" of her
strength, "consider" ("set up")
"the palaces" of her beauty. But,
as before, the Psalmist turns at once
from these to the indwelhnif Pre-
sence of God, her God for ever and
ever.
«. 13. Unto death. If these words
are part of the Psalm itself, the ren-
dering " over " or " beyond death " is
probably right. It introduces, in-
deed, a new idea, belonging rather
to the individual communion with
God than to the corporate existence
of the holy city. But it brings out
the parallelism with the preceding
1 clause, and is not alien from the
idea of the covenant with the God,
who is not " the God of the dead,
but of the living." It is, however,
doubtful whether the original word
(Al muth) is not one of the frequent
notes of musical direction for thia
Psalm or for Ps. xlix.
Psalm XLIX.
This noble Psalm, ascribed to " the sons of Korah," is one of a singularly
thoughtful and didactic character— a Psalm of wisdom rather than of devo-
tion—breathing the spirit of the more meditative parts of the Book of
Proverbs, and dealing, though in a different tone, with the same great
prohlem which occupies the Book of Job. It is notable that Ps. lxxxviii.,
similarly Veflective, though having a far deeper tinge of perplexity and even
despondency, is attributed to Heman, the head of the Korahite company.
Unlike that Psalm, however, this has a clear view of a future retribution
and redemption of the righteous, as vividly contrasted with the vain transi-
toriness of earthly wealth and power. In this the pensiveness of deeper
thought finds its rest.
After the emphatic exordium (a) of vv. 1—4, calling on all to hear the
utterance of Wisdom, it (6) states (in v. 5) the groat question. "What
should the believer feel in the face of prosperous worldliness ? " then goes
on to dwell on the contrast between the transitoriness and vanity of worldly
self-confidence, and the certainty of future blessing to the righteous ; and
finally (c) gives the answer (in vv. 16 — 20) that the righteous should not
fear or be perplexed before the pretentious glory which passeth away.
vv. 1—4. With this exordium com- ; utterance of one who feels that God
pare the similar opening of Ps.
Ixxviii. 1, 2, which there, however,
introduces a recital of Israel's his-
tory. Like many found in the
•' Books of Wisdom" (Proverbs,
Job, Ecclesiastes), it Is the dignified
has given him the knowledge of the
secret of life, and that he is charged
to proclaim it to a listening world.
v. 4. Incline mine ear to the parable.
The word (Manhal) here rendered
"parabln"— having as its root the
300
Day 9.
THE PSALMS.
Day 9.
Day 9.
$bming
PSALM 4T.
Omnes gentes, plaudite.
OCLAP your hands together, all
ye people : O sing unto God
with the voice of melody.
2 For the Lord is high, and to
be feared : he is the great King
upon all the earth.
3 He shall subdue the people
under us : and the nations under
our feet.
4 He shall choose out an heri-
tage for us : even the worship of
Jacob, whom he loved.
5 God is gone up with a merry
noise : and the Lord with the
sound of the trump.
6 O sing praises, sing praises
unto our God : 0 sing praises,
Bing praises unto our King.
7 For God is the King of all the
earth : sing ye praises with under-
standing.
8 God reigneth over the hea-
then : God sitteth upon his holy
seat.
9 The princes of the people are
joined unto the people of the God
of Abraham : for God, which is
very high exalted, doth defend the
earth, as it were with a shield.
PSALM 48.
Magnus Dominus.
GREAT is the Lord, and highly
to be praised : in the city of
our God, even upon his holy bill.
2 The hill of Sion is a fair place,
and the joy of the whole earth :
upon the north-side lieth the city
of the great King ; God is well
known in her palaces as a sure
refuge.
3 For lo, the kings of the earth :
are gathered, and gone by toge-
ther.
4 They marvelled to see such
things : they were astonished, and
suddenly cast down.
5 Fear came there upon them,
and sorrow : as upon a woman in
her travail.
6 Thou shalt break the ships of
the sea : through the east-wind.
7 Like as we have heard, so
Eraser.
have we seen in the city of the
Lord of hosts, in the city of our
God : God upholdeth the same
for ever.
8 We wait for thy loving-kind-
ness, O God : in the midst of thy
temple.
9 0 God, according to thy
Name, so is thy praise unto the
world's end : thy right hand is
full of righteousness.
10 Let the mount Sion rejoice,
and the daughter of Judah be
glad : because of thy judgments.
11 Walk about Sion, and go
round about her : and tell the
towers thereof.
12 Mark well her bulwarks, set
up her houses : that ye may tell
them that come after.
13 For this God is our God for
ever and ever : he shall be our
guide unto death.
PSALM 49.
Audite Iicec, omnes.
OHEAR ye this, all ye people :
ponder it with your ears, all
ye that dwell in the world ;
2 High and low, rich and poor :
one with another.
3 My mouth shall speak of wis-
dom : and my heart shall muse of
understanding.
4 I will incline mine ear to the
parable : and shew my dark speech
upon the harp.
5 Wherefore should I fear in
the days of wickedness : and when
the wickedness of my heels com-
passeth me round about ?
6 There be some that put their
trust in their goods : and boast
themselves in the multitude of
their riches.
7 But no man may deliver his
brother : nor make agreement
unto God for him ;
8 For it cost more to redeem
their souls : so that he must let
that alone for ever ;
9, Yea, though he live long : and
see not the grave.
10 For he seeth that wise men
also die, and perish together : a?
200
Psalm XLIX.— cont.
Idea of comparison— is used in vari-
ous senses : (1) a parable, as we un-
derstand the word; (2.) a proverb;
(3) an abstruse saying or riddle ; (4) a
figurative antithetic poem, like those
of Balaam (Num. xxiii., xxiv.) and
Job (Job xxvii.— xxxi.). It is in the
third sense that it is here used, of
the declaration of the secret of life,
to others unknown, and is accord-
ingly paralleled with " dark speech "
—the word used elsewhere for a rid-
dle or enigma (Judg. xiv. 12 : 1 Kings
x. 1). The phrase, "I will incline
mine ear," seems to convey the idea
of first listening for the divinely-
taught strain, which is hereafter to
be shewn forth upon the harp."
v. 5. The iniquity of nip heel* must,
from the evident sense of the pas-
sage, clearly signify, not the iniquity
of the Psalmist hum-elf, but the in-
iquity (as in R.V.) "at his heels"
ready to trip up and overthrow him.
The great question is, "How shall
he stand fearless in the face of pros-
perous evil?" Like the author of
Ps. lxxiii. in similar experience, he
feels that " his feet were almost gone,
his treadings had well nigh slipt";
but he finds the answer, which is
given in the following verses.
vv. 7—9 should be thus rendered
(much as in R.V.)—
" No man can redeem his brother,
Nor give to God a ransom for
him
(For too costly is the ransom of
their soul,
And he must give that up for
ever),
So that he may live on continu-
ally,
And see not the pit."
It is difficult at first sight to under-
stand how this idea of man's inability
to redeem another from death, as he
might redeem him from slavery or
from the penalty of the law (Exod.
xxi. SO), fits in with the.general drift of
the Psalm, which would be satisfied
simply by the sense of the inability
of earthly wealth and power to defy
decay and death. But consideration
will shew that the opposition is be-
tween God, who can and will save,
and the earthly might, which can
save others still less than it can save
itself.
vv. 10— IS. Here a new thought is
introduced, verv similar to that which
runs through the mournful Book of
Ecclesiastes. Not even wisdom can
800 a
give permanence. The wise and the
fool die alike, and leave their wealth
to others (comp. Eccles. ii. 15, 1G).
Nay, even the "inward thought"
(see A.V.) with which they console
themselves— that their houses shall
continue for ever, and their names
be made to live by calling the lands
after them— is vain. Man, whether
the individual or the family, has no
abiding in his prosperity. So far he is
like " the beasts that perish " (comp.
Eccles. iii. 18—21). To this monrnful
picture v. IS adds a touch of irony.
Folly as their thought is, it is handed
down for praise to a posterity as fool-
ish as themselves. What words could
paint better the insufficiency of the
"immortality of the race" or "the
posthumous life of fame "?
v. 14 should be rendered—
" Like sheep they are gathered
into Hades ;
Death shall be their shepherd,
And the righteous shall triumph
over them in the morning ;
Their beauty (' form ') shall
Hades consume,
So that it finds no dwelling-
place."
The idea is that so often dwelt upon
(see Ps. ix. 17), that the trusters in
earthly prosperity shall be swallow-
ed up in the dark nothingness of
Hades, as sheep fall into a pit— desti-
tute of the permanent dwellingplace
which they had seemed to hope for
on earth. The phrase " in the morn-
ing " is strikingly significant ; it
might, indeed, mean the morning
of deliverance here from the night of
trouble (see Ps. xxx. 5) ; but the
whole context obviously suggests the
reference to the morning after the
night of Hades, when the righteous
shall triumph over those who de-
spised them. See the striking pas-
sages in Wisdom (iii. 1—8; v. 1— 15 1.
v. 15 carries on the thought implied
in the previous verse, but explicitly,
and with that personal application :
which makes it a living truth, " God
will deliver " (not " hath delivered ")
" my soul from the abode of Hades " :
" He shall receive me to Himself I
(comp. Ps. xxxi. 5; Luke xxiii. 40;
Acts vii. 59). As in Ps. xvi. 10, 11,;
the hope of immortality is certainly
implied, resting securely on a com-
munion with God. begun here, to be
perfected hereafter.
vn. 16—20 accordingly give the
final answer to the question of the.
Psalm XLIX.— cord.
Psalm, " Be just and fear not." The
prosperity of the wicked is hollow as
well as transitory. He may " count
himself happy" or (as in the more
emphatic original) " bless his soul "
in life, and (as is added with the
ironical knowledge of human nature
characteristic of this Psalm) men
will speak good of one who does well
to himself (" faring sumptuously "
and splendidly, like the rich man in
the parable). But he shall go down
to his fathers in the darkness of
Hades. " What shall it profit, if he
gain the whole world, and lose his
own soul 9 "
| v. 20. The burden, repeated from
v. 12, brings out explicitly the con-
i dition there implied, " Man that is
! in honour, and understandeth not,"
\ &c. The phrase is the characteristic
; phrase of the Book of Proverbs. God-
i lessness is viewed (as in Ps. xiv. 1)
| as want of "wisdom" or "under-
; standing "—ignorance, wilful igno-
\ ranee, of the great secret of life— and
j so looked upon, not with hatred, but
! with a half -contemptuous pity.
Psalm L.
This magnificent Psalm is the first ascribed to Asaph (see Introduction,
sect, ii.), the head of the Gershomite company of Levites (1 Chr. vi. 39),
specially described as "Asaph the seer" in 2 Chr. xxix. 30. The tone is,
indeed, solemnly prophetic, enforcing precisely the same lesson as to true
spiritual sacrifice which is still more strikingly taught in Isa. i. 11—20;
Amos. v. 21—24; Micah vi. 6—8. To infer, however, from this that the
Psalm is of a later date than that of " Asaph the seer," argues a strange
ignorance of the ever-recurring temptations of the times of strong religious
observance. Even Samuel had to teach that "to obey is better than
sacrifice," and in Ps. xl. — probably a Psalm of David — the same truth is
emphatically urged. The teaching would come with special weight from
one whose home was in the Temple, and who lived of the sacrifice ; and
certainly it would not be unsuitable to the time of splendid Temple worship
in the days of David and Solomon. Grand as the Psalm is, its sequence of
idea is exceedingly simple ; and in style it is less terse and incisive than
the Psalms of David.
It has (a) a grand exordium, in vv. 1—6, describing the manifestation of
God ; followed (b) by His warning (in vv. 7—15) of the nullity of all sacrifice,
except the true sacrifice of devotion ; and (c) rebuke to flagrant wickedness,
cloked under the pretence of obedience to the law (vv. 16—21) ; the whole
ending (d) (in vv. 22, 23) with a brief emphatic declaration of God's judg-
ment on His false and true servants.
v. 1. The Lord, even the most mighty
Ood. The original expression is strik-
ing and nearly unique (found only in
Josh. xxii. 22.)— El, Elohim, Jehovah,
accumulating the names of God— El
denoting the unity of God, Elohim the
majesty of Godhead in the fulness of
His attributes, Jehovah His eternal
self-existent being.
v. 2 should be, " Out of Zion, the
perfection of beauty, God has shin-
ed." The " perfection of beauty " is
(as in Lam. ii. 15) an epithet of Zion,
naturally familiar to Asaph, specially
appointed (1 Chr. xvi. 5) to minister
in Zion before the ark of the Lord.
v. 3. The images are clearly sug-
gested by the vision of Sinai, and the
manifestation of God by the cloud
and fire in the Tabernacle (Exod. xl.
31, 35 ; Lev. ix. 24). So in Ps. xviii. 7—
15 : xcvii. 2—5. Yet it is clear enough
that the Psalmist knew, as well as
200 b
Elijah himself (1 Kings xix. 11, 12),
that " the Lord was not in the whirl-
wind or the fire."
v. 4. He shall call, &c. All Nature
in heaven and earth is called to be
witness of God's judgment of His
people. This call is made again and
again even by God's servants. (See
Deut. iv. 26 ; xxxi. 28; Isa. i. 2, Ac.)
v. 5 is the summons of the great
Judge. His angel messengers are
to gather the Israelites, who . (like
the Church of the New Testament^
are "saints" in calling, and blessed
by a " covenant ratified by sacrifice."
It is evident that this notice of the
true function of sacrifice, as sealing
the Covenant (see Exod. xxiv. 6— 8). is
emphatic, leading on to the succeed-
ing contrast of the pretence of sacri-
fice with its reality (comp. Ii. vv. 16.
17, 19).
P8ALM
v. 7. For I am God, even thy God.
The very blessing of covenant with
God constitutes His people's special
responsibility. They cannot isee
Ezek. xx. :>2 :>s i be as the heathen
are ; they must be infinitely more or
less.
v. 8. This verse Bhould be rendered
(as in R.V.)—
" I will not reprove thee for thy
sacrifices ;
And thy burnt off erings are con-
tinually before Me."
vv. 9—13. The superstition rebuked
is the common heathen superstition
that " God is worshipped with men's
hands, as though He needed some-
thing. It is here put in its naked
grossness, as imagining the gods
actually to feed on the sacrifices : but
probably in Israel it was found in
some more covert form, as, for ex-
ample, in the supposition that sacri-
fices were acceptable in proportion to
their costliness and their multitude
—such as may have lurked even under
the magnificence of Solomon's offer-
ings at the consecration of the Tem-
ple (1 Kings viii. 63, 64). It recurs
always, whenever we forget that God
"seeks not ours, but us.
v. 14. The true sacrifice is always
that of self-devotion ; bat its phases
vary with the occasion. Here it is
the devotion of thanksgiving, the
vow of homage and prayer; in Ps.
xl. 8—11 (as here in v. 23) it is the
devotion of obedience and witness
for God ; in Ps. li. 16, 17 it is the self-
surrender of the penitent heart. All
must be harmonized in the true and
living sacrifice of soul and body to
God (Rom. xii. 1), which He accepts
L.— cont.
and answers by blessing in the day of
trouble.
vv. 16—20 turn from mere formal-
ism to a grosser evil, which may
underlie it — flagrant wickedness,
cloked under boasting of the Law
and the Covenant, such as that so
often rebuked by the Prophets and
by Our Lord Himself in His denuncia-
tion of the Pharisees. As usual in
Holy Scripture, sins against man-
theft, adultery, falsehood, slander,
malice— are condemned at least as
severely as sins against God . For ' * he
that loveth not his brother, whom he
hath seen, how can he love God.whom
he hath not seen ? " Throughout it is
not only the commission of sin, but
the encouragement of it in others,
which is characteristic of the utterly
hardened (comp. Rom. i. 32).
». 21. The ungodly are represented
as "despising the riches of God's
goodness and forbearance and long-
suffering, not knowing that the good-
ness of God leadeth to repentance "
(Rom. ii. 4). The mysterious per-
mission of evil in that long-suffering
often makes even His servants cry
out, " Lord, how long? " (Ps. vi. 3 ;
xiii. 1, 2) ; and the sinner abuses it
in the cry, " Tush, how should God
perceive it?" "Thou, God, carest
not for it " (Ps. x. It 14 ; lxxiii. 11)—
thinking that God is as careless of
righteousness as he himself. The one
key to it is the truth implied in Rom.
ix. 22, 23, that without it good cannot
be perfected.
en. 22, 23 sum up the judgme/it of
God — destruction to the godless, ac-
ceptance of that true devotion of
thanksgiving and obedience, which
shall not only have, but know that it
has, salvation.
Psalm LI.
With this Psalm begins a second series of Psalms ascribed to David,
closing the Second Book. The heading calls it with marked particularity
" A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had
gone in to Bathsheba " (2 Sam. xii. 1) ; and there seems no adequate reason
for setting aside this ancient tradition, which makes this Psalm— the
deepest and most fervent of the Penitential Psalms, which has guided for
centuries the expression of repentance— to be the utterance of that intense
sorrow and penitence of David after his great sin, so pathetically described
in 2 Sam. xii. Every word seems to suit his case ; and the notion that the
subtle consciousness of sin and the sense of the nullity of sacrifice could
not belong to the time and character of David, is purely arbitrary. Nor do
certain similarities of expression in the Psalm to various passages of the
Prophetic books necessarily imply dependence of the one upon the other.
201
Day 9.
THE PSALMS.
Day 9.
well as the ignorant and foolish,
and leave their riches for other.
11 And yet they think that their
bouses shall continue for ever :
and that their dwelling-places
shall endure from one generation
to another; and call the lands
after their own names.
12 Nevertheless, man will not
abide in honour : seeing he may
be compared unto the beasts that
perish ; this is the way of them.
13 This is their foolishness : and
their posterity praise their saying.
14 They lie in the hell like
sheep, death gnaweth upon them,
and the righteous shall have do-
mination over them in the morn-
ing : their beauty shall consume
in the sepulchre out of then-
dwelling.
Day 10.
Jftornfng
PSALM 50.
Deus deorum.
THE Lord, even the most migh-
ty God, hath spoken : and
called the world, from the rising
up of the sun, unto the going
down thereof.
2 Out of Sion hath God ap-
peared : in perfect beauty.
3 Our God shall come, and
shall not keep silence : there shall
go before him a consuming Are,
and a mighty tempest shall be
stirred up round about him.
i He shall call the heaven from
above : and the earth, that he may
judge his people.
5 Gather my saints together
unto me : those that have made a
covenant with mo with sacrifice.
6 And the heaven shall declare
his righteousness : for God is
Judge himself.
7 Hear, O my people, and I will
speak : I myself will testify against
thee, O Israel ; for I am God, even
thy God.
8 I will not reprove thee because
of thy sacrifices, or for thy burnt-
offerings : because they were not
alway before me.
9 I will take no bullock out of
15 But God hath delivered my
soul from the place of hell : for
he shall receive me.
16 Be not thou afraid, though
one be made rich : or if the glory
of his house be increased ;
17 For he shall carry nothing
away with him when he dieth :
neither shall his pomp follow
him.
18 For while he lived, he count-
ed himself an happy man : and so
long as thou doest well unto thy-
self, men will speak good of thee.
19 He shall follow the genera-
tion of his fathers : and shall never
see light.
20 Man being in honour hath
no understanding : but is com-
pared unto the beasts that per-
il rager.
thine house : nor he-goat out of
thy folds.
10 For all the beasts of the
forest are mine : and so are the
cattle upon a thousand hills.
11 I know all the fowls upon
the mountains : and the wild
beasts of the field are in my
sight.
12 If I be hungry, I will not tell
thee : for the whole world is mine,
and all that is therein.
13 Thinkest thou that I will eat
bulls' flesh : and drink the blood
of goats ?
14 Offer unto God thanksgiving :
and pay thy vows unto the most
Highest.
15 And call upon me in the time
of trouble : so will I hear thee,
and thou shalt praise me.
16 But unto the ungodly said
God : Why dost thou preach my
laws, and takest my covenant in
thy mouth ;
17 Whereas thou hatest to be
reformed : and hast cast my words
behind thee ?
18 When thou sawest a thief,
thou consentedst unto him : and
hast been partaker with the adul-
terers.
19 Thou hast let thy mouth
201
Psalm LI.— cont.
The only real difficulty lies in the words of vv. 18, 19, on which see note.
It is deeply interesting to compare it with Ps. xxxii., the simpler utterance
of a later period in his repentance. The promise of pardon ("The Lord
hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die"), while it keens repentance
from being remorse, deepens the sense of utter unworthiness in the
penitent. The Psalm is naturally used by the Church on Ash-Wednesdat,
m the Combination Service.
By whomsoever written, the Psalm sets forth with infinite pathos and
completeness the gradations of the spiritual experience of the true
penitent; (o), in vv. 1— i, the simple cry for pardon and purification, in
the utter humiliation of conscious sin before God ; next (6), in vv. 5—8, the
deeper sense of a contrast within, between the power of inborn sinfulness,
and the promise and earnest of the higher life ; thence (c), in vv. 9—12, in
natural sequence, the prayer for renewal of soul in the gift of the free
Spirit; lastly (ri), in vv. 13—19, the vow of praise, of witness of God's
goodness, and of the acceptable sacrifice of a contrite heart, and (c) the
acknowledgment that through it alone the altar of God can be approached
for burnt offering and oblation of thankfulness.
vv. 1, 2. The prayer, trusting only ness of actual sin should produce on
in the " multitude of God's mercies,
is twofold— for the pardon which
"does away" ("blots out") the
guilt of transgressions 'corap. Exod.
xxxii. :52 ; Isa. xliv. 22 ; Col. ii. IS, 14).
and the renewal, which washes and
the one hand the painful sense of an
inborn sinfulness, and yet, on the
other, the certainty of a higher hu-
manity, delighting in the law of God
after the inner man (see Rom. vii. 14
—25). Out of this necessarily arises
cleanses the soul from the pollution ] the confidence that, in some way,
of sin (comp. Isa. i. 16; Jer. iv. 14; i God will purge sin. and by the very
Heb. ix. 18, 14; Rev. i. 5; vii. 14). I purification kindle joy and gladness.
The two gifts, though distinct, are
inseparable parts of the Divine for- :
giveuess.
v. 4. Against Thee only, &c. It i
argues strange ignorance of true !
repentance to raise difficulty, because ;
David's crime was gross against man.
In the view of evil, as sin— sin against ,
God's righteousness and love— all ,
other thoughts must be absorbed, as |
the finite, however great, in the infi- I
nite (comp. 2 Sam. xii. 13). In the I
deepest spiritual experience " we are
conscious of but two existences— God
and our own soul."
That thou mightest, &c. (comp. St.
Paul's use of this verse in Rom. lii. 4).
The Psalmist expresses the profound
conviction so frequent in the pro-
phetic utterances, that even sin is
overruled to the revelation of the
Divine Righteousness. It is not, of
course, the commission of sin, but
the inward conviction and the out-
ward punishment of sin, which make
clear the righteousness of God, when
He judges (not "when He is judg-
ed," as in our version). It is only
when sin is known and branded as
What that way is David might guess,
but we know.
v. 7. Purge me with hyssop . The
allusion is clearly to such ordinances
as Exod. xxiv. 5 — 8; Lev. xiv. 4—7;
Num. xix. 6, 18 (on which see the
comment in Heb. ix. 18—23). David
sees in them the symbols, not the
substitutes, of true purification of
heart (comp. Isa. i. 18).
v. 8. The bones which Thou hast
broken, &c. The bones, as usual
(see Ps. vi. 2, &c), are looked upon
as the seat of pain, racking and
crushing both body and soul. The
Psalmist feels by anticipation, not
only the relief , but the actual joy, of
accepted penitence.
vv. 9—12 describe the renewal, thus
hopefully prayed for, with singular
vividnesB, in phases rising to a glo-
rious climax— from "cleanness of
heart" to " lightness " (properly
" constancy ") of the renewed soul ;
then to consciousness of a Divine
"spirit of holiness" still within us.
and through it a royal " freedom of
. . spirit" (" the princely heart of inno-
smful that it brings out by contrast cence "), defying the bondage both
the righteousness of God. of sjn ana Qf fear (compare the con-
vv. 5—8. It is profoundly true to | trast of Rom. vii. 21— 24 with viii. 1,
nature, that the penitent conscious- 2, 14—17, 33— 39j.
Day 10.
THE PSALMS.
Day 10.
speak wickedness : and with thy
tongue thou hast set forth deceit.
20 Thou satest, and spakest
against thy brother : yea, and
hast slandered thine own mo-
ther's son.
21 These things hast thou done,
and I held my tongue, and thou
thoughtest wickedly, that I am
even such a one as thyself : but I
will reprove thee, and set before
thee the things that thou hast
done.
22 0 consider this, ye that for-
get God : lest I pluck you away,
and there be none to deliver you.
23 Whoso offeretb me thanks
and praise, he honoureth me :
and to him that ordereth his con-
versation right will I shew the
salvation of God.
PSALM 51.
Miserere mei, Dens.
HAVE mercy upon me, 0 God,
after thy great goodness :
according to the multitude of thy
mercies do away mine offences.
2 Wash me throughly from my
wickedness : and cleanse me from
my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my faults :
and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against thee only have I
sinned, and done this evil in thy
sight : that thou mightest be jus-
tified in thy saying, and clear
when thou art judged.
5 Behold, I was shapen in wick-
edness : and in sin hath my mo-
ther conceived me.
6 But lo, thou requirest truth
in the inward parts : and shalt
make me to understand wisdom
secretly.
7 Thou shalt purge me with
hyssop, and I shall be clean : thou
shalt wash me, and I shall be
whiter than snow.
8 Thou shalt make me hear of
joy and gladness : that the bones
which thou hast broken may re-
joice.
9 Turn thy face from my sins :
and put out all my misdeeds.
10 Make me a clean heart, O
God : and renew a right spirit
within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy
presence : and take not thy holy
Spirit from me.
12 0 give me the comfort of
thy help again : and stablish me
with thy free Spirit.
13 Then shall I teach thy ways
unto the wicked : and sinners
shall be converted unto thee.
14 Deliver me from blood-
guiltiness, 0 God, thou that art
the God of my health : and my
tongue shall sing of thy righteous-
ness.
15 Thou shalt open my lips, 0
Lord : and my mouth shall shew
thy praise.
16 For thou desirest no sacri-
fice, else would I give it thee :
but thou delightest not in burnt-
offerings.
17 The sacrifice of God is a
troubled spirit : a broken and
contrite heart, 0 God, shalt thou
not despise.
18 0 be favourable and gracious
unto Sion : build thou the walls
of Jerusalem.
19 Then shalt thou be pleased
with the sacrifice of righteous-
ness, with the burnt-ofterings and
oblations : then shall they offer
young bullocks upon thine al-
tar.
PSALM 52.
Quid gloriaris ?
WHY boastest thou thyself,
thou tyrant : that thou canst
do mischief ;
2 Whereas the goodness of God :
endureth yet daily ?
3 Thy tongue imagineth wick-
edness : and with lies thou cuttest
like a sharp razor.
4 Thou hast loved unrighteous-
ness more than goodness : and
to talk of lies more than righte-
ousness.
5 Thou hast loved to speak all
words that may do hurt : 0 thou
false tongue.
6 Therefore shall God destroy
thee for ever : he shall take thee,
and pluck thee out of thy dwell-
ing, and root thee out of the land
of the living.
Psalm LI.— cont.
vv. IS — 17 contain the answer to
the question, "What shall I render
to the Lord t " The first offering is
the proclaiming in his own example
God's mercy to sinners. As David's
sin " made the enemies of God to
blaspheme," his penitence and par-
don are the comfort of the penitent
(comp. St. Panl's frequent use of his
own example, 1 Cor. xv. 8—1 1 ; Eph.
iii. 7—9; 1 Tim. i. 18—16). The next
is praise and thanksgiving, not only
of God's goodness, but or His righ-
teousness, in which "He is faithful
and ju$t to forgive sins." Lastly,
the absolute self-surrender of the
"broken and contrite heart," which
(unlike man) God "will not de-
spise." Such self-devotion 8t. Paul,
in the great Epistle which teaches
most fully man's sin and God's for-
giveness, urges "by the mercies of
God" (Rom. xii. 1).
cc. 18, 19. These verses are gene-
rally thought to be a liturgical ad-
dition of later date, and the phrase
" build thou the walls of Jerusalem,"
is taken as indicating the era of the
Captivity. It is, indeed, quite pos-
sible to refer the prayer for Zion
and the building up of Jerusalem to
the time of David, when the walls of
the Holy City were rising, and we
note in 2 Sam. xii. 20 that, after his
fasting and weeping before God,
David came into the house of the
Lord and worshipped, of course,
with "sacrifice and oblation." But
there is certainly a break in style
and tone between these verses and
the main body of the Psalm ; and the
very abruptness of termination with
r. 17 is not unnatural in its simple
intensity of penitence. In some
Jewish rituals the Psalm is still used
on the great Day of Atonement. If
such use was ancient, the liturgical
addition would be natural— the whole
congregation taking np for them-
selves the utterance of individual
penitence and faith, and applying it
to the whole condition of Zion and
Jerusalem, punished by God's righ-
teous judgment and restored by His
mercy.
P8ALM LI I.
This Psalm— a Maschil of David— is in tha inscription referred to the
time " when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, and said unto him,
David is come to the house of Ahimelech " (see 1 Sam. xxii. 9—23). It is
thus made the utterance of David, perhaps in the anticipation of the malice
of Doeg, which he felt (see 2 Sam. xxii. 2), even before the arrival of the
fugitive Abiathar, and his narration of the cruel massacre at Nob through
the report of Doeg. There seems no reason to reject this tradition, or to
doubt that the Psalm is aimed at Doeg himself. From the history we may
well suppose that his report was malignant, for he suppressed all that
might exculpate Ahimelech ; certainly he was a man of blood, for he exe-
cuted the cruel decree, from which Saul's own soldiers shrank. The Psalm |
has all the characteristics of David's early Psalms.
It is broken by the Selah into three divisions : (a), in w. 1 — 4, the indig«
nant description of the treacherous foe ; (6), in vv. 5, 6, the denunciation of j
God's wrath against him; (c), in vv. 7—10, the exultation of the righteous-
over his fall, and their sure confidence in God.
v. 1. Thou tyrant— properly, "O I character of the worst sort. It !&>■
mighty one." Doeg's headship over
the royal herds implied power ; his
slaughter at Nob clearly indicates
a great following, probably of his
Edomite countrymen.
vv. 2, 8. This description of min-
gled delight in cruelty and treache-
rous slander is frequent, both in the
Psalms and in the Prophets— per-
haps especially typical of Oriental
202 a
curious that in the prophecy of Oba-
diah stress is laid on the "wisdom"
and "understanding" of the Edom-
ites as well as on their warlike fierce-
ness {vv. 8, 10).
v. G. Out of thy dicellintt— properly,]
"out of thy tent." The reference*
may be literal to the tent which thed
master of the herds would naturally j
occupy.
Psalm LII.— cont.
0». 7—10 describe the succession
of feeling with which the fall of the
wicked is contemplated : first, awe
of God's judgment; next, triumph
over the destruction of evil: lastly,
joy and confidence in the All-righ-
teous and Merciful God.
v. 9. The description of the "green
olive tree" may simply be a general
metaphor like that of Ps. i. 3, 4.
But it has been noted that Nob
was on the northern slope of the
Mount of Olives, and that the figure
of this verse, as of v. 6, may have
been suggested by the actual growth
of trees round the Tabernacle itself
(comp. Ps. lxxxiv. 3).
v. 10 should probably be rendered,
" I will wait upon Thy Name— for it
is good — before Thy saints." The
description exactly suits the attitude
of mingled confidence and expecta-
tion'belonging to David's condition
at that time ; and it falls in with that
delight in fellowship with the ser-
vants of God, which is so constantly
expressed in his Psalms.
Psalm LIII.
This Psalm— called a Maschil of David— is obviously an adaptation in
later time of Ps. xiv. The differences are (1) the substitution throughout
of the name Elohlm for Jehovah ; (2) the remarkable alteration of v. 6, as
compared with xiv. 9, 10. In the earlier Psalm we have, " There were they
brought in great fear ; for God is in the generation of the righteous. As
for you, ye have made a mock at the counsel of the poor, because he
putteth his trust in the Lord "—a description at once of momentary fear
and reaction of hardened mockery in the wicked. Here there is a picture
of signal overthrow of some open enemy of Israel. " They were afraid
where no fear was ; for God hath broken the bones of him who besieged
thee ; thou hast put them to confusion, because God hath despised them."
The words have been referred to the great overthrow of the Assyrian army
in the days of Hezekiah.
It may also be observed that the concluding verse suits this Psalm far
better than Ps. xiv. to which it seems to have been a liturgical addition.
If it is an original part of this Psalm, the " salvation out of Zion " would be
the great deliverance of Judah. and the " captivity of the people " would be
the captivity of the northern kingdom of Israel.
This Psalm (like Ixxxviii.) is to be sung " on Mahalath," which seems to
mean " to a sombre, mournful strain."
Psalm LIV.
This Psalm is (like Ps. lii.) referred by the inscription to a particular
time in the davs of David's early persecution by Saul, "when the Ziphites
came and said to Saul, 'Doth not David hide himself with us?'" (see
1 Sam. xxiii. 19, 20). This was a time of great distress, coming just after
the ungrateful treachery of the men of Keilah (1 Sam. xxiii. 1—13) ; and
David was saved only by an invasion of the Philistines, which forced Saul
to give up the pursuit. The Psalm suits well the occasion ; and there is no
reason why the tradition should not be accepted as correct.
As a cry of innocence, suffering from the cruelty of man. and resting in
trust upon God, it is naturally used as a Proper Psalm for Good Friday.
The Psalm is divided by the Se.lah into two parts : (a), in vv. 1—3, a cry
to God in helplessness ; (6), in vv. 4—7, a thankful conviction that the cry
is heard.
1. For thy Name's *afre— pro-
perly ("as in A.V.), "by thy Name."
the Name of God is His manifesta-
rion of Himself; which is (see Exod.
cxxiv. "), 6) emphatically a manifes-
tation of His mercy, as "the Lord
Bod, merciful and gracious " (.see
v. 6, 7). Hence the prayer is,
" Save me by Thy mercy ; judge me
in Thy strength."
v. 3. Strangers — evidently the
Ziphites. or the men of Keilah,
within the territory of Judah, but
possibly alien in race, as they were
certainly worse than aliens in their
dealings with David. The tyrants
202 b
Psalm LIV. —cont.
(or "mighty men"), which hare not
God before their eyes, are probably
the warriors of Saul, and Saul him-
self, from whom the Lord was de-
parted, and who, knowing God's
promise to David (see 1 Sam. xxiv.
20; xxvi. 25), sought to falsify it by
his death.
v. 5. In thy truth — that is, " in ful-
filment of Thy promise to me."
vv. 6. 7. These verses probably
mark David's thankful reception
of the news of his deliverance, by
the sudden withdrawal of Saul. In
this he recognises an answer to his
prayer, and an earnest of the future
triumph, which in v. 7 he anticipates
as already granted.
v. 6. An Offering, &c— properly,
"with a free heart will I sacrifice
unto Thee." The reference is
clearly to some actual sacrifice-
offered probably by Abiathar— as a
thank-offering, which perhaps Da-
rid had (see Ps. lxvi. 12) "promised
with his lips and spoken with his
mouth, when he was in trouble."
Because it i*. &c. — properly, " be-
cause it is good "—good in all senses,
but especially in the goodness of the
deliverance described in the next
Psalm LV.
This singularly touching Psalm, of which the earlier part has been so
vividly embodied in the music of Mendelssohn— another Mcuchil of David
—indicates by its marked difference of tone that it belongs to a wholly
different period of his experience: The whole circumstances and colouring
of the Psalm, and especially the manifest likeness to Ps. xli., irresistibly
suggest the time of the rebellion of Absalom, and the discovery of the
treason of Ahithophel. The tone is one of infinite disquietude and sad-
ness ; the painful sense of the ingratitude and treachery of his own familiar
friend pours itself out, now in sorrow, now in indignant bitterness; yet
underlying all is a confidence in God's protecting and avenging hand.
What could suit better the hour of David's flight and sojourn in the wilder-
ness? The difficulties which have induced some critics to set aside the
ascription, and refer the Psalm to a later writer (Jeremiah or some other
or his age), appear to be insufficient if not unreal.
The Psalm opens (a), in vv. 1—8, with the sad utterance of one over-
whelmed with disquiet, and longing in vain to flee away and be at rest ;
(6) next follows, in vv. 9—16, the description of the enmity and guile which
fill the holy city, and the special treachery of one who had seemed to be as
the Psalmist's own soul ; (c) lastly, in vv. 17—25, we have the conclusion of
faith, broken in upon by a recurrence of the bitter memory of treachery,
but ending finally in the conviction that God's hand must be against the
bloodthirsty and deceitful man, and that under His protection wo may
rest.
that David's iniquities were falling
upon his own head. The rest of th«» j
imagery is of the pursuit which he;
fears or fancies from his triumphant i
enemies.
t>. 5. Horrible dread— properly (as
in Job xxi. 6), the " horror " of death.
"Disquiet" passes into "fear an<T
trembling"; "fear of death" into
the " horror " of its near approach.
vv. 6—8. This exquisite image i
obviously suggested by the occasion, i
Fleeing in haste and difficulty
v. 2. How I mourn, &c— properly,
" how I toss to and fro in my pain,
and moan."
v. 3 should be rendered —
" Because of the cry of the enemy,
Because of the oppression of the
wicked.
For they cast iniquity upon me ;
In their wrath they persecute
me."
The phrase " cast iniquity upon
me," seems to refer to taunts like
those of Shimei (2 Sain. xvi. 7, 8),
Day 10.
7 The righteous also shall see
this, and fear : and shall laugh
him to scorn ;
8 Lo, this is the man that took
not God for his strength : but
trusted unto the multitude of his
riches, and strengthened himself
in his wickedness.
THE PSALMS.
Day 10.
9 As for me, I am like a green
olive-tree in the house of God :
my trust is in the tender mercy
of God for ever and ever.
10 I will always give thanks un-
to thee for that thou hast done :
and I will hope in thy Name, for
thy saints like it well.
Day 10.
(JEbmtttfl ^rager.
PSALM 53.
Dixit insipiens.
THE foolish body hath said in
his heart : There is no God.
2 Corrupt are they, and become
abominable in their wickedness :
there is none that doeth good.
3 God looked down from hea-
ven upon the children of men : to
see if there were any, that would
understand, and seek after God.
4 But they are all gone out of
the way, they are altogether be-
come abominable : there is also
none that doeth good, no not one.
5 Are not they without under-
standing that work wickedness :
eating up my people as if they
would eat bread ? they have not
called upon God.
6 They were afraid where no
fear was : for God hath broken
the bones of him that besieged
thee ; thou hast put them to con-
fusion, because God hath despised
them.
7 Oh, that the salvation were
given unto Israel out of Sion :
Oh, that the Lord would deliver
his people out of captivity !
8 Then should Jacob rejoice :
and Israel should be right glad.
PSALM 54.
Dew, in nomine.
SAVE me, 0 God, for thy
Name's sake : and avenge me
in thy strength.
2 Hear my prayer, 0 God : and
hearken unto the words of my
mouth.
3 For strangers are risen up
against me : and tyrants, which
have not God before their eyes,
seek after my soul.
4 Behold, God is my helper :
the Lord is with them that up-
hold my soul.
5 He shall reward evil unto
mine enemies : destroy thou them
in thy truth.
6 An offering of a free heart
will I give thee, and praise thy
Name, O Lord : because it is so
comfortable.
7 For he hath delivered me out
of all my trouble : and mine eye
hath seen his desire upon mine
enemies.
PSALM 55.
Exaudi, Deus.
HEAR my prayer, O God:
and hide not thyself from
my petition.
2 Take heed unto me, and hear
me : how I mourn in my prayer,
and am vexed.
3 The enemy crieth so, and the
ungodly cometh on so fast : for
they are minded to do me some
mischief ; so maliciously are they
set against me.
4 My heart is disquieted with-
in me : and the fear of death is
fallen upon me.
5 Fearfulness and trembling are
come upon me : and an horrible
dread hath overwhelmed me.
■ 6 And I said, O that I had
wings like a dove : for then would
I flee away, and be at rest.
7 Lo, then would I get me away
far off : and remain in the wilder-
ness.
8 I would make haste to escape :
because of the stormy wind and
tempest.
9 Destroy their tongues, 0
Lord, and divide them : for I
have spied unrighteousness and
strife in the city.
203
through the wilderness, the Psalm-
ist watches some wild dove wing-
ing its way easily and safely to a
height, where it can shelter itself
from the storm and from the birds
of prev; and longs for the wings
which might carry him in an instant
far away from the tempest of wrath
and trouble. " To be at rest " is the
very climax of the longing of the old
king, weary of life and of its disap-
pointments.
In vo. 9—11 there comes a sudden
change of tone. Verse 9 (like ». 16)
is a flash of fierce righteous indig-
nation out of this cloud of sadness.
Then, by a singularly striking figure
the Psalmist looks back in thought
on the city which he loved so well,
and sees it peopled with dreadful
forms. Violence and Strife walk its
streets and man its walls: Evil, Sor-
row, and Wickedness establish them-
selves in the central stronghold ;
Deceit and Guile quit not the mar-
ket place (the " street "), where Jus-
tice should have sat.
vv. 12—15. In this section we have
another rapid change to the infinite
sadness of a heart wounded by spe-
cial treachery— the one thing which
it could not bear, and from which it
could not flee. There is a plaintive
tenderness in the address to one who
had been his equal ("companion"),
his guide in counsel, and his familiar
friend ; and a still deeper pathos in
the remembrance of the companion-
ship, as sealed in the House of the
Lord. Every word suits well the con-
dition of Ahithophel. Like David's
other great counsellor (Hushai) he
might be called " David's friend
(I Sam. ix. 37). Naturally out of
this bursts forth— since " to be wroth
with one we love, Doth work like
madness in the brain"— a yet bit-
terer vehemence of indignation, pray-
ing that death may fall on the foes,
and the unseen world ("hell") swal-
low them up in darkness. Like v. 9.
it breathes the spirit of the Old
Testament, not of the New. Ahitho-
phel was (see note on Ps. xli. 9) the
type of Judas, but how different the
tone— stern, yet sad and gentle— of
the true Son of David !
v. 17. In this turning to God, by
which the fierce wrath of v. 16 is
calmed in a moment, it is charac-
teristic that the name Jehovah
Psalm LY.—eont.
r. 9 is not "Jehovah.") Earnest
ness of repeated prayer goes. -
first used. (The word "Lord" in I in Thee."
usual, with confidence in His willing-
ness to .hear and deliver.
v. 19. With me. Probably the sense
is " fighting with me," and therefore
" against me." The idea that this is
the declaration of the solitary ser-
vant of God, that " they that be with
us are more than they that be with
them" (2 Kings vi. 16)— beautiful in
itself— is alien from the whole spirit
of the Psalm.
v. 20. This difficult verse is per-
haps best rendered (with R.V.)—
" God shall hear and answer
them— J , ,
Even He that abideth of old
(Selah)—
The men who have no changes (of
fortune),
Who fear not God."
There is something striking in this
interposition of the praise of the
Eternal, emphasized by the musical
interlude, in the midst of the decla-
ration that He will in His own good
time answer the vaunts of those who
in the flush of uDbroken prosperity
fear not God. He is changeless ;
they only fancy themselves above
change.
vv. 21, 22 are pathetically true to
nature in the recurrence to the one
treason so deeply felt, now in a tone
of indignation rather than sadness.
The emphasis is on the breaking of
a covenant of peace, and on the
smoothness of plausible words, which
yet are as daggers of assassination.
Both again apply to Ahithophel
above all others, especially if, as
grandfather of Bathsheba, he had
condoned, or even gloried in, the
wrong which raised her to the
throne.
vv. 28—25 are the calm yet pa-
thetic ending of the many changes
of thought alternating in this
Psalm. The burden is still felt,
but "cast on the Lord, who will
sustain" ("nourish") his servant.
The righteous may "fall," but " not
for ever." The "bloodthirsty and
deceitful men " triumphant now
(comp. Ps. v. 6), will be cut off;
" taking the sword, they shall perish
with the sword" (comp. Prov. x. 27
Eccles. vii. 17^. (Singularly were tb
words fulfilled of Ahithophel. j 1
one final refuge is, " But I will
204
Day 10.
10 Day and night they go about
within the walls thereof : mis-
chief also and sorrow are in the
midst of it.
11 Wickedness is therein : de-
ceit and guile go not out of their
streets.
12 For it is not an open enemy,
that hath done me this dishonour :
for then I could have borne it.
13 Neither was it mine adver-
sary, that did magnify himself
against me : for then peradven-
ture I would have hid myself
from him.
14 But it was even thou, my
companion : my guide, and mine
own familiar friend.
15 We took sweet counsel to-
gether : and walked in the house
of God as friends.
16 Let death come hastily upon
them, and let them go down quick
into hell : for wickedness is in
their dwellings, and among them.
17 As for me, I will call upon
God : and the Lord shall save me.
18 In the evening, and morn-
ing, and at noon-day will I pray,
THE PSALMS.
Day 10.
and that instantly : and he shall
hear my voice.
19 It is he that hath delivered
my soul in peace from the battle
that was against me : for there
were many with me.
20 Yea, even God, that endur-
eth for ever, shall hear me, and
bring them down : for they will
not turn, nor fear God.
21 He laid his hands upon such
as be at peace with him : and he
brake his covenant.
22 The words of his mouth
were softer than butter, having
war in his heart : his words were
smoother than oil, and yet be
they very swords.
23 0 cast thy burden upon the
Lord, and he shall nourish thee :
and shall not suffer the righteous
to fall for ever.
24 And as for them : thou, O
God, shalt bring them into the
pit of destruction.
25 The blood-thirsty and de-
ceitful men shall not live out half
their days : nevertheless, my trust
shall be in thee. 0 Lord.
Day 11.
JWormng Eraser.
PSALM 56.
Miserere mei, Deiis.
BE merciful unto me, 0 God,
for man goeth about to de-
vour me : he is daily fighting, and
troubling me.
2 Mine enemies are daily in
hand to swallow me up : for they
be many that fight against me, 0
thou most Highest.
3 Nevertheless, though I am
sometime afraid : yet put I my
trust in thee.
4 I will praise God, because of
his word : 1 have put my trust in
God, and will not fear what flesh
can do unto me.
5 They daily mistake my words :
all that they imagine is to do me
evil.
6 They hold all together, and
keep themselves close : and mark
my steps, when they lay wait for
my soul.
7 Shall they escape for their
wickedness : thou, 0 God, in thy
displeasure shalt cast them down.
8 Thou tellest my Sittings ; put
my tears into thy bottle : are
not these things noted in thy
book?
9 Whensoever I call upon thee,
then shall mine enemies be put
to flight : this I know ; for God
is on my side.
10 In God's word will I rejoice :
in the Lord's word will I comfort
me.
11 Yea, in God have I put my
trust : I will not be afraid what
man can do unto me.
12 Unto thee, O God, will I
pay my vows : unto thee will 1
give thanks.
13 For thou hast delivered my
soul from death, and my feet
from failing : that I may walk
before God in the light of the
living.
204
Psalm LVI.
This Psalm— a Michtam of David— is referred by the inscription to the
time "when the Philistines took him in Gath." In this reference to a
capture and imprisonment, not recorded in 1 Sam. xxi. 10 — 15 (though
clearly alluded to in v. IS and xxii. 1), there is an indication of genuineness.
The visit was David's first visit to Gath when he was a solitary fugitive—
perhaps suspected to be a spy— and was in the imminent danger, from
which he only escaped by feigning madness. Ps. xxxiv. (on his escape) is
therefore a sequel to this Psalm.
It is to be sung on Jonath-elem-rechokim ("the silent dove of them that
are afar off ") probably the name of the tune to which it is set.
The recurrence of the burden in vv. 4, 11 breaks the Psalm into three
parts; (a), in vv. 1—4, a brief description of his danger and prayer for
deliverance; and (b), in vv. 5 — 11, a more emphatic picture of the watchful
enmity of the foes, and an expression of unshaken confidence in God's love.
To these succeeds (<?), in vv. 12, 18, the offering of vow and thanksgiving
over an assured deliverance.
v. 8. Put my tears into thy bottle —
that is, by a striking metaphor, trea-
sure up my tears, like choice wine or
water for the desert. Lacrymce pat-
nitentium vinum angeJorum (St. Ber-
nard, quoted by Dr. Kay on this pass-
sage). Every wandering, every tear,
is noted as precious in God's book.
v. 10 is more forcible in the origi-
nal—
" In God will I praise His word ;
In Jehovah will I praise His
word."
The emphatic repetition with the
name Jehovah marks an appeal to
the special Covenant, added to the
natural trust in God. The use of
the phrase " in God" implies a com-
munion in soul with Him, on which
the trust is built.
v. 11. The opposition of God's love
to man's enmity runs through the
Psalm (re. 1, 4, 11), as though by re-
iteration the Psalmist would impress
it upon his own soul. Man is little,
but near ; God's greatness seems far
off, and it needs an effort to bring it
home, not only to the mind, but to<
the heart.
v. 12 should be (as in R.V.)—
" Thy vows are upon me. O God ;
I will render thank-offerings to<
Thee."
The Psalmist (it Beems) had made a
vow, trusting in God's protectionj
Now it has come, or is confidently!
anticipated; and he pays the vow|
gladly.
v. 13. The light of the living. If
should be " the Light of Life I
(comp. John viii. 12)— the light
which is not only the guide, but th«
necessary condition of life, conrinf
from Him, who is the Life itself.
v. 1. Daily (here and in r. 2) is "all
day long."
v. 2. O thou mott Highe»t. This
rendering of the Hebrew is found
in the ancient versions ; but the pro-
bable meaning is " from on high "—
connected with the previous words,
and signifying "in their pride" or
" disdain.
v. 8. Sometime afraid. This version
softens the intentional paradox of
the original. It is, "What time I
fear, I put my trust in Thee," and
fear not. " The flesh is weak," in this
he fears ; but there is " a strength
made perfect in weakness," and in
this he fears not.
v. 4 should be (as in R.V.)—
" In God will I praise His word ;
In God have I put my trust ;
I will not be afraid ;
What can flesh do unto me ? "
The word "flesh" lays emphasis on
man's frailty and transitoriness
(comp. Ps. lxxviii. 39).
rr. 5, 6. In v 2 the "enemies" are
literally " watchers." Here this idea
is fully worked out. It is notable
that his Philistine enemies are said to
use guile, to "wrest his words," to
" watch his steps," to " lay wait for
his life." Perhaps, now as after-
wards, Achish was inclined to trust
and favour him, and therefore such
guile was needed.
v. 7. Thou, O God, &c. It Bhould
be, " In Thine anger cast down the
peoples," that is, "the Gentiles"—
an indirect allusion to the heathen
character of the enemies, which is
another indication of the correctness
of the historical reference given to
this Psalm.
204 a
Psalm LVII.
The heading describes this Psalm as a " Psalm of David, when he fled
from Saul in the cave "—evidently the cave of Adullam (1 Sam. xxii. 1),
or the cave of Engedi (1 Sam. xxiv. 1—3). The close connection with the
preceding Psalm, belonging to the sojourn in Gath immediately before the
flight to Adullam, suggests the former. The whole character of the Psalm
-the freshness and vigour of style, the buoyancy of tone and the vivid
abruptness of transition from one point to another — accord well with the
occasion and with the general tenour of David's early Psalms. It is a
Psalm of almost exuberant confidence in God out of the very jaws of dan-
ger, applied accordingly as a Psalm of Easter-Day to the great triumph of
the Righteous One over the powers of Hell and Death.
The burden, "Set up Thyself," &c, divides the Psalm into two equal
parts— the first (a), in vv. 1 — 6, a cry of confident faith against the devour-
ing enmity of man ; next (6), in vv. 7—12, a burst of thanksgiving over the
anticipated deliverance.
Like Ps. lviii., lix., Ixxv., it is headed " Destroy not " — probably the name
of the air to which the Psalm was to be sung (see Isa. lxv. 8).
mity is evidently contrasted with the
Psalmist's confidence in the supreme
strength of God.
. 1. Under the shadow of thy wings.
Comp. Deut. xxxii. 11; Ps. xvii. 8;
lxiii. 7.
This tyranny— properly "destruc-
tion"—is evidently the persecution
of Saul, of which David knew well,
from God's promise to him, that it
would pass away.
. 2. The most high God. This spe-
cial name is emphatic and unusual —
found only here and in Ps. lxxviii. 56.
It appeals to Him in His exalted
Majesty of power ; and leads on to
the application of that power to the
deliverance of His servant (" God
who performeth all things for me").
r. 3. Save me from the reproof— pro-
perly, " Save me, when he that would
swallow me up reproacheth" (comp.
lvi. 1). God from heaven blesses
with salvation ; man reviles and rages
in vain.
v. 4, 5 (with some difficulties of
exact translation) draw a vivid pic-
ture of his enemies in rapid variation
of metaphor. Now they are devour-
ing "lions" in cruelty; now "fire-
brands" in wrath; now they openly
threaten with "the spears and ar-
rows "of violence ; now they pierce
with the " sharp sword " of a false
tongue (comp. lii. 3). The vividness
Of this consciousness of man's en-
v. 6 pleads with God for "His
Name's sake." The salvation of
His servants from the wicked is the
highest exaltation of His glory be-
fore men and angels (comp. Eph.
i. 6, 12; hi. 10).
v. 8. My heart is fixed—" stedfast,
unmoveable" amidst all the storms
of danger and trouble.
v. 9 evidently implies that this is a
Morning Psalm. The probable ren-
dering of the last clause is striking,
" I myself will awake the morning "
—anticipate the dawn by my hymn
of praise. My glory, as in Ps. xvi. 9
and xxx. 12, is "my soul." The soul
wakes first : next wakes the music of
its praise.
v. 10. Among the people, &c. The
idea of this proclamation of God's
glory among the heathen is probably
suggested by the circumstances of
the time— the late sojourn in Gath,
and the restless wanderings on the
debateable frontier ground. The
Divine glory is (as always) the mani-
festation of the infinite greatness of
His mercy and truth in salvation
(see v. 6).
Psalm LYIII.
This Psalm— terrible in its denunciation of hardened sinners, prayer for
their destruction, and rejoicing over their doom— is ascribed to David ; the
force and abruptness of the imagery, and the intensity of wrath against
evil, suit the ascription well. There is nothing to fix its period (see,
however, note on v. 1), but the characteristics are those of David's earlier
Psalms.
204 b
Psalm LVIII— cont.
It evidently contains (a), in vv. 1—5, a description, half sarcastic, half
denunciatory, of hardened wickedness; (6), in vv. 6—8, a vehement cry to
God against it; (c), in vv. 9, 10, an exultant anticipation of the vindication
of God's justice by its fall.
v. 1. O ye congregation. This ren-
dering (unsupported by ancient ver-
sions) is probably wrong. As the
text stands it must be, " Do ye utter
the silence of righteousness?" i.e.
the righteousness which hath hither-
to been silent. This has been sup-
posed to allude to Absalom's pre-
tence (2 Sam. xv. 3, 4) of rectifying
the miscarriage of David's justice.
But the expression is harsh and
artificial; and it is probably best
(by a slight correction) to read (as
in R.V. marg.) —
"Do ye utter righteousness, O ye
gods?
Do ye judge uprightly the chil-
dren of men 't "
Gods (as in Ps. lxxxii. 1, 6) are the
great ones of the earth, with perhaps
an allusion to their haughty self-
exaltation above mere " children of
v. 2. Tea is " Nay rather."
Deal with tvickednese— properly,
" deal " or " weigh out wickedness,"
in the scales of miscalled justice.
vv. 3—5. To the sarcasm of the
previous verses succeeds abruptly
vehemence of denunciation on the
hardened persistence in evil— per-
versoness, falsehood, malignity— and
on the utter refusal to listen to all
charms of persuasion to good.
v. 5 is perhaps literally—
" Which ref useth to hear the voice
of the whisperer,
Of the skilful weaver of charms."
The allusion is to the hissing whisper
of the charmer, and to the magic
ceremonies of incantation.
vv. 6 — 8, with still more forcible
abruptness, accumulate metaphors
of prayer against the wicked— that
the teeth of their ravening cruelty
may be broken ; their strength flow
away like a stream ; that their
arrows may be cut off or snapped
(" rooted out " in our version) ; that
they may waste like the snail (as it .
leaves its trail behind) ; that their ]
evil may be abortive in its very
birth ; that the fire of their mischief
maybe swept away by the whirlwind
of God.
v. 8. The Prayer Book version of
this difficult verse is certainly wrong,
and hardly intelligible. We should
probably render —
" Before your pots feel the (fire of)
thorns,
Whether green or burning, he
shall whirl (their brands) a-
way."
The metaphor is from the fire
kindled in the wilderness, and the
brands whirled away, still half green,
half burning, by the blast. The
thorn fire, rapidly kindled and ex-
tinguished, is the threatening and
abortive mischief of the wicked
(comp. Ps. cxviii. 12, Eccl. vii. 6).
Another rendering refers the latter
verse to the food, "whether raw or
boiling hot," &c. But this is less
natural and striking.
ft'. 9, 10 express in terrible vivid-
ness the stern judicial rejoicing over
the blood of the wicked. Comp.
Ps. lxviii. 28, " That thy foot," &c.
The rejoicing is, indeed, not over
their death in itself, but over the
manifestation through it of a " God
who judgeth the earth," and the
consequent certainty that " there is
a reward for the righteous." Yet?
even so this passage (like many
others in the Psalms) breathes th«
righteous indignation of " the spirit
of Elias," rather than the higher and
diviner spirit of Him who wept ovof
Jerusalem.
Psalm LIX.
In the heading this Psalm is called a Psalm " of David, when Saul sent
and they watched the house to kill him." It is difficult to decide for ot,
against this ascription. The general style and character of the Psalm, in,
its bold imagery and intensity of wrath, and many special allusions, sui$£
well with the ascription. Against it, however, we have to set the emphatid<
reference (in vv. 5. 8, 11) to the heathen— hardly explained by comparison
with liv. 3, or by the supposition (.in itself apparently, probable^ that Saul
205
Day 11.
THE PSALMS.
PSALM 57.
Miserere mei, Deus.
BE merciful unto me, 0 God,
be merciful unto me, for my
soul trusteth in thee : and under
the shadow of thy wings shall be
my refuge, until this tyranny be
over-past.
2 I will call unto the most high
God : even unto the God that
Bhall perform the cause which I
have in hand.
8 He shall send from heaven :
and save me from the reproof of
him that would eat me up.
4 God shall send forth his mer-
cy and truth : my soul is among
lions.
5 And I lie even among the
children of men, that are set on
fire : whose teeth are spears and
arrows, and their tongue a sharp
sword.
6 Set up thyself, 0 God, above
the heavens : and thy glory above
all the earth.
7 They have laid a net for my
feet, and pressed down my soul :
they have digged a pit before me,
and are fallen into the midst of it
themselves.
8 My heart is fixed, 0 God,
my heart is fixed : I will sing, and
give praise.
9 Awake up, my glory ; awake,
lute and harp : I myself will
awake right early.
10 I will give thanks unto thee,
0 Lord, among the people : and
1 will sing unto thee among the
nations.
11 For the greatness of thy
mercy reacheth unto the heavens :
and thy truth unto the clouds.
Day 11.
Day 11.
12 Set up thyself, 0 God, above
the heavens : and thy glory above
all the earth.
PSALM 58.
Si vere utique.
ARE your minds set upon righ-
teousness, 0 ye congregation :
and do ye judge the thing that is
right, 0 ye sous of men ?
2 Yea, ye imagine mischief in
your heart upon the earth : and
your hands deal with wickedness.
3 The ungodly are froward,
even from their mother's womb :
as soon as they are born, they go
astray, and speak lies.
4 They are as venomous as the
poison of a serpent : even like the
deaf adder that stoppeth her ears ;
5 Which refuseth to hear the
voice of the charmer : charm lie
never so wisely.
6 Break their teeth, O God, in
their mouths ; smite the jaw-
bones of the lions, 0 Lord : let
them fall away like water that
runneth apace ; and when they
shoot their arrows let them be
rooted out.
7 Let them consume away like
a snail, and be like the untimely
fruit of a woman : and let them
not see the sun.
8 Or ever your pots be made
hot with thorns : so let indigna-
tion vex him, even as a thing that
is raw.
9 The righteous shall rejoice
when he aeeth the vengeance : he
shall wash his footsteps in the
blood of the ungodly.
10 So that a man shall say,
Verily there is a reward for the
righteous : doubtless there is a
God that judgeth the earth.
©toning Prancr.
PSALM 59.
Eripe me de inimicis.
DELIVER me from mine ene-
mies, O God : defend me from
them that rise up against me.
2 0 deliver me from the wick-
ed doers : and save me from the
blood-thirsty men.
'6 For lo, they lie waiting for
my soul : the mighty men are
gathered against me, without any
offence or fault of me, O Lord.
4 They run and prepare them-
selves without my fault : arise thou
therefore to help me, and behold.
5 Stand up, O Lord God of
hosts, thou God of Israel, to visit
all the heathen : and be not mer-
Psalm LIX.— eont.
employed aliens, such as Doeg and " Cush, the Edomitc," against David.
It has been noted also that the phrase " my people " could hardly be used
by any but a king of Israel. The Psalm, by whomsoever written, is striking
in its force, occasionally obscure in its concentration of meaning, and
alternating between fierce wrath against the enemy and exulting confidence
in God.
It falls into two divisions, each again subdivided. The former contains
(a), in vv. 1—5, a prayer for deliverance of the innocent from the men of
blood, and for righteous visitation of the heathen; and (l>), in vv. 6—9, a
picture of them, the enemies, ravening like dogs for prey, and scorned by
the righteous Lord. The latter contains (c), in vv. 10—13, a vehement
prayer, first for signal chastisement, and then for final destruction of the
enemies; and (d), in vv. 14—17, an ironical repetition of the metaphor of
(6), and a concluding burst of praise to the Deliverer.
vv. 1—4 agree well enough with the
descriptions elsewhere given of the
enemies of David in the time of
Saul, in respect of treachery, un-
scrupulousness, and thirst for blood.
The metaphors are naturally drawn
from warfare— the ambush, the mus-
ter, the running to station them-
selves ("prepare themselves") a-
gainst their prey. Moreover, the
vehement protestations of innocence
are characteristic of the Psalms of
this period.
v. 5. Here, however, difficulty be-
gins. The invocation to " Jehovah,"
the Eternal One— the " God of hosts"
(see xxiv. 10), the Lord of all rational
beings— the " God of Israel," the
God of covenant with His own peo-
ple—is emphatic, and the prayer that
He will visit the heathen," can
hardly refer to individual aliens in
the service of Saul. It is just pos-
sible that " heathen " maybe used
as a synonym with the "wicked
transgressors," aliens in heart from
God and traitors to Israel. But
there is no indication in the Psalm
of such metaphorical use.
vv. 6, 7 again refer with striking
appropriateness to the bloodhounds
of Saul, compared to the wild fa-
mished dogs of Eastern cities, prowl-
ing in the dusk for prey.
They grin— properly " snarl like a
dog."
They speak should be, " they belch
forth" or "foam" "at the mouth."
Swords in their lips (comp. lv. 22 ;
lvii. 5). The metaphor is here
dropped, as also in the next clause.
"For who (they say) doth hear?"
(comp. x. 12, 14).
v. 9. My ttrength, &c. It should I
probably be, " O my strength, I will
wait upon Thee " (comp. v. 17).
v. 10. God sheweth, &c. The true
meaning (as in A.V. and R.V.) here
and in v. 4, is far more beautiful.
" God shall prevent me "—anticipate
my needs and my prayers (comp.
Ps. xxi. 8) in the freedom of His
mercy.
vv. 11—18 form an awful prayer of
imprecation against the enemies,
First, that they may not be speedily
swept away, lest "my people" for-
get it, but remain in slow destruc-
tion as a warning to God's servants ;
then that they may be taken in the
snare, because of the sin of their
lips, their utterance (oddly rendered
"their preaching") of cursing and
falsehood; lastly, that after this
longsuffering they may be consumed
in wrath, and in their destruction be
a monument of the wrath of God as
the Judge of all the earth. Here,
again, there is the same reference to
heathen as heathen, difficult to ex-
plain on the traditional hypothesis.
vv. 14, 15 appear to be a sarcastic
and defiant repetition of the meta-
phor of vv. 6, 7. ("They will re-
turn " should be" Let them return.")
Then let the hungry pack return (he J
says) after their wont, and raven for I
food in the evening ; "unsatisfied let i
them prowl all night in vain " (,as in
the marginal reading of A.V.).
vv. 16, 17 are similarly a fuller and j
more emphatic repetition of v. 9. as J
a morning song of thanksgiving.!
The "refuge" (here and in p. 9) is
the "high fortress" of safety, from
which the Psalmist looks down on*
the vain fury and persistency of his I
enemies. God is the " God of his;;
strength and the God of his mercy.'* I
2on
Day 11.
THE PSALMS.
Day 11.
ciful unto them that offend of
malicious wickedness.
6 They go to and fro in the
evening : they grin like a dog,
and run about through the city.
7 Behold, they speak with their
mouth, and swords are in their
lips : for who doth hear ?
8 But thou, O Lord, shalt have
them in derision : and thou shalt
laugh all the heathen to scorn.
9 My strength will I ascribe
unto thee : for thou art the God
of my refuge.
10 God sheweth me his goodness
plenteously : and God shall let me
see my desire upon mine enemies.
11 Slay them not, lest my peo-
ple forget it : but scatter them
abroad among the people, and put
them down, 0 Lord, our defence.
12 For the sin of their mouth,
and for the words of their lips,
they shall be taken in their pride :
and why? their preaching is of
cursing and lies.
13 Consume them in thy wrath,
consume them, that they may
perish : and know that it is God
that ruleth in Jacob, and unto
the ends of the world.
14 And in the eveniug they
will return : grin like a dog, and
will go about the city.
15 They will run here and
there for meat : and grudge if
they be not satisfied.
16 As for me, I will sing of thy
power, and will praise thy mercy
betimes in the morning : for thou
hast been my defence and refuge
In the day of my trouble.
17 Unto thee, 0 my strength,
will I sing : for thou, 0 God, art
my refuge, and my merciful God.
PSALM 60.
Deus, repulisti nos.
OGOD, thou hast cast us out,
and scattered us abroad :
thou hast also been displeased :
O turn thee unto us again.
2 Thou hast moved the land,
and divided it : heal the sores
thereof, for it shakcth.
3 Thou hast shewed thy people
heavy things : thou hast given us
a drink of deadly wine.
4 Thou hast given a token for
such as fear thee : that they may
triumph because of the truth.
5 Therefore were thy beloved
delivered : help nie with thy right
hand, and hear me.
6 God hatli spoken in his holi-
ness, I will rejoice, and divide Si-
chem : and mete out the valley
of Succoth.
7 Gilead is mine, and Manasses
is mine : Ephraim also is the
strength of my head; Judah is
my law-giver ;
8 Moab is my wash-pot ; over
Edoin will I cast out my shoe :
Philistia, be thou glad of me.
y Who will lead me into the
strong city : who will bring me
into Edom ?
10 Hast not thou cast us out,
0 God : wilt not thou, 0 God, go
out with our hosts ?
11 0 be thou our help in trou-
ble : for vain is the help of man.
12 Through God will we do
great acts : for it is he that shall
tread down our enemies.
PSALM 61.
Exaudi, Deus.
HEAR my crying, 0 God : give
ear unto my prayer.
2 From the ends of the earth
will I call upon thee : when my
heart is in heaviness.
3 O set me up upon the rock
that is higher than I : for thou
hast been my hope, and a strong
tower for me against the enemy.
4 I will dwell in thy tabernacle
for ever : and my trust shall be
under the covering of thy wings.
5 For thou, O Lord, hast heard
my desires : and hast given an
heritage unto those that fear thy
Name.
6 Thou shalt grant the King a
long life : that his years may en-
dure throughout all generations.
7 He shall dwell before God for
ever : 0 prepare thy loving mercy
and faithfulness, that they may
preserve him.
8 So will I alway sing praise
unto thy Name : that I may daily
perform my vowa.
206
Psalm LX.
The heading of this Psalm makes it a Psalm " of David, when he strove
with Aram-naharaim " (" Syria of the two rivers," i.e. Mesopotamia) "and
Aram-zobah" (Syria of Zobah), "when Joab returned and smote of Edom
in the valley "of salt twelve thousand." The war referred to is noticed in
2 Sam. x. 7— 19; 1 Chron. xviii. 12, 13; xix. 6—18; and (by allusion1) in
1 Kings xi. 15, 16 ; but the inscription can be taken from none of these,
and is obviously of independent authority. It would appear that Joab was
sent back from Syria to quell a rebellion in Edom, which he did (through
Abishai, according to 1 Chron. xviii. 12, IS), and punished the rebels with
merciless severity (1 Kings xi. 15, 16). The Psalm itself shews that after
this David had suffered a critical reverse (unrecorded in the history) before
the final victory, which brought him to the zenith of his power. Between
the defeat and the victory the Psalm 1b clearly written.
It is said to be on Shushan-eduth (" the Lily of Testimony "), probably the
tune to which the Psalm was sung.
The Psalm, thoroughly suiting its occasion, has three parts: (a), in
vv. 1—5, mingled lamentation and hope under defeat; (6), in w. 6 — 8, the
proclamation of God's answering promise of triumph; («), in w. 9—12, the
confident acceptance of that answer in prayer and thanksgiving.
vv. 1—3 are the complaints of de-
feat and disaster, described under
two figures— the earthquake, which
"moves the earth and divides it,"
makes "breaches" (in our version
strangely rendered "sores") in it
and shakes it " — the " drink of
bewilderment as wine" ("deadly
wine"), under which the hearts of
the people " stagger like a drunken
man" (comp. Ps. lvii. 27).
v. 4. If the translation of our
Prayer Book and Bible Versions be
adopted, this verse marks a change
of idea— to the remembrance that
even in defeat " God gave His people
a banner " (in our version " token ")
round which to rally for deliver-
ance. But many Ancient Versions
render—
" Thou hast given a banner to those
that fear Thee
(Only) that they may flee before
the bow ;
and, as the verse is, by the Selah
following it, apparently connected
with the previous verses, this inter-
pretation may be the true one.
v. 5, Therefore, &c, should be (as
in R.V.)—
"That thy beloved may be de-
livered,
Save with Thy right hand." &c.
It marks the turning from the sad
confession of the previous verses to
a prayer for deliverance, answered
in v. 6.
v. 6. In His holiness (oomp. Ps.
lxxxix. 86), that is, in the sanctity
of His promise ; or perhaps, as in the
LXX., "in His sanctuary" by some
oracle solemnly given.
vv. 6—8 enumerate the sources of
$06 H
David's strength. First, " Shechem
and Succoth — apparently repre-
senting the west and east of Jor-
dan—possibly referring here to the
subject races still left. These are
" divided and meted out " in un-
questioned sway. Then " Gilead and
Manasseh," the Israelite regions
of the east, Ephraim and Judah,
the grpat tribes of the west —
Ephral.u " the strength" (or de-
fence) " of the head," as the most
powerful, Judah the "Law-giver"
or "Sceptre" (see Gen. xlix. 10), as
the royal tribe. (This description
marks the early date of the Psalm. 1
Then the subject peoples, described
in scornful triumph — " Moab, the
wash-pot" (for washing the feet);
"Edom," the slave to whom "the
shoe," taken off for washing, "is
cast": Philistia bidden to "cry
aloud ("be thou glad") in forced
homage, or in terror. (Note the
repetition, with variation, of this
section in Ps. cviii. 6—13).
v. 9. The strong city, the central
fortress of the unconquered foe.
Who will lead me, Sic., should be,
"Who hath led me into Edom?,s
The conquest of Edom, already
achieved, is the earnest of future
triumph.
v. 10. Hast not Thou, &c. This
mistranslation mars the sense. It
should be, " Wilt not Thou, O God,
who hadst cast us out," &c. David
speaks in hope of the return of
God's help after His temporary dis-
pleasure; for this he pravs in v. 11 ;
through this he anticipates triumph i
in v. 12, with an anticipation glo-
riously fulfilled.
Psalm LXI.
This Psalm is clearly the Psalm of an exile "in the ends of thV
longing for the sanctuary of God ; and it dwells with special emi
faith on the promise to "the king" for all generations. Ascr
David, it suits well in both these points the time, to which so many Pi
belong, of the flight from Absalom, when he would naturally fall bade"
the hour of desolation on the great promise of the "sure mercies of David.'*
Both in special expressions and in the general tone, passing from distress
into confidence, it much resembles other Psalms known to belong to that
time.
In the first portion (a), in vv. 1—4. it is a cry of prayer ; in the second
(ft), in vv. 5—8, it is an expression of faith and praise.
v. 2. From the ends of the earth— the
natural exaggeration of the sorrow
of the exile in the desolation of the
wilderness.
v. 3. Higher than /—properly, "the
rock too high for me" to climb un-
aided—the Presence of God, which
is, as usual, described as the "re-
fuge" and the "strong tower" of
safety.
v. 4. J will dwell, &c. This is pro-
rendering is probably that of the
A.V. and R.V., "thou hast given
me the heritage of those who fear
Thy Name " that iR, the heritage of
Israel, which David knows to be his
by promise, though now it seems to
be lost.
v . 6. The king, &c. It seems strange
at first sight that David should thus
speak of himself in the third person.
But the explanation lies in the in-
terpretation of the Jewish Targums
me dwell, or I would dwell *»! of himself? not personally, but as the
recipient of the great promise to his
seed, so often quoted (2 Sam. vii. 12
Thy tabernacle (tent) . The allusion
may be only to rest under the tent
of God's protection, as under " the
covering of His wings." But it most
probably refers to the Tabernacle on
Mount Zion, from which he is far
away, though God is with him still.
The very metaphor, "under the
shadow of Thy wings ' (see Ps. xvii.
8; lvii. 1; lxiii. 7; xci. 4), may be
suggested here by the thought of the
outstretched wings of the cherubim
in the Sanctuary.
Thou hast given, &c. The best
■16), as is obvious by the reference
to never-ending life and blessing of
God's mercy and truth, never to be
taken away. So far the Psalm is
Messianic in its ultimate meaning,
but its immediate idea is the security
to himself for triumph and restora-
tion which the great promise implies.
v. 8. Perform my vows. As in Ps.
lvi. 12, the Psalmist's vows, made in
exile and trouble, are to be perform-
ed on joyful return to Jerusalem.
Psalm LXII.
This Psalm— again described as a Psalm of David— is connected with the
name of Jeduthun (or Ethan), head of the Levitical companies. In this it
is like Ps. xxxix., with which it has many resemblances in expression. But
the heading here is not " for," but " after the manner of," " Jeduthun " —
perhaps as set to some music composed by him. There is little of internal
evidence of authorship or date, except the indications of rising enmity
against the Psalmist and of oppression and disorder in Israel. If the
Psalm be David's, this points to the same period as that of the preceding
Psalm.
It is broken by the Selah into three sections : (a), in vv. 1 — 4, an indignant
remonstrance against the enemies ; (ft), in vv. 5 — 8, an outpouring of con-
fidence in God ; (c), in vv. 9 — 12, a defiance in His strength of all earthly
power.
God," &c). Still (here and in v. 5)
is " in silence." Amidst all the din
of enmity his soul keeps silence and
is at peace in God.
v. 3. Ye shall be slain, &c This is
. 1. Truly. The word is used em-
phatically six times in this Psalm, in
t>». 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9 (as three times in
Ps. xxxix. 6, 7). "Only" would be
the best rendering ('"Only upon
206 b
Psalm LXII.— cont.
an erroneous rendering. The verse I
should be—
" How long will ye set upon a
man,
That ye may slay him, all of you,
Like a bowing wall, like a totter- j
ing fence?"
It is the Psalmist who feels his state
precarious, so that a touch may break
him down. So it certainly was with
David at the outbreak of the rebellion.
v. i. This verse is also mistrans-
lated. It should run—
'* Only from his excellency they
consult to thrust him down,
They who delight in lies," &c.
The picture, as in many similar
Psalms, is both of violence and of
treachery— the two chief weapons of
rebellion.
vv. 5, C repeat vv. 1, 2 with certain
characteristic changes, turning as-
sertion of faith into self -exhortation,
under the sense of pressure and
trouble ; accumulating in v. 7 the ex-
pressions of confidence in God's good-
ness (as our "salvation," "glory,"
" strength," " refuge ") ; adding, in
v. 8, a call to the people of God to
join in the confidence that He is a
refuge for them all.
r. 9 ngnin misses the sense of the
original, the words rendered " men "
in the two clauses being different
(seeA.V.).
vv. 9, 10 should be—
" Only a breath are men of low de-
gree.
And men of high degree a lie ;
In the balance they mount up-
ward,
They are altogether lighter than
a breath ;
O trust not in wrong, rely not
vainly on robbery," tic.
Men of all degrees are referred to as
powerless; but the reference seems
especially to the great men i"the
princes "), who were prominent in
the rebellions both of Absalom and
Adonijah.
rr. 11, 12. God tpake once, &c. (comp.
Job xxxiii. U; xl. 5). The phrase de-
scribes truth emphasized by reitera-
tion. The claim is not oniy of sole
power, but of a power discriminating
between men, in justice and yet in
mercy— judging according to works,
yet not "' extreme to mark what is
done amiss." In this faith is the
essence of all vital religion.
Psalm LXIII.
This most beautiful Psalm is ascribed to "David, when he was in the
wilderness of Judah " — "the barren and dry land," which suggested the
image of spiritual thirst. As usual, it combines the longing for the worship
of the Sanctuary with the sense of a presence of God still with the exile.
Like the preceding Psalms, it evidently belongs to the time of weariness
distress, and thirst— such as were so painfully felt (see 2 Sam. xvii. 2, 29 1 oi
the flight from the rebellion of Absalom. It is a Morning Psalm, and a
such it has been used daily from early times in the Eastern Church.
It falls into two unequal parts : the first (a) and most beautiful, ii
rr. 1—9, being an outpouring of aspiration for God and confidence in Him
the latter (6) a brief expression of defiance to those who would assail the
king {vv. 10—12).
should be repeated at the beginning
of r. 5. The repetition is suggestive,
" So have I beheld thee " fin happier]
days) "in the Sanctuary" ; " so will '
I magnify thee as long as I live."
r. 2. The cry. like xlri. 2, " My soul
is athirst for God," is the universal
cry of men, in sense of helplessness
and weariness, to the God of com-
fort ; yet in both cases it is probably
suggested and stimulated by the
physical conditions under which the
Psalm was written. Both " soul "
and "flesh" icomp. lxxxiv. 2) feel
the intense craving for God's bless-
ing, by which both must be sus-
tained.
v. 8. "In holiness "—properly, "in
the Sanctuary." The word "thiiB"
While the Psalmist fondly regrets I
the worship in which he beheld (seej
Ps. lxxvii. IS) the power and glory of
God manifested in His SanctuaryJ
and felt His "loving kindness as
better than life itself," yet he knows
that everywhere he may enjoy the!
same worship, and receive the mercjj
of the same God.
Day 12.
THE PSALMS.
Day 12.
Day 12.
ittorning ^rager.
PSALM 62.
Nonne Deo ?
MY soul truly waiteth still
upon God : for of him
cometh my salvation.
2 He verily is my strength and
my salvation : he is my defence,
so that I shall not greatly fall.
3 How long will ye imagine
mischief against every man : ye
shall be slain all the sort of you ;
yea, as a tottering wall shall ye
be, and like a broken hedge.
4 Their device is only how to
put him out whom God will
exalt : their delight is in lies ;
they give good words with their
mouth, but curse with their heart.
5 Nevertheless, my soul, wait
thou still upon God : for my hope
is in him.
6 He truly is my strength and
my salvation : he is my defence,
so that I shall not fall.
7 In God is my health, and my
glory : the rock of my might, and
in God is my trust.
8 O put your trust in him al-
way, ye people : pour out your
hearts before him, for God is our
hope.
9 As for the children of men,
they are but vanity : the children
of men are deceitful upon the
weights, they are altogether light-
er than vanity itself.
10 O trust not in wrong and
robbery, give not yourselves unto
vanity : if riches increase, set not
your heart upon them.
11 God spake once, and twice
I have also heard the same : that
power belongeth unto God ;
12 And that thou, Lord, art
merciful : for thou rewardest
every man according to his work.
PSALM 63.
Deus, Deus meus.
OGOD, thou art my God :
early will I seek thee.
2 My soul thirsteth for thee,
my flesh also longeth after thee :
in a barren and dry land where
no water is.
3 Thus have I looked for thee
in holiness : that I might behold
thy power and glory.
4 For thy loving-kindness is
better than the life itself : my
lips shall praise thee.
5 As long as I live will I mag-
nify thee on this manner : and
lift up my hands in thy Name.
6 My soul shall be satisfied,
even as it were with marrow and
fatness : when my mouth praiseth
thee with joyful lips.
7 Have I not remembered thee
in my bed : and thought upon
thee when I was waking ?
8 Because thou hast been my
helper : therefore under the sha-
dow of thy wings will I rejoice.
9 My soul hangeth upon thee :
thy right hand hath upholden me.
10 These also that seek the
hurt of my soul : they shall go
under the earth.
11 Let them fall upon the edge
of the sword : that they may be a
portion for foxes.
12 But the King shall rejoice in
God ; all they also that swear by
him shall be commended : for the
mouth of them that speak lies
shall be stopped.
PSALM 64.
Exaudi, Deus.
HEAR my voice, O God, in my
prayer : preserve my life from
fear of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the gathering
together of the froward : and from
the insurrection of wicked doers ;
3 Who have whet their tongue
like a sword : and shoot out their
arrows, even bitter words ;
4 That they may privily shoot
at him that is perfect : suddenly
do they hit him, and fear not.
5 They encourage themselves
in mischief : and commune a-
mong themselves how they may
lay snares, and say, that no man
shall see them.
6 They imagine wickedness,
and practise it : that they keep
secret among themselves, every
man in the deep of his heart.
207
17
P8ALM LXIII .— cont.
V. 6. Marrow and fatnes$. The
metaphor again suggested by the
weariness and hunger of the writer.
The longing for God's presence is the
soul's thirst ; the finding of it is the
soul's satisfaction and the spring of
joyful praise (comp. John vi. 85).
v. 7. The allusion is one of special
beauty and truth— to the last thought
of God at night, which is the most
peaceful, and the first consciousness j ^mwTfolloweriTiS SttSTSll* 'and
in the returning freshness , of .the tn hftU ^ 8laughtered and left to
morning, which is the most vivid \ theyxraA bea8t8. The " foxes " (as in
(comp. Ps. xhi. 8). Judg. xv. 4) are the jackalB.
v. 8. Under the shadow of Thy wings
v. 12. Shall be commended— properly,
shall glory* or "triumph." The
v. 10. Under the earth — to the
nothingness of Sheol (or Hades).
See Pb. ix. 17.
v. 11 should be —
" Men shall give him over to the
sword:
They shall be a portion for
jackals."
The leader is perhaps distinguished
(comp. Ps. xvii. 8; lvii. 1 ; xci. 4)
vv. 10—12 turn, in sudden change
of tone, against the enemy, emphati-
cally described as the enemies of
"the King," seeking his soul to de-
stroy it (comp. 2 Sam. xvii. 1—4).
Name of God, invoked in faith, shall
be victory; the utterance of false-
hood against Him shall bring dis-
grace.
Psalm LXIV.
The marked resemblance between this Psalm and Psalm vii. tends to
confirm the traditional ascription to David. But there is little in the
Psalm itself to refer it with certainty to any special time or circumstance
of his life. It is simply a prayer for, and anticipation of, God's judgment
on crafty and bitter enemies.
In vv. 1—6 we have (a) the picture of malignity and falsehood ; in vv. 7—10,
the glad foresight of God's vengeance upon it.
v. 8. Comp. Ps. xi. 2 ; lvii. 4 ; lviii.
7. The chief weapon of the con-
spiracy is slanderous falsehood— the
sharpened sword and deadly arrows
of the tongue— such as David ex-
perienced, both in the days of his
early persecution and in the later
conspiracy of Absalom. But the
idea of a subtle conspiracy is pro-
minent, encouraging the enemies
both in open mischief and in secret
treachery.
t;. 6. This difficult verse should be
rendered (if the present text may
stand) —
" They devise wickedness ;
We have accomplished (say they)
a skilful device,
And their inward thought and
their heart is deep."
It is the malignant and self-compla-
cent subtlety of the enmity which
most impresses the Psalmist. This
would suit especially with the evil
counsel of Ahithophel, on which so
207 a
many of the later Psalms of David
dwell.
vv. 7, 8 should probably be—
" God shall shoot at them with an
arrow ;
Suddenly their wound comes ;
They (or " He ) shall cause them
to stumble ;
Their own tongue is against
them;
All who see them shake their
heads."
The picture is vivid. As they are
aiming their shafts (see v. 8), the
shaft of God strikes them (comp. Ps.
vii. 18); wounded before they know
it, they stumble ; their own treachery
works out their ruin (comp. Ps. vii.
17), and all who see it "shake their
heads" (comp. xxii. 7) in derision.
vv. 9, 10. The fall of the wicked
wakes only derision; the sense of
God's righteous judgment mani-
fested in it adds the hirtier element
of satisfaction and confidence in Him
(comp. lviii. 10).
Psalm LXV.
This singularly beautiful Psalm of Thanksgiving evidently belongs to a
time when God had blessed His people by signal deliverance before the
heathen, and when a bountiful harvest was springing up under His
blessing. Although ascribed traditionally to David, it is generally thought
to be of later date, and by many referred especially to the time after the
defeat of the invasion of Sennacherib (see Isa. xxxvii. SO, "in the third
year, sow ye and reap, and plant vineyards ")• It is " for the chief musician,"
to be used in the solemn worship of the Sanctuary— clearly at some great
festival of thanksgiving. t
It divides itself into three parts: (a), in vv. 1—4, the expression of
thankful worship in God's Temple; (6) followed, in vv. 5—8, by a com-
memoration of His deliverance, manifesting Him to all nations ; (e) con-
cluding, in vv. 9—14, with a singularly vivid and lovely picture of His
blessing the land with f ruitf ulness.
God as the God of all— in the phy-
sical world, the founder of the sta-
bility of the everlasting hills, and
the curber of the restless motion of
the great deep— in the world of men,
the stiller of the surging madness of
the people, and the awe of all who
dwell in the utmost parts of the
earth— in both the God of the whole
universe, in whom the outgoings of
morning and evening alike rejoice.
vv. 9—14. From this grand concep-
tion the Psalmist turns to the nearer
and more gracious manifestation of
God in blessing to His land— the
blessing at once of abundance and
joy— alike on the cultivated valleys
waving with corn, and the " pastures
of the wilderness" (see Joel ii. 22)
full of sheep.
v. 10. The river of God— probably
"the water above the firmament,
the treasure-house of the rain (comp.
Job xxxviii. 25—28), which is the
"preparation for the corn" and
" the provision for the earth."
v. 11. The original is singularly
graphic—
" Thou watereBt her furrows, thou
pressest down her ridges ;
Thou makest it soft with the
showers of rain ;
Thou blessest the springing
thereof."
v. 12. Thy clouds. It should be,
"Thy paths" — the footsteps of
God's Providence, round which
f ruitf ulness springs up.
vv. 18, 14. The
is more striking-
" They drop on the pastures of the
wilderness,
And the hills are girded with
,Joy;
The pastures are clothed with
flocks ;
The valleys are thick with corn."
v. 1. The original is, " Praise wait-
eth for Thee," or " is hushed before
Thee." The latter rendering is one
of singular beauty ; the first awe of
worship breathes silence (comp. Isa.
xli. 1 ; Hab. ii. 20) ; then follows the
thank-offering already vowed; and
after this comes the utterance of
prayer.
v. 2. Thou that hearest prayer is the
special epithet of a living and loving
God, who has really relations of
covenant with His people. To such
a God as this, and to Him alone,
will " all flesh come." The universal
instinct of prayer is, indeed, a wit-
ness to Him; but only when "we
know that He hearB us" can that
instinct grow into the fulness of
religious life.
vv. 3, 4 are the utterance of prayer :
first, the confession of sin, and the
confidence of pardon for all. " As for
our sins, Thou shalt cover them,"
or "purge them" (here rendered,
*' O be Thou merciful," &c); next,
thankful sense of the blessing of the
man whom God receives as His own ;
lastly, the prayer (for so it should be
translated), " Let us be satisfied with
the blessings of Thy house"— the
desire of perfection being kindled by
the earnest already granted.
v. 5. Thou shalt shew us, &c, should
be, " Thou dost answer us by terrible
things in Thy righteousness" — evi-
dently referring to some manifesta-
tion of God's judgment before the
whole world (such as the destruc-
tion of Sennacherib's host). It is
notable that this judgment, terrible
as it is, makes Him not the fear, but
"the hope of all the ends of the
earth, and of the sea of the distant
Mies."
vv. 0—8. On this remembrance
aaturully follows the thought of
original (see R.V.)
207 b
Psai-m LXV — eont.
earth itself, as from its inhabitants,
go up first the impulsive cry of joy,
and then the deeper utterance of
praise.
«. H. They Khali laugh, &c. They
—the folds of the wilderness and the
cornfields of the valley alike— " shout
for joy ; yea, they sing." From the
Psalm LXVI.
This Psalm has in the heading no ascription, possibly because it is to be
referred to the same time and authorship as Ps. lxv. In style it seems like
that Psalm ; its substance well suits the same occasion of the deliverance
from Sennacherib ; and from the change in v. 12 from the plural to the
singular, it has been with much probability referred to Hezekiah himself.
The historical allusion in v. 5 is thought to mark it as a Passover Psalm ;
and this would certainly bring it to the time of the early growth of the
harvest, referred to in Ps.'lxv. It only differs from that Psalm in making
no reference to physical blessing, but dwelling exclusively on national
deliverance. .
Its divisions are clearly marked by the interposition of the Selah: (a), in
vv. 1—3, the call of homage to God from all the earth ; (6), in vc. 4— G, the
special commemoration of the deliverance of His people; \c), in vv. 7—11,
the vivid remembrance of the trial from which they were delivered; (d), in
vv. 12, 13, the personal promise by the Psalmist himself of the sacrifice of
thank-offering; and («), in vc. 14—18, the recital of God's blessing on his
prayer uttered in the hour of trouble.
v. 1. Make hi* praise glorious, pro- i v. 9. The past suffering is viewed
perly, " Ascribe glory to Him in as in the true sense a discipline of
praise "—as in the Gloria in Excelsis trial— purifying the silver from dross
praise
" give thanks to Him for His great
glory "—the essential glory, of which
all glories of earth are but the re-
flection.
v. 2. Be found liars, &c. The phrase
(as in xviii. 45) properly means "yield
obedience" — perhaps here only the
feigned obedience of terror. In any
case the next verse describes this as
passing into a true worship from all
the earth.
v. 5 should run, "He turned the
sea into dry land ; through the river
men passed on foot"— a double allu-
sion, to the passage of the Red Sea
and the passage through the Jordan,
as the beginning and the close of
the wanderings in the wilderness.
"There"— in the land which God
gave them by these His mercies—
they "will rejoice in Him." The
allusion, however, would be some-
what abrupt, except in connection
with use at the Passover.
v. 6. Such as will not, &c. It should
be, " As for the rebellious, let them
not vaunt themselves." The eyes
of God's majesty "behold the peo-
ple," the nations of the earth ; under
those eyes the vaunts of the rebel-
lious must come to nothing (comp.
Isa. xxxvii. 23— the remonstrance
with Sennacherib). The history
shews us how the deliverance of
Israel impressed even the heathen
nations around.
(comp. Isa. i. 25; Zech. xiii. 9;
Mai. iii. 3). But it is vividly de-
scribed under various images, which
shew how bitter it had been— now as
danger, " a snare" to the feet— now
as a weight of suffering, " laid on the
loins" of those made as beasts of
burden— now as humiliation, in the
insolent trampling of the foe over
their heads— now as passage through
"the fire and water" of opposite
kinds of trial (comp. Isa. xliii. 2).
v. 11. A wealthy place— literally
" a place of abundance," or " a place
of liberty" (as in Ps. xviii. 19).
vv. 12, 18 The change to the singu-
lar is striking ; the Psalmist speaks
with dignity— as a king might well
speak— in the name of the whole
people. He promises the two only
offerings which man in himself can
offer— the thank-offering of homage,
"the incense of rams" (see Exod.
xxix. 18), and the "burnt offering"
of willing self-dedication, soul and
body, to God.
vc. 14—18. In these verses the
Psalmist, speaking still in a tone of
authority, turns from God to man,
from worship to exhortation; mak-
ing his own spiritual experience a
lesson to others. As in other Psalms,
we note the strong protestation of
integrity and of consequent confi-
dence in God's favour to his prayer"
(comp. Hezekiah's words in 2 Kings
xx. 3)— in itself earnest and right,
Day 12.
THE PSALMS.
Day 12.
7 But God shall suddenly shoot
at them with a swift arrow : that
they shall be wounded.
8 Yea, their own tongues shall
make them fall : insomuch that
whoso seeth them shall laugh
them to scorn.
9 And all men that see it shall
say, This hath God done : for they
shall perceive that it is his work.
10 The righteous shall rejoice
in the Lord, and put his trust in
him : and all they that are true
of heart shall be glad.
Day 12.
(Efaenmg ^ragtr.
PSALM 65.
Te decet hymnus.
THOU, 0 God, art praised in
Sion : and unto thee shall
the vow be performed in Jerusa-
lem.
2 Thou that hearest the prayer :
unto thee shall all flesh come.
3 My misdeeds prevail against
me : 0 be thou merciful unto our
sins.
4 Blessed is the man, whom
thou choosest, and receivest unto
thee : he shall dwell in thy court,
and shall be satisfied with the
pleasures of thy house, even of
thy holy temple.
5 Thou shalt shew us wonder-
ful things in thy righteousness, 0
God of our salvation : thou that
art the hope of all the ends of the
earth, and of them that remain
in the broad sea.
6 Who in his strength sctteth
fast the mountains : and is girded
about with power.
7 Who stilleth the raging of the
sea : and the noise of his waves,
and tlie madness of the people.
8 They also that dwell in the
uttermost parts of the earth shall
be afraid at thy tokens : thou
that makest the outgoings of the
morning and evening to praise
thee.
9 Thou visitest the earth, and
blessest it : thcu makest it very
plenteous.
10 The river of God is full of
water : thou preparest their corn,
for so thou providest for the earth.
11 Thou watere8t her furrows,
thou sendcst rain into the little
valleys thereof : thou makest it
soft with the drops of rain, and
blessest the increase of it.
12 Thou crownest the year
with thy goodness : and thy clouds
drop fatness.
13 They shall drop upon the
dwellings of the wilderness : and
the little hills shall rejoice on
every side.
14 The folds shall be full of
sheep : the valleys also shall stand
so thick with corn, that they shall
laugh and sing.
PSALM 66.
Jubilate Deo.
OBE joyful in God, all ye lands :
sing praises unto the honour
of his Name, make his praise to
be glorious.
2 Say unto God, 0 how won-
derful art thou in thy works :
through the greatness of thy power
shall thine enemies be found liars
unto thee.
8 For all the world shall wor-
ship thee : sing of thee, and praise
thy Name.
4 O come hither, and behold
the works of God : how wonder-
ful he is in his doing toward the
children of men.
5 He turned the sea into dry
land : so that they went through
the water on foot ; there did we
rejoice thereof.
6 He ruleth with his power for
ever ; his eye's behold the people ;
and such as will not believe shall
not be able to exalt themselves.
7 0 praise our God, ye people :
and make the voice of his praise
to be heard ;
8 Who holdeth our soul in life :
and suflfereth not our feet to slip.
9 For thou, 0 God, hast proved
us : thou also hast tried us, like
as silver is tried.
10 Thou broughtest us into the
208
Psalm LXVI.— eont.
Set hardly to be taken up by the
eeper self-knowledge of the Chris-
tian. Even here it passes into ab-
solute trust in God's mercy as the
ultimate stay of the soul. The em-
phatic reference to a personal de-
liverance suits exactly with the case
of Hezekiah's recovery from sick-
ness and the tone of his prayer (Isa.
xxxviii. 3).
Psalm LXVII.
This Psalm— also anonymous, and noted as for Liturgical use— probably
belongs to the same group as Ps. lxv. and lxvi. We find in it the same
allusions to manifestation of God's glory through Israel to the heathen,
and the same reference to His blessing upon the harvest. Its Liturgical
character, so strongly marked in the heading, has led to its adoption as
a Canticle of our own Evening Service, celebrating, as already come, that
universal kingdom to which the Psalmist looked forward.
It may be divided into three sections : (a), in w. 1, 2, the introductory
prayer for God's blessing to Israel, as a manifestation of Him to the
heathen ; (6), in w. 8—5, a call to the nations to accept that manifestation
in worship ; (c), the thanksgiving for blessings granted, and confidence in
fresh blessings to come (w. 6, 7).
v. 1. The reference to the priestly
blesBing of Num. vi. 26 is obvious
(comp. Ps. iv. 7; xxxi. 18; lxxx. 8, 7,
19). But for the Jehovah of that
blessing we have here the more
general name God (Elohim), as in
the whole of this group— possibly
in direct relation to the sovereignty
of God, not over Israel, but over all
the nations of the earth.
v. 2. The "way" is God's law of
righteousness ; the "saving health,"
i.e., " salvation," is the yet better gift
of His grace and mercy. Both are
" to be known upon earth " through
God's blessing to His people. The
partial fulfilment of this anticipation
was apparently immediate in the
days of Hezekiah (comp. 2 Chron.
xxxii. 23) ; but the complete fulfil-
ment can only be in the kingdom of
the Messiah.
w. 3—5 form an enthusiastic call
to all the nations, not only, to praise
God for His glory, but to exult in the
knowledge that He will both judge
righteously (by His law) and guide
('^govern") them (by His Spirit).
The blessing, given especially to
Israel, is here prophetically extended
to all nations.
v. 6. Shall the earth, &c. It should
be, " the land hath given her in-
crease" (see Lev. xxvi. 4). As in
Ps. lxv., the blessing of the harvest
has been granted : it is an earnest
fromGod— emphaticallycalled "their
own God" — of greater blessing to
Israel in the future, through which
"all the ends of the earth shall fear
Him." The special blessing to God's
chosen people is not lost, but ex-
tended to the nations gathered round
them (comp. Isa. ii. 23 ; Mic. iv. 1, 2),
" The glory of Israel " is " a light to
lighten the Gentiles."
Psalm LXVIII.
This magnificent Psalm, in its general tenour clear enough as a
triumphal procession of the Ark into the Holy Place, and accordingly
(as its first words shew) a grand expansion of the idea of the words used
(Num. x. 85) at the setting forth of the Ark on its journey in the wilder-
ness, is yet encompassed with singular difficulty, both as to interpretation
in detail, and as to the date and occasion of its composition. The heading
ascribes it to David ; and, after examining the various dates assigned to it by
conjecture — ranging from the days of Solomon down to the return from
Exile— we find that the preponderance of evidence decidedly supports
the traditional view. The rugged grandeur and obscurity of style, the
allusions to Benjamin as the royal tribe, and to Zabulon and Nephthali as
the chief Northern tribes (v. 87), the reference to Egypt and Ethiopia as
the representatives of heathendom, and to their tribute to the Temple (or
Tabernacle)— all point to an early date ; and no allusions whatever can be
found to the later history. If it be a Psalm of David, we should be at first
sight tempted to refer it to the bringing up of the Ark recorded in 2 Sam.
vi. ; but against this are the martial character of the Psalm, and the signs
209
Day 12.
THE PSALMS.
Day 12.
snare : and laidest trouble upon
our loins.
11 Thou sufferedst men to ride
over our heads : we went through
fire and water, and thou brought-
est us out into a wealthy place.
12 I will go into thine house
with burnt-offerings : and will pay
thee my vows, which I promised
with my lips, and spake with my
mouth, when I was in trouble.
13 I will offer unto thee fat
burnt-sacrifices, with the incense
of rams : I will offer bullocks and
goats.
14 0 come hither, and hearken,
all ye that fear God : and I will
tell you what he hath done for my
soul.
15 I called unto him with my
mouth : and gave him praises
with my tongue.
16 If I incline unto wickedness
with mine heart : the Lord will
not hear me.
17 But God hath heard me :
and considered the voice of my
prayer.
18 Praised be God who hath
not cast out my prayer : nor
turned his mercy from me.
PSALM 67.
Deus misereatur.
GOD be merciful unto us, and
bless us : and shew us the
light of his countenance, and be
merciful unto us ;
2 That thy way may be known
upon earth : thy saving health
among all nations.
3 Let the people praise thee,
O God : yea, let all the people
praise thee.
4 0 let the nations rejoice and
be glad : for thou shalt judge the
folk righteously, and govern the
nations upon earth.
5 Let the people praise thee,
0 God : let all the people praise
thee.
6 Then shajl the earth bring
forth her increase : and God, even
our own God, shall give us his
blessing.
7 God shall bless us : and all
the ends of the world shall fear
him.
Day 13.
doming $ragcr.
PSALM 68.
Exurgat Deus.
LET God arise, and let his
enemies be scattered : let
them also that hate him flee be-
fore him.
2 Like as the smoke vanisheth,
so shalt thou drive them away :
and like as wax melteth at the
fire, so let the ungodly perish at
the presence of God.
3 But let the righteous be glad
and rejoice before God : let them
also be merry and joyful.
4 O sing unto God, and sing
praises unto his Name : magnify
him that rideth upon the hea-
vens, as it were upon an horse ;
praise him in his Name JAH, and
rejoice before him.
5 He is a Father of the father-
less, and defendeth the cause of
the widows : even God in his holy
habitation.
6 He is the God that maketh
men to be of one mind in an house,
and bringeth the prisoners out of
captivity : but letteth the runa-
gates continue in scarceness.
7 O God, when thou wentest
forth before the people : when
thou wentest through the wilder-
ness,
8 The earth shook, and the
heavens dropped at the presence
of God : even as Sinai also was
moved at the presence of God,
who is the God of Israel.
9 Thou, 0 God, sentest a gra-
cious rain upon thine inherit-
ance : and refreshedst it when it
was weary.
10 Thy congregation shall dwell
therein : for thou, O God, hast of
thy goodness prepared for the
poor.
11 The Lord gave the word :
great was the company of the
preachers.
209
Psalm LXVIII.—co»t.
of fin already dominant and victorious power. On the whole, the most
likely conjecture connects it with the crowning victory over the Ammonites
and Syrians— the zenith of David's glory— when (as we see from 2 Sam.
xi. 11) the Ark had, for some reason, been taken into the field, and would
naturally be brought back with triumphant solemnity.
The Messianic application of the Psalm, marked in the New Testament
(Eph. iv. 8—12), clearly belongs to it simply as a grand picture of the vic-
torious royalty of the Kingdom of David, which was the germ and earnest
of the greater future. Naturally it applies, not to Our Lord's humiliation
or suffering, but to the glory on which He entered at the Ascension, and
which is to be manifested in perfection in the awful majesty of the Last
Day.
By the Jews the Psalm was used at Pentecost, possibly on account of
the special references to the manifestation of God on Sinai, which was
associated with that Festival. Hence it has passed into use as a Psalm of
Whit-Sunday, for which the allusion to the spiritual gifts coming through
the Ascended Lord, makes it singularly appropriate.
It opens <a), in vv. 1—6, with an introduction of exulting confidence
in the victorious and protecting power of the Lord Jehovah ; then follows
ib), in vv. 7—14, a thankful commemoration of God's care of His people in
the wilderness, and of His gift of victory over Canaan ; to this succeeds
(c), in vv. 15—23, a hymn of thanksgiving over the triumphant establish-
ment of God's holy hill, and His royalty enthroned therein ; this suggests
(d), in vv. 24—31, a picture of the festal procession of the princes and people
of Israel following the Ark to its resting-place, and of the homage of the
kings of the Gentiles paid to the Lord ; and the Psalm ends (<?), in vv. 32
—35, with a burst of praise to the God of heaven and earth, who is especially
the God of Israel.
is set forth as the Father of the
helpless, the gatherer of the lonely,
the deliverer of the captives ; leaving
none but the rebellious ("the runa-
gates") to the "land of drought"
( ' ' scarceness " ) . There is a peculiar
beauty in the picture of this tender
personal goodness of the great and
terrible God.
vv. 7—10. The Psalm goes back, as
the moving of the Ark suggests, to
the old days of the manifestation on
Sinai. The passage is all but identi-
cal with Judg. v. 4, 5— the opening
of the Song of Deborah. God is seen
in the terror of the thunder ; the
earth shakes, the clouds drop water.
Sinai ("yon Sinai ") itself trembles.
But (the Psalmist adds) God's com-
ing is for mercy ; the rain of bless-
ing—literal and metaphorical— falls
on the congregation (properly the
"flock" or "herd") of God, giving
rest to the weary, and safety to the
afflicted (" the poor ").
v. 11. Of the preachers is a curious
misunderstanding of the sense.which
is really, " Great was the host of the
women who proclaimed" His tri-
umph—as Miriam at the Red Sea
(Exod. xv. 20), Deborah in the grand
song (Judg. v.), to which this Psalm
contains so many allusions, or the
women of Israel in the days of vic-
0.1. Let God arise, &c. In Num.
x. 35 the words are, " Arise, O Jeho-
vah," &c. Here, as throughout the
Psalm.the more general word " God "
(Elohim) is used, signifying His re-
lation to the world and to man ; and
the name JAH is emphasized as the
covenant name of this Almighty God
in verse 4. It is to be noted that the
destruction of the enemies, melting
like wax in the breath of the Lord, is
touched briefly and incisively, and
that the passage then gladly expands
in dwelling on His goodness and
mercy to His people.
v. 4 should be rendered thus—
" Sing unto God, sing praises unto
His Name ;
Cast up a highway for Him that
rideth through the wilderness ;
JAH is His Name ; rejoice before
Him."
The idea is that of Isa. xl. 3, " Pre-
pare ye the way of the Lord ; make
straight in the deserts a highway for
our God." In our version "on the
heavens" is taken from the LXX. ;
" as it were upon an horse " is a mere
gloss.
v. 6. That maketh, &c, should
be (as in A.V. and R.V.), "that
setteth the solitary in families, that
bringeth out the prisoners into
prosperity " (comp. Ps. Ixvi. 11 ). God
209 a
Psalm LXVIII.— cont.
tory over the Philistines (1 Sam.
xviii. 6).
v. 12 should be—
" Kings of armies did flee, did flee ;
She, who tarrieth at home, divid-
eth the spoils."
Even the weak women of Israel are
strong enough to divide the spoil of
the mighty (comp. Judg. v. 80).
vv. 13, 14 form a passage of extra-
ordinary difficulty, both of word and
of meaning. It is thought that much
of this difficulty is due to abrupt
quotation of some older battle song.
Our version, although it yields a good
coherent sense, is certainly wide of
the meaning. The translation in
R.V. Is—
" Will ye lie among the sheep-
folds?—
At the wings of a dove covered
with silver,
And her pinions with yellow
gold—
When the Almighty scatters
kings therein ;
It was as when it snoweth in Sal-
mon."
This is perhaps as good as any that
can be found. But both translation
and interpretation are only conjec-
tural. The first line seems a reproach,
like Judg. v. 16, " Why abodest thou
in the sheepfolds, to hear the bleat-
ing of the flocks ? " The lines which
follow are generally supposed to be a
half-sarcastic allusion to the beauty
and the wealth of the summer days
of peace of which the dove was the
emblem, and to which the lingerers
clung; but the connection and the
comparison to the dove in the beauty
of its plumage are somewhat forced.
The last line, "the snow on Sal-
mon" ("the dark mountain"), may
be proverbial for light amidst dark-
ness, or it may refer to the hosts of
the enemy driven like snowflakes
before the wind on the mountain
side.
vv. 15, 16 are again misunderstood.
They should be rendered—
" A mountain of God is the moun-
tain of Bashan ;
A mountain of peaks is the moun-
tain of Bashan ;
WThy look ye askance, ye high
mountain,
At the mountain which God
hath desired for His abode? "
The high range of Bashan (in which
some would include even the snowy
Hermon)— in the majesty of its high
200 h
peaks a "mountain of God," pos-
sibly having also its ancient sanc-
tuaries—is the type of physical great-
ness, disdaining the lowlier sacred-
ness of the Lord's hill, the hill of
Zion, and rebuked for its disdain.
v. 17. Twenty thousand — that is (as
Dr. Kay has it), " myriads twice
told " ; of angels is an error ; it should
be " and thousands of thousands."
As in the holy place of Sinai is a
gloss on the true reading, " Sinai is
in the Sanctuary." The idea con-
veyed is that the Sinai of God's Pre-
sence is now in Zion ; there is im-
plied a contrast of the terror of awful
majesty of the one with the gracious-
ness of God's covenanted Presence
in the other, not wholly unlike the
greater contrast of Heb. xii. 18—24.
v. 18. Thou art gone up on high —
perhaps to the Sanctuary on Zion,
perhaps to heaven (comp. Ps. xlvii.
5), after conquest of His enemies.
Led captivity captive. The phrase
(evidently taken from Judg. v. 12)
has not the deeper meaning sug-
gested by the English. It is simply
*' led captive a band of captives."
Gifts for men, properly " gifts a-
mong men "—the homage of willing
or unwilling submission.
The whole picture shews us how
the Conqueror ascends after His vic-
tory; the long train of captives fol-
lows ; the homage of gifts waits upon
him, even from the rebellious, that
he may consent to dwell among
them.
St. Paul (in Eph. iv. 8—10), apply-
ing this passage to Our Lord, takes
it in part from the LXX., but varies
from the original by altering "re-
ceivedst gifts" into gavest gifts to
men," probably to convey the idea
that He receives the fruits of His
triumph only to give them to His
people. He sees in the victory of the
Ascension, after the visible mani-
festation of the Godhead on earth,
the perfect Antitype, of which the
earthly victory is but the type.
v. 19. Who helpeth us, &c— properly
(in a more striking figure), "who
beareth our burdens, and who is our
salvation."
v. 20 should be (as in R.V.)—
" God is unto us a God of deliver-
ance;
And unto Jehovah the Lord be-
long the issues from death."
v. 21. The hairy scalp is the emblem
of youthful vigour and pride.
17-5
Psalm LXVIII.— cont.
v. 22. Mp people. These words are
not in the Hebrew, and are probably
a mistaken gloss. The reference is
to the enemies, whom God will bring
forth to vengeance from the height
of Bashan in the east, or from the
depths of the great sea of the west
(comp. Amos ix. 1—3).
v. 23. That thy foot, &c. The re-
ference is here to the people of God,
who shall triumph in the overthrow
of the wicked (comp. Ps.lviii. 9). The
whole passage is a terrible picture of
that stern exultation over righteous
vengeance, which belongs to the Old
Testament rather than the New.
vv. 24—31 picture the triumphal
procession to the Sanctuary, accom-
panied by the homage of the Gen-
tiles, and heralded by music and
songs of praise.
v. 26 appears to be the song of the
" maidens playing with the tim-
brels " on the festal day.
From the <jround of the heart is a
mistranslation. It should be, ('* ye
who are) from the fountain of Israel "
—the covenanted spring of God's
blessing.
v. 27. The tribes here named are
clearly the representatives of the
South and the North, before the
days of the mutilation of Israel by
defeat and captivity. Benjamin is
called "the ruler," not (as has been
suggested) because Jerusalem was
in its territory, but because it gave
Israel its first king. The "princes
of Judah" are a strong company
(" their council"), in the contrast of
their number and greatness with the
littleness of Benjamin.
v. 29. The "Temple," as in other
passages, is simply the Sanctuary,
already in David's time set up in
splendour, and honoured with rich
offerings. To it naturally subject
kings would bring tribute, as Hiram
appears to have done.
v. 30 is wholly mistranslated. It
should probably be (nearly as in
R.V.)—
" Rebuke the beast of the reeds,
The company of bulls with the
calves of the peoples,—
Each prostrates himself with
pieces of silver ;
He hath scattered." &c.
The "beast of the reeds" (the croco-
dile or hippopotamus) is the emblem
of Egypt. The bulls (as in Ps. xxii.
12 ; Amos iv. 1 ) are the princes, and
the calves their followers.
God rebukes the pride of the hea-
then ; they who submit are accepted,
they who delight still in war are
scattered.
v. 31. The Moriann' land is Cush or
Ethiopia, the usual name for Upper
Egypt. In all the earlier days of Is-
rael Egypt is the great imperson-
ation of heathendom, as not wholly
hostile to Israel and its God.
vv. 32—35 are the final burst of
praise to God from all the kingdoms
of the earth. There is in it a marked
similarity to a passage in the Song
of Moses (Deut. xxxiii. 26). As the
Almighty God He is enthroned in
the " heaven of heavens, which were
of old, and his strength is in the
skies," whence His voice of judgment
sounds; as the God of Israel "His
excellence iB over Israel"; He is
" terrible out of the Sanctuary "
("wonderful in the holy places"),
giving strength and power to His
people.
Psalm LXIX.
This Psalm is a cry of anguish under persecution, with a burning sense
of injustice and cruelty, breaking out into imprecation on the enemies,
yet cherishing still a sure and certain hope of deliverance by God's mercy.
It is traditionally ascribed to David ; and it is possible, though with some
difficulty, to refer it to one or other of the two periods of suffering and
persecution in his life. But it is not easy to apply to him all the descrip-
tion of the condition of the writer, or to understand how in either period
he was a sufferer for the sake of the Lord and of His house ; and there is
much, both in substance and in language, to recommend the conjecture,
which ascribes the Psalm to Jeremiah in the hour of his cruel imprisonment
(to which vv. 15, 16 would literally apply), when men were daily seeking his
life, simply because he delivered the message of God, and protested against
the profanation of hypocritical service in the very house of the Lord (see
Jer. xi. 21—23; xv. 15—18; xxxvii. 15, 16; xxxviii. 1—9). The Psalm (by
whomsoever written) has (like Ps. xxii.) been from time immemorial
regarded as Messianic in its picture of the cruel and undeserved persecution
210
Day 13.
THE PSALMS.
Day 13.
12 Kings with their armies did
flee, and were discomfited : and
they of the household divided the
spoil.
13 Though ye have lien among
the pots, yet shall ye be as the
wings of a dove : that is covered
with silver wings, and her feathers
like gold.
14 When the Almighty scat-
tered kings for their sake : then
were they as white as snow in
Salmon.
15 As the hill of Basan, so is
God's hill : even an high hill, as
the hill of Basan.
16 Why hop ye so, ye high hills ?
this is God's hill, in the which it
pleaseth him to dwell : yea, the
Lord will abide in it for ever.
17 The chariots of God are
twenty thousand, even thousands
of angels : and the Lord is among
them, as in the holy place of
Sinai.
18 Thou art gone up on high,
thou hast led captivity captive,
and received gifts for men : yea,
even for thine enemies, that the
Lord God might dwell among
them.
19 Praised be the Lord daily :
even the God who helpeth us,
and poureth his benefits upon us.
20 He is our God, even the
God of whom cometh salvation :
God is the Lord, by whom we es-
cape death.
21 God shall wound the head
of his enemies : and the hairy scalp
of such a one as goeth on still in
his wickedness.
22 The Lord hath said, I will
bring my people again, as I did
from Basan : mine own will I bring
again, as I did sometime from the
deep of the sea.
23 That thy foot may be dip-
ped in the blood of thine ene-
mies : and that the tongue of thy
dogs may be red through the same.
24 It is well seen, 0 God, how
thou goest : how thou, my God
and King, goest in the sanctuary.
25 The singers go before, the
minstrels follow after : in the
midst are the damsels playing with
the timbrels.
26 Give thanks, 0 Israel, unto
God the Lord in the congrega-
tions: from the ground of the heart.
27 There is little Benjamin their
ruler, and the princes of Judah
their counsel : the princes of Zabu-
lon, and the princes of Nephthali.
28 Thy God hath sent forth
strength for thee : stablish the
thing, O God, that thou hast
wrought in us,
29 For thy temple's sake at
Jerusalem : so shall kings bring
presents unto thee.
30 When the company of the
spear-men, and multitude of the
mighty are scattered abroad a-
mong the beasts of the people, so
that they humbly bring pieces of
silver : and when he hath scatter-
ed the people that delight in war ;
31 Then shall the princes come
out of Egypt : the Morians' land
shall soon stretch out her hands
unto God.
32 Sing unto God, O ye king-
doms of the earth : 0 sing praises
unto the Lord ;
33 Who sitteth in the heavens
over all from the beginning : lo,
he doth send out his voice, yea,
and that a mighty voice.
34 Ascribe ye the power to
God over Israel : his worship, and
strength is in the clouds.
35 O God, wonderful art thou
in thy holy places : even the God
of Israel; he will give strength
and power unto his people ; bless-
ed be God.
Day 13.
("Bbening Prager.
PSALM 69.
Salvum mefac.
SAVE me, O God : for the wa-
ters are come in, even unto
my soul.
2 I stick fast in the deep mire,
where no ground is : I am come
into deep waters, so that the
floods run over me.
3 I am weary of crying ; my
21Q
Psalm LXIX.— cont.
of the Great Sufferer. Hence its use as a Psalm of Good Friday. Thus
iu John ii. 17, v. 9 is applied to Our Lord's zeal for the cleansing of the
Temple; in John xv. 25, v. 4 is apparently quoted as descriptive of the
causeless hatred of the jews; in Matt, xxvii. 34 there seems clearly an
allusion to the gall and vinegar of v. 22 ; in Acts i. 20 the curse of v. 2G is
declared to have fallen upon Judas; in Rom. xv. 8, v. 9 is expressly quoted
as applicable to the self-sacrifice for God of the Lord Jesus Christ. The
general principle, however, of typical interpretation applies very forcibly
here. The Psalmist is clearly describing his own bitter experience; he
may not even have known that it foreshadowed any bitterer suffering of a
greater Sufferer; the confession of personal sin (in v. 5), and the impreca-
tions ot vo. 28— 29, can have, of course, no counterpart in the majestic
innocence and the boundless forgiveness of Calvary. The type is certainly
an imperfect, perhaps an unconscious, representation of the Antitype.
(On the imprecatory character of the Psalm, see note on Ps. xxxv., and
Introduction, sect, v.)
It falls into six sections : (a), in vv. 1—6, a simple cry of complaint before
God ; (6), in vv. 7—12, a protestation that the suffering complained of is a
suffering for God's sake ; (c), in vv. 18—19, a still more earnest, and yet
hopeful, cry for deliverance ; (d) followed, in vv. 20—29, by a vivid picture
of the cruelty of the enemies, and imprecation of vengeance upon them ;
clearing up at last (/), in vv. 30 — 37, into a sure and thankful confidence in
a speedy salvation.
(Like Ps. xlv. and lxxx., it is said to be upon Shoshannim, or "the
Lilies," probably the name of the air to which it was to be sung.)
1, 2. The metaphor of the
treacherous quagmire and the sweep-
ing flood is, no doubt, general. But
here, and in v. 15, it is difficult not to
see some allusion to the actual con-
ditions of Jeremiah's imprisonment
(Jer. xxxviii. 6).
v. 5. I paid them (i.e. restored), &c.
This clause belongs to the previous
verse ; it comes in, somewhat abrupt-
ly, as a climax to the description of
the causeless fury of the enemies.
Not only had the Psalmist done them
no wrong, but he had willingly atoned
for even fancied wrong for the sake
of peace.
vv. 5, 6 form a remarkable contrast
with the preceding verses. Before
man the Psalmist protests his in-
jured innocence, before God, he con-
fesses both foolishness ("simple-
ness") and actual sin — only praying
as God's avowed servant that, for
His Name's sake, he may be de-
livered, lest his suffering and ap-
parent failure be an offence to God's
people.
vv. 7 — 12 certainly apply with strik-
ing force to the condition of such a
prophet as Jeremiah— deserted and
hated by his kindred (Jer. xi. 21
—23) : zealous for the true sacred-
ness of the house and the honour
of the Lord (Jer. vii. 2, 3, 11); a
mourner for the coming judgment
in a grief derided by incredulity
(Jer. v. 12, 18; ix. 1,2); gravely re-
buked by those who sat in the place
of authority (Jer. xxvi. 8. 9, 11), and
made the ribald jest of the drunkard.
To David it is hard to apply the
description ; to the Prophet of pro-
phets, the Son of David, the typical
application is obvious.
vv. 13 — 19, while still more impns-
sioned in the cry for help against the
overwhelming sea of troubles, in
which the Psalmist can find no firm
ground, yet strike a note of growing
confidence. The time of Iris prayer
is (he believes) acceptable (comp.
Ps. xxxii. 7) ; the " lovtngkindness
of the Lord is comfortable," and in
" the multitude of His mercies " He
will not linger, but " haste " to save.
v. 21, Thy rebuke, &c. The word
" thy " is an error. It is simply,
" Reproach " (the reproach of the
enemy) "hath broken my heart."
See the description of the anguish
of the tender heart of Jeremiah
under the burden of his message,
and of the hatred which it provoked
(Jer. xx. 7—18).
v. 22. The gall and vinegar, in the
case of the Psalmist, may have been
metaphorical ; alt hough if he is idtnti- j
fied with Jeremiah, they may in the ;
persecution and insult described in I
Jer. xx., have been literally real.]
But in any case the singular corre- 1
spondence to the actual sufferings of '}
Calvary, whether a conscious or un-.|
conscious prophecy, is, in the witness
of the Holy Spirit, a prophecy still.
2U
THE PSALMS.
Day id.
throat is dry : my sight faileth me
for waiting so long upon my God.
4 They that hate me without
a cause are more than the hairs
of my head : they that are mine
enemies, and would destroy me
guiltless, are mighty.
5 I paid them the things that I
never took : God, thou knowest
my simpleness, and my faults are
not hid from thee.
6 Let not them that trust in
thee, 0 Lord God of hosts, be
ashamed for my cause : let not
those that seek thee be confound-
ed through me, 0 Lord God of
Israel.
7 And why ? for thy sake have
I suffered reproof : shame hath
covered my face.
8 I am become a stranger unto
my brethren : even an alien unto
my mother's children.
9 For the zeal of thine house
hath even eaten me : and the re-
bukes of them that rebuked thee
are fallen upon me.
10 I wept, and chastened my-
self with fasting : and that was
turned to my reproof.
11 I put on sackcloth also : and
they jested upon me.
12 They that sit in the gate
speak against me : and the drunk-
ards make songs upon me.
13 But, Lord, I make my pray-
er unto thee : in an acceptable
time.
14 Hear me, 0 God, in the
multitude of thy mercy : even in
the truth of thy salvation.
15 Take me out of the mire,
that I sink not : 0 let me be de-
livered from them that hate me,
and out of the deep waters.
16 Let not the water-flood drown
me, neither let the deep swallow
me up : and let not the pit shut
her mouth upon me.
17 Hear me, 0 Lord, for thy
loving-kindness is comfortable :
turn thee unto me according to
the multitude of thy mercies.
18 And hide not thy face from
thy servant, for I am in trouble :
O haste thee, and hear me.
19 Draw nigh unto my soul,
Day 13.
and save it : 0 deliver me, be-
cause of mine enemies.
20 Thou hast known my re-
proof, my shame, and my disho-
nour : mine adversaries are all in
thy sight.
21 Thy rebuke hath broken my
heart ; I am full of heaviness : I
looked for some to have pity on
me, but there was no man, neither
found I any to comfort me.
22 They gave me gall to eat :
and when I was thirsty they gave
me vinegar to drink.
23 Let their table be made a
snare to take themselves withal :
and let the things that should
have been for their wealth be un-
to them an occasion of falling.
24 Let their eyes be blinded,
that they see not : and ever bow
thou down their backs.
25 Pour out thine indignation
upon them : and let thy wrathful
displeasure take hold of them.
26 Let their habitation be void :
and no man to dwell in their
tents.
27 For they persecute him
whom thou hast smitten : and
they talk how they may vex them
whom thou hast wounded.
28 Let them fall from one
wickedness to another : and not
come into thy righteousness.
29 Let them be wiped out of
the book of the living : and not
be written among the righteous.
30 As for me, when I am poor
and in heaviness : thy help, O
God, shall lift me up.
31 I will praise the Name of
God with a song : and magnify it
with thanksgiving.
32 This also shall please the
Lord : better than a bullock that
hath horns and hoofs.
33 The humble shall consider
this, and be glad : seek ye after
God, and your soul shall live.
34 For the Lord heareth the
poor : and despiseth not his pri-
soners.
35 Let heaven and earth praise
him : the sea, and all that mov-
eth therein.
36 For God will save Sion, and
211
Psalm LXIX.— eont.
v. 23. Their table— the table of their
luxury (perhaps spread with a feast
professing to be sacred)— is intro-
duced in contrast with the hunger
and parching thirst, which thev de-
rided. The latter clause, " and let
the things," &c, is a mere para-
phrase. It should be simply, ''and,
when they are at peace, let it be a
trap." Compare the free citation of
this passage in Rom. xi. 9, as an
illustration of the judicial blindness
and condemnation of the Israel of
the days of the Lord Jesus Christ
Himself.
vv. 28—29 have a terrible complete-
ness of imprecation against the ene-
mies, who persecute the innocent and
helpless : first, that they may fall in
the full rest of their prosperity, their
eyes blinded, and " their loins made
bo shake" ("bow down their backs")
like Belshazzar in his impious re-
velry (Dan. v. 6, 9) ; then that their
habitation be desolated, root and
branch; and— last and worst— that
they may go on more and more
hardened in their wickedness, and
finally be blotted out of the book of
life. Whatever be the fierceness of
righteous indignation, no Christian,
ifter the teaching of Our Lord's
Word and life, can literally use such
irords.
v. 27. There is a peculiar touch of
malignity in this persecution of one
already smitten by the hand of God,
who (as the beautiful Eastern custom
especially holds) should be by that
very fact sacred from any human
hand.
vv. 30—35 pass (as is not unusual
in the Psalms) at once from anguish
and wrath to an almost exulting con-
fidence, praising God, not only for
the Psalmist's own sake, but for the
comfort, which the manifestation of
God's mercy to him gives to all the
servants and prisoners of the Lord.
v. 32. Comp. Ps. xl. 8-10 ; 1. 9—15;
li. 18—19. The sacrifice of devotion,
though it may not supersede the
material sacrifice— the "bullock hav-
ing horns and hoofs " — alone can give
it efficacy and sacredness.
vv. 36, 37 may possibly be a litur-
gical addition (as in Ps. xiv. 11). But
if the Psalm be an utterance of
Jeremiah— the prophet who looked
indeed to the coming Captivity, but
looked beyond it to a foreordained
restoration— the confidence in his
own deliverance may have suggested
the larger hope of a salvation of Zion,
and a rebuilding of the ruined cities
of Judah, to be a lasting habitation
of those who not only serve, but love
the Name of the Lord.
Psalm LXX.
^ascribed to David) is a repetition, with several minute variations, of
Ps. xl. 16—21. As in the earlier Psalm these verses form a natural con-
3lusion, without which the whole would be plainly incomplete, it seems
Likely that they were subsequently detached from that Psalm for liturgical
lse, and so included, with some variations, as Psalm lxx. in the gecond
Book. It may be noted that the heading describes this Psalm as connected
tvitha " memorial "—that is, with the laving before God of the meat-offering
or the incense for " a memorial " to call the offerer to His remembrance.
Psalm LXXI.
This Psalm has no heading in the Hebrew. In the LXX. it is entitled,
" A Psalm of David, of the sons of Jonadab, and of those first led captive."
tn this title, which, as it stands, is self-contradictory, the ascription to
David is negatived by the style and by the repeated borrowing from earlier
Psalms (Ps. xxii., xxxi., xxxv., xl.). The other portion may contain some
Historic truth, referring the Psalm to the early days of the Captivity, when
she Rechabites emerge in the history (Jer. xxxv.), and perhaps (like
Ps. lxix.) to the hand of Jeremiah in the later days of his life. In itself the
Psalm is the Psalm of old age— a singularly calm and trustful utterance of
in aged servant to God, to whom long experience of God's goodness gives
perfect confidence in the sunset of life, in spite of some clouds of adversity
fathering round his last days. The very quotation of older Psalms, blended
n memory, and the occasional repetitions are characteristic of such
)ld age.
212
Day 13.
THE PSALMS.
Day 13.
build the cities of Judah ; that
men may dwell there, and have it
in possession.
37 The posterity also of his ser-
vants shall inherit it : and they
that love his Name shall dwell
therein.
PSALM 70.
Deus in adjutorium.
HASTE thee, 0 God, to deliver
me : make haste to help me,
OLord.
2 Let them be ashamed and
confounded that seek after my
soul : let them be turned back-
ward and put to confusion that
wish me evil.
3 Let them for their reward be
soon brought to shame : that cry
over me, There, there.
4 But let all those that seek thee
be joyful and glad in thee : and let
all such as delight in thy salvation
say alway, The Lord be praised.
5 As for me, 1 am poor and in
misery : haste thee unto me, 0
God.
6 Thou art my helper, and my
redeemer : 0 Lord, make do long
tarrying.
Day 14.
Jttormng ^rager*
PSALM 71.
In te, Domine, speravi.
IN thee, 0 Lord, have I put my
trust, let me never be put to
confusion : but rid me, and deliver
me, in thy righteousness ; incline
thine ear unto me, and save mc.
2 Be thou my strong hold,
whereunto I may alway resort :
thou hast promised to help me,
for thou art my house of defence,
and my castle.
3 Deliver me, 0 my God, out
of the hand of the ungodly : out
of the hand of the unrighteous
and cruel man.
4 For thou, O Lord God, art the
thing that I long for : thou art
my hope, even from my youth.
5 Through thee have I been
holden up ever since I was born :
thou art he that took me out of
my mother's womb; my praise
shall be always of thee.
6 I am become as it were a
monster unto many : but my sure
trust is in thee.
7 O let my mouth be filled
with thy praise : that I may sing
of thy glory and honour all the
day long.
8 Cast me not away in the time
of age : forsake me not when my
strength faileth me.
9 For mine enemies speak a-
gainst me, and they that lay wait
for my soul take their counsel
together, saying : God hath for-
saken him ; persecute him, and
take him, for there is none to
deliver him.
10 Go not far from me, O God:
my God, haste thee to help me.
11 Let them be confounded
and perish that are against my
soul : let them be covered with
shame and dishonour that seek
to do me evil.
12 As for me, I will patiently
abide alway : and will praise thee
more and more.
13 My mouth shall daily speak
of thy righteousness and salva-
tion : for I know no end thereof.
14 I will go forth in the strength
of the Lord God : and will make
mention of thy righteousness
only.
15 Thou, 0 God, hast taught
me from my youth up until now :
therefore will I tell of thy won-
drous works.
16 Forsake me not, 0 God, in
mine old age, when I am gray-
headed : until I have shewed thy
strength unto this generation, and
thy power to all them that are yet
for to come.
17 Thy righteousness, O God,
is very high : and great things are
they that thou hast done ; 0 God,
who is like unto thee ?
18 0 what great troubles and
adversities hast thou shewed me !
and yet didst thou turn and re-
fresh me : yea, and broughtest
me from the deep of the earth
again.
212
Psalm LXXI.— cont.
It falls, after a brief introduction (rr. 1, 2), into two sectionR : one (a), in
vv. 3—11, a prayer for God's protection, full of the faith bred by a life-long
experience of His service: the other (6), in vv. 12—22, an expression of
trust in God's answer to that prayer, partly of quiet confidence, partly of
an exulting thanksgiving.
vv. 1, 2 are an almost literal repe-
tition of Ps. xxxi. 1—4. looking to
God as a "stronghold" of refuge
from the dangers of life.
vv. 4, » are taken with slight altera-
tion from xxii. 9, 10.
v. 4. The thirty that I long for—
properly, "my hope," whereas in
the next clause "hope" should be
"trust." The two words are not
synonymous : we trust in that which
we know by present experience, and
out of this trust arises necessarily
worship) "in the strength of the
Lord," finding in it the stay o?
weakness and comfort of faith.
v. 16. One last duty the old servant
of God can still do ; he can teach
and comfort by his experience of
God's power and goodness those to
whom he has to leave the burden of
life. (Comp. Ps. xxxvii. 25, 36-38;
Josh, xxiii. 2, 8, 14.)
vv. 18, 19. The true rendering is,
"Thou wilt turn and refresh me;
Thou wilt bring me," &c. The re-
the hope of yet larger blessing in the trospect is of vicissitude and trial
future. Wherever the communion I overcome ; it is in prospect that hope
with God is real, the knowledge of it | sees honour and rest,
must be progressive. t;. 20. Instrument of music— properly
v. 6. A monster, that is, a "won- I ''the lute," constantly joined with
der," probablv because, like Job. | . the -harp," but distinguished from
after long and faithful service of I it. (Comp. Ps. xxxni. 2; lvn. 9;
God, he seemed to be given over I lxxxi. 2 ; cl. 3.)
to trouble. The phrase seems to j Thou Holy One of Israel— & name
imply some prominence, as of a of God rare in the Psalms (only
prophet of God. It would suit es- I found here and in lxxviii. 42 ; lxxxix.
pecially the solitary mission and
witness of Jeremiah.
v. 8. When mil strength faileth.
There is a touching pathos in this
appeal, made in the name of growing
weakness. Such weakness might
loosen his grasp of God, and take
away ability to do Him service ; he
prays that God will not relax His
18), used in two passages of Jere-
miah (1. 29; li. 5), but exceedingly
common in Isaiah (see, for example,
Isa. i. 4; v. 19, 24: x. 20; xii. 6; xvii.
7; &c, &c). ''Holiness" is the
essential attribute of God in His
own Nature, irrespective of His re-
lation to His creatures (whence the
address, " Holy, Holy, Holy," of the
career him, butmakeHis-strength I «>*elk : song in Isa vi 3 and Rev
perfect in weakness."
vv. 9—11 seem made up of pas-
sages from older Psalms (xxii. 8, 11,
ly; xxxviii. 21, 22; xl. 13), not elabo-
rately pieced together, but blending
naturally in memory.
v. IS. Here, and in vv. 14, 17, 20, 22,
emphasis is laid with special earnest-
ness on God' 8 righteousness, in which
He is "faithful and just to forgive
sin," and keep His covenant with
those who trust in Him. On it, and
on " it only," the soul rests for the
I iv. 8; ; holiness in man is likeness to
God in purity of heart, consecrated
through communion with Him. It
is significant that the thought of the
old servant of God rests not chiefly
on God's dealings with man, but on
God in Himself, as He is seen in
vv. 21, 22. There is a striking out-
pouring of feeling here— not only
praise, but joy in praise— not only
witness, but unceasing witness. As
other faculties fail, the spiritual
faculty of communion with God
deepens; and therefore as othc-
salvation," with which it is joined
here (as in Isa. xlvi. IS ; li. 6, 8 ; lvi. 1,
&c, &c). Even in trouble the utter-
ance of faith is, "Though He slay
me. yet will I trust in Him" (comp.
Hab. iii. 17, 18).
v. 14. I trill go forth should be, " I , newed day by day (2 Cor. iv. 16).
will come" (.to the House of God to I ».22. Comp. Ps. xl. 14.
813
springs of thought dry up, the re-
membrance of God overflows and
fills the whole heart. Such is the
Apostolic experience, " The outward
man perisheth, the inward is re-
Day 14.
THE PSALMS.
Day 14.
19 Thou hast brought me to
great honour : and comforted me
on every side.
20 Therefore will I praise thee
and thy faithfulness, O God,
playing upon an instrument of
musick : unto thee will I sing
upon the harp, 0 thou Holy One
of Israel.
21 My lips will be fain when I
sing unto thee : and so will my
soul whom thou hast delivered.
22 My tongue also shall talk
of thy righteousness all the day
long : for they are confounded
and brought unto shame that
seek to do me evil.
PSALM 72.
Dens, judicium.
GIVE the King thy judgments,
O God : and thy righteous-
ness unto the King's son.
2 Then shall he judge thy peo-
ple according unto right : and de-
fend the poor.
3 The mountains also shall
bring peace : and the little hills
righteousness unto the people.
4 He shall keep the simple folk
by their right : defend the chil-
dren of the poor, and punish the
wrong doer.
5 They shall fear thee, as long
as the sun and moon endureth :
from one generation to another.
6 He shall come down like the
rain into a fleece of wool : even
as the drops that water the earth.
7 In his time shall the righ-
teous flourish : yea, and abundance
of peace, so long as the moon en-
dureth.
8 His dominion shall be also
from the one sea to the other :
and from the flood unto the
world's end.
9 They that dwell in the wil-
derness shall kneel before him :
his enemies shall lick the dust.
10 The kings of Tharsis and of
the isles shall give presents : the
kings of Arabia and Saba shall
bring gifts.
11 All kings shall fall down be-
fore him : all nations shall do him
service.
12 For he shall deliver the poor
when he crieth : the needy also,
and him that hath no helper.
13 He shall be favourable to
the simple and needy : and shall
preserve the souls of the poor.
14 He shall deliver their souls
from falsehood and wrong : and
dear shall their blood be in his
sight.
15 He shall live, and unto him
shall be given of the gold of Ara-
bia : prayer shall be made ever
unto him, and daily shall he be
praised.
16 There shall be an heap of
corn in the earth, high upon the
hills : his fruit shall shake like
Libanus, and shall be green in the
city like grass upon the earth.
17 His Name shall endure for
ever ; his Name shall remain un-
der the sun among the posterities :
which shall be blessed through
him ; and all the heathen shall
praise him.
18 Blessed be the Lord God,
even the God of Israel : which
only doeth wondrous things ;
19 And blessed be the Name of
his Majesty for ever : and all the
earth shall be filled with his Ma-
jesty. Amen, Amen.
Day 14.
GEbening Prager.
PSALM 73.
Quam bonus Israel !
mKULY God is loving unto
JL Israel : even unto such as
are of a clean heart.
2 Nevertheless, my feet were
almost gone : my treadings had
well-nigh slipt.
3 And why? I was grieved at
the wicked : I do also see the un-
godly in such prosperity.
4 For they are in no peril of
death : but are lusty and strong.
5 They come in no misfortune
like other folk : neither are they
plagued like other men.
6 And this is the cause that
213
Psalm LXXII.
The heading of this Psalm should be (as in R.V. and the ancient
versions generally) a Ptahn of Solomon. It is one of the only two Psalms—
ont of the many " Songs." referred to in 1 Kinirs iv. 32— ascribed tradition-
ally to him ; and the internal evidence throughout strongly supports this
tradition. There is evident reminiscence of David's last words (2 Sam.
xxiii. 3, 4), and of Solomon's own prayer; the allusions to tribute from
Tarshish and the isles, from Sheba and Seba, suit this time, and this only,
of the history ; the whole Psalm has a richness and harmony of style,
characteristic of the golden age of Solomon's reign; the emphasis laid
on a government of righteousness and peace is equally characteristic of
Solomon's own nature and position. The subject of the Psalm is clearly
the king himself. Yet by a true insight the Targums refer its pro-
phecies to the "King Messiah," the true "Son of David" and "Prince
of Peace." The glory of Solomon's royalty was earthly, though of the
highest order of earthly things ; it was transitory, both in itself and
through his failure to realize his own ideal. In One alone was glory
perfect, universal, eternal ; in Him therefore alone are the grand words of
this Psalm fully realised.
The Psalm is at once a prayer and an implied prophecy of hope for (a),
in rv. 1—7, a rule of righteousness, mercy, and peace over Israel; (ft), in
vv. 8 — 14, an extension of that rule over tributary nations by the simple
force of its moral beauty and strength; (c), in vv. 15—17, a blessing on it
of wealth, fruitfulness, and glory.
vv, 18. 19 are the appended doxology, marking the close of the Second
Book of the Psalter.
v. 5. They shall fear thee. The
change of person here ia abrupt.
But (if the text be correct) the word
"thee" must refer to God Himself.
The fear of God, in king and people
alike, is the secret of this merciful
and gracious rule.
As long as the sun and moon, &c.
Comp. Ps lxxxix. 36, 37; Jer. xxxi.
35,36; xxxiii. 20, 21.
r. 6. A fleece of wool. The idea in
this version is probably of allusion to
Judg. vi. 86 — 40. But the rendering
should be (as in A. V. and R.V.), "the
rain upon the mown grass" (comp.
Amos vii. 1), just when the new and
tender shoots require the refreshing
moisture. There seems a manifest
allusion to David's last words (2 Sam.
xxiii 4), where the rule of righteous-
ness is compared to "the tender
grass springing out of the earth by
clear shining after rain."
v. 8. From the one sea, &c. The
description is not general, but par-
ticular—from the Mediterranean to
the Red Sea. from the Euphrates to
the "end of the world" in the de-
sert. There is an exact coincidence,
which cannot be accidental, with
Exod. xxiii. 31, "I will set thy
bounds from the Red Sea to the Sea
v. 1. Judgments are the special ap-
plications of the general attribute
of righteousness. In Solomon's own
prayer (1 Kings iii. 6—9), of which
this verse is an obvious reminiscence,
he asks for " a wise and understand-
ing heart to discern between good
and bad," and in the comment on
his judgment (in v. 28) it is said that
" the wisdom of God was in him to
do judgment." Wisdom is the per-
ception of what is good and right;
righteousness is the embodiment of
that conception in practice.
The king's son is emphatic. Solo-
mon was the first who inherited
royalty in Israel.
vv. 2—7. The prayer is threefold:
first (in vv. 2, 3), for a rule of impar-
tial righteousness, which shall draw
down over all Israel the gentle waters
of peace, like the streams from
the mountains and hills ; next (in
vv. 4, 5), that this righteous rule may
be especially distinguished by tender
care of the weak and overthrow of
the oppressor, so that it may con-
tinue for ever in the fear of God;
lastly (in vv. 6, 7), that it may bring
the refreshment of an overflowing
peace,, in which the righteous shall
not only live, but flourish for ever.
213 a
Psalm LXXII.— cont.
of the Philistines, and from the
desert unto the river." Comp. 'the
description of Solomon's kingdom
in 1 Kings iv. 21, 24.
v. 10. Tarshish is clearly Tartessus,
the Phoenician settlement in Spain,
and the isles are the dimly known
islands of the Mediterranean. With
Tarshish (see 1 Kings x. 22) Solomon
had commerce, and drew wealth,
which is here described as tribute.
Arabia — properly Sheba — is a
Joktanite settlement (Gen. x. 28)
in Arabia, whence came the " Queen
of Sheba " in Solomon's days, bring-
ing gold and precious stones and
spices (1 Kings x. 1 — 10).
Saba or Seba is a wholly different
word, the name of an Egyptian
kingdom (which Josephus identifies
with Meroe; see Gen. x. 7), con-
stantly connected with Cush or
Ethiopia.
vv. 12— U. It is especially notable,
and singularly accordant with his-
toric fact in the case of Solomon,
that the world-wide dominion is to
be won by the arms of peace, the
moral strength of righteousness and
wisdom and mercy. In this descrip-
tion we have a special foreshadowing
of the kingdom of the true Son of
David, which " is righteousness, and
peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."
v. 15. It is somewhat difficult to
interpret the pronouns of this verse.
The K.V. supposes the reference to
be to the poor, spoken of in the
previous verse, " They (or he) shall
live, and offer (to the king) gold of
Sheba, pray for him continually, and
bless him every day." But the re-
ference to the king (as here and in
A.V.) is on the whole simpler.
The phrase to him is an error—
clearly suggested by the Messianic
character of the Psalm. It should
be "for him."
v. 16 should be rendered —
** There shall be abundance of corn
in the land,
Even to the top of the hills ;
Its fruit shall rustle like Leba-
non;
They shall blossom out of the
cities,
Like grass upon the earth."
The picture is of a fruitfulness
spreading over valley and hill, strong
as the foliage of Lebanon ; and of a
growth of people, thick as the grass
itself.
v. 17. This attribute of universality
and eternity is, as usual, ascribed to
the kingdom of David— to Solomon
only in imperfect type, to the true
Son of David in perfect antitype.
" Which shall be blessed" (or bless
themselves) " in him." There is an
obvious allusion to the great promise
to the "seed of Abraham" (Gen.
Xii. 8), which emphasizes the ulti-
mate reference to the Messiah.
vv. 18, 19 (like xli. IS) form the
doxology appended to this Psalm,
as closing the Second Book. It
dwells emphatically on the Name
of Jehovah Elohim (as is natural in
a book of Psalms mainly Elohistic),
and on His glory, as filling not only
Israel, but the whole earth (comp.
Isa. vi. 3). .
In the Hebrew a note is here ap-
pended, " The prayers of David, the
son of Jesse, are ended "—which
must be anterior to the compilation
of the later Books III. to V., since
these include Psalms ascribed to
David. The name " Prayers " is
simply the alternative title (instead
of " the Praises ") of the whole
Psalter. The words " of David "
may refer either to the series Ps.
li.— lxxi. which are in the headings
ascribed to David, or to the whole
Book, as called generally, like the
earlier Book, the " Psalms of Da-
vid" (see Introduction, sect. !.)•
218 b
THE THIRD BOOK OF .THE PSALTER.
It includes seventeen Psalms (Ixxiii. — lxxxix.), of which
eleven (Ixxiii. — lxxxiii.) are ascribed to Asaph, four (lxxxiv.,
lxxxv., lxxxvii., lxxxviii.) to the sons of Korah, ono (lxxxvi.)
to David, and one (lxxxix.) to Ethan the Ezrabite. On the
general character of the Psalms of Asaph and of the sons of
Korah, see Introduction, sect. II. Tho book is closely con-
nected, in chai'acter and traditional authorship, with Book II.,
but is probably of somewhat later formation.
Psalm LXXIII.
This Psalm, ascribed to Asaph, deals with the great moral problem
which is the subject of the Book of Job, and shews evident knowledge of
that wonderful book itself. The question how, if God be the All-righteous
Governor of the world, the wicked prosper and the pood suffer, belongs to
all times and places. But the time of Solomon, to which the composition
of the Book of Job (perhaps out of older materials) is commonly referred,
was one of much searching into the meanimr of human life and the secret
of God's Providence, and so was naturally brought face to face with these
deep moral problems. Therefore, although the ascription to Asaph may
mean no more than that the Psalm belonged to a collection bearing his
name, yet the Asaph of the days of David and Solomon—" Asaph the Seer"
—may well have been the author. Even the notice in the Syriac Version
that the Psalm was composed "on the death of Absalom " may have some
truth in it, for no better exemplification of the ideas of the Psalmist could
be found than the insolent triumph and sudden fall of the great rebel.
The spirit of the treatment of the subject is, however, widely different
from that of the Book of Job. In that book the appeal is simply to faith
in the righteousness and the inscrutable wisdom of God ; in the Psalm the
mind is bidden to look to the certain redress of all wrong in the end,
perhaps in this world, perhaps in the next, and to rest on the eternal
communion with God, who is all in all.
The Psalmist, after a brief expression of the final issue of faith (c. 1),
describes («), in re. 2— It, the mental conflict produced by contemplating
the insolent prosperity of the wicked, and listening to the comments of the
world upon it; then passes (b\, in vv. 15-19, to the solution of the diffi-
culty, suggested by meditation in the Sanctuary on the final retribution of
God ; and ends (c), in vv. 20—27, with a confession of the brutish folly of
his former doubts, and a declaration that the communion of the soul with
God is the one secret of peace, in this world and the next.
v. 1. Truly, or " surely " (as in R.V.,
vv. 18, 18). The word expresses the
final conclusion after hesitation and
doubt, like our " after all." What-
ever seems, this is. The parallelism
in this verse is notable ; the true
"Israel" are the "pure in heart,"
who " see God," and therefore see
through the clouds and delusions of
life.
V. i. In no peril of death— literally.
" There are no bands in their death,'5
—a phrase which apparently means
214
"no fetters" (of sickness or suffer-
ing) binding them to the power of
death or no pangs of anguish in their
last hour (comp. Job xxi. 13, 23).
v. 6 should be rendered (much as
in R.V.)-
" Pride is as a chain about their
neck;
Violence covereth them as a
garment."
Pride is their ornament; violence
the habit of their life.
Day 14.
THE PSALMS.
Day 14.
they are so holden with pride :
and overwhelmed with cruelty.
7 Their eyes swell with fatness:
and they do even what they lust.
8 They corrupt other, and speak
of wicked blasphemy : their talk-
ing is against the most High.
9 For they stretch forth their
mouth unto the heaven : and their
tongue goeth through the world.
10 Therefore fall the people
unto them : and thereout suck
they no small advantage.
11 Tush, say they, how should
God perceive it : is there know-
ledge in the most High ?
12 Lo, these are the ungodly,
these prosper in the world, and
these have riches in possession :
and I said, Then have I cleansed
my heart in vain, and washed
mine hands in innocency.
13 All the day long have I been
punished : and chastened every
morning.
14 Yea, and I had almost said
even as they : but lo, then I
should have condemned the ge-
neration of thy children.
15 Then thought I to under-
stand this : but it was too hard
for me,
16 Until I went into the sanc-
tuary of God : then understood I
tlie end of these men ;
17 Namely, how thou dost set
them in slippery places : and cast-
est them down, and destroyest
them.
18 Oh, how suddenly do they
consume : perish, and come to a
fearful end !
19 Yea, eveD like as a dream
when one awaketh : so shalt thou
make their image to vanish out
of the city.
20 Thus my heart was grieved :
and it went even through my reins.
21 So foolish was I, and igno-
rant : even as it were a beast be-
fore thee.
22 Nevertheless, I am alway by
thee : for thou hast holden me by
my right hand.
28 Thou shalt guide me with
thy counsel : and after that re-
ceive me with glory.
24 Whom have I in heaven but
thee : and there is none upon
earth that I desire in comparison
of thee.
25 My flesh and my heart fail-
eth : but God is the strength of my
heart, and my portion for ever.
26 For lo, they that forsake
thee shall perish : thou hast de-
stroyed all them that commit for-
nication against thee.
27 But it is good for me to hold
me fast by God, to put my trust
in the Lord God : and to speak of
all thy works in the gates of the
daughter of Sion.
PSALM 74.
Ut quid, Deus ?
OGOB, wherefore art thou ab-
sent from us so long : why
is thy wrath so hot against the
sheep of thy pasture ?
2 0 think upon thy congrega-
tion : whom thou hast purchased,
and redeemed of old.
3 Think upon the tribe of thine
inheritance : and mount Sion,
wherein thou hast dwelt. m
4 Lift up thy feet, that thou
mayest utterly destroy every ene-
my : which hath done evil in thy
sanctuary.
5 Thine adversaries roar in the
midst of thy congregations : and
set up their banners for tokens.
6 He that hewed timber afore
out of the thick trees : was known
to bring it to an excellent work.
7 But now they break down all
the carved work thereof : with
axes and hammers.
8 They have set fire upon thy
holy places : and have defiled the
dwelling-place of thy Name, even
unto the ground.
9 Yea, they said in their hearts,
Let us make havock of them al-
together : thus have they burnt
up all the houses of God in the
land.
10 We see not our tokens, there
is not one prophet more : no, not
one is there among us, that un-
derstandcth any more.
11 0 God, how long shall the
adversary do this dishonour : how
214
Psalm LXXIII.— eont.
v. 8 is mistranslated. It should
be—
" They scoff and speak of wicked-
ness;
Of oppression from the height
(of disdain) do they speak."
Wickedness is to them a jest; at
pleas against oppression they smile
disdainfully.
r. 10. Suck they no small advantage
—literally, " waters of a full cup are
wrunjr out to them," which may be
explained as in our version, but per-
haps better as meaning that the
people drink deep of their cup of
wickedness.
vv. 11—18. In this section vv. 12, IS
seem to be the reflections of the
Psalmist in the hour of his bewilder-
ment; but v. 11 should be taken (as
in our version) to be the utterances
of the ordinary looker-on, inferring
that the " Most High " is too high to
care for our good and evil.
v. 14. Yea, and J had, &c— properly,
"If I had said, I will speak words
like these, I should have been faith-
less to the generation of Thy chil-
dren." It is notable that the first
restraining influence was found in
loyalty .to the brotherhood of the
faithful, and to their witness for
God.
vv. 15, 16 are deeply instructive.
They tell how, first, he had recourse
to thought, striving to pierce into
the secrets of God's Providence ; and
then, failing in this, went to the
Sanctuary, and there found a higher
insight in prayer.
vv. 17—19 describe rest on a final
retribution, swallowing up in a mo-
ment the prosperity which seemed
substantial. It is clear that this
might be in this world, or in that
future life, to which those must look
onward who deeply realize the com
munion with God.
v. 19. So fkatt thou, &c. This clause
is wrongly rendered. It should be,
"So, when Thou arisest" (as from
slumber), "Thou wilt despise their
image."
vv. 20, 21 are the confession of folly.
That his heart was soured ("griev-
ed") and "his reins pierced " (with
the pang of envy), shewed that he
was brutish ("foolish") in ignorance,
because, " like a beast," he regarded
only the visible world and the things
of sense.
vv. 22—27. This conclusion is deeply
suggestive as well as beautiful. The
ultimate refuge from doubt and from
the bewilderments of the world, is
not in any foresight of retribution,
still less in any theories of its time
or method, but in the conscious com-
munion with the Eternal. They who
know themselves to be His are sure of
present guidance and of future glory;
they who desire Him infinitely can
feel no other desire painfully; they
who rest on Him care not if their
"flesh and their heart fail," for they
hold fast to Him themselves, and tell
of His goodness to others. What is
true of questions of retribution here
is equally true of all speculations as
to the laws of retribution hereafter.
The only answer is rest on the per-
fect righteousness and mercy of
God.
v. 23. Receive me with glory or to
glory. How far this involves the
conscious looking forward to an-
other world has been doubted. But
the whole context expresses a con-
sciousness of God as "our portion
for ever " ; it looks to heaven as well
as earth; and therefore it is hard
not to think that, however dimly, it
must have extended its vision beyond
the grave.
Psalm LXXIV.
This Psalm— like Ps. lxxix., to which it has much similarity— though
again ascribed to Asaph, appears almost unquestionably to belong to a far
later period. It is a cry of anguish from one who sees the land of Israel
trampled under foot, the Temple and other sanctuaries destroyed, and finds
no prophetic word of hope or comfort. It is commonly referred either to
the Chaldsean invasion or to the Maccabean times, although it might, of
course, belong to the time of one of the earlier invasions, briefly noticed in
the sacred history. Considering its style, its resemblance to "passages in
Jeremiah, and its position in the Psalter, the time of the Chaldtean
conquest is the most probable. By whomsoever written, it is a Psalm of
infinite pathos, and an impassioned pleading with God by His ancient
mercies and for His Name's sake.
214 a
Psalm LXXIV.— cont.
It opens (a), in vv. 1—10, with a terrible picture of the cruel and insolent
triumph of the enemy, especially over the Temple of God; from this it
passes (6), in vv. 11—18, to plead with God by his former mercies to Israel,
and by His Almighty power over the world ; and ends (c), in vv. 19—24,
with an earnest prayer that He will " look upon the Covenant," and aBaert
His glory before the heathen.
v. 1. Absent from us, &c. The true
rendering (as in A.V. and R.V.) is
stronger, " Why hast Thou cast us
off for ever ? " So in Ps. xliii. 2 ; xliv.
9 ; lxxvii. 7, &c.)
v. 4. Lift up, &c— properly, "lift
up Thy feet," i.e. hasten (as an
avenger) " unto the perpetual deso-
lations " — the ruin upon ruin heaped
unceasingly on the land.
v. 5. Congregations should be "as-
sembly"—the place of Thy meet-
ing with Thy people, probably the
Temple.
Their banners as tokens. The ori-
ginal is, " their signs as signs." Pro-
bably the reference is to the emblems
of idolatry (like "the abomination
of desolation " in Dan. ix. 27) set up
as if they were really "signs" of a
Divine power with them, giving them
victory.
v. 6 is wholly misunderstood. It
should be—
" They seemed as men that lifted
on high
Axes against the thickets of the
wood;
And so they break down," &c.
The picture is graphic: first, the
roar of fury and victory on the ex-
altation of the signs of idolatry;
then the wanton havoc, hewing
down, like the trees of the forest,
the carved work of the Temple (so
elaborately described in 1 Kings vii.
18—35), beautiful in itself, and hal-
lowed by its sacred emblems ; at last
the fire set to the building, and the
razing to the ground the Sanctuary
itself (comp. Lam. ii. 2—7). There
rings through the whole description
the anguish of an eye-witness. In
the pregnant phrase, "defiled even
to the ground" (comp. Ps. lxxxix.
88), is summed up the two-fold idea
of pollution and ruin.
v. 9. The houses of God— properly,
"the places of assembly "—rendered
in R.V. as in the LXX. "the syna-
gogues." The establishment of syna-
gogues, as a regular institution, be-
longs to the period after the Exile.
But the existence of some places of
assembly in earlier times is in the
highest degree probable. For it is
hard to conceive of no worship in the
cities of Israel intermediate between
the worship of the family and the
infrequent worship in the Temple;
especially when every Sabbath and
festival was a time of "solemn as-
sembly." It is thoroughly accordant
with the conservative spirit of the
days of Ezra to suppose that the re-
gular institution of the synagogues
after the Captivity was rather a re-
vival and fuller organization of the
old, than a thing absolutely new.
But it is most probable that the
true meaning here is "destroyed
all times of assembly, i.e., the
solemn feasts," as the LXX. trans-
lation renders the passage (comp.
Lam. i. 4; ii. 6; Hos. ii. 11).
v. 10. Tokens or "signs" — con-
trasted with the heathen signs ol
v. 5. Our signs (he says) of the true
God are gone ; their signs of idolatry
flaunt in triumph.
There is not one prophet more. There
may be here some of the natural ex-
aggeration of sorrow. Jeremiah and
Ezekiel both still lived in the days of
the Chaldaean invasion. But Ezekiel
was far away in Babylon; Jeremiah's
promise of restoration might well
be lost in his constant message of
woe, and he was^Jtually accused of
favouring the OTaldsean triumph.
There is very similar language in
Lam. ii. 9 ; Ezek. vii. 26.
That understandeth, &c. This
should be joined with the first words
of the next verse, "that knoweth
how long."
v. 11. How long. Comp. vi. 3; xiii.
1, 2. The chastisement is accepted ;
but the prayer is that it may pass in
God's good time.
vv. 13—16 rapidly survey the great
deeds of God's ancient deliverance,
"working salvation in the midst of
the earth" (see A.V. and R.V.)— the
dividing the Red Sea, the destruc-
tion of the Egyptians, the bringing
the stream out of the rock, the dry-
ing up of the waters of Jordan. In
many cases there is even verbal coin-
cidence with the historic record.
214 b
Psalm LXXIV — cont.
v. 14. Dragon* — that is, "seamon-
Bters," the emblems of the Egyptian
powers (comp. the application to
Pharaoh in Isa. li. 9; Ezek. xxix. S:
xxxii. 2).
v. 15. Leviathan, as in Job xli., the
crocodile— " the beast of the reeds"
(Ps. lxviii. 80, mara.)— still more em-
phatically the emblem of Egypt.
Gavest him, Ac. Unless the phrase
be metaphorical, we should read,
"the race of the wilderness "—the
beasts of the desert shore feeding
on the corpses of the Egyptians.
vv. 17, 18 in rapid transition pass
from God's manifestations to Israel
to His rule over all Nature in its
forces and its changes, in which,
even before the heathen, " He left
not Himself without a witness."
The sun, the great object of all
idolatry, especially the Chaldscan, is
but the servant of that rule.
vv. 19—24. Here (see vv. 11, 19, 23)
God is prayed to deliver Israel for
His own Name's sake. (To pray for
the glory of His Name is to pray
for the good of all His creatures ; for
the knowledge of His being and
glory is the highest blessing of man.)
To "look upon the covenant" is to
vindicate His glory before the hea-
then—the " foolish people "—who
cannot or will not know Him . To let
it be overthrown is to give occasion
to the enemy "to blaspheme" "in
| evergrowing presumption," and to
send "the simple and helpless away
ashamed." With the tenderness of
! pleading for His "turtle-dove" and
for the poor of His congregation,
there mingles this tone of remon-
strance in the name both of the
Covenant and of the glory of God.
Psalm LXXV.
This Psalm and Ps. lxxvi., both bearing the name of Asaph, seem to be
closely connected. They stand in marked contrast with the anguish of the
last Psalm, and breathe the spirit of a firm confidence in the all- righteous
judgment of God against the strength of the enemy— as already shewn in
part, and as destined to be perfected hereafter.
It has been conjectured that they. belong to the time of Sennacherib's
war and overthrow (see note on v. 7), and the LXX. actually adds to the
heading the words "with reference to the Assyrians."
This Psalm, like Ps. lvii., has the title Altaschith, "destroy not"— pro-
bably the name of the tune to which it was sung.
It opens (a), in vv. 1—4, with an expression of thankful trust, answered
by the utterance of judgment by the voice of God ; this is taken up (ft), in
vv. 5— 10, by an admonition of rebuke in the Name of the Lord, to the pride
of the ungodly; and the whole concludes (c), in vv. 11, 12, with the renewed
expression of tru^in the God of Jacob for victory.
v. 2. Thy Name. The "Name of
God" is any revelation of Him;
here clearly the revelation of His
Presence in the midst of Israel,
witnessed to by His wondrous
works.
v. 8. When I receive. &c. These
words, opening the utterance of the
voice of God, should be rendered,
"When I find the set time." They
are, as it were, a solemn answer to
the cry. "How long?" When God
wills, and not till then, the judg-
ment is to come.
v. 4. Is weak— properly, "is dis-
solved," melting with fear (comp.
Exod. xv. 15; Josh. ii. 9, 24).
J bear up the pillars. Compare the
passage in the Song of Hannah, also
used as a rebuke of earthly pride
(1 Sam. ii. 8), "The pillars of the
earth are the Lord's, and He hath
set the world upon them." Amidst
all change and confusion, one thing
is changeless and certain— the judg-
ment of God.
vv. 5, 6, 8 have also plain remi-
niscences of the Song of Hannah
(1 Sam. ii. 8, 7), in rebuke of the
arrogance and obstinacy of the god-
less.
v. 5. I said unto the fools. &c. —
properly " to the arrogant, Deal not
arrogantly "—an allusion perhaps to
the blasphemous boastf ulness of the
Assyrians (Isa. xxxvi. 18—20; xxxvii.
28—25).
v. 7. Promotion should be "lifting
up" (comp. v. 8)— the lifting up of
deliverance. That deliverance comes
215
Day 14.
THE PSALMS.
long shall the enemy blaspheme
thy Name, for ever ?
12 Why withdrawest thou thy
hand : why pluckest thou not thy
right hand out of thy bosom to
consume the enemy ?
13 For God is my King of old :
the help that is done upon earth
he doeth it himself.
14 Thou didst divide the sea
through thy power : thou brakest
the heads of the dragons in the
waters.
15 Thou smotest the heads of
Leviathan in pieces : and gavest
him to be meat for the people in
the wilderness.
16 Thou broughtest out foun-
tains and waters out of the hard
rocks : thou driedst up mighty
waters.
17 The day is thine, and the
night is thine : thou hast prepar-
ed the light and the sun.
18 Thou hast set all the borders
DayU,
of the earth : thou hast made
summer and winter.
19 Remember this, 0 Lord,
how the enemy hath rebuked :
and how the foolish people hath
blasphemed thy Name.
20 O deliver not the soul of thy
turtle-dove unto the multitude
of the enemies : and forget not
the congregation of the poor for
ever.
21 Look upon the covenant :
for all the earth is full of dark-
ness, and cruel habitations.
22 O let not the simple go away
ashamed : but let the poor and
needy give praise unto thy Name.
23 Arise, 0 God, maintain thine
own cause : remember how the
foolish man blasphemeth thee
daily.
. 24 Forget not the voice of thine
enemies : the presumption of
them that hate thee increaseth
ever more and more.
Day 15.
Jttornmg ^ragcr.
PSALM 75.
Confdebimur tibi.
UNTO thee, 0 God, do we give
thanks : yea, unto thee do we
give thanks.
2 Thy Name also is so nigh :
and that do thy wondrous works
declare.
3 When I receive the congre-
gation : I shall judge according
unto right.
4 The earth is weak, and all
the inhabiters thereof : I bear up
the pillars of it.
5 I said unto the fools, Deal
not so madly : and to the ungod-
ly, Set not up your horn.
6 Set not up your horn on high :
and speak not with -a stiff neck.
7 For promotion cometh nei-
ther from the east, nor from the
west : nor yet from the south.
8 And why ? God is the Judge :
he putteth down one, and setteth
up another.
9 For in the hand of the Lord
there is a cup, and the wine is
red : it is full mixed, and ho pour-
eth out of the same.
10 As for the dregs thereof :
all the ungodly of the earth shall
drink them, and suck them out.
11 But I will talk of the God of
Jacob : and praise him for ever.
12 All the horns of the ungodly
also will I break : and the horns
of the righteous shall be exalted.
PSALM 76.
Notus in Judcea.
IN Jewry is God known : his
Name is great in Israel.
2 At Salem is his tabernacle :
and his dwelling in Sion.
3 There brake he the arrows
of the bow : the shield, the sword,
and the battle.
4 Thou art of more honour
and might : than the hills of the
robbers.
5 The proud are robbed, they
have slept their sleep : and all the
men whose hands were mighty
have found nothing.
6 At thy rebuke, 0 God of Ja-
cob : both the chariot and horse
are fallen.
7 Thou, even thou art to be
215
PsALM LXXV.— cont.
" not from the sunrise nor the sun-
set, nor from the desert" of the
South. From the omission of the
North it has been gathered, not
improbably, that the danger came
from that quarter, viz., from Assyria,
and that Israel was looking eagerly
in all other quarters for help.
v. 9. There is a cup, &c. This meta-
phor, in the sense of the cup of
wrath or judgment, is frequent in
Jeremiah (see xxv. 15, 17, 28; li. 7;
Lam. iv. 21 ; and comp. Isa. li. 17 ;
Ezek. xxiii. 31, 32). In the PBalms
the cup is more usually the ordain-
ed portion of blessing (see xvi. 5;
xxiii. S ; cxvi. 13).
Full mixed— that is, with the spice,
put in to make it stronger (like the
wine mingled with myrrh").
v. 12 may be the final sentence of
the Lord Jehovah, or it may ex-
press the confidence of the Psalmist,
that as His instrument, he will be
strengthened to do His work.
Psalm LXXVI.
This splendid Psalm, even more plainly than Ps. lxxv., is marked out by
some ancient tradition, and by the strongest internal evidence, as a Psalm
of triumph over the destruction of the army of Sennacherib. It bears
token of reminiscence both of the Song of Deborah and the Song of
Hannah, and has some points of likeness to the contemporary prophecy.
It breathes a spirit, mingled of exaltation and awe, in the overwhelming
sense of the greatness of the deliverance.
It is headed on Nea'moth, that is, "on stringed instruments."
The structure is singularly symmetrical, in four divisions of three verses :
(a), in vv. 1 — 3, we hear the trumpet blast of victory; (6). in vv. 4—6, the
exaltation of God over all human pride and strength; (c), in vv. 7—9, an
awe-struck recital of God's coming forth to judgment; (rf), in vv. 10—12, a
more reflective declaration of His over-ruling and restraining power over
the kings of the earth.
v. 1. In Itrael. This Psalm was
written at a time when the inde-
pendent kingdom of Israel had
fallen, and the relics of the tribes
were invited, as at the great pass-
over of Hezekiah (2 Chr. xxx. 1), to
rally round the kingdom of Judah,
which had now become the sole
representative of the covenant of
Israel. Hence with singular truth
to fact, His Presence is described as
"known in Judah" and His Name
recognised as great in Israel.
v. 2. Salem— apparently used as the
old name of Jerusalem (Gen. xiv. 18),
and with an allusion to its significa-
tion to Peace (see Heb. vii. 1, 2).
Tabernacle .... dwellina, &c, has
been rendered " lair " and " covert,"
whence (like "the lion of Judah")
He goes forth suddenly to destroy.
Compare the reference in v. 4 to
" The mountains of prey."
v. 3. Comp. Isa. xxxvii. 33, " He
shall not come into this city, nor
shoot an arrow there, nor come be-
fore it with shields, nor cast a bank
against it."
v. 4 is more literally (see A.V.),
215 a
" Glorious art Thou, and excellent
from " (or " more than ") " the
mountains of prey." Taking the
former rendering— which is perhaps
the better— the idea is still of God
as coming down in His wrath from
the mountain lair ; taking the latter
(as in our version), " the mountains
of prey " are the strongholds already
conquered, from which the Assyrian
host gathered round the devoted
city of Jerusalem.
vv. 5, 6 should be rendered—
" The valiant are spoiled ;
They have slept their sleep ;
None of the mighty have found
their hands.
At Thy rebuke, O God of Jacob,
Both chariot and horseman are
cast into a deep sleep."
It is almost impossible to mistake
the allusion to the deeper sleep of
death, falling on the sleeping Assy-
rian army, before the valiant men
could "find their hands" (as we
use the phrase, "find their tongue"),
to grasp their weapons. The idea
is worked out strikingly in Byron's
well-known lines.
Psalm LXXVI.-cont.
vv 7—9, in the midst of exultation,
have in them a certain tone of awe
before the terrible judgment of God ;
the very earth trembles and is hush-
ed in the silence of expectation, even
when the judgment is for salvation
to the afflicted and the meek.
v. 10. The latter clause, as it now
stands, must be rendered, "And with
the residue of wrath Thou shalt gird
Thyself" — that is (it would seem),
the wrath of the enemy, after being
overruled to God's glory, shall be
used as the sword of His judgment.
But the LXX., by a slight variation of
the text, read, " shall keep festival to
Thee," giving a simpler sense, and
preserving the parallelism far better.
vv. 11, 12. Comp. 2 Ohr. xxxii. 23,
" Many brought gifts unto the Lord,
and presents unto Hezekiah the king
so that he was magnified in the sight
of the nations." The Psalmist evi-
dently delights to anticipate or con-
template, as a result of God's signal
judgment, this universal homage to
the God of Israel, as the King of
kings, from all the earth.
Psalm LXXVII.
This beautiful Psalm carries with it no certain indication of date. It
bears some strong similarities to the Psalm of Hab. hi., but it is hard to say
which is the original. It is called a Psalm of Asaph— addressed (like
Ps. xxxix., lxii.) "to Jeduthun" or Ethan, head of one of the Levitical
companies — and has strongly marked upon it the peculiarities of the
Psalms bearing that title; such as the allusion to "Joseph" (v. 15), the
delight in historical reference, and the meditative cast of the whole. It is
the utterance of one deeply sorrowing over the apparent withdrawal of
God's favour from Israel, who comforts himself with hope from the remem-
brance of His ancient mercies.
It opens (a), in vv. 1—3, with a description of the perplexity and sorrow
under which the Psalmist had cried, and would still cry, to God ; passing
(6), in vv. 4—10, into a recital of the conflict in his soul between the two
voices of despondency and faith ; and at last (c), in vv. 11 — 20, breaking out
into a triumphant and hopeful commemoration of God's former mercies to
Israel.
v. 1. Should perhaps be, "Let me
cry" .... "May He hearken," &c.
Not till the end of the Psalm does
anxiety pass into confidence.
v. 2. My gore ran, &c. This is a
mistranslation. The original is, " my
hand in the night-season was stretch-
ed out" (literally, "poured out")
" and ceased not." The idea is of the
hand stretched out in prayer till it
was unnerved by weariness, and yet
refused to rest.
vv. 3, 4 again fail of the true sense.
They should be —
" I thought upon God and was in
heaviness ;
I complained.and my spirit sank."
Even the thought of God brought for
a time nothing but weariness and
despondency.
vv. 4 — 6 describe the Psalmist's
transition from despondency to medi-
tation in the restless watches of the
215 b
I night. In these he tells how he went
i back in memory, calling to remem-
i brance his old song of praise over
j past mercies, and how his spirit
I made search in thought (" search out
j my spirits ") ; but at first only with
the despondent result of vv. 7—9,
through the painful sense of con-
trast with the present (comp. lxxxix.
37-48).
j v. 10. The original is, " It is my
| weakness (or sorrow) as to the years
l of the right hand of the Most High-
j est ! " or (as some read), " the chang-
' ing of the right hand," &c. In the
latter case the meaning is simply,
" It is my sorrow that the right hand
of the Most Highest is changed."
But this meaning would be at vari-
ance with the tone of the whole
context ; and it is better to take the
former reading, and adopt substan-
tially the sense of our version, as
marking the point of transition of
feeling, in the sense that despondency
P8at.m LXXVII.— eont.
1b but human weakness, and a will-
ingness to wait for the appointed
years of God's salvation. To this
the following verses are the natural
sequel ; for they dwell, first, on the
greatness (in pp. 11, 12), then the
holiness (r. 18), and, lastly, the re-
deeming mercy of the Lord {v. 15),
as the things that cannot fail.
v. 15. And Joteph. The allusion to
Joseph may be justified by the pro-
minence of Joseph in the Egyptian
period of the history; but it would
seem to argue that the Psalmist
was a native or a citizen of North-
ern Israel (comp. Ps. lxxx. 1, 2 and
lxxxi. 5).
vv. 16—18 are obviously the descrip-
tion of the passage of the Red Sea,
amidst the terrors of the Btorm,
which marked the overwhelming of
the Egyptian host (comp. Hab. iii.
9—18).
v. 18. Round about— literally, "in
the wheel," that is, probably, "in the
whirlwind."
vv. 19, 20 express the sense of mys-
tery of the manner of God's judg-
ment, of which the waves of the sea
hid all traces. Only one thing was
clear, that His people were led
safely, like sheep, through the abyss
of danger (comp. lxxviii. 53, 54), and
that it was He who went before them
as their Shepherd. The end of the
Psalm is abrupt— almost as if to mark
connection with the great Psalm
which follows.
Psalm LXXVIII.
This is the first and greatest of the historical Psalms— an inspired
comment on the sacred history, with an avowed didactic purpose of
warning, by a recital of God's repeated mercies and of Israel's repeated
sins. Such comments we find in the Prophecies (see, for example, Ezek.
xx. 3—28) ; but the Psalmist dwells on the past with far greater historic
detail, and, moreover, identifies himself more fully in sympathy with the
people whose sin he so candidly records. Under the shadow of this main
idea there runs also through the Psalm a secondary purpose, to emphasize
for some special reason the transference of the spiritual and temporal
leadership from Ephraim to Judah, from Shiloh to Zion. These historical
Psalms have a double value. They illustrate and confirm the historic
record, always giving it vividness, and occasionally adding fresh touches of
detail. But their real importance lies in the light which they throw on
the religious conception of that history, which, indeed, alone makes it a
continual lesson on the eternal will of God and the unchanging charac-
teristics of humanity.
The Psalm is ascribed to Asaph ; and although, as usual, many various
dates have been found for it by critical conjecture, there is much to support
the ancient ascription, not only in the singular beauty and perfection of the
poem, and the imposing tone of authority, resembling the tone of Ps. 1.,
and well suiting " Asaph the Seer," but, perhaps even more, in the abrupt
pause at the accession of David, and the absence of all reference to the
glories of his reign, which would be inconceivable in a later Psalmist.
Why Asaph should have dwelt so emphatically on the primacy of Judah as
against the tribe of Ephraim (with which the " Psalms of Asaph " usually
shew special sympathy), we cannot tell. But this warning may have been
called for by some crisis in the history of David's later years ; when we
see traces (as, for example, in 2 Sam. xix. 41—43 ; xx. 1—22) of the jealousy
against Judah, which was to break out hereafter in the revolt of Israel
under the leadership of Ephraim.
After (a) the introduction (in vv. 1—9) of general warning to Israel, the
Psalm dwells at length (A), in vv. 10—40, on the wonders of God's hand in
the wilderness and the rebellions of the people; then (c), in vv. 41—56, it
goes back from this to the deliverance from Egypt, and on to the settle-
ment in Canaan; (d), lastly and briefly, in vv. 57—73, it touches on the
rebellions in the days of the Judges, the fall of Shiloh and the establish-
ment of the Sanctuary in Zion, and of the royalty of David.
216
I
Day 15.
THE PSALMS.
Day 15.
feared : and who may stand in
thy sight when thou art angry ?
8 Thou didst cause thy judg-
ment to be heard from heaven :
the earth trembled, and was
still,
9 When God arose to judg-
ment : and to help all the meek
upon earth.
10 The fierceness of man shall
turn to thy praise : and the fierce-
ness of them shalt thou refrain.
11 Promise unto the Lord your
God, and keep it, all ye that are
round about him : bring presents
unto him that ought to be feared.
12 He shall refrain the spirit of
princes : and is wonderful among
the kings of the earth.
PSALM 77.
Voce mea ad Dominium.
I WILL cry unto God with my
voice : even unto God will I
cry with my voice, and he shall
hearken unto me.
2 In the time of my trouble I
sought the Lord : my sore ran,
and ceased not in the night-sea-
son ; my soul refused comfort.
3 When I am in heaviness, I
will think upon God : when my
heart is vexed, I will complain.
4 Thou holdest mine eyes wak-
ing : I am so feeble, that I cannot
speak.
5 I have considered the days of
old : and the years that are past.
6 I call to remembrance my
song : and in the night I com-
mune with mine own heart, and
search out my spirits.
7 Will the Lord absent himself
fpr ever : and will he be no more
intreated ?
8 Is his mercy clean gone for
ever : and is his promise come
utterly to an end for evermore ?
9 Hath God forgotten to be
gracious : and will he shut up his
loving-kindness in displeasure ?
10 And I said, It is mine own
infirmity : but I will remember
the years of the right hand of the
most Highest.
11 I will remember the works
of the Lord : and call to mind thy
wonders of old time.
12 I will think also of all thy
works : and my talking shall be
of thy doings.
13 Thy way, 0 God, is holy :
who is so great a God as our God ?
14 Thou art the God that doeth
wonders : and hast declared thy
power among the people.
15 Thou hast mightily deliver-
ed thy people : even the sons of
Jacob and Joseph.
16 The waters saw thee, 0
God, the waters saw thee, and
were afraid : the depths also were
troubled.
17 The clouds poured out wa-
ter, the air thundered : and thine
arrows went abroad.
18 The voice of thy thunder was
heard round about : the lightnings
shone upon the ground ; the earth
was moved, and shook withal.
19 Thy way is in the sea, and
thy paths in the great waters :
and thy footsteps are not known.
20 Thou leddest thy people like
sheep : by the hand of Moses and
Aaron.
Day 15.
GB&emnii ^rager.
PSALM 78.
A ttendite, popule.
HEAR my law, 0 my people :
incline your ears unto the
words of my moutlu
2 I will open my mouth in a
parable : I will declare hard sen-
tences of old ;
3 Which we have heard and
known : and such as our fathers
have told us ;
4 That we should not hide them
from the children of the genera-
tions to come : but to shew the
honour of the Lord, his mighty
and wonderful works that he hath
done.
5 He made a covenant with
Jacob, and gave Israel a law :
which he commanded our fore-
fathers to teach their children ;
6 That their posterity might
216
Pbalm LXXVIII.-eonf.
The whole style of the Psalm is gingularly beautiful and perfect, shewing
no touch of ruggedness or obscurity, and preserving throughout a tone
of calm and dignified authority. Comp. Matt. xiii. 35 (." spoken by the
prophet"). It is a Maschil—a. Psalm of reflection and instruction— in the
very highest degree.
v. 2. Parable .... hard sentence
("dark sayings"). Comp. xlix. 4
and note there. The names seem
more applicable there than here.
But the reference here appears to
be simply to a teaching of deep
spiritual truths, which the multi-
tude neglect, through historical
facts, which they all know. In
Matt xiii. 84 the Terse is accord-
ingly applied to the teaching of Our
Lord by sparables.
v. 5. The " Covenant " or " testi-
mony " (see xix. 7) and the Law,
which was to guard it, were to be
orally taught from fathers to chil-
dren, and so to be a living power,
treasured in memory from genera-
tion to generation (comp. Dent,
iv. 9; vi. 7—9, 20—25). The "Song
of Moses" (Deut. xxxi. 28; xxxii.
47) is the grandest example of such
teaching ; the Passover question and
answer (Exod. xii. 26, 27) the most
formal and permanent. Yet the
object was not to chronicle the glory
and greatness of the forefathers,
but rather to take warning by their
sins and chastisements. Note the
fulfilment of this command after
the Exile in Neh. ix. 7—84; Dan. ix.
4—19.
v. 10. Like a$, &c. There is no
" like as " in the original. The verse
abruptly states what may be (as has
been suggested) a metaphorical de-
scription of faithlessness (like "the
broken bow " of v. 58), but certainly
looks like a historical (although per-
haps a typical) fact. The children of
Ephraim are purposely singled out
as representatives of faithless Israel,
in accordance with a general purpose
in the Psalm ; but it is to be remem-
bered that, on the entrance into
Canaan under Joshua (himself an
Ephraimite), they were the leading
tribe, having both the sanctuary of
Shiloh and the assembling place of
Shechem. Of the failure of complete
conquest (see Judg. i. 21—35 ; ii. 2, 8 ;
iii. 1 — 4), .they, therefore, bore the
chief responsibility. It is to their
failure through indolence or coward-
ice—perhaps to some conspicuous in-
stance of it— that the Psalm alludes.
The " bowB " may best be taken lite-
217
rally ; the Ephraimites were (it seems)
the archers of Israel (contrast 2 Sam.
i. 18.)
v. IS. Zoan (Tanis), mentioned in
Num. xiii. 22, is a chief city of Lower
Egypt, the region in which Israel
was settled, and probably the chief
scene of the plagues.
vv. 14—17 cover the first period of
the wanderings in the wilderness
during the approach to Sinai (Exod.
xiv.— xvii).
vc. 19—31 dwell in detail on the
first murmurings of Israel— blend-
ing together (it would seem) the re-
cords of Exod. xvi. and Num. xi. 18
—35 — in the craving, not only for
food, but for savoury food, such as
they had enjoyed in Egypt.
v. 24. So he commanded. It should
be (as in R.V.) "Yet He command-
ed "—referring to the wonders al-
ready wrought for Israel.
v. 26. Angel*' food— literally, "bread
of the mighty " ; but our version is
probably a right explanation. The
gift of the manna ("which thou
knewest not, neither did thy fathers
know") was called the "bread from
heaven" (comp. Johnvi. 31), and the
spiritual lesson to be learnt by so
regarding it, is enforced in Dent.
viii. 8.
vv. 28—81. Comp. Num. xi. 31—35.
The event is typical of man's discon-
tent with God's provision (spiritual
or temporal), and of prayer for self-
chosen luxuries, which should not
have been uttered, granted for chas-
tisement through » the evil uncon-
sciously desired. Many ruined lives
are Ktbroth- hattaavah ("graves of
lust").
v. 82. Comp. Num. xiv., xvi.
vv. 84—40 cover in general descrip-
tion the life in the wilderness— God's
blessings showered on Israel in vain,
then His chastisement, for a time,
doing what blessing could not do;
soon the passing away of the brief
impression, and, in spite of all, the
constant forgiveness and forbearance
of God.
vv. 42—52, breaking the narrative
order, go back to bring out in detail
the plagues of Egypt, which should
have been to Israel at once a monu-
Day 15.
THE PSALMS.
Day 15.
know it : and the children which
were yet unborn ;
7 To the intent that when they
came up : they might shew their
children the same ;
8 That they might put their
trust in God : and not to forget
the works of God, but to keep
his commandments ;
9 And not to be as their fore-
fathers, a faithless and stubborn
generation : a generation that set
not their heart aright, and whose
Bpirit cleaveth not stedfastlyunto
God;
10 Like as the children of Eph-
raim : who being harnessed, and
carrying bows, turned themselves
back in the day of battle.
11 They kept not the covenant
of God : and would not walk in
his law ;
12 But forgat what he had done :
and the wonderful works that he
had shewed for them.
13 Marvellous things did he in
the sight of our forefathers, in
the land of Egypt : even in the
field of Zoan.
14 He divided the sea, and let
them go through : he made the
waters to stand on an heap.
15 In the day-time also he led
them with a cloud : and all the
night through with a light of fire.
16 He clave the hard rocks in
the wilderness : and gave them
drink thereof, as it had been out
of the great depth.
17 He brought waters out of
the stony rock : so that it gushed
out like the rivers.
18 Yet for all this they sinned
more against him : and provoked
the most Highest in the wilder-
ness.
19 They tempted God in their
hearts : and required meat for
their lust.
20 They spake against God al-
so, saying : Shall God prepare a
table in the wilderness ?
21 He smote the stony rock in-
deed, that the water gushed out,
and the streams flowed withal :
but can he give bread also, or
provide flesh for his people ?
22 When the Lord heard this, he
was wroth : so the fire was kin-
dled in Jacob, and there came up
heavy displeasure against Israel;
23 Because they believed not in
God : and put not their trust in
his help,
24 So he commanded the clouds
above : and opened the doors of
heaven.
25 He rained down manna also
upon them for to eat : and gave
them food from heaven.
26 So man did eat angels' food:
for he sent them meat enough.
27 He caused the east-wind to
blow under heaven : and through
his power he brought in the south-
west-wind.
28 He rained flesh upon them
as thick as dust : and feather-
ed fowls like as the sand of the sea.
29 He let it fall among their
tents : even round about their
habitation.
30 So they did eat, and were
well filled ; for he gave them their
own desire : they were not disap-
pointed of their lust.
31 But while the meat was yet
in their mouths, the heavy wrath
of God came upon them, and slew
the wealthiest of them : yea, and
smote down the chosen men that
were in Israel.
32 But for all this they sinned
yet more : and beUeved not his
| wondrous works.
33 Therefore their days did he
| consume in vanity : and their
I years in trouble.
34 When he slew them, they
sought him : and turned them
| early, and enquired after God.
35 And they remembered that
God was their strength : and that
the high God was their redeemer.
36 Nevertheless, they did but
flatter him with their mouth : and
dissembled with him in their
tongue.
37 For their heart was not whole
with him : neither continued they
stedfast in his covenant.
38 But he wa* so merciful, that
he forgave their misdeeds : and
destroyed them not.
21?
Psalm LXXVIII.— cont.
ment of God's mercy to them, and
a warning of His judgment on re-
bellion against His will. The de-
scription touches briefly the first,
second, fourth, and eighth plagues
(Exod. vii., viii., ix.). and then dwells
with great emphasis on the plague
of hail (Exod. ix.), probably as the
most unprecedented, and the slaying
of the first-born (Exod. xii.) as at
once the most terrible and the last
decisive plague.
v. 42. The Holy One of Israel— a
name frequently used by Isaiah ; but
in the Psalter only found here and in
Ps. lxxi. 22; lxxxix. 18.
v. 46. Lice is an error for "flies"
(seeA.V. andR.V.).
v. 50. Evil angel*— probably, " an-
gels of woe," destroying angels," \
directing physical powers for the
execution of the wrath of the Lord.
v. 51. Pestilence— making clear what
In the narrative of Exodus is not ex- 1
plicitly stated— that the destruction
of the first-born was by pestilence '
(comp. 2 Sam. xxiv. 15, 16).
vv. 52—56, changing from the stern i
tone of the preceding verses to a tone j
of exquisite sweetness, sum up in a j
few words the whole deliverance of !
the flock of the Lord, and their i
settlement in the holy land of their
rest.
vv. 57—59 evidently describe the
rebellious and apostasies of the time
of the Judges, ending at last in the
overthrow of Shiloh, which had been
throughout, since the last days of
Joshua, the Sanctuary of God. The I
destruction of Shiloh, unrecorded in :
the history, but plainly referred to ''
here and in Jer. vii. 12, 14; xxvi. 6, !
must have been after the great defeat
in the days of Eli. The Ark, when
restored, never returned thither.
V. 64. Given in marriage — properly,
" praised in the marriage song."
v. 65. There were, &c. It should be,
"their widows made no lamenta-
tion." There was no heart, either
for joy or mourning. When Hophni
and Phinehas fell, the heart of Phi-
neha8' widow (like that of Eli) broke,
not at their death, but at the loss of
the Ark (1 Sam. iv. 19—22). Comp.
the experience of Ezekiel in later
days (Ezek. xxiv. 15—27).
vv. 66 — 67— describing with a strik-
ing boldness of metaphor, character-
istic of an early age, the awaking of
the Lord to vengeance, and the
smiting of the flying enemy— may
allude to the various deliverances by
the hand of the Judges, but evidently
refer mainly to the victories of the
days of Saul and David, which esta-
blished Israel permanently as a vic-
torious and dominant empire.
vv. 67—72. The transference of the
leadership from Ephraim to Judah,
and of the Sanctuary from Shiloh to
Zion, is marked with great emphasis,
but the exaltation and the greatness
of David is touched with singular
modesty, and even slightness of treat-
ment. Stress is laid only (see R.V.)
on " the integrity of his heart," and
" the skilfulness of his hands." No
word, again, is found on the royalty
of Solomon or on the building of the
Temple, which would have been so
apposite to the subject. The " Sanc-
tuary," as in the days of David, is
still on Mount Zion (see v. 69). This
might be intelligible in the days of
the ancient Asaph, for such reticence
as to David might well be dictated
by the king himself, and Solomon
had not yet succeeded ; in a Psalm
Of later date it would be almost
impossible.
Psalm LXXIX.
The close connection of this most touching "Psalm of Asaph" with
Ps. lxxiv. is obvious. It is clearly the same desolation of the land which is
contemplated, with the same cry of anguish and prayer. Only in Ps. lxxiv.
the defilement and desolation of the Sanctuary are most dwelt upon ; in
this Psalm the overthrow and the slaughter of the people of God. Here
also there is singular resemblance to the Book of Jeremiah ; vv. 6, 7 are
almost verbally identical with Jer. x. 25. The Psalm (which is quoted as
Scripture in 1 Mace. vii. 15) seems evidently to belong to his time, possibly
to his hand. The whole tenour of it is much like the Lamentations, but
simpler and less detailed in its description of the ruin and suffering,
It consists of (a), in vv. 1^4, a complaint of the bloodshed and desolation j
of Israel; and (6), in vv. 5—14, a prayer for help, pleading emphatically j
God's love for His people, but pleading also " for His Name's sake" and J
" His glory "—to be vindicated by righteous judgment upon godlessness or J
idolatry.
81S
Day 15.
THE PSALMS.
Day IS.
39 Yea, many a time turned
he his wrath away : and would
not suffer his whole displeasure
to arise.
40 For he considered that they
were but flesh : and that they
were even a wind that passeth
away, and cometh not again.
41 Many a time did they pro-
voke him in the wilderness : and
grieved him in the desert.
42 They turned back, and tempt-
ed God : and moved the Holy One
in Israel.
43 They thought not of his
hand : and of the day when he
delivered them from the hand of
the enemy ;
44 How he had wrought his
miracles in Egypt : and his won-
ders in the field of Zoan.
45 He turned their waters into
blood : so that they might not
drink of the rivers.
46 He sent lice among them,
and devoured them up : and frogs
to destroy them.
47 He gave their fruit unto the
caterpillar : and their labour unto
the grasshopper.
48 He destroyed their vines with
hail-stones : and their mulberry-
trees with the frost.
49 He smote their cattle also
with hail-stones : and their flocks
with hot thunder-bolts.
50 He cast upon them the fu-
riousness of his wrath, anger, dis-
pleasure, and trouble : and sent
evil angels among them.
51 He made a way to his indig-
nation, and spared not their soul
from death : but gave their life
over to the pestilence ;
52 And smote all the first-born
in Egypt : the most principal
and mightiest in the dwellings of
Ham.
53 But as for his own people,
he led them forth like sheep : and
carried them in the wilderness
like a flock.
54 He brought them out safely,
that they should not fear : and
overwhelmed their enemies with
the sea.
55 And brought them within
the borders of his sanctuary : even
to his mountain which he pur-
chased with his right hand.
56 He cast out the heathen al-
so before them : caused their land
to be divided among them for an
heritage, and made the tribes of
Israel to dwell in their tents.
57 So they tempted, and dis-
pleased the most high God : and
kept not his testimonies ;
58 But turned their backs, and
fell away like their forefathers :
starting aside like a broken bow.
59 For they grieved him with
their hill-altars : and provoked
him to displeasure with their im-
ages.
60 When God heard this, he
was wroth : and took sore dis-
pleasure at Israel.
61 So that he forsook the ta-
bernacle in Silo : even the tent
that he had pitched among men.
62 He delivered their power into
captivity : and their beauty into
the enemy's hand.
63 He gave his people over also
unto the sword : and was wroth
with his inheritance.
64 The fire consumed their
young men : and their maidens
were not given to marriage.
65 Their priests were slain with
the sword : and there were no
widows to make lamentation.
66 So the Lord awaked as one
out of sleep : and like a giant re-
freshed with wine.
67 He smote his enemies in the
hinder parts : and put them to a
perpetual shame.
68 He refused the tabernacle of
Joseph : and chose not the tribe
of Ephraim ;
69 But chose the tribe of Ju-
dah : even the hill of Sion which
he loved.
70 And there he built his tem-
ple on high : and laid the founda-
tion of it like the ground which
he hath made continually.
71 He chose David also his ser-
vant : and took him away from
the sheep-folds.
72 As he was following the
ewes great with young ones he.
18
Psalm LXXIX.— cont.
v. 1 touches briefly what is the
chief subject in Ps. lxxiv., the pollu-
tion of the Temple; and then goes
on to dwell on the blood shed like
water, the dead bodies left unburied
to the birds and beasts of prey, the
Holy City a heap of stones, and the
covenanted people of God a scorn
and derision. The picture is the
same, which is drawn out in far
greater detail in the Book of the
Lamentations. Not one of these
woes had been unforetold (see Deut.
xxviii. 26; 1 Kings ix. 6—9; Mic.
iii. 2; Jer. vii. 38; viii. 2, &c, &c).
Not one failed of even more terrible
repetition in the final destruction of
Jerusalem.
v. 4 is almost identical with Ps.
xliv. 14 (comp. lxxx. 6).
vv. 6, 7 are identical with Jer. x.
25 ; but the passage, both here and j
there, grows so naturally out of the
context, that neither seems taken
for the other. The appearance is of
contemporaneousness and natural
coincidence of thought.
v. 8 implies the confession so often !
made (as in Lam. i. 8, 18; iii. 42—44; i
Dan. ix. 5—14) of the deserving of all :
by the old sins of Israel— "the ini-
quities of our forefathers " (see R.V.).
But the prayer is that the well-
merited chastisement may have done
its work, and may accordingly pass
away.
re. 9, 10. Here, as in v. 18, the
prayer is for the sake of the Name
of the Lord. Naturally, as we see
in the case of Sennacherib (2 Kings
xviii. 88—35; xix. 11—18), victory
over those who were called the peo-
ple of Jehovah, led to scorn of Him
and blasphemy against Him. The
sin of God's servants, as in itself,
so also in the shame and chastise-
ment it brings, "gives occasion to
the enemies of God to blaspheme."
v. 12. Thote appointed to die— per-
haps the prisoners sent to the Chal-
daean army or to Babylon to be
slaughtered there (see 2 Kings xxv.
7, 21).
v. 14 is a gleam of hope and con-
fidence at the end of the long cry of
anguish. In spite of all they are
God's people, and (as so often in the
Asaphic Psalms) "the sheep of His
pasture " ; the time of relief and of
thanksgiving must come, and, when
it does come, shall go on from gene-
ration to generation.
Psalm LXXX.
This Psalm of Asaph, by its unusual emphasis on Israel, as "Joseph" or
" Ephraim," appears to belong to the Northern Kingdom of Israel at some
time of suffering and disaster, and prays that it may not become a final
ruin. It may belong to the time of the Exile, but, if the allusion in c. 1
may be held to imply that the Temple was still standing, it must be
referred to the period— a long agony of decline and fall— which is depicted
to us in the sad and terrible prophecy of Hosea.
It is divided by the refrain "Turn us," &c, into three parts: (a), in
vv. 1—8, a cry to the good Shepherd of Israel, who still dwells between the
Cherubim ; (h), incc. 4—7, a complaint of sorrow and unanswered prayer ;
(c), in vv. 8—19, a plea for the vineyard of the Lord, which He had Himself
planted, and which man laid waste, and for the covenant of His promise.
It is headed (like Ps. xlv., lxix.) on Shoshannim-Eduth—" on the Lilies—
a Testimony."
vv. 1, 2. There is, after the charac-
teristic appeal, as in all Asaphic
Psalms, to God as " the Shepherd
of Israel," a manifest reference to
His ancient leading of the people in
the wilderness. Hence the allusion
to the cherubims (comp. the grand
description of Ezek. i. x.) ; hence
the naming of the tribes " Ephraim,
Benjamin, and Manasses "— the de-
scendants of Rachel— which formed
:i9
camp of Ephraim"
)f the Tabernacle
together the
on the west side of
(Num. ii. 18—24). It is notable that
the Levites of the family of Ger-
shom, of which Asaph was the head
in the days of David, encamped on
the west side of the Tabernacle,
close to this "camp of Ephraim
(Num. iii. 28), and may have ht
thus a traditional connection witl
these three tribes. The same tribe
Day 16.
THE PSALMS.
Day 16.
took him : that he might feed | 73 So he fed them with a faith-
Jacob his people, and Israel his j ful and true heart : and ruled them
inheritance. I prudently with all his power.
DAT 16.
looming Pragtr.
o
PSALM 79.
Deus, venerunt.
GOD, the heathen are come
into thine inheritance : thy
holy temple have they defiled,
and made Jerusalem an heap of
stones.
2 The dead bodies of. thy ser-
vants have they given to be meat
unto the fowls of the air : and the
flesh of thy saints unto the beasts
of the land.
3 Their blood have they shed
like water on every side of Jeru-
salem : and there was no man to
bury them.
4 We aj-e become an open shame
to our enemies : a very scorn and
derision unto them that are round
about us.
5 Lord, how long wilt thou be
angry : shall thy jealousy burn
like fire for ever ?
6 Pour out thine indignation
upon the heathen that have not
known thee : and upon the king-
doms that have not called upon
thy Name.
7 For they have devoured Ja-
cob : and laid waste his dwelling-
place.
8 0 remember not our old sins,
but have mercy upon us, and that
soon : for we are come to great
misery.
9 Help us, 0 God of our salva-
tion, for the glory of thy Name :
O deliver us, and be merciful un-
to our sins, for thy Name's sake.
10 Wherefore do the heathen
say : Where is now their God ?
11 0 let the vengeance of thy
servants' blood that is shed : be
openly shewed upon the heathen
in our sight.
12 O let the sorrowful sighing of
the prisoners come before thee :
according to the greatness of thy
power, preserve thou those that
are appointed to die.
13 And for the blasphemy
wherewith our neighbours have
blasphemed thee : reward thou
them, 0 Lord, seven- fold into
their bosom.
14 So we, that are thy people,
and sheep of thy pasture, shall
give thee thanks for ever : and
will alway be shewing forth thy
praise from generation to genera-
tion.
PSALM 80.
Qui regis Israel.
HEAR, O thou Shepherd of
Israel, thou that leadest
Joseph like a sheep : shew thy-
self also, thou that sittest upon
the cherubims.
2 Before Ephraim, Benjamin,
and Manasses : stir up thy
strength, and come, and help us.
3 Turn us again, O God : shew
the light of thy countenance, and
we shall be whole.
4 0 Lord God of hosts : how
long wilt thou be angry with thy
people that prayeth ?
5 Thou feedest them with the
bread of tears : and givest them
plenteousness of tears to drink.
6 Thou hast made us a very
strife unto our neighbours : and
our enemies laugh us to scorn.
7 Turn us again, thou God of
hosts : shew the light of thy coun-
tenance, and we shall be whole.
8 Thou hast brought a vine
out of Egypt : thou hast cast out
the heathen, and planted it.
9 Thou madest room for it :
and when it had taken root it fill-
ed the land.
10 The hills were covered with
the shadow of it : and the boughs
thereof were like the goodly ce-
dar-trees.
11 She stretched out her branch-
es unto the sea : and her boughs
unto the river.
12 Why hast thou then broken
down her hedge : that all they
that go by pluck off her grapes ?
219
Psalm LXXX.— eont.
were settled close together in the
centre of Palestine; and though
Benjamin, as a whole, followed the
fortunes of Judah at the disruption
of the kingdom, yet some portion of
it on the North may have been
associated with the kindred tribes of
the house of Joseph.
vv. 4—6 evidently indicate a time
of repentance, perhaps coming too
late, in the kingdom of Israel. We
find it noted that its last king,
Hoshea (2 Kings xvii. 2), though " he
did evil in the sight of the Lord,"
yet was " not as the kings that went
before him."
v. 5. Comp. Ps. xlii. 2, 8; cii. 9;
Isa. xxz. 20.
v. 6. A ttrife— the helpless prize of
contention ; as, for example, between
the great emperors of Assyria and
Egypt.
v. 8. In Gen. xlix. 22, Joseph is
compared to " a fruitful bough "
(apparently of a vine). The meta-
phor applied to Israel is frequent
(see Isa. v. 1—7 ; Jer. ii. 21 ; Ezek.
xv. 6; xvii. 6—8). Hence the great
golden vine afterwards sculptured
on the gate of the Temple. We may
note Our Lord's application of the
figure to Himself, as the true life of
Israel (John xv. 1—8).
«. 11. The tea . . . .the river (Eu-
phrates)—the eastern and western
bounds of the grant to Israel (Josh.
i. 4), realized for a time in the daya
of Solomon (1 Kings iv. 21).
v. 18. The wild boar (here only
mentioned in Holy Scripture) is evi-
dently the great enemy, although
the lion is the more especial emblem
of Assyria (see Nah. ii. 11—13). The
vine first loses its protecting fence
(v. 12), then the beasts make havoc
of it (v. 18), at last, ruined by their
ravages, it is burnt and cut down as
worthless (c. 16). Comp. John xv. 6.
v. 17. Let thy hand be, &c. — that is,
for guidance and protection; the
man of' thy right hand— the man
whom thou delightest to honour;
the eon of man. . . . self— the repre-
sentative of humanity, weak in itself,
made strong in God. The primary
reference is to Israel, as a nation,
impersonated perhaps in David ; but
the old Jewish commentators recog-
nised the title as properly belonging
in perfection only to the Messiah.
We note how constantly Our Lord
(and He alone) applies the title
" Son of Man " to Himself, as sharing
and exalting our humanity.
v. 19. Turn us again, &c. Thia
refrain (with which comp. Ps. lxxxv.
4 ; Lam. v. 21) striken a deeper note
than the prayer, "Turn unto us, O
Lord," or the exhortation, " Turn ye
to the Lord," which are so frequent.
It recognises the repentance of the
contrite heart itself as the gift of
God's grace, as in the profounder
utterances of the Old Testament, and
in the constant teaching of the New.
Psalm LXXXI.
This Psalm (ascribed to Asaph) is clearly a Psalm of Festival. It has no
indication of date ; the Temple and the Kingdom are still standing ; but
there are signs of danger and of some falling away. It might well belong
to the religious restoration of Josiah. From v. 3, which apparently should
be rendered, " Blow the trumpet in the new moon, and at the full moon on
our solemn feast day," it is thought to have had a double use ; first at the
Feast of Trumpets (Num. xxix. 1), the new moon of the month Titri (on
which day it is still used by the Jews) ; and next at the Feast of Taber-
nacles on the fifteenth day of the same month— the most joyous of all the
Festivals— the gladness of which was at once justified and enhanced by the
solemn reconciliation of the great day of Atonement, which intervened
between the two festivals. The only argument against this view — hardly
a sufficient one— is the emphatic notice of the Exodus from Egypt, which
would certainly suit better with the full moon of the Passover, but which
would be clearly appropriate at any Festival. Like Ps. viiL, lxxxiv., it is
said to be on Gittith, i.e. on the lyre, or after the measure, of Gath
The Psalm falls into two parts : (a), in vv. 1—5, the invitation to joy a
thanksgiving; then (6), in vv. 6 — 17, the voice of the Lord Jehovah
pleading and exhortation, rebuke and promise.
'
Day 16.
THE PSALMS.
Day 10.
13 The wild boar out, of the
wood doth root it up : and the
wild beasts of the field devour it.
14 Turn thee again, thou God
of hosts, look down from heaven :
behold, and visit this vine ;
15 And the place of the vine-
yard that thy right hand hath
planted : and the branch that thou
madest so strong for thyself.
16 It is burnt with fire, and cut
down : and they shall perish at
the rebuke of thy countenance.
17 Let thy hand be upon the
man of thy right hand : and upon
the son of man, whom thou
madest so strong for thine own
self.
18 And so will not we go back
from thee : 0 let us live, and we
shall call upon thy Name.
19 Turn us again, O Lord God
of hosts : shew the light of thy
countenance, and we shall be
whole.
PSALM 81.
ExuUate Deo.
SING we merrily unto God our
strength : make a cheerful noise
unto the God of Jacob.
2 Take the psalm, bring hither
the tabret : the merry harp with
the lute.
3 Blow up the trumpet in the
new-moon : even in the time ap-
pointed, and upon our solemn
feast-day.
4 For this was made a statute
for Israel : and a law of the God
of Jacob.
5 This he ordained in Joseph
Day 16.
for a testimony : when he came
out of the land of Egypt, and had
heard a strange language.
6 I eased his shoulder from
the burden : and his hands were
delivered from making the pots.
7 Thou calledst upon me in
troubles, and I delivered thee :
and heard thee what time as the
storm fell upon thee.
8 I proved thee also : at the
waters of strife.
9 Hear, 0 my people, and I will
assure thee, 0 Israel : if thou wilt
hearken unto me,
10 There shall no strange god
be in thee : neither shalt thou
worship any other god.
Ill am the Lord thy God, who
brought thee out of the land of
Egypt : open thy mouth wide, and
I shall fill it.
12 But my people would not
hear my voice : and Israel would
not obey me.
13 So I gave them up unto
their own hearts' lusts : and let
them follow their own imagina-
tions.
14 0 that my people would
have hearkened unto me : for if
Israel had walked in my ways,
15 I should soon have put down
their enemies : and turned my
hand against their adversaries.
16 The haters of the Lord should
have been found liars : but their
time should have endured for ever.
17 He should have fed them
also with the finest wheat -flour :
and with honey out of the stony
rock should I have satisfied thee.
©bcning ^Iragcr,
PSALM 82.
Deus stetit.
GOD standeth in the congre-
gation of princes : he is a
Judge among gods.
2 How long will ye give wrong
judgment : and accept the per-
sons of the ungodly ?
3 Defend the poor and father-
less : see that such as are in need
and necessity have right.
4 Deliver the out-cast and poor:
save them from the hand of the
ungodly.
5 They will not be learned nor
understand, but walk on still in
darkness : all the foundations of
the earth are out of course.
6 I have said, Ye are gods :
and ye are all the children of the
most Highest.
7 But ye shall die like men :
and fall like one of the princes.
8 Arise, 0 God, and judge thou
220
P8ALH LXXXI.— cont.
v. 2. Take a Ptalm, i.e. " raise a
Psalm" with voices and music
joined — the festive music of the
timhrel (see lxviii. 25), the regular
Psalmic music of the harp and lute,
and the special hlast of the trumpet
or " cornet " of ram's horn, still used
in the services of the synagogue.
c. 8. In the new moon, on every new
moon (Num. x. 10), but especially at
the Feast of Trumpets (Num. xxix. 1).
At the time appointed— properly "at
the full moon" (of the Feast of
Tabernacles).
o. 5. Joseph here, as in the other
Asaphic Psalms, is the name of the
whole people — possibly in this case
with some special allusion to the
sojourn in Egypt and the Exodus.
Out of the land of Egypt is a mis-
translation, following the LXX. It
should be, " against the land," when
the Lord (see Exod.xi.4) "went forth"
in judgment against the Egyptians.
And had heard, &c. The sense is
difficult, and our version (following
the LXX. and the Vulgate) possibly
implies some conjectural emenda-
tion. As it stands, the original 'is
abrupt, " The language " (or " lip ")
"unknown to me"— perhaps "of
one unknown to me" — did I hear."
Immediately follows the utterance
of the Lord Himself. It is probable
that the "I" here refers to the
Psalmist himself, and to his break-
ing off to listen to the mysterious
Voice from heaven which follows.
Others interpret the " I " of Israel,
and make the unknown Voice the
utterance of Sinai.
vv. 6—8. The recital of past mani-
festations of God— in the deliverance
from Egypt, the cry of Israel an-
swered at 1 he Red Sea, out of " the
cloudy pillar, the secret place of
thunder" ("what time as the storm
fell upon thee "), and the proving at
the waters of Meribah (Exod. xvii.
6, 7) — is much like the pleading of God
with His people in Mic. vi. 8—5.
v. 6. From making the pott. It
should be, " from the basket," used
for carrying the burdens of brickB or
clay, and often so represented on the
Egyptian monuments.
co. 9—11 contain the substance of
His appeal to Israel made again and
again (see, for example. Deut. xi.,
xxviii.). It is an appeal both by His
past mercies and by the sanction of
future promises — an appeal, there-
fore, at once to the higher motive of
grateful love, and the lower motives
of hope and fear.
o. 13. God's heaviest punishment
of the sinner is to leave him to the
blindness and misery of his own sin.
" Ephraim is joined to idols ; let him
alone" (Hos. iv. 17).
co. 14—17 are the utterance of the
loving sorrow of God over His erring
children, of which the first example
is in Gen. vi. 5, 6, " it repented the
Lord God, and grieved Him at the
heart," and the fullest manifestation
is in the tears of God incarnate shed
over Jerusalem.
c. 16. Should have been found liars,
properly (as in R.V.) " should sub-
mit themselves" (or "yield feigned
obedience") unto Him.
c. 17 seems taken from the song of
Moses (Deut. xxxii. 13, 14), the wheat
being the emblem of the strength,
and the honey of the sweetness, of
food.
Psalm LXXXII.
This bold and striking " Psalm of Asaph" may belong to any time in the
history. The nearest parallel to it is in the address of Jehoshaphat to his
subordinate judges (2 Chr. xix. 6, 7). Well worthy of Asaph the Seer, it
breathes the very spirit of the Old Testament prophecy (comp. e.g. Isa. iii.
13, 14) ; regarding all earthly authority from that of the king downwards as
at once a sacred, and yet a limited and delegated authority, and accordingly
boldly rebuking God's vicegerents in the name of God Himself.
It opens (a), in c. 1, with the vision of God on His Throne, uttering
(6), in cc. 2—4, His solemn rebuke and charge to the judges of Israel; but
(c) the Psalmist (in c. 5) sees despairingly how wilfully deaf they are to the
Divine appeal. Then (d) comes from the Throne (in vv. 6, 7) the sentence
of condemnation, and the Psalmist cries out to the Great Judge to arise
and take the judgment into His own hand.
Psalm LXXXII.— cont.
v. 1. Princes. It should be, "the
congregation of God "—that is, Is-
rael, as "the congregation of the
Lord Jehovah" (see Num. xxvii.
17) ; although, perhaps, in accord-
ance with the general tenour of the
Psalm, the nations of the world are
looked upon as in the outer circles of
that congregation.
Gods here, and in ». 6, are the
princes of- Israel; so called, as Our
Lord expressly declares (John x.
84, 35), because " the word of the
Lord came to them" to give them
authority in His Name (comp. Exod.
xxi. 6 ; xxii. 8, 9 ; and also Exod. iv. 6 ;
vii. 1). In Ps. viii. 5 man is but "a
little lower than God." They who
are exalted by Him above their fel-
lows catch by that exaltation some
brighter reflection of the Divine ma-
jesty.
v. 2. Accept the persons. Comp. Deut.
i. 16, 17 ; 2 Chr. xix. 6, 7. The " per-
son " is strictly the " face " — that is
(as in this phrase generally), the out-
ward circumstance, appearance, or
rank, which is not the real man. It is
the essential characteristic of God's
judgment that it " respecteth or ac-
cepteth no man's person" (2 Sam.
xiv. 14 ; Acts x. 84 ; Rom. ii. 11 ; Gal.
ii. 6). By the confession even of
enemies, it was the perfection of this
characteristic which marked out
visibly the true Son of God (Matt.
xxii. 16). In measure it must be the
glory of all the judgments of those
who are children and servants of
God.
w. 3, 4. The voice of God, speak-
ing as here directly, or through the
voices of the Prophets, is always the
champion of the rights of all. but
especially of the friendless and the
distressed ; oppression and injustice
are denounced at least as often and
as vehemently as sin directly against
God Himself ( see Isa. i. 17 ; hi. 18—15 ;
Jer. xxi. 12; Amos v. 11, 12, 15, &c).
Note also the protestation of Job
(Job xxix. 11—17; xxxi. 16—21).
v. 5 may be still the utterance of
the Great Judge, but it is more pro-
bably the despondent comment of the
Psalmist ; he waits to see obedience
to the Word of God, but waits in vain.
All the foundations, &c. (comp. Ps.
xi. 8). That which should have been
our rest and strength fails under tis,
and what hope is left ?
v. 6. Ye are gods, &c. This utter-
ance of God declares in man— and
especially in the leaders of men— the
existence of the Divine image, and
accordingly of sonship of the Infinite
God. Of One alone was the saying
true in perfection ; but even the im-
perfect manifestations of it should
have been a preparation for that per-
fect revelation of God in man. In
this sense Our Lord argues from the
passage in John x. 84, 85.
v. 7. There is a striking antithesis
between this verse and the preced-
ing— "men" as opposed to ' gods,"
" princes " of earth to " children of
the Most Highest." They who treat
their authority and greatness as their
own shall be taken at their word, and
accordingly feel all the littleness and
transitoriness of mere humanity.
v. 8. The appeal to God is to make
His judgment not only visible and
direct, but universal, over all the
world. If it be the one. it must
needs be the other; for limitation
belongs only to delegated authority.
Psalm LXXXIII.
This striking and martial " Psalm of Asaph " is an impassioned cry to
God in the crisis of struggle against some overwhelming confederacy of
enemies. It has been referred by conjecture to the period of distress after
the return from the Exile, and even to the Maccabean times. But neither
its substance nor its position in the Psalter accord with these later periods.
Of all occasions known to us in history none seems so well to suit the
language of the Psalm as the great confederacy against Israel in the days of
Jehoshaphat of Moab and Ammon, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir, and
"others besides " (2 Chr. xx. 1—29) ; and it is notable that on that occasion
the inspired message of victory came through " Jahaziel .... a Levite of
She sons of Asaph " (v. 14).
The Psalm opens (a), in vv. 1—4, with a cry to God to interpose at the
crisis of danger to the very existence of Israel: next (6), in vv. 5—8, it
recounts the roll of the enemies confederate against the people of God:
Psalm LXXXIII— eont.
then (e), in vv. 9— 12, cries to God to give victory, like that of Gideon over
the motley host of Midian ; and (d) at last, in vv. 13—18, prays that their
rout may be so utter as at once to put them to shame, and reduce them to
homage to the Lord Jehovah.
r. 2. A murmuring. It should he
" roaring," like the waves of the sea.
The confederacy is at once violent
and crafty ; its design nothing less
than extermination.
v. 8. Secret ones— God's people hid-
den, as under His wings over His
Sanctuary, from all enmity of man.
Comp. Ps. xvii. 8 ; xxvii. 5 ; xxxi. 20.
vv. 6—8. The enumeration, al-
though fuller than the list of ene-
mies in 2 Chr. xx., agrees with it
exactly in making "the children of
Lot," Moab and Amnion, the soul
of the confederacy. It begins by
surveying the three chief enemies,
each with its neighbouring auxili-
aries. First comes Edom, with the
Ishmaelite nomad tribes spread
(see Gen. xxv. 18) over the north
of Arabia ; next Moab, with the
Hagarenes, dwelling on the east of
Gilead, driven out by the Reuben-
ites (1 Chr. v. 10, 18, 19, 20) ; thirdly,
Amnion, with Gebal, the tract south
of the Dead Sea; und Amalek, the
remnant of the great mass of tribes
once dominant in the desert of the
south. After these chief foes, the
Psalmist glances at more distant
auxiliaries— Philistia and Tyre on
the west, Assyria far away to the
north-east. It is a mark of the an-
tiquity of the Psalm that Assyria
thus holds but a secondary place,
not having yet begun to interfere
with predominant power in the affairs
of Israel.
vv. 9—12. The victories here re-
ferred to are evidently chosen as
being deliverances from two great
confederacies of old times— the vic-
tory over Jabin and Sisera, and the
great confederacy of the northern
Canaanites (Judg. iv.), and the vic-
tory of Gideon over the great host
of the Midianites, Amalekites, and
the children of the East, with Oreb
and Zeeb as their leaders, Zebah and
Zalmunna as their kings (Judg. vii.,
viii.).
v. 10. Endor (not mentioned in the
Book of Judges) is an old Canaan-
itish town (Josh. xvii. 11) about four
miles south of Mount Tabor, from
which Barak came down.
As dung. Comp. 2 Kings ix. 37.
v. 12. Houses should be "pastures "
or " homesteads."
v. 13. A wheel— properly, " a rolling
thing," that is, probably, a globular
mass of weeds driven before the
wind in the desert. The whirlwind
of judgment is doubly described as
sweeping the foe away like chaff, or
spreading destruction as it drives fire
through the forest.
vv. 16—18. The Psalmist prays for
a two-fold effect on the enemies-
first, the lower effect of utter con-
fusion and shame, then the higher
effect of awe and homage to the God
of Israel, " whose Name is Jehovah,"
as " Most Highest over all the earth."
The corresponding two -fold view of
the heathen, as foes of the Lord and
as capable of knowledge and fear of
Him, is traceable again and again in
the Prophets.
Psalm LXXXIV.
This lovely Psalm— the first in this book ascribed to " the sons of Korah "
—has marked similarity of thought and expression to the Korahite Psalms
(xlii., xliv.), but a brighter and happier tone. It seems clearly a true
Pilgrim's Song— the utterance of one far from the Sanctuary, but jour-
neying to it, and hoping soon to reach it. From v. 9 it has been supposed
to be the work of a king, but this inference is not necessary, and is at
variance both with the traditional inscription and the whole tone, which
implies familiar service in the Temple. To what date it belongs it is hard
to determine, except that v. 9 may be taken to indicate that it should be
assigned to the time of the monarchy.
Like Ps. viii., lxxxi., it is "upon Gittith."
It is divided by the Selah into three sections : (a), in vv. 1—4, the cry of
affectionate longing, envying those who dwell in the Sanctuary of God;
(6), in vv. 5—8, the description of the blessings and comforts even of the
pilgrimage towards it ; (c), in vv. 9—13. a prayer for the light and defence
of God from that Sanctuary to king and people alike.
221
Day 16.
THE PSALMS.
Day 16.
the earth : for thou shalt take all
heathen to thine inheritance.
PSALM 83.
Deus, quis similis ?
HOLD not thy tongue, 0 God,
keep not still silence : refrain
not thyself, 0 God.
2 For lo, thine enemies make
a murmuring : and they that hate
thee have lift up their head.
3 They have imagined craftily
against thy people : and taken
counsel against thy secret ones.
4 They have said, Come, and
let us root them out, that they be
no more a people : and that the
name of Israel may be no more
In remembrance.
5 For they have cast their heads
together with one consent : and
are confederate against thee ;
6 The tabernacles of the E-
domites, and the Ismaelites : the
Moabites, and Hagarens;
7 Gebal, and Ammon, and A-
malek : the Philistines, with them
that dwell at Tyre.
8 Assur also is joined with them:
and have holpen the children of
Lot.
9 But do thou to them as unto
the Madianites : unto Sisera, and
unto Jabin at the brook of Kison ;
10 Who perished at Endor : and
became as the dung of the earth.
11 Make them and their princes
like Oreb and Zeb : yea, make all
their princes like as Zeba and
Salmana ;
12 Who say, Let us take to
ourselves : the houses of God in
13 O my God, make them like
unto a wheel : and as the stubble
before the wind ;
14 Like as the fire that burnetii
up the wood : and as the flame
that consumeth the mountains.
15 Persecute them even so with
thy tempest : and make them
afraid with thy storm.
16 Make their faces ashamed,
O Lord : that they may seek thy
Name.
17 Let them be confounded and
vexed ever more and more : let
them be put to shame, and perish.
18 And they shall know that
thou, whose Name is Jehovah :
art only the most Highest over all
the earth.
PSALM 84.
Quam dilecta !
OHOW amiable are thy dwell-
ings : thou Lord of hosts !
2 My soul hath a desire and
longing to enter into the courts
of the Lord : my heart and my
flesh rejoice in the living God.
3 Yea, the sparrow hath found
her an house, and the swallow a
nest where she may lay her young :
even thy altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King and my God.
4 Blessed are they that dwell
in thy house : they will be alway
praising thee.
5 Blessed is the man whose
strength is in thee : in whose
heart are thy ways.
6 Who going through the vale
of misery use it for a well : and
the pools are filled with water.
7 They will go from strength
to strength : and unto the God of
gods appeareth every one of them
in Sion.
8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my
prayer : hearken, 0 God of Jacob.
9 Behold, 0 God our defender :
and look upon the face of thine
Anointed.
10 For one day in thy courts :
is better than a thousand.
11 1 had rather be a door-keeper
in the house of my God : than to
dwell in the tents of ungodliness.
12 For the Lord God is a light
and defence : the Lord will give
grace and worship, and no good
I thing shall he withhold from them
that live a godly life.
I 13 0 Lord God of hosts : bless-
ed is the man that putteth his
trust in thee.
PSALM 85.
Benedixisti, Domine.
LORD, thou art become gra-
cious unto thy land : thou
hast turned away the captivity of
Jacob.
2 Thou hast forgiven the of-
fence of thy people : and covered
all their sins.
18—5
Psalm LXXXIV.— cont.
t>v. 1, 2. Dwelling* (tabernacles) ....
courts. The plural simply denotes
the various divisions of the Temple
(comp. Isa. i. 12t. Bnt perhaps the
use of it unconsciously indicates that
the writer was one familiar (as a
Levite) with all the chambers and
courts of the Temple.
v. 2. Hath a desire, Sic. The original
is stronger, " My soul longeth, yea it
fainteth, for the courts of the Lord."
Here, as in Ps. xlii., we note that the
deepest thirst of the soul is for God's
Presence, as felt everywhere, and yet
that with this is joined an earnest
desire for the revelation of that Pre-
sence in the Sanctuary. (The very
phrase, "the living God," is found,
nowhere in the Psalter except here
and in xlii. 2.)
v. 3. Onr version is probably cor-
rect, though some would separate
the last clause, " O for Thy altars,"
&c. The outer courts of the Taber-
nacle, and (as Josephus says) of the
Temple, were planted with trees. It
is a singularly natural and beautiful
conception which makes the Psalm-
ist think of the birds haunting there,
as seeking the protection of God's
altar for their young, and so enjoy-
ing a privilege which as yet he has
not. "Happy they"— birds or men
— "who dwell in Thy House; they
will be alway praising Thee" — in
the dumb praise of the lower crea-
tion, or in the higher praise of human
worship.
v. 5. Thy ways— vol the Hebrew
simply " the ways," clearly the ways
of pilgrimage to the Sanctuary ( comp .
Isa. xxxv. 8, 10). There is a blessed-
ness, though a less perfect blessed-
ness, in the longing' and hope of the
pilgrim, whose strength for his jour-
ney is in God.
v. 6. The vale of misery. The ori-
ginal is a proper name, "Vale of
Baca"; probably (as in all the an-
cient versions) the "Vale of Weep-
ing." But by some it is interpreted
(as in R.V. marg.1 as the "Vale of
the Balsam-trees" (see 2 Sam. vii.
28), which are said to live in dry soil.
Evidently what is intended is a bar-
ren, thirsty valley, along which the
pilgrims go ; but to them it becomes
an oasis in the desert — a spring
("well") of water, where, as usual,
vegetation springs up, and (for so
the last clause should be rendered)
" the early rain clothes it with bless-
sing " of fresh verdure and fruit.
v. 7. From strength to strength —
each day's journey and rest gives
new strength for the morrow to those
who "nightly pitch their moving
tent, A day's march nearer home."
God of gods— inserted, probablv by
a variety of reading, from the LXX.
The original is simply " God."
v. 9. Thine Anointed — no doubt the
king, although the priest was also,
and even earlier than the king, the
Lord's Anointed. But the verse
shews simply that the prayer is for
the king ; it does not shew that it is
by the king ; although, but for other
considerations, this might be a natu-
ral inference.
v. 11. Be a doorkeeper— literally,
"stand or lie on the threshold."
But the gloss is probably correct,
for (1 Chr. xxvi. 12—19) the sons of
Korah were the porters of the gates
of the Lord's House.
v. 12. God is both " sun and shield "
(" light and defence ")— light against
darkness, and shield against danger.
To those who are His, He first gives
His grace, and through it the glory
of the Divine Image in the soul,
and then all the good things of life's
happiness are "added to them"
(comp. Matt. vi. 33).
v. 13. The blessedness, whether of
fruition in v. 4, or of expectation in
v. 5, is claimed at last for all who
trust in God.
Psalm LXXXV.
This Psalm of the sons of Korah bears strong indications of having been
written soon after the return from the Captivity. The expressions of rv. 1, 2
can hardly be misunderstood ; and the whole Psalm shews that union of
thankfulness for restoration, of sense of present distress and weakness, and
of bright Messianic hope, which is especially characteristic of the writings of
this period. It is because of this vivid hope of the visible kingdom of God
on earth that the Psalm is naturally used as a Psalm of Christmas Day.
Throughout this Psalm, and especially in the singularly beautiful conclu- '
sion, there are some remarkable resemblances to the latter part of the Book
of Isaiah (.comp. v. 9 with Isa. xlvi. 13 : v. 11 with Isa. xlv. 8, &c).
221a
Psalm LXXXV.— cont.
It falls into two chief portions, responsive to each other : (a), in vv. 1 — 7
{perhaps the utterance of the people), a mingled thanksgiving and prayer
for the completion of God's deliverance: (ft), in vv. 8—18 (perhaps the
answer of the priest in the name of the Lord), a bright promise of the
granting of that prayer by full gift of spiritual and temporal blessings.
v. 1. Turned away. It should be,
"brought back the captivity" (that
is, " the captives ")• This is the ac-
cepted phrase of prophetic promise.
Comp. Jer. xxx. 18; xxxi. 23; Ezek.
xxxix. 25 ; and the liturgical addition
(r. 11) to Ps. xiv.
v. 2. Comp. the fuller description
of Ps. xxxii. 1, 2 (where see note).
The sense of God's forgiveness is the
chief blessing ; the withdrawal of the
chastisement of His wrath holds only
a secondary place.
vv. 4, 5. The transition is abrupt,
but not unsuitable to such alterna-
tions of feeling as were at this time
shewn in the mingled joy and weep-
ing at the foundation of the new
Temple ( Ezra iii. 11—13). The prayer
is to the " God of Salvation," that as
He had turned to His people (v. 3),
so He would turn their hearts to
Him — His mercy drawing out their
repentance, and so quickening them
to new spiritual life.
v. 6. Quicken u*. Compare the
grand vision of Ezek. xxxvii. 1—14.
v. 8. Concerning me is an erroneous
insertion. The speaker " hearkens "
on behalf of the people, the " saints "
of the Lord.
That then turn not again should be
a parenthetical warning, " Only let
them turn not again to folly " (pre-
sumption).
vv. 10—12 express, with singular
beauty and variety of phrase, the
harmony in the visible kingdom of
God of the two great principles of
truth and love, both in God's deal-
ings with men, and in men's dealings
with one another. Now we read of
the meeting of mercy and truth ; now
of the mutual greeting of righteous-
ness and peace ; now of a growth of
truth in man under the eye of the
Divine righteousness, and with it the
"shewing of loving-kindness" from
above. '* To be true in love " is of the
essence of Godhead, and therefore of
perfect humanity, as reflecting the
image of God. Necessarily its com-
plete manifestation is in the Messiah,
as being both God and man (Eph. iv.
15).
v. 11. Out of the earth . . .from hea-
ven. The antithesis must not be
pressed; the idea is simply of the
universal influence of truth and
righteousness, manifested from their
source in heaven, and calling out a
! reflex growth on earth.
v. 18. He shall direct, &c. — properly,
"shall make His steps a way" for
I man to follow. The principles of
! goodness in the soul and in the work
! of man are " the footprints of God "
i (comp. Ps. lxxxix. 9, 15).
Psalm LXXXVI.
This Psalm (a "Prayer of David") is the only one in the Third Book
ascribed to him. This exceptional ascription cannot be altogether set
aside. The Psalm has some characteristics differing from those of the
Psalms preceding and following it— an impress of intense personality, a
strong confidence in a peculiar favour of God, and a consciousness of an
opposition of evil to himself, as the servant of Jehovah— which are con-
stantly found in David's Psalms. On the other hand, there are some
similarities to earlier Psalms, and a certain liturgical formality of style,
which induce a belief; that it is a later recast for Temple use of some earlier
composition, which may well be by David himself. It is marked by a seven-
fold repetition of the name "Lord" {Adonai) (vv. 8, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 15),
alternating with the name of Jehovah (in vv. 1, 6, 11, 17).
It is throughout a prayer: (a), in vv. 1—7, appealing emphatically to
God's graciousness on behalf of His afflicted and humble servants ; (ft), in
vv. P— 13, to His almighty power, which is to be manifested to the world ;
(c), in vv. 14—17, to His righteous interference in the struggle of evil ana
good, to shame the one by saving the other.
821b
Psalm LXXXVI.— cont.
v. 2. Hot if or " godly" (as in R.V.).
But the marginal reading in A.V.,
"one whom Thou favourest," gives
substantially the true sense. The
word, like the word "saints," both
in the Old and New Testament,
means one in covenant with God.
The appeal of the Psalmist is not to
his own goodness, but to God's pro-
mise, in which he " puts his trust."
vv. 8—7. Throughout these verses
the Psalmist strikes two correspon-
dent keynotes — the assurance of
mercy from the Lord, and the sense
of helplessness of the servant crying
out to Him. In this conception is
the secret of that union of humility
and confidence which gives a singu-
lar tenderness to the passage.
vv. 8—12. In these verses the tone
changes. The Psalmist turns from
himself and his own need to dwell on
the infinite greatness of the Lord,
contrasted with the vanity of other
gods, and looks on to the day, so
often promised in Messianic pro-
phecy (see e.g. Isa ii. 1 — 4; Mic. iv. 1—
5), when all the nations "whom He
has made " shall do homage to their
Maker. In these verses, accordingly,
there is less of tenderness and love,
more of awe and absolute faith, ex-
pressing itself in adoration.
v. 11. Knit my heart unto thee.
The original is "unite" (or "knit
together") "my heart"— a prayer
against distraction and division of
heart, of course with the desire of its
being knit as a whole to God (Dent,
vi. 5; x. 12; comp. Luke x. 41, 42;
1 Cor. vii. 29—35 ; James i. 8 ; iv. 8).
v. 13. The nethermott hell— the Sheol
underlying the visible world, and
representing the power of decay and
death. The "gates of hell" prevail
neither against the individual soul
nor against the Church of God.
vv. 14 — 17 (as in so many Psalms
of David) not only recognise vividly
the existence of an antagonism of
1 the proud and the ungodly to the
Psalmist, but boldly assume that
such antagonism is due to his being
God's servant, and therefore that his
cause is the cause of God Himself,
which must put to shame all the
I antagonism of evil.
Psalm LXXXVII.
This Psalm of the sons of Korah stands out unique in its rugged and
impressive force, marked by an incisive brevity and a compression of
meaning even to obscurity. Clearly it seems to be one of the most striking
anticipations of the inclusion of all nations in the kingdom of God, not as
dependents or subjects, but as "fellow-citizens with the saints and of the
household of God.' ' The mention of Egypt and Babylon, with Philistia and
Tyre, as the chief offerers of homage to God, suggests the time of the
prophet Isaiah, after the overthrow of Sennacherib, when these nations,
delivered from the terror of Assyria, brought gifts to Hezekiah and to his
God (2 Chr. xxxii. 23—81).
This Psalm opens (a), in vv. 1, 2, with a burst of praise of the peculiar glory
of Zion; then (b), in vv. 8, 4, it introduces a Divine utterance, including
the heathen nations among those who are His; on this (c), in vv. 5—7, the
Psalmist comments, seeing with joy one after another born into the people
of God under His decree ; and he ends with a renewed utterance of the
music of thanksgiving to Him, in whom are all our " springs of gladness.'
vv. 1, 2. Her foundations, &c. It
should certainly be "His founda-
tion"; and possibly (as inR.V.marg.)
the passage should run—
" His foundation on the holy hills
the Lord loveth;
Yea, the gates of Zion, more, &c,
Glorious things of thee are spo-
ken, &c."
The Psalmist touches briefly on
God's foundation of Zion, His love
to that which He has founded, and
the glory before God and man which
His love bestows. He looks (as in
Ps. cxxii., cxxv.) on the physical posi-
tion of the Holy City in its strength,
and sees in it a type of its higher
spiritual power.
vv. 3, 4. These verses are evidently
misunderstood in our version. They
Day 17.
THE PSALMS.
Day 1?.
8 Thou hast taken away all
thy displeasure : and turned thy-
self from thy wrathful indigna-
tion.
4 Turn us then, 0 God our
Saviour : and let thine anger cease
from us.
5 Wilt thou be displeased at us
for ever : and wilt thou stretch
out thy wrath from one genera-
tion to another ?
6 Wilt thou not turn again, and
quicken us : that thy people may
rejoice in thee ?
7 Shew us thy mercy, O Lord :
and grant us thy salvation.
8 I will hearken what the Lord
God will say concerning me : for
Day 17.
he shall speak peace unto his peo-
ple, and to his saints, that they
turn not again.
9 For his salvation is nigh them
that fear him : that glory may
dwell in our land.
10 Mercy and truth are met
together : righteousness and peace
have kissed each other.
11 Truth shall nourish out of
the earth : and righteousness hath
looked down from heaven.
12 Yea, the Lord shall shew
loving-kindness : and our land
shall give her increase.
13 Righteousness shall go be-
fore him : and he shall direct his
going in the way.
iWormng tyxa£tx.
PSALM 86.
fnclina, Dornine.
BOW down thine ear, 0 Lord,
and hear me : for I am poor,
and in misery.
2 Preserve thou my soul, for I
am holy : my God, save thy ser-
vant that putteth his trust in thee.
3 Be merciful unto me, 0 Lord:
for I will call daily upon thee.
4 Comfort the soul of thy ser-
vant : for unto thee, 0 Lord, do I
lift up my soul.
5 For thou, Lord, art good
and gracious : and of great mercy
unto all them that call upon thee.
6 Give ear, Lord, unto my
prayer : and ponder the voice of
my humble desires.
7 In the time of my trouble T
will call upon thee : for thou hear-
est me.
8 Among the gods there is none
like unto thee, 0 Lord : there is
not one that can do as thou doest.
9 All nations whom thou hast
made shall come and worship
thee, O Lord : and shall glorify
thy Name.
10 For thou art great, and do-
est wondrous things : thou art
God alone.
11 Teach me thy way, 0 Lord,
and I will walk in thy truth : O
knit my heart unto thee, that I
may fear thy Name.
12 I will thank thee, O Lord
my God, with all my heart : and
will praise thy Name for ever-
more.
13 For great is thy mercy to-
ward me : and thou hast deliver-
ed my soul from the nethermost
hell.
14 O God, the proud are risen
against me : and the congregations
of naughty men have sought after
my soul, and have not set thee
before their eyes.
15 But thou, O Lord God, art
full of compassion and mercy :
long-suffering, plenteous in good-
ness and truth.
16 O turn thee then unto me,
and have mercy upon me : give thy
strength unto thy servant, and
help the son of thine handmaid.
17 Shew some token upon me
for good, that they who hate me
may see it, and be ashamed : be-
cause thou, Lord, hast holpen
me, and comforted me.
PSALM 87.
Fundamenta ejus.
HER foundations are upon the
holy hills : the Lord loveth
the gates of Sion more than all
the dwellings of Jacob. |
2 Very excellent things are
spoken of thee : thou city of God.
3 T will think upon Rahab and
222
Psalm LXXXVIL— cont.
are an utterance of the voice of the
Lord Himself—
" I will name Rahab and Babylon
among those who know me :
Behold Philistia also and Tyre
with Ethiopia !
This one (of my servants) was
born there."
His eye surveys the heathen ; collec-
tively and individually He includes
them in His kingdom. Such com-
prehensive prophecy belongs espe-
cially to the glorious age of Isaiah
(comp. Mic. iv. 1—4; lsa. ii. 2—5,
Ac), anticipating in unequalled
clearness the Messianic hope.
Rahab (as in lsa. Ii. 9; Ps. lxxxix.
10) signifies Egypt. Some make its
proper sense "a sea monster," some
pride."
The nations here named are ex-
actly those, both far and near, likely
to pay homage to the power which
had overthrown the Assyrian. Egypt i
and Ethiopia (comp. 2 Kings xix.) '
were the ancestral enemies of As-
syria ; Babylon had revolted and sent
presents, as we know (2 Kings xx. 12,
13) to Hezekiah; Tyre had stood a
long siege from Assyria; Philistia
(2 Kings xviii. 8) had been recon-
quered by Hezekiah.
vv. 5, 6 should be—
" And of Zion it shall be said,
This man and that was born in
her.
The Lord shall count, in register-
ing the peoples,
This one was Dorn there."
It is a passage almost unique, going
beyond even v. 4. The alien is re-
gistered not only as a servant of God,
but as actually born in and belonging
to the holy city of God. It antici-
pates the great declaration, " Other
sheep I have, which are not of this
fold .... there shall be one flock
and One Shepherd."
v. 1. The insertion of " shall He
rehearse" is evidently erroneous.
The original is literally—
" And singers with trumpeters (or
'dancers');
All my springs are in Thee."
Probably after the former line we
must supply " shall sing." The verse
is even more terse and abrupt than
the Psalm generally. It has been even
thought to be a liturgical direction
to the musicians. But it seems to
picture the triumphal procession (as
in 1 Kings i. 40) of the gathered
children of God, gladly acknowledg-
ing that in Him are all their springs
of life and gladness— " the living
waters, which make glad the city of
God."
Psalm LXXXVIII.
This singularly beautiful and mournful Psalm is first ascribed " to the
sons of Korah, and then called "a Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite."
Heman is named in 1 Chr. vi. S3 as the head of the Kohathites, or " sons of
Korah " ; hence the double ascription. In 1 Kings iv. 31 ; 1 Chr. ii. 6 we
read of "Ethan the Ezrahite and Heman" as famous for wisdom in Solo-
mon's days. There seems no sufficient reason against identifying the
Heman here named with the author of this Psalm. For the Psalm, in its
ideas and even in its words, bears very strong resemblance to the Book of
Job, probably belonging to the age of Solomon, and dwells on the darker
and more mysterious side of man's life and relation to God. It is clearly an
individual utterance of the gloomiest hour of doubt and bewilderment in a
servant of God at the approach of death, shewing, like the Book of Job it-
self, that Holy Scripture has its word of understanding and sympathy even
for those dark hours. By its use on Good Friday it is obviously conceived
of as a type of the spiritual darkness of Calvary, although we cannot suppose
that its blank doubt as to the future could even for a moment have attached
to the Divine Sufferer.
It is said to be on Mahalath Leannoth (see title to Ps. liii.), apparently
indicating recitation to a grave sombre tune. The Psalm pours out first
(a), in vv. 1 — 8, an agonized cry. of trouble, desolation, and bewildered fear
at the approach of death ; then (6), in vv. 9—18, an entreaty— almost a
remonstrance— pleading with God to save His servant while there is yet
time, and urging that plea, with the natural reiteration of distress, by
laying once more his troubles before the Lord.
823
Day 17.
THE PSALMS.
Babylon : with them that know
me.
4 Behold ye the Philistines
also : and they of Tyre, with the
Morians ; lo, there was he born.
5 And of Sion it shall be report-
ed that he was born in her : and
the most High shall stablish her.
6 The Lord shall rehearse it
when he writeth up the people :
that he was born there.
7 The singers also and trum-
peters shall he rehearse : All my
fresh springs shall be in thee.
PSALM 88.
Domine Deus.
OLORD God of my salvation,
I have cried day and night
before thee : O let my prayer
enter into thy presence, incline
thine ear unto my calling.
2 For my soul is full of trou-
ble : and my life draweth nigh
unto hell.
3 I am counted as one of them
that go down into the pit : and
I have been even as a man that
bath no strength.
4 Free among the dead, like
unto them that arc wounded, and
lie in the grave : who are out of
remembrance, and are cut away
from thy hand.
5 Thou hast laid me in the low-
est pit : in a place of darkness,
and in the deep.
6 Thine indignation lieth hard
upon me : and thou hast vexed
me with all thy storms.
Day 17.
7 Thou hast put away mine
acquaintance far from me : and
made me to be abhorred of them.
8 I am so fast in prison : that I
cannot get forth.
9 My sight faileth for very
trouble : Lord, I have called daily
upon thee, I have stretched forth
my hands unto thee.
10 Dost thou shew wonders a-
mong the dead : or shall the dead
rise up again, and praise thee ?
11 Shall thy loving-kindness be
shewed in the grave : or thy faith-
fulness in destruction ?
12 Shall thy wondrous works
be known in the dark : and thy
righteousness in the land where
all things are forgotten ?
13 Unto thee have I cried, 0
Lord : and early shall my prayer
come before thee.
14 Lord, why abhorrcst thou
my soul : andhidest thou thy face
from me ?
15 I am in misery, and like un-
to him that is at the point to die :
even from my youth up thy ter-
rors have I suffered with a trou-
bled mind.
16 Thy wrathful displeasure
goeth over me : and the fear of
thee hath undone me.
17 They came round about me
daily like water : and compassed
me together on every side.
18 My lovers and friends hast
thou put away from me : and hid
mine acquaintance out of my
sight.
Day 17.
©betting ^rager.
PSALM 89.
Misericordias Domini.
MY song shall be alway of the
loving- kindness of the Lord :
with my mouth will I ever be
shewing thy truth from one gene-
ration to another.
2 For I have said, Mercy shall
be set up for ever : thy truth shalt
thou stablish in the heavens.
3 I have made a covenant with
my chosen : I have sworn unto
David my servant ;
4 Thy seed will I stablish for
ever : and set up thy throne from
one generation to another.
5 0 Lord, the very heavens shall
praise thy wondrous works : and
thy truth in the congregation of
the saints.
6 For who is he among the
clouds : that shall be compared
unto the Lord ?
7 And what is he among the
gods : that shall be like unto the
Lord?
8 God is very greatly to be fear-
ed in the council of the saints :
323
Psalm hXXXYIll.-cont.
v. 1. O Lord God of my ralvation.
This invocation, adopted from two
Psalms of David (Ps. xxvii. 9 ; li. 14),
is singularly striking as opening this
Psalm of complaint and misery. Like
the " My God" of Ps. xxii. 1, it im-
plies, even in the darkest hour, a
trust in the salvation which seems so
far away, and cries out, " Lord, I
helieve; help Thou mine unbelief."
It is in the personal knowledge of a
God of salvation that the soul finds
the one stay, which the darkest per-
plexities and fears cannot shake, and
which enables it to endure— what is
worst of all— the weariness of appa-
rently unanswered prayer (pp. 1, 9).
v. 2. Hell is, as usual, Sheol, the
unseen mysterious world on the other
side of the grave. The Psalm accu-
mulates images to describe the pres-
sure of trial upon the frailty of human
nature. There is the consciousness
of hopeless weakness, sinking even
before the eyes of men into the pit
(p. 3); there is the sense of being
cast off ("free") among the dead,
the neglected corpses of the battle-
field, feeling no hand of God, and
therefore fancying itself forgotten
by Him (v. 4) ; there is the terror of
God's all-righteous judgment, as
darkening round the sufferer, and
gathering its heaviest storm of in-
dignation over the dying hour (v. 6) ;
there is not even the comfort (such
as it is) of human sympathy, for
this fails or turns to contempt and
hatred (pp. 7, 18). Comp. Job xix.
13, 19.
pp. 10—12 express, in more de-
tailed and impassioned utterance,
the ideas of Ps. vi. 5; xxx.9, 10; cxv.
17. Recognising, indeed, the exist-
ence of an unseen world, yet, as in
the prayer of Hezekiah (Isa. xxxviii.
18, 19) and the complaint of Job (Job
x. 20—22), they look upon it as a
shadowy land of darkness and for-
getfulness, standing in strong con-
trast with the bright reality of this
life. God must be there ; but how
can He be known and loved, and how
can the glory of His righteousness
appear? (bo in Ps. cxv. 17, 18). There
may be a resurrection in the remote
future, but the immediate future is a
blank, against which the instincts of
warm life and bright energy cry out.
The thought can come to any ser-
vant of God only in the dark hour,
but to us Christians, except through
mere faithlessness, it should not
come even then. For to us "to de-
part" is at once "to be with Christ,"
"absent from the body and present
with the Lord."
v. 10. Shall the dead— properly (as
in Isa. xxvi. 14 ; Job xxvi. 5), the
Rephaim, the "giant shades of old."
The idea is like that of the complaint
of the Homeric Achilles, that it is
better to be a thrall on earth, than a
kingly shade among the dead.
pp. 13—18 come back to the cry of
complaint, but now especially of the
burden of God's wrath and indigna-
tion, long felt in the life-long con-
sciousness of sin and frailty, now
gathering like a sea of troubles round
the hour of death.
v. 18. And hid, &c. The true ren-
dering is, "And mine acquaintance
into darkness," or perhaps far more
strikingly. "Mine acquaintance is
darkness." The darkness of the grave
is the only friend the sufferer has left
(Job xvii. 14). In that despondent
cry the Psalm ends, without one
gleam of the comfort and hope we
might have expected. It must be
read in contrast with such Psalms as
Ps. xvi., xvii.
Psalm LXXXTX.
This magnificent Psalm of mingled joy and sorrow— pleading the
covenant with David in the face of apparent reversal, and yet with an
underlying confidence in its irrevocable certainty— is ascribed to "Ethan
the Ezrahite," probably the Ethan or Jeduthun who, with Asaph and
Heman, was the third chief of the Levitical companies of song (1 Chr. vi.
44 ; xv. 17, 19). If it be from his hand, it must refer to the great overthrow
of the glory of David's house on the invasion of Shishak, the subjugation
of Rehoboam, the capture of Jerusalem, and the spoiling of the Temple
(see 1 Kings xiv. 25, 26; 2 Chr. xii.). Many critics place it in one of the
later captivities, but there is a fulness and vividness in the quotation of the
great promise to David which accords perhaps better with the earlier date.
It is a Psalm of great symmetry of st3rle, copiousness, and simplicity of
construction, full of a sustained dignity and beauty, and well worthy of a
Day 17.
THE PSALMS.
and to be had in reverence of all
them that are round about him.
9 0 Lord God of hosts, who is
like unto thee : thy .truth, most
mighty Lord, is on every side.
10 Thou rulest the raging of
the sea : thou stillest the waves
thereof when they arise.
11 Thou hast subdued Egypt,
and destroyed it : thou hast scat-
tered thine enemies abroad with
thy mighty arm.
12 The heavens are thine, the
earth also is thine : thou hast
laid the foundation of the round
world, and all that therein is.
13 Thou hast made tne north
and the south : Tabor and Her-
mon shall rejoice in thy Name.
14 Thou hast a mighty arm :
strong is thy hand, and high is thy
right hand.
15 Righteousness and equity are
the habitation of thy seat : mercy
and truth shall go before thy face.
16 Blessed is the people, 0 Lord,
that can rejoice in thee : they
shall walk in the light of thy coun-
fccnnncc
17 Their delight shall be daily in
thy Name : and in thy righteous-
ness shall they make their boast.
18 For thou art the glory of their
strength : and in thy loving-kind-
ness thou shalt lift up our horns.
19 For the Lordis our defence :
the Holy One of Israel is our King.
20 Thou spakest sometime in
visions unto thy saints, and saidst:
I have laid help upon one that is
mighty ; I have exalted one cho-
sen out of the people.
21 I have found David my ser-
vant : with my holy oil have I
anointed him.
22 My hand shall hold him fast:
and my arm shall strengthen him.
23 The enemy shall not be able
to do him violence : the son of
wickedness shall not hurt him.
24 I will smite down his foes
before his face : and plague them
that hate him.
25 My truth also and my mer-
cy shall be with him : and in my
Name shall his horn be exalted.
26 I will set his dominion also
Day 17.
in the sea : and his right hand in
the floods.
27 He shall call me, Thou art
my Father : my God, and my
strong salvation.
28 And I will make him my
first-born : higher than the kings
of the earth.
29 My mercy will I keep for
him for evermore : and my cove-
nant shall stand fast with him.
30 His seed also will I make to
endure for ever : and his throne
as the days of heaven.
31 But if his children forsake
my law : and walk not in my judg-
ments;
32 If they break my statutes,
and keep not my commandments:
I will visit their offences with the
rod, and their sin with scourges.
33 Nevertheless, my lovingkind-
ness will I not utterly take from
him | nor suffer my truth to fail.
34 My covenant will I not break,
nor alter the thing that is gone
out of my lips : I have sworn once
by my holiness, that I will not fail
David.
35 His seed shall endure for
ever : and his seat is like as the
sun before me.
36 He shall stand fast for ever-
more as the moon : and as the
faithful witness in heaven.
37 But thou hast abhorred and
forsaken thine Anointed : and art
displeased at him.
38 Thou hast broken the cove-
nant of thy servant : and cast his
crown to the ground.
39 Thou hast overthrown all
his hedges : and broken down his
strong holds.
40 All they that go by spoil
him : and he is become a reproach
to his neighbours.
41 Thou hast set up the right
hand of his enemj 38 : and made
all his adversaries to rejoice.
42 Thou hast taken away the
edge of his sword : and givest him
not victory in the battle.
43 Thou hast put out his glo-
ry : and cast his throne down to
the ground.
44 The days of his youth hast
224
Psalm LXXXIX.— cone.
great " master of song." It is probably on account of its dwelling so em-
phatically on the promise to David and on the glories of the kingdom pro-
mised to his seed, it is made a Proper Psalm for Christmas Day.
It opens (a), in vv. 1—1, with a brief reference of thanksgiving for the
faithfulness of the Lord in His covenant with David ; thence (6), in vv. 5
— 19, it passes to praise of His majesty and His wondrous works of bless-
ing to Israel ; next (c), in vv. 20 — 86, it dwells in detail on the great promise
through Nathan to David and his seed ; and lastly (d), in vv. 87—50, changes
suddenly to lament over the apparent reversal of that covenant of blessing,
and cries to God to vindicate His promise, and renew the glory of His
Anointed.
v. 2. Set up — properly (as in A.V.),
"built up," growing continually
in fresh exhibition of mercy and
righteousness.
Stablish.. ..heaven*. These words
dwell on the basis in God's word,
firm as the heavens themselves, on
which that ever-growing superstruc-
ture rests.
ft'. 3, 4 explain what is "the faith-
fulness of the Lord" towards Israel,
by quoting in brief the promise to
David (see2 Sam. vii. 12—16).
vv. 5—19. This hymn of praise has
a striking fulness and completeness
of idea. In it God is seen first in
Heaven itself, ruling over the angelic
host, His ministers, in unapproach-
able majesty {vv. 5—9); then as
manifested below, curbing the rage
of the sea, ruling the earth, which
rejoices in His might {vv. 10—14);
lastly, in the higher glory of His
moral attributes, specially set forth
in the infinite blessing of His people
Israel (rr. 15—19).
v. 5. The saint*, or "holy ones,"
like the gods {Elohim) of v. 7. are the
angels in Heaven (comp. Job v. 1 ;
xv. 15, &c). God is exalted amidst
the adoration of the angelic host—
His ministers both in the realm of
nature and the history of humanity
(comp. Isa. vi. 1—3; Dan. vii. 10;
Rev. v. 11). It is possible that this
emphasis on the unapproachable ma-
jesty of God was called out by the
idolatry in Israel itself, which re-
verenced superhuman powers of na-
ture as gods (see 1 Kings xiv. 23, 24).
v. 9 should properly be (as in
R.V.)—
" Who is a mighty One like unto
Thee. O Jehovah ;
"And Thy faithfulness is round
about Thee."
The Almighty Power is clothed and
manifested in the Divine Truth.
v. 10. The raging of the tea. In the
Old Testament generally the sea is
224 a
an emblem of power, not only irre-
sistible, but terrible ; and accord-
ingly God's gracious Omnipotence
is 6et forth especially in curbing its
rage (comp. Ps. lxv. 7 ; xciii. 3, 4 ;
cxlviii. 6: Prov. viii. 29; Jer. v. 22;
Job xxxviii. 11).
v. 11. Egypt— properly Rahab, as in
Ps. lxxxvii. 8 (where see note). The
allusion to the overthrow of Egypt
( at the Red Sea) is clearly suggested
by the mention of the sea in the pre-
vious verse (comp. Exod. xv. 6, 11, 12).
Perhaps also the meaning of the name
(" Pride ") is glanced at as typical.
v. IS. The high table land of Tabor
towards the west, and the snowy peak
of Hermon on the east, correspond
to "the north and the south" of
the previous clause.
v. 15. Power is an attribute of
God; but His essential glory is
moral. Righteousness and equity
are the "basis (' habitation') of His
Throne " ; mercy and truth the har-
bingers of His presence.
v. 16. That can rejoice in thee— pro-
perly (as in A.V. and R.V.), "that
know the joyful sound " of Thy wor-
ship. The word " sound" is a tech-
nical word — used, for example, of the
blowing of the trumpets of the Sanc-
tuary.
vv. 16 — 19 accumulate various im-
ages of the peculiar privileges of
Israel— the light of God's counte-
nance upon them (comp. Num. vi.
26), the joyful proclamation of His
Name and His righteousness, the ex-
altation in Him of the horn of active
energy, the spreading of the shield
of His "defence" over them and
their king. (The last verse should
be rendered, " To the Lord belongeth
our shield ; to the Holy One of Israel
(.belongeth) our king.")
v. 20. Thy saints. The original has
two varieties of reading, " Thy holy
one," or "holy ones." The former
Psalm LXXXIX.— eont.
would be most natural, as referring
to David; but the latter (meaning
the people of Israel) has the support
of the ancient versions.
vv.iti — 36 are a magnificent expan-
sion of the great promise to David in
2 Sam. vii. 8—16.
v. 21. Three times was David an-
ointed (see 1 Sam. xvi. 13; 2 Sam.
ii. 4; v. 3.)
v. 26. The am— the flood* (rivers),
i.e. the boundaries of the land (comp.
lxxx. 11). The "rivers" usually
named are "the river" (Euphrates)
and "the river" on the border "of
Egypt."
v. 28. My first-born (comp. Ps. ii. 7 ;
Exod. iv. 22)— in type applied to David
himself or (2 Sam. vii. 14) Solomon
—in the Antitype to the true Anoint-
ed of the Lord, the Son of David,
" King of kings and Lord of lords."
v. 30. So the perpetuity promised
could belong but imperfectly to the
royalty of David— even so contrast-
ing forcibly with the rise and fall of
dynasties in the Northern kingdom
after the disruption. The perfection
of the promise is realized by Daniel
iDan. vii. 14) in application to " one
rike unto the Son of Man, coming in
the clouds of heaven."
vv. 31 — 34 are an application to the
people of Israel of the words at once
of warning and of encouragement,
which in 2 Sam. vii. 14, 15, are applied
only to David's son.
vv. 35, 36. As the faithful witness, or,
and faithful is the witness. The in-
terpretation is somewhat difficult.
The "faithful witness" may be (a),
(as suggested by the parallelism) the
moon, on the ground that, the whole
Jewish year being lunar, it was the
moon, rather than the sun, which
was for " sign3 and seasons and days
and years" ; or (6) God Himself (as in
Job xvi. 19) — although the introduc-
tion of God's Name here would be
abrupt, and out of place in parallelism
with His creatures ; or (c), the " cove
nant" of God with "the day and
night "—expressly referred to in
Jer. xxxi. 35, 36 ; xxxiii. 20, 21, as in
its fixity, like the "covenant with
David." Of these the third (c) seems
to be far the best. Some interpret
"the witness" of the rainbow, but
the parallelism seems decisive against
this interpretation.
vv. 37 — 44 paint the present con-
dition of things as contrasted in
every point with the details of the
great promise. The wonder ex-
pressed at the suddenness and com-
pleteness of the change suits better
with an earlier date, such as that
of the first great national disaster
under Rehoboam.
v. 39. Comp. Ps. lxxx. 12 ; Isa. v. 5.
vv. 45 — 50 turn to an earnest en-
treaty—a personal entreaty in the
sense of man's frailty and transitori-
ness, that God will not be extreme
to mark what is done amiss— an en-
treaty for the whole nation, that He
will not suffer His covenant to fail,
and so allow His Name to be blas-
phemed.
v. 45 is identical with Ps. lxxix. 5.
Comp. also Ps. xiii. 1.
v. 46. Comp. Job vii. 6 ; xiv. 1. The
plea from man's transitoriness evi-
dently implies the idea of a weakness
which cannot long bear God's hand,
and a littleness which He in His
infinite greatness may well spare,
before it is brought down to the
grave (comp. Ps. lxxxviii. 2, 3), into
which it already seems ready to sink.
vv. 48—50 exemplify the not un-
frequent pleading with God, both by
the irrevocable truth of His covenant
and for the sake of His Name, lest
it be blasphemed. In the former lies
the ultimate trust of His servants
(Rom. xi. 29; Heb. vi. 16—18). On
the latter comp. Ps. x. 13 ; lxxiv. 22.
v. 49. Of many people should be,
"of the many peoples "—the reproach
(that is) cast upon Israel by the Gen-
tiles.
v. 50. Slandered the footsteps of
thine Anointed. The immediate
sense is, of course, of the present
contempt, with which the heir of the
promise is pursued. But it is curious
that the Targums interpret the words
of the delay of the coming of the
Messiah, on whom the promise ulti-
mately rests (comp. 2 Pet. iii. 3—9).
Praised be the Lord, &c. . ..Amen, is
the doxology closing the Third Book
of the Psalter. It comes in here
with singular beauty in connection
with the mingled lamentation and
confidence of the Psalm itself.
224 b
THE FOURTH BOOK OF THE PSALTER.
This book — closely connected with the next — includes seven-
teen Psalms (Ps. xc. — cvi.), all of which are anonymous, except
Ps. xc, ascribed to Moses, and Ps. ci., ciii., to David. Through-
out the Psalms are Jehovistic. Probably the formation of the
book belongs to the time after the Captivity, although much of
the material may be far older.
Psalm XC.
This Psalm is entitled "A Prayer of Moses the man of God" (comp.
Deut. xxxiii. 1 ; Josh. xiv. 6h On the literal accuracy of this ascription
there has been great diversity of opinion, both ancient and modern. In
favour of it are the exceptionality of the ascription and the marked pecu-
liarity of tone, almost unique in its solemnity. It certainly breathes the
spirit of the Song of Moses and other parts of Deuteronomy, and suits well
the saddened calmness and dignity of the old age of the great Lawgiver.
(But the force of this argument depends on our conception of the date to be
ascribed to Deuteronomy in its present form.) Against it there is little, ex-
cept the statement of v. 10 (on which see note). The preponderance of evi-
dence seems, on the whole, to be in favour of the ascription.
By whomsoever written, it is well fitted to be the great Funeral Psalm of
the Church of all ages. For it is a Psalm not so much of poignant sorrow.
as of meditative sadness. While it feels the weakness and transitoriness
of human nature, it feels still more deeply that the true "sting of death is
sin " ; and, while it sounds all the depths of human thought and emotion,
it never loses for a moment its grasp of the undying relation of the soul
to the eternal God. Hence it sorrows not without hope, and through sorrow
finds wisdom and strengthens faith.
It falls into three sections: (a), in vv. 1 — 6, it contrasts the eternity of
God with the shortlived vanity of human life ; (ft), in vv. 7—12, it recognises
in sin the source of death's power over man, and prays for the wisdom of
repentance ; (c), in vv. 13—17, it asks of God comfort after chastening, and
even in sorrow a constant sense of His glory and blessing.
v. 1. Our refuge— literally, " our generation when the .old is passed,
dwelling-place," our own true home | This last interpretation is better,
in all the changes and chances of
human life.
v. 2. Before the mountains ("the
everlasting hills " of Deut. xxxiii. 15)
were brought forth, &c— before (that
is) the framework of the world was
built, and before "the earth and
the world," the Kosmos as we see it
in its completeness, " was made " up-
on it.
Thou art, &c. Better (as in A.V.
and R.V.), " from everlasting to ever-
lasting," through all the ages of
eternity, past, present, and future.
r. S. Again thou gayest, &c. It
should be simply, " and sayest." The
latter clause may be interpreted as a
simple parallelism to the former—
" Thou turnest man to dust,
And sayest, Return (to dust) ye
children of men " —
(comp. Gen. iii. 19) ; or, as in our
version, of the calling out of a new
225
both as fuller of meaning (comp. Ps.
civ. 29, SO) and as specially appro-
priate to the natural thought of the
old Lawgiver, who had seen one gene-
ration die and another succeed.
v. 4. Seeing that is past. &c. — pro-
bably (as in A.V. and R.V.). "as
yesterday, when it is past, and as a
watch of the night," short and mostly
forgotten in sleep (comp. 2 Pet. iii. 8 >.
vv. 5, 6, as the text stands, may per-
haps be best rendered—
" Thou sweepest them away (in a
flood) ;
They are as a sleep in the morn-
ing;
They are as the grass which
springeth forth ;
In the morning it is green and
shoots up,
In the evening it is cut down and
withereth."
(Perhaps the best paraphrase of the
Day 18.
THE PSALMS.
Day la.
thou shortened : and covered him
with dishonour.
45 Lord, how long wilt thou hide
thyself, for ever : and shall thy
wrath burn like Are ?
46 0 remember how short my
time is : wherefore hast thou made
all men for nought ?
47 What man is he that liveth,
and shall not see death : and shall
he deliver his soul from the hand
of hell?
48 Lord, where are thy old lov-
ing-kindnesses : which thou swar-
est unto David in thy truth ?
49 Remember, Lord, the rebuke
that thy servants have : and how I
do bear in my bosom the rebukes
of many people ;
50 Wherewith thine enemies
have blasphemed thee, and slan-
dered the footsteps of thine An-
ointed : Praised be the Lord for
evermore. Amen, and Amen.
Day 18.
JWornmg prager.
PSALM 90.
Domine, refugium.
LORD, thou hast been our re-
fuge : from one generation to
another.
2 Before the mountains were
brought forth, or ever the earth
and the world were made : thou
art God from everlasting, and
world without end.
3 Thou turnest man to destruc-
tion : again thou sayest, Come
again, ye children of men.
4 For a thousand years in thy
sight are but as yesterday : seeing
that is past as a watch in the night.
5 As soon as thou scatterest
them they are even as a sleep :
and fade away suddenly like the
grass.
6 In the morning it is green,
and groweth tip : but in the even-
ing it is cut down, dried up, and
withered.
V For we consume away in thy
displeasure : and are afraid at thy
wrathful indignation.
8 Thou hast set our misdeeds
before thee : and our secret sins
in the light of thy countenance.
9 For when thou art angry all
our days are gone : we bring our
years to an end, as it were a tale
that is told.
10 The days of our age are
threescore years and ten ; and
though men be so strong that
they come to fourscore years : yet
is their strength then but labour
and sorrow ; so soon passeth it
away, and we are gone.
Jl But who regardeth the power
of thy wrath : for even thereafter
as a man feareth, so is thy dis-
pleasure.
12 So teach us to number our
days : that we may apply our
hearts unto wisdom.
13 Turn thee again, 0 Lord, at
the last : and be gracious unto thy
servants.
14 0 satisfy us with thy mercy,
and that soon : so shall we re-
joice and be glad ail the days of
our life.
15 Comfort us again now after
the time that thou hast plagued
us : and for the years wherein we
have suffered adversity.
16 Shew thy servants thy work :
and their children thy glory.
17 And the glorious Majesty of
the Lord our God be upon us :
prosper thou the work of our
hands upon us, 0 prosper thou
our handy- work.
PSALM 91.
Qui habitat.
WHOSO dwelleth under the
defence of the most High :
shall abide under the shadow of
the Almighty.
2 I will say unto the Lord,
Thou art my hope, and my strong
hold : my God, in him will I trust.
3 For he shall deliver thee from
the snare of the hunter : and from
the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall defend thee under
his wings, and thou shalt be safe
under his feathers : his faithful-
ness and truth shall be thy shield
and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for
225
Psalm XC.—cont.
first two lines is found in the well-
known hymn, " Time, like an ever-
rolling: stream . . . opening" day.")
The mixture of metaphor will trou-
ble no one who understands poetry,
and especially the poetry of the Old
Testament.
v v. 7—12. In the previous clause it
is simply the perishableness of man
which is dwelt upon. Now (as again
would be most natural in Moses)
comes in the thought of this death
of a whole generation or of the whole
race, as a fruit of sin and a judgment
of God. What would be suggested
by the special history of the sin and
condemnation of the people in the
wilderness is felt to belong to man as
man. " Death is the wages of sin."
It is this connection of death with
sin which is an unbroken revelation
of Holy Scripture from the opening
of the Book of Genesis to the last
chapters of the Apocalypse.
r. 9. A tale that is told. The words
" that is told " are not in the Hebrew.
Possibly the marginal rendering of
R.V. (as "a sound" or "a sigh") is
nearest to the original.
v. 10. Threescore years and ten.
This version must be allowed to be
the one difficulty of the ascription to
Moses, to whom in the history 120
years are allotted (as 123 to Aaron,
and 110 to Joshua). But it is not
decisive. It seems likely that those
were exceptional lives, prolonged for
exceptional service or God. The
Psalmist speaks of the average life
of man ; and in the generation which
died before Moses' eyes in the wil-
derness, few could have exceeded the
threescore years and ten.
The verse should be rendered—
"All the days of our years are
threescore and ten,
Or, by reason of strength, four-
score years ;
Their pride is but labour and
sorrow ;
Soon it passeth, and we are gone."
The view of life is not the whole
truth; for life is not wholly under
sin, and therefore it has more in it
than labour and sorrow— the penal-
ties of the Fall (Gen. iii. 16—19). But
it is the view natural to the sadness
of meditation over the grave, without
"the sure and certain hope" of Re-
surrection.
v. 11. For. even thereafter, &o. This
is an error. It should be —
" Who knoweth the power of Thine
anger
And Thy wrath, according to
(due) fear?"
The Psalmist complains that though
men see before them every day the
signs of God's judgment, they do not
so regard them as to fear Him with
a godly fear.
v. It. Wisdom. Wisdom in Holy
Scripture is the knowledge of the
true end and purpose of life. "To
number our days "—to see what they
can and what they cannot find room
for— to see what is permanent in
them and what is transitory— is
naturally the way to the discovery
of this wisdom.
vv. 13—17 strike a note of higher
faith and comfort. All the sorrow
and decay of life (vv. IS, IN are felt
as God's chastening for a time only
(comp. Heb. xii. 5—12), to be swal-
lowed up hereafter in a "satisfying"
j mercy (v. 14), which is for ever (comp.
; 2 Cor. iv. 16—18). Hence life itself,
however transitory, has reality ; it is
a manifestation of God's glory to us
I and by us (v. 16) ; it has in it a work
! which God will "establish" ("pros-
I per," v. 17) for His servants ; because
j it is His work, to be manifested both
to them and to their children. The
truth is enforced with a transcendent
power by St. Paul, because in view of
the Resurrection, "Be ye stedfast
in the Lord " (1 Cor. xv. 58).
v. 13 is more striking in the ori-
ginal— Return, O Lord ; how long ?
—the cry of longing for God's mercy
! uttered in so many Psalms.
v. 14. And that soon. It should be
"in the morning," which may have
i only the sense of our version, but may
look on to the morning after the night
of death or sorrow.
Psalm XCI.
This Psalm, of uncertain date and unknown authorship, is an utterance
of the brightest and mosc unclouded faith in the guardianship of the Lord
over His servants against all the dangers and sufferings of life. It accepts in
all simplicity the belief in that which, but for sin and its consequences,
would be the law of human life— that visible blessing and obedience to the
Supreme Ruler of the world must always go together. To us the faith is
225 a
Psalm XCI.— cont.
rather, that whatever betides us of outward fortune cannot touch the true
-'life which is hid in God." The Psalm shews reminiscences of earlier
Psalms, and strong resemblances to some passages of the Book of Job
(especially Job v. 17—28). Possibly for this reason, and perhaps also from
antiphonal arrangement, there are some remarkable changes of person in
successive verses. Otherwise the course of thought is simple and beautiful.
It opens (a), in vv. 1, 2, with a brief introduction of promise of God's
guardianship, and acceptance of that promise; then (ft), in vv. 3— 13, the
promise is worked out in all its details in the Name of the Lord ; and
lastly (<?), in vv. 1 4 — 1 6, the voice of God Himself takes up and seals the
promise so made by His servant.
ne8s of God's unceasing and universal
care over His servants.
v. 9. For thou, Lord, art nip hope,
is clearly a brief repetition of the
response of v. 2; after which the
other voice continues as before,
" Thou hast made the Most High
thy dwelling place," for so the latter
clause should be rendered.
v. 11. His angeU, &c. The idea is
probably suggested by the reference
to the pestilence— the work of "the
destroying angel," who is to spare
and to guard God's servants (comp.
Ezek. ix. 6). (See v. 10, "Neither
shall plague come nigh thy tent.")
But it is worked out into a general
promise of angelic guardianship,
bearing up those who tread the steep
and rugged way of life (comp. Ps.
xxxiv. 7).
vv. 11, 12. These verses are made
notable to us by the insidious quota-
tion of them by the Tempter of Our
Lord (Matt. iv. 6; Luke iv. 10, 11),
omitting the essential words "in
all thy ways," and applying them
accordingly to circumstances with
which they had nothing to do. So
it is that deceit "quotes Scripture
to its purpose." Only in the ways of
God's vocation, and with a view to
progress in those ways, have we a
right to the promise.
v. 13. The lion is the type of open
violence; the adder (or "dragon")
of crafty malignity. (The latter
image is the commoner one, from
Gen. iii. 15 downwards.) On both
the servant of God is to tread vic-
toriously.
vv. 14—16. In these verses God
Himself suddenly speaks, taking the
word out of the mouth of His ser-
vant; first, with the lower promise
of deliverance and exaltation; then
with the higher promise of commu-
nion with God in prayer, the gift of
vv. 1, 2. As the text of these verses
stand, they seem to be promise and
answer, probably sung by two voices.
The promise in God's Name is, that
"whoso dwelleth in the secret place
("under the defence") of the Most
High, shall rest under the shadow"
—shall find the refreshment and de-
fence— "of the Almighty." The re-
sponse accepts the promise, " I will
gay trust." The LXX., however,
reads "he shall say," and then the
whole runs more simply —
"Whoso dwelleth in the secret
Wslace, &c,
hoso rests under, &c,
Shall say," &c.
vv. 8, 4. The promise, as usual, ac-
cumulates various images, each con-
veying a different phase of meaning
— watchftii Providence in the deliver-
ance from the snare (Ps. cxxiv. 7),
and from "the pestilence of ma-
lignity," tender care in the protection
of the overshadowing wings (comp.
Dent, xxxii. 11, 12 ; Ps. xvii. 8 ; lvii.
1 ; lxi. 4), safe defence by the shield
and buckler of God's faithfulness
(Ps. xxxiii. 19, &c).
vv. 5, fi. " The terror by night" and
"the arrow by day " seem to refer to
danger from human enmity ; as "the
pestilence " and " the destruction " to
the dangers of physical plague. "The
destruction that wasteth at noon-
day " has been interpreted of the hot
Simoom of the desert.
vv. 5—8 seem, by their vividness of
detail, to imply some special refer-
ence—perhaps to the destruction of
the first-born in Egypt, to which the
phrases " the pestilence that walketh
in darkness," "it shall not come nigh
thee," and "the reward of the
wicked" would be singularly appro-
priate—perhaps (as has been sug-
gested) to the pestilence in the days
of David— perhaps to some recent
experience of the unknown Psalmist,
which had brought out the conscious-
225 b
length of days, and the vision
vation.
sal-
Psalm XCII.
This Psalm introduces a group of Psalms (xcii., xciii., xcv.— c.), closely
connected together, evidently designed for liturgical use, and generally of
a joyous and festive character. All are anonymous. They are referred "by
some to the great revival of Temple worship in Hezekiah's days, by others
to the restoration after the Captivity.
This is, according to Talmudical tradition, " the Psalm of the Sabbath
day," sung at the sacrifice of the early morning, and also used on the second
day of the Feast of Tabernacles. Except, however, its glad festal tone,
the sevenfold repetition of the name Jehovah, and its special reference to
the joy of worship, there is little to indicate any strictly Sabbatical idea,
whether of the first Sabbath of creation, or the final Sabbath of the " resti-
tution of all things," to which the Talmud especially refers it. (The Psalms
named in the same tradition for the other days of the week in succession
are Pb. xxiv., xlviii., lxxxii., xciv., lxxxi., xciii.)
It contains (a), in vv. 1—4, the outpouring of the joy of praise to God;
then passes (b), in vv. 5—10. to meditation on the mysterious law of God's
providence, putting down the evil in their apparent prosperity, and exalting
His servants in spite of all enmity: and ends (c), in vv. 11—14, with a
declaration of the special blessing and happiness of those who dwell in the
Sanctuary of the Lord.
vv. 1 — 4 bring out not so much the
duty or the solemnity, as the joy, of
worship— a worship mainly of thanks-
giving and praise, which ceases nei-
ther day nor night, enriched with all
the wealth of music, and fixing itself
on God's two great attributes of love
and truth, as shewn in His works
before the eyes of men— a worship,
therefore, which is the earnest of the
worship of heaven.
v. 2. In the morning we need fresh-
ness of hope and joy, and therefore
we dwell on God' 8 " loving-kindness."
In the night-watches we need rest
and protection, and so we turn to
God's " faithfulness " (" truth").
v. 8. Comp. Ps. xxxiii. 2. The
latter clause should be, "in solemn
strain upon the harp."
v. 4 is a thanksgiving, not for any
gift of God, but for the very sight of
His wondrous works. (Comp. " We
give thanks to Thee for Thy great
glory " of the Gloria in excelsis.)
v. 5. Comp. Isa. xxviii. 29; Jer.
xxxii. 19. It is obvious to declare
that God's works, even in their out-
ward appearance which we can under-
stand, are great ; but it is a further
step in the meditation of the enquir-
ing soul to conceive the "depth" of
the Divine "thought" underlying
these visible works, in mysterious law
and power, of which we can see the
reality, but cannot grasp the perfec-
tion. A " brutish " «," unwise " ) man
(comp. Ps. lxxiii. 21), who looks only
to the visible, cannot see this at all ;
the "fool" (the mere worldling), ab-
sorbed in his own wisdom, cannot
understand it rightly.
vv. 7—10, in which we find reminis-
cences of earlier Psalms (comp. Pp.
xxxvii. 1, 2, 86, 89 ; lxxxiii. 18 ; lxxxix.
18, 25 ; xxiii. 5), lead us through the
natural course of this meditation.
They first dwell on the transitoriness
of the prosperity of the wicked ; then
trace the ground of this in their an-
tagonism to the eternal law of the
Most High; and, lastly, identifying
the faithful with the cause of God,
express full confidence in their pros-
perity and triumph. The idea is
nearly that of Ps. lxxiii.
v. 9. J am anointed, &c. (comp. Ps.
xxiii. 5). There is probably no refer-
ence to priestly or kingly anointing.
Oil is to all the symbol of f ruitf ulness
and richness (comp. Judg. ix. 8, 9;
Ps. civ. 15).
vv. 12 — 14 seem to allude to the
trees actually planted in the outer
precincts of the Temple. They take
as the typical trees the palm-tree in
its perpetual greenness and abundant
fruit, the cedar in its deep roots and
immeasurable age (comp. Ps. lxxxiv.
8). They who by daily worship rest
their life on the communion with God i
shall find the secret of unbroken!
freshness, f ruitf ulness, and unshaken {
stability.
r . 18 should be, " shall be full of sap
and green." The metaphor is notj
broken, as it would seem to be in ot
version here.
Day 18.
any terror by night : nor for the
arrow that flieth by day ;
6 For the pestilence that walk-
eth in darkness : nor for the
sickness that destroyeth in the
noon-day.
7 A thousand shall fall beside
thee, and ten thousand at thy
right hand : but it shall not come
nigh thee.
8 Yea, with thine eyes shalt
thou behold : and see the reward
of the ungodly.
9 For thou, Lord, art my hope :
thou hast set thine house of de-
fence very high.
10 There shall no evil happen
unto thee : neither shall any
plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels
charge over thee : to keep thee in
all thy ways.
12 They shall bear thee in their
hands : that thou hurt not thy
foot against a stone.
13 Thou shalt go upon the lion
and adder : the young lion and
the dragon shalt thou tread un-
der thy feet.
14 Because he hath set his love
upon me, therefore will I deliver
him : I will set him up, because he
hath known my Name.
15 He shall call upon me, and
I will hear him : yea, I am with
him in trouble ; I will deliver him,
and bring him to honour.
16 With long life will I satisfy
him : and shew him my salvation.
TSALM 92.
Bonum est confiteri.
IT is a good thing to give thanks
unto the Lord : and to sing
Saises unto thy Name, O most
ighest ;
2 To tell of thy loving-kindness
THE PSALMS.
Day 18.
early in the morning : and of thy
truth in the night-season ;
3 Upon an instrument of ten
strings, and upon the lute : upon
a loud instrument, and upon the
harp.
4 For thou, Lord, hast made
me glad through thy works : and
I will rejoice in giving praise for
the operations of thy hands.
5 0 Lord, how glorious are thy
works : thy thoughts arc very
deep.
6 An unwise man doth not well
consider this : and a fool doth not
understand it.
7 When the ungodly are green
as the grass, and when all the
workers of wickedness do flou-
rish : then shall they be destroy-
ed for ever ; but thou, Lord, art
the most Highest for evermore.
8 For lo, thine enemies, O
Lord, lo, thine enemies shall pe-
rish : and all the workers of wick-
edness shall be destroyed.
9 But mine horn shall be ex-
alted like the horn of an unicorn :
for I am anointed with fresh oil.
10 Mine eye also shall see his
lust of mine enemies : and mine
ear shall hear his desire of the
wicked that arise up against me.
11 The righteous shall flourish
like a palm-tree : and shall spread
abroad like a cedar in Libanus.
12 Such as are planted in the
house of the Lord : shall flourish
in the courts of the house of our
God.
13 They also shall bring forth
more fruit in their age : and shall
be fat and well-liking.
14 That they may shew how
true the Lord my strength is :
and that there is no unrighteous-
ness in him.
Day 18.
QBbtviin$ ^rager.
t PSALM 93.
Dominus regnavit.
fpHE Lord is King, and hath
X put on glorious apparel : the
Lord hath put on his apparel, and
girded himself with strength.
2 He hath made the round
world so sure : that it cannot be
moved.
3 Ever since the world began
hath thy seat been prepared : thou
art from everlasting.
4 The floods are risen, 0 Lord.
226
Psalm XCIII.
This Psalm, according to the heading in the LXX. (with which the
Talmudical tradition agrees) is the Psalm for Friday, as being the sixth
day, on which the creation was complete. Its tenour agrees well with this
use. It is simply a hymn of praise to the Lord Jehovah, as (a), in vv. 1—8,
enthroned over the earth, which He has founded ; (6), in vv. 4, 5, curbing
the raging of the floods and of the sea ; (e), in v. 6, revealing Himself in
holiness to His own people. It may probably have (as has been suggested)
a metaphorical meaning of God's enthronement in the souls of all mankind,
and His triumph over the floods of ungodly rebellion ; but the literal sense
is primary and unmistakeable.
v. 1. The lord is King (comp. Ps.
xcvii. 1 ; xcix. 1). As on a day of
coronation. He clothes Himself in
the vesture of glory, and girds Him-
self with the sword of might (Ps.
xlv. 8).
vv. 2, S at once celebrate the
" establishment " of the round world
in its appointed place, never to be
moved from its appointed course
(comp. Ps. xcvi. 10), and the yet
deeper "establishment" of the
throne of God on earth, His from
all eternity, but manifested to man
in the creation of the world (see
Prov. viii. 22—29). The stability of
the earth ("the everlasting hillB")
is the natural emblem of the firm
and unquestioned power of Him who
made it, and whose " righteousness
standeth like the strong mountains."
vc. 4, 5. The 6ense is clear, al-
though r. 5 in the original is abrupt
in expression (as in R.v.;—
"Above the voices of the many
waters,
The mighty breakers of the sea,
The Lord on high is mighty."
The floods are probably (as usual in
the Old Testament) the "rivers";
their lesser roar leads on to the greater
might and terror of the sea. As the
earth is the emblem of stability, so
the great rivers and the sea (as usual
in the Psalms) symbolize change,
violence, fury. Over all their might
the Lord's might is unshaken (comp.
Ps. xxix. 9 ; lxv. 7 ; lxxxix. 10). The
idea is not, as in the previous verses,
of power unquestioned, but of power
triumphant over all that rises up
against it.
v. 6. From God in Nature (as in
Ps. xix. 7) the Psalmist turns to God
in Revelation, giving the sure " tes-
timony" of His Law, and manifest-
ing His presence in the holiness of
His Sanctuary. In that knowledge
Israel had the key to the inner
meaning of Nature, which in itself
might either reveal God or conceal
Him.
PSALM XCIV.
This Psalm is said in the LXX. heading to be "for the fourth day of the
week," and it appears also to have been used specially at the least of
Tabernacles. It is, however, unlike the other Psalms of this group, in
being not a Psalm of joy and thanksgiving, but an earnest cry, of singular
boldness and thoughtfulness. against wrong, done apparently by those in
high places. Why it was fixed for the regular Wednesday use in the Temple
we know not. It shews (as usual in this group) many reminiscences of
earlier Psalms; but these are blended together with marked originality.
It contains (a), in vv. 1—7, a complaint before God of the insolent
oppression and cruelty of the godless; (6), in vv. 8— 15, a solemn and
indignant reproof of the infatuation, which neglects or defies the judgment
of God; and <c), in vv. 16—28, a resolution to stand up in the strength of
God against the forces of deliberate wickedness, and to take resolutely a
part with Him.
v. 1. O Lord God. to ichom, &c. Comp.
Deut. xxxii. 85 ; Heb. x. 80.
V. 2. Judge of the world. . Comp.
Gen. xviii. 25 ; Ps. vii. 12. It is the
sterner aspect towards His creatures
of the God who "is love "; but, in
face of the mysterious reality of sin,
it is upon this that the soul of the
227
righteous must rest. Man can but
imperfectly judge and punish evil;
yet he feels even his imperfect work
to be sacred, as an earnest and type
of an all-perfect judgment.
v. 8. Lord, how Imig, &c. Comp.
Ps. vii. 6; xiii. 1; Rev. vi. 10. The
cry is not simply of impatience, but
Day 18.
THE PSALMS.
Day 18.
the floods have lift up their voice :
the floods lift up their waves.
5 The waves of the sea are
mighty, and rage horribly : but
yet the Lord, who dwelleth on
high, is mightier.
ti Thy testimonies, O Lord, are
very sure : holiness becometh
thine house for ever.
PSALM 94.
Deus ultionum.
OLORD God, to whom ven-
geance belongeth : thou God,
to whom vengeance belongeth,
shew thyself.
2 Arise, thou Judge of the world:
and reward the proud after their
deserving.
3 Lord, how long shall the un-
godly : how long shall the ungodly
triumph ?
4 How long shall all wicked
doers speak so disdainfully : and
make such proud boasting ?
5 They smite down thy people,
0 Lord : and trouble thine heri-
tage.
6 They murder the widow, and
the stranger : and put the father-
less to death.
7 And yet they say, Tush, the
Lord shall not see : neither shall
the God of Jacob regard it.
8 Take heed, ye unwise among
the people : O ye fools, when will
ye understand ?
9 He that planted the ear, shall
he not hear : or he that made the
eye, shall he not see ?
10 Or he that nurtureth the hea-
then : it is he that teacheth man
knowledge, shall not he punish?
Day 19.
11 The Lord knoweth the
thoughts of man : that they are
but vain.
12 Blessed is the man whom
thou chastenest, 0 Lord : and
teachest him in thy law ;
13 That thou mayest give hiin
patience in time of adversity :
until the pit be digged up for the
ungodly.
14 lor the Lord will not fail
his people : neither will he forsake
his inheritance ;
15 Until righteousness turn a-
gain unto judgment : all such as
are true in heart shall follow it.
16 Who will rise up with me
against the wicked : or who will
take my part against the evil-
doers ?
17 If the Lord had not helped
me : it had not failed but my soul
had been put to silence.
18 But when I said, My foot
hath slipt : thy mercy, 0 Lord,
held me up.
19 In the multitude of the sor-
rows that I had in my heart : thy
comforts have refreshed my soul.
20 Wilt thou have any thing to
do with the stool of wickedness :
which imagineth mischief as a
law?
21 They gather them together
against the soul of the righteous :
and condemn the innocent blood.
22 But the Lord is my refuge :
and my God is the strength of my
confidence.
23 He shall recompense them
their wickedness,and destroy them
in their own malice : yea, the Lord
! our God shall destroy them.
ilEoming ^rager.
PSALM 95.
Venite, exultemus.
OCOME, let us sing unto the
Lord : let us heartily rejoice
in the strength of our salvation.
2 Let us come before his pre-
sence with thanksgiving : and
shew ourselves glad in him with
psalms.
3 For the Lord is a great God :
and a great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are all the cor-
ners of the earth : and the strength
of the hills is his also.
5 The sea is his, and he made
it : and his hands prepared the
dry land.
6 0 come, let us worship and
fall down : and kneel before the
Lord our Maker.
7 For he is the Lord our God :
and we are the people of his
227
Psalm XCIV.— eont.
of the perplexity described in Ps.
Ixxiii. 3—14.
v. 7. Comp. Ps. x. 11, 13 ; lix. 7.
There is an evident irony in this
reference of the ungodly to " Jeho-
vah," "the God of Jacob," who can-
not or will not (as they think) avenge
His heritage, or vindicate His broken
law (comp. Ps. xxii. 7,8).
r. 8. Untcisc — "brutish," as in
xcii. 6.
vv. 8—10. The argument is irre-
sistible against those who recognise
the intellectual and moral faculties
of man, and yet ignore in the First
Cause and Supreme Law of the world
a mind and a moral will. Whatever
is in man must be in the Power that
made man — whether by evolution
out of lower natures or otherwise it
matters not— and whatever exists in
that Power must shew itself in active
energy in the direction of man's
history. Hence the old saying, " Na-
ture may conceal God ; man reveals
Him . " H en ce t he perfect revelation
of God in the Son of Man.
v. 10. The A.V. renders this verse—
" He that chasteneth the heathen,
Shall He not correct ?
He that teacheth man know-
ledge,
Shall not He know ?
The last line, however, is not in the
Hebrew text, though it completes
the parallelism admirably. Accord-
ingly the R.V. simply reads, " Even
He that teacheth man knowledge."
But the insertion brings out what
is obviously the true sense. God
islookedupon "as teaching all men
knowledge," by his chastening work
to the heathen, as by His revelation
of Himself both in work and in word
to Israel.
vv. 12 — 16 suggest indirectly the
reason why God thus bears with evil.
It is for the chastening and teach-
ing of the gooa, "so giving them
patience" (literally "rest") under
the delay of vengeance against the
ungodly. This key to the mystery is
but hinted at in the Book of Job (in
the speech of Elihu, e.g. xxxiv. 81—
37) and the Psalms generally. In the
New Testament it is familiarly taught
{e.g. Rom. ix. 22, 23; Heb. xii. 3—11 ;
1 Pet. iv. 12—19).
r. 15 should be rendered as in
R.V.-
" Judgment shall return to righte-
ousness ;
And all the upright in heart shall
follow it."
Judgment (that isl must ultimately
issue in the manifestation of God's
righteousness; and then all the up-
right in soul will follow it, i.e., ac-
knowledge it and work with it. So
at the fall of the oppression of the
Reign of Terror men cried out, " Yes !
there is a God."
v. 16 seems a summons to the righ-
teous to rally against wrong. It is
uttered in vain, and the speaker falls
back on God— His help to those who
stand (v. 17), His restoration of those
who fall (v. 18), His comfort of those
who are weary and heavy laden (r. 19).
v. 20 is properly (as in R.V.) —
"Shall the throne of wickedness
have fellowship with thee.
Which frameth mischief by
statute ': "
By a bold figure Iniquity is repre-
sented as raising up a rival throne
against the Judgment of God, and
framing a law of evil deliberately
wrought out against His Law. The
Psalmist cries out against tolera-
tion of this by the Divine justice,
throws himself (in vv. 22, 23) on the
strength of God— his high tower and
refuge— and confidently anticipates
the overthrow, bringing their evil
upon their own heads.
Psalm XCV.
This Psalm is still used in the Synagogue as one of the Psalms on the
Friday evening, preparatory to the worship of the Sabbath, probably from
the emphatic reference to the rest of God in o. 11. It has been from time
immemorial the Invitatory Psalm in the daily Christian worship of both
the Eastern and the Western Church. It is applied to our Christian
experience with special emphasis, both of admonition and of argument,
in Heb. iii. 7— iv. 11.
It falls into two sections : (a), in vv. 1—7, it utters a glad invitation to the
worship of God, both as the Almighty Creator and as the Lord God and
Shepherd of Israel ; then (6), in vv. 8—11, changes its tone to one of solemn
warning against an unbelieving hardness of heart, enforced by the example
of the people in the wilderness.
227 a
Psalm XCV.— cont.
v. 1. Heartily rejoice, should be pro-
perly (as in A.V. and R.V.), " make a
Joyful noise," the music correspond-
ing to the "song" of the previous
clause. Strengthsmthe " Rock," as bo
often in Psalms.
vv. 3—6 look up to God as the
"God Almighty," and, as such, em-
phatically revealed to the first heirs
of the Covenant (comp. Gen. xvii.
1; xxviii. 3; xxxv. 11; Exod. vi. 3).
They praise Him as the Creator,
exalted "far above all gods"— the
angels or the gods of heathen wor-
ship. They express the faith of man
as man ; and, moreover, the faith
which is the result of the study,
through the intellect and the imagi-
nation, of the works of God in Na-
ture. It is a faith which has large-
ness and grandeur of conception^
rather than vividness, begetting awe'
rather than trust or love.
v. 4. Corner* should be "depths,"
in antithesis to the "hills" of the
next clause.
v. 7 adds to the former conception
of God the necessary complement of
the consciousness of a moral relation
between Him and us, brought out in
His covenant, which makes us His
people, over whom He rules in righ-
teousness, and " His sheep," whom
He tends with loving care. In this
faith lies the vitality of all true re-
ligion ; on it alone can " the first and
reat commandment " of the love of
od be based.
v. 8. Today — voice. Probably it
S
is better to join these words with
those which precede—" To day (this
shall be) if ye will but hear His
voice," or (as in R.V.), " To day, Oh
that ye would hear His voice "—and
to take the rest of the Psalm (comp.
Ps. lxxxi. 6—17) as the utterance of
the Divine Voice itself.
Provocation.. . . temptation. These
words are the interpretation of the
proper names Matzah and Meribah
(see Exod. xvii. 7 ; Num. xx. 13), where
they " tempted the Lord, saying, Is
the Lord among us or not?" (comp.
Deut. vi. 16).
v. 10. Forty year* long, &c. Stress
is laid first on God's long-suffering
and His grief over the sins of His
people (comp. Gen. vi. 6) ; then on
the unchangeable certainty of the
final retribution which He must in-
flict (/ sicare, &c, comp. Heb. vi.
16—18). In this lies the mystery of
that union of human freedom with
God's sovereignty, on which all re-
ligion must turn.
v. 11. See Num. xiv. 21—27. In
Heb. iii. 7— iv. 10 the application is
to that of which Canaan was the
type— the rest or "Sabbath keep-
ing" of heaven. Such application
will be in some sense implied in all
devotional use of the Psalm itself;
for all rest in this world can only be
the earnest of a truer rest to come ;
but it is, as usual, made explicit by
the Christian revelation of immor-
tality and heaven.
Psalm XCVI.
This magnificent Psalm is in the LXX. heading referred with great
probability to the time of the restoration of the Temple after the Captivity.
With some notable variations of detail, it is identical with 1 Chr. xvi.
28—33, where it is joined with portions of other Psalms (cv., cvi., &c.) to re-
present a Psalm of praise, sung at the bringing up of the Ark by David. It
Dears manv striking resemblances to the latter part of the Book of Isaiah,
both in substance and diction.
It opens (a), in vv. 1—6. with a call to Israel to sing a new song to
Jehovah, exalting Him in the sight of all the heathen above the vanities
of their idolatry ; then (6), in vv. 7—10, it calls on the nations themselves to
take up from Israel the worship of the Lord as the God of the whole earth ;
and at last (c), in vv. 11—13, bids the heavens and the earth themselves to
join with humanity in the great hymn of praise.
. 1. A new song (comp. Ps. xxxiii. 8 ;
cxlix. 1). The words (not found in
1 Chr. xvi. 28) are emphatic. They
refer to the " new song " of the re-
stored exiles— the type of the new
song (Rev. v. 9; xiv. 3; xv. 3) of the
pilgrims arrived at the heavenly
227 b
Canaan, which " all the earth " is
to take up from them. It is (see vv.
2, 3) a song rising from gladness to
blessing of God's Name and procla-
mation of His salvation, from thanks-
giving to adoration of His infinite
glory.
Psalm XCVI— eont.
v. 5. Idol*. The original word
(like the word "idol" itself » signifies
"vanity" or "nothingness" (comp.
1 Cor. viii. 4). The thought sug-
gested is worked out in forcible de-
tail in Ps. cxv. 4 — 8 ; cxxxv. 15—18 ;
as also in Isa. xl. 18—20 ; xliv. 9—20 ;
xlvi. 1—7. It is not so much the sin.
as the gross folly, of idolatry which is
denounced.
The Ijord that made the heavent. It
is notable that in the Captivity the
title of the " God of heaven " is used
with especial frequency of the Lord
Jehovah, both by the Israelites and
by the heathen (see 2 Chr. xxxvi.
23; Ezra v. 11, 12; vi.9; vii. 12; Neh.
i. 5; ii. 4; Dan. ii. 18, 19, 44). The
heavens and their luminaries, made
the gods of the heathen, are simply
creatures of His hand.
vv. 7—9 are repeated with some
addition from Ps. xxix. 1, 2 (where
see notes') ; but their original applica-
tion to the angels is here transferred
to "the kindreds of the nations,"
called upon now especially to ac-
knowledge the Lord Jehovah. The
Captivity and Dispersion of Israel
were overruled to witness for God
under the Babylonian and still more
under the Persian empire, with a
scope of power before unknown.
Hence the special appropriateness
of this invitation in a pRalm belong-
ing to the time of restoration from
that Captivity.
v. 10. The two-fold empire of God
is glanced at — over Nature, " making
the round world so fast that it cannot
be moved" (comp. Ps. xciii. 2), and
over humanity, "judging the nations
righteously."
vv. 11, 12 call upon all powers of
Nature— the heaven, the earth, and
the sea, the fruitful field and trees
of the wood — to join with human-
ity in the praise of God, not now as
their Creator, but as soon to be ma-
nifested in the new creation at the
great judgment of His righteousness
tcomp. Ps. xcviii. 8—10 ; Isa. xliv. 7, 8;
xlix. 13; lii. 9; lv. 12, &c).
Psalm XCVII.
This Psalm strikes much the same keynote as Ps. xcvi. — with perhaps
something more of the sense of awe before the majesty of the Lord and of
the world-wide extension of His Kingdom. It evidently belongs to the same
era, the time of the overthrow of Babylon and restoration of Israel. It
is full of reminiscences of earlier Psalm and prophecy, but these blended
together with perfect naturalness and force.
It contains (a), in vv. 1 — 6, the proclamation of the manifested royalty of
the Lord in mingled glory and terror, as at Sinai of old ; (6), in vv. 7—9,
the humiliation of idolatry before Him, and the gladness of the people of
God; (c), invv. 10 — 12, a singularly emphatic exhortation to true-hearted
purity, with a promise to it of light and joy in the Lord.
lation of "righteousness and judg-
ment" (comp. Ps. lxxxix. 15).
vv. 3 — 5 work out this idea more
fully (comp. Ps. xviii. 7—14; Ixviii. 2;
Isa. lxiv. ; Mic. i. 4; Hab. iii. 3—6).
The same images recur again and
again — probably taken originally
from the revelation on Mount Sinai.
Yet "the Lord is not in the earth-
quake, or the whirlwind, or the fire ";
it is (see v. 6) the glory of His righte-
ousness which is acknowledged by
the homage of heaven and earth.
v. 7. In this verse the indignation
against idolatry and idolaters— cha-
racteristic of this whole group of
Psalms— breaks out abruptly in a
sudden flash. Worship him, all ye
pods seems, accordingly, to be an
imperious call to the gods of thai;
idolatry to fall down before God.
v. 1. The Lord is King. The same
proclamation as in Ps. xciii. 1 ; xcix.
1 ; bat here, in spite of the terrors of
His majesty, calling not for the sub-
mission, but for the joy of the earth,
and " the multitude of the isles" of
heathendom (comp. Ps. lxxii. 10;
Isa. xxiv. 15 ; xl. 15 ; xli. 5, &c).
Such glad recognition, especially
under the strong sympathy of the
Persian monotheism, the worship
of the God of Israel seems at this
time to have found in many lands.
v. 2. The juxtaposition of the two
clauses is striking. As at Sinai,
which is clearly referred to, "the
clouds and darkness" of awful
power are the accompaniments of
His presence ; but " the pillars of
His throne " (" the habitation of His
seat") are laid in His moral reve-
Q2S
Day 19.
THE PSALMS.
Day 19.
Easture, and the sheep of his
and.
8 To-day if ye will hear his voice,
harden not your hearts : as in the
provocation, and as in the day of
temptation in the wilderness ;
9 When your fathers tempted
me : proved me, and saw my works.
10 Forty years long was I griev-
ed with this generation, and said :
It is a people that do err in their
hearts, for they have not known
my ways ;
11 Unto whom I sware in my
wrath : that they should not en-
ter into my rest.
PSALM 96.
Cantate Domino.
OSING unto the Lord a new
song : sing unto the Lord, all
the whole earth.
2 Sing unto the Lord, and praise
his Name : he telling of his salva-
tion from day to day.
3 Declare his honour unto the
heathen : and his wonders unto
all people.
4 For the Lord is great, and
* cannot worthily he praised : he is
more to be feared than all gods.
5 As for all the gods of the hea-
then, they are but idols : but it is
the Lord that made the heavens.
6 Glory and worship are before
him : power and honour are in
his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe unto the Lord, O ye
kindreds of the people : ascribe
unto the Lord worship and power.
8 Ascribe unto the Lord the ho-
nour due unto his Name : bring
presents, and come into his courte.
9 O worship the Lord in the
beauty of holiness : let the whole
earth stand in awe of him.
10 Tell it out among the hea-
then that the Lord is King : and
that it is he who hath made the
round world so fast that it cannot
be moved ; and how that he shall
judge the people righteously.
11 Let the heavens rejoice, and
let the earth l>e glad : let the sea
make a noise, and all that there-
in is.
12 Let the field be joyful, and
all that is in it : then shall all the
trees of the wood rejoice before
the Lord.
13 For he cometh, for he com-
eth to judge the earth : and with
righteousness to judge the world,
and the people with his truth.
PSALM 97.
Dominm regnavit.
THE Lord is King, the earth
may be glad thereof : yea, the
multitude of the isles may be glad
thereof.
2 Clouds and darkness are
round about him : righteousness
and judgment are the habitation
of his seat.
3 There shall go a fire before
him : and burn up his enemies
on every side.
4 His lightnings gave shine unto
the world : the earth saw it, and
was afraid.
5 The hills melted like wax at
the presence of the Lord : at the
presence of the Lord of the whole
earth.
6 The heavens have declared
his righteousness : and all the
people have seen his glory.
7 Confounded be all they that
worship carved images, and that
delight in vain gods : worship
him, all ye gods.
8 Sion heard of it, and rejoiced :
and the daughters of J udah were
?lad, because of thy judgments,
► Lord.
9 For thou, Lord, art higher
than all that are in the earth :
thou art exalted far above all
gods.
10 0 ye that love the Lord, see
that ye hate the thing which is
evil : the Lord preserveth the
souls of his saints ; he shall de-
liver them from the hand of the
ungodly.
11 There is sprung up a light
for the righteous : and joyful glad-
ness for such as are true-hearted.
12 Rejoice in the Lord, ye
righteous : aud give thanks for a
remembrance of his holiness.
228
PiALM XCVII.— eont.
like Dagon before the Ark. The
LXX. reads, " Let all the angels of
God worship Him," which is quoted
in Heb. i. 6 in reference to the visible
manifestation of God on earth in the
Lord Jesus Christ, and with a view
to emphasize His exaltation in na-
ture above all angels (probably in
rebuke of the angel worship referred
to in Col. ii. 18). This use (as so
often in quotations from the Old
Testament in the New) goes beyond
the original sense, but accords with
it. For the whole idea of the Psalm
is the manifestation of God on earth,
and the humbling before Him, not
of man only, but of all created being
and of all that receive the worship
due to Him alone.
v. 8. Thy judgments, O Lord. The
reference appears to be to some I
special and recent manifestation of |
God's judgment— as in the long-fore- \
told vengeance on Babylon, the re-
storation of the exiles, and the f rus
tration of all efforts against them
The shaming of idolatry and tin
gladness of the worshippers of tin
true God are emphatically blende<
together.
vv. 10—12 give the same warning
which is conveyed, for example, ii
Ps. xv. 1—5; xxiv. 3—5; xl. 8—18
Isa. i. 16—18, and which was b;
solemn experience engraved on th<
hearts of the restored exiles— tha
they only are the true Israel wh<
"hate the evil," and are "tru<
hearted" before God. For then
alone light is sprung up (properly
" sown,' ' or shed abroad on the earth )
for them alone there is joy in th<
Lord. By the well-known spiritua
law, these graces are, in the germ o:
faith, the condition of entering intc
the covenant; in the full growth
perfected by love, the effect of en
trance and continuance therein.
Psalm XCVIII.
This Psalm is little more than a variation of Psalm xcvi.— in substance
all but identical, even in form frequently coincident. Like that Psalm it it
full of resemblances to the latter portion of the Book of Isaiah. The onlj
differences are that in this Psalm there is greater vividness of description,
both of the manifestation of God's judgment and deliverance of Israel be-
fore the nations, and of the outburst of praise from the heathen to God;
and that there is no denunciation of the vanity of idolatry, and the falsitj
of the gods of heathendom.
The same three parts are clearly traceable in it : (a), in vv. 1—4, the call
to Israel ; (A), in vv. 5—7, to all heathendom ; (e), in vc. 8 — 10, to all Nature,
to praise the Lord. It is used in our Evening Service as an alternative
Canticle to the Magnificat — evidently on the ground that the grand picture
of the universal kingdom of God is realized in the kingdom, present and
future, of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Psalm XCIX.
This Psalm opens with the same characteristic words as Ps. xciii., xcvii.,
"the Lord is King." But in the general proclamation of the Divine
kingdom it brings out more distinctly than the other Psalms the essential
characteristic of a higher spirituality ; the pervading idea is not of the
might, but of the holiness of God, and in secondary degree of those who
are His; and there is consequently a more constant reference to Hia
manifestation of Himself in the Sanotuary and in the Covenant. Th«
Psalm thus forms a noble climax of the grand series, xci.— xcix.
Its three divisions are clearly marked by the burden, " He is holy " i.likel
the " Holy, Holy, Holy " of the angelic song). In the first (a), in vv. 1—3,
it is the glory of the Lord which is dwelt upon ; in the second (b), in pp. 4, 5,
it is His righteousness in judgment; in the third (c), in vv. 6—9, it is His
revelation of Himself in mercy and gracionsness to His saints.
228 a
Psalm XCIX.— cont.
v. 1 should be rendered (as in
R.V.)-
*' The Lord is king ; let the peoples
tremble :
He sitteth on the cherubim ; let
the earth be moved."
Onr version misunderstands the idea
of the verse, which is not rebellion
Brushed, but submission of awe gladly
given.
v. 3 is properly —
" Let them give thanks to Thy
great and terrible Name.
He is holy."
The last clause is the burden of the
Psalm, perhaps a response from the
congregation. After the manifesta-
tion in power and glory comes the
higher element of holiness— the es-
sential nature of God in Himself, as
"the high and holy One which in-
babiteth eternity."
vv. 4, 5. There is some verbal diffi-
culty of rendering here ; but the gene-
ral sense is rightly given in ourversion.
The emphasis is on the righteousness
of God as the "God of Jacob" (Ps.
xx. 1; xlvi. 7, 11, &c, &c), the God
of the covenant of Israel. For this
Lr He to be exalted before the world,
bill all nations shall bow before His
"footstool" (comp. Ps. cxxxii. 7)—
before (that is) the very base of His
iltar, where He is manifested in
mercy. Again follows the burden,
I He is holy."
vv. 6—8 bring out the close relation
of God to His saints. It is clear that
Moses and Aaron and Samuel are
typical representatives of the saints
n communion with God. Moses and
laron— named, as usual, together
comp. Ps. lxxvii. 20), as associated
n one work— are especially described
is "priests," in accordance with the
whole tone of the Psalm, which is
pervaded by reference to the Sanc-
tuary. For Moses was indeed the
true priest as a "mediator" with
God (Gal. iii. 19), and was accord-
ingly the dedicator of the ministerial
priesthood of Aaron and his sons
(Exod. xxix. 1—37). Samuel, though
himself prophet and priest, is looked
upon in obvious reference to the
great day of Mizpeh (1 Sam. vii. 8
—10), as an example of the power of
prayer— a prayer of intercession for
fhe people. The idea is throughout
of a free access to God, after sacrifice
offered and through prayer.
v. 7. He spake, &c. — to Moses and
Aaron literally, to Samuel meta-
phorically. The cloudy pillar (comp.
Ps. lxxviii. 15) was the emblem of
God's miraculous guidance as it is
given us on earth, half dark in
mystery, half light in revelation.
For they kept, &c. The word "for"
is a mistaken insertion. The obe-
dience spoken of is not the cause,
but the effect, of God's revelation
of Himself.
v. 8 should run, as in R.V.,
"Though Thou tookest vengeance
on their doings." God is set forth,
exactly as in Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7, as "the
Lord God, merciful and gracious ....
keeping mercy for thousands, forgiv-
ing iniquity and transgression and
sin, and that will by no means clear
the guilty." His will is mercy; yet
He must punish sin (comp. John xii.
47, 48). The wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life."
v. 9. Once more the burden, " He
is holy," closes this glorious Psalm,
realizing as it does the essential
nature of God, in Himself holiness,
to His people love.
Psalm C.
This Psalm— emphatically called "A Psalm of Praise"— is a concluding
oxology to the splendid group of Thanksgiving Psalms (xci.— xcix.). It
» pure thanksgiving and praise, unclouded by any touch of fear or doubt,
t is thought to have been a Psalm, perhaps a processional Psalm, for times
f special praise and rejoicing. But in its breadth and simplicity it is tit for
11 occasions of access of the redeemed to God, and naturally it has become
ooth in its original form and its metrical renderings) the regular hymn
f thanksgiving in the Church of Christ.
It is (a), in vv. 1, 2, an invitation to joy, because we know that we are
•od's people ; and (6), in vv. 3, 4, an invitation to praise God, because He
goodness and love.
228 b
19.
Psalm C— cont.
v. 1. O be joyful, &c, is properly,
"make a joyful noise" (as in Ps.
Ixxxi. 1).
v. 2. And not we oumelvet. The best
rendering is (as in R.V.), "and we are
His." The idea of the verse is a repeti-
tion of Ps. xcv. 7 ; but it is singularly
notable that, if it applies especially
to Israel, yet by implication it is ex-
tended " to all lands," as destined to
be drawn hereafter into the covenant
of God. Hence, perhaps, the note in
the Syriac Version, " a Psalm for (on^
the conversion of the heathen to the
true faith." In the sense of aliena-
tion from God is the source of fear ;
in the sense that He is ours and we
are His, is the secret of jov (comp.
Rom. xiv. 17 ; Phil. iv. 4).
v. 8. Thanksgiving and praise are
the higher elements of worship, and
so the essence of the worship of
heaven; confession and prayer be-
long to the imperfection of earth,
and are here for the time put out of
question.
v. 4. For the Lord if gracious, &c.
These words, as we read in 2 Chr.
v. 13, formed the chorus of thanks-
giving at the consecration of the
Temple. Naturally they recur as
the keynote of many of the later
Psalms of the restoration of the
Temple-worship (comp. Ps. cvi. 1 ;
cvii. 1; cxviii. 1, &c). They dwell,
moreover, not only on the goodness
of God, but on the continual recur-
rence of His mercy in all genera-
tions. Its forms of manifestation
continually change, but itself never.
Psalm CI.
This Psalm— the celebrated vow of a king seeking earnestly for righteous-
ness, but seeking it in the fear and love of God— is ascribed to David ; and
though it occurs in the midst of far later Psalms, it is in all probability from
his hand. In this later collection it is embedded as a fragment of antiquity.
By himself it may not have been intended for public use ; probably it was
canonized by the reverence of succeeding generations, perhaps as the pattern
for the restored government of Israel after the Captivity. Hence its com-
paratively prosaic and meditative form, breathing (as has been noted) much
of the spirit of the Book of Proverbs. We may well compare it with Solo-
man's prayer (1 Kings iii. 6—9) ; noting that this is especially for wisdom,
as David's prayer for integrity of heart.
Taking it to be a Psalm of David, we must refer it to an early period in j
his royalty— probably (see t>. 3) at the time when he desired, yet feared, toj
bring up the Ark (2 8am. vi. 9)— possibly, but less probably, when, having j
brought up the Ark, he felt deeply the requisite qualifications for " ascend I
ing to the hill of the Lord" (comp. Ps. xv.).
The vow is two-fold: (a), in vv. 1—4, of seeking righteousness for himself J
(/>), in vv. 5—11, of punishing sin and fostering righteousness in others.
v. 1. To "sing of mercy and judg-
ment"—the union of righteousness
and love— is the resolution of every
true and noble ruler; to "sing of
them unto the Lord," finding in His
nature their original, and in His
grace the power to imitate Him in
them, is the distinguishing mark of
the godly life.
v. 2. O let me have, &c. This verse
is properly not a prayer, but a resolu-
tion, " I will give heed to a perfect
way."
v. 8. When wilt thou come unto me?
The cry comes out as an interjection
between the Psalmist's two resolu-
tions, in v. 2, and in the latter clause
of this verse. It shews the strength,
in which he trusts to fulfil them.
S29
Certainly the most natural reference
would be to the prospect, not yet/
realized, of the coming of the Ark',
to Mount Zion.
In my hou*e. In his own private
and domestic life he would make the!
needful beginning, before he begins
the greater, yet hardly more arduous,
WDrk of righteous kingship.
v. 4. Wicked thing is properly i as
in Ps. xli. 8) "a thing of Belial,"|
or " lawlessness."
Unfaithfu hires is "turning aside,"
or transgression. What David, there*!
i fore, disclaims is the reckless self- j
1 will, acknowledging no law of ripht,
] which is the temptation of despotic
i royalty, and was hereafter the secret
1 of his own great sin.
Day 19.
THE PSALMS.
Day 19,
Day 19.
(Ebenmg
PSALM 98.
Cantate Domino.
OSING unto the Lord a new
song : for he hath done mar-
vellous things.
2 With his own right hand, and
with his holy arm : hath he gotten
himself the victory.
3 The Lord declared his salva-
tion : his righteousness hath he
openly shewed in the sight of the
heathen.
4 He hath remembered his mer-
cy and truth toward the house of
Israel : and all the ends of the
world have seen the salvation of
our God.
5 Shew yourselves joyful unto
the Lord, all ye lands : sing, re-
joice, and give thanks.
6 Praise the Lord upon the
harp : sing to the harp with a
psalm of thanksgiving.
7 With trumpets also, and
shawms : 0 shew yourselves joyful
before the Lord the King.
8 Let the sea make a noise, and
all that therein is : the round
world, and they that dwell therein.
9 Let the floods clap their hands,
and let the hills be joyful together
before the Lord : for he is come
to judge the earth.
10 With righteousness shall he
judge the world : and the people
with equity.
PSALM 99.
Dominus regnavit.
THE Lord is King, be the peo-
ple never so impatient : he
sitteth between the cherubims, be
the earth never so unquiet.
2 The Lord is great in Sion :
and high above all people.
3 They shall give thanks unto
thy Name : which is great, won-
derful, and holy.
4 The King's power loveth judg-
ment ; thou hast prepared equity :
thou hast executed judgment and
righteousness in Jacob.
5 0 magnify the Lord our God :
and fall down before his footstool,
for he is holy.
6 Moses and Aaron among his
priests, and Samuel among such
as call upon his Name : these
called upon the Lord, and he
heard them.
7 He spake unto them out of
the cloudy pillar : for they kept
his testimonies, and the law that
he gave them.
8 Thou heardest them, O Lord
our God : thou forgavest them,
0 God, and punishedst their own
inventions.
9 0 magnify the Lord our God,
and worship him upon his holy
hill : for the Lord our God is holy.
PSALM 100.
Jubilate Deo.
OBE joyful in the Lord, all ye
lands : serve the Lord with
gladness, and come before his
presence with a song.
2 Be ye sure that the Lord he
is God : it is he that hath made
us, and not we ourselves ; we are
his people, and the sheep of his
pasture.
3 O go your way into his gates
with thanksgiving, and into his
courts with praise : be thankful
unto him, and speak good of his
Name.
4 For the Lord is gracious, his
mercy is everlasting : and his truth
endureth from generation to gene-
ration.
PSALM 101.
Misericordiam et judicium.
MY song shall be of mercy and
judgment : unto thee, 0 Lord,
will I sing.
2 0 let me have understanding :
in the way of godliness.
3 When wilt thou come unto
me : I will Walk in my house with
a perfect heart.
4 I will take no wicked thing in
hand ; I hate the sins of unfaith-
fulness : there shall no such cleave
unto me.
5 A froward heart shall depart
from me : I will not know a wick-
ed person.
6 Whoso privily slandereth his
neighbour : him will I destroy
Psalm CI.— cont.
Clenve unto me. The expression is
remarkable. Temptations and sins
of frailty there might be ; but they
should not cleave to him and become
a part of his nature.
vv. 5—7 pass from the resolution of
the man to the vow of the king, who
has the dread responsibility of power.
The evils which he resolves to put
down are the two, of which we And
special mention in other undoubted
Psalms of David — the "froward
heart" of guile (opposed in Prov.
xi. 20 to "the upright"), especially
venting itself in malignant slander,
and the "proud look and high
stomach" (literally, "puffed up
heart") of arrogance.
vv. 8, 9 go on to dwell on more posi-
tive action— the vigilant support of
those who have the temper of faith-
fulness and the instinct of perfec-
tion, "walking in a perfect way"
( ' ' leading a godly life " ) . The phrase
"my eyes shall be on them," is used
more often of God (Ps. xxxiv. 16]
lxvi. 6); here of the king as Hia
vicegerent.
v. 11. Soon, literally, "morning by
morning," indicating energetic and
systematic work.
The eitu of the Lord. In this
phrase the characteristic motive of
the Psalm comes out. It is because
his capital is " the city of the Lord,"
and he himself the anointed of .the
Lord, that he will not tolerate in it
the existence of evil.
Psalm CII.
This Psalm is strikingly noted in the heading as "the Psalm of the
afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before
the Lord." It is a Psalm of intense pathos; but its sorrow has in it no
touch of doubt or repining, and it is accordingly a sorrow cheered by hope
and solemnized by rest on the eternal goodness of God. It has naturally
been used in the Church on Ash-Wednesoat as one of the Penitential
Psalms ; for no Psalm brings out more clearly the " godly sorrow which
worketh repentance unto salvation," as distinct from "the sorrow of the
world, which worketh death."
From vv. 13, 14 it seems clearly to belong to the close of the Captivity,
when the appointed hour of restoration, after the seventy years of prophecy,
was known to be at hand. It breathes the spirit, and even uses the words,
of the prophets of the Captivity themselves (oomp. Jer. xxv. 11 ; xxix. 10;
Dan. ix. 2).
The Psalmist (a), in vv. 1 — 11, pours out his own personal complaint of
sorrow, sickness, decay, under the chastening hand of God; (b), on thisJ
his dark hour, there nses (vv. 12—22) a gleam of comfort in the sure anal
certain hope of the approaching deliverance of the captives ; he forgets his
own suffering in prospect of the renewed glory of Jerusalem ; only (c), in
vv. 23—28, he prays that he may be spared to see that happy consummation!
in virtue of the unchanging promise to His servants of the unchanginfl
God. Like most of the Psalms of this period, the Psalm is full of th*
thoughts and the words of earlier Psalms ; but these are made the fre«
living expression of personal experience. Thus, for example, in rr. 1, 2,
we trace reminiscences of Ps.lv. 1, 2; xxvii. 8; lxix. 17, 18; lxx. 1; lxxxviii«j
1, 2; and similar reminiscences may be perceived throughout.
vv. 3—5 evidently describe the con-
dition of one almost exhausted by
combination of bodily sickness and
mental suffering, each reacting on
the other— his days passing into
smoke," his bones (comp. Ps. vi. 2;
xxxi. 10; Job xxx. 30) burnt with
fever, his heart faint, as though
withered like grass in the sun, his
whole frame pining away under the
pressure of suffering.
v. 5. Mu bones will scarce, &c. It
should be (as in A-V. and R.V.), " my
830
bones cleave to my flesh" (or " skin "m
—i.e. apparently the bones stand out
through the emaciated body.
vv. 6, 7. The images of solitary
mourning are distinct from each
other, rising to a climax— the pelicaM
of the marshy wilderness, the owl of
the desolate " ruins " (" desert "), the
sparrow, bereft of its mate, mourning
on the housetop, alone though in a
crowd.
vv. 8—10 describe the Psalmist's
condition of suffering as aggravated,
Pci)/ 20.
THE PSALMS.
Day 2 '<
7 Whoso hath also a proud look
and high stomacii : I will not suf-
fer him.
8 Mine eyes look upon such as
are faithful in the land : that they
may dwell with me.
9 Whoso leadeth a godly life :
he shall be my servant.
Pat 20.
10 There shall no deceitful per-
son dwell in my house : he that
telleth lies shall not tarry in my
sight.
11 I shall soon destroy all the
ungodly that are in the land : that
I may root out all wicked doers
from the city of the Lord.
iJHommg Pragjr.
PSALM 102.
Domine, exaudi.
HEAP, my prayer, O Lord : and
let my crying come unto
thee.
2 Hide not thy face from me in
the time of my trouble : incline
thine ear unto me when I call ; 0
hear me, and that right soon.
3 For my days are consumed
away like smoke : and my bones
are burnt up as it were a fire-
brand.
4 My heart is smitten down,
and withered like grass : so that I
forget to eat my bread.
5 For the voice of my groan-
ing : my bones will scarce cleave
to my flesh.
6 I am become like a pelican in
the wilderness : and like an owl
that is in the desert.
7 I have watched, and am even
as it were a sparrow : that sitteth
alone upon the house-top.
8 Mine enemies revile me all
the day long : and they that are
mad upon me are sworn together
against me.
9 For I have eaten ashes as it
were bread : and mingled my
drink with weeping;
10 And that because of thine
indignation and wrath : for thou
hast taken me up, and cast me
down.
11 My days are gone like a sha-
dow : and I am withered like grass.
12 But, thou, O Lord, shalt
endure for ever : and thy re-
membrance throughout all gene-
rations.
13 Thou shalt arise, and have
mercy upon Sion : for it is time
that thou have mercy upon her,
yea, the time is come.
14 And why? thy servants think
upon her stones : and it pitieth
them to see her in the dust.
15 The heathen shall fear thy
Name, O Lord : and all the kings
of the earth thy Majesty ;
16 When the Lord shall build
up Sion : and when his glory shall
appear ;
17 When he turneth him unto
the prayer of the poor destitute :
and despiseth not their desire.
18 This shall be written for
those that come after : and the
people which shall be born shall
praise the Lord.
19 For he hath looked down
from his sanctuary : out of the
heaven did the Lord behold the
earth ;
20 That he might hear the
mournings of such as are in cap-
tivity : and deliver the children
appointed unto death ;
21 That they may declare the
Name of the Lord in Sion : and
his worship at Jerusalem ;
22 When the people are gather-
ed together : and the kingdoms
also, to serve the Lord.
23 He brought down my strength
in my journey : and shortened my
days.
24 But I said, O my God, take
me not away in the midst of ndne
age : as for thy years, they en-
dure throughout all generations.
25 Thou, Lord, in the beginning
hast laid the foundation of the
earth : and the heavens are the
work of thy hands.
26 They shall perish, but thou
shalt endure : they all shall wax
old as doth a garment ;
27 And as a vesture shalt thou
change them, and they shall be
Psalm Oil. — cont.
first, by the hatred and scorn of
men, who " make his name a curse "
(for so the last clause of v. 8 should
be rendered; comp. Isa. lxv. 15;
Jer. xxix. 22) ; next, by the sense of
the well-deserved indignation and
wrath of God, lifting him up on high
in order to " cast him away " (comp.
Dan. ix. 4—14; Lam. iii. 39—50).
v. 9. Ashes as it were bread (comp.
Lam. iii. 16). It is a strengthened
form of a not nnf requent phrase, the
"bread of affliction" (comp. Ps.
xlii. 8; lxxx. 5). The ashes, scat-
tered on the head, are the emblem
of mourning; to make these his
bread is significant of Borrow beyond
all ordinary sorrow (Lam. i. 12).
vv. 12, 13 dwell first on the un-
changeableness of the Eternal God,
and then on that which alone makes
the unchangeableness of His will a
ground of comfort — His gracious pro-
mise of deliverance of Zion, now that
(see v. 18) "the set time" is come.
Oomp. the prayer of Daniel (Dan. ix.
2) "when he understood by the books
the number of the years."
v. 14. It pitieth them, &c. The
original is even more striking, " They
delight in her" scattered " stones" ;
they pity her very dust— with that
intense love which still hallows the
" wailing-place " under the walls of
Jerusalem.
vv. 15 — 22 plead for the manifesta-
tion of the Divine glory by the re-
storation, against all probability or
precedent, of the people of God— both
for the grateful remembrance of suc-
ceeding generations of Israel, and
for the homage of all the ends of the
earth. The stress laid upon the low-
liness, the poverty, the destitution
(literally the " nakedness ") of the
people, is characteristic of the era i
of the Captivity. Nor is the shall be
written less characteristic; for then
it was that the written word of Holy
Scripture came into a prominence
and reverence before unknown. The
plea in regard to the heathen had
also its historical fulfilment ; for the
age of the Restoration was the be-
ginning of that pervading influence
of Judaism, which was a prepara-
tion for the universal kingdom of
the Lord.
v. 20. The children, &c, literally,
" the children of death " — those
doomed to die.
vv. 28, 24 mark an abrupt transition
of thought. The Psalmist feels as if
at the point of death. He prays to
be spared to see the deliverance;
then he will sing his Nunc Dimittis.
vv. 25—28. In these verses there is
a close though subtle connection of
thought with the preceding. The
feeling of his own weakness and
decay suggests the changeableness
of all earthly things— even the great
frame of nature, which is the vesture
of God's majesty ; from this follows
naturally the contrast of the un-
changeableness of the Creator Him-
self and of His word of promise.
That promise keeps His people safe
from the national decay and destruc-
tion which are the law of humanity ;
may it not keep from premature in-
dividual death the servant who trusts
in Him ?
These verses are quoted in Heb. i.
10 — 12 as descriptive of the eternity
of the true Son of God— the manifes-
tation of Godhead upon earth. It
does not follow from this that the
Psalm is consciously and directly
Messianic. But in all the Psalms
and Prophecies of that period, the
expectation of the new manifesta-
tion of the Lord Jehovah recognises
that manifestation very clearly as
perfected in the kingdom of the
Messiah.
Psalm OIII.
This exquisitely beautiful Psalm stands out in glorious contrast with the
pensive sorrow of Ps. cii. It seems like a burst of thanksgiving over the
passing away of the dark hour there described, and the grant of the two-
fold prayer for individual and national salvation there uttered. No Psalm—
not even Ps. xxiii. or Ps. xci.— is so deep in its sense of God's undoubted
and unclouded goodness ; none widens out so strikingly from His personal'
mercies to His universal graciousness to all mankind. In the heading itj
is ascribed to David, and by the Syriac Version to the time of his old age.
The ascription, especially as being in this book markedly exceptional, is
not to be altogether neglected. But against it are the existence of certaiD '
230 a
Psalm CIII. — cont.
Axamaisms of diction, the apparent connection of thought with Ps. cii., and
perhaps the sustained and thoughtful beauty of style, lacking the incisive
ness and force of most of the Davidic Psalms.
It opens (a), in vv. 1—5, with a call of the Psalmist to his own soul to
thanksgiving over the tender individual mercy of God ; then (ft), in vv. 6—13,
he goes on to dwell on God's graciousness and mercy to His people, even in
their sin ; in this (c) he sees (vv. 14 — 18) an example of the tenderness of the
Eternal, and the unchangeableness of His promises to men, who are but
dust ; and accordingly he ends (d), in vv. 19—22, with a call to all the ange's
of God and to all His creatures on earth to bless His Name.
v. 1. All that is within me — that is,
as in the first and great command-
ment, "all the heart" of emotion,
"all the mind" of thought, "all the
strength" of practical resolution,
" all the soul" of spiritual aspiration
(Matt. xxii. 37; Deut. vi. 5). From
all, perhaps in different degrees,
must come the tribute of love and
praise to God.
vv. 3—5. The blessings commemo-
rated—forgiveness of sin, healing of
sickness, salvation from death, and
renewal of blessing, satisfaction,
Btrength— stand in singularly strik-
ing contrast with the sad experiences
of Ps. cii.— the sense of sin (v. 10),
the burden of pain and disease (vv.
3, 4), the approach of death {v. 11),
the desolation (vv. 6, 7), distaste for
all natural desire (vv. 4, 9), exhaus-
tion (t>, 8). It is hard to think that
the contrast is accidental.
v. 5. Lusty as an eagle. The A.V.
and R.V. have "thy youth is re-
newed as an eagle's," evidently al-
luding to the legend of the renewal
of youth and fresh beauty of plum-
age by the old eagle. The eagle is
often taken in Holy Scripture as the
tvpe of strength and swiftness (comp.
2 Sam. i. 23 ; Isa. xl. 31 ; Prov. xxx.
19; Jobxxxix. 27, &c).
vv. 6—12. The sudden transition
from individual to national mercies
is another point of similarity to
Ps. cii. The stress laid on God's de-
liverance of the oppressed with wrong
(v. 6), on His chastisement and for-
giveness of sin (vv. 9, 10), the verbal
likeness of vv. 9, 10 to Isa. lvii. 16;
Ezra ix. 13 ; Dan. ix. 9, 10, perhaps
the exclusive reference to the great
Lawgiver— all point to the same era
of the deliverance, approaching or
present, from the Captivity.
v.' 1. His ways unto Moses. See the
great vision of Exod. xxxiv. 6—10, to
which v. 8 seems especially to refer.
The reference to the Mosaic Revela-
tion of God is evidently suggested by
230 b
the thought of it as the great example
of the deliverance of the oppressed.
v. 10. Comp. Ezra ix. 13; Dan. ix.
9, 10.
vv. 11,12. The comparison is unique
in the perfection with which the
image is worked out. The idea of
p. 11 is, however, illustrated by Ps.
xxxvi. 5 ; lvii. 11 ; Isa. lv. 8, 9 ; and
that of v. 12 by Isa. xxxviil. 17 ; Mic.
vii. 19.
v. 13. To the sense of God's Father-
hood and man's sonship — the essence
of all true religion— is here added
the conception of fatherly forgive-
ness and mercy to His children, even
in sin (comp. Ps. lxxviii. 27—34),
which is the needful Gospel to a
fallen world, and therefore especially
revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ
(Luke xv. 11—82).
vv. 14—18 have again a marked
likeness to Ps. cii. 11, 12, 24—28.
v. 14. Comp. Ps. lxxviii. 40; Job
vii. 7; x. 8. Man in his finiteness
and weakness (though not in his
wilful sin) is as God made him.
God cannot require of him what is
beyond his strength; He must deal
tenderly with the frail creature of
His hand.
vv. 15, 16. Comp. Ps. xc. 5, 6; Job
xiv. 2 ; Isa. xl. 6, and the quotations
from the passages in 1 Pet. i. 24;
James i. 10. The "wind" is clearly
the hot wind from the desert, before
which all that is green withers up.
" To-day the grass is, and to-morrow
is cast into the oven."
vv. 19—22, opening with the ac-
knowledgment of the Lord en-
throned in heaven, are in brief a
Benedicite (comp. Ps. cxlviii.); call-
ing, first, on the angels, exulting
in superhuman strength, and doing
His will freely, because hearing His
word with direct knowledge; next,
on His "hosts," that is, on all His
rational creatures, whether on earth
or in heaven— perhaps all His living
Psalm OIII.— eont.
creatures— His ministers or servants I v. 22. With a peculiar beauty, from
consciously or unconsciously "doing this wide sweep of conception, the
His pleasure " ; lastly, on all His Psalm returns to the direct person-
works of inanimate Nature, which ality of its beginning. Whatever
are simply instruments under "His ' other beings may do. ^'Praise thou
dominion." I the Lord, O my soul.''
Psalm CIV.
This magnificent "Psalm of Creation" is apparently connected with
Ps. ciii., not only by the identity of its beginning and end, " Praise thou
the Lord, O my soul," but also by its expansion of the Benedicite, with
which Ps. ciii. closes. It is, indeed, a grand conception of all orders of crea-
tion as " the works of the Lord," and of their silent praise of Him through
manifestation of His glory. Like the glorious utterance of " the Lord out
of the whirlwind " in the Book of Job (chaps, xxxviii., xxxix.), it follows, as
a commentary, but with some freedom of variation, the record of Gen. i.,
colouring with the glow of wonder and adoration the sublime simplicity of
that record, and bringing out, in all the vividness of poetical insight, its
three-fold lesson— of the origin of all being in the Creative Will, of the
continual sustentation of the world in all its developments by God's Provi-
dence, and of the essential supremacy of man as made in His image.
It first surveys (a) in succession the creation of light (v. 2), of the cloud-
land of the firmament (vv. 3, 4), of the earth and sea (vv. 5—9), of the rivers
watering the earth (re. 10—13), of the vegetation which clothes it (vv. 14— 16)
of the animals which inhabit it (re. 17 — 22), and of man as the lord of all
(r. 28) ; then (6) it contrasts, in re. 24— 32 (much as in Psalms cii., ciii.), the
transitoriness and dependence of the creatures with the changeless majesty
of the Creator; and ends (c), in re. 33—85, with an enthusiastic adhesion
of loyalty to the One Eternal God, and the cry, " Praise the Lord, O my
soul. In this conclusion lies the secret of the sublime calmness of tone
which pervades the whole. Face to face with the vastness of Creation, the
Psalmist feels continual wonder, but no terror, because his soul rests on
Him, who is greater than His works.
With the cognate Psalm cxlv. this Psalm is used at the Evensong of
Whit Sunday, evidently with reference to the Creator Spiritus, "the
Spirit of God moving on the face of the waters."
e.l. Thou art become. It should be,
"Thou art." God is what He is,
from all eternity.
r. 2. The physical light— the first
created thing, the first form of mo-
tion, and the first condition of life
and beauty for all subsequent crea-
tion—is the "vesture" of Him who
spiritually is Himself Light (1 John
i. 5 ; 1 Tim. vi. 16), and who, as God
incarnate, shews Himself to man's
spiritual nature as "the Light of
the world," and " the Light which is
the life of men " (John viii. 12 ; i. 4,
Ac).
00. 2, 3 evidently refer to the firma-
ment. Now it is spread out as " the
curtain" of God's pavilion (comp.
Ps xviii. 11) ; now it is that on which
He "lays the beams (the floor) of
231
His upper chambers" (Amos ix. 6)
" in the waters " — the waters above
the firmament; now it is "God's
chariot" (Isa. xix. 1), moving on
" the wings of the wind " (comp. Ps.
xviii. 10).
r. 4. This verse may be rendered in
two ways. It may be—
" He maketh his messengers winds ;
His ministers the flaming fire."
Or—
"He maketh the winds His mes-
sengers,
The flaming fire (the lightnings)
His servants."
(Comp. Job xxxviii. 35). In 'the
former case there must be reference
to the angels as the ministers of
God in the physical sphere, and this
is the sense given to the passage, as
Day 20.
THE PSALMS.
Day 20.
changed : but thou art the same,
and thy years shall not fall.
28 The children of thy servants
shall continue : and their seed
shall stand fast in thy sight.
PSALM 103.
Benedic, anima mea.
PRAISE the Lord, 0 my soul :
and all that is within me
praise his holy Name.
2 Praise the Lord, O my soul :
and forget not all his l)eneflts ;
3 Who forgiveth all thy sin :
and healeth all thine infirmities ;
4 Who saveth thy life from de-
struction : and crowneth thee with
mercy and loving-kindness ;
5 Who satisfleth thy mouth
with good things : making thee
young and lusty as an eagle.
6 The Lord executeth righteous-
ness and judgment : for all them
that are oppressed with wrong.
7 He shewed his ways unto
Moses : his works unto the chil-
dren of Israel.
8 The Lord is full of compas-
sion and mercy : long-suffering,
and of great goodness.
9 He will not alway be chid-
ing : neither keepeth he his anger
for ever.
10 He hath not dealt with us
after our sins : nor rewarded us
according to our wickednesses.
11 For look how high the hea-
ven is in comparison of the earth :
so great is his mercy also toward
them that fear him.
12 Look how wide also the east
is from the west : so far hath he
set our sins from us.
13 Yea, like as a father pitieth
his own children : even so is the
Lord merciful unto them that fear
him.
14 For he knoweth whereof we
are made : he remembereth that
we are but dust.
15 The days of man are but as
grass : for he flourisheth as a flow-
er of the field.
16 For as soon as the wind go-
eth over it, it is gone : and the
place thereof shall know it no
more.
17 But the merciful goodness
of the Lord endureth for ever and
ever upon them that fear him :
and his righteousness upon chil-
dren's children ;
18 Even upon such as keep his
covenant : and think upon his
commandments to do them.
19 The Lord hath prepared his
seat in heaven : and his kingdom
ruleth over all.
20 O praise the Lord, ye an-
gels of his, ye that excel in
strength : ye that fulfil his com-
mandment, and hearken unto the
voice of his words.
21 O praise the Lord, all ye his
hosts : ye servants of his that do
his pleasure.
22 O speak good of the Lord,
all ye works of his, in all places
of his dominion : praise thou the
Lord, O my soul.
Day 20.
PSALM 104.
Benedic, anima mea.
PRAISE the Lord, O my soul :
O Lord my God, thou art be-
come exceeding glorious ; thou
art clothed with majesty and ho-
nour.
2 Thou deckest thyself with
light as it were with a garment :
and spreadest out the heavens
like a curtain.
3 Who layeth the beams of his
cnambers in the waters : and
©bening ^rager.
maketh the clouds his chariot,
and walketh upon the wings ol
the wind.
4 He maketh his angels spirits:
and his ministers a flaming fire.
5 He laid the foundations of
the earth : that it never should
move at any time.
6 Thou coveredst it with the
deep like as with a garment : the
waters stand in the hills.
7 At thy rebuke they flee : at
the voice of thy thunder they are
afraid.
S31
19—5
P8ALM CIV.— COW*.
quoted from the LXX., in Heb. i. 7.
In the latter case there need be no
such reference. The winds and the
fire of heaven are simply His uncon-
scious messengers of wrath or bless-
ing (comp. Job xxxviii. 35).
vv. 6—9 describe with almost scien-
tific accuracy the separation of the
earth and sea— the solid earth sur-
rounded by the sphere of water, then
tae emergence of the land and the
limitation of the water by appointed
bounds (contrast Job xxxviii. 8, and
the common phrase, " the water un-
der the earth"). Some slight mis
translations obscure the sense. It
should be—
" Thou coveredst it with the deep
as with a garment ;
The waters stood (then) above
the mountains.
At Thy rebuke they fled ;
At the voice of Thy thunder they
hasted away.
They climb up the hills, they
rush down the valleys
To the place which Thou hast
appointed for them."
Many render parenthetically the last
line but one—
"The mountains rise, the valleys
sink
Unto the place," &c.
But the other rendering is the one
usually taken.
v. 9. Comp. Job xxvi. 10; xxxviii.
10, 11 ; Jer. v. 22; Ps. xciii. 4, 5.
vv. 10—17 interpose, in the record
of the third day's Creation, the
beautiful picture (there only implied)
of the calling forth of the rivers and
springs, to satisfy the thirst of the
beasts of the field and the wild asses
of the desert, and to cause all the
wealth of vegetation to come forth
—the trees, springing up along the
watercourses, as the covert of the
birds ; the grass on the hills to clothe
the earth, and by its produce to sus-
tain man and beast. The peculiar
vividness and exuberance of the pic-
ture belong to the experience of
eastern climate and life.
v. 15. Oil to make, &c. — that is, to
make his face to shine (comp. Judg.
ix. 13; Ps. xlv. 8). Corn, wine, and
oil are the three great products of
the soil, and the oil was used at feasts
to anoint the head (comp. Ps. xcii. 9).
v. 16. Are full of sap. The words
"of sap" are an erroneous insertion.
It should be, " are satisfied," drink-
ing in the water to the f ulL
The treet of the Lord. The cedars of
Lebanon— once covering the moun-
tains, now shrunk to a small rem-
nant—were the special admiration
in the comparatively treeless land of
Palestine, and are always made types
of strength, luxuriance, and beauty.
As such they are regarded beyond all
others as the "trees of the Lord,"
planted by His hand alone, without
cultivation of man (comp. Ps. xxix. 5 ;
lxxx. 10; cxlviii. 9; Isa. xxxvii. 21;
Amos ii. 9, &c).
p. 17. The fir tree, always mentioned
with the cedar as growing on Leba-
non (see 1 Kings v. 8, 10; ix. 11;
Cant. i. 17, &c), is properly "the
cypress."
v. 18, breaking in upon the descrip-
tion of the trees and other vegeta-
tion, is suggested evidently by v. 17.
The same God who gives the green
trees to the birds finds for the wild
goats and conies their rocky homes.
The verse forma a transition to vv. 21,
22.
v. 19. Comp. Gen. i. 14. The sun
and moon are regarded simply in
their relation to the inhabitants of
the earth. The moon in ancient
times determined all seasons, both
of months and years (comp. Ps.
lxxxix. 36); the sun, "knowing the
time of his going down," only the
days and nights. But in this Psalm
the idea is beautifully interwoven
with the description of their relation
to the life of the animal creation.
For it, as well as for man, the seasons
are framed.
vv. 20—23. Of the animals only the
wild creatures, independent sharers
of the world with man. are named.
All creatures depend alike on God.
But for the beasts the wilderness, for
man the fruitful plain and valley;
for them the darkness of night, for
him the brightness of the working
day.
v. 24. It is notable that, in referring
to man, the Psalm breaks off from
any natural mention of his superior .
glory (such as we find in Ps. viii. <5i, j
to pour out the tribute of wondering \
adoration to God for the variety, the
underlying wisdom, and the exu-
berant wealth of Creation.
uay 20.
THE PSALMS.
Day 20.
8 They go up as high as the
hills, and down to the valleys be-
neath : even unto the place which
thou hast appointed for them.
9 Thou hast set them their
bounds which they shall not pass :
neither turn again to cover the
earth.
10 He sendeth the springs into
the rivers : which run among the
hills.
11 All beasts of the field drink
thereof : and the wild asses quench
their thirst.
12 Beside them shall the fowls
of the air have their habitation :
and sing among the branches.
13 He watereth the hills from
above : the earth is filled with the
fruit of thy works.
14 He bringeth forth grass for
the cattle : and green herb for
the service of men ;
15 That he may bring food out
of the earth, and wine that mak-
eth glad the heart of man : and
oil to make him a cheerful coun-
tenance, and bread to strengthen
man's heart.
16 The trees of the Lord also
are full of sap : even the cedars
of Libanus which he hath planted;
17 Wherein the birds make their
nests : and the fir-trees are a dwell-
ing for the stork.
18 The high hills are a refuge
for the wild goats : and so are the
stony rocks for the conies.
19 He appointed the moon for
certain seasons : and the sun
knoweth his going down.
20 Thou makest darkness that
it may be night : wherein all the
beasts of the forest do move.
21 The lions roaring after their
prey : do seek their meat from
God.
22 The sun ariseth, and they
Day 21.
get them away together : and lay
them down in their dens.
23 Man goeth forth to his work,
and to his labour : until the even-
ing.
24 0 Lord, how manifold are
thy works : in wisdom hast thou
made them all ; the earth is full
of thy riches.
25 So is the great and wide sea
also : wherein are things creeping
innumerable, both small and great
beasts.
26 There go the ships, and there
is that Leviathan : whom thou
hast made to take his pastime
therein.
27 These wait all upon thee :
that thou mayest give them meat
in due season.
28 When thou givest it them
they gather it : and when thou
openest thy hand they are filled
with good.
29 When thou hidest thy face
they are troubled : when thou
takest away their breath they die,
and are turned again to their dust.
30 When thou lettest thy breath
go forth they shall be made : and
thou shalt renew the face of the
earth.
31 The glorious Majesty of the
Lord shall endure for ever : the
Lord shall rejoice in his works.
32 The earth shall tremble at
the look of him : if he do but touch
the hills, they shall smoke^
33 I will sing unto the Lord as
long as I live : I will praise my
God while I have my being.
34 And so shall my words please
him : my joy shall be in the Lord.
35 As for sinners, they shall be
consumed out of the earth, and
the ungodly shall corne to an
end : praise thou the Lord, 0 my
soul, praise the Lord.
Jttornmg ^rager.
PSALM 105.
Confitemini Domino.
OGIVE thanks unto the Lord,
and call upon his Name : tell
the people what things he hath
done.
2 O let your songs be of him,
and praise him : and let your talk-
ing be of all his wondrous works.
3 Rejoice in his holy Name :
let the heart of them rejoice that
seek the Lord.
232
Psalm CIV.— eont.
vv. 25, 26. These verses— properly,
' Yonder is the sea great and wide,"
&c— seem as it were an afterthought.
To the Israelite the thought of the
sea was associated mainly with mys-
tery, desolation, danger; of delight
in it there is no trace in Hebrew
poetry: it was the land which was
known and loved. But the eye of
the Psalmist from some hill catches
the distant view of the sea, and he
thinks of it also as teeming with life,
though of creatures unknown, from
the same creating and sustaining
Hand.
v. 26. The thipt come in strangely in
this context, and some would render
the word as "the nautilus," con-
trasted in its delicate littleness with
the huge leviathan. But it is likely
that the Psalmist thinks of the ships
simply as moving, like living crea-
tures, over the sea.
Leviathan— mostly (see Job xli. ;
Ps. lxxiv. 15) the crocodile— is here
any great sea monster.
vv. 27 — SO lay stress at once on the
dependence and the shortlived tran-
aitoriness of the creature. There
is continuous life in creation, but it
is life out of the death of each crea-
ture or species. The same law rules
in humanity so far as it is physical
(see Ps. xc. 3). It is our spiritual
nature which rises above it, as made
in the image of God.
vv. 81—35. From this grand but
oppressive conception of perpetual
change, decay, revival, the Psalmist
takes refuge not simply in the eternal
majesty of God, which in itself, and
even in its physical manifestation
(see v. 82), would be merely awful;
but in the sense of His moral rela-
tion to man, as our God," who takes
pleasure in our words of adoration,
and in whom therefore we can re-
joice. In this lies, as Our Lord Him-
self taught (Matt. xxii. 82), the cer-
tainty of our immortality. It is only
the sinner and the ungodly, as cut-
ting themselves off from the life of
God, who fall (see v. 85) under the
law of destruction and death.
v. 82. The allusion is, as usual, to
the manifestation on Sinai (Ex. xix.
18). Comp. Ps. xcix. 1 ; cxliv. 5, &c.
Perhaps this suggests (in v. 85) the
idea of the righteous judgment, as
distinct from the goodness, of God.
v. 35. Again from this contemplation
of the vastness and variety of Nature
the Psalmist comes back to the indi-
vidual consciousness of God—" Praise
thou the Lord, O my souL" But not
content with this, he calls on his
brethren in the Communion of Saints
to join with him, "Praise ve the
Lord " (see R.V.). This is Hallelujah
—the first Hallelujah of the Psalter.
Psalm CV.
To the Psalm of Creation succeed two Psalms (cv., cvi.) of history,
following out the idea, sometimes the expressions, of Ps. lxxviii. But these
later Psalms are less free and vigorous ; they keep closer to the order of the
sacred history; and in them the Psalmist is not so much the prophetic
teacher of the people.as the spokesman of their mingled thanksgiving and
confession of sin. Like Ps. civ., these ore Hallelujah Psalms; and the
concluding prayer of Ps. cvi. {v. 45) refers them to the same period, at the
approach of the end of the Captivity. Ps. cv. dwells on the history from
Abraham to the Exodus ; Ps. cvi. takes it up from the Exodus to the time
of the Judges, and there abruptly closes, with nothing more than allusion
to the subsequent ages of the kingdom.
Psalm cv. has (a) an introduction, in vv. 1—8, of thanksgiving; then]
(6) it surveys, in vv. 9—22, the patriarchal history; and (c), in vv. 2S — 44sj
describes the Exodus, and alludes briefly to the settlement in Canaan.
"We find vv. 1 — 15 quoted in 1 Chron. xvi. 8—22 (with slight variations) as a
part of the song of the great day when the Ark was brought up to MountJ
Zion (see note on Ps. xcvi.).
v. 1. The people should be "the
peoples." As usual in the Psalms of
thitf time, the manifestation of God
through His people to the heathen
is the prominent idea. The verse
coincides almost exactly with Isa.
xii. 4.
vv. 1 — 6. Through the enthusiastic!
fervour of these verses runs a definite
order of thought— first, thanksgiving
for present mercies to us, filling the
heart and inspiring the tongue (vM
1, 2); then the still higher rejoicinjB
in the manifestation of His Name in
Pay 21.
THE PSALMS.
Day 21.
4 Seek the Lord and his
strength : seek his face ever-
more.
5 Remember the marvellous
works that he hath done : his
wonders, and the judgments of
his mouth,
6 0 ye seed of Abraham his
servant : ye children of Jacob his
chosen.
7 He is the Lord our God : his
judgments are in all the world.
8 He hath been alway mindful
of his covenant and promise : that
he made to a thousand genera-
tions ;
9 Even the covenant that he
made with Abraham : and the
oath that he sware unto Isaac ;
10 And appointed the same un-
to Jacob for a law : and to Israel
for an everlasting testament ;
11 Saying, Unto thee will I give
the land of Canaan : the lot of
your inheritance ;
12 When there were yet but a
few of them : and they strangers
in the land ;
13 What time as jthey went
from one nation to another : from
one kingdom to another people ;
14 He suffered no man to do
them wrong : but reproved even
kings for their sakes ;
15 Touch not mine Anointed :
and do my prophets no harm.
16 Moreover, he called for a
dearth upon the land : and de-
stroyed all the provision of bread.
17 But he had sent a man be-
fore them : even Joseph, who was
sold to be a bond-servant ;
18 Whose feet they hurt in the
stocks : the iron entered into his
soul;
19 Until the time came that his
cause was known : the word of the
Lord tried him.
20 The king sent, and delivered
him : the prince of the people let
him go free.
21 He made him lord also of
his house : and ruler of all his
substance ;
22 That he might inform his
princes after his will : and teach
his senators wisdom.
23 Israel also came into Egypt :
and Jacob was a stranger in the
land of Ham.
24 And he increased his people
exceedingly : and made them
stronger than their enemies ;
25 Whose heart turned so, that
they hated his people : and dealt
untruly with his servants.
26 Then sent he Moses his ser-
vant : and Aaron whom he had
chosen.
27 And these shewed his tokens
among them : and wonders in the
land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness, and it was
dark : and they were not obedient
unto his word.
29 He turned their waters into
blood : and slew their ttsh.
30 Their land brought forth
frogs : yea, even in their kings'
chambers.
31 He spake the word, and
there came all manner of flies :
and lice in all their quarters.
32 He gave them hail-stones
for rain : and flames of Are in then-
land.
33 He smote their vines also
and fig-trees : and destroyed the
trees that were in their coasts.
34 He spake the word, and the
grasshoppers came, and caterpil-
lars innumerable : and did eat
up all the grass in their land, and
devoured the fruit of their ground.
35 He smote all the first-born
in their land : even the chief of all
their strength.
36 He brought them forth also
with silver and gold : there was
not one feeble person among their
tribes.
37 Egypt was glad at their de-
parting : for they were afraid of
them.
38 He spread out a cloud to be
a covering : and fire to give light
in the night-season.
39 At their desire he brought
quails : and he filled them with
the bread of heaven.
40 He opened the rock of stone,
and the waters flowed out : so that
rivers ran in the dry places.
41 For why ? he remembered
rsALM CV.—cont.
itself (v. 3) ; next, the Psalmist leads
his brethren to enqnire into ( ' ' seek " )
— that is, to meditate upon— the
strength of the Lord (v. 4) ; and,
lastly, they are to look back in
memory on the gradual evolution,
through the past up to the present,
of the covenant or the Lord with
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (vv. 5, 6).
Through faith and love the soul is to
pass to thought and understanding.
(Comp. the order of the Apostolic
teaching in Eph. iii. 17—19.)
v. 7. His judgment*, &c. Comp.
Pb. xcviii. 3, 4. By His judgments of
righteousness and mercy to Israel,
the Lord is manifested* to all the
earth, as the God of all.
vv. 9—11. See Gen. xiii. 14—17;
xv. 19—21 (to Abraham^; xxvi. 2—5
(to Isaac"); xxviii. 18, 14; xxxv. 12
(to Jacob).
v. 10. For a law— first, fixed as " an
everlasting covenant " — " a law eter-
nal, which God set Himself"— and
then becoming, through its implied
obligations, '"a statute to Israel"
(Ps. lxxxi. 4, 5).
vv. 13, 14. The allusion is clearly to
the sojourns of Abraham and Isaac
in Egypt and Philistia. and the in-
terposition of God to protect them
from the Pharaoh and the Abime-
lech of the day (Gen. xii. 10—20;
xx. ; xxvi. 6—11).
c. 15. The Psalmist looks upon the
f>atriarchs through the medium of
ater associations. They were as
kings and priests before God ; there-
fore they are called " His Anointed."
They had the word, and knew the
Spirit of the Lord; therefore they
are "His Prophets" (comp. Gen.
xx. 7).
v. 17. Be had sent, &c. See Gen.
xlv. 5 ; 1. 20.
v. 18. The iron entered into his soul.
This beautiful rendering — taken
from the Vulgate— which by its
pathetic truth to nature has become
proverbial, must be given up. The
original is, "his sonl entered into
iron." But the words may well im-
ply that his soul felt the chains which
bound his limbs, and so are not very
far in meaning from our celebrated
rendering. The allusion must be
to the first severity of Joseph's cap-
tivity before he won the heart of the
keeper of the prison. See Gen. xl. 15.
234
v. 19 should be—
" Till the time that his word came
(to pass) :
The word of the Lord tried him."
" His word " is clearly Joseph's pro-
phetic interpretation of dreams. The
"word" ("oracle") of the Lord is
probably the promise of His favour ;
it " tried him " by its delay till the
appointed time.
r. 22. Inform his princes, Ac. It
should be, "to bind his princes at
his will," to exercise the despotic
authority of Pharaoh (comp. Gen.
xli. 44) ; and then " to teach his
elders wisdom," by guiding and civi-
lizing them through the superior wis-
dom of inspiration (comp. Gen. xli.
39,40; xliv. 15).
v. 23. The land of Ham (here and in
v. 27) is emphatic— the alien land of
the race on which lay the patriarchal
curse (Gen. ix. 25).
v. 25. Untruly— properly, "sub-
tilly" (comp. Acts vii. 19).
I vv. 28—35 (like Ps. Ixxviii. 45—52)
glance briefly, but with vivid em-
phasis, at the plagues of Egypt—
generally in the historic order, Omit-
ting only the fifth and sixth ("the
murrain " and " the boils and
blains"). The exception is the
placing first the ninth plague (the
darkness), which may possibly be
an erroneous transposition by the
scribe ; for it is difficult to explain it
by any other reason.
v. 28. They were not obedient. So
reads the LXX. — perhaps to get rid
of a difficulty ; but the Hebrew text
is undoubtedly (as in A.V. and R.V.),
' ' they rebelled not against His word . "
The words are sometimes explained
as referring to Moses and Aaron ; but
this is not only artificial and weak in
itself, but also alien from the whole
tenour of the passage. " They " must
be the Egyptians ; and the onlv ex-
planation, though not free from diffi-
culty, is the mention in Ex. x. 24 of
Pharaoh's apparent submission after
the plague of darkness, in which we
know that he only expressed for the
moment what his servants had long
felt far more thoroughly (see Ex.
ix. 20, 21 ; x. 7). If this verse came in
its right historic place, after r. 34,
the difficulty would be much dimi-
nished.
v. 36. See Ex. xii. 35. The "bor*:
rowing " was really an open exaction
Day 21.
THE PSALMS.
Day 2L
his holy promise : and Abraham
his servant.
42 And he brought forth his
people with joy : and his chosen
with gladness ;
Day 21.
43 And gave them the lands o
the heathen : and they took the la-
bours of the people in possession ;
44 That they might keep his
statutes : and observe his laws.
^Bbentng ^ragcr.
PSALM 106.
Confitemini Domino.
OGIVE thanks unto the Lord,
for he is gracious : and his
mercy endureth for ever.
2 Who can express the noble
acts of the Lord : or shew forth
all his praise ?
3 Blessed are they that alway
keep judgment : and do righte-
ousness.
4 Remember me, 0 Lord, ac-
cording to the favour that tnou
nearest unto thy people : 0 visit
me with thy salvation ;
5 That 1 may see the felicity
of thy chosen : and rejoice in the
gladness of thy people, and give
thanks with thine inheritance.
6 We have sinned with our fa-
thers : we have done amiss, and
dealt wickedly.
7 Our fathers regarded not thy
wonders in Egypt, neither kept
they thy great goodness in remem-
brance : but were disobedient at
the sea, even at the Red sea.
8 Nevertheless, he helped them
for his Name's sake : that he
might make his power to be
known.
9 He rebuked the Red sea also,
and it was dried up : so he led
them through the deep, as through
a wilderness.
10 And he saved them from
the 'adversary's hand : and deli-
vered them from the hand of the
enemy.
11 As for those that troubled
them, the waters overwhelmed
them : there was not one of them
left.
12 Then believed they his
words : and sang praise unto him.
13 But within a while they for-
gat his works : and would not
•bide his counsel.
14 But lust came upon them In
the wilderness : and they tempted
God in the desert. «
15 And he gave them their de-
sire : and sent leanness withal
into their soul.
16 They angered Moses also in
the tents : and Aaron the saint
of the Lord.
17 So the earth opened, and
swallowed up Dathan : and cover-
ed the congregation of Abiram.
18 And the lire was kindled in
their company : the flame burnt
up the ungodly.
19 They made a calf in Horeb :
and worshipped the molten image.
20 Thus they turned their glo-
ry : into the similitude of a calf
that eateth hay.
21 And they forgat God their
Saviour : who had done so great
things in Egypt ;
22 Wondrous works in the
land of Ham : and fearful things
by the Red sea.
23 So he said, he would have
destroyed them, had not Moses
his chosen stood before him in
the gap : to turn away his wrath-
ful indignation, lest he should
destroy them.
24 Yea, they thought scorn of
that pleasant land : and gave no
credence unto his word ;
25 But murmured in their tents:
and hearkened not unto the voice
of the Lord.
26 Then lift he up his hand
against them : to overthrow them
in the wilderness ;
27 To cast out their seed among
the nations : and to scatter them
in the lands.
28 They joined themselves un-
to Baal-peor : and ate the offer-
ings of the dead.
29 Thus they provoked him to
anger with their own inventions .•
234
Psalm CV.— cont.
of tribute— the retaliation for all
that the Egyptians had laid upon
them.
Feeble person— properly, " none that
stumbled." Their way was made
smooth and plain, even to the weakest.
vv. 38—40 pass from the detailed
notice of the miracles of the Exodus
itself, to touch briefly on the miracles
of the wilderness. They dwell es-
pecially on the three miraculous
gifts of guidance, food, and water,
which, in their tender care of His
people, stood in marked contrast
with the severity of the plagues of
Egypt (Ex. xiv. 21, 22 ; xvi. 12—15 ;
xvii. 6).
vv. 41—44 glance, still more cur-
sorily, at the settlement in Canaan
as the fulfilment of the covenant
with Abraham (v. 41), and as the
entrance on the special duty of
obedience to God's law, laid on His
covenanted people.
Psalm CVI.
This Psalm, although it is not exactly a continuation of Ps. cv., yet by
similarity of style and close connection, both of subject and of idea, seems
to indicate coincidence of time and authorship. The difference is that, as
is natural in comment upon the history of Israel in the wilderness and
after the settlement in Canaan, it adds to the emphatic enumeration of
God's blessings a not less emphatic declaration of the sins of the people.
The whole Psalm, like the prayer of Daniel (Dan. ix. 3—19), shews, indeed,
in every line, a deep patriotic enthusiasm ; but its purpose is the higher
purpose which pervades the Old Testament prophecy— the shewing forth
the glory of God, even in the sin and chastening of Israel.
The Psalm has (a), in cc. 1—5, a short introduction of thanksgiving and
prayer ; then it plunges at once into a penitent recital (6), in vv. 6—33, of
the trials and sins of the wilderness; and (c), in vv. 34—44, of the dis-
obedience and corruption of the people after the entrance on Canaan, and
the sufferings and deliverances of the age of the Judges ; and ends (d), in
v. 45, with a prayer fcr deliverance from captivity and restoration to the
old land.
vv. 1—5. The introduction is evi-
dently the utterance of one who (as
in Ps. cii.) looks confidently to the
speedy restoration of Israel, and
prays that he may live to see it.
Brief as it is, it is full of compressed
thought. It opens with the Halle-
lujah, and the familiar utterance of
praise to Him "whose mercy en-
dureth for ever," which marked the
dedication of Solomon's Temple
(see 2 Chron. vii. 3, and comp. Ps.
cvii. 1 ; cxviii. 1). It passes on, next,
to dwell on the impossibility of ade-
quate thanksgiving in word, and on
the offering of the only true thanks-
giving by deed in "keeping judgment
and doing righteousness " (vv. 2, 3) ;
and then, in perfect confidence in
God's favour and salvation to His
people, prays that the Psalmist him-
self may have part in the supreme
joy of the restoration.
tj. 7. Were disobedient, i.e. unbeliev-
ing and despondent (see Ex. xiv. 10
-12).
v. 8. For His Name's sake. See Ex.
xiv. 17. I will get me honour upon
934 a
Pharaoh and upon all his host ;
and Ezek. xx. 9, "I wrought for
My Name's sake .... before the hea-
then .... in bringing them forth out
of the land of Egypt."
v. 9. Rebuked the Red sea (comp.
Ps. xviii. 15 ; civ. 7 ; cxiv. 8).
Through a wilderness, i.e through
a broad level pasture (comp. Pb.
lxxviii. 53, 54).
c. 12. Sang praise unto Him— in the
song of Ex. xv. 1—19, the first Psalm
of the Old Testament.
v. 14. The lust of uncontrolled
desire, even of things natural, be-
comes sin, when it " tempts God."
by clamorously demanding His mi-
raculous interposition (see Matt. iv.
3, 4, 7).
v. 15. Sent leanness withal into their
soul (comp. Ps. lxxviii. 30. 31). The
comment is on Num. xi. 32—84.
stead of leanness (properly "con-
sumption" or "wasting away") the]
LXX. and Vulgate read "satiety."
But our rendering is not only better
grammatically, but deeper in spiritj
ual meaning. The gratification
Psalm CVL— cont.
wilful and presumptuous desire be-
gets only an intenser sense of want.
v. 16. Angered should be "envied"
(see Num. xvi. 3, 12— 14)— Korah and
his company being jealous of the
priesthood of Aaron, the taint {i.e.
the consecrated priest) of the Lord,
Dathan and Abiram of the lordship
of Moses.
v. 17. It is notable that, while
Dathan and Abiram are mentioned
by name as swallowed up in the earth-
quake, Korah and his company, con-
sumed by fire, are simply referred to
as " the ungodly."
v. 19 goes back historically to an
earlier period of the wanderings
(Ex. xxxii.). The Psalmist evi-
dently desires to mark a climax in
the sins of Israel— unbelieving de-
spondency (v. 12), rebellion and jea-
lousy against God's servants (v. 16),
open idolatry, dishonouring God
Himself {v. 20), and final apostasy
from the high destiny to which He
called them (v. 24).
v. 20. Turned. The rendering of
the LXX. is more striking, " bartered
away their glory "—exchanged the
spiritual glory of Jehovah (as the
Psalmist says with righteous scorn)
for the mere likeness of the calf that
eateth grass.
t\ 21. The idolatry of the golden
calf was a breach of the second com-
mandment, not of the first ; for in
inaugurating it Aaron said, " To-
morrow is a feast to the Lord." But
E forgetfulness of God " was implied
in the craving for visible symbols of
a carnal worship. See Ex. xxxii. 1, 4,
" Make us gods to go before us,"
"These be thy gods, O Israel."
From this to worship of the idols,
as if they were really gods, is, as all
experience shews, a short inevitable
step.
v. 23. See Ex. xxxii. 9—14; Deut.
ix. 13, 14.
v. 24. Thought tcorn— properly, " re-
jected." The reference is to the
great apostasy— the refusal to enter
the land after the report of the spies
(Num. xiv.).
v. 26. Lift He up His hand— that is,
in an oath, that they should fall in
the wilderness (see Deut. xxxii. 40 ;
Ezek. xx. 23).
v. 28. Joined themselves— properly,
"yoked themselves," bound them-
234 b
selves under licentious rites to the
Moabite idolatry and idolaters (Num.
xxv. 3, 5).
The offerings of the dead. "The
dead" is probably to be taken literal-
ly of the worship and consultation
of the spirits of the dead (.see Deut.
xviii. 11; Lsa. viii. 19; and comp.
1 Sam. xxviii. 7—11).
v. 30. And prayed. This should be
(as in A.V. and R.V.), "executed
judgment." The error of our version
perhaps comes from a misunder-
standing of the rendering of the
LXX., ''appeased" (see Num. xxv.
11—13). Phinehas, himself probably
a judge in authority, became the
type of a righteous zeal, exercising
summary vengeance, informal and un-
bidden, against outrage on decency
and on reverence for God. To his
example the " Zealots " of after day 3
appealed.
V. 51. Was counted unto him, &c.
There is evidently allusion to Gen.
xv. 6. The righteous zeal for God,
coming from true faith, inherited
the blessing of the Abrahamic cove-
nant.
vv. 82, 33. The Psalmist seems to
dwell with a wondering sadness on
the punishment of the great Law-
giver for what seemed a hasty word.
But that word was the final culmi-
nation of the half -presumptuous self-
reliance— the excrescence of fervent
zeal— which appears again and again
in the history of Moses.
v. 32. For their sokes. See Moses'
own words in Deut. i. 37; iii. 26, &c.
The meaning is, " through what was
primarily their fault."
v. S3. Si* spirit. Some interpret
of the Spirit of God. But our ver-
sion is simplest and probably best.
vv. 34—44 pass abruptly to the
apostasy in Canaan itself, after the
death of Joshua, before glancing
briefly at the troubled and bloody
era of the Judges. The fault was a
disobedience, probably of indolence
and cowardice ; the result corruption
by vice and idolatry; the penalty
slavery under the races which should
have been their subjects, or the
foreign enemies whom they might
have defied.
vv. 34, 35. See Ex. xxiii. 31 ; Deut.
vii. 2, 16 ; Judg. ii. 2. " The iniquity
of the Amorites," long spared, "was
Psalm CVL— cont.
foil" (see Gen. xv. 16) ; hopeless cor-
ruption is necessarily contagious.
v. 36. Tiirneil to th>ir own decay
should be las in A.V. and R.V.),
" which became a snare unto them."
See Ex. xxiii. S3.
Devil* — evidently taken from the
Song of Moses (Dent, xxxii. 17),
" They sacrificed unto devils, not to
God " (comp. 1 Cor. x. 20). The word
used properly means "lords" (as in
the name Baal and Molech)— "the
gods many and lords many " of 1 Cor.
viii. 5.
v. 37. The abomination of human
sacrifice, here so indignantly de-
nounced, is usually noted (see Lev.
xviii. 21 ; xx. 2 ; 2 Kin. xvi. 3 ; xvii. 17 ;
xxi. 6) under the form of the " pass-
ing through the fire (mainly of chil-
dren) to Molech"— the god of the
Phoenician idolatry, which may have
pervaded Canaan. But it may well
have taken other forms. It is a
natural climax of false heathenish
ideas of sacrifice to give "the first-
born for our transgression, the fruit
of our body for the sin of our soul "
(Mic. vi. 7).
v. 38. Went a tchoring (comp. Lev.
xvii. 7; Num. xv. 39; Judg. ii. 17;
Ezek. xx. 80). The phrase signifies
more than unfaithfulness ; it implies
a reckless plunge into many and in-
consistent idolatries.
vv. 40—42 refer especially to the
troubled history of the Book of
Judges— a weary succession of sin
and idolatry, of punishment and
repentance, of deliverance and of
subsequent falling away— a time of
retrogression, social, moral, and
religious, intervening between the
brighter ages of Moses and Samuel.
The description may, however, be
extended more widely to the subse-
quent history, even up to the great
Captivity itself.
v. 4-4. He made all thote, &c. (comp.
1 Kings viii. 50). These words must
certainly be suggested by the recent
experiences of Israel. As Jeremiah
had foretold (xlii. 12), the Persian
king had shewn compassion and
even reverence for the captive people
(Ezraix. 9; Neh. i. 11 ; Dan. i. 9).
v. 45. The historical summary ends
abruptly, and leads on to the final
prayer that God would hasten His
deliverance — the prayer of all the
exiles at that critical time of sus-
pense and hope. As always, the
prayer is not merely for Israel's
happiness, but for God's glory.
r. 46 is the doxology closing the
Fourth Book of the Psalter. To
the forms previously used, is added
(see A.V. and R.V.) the Hallelujah
(" Praise ye the Lord ").
£35
THE PSALMS.
Day 21.
and the plague was great among
them.
30 Then stood up Phinees and
prayed : and so the plague ceased.
31 And that was counted unto
him for righteousness : among all
posterities for evermore.
32 They angered him also at
the waters of strife : so that he
punished Moses for their sakes ;
33 Because they provoked his
spirit : so that he spake unadvis-
edly with his lips.
34 Neither destroyed they the
heathen : as the Lord command-
ed them ;
35 But were mingled among
the heathen : and learned their
works.
36 Insomuch that they wor-
shipped their idols, which turned
to their own decay : yea, they
otfered their sons and their daugh-
ters unto devils ;
37 And shed innocent blood,
even the blood of their sons and of
their daughters : whom they offer-
ed unto the idols of Canaan ; and
the land was defiled with blood.
38 Thus were they stained with
their own works : and went a
whoring with their own inven-
tions.
39 Therefore was the wrath of
the Lord kindled against his peo-
Ele : insomuch that he abhorred
is own inheritance.
40 And he gave them over into
the hand of the heathen : and
they that hated them were lords
over them.
41 Their enemies oppressed
them : and had them in subjec-
tion.
42 Many a time did he deliver
them : but they rebelled against
him with their own inventions,
and were brought down in their
wickedness.
43 Nevertheless, when he saw
their adversity : he heard their
complaint.
44 He thought upon his cove-
nant, and pitied them, according
unto the multitude of his mercies :
yea, he made all those that led
them away captive to pity them.
45 Deliver us, O Lord our God,
and gather us from among the
heathen : that we may give thanks
unto thy holy Name, and make
our boast of thy praise.
46 Blessed be the Lord God of
Israel from everlasting, and world
without end : and let all the peo-
ple say, Amen.
Day 22.
Jttorning $rag*r.
PSALM 107.
Confitemini Domino.
OGIVE thanks unto the Lord,
for he is gracious : and his
mercy endureth for ever.
2 Let them give thanks whom
the Lord hath redeemed : and
delivered from the hand of the
enemy ;
3 And gathered them out of the
lands, from the east, and from the
west : from the north, and from
the south.
4 They went astray in the wil-
derness out of the way : and found
no city to dwell in ;
5 Hungry and thirsty : their
soul fainted in them.
6 So they cried unto the Lord
in their trouble : and he delivered
them from their distress.
7 He led them forth by the
right way : that they might go to
the city where they dwelt.
8 O that men would therefore
praise the Lord for his goodness :
and declare the wonders that he
doeth for the children of men !
9 For he satisfieth the empty
soul : and filleth the hungry soul
with goodness.
10 Such as sit in darkness, and
in the shadow of death : being fast
bound in misery and iron ;
11 Because they rebelled a-
gainst the words of the Lord : and
lightly regarded the counsel of the
most Highest ;
12 He also brought down their
heart through heaviness : they
fell down, and there was none to
help them.
235
THE FIFTH BOOK OF THE PSALTER.
This Book, undoubtedly compiled at a period subsequent to
the Restoration from the Captivity, probably includes both
Psalms of the post-Exilian time, and'others of older composition,
which for some reason had not previously been used in the
regular Temple worship. It contains forty-four Psalms (Ps.
cvii.— cl.), nearly a third of the whole Psalter. Of these, fifteen
Psalms (cviii. — ex., exxii., exxiv., exxxi., exxxiii., exxxviii.— cxlv.)
are ascribed to David; one (exxvii.) to Solomon; the rest are
anonymous. There are in it two remarkable groups (see Intro-
duction, sect, in.)— the Great Hallel (Ps. cxiii.— cxviii.), and
the Songs of Degrees (Ps. cxx.— exxxiv.). The last five Psalms
— all Hallelujah Psalms — seem also to form a group, possibly
by one hand.
Psalm CVII.
In spite of the division between the Fourth and Fifth Books, it is
impossible not to connect this most beautiful Psalm in idea with the
Psalms cii.— cvi., which precede it. It is the "Psalm of Life," as Ps. civ.
is the Psalm of Creation," and Ps. cv., cvi. the "Psalms of Historv."
While in all probability suggested by the history of Israel— perhaps mainly
by the recent history of the return from the Captivity— it presents to us,
first, a magnificent series of pictures of various crises of human life, of the
distress which throws men at such times on God in prayer, and of His
gracious answer of deliverance ; and, next, a more thoughtful contempla-
tion of God's government of the world by blessing and chastisement, by
exaltation of the meek and humiliation of the proud. If it speaks especi-
ally to Israel, it speaks also to man as man, both in its literal sense and as
a parable of the higher spiritual experience of humanity.
Its parts, up to v. 32, are marked by the refrain of thanksgiving, varied
in each section to suit the subject. After the opening verse, identical with
the first verse of Ps. cvi., it draws successive pictures (a), in vv. 2—9, of
pilgrims in a barren land of thirst and distress ; (6), in vv. 10—16, of captives
languishing in a captivity, which is the punishment of sin; (c),in vv. 17—22,
of foolish men, smitten by God's hand with sickness, even unto death ; {d ), in
9V.Or- 32, of sailors in extremity of danger on the sea; and describes in
each case their cry of supplication, answered by a blessing of deliverance
from God. Then (e), in vv. 33—43 (changing its style to a graver and less
poetic strain), it bids men trace thoughtfully God's varied Providence of
blessing and chastisement, of trouble and deliverance, and to understand
that in all these alike there is " the lovingkindness of the Lord."
vv. 2—7. The first section is evi-
dently suggested by the return of
the exiles—" redeemed," " deliver-
ed," "gathered from all lands"— in
weary and dangerous pilgrimage
through the great Eastern desert.
The Psalmist may well have felt
what he so graphically describes.
But the words come home to all
human experience — of ten in their
236
literal sense— oftener still in appli-
cation to our pilgrimage through the
wilderness of life. Like Israel's first
journey through the wilderness (1
Cor. x. 11), this return through a
similar experience is typical.
v. 3. The South. If the Hebrew
text be correct, this is properly "the
sea." Evidently the general sense
must be as in our version. If so,
Day 22.
THE PSALMS.
13 So when they cried unto the
Lord in their trouble : he deliver-
ed them out of their distress.
14 For he brought them out of
darkness, and out of the shadow
of death : and brake their bonds
in sunder.
15 0 that men would therefore
praise the Lord for his goodness :
and declare the wonders that he
doeth for the children of men !
16 For he hath broken the
gates of brass : and smitten the
bars of iron in sunder.
17 Foolish men are plagued for
their offence : and because of their
wickedness.
18 Their soul abhorred all man-
ner of meat : and they were even
hard at death's door.
19 So when they cried unto the
Lord in their trouble : he deliver-
ed them out of their distress.
20 He sent his word, and healed
them : and they were saved from
their destruction.
21 0 that men would therpfore
praise the Lord for his goodness :
and declare the wonders that he
doeth for the children of men !
22 That they would offer unto
him the sacrifice of thanksgiving:
and tell out his works with glad-
ness !
23 They that go down to the
sea in ships : and occupy their
business in great waters ;
24 These men see the works of
the Lord : and his wonders in the
deep.
25 For at his word the stormy
wind ariseth : which lifteth up the
waves thereof.
26 They are carried up to the
heaven, and down again to the
deep : their soul melteth away
because of the trouble.
27 They reel to and fro, and
stagger like a drunken man : and
are at their wit's end.
28 So when they cry unto the
Lord in their trouble : he deliver-
eth them out of their distress.
Day 22.
29 For he maketh the storm to
so that the waves thereof
are still.
80 Then are they glad, because
they are at rest : and so he bring-
eth them unto the haven where
they would be.
31 0 that men would therefore
praise the Lord for his goodness :
and declare the wonders that he
doeth for the children of men !
32 That they would exalt him
also in the congregation of the
people : and praise him in the
seat of the elders !
33 Who turneth the floods into
a wilderness : and drieth up the
water-springs.
34 A fruitful land maketh he
barren : for the wickedness of
them that dwell therein.
35 Again, he maketh the wil-
derness a standing water : and
water-springs of a dry ground.
36 And there he setteth the
hungry : that they may build them
a city to dwell in ;
37 That they may sow their
land, and plant vineyards : to
yield them fruits of increase.
38 He blesseth them, so that
they multiply exceedingly : and
sutt'ereth not their cattle to de-
crease.
39 And again, when they are
minished, and brought low :
through oppression, through any
plague, or trouble ;
40 Though he suffer them to
be evil intreated through tyrants :
and let them wander out of the
way in the wilderness ;
41 Yet helpeth he the poor
out of misery : and maketh him
households like a flock of sheep.
42 The righteous will consider
this, and rejoice : and the mouth
of all wickedness shall be stop-
ped.
43 Whoso is wise will ponder
these things : and they shall un-
derstand the loving-kindness of
the Lord.
Psalm CYIl.—cont.
"the sea" cannot be the Mediter-
ranean, which is always the western
boundary, but the Red Sea or Per-
sian Gulf, perhaps as viewed from
Babylon.
v. 7. The city where they dwelt. It
should be, as in v. 4. a " city of habi-
tation "—any city of men, contrasted
with the desolation of the desert.
vv. 8, 9. The refrain of this Psalm
(and of this alone) is beautifully
varied at each repetition. Its first
verse is always a call to thanksgiving
to God for HiB goodness shewn won-
drously to man ; the second adapts
itself to the subject of each section.
Here it naturally looks to God as to
Him who " satisfieth men with bread
in the wilderness " — the Giver to
fainting humanity of strength and
refreshment, both for body and soul.
vv. 10—16. The second example of
God's goodness is equally suggested
by the recent history of Israel. The
picture is of a captivity of gloom and
severity, brought on by "rebellion
against God's Words" I of command-
ment), and neglect of the " counsel "
of His teaching. Out of it He gives
deliverance, before which the prison
doors and bars fall down. Nothing
could describe more accurately the
return from the great Captivity— all
material obstacles at once giving
way, when " the Lord stirred up the
spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia" (Ezra
i. 1). Yet again nothing is clearer
than that the words come home to
such experience of spiritual bondage
as that so terribly described by St.
Paul (Rom. vii. 14—25).
v. 16, looking to God as emphati-
cally the Deliverer from bondage, is
almost literally coincident with Isa.
xlv. 2.
vv. 17—22. In the third section the
connection with the history of Israel
is not obvious, unless we suppose
that there had been some visitation
of pestilence among the restored
exiles. From the distress of want
and the gloom of captivity, it passes
on to the anguish of positive afflic-
tion—sickness of body and soul, such
as the Psalms so often describe —
bringing men to the brink of the
grave. It paints, therefore, literally
a third great form of suffering— meta-
phorically a third aspect of the power
of sin. as not only exhausting and
enslaving, but poisoning the life of
the soul.
v. 20. Hig word— the word of His
deliverance, fulfilling itself, and so
personified as a living agent of His
will. Naturally Christian thought
has recognised here a dim fore-
shadowing of the true "Word of
God."
Destruction should be (more strik-
ingly) "their graves" (comp. Ezek.
xxxvii. 13).
vv. 23—32 contain a picture— fuller
of detail and more graphic than any
other, and almost unique in the Old
Testament — of the seafaring expe-
rience, so rare in Israel that we only
know of it (in connection with the
famous Tyrian seamanship) in the
reigns of Solomon (1 Kings ix. 26, 27;
x.22) and Jehoshaphat (1 Kings xxii.
48.49). The sea is, as usual, a terror
in its stormy and irresistible might ;
but God's hand is recognised both in
the storm and the calm, which fol-
lows His command, Peace, be still."
It seems almost impossible to doubt
that the Psalmist draws this terribly
vivid picture from hiR own personal
experience (comp. Jonah li. 2—6),
yet here also it is not hard to read
a parable of the "sea of troubles"
encompassing the soul.
v. 29. He maketh the storm, &c—
properly, " He husheth the storm to
a gentle air."
c. 32. That they would exalt Him,
&c. The verse seems to imply the
return of the saved mariners to the
cities of men, and their thankful
recital of the story of their deliver-
ance, both to the crowds of the
people, and before the seat of
authority.
vv. 83—43 exchange the simplicity
of the preceding pictures of God'B
merciful deliverance for the contrasts
in His government of chastisement
and mercy— the turning fruitfulness
into parched desolation (vv. S$, 34),
and the change of the wilderness
into a place of fruitfulness and plenty
(vv. 35— 38)— the pulling down of the
mighty oppressor (v. 40), and the
deliverance of the afflicted out of
oppression.
v. 40. Our Prayer Book version is
perhaps a gloss, to bring this verse
into closer coherence with the pre-
ceding. The translation should be
as in A.V. and R.V., "He poureth
contempt upon princes, and causeth
them to wander in the pathless
waste." The verse is identical with
236 a
Psalm CVIL— cont.
Job xii. 21, and appears (by some
abruptness in its insertion here) to
be a quotation from tbat passage.
The idea is that of 1 Sam. ii. 7, 8;
Luke i. 52. The special application
of it is to the interchange of fortune
between the oppressed people of
God, wandering in the wilderness,
and the great ones of the earth, who
had been their oppressors.
v. 41. Maketh him, &c. — properly,
"settleth them in families, like
flocks of sheep "—gathers them (that
is) out of loneliness and isolation
into companionship.
v. 43. Whoso is wise, Sec. As in the
Book of Job, to which this Psalm
has many resemblances, the signs of
God's government are described as
clear, but only to the " wise," thought-
fully pondering what the thoughtless
pass by. To them it is notable that
the predominant revelation is of
mercy and loving-kindness.
Psalm CVIII.
This Psalm, called a " Psalm of David." is made up (with slight
variations) from two earlier Psalms ascribed to him, viz., Ps. lvii. 8—12;
lx. 5—12. Probably it was an adaptation for Liturgical use, in some later
crisis corresponding to the occasion of the original Psalms. Being an
exultant Psalm of adoration of God's glory, and triumph in His victory, it
has been appropriated as a Psalm of Ascension Day.
v. 9. Upon PhUistia will I tri- i Ps. lx. 8, where it runs, " Philistia,
umph ("shout aloud"). This is cry thou aloud for me" (see note
the most important variation from | there).
Psalm CIX.
This Psalm, also ascribed to David, is the last and most terriole of the
" Imprecatory Psalms " (xxxv., lxix., cix.), on which see Introduction, sect. v.
It is evidently directed against some individual leader of the enemies of
the Psalmist, not merely on the personal ground of that enmity, but on
the moral ground of oppression, cruelty, and malignity ; and, terrible as
its denunciations are, there certainly runs through them a tone of solemn
judicial authority, which made St. Chrysostom describe the Psalm as
"prophecy under the form of imprecation." In Acts i. 20, v. 7 (with
Ps. lxix. 26) is applied by St. Peter to Judas, as the extreme type of that
treacherous outrage against the Righteous of which the Psalm speaks;
but there is no reason on that account to treat the Psalm as consciously
Messianic. On the contrary, the spirit, which breathes in it, is the spirit of
Blias rather than the spirit of Christ— differing widely even from the sternest
denunciations of Matt, xxiii. IS— 38. By us the Psalm can be used only with
the reservations which His Gospel has taught us— directed against the sin,
not against the sinner, denouncing our enemies only so far as they are mani-
festly enemies of God and of good, and desiring retribution on them, simply
for their chastisement, and for the encouragement of the servants of righ-
teousness.
The Psalm opens (a), in vv. 1—4, with a cry to God under cruel and
unrighteous enmity; then (ft), in vv. 5—19, it pours out a series of stern
denunciations and anticipations of God's righteous vengeance upon those
who persecute the innocent and the helpless ; next (c), in vv. 20—25, it turns
to a pathetic prayer for deliverance out of the depths of affliction ; and ends
(d), in rv. 26—30, in confident expectation of an answer to that prayer, which
shall bless the good and shame the evil.
I v. 1. O God of my praise. The ex-
pression (with which comp. Deut.
(.21; Jer. xvii. 14, " He is thy
3rai.se") is unusual, and especially
I striking in the affliction and pertnrba-
I ,ion of the Psalmist. In spite of all,
J iod is still the God whom he praises
md will praise for ever.
2—4. Compare the similar de-
236b
scriptions in Ps. xxxv. 11—16; lxix.
4, 5, 10—12, of mingled hatred and
falsehood in the enemies, aggra-
vated by ingratitude against one
who had done them nothing but
good.
v. 5. Sat in — probably used, not as
a proper name, but simply as "an
adversary." standing on the right
Psalm CIX. —cont.
hand to accuse. In Zech. iii. 1 we I v. 17. He clothed himtelf, &c— the
have the same idea, but the word is graphic picture of what is implied in
there used with the article, " the Ad- 1 our word "habit," but going beyond
versary." The curse against the j that metaphor in the idea of actual
enemy is that he may have " an nn- i penetration into the very flesh and
godly (wicked) man" as his judge, bones (as in the old legend of the
and a successful adversary to accuse ; poisoned robe of Nessus). The whole
him ; that accordingly he may be con- j metaphor thus completed is but too
demned in judgment, and his prayer i true. Evil habit first changes the
for mercy be counted a fresh offence ; ; outward life of action, then pervades
(v. 6) that his life be cut short, and and poisons the inner nature,
his office be given to another {v. 7).
v. 7. This verse (with lxix. 26) is the
one applied by St. Peter to the ex
vv. 20—23, in an exquisite change of
tone, turn from fierceness against
unrighteous man to pathetic and
trustful rest on the unfailing good-
ness of God— pleading successively
helplessness and anguish {v. 21 ),
transitoriness (v. 22), weakness and
suffering {v. 23), desertion and con-
tempt of men (v. 24).
22. Driven away, &c— properly,
Ml oy
treinecase of Judas (Acts i. 20). The
"office" here is the "charge," of
oversight under supreme authority;
in the Greek the Epincope: hence
the rendering in the A.V. his bish-
opric."
vv. 8—14 extend this curse, so that
(as in Ex. xx. 5) his father's sin may j "tossed away like the locust" on the
be visited on him (r. 15), and his sin , 8trcmg wind (see Ex. x. 19).
on his children, till the doomed race , __ __- .M . . _.. „-
shall starve in miserv, and be cut off ! . r- ^- WenTc through fa*tm0-the
root and branch. This visitation of . WW. perhaps of penitence, more
the evil (as of the good> of the father | P,roba^lv °£ sickness; as in Ps. cu. 4,
upon the children-in its effect, not j ..^V-1}6"* " smitten down.... bo
(see Ezek. xviii.) in its guilt-is, in- that I forget to eat my bread."
deed, a necessary law, coming from I vv. 26—30 are a striking conclusion
the very unity which binds a family of perfect confidence ; for v. 27 may
together. In all ancient law, this
solidarity of responsibility in the
family was a fundamental principle.
In our Christian civilization the indi-
vidual is always treated, as far as
possible, distinctively. Therefore the
prayer that the law of solidarity may
be fulfilled to the utmost, extending
the desire of vengeance from the
well be rendered—
They curse, but Thou blessest ;
They stood up, and were ashamed
(by failure) ;
Thy servant rejoices."
As always, the deliverance of God's
servant is not for himself alone; it
is proclaimed to the multitude, be- 1
guilty to the innocent, is peculiarly | cause it witnesses to God's goodness
that from which Christianity would to tnem as wel1 « to nim-
v. 28. There is an evident allusioi
to v. 17. The garb of his cursint
against others becomes the garb of
shame and confusion to himself. T]
curse returns on his own head.
v. 30. Here also is a contrast wit
God is not, as usual, the rigi
bid us shrink.
v. 15 shews emphatically that the
denunciation is not uttered in mere
personal enmity, but is the indignant j
sense of the oppression, the cruelty,
and the malignity.of the enemy.
vv. 16, 17- It shall happen . $hallit
be far ..it shall come. All these teous Judge. He stoops to
should be in the past tense, declar- | Advocate, identifying Himself wit
ing as an actual fact God's righteous • our cause (comp. Zech. iii. t).
retribution on the wicked, before ' this it is impossible not to trace
praying (in vo. 18, 19) that it may be foreshadowing of the great futu
exemplified more and more. ! mystery of Mediation.
Psalm CX.
This glorious Psalm— by all ancient Jewish interpreters accepted
Messianic Psalm, distinctly quoted as such by Our Lord Himself to
Pharisees (Matt. xxii. 44; Mark xii. 36; Luke xx. 42), and accordint
applied to Him again and again in the New Testament (Acts ii. 84 ; 1 Co
xv. 25; Heb. i. 13; x. 12; % Pet. iii. 22)— stands out in contrast with
m
Day 22.
THE TSALMS.
Day 22.
Day 22.
Abetting ^ragcr.
PSALM 108.
Paratum cor meum.
OGOD, my heart is ready, my
heart is ready : I will sing
and give praise with the best
member that I have.
2 Awake, thou lute, and harp :
I myself will awake right early.
3 I will give thanks unto thee,
0 Lord, among the people : I will
sing praises unto thee among the
nations.
4 For thy mercy is greater than
the heavens : and thy truth reach-
eth unto the clouds.
5 Set up thyself, O God, above
the heavens : and thy glory above
all the earth.
6 That thy beloved may be de-
livered : let thy right hand save
them, and hear thou me.
7 God hath spoken in his holi-
ness : I will rejoice therefore, and
divide Sichem, and mete out the
valley of Succoth.
8 Gilead is mine, and Manasses
is mine : Ephraim also is the
strength of my head.
9 Judah is my law-giver, Moab
is my wash-pot : over Edom will
1 cast out my shoe ; upon Philis-
tia will I triumph.
10 Who will lead me into the
strong city : and who will bring
me into Edom ?
11 Hast not thou forsaken us,
O God : and wilt not thou, 0 God,
go forth with our hosts ?
12 0 help us against the enemy :
for vain is the help of man.
13 Through God we shall do
great acts : and it is he that shall
tread down our enemies.
PSALM 109.
Deus laudem.
HOLD not thy tongue, O God
of my praise : for the mouth
of the ungodly, yea, the mouth
of the deceitful is opened upon
me.
2 And they have spoken against
me with false tongues : they com-
passed me about also with words
of hatred, and fought against me
without a cause.
3 For the love that I had unto
them, lo, they take now my con-
trary part : but I give myself unto
prayer.
4 Thus have they rewarded me
evil for good : and hatred for my
good will.
5 Set thou an ungodly man to
be ruler over him : and let Satan
stand at his right hand.
6 When sentence is given up-
on him, let him be condemned :
and let his prayer be turned into
sin.
7 Let his days be few : and let
another take his office.
8 Let his children be fatherless :
and his wife a widow.
9 Let his children be vagabonds,
and beg their bread : let them
seek it also out of desolate places.
10 Let the extortioner consume
all that he hath : and let the
stranger spoil his labour.
11 Let there be no man to. pity
him : nor to have compassion
upon his fatherless children.
12 Let his posterity be destroy-
ed : and in the next generation
let his name be clean put out.
13 Let the wickedness of his fa-
thers be had in remembrance in
the sight of the Lord : and let not
the sin of his mother be done
away.
14 Let them alway be before the
Lord : that he may root out the
memorial of them from off the
earth;
15 And that, because his mind
was not to do good : but perse-
cuted the poor helpless man, that
he might slay him that was vexed
at the heart.
16 His delight was in cursing,
and it shall happen unto him :
he loved not blessing, therefore
shall it be far from him.
17 He clothed himself with curs-
ing, like as with a raiment : and
it shall come into his bowels
237
Psalm CX.—eont.
Messianic Psalms generally in this, that it does not realize the Messiah
typically from the Psalmist's own experience, but describes Him from
without in the language of direct prophecy, r David in the Spirit calleth
Him Lord" (Matt. xxii. 43). (Psalms ii. and xlv. maybe in this respect
classed with it.) That it is a Psalm of David, according to the traditional
ascription, even if it were not assumed necessarily in Our Lord's argument
upon it, might have been inferred from the style and thought of the Psalm,
from the evident reference to the prophecy of Nathan (2 Sam. vii. 12—14),
and from the imagery of the warlike triumph and slaughter of the enemy,
naturally drawn out of David's own experience. In the strength of the word
of the Lord, proclaimed by Himself, David looks forward prophetically to
his Son, who should be also his Lord— priest at once and king for ever-
associated with Jehovah Himself upon His Throne. Comp. the great vision
of Daniel (Dan. vii. IS, 14). No lower interpretation can be thought of
which is not forced and unnatural, even if the New Testament authority
could be put out of the question. Hence the Psalm is naturally used as a
Psalm of Christmas Day, in connection with the prophecies of Isaiah (Isa.
vii. 14 ; ix. 6, 7) in the Proper Lessons.
The Psalm falls into two sections : (a), in vv. 1— S, the first oracle of
Jehovah to "the Lord," as an exalted King, and the comment of the
Psalmist, describing the promised kingdom over unwilling enemies and
willing subjects ; (6), in vv. 4—7, the second oracle of Jehovah on the Priest-
hood of the future king, followed by a second description, in more vivid
detail, of triumph over all enemies.
v. 1. The Lord (Jehovah) taid unto
my Lord (Adonai). The clear under-
standing of this verse is obscured to
the English reader by the unfortu-
nate use of the word " Lord," both
for the supreme name Jehovah and
the more general title of Lordship,
Adonai. The word "said" is the
word always used of the Divine utter-
ance to the prophets. There seems
an obvious allusion to the oracle of
the Lord, given through Nathan
(2 Sam. vii. 12—16), of the perpetual
kingdom of the Son of David, to
which the succeeding words of this
verse are a virtual equivalent.
On mil ripht hand— thf place of
honour (as in 1 Kings ii. 19; Ps.
xlv. 10) — in this case obviously from
the context implying an assumption
of the Messiah into the Divine
royalty, similar to that described in
relation to the "Son of Man" in
Dan. vii. 18.
Until I make, &c. The original con-
ception of the Psalmist is clearly of a
victorious kingdom, centred (see
v. 2) in Zion. St. Paul's explanation
of its full Messianic meaning in re-
lation to all humanity is given in
1 Cor. xv. 28, " When all things shall
be subdued unto Him, then shall the
Son also Himself be subject unto
Him, that put all things under Him,
that God may be all in all." The
Mediatorial kingdom here described
is to pass after the Great Day into
i
9'
ga
:-se
some still higher dispensation of
God.
v. 8 should probably be rendered—
" In the day of Thy might Thy peo-
ple offer themselves freely
In the vestments of holiness ;
As from the womb of the morning
Is the (copious) dew of Thy youth
(young men).
As verse 2 describes the victory
the "rod (sceptre) of the king'i
power " over his foes, so this verse
describes the glad offering of them-
selves by His people as warriors, yet
clad in the robes of holiness (like the
armies of the Apocalypse in Bev
xix. 14; comp Isa. xiii. 3, 4). Thev
come, innumerable and fresh in ii
exhaustible strength, as dewdrop
from "the womb of the morning."
v. 4 adds a new oracle of the Lore
Jehovah— " confirmed (see Heb. vi
18—20) by an oath," as in the cov(
nant with Abraham (Gen. xxii. 16,
17)— investing the Messiah not only
with royalty, but with the roy?
priesthood, "after the order c
Melchizedek," the priestlv king c
Salem (Gen. xiv. 18—20). David bin
self, as at the bringing up of the Ark,
and Solomon, as at the consecratior
of the Temple, had some shadow c
the priestly office, typical of tha
priesthood of Melchizedek in the
Messiah, on which Heb. vii. is thl
inspired commentary, bringing ou
both its mysterious significance o
Day 22.
THE PSALMS.
Day 22.
like water, and like oil into his
bones.
18 Let it be unto him as the
cloke that he hath upon him : and
as the girdle that he is alway
girded withal.
19 Let it thus happen from the
Lord unto mine enemies : and to
those that speak evil against my
soul.
20 But deal thou with me, 0
Lord God, according unto thy
Name : for sweet is thy mercy.
21 O deliver me, for I am help-
less and poor : and my heart is
wounded within me.
22 I go hence like the shadow
that departeth : and am driven
away as the grasshopper,
28 My knees ;ire weak through
fasting : my flesh is dried up for
want of fatness.
24 I became also a reproach
DAT 23.
unto them : they that looked up-
on me snaked their heads.
25 Help me, 0 Lord my God :
O save me according to thy
mercy ;
26 And they shall know, how
that this is thy hand : and that
thou, Lord, hast done it.
27 Though they curse, yet bless
thou : and let them be confound-
ed that rise up against me ; but
let thy servant rejoice.
28 Let mine adversaries be
clothed with shame : and let them
cover themselves with their own
confusion, as with a cloke.
29 As for me, I will give great
thanks unto the Lord with my
mouth : and praise him among
the multitude ;
30 For he shall stand at the
right hand of the poor : to save
his soul from unrighteous judges.
IHornfng prager*
PSALM 110.
Dixit Dominils.
THE Lord said unto my Lord :
Sit thou on my right hand,
until I make thipe enemies thy
footstool.
2 The Lord shall send the rod
of thy power out of Sion : be thou
ruler, even in the midst among
thine enemies.
3 In the day of thy power shall
the people offer thee free-will of-
ferings with an holy worship : the
dew of thy birth is of the womb
of the morning.
4 The Lord sware, and will not
repent : Thou art a Priest for
ever after the order of Melchise-
dech.
5 The Lord upon thy right
hand : shall wound even kings in
the day of his wrath.
6 He shall judge among the
heathen ; he shall nil the places
with the dead bodies : and smite
In sunder the heads over divers
countries.
7 He shall drink of the brook
in the way : therefore shall he
lift up his head.
PSALM 111.
Confiteboi' tibi.
I WILL give thanks unto the
Lord with my whole heart :
secretly among the faithful, and
in the congregation.
2 The works of the Lord are
great : sought out of all them that
have pleasure therein.
3 His work is worthy to be
E raised, and had in honour : and
is righteousness endureth for
ever.
4 The merciful and gracious
Lord hath so done his marvellous
works : that they ought to be had
in remembrance.
5 He hath given meat unto
them that fear him : he shall ever
be mindful of his covenant.
6 He hath shewed his people
the power of his works : that he
may give them the heritage of
the heathen.
7 The works of his hands are
verity and judgment : all his com-
mandments are true.
8 They stand fast for ever and
ever : and are done in truth and
equity.
9 He sent redemption unto his
238
Psalm CX.— com<.
eternal righteousness and peace, and
its absolute superiority to the Leviti-
cal priesthood. That royal priest-
hood, which was in degree the privi-
lege of all Israel (Ex. xix. 0; 1 Pet.
ii. 9), is concentrated in perfection
upon the Messiah.
v. 5. The Lord (Adonai) upon thy
right hand. It is difficult to say whe-
ther thiR is to be applied (with most
authorities) to the Lord Jehovah,
according to its general use, or to
the exalted Lord (Adonai) of v. 1.
In favour of the former is the com-
mon use of Adonai and the preserva-
tion of the application of the word
" Thy," as in the rest of the Psalms,
to the Messiah ; in favour of the lat-
ter the repetition of the phrase, " on
Thy right hand," in the sense in
which it is used in v. 1, and the
better coherency with vv. 6, 7.
In either case vv. 5—7 return to the
description of the victorious king-
dom of the Messiah over "kings"
and "heads of countries," and the
destruction of all who rise against it
(oomp. Ps. ii. 9, 12). The imagery is
naturally suggested by the experi-
ence of David as a man of war and
blood ; for its fulfilment we look not
to the First Advent of the Son of
David in peace and salvation, but to
the Second Advent of Judgment (see
Rev. xiv. 19. 20; xix. 11—18), com-
pleting the victorious progress, which
"puts ail things under His feet."
v. 7. He shall drink, &c. The ob-
vious idea is of the victorious pur-
suer, staying only to drink hastily,
and then continuing the pursuit.
But perhaps there is suggested also
the notion of condescension to the
wayside brook, of which the hum-
blest might drink, as the means of
"lifting up His head" for ever
(comp. Phil. ii. 9, 10; Heb. ii. 9;
xii. 2, &c).
Psalm CXI.
This Psalm stands in close connection with Ps. cxii. Both are " Halle-
lujah Psalms," beginning with a Hallelujah, omitted in our Prayer Book
version, and may be considered as introductory to the Great Hallbl,
cxiii. — cxviii. (see Introduction). Both are strictly acrostic, not (as usual) in
successive verses, but in successive clauses. Both are of a thoughtful and
meditative cast, resembling in tone, and often in expression, the Book of
Proverbs. Probably they are of late date and of common authorship. As a
thanksgiving for the Eternal Covenant of redemption, this Psalm is made a
Proper Psalm for Easter Dat.
The alphabetical arrangement interferes with sectional division. But
after the introductory verse we may trace (a), in w. 2 — 6, the adoration of
the greatness of God's works, especially shewn in His visible care for His
people and His conquest of the land of Canaan for them ; (l/),in vr. 7—10, of
the righteousness of His works in the eternal Law and unfailing Covenant
which He has revealed.
v. 1. Secretly among the faithful—
properly> " in the (private) assembly
of the faithful," distinguished, by an
unusual distinction, from the con-
gregation as a whole.
v. 2. Sought out— that is, " searched
into " by serious thought. The na-
tural delight in God's works is in
germ the best incentive to such
thoughtful search, and in fuller
measure its sufficient reward. To it
alone their greatness is so revealed,
as to call forth praise and honour to
the Creator.
v. 3. His righteousness. It is on the
greatness and wondrousness of God's
work that the main stress is laid in
this verse and the next ; but not even
for a moment are these thought of in
the Psalms, or in the Old Testament
238 a
generally, except in relation to His
higher moral attributes of righteous-
ness and compassion.
v. 4, as here rendered, is an expla-
natory paraphrase of the original—
" He hath made a memorial of His
wondrous works ;
Gracious and full of compassion
is the Lord."
vv. 5, 6 evidently allude specially
to the history of Israel. The word
"meat" is properly "prey" or
" spoil," but is often used in the
general sense of "food." The for-
mer verse may therefore probably
refer to the miraculous food of the
wilderness, as the latter evidently
refers to the conquest of Canaan.
vv. 7—9 dwell explicitly on the
higher aspect of God's works, al-
Psalm CXI.— cont.
ready touched upon in vv. 8, 4. To
all men they are "faithful " ("true")
and "endure for ever," because
'■ done in truth and equity," being,
indeed, the eternal standard of both.
To Israel they embody themselves in
the promised "redemption" of His
people and the covenant "com-
manded for ever."
v. 10. The fear of the Lord, &c— the
motto of the Book of Proverbs (Prov.
i. 7; ix. 10). In Job xxviii. 28 and
Eccles. xii. IS the fear of the Lord is
itself wisdom, and "the whole duty
of man." Here more accurately the
fear of God, keeping His revealed
commandments, is the key to " wis-
dom,"—that is, to the knowledge of
the true end and purpose of the life
which He gives and orders for man.
A good understanding, &c. Comp.
John vii. 17, " If any man will do
His will, he shall know," &c. By
doing His will, so far as we know it,
we come to know it, and understand
it more and more.
The praise of it — properly, "His
praise" — the glory of God, not in
itself, but as recognised by man
through the growing knowledge here
described.
Psalm CXIT.
This Psalm, the companion to Ps. cxi., describes— much in the tone of
the Book of Job or the Book of Proverbs— the character and fortunes of
one who lives in the knowledge and adoration of God, described in that
Psalm. It is simply the personal embodiment of the general principle.
As in Ps. cxi., the alphabetical arrangement makes sectional division
difficult. But the Psalm seems to dwell (a), in vo. 1—4, on the visible
blessing on the godly man of prosperity and light; (6), in vv. 5—7, on the
goodness and graciousness of his character, as bringing safety and con-
fidence in trouble; (c), in vv. 8—10, on his triumph over the unavailing
enmity of the wicked.
v.l. He hath,&c, should be, "that I merciful," &c. (comp. Ps. xxvii. 1,
hath"; adding to the fear of God! " The Lord is my light ").
the higher spirit which loves and so v.5. A good man, &c. This should
"delights in His commandments," | be, " Happy is he who is merciful,'
-the spirit so largely expressed in
Ps. cxix.
The stress laid here and in v. 9
(as also in Ps. xxxvii. 21, 26; Job
vv. 2—4 describe (much as in Job xxix. 11—13; xxxi. 16—20) on mercy
v. 19—27 ; xi. 13—19 ; Ps. xxxvii. to the poor— both in lending (with-
23—37, &c.) the temporal happiness,
and light even through darkness,
shed upon the path of godliness.
This is, of course, the natural order ;
out usury, as commanded in Ex.
xxii. 25; Deut. xxiii. 19, 20), and in
giving — is especially characteristic
of the morality of the Old Testa-
for godliness is obedience to the law ment, as afterwards of the New.
of our being. That it is not perfectly The recognition of God as a God of
carried out is the main teaching of mercy necessarily exalts the quality
the Book of Job ; but the imperfec- 1 of mercy in the conception of human
tion comes simply from the contra- i goodness, as co-ordinate with right-
diction of sin, in the godly man him- j eousness, if not a diviner thing still,
self needing chastisement, in the The principle is that of Eph. iv. 32,
wicked hating and persecuting god- j " Be ye kind one to another, tender-
liness. Still, however imperfect in j hearted, forgiving one another, even
its fulfilment here, the law remains as God for Christ's sake hath for-
trne, and will be in the end perfectly given you."
vindicated. Will guide his words, &c, should
v. 4. He is merciful, &c. The words j>e. " He will maintain His cause in
"he is" are not in the original, and judgment. The idea, continued
he phrase, as interpreted in our ver- 1 m the next verse, is that he shall
non, comes in abruptly. It is not emerge successfully from trial, un-
mprobable that the words "merciful, shaken and established in grateful
oving, and righteous," elsewhere ' remembrance of men (comp. James
nostly applied to God, should be so j ji- 12), and therefore triumphing over
ipplied here — " There ariseth up | his enemies,
ight in the darkness— He who is vv. 7, 8. The ground of his con
238b
Psalm CXII.— cont.
fldence, however, is not in man, but | v. 10. The one jarring note in the
in God, though He may work through j music of the Psalm (anticipated in
men's gratitude and reverence. To i vv. 7, 8) is the enmity of the wicked,
shew mercy is to fulfil God's Law, | gnashing the teeth (.comp. Ps. xxxv.
and to be like Him; such obedience | 16; xxxvii. 12) in hatred, both of
must maintain righteousness and se- , goodness itself and of the favour
cure exaltation in glory. i which it wins. Yet even this discord
v. 9 is quoted in 2 Cor. ix. 9, in St. : is to be futile and transitory— per-
Paul's exhortation to Christian libe- haps even bringing out more strik-
rality, with the same emphatic refe- j ingly the harmony which it seeks to
rence to the blessing of God upon it. break.
Psalm CXIII.
This Psalm is the first of a group of Hallelujah Psalms (cxiii.— cxviii.),
commonly called the Great Hallel— although some Jewish authorities
Sve that name to Ps. cxxxvi.— sung at the three great Festivals, the New
oons, and the Feast of Dedication. All are anonymous, and probably
belong to the period of the Restoration from Exile. At the Passover Ps.
cxiii., cxiv. were sung before the second festal cup, and Ps. cxv.— cxviii.
after the filling of the fourth cup " after supper," as by Our Lord and His
Apostles (Matt. xxvi. 30; Mark xiv. 26). It will be seen that, while all are
Psalms of Thanksgiving to the God of Israel, each has its own special
phase of significance.
This Psalm, after (a) the introduction of praise offered to the Lord
everywhere and for ever (vv. 1—8), goes on (6) (in vv. 4—8) to dwell especially
on His condescension to the lowly, in a strain remarkably resembling the
Song of Hannah (1 Sam. ii. 1—10) and the Magnificat, of which that song
frobably suggested the language. The reference may especially be to
srael, as lowly in itself, yet exalted in spiritual dignity above the proudest
nations of the world (see v. 4). But the words are general, applying to
humanity as such, both in individual and in corporate life. Hence the use
of the PBalm on Easter Day, in commemoration of the glorification of
Him who had stooped to the great humility.
v. 1 should be (as in A.V. and
R.V.), " Praise, O ye servants of the
Lord— praise the Name of the Lord."
vc. 2, 8. The emphasis laid on the
praise of the Lord, as offered through
all ages, and from the rising to the
setting of the sun, is an anticipation
of the promise running through Pro-
phecy and brightening in its later
books (see, for example, Isa. ii. 2—5 ;
xi. 9; Mic. iv. 1—5; Hab. ii. 14; Mai.
i. 11, &c). At the era of the restora-
tion from the Captivity, to which this
Psalm probably belongs, the diffusion
of the knowledge of the God of Israel
to the heathen had already begun.
v. 4. All heathen should be, "all
nations " of humanity ; the heavens
may therefore be taken (as the paral-
lelism suggests) for the hosts of
heaven. The Lord is exalted equally
over men and angels.
v. 5. Yet humbleth himself, &c.
There is a striking significance in
the fact, that heaven and earth are
not here contrasted (as usual), but
placed on the same level, immeasur-
ably below the majesty of God (comp.
Job iv. 18: xv. 15 ; xxv. 5). The sense
of His infinite greatness is the source
of adoration ; in the sense of His con-
descension to His creatures lies the
secret of love.
w. 6, 7 are a quotation from the
Song of Hannah (1 Sam. ii. 8); v. 8
(not unlike 1 Sam. ii. 5) seems to
clench the quotation by allusion to
her history. The whole is evidently
applied to the " daughter of Israel,"
exalted out of the dust and mire of
her discrowned captivity, and fruit-
ful after her desolation in a multi-
tude of children (comp. Isa. xlix. ;
20—28).
PSALM CXIV.
This most striking Psalm is simply an adoring reminiscence of t'.
creation of the nation of Israel by the strength of God's miraculo
power, in that Exodus which is so constantly paralleled with the retu
from Captivity. It glances (a), in vv. 1 — 6, successively at the division
239
'
Day 23.
THE PSALMS.
Day 23.
people : he hath commanded his |
covenant for ever; holy and re-
verend is his Name.
10 The fear of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom : a good un-
derstanding have all they that do
thereafter ; the praise of itcndur-
eth for ever.
PSALM 112.
Beatus vir.
BLESSED is the man that fear-
eth the Lord : he hath great
delight in his commandments.
2 His seed shall be mighty upon
earth : the generation of the faith-
ful shall be blessed.
3 Riches and plenteousness
shall be in his house : and his
righteousness endureth for ever.
4 Unto the godly there ariseth
up light in the darkness : he is
merciful, loving, and righteous.
5 A good man is merciful, and
lendeth : and will guide his words
with discretion.
6 For he shall never be moved :
and the righteous shall be had in
everlasting remembrance.
7 He will not be afraid of any
evil tidings : for his heart standeth
fast, and believeth in the Lord.
8 His heart is established, and
will not shrink : until he see his
desire upon his enemies.
9 He hath dispersed abroad, and
Day 23.
given to the poor : and his righte-
ousness remaineth for ever ; his
horn shall be exalted withhon6ur.
10 The ungodly shall see it, and
it shall grieve him : he shall gnash
with his teeth, and consume away ;
the desire of the ungodly shall
perish.
PSALM 113.
Laudate,pueri.
PRAISE the Lord, ye servants :
O praise the Name of the
Lord.
2 Blessed be the Name of the
Lord : from this time forth for
evermore.
3 The Lord's Name is praised :
from the rising up of the sun un-
to the going down of the same.
4 The Lord is high above all
heathen : and his glory above the
heavens.
5 Who is like unto the Lord
our God, that hath his dwelling
so high : and yet humbleth him-
self to behold the things that are
in heaven and earth ?
6 He takefcfa up the simple out
of the dust : and lifteth the poor
out of the mire ;
7 That he may set him with
the princes : even with the princes
of his people.
8 He maketh the barren woman
to keep house : and to be a joyful
mother of children.
^Hbmtng ^ragcr.
PSALM 114.
In exitu Israel.
WHEN Israel came out of E-
gypt : and the house of
Jacob from among the strange
people,
2 Judah was his sanctuary: and
Israel his dominion.
3 The sea saw that, and fled :
Jordan- was driven back.
4 The mountains skipped like
rams : and the little hills like
young sheep.
5 What aileth thee, O thou
sea, that thou fleddost : and thou
Jordan, that thou wast driven
back?
6 Ye mountains, that ye skip-
ped like rams : and ye little hills,
like young sheep ?
7 Tremble, thou earth, at thb
presence of the Lord : at the pre-
sence of the God of Jacob ;
8 Who turned the hard rock
into a standing water : and the
flint-stone into a springing well.
PSALM 115.
Non nobis, Domine.
NOT unto us, 0 Lord, not un-
to us, but unto thy Name
give the praise : for thy loving
mercy, and for thy truth's sake.
2 Wherefore shall the heathen
say : Where is now their God ?
Psalm CXIV.— cont.
the Red Sea as its beginning, the drying up of the Jordan as its close, the
mountains trembling before the presence of the Lord, and the rock riven
at His word ; and then (6), in re. 7, 8, bids the earth tremble, as of old,
before the same God of Jacob.
Applied metaphorically to the deliverance from the bondage of sin to the
spiritual life on earth— entered through the waters of Baptism (see 1 Cor.
x. 2), closed by the passage through the Jordan of death into the heavenly
Canaan— conquering earthly power by the in-dwelling presence of God,
and "drinking of the spiritual Rock which is Christ ' (1 Cor. x. 4)— it is
naturally used as a Psalm of Easter Day.
v. 1. Stranpe people— properly (as
in A. V.), " people of a strange lan-
guage."
v. i. Hit tanctuart/. This is evi-
dently poetic anticipation of the
future glory of Judan, already pro-
mised as his birthright (Gen. xlix.
10). Israel is simply the kingdom of
the Lord ; Juduh the shrine of His
special presence.
v. 8. The allusions to the two great
miracles have a vivid exactness. The
sea "tied" before the strong wind,
which was the breath of the Lord
(Exod. xiv. 21; xv. 10); Jordan was
v. 4 alludes probably to the mani-
festation of God on Mount Sinai
( Exod. xix. 18), before which not only
the mountain itself, but the lower
heights surrounding it are seen to
quake. But the figure is common in
all references to God's manifested
presence (comp. Ps. xviii. 7; xxix.6;
Amos ix. 5; Mic. i. 4; Nah. i. 5,
&c).
v. 8 refers, of course, to the miracles
of Exod. xvii. 6; Num. xx. 11. The call
to the earth to tremble still before
God, shews that the Psalmist realizes,
as still present, the old miraculous
dried up by the checking of the gifts of the God of Jacob. What He
upper waters, which "stood and rose was of old to His people, He will be
up upon an heap " (Josh. iii. 16). again.
Psalm CXV.
This splendid Psalm— the famous Non nnbit Dowu'nf— seems to carry on
the idea of the preceding Psalins— the distinction of God's chosen people,
blessed and delivered by Him, from the nations around them. But it em-
phasizes this by what is characteristic, as it is most natural, in the Psalms
of the Restoration— a scornful denunciation of the idolatry of the heathen
(comp. Ps. xcvi. 5; xcvii. 7 ; cxxxv. 15—18) ; and contrasts with it the reality
of the knowledge and the blessing of the true God.
It falls readily into sections, perhaps taken up alternately by priests and
people in Liturgical use : (a), in vv. 1—8, a pleading of the whole congre-
gation with God to vindicate His majesty over the nullity of the heathen
idolatry; then (6), in vv. 9—11, a song of trustful faith from the Levite-
and the people ; answered (c), in re. 12—15, by the promise of blessing t
Israel, uttered (probably by the high priest) in the Name of the Lord ; anc
(d), lastly, in w. 16—18, a responsive chorus of thanksgiving and praise.
God of heaven " is especially appli<
vv. 1, 2— pleading with God, not for
His people's sake, but for " His
Name's sake" icomp. Ps. xxv. 10;
xxxi. 8; lxxiv. 10, 18, 21; lxxix. 9;
cix. 21, Ac.)— quote (in v. 2) the very
words of earlier Psalm and Prophecy
(Ps. xlii. 18; lxxix. 10; Joel ii. 17).
The reliance is always nob only on
God's mercy, but on His " truth," as
pledged to the covenant with Israel.
v. 3. He u in heaven is the answer
to the wondering question of those
to Him, both by Israelites and
heathen, in the era of the Captivit
(Ezra i. 2; v. 11, 12; vi. 9; vii. 12,23;
Neh. i. 4; ii. 4; Dan. ii. 18, 19, 44).
vv. 4—8 (repeated almost exactly
in Ps. cxxxv. 15—18) breathes tin
very spirit of the later portion of tl
Book of Isaiah 'see e*pecially
xli. 6, 7, 24, 29 ; xliv. 9—20 —expand
ing that which is implied in th
._ application of the word "vanities'
who cannot worship the Invisible. I to the idols of the heathen (Deut.
His glorv, seen only by faith, is I xxxii. 21 ; 1 Kings xvi. 13, 26 ; Jer.
contrasted with the carnal visible viii. 19). Idolatry is viewed, not with
presence of the idol. The title "the ! loathing, but with scorn, as a sens
24C
-
Day 23.
THE PSALMS.
Day 23.
8 As for our God, he is in hea-
ven : he hath done whatsoever
pleased him.
4 Their idols are silver and
gold : even the work of men's
hands.
5 They have mouths, and speak
not : eyes have they, and see
not.
6 They have cars, and hear
not : noses have they, and smell
not.
7 They have hands, and handle
not; feet have they, and walk
not : neither speak they through
their throat.
8 They that make them are
like unto them : and so are all
such as put their trust in them.
9 But thou, house of Israel,
trust thou in the Lord : he is their
succour and defence.
10 Ye house of Aaron, put your
trust in the Lord : he is their
helper and defender.
Day 24.
11 Ye that fear the Lord, put
your trust in the Lord : he is their
helper and defender.
12 The Lord hath been mindful
of us, and he shall bless us : even
he shall bless the house of Israel,
he shall bless the house of Aaron.
13 He shall bless them that
fear the Lord : both small and
great.
14 The Lord shall increase you
more and more : you and your
children.
15 Ye are the blessed of the
Lord : who made heaven and
earth.
16 All the whole heavens are
the Lord's : the earth hath he given
to the children of men.
17 The dead praise not thee,
O Lord : neither all they that go
down into silence.
18 But we will praise the Lord :
from this time forth for evermore.
Praise the Lord.
J&orntag Prager*
PSALM 116.
Dilexi, quoniam.
I AM well pleased : that the
Lord hath heard the voice of
my prayer ;
2 That he hath inclined his ear
unto me : therefore will I call
upon him as long as I live.
3 The snares of death compass-
ed me round about : and the pains
of hell gat hold upon me.
4 I shall find trouble and hea-
viness, and I will call upon the
Name of the Lord : O Lord, I
beseech thee, deliver my soul.
5 Gracious is the Lord, and
righteous : yea, our God is mer-
ciful.
6 The Lord preserveth the sim-
ple : I was in misery, and he help-
ed me.
7 Turn again then unto thy rest,
0 my soul : for the Lord hath re-
warded thee.
8 And why ? thou hast deliver-
ed my soul from death : mine eyes
from tears, and my feet from
falling.
9 I will walk before the Lord :
in the land of the living.
10 I believed, and therefore will
I speak ; but I was sore troubled :
I said in my haste, All men are
liars.
11 What reward shall I give
unto the Lord : for all the bene-
fits that he hath done unto me ?
12 I will receive the cup of sal-
vation : and call upon the Name
of the Lord.
13 I will pay my vows now in
the presence of all his people :
right dear in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his saints.
14 Behold, 0 Lord, how that
I am thy servant : I am thy ser-
vant, and the son of thine hand-
maid ; thou hast broken my bonds
in sunder.
15 I will offer to thee the sacri-
fice of thanksgiving : and will call
upon the Name of the Lord.
16 I will pay my vows unto the
Lord, in the sight of all his peo-
ple : in the courts of the Lord's
house, even in the midst of thee,
0 Jerusalem. Praise the Lord.
240
Psalm CXV.— eont.
less worshipping of a senseless thing.
For even if in the first instance the
idol is but a symbol, all experience
shews that it becomes to the mass
of men substantially an object of
worship.
vv. 9, 10 seem to form a responsive
anthem, the first clauses of the two
verses alternating between priests
and people, while the burden, " He
is," &c, and the whole of v. 11, are
sung in full chorus. It is at once a
mutual exhortation to trust in the
Lord, and a common expression of
such trust.
vv. 12—15 form the answer (pro-
bably by the high priests to this
utterance of Levites and people.
vv. 12, IS correspond exactly to
vv. 9 — 11, in the confident promise of
blessing to "the house of Israel,"
"the house of Aaron," and to both
together, as "those who fear the
Lord " ; and vv. 14, 15 go down to
the ground of this confidence, in the
promise that the seed of Abraham
shall be " increased " as the stars of
heaven (Gen. xv. 5), and the solemn
covenant, in which Israel is already
" the blessed of the Lord."
v. 17 seems to come in as a discord
in the final hymn of praise. The
dim and dreary idea of the condition
of the dead as of those who (so far
as we know) have no scope for the
praise and service of God— closely
resembling Ps. lxxxviii. 4, 10—12;
Isa. xxxviii. 18, 19— belongs to the
twilight of the Old Testament, as
contrasted with the full light of the
New ; and even there must be read
in contrast with such gleams of
bright faith as Ps. xvi. 10—12 ;
xvii. 16. But it is at least probable
that the reference here may be
metaphorical— contrasting, as in the
celebrated passage in Ezekiel (xxxvii.
12 — 14), the new life of the restora-
tion "calling God's people out of
their graves, with the dreary dead-
ness of exile and exclusion from His
favour.
Psalm CXVI.
This Psalm, although one of the Hallel group, and ending with the
Hallelujah, differs much from those going before ; first, in having ita
rejoicing more chequered by remembrances of past sorrow and danger,
and next in exchanging the collective expression of national thanksgiving
for a strong individuality of personal experience. It is a thanksgiving of
great pathos and beauty, from one who has been brought out of sorrow
and pain, and rescued from danger of death. (Hence its use in our- Service
for the Churching of Women.) A Jewish tradition refers it to Hezekiah,
whose experience it would well suit ; and this tradition has been supported
by tracing verbal resemblances between it and Isa. xxxvii., xxxviii. Against
it, however, is the existence of Aramaisms in the Psalm, indicating a
later date, probably referring it, like other Psalms of this group, to the era
of the restoration from Captivity.
First (a), in vv. 1—9, the Psalm dwells on the remembrance of past trouble
and danger, and the grateful joy in deliverance; next (b). invv. 10 — 16, it
contrasts the vanity of all earthly reliance with the graciousness of God'a
salvation, and, asking what return can be made to Him, breaks out. into
the vow of thankfulness and devotion as the only return which man can
make or God accept. (In the LXX. translation the two sections (a) and (©)
are made two distinct Psalms.)
v. 1. / am veil pleased, &c, should
be (as in A.V. and R.V.), "I love
(the Lord), for the Lord heareth,"
&c. On the belief in God's gracious
love to the soul, hearing its supplica-
tion, and on this alone, can any pos-
sibility of love, as distinct from fear
or adoration, be based. " Thou that
hearest prayer, to Thee shall all flesh
come."
re. S, 4. Comp. Ps. xviii. 3-5, of
which these verses are almost a
Quotation.
240a
v. 4. I shall find, &c, is a most un-
fortunate error. The right rendering
(as in A.V. and R.V.) is. "I found"
. . . " I called," describing the sor-
rowful past, now exchanged for de-
liverance and joy, in answer to the
prayer uttered, O Lord, I beseech Thee,
deliver my soul.
v. 7. Turn again to thy rest. God
Himself is the rest of the believer.
He had seeded afar off, and so the
soul wandered ; now He is revealed
Psalm CXVI.— eont.
In graciousness, and the soul "re-
burns " to Him in infinite relief.
Rewarded thee should be (as in
A.V. and R.V.), "dealt bountifully
with thee." The Psalmist pleads no
human desert, but simply his own
need and God's goodness, delivering
him (see v. 8) from death, sorrow,
and sin.
v. 9. Comp. Ps. xxvii. 15: lvi. 13.
The contrast is. as so often, between
the land of the living, which we
know, and the unknown mystery of
Hades. So in Ps. lxxxviii. 10—12;
cxv. 17. Compare the words of Heze-
kiah's thanksgiving (in Isa. xxxviii.
18, 19).
v. 10. J believed. .tec. This is the
version of the LXX. (adopted in
2 Cor. iv. 13). But the true render-
ing seems to be, " I believed, when I
spake," referring apparently to the
trustful declaration of v. 9. The
Psalmist's faith was troubled but
not destroved by the experience of
sorrow and faithlessness of man,
which follows.
In my haste (comp. Ps. xxxi. 24)—
in that sweeping and precipitate
generalisation of bitter experience,
despairing of humanity, which is a
sign of our own human frailty.
vv. 11, 12. There is in these verses
an exquisite beauty of idea. The
(impulse of thankfulness is to desire
to make return for what we have
Psalm CXVII
received from God. But the one
return is to receive more, and that
with deeper thankfulness ; onlv after
this leading on to the vow of self-
devotion. In relation to man, it is
more blessed to give ; in relation to
God, to receive. In this belief lies
the whole conception of " salvation
by grace." Out of it grows the glad
sacrifice of v. 15.
v. 12. The cup of salvation. In it-
self this is only a natural metaphor
(comp. Ps. xvi. 6 ; xxiii. 5, &c). But
in the Paschal use of the Psalm
there seems clear allusion to " the
cup of blessing" (Matt. xxvi. 27;
1 Cor. x. 10) at the feast.
v. IS. Right dear, <&c. The words
come in somewhat abruptly, but are
connected with the verse following,
"Behold, Lord," &c, which pleads
for a place among His true servants.
The death of God's saints is to Him
no light thing ; only when it is good
does He suffer it, and then it is more
precious than even the service of life.
The verse was sung at funerals in the
early Church (Apost. Const, vi. 30).
vv. 15, 16. In these verses (com-
pared with vv. 12, 13) there is the
natural reiteration of thankful joy.
But the Psalmist now goes on to
desire his thanksgiving to be a wit-
ness of God's goodness to others.
Hence the emphasis on the presence
of " His people," and the " courts of
His house."
This short Psalm is itself a kind of doxology, beginning and ending with
;he Hallelujah. Its speciality (on account of which it is evidently quoted
n Rom. xv. 11) is the call to all the nations to praise God, for the mani-
estation of His mercy and truth to Israel ; because this, being a reve-
ition of His true Nature, declares His dealing with all His creatures (comp.
3s. cxv. 1). Israel was (so to speak) a trustee of blessing for "all the
amines of the earth."
Psalm CXVIII.
This magnificent Hosanna Psalm is obviously a Psalm of solemn entrance
tto the Temple on some great Festival (see vv. 19, 20, 24). In the ritual of
ie Second Temple it was appropriated to the Feast of Tabernacles ; the
!osanna of v. 25 was then sung on compassing the altar; the seventh day
'. the feast was expressly named " the great Hosanna," and even the palm
•anches borne on that day were called " Hosannas." It can hardly, there-
re, be doubted that it was originally used at some special celebration of
.at Feast. Various dates have been assigned to it ; but its position in this
fth Book seems to refer it to the period of the Restoration, and accord-
gly either on the first sacrifice tinder Zerubbabel (Ezra iii. 4), or. more
obably, as the Temple appears to have been complete, to the great cele-
ation'under Nehemiah (Neh. viii. 13—18). The Psalm is vividly dramatic,
presenting the leader of Israel with his train coming to the Temple,
V40b
Psalm CXVIII.— cont.
calling for the gates to be opened to his triumphal entrance, and going in
to worship the Lord. The use of vv. 25, 2G by the Jews on Our Lord's
triumphal entry implies their acceptance of it as typically a Messianic
Psalm ; and the express application of v. 22 to Our Lord by Himself and by
His Apostles (Matt. xxi. 42—46; Acts iv. 11; 1 Pet. ii. 7) sanctions this
interpretation. Hence it is used as a Psalm of Easter Day, as the day of
Our Lord's triumph over the " principalities and powers " of evil.
The Psalm is dramatically distributed to different actors. In vv. 1 — 4 we
have (a) the opening chorus of thanksgiving from the train of the leader
without, and the priests within ; then (6), in vv. 5 — 9, the leader thankfully
records his deliverance and confidence in the Lord, and his thanksgiving is
taken up by a response of like trust from his people ; next (c), in vo. 10 — 16,
he again exults in his sure victory over the heathen in the Lord's Name, in
spite of fierce opposition and danger, and is answered similarly by a chorus
of triumph; on this (rf), in vv. 17—20, follows his summons to open the
gates, answered by consent from within; then (•), in vv. 21 — 24, entering
the Temple, he pours out his thanksgiving; and all alike, priests and
people, glorify the Lord on the "day that He has made" ; finally (/), in
vv. 25 — 29, he prays, " Save, I beseech Thee" {Hosanna), and is "blessed as
coming in the Name of the Lord " ; and the whole Psalm ends with a chorus
of universal praise to God.
vv. 1—4, strongly resembling Ps.
cxv. 9 — 12, seem to form a responsive
chorus— vv. 1 and 4 sung by the whole
congregation, «. 2 by the priests from
within, v. 8 by the people without—
vv. 10—12 similarly express, with
vividness and reiterated emphasis,
the sense of hostility on every side,
which appears in the same books,
as weighing heavy on the restored
with that continual refrain (as in '■ exiles (see especially Neh. iv. 1—11 ;
Ps. cxxxvi.), "His mercy endureth J vi. 1—14), though swallowed up in
for ever," which was Bung in earlier j confidence of power to defeat and
days at David's bringing up of the i destroy the enemies in the Name of
Ark, and at the dedication of the j the Lord.
First Temple (1 Chr. xvi. 34, 41; j t,. 12. The fire among the thorns
li Chr. v. 13). ! (comp. Ps. lviii. 8)— proverbial for j
w. 5—7, the utterance of the leader sudden blaze and sudden extinction,
or king, suit well the experience of , ©. 18 suddenly changes to an evi-
Nehemiah (see Neh. iv..vi.), sensible dently personal reference to some
of continual danger, and yet resting special leader of enmity— possibli
on the Lord. So the response in | Sanballat or Tobiah (see Neh.
v. 9, disclaiming "trust in princes,"
might well have in view the Persian
king and his princes (comp. Ezra
viii. 22;.
v. 5 should be—
" I called on the Lord in straitness;
The Lord heard, and set me at
large."
Comp. xviii. 36 ; xxxi. 9.
vv. 6, 7 are obviously taken from
Ps. lvi. 9, 11 ; liv. 4, 7.
vv. 8, 9 are the response from the
people, or the priests, or from both
alternately, taking up his confi-
dence in no arm of man, but in the
Name of the Lord— in the same tone
which predominates so strikingly in
the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah.
m
2—14).
v. 14 is a reminiscence of the fir
Psalm of Israel (Exod. xv. 2), sir
larly taken up in Isa. xii. 2.
vv. 15, 16, the response of th^
people, have clearly the same
ference to Exod. xv. 6, 12. Natural!
the thoughts of the exiles, restore
from the Captivity, go back to tb.4
era of the first deliverance froD
bondage, with which that restore
tion is so often compared (see JerJ
xvi. 14, 15 ; xxiii. 7, 8).
v. 15. Health — that is, salvatien.1
The joy is the joy of the redeemed. 1
vv. 17—19 are again the utterance
of the leader. In the spirit of tbe>
frequent confession of the restored
exiles he acknowledges past trouble
Dot) 24.
THE PSALMS.
Day 24.
PSALM 117.
Laudate Dominum.
0 PRAISE the Lord, all ye hea-
then : praise him, all ye na-
tions.
2 For his merciful kindness
is ever more and more towards
us : and the truth of the Lord
cndureth for ever. Praise the
Lord.
PSALM 118.
Confitemini Domino.
OGIVE thanks unto the Lord,
for he is gracious : because
his mercy endureth for ever.
2 Let Israel now confess, that
he is gracious : and that his mer-
cy endureth for ever.
3 Let the house of Aaron now
confess : that his mercy endureth
for ever.
4 Yea, let them now that fear
the Lord confess : that his mercy
endureth for ever.
5 I called upon the Lord in
trouble : and the Lord heard me
at large.
6 The Lord is on my side : I
will not fear what man doeth
unto me.
7 The Lord taketh my part with
them that help me : therefore
shall I see my desire upon mine
enemies.
8 It is better to trust in the
Lord : than to put any confidence
in man.
9 It is better to trust in the
Lord : than to put any confidence
In princes.
10 All nations compassed me
round about : but in the Name of
the Lord will I destroy them.
11 They kept me in on every
side, they kept me in, I say, on
every side : but in the Name of
the Lord will I destroy them.
12 They came about me like
bees, and are extinct even as the
fire among the thorns : for in the
Name of the Lord I will destroy
them.
13 Thou hast thrust sore at mc,
that I might fall : but the Lord
was my help.
14 The Lord is my strength,
and my song : and is become my
salvation.
15 The voice of joy and health
is in the dwellings of the righ-
teous : the right hand of the Lord
bringeth mighty things to pass.
16 The right hand of the Lord
hath the pre-eminence : the right
hand of the Lord bringeth mighty
things to pass.
17 I shall not die, but live :
and declare the works of the
Lord.
18 The Lord hath chastened
and corrected me : but he hath
not given me over unto death.
19 Open me the gates of righte-
ousness : that I may go into
them, and give thanks unto the
Lord.
20 This is the gate of the
Lord : the righteous shall enter
into it.
21 I will thank thee, for thou
hast heard me : and art become
my salvation.
22 The same stone which the
builders refused : is become the
head-stone in the corner.
23 This is the Lord's doing :
and it is marvellous in our eyes.
24 This is the day which the
Lord hath made : we will rejoice
and be glad in it.
25 Help me now, 0 Lord : 0
Lord, send us now prosperity.
26 Blessed be he thatcometh in
the Name of the Lord : we have
wished you good luck, ye that are
of the house of the Lord.
27 God is the Lord who hath
shewed us light : bind the sacri-
fice with cords, yea, even unto the
horns of the altar.
28 Thou art my God, and I will
thank thee : thou art my God, and
I will praise thee.
29 O give thanks unto the Lord,
for he is gracious' : and his mercy
endureth for ever.
!d4i
Psalm CXVIIL— cont.
as the Lord's well-deserved chasten-
ing—a sorrow, but " not unto death."
Then in the full sense of the righ-
teousness, given by God's grace, he
calls on them to open the gates of
righteousness "—that is (see v. 20),
the gates into which only the righ-
teous shall enter (comp. Isa. xxvi.
2-4)..
v. 20 is clearly the answer of the
priests from within (comp. Ps. xv.
1—6; xxiv. S— 5), as they throw the
gates wide open, that the whole train
may sweep in.
vv. 21, 22 are the leader's thanks-
giving, as he stands before the altar ;
taken up in vv. 23, 21 by priests and
people, in full chorus, both of wonder
and gladness.
v. 22. The tame ttone, &c. These
words are best explained by Isa.
xxviii. 16, "Behold ! I lay in Zion for
a foundation a stone, a tried stone,
a precious corner stone, a sure foun-
dation; he that believeth shall not
make haste" (comp. Rom. ix. 83;
x. 11 ; 1 Pet. ii. 6. 7, 8). The corner
stone, considered as the uniting
stone both of foundation and super-
structure (as in Eph. ii. 20), is here
the leader of Israel, as the type of
the true Messiah (Matt. xxi. 42;
Mark xii. 10; Luke xx. 17; Acts iv.
11)— rejected by those who claim to
be "the builders" of the world, but
chosen by God, and "precious."
"This is the Lord's doing, marvel-
lous in the eyes of men," as " choos-
ing the weak things of the world to
confound the strong." The clearer
vision of the Messiah was the gracious
and needful comfort of the troubled
time of the Restoration (see Haggai
ii. 6—9; Malachi iii. 1—4).
v. 25. Help me now, &c— properly,
"Save, I beseech Thee" (Hosanna)
—a phrase of prayer (as in Ps. xii. 1 ;
xx. 9 ; xxviii. 10, &c), turned, through
confidence in the grant of the salva-
tion asked for, into a cry of joy and
thanksgiving. Here it is probably
the prayer of the leader, to which
v. 26, "Blessed be he." ftc, is the
responsive welcome of the priests
(for the latter clause should be (as
in A.V. and R.V.), "we have blessed
you out of the house of the Lord").
In Matt. xxi. 9 both were taken up by
the rejoicing people at the Messiah's
triumphant entry.
vv. 27—29 are again the responsive
utterance of the leader (v. 28) and
his train (vv. 27, 29), preparing for
the sacrifice.
v. 27. Hath theiced ut light. Com-
pare the formula of blessing in
Num. vi. 25, and the fragment of
Christian Hymn in Eph. v. 14.
Bind the *acriflce, &c — that is,
"bind the victim (and lead it) even
to the horns of the altar," on which
the blood was to be sprinkled. An-
other rendering (less probable,
though supported by some ancient
Versions) is, " Deck the feast with
boughs even up to the horns of the
altar" (alluding to the ceremonial
of the Feast of Tabernacles).
v. 28. Comp. Exod. xv. 2; Ii
XXV. 1.
v. 29 takes up again with fresh en-
thusiasm the opening Thanksgiving,
which through all the ages had been
the response of God's people in Hii
Temple.
Psalm CXIX.
This Psalm— the greatest of the Acrostic Psalms, arranged in nets
eight verses, each beginning with one of the letters, taken in succession
of the Hebrew alphabet— is the "Psalm of the Law," shewing how that
Law had, indeed, written itself on the hearts of God's faithful people. ;
Perhaps in its largest view "the Law" may (according to a well-known)
Scriptural usage) include the whole of the Old Testament revelation ; but
the words used shew that the phrase has chief reference to the Law
properly so called— as the dear decisive revelation of God's will in statutes
and commandments for the moral and spiritual guidance of His people.
It is on this, in all its various aspects, that the Psalmist, obeying to the I
utmost the injunction of Deut. vi. 3—9, dwells with reverence, and. indeed,;
with awe, bat also with infinite delight, and with the love which, obeying it
freely and gladlv, is the true fulfilling of the Law. This attitude of soulf
towards the Law marks the era after the Restoration from the Captivity.
Then for the first time was the Law multiplied in written form, so as to be
(as in this Psalm) the theme of daily private study ; then recited solemnly
242
Day 24.
THE PSALMS.
Day 24.
Day 24.
(•Ebening ^rager.
PSALM 119.
Beati immaculati.
BLESSED are those that are
undeflled in the way : and
walk in the law of the Lord.
2 Blessed are they that keep
his testimonies : and seek him
with their whole heart.
3 For they who do no wicked-
ness : walk in his ways.
4 Thou hast charged : that we I
shall diligently keep thy com- !
mandments.
5 0 that my ways were made
so direct : that I might keep thy
statutes !
6 So shall I not be confounded :
while I have respect unto all thy
commandments.
7 I will thank thee with an un-
feigned heart : when I shall have
learned the judgments of thyrigh-
8 I will keep thy ceremonies :
0 forsake me not utterly.
In quo corriget ?
WHEREWITHAL shall a
young man cleanse his way :
even by ruling himself after thy
word.
10 With my whole heart have
1 sought thee : 0 let me not
go wrong out of thy command-
ments.
11 Thy words have I hid with-
in my heart : that I should not
sin against thee.
12 Blessed art thou, 0 Lord :
0 teach me thy statutes.
13 With my lips have I been
telling : of all the judgments of
thy mouth.
14 I have had as great delight
in the way of thy testimonies : as
in all manner of riches.
15 I will talk of thy command-
ments : and have respect unto
thy ways.
16 My delight shall be in thy
statutes : and I will not forget thy
word.
Retribue servo tuo.
ODO well unto thy servant :
that I may live, and keep thy
word.
18 Open thou mine eyes : that
I may see the wondrous things of
thy law.
19 I am a stranger upon earth :
0 hide not thy commandments
from me.
20 My soul breaketh out for the
very fervent desire : that it hath
alway unto thy judgments.
21 Thou hast rebuked the
proud : and cursed are they
that do err from thy command-
ments.
22 O turn from me shame and
rebuke : for I have kept thy tes-
timonies.
23 Princes also did sit and speak
against me : but thy servant is
occupied in thy statutes.
24 For thy testimonies are my
delight : and my counsellors.
Adhcesit pavimento.
MY soul cleaveth to the dust :
O quicken thou me, accord-
ing to thy word.
26 I have acknowledged my
ways, and thou heardest me : 0
teach me thy statutes.
27 Make me to understand the
way of thy commandments : and
so shall I talk of thy wondrous
works.
28 My soul melteth away for
very heaviness : comfort thou me
according unto thy word.
29 Take from me the way of
lying : and cause thou me to make
much of thy law.
30 I have chosen the way of
truth : and thy judgments have
1 laid before me.
31 I have stuck unto thy testi-
monies : O Lord, confound me
not.
32 I will run the way of thy
commandments : when thou hast
set my heart at liberty.
Psalm CXIX.— cont.
(Neh. viii. 1—12) to the people, and made the hasis of an elaborate teaching,
covering the whole area of life and thought. In that enthusiastic trust in
the Law, Rimply as Law, lay the germ of the exaggerated Pharisaism of the
future, against which in its Christian form 8t. Paul so earnestly protests,
as ignoring the need of salvation and the grace of the Spirit. But in itself
it expressed simply the consciousness of the unique power, which in all ages
of Jewish history it has exercised, as the great safeguard against idolatry
and ungodliness— a safeguard naturally regarded with almost exclusive
reverence, now that Prophecy ceased, that the royalty of Judah was under
eclipse, and that the Temple was shorn of its ancient glory.
The Law is viewed under various aspects, indicated by the ten different
words used again and again to describe it. Its general title, as a complete
system, is the " Law" {v. 1); as a witness of God's nature, and of true
humanity as accordant to that nature, it is His " testimony '* (». 2) ; in
its didactic and directive power, independent of all enforcement, and
accepted freely in the spirit, we learn from it His " ways " (v. 3) and His
" precepts " (v. 4) ; in its sterner aspect, as a code of definite rules guarded
by sanctions of reward and punishment, it contains His "statutes" (v. 5),
His "commandments" (v. 6), His "judgments" (v. 7); in all these ways
it is His "word" (v. 9), the revelation of Himself to the soul, and of this
general revelation the "promise" (v. 11) and the "faithfulness" (v. 30)
indicate the two attributes of graciousness and constancy. These last
titles are less frequently and technically used.
So also in the successive sections, though there is no formal system, we
can trace a method; it will be seen that there is a true variety of idea
rising above mere repetition. In all the varied experiences of life, even
under' persecution from without, and temptation from within, the soul,
•' hungering and thirsting after righteousness," glories in the discovery of
it in the stern, clear, authoritative supremacy of God's Law.
Aleph. The blesaedness of unrenewed
obedience to the Law of God.
The whole section is a comment of
resolution and prayer on " the first
and great Commandment " of Deut.
vi. 5, and thus a fit general introduc-
tion to the whole Psalm.
vv. 1—3 describe the three elements
of obedience to the Law— purity of
intention {v. 1), reverence in trea-
suring up ("keeping") God's word
with the whole heart (v . 2), and, as
a result, freedom from the power of
sin (v. 3).
vv. 4—6 acknowledge, as from God
alone, the power to keep what He
ordains (v. 4), and the certainty of
blessing, in which we cannot be dis-
appointed ("ashamed"). In this
acknowledgment all self-righteous-
ness is renounced.
v. 7 goes beyond the promise of
obedience to enthusiasm of thank-
fulness for the knowledge of His
righteous judgments — rising thus
from godly fear to "the more excel-
lent way" of love.
Beth. The securitp in it from error
and sin.
The emphasis here is on guidance
in the early choice of life; but it
seems an error to suppose from it
that the Psalmist was young. The
whole tone is of matured experience
in the way of God— looking back with
special remembrance of the power of
youthful temptation and sin, and of
the need of guardianship against it.
vv. 9—11 evidently acknowledge
from the first opening of life, corrup-
tion from which, we need to be
cleansed (v. 9), blindness in which we
go astray (e. 10), and positive sin into
which we fall (v. 11). Against all these
God's Law written "in the heart"
(see Jer. xxxi. 31) is the safeguard.
He alone (v. 12) can write it there.
vv. 13, 14 describe what the Psalm-
ist already has done— in bearing con-
stant witness to God's Law without
{v. 13), and in unreserved delight
over it, as a treasure within (». It;;
vv. 15, 16 express his resolution
to advance in the same path, by
342 a
Psalm CXIX.— cont.
thoughtfulness of mind (v. 15) and
devotion of heart (t>. 16). The em-
phasis on the joy of obedience, which
implies love, is notable throughout.
Gi mel. Support in it against weak-
ness and persecution.
In this section there is a deeper
sense of struggle— against weakness
and transitoriness in ourselves, a-
gainst persecution from the world
without— and accordingly a more
pervading tone of prayer.
vv. 17 — 20 are a fourfold cry of
earnest supplication— for sustenance
of strength and life (v. 17), for gift
of insight into the depths of God's
will (v. 18), for comfort in this
world's pilgrimage (v. 19), for satis-
faction of hunger and thirst after
righteousness " (v. 20). The first and
third belong to man's consciousness
of weakness ; the second and fourth
to the instinct of perfection, which
marks his higher nature and capacity.
vv. 21—24 contrast the painful sense
of persecution from the proud and
the princes of the world, with the two
great supports under such persecu-
tion—a confidence in God's final re-
tribution, and present inward peace
in resting on His will— the two im-
plying and strengthening each other.
Daleth. Best on it in the dark
hour of sorrow.
This section goes further still into
the depths. It is an anticipation of
the Be Profundi* (Ps. cxxx.); yet
throughout the soul feels firm ground
in resting on the true Rock.
v. 25 (comp. Ps. xliv. 25). The dust
is the " dust of death " (Ps. xxii. 15) ;
for the prayer is " quicken me " with
life (comp. v. 17). The sorrow is one
in which "the soul melteth away"
(». 28t, and even faith fears lest it
should be "confounded " (v. 31). It
is the hour of darkness, yet never
wholly losing the Light.
v. 26. / have acknowledged, &c.
Sorrow brings forth confession, lay-
ng the whole life before God, with
jrayer, both for teaching, and for the
rrace to learn what through sorrow
}od may teach us.
vv. 29— 32, alternate avowal of faith-
| ulness with prayer for greater faith-
nlness. The Psalmist has chosen
the way of truth." yet prays to have
I aken from him " the way of lying."
242 b
I He "cleaves to God's command-
ments " to lift him up from cleaving
to the dust (see v. 21), yet he prays
for strength to advance in them, and
for enlargement of heart.
He. The Law the security of single'
hearted stedfastness in life.
The Psalmist passes here out of
the hour of darkness. Conflict there
still is, but certain hope of triumph.
He feels in himself the love of God's
Law ; he only prays that he may
understand it better, and keep it to
the end in a thoughtful stedfastness.
vv. 33—35. The prayer is for light
to the understanding. If only the
soul can see God's will as it is, there
should follow (v. 1) stedfastness,
(v. 2) unreserved devotion, and (v. 3)
the delight of obedience. So is it in
| man, as far as he follows his higher
I nature ; so would it be perfectly, but
, for the power of sin.
vv. 36, 87 recognise the disturbing
j forces which mar that happy con-
| summation — the " covetousness,"
j whether of lust or avarice within,
! and the "vanity," perhaps of the
I literal idols (as in Deut. xxxii. 21 ;
! Ps. xxxi. 6, &c), perhaps of the idols
| of the world without. From both
God's grace alone can save.
v. 38 should be rendered —
"Stablish to Thy servant Thy
promise,
Which is granted to fear of
Thee" ; or
" Which issues in fear of Thee."
v. 89. The rebuke or reproach is here
the shame of sin, before the con-
science or before men.
vv. 38—40 look on to the end of
the conflict between man's higher
and lower nature— unshaken sted-
fastness (v. 38), freedom from the
reproach of sin {v. 39), spiritual life
in God (v. 40).
Vau. Witness for God's Law before
the world.
The Psalmist, having now laid firm
hold of God's Law for himself, de-
sires to witness for it to others, a-
gainst the positive antagonism, and
in face of the imposing greatness, of
the world.
v. 41 . Thy word— properly, " Thy
promise." The prayer suits well the
time of restoration from the Cap-
tivity. The Psalmist waits for the
20-5
Psalm CXIX. -cont.
promised mercy and salvation of
God.
vv. 42—45 contemplate reproach
from "his blasphemers" (slander-
ers, v.- 42), challenge to give an
answer in God's truth (v. 48), and
straitness of difficulty or persecution
(v. 45i. All these belonged to the
experience of the restored exiles ; in
the knowledge of God they found the
secret of victory over reproach, con-
fidence in answer, enlargement from
trouble.
v. 46. Before kings (comp. v. 23)—
evidently the kings or princes of the
heathen. Their greatness cannot
overawe the servant of the King of
kings (see Neh. ii. 1—4; and com-
pare Matt. x. 18—20).
v. 48. My hand* will I lift up— in
the attitude, either of prayer or of
solemn vow (see Gen. xiv. 22). If
the former, it is a strong' expression
of worship of the Law as revealing
God; if (as is perhaps more likely)
the latter, of solemn vow of obser-
vance, publicly made before the
world. In either case the spring of
action is not fear, but love.
Zain. The conflict of such witness
against pride and wickedness.
The idea of the preceding section
is continued, but with deeper sense
of the conflict, which witness for
God implies, against affliction, pride,
and wickedness.
vv. 49, 50 dwell again, with more
pathos of supplication, on the pro-
mise (" word "), which has been hope
and comfort in trouble— the promise
(that is) that God will look upon His
servants and remember them (comp.
Dan. ix. 17—19).
vv. 51, 52. "The proud" (the
"blasphemers" of v. 42) deride the
trust in a promise which seems to
linger as to fulfilment (see Neh. iv.
1—5). The servant of God remem-
bers that " His judgments are ever-
lasting"—"a thousand years being
to Him as one day "—and so receives
comfort (comp. 2 Pet. iii. 8, 4, 8,9).
v. 53. I am horribly afraid. This
should be, " horror (of indignation)
has seized me." The idea is not of
fear, but of righteous indignation.
v. 54. The servant of God is not
content to comfort himself silently ;
but in the face of this abhorred
wickedness he makes the Law of God
the public " song " of his dailv " pil-
grimage" (v. 54), as well as the pri-
vate meditation of the night watches
(v. 55).
v. 56. This I had, because, &c— pro-
bably, "This I had" (as God's gift)
" that I have kept Thy statutes."
Out> of the conflict he emerges by
God's grace victorious.
Cheth. God Himself the all-svfllcient
portion of His servant.
From the sense of conflict the
Psalm now passes to the deeper
sense of peace, for one who has made
the Lord his portion, in all the phases
of a godly life— prayer (v. 58), medi-
tation (c. 59), active obedience (v. 60),
fortitude under persecution 'v. 61),
thanksgiving (v. 62), communion
with the saints (v. 68), sense of the
pervading presence of God (v. 64).
v. 57. Thou art, &c— properly, " Je-
hovah is my portion" (comp. Ps.
xvi. 5; cxlii. 5). This is his watch-
word, the open profession of his life.
There is clear allusion to the blessing
on the family of Aaron and on the
tribe of Levi (Num. xviii. 20 ; Josh,
xiii. 33). The servant of God is a
priest before God; the portion of
the world is nothing to him, to whom
God is all in all.
W.5S— 60. The order in these verses
is significant. The first step in god-
liness is prayer for God's promised
blessing (v. 58), then come self-ex-
amination and conversion to Him .
(v. 59) ; out of this springs the !
"haste" of enthusiastic devotion j
(v. 60).
vv. 61, 62. There is an equally in-
structive contrast in these verses.
The wrong and persecution are not
only borne, but borne with joy. Like
Paul and Silas at Philippi (Acts xvi.
25), the sufferer even at midnight
sings praises to God, and thanks
Him that he is thought worthy to
suffer.
vv. 63, 64. Here the Psalmist, vic-
torious over persecution, goes out of
himself, first to enjoy the Communion
of Saints, then to rest on the larger
conception of the presence of God
in mercy " filling the whole earth "
(comp. Isa. vi. 3). Through both h«
feels that, in the face of trouble, hfl
is not alone.
243
Day 25.
THE PSALMS.
Day 25.
Day 25.
IHommg Prager.
Legem pone.
TEACH me, O Lord, the way
of thy statutes : and I shall
keep it unto the end.
34 Give me understanding, and
I shall keep thy law : yea, I shall
keep it with my whole heart.
35 Make me to go in the path
of thy commandments : for there-
in is my desire.
36 Incline my heart unto thy
testimonies : and not to covetous-
ness.
37 0 turn away mine eyes, lest
they behold vanity : and quicken
thou me in thy way.
38 O stablish thy word in thy
servant : that I may fear thee.
39 Take away the rebuke that
I am afraid of : for thy judgments
are good.
40 Behold, my delight is in thy
commandments : 0 quicken me
in thy righteousness.
Et veniat super me.
LET thy loving mercy come also
unto me, O Lord : even thy
salvation, according unto thy
word.
42 So shall I make answer un-
to my blasphemers : for my trust
is in thy word.
43 O take not the word of thy
truth utterly out of my mouth :
for my hope is in thy judgments.
44 So shall I alway keep thy
law : yea, for ever and ever.
45 And I will walk at liberty :
for I seek thy commandments.
46 I will speak of thy testi-
monies also, even before kings :
and will not be ashamed.
47 And my delight shall be in
thy commandments : which I
have loved.
48 My hands also will I lift up
unto thy commandments, which
I have loved : and my study shall
be in thy statutes.
Memor esto servi tui.
THINK upon thy servant, as
concerning thy word : where-
0
in thou hast caused me to put my
trust.
50 The same is my comfort in
my trouble : for thy word hath
quickened me.
51 • The proud have had me
exceedingly in derision : yet
have I not shrinked from thy
law.
52 For I remembered thine ever-
lasting judgments, 0 Lord : and
received comfort.
63 I am horribly afraid : for
the ungodly that forsake thy
law.
54 Thy statutes have been my
songs : in the house of my pil-
grimage.
55 I have thought upon thy
Name, 0 Lord, in the night-
season : and have kept thy
law.
56 This I had : because I kept
thy commandments.
Portio mea, Domine.
THOU art my portion, 0 Lord :
I have promised to keep thy
law.
58 I made my humble petition
in thy presence with my whole
heart : 0 be merciful unto me,
according to thy word.
59 I called mine own ways to
remembrance : and turned my
feet unto thy testimonies.
60 I made haste, and prolonged
not the time : to keep thy com-
mandments.
61 The congregations of the
ungodly have robbed me : but I
have not forgotten thy law.
62 At midnight I will rise to
give thanks unto thee : because of
thy righteous judgments.
63 I am a companion of all
them that fear thee : and keep
thy commandments.
64 The earth, 0 Lord, is full
of thy mercy : 0 teach me thy
statutes.
Bonitatem fecisti.
OLORD, thou hast dealt gra-
ciously with thy servant : ac-
cording unto thy word.
243
Psalm CXIX.— cont.
Tkth. The blessing of suffering
accepted as God's will to us.
To the sense of comfort under
suffering succeeds naturally the con-
sciousness of the actual use and bless-
ing of suffering, as a discipline of
instruction (comp. Prov. iii. 11, 12;
Heb. xii. 5—13). To the faithless the
sorrow of life is the "sorrow of the
world which worketh death*'; for
the faithful it worketh "repentance
not to be repented of " (2 Cor. vii. 10).
vv. 65, 66. Suffering is felt to be a
discipline of God's gracionsness ; the
prayer is that He will teach us by a
true insight to see its meaning, and
so make use of it to the full.
vv. 67, 68. Here and in v. 71 the key
to that meaning is found. Prosperity
had brought self-will and forgetful-
ness of God; adversity now taught
reverence.and knowledge of His will
i comp. Ps. xxx. 6—8). In sending
His chastisement "He is good and
therefore doeth good" (see R.V.). No
words could better express the effect
on the restored exiles of the suffering
of the great Captivity.
vv. 69, 70. By a contrast singularly
true to human nature, there comes
in here a sudden Sash of indignation
against the falsehood and sleek self-
sufficiency of the enemy. Wicked-
ness is overruled to God s gracious
purpose; but it is wickedness, and
hateful wickedness, still.
v. 70. Fat as brawn— that is, steeped
in self-indulgence, so as to be incap-
able of higher knowledge and love
(comp. Ps. xvii. 10; Isa. vi. 10; Matt,
xiii. 15).
v 72 (comp. Ps. xix. 10; Prov. viii.
10, 11, 19; Job xxviii. 15—19). The
loss of the "gold and silver" of
worldly prosperity only brings out
the preciousness of the riches, which
the world cannot give or take away.
Jod. God's Law the law of human
nature and life.
The key to this section is in its
opening words. Man is God's crea-
ture ; God's Law must be the law of
his being. Therefore His judgments
must be ordained to work out this
law; therefore proud resistance to
it cannot but be ashamed, and the
obedience of godly fear must triumph.
v. 78. The prayer is of great beauty
and meaning. The Psalmist pleads
with God as being His creature. He
244
has made man ; He will surely teach
him the knowledge of His will, since
without this it were better for man
not to have been born. (Compare a
similar plea, though of different
tone, in Job x. 8—18.)
v. 74. Here, and in v. 79, the
Psalmist turns from himself to his
f ellow-servants in the fear of God ;
he desires to help them by his trust
in God, seen to be justified (v. 74);
he desires (v. 79) their sympathy as a
help against his persecutors.
vv. 75—77 breathe the tone of an
assured faith, which has found out
the secret of God's dealings, seeing
that even in chastisement they are
not only right but guided by His
"very faithfulness " to His covenant.
Only it prays for a fuller conscious-
ness of God's loving-kindness and
tenderness of mercy.
vv. 78, 79 (like vv. 21, 23, 42, 51, 61,
69) shew virulence of persecution by
worldly power. The Psalmist trusts
in God, and God only, against it ; yet
be naturally desires the secondary
comfort of human sympathy. Even
before God " it is not good for man
to be alone."
v. 80. Ashamed. The word is the
same as "confounded" in v. 78.
Pride will have a fall; firm obedi-
ence to God must stand.
Caph.
The longing for perfect
retribution.
There is here a sudden change to
a plaintive tone, not unlike that of
the fourth section (vv. 25—82). But
in thiB case it is the cry of longing
for perfect retribution— salvation to
the faithful, vengeance on the perse-
cutors—like the "How long?" of
Ps. vi. 8 ; xiii. 1—4 ; Rev. vi. 10. The
triumph of evil is not only a present
sorrow, but a sore trial of faith, under
which the soul cries out.
vv. 81, 82. The original is stronger,
" My soul faints for Thy salvation "
(comp. v. 20), "mine eyes fail (in
looking) for Thy promise " (comp.
v. 123). Yet there is still "good
hope" and confident prayer for com-
fort. It must come, but the longing
is that it may come speedily.
v. 83. A bottle in the smoke. The
idea is probably of an old disused
wine skin, shrivelled in the smoke
of the chimney, where it has hung
Day 25.
66 0 learn me true under-
standing and knowledge : for
I have believed thy command-
ments.
67 Before I was troubled, I went
wrong : but now have I kept thy
word.
68 Thou art good and gracious:
0 teach me thy statutes.
69 The proud have imagined
a lie against me : but I will keep
THE PSALMS.
Day 25.
thy commandments with my
whole heart.
70 Their heart is as fat as brawn:
but my delight hath been in thy
law.
71 It is good forme that I have
been in trouble : that I may learn
thy statutes.
72 The law of thy mouth is
dearer unto me : than thousands
of gold and silver.
Day 25.
GEbemng Prager.
Manus lucefecerunt me.
THY hands have made me and
fashioned me : 0 give me un-
derstanding, that I may learn thy
commandments.
74 They that fear thee will
be glad when they see me : be-
cause I have put my trust in
thy word.
75 I know, O Lord, that thy
judgments are right : and that
thou of very faithfulness hast
caused me to be troubled.
76 0 let thy merciful kindness
be my comfort : according to thy
word unto thy servant.
77 Olet thy loving mercies come
unto me, that I may live : for thy
law is my delight.
78 Let the proud be confound-
ed, for they go wickedly about to
destroy me : but I will be occu-
pied in thy commandments.
79 Let such as fear thee, and
have known thy testimonies : be
turned unto me.
80 O let my heart be sound in
thy statutes : that I be not a-
Defecit anima mm.
MY soul hath longed for thy
salvation : and I have a good
hope because of thy word.
82 Mine eyes long sore for thy
word : saying, O when wilt thou
comfort me ?
83 For I am become like a bot-
tle in the smoke : yet do I not
forget thy statutes.
84 How many are the days of
thy servant : when wilt thou be
avenged of them that persecute
me?
85 The proud have digged pits
for me : which are not after thy
law.
86 All thy commandments are
true : they persecute me falsely ;
0 be thou my help.
87 They had almost made an
end of me upon earth : but
1 forsook not thy command-
ments.
88 O quicken me after thy
loving-kindness : and so shall
I keep the testimonies of thy
mouth.
In ceternum, Domine.
OLORD, thy word : endureth
for ever in heaven.
90 Thy truth also remaineth
from one generation to another :
thou hast laid the foundation of
the earth, and it abideth.
91 They continue this day ac-
cording to thine ordinance : for
all things serve thee.
92 If my delight had not been
in thy law : I should have perish-
ed in my trouble.
93 I will never forget thy com-
mandments : for with them thou
hast quickened me.
94 I am thine, 0 save me : for
I have sought thy command-
ments.
95 The ungodly laid wait for
me to destroy me : but I will con-
sider thy testimonies.
96 I see that all things come to
an end : but thy commandment
is exceeding broad.
244
Psalm CXIX.— cont.
Some interpreters, looking to the
custom of mellowing wine by hang-
ing it in the smoke, explain this
passage of the ripening effect of
trouble upon the soul. The idea is
a striking one; but it hardly suits
the tone of the whole passage.
vv. 84—87, like other passages in
this Psalrn, unite the ideas of trea-
cherous enmity (v. 85)— the "pits
digged" for the prey — with open
persecution—" consuming " as bv
fire (vv. 84, 86, 87). Nothing could
better accord with the condition of
things disclosed in Neh. ii., iv., vi.
v. 88. Quicken me. The prayer in-
dicates the extremity of trial, before
which life itself seems to tremble in
the balance (comp. vv. 17, 25, 50).
Lamed. The eternity and universality
of God's Law.
From the conflict of soul described
in the preceding section, the Psalmist
finds rest in contemplating God's
Law in Nature, as eternal, un-
changeable, universal. However pre-
sent trials and dangers may try faith,
they have their appointed limit, and
cannot overthrow His universal Law.
vv. 89—91. The idea is exactly that
of Ps. cxlviii. 5, 6. The "word"
here is the creative word, fulfilling
itself unceasingly in heaven and
earth ; the " truth " is the pledge
of fixity 'as in Gen. viii. 21, 22), on
which all action of man depends;
the "ordinance" is the sustaining
and ruling Law of God, through
which all creation lives. From the
confusion of man's frailty and dis-
obedience the Psalmist takes refuge
in the unswerving and unceasing
obedience of Nature.
t'D. 92—95 turn from the stately
course of the great stream of Nature
to the troubled sea of humanity.
There the servant of God finds
trouble (t*. 92), exhaustion of
strength (v. 93), danger (v. 94),
persecution even to death (v. 95).
Yet God's Law must still prevail,
conquering and overruling evil— as
truly, though not as simply, as in
the realm of Nature. On it he rests
for life, salvation, and triumph.
v. 90. J see that all things, &c. The
literal rendering is (as in A.V. and
R.V.), " I have seen an end (or limit)
of all perfection." This may mean
that there is a limit either to all
that claims perfection on earth, or
(as apparently in our Version) to the
whole sum of visible things. In
either case the idea of the verse is
not of the transitorineBS but thfc
flniteness of all that is earthly, in
contrast with the infinite scope o?
God's Law as exceeding broad— not
only pervading, but transcending
the bounds of His creation.
Mem. Love of God' s Law our wisdom
and our joy.
The tone of this section rises from
faith to love, from comfort to enthu-
siastic delight. The Psalmist turns
from God's Law seen without to
God's Law written in the heart ; in
it he finds first wisdom, next righte-
ousness, then sweetness of delight.
" The fruit of the Spirit is righteous-
ness, and peace, and joy in the Holy
Ghost."
w. 98—100. The emphasis through-
out is on the gift of wisdom— that is,
the knowledge of the true end of life
—through the revelation of the will
of God. Those who look into the
essence of the Law by the insight of
love, rise above the self-reliant wis-
dom of the proud ("the enemies")
(v. 98), the study of tlie learned
(v. 99), the experience of the aged.
The idea is that which pervades the
whole Book of Proverbs.
vv. 101, 102 describe this wisdom as
a practical wisdom, shewing itself in
both negative {v. 101) and positive
obedience (v. 102)— an obedience not
enforced by fear of punishment or
hope of reward, but arising from
simple knowledge of and delight in
the truth {vv. 102—104).
v. 103 (with which comp. Ps. xix. 10 ;
Prov. viii. 11) forms the climax. God's
Law is not only the source of teach-
ing and the spring of obedience, but
by its intrinsic righteousness a joy
and delight.
Nun. God's Law a light of guidance
and comfort.
The same idea is here pursued,
but with some recognition still ot
affliction and of persecution from
without. God's Law is the light of
life ; against temptation a light of |
guidance ; in trouble a light of com-
fort.
v. 105 (comp. Prov. vi. 23). The
" lamp " is kindled specially for the
hours of darkness; the "light" i8
Day 25.
THE PSALMS.
Day 25.
Quomodo dileati !
LORD, what love have I unto
thy law : all the day long is
my study in it.
98 Thou through thy command-
ments hast made me wiser than
mine enemies : for they are ever
with me.
99 I have more understanding
than my teachers : for thy testi-
monies are my study.
100 I am wiser than the aged :
because I keep thy command-
ments.
101 I have refrained my feet
from every evil way : that I may
keep thy word.
102 I have not shrunk from thy
judgments : for thou teachest me.
103 O how sweet are thy words
unto my throat : yea, sweeter than
honey unto my mouth.
104 Through thy command-
ments I get understanding : there-
fore I hate all evil ways.
Day 26.
tfRoming ^rager.
Lucerna pedibus meis.
THY word is a lantern unto my
feet : and a light unto my
paths.
106 I have 8 worn, and am sted-
fastly purposed : to keep thy righ-
teous judgments.
107 I am troubled above mea-
sure : quicken me, O Lord, ac-
cording to thy word.
108 Let the free-will offer-
ings of my mouth please thee, O
Lord : and teach me thy judg-
ments.
109 My soul is alway in my
hand : yet do I not forget thy
law.
110 The ungodly have laid a
snare for me : but yet I swerved
not from thy commandments.
111 Thy testimonies have I
claimed as mine heritage for ever 5
and why ? they are the very joy of
my heart.
112 I have applied my heart to
fulfil thy statutes alway : even
unto the end.
Iniquos odio hahui.
I HATE them that imagine
evil things : but thy law do I
love.
114 Thou art my defence and
shield : and my trust is in thy
word.
115 Away from me, ye wicked :
I will keep the commandments of
my God.
116 O stablish me according to
thy word, that I may live : and
let me not be disappointed of my
hope.
117 Hold thou me up, and I
shall be safe : yea, my delight
shall be ever in thy statutes.
118 Thou hast trodden down
all them that depart from thy
statutes : for they imagine but
deceit.
119 Thou puttest away all the
ungodly of the earth like dross :
therefore I love thy testimonies.
120 My flesh trembleth for fear
of thee : and I am afraid of thy
judgments.
Feci judicium.
IDEAL with the thing that
is lawful and right : O give
me not over unto mine oppres-
sors.
122 Make thou thy servant to
delight in that which is good :
that the proud do me no wrong.
123 Mine eyes are wasted away
with looking for thy health : and
for the word of thy righteous-
ness.
124 O deal with thy servant ac-
cording unto thy loving mercy :
and teach me thy statutes.
125 I am thy servant, O grant
me understanding : that I may
know thy testimonies.
126 It is time for thee, Lord, to
lay to thine hand : for they have
destroyed thy law.
127 For I love thy command-
ments : above gold and precious
stone.
128 Therefore hold I straight
245
Psalm CXIX.-cont
the natural light for all time Ccomp. I
Rev. xxii. 5, *rThey need no light of
lamp or light of the sun; for the
Lord God shall give them light" ).
Yet both need the gaze of "stedfast
purpose " (v. 106) ; otherwise they
shine in vain.
v. 107. Quicken me. Comp. v. 88.
The trouble above measure threatens
even the spiritual life ; the prayer is,
not that the trouble be taken away,
but that the life be "quickened" to
sustain it.
v. 108. The free-will offering* of my
mouth—" the calves of my lips " (Hos.
xiv. 2). Worship here takes the place
of the "free-will" or "thank-offer-
ing " (as in Heb. xiii. 15). It is notable
that it is this which is offered in the
hour of " trouble beyond measure."
v. 109. A! ten y in m.v hand (comp.
Judg. xii. 3 ; 1 Sam. xix. 5 : xxviii.21 ;
Job xiii. 14). In almost all cases the
reference is to struggle in war ; the
original metaphor is therefore pro-
bably of the life resting on the
prowess of the right hand. In this
verse the Psalmi-t has to strive
against violence; in v. 110 to avoid
a snare.
v. 111. My inheritance (comp. v. 57)
—the only portion which is needed,
because in it is the "joy of the
heart."
Samech. The tingle-heartcdnets of
true devotion.
The leading idea is of the impos-
sibility of double-minded service.
The servant of God separates him-
self from sinners (v. 115), rests wholly
on God's will (*r. 116, 117), watches
the course of His judgment with
reverence and godly fear {vv. 118—
v. 113. That imagine evilthino*. It
should be (as in R. V.), " of a double
mind." The word used here Is akin
to the "two opinions" of 1 Kings
xviii. 21.
vv. 114—120 give a vivid picture of
struggle and victory. In v. 114 the
servant of God enters the battle of
good and evil under the shield of
faith; in v. 115 he challenges the
wicked to give ground ;in vr. 116, 117
the battle rages, and he cries ontf to
God to uphold and save him ; then
in vv. 118, 119 he sees the Divine
judgment on vain deceit and open
wickedness, and trembles as he gazes
upon it (v. 120).
846
v. 118 describes the discomfiture ot
the false wisdom wandering from
God's statutes ; its " deceit is false-
hood" (see A.V. and R.V.)— that is,
its subtle device is exposed and
shown to be false; r. 119 deals with
open wickedness, tried in the fur-
nace, and found to be but dross (Jer.
vi. ft*— 30; Ezek. xxii. 18—20; Mai.
iii. 3). In both cases the main idea
is of the hollowness and certain fail-
ure of ungodliness, in contrast with
the .stedfastness of godly devotion.
v. 120. The transition of thought is
striking and unexpected. Instead
of triumph at the sight of the fallen
enemy, there comes over the Psalmist
—over " the flesh " of his frail hu-
manity—a thrill of godly fear, in the
sense of the awf ulness of God's judg-
ment and of his own liability to fall
(comp. Hab. iii. 16).
Aix. A cry to the Lord to defend His
Law and itt terra nt*.
Still in the ardour of conflict a-
gainst evil, the Psalmist cries out for
the speedy interposition of the Lord,
not only to ensure the safetv of His
servant, but to vindicate His out-
raged Law. It is the cry, not of
doubt that He will shew Himself,
but of longing that He may "come
quickly."
v. 121 carries on the consciousness
of singlehearted devotion, expressed
in the last section, and prays that it
may be saved from oppression.
v. 122. Make Thou, &c. This is
mistranslation, marring the sense.
It should be (as in A.V. and R.V.),
" Be surety to Thy servant for good "
—pledge Thy word, which cannot fail,
for my salvation. It is for. this sal-
vation (as the Psalmist touchingly
pleads) that he strains his eyes
(v. 123) in earnest expectation (comp.
vv. 81, 82).
vv. 124, 125 glide into the habitual
prayer for deeper knowledge of God's
Law and Dispensation. If our heart
fail in its longing for speedy retribu-
tion, * it is our own infirmity " ; fuller
conception of the mind of God would
take away perplexity and impatience.
v. 126. The cry is for God's own
visible working, not so much for sal-
vation of His servant, as for vindi
cation of God's righteous Law— like
the constant plea with God " for His
Name's sake " (comp. Isa. lxiv. 1).
vv. 127. 128 (comp. vv. 72, 104). In
Day 26.
all thy commandments : and all
false ways I utterly abhor.
Mirdbilia.
THY testimonies are wonder-
ful : therefore doth my soul
keep them.
130 When thy word goeth forth :
it giveth light and understanding
unto the simple.
131 I opened my mouth, and
drew in my breath : for my
delight was in thy command-
ments.
132 O look thou upon me, and
be merciful unto me : as thou
uscst to do unto those that love
thy Name.
133 Order my steps in thy word:
and so shall no wickedness have
dominion over me.
134 0 deliver me from the
wrongful dealings of men : and
so shall I keep thy command-
ments.
135 Shew the light of thy coun-
tenance upon thy servant : and
teach me thy statutes.
136 Mine eyes gush out with
THE PSALMS.
Day 26
water : because men keep not thy
law.
Justus es, Domine.
RIGHTEOUS art thou, O Lord :
and true is thy judgment.
138 The testimonies that thou
hast commanded : are exceeding
righteous and true.
139 My zeal hath even consum-
ed me : because mine enemies
have forgotten thy words.
140 Thy word is tried to the
uttermost : and thy servant lov-
eth it.
141 I am small, and of no re-
putation : yet do I not forget thy
commandments.
142 Thy righteousness is an
everlasting righteousness: and thy
law is the truth.
143 Trouble and heaviness
have taken hold upon me : yet
is my delight in thy command-
ments.
144 The righteousness of thy
testimonies is everlasting •: O
grant me understanding, and I
shall live.
Day 26.
©bentafl ^ragcr.
Clamavi in toto corde meo.
I CALL with my whole heart :
hear me, O Lord, I will keep
thy statutes.
146 Yea, even unto thee do I
call : help me, and I shall keep
thy testimonies.
147 Early in the morning do I
cry unto thee : for in thy word is
my trust.
148 Mine eyes prevent the night-
watches : that I might be occupied
in thy words.
149 Hear my voice, O Lord,
according unto thy loving-kind-
ness : quicken me, according as
thou art wont.
150 They draw nigh that of
malice persecute rue : and are far
from thy law.
151 Be thou nigh at hand, 0
Lord : for all thy commandments
are true.
152 As concerning thy testimo-
nies, I have known long since :
that thou hast grounded them
for ever.
Vide humilitatem.
0 CONSIDER mine adversity,
and deliver me : for I do not
forget thy law.
154 Avenge thou my cause, and
deliver me : quicken nic, accord-
ing to thy word.
155 Health is far from the un-
godly : for they regard not thy
statutes.
156 Great is thy mercy, 0
Lord : quicken me, as thou art
wont.
157 Many there are that trou-
ble me, and persecute me : yet
do I not swerve from thy testi-
monies.
158 It grieveth me when I see
the transgressors : because they
keep not thy law.
159 Consider, O Lord, how 1 love
246
Psalm CXIX.— cont.
the word "therefore" there is a
peculiar beauty. The violation of
God's Law by the wicked only brings
out more intensely in His servants
the love of its preoiousness and the
enthusiasm of devotion to it.
Pb. The vondrousness of God's
dispensation.
The keynote of this meditative sec-
tion is struck in its first words. God's
dispensation is wonderful; "As the
heaven is higher than the earth, so
are His ways higher than our ways."
Therefore His word gives light only
to simple faith (v. 180) ; it satisfies
only those who long for it and love it
(vv. 131, 132) ; it saves from oppres-
sion only those who rest on His
promise and are willing to be taught
(vv. 133—135) ; for thosn who will not
bow their hearts to it, there is no
understanding of it ; over them we
can but weep (v. 136).
v. 130 should be (as in R.V.)—
" The opening (or revelation) of
Thy word giveth light ;
It giveth understanding to the
simple."
The emphasis is on the words " the
simple." The revelation is "alight
that shineth in a dark place;" out
it is " hid from the wisdom of the
world" and " revealed unto babes "
(comp. Matt. xi. 25; 1 Cor. ii. 6—10).
v. 131. Brett in my breath — that is
(as in A.V. and R.V.), "panted" in
eager search after God (comp. Ps.
xlii. 1).
v. 132. As Thou u*e*t to do — properly,
"as is Thy rule" (or "covenant").
" God is faithful and just" to save
those who trust in Him.
vv. 135, 136 are closely connected.
It is because " the eyes ran down
with rivers of water" (see R.V.), in
the infinite sorrow over evil and evil-
doers (comp. Jer. ix. 1, 18; xiv. 17)
that the Psalmist prays for the
cheering light of God's face, lest it
should lead to doubt and despond-
ency. In this sorrow, swallowing up
indignation, we trace the spirit of the
Gospel— an anticipation of the tears
shed over Jerusalem.
Tsaddi. The eternal reality of
Righteousness.
The soul takes refuge in the sense
of the eternity of righteousness, both
against all transitory forgetfulness
and denial of it, and against all weak-
ness and changeableness of those I
246 a
who love it. The Law is " right f o
evermore"! its righteousness mus
shine out in the end.
vv. 137, 138. God is Himself eterna
righteousness, or He is not God
Hence His "judgments" shewini
His government (v. 137), His " tes
timonies" revealing His natun
(v. 138), His " Law " expressing Hi
will (v. 142), must be righteous.
v. 189 (comp. Ps. lxix. 9; John ii
17). Zeal burns by its very nature
but it "consumes" the soul, onl;
when that soul is self-reliant and s<
faithless.
v. 140. Tried— that is, in the fur
nace of conflict ; seeking to consume
it, but only purging away from iti
essential truth all dross of humai
error in the conception and decla
ration of it (comp. Ps. xii. 6).
v. 141. / am small, &c. God'i
"strength is made perfect in weak
ness": His truth Bhines brighter ii
" the foolishness " of those who uttei
it (comp. 1 Cor. i. 26—80).
vv. 142—144. The reiteration ii
pc. 142 and 14 1 is significant. Ir
the conflict of trouble and anguisl
the Psalmist comforts himself witl
repeating again and again as hii
watchword, " Thy righteousness ii
everlasting." " The things that ar<
seen are temporal; the things thai
are not seen are eternal."
Koph. The constancy of true faith ii
that Eternal reality.
The conception of this everlasting
righteousness leads naturally to un
reserved and unwearied devotion ol
heart. The soul thus catches som<
reflection of the unchangeable na
ture of Him whom it worships. Tfl
such devotion, through all the battU
of life, God' 8 presence is felt to be
nigh ; His Law to be true and eternal
vv. 145, 146. The emphasis lies flr«
on the devotion of the whole soul to
God, craving simply an answer, to
shew that it is accepted ; then on its
direct access to Him, and Him alone^
as its salvation, seeking not Hil
blessings, but Himself.
vv. 147,148. Comp. Ps. v. 3 ; lxiii. 7|
Ixxxviii. 18 ; cxxx. 6. The morning
is for earnest prayer, the night fox
calm meditation. Both rest simply
on trust in God's promise.
vv. 150, 151 stand in beautiful con-
trast. The enemy draws near, but
God is nearer already. " Alone, ya*
Psalm CXIX.—cont.
not alone, because the Father is with
us."
v. 152 returns to the keynote of the
last section. But the declaration
now is not merely that God's righ-
teousness is grounded for ever, but
that His servant has " known this
long since " with a perfect assurance.
Resch. Such faith unshaken in
trouble.
The same idea continues through
this section, which returns (in v. 160)
to the delight in the eternal righ-
teousness. But there is throughout
a deeper sense of struggle; faith
is not only constant against weak-
ness within, but unshaken, even if
saddened, by all forces of evil from
without.
vv. 153—156. The Psalmist has
a threefold experience of trouble —
affliction (v. 153), enmity (v. 154),
and the horror of ungodliness
(vv. 155, 158). It brings him even
to the gates of death. Twice he
cries (vv. 156, 159) " quicken me" ;
once in reliance on God's love, next
pleading his own unswerving love of
God's will. " We love Him, because
He first loved us."
v. 158. Grieveth (comp. v. 136). The
word does not exclude indignation,
but its main idea is sorrow. " Why
will ye die, O ye house of Israel? "
v. 160. True from everlasting is a
mistaken rendering. It should be,
"the sum" (as in Ps. cxxxix. 17)
"of Thy commandments is truth."
All in various forms embody the one
principle of righteousness, and so
endure for ever."
Schin. The end of conflict in peace
and love of God.
Still the persecution exists ; but it
is almost forgotten, as the soul, be-
ginning in awe (v. 161), passes on to
joy (v. 162), love (». 163) and devo-
tion (v. 164). and rests at last in peace
(v. 165). The Psalmist has watched
| for God's salvation, and has found it.
V. 161. Comp. vv. 23, 46, 78, 85.
vv. 161—188. The sense of contrast
I runs through these verses. Against
;he fear of man he sets the greater
| iwe of God (comp. Matt. x. 28 : Acts
-.29; 1 Pet. iii. 14, 15) ; next, to the
|lelight in the spoils of this world,
i te opposes the joy of finding out
he will of God (comp. v. 127); and
nally contrasts the lie, which he
246 b
hates, with the truth of God, which
he loves. After this the sense of
contrast is lost in simple praise and
joy.
v. 164. Seven times a day. " Seven
times" is only the expression of
reiteration (as in Ps. xii. 7; Prov.
xxiv. 16). But in the attachment
of the phrase to prayer there may
be reference to seven as the sacred
number. In the Christian Church
this verse in all probability suggested
the use of the seven Canonical hours
of prayer.
v. 165. They are not offended at it.
The words "at it" are an error,
obscuring the sense. It should b"
simply " They have no occasion of
stumbling" (comp. 1 John ii. 10)
through error, through opposition of
evil, or through sin. Hence the
"peace," which swallows up all pain
and struggle.
vv. 166—168. The emphasis is on
the word "kept," i.e. treasured up
and grasped firmly through all
struggle and difficulty. The ser-
vant of God has looked eagerly for
Him and His salvation; but the
search has been blessed, and now
in confidence he lays "all his ways
before Him."
Tau. The conclusion of Prayer1 and
Praise.
The closing section seems to gather
up briefly, in a tone of earnest and yet
confident supplication, all the ideas
which have already been brought
out in detail— prayer for deeper in-
sight into God's Law (vv. 169, 170),
E raise for the insight already given
y His teaching (vv. 171, 172), long-
ing for His salvation (vv. 173, 174),
and rest upon Him for life and
guidance (vv. 175, 176).
v. 169. Complaint should be simply
(as in A.V. and R.V.) "cry"— the
"supplication" of the next verse,
both for light and for deliverance.
vv. 171, 172 pass from prayer to the
utterance of praise, called out by the
simple knowledge of God through
His Law, and by the delight in His
word as the essential righteousness.
vv. 173, 174 return once more to
prayer — the longing for salvation
and the earnest cry for spiritual
life, to be given thankfully to God's
service.
v. 176. I have gone astray, &c.
There is something especially strik-
Psalm CXIX.— cont.
ing and instructive in the humility [ most vividly the sense of personal
of this final confession after all the frailty. In themselves the truest
outpouring of faith and love for I servants of God best know that they
God and for His Law. It shews that j are but straying sheep ; the Good
tlie fullest knowledge and highest ! Shepherd " seeks " them, and they
spiritual aspiration only bring out yield gladly to His hand.
Psalm CXX.
With this Psalm begins the series of the "Songs of Degrees" (or
" Ascents "). On the probable meaning of the title and the general
character of the Psalms, see Introduction, sect. III.
Ps. cxx., cxxi., cxxii. appear to form a group, rising from sense of
trouble and danger to exulting thanksgiving to God.
This Psalm is a cry to God out of the trouble of persecution, at once
by treachery and by open violence. It suits well the Condition of the
restored exiles, as described in the historical books ; but in itself it has
nothing to mark it distinctively as one of the " Songs of Degrees."
It contains (a), in vv. 1, 2, a prayer for deliverance; (6), in vv. 8, 4, a
prophetic denunciation of evil against the false tongue ; (c), in vv. 5 — 7, a
complaint of one who loves peace in the midst of savage rapine and war.
v. 3. The verse is difficult, but
should probably be rendered—
" What shall be given unto thee,
And what shall be done more
unto thee,
O thou false tongue ?
Sharp arrows of the mighty.
And coals of juniper (or
"broom").
The first two lines have been com-
pared with the phrase, " God do so
unto me, and more also." In the
last two is conveyed the idea that
wickedness shall be returned on the
head of the wicked; for the lying
tongue is itself a sword or arrow
(Ps. lii. 8; lvii. 5), and burns like a
fire. Comp. Ps. cxl. 10, 11.
The coalg of broom, rendered in
A.V. " juniper " (see 1 Kings xix. 4 ;
Job xxx. 4), are said to retain heat
for an almost indefinite time.
v. 4. JUesech (see Ezek. xxxviii. 9,
15, 16) appears to be the name of a
half -barbarous people living on the
north on the mountains south of
Caucasus; Kedar {Gen. xxv. 13; Isa.
xxi. 17; Ezek. xxvii. 21) represents
the warrior tribes of Arabia far to
the south-east. The two names mark
the extreme of savagery, from the far
North to the South, although it is
possible that they may have some
historical connection with gathering
hostility against the restored exiles.
vv. 5, 6 express that longing for
peace, belonging to the servants of
God, but perhaps especially felt by
the remnant of Israel at the time of
the Restoration— as naturally regard-
ed with suspicion and jealousy by the j
neighbouring peoples, and knowing j
that peace, even for a time, was the
one thing needful for their complete [
reoccupation of the land.
Psalm CXXI.
This Psalm breathes a wholly different spirit of perfect confidence and
peace in God. It contains allusions appropriate to the experience of thi
march of the pilgrims, and it might well be a song of the first arrival "
sight of the holy hills of Jerusalem.
The change of persons seems to divide it into two parts : (a), in vv. 1,
the lifting up the eyes and looking for help ; (ft), in vv. 3—7, the answer (\
the Psalmist himself, or by some other speaking in the name of God) |
trust in the unsleeping guardianship and the unceasing care of the Lor
The sense of His "keeping" of His people is the constantly recurr'
keynote of the Psalm.
247
Day 26.
thy commandments : O quicken
me, according to thy loving-kind-
ness.
160 Thy word is true from ever-
lasting : all the judgments of thy
righteousness endure for ever-
more.
Principes persecuti sunt.
PRINCES have persecuted me
without a cause : but my
heart standeth in awe of thy
word.
162 I am as glad of thy word :
as one that findeth great spoils.
163 As for lies, I hate and abhor
them : but thy law do I love.
164 Seven times a day do I
praise thee : because of thy righ-
teous judgments.
165 Great is the peace that they
have who love thy law : and they
are not offended at it.
166 Lord, I have looked for thy
saving health : and done after thy
commandments.
167 My soul hath kept tby
testimonies : and loved them
exceedingly.
168 I have kept thy command-
THE PSALMS. Day 26.
ments and testimonies : for all
my ways are before thee.
Appropinquet dcprecatio.
LET my complaint come before
thee, O Lord : give me un-
derstanding, according to thy
word.
170 Let my supplication come
before thee : deliver me, accord-
ing to thy word.
171 My lips shall speak of thy
praise : when thou hast taught
me thy statutes.
172 Yea, my tongue shall sing
of thy word : for all tby command-
ments are righteous.
173 Let thine hand help me :
for I have chosen thy command-
ments.
174 I have longed for thy sav-
ing health, O Lord : and in thy
law is my delight.
175 O let my soul live, and it
shall praise thee : and thy judg-
ments shall help me.
176 I have gone astray like a
sheep that is lost : 0 seek thy ser-
vant, for I do not forget thy com-
mandments.
Day 27.
iJHommg ^ragcr,
PSALM 120.
Ad Dominum.
WHEN I was in trouble I call-
ed upon the Lord : and he
heard me.
2 Deliver my soul, 0 Lord, from
lying lips : and from a deceitful
tongue.
3 What reward shall be given
or done unto thee, thou false
tongue : even mighty and sharp
arrows, with hot burning coals.
4 Woe is me, that I am con-
strained to dwell with Mesech :
and to have my habitation among
the tents of Kedar.
5 My soul hath long dwelt a-
mong theni : that are enemies
unto peace.
6 I labour for peace, but when
I speak unto them thereof : they
make them ready to battle.
PSALM 121.
Levavi oculos.
I WILL lift up mine eyes unto
the hills : from whence com-
eth my help.
2 My help cometh even from
the Lord : who hath made hea-
ven and earth.
| 3 He will not suffer thy foot to
! be moved : and he that keepeth
; thee will not sleep.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel:
shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord himself is thy keep-
| er : the Lord is thy defence upon
thy right hand ;
6 So that the sun shall not burn
thee by day : neither the moon
by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee
from all evil : yea, it is even he
that shall keep thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy
247
Psalm CXXT— cont.
v. 1. The hill*— evidently the "holy
hills" (Ps. lxxxvii. 1), on which Je-
rusalem and the Temple are built.
The pilgrims look up to them gladly
on the eve of their arrival, and hail
the deliverance which God's Presence
gives from Zion icomp. Isa. lii. 7).
The last clause is perhaps best ren-
dered with R.V. as a question, " From
whence shall my help come?" to
which t\ 2 is the answer.
v. 2. Who hath made heaven and
earth (comp. Ps. cxv. 15; cxxiv. 7;
cxxxiv. 4). The title is emphatic.
The Lord's presence is visibly mani-
fested in the Temple, yet the Psalm
acknowledges in it the universal pre-
sence of the God of all creation.
v. 3. To be moved— to slip or wander.
vv. 8, 4 clearly allude to the expe-
rience of the pilgrims, in the dan-
ger and hardships of their journey.
They had lain down in the desert
to rest ; their own sentinels may have
failed ; but over them was the watch-
ful Eye, which neither slumbers nor
sleeps. For they are "Israel," the
chosen people of His covenant.
vv. 5, 6 similarly recall the wander-
ing through the desert. The Lord
is not only their keeper, but also
their "shade" ("defence") against
I the burning sun, and against the
| rays of the Eastern moon, tradition-
ally, and with reason, held to be
noxious to the sleeper.
rv. 7, 8 are more general in tone.
: acknowledging this protection of
their pilgrimage, as simply one ex-
I empliflcation of God's guardianship
! of His people in all their ways (see
I Deut. xxviii. 6).
Psalm CXXII.
This singularly beautiful Psalm is ascribed in the heading to David ; but
this ascription is wanting in the LXX. and other ancient versions, and is in
itself questionable, for the Psalm seems clearly to imply (v. 9) the existence
of the Temple. Probably, like the other Psalms, it is best referred to the
time of the Restoration, when the old glory of Jerusalem and of the House
of David seemed to be revived. In itself it follows naturally on Ps. cxxi. ;
the pilgrims are now actually entering the Holy City in a transport of
rejoicing over its beauty and prayer for its peace.
It contains (a), in vv. 1—5, the outburst of joy at having reached the goal
of their pilgrimage at last, and of exultation over the glory and beauty of
the Holy City; (6), in vv. 6—9, an utterance of prayer for its prosperity and
its peace, and of devotion to the House of the Lord.
three times a year (Exod. xxiii. 17 ;
xxxiv. 23; Deut. xvi. 16), which is
here spoken of as a testimony to thd
Divine Covenant with Israel. " Thd
tribe* of Israel" is a phrase proj
?erly belonging to the old times of
srael's glory ; but, now that thd
division of the after time was over!
and the distinct kingdom of Israel
had ceased to be, it was Judah whicM
inherited all the old promises and
titles of Israel. See Neh. viii. 171
ix. 1, 2, 3, &c.
v. i> dwells on the other great secrdj
of unity— the hallowed royalty on
David, restored, though shorn of it«
ancient glory, under Zerubbabel.
vv. 6—9. Through the passionate
and impressive prayer of these verses
runs continual allusion to the name
v. 2. Shall stand should be, " are
standing." The pilgrimage, gladly
begun and carried out, is over. It
only remains to " go into the House
of the Lord."
v. 3 should be rendered, " O Jeru-
salem, that art built as a city, that is
compact together." The allusion is
evidently to the physical position of
the city, closely covering its hills,
and shut in on almost every side by
deep ravines. But it may well be
that this compactness is taken as a
type of the higher national unity,
described below, of which it was the
centre.
v. 4. To testify unto Israel. This
phrase should be parenthetical—
" for a testimony unto Israel." The
reference is to the law of assembly
248
Day 27.
THE PSALMS.
going out, and thy coming in :
from this time forth for evermore.
PSALM 122.
Loatatus sum.
I WAS glad when they said un-
to me : We will go into the
house of the Lord.
2 Our feet shall stand in thy
gates : 0 Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is huilt as a city :
that is at unity in itself.
4 For thither the tribes go up,
even the tribes of the Lord : to
testify unto Israel, to give thanks
unto the Name of the Lord.
5 For there is the seat of judg-
ment : even the seat of the house
of David.
6 0 pray for the peace of Jeru-
salem : they shall prosper that
love thee.
7 Peace be within thy walls : and
plenteousness within thy palaces.
8 For my brethren and com-
panions' sakes : I will wish thee
prosperity.
9 Yea, because of the house of
the Lord our God : I will seek to
do thee good.
PSALM 123.
Ad te levavi oculos meos.
UNTO thee lift I up mine eyes :
0 thou that dwellest in the
heavens.
2 Behold, even as the eyes of ser-
vants look unto the hand of their
masters, and as the eyes of a
maiden unto the hand of her mis-
tress : even so our eyes wait upon
the Lord our God, until he have
mercy upon us.
3 Have mercy upon us, 0 Lord,
have mercy upon us : for we are
utterly despised.
4 Our soul is filled with the
scornful reproof of the wealthy :
and with the despitefulness of the
proud.
PSALM 124.
Nisi quia Dominus.
IF the Lord himself had not been
on our side, now may Israel
say : if the Lord himself had not
been on our side, when men rose
up against us ;
2 They had swallowed us up
quick : when they were so wrath-
fully displeased at us.
3 Yea, the waters had drowned
us : and the stream had gone over
our soul.
4 The deep waters of the proud :
had gone even over our soul.
5 But praised be the Lord : who
hath not given us over for a prey
unto their teeth.
6 Our soul is escaped even as a
bird out of the snare of the fowl-
er : the snare is broken, and we
are delivered.
7 Our help standeth in the
Name of the Lord : who hath
made heaven and earth.
PSALM 125.
Qui confidunt.
THEY that put their trust in the
Lord shall be even as the mount
Sion : which may not be removed,
but standeth fast for ever.
2 The hills stand about Jeru-
salem : even so standeth the Lord
round about his people, from this
time forth for evermore.
3 For the rod of the ungodly
cometh not into the lot of the
righteous : lest the righteous put
their hand unto wickedness.
4 Do well, O Lord : unto those
that are good and true of heart.
5 As for such as turn back unto
their own wickedness : the Lord
shall lead them forth with the
evil-doers ; but peace shall be up~
on Israel.
DAY 27.
(JHbenmg Pragcr.
PSALM 126.
In convertendo.
WHEN the Lord turned again
the captivity of Sion : then
were we like unto them that
dream.
2 Then was our mouth filled
with laughter : and our tongue
with joy.
3 Then said they among the
heathen : The Lord hath done
great things for them.
P-ai.m CXXII.— eont.
Jerusalem (as " the vision of peace ").
The prayer is both for temporal
plenty and prosperity, and for the
higher gift of true peace ; the inspi-
ration of that prayer is, first, the
love of the brethren, then the deeper
devotion to the House of the Lord.
The love of the Psalmist for his
country was patriotism, but it was a
patriotism consecrated by the con-
sciousness of a special mission and
blessing of God.
Psalm CXXIII.
This Psalm seems again to form, with Ps. cxxiv., czzv., cxxvi., a second
group of the " Songs of Degrees," somewhat sadder in tone, but shewing
an even deeper sense of confidence and thankfulness for " the turning of
the Captivity of Zion."
The Psalm itself is simply a cry of patient humility, waiting confidently
for the pity of the Lord towards His despised people. We see in Neh. ii. 19 ;
iv. 4 ; ix. 3ti, 37, the description of the depressed condition of the time after
the Return.
vv. 1, 2 have given to the Psalm its
old name of the Ocutns sperans. But
its hope is tinged with awe and deep
humility. In Ps. cxxi. 1 the eye is
raised in thankfulness to the holy
hills; here to Him "who dwelleth in
the heavens" in humble sense of His
infinite Majesty, and the utter lowli-
ness of those who are His despised
servants on earth. The eye of the
slave is fixed humbly on the hand of
his master to see what it may give ;
so the eye of longing waits on the
hand of the Lord, till He sends
mercy in His own good time.
vv. 3, 4 are even stronger and mor«
closely connected in the original.
" Our bouI is exceedingly filled with
contempt, exceedingly filled with the
scorn of those that are at ease ' ' ( comp.
Zech. i. 12—15), "and the contempt
of the proud." The history shews us
very strikingly the truth of this sor-
rowful complaint. The returned ex-
iles were a feeble folk, a despised rem-
nant, in the eyes of the strong heathen
nations around them. Their cry was
continually to the Lord for His mercy
and protection ; their strength in the
belief that the cry was heard.
Psalm CXXIV.
This Psalm is called a " Psalm of David " ; but the ascription is not found
in the ancient Versions. The style certainly has much of the vigour and
terseness of his earlier Psalms; and it is possible that some Psalms of
David may have been incorporated with the later "Songs of Degrees,"]
and adapted to the later experience of the restored exiles. It follows inj
natural connection on Ps. cxxiii. That Psalm was the cry for God's pity ;i
in this the cry has been answered. There has been (see rv. 1— 4i over*
whelming trouble, but deliverance out of it (see vc. 5—7) has come, and!
anxiety is lost in praise to God.
vv. 1 — 4 may allude either to the
overwhelming calamity of the Cap-
tivity itself, or— perhaps more pro-
bably— to the burst of hatred and
jealousy from all sides against Israel
after the Restoration— compared in
its fury to the devouring fierceness
of the wild beast, and in its irre-
sistible power to the torrent in flood.
». 2. Comp. Ps. hi. 1, 2; lvii. 3;
Prov. i. 12; Lam. ii. 5,8.
v. 4. The deep waters of the proud
should be (as in A.V. and R.V.),
"the proud waters," conscious of
overwhelming force.
vv. 6, 7 shew the mixture of meta*
phor, common in all impassioned
poetry. The fury of the enemy is
that of the wild beast, and the prei
is snatched out of the jaws of dan-
ger ; the craft is like the snare of the
hunter, and that snare is broken.
v. 7. Who hath mode, &c. icomp.l
Ps. cxxi. 2). The title is emphatic.
He is the Almighty ; how can the }
proudest stand against Him I
248 a
I
Psalm CXXV.
This Psalm carries on the sequence of thought from Ps. cxxiii., cxxiv.
The first joy of deliverance has passed into calm trustful confidence. The
Psalmist is in sight of Jerusalem ; he lifts up his eyes to it, and sees in the
Btrength and security of its position a type of safe establishment under the
sure guardianship of God, against tyranny from without and backsliding
from within. Nothing can better accord with the condition disclosed in
Neh. iv. — vi., xiii.
vv. 1, 2. The ideas of these two
verses stand in contrast. In v. 1 (as
in Ps. lxxviii. 70; lxxxvii. 1) the idea
is of the impregnable strength of
the Holy City in itself, typical of its
establishment on high by the un-
changeable covenant of the Lord.
In v. 2, on the contrary, the circle
of heights round Jerusalem— as seen,
for example, from the Mount of
Olives— suggests the encompassing
care of the lowly by a higher power
(comp. Zech. ii. 4, 5). In the one is
the secret of confidence, in the other
of a trustful humility (comp. Ps.xxx.
6-8).
v. 3. The rod— that is, "the scep-
tre " of ungodly and heathenish
power, tempting the righteous to
forsake the Law of God.
vv. 4, 5. The emphasis is on truth
of heart and etedfastness, as against
the turning back, directly or indi-
rectly, to the old wickedness of idol-
atry, which had drawn down God's
righteous anger (comp. Ezra ix. 6—
15; Neh. xiii. 17, 18, 25—27). The
backsliders, of whom there were evi-
dently many in Israel, desired to
cast in their lot with the ungodly;
that desire should be fulfilled to their
ruin.
v. 5. But peace shall be, &c. This
is properly a concluding ejaculation,
" Peace be upon Israel.
Psalm CXXVI.
This Psalm seems the last of the second group. The calm sense of
present confidence in Ps. cxxv. suggests here thought of the past and of
the future. The one yields (vv. 1—4) a burst of wondering thanksgiving
over the return of the exiles ; the other (vv. 5—7) prayer for a complete
restoration, so that the tears of the sowing may be lost in the joy of the
harvest. (It must be remembered that the era of the Restoration, from
Zerubbabel to Nehemiah, was about a hundred years.)
ture, which was to be the preparation
for Christ.
v. 5. Our captivity— that is, our
captives. The word is not the same
as in v. 1.
The rivers in the south — the torrents
of the desert south of Judaea. The
v. 1. The captivity — properly, " the
returned " or " restored."
Like unto them that dream. The
restoration of Judah after seventy
years — in a true national unity, con-
trasted with the absorption into As-
syria of the greater kingdom of
Israel— was a fact unique in history.
Naturally it was beyond all human
trope, and even to faith seemed like
;he experience of a dream, in which
wonderful things are accepted with-
>ut wonder.
v. 2. Joy— properly (as in A.V. and
ft.V.), "singing."
vv. 3, 4. The Lord hath done great
hings (see Joel ii. 21). The impres-
ion made on the whole empire by the
haracter and fortune of the Jews,
avoured by the sympathy of the
ersians (who were themselves ori-
inally Monotheists), is indicated in
iv ways in the history. It was
beginning of that diffusive in-
over heathendom in the fu-
248 b
dry bed is turned by sudden rain in
a few hours to a full torrent : so let
the desolation of Israel be in a mo-
ment turned to populousness and
prosperity.
vv. 6, 7. The time of sowing in the
East is ant to be one of anxiety and
despondency (after the exhaustion
of the stores of the year), contrasted
with the joyful plenteousness of har-
vest time. Hence the metaphor :
the time of affliction is the sowing
time of God's seed in the softened
heart; the joy, that no man takes
from us, belongs to the harvest, in
measure here, in perfection here-
after (comp. John xvi. 22; 2 Cor.
iv. 17. 18; 1 Pet. i. 6).
Psalm CXXVII.
This Psalm (noted in the heading as "of" or " for Solomon ") and Ps.
cxxviii. represent an entirely new phase in this series of Psalms. They are
both Psalms of a meditative trust and thankfulness, not unlike the tone of
the Book of Proverbs ; both deal with the blessings of domestic life ; in
neither can we trace any special characteristic of " the Songs of Degrees."
This Psalm — the famous Nisi DominuH—ia simply the utterance of the
faith, which "takes no thought" or anxiety. In the expressions "build
the house" (comp. 2 Sam. vii. 5), in the reference to a gift given in sleep
(1 Kings iii. 5—14), in the emphasis on praying as the gift of the Lord,
some have traced, not improbably, indications of the connection with
Solomon.
vv. 1—3. It is, of course, obvious
that in these verses human labour
and watchfulness are not for a mo-
ment deemed superfluous in their
right sphere. On the contrary, men
p. 4-6. It should be (as in R.V.)—
Lo ! children are an heritage of
the Lord,
And the fruit of the womb His
reward."
are to work and watch, just becanse The transition of thought here is
God works and watches for them, somewhat abrupt ; unless, indeed.
and then their " labour is not in vain
in the Lord" (comp. Phil. ii. 12, 13).
It is only when they neglect that
higher trust that " their labour is
lost."
the link be a reference to the com-
mon idea that they who have chil-
dren have "given host«ges to for-
tune," and so have greater need or
excuse for anxiety. The Psalmist,
on the contrary, declares them to be
S. So he ffiveth, &c, should pro- not only God's gift, but also the
bably be rendered (as in R.V. tnarg.
" So He giveth to His beloved in
their sleep," without toil of their
own. This verse goes a step beyond
the last ; the restless over-careful-
ness is contrasted with that trustful
and passive reception of God's bless-
strength and armour of earthly life.
It is in this connection that the
Psalm is used in the Churching of
Women.
r. 5. The young children should be
"the children of a man's youth,"
who will be grown men to protect his
ings, which in so large a sphere of age. both in war (v. 5) and in peace
human life is all of which we are
capable. When we have worked, as
far as our strength eroes, we rest
peacefully, and leave pJl else to come
to us freely, if it is His Will. This is
clearly the sense of Our Lord's own
teaching (Matt. vi. 25—34).
{v. fi\
v. 6. Tn the gate — that is, at the
place of trial < Deut. xxi. 19; Josh.
xx. 4; Ruth iv. 1, 2; Job xxix. 7),
where a father, supported by stalwart
sons, might fare better than the
childless (.see Job xxxi. 21).
Psalm CXXVIII.
This is a beautiful companion Psalm to Ps. cxxvii.— a picture of the home
of a God-fearing father, blessed with wealth and offspring, and with long
life to see God's blessing upon Jerusalem. Its promise (as so often in the
Old Testament) is the simple recognition of what should be the natural
law\ and which (although marred by the existence of evil) is the law of
God's dealing still, except when it pleases Him to set it aside, with a view
to spiritual discipline and higher spiritual blessing. Most appropriately it
is used as the first Psalm of our Marriage Service.
♦'.^1. Comp. Ps. exii. 1^ cxv. 13 ; nection of these words is erroneous,
oxix! 1. j for vines in the East are not as a
r. 2. The first gift of God is the rule trained on the walls. The verse
fruit of labour, without plague or < should be-
hindrance, such as is denounced
against the unpodly (Lev. xxvi. 16;
Deut. xxviii. 15 ; Ps. cxxvii. 8).
Needing man's labour, it is God's
gift still.
O well is thee, i.e. " to thee."
v. 3. On the tcalls, &c. The con-
" Thy wife, in the inner chamber,
is like the fruitful vine ;
Thy children, round thy table,
like the young olive shoots." ,
The "inner chamber" is the wo-
men's quarter of the house— the
right sphere of the wife's influence.
Day 27.
4 Yea, the Lord hath done great
things for us already : whereof we
rejoice.
5 Turn our captivity, 0 Lord :
as the rivers in the south.
6 They that sow in tears : shall
reap in joy!
7 He that now goeth on his
way weeping, and beareth forth
good seed : shall doubtless come
again with joy, and bring his
sheaves with him.
PSALM 127.
Nisi Dominus.
EXCEPT the Lord build the
house : their labour is but lost
that build it.
2 Except the Lord keep the city:
the watchman waketh but in vain.
3 It is but lost labour that ye
haste to rise up early, and so late
take rest, and eat the bread of
carefulness : for so he giveth his
beloved sleep.
4 Lo, children and the fruit of
the womb : are an heritage and
gift that cometh of the Lord.
5 Like as the arrows in the
hand of the giant : even so are
the young children.
6 Happy is the man that hath
his quiver full of them : they shall
not be ashamed when they speak
with their enemies in the gate.
PSALM 128.
Beati omnes.
BLESSED are all they that fear
the Lord : and walk in his
ways.
2 For thou shalt eat the labours
of thine hands : O well is thee,
and happy shalt thou be.
3 Thy wife shall be as the fruit-
ful vine : upon the walls of thine
house.
4 Thy children like the olive-
branches : roundabout thy table.
5 Lo, thus shall the man be
blessed : that feareth the Lord.
6 The Lord from out of Sion
shall so bless thee : that thou
shalt see Jerusalem in prosperity
all thy life long.
7 Yea, that thou shalt see thy
THE PSALMS.
Day 27.
children's children : and peace
upon Israel.
PSALM 129.
Scepe expugnaverunt.
MANY a time have they fought
against me from my youth
up : may Israel now say.
2 Yea, many a time have they
vexed me from my youth up : but
they have not prevailed against
me.
3 The plowers plowed upon my
back : and made long furrows.
4 But the righteous Lord : hath
hewn the snares of the ungodly in
pieces.
5 Let them be confounded and
turned backward : as many as
have evil will at Sion.
6 Let them be even as the grass
growing upon the house-tops :
which withereth afore it be pluck-
ed up ;
7 Whereof the mower filleth
not his hand : neither he that
bindeth up the sheaves his bosom.
8 So that they who go by say
not so much as, The Lord prosper
you : we wish you good luck in
the Name of the Lord.
PSALM 130.
De profundis.
OUT of the deep have I called
unto thee, 0 Lord : Lord, hear
my voice.
2 0 let thine ears consider well:
the voice of my complaint.
,3 If thou, Lord, wilt be extreme
to mark what is done amiss : O
Lord, who may abide it ?
4 For there is mercy with
thee : therefore shalt thou be
feared.
5 I look for the Lord ; my soul
doth wait for him : in his word is
my trust.
6 My soul fieeth unto the Lord :
before the morning watch, I say,
before the morning watch.
7 O Israel, trust in the Lord,
for with the Lord there is mercy :
and with him is plenteous redemp-
tion.
8 And he shall redeem Israel :
from all his sins.
249
Psalm CXXVIII.— cont.
The "olive shoots" are the young
shoots rooting themselves in the
ground round the parent tree.
r. d. There is a peculiar beauty in
this recognition of national blessing
as the crown of all domestic bless-
ing, lest home love and joy should be
(as they may be) only an extended
selfishness. The blessing comes
"from Zion," and its sphere is the
whole life of Israel. The father is
to live long to see it, as well as to
" see his children's children."
v. 7. And peace, &c. The original
is (as in Ps. cxxv. 5) a concluding
ejaculation, " Peace upon Israel '. "
Psalm CXXIX.
This Psalm, with Ps. cxxx., cxxxi., forms another group of sadder and
more penitential tone, expressing the sense of conflict ( Ps. cxxix.), the cry
out of the depths of trouble ( Ps. cxxx.), and the submission of a lowly
humility (Ps. cxxxi.). As pilgrim-songs they represent the humbler phase
of self-abasement and penitence in access to God.
This Psalm is not unlike Ps. cxxiv. in its general substance, but the tone
brings out more emphatically the intensity of the struggle against evil.
It is (at, in vv. 1—4, a picture of the fierceness of the enemy ; and (6), in
vv. 5—8, a prayer for his defeat and confusion.
v. 1. Vanp a time. The retrospect
is of the many invasions, conquests,
and devastations of the history
through all the ages of the decline
and fall of the kingdom. But
through all there is the conscious-
ness that " they have not prevailed,"
because God's covenant with Israel
remained sure.
v. 3. The image here is not of war,
but of the captivity which follows;
when the sconrge of the cruel master
furrows deeply the back of the slave.
v. 4. Comp. Ps. cxxiv. 6.
v. 6. Comp. Isa. xxxvii. 27, "They
were as the grass on the house-
tops, and as corn blasted before it be . ..
grown up." The grass grows out of I bless thee
Psalm CXXX.
This Psalm, the famous Be Profundus— the sixth of the Penitential
Psalms, used on Ash Wednesday— is a cry out of the depth, both at1
suffering and of the heavy consciousness of sin, like the bitter cry of
Rom. vii. 2t; but through its darkest sorrow there shines the trust i«2
God's mercy and in His certain blessing of those who wait for Him. eagerfr'
and yet patiently. The attitude of mind is exactly that of 2 Cor. iv. 8— HI
(" perplexed but not in despair ").
It stems to fall into four equal stanzas : (a), in vv. I, 2, the cry out of the
depth; (6), in vv. 3, 4, the rest on the mercy of God; (e), in vv. 5, 0, the
watching eagerly for His deliverance; (d), in vv. 7, 8, the exhortation to
trust in the Lord's unfailing mercy.
the crevices, and has no depth of
earth.
Afore it be plucked up. This read-
ing may stand with the original, and
is supported by some ancient ver-
sions ; but the reading (followed in
A.V. and R.V.) "before it groweth
up " is probably more correct, as it is
certainly more striking.
vv. 7, 8 are simply an expansion of
the idea of fruitlessness, by contrast
with a bright picture of the gather-
ing in of the harvest with blessing
and thanksgiving.
v. 8 is the harvest blessing itself.
Comp. Ruth ii. 4, " Boaz said unto
the reapers, The Lord be with you.
And they answered him, The Lord
ii. 2.
Comp. Lam. iii. 55; Jon.
fession of inability to stand strict
judgment without mercy, but the
implied trust that God will not so
judge, because " He knoweth where-
v. 3. Comp. Ps. lxxvi. 7; cxliii. 2;
Job x. 5—9. The original is here i «-
even stronger, "If Thou, Lord, i of we are made • He remembereth
shouldst mark iniquity," &c There | that we are but du8t-
is in these words, not only the con- ; v. 4. Therefore shalt Thou be few
249 a
a red,
Psalm CXXX.— cont.
or (as in A.V. and R.V.") "That Thou
may est be feared." God's mercy is,
with striking truth to nature, made
a ground for godly fear. Were there
no hope of His forgiveness, man
would simply "curse God and die,"
and the very terror of His Law would
(see Rom. vii. 9 — IS) call out the
resistance of sin and so bring death.
In the sense of His mercy we know
best the exceeding " sinfulness of
gin." Therefore, so far as we feel
that sin still clinging to us, we must
fear with godly fear ; while so far as
we feel its chains broken, "fear is
cast out by love."
v. 5. Comp. Ps. xxvii. 16; xxxiii.
19, 20; xl. 1. The stress is on the
word " wait " — the expression at once
of patience and of hope— and in this
verse and the next the emphasis is
marked by reiteration.
v. 6. Before the morning watch
should be, " more than watchers
wait for the morning " — in the
weary longing of sickness or distress,
or in the sacred vigils of prayer.
vv. 7, 8. Comp. Ps. cxxxi. 4. The
Psalmist turns his own experience
into exhortation to God's people,
" comforting them with the comfort
with which he himself is comforted
of the Lord " ; and at the same time
draws fresh confidence to himself by
resting on the covenant with Israel.
The true redemption, both of the
soul and of the Israel of God, is
" from sins " — not from the punish-
ment of sin, but from sin itself
(comp. Tit. ii. 14).
Psalm CXXXI.
This Psalm, ascribed to David, has something of the simplicity of his
earlier Psalms, and certainly breathes his spirit of absolute humility and
faith. It may well have been borrowed by exiles after their restoration to
express their own spiritual experience. It forms a natural sequel to Ps.
cxxix., cxxx. Out of struggle and agony of prayer comes the weary, but
quiet, rest of humility.
J do not exercise myself, &c.
Evidently the Psalmist is weary of
the attempts to search out to their
depths the reasons of God's deal-
ings, through which perhaps his soul
had passed in the hour of trial ; he
feels now (comp. Ps. cxxxix. 5) that
they are too high" ("wonderful")
for him " (comp. Isa. lv. 8, 9 ;
Eccles. xii. 12, 18). From even re-
verent speculation on such high
things, the soul comes back with
relief to the old childlike faith. We
what God's laws are ; in measure we
may see some of their reasons; but
for much we must fall back on faith,
t;. 3. Refrain my soul, and keep it
low, &c, should be (much as in A.V.),
" I have composed and quieted my
soul." The image is strikingly sim-
ple and true, of natural desire stayed,
and of a subdued quietness of rest
rather than delight.
v. 4. Comp. Ps. cxxx. 7. The words
form a natural burden of these
must, indeed, thoughtfully inquire Psalms of the restored captives.
Psalm CXXXII.
This Psalm— the grandest of all the " Songs of Degrees "—appears to
have been included in this series at the time of the Restoration, when
Israel looked back fondly to the glories of the first Temple ; and claimed for
their new Temple, in accordance with prophetic promise (Haggai ii. 3—9),
all, and more than all, " the glory of the former house." By some it is sup-
posed to have been composed at that time, with special reference to Zerub-
Dabel as the representative of David's house. But for many reasons it
leems far more likely to be a Psalm of earlier date, applied, perhaps
idapted, to the later occasion. By the 3tress laid on the desire of David to
mild the House of the Lord, on his actual bringing up of the Ark, and on
;he great promise given to him— as well as by the absence of all allusion (as
n Ps. lxxxix. 37—44) to subsequent times of disaster and apparent failure
if that promise— it seems probably to belong to the time of David or of
Solomon. Yet the want of any ascription to David, and the reference to
dm (vo. 1, 10, 11) in the third person, preclude the idea of its being from his
land. The topics of the Psalm, moreover, are prominent in the prayer of
Psalm CXXXIL— cont.
Solomon (1 Kings viii. 15—26) at the dedication of the Temple, and vv. 8-1
are actually embodied in that prayer in 2 Chr. vi. 41, 42. Hence it seem
best to refer the Psalm to that occasion, and possibly to the authorship o
Solomon himself. It might have been sung most appropriately at thi
solemn bringing up of the Ark from Zion to the new Temple (1 King
viii. 3—6).
It first (a), in pp. 1—5, pleads for God's remembrance of the longing o:
David to find a resting-place for the Lord; then (6), in ot, 6— 10, i
introduces the glad cry of the people, rejoicing to bring up the Ark, anc
praying for God's acceptance; to this succeeds (e), m cc. 11—14, a solemi
memorial before God of the promise to David; answered (rf), in vc. 15—19
by the voice of the Lord in fulness of blessing.
The Psalm is used as a Proper Psalm for Christmas Day. For on thai
day we commemorate the final fulfilment of the great promise to David
and the coming of Him, whose Presence was to make the higher glory oi
the second Temple.
v. 1. Lord, remember David, &c,
should be, " Lord, remember for
David all his trouble," accepting
it as a sacrifice, and fulfilling the
promise which rewarded it. So in
2 Chron. vi. 42, "Remember the
mercies of David Thy servant."
Comp. Neh. xiii. 14, 22, 81.
vv. 2—5. This vow is evidently con-
nected with the words of David to
Nathan, recorded in 2 Sam. vii. 2.
In these words the same idea is im-
plied, that it is unseemly for the
king to have rest, till he has found a
resting-place for the Ark of the Lord.
v. 2. Almighty God, &c. — properly,
"the mighty One of Jacob (comp.
Gen. xlix. 24).
r. 6. This beginning of the joyful
cry of the people involves some diffi-
culty. It is evidently a reminiscence,
natural to the occasion, of David's
bringing up of the Ark (2 Sam. *i.1
to Mount Zion; and the words "in
the wood"— properly, "in the fields
of the wood" — must refer to Kirjath-
jearim ("the city of woods"), where
the Ark had been twenty years
(1 Sam. vii. 2) in the days of Samuel,
and whence (2 Sam. vi. 2 ; Josh. xv.
9, 60) David brought it up. But the
clause, "we heard of it at Ephratah,"
is not so easy to explain. Ephratah
is, no doubt, Bethlehem (Gen. xxxv.
16, 19 ; xlviii. 7 ; Mic. v. 2) ; and in
the history there is no allusion to
Bethlehem in the bringing up of the
Ark. But it is possible that David
may have made his native city a
place of assembly for the starting of
the festal procession, so that the
people "heard" the summons at
Ephratah, and "found" the Ark al
Kirjath-jearim.
vv. 7—10 are the prayer of the
people on the solemn bringing oi
the Ark into the Temple bv the
priests (1 Kings viii. 3—6); declar-
ing delight in His worship (v. 7),
inviting Him to accept His :' resting
place" (v. 8; comp. 1 Kings viii. 18),
praying for His blessing on priests
and people (v. 9), and pleading His
promise to David {v. 10).
v. 9 may be responsive, between the
priests and the people ("the saints I
of God). The white garment of the
priest is the symbol of the clotlfing
of righteousness (see Zech. iii. :;, 4 ;
Rev. xix. 8). The verse forms the
third pair of versicles in the Shorter
Litany of our Morning Service.
v. 10. Turn not away the presence
(the face), &c— that is, " reject nob
tjhe prayer of Thy Anointed." Th«j
same phrase is used in this sense in
the Hebrew of 1 Kings ii. 16, 17, 20»|
and in a somewhat similar sense \vL
2 Kings xviii. 24. "The Anointed"
is clearly Solomon, pleading (seel
1 Kings viii. 15—20) the promise ttt
David; though symbolic interpret*- !
tion sees in the name One greater
than Solomon.
vv. 11 — 18 are a free quotation (as
in Ps. lxxxix. 3, 4, 20—34) of the pro-
mise through Nathan (2 Sam. vii.
12—15), "confirmed by an oath, in
which it was impossible for God to
lie" (Heb. vi. 17, IS).
v. 14. The choosing of Jerusalem
("Zion") for the resting-place of
the Ark is similarly connected in
Solomon's prayer with the fixing for
250
Day 27.
THE PSALMS.
Day 21
PSALM 131.
Domine, non est.
LORD, I am not high-minded :
I have no proud looks.
2 I do not exercise myself in
great matters : which are too high
for me.
3 But I refrain my soul, and
keep it low, like as a child that is
weaned from his mother :yea, my
soul is even as a weaned child.
4 0 Israel, trust in the Lord :
from this time forth for ever-
more.
Day 28.
jfRomtns prager.
PSALM 132.
Memento, Domine.
LORD, remember David : and
all his trouble ;
2 How he sware unto the Lord :
and vowed a vow unto the Al-
mighty God of Jacob ;
3 I will not come within the
tabernacle of mine house : nor
climb up into my bed ;
4 I will not suffer mine eyes to
sleep, nor mine eye-lids to slum-
ber : neither the temples of my
head to take any rest ;
5 Until I find out a place for
the temple of the Lord : an habi-
tation for the mighty God of
Jacob.
6 Lo, we heard of the same
at Ephrata : and found it in the
wood.
7 "We will go into his taberna-
cle : and fall low on our knees be-
fore his footstool.
8 Arise, O Lord, into thy rest-
ing-place : thou, and the ark of
thy strength.
9 Let thy priests be clothed with
righteousness : and let thy saints
sing with joyfulness.
10 For thy servant David's sake:
turn not away the presence of
thine Anointed.
11 The Lord hath made a faith-
ful oath unto David : and he shall
not shrink from it ;
12 Of the fruit of thy body :
shall I set upon thy seat.
13 If thy children will keep my
covenant, and my testimonies that
1 shall learn them : their children
also shall sit upon thy seat for
evermore.
14 For the Lord hath chosen
Bion to be an habitation for him-
self : he hath longed for her.
15 This shall be my rest for
ever : here will I dwell, for I have
a delight therein.
16 I will bless her victuals with
increase : and will satisfy her poor
with bread.
17 I will deck her priests with
health : and her saints shall re-
joice and sing.
18 There shall I make the
horn of David to flourish : I have
ordained a lantern for mine
Anointed.
19 As for his enemies, I shall
clothe them with shame : but
upon himself shall his crown
flourish.
PSALM 133.
Ecce, quam bonum !
BEHOLD, how good and joy-
ful a thing it is : brethren, to
dwell together in unity !
2 It is like the precious oint-
ment upon the head, that ran
down unto the beard : even unto
Aaron's beard, and went down to
the skirts of his clothing.
3 Like as the dew of Hermon:
which fell upon the hill of Sion.
4 For there the Lord promised
his blessing : and life for ever-
more.
PSALM 134.
Ecce nunc.
BEHOLD now, praise the Lord :
all ye servants of the Lord ;
2 Ye that by night stand in
the house of the Lord : even in
the courts of the house of our
God.
3 Lift up your hands in the
sanctuary : and praise the Lord.
4 The Lord that made heaven
and earth : give thee basing out
of Sion.
250
Psalm CXXXIL— vont.
evarof the royalty of David (1 Kings
viii. 10—21).
ov. 15—18 are the answer of the
Lord, corresponding to each point
of the prayer of the people — ex-
pressing the "desire" ascribed to
Him in v. 14, granting the two-fold
petition of v. 6, adding the blessing
of temporal prosperity to Jerusalem
(comp. the prayer of Ps. cxxii. 6, 7t,
and pledging His word once more
to the promise to David, pleaded in
vo. 10—13.
r. 18. The horn is the emblem o-
strength (oomp. 1 Sam. ii. 1 ; P»
lxxv. 5, 6 ; Ezek. xxix. 21) ; th*
lantern or " lamp " ( see 1 King
xi. 36) the light of God's favour.
c. 19. At /or Hit enemiet, &c. Th«.
promise was signally fulfilled in tin
glory of Solomon's kingdom ; but it
has its complete fulfilment in the
greater Kingdom of Him. who is U
" reign till He hath put all enemiei
under His feet."
Psalm CXXXIII.
This Psalm, a gem of simplicity and beauty— ascribed to David, and
certainly breathing his loving spirit— may have been, like others of th«
" Songs of Degrees," adopted in the later era of the Restoration to expres»
the delight in the newly-found unity, binding the scattered exiles togethen
and obliterating the old lines of division.
ing of the Ephod. The fragrant
oil touched the priests' garments-
which symbolize (see cxxxii. 9(
righteousness — and hallowed al
alike.
v. 3. The figure seems to represent)
the lofty mountains as collecting th*
moisture, and distilling it on tin
lower hills. The " dew of Hermon '
is naturally a dew of special copious-
ness. Zionis here contrasted (as ir
Ps. lxviii. 16) with the loftier heights-
above which it was exalted in sacred
ness. They gather God's blessing,
but it falls on Zion. The union o:<
Hermon and Zion is the union o
natural grandeur and special holi.
ness, under the blessing of God.
v. 4. For there, &c. "There" H
emphatic. Zion is the true centrr
of unity, because of the special
blessing of God, which is the unu
dying spiritual life of His covenani
r. 1. Brethren, &c, should be,
"for brethren to dwell together."
There is emphasis on the word
"brethren," as implying the duty
of recognising brotherhood ; and in
the phrase "dwell together" there
may be a reference to the joy of
actual reunion, as well as to the
spirit of unity.
vv. 2, 3. The characteristic idea of
both comparisons is that unitv is
acknowledged as the gift of God,
shed from Heaven upon the earth.
In v. 2 the comparison is to the holy
oil of consecration (Ex. xxx. tt— M).
which symbolized the outpouring of
the grace of God on the priest, as
the representative of Israel; in v. 3
to the dew of fruitfulness, shed from
the lofty snow-clad Hermon on the
lowly sacredness of Mount Zion.
v. 2. The tkirtt — properly, the
and probably (as in Exod
xxviii. 82) the collar or upper open- 1 for evermore.
Psalm CXXXIV.
This last and brightest of the " Songs of Degrees " is clearly (in vv. 1— SI
the greeting of the arrived pilgrims to the priests of the Temple, and in
v. 4 the answer of blessing from within. It seems to herald the opening oi
the gates, and the entrance into the Temple itself.
vv. 1, 2 (comp. Ps. cxiii. 1). By night. I v. 7 ; xxviii. 2, &c), in prayer at th-.
The service (see 1 Chron. ix. S3) in- offering of incense.
volved watching, both by night and ! v. 4. In the reply from within, th.
by day. Probably the stress here ! word "bless" is taken up in th«
laid en the night-service implies that | higher sense— not of the adoration o ,
the Psalm was sung just when that i man, but of the answering benedicj
night-servioe was over, before the ' tion of God. The Lord is the Make^
lights were put out, at or before the of heaven and earth " (asinPs.cxxivi
offering of the morning sacrifice. j 7), yet He gives special blessing ovi
. 8. In the tanctuarv— probably of Zion (comp. the priestly Lltuidim1
'•towards the sanctuary" (as in P-s, I in $um. yi. 24—26).
SSOa
Psalm CXXXY.
This Psalm— a Hallelujah Psalm— though not one of the "Songs o!
Degrees," breathes much of their spirit. (Its opening verses are all but
identical with those of Ps. cxxxiv.) It is evidently of late date, borrowing
largely from other Psalms and prophetic passages, without, however,
impairing its own coherence and beauty of style. It belongs evidently to
the worship of the Second Temple ; and it has been noted that some of its
topics occur in the Levitical Address in Neh. ix. 5—38. It is obviously
designed for festal use, perhaps in responsive alternation between priests
and people.
It opens (a), in vv. 1—3, with a call on the priests and Levites to praise
the Name of Jehovah ; then (b), in vv. 4—14, follows the song of praise to
Him, both as the Creator of the world and as the Deliverer of Israel ; this
changes (c), in vv. 15 — 18, to a scornful denunciation of idolatry ; and the
whole ends (d), in vv. 19—21, with a mutual call to worship of priests and
people, obeyed in a final chorus of praise.
vv. 1—3. Cp. Ps. cxiii. 1 ; cxxxiv. 1 ;
cxxxvi. 1 ; cxlvii. 1.
v. 8. The Lord is gracious. The
verse, as repeated with the words,
I For His mercy endureth for ever,"
in Ps. cxxxvi. 1, is identical with the
burden of the festal song at David's
bringing up of the Ark and Solo-
mon's dedication of the Temple
(1 Chron. xvi. 34, 41 ; 2 Chron. v. 13).
To bo "good"— that is, to "be true
in love " — is the essence of the Divine
nature, and therefore the image of
2 Christ in those who are His (Eph.
iv. 15). But the main emphasis is
laid on His love ; for " God is love."
Hence His Name is "lovely"; "we
love Him, because He first loved us "
J [1 John iv. 8, 19).
1 vv. 4 — 12 form the song of praise
.j )f Israel as the Lord's people ; first,
iwelling on the choice of Israel
\vvA, 5), then glancing at His Al-
nighty power over all the earth
pp. G, 7), and returning again
■1 vv. 8 — 12) from this to the exhibi-
1 ii ion of that power for His people in
;>o|he deliverance from Egypt and con-
iiiest of Canaan.
v. 4. See Ex. xix. 6; Deut. vii. 6;
iv. 2; xxvi. 19, &C.
V. 5. Comp. Ps. xcv. 3.
vv. 6, 7. As in all the Psalms of the
Restoration, there is an emphatic,
, !.'jliough passing, reference to the Al-
■' s. lighty hand of God in Nature— in
1 ' ords almost identical with Jer. x.
^, and apparently suggested by Job
250 b
xxviii. 24—26 ; xxxviii. 22—28. It
has been already noticed that the
" God of heaven" is the name espe-
cially given to the Lord in the history
of the Captivity and Restoration. In
the Exile from His special Presence,
the servants of God naturally fell
back on His universal and Almighty
Presence, as the " Lord of heaven
and earth."
vv. 8—14 pass from this adoration
of God's creative power to the re-
membrance of ancient mercies in the
deliverance from Egypt and con-
quest of Cana in, using these as an en-
couragement to the faith that now
" God will avenge His people, and
repent Himself" ("be gracious")
"concerning His servants" — taking
away the judgment that He had laid
upon them, and punishing the cruelty
of their enemies, which had been
overruled to His chastening purpose.
vv. 15 — 18, by a sudden transition
of thought, suggested by the idea of
the Divine vengeance on the hea-
then, pass to a denunciation of the
vanity of idols, repeated with slight
variation from Ps. cxv. 4—8.
vv. 19, 20, using a phrase which
seems to have become almost a litur-
gical form (see Ps. cxv. 9—13 ; cxviii.
2—4), invite "the house of Israel,"
"the house of Aaron " (and " Levi"),
and " those who fear the Lord," to
praise the Lord. The invitations
are probably responsive ; and the
answer of v. 21 sung in full chorus.
21
Psalm CXXXVI.
This Psalm— called by some Jewish authorities "the great Hallel"—
traverse * much the same ground as Ps. cxxxv. 5 — 14, but with some ampli-
fication and with constant repetition of the traditional burden, " For His
mercy endureth for ever," found in Ps. cvi. 1 ; cvii. 1 ; cxviii. 1—4, and in
the historic records of 1 Chron. xvi. 34 ; 2 Chron. v. 18 ; vii. 8, 6 ; xx. 21. It
bears evident marks of arrangement for responsive recitation of the first
clauses of the successive verses, with the burden sung in full chorus.
Like the previous Psalm it dwells (a), in pp. 1 — 4, on the supreme Majesty
of God ; (ft), in vv. 5—9, on His Creative power and wisdom ; (c), in pp. 10—2*2,
on His ancient deliverance of Israel ; and (rf). in »»• 23—26, on His recent
mercies. (The 27th verse is an erroneous repetition of v. 3, derived from
the Vulgate.)
pp. 2, 8. The title " God of gods |
and Lord of lords " is found in Deut.
x. 17 ; Josh. xxii. 22, and revived em- I
phatically in Dan. ii. 47 ; xi. 86. It j
of course expresses the exaltation of |
the true God over " the gods many i
and lords many" of heathenism;
possibly it may imply also His su- I
preme dominion over the highest j
created beings, called gods," as in j
Ps. Ixxxii. 1 ; cxxxviii. 1.
pr. 5—9 follow the record of Crea- |
tion in Genesis, and vv. 7—9 agree
almost verbally with Gen. i. 16.
pp. 10, 15, 18 append the burden, i
"For His mercy endureth for ever,"
to the terrible examples of God's
vengeance on the Egyptians and the
Canaanites. This, no doubt, pri- j
marily regards these actions of Di- I
vine Providence from an Israelitish
point of view, as interpositions for
the protection of His people. But,
nevertheless, it is true absolutely
that— the world being what it is—
vengeance on oppression and corrup-
tion belongs to the " mercy," as well
as the righteousness, of God.
vv. 28—25. The last section of the
Psalm evidently refers to the deliver-
ance and restoration from Captivity.
Hence v. 25 can hardly be taken in
the general sense of Ps. civ. 27, 28;
cxlv. 15, 16. without breaking the co-
herence. Probably there is reference
to famine and distress among the
restored exiles (see Hag. i. 9—11;
ii. 16—19), removed, like other trou-
bles and dangers, by the blessing of
the Lord.
Psalm CXXXVII.
This Psalm, which has passed into a proverbial type of infinite pathoe
and of an intense patriotic and reverent love of Jerusalem, is apparently the
work of a returned exile, forwhom the bitter remembrance of the past, and
perhaps sight of the desolation before his eyes, make the iron of captivity
still enter into the soul. (In one MS. of the Septuagint it is attributed,
probably by a mere guess, to Jeremiah.) He sees again (in vv. 1—8 1 the
despairing and insulted captivity by the waters of Babylon ; he recalls (in
pp. 4—6) the answer of pathetic remonstrance to th« taunts of the enemy;
and then (in vv. 7—9) breaks out into fierce denunciation of the unbiotherlj
enmity of Edom and the cruelty of Babylon. In all its phases the inspira-
tion of the Psalm is the same love of the Holy City, as holy, which breathe!
in the joy of Ps. cxxii.
p. 1. The waters— the great rivers of
the Babylonian plain, the Euphrates
and Tigris, which would most for-
cibly impress the exile from the hill-
country of Judsea.
p. 2. The trees— properly, the " wil-
lows" fringing the stream. The
" weeping willow " ia the Salix Baby-
lonica.
Therein— properly, "in the midst
251
thereof," i.e. of Babylon, the greal
city covering many square miles
famous for its parks and gardens.
p. 8. And melody in our heavines
should be (preserving the parallel
ism), " and they that wasted
(asked us) for mirth." The demanc
sounds like a mere taunt, but it msv
have been an implied exhortation f'i
forget a lost home, and make th«
Day 28.
THE PSALMS.
Day 28.
0
PSALM 135.
Laudate Nomen.
PRAISE the Lord, laud ye
the Name of the Lord : praise
it, 0 ye servants of the Lord ;
2 Ye that stand in the house
of the Lord : in the courts of the
house of our God.
3 O praise the Lord, for the
Lord is gracious : 0 sing praises
unto his Name, for it is lovely.
4 For why ? the Lord hath
chosen Jacob unto himself : and
Israel for his own possession.
5 For I know that the Lord is
great : and that our Lord is above
all gods.
6 Whatsoever the Lord pleased,
that did he in heaven, and in earth:
and in the sea, and in all deep
places.
7 He bringeth forth the clouds
from the ends of the world : and
sendeth forth lightnings with the
rain, bringing the winds out of his
treasures.
8 He smotG the first-born of
Egypt : both of man and beast.
9 He hath sent tokens and won-
ders into the midst of thee, 0
thou land of Egypt : upon Pha-
raoh, and all his servants.
10 He smote divers nations :
and slew mighty kings ;
Day 28.
11 Sehon king of the Amorites,
and Og the king of Basan : and
all the kingdoms of Canaan ;
12 And gave their land to be
an heritage : even an heritage
unto Israel his people.
13 Thy Name, 0 Lord, endur-
eth for ever : so doth thy memo-
rial, 0 Lord, from one generation
to another.
14 For the Lord will avenge his
people : and be gracious unto his
servants.
15 As for the images of the
heathen, they are but silver and
gold : the work of men's hands.
16 They have mouths, and speak
not : eyes have they, but they see
not.
17 They have ears, and yet they
hear not : neither is there any
breath in their mouths.
18 They that make them are
like unto them : and so are all
they that put their trust in
them.
19 Praise the Lord, ye house
of Israel : praise the Lord, ye house
of Aaron.
20 Praise the Lord, ye house
of Levi : ye that fear the Lord,
praise the Lord.
21 Praised be the Lord out of
Sion : who dwelleth at Jeru-
GBfa-cmng ^rager.
PSALM 136.
Confltemini.
OGIVE thanks unto the Lord,
for he is gracious : and his
mercy endureth for ever.
2 O give thanks unto the God
of all gods : for his mercy endur-
eth for ever.
3 0 thank the Lord of all
lords : for his mercy endureth
for ever.
4 Who only doeth great won-
ders : for his mercy endureth for
ever.
5 Who by bis excellent wisdom
made the heavens : for his mercy
endureth for ever.
$ Who Uk\ out the earth above
the waters : for his mercy endur-
eth for ever.
7 Who hath made great lights :
for his mercy endureth for ever ;
8 The sun to rule the day : for
his mercy endureth for ever ;
9 The moon and the stars to
govern the night : for his mercy
endureth for ever.
10 Who smote Egypt with their
first-born : for his mercy endur-
eth for ever;
11 And brought out Israel from
among them : for his mercy en-
dureth for ever ;
12 With a mighty hand, and
stretched out arm : for his mercy
endureth for ever.
13 Who divided the Red sea in
261
Psalm CXXXVIL— cont.
best of a new country; and the an-
swer perhaps suits best with this
latter explanation.
t\ 4. The Lord's xong. The title is
emphatic; the only true "Songs of
Zion" were the Psalms of sacred
joy, which it were profanation to
sins in a strange heathen land. It
is characteristic that here, as always,
the love for Jerusalem is mainly not
domestic or national, but religious.
v. 5. Forget her cunning. The last
two words are an insertion ; some
render simply "Let my right hand for-
get," i.e. be numbed into deadness.
v. 6. In mi/ mirth— properly, "above
my chief joy." The remembrance,
even in sadness, is sweeter than the
joy, which is possible onlv to an un-
feeling forgetfulness. "'Tis better
to have loved and lost, than never to
have loved at all."
v. 7. See the bitter denunciation
of the unnatural exultation and
cruelty of Edom which runs through
the Book of Obadiah (especially
Psalm CXXXVIII.
This Psalm is the first of a group (cxxxviii.— cxlv.) ascribed traditionally
to David, in some cases bearing also other names, probably as having
undergone adaptation before insertion in the last book of the Psalter.
Thus in this Psalm the LXX. adds to the ascription to David the names of
Haggai and Zechariah, apparently supposing that these Prophets of the
Restoration period had to do with the Psalm in its present form. Certainly
the Psalms themselves, while they bear no indication of date, yet in fulness
r>f meaning, force, and occasional difficulty, resemble the earlier utterances
of David far more than the smoother and easier Psalms of later date.
It falls into three sections: (a), in vv. 1—8, the song of praise and thanks-
giving ; (A), in vv. 4—6, the exaltation of the Lord before the nations ; (c), in
vv. 7, 8, the expression of confidence for the future.
the later period, the knowledge of
v. 1. O Lord. The words are an
insertion from the LXX. In the
original the Psalmist, full of the
thought of God. needs no name to
designate the object of his worship.
Before the gods. The word Elohim
is used sometimes of the angels (as
perhaps in Ps. viii. 5), sometimes of
the great men of the earth (as in
Ixxxii. 1, 6), and constantly of the
Jehovah was declared by worship in:
the face of heathenism.
v. 2. Thy Name, and Thy Word, &c.
This rendering, following some an*
cient versions, is a gloss to soften
the unique expression of the origi-
nal, which is (as in A.V. and R.V.),
"Thou hast magnified Thy Word
above all Thy Name." Generally
false gods of the heathen. The first the "Name" of God is the whole
sense is out of place here ; either of manifestation of Himself ; here the
the others will suit the passage, but Word (i.e. the promise) of God is
perhaps the last is simplest. Even described as going beyond all oilier
in David's time, and much more in manifestation of His goodness i comp.
re. 10—15), and comp. Ezek. xxx.
12—11 ; xxxv. 4— in.
v. 8. Wasted with misery, if the
true reading, may be descriptive of
the destruction already coming on
Babylon in the Persian conquest,
or anticipatory of a doom to come.
By a slight variation of text some
read, "wasting (others) in misery,"
to the great improvement of the
force of the passage.
v. 9. This terrible imprecation of
the worst cruelty, which disgraced
the exterminating wars of ancient
times (see 2 Kings viii. 12 ; Isa. xiii.
10 ; Hos. x. 14 ; Nah. iii. 10), is wrung
from the Psalmist— perhaps by the
recollection of the cruelty which he
had seen and suffered— perhaps by
the sense of the insolence and op-
pressive wickedness which made
Babylon the type of the enemies
of God— fit only for absolute exter-
mination, like the Canaanites of old
time. Like the "Psalms of Impre-
cation," it breathes the stern spirit
of the Old Testament, not the Divine
love of the New.
2*2
Day 28.
THE PSALMS.
two parts : for his mercy endur-
cth for ever ;
14 And made Israel to go through
the midst of it : for his mercy cn-
dureth for ever.
15 But as for Pharaoh and his
host, he overthrew them in the
Red sea : for his mercy endureth
for ever.
16 Who led his people through
the wilderness : for his mercy en-
dureth for ever.
17 Who smote great kings : for
his mercy endureth for ever ;
18 Yea, and slew mighty kings :
for his mercy endureth for ever ;
19 Sehon king of the Amo-
rltes : for his mercy endureth for
ever ;
20 And Og the king of Basan :
for his mercy endureth for ever ;
21 And gave away their land
for an heritage : for his mercy
endureth for ever ;
22 Even for an heritage unto
Israel his servant : for his mercy
enduretli for ever.
23 Who remembered us when
we were in trouble : for his mer-
cy endureth for ever ;
24 And hath delivered us from
our enemies : for his mercy en-
dureth for ever.
25 Who giveth food to all
flesh : for his mercy endureth for
ever.
26 0 give thanks unto the God
of heaven : for his mercy endureth
for ever.
27 O give thanks unto the Lord
of lords : for his mercy endureth
for ever.
PSALM 137.
Super flumina.
BY the waters of Babylon we
sat down and wept : when we
remembered thee, 0 Sion.
2 As for our harps, we hanged
them up : upon the trees that are
therein.
3 For they that led us away
captive required of us then a
song, and melody, in our heavi-
ness : Sing us one of the songs of
Sion.
4 How shall we sing the Lord's
song : in a strange land ?
Day 28.
5 If I forget thee, 0 Jerusalem :
let my right hand forget her cun-
ning.
6 If I do not remember thee,
let my tongue cleave to the roof
of my mouth : yea, if I prefer not
Jerusalem in my mirth.
7 Remember the children of
Edom, 0 Lord, in the day of Je-
rusalem : how they said, Down
with it, down with it, even to the
ground.
8 0 daughter of Babylon, wast-
ed with misery : yea, happy shall
he be that rewardeth thee, astiiou
hast served us.
9 Blessed shall he be that tak-
cth thy children : and throweth
them against the stones.
PSALM 138.
Confiteljor tvbi.
I WILL give thanks unto thee,
O Lord, with my whole heart:
even before the gods will I sing
praise unto thee.
2 I will worship toward thy
holy temple, and praise thy Name,
because of thy loving-kindness
and truth : for thou hast mag-
nified thy Name, and thy Word,
above all things.
3 When I called upon thee,
thou heardest me : and enduedst
my soul with much strength.
4 All the kings of the earth
shall praise thee, 0 Lord : for
they have heard the words of thy
mouth.
5 Yea, they shall sing in the
ways of the Lord : that great is
the glory of the Lord.
6 For though the Lord be high,
yet hath he respect unto the low-
ly : as for the proud, he beholdeth
them afar off.
7 Though I walk in the midst
of trouble, yet shalt thou refresh
me : thou shalt stretch forth thy
hand upon the furiousness of mino
enemies, and thy right hand shall
j save me.
8 The Lord shall make good
his loving-kindness toward me :
J yea, thy mercy, O Lord, endur-
I eth for ever ; despise not then the
I works of thine own hands.
252
Psalm OXXXVHI.-eoMf.
r. 8). If the Psalm be David's, the
reference must be to the great pro-
mise of 2 Sam. vii. 8—16. We can-
not but notice that He, who was
foretold, was Himself the Word,
magnified above all other manifes-
tations of God.
vv. 4—6. This sense of the witness
to Jehovah before the kings of the
earth, by the exaltation of the lowly,
and the turning away of His face
from the proud, is thoroughly in
David's spirit. But it would come
back with special appropriateness to
the restored exiles (see Ps. lxviii. 29 ;
cii. 15, 16) — knowing, as they did,
how striking a witness for Jehovah
was borne before the heathen by the
very fact of their restoration.
v. 8. Make good, &c, is properly (as
in A.V. and R.V.), ''The Lord will
perfect that which concerneth me "
—again a clear expression of faith in
some definite and peculiar dispensa-
tion of God to Israel (comp. 2 Sam.
vii. 25).
The Korku of Thine own hands. The
plea (as in Job x. 8, 8; xiv. 15) is that,
lowly and frail as man is, He who
created him, and, in David's case,
made him the heir of a transcendent
promise, will not " despise him "
(comp. in sense Isa. lxiv. 9—12).
Psalm CXXXIX.
In the whole Psalter there is no utterance which more strikingly
embodies the great idea of the Psalm as such— the realization (that is) of
God's Presence to the soul, as possessing, encompassing, and inspiring its
inner life. The tone of this supreme consciousness is here mainly a tone
of wonder and awe; the Psalmist goes so far as to conceive of a vain
attempt to floe from it ; even when he puts this aside, he is lost in the
mystery of the creating and sustaining power, in which alone he lives;
and, by an abrupt, yet natural, transition of thought, takes refuge in the
moral aspect of life, which he can grasp— in the intense sense of the duty
of conflict with evil, and earnest prayer for God's righteous judgment and
His guidance. In this last thought he gladly accepts the searching know-
ledge of God before which he had previously felt himself overawed. The
whole Psalm breathes exactly the spirit of Rom. xi. 38, " O the depth of the
riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God ! how unsearchable are
His judgments, and His ways past finding out ! "
It is ascribed to David, and in the Alexandrian MS. of the LXX. bears
also the name of Zechariah. Some Aramaisms of style may, perhaps,
indicate that in its present form it has passed under a later hand. But in
substance the whole, and especially the last section (vv. 19—21., harmonize
so well with the spirit of David's Psalms, that it is difficult altogether to set
aside the traditional ascription.
The Psalm begins (a), in vv. 1—5, with a vivid realization of God's
Presence; then (ft), in vv. 6 — 11, asking whether it could be possible to
flee from it, finds it encompassing the soul in all the height and depth, in
all the length and breadth, of creation ; and (c), in vv. 12—18, is led by the
sense of this all-enfolding Presence to dwell on the mystery of man's
creation, transcending human thought; finally (d), in vv. 19—24, it turns
to intense hatred of evil, as sinning against the Creative will, and prays
for guidance in the "everlasting way'' of God.
vv. 1—5 dwell successively on God's
knowledge of deed and word and
thought, on His searching trial of
all human life, on His all-pervading
control of human will, and contem-
plate all these in adoring wonder.
v. 1. Long before. The original is
simply (as in A.V. and R.V.) "afar
off." Our version here is an expla-
nation of the phrase, probable and
beautiful, but not absolutely certain.
252 a
v. 2. Art about, &c, shottld be (as
in R.V.), "Thou searchest out" oi
"winnowest" all my ways, instin
guishing the good from evil, wisdom
from folly.
v. 3. The more probable rendering
is, " A word is not yet on my tongue.
Lo ! Thou knowest it altogether"—
that is, before the word is spoken.
Thou knowest the yet unutteredj
thought. .
Psalm CXXXIX.— cont.
v. 4. Fashioned me should be, "sur-
rounded me," or "beset me" (as in
Job iii. 23 ; xiv. 5, 13 ; xxiii. 8—10)
tin every side, hedging in my ways,
and "laying" a controlling "hand
upon me."
v. 5. should be (as in R.V.)—
" Such knowledge is too wonderful
for me,
It is high; I cannot attain unto
it."
(Comp. Is. lv. 9.)
v. 6. Thy Spirit is distinguished
from "Thy presence" — the encom-
passing power (that is) of God's
Providence. There is an evident
consciousness of a Divine Spirit
speaking personally to the spirit of
man (comp. vv. 23, 24), as vivid as in
the constant prophetic declaration.
"The Spirit of the Lord was upon
me." In consciousness of the opera-
tion of the Holy Ghost the Old Tes-
tament differs but in degree from
the New ; it is in the knowledge of
His distinct Personality that the
word of Our Lord Himself is our
only guide.
v. 7. "Heaven" is opposed to
"hell" [Sheol or Hades), primarily
in the sense of height as opposed to
depth (comp. Job xi. 8; Isa. xiv. 14,
15; Matt. xi. 23); although perhaps
there may also be allusion to the
contrast of light and darkness, pre-
sence with and absence from God.
Go down, &c, should be, "make ray
bed in Sheol" — the resting-place of
the dead (comp. Job xxvi. 6; Prov.
xv. 11).
v. 8. The uttermost parts of the sea
are the extreme West; "the wings
of the morning" bear the dawn
swiftly thither from the horizon of
the East. Over all the length and
breadth of the universe God's hand
reaches.
vv. 10, 11 should be (as in R.V.)—
" If I say, Darkness shall cover me
And the light about me shall be
night,
Lo ! the darkness," &c.
A3 God's Presence is universal, so
His watchful Eye is inevitable (Job
xxxiv. 22). Darkness is no darkness
to Him who is Himself Light.
vv. 12—16 dwell with almost scien-
tific exactness on the mystery of
human birth and growth from the
ombryo to the full manhood— the
252 b
formation of the inner structure
("the reins"), "knit together"
("covered") in the womb (v. 12),
the growth of the hard bony frame-
work (v. 14), the appointment of the
fixed days of growth up to the birth
itself (vv. 15, 16).
v. 12 should probably be —
" For Thou hast formed my reins,
Thou hast knit (or woven) me to-
gether in my mother's womb."
"The reins" (as in Ps. xvi. 7, &c.)
are the inmost seat of life and feeling.
v. 13. Fearfully and wonderfully.
The words express the general spirit
of the whole contemplation — not
merely wonder, but wonder passing
into awe, in the sense of the inscru-
table mystery of God's working, as in
the great universe, so in the human
nature — "the microcosm," which in-
cludes in it all the various elements
of His Creation.
v. 14. Beneath in the earth — pro-
perly, "in the depths of the earth."
The phrase (generally applied to the
unseen Sheol) is here probably a bold
metaphor for the darkness of the
womb, although it may be an allu-
sion to the formation of man from
the " dust of the earth."
v. 15. My substance yet being imper
feet is a paraphrase of the single
original word, which signifies the
embryo " rolled together."
My members written. The words
"my members" are supplied, pro-
bably by error. The sense seems to
be—
" In Thy book were all written,
The days which were numbered,
When as yet none of them was."
In the book of God's foreseeing
purpose, the days of growth were
appointed. The fixed periods of
growth, maturity, and decay are a-
mong the chief mysteries of the
human nature.
vv. 17, IS break out into a cry of
adoring wonder, now, however, not
of fear, but of grave delight; for
God's creative thoughts, if trans-
cending the conception of the mind,
are " precious" to the heart.
v. 18. When I wake up, &c. The
phrase seems to indicate the use of
the Psalm as a Morning Hymn fas
in Ps. lxiii. 7). The sense of God's
Presence rushes back in the first
freshness of waking thought.
Psalm CXXXIX. -«>»«.
vv. 19—24 pass from intellectual
contemplation, in which the mind
is lost, to the moral consciousness,
which is within our grasp — first, in
hatred of the evil (singularly charac-
teristic of David's Psalms), and then
in earnest aspiration for righteous-
ness. The transition seems abrupt,
but there is in it an underlying co-
herency (comp. in Ps. xix. the tran-
sition from the wonder of God's
creative work in the heavens to His
Law, "converting the soul" and
" giving light to the eyes ").
vv. 21, 22 bring out precisely the
point of distinction of the Old Tes-
tament morality from the higher
teaching of the Gospel. We ma>
hate evil itself "with a perfect
hatred" ("right sore"); we may
even make God's enemies our own.
But as the Gospel has revealed Hia
love even to sinners, till they be
utterly reprobate, so we may not
hate either our enemies or His.
vv. 23, 24 accept thankfully the
sense of God's searching knowledge
of the sou1, praying that He will use
it to teach us the sin that is in us,
and turn us from it to "the way
everlasting" of His righteousness.
The God, whom the mind cannot
comprehend, the conscience delights
to recognise.
Psalm CXL.
This Psalm is closely connected in style and expression with Ps. cxli.,
cxlii. All are ascribed to David, and, except for the occurrence here and
there of peculiar words, supposed to be of later date (which may be
simply a mark of adaptation), the internal evidence favours the ascription.
There is similarity both in style and in idea to the earlier Psalms of 1 'avid
(see especially Ps. lvii. and lxiv.). In style we note the greater difficulty of
interpretation, arising from force and compression of meaning ; in idea we
Hud the same combination of craft and violence against the Psalmist, and
the same union in him of fierceness against the enemy and sure confidence
in God. To which of the great crises of his life— the persecution of early
days or the rebellion of Absalom— it is to be referred, it is hard to say. Tho
Syriac heading, " when Saul cast the javelin at him," adopts the former.
The Psalm is divided by the Selah — so often found in the earlier Psalms
— into four parts. There is a cry to the Lord (a), in vv. 1 — 8, against open
violence ; (b), in vv. 4, 5, against treachery ; (c), in vv. 6—8, a prayer for the
continuance of the salvation given in days past ; and id), in vv. 9—13, an
anticipation of signal vengeance on the wicked, and triumphant safety of
the servant of God.
v. 1. The wicked man— properly,
"the man of violence," who uses,
however, not the hand only, but the
tongue. Compare the picture of
Doeg in Ps. lii.
v. 8. There is a mixture here of the
two metaphors, so often used of
slander — the cruel sharpening of the
tongue like a weapon (see Ps. lii. 3;
Iv. 22 ; lxiv. 3), and the deadly ser-
pent-like poison (Ps. lviii. 4).
v. 5. Comp. Ps. xxxv. 7; lvii. 7;
cxix. 110 ; cxli. 10. The expression
suits perhaps better the early ex-
perience of David, when treachery
on every side set snares for the fugi-
tive.
v. 6. 1 said, &c. (comp. Ps. xxxi. 14).
In the confident declaration of faith
in God, as his God, even when He
seems afar off, the Psalmist finds his
strength.
253
v. 7. Thou hast covered ivy head—
with the helmet of salvation (lsa.
lix. 17; 1 Thess. v. 8; Eph. vi. 17). \
David's memory goes back to the I
days of his triumphant war in the I
armour of God against the enemies
of Israel, and inspires hope of pre-
sent deliverance.
v. 10. Let hot burning coal?, &c—
that is, let the lightnings of God's
wrath (comp. Ps. xviii. 8, 12, 18),;
strike them down.
Into fire and into the pit. The
word " pit " is a rare word, difficult
of interpretation. Probably the
meaning is the " deep pits " or
"floods" (as in R.V. marg.) of
waters, and so the idea is of fire
and water as the symbols of oppo-
site means of destruction (comp.
Ps. lxvi. 11s). Some, however, refer
the word to the pit of the burning
Day 29.
THE PSALMS.
Day 29.
Day 29.
JWornmg $rager.
0
PSALM 189.
Domine, probasti.
LORD, thou hast searched
me out, and known me : thou
knowest my down-sitting, and
mine up-rising ; thouunderstand-
est my thoughts long before.
2 Thou art about my path, and
about my bed : and spiest out all
my ways.
3 For lo, there is not a word in
my tongue : but thou, 0 Lord,
knowest it altogether.
4 Thou hast fashioned me be-
hind and before : and laid thine
hand upon me.
5 Such knowledge is too won-
derful and excellent for me : I
cannot attain unto it.
6 Whither shall I go then from
thy Spirit : or whither shall I go
then from thy presence ?
7 If I climb up into heaven,
thou art there : if I go down to
hell, thou art there also.
8 If I take the wings of the
morning : and remain in the utter-
most parts of the sea;
9 Even there also shall thy hand
lead me : and thy right hand shall
hold me.
10 If I say, Peradventure the
darkness shall cover me : then
shall my night be turned to
day.
11 Yea, the darkness is no dark-
ness with thee, but the night is
as clear as the day : the dark-
ness and light to thee are both
alike.
12 For my reins are thine : thou
hast covered me in my mother's
womb.
13 I will give thanks unto thee,
for I am fearfully and wonder-
fully made : marvellous are thy
works, and that my soul knoweth
right well.
14 My bones are not hid from
thee : though I be made secretly,
and fashioned beneath in the
earth.
15 Thine eyes did see my sub-
stance, yet being Imperfect : and
in thy book were all my members
written ;
16 Which day by day were
fashioned : when as yet there was
none of them.
17 How dear are thy counsels
unto me, 0 God : O how great is
the sum of them !
18 If I tell them, they are
more in number than the sand :
when I wake up I am present
with thee.
19 Wilt thou not slay the wick-
ed, 0 God : depart from me, ye
blood-thirsty men.
20 For they speak unrighteous-
ly against thee : and thine ene-
mies take thy Name in vain.
21 Do not I hate them, 0 Lord,
that hate thee : and am not I
grieved with those that rise up
against thee ?
22 Yea, I hate them right sore :
even as though they were mine,
enemies.
23 Try me, O God, and seek
the ground of my heart : prove
me, and examine my thoughts.
24 Look well if there be any
way of wickedness in me : and
lead me in the way everlasting.
PSALM 140.
Eripe me, Domine.
ELIVER me, 0 Lord, from
the evil man : and preserve
me from the wicked man.
2 Who imagine mischief in their
hearts : and stir up strife all the
day long.
3 They have sharpened their
tongues like a serpent : adder's
poison is under their lips.
4 Keep me, 0 Lord, from the
hands of the ungodly : preserve
me from the wicked men, who
are purposed to overthrow my
goings.
5 The proud have laid a snare
for me, and spread a net abroad
with cords : yea, and set traps in
my way.
D
253
21—5
Psalm CXL.— cont.
of refuse, and so make it parallel,
and not antithetical, to " fire."
v. 11. A man full of word* — that is
(as in A.V. and R.V.) an evil speaker
(comp. Ps. lii. 3—5).
Evil shall hunt, &c. The hunter of
Innocence is himself hunted by Evil.
v. 18. Continue in Thy eight— pro-
perly, " dwell in Thy presence,"
under the shadow of Thy wings
(comp. Ps. xvii. 8 ; xxxvi. 7 ; lxiii. 7,
&c). The description of the sufferer
as helpless and afflicted, yet upright
and confident in God, suits exactly
the tone and circumstances of Da-
vid's earlier Psalms.
Psalm CXLI.
This Psalm evidently belongs to the same time and hand as Ps. cxl. The
position described is the same ; many or the expressions are similar (comp.
Ps. cxl. 5 with cxli. 10) ; the general tone and style are the same, except
that Ps. cxli. is even more difficult of interpretation through the vigour and
rapidity of thought. The ascription to David is strengthened by strong
internal evidence, and the most probable reference is to his early days
of trial.
The Psalm, after (a), in vv. 1, 2, the introduction of earnest supplication,
goes on (6), in vv. 8 — 6, to pray for grace to turn from the allurements of
the wicked, even to the severity of the righteous ; and ends (c), in vv. 7—11,
with a cry, earnest and yet trustful, for deliverance out of extremest peril,
and for signal vengeance on the enemy.
v. 2. Incense, offered after sacri-
fice, is the symbol of the worship of
the soul already reconciled to God
(,comp. Rev. v. 8; viii. 8, 4). The
evening sacrifice ( Exod. xxix. 89) is
the regular burnt-offering of self-
dedication. The Psalm is evidently
an Evening Psalm, and the Psalmist,
perhaps far from the worship of the
Tabernacle, yet not from God's Pre-
sence, lays before Him the offering of
pure worship (comp. Mai. i. 11).
vv. 8, 4 are a prayer against temp-
tation to join in the words and deeds
of the evil. The Psalmist will not
" eat of their dainties " (see A.V.
and R.V.), delighting in their false
delights.
vv. 5, 6 are very difficult of trans-
lation. In the first sentence the
general sense is clear : " Faithful
are the wounds of a friend ; but the
kisses of an enemy are deceitful"
{.Prov. xxvii. 6). Probably the best
rendering is (as in R.V.)—
" Let the righteous smite me, it
shall be kindness ;
Let him reprove me— it shall be
oil for the head ;
Let not my head refuse it."
The smiting of just severity heals
while it seems to wound, and honours
while it seems to dishonour.
Th^ second clause, however, " For
even in their wickedness shall my
prayer continue " (see R.V .), abrupt-
?5*
ly turns to the former subject, and
prays earnestly against the evil,
which threatens the servant of God.
v. 7 seems to mean, "Let their
judges be hurled down the sides of
the rock" (comp. 2 Chron. xxv. 12) ;
" then shall they hear my words that
they are sweet. The word "sweet"
is the same as "dainties" in v. 4.
In the time of utter overthrow the
leaders of wickedness shall know too
late the true sweetness from the
false.
v. 8 should be—
" As (when) one furrows and
cleaves the earth,
So our bones lie scattered at the
mouth of the pit (Sheol)."
The verse is difficult ; but probably
the image is of the stones turned up
by the plough, to which the bones of
the slain are compared. As the text
stands, the Psalmist cries to God for
help over the whitening bones of his
servants. Some, however, of the An-
cient Versions read "their bones,"
and thus carry on to this verse more
simply the idea of v. 7— the bones of
those hurled from the rock left to
strew the earth below.
v. 11. Comp. Ps. vii. 17 ; xxxv. 8.
The close of the Psalm, after all ita
intensity of complaint and supplica-
tion, is in the tone of a tranquil faith
looking up with unbroken trust to
1 His protection.
Day 29.
THE PSALMS.
Day 29.
6 I said unto the Lord, Thou
art my God : hear the voice of my
prayers, 0 Lord.
7 0 Lord God, thou strength of
my health : thou hast covered my
head in the day of battle.
8 Let not the ungodly have his
desire, O Lord : let not his mis-
chievous imagination prosper, lest
they be too proud.
9 Let the mischief of their own
lips fall upon the head of them :
that compass me about.
10 Let hot burning coals fall
upon them : let them be cast into
the fire, and into the pit, that they
never rise up again.
11 A man full of words shall
not prosper upon the earth : evil
shall hunt the wicked person to
overthrow him.
12 Sure I am that the Lord
will avenge the poor : and main-
tain the cause of the helpless.
13 The righteous also shall give
thanks unto thy Name : and the
just shall continue in thy sight.
PSALM 141.
Domine, clamavi.
LORD, I call upon thee, haste
thee unto me : and consider
my voice when I cry unto thee.
2 Let my prayer be set forth in
Day 29.
thy sight as the incense : and let
the lifting up of my hands be an
evening sacrifice.
3 Set a watch, 0 Lord, before
my mouth : and keep the door of
my lips.
4 0 let not mine heart be in-
clined to any evil thing : let me
not be occupied in ungodly works
with the men that work wicked-
ness, lest I eat of such things as
please them.
5 Let the righteous rather smite
me friendly : and reprove me.
6 But let not their precious
balms break my head : yea, I will
pray yet against their wicked-
ness.
7 Let their judges be over-
thrown in stony places : that they
may hear my words, for they are
sweet.
8 Our bones lie scattered be-
fore the pit : like as when one
breaketh and heweth wood upon
the earth.
9 But mine eyes look unto thee,
0 Lord God : in thee is my trust,
O cast not out my soul.
10 Keep me from the snare that
they have laid for me : and from
the traps of the wicked doers.
11 Let the ungodly fall into
their own nets together : and let
me ever escape them.
<£bmmg Prager.
PSALM 142.
Voce mea ad Dominum.
I CRIED unto the Lord with
my voice : yea, even unto the
Lord did I make my supplica-
tion.
2 I poured out my complaints
before him : and shewed him of
my trouble.
3 When my spirit was in hea-
viness thou knewest my path : in
the way wherein I walked have
they privily laid a snare for me.
4 I looked also upon my right
hand : and saw there was no man
that would know me.
5 I had no place to flee unto :
and no man cared for my soul.
6 I cried unto thee, 0 Lord,
and said : Thou art my hope,
and my portion in the land of
the living.
7 Consider my complaint : for
I am brought very low.
8 0 deliver me from my perse-
cutors : for they are too strong for
me.
9 Bring my soul out of prison,
that I may give thanks unto thy
Name : which tiling if thou wilt
grant me, then shall the righteous
resort unto my company.
PSALM 143.
Domine, exaudi.
EAR my prayer, 0 Lord, and
consider my desire : hearken
H
254
I
Psalm CXLII.
This Psalm, again clearly connected with the preceding, is in the heading
ascribed to David, " when he wasin the cave "—the cave evidently of Adullain
(I Sam. xxii. 1) or Engedi (1 Sam. xxiv. 3), during the persecution of Saul.
(Compare the heading to Ps. lvii.) The tenour and style suit well with the
ascription ; and the Psalm, though simpler and easier of interpretation,
describes much the same position as Ps. cxl., cxli.
It is (a), in vv. 1—5, a complaint to the Lord out of trouble and desolation ;
and (6), in vv. 6—9, a prayer of mingled distress and faith for deliverance.
v. 1. In this verse, as in the follow-
ing verse, all the verbs should be in
the present tense, " I cry," &c. The
complaint is of present distress.
v. 8. Thou knetceat my path. This
remembrance of former mercies is a
trleam, thrown from above, in the
darkness. For the moment it simply
enhances the sense of the surround-
ing troubles ; for the future it is the
earnest of salvation.
v. 4. On my right hand— the place
(see Ps. xvi. 9; cix. 30; cxxi. 5)
where protectors and friends should
stand. The original is more graphic.
" Look at my right hand and see !
There is none," &c.
v. 5. My *ovl is here .clearly "re.?
life," already in prison (see v. 9), and
doomed to death.
v. 6. My hope should be, "my re-
fuge"—the same word paraphrased
as " place to flee Tinto " in v. 5. God
is a present refuge, a home for the
homeless soul ; as He is also a " por-
tion" (comp. Ps. xvi. 6; lxxiii. 25,
&c.) for the destitute.
In the land of the living (comp. Ps.
xxvii. 13)— the brightness of life, seen
as all the brighter out of the shadow
of death.
v. 9. Out of prison— the cave, in
which David was shut up by the
pursuit of Saul (1 Sam. xxiv. 8), as
a prisoner condemned to die. The
latter part of the verse should pro-
bably be rendered (as in R.V.)—
" The righteous shall compass me
about,
?or Thou shalt deal bountifully
with me."
The deliverance of one servant of God
is a rallying point of encouragement
to others.
Psalm CXLIII.
This Psalm— the last of the Seven Penitential Psalms, used in our
Service on Ash Wednesday— belongs in style and tone to the same group
as Ps. cxl.— cxlii., and bears, like them, the name of David. In some
copies of the LXX. is added, "when he fled from Absalom his son." It
has many resemblances to earlier Psalms ; and this has been thought to
indicate a later date. But, if not David's, it is wonderfully accordant with
the spirit of the Psalms of his later life. For we find in it a tone of deeper
pathos, a stronger conviction of sin, and a greater calmness than in the
preceding Psalms— very characteristic of the utterances of the period to
which the ascription refers it.
It is divided by the Selah into two parts : (a), in vv. 1—6, the complaint
of persecution without, consciousness of sin within, and intense longing
after God; (6), in vv. 7—12, the cry out of this distress for God's mercy,
both in spiritual light and in temporal deliverance.
ant with His eternal "righteous-
ness." The appeal is joined in the
same breath with confession (in v. 2)
of utter inability to stand before His
judgment— in words recalling some
passages of the Book of Job (iv. 17—
19; ix. 2, 3; xv. 14-16; xxv. 4—6).
The whole breathes exactly the spirit
of 1 John i. 2, "If we confess our
v. 1. Hearken unto me. The render-
ing should be (as in R.V.)—
" In Thy faithfulness answer me
and in Thy Righteousness."
Here (as in Ps. xxxi. 1 ; cxv. 1 ) the
appeal is to God's promise to His
servant, which He will keep in
"faithfulness," because it is accord-
855
Day 29.
unto me for thy truth and righ-
teousness' sake.
2 And enter not into judg-
ment with thy servant : for in
thy sight shall no man living be
justified.
8 For the enemy hath perse-
cuted my soul ; he hath smitten
my life down to the ground : he
hath laid me in the darkness, as
the men that have been long
dead.
4 Therefore is my spirit vexed
within me : and my heart within
me is desolate.
5 Yet do I remember the time
past ; I muse upon all thy works :
yea, I exercise myself in the works
of thy hands.
6 I stretch forth my hands un-
to thee : my soul gaspeth unto
thee as a thirsty land.
7 Hear me, 0 Lord, and that
soon, for my spirit waxeth faint :
THE PSALMS.
Day 29.
hide not thy face from me, lest I
be like unto them that go down
into the pit.
8 0 let me hear thy lovingkind-
ness betimes in the morning, for
in thee is my trust : shew thou
me the way that I should walk
in, for I lift up my soul unto
thee.
9 Deliver me, O Lord, from mine
enemies : for I flee unto thee to
hide me.
10 Teach me to do the thing that
pleaseth thee, for thou art my God:
let thy loving Spirit lead me forth
into the land of righteousness.
11 Quicken me, 0 Lord, for thy
Name's sake : and for thy righ-
teousness' sake bring my soul out
of trouble.
12 And of thy goodness slay
mine enemies : and destroy all
them that vex my soul ; for I am
thy servant.
Day 30.
iffilommg prager.
PSALM 144.
Benedictus Dominus.
BLESSED be the Lord my
strength : who teacheth my
hands to war, and my fingers to
fight;
2 My hope and my fortress,
my castle and deliverer, my de-
fender in whom I trust : who
subdueth my people that is under
me.
3 Lord, what is man, that thou
hast such respect unto him : or
the son of man, that thou so re-
gardest him ?
4 Man is like a thing of nought :
his time passeth away like a sha-
dow.
5 Bow thy heavens, 0 Lord, and
come down : touch the mountains,
and they shall smoke.
6 Cast forth thy lightning, and
tear them : shoot out thine arrows,
and consume them.
7 Send down thine hand from
above : deliver me, and take me
out of the great waters, from the
hand of strange children ;
8 Whose mouth talketh of va-
nity : and their right hand is a
right hand of wickedness.
9 I will sing a new song unto
thee, O God : and sing praises
unto thee upon a ten- stringed
lute.
10 Thou hast given victory un-
to kings : and hast delivered Da-
vid thy servant from the peril of
the sword.
11 Save me, and deliver me
from the hand of strange chil-
dren : whose mouth talketh of
vanity, and their right hand is a
right hand of iniquity.
12 That our sons may grow up
as the young plants : and that our
daughters may be as the polished
corners of the temple.
13 That our garners may be
full and plenteous with all man-
ner of store : that our sheep may
bring forth thousands and ten
thousands in our streets.
14 That our oxen may be strong
to labour, that there be no decay:
no leading into captivity, and no
complaining in our streets.
15 Happy are the people that
are in such a case : yea, blessed
S55
Psalm CXLIIL— cont.
sins, He is faithful and just to forgive
us our sins, and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness."
Enter not into judgment, &c. (comp.
cxxx: 3). The prayer is, of course,
v. 7.
16—18.
Comp. Ps. xxviii. 1; Ixix.
v. 8. Betimes in the morning. The
phrase, of course, only signifies
early "—a speedy dawn upon the
not to escape God's judgment, which ' night of trouble ; but it probably
is inevitable, but to find that in i indicates the use of the Fsalm as an
judgment He will, according to His
promise, remember mercy. Comp.
John v. 24.
v. 3. Darkness — the darkness of the
shadow of death, compared to the
Sheol of the spirits " long dead " (Ps.
lxxxviii. 5).
v. 5. The time past— "the days of
old" (comp. Ps. lxxvii. 5, 10, 11)—
Evening Psalm.
v. 9. I flee unto Thee, &e. The
phrase is literally, " Unto Thee
have I hidden " — " myself " or " my
sorrow." Comp. Ps. cxlvi. 5, 6.
v. 10. Land of righteousness should
probably be, " a straight " or "level
path." The sense may be as in our
version, or "in a path of safety, where
the times of God's blessing in the i none can stumble " (as in Ps. xviii.
earlier years of youth and prosperity i 19; xxvi. 12 ; xxxi. 8). In either case
(comp. Job xxix.). Such remem- ■ the guidance is (comp. Ps. cxxxix. 6)
brance has always a tone of mingled not only from the Providence, bub
sadness and hope. i from the " good Spirit " of God.
v. 6. Comp. Ps. xlii. 2 ; lxiii. 2. ! v. 12. See note on Ps. cxxxvi. 15.
The "hunger and thirst after righ- Whatever of human frailty may
teousness" is ultimately a thirst for attach to the desire of vengeance,
God. The metaphor may well have yet the fact remains that to smite
been suggested by the flight into the I the oppressor of righteousness is a
desert. i part of " the goodness " of God.
Psaxm CXLIV.
This Psalm, noted in the heading as " David's," appears to bear distinct
marks of a composite character. In vv. 1—11 it is clearly made up of
earlier Psalms of David; at v. 12 there is an abrupt transition, and the
closing verses are of marked beauty and originality. Probably the Psalm
is of late date : and the Psalmist first pours out his soul in the well-known
words of David, and then adds a prayer— his own, or (as some think) an
ancient prayer made his own— for blessing upon Israel.
In vv. 1 — 4 we have (a) a contrast between the greatness of God's strength
and the littleness of man ; then (6), in vv. 5—11, a prayer for the visible
interposition of His Providence to defend His king against the children of
the stranger; lastly (c), in vv. 12—15, a picture of the prosperity desired of
God for Israel.
vv. 1, 2 are evidently taken from
Ps. xviii. 1, 34, 47, but with two cha-
racteristic changes, according with
the tone of the preceding Psalms.
God is called the Psalmist's "loving-
kindness" ("hope"), and his "re-
fuge" ("in whom I trust"). Comp.
Ps. cxliii. I, 2, 8; cxlii. 5. These give
a tinge of sadder experience to the
exulting confidence of David's great
Te Deum.
vv. 8, 4 are again taken from Ps.
viii. 4 ; xxxix. 6, 7 ; Job xiv. 1, 2. But
the use of them here in contrast with
the eternal strength of God is en-
tirely original. The Psalmist recog-
nises a "strength made perfect in
weakness."
vv. 5—8, 11, return to Ps. xviii. 9,
18, 14, 16, 45, 46, only changing its
triumphant declarations into prayer,
and interspersing occasional refer-
ences to other Psalms; but, as be-
fore, the Psalmist handles the old
j materials freely, and uses expres-
j sions peculiarly his own.
v. 5. Comp. Ps. civ. 32. The allu-
! sion is probably to the descent on
: Mount Sinai.
I v. 9. See Ps. xxxiii. 2. 3: xl. St
xcii. 3, &c. .
255 <
Psalm CXLIV — cont.
vv. 9, 10 are an utterance of antici-
patory thanksgiving in the midst of j
prayer, based on recollections of past |
mercy. The expression of v. 10 is
pecnliar. God is acknowledged in
ir, as the King of kings; and "Da-
vid His servant " taken as the highest ;
type of the kings to whom He gives
victory. The blessing to David is,
of course, extended, in thought and
hope, to the children of David.
v. 11 (like v. 7) quotes the earlier
Psalm ; but the phrase. " the strange
children" ("children of the stranger"),
must have had a larger sense than
of old. To David they were but the
hostile nations round; to the later
Psalmist not only these, but the
greater conquerors and oppressors
of God's people.
vv. 12—15 present a simple and
singularly beautiful picture of the
peace and prosperity of those "who
nave," and feel that they have, "the
Lord for their God." It seems to
have about it a tinge of simpler
antiquity. It is, perhaps, still free
Quotation, but of a Psalm which
otherwise we do not know. This is
made probable by the abruptness
and difficulty of the grammatical
connection with the previous vereec
in the original.
v. 12. As the youva plants (comp.
Ps. cxxviii. 4; Isa. liii. 2)— in con-
tinued increase of strength and
fruitfulness.
As the polished corners of the Temple
—properly (see E.V.), "as corner
stones hewn after the fashion of a
palace." The word "corners" or
"corner pillars" is used in Zech.
ix. 15; "hewn" is "sculptured."
The allusion is clearly to the grace-
ful ornamental corner-pillars of a
palace.
v. 18. Streets should be "fields."
v. 14. The translation of this verse
is singularly difficult, although the
general sense is plain enough. Pro-
bably the best rendering is—
" Our cattle laden with produce (or
" big with young ") ;
No breaking in (of assault) ,
No going forth (to captivity), no
cry in our streets."
v. 15 is the Psalmist's conclusion
of the whole— applying it evidently
to the condition of his own people;
as happy in temporal prosperity, but
as happy far more, in "having the
Lord for their God."
Psalm CXLV.
This singularly beautiful Psalm is an acrostic Psalm, in which the 14th
letter (Nun) is omitted. (The omission is supplied by a variation of v. 17 in
the LXX., and in some versious which follow it.) It is headed "David's
Psalm of praise "—the word used being the same as in the title of the
whole book. The ascription may only indicate its character as a typical
Bong of praise; but it may, perhaps, more probably point (as in other
Psalms of this group Ho a work originally that of David, which in its present
form has passed under other hands. It is used in the Church as the last
Psalm of W hit Sunday, immediately following Ps. civ., to which it bears
many resemblances.
As is the case of all alphabetical Psalms, the sectional division is less
marked than usual. But after the introductory verses [vv. 1, 2), it seems
%o hymn successively («), in vv. 3—6, God's greatness; (6), in vv. 7—16, His
goodness ; and (c), in vv. 17—21, His righteousness.
v. 8. Comp. Ps. xlviii. 1 ; xcvi. 4 ;
fob v. 9 ; ix. 10.
v. 5. Of Thy worship, &c, should be
(much as in R.V.), " the splendour
»f the glory of Thy majesty." God's
"majesty" is His inherent great-
aess; His "glory" is the manifes-
tation of that majesty; and its
I splendour " is the brightness of
this manifestation as it is seen by
Che eyes of men. These (says the
Psalmist) are to be seen by those
255 b
who meditate upon "His wondrous
works."
vv. 5, 6 represent vividly the indi-
vidual praise of the inspired leader,
and the responsive chorus, which it
elicits from the mass of men.
v. 7 indicates the passing to the
consideration of the moral attri-
butes of God — His goodness and
His righteousness— which form the
leading ideas of the rest of the
Psalm.
Psalm CXLV.— cont.
v. 8. Comp. Ps. ciii. 8, and the
revelation of God to Moses in Exod.
xxxiv. 6, 7.
v. 10 seta forth the double hymn of
praise always going tip to God— the
deep inarticulate praise of "All His
works " (as in Ps. cxlviii. and in the
Benedicite), and the clear and con-
scious adoration of " His saints,"
who not only praise, but "bless"
Him in thankfulness.
vv. 11—13 go back to the greatness
and eternity of God's kingdom ; but
now, with peculiar beauty of idea,
dwell on it, as shewn forth especially
in His graciousness. He "declares
His Almighty power most chiefly
In showing mercy and pity." The
contemplation of simple majesty
breathes merely awe ; the sense of
graciousness in majesty adds to it
the glow of thankfulness.
v. 13. Comp. Dan. iv'. 3, 34. What
is infinite in greatness must be infi-
nite in duration.
v. 11 turns to dwell on God's es-
pecial and personal mercy to the
fallen and the lowly (comp. Ps.
cxlvii. 3, 4) ; and the thought leads
on (in vv. 15, 16) to the dependence
of all creatures on His sustaining
hand (comp. Ps. civ. 27, 28), which
satisfies the special desire and need
of each living thing.
v. 17. Holy should probably be
"gracious" (,as in Jer. iii. 12, tho
only other place where the word is
used). The Psalmist dwells finally
on God's relation to those who are
His, as a relation both of righteous-
ness and of mercy. They "call upon
Him" ; they "fear Him" ; they "love
Him." He hears, saves, and pre-
serves them. Only in connection
with this salvation of those who love
Him does the Psalm glance at the
destruction of the ungodly, who war
against them and against Him.
v. 21 sums up the idea of the
whole. The Psalmist leads the
choir of God's praise; "all flesh"
is called to join it.
Psalm CXLVI.
This Psalm opens a group of five Hallelujah Psalms, closing the Psalter
with praise— sometimes called a second " Hallel," in relation to the " Great
Hallel " of Ps. cxiii.— cxviii. In the LXX. this Psalm and the next two
are ascribed to Haggai and Zechariah. The whole group evidently belongs
to the time of the Restoration, and nothing is more likely than that these
Psalms were composed as a part of the Liturgy of the restored Temple
Service. This Psalm is closely connected in idea with Ps. cxlv., and has
many points of resemblance to it, even in detail. Like all the compositions
of the era of the Restoration, it is full also of reminiscences of earlier
Psalms. It is simply a contrast of the frailty of all earthly trust with the
blessedness of faith in the Lord, who (as in Ps. cxlv.) is described as beyond
all else a God of mercy to all phases of human suffering and weakness.
0.1. Comp. Ps. ciii. 1; civ. 88. The
being of man is viewed as absolutely
dependent on the breath of God;
therefore every moment of its exist-
ence is to be devoted to Him.
0. 2. Put not your tru$t in princes
(comp. Ps. cvii. 40 ; cxviii. 8, 9; cxix.
28, 161; Isa. ii. 22). These words,
which have passed into a proverb
(with perhaps some variation from
their original meaning) refer evi-
dently in the first instance to the
princes of the Persian Empire and
its subject kings around, as alter-
nately favouring and persecuting
the people of God. We read (Ezra
v. 1, 2; vi. 14) of the encouragement
needed from the lips of the Pro-
phets. These words of the Psalm
C6H
convey just the needful encourage-
ment.
Nor in anv child of man should be
(as in R.V.)—
" Nor in the son of man, in whom
there is no help."
The "son of man" (as we know
its higher use in the New Testament
is man at his best; even in him,
simply man, there is no help.
v. 3. The true rendering (as
A.V. and R.V.) is more graphic—
" His breath goeth forth ;
He returneth to his earth ;
In that very day his thought
perish."
vv. 4, 5 dwell, as usual in tl
Psalms of this date, on God, as
Day
are the people who have the Lord
for their God.
PSALM 145.
Exaltabo te, Deus.
I WILL magnify thee, 0 God,
ray King : and I will praise
thy Name for ever and ever.
2 Every day will I give thanks
unto thee : and praise thy Name
for ever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and mar-
vellous worthy to be praised :
there is no end of his greatness.
4 One generation shall praise
thy works unto another : and de-
clare thy power.
5 As for me, I will be talking
of thy worship : thy glory, thy
praise, and wondrous works ;
6 So that men shall speak of
the might of thy marvellous acts :
and I will also tell of thy great-
ness.
7 The memorial of thine abun-
dant kindness shall be shewed :
and men shall sing of thy righte-
ousness.
8 The Lord is gracious, and
merciful : long-suffering, and of
great goodness.
9 The Lord is loving unto every
man : and his mercy is overall his
works.
10 All thy works praise thee, 0
Lord : and thy saints give thanks
unto thee.
11 They shew the glory of
thy kingdom : and talk of thy
power ;
12 That thy power, thy glory,
and mightiness of thy kingdom :
might be known unto men.
13 Thy kingdom is an everlast-
ing kingdom : and thy dominion
endureth throughout all ages.
14 The Lord upholdeth all such
as fall : and lifteth up all those
that are down.
15 The eyes of all wait upon
thee, O Lord : and thou givest
them their meat in due season.
16 Thou openest thine hand :
and nllcst all things living with
plcnteousness.
17 The Lord is righteous in
THE PSALMS.
Day 30.
all his ways : and holy in all his
works.
18 The Lord is nigh unto all
them that call upon him : yea,
all such as call upon him faith-
fully.
10 He will fulfil the desire of
them that fear him : he also will
hear their cry, and will help
them.
20 The Lord preserveth all them
that love him : but scattereth a-
broad all the ungodly.
21 My mouth shall speak the
praise of the Lord : and let all
tiesh give thanks unto his holy
Name for ever and ever.
PSALM 146.
Lauda, anima inea.
PRAISE the Lord, 0 my soul;
while I live will I praise the
Lord : yea, as long as I have any
being, I will sing praises unto my
God.
2 O put not your trust in
princes, nor in any child of man :
for there is no help in them.
3 For when the breath of man
goeth forth he shall turn again
to his earth : and then all his
thoughts perish.
4 Blessed is he that hath the
God of Jacob for his help : and
whose hope is in the Lord his
God;
5 Who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that therein is .•
who keepeth his promise for ever ;
6 Who helpeth them to right
that suffer wrong : who feedeth
the hungry.
7 The Lord looseth men out of
prison : the Lord giveth sight to
the blind.
8 The Lord helpeth them that
are fallen : the Lord careth for
the righteous.
9 The Lord careth for the stran-
gers ; he defendeth the fatherless
and widow : as for the way of the
ungodly, he turneth it upside
down.
10 The Lord thy God, O Sion,
shall be King for evermore : and
throughout all generations.
256
Psalm CXLVI.— cont.
once the " God of Jacob" and " the
Creator of heaven and earth" icomp.
Ps. cxxi. 2, 4; cxxiv. 7; cxxxiv. 4).
In the sense of the nearer relation is
the secret of love ; in the larger con-
ception the secret of reverence; in
both the ground of faith.
vv. 6—9. The Psalmist, after glanc-
ing at God's Almighty power, dwells
in detail on His mercy to the op-
pressed, the famished, the captives,
the blind, the fallen, and the deso-
late. But His "love" is to "the
righteous." Only in relation to this
thought does the Psalmist touch on
| His punishment of the ungodly
| (comp. Ps. cxlv. 15—20). In all these
j forms of mercy there is clearly remi-
i niscence (Uteral or metaphorical) of
! the return and restoration of the ex-
! iles ; in all (it has been noted) there
I is unconscious foreshadowing of the
' work of the Divine Redeemer on
I earth.
v. 10 naturally ends the whole by
I dwelling on the eternity of the Lord's
I kingdom and of His covenant with
j Israel. Even the fulness of His
: mercy would not satisfy, if it could
pass away (comp. Pb. cxlv. 18).
Psalm CXLVII.
This Psalm, also obviously of the time of the Restoration, has been
referred with much probability to the great occasion of thanksgiving after
the completion of the walls and gates of Jerusalem (see vv. 2, 3, 13),
recorded in Neh. xii. 27—43, "when the joy of Jerusalem was heard even
afar off." The leading idea of the Psalm, recurring again and again, is
the working out of the same twofold consciousness of God, which is touched
on in Ps. cxlv. 10—16; cxlvi. 4, 5. His Almighty rule over the world,
and His special and tender providence over Israel, are brought out re-
peatedly in singularly beautiful contrast. The Psalm is full of remini-
scences of earlier Psalms, especially Ps. xxxiii., civ., and of the Book of
Job; in one passage (vv. 3—5) it closely follows Isa. xl. 26—29; but yet it
has all the force and freedom of originality.
After the introductory verses (1, 2), calling for praise to the Lord, "the
builder up of Jerusalem," we have (a), in vv. 3—6, a thanksgiving to Him
as at once the Creator of the great Universe and the tender Guardian of
His lowest servants ; then (b), in vv. 7—11, a description of His beneficence
to all the earth, yet especially to those who fear Him ; lastly, in vv. 12—20,
the praise of Him, who has " made fast the gates " of Jerusalem, and who,
besides the revelation of Himself through the creative word, which all
Nature obeys, gives the new word of revelation to Israel.
more vividly the sense of the con-
trast. The intellect loses itself in
v. 1. Comp. Ps. xxxiii. 1 ; xcii. 1 ;
cxxxv. 3. The general expressions
of praise are, however, here clenched
by special reference to the "building
up of Jerusalem " and the gathering
of the " outcasts " (Isa. xi. 12 ; lvi. 8)
from captivity.
vv. 3—6. The contrast of these
verses brings out with peculiar force
and beauty the harmony of the ma-
jestic sweep of God's general Provi-
dence with the tenderness of His
special Providence over the afflicted
and the lowly (.comp. Isa. xl. 26—29).
Eacn advance in knowledge of the
yastness of the universe, represented
in the starry sky, forces on us still
257
the power and "infinite wisdom'
of the Creator (v. 5) ; the moral na-
ture recognises His righteousness
and love to each of us, shewn, as
in exaltation of the meek, so also
in humiliation of proud ungodliness
(i>. 6).
vv. 8, 9 obviously recall Job xxxviii.
26, 27, 41 (see also Ps. civ. 18, 14, 27,
28 J. The words " herb for the use of
men," inserted from the LXX., are
not in the original, and break the
order of thought ; which is of the
beneficent gift of the dew and rain
on the far-off mountain pastures,
Day
THE PSALMS.
Day 30.
Day 30.
GBbemng
PSALM 147.
Laudate Dominium.
0 PRAISE the Lord, for it is a
good thing to sing praises unto
our God : yea, a joyful and plea-
sant thing it is to be thankful.
2 The Lord doth build up Je-
rusalem : and gather together the
out-casts of Israel.
3 He healeth those that are
broken in heart : and giveth me-
dicine to heal their sickness.
4 He telleth the number of the
stars : and calleth them all by
their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and great
is his power : yea, and his wis-
dom is infinite.
6 The Lord setteth up the
meek : and bringeth the ungodly
down to the ground.
7 0 sing unto the Lord with
thanksgiving : sing praises upon
the harp unto our God ;
8 Who covereth the heaven
with clouds, and prepareth rain
for the earth : and maketh the
grass to grow upon the mountains,
and herb for the use of men ;
9 Who giveth fodder unto the
cattle : and feedeth the young
ravens that call upon him.
10 He hath no pleasure in the
strength of an horse : neither de-
lighteth he in any man's legs.
11 But the Lord's delight is in
them that fear him : and put their
trust in his mercy.
12 Praise the Lord, 0 Jerusa-
lem : praise thy God, O Sion.
13 For he hath made fast the
bars of thy gates : and hath bless-
ed thy children within thee.
14 He maketh peace in thy
borders : and fllleth thee with the
flour of wheat.
15 He sendeth forth his com-
mandment upon earth : and his
word runneth very swiftly.
16 He giveth snow like wool :
and scattereth the hoar-frost like
ashes.
17 He casteth forth his ice like
morsels : who is able to abide his
frost ?
Pragtr.
18 He sendeth out his word, and
melteth them : he bloweth with
his wind, and the waters flow.
19 He sheweth his word unto
Jacob : his statutes and ordinances
unto Israel.
20 He hath not dealt so with
any nation : neither have the hea-
then knowledge of his laws.
PSALM 148.
Laudate Dominum.
0 PRAISE the Lord of heaven :
praise him in the height.
2 Praise him, all ye angels of
his : praise him, all his host.
3 Praise him, sun and moon :
praise him, all ye stars and light.
4 Praise him, all ye heavens :
and ye waters that are above the
heavens.
5 Let them praise the Name of
the Lord : for he spake the word,
and they were made ; he com-
manded, and they were created.
6 He hath made them fast for
ever and ever : hehathgiven them
a law which shall not be broken.
7 Praise the Lord upon earth :
ye dragons, and all deeps ;
8 Fire and hail, snow and va-
pours : wind and storm, fulfilling
his word ;
9 Mountains and all hills : fruit-
ful trees and all cedars ;
10 Beasts and all cattle : worms
and feathered fowls ;
11 Kings of the earth and all
people : princes and all judges of
the world ;
12 Young men and maidens,
old men and children, praise the
Name of the Lord : for his Name
only is excellent, and his praise
above heaven and earth.
13 He shall exalt the horn of
his people ; all his saints shall
praise him : even the children of
Israel, even the people that serv-
eth him.
PSALM 149.
Cantate Domino.
OSING unto the Lord a new
song : let the congregation of
saints praise him.
26?
Psalm CXLVII— com,
"where no man is"— food for the
beast grazing, and for the raven cry-
ing, in the wilderness (Job xxxviii.
41).
vv. 10, 11 pass from the beneficence
of God to all His creatures, to dwell
on His special love to them who fear
Him. v. 10 is obviously a quotation
from Ps. xxxiii. 15—27, which comes
in here with some abruptness. The
strength of the war horse and the
swiftness of the warrior are nothing
before the Almighty ; the fear of
His righteousness and trust in His
mercy are everything.
v. 13 contains the clearest refer-
ence to the completion of Nehe-
miah's work (Neh. xii.\ protecting
from the enmity of man the peace
and prosperity which God had given
to His restored people.
v. 14. Maketh peace in thy border*
should be, more strikingly, " maketh
thy borders peace."
The flour of wheat is the "fat of
wheat" icomp. Ps. lxxxi. 17, and the
Song of Moses, Deut. xxxii. 14).
vv. 15—18 once more go back with
abrupt emphasis to the universal
power of God's creative and sustain-
ing word, in the mysterious laws of
the fleecy snow, the fine covering of
hoar-frost, and the " ice-morsels of
the hail— sent in all their inclemency,
yet melted into the supply which
feeds the streams by the breath of
the Lord (comp. Job xxxvii. 6 — 18?
xxxviii. 22—27; Ps. xxxiii. 6. 7). Pos-
sibly the striking vividness of descrip-
tion may have been suggested by
some remarkable exhihition of this
natural phenomenon before the eyes
of the Psalmist.
v. 19 contrasts the creative word of
Gen. i. 8, &c. with the word of Reve-
lation to Israel. The former phrase
marks belief, not only in a Supreme
Power, but in a living God, " who
spake and it was done" (Ps. xxxiii.
8,9; cxlviii. 5). The latter goes on
to faith in His special manifestation
of Himself, by "the word of the
Lord "—that is, by direct intelligible
revelation— to Israel, as chosen out
of the nations. The two beliefs (as
all history shews) support and illus-
trate each other.
Psalm CXLVIII.
In this magnificent Psalm— evidently the original of the Benedicite, and
of countless hymns of praise in the Church— the idea, running through
this group of Psalms, reaches a glorious climax. It is a call for universal
praise of the Creator from all beings in heaven and earth ; and this natural
hymn of thanksgiving is taken up, in deeper knowledge and intensity of
feeling, by the chosen people of the Lord.
In re. 1—6 (a) the hymn of praise is called for from the hosts of heaven;
in vv. 7—12 (6) from all the orders of creation on earth; v. 13 (c) is the final
thanksgiving of the saints chosen and exalted of God. (Compare with (a)
vv. 1—17 of the Benedicite, with (6) vv. 13—26, and with (c) vv. 27—32.)
v. 1. The verse should be (as in
A.V. and R.V.)—
" Praise the Lord from the hea-
vens,
Praise Him in the heights."
It is a true Gloria in excelnis Deo.
v. 2. The angels are dwelt upon in
this connection, not merely as the
highest order of created being ( comp.
Ps. ciii. 20, 21), but probably as the
ministers of God in the outer sphere,
serving Him through the forces of
Nature (comp. Ps. civ. 4; Heb. i. 7).
How emphatically the idea of angelic
257a
ministry is stamped on the later
thought of Israel is shewn plainly
in the whole Book of Daniel.
v. 3. The sun, moon, and stars—
the gods of all idolatry (see Job
xxxi. 26. 27)— were specially the ob-
jects of Chaldaean worship, with
which the Captivity had made the
Israelites familiar. Naturally stress
is laid on their service to the will of
the One true God.
v. 4 obviously refers to Gen. i. 6—8.
The original is more striking, "ye
heavens of heavens" (comp. Deut
Psalm CXLVIII.— cont.
x. 14 ; 1 Kings viii. 27 ; Ps. cxv. 16)—
the boundless unknown regions be-
yond the firmament.
vv. 5, 6, quoting Ps. xxxiii. 6—9,
evidently refer to the powers of Na-
ture, as such, bound in their invari-
able order, not by some unknown law
of necessity, but by the creative word
of God. The fixity of Nature is de-
scribed as resting on the covenant ' '
of God in Gen. viii. 21, 22 ; ix. 12—16.
In the very obedience to this law, the
Psalmist seems to recognise a silent
hymn of praise of Him who made it.
v. 7. Dragons (as in Ps. lxxiv. 14)
nre the great sea-monsters of "the
deeps." They are spoken of sepa-
rately from the familiar animal crea-
tion of v. 10— probably as the unknown
and mysterious inhabitants of the
great deep.
v. 8. Fire and hail— the lightning
and hail (see Ps. cv. 32). Comp. Ps.
xviii. 12, 13 and Exod. ix. 23, 24.
Snow and vapours. The "vapour"
is " smoke," real or apparent, rising
from the mountains . It corresponds
to the " fire," as the " snow " to the
" hail."
Stormy wind fulfilling His word (see
Ps. cvii. 25)— by all earthly force irre-
sistibls, but by His word raised and
stayed.
v. 9. The "cedars" of Lebanon
(comp. Vs. civ. 16) were to Hebrew
poetry the special type of the ma-
jesty of the great forest-tree, as dis-
tinguished from the " fruitful trees "
of human cultivation.
v. 10. Worms should be " creeping
things " (as in A.V. and R.V.)— join-
ed with the " fowls" in Gen. i. 20.
vv. 11, 12 describe humanity, in all
variety of rank and sex and age, as
crowning the hymn of praise, not (as
in vv. 5, 6) under invariable law, but
in free recognition of the "excel-
lency " of God' 8 Name.
v. IS. All His saints shall praise Him
is a paraphrase of the original, "the
praise of all His saints," which may
refer (as here explained) to God Him-
self, or to " His exaltation of the
horn of His people."
That serveth Him should be (as in
A.V. and R.V.)," a people near unto
Him" (see Deut. iv. 7; Ps. xlvi. 1;
cxlv. 18, &c). It was this "nearness
to God "—now extended to the whole
Church (Eph. ii. 18) through the
blood of Christ— which gave deeper
knowledge of Him and therefore
greater power to praise Him.
Psalm CXLIX.
This Psalm, apparently of the same date as the preceding, strikes a far
narrower and intenser keynote. It is a praise of God from Israel alone in
the day of deliverance ; it is an exultation in the hope of renewal of the
old victories, and of vengeance on the heathen oppressors. It is not easy
to understand how such expectation could belong to the time of the Resto-
ration. It would suit better with an earlier or later date. But it is possible
that the reference, as in other passages of the Old Testament, maybe to the
expected kingdom of the Messiah. In any case its literal sense is of the
older Covenant, never reproduced without spiritual anachronism under the
. New. " Our weapons are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling
down of sferongholds " (2 Cor. x. 4) ; our " two edged sword" is the a Word
of God" (Eph. vi. 17; Heb. iv. 12) ; our "chains" bring "into captivity
every thought to the obedience of Christ " (2 Cor. x. 5). There will be
righteous vengeance (as the Apocalypse abundantly testifies), but it belongs
to the Lord alone.
In vv. 1—4 (a) it is simply a hymn of praise ; in j~.\ 5—9 {b) a fierce antici-
pation of triumph.
v. 1. A new song (as in Ps. xxxiii. 3 ;
xcvi. 1 ; cxliv. 9) is the old song of
praise, made new by newness of
heart and newness of air.
v. 3. (Comp. Ps. lxxxi. 2; cl. 4).
The exultation in the new deliver-
ance breaks out, as of old, on the
shores of the Red Sea, in " timbrels
and dances" (Exod. xv. 20), and with
the same intermixture of triumph
over the enemies of Israel.
v. 4. Helpeth the meek-hearted is an
inadequate rendering of the original,
" He shall beautify the meek with
salvation " (as in A.V. and R.V.)—
clothing their unworthiness in the
2570
P8ALM CXLIX.— cont.
glorious garments of salvation
(,comp. Ps. cxxxii. 9, 17; Isa. lxi. 8,
10; Zech. iii. 3, 4 ; Rev. xix. 8).
v. 5. In their beds (corny. Job xxxv.
10 ; Ps. lxiii. 7)— in the secret thanks-
giving, as well as in the public re-
joicing of the former clause.
vv. 6—9. The sword, first wielded
in defence (as in Neh. iv. 18), was
afterwards to be an instrument of
triumph and vengeance, as in the
old conquest under Joshua, which
is evidently alluded to throughout.
The Psalmist perhaps desires to fire
with some enthusiasm that broken-
spirited despondency, which the his-
tory shews to have weighed so heavily
on the returned exiles.
v. 9 should probably be rendered —
" To execute on them the judg-
ment written,
It is the honour of His saints."
It was the thought that vengeance
was the righteous retribution, writ-
ten in the book of God, which made
Israel glory in inflicting it.
Psalm CL.
This Psalm is an expansion of the Doxology which closes each book of
the Psalter (see Ps. xli. 18; lxxii. 18, 19; lxxxix. 50; cvi. 46), crowning the
last book and the whole Psalter itself. It rises once more to the great
idea of Ps. cxlviii. While the main body of the Psalm (in vv. 3—5) echoes
the music of the earthly sanctuary, it begins and ends with the universal
praise of heaven and earth.
v. 1. In His holiness should be (as
in A.V. and R.V.), "In His sanc-
tuary." The parallelism with the
second clause makes it clear that the
sanctuary is the " holy Temple " of
Heaven (Hab. ii. 20), the firmament
of His power (comp. Ps. xix. lj, on
which His glory is visibly written.
v. 2. His noble acts, seen on earth,
manifest the excellent greatness,
which fills the heaven.
vv. 8—5 refer successively to all the
instruments of the sanctuary— the
trumpet (or rather curved cornet of
ram's horn, see Josh. vi. 6), giving
the signal of worship, the lute (or
psaltery) and harp accompanying
the voice of song, the timbrel (or
tambourine) used for the dance, the
" strings " and pipe (or flute), and
the clash of the cymbal (comp. Ps.
xxxiii. 2; lxxxi.3; xcviii.6; cxliv. 9;
cxlix. 3; 1 Chr. xv. 16, 19, 28, &c.)—
each, no doubt, in the liturgical use
of the Psalm, chiming in successive-
ly, and all joining in the final burst
of praise.
e. 4. Strings and pipe. The
" strings " must denote some par-
ticular instrument, as the lute and
harp (both stringed instruments)
have already been mentioned. The
" pipe " with which, as a wind in-
strument, it is contrasted, has been
thought by some to be a simple an-
ticipation of the " organ " (by which
it is rendered in the Vulgate and in
our A.V.). But it is more probably
a true pipe or flute.
v. 5. The well-tuned cymbals... the
loud cymbals is properly " cymbals of
clear tone and cymbals of loudness"
—cymbals smaller and larger, of note
high and low.
v. 6. As v. 1 called for the universal
worship of heaven, so this verse in-
vites the praise of all—" every thing
that hath breath" on earth— both the
dumb praise of the lower creatures,
and the articulate praise of men. It
sums up grandly the whole Psalter
as the great " Book of Praises."
Day 30.
THE PSALMS.
Day 80
2 Let Israel rejoice in him that
made him : and let the chil-
dren of Sion be joyful in their
King.
3 Let them praise his Name in
the dance : let them sing praises
unto him with tabret and harp.
4 For the Lord hath pleasure
in his people : and helpeth the
meek-hearted.
5 Let the saints be joyful with
glory : let them rejoice in their
beds.
6 Let the praises of God be in
their mouth : and a two-edged
sword in their hands ;
7 To be avenged of the heathen :
and to rebuke the people ;
8 To bind their kings in chains :
and their nobles with links of
iron.
y That they may be avenged
of them, as it is written : Such
honour have all his saints.
PSALM 150.
Laudate Dominum.
0 PRAISE God in his holiness :
praise him in the firmament
of his power.
2 Praise him in his noble acts :
praise him according to his excel-
lent greatness.
3 Praise him in the sound of
the trumpet : praise him upon the
lute and harp.
4 Praise him in the cymbals
and dances : praise him upon the
strings and pipe.
5 Praise him upon the well-
tuned cymbals : praise him upon
the loud cymbals.
6 Ltt every thing that hath
breath : praise the Lord.
258
FORMS OF PRAYER TO BE USED AT SEA.
These were inserted in 1662. The first introduction of special
forms of prayer to be used at sea was due to the action of the Long
Parliament— marking perhaps the fuller organisation and greater
importance of the Navy at this period. It was, curiously enough,
at the very time of the supersession of the Prayer Book by the
" Directory for Public Worship," in 1644, that for the ships, " which
have no Ministers with them to guide them in prayer," it was
thought right to issue an order, providing, first, a general Service of
Prayer, Psalms, and Lessons ; and, next, two set forms of Prayers
for "the Church Universal" and "for our United Churches and
Kingdoms." The Service was to conclude with a Psalm, Thanks-
giving and Blessing, and to it were appended two more special
Prayers— one " a Prayer particularly fitted for those who travail on
the Sea," and the other " a Prayer in a Storm." On the restoration
of the Prayer Book the order of the Daily Service, and of the other
Services with it, was, of course, revived ; and it was only necessary
to provide certain special and appropriate prayers, in addition to
them, for use at Sea. It is said, though without any certain au-
thority, that these were composed by Bishop Sanderson. Although
they bear strong indications of the more diffuse and rhetorical style
of the compositions of the 17th century, they are striking specimens
of their kind, full of Scriptural quotation and allusion, and having
much force of earnestness.
I. The two regular Collects.
The First Collect (a) in its
preamble (quoting Job ix. 8;
xxvi. 10; appeals to God, as " the
spreader out of the heavens"
(with their winds and storms)
and the ruler of the rage of the
sea, keeping it within its ap-
pointed bounds; (6) next, com-
mits the Fleet and its sailors to
God's protection, against the
twofold danger of the storm and
the enemy; (c) lastly, asks for
the results of that protection —
safeguard and peace to the coun-
try they serve, and for them-
selves a safe return in joy and
thankfulness.
The Second Collect is simply
one of the Occasional Collects
from the Communion Service,
asking for God's "preventing"
and furthering grace in the work
of duty.
II. The Prayers in Storm
and Battle.
The First Collect («), looking
to God's hand as raising and
quelling the storm (see Ps. cvii.
25 and lxxxix. 9), and acknow-
ledging at once our unworthi-
ness and our helplessness, cries
to Him in the words of the
Apostles to Our Lord in the
storm, " Lord, save us ; we pe-
rish." (6) Next, it goes on to
confess the thoughtlessness,
through which, in the days of
God's quiet and continual bless-
ing, we forget Him, and only
remember Him when the won-
ders of His hand are seen in
their awfulness ; (c) and ends
with a cry for help, not for our
merits, but "for His mercy's
sake, through Jesus Christ our
Lord."
The Alternative Collect,
except that it omits the confes-
sion, follows the same line of
thought with perhaps greater
fervour of supplication, and un-
der an intenser consciousness of
being in " the depths of misery "
and the jaws of death " ; quot-
ing the cry of Hezekiah (.Isa.
259
FORMS OF PRAYER TO BE USED AT SEA
1 The Morning and Evening Service to be used daily at Sea shall be the same
which is appointed in the Book of Common Prayer.
we beseech thee, and hear us, calling
1 These two foll&tving Prayers are to be
also used in his Majesty's Navy every
day.
O ETERNAL Lord God, who a'one
spread est out the heavens, and
rulest the raging of the sea ; who hast
compassed the waters with bounds un-
til day and night come to an end ; Be
pleased to receive into thy Almighty
and most gracious protection the per-
sons of us thy servants, and the Fleet
in which we serve. Preserve us from tin:
dangers of the sea, and from the vio-
lence of the enemy ; that we may be a
safeguard unto our most gracious So-
vereign Lord, King GEORGE, and his
Dominions, and n security for such as
pass on the seas upon their lawful oc-
casions ; that the inhabitants of our
Island may in peace and quietness serve
thee our God ; and that we may return
in safety to enjoy the blessings of the
land, with the fruits of our labours, and
with a thankful remembrance of thy
mercies to praise and glorify thy holy-
Name ; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Collect.
PREVENT us. 0 Lord, in all our do-
ings, with thy most gracious favour,
and further us with thy continual help;
that in all our works begun, continued,
and ended in thee, we may glorify thy
holy Name, and finally by thy mercy
obtain everlasting life ; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
t Prayers to be used in Storms at Sea.
OMOST powerful and glorious Lord
God, at whose command the winds
blow, and lift up the waves of the sea,
and who stillest the rage thereof ; We
thy creatures, but miserable sinners, do
in this our great distress cry unto thee
for help: Save, Lord, or else we perish.
We confess, when we have been safe,
and seen all things quiet about us, we
have forgot thee our God, and refused
to hearken to the still voice of thy word,
and to obey thy commandments : But
now we see, how terrible thou art in all
thy works of wonder ; the great God to
be feared above all : And therefore we
adore thy Divine Majesty, acknowledg-
ing thy power, and imploring thy good-
ness. Help, Lord, and save us for thy
mercy's sake in Jesus Christ thy Son,
our Lord. Amen.
Or this.
MOST glorious and gracious Lord
(>
God, who dwellest in heaven, but
beholdest all things below, Look down,
out of the depth of misery, and out of
the jaws of this death, which is ready
now to swallow us up : Save, Lord, or
else we perish. The living, the living,
shall praise thee. O send thy word of
command to rebuke the raging winds,
and the roaring sea; that we, being de-
livered from this distress, may live to
serve thee, ami to glorify thy Name all
the days of our life. Hear, Lord, and
save us. for the infinite merits of our
blessed Saviour, thy Son, our Lord Je-
sus Christ. A men.
1 The Prayer to be said be/ore a Fight
at Sea against any Enemy.
OMOST powerful and glorious Lord
(iod, the Lord of hosts, that rulest
and commandest all things ; Thou sit-
test in the throne judging right, and
therefore we make our address to thy
Divine Majesty in this our necessity,
that thou wouldest take the cause into
thine own hand, and judge between us
and our enemies. Stir up thy strength,
0 Lord, and come ami help us; for thou
givest not al way the battle to the strong,
but canst save by many or by few. O
let not our sins now cry against us for
vengeance ; but hear us thy poor ser-
vants begging mercy, and imploring
thy help, and that thou wouldest be a
defence unto us against the race of the
enemy. Make it appear that thou art
our Saviour and mighty Deliverer ;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
1 Short Prayers for single persons, that
cannot meet to join in Prayer with
others, by reason of the Eight, or
Storm.
General Prayers.
LORD, be merciful to us sinners, and
save us for thy mercy's sake.
Thou art the great God, that hasl
made and rulest all things : O deliver
us for thy Name's sake.
Thou art the great God to be feared
above all : O save us, that we may
praise thee.
Special Prayers with respect to the
Enemy.
THOU, O Lord, art just and power-
ful : O defend our cause against the
face of the enemy.
O God. thou art a strong tower of de-
fence to all that flee unto thee : O save
us from the violence of the enemy.
O Lord of hosts, fight for us, that wo
may glorify thee.
O sutler us not to sink under the
weight of our sins, or the violence of
the enemy.
259
xxxviii. 18) in his terror of death,
and praying for life as the
means of serving and glorifying
God.
The Prater before a Battle
is fuller even than the rest of
Scriptural quotation and allu-
sion (see Ps. ix. 4; lxxx. 2 ; Eccl.
ix. 11 ; 1 Sam. xiv. 6). It may
well stand as a model of Chris-
tian humility and moderation in
prayer for deliverance from our
enemies. For (a), addressing
God as the Judge and Ruler of
the world, it prays that He will
" judge between us and our ene-
mies " ; and (in an implied trust
that our cause is just) calls for
His help, even to the weak a-
gainst the strong, and to the tew
against the many. (Its prayer is,
therefore, virtually conditional,
resting on the full conviction
that " the Judge of all the world
will do right.") Yet (b) with
this trust in our cause it unites
consciousness of sin in ourselves,
and prays that it may not turn
away His blessing from us, and
that He may still "appear our
Saviour and mighty Deliverer."
Of the Short Prayers in emer-
gency, to be used by individuals,
the General Praters are sim-
ply ejaculations, crying for for-
giveness, deliverance from dan-
ger, and salvation.
The Special Praters in Bat-
tle are still ejaculations, dwell-
ing on God's Justice, as well as
His Power ; and, only in the
hope that we are on His side,
asking Him to defend, to save,
and to fight for us, even in spite
of our personal sins, and to help
us for " His Name's sake."
The Praters in the Storm
form a short Service in them-
selves, having a more express
appeal to the Mediation of Our
Lord Jesus Christ. For they cry
not only to God, as the Ruler of
Nature, but also to Him, the Son
of God and Man, who once saved
His disciples in the hour of dan-
ger, to hear and save us ; and so
pass on to the old Kprie Eleexon,
the invocation of the Litany,
"O Christ, hear us," to an ex-
press prayer for mercv to the
Three Persons of the Holy Tri-
nity, and to the word's Prayer.
260
III. The Service in Imminent
Danger.
This is simply the Confession
and Absolution of the Commu-
nion Service ; which each is bid-
den to take home specially to
himself in the awful and un-
sparing light of the hour of im-
minent death. It was felt, and
felt truly, that nothing more
solemn and more full of comfort
could be devised.
IV. The Thanksgiving after
a Storm.
This Service presupposes, of
course, time and quiet. It is
made up of Psalms and Collect,
strangely, however, departing
from the almost invariable cus-
tom of the Church in not includ-
ing the Lord's Prayer.
The Psalms. — The First
Psalm (Ps. lxvi.) is a singularly
beautiful Psalm of Thanksgiv-
ing, though having nothing to
do with the sea, except the allu-
sion to the passage through the
Red Sea in safety (c. 6). It falls
into four sections (divided by the
Selah," which indicates an in-
terposed symphony). The first
(vs. 1-8) is simply a general call
to all men to give God praise
and worship; the next (v*. 4-6)
a similar call to the contem-
plation of His wonderful works ;
the third {vs. 7-18) is a special
acknowledgment of deliverance
from trouble and danger, and a
promise to pay the vow of sacri-
fice ; the last {vs. 14-18), a special
invitation to all the world to be-
hold in this God's blessing on
those who flee from iniquity, and
His unfailing answer to prayer.
The Second Psalm (Ps. cvii.)
is evidently chosen for the sake
of that section {vs. 23-32), which
is the only passage in the Psalms
dwelling on the dangers of the
sea, and which must belong to
some time in the later historical
period, when the Israelites had
experience of the seafaring life.
It is, indeed, the great " Psalm
of Life," dwelling on all the
vicissitudes of trouble and de-
liverance of "the redeemed of
the Lord," gathered from the
Captivity, (a) It represents (in
vs. 4-9) the wandering in hunger
and thirst through the wilder-
ness; in vs. 10-15. the bondage
FORMS OF PRAYER TO BE USED AT SEA.-
O Lord, arise, help us, and deliver us
for thy Name's sake.
Short Prayers in respect of a Storm.
THOU, O Lord, that stillest the rac-
ing of the sea, hear, hear us, and
save us, that we perish not.
O blessed Saviour, that didst save
thy disciples ready to perish in a storm,
hear us, and save us, we beseech thee.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
O Lord, hear us.
O Christ, hear us.
God the Father, God the Son, God the
Holy Ghost, have mercy upon us, save
us now and evermore. Amen.
OUR Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name. Thy king-
dom come. Thy will bo done, in earth
as it is in heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread. And forgive us our tres-
passes, As we forgive them that trespass
against us. And lead us not into temp-
tation ; But deliver us from evil : For
thine is the kingdom, The, power, and
the glory, For ever and ever. Amen,
t When there shall be imminent dan-
ger, as many as can be spared from
necessary service in the Ship shall be
called together, and make an humble
Confession of their sin to God: In
which every one ought seriously to
reflect upon those particular sins of
which his conscience shall accuse
him; saying asfolloweth.
The Confession.
ALMIGHTY God, Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, Maker of all things,
Judge of all men ; We acknowledge
and bewail our manifold sins and wick-
edness, Which we, from time to time,
most grievously have committed, By
thought, word, and deed, Against thy
Hivine Majesty, Provoking most justly
Ihv wrath and indignation against us.
We do earnestly repent, And are heart-
ily sorry for these our misdoings ; The
remembrance of them is grievous unto
us ; The burden of them is intolerable.
Have mercy upon us, Have mercy upon
us, most merciful Father ; For thy Son
our Lord Jesus Christ's sake. Forgive us
all that is past; And grant that we may
ever hereafter Serve and please thee In
newness of life. To the honour and glory
of thy Name ; Through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
1 Then shall the Priest, if there be any
in the Ship, pronounce this Absolu-
tion.
ALMIGHTY God, our heavenly Fa-
ther, who of his great mercy hath
promised forgiveness of sins to all them
that with hearty repentance and true
faith turn unto him ; Have mercy upon
you ; pardon and deliver you from all
vour sins ; confirm and strengthen you
in all goodness, and bring you to ever-
lasting life ; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
0
Thanksgiving after a Storm.
Jubilate Deo. Psalm 66.
BE joyful in God, all ye lands : sing
unto the honour of his
Name, make his praise to be glorious.
Say unto God, O how wonderful art
thou in thy works : through the great-
ness of thy power shall thine enemies
be found liars unto thee.
For all the world shall worship thee ;
sing of thee, and praise thy Name.
O come hither, and behold the works
of God : how wonderful he is in his do-
ing toward the children of men.
He turned the sea into dry land : so
that they went through the water on
foot ; there did we rejoice thereof.
He ruleth with his power for ever ;
his eyes behold the people : and such
as will not believe shall not be able to
exalt themselves.
0 praise our God, ye people : and
make the voice of his praise to be
heard ;
Who holdeth our soul in life : and
suffereth not our feet to slip.
For thou, O God, hast proved us :
thou also hast tried us, like as silver is
tried.
Thou broughtest us into the snare :
and laidest trouble upon our loins.
Thou sufferedst men to ride over our
heads : we went through tire and wa-
ter, and thou broughtest us out into a
wealthy place.
1 will go into thine house with burnt-
offerings : and will pay thee my vows,
which I promised with my lips, and
spake with my mouth, when I was in
trouble.
I will offer unto thee fat burnt-sacri-
fices, with the incense of rams : I will
offer bullocks and goats.
0 come hither, and hearken, all ye
that fear God : and I will tell you wbsl
he hath done for my soul.
1 called unto him with my mouth .
and gave him praises with my tongue.
If I incline unto wickedness with
mine heart : the Lord will not hear me.
But God hath heard me : and consi-
dered the voice of my prayer.
Praised be God who hath not cast
out my prayer : nor turned his mercy
from me.
Glory be to the Father, and to the
Son : and to the Holy Ghost ;
As it was in the beginning, is now,
and ever shall bo : world without end.
Amen.
Confitemini Domino. Psalm cvii.
OGIVE thanks unto the Lord, for
he is gracious : and his mercy en-
dureth for ever.
260
of captivity and downfall through
sin; in vx. 16-22, the anguish of
pain and sickness even to death ;
in v*. 23-82, the hopeless danger
of the storm on the sea. From
all the«e it declares exultantly
God's manifold salvation, and
cries out again and again, " O
that men would praise the Lord
for His goodness, and declare
the wonders that He doeth for
the children of men!" Then
(6) in calmer strain (r». 33-43 > it
looks up to God, as the Giver
alike of parched barrenness and
well-watered fertility, of sorrow
under oppression, and of joyful
deliverance. In all alike it re-
cognises His justice and love,
which " the wise shall under-
stand," and in which " the righ-
teous shall rejoice."
The Collects. — The First
Collect implies deliverance
from imminent danger. It is
one of simple and fervent
Thanksgiving to the "God of
infinite goodness and mercy," as
having saved " out of the jaws of
death," and given " wonderful
deliverance," when all seemed
lost ; to Him it offers the " sacri-
fice of praise and thanksgiving,"
because He " did not cast out the
prayer" of sore distress.
The Second Collect is one of
calmer tone, and includes Prayer
as well as Praise, (a) The
Thanksgiving declares how God,
whose mercy is over all His
works, had shewn His power in
the terrible things and wonders
of the deep, and yet had shewn
that power, as ready to help
those who trust in Him, so that
even winds and waves read us a
lesson of obedience to His Will ;
and for this it " blesses and
glorifies His Name." (b) The
prayer is for grateful hearts,
shewing thankfulness " not only
bv words but in our lives." and
for the continuance still of
God's goodness, that we may
serve Him all the days of our
life.
The Hymn which follows (as
in some of the State Sendees of
the same period) is made up of
passages from many Psalms, in a
few cases slightly altered to suit
the occasion. It is perhaps hard
to preserve in such composition
the unity and freedom of an
original. But its general tenour
is clear and coherent enough. It
is, first, a general thanksgiving
for God's continual goodness and
mercy to His Redeemed; then a
picture of the distress and dan-
ger undergone, and the deliver-
ance granted ; and finally special
praise and adoration for the spe-
cial mercy.
V. The Thanksgiving after
Victory.
This is of the same kind as the
foregoing, but simpler.
The Hymn is similarly made
up of passages, chiefly from the
Psalms (beginning with almost
the whole of Ps. exxiv.), dwell-
ing on the formidable danger of
the enemy, ascribing the victory
to God's hand, not to our own,
and giving Himthanksand praise
accordingly.
The Collect (addressed to
God, as "the Sovereign Com-
mander" of the world), after
thank- giving for the victory,
turns to a twofold prayer, first for
the whole country, that through
victory it may better perform its
true mission, which is nobly de-
scribed as the advancement of
God's glory on earth and His
Gospel, the honour of the Sove-
reign (which is that of the na-
tion itself) and the good of all
mankind; next for those actu-
ally engaged, that they may shew
thankfulness for preservation in
the devotion of their lives to God.
VI. At the Burial of the
Dead.
This is, in the first place, the
necessary variation of the com-
mittal of the body to the grave,
looking to the time when "the
sea shall give up her dead " ; but
it also changes the phrase "in
sure and certain hope of the Re-
surrection to eternal life " into
the more general phrase " look-
ing for the Resurrection of the
Body and the life of the world to
261
FORMS OF PRAYER TO BE USED AT SEA.
Let them give thanks whom the Lord
hath redeemed : and delivered from the
hand of the enemy s
And gathered them out of the lands,
from the east, and from the west : from
the north, ami from the south.
They went astray in the wilderness
out Mr the way : and found no city to
dw»j'l in ;
Hungry and thirsty : their soul faint-
ed in them.
So they cried unto the Lord in their
trouble : und he delivered them from
their distress.
He led them forth by the right way :
that they might go to the city where
they dwelt.
O that men would therefore praise
the Lord for his goodness : and declare
the wonders that he doeth for the chil-
dren of men !
For he satisfleth the empty soul :
and tilleth the hungry soul with good-
ness.
Such as sit in darkness, and in the
shadow of death : being fast bound in
misery and iron ;
Because they rebelled against the
words of the Lord : and lightly regard-
ed the counsel of the most Highest ;
He also brought down their heart
through heaviness : they fell down, and
there was none to help them.
So when they cried unto the Lord in
their trouble : he delivered them out of
their distress.
For he brought them out of darkness,
and out of the shadow of death : and
brake their bonds in sunder.
O that men would therefore praise the
Lord for his goodness : and declare the
wonders that he doeth for the children
of men !
For he hath broken- the gates of
brass : and smitten the bars of iron in
sunder.
Foolish men are plagued for their of-
fence : and because of their wicked-
ness.
Their soul abhorred all manner of
meat : and they were even hard at
death's door.
So when they cried unto the Lord in
their trouble : he delivered them out of
their distress.
He sent his word, and healed them :
ami they were saved from their de-
struction.
O that men would therefore praise the
Lord for his goodness : and declare the
wonders that he doeth for the children
of men !
That they would offer unto him the
sacritice of thanksgiving : and tell out
his works with gladness !
They that go down to the sea in
ships : and occupy their business in
great waters ;
These men see the works of the Lord :
and his wonders in the deep.
For at his word the stormy wind
ariseth : which lifteth up the waves
thereof.
They are carried up to the heaven,
and down again to the deep : their soul
melteth away because of the trouble.
They reel to and fro, and stagger like
a drunken man : and are at their wit s
end.
So when they cry unto the Lord m
their trouble : he delivereth them out
of their distress.
For he maketh the storm to cease : so
that the waves thereof are still.
Then are they glad, because they are
at rest : and so he bringeth them unto
the haven where they would be.
O that men would therefore praise the
Lord for his goodness : and declare the
wonders that he doeth for the children
of men !
That they would exalt him also in the
Who turneth the floods into a v\ il-
derness : and drieth up the water*
springs.
A fruitful land maketh he barren :
for the wickedness of them that dwell
therein.
Again, he maketh the wilderness a
standing water : and water-springs of
a dry ground.
And there he setteth the hungry r
that they may build them a city to
dwell in ;
That they may sow their land, and
plant vineyards : to yield them fruits
of increase.
He blesseth them, so that they mul
tiply exceedingly : and suffereth not
their cattle to decrease.
And again, when they are minished,
and brought low : through oppression,
through any plague, or trouble :
Though he suffer them to be evil in-
treated through tyrants : and let them
wander out of the way in the wilder-
ness ;
Yet helpeth he the poor out of misery :
and maketh him households like a flock
of sheep.
The righteous will consider this, and
rejoice : and the mouth of all wicked-
ness shall be stopped.
Whoso is wise will ponder these
things : and they shall understand the
loving-kindness of the Lord.
Glory be to the Father, and to the
Son : and to the Holy Ghost ;
As it was in the beginning, is now,
and ever shall be : world without end.
Amen.
Collects of Thanksgiving.
OMOST blessed and glorious Lord
God, who art of infinue goodness
and mercy ; We thy poor creature*,
whom thou hast made ami preserved,
holding our souls in life, and now
201
FORMS OF PRAYER TO BE USED AT SEA.
rescuing us out of the jaws of death,
humbly present ourselves again before
thy Divine Majesty, to offer a sacrifice
of praise and thanksgiving, for that
thou heartiest us when we called in our
trouble, and didst not cast out our
prayer, which we made before thee in
our great distress : Even when we gave
all for lost, our ship, our goods, our lives,
then didst thou mercifully look upon
us, and wonderfully command a deli-
verance : for which we, now being in
safety, do give all praise and glory to
thy holy Name ; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
Or this:
OMOST mighty and gracious good
God, thy mercy is over all thy
works, but in special manner hath been
extended toward us, whom thou hast so
powerfully and wonderfully defended.
Thou hast shewed us terrible things,
and wonders in the deep, that we might
see how powerful und gracious a God
thou art ; how able and ready to help
them that trust in thee. Thou hast
shewed us how both winds and seas
obey thy command ; that we may learn,
even from them, hereafter to obey thy
voice, and to do thy will. We therefore
bless and glorify thy Name, for this thy
mercy in saving its, when we were
ready to perish. And, we beseech thee,
make us as truly sensible now of thy
mercy, as we were then of the danger :
And give us hearts always ready to
express our thankfulness, not only by
words, but also by our lives, in being
more obedient to thy holy command-
ments. Continue, we beseech thee, this
thy goodness to us ; that we, whom
thou hast saved, may serve thee in holi-
ness and righteousness all the days of
our life ; through Jesus Christ our Lord
and Saviour. Amen.
An Hymn of Praise and Thanksgiving
after a dangerous Tempest.
OCOME. let us give thanks unto the
Lord, for he is gracious : and his
mercy endureth for ever.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be
praised ; let the redeemed of the Lord
say so : whom he hath delivered from
the merciless rage of the sea.
The Lord is gracious and full of com-
passion : slow to anger, and of great
He hath not dealt with us according
to our sins : neither rewarded us ac-
cording to our iniquities.
But as the heaven is high above the
earth : so great hath been his mercy
towards us.
We found trouble and heaviness : we
were even at death's door.
The waters of the sea had well-nigh
covered us : the proud waters had well-
nigh gone over our soul.
The sea roared : and the stormy wind
lifted up the waves thereof.
We were carried up as it were to
heaven, and then down again into the
deep : our soul melted within us, be-
cause of trouble :
Then cried we unto thee, O Lord :
and thou didst deliver us out of our
distress.
Blessed be thy Name, who didst not
despise the prayer of thy servants :
but didst hear our cry, and hast saved
us.
Thou didst send forth thy command-
ment : and the windy storm ceased, and
was turned into a calm.
O let us therefore praise the Lord for
his goodness : and declare the wonders
that he hath done, and still doeth for
the children of men.
Praised be the Lord daily : even the
Lord that hel|>eth us, and poureth his
benefits upon us.
He is our Hod, even the God of whom
cometh salvation : God is the Lord by
whom we have escaped death
Thou, Lord, hast made us glad
through the operation of thy hands ;
and we will triumph in thy praise.
Blessed be the Lord (iod : even the
Lord God, who only doeth wondrous
things ;
And blessed be the Name of his Ma-
jesty for ever : and let every one of us
say, Amen, Amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the
Son : and to the Holy Ghost ;
As it was in the beginning, is now,
and ever shall be i world without end.
Amen.
2 Cor. xiii.
HP HE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
•*■ and the love of God, and the fel-
lowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us
all evermore. Amen.
After Victory or Deliverance from an
Enemy.
A Psalm or Hymn of Praise and Thanks-
yiving after Victory.
IF the Lord had not been on our side,
now may we say : if the Lord him-
self had not been on our side, when men
rose up against us ;
They had swallowed us up quick :
when they were so wrathfully displeas-
ed at us
Yea, the waters had drowned us, and
the stream had gone over our soul : the
deep waters of the proud had gone over
our soul.
But praised be the Lord : who hath
not given us over as a prey unto them.
The Lord hath wrought : a mighty
salvation for us.
We gat not this by our own sword,
neither was It our own am. that suved
mt
FORMS OF PRAYER TO BE USED AT SEA.
us I but thy right hand, and thine arm,
and the light of thy countenance, be-
cause thou hadst a favour unto us.
The l.ord hath appeared for us : the
Lord hath covered our heads, and made
us to stand in the day of battle.
The Lord hath appeared for us : the
Lord hath overthrown our enemies,
and dashed in pieces those that rose up
against us.
Therefore not unto us, O Lord, not
unto us : but unto thy Name be given
the glory.
The Lord hath done great things for
us : the Lord hath done great things
for us, for which we rejoice.
i )ur help standeth in the Name of the
Lord : who hath made heaven and
earth.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord :
from this time forth for evermore.
Glory be to the Father, and to the
Son : anil to the Holy Ghost ;
As it was in the beginning, is now,
and ever shall be : world without end.
Amen.
H Then this Collect.
O ALMIGHTY God, the Sovereign
Commander of all the world, in
whose hand is power and might which
none is able to withstand ; We bless
and magnify thy great and glorious
Name for this happy Victory, the whole
glory whereof we do ascribe to thee,
who art the only giver of Victory. And,
we beseech thee, give us srrace to im-
prove this great mercy to thy glory, the
advancement of thy Gospel, the honour
of our Sovereign, and, as much as in us
lieth, to the good of all mankind. And,
we beseech thee, give us such a sense
of tlus great mercy, as may engage us
to a true thankfulness, such as may
appear in our lives by an humble, holy,
and obedient walking before thee all
our days, through Jesus Christ our
Lord ; to whom with thee and the Holy
I Spirit, as for all thy mercies, so in par-
ticular for this Victory and Deliverance,
be all glory and honour, world without
end. Amen.
2 Cor. xiii.
THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God, and the fellow-
ship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all
evermore. Amen.
At the Burial of their Dead at Sea.
IF The Office in the Common Prayer-
book may be used ; only instead of
these words [We therefore commit his
body to the ground, earth to earth, &c. J
say,
Y^E therefore commit his body to the
" deep, to be turned into corruption,
looking for the resurrection of the body,
(when the Sea shall give up her dead,)
and the life of the world to come,
through our Lord Jesus Christ ; who at
his coming shall change our vile uody,
that it may be like his glorious body,
according to the mighty working,
whereby he is able to subdue all things
to himself.
263
INTRODUCTION TO THE ORDINAL.
Thk Early Ordinals.— It is beyond all question that the exist-
ence of a regularly constituted Ministry dates from the first origin
of the Christian Church, and must be held to be an essential part of
its Constitution. To snch a Ministry the Apostles were solemnly
ordained and commissioned by Onr Lord Himself (John xx. 22, 2S) ;
and under their supreme authority lower Orders of the Ministry
were constituted in the earliest ages of the Church.
It is equally beyond historic doubt, that, while the choice of such
Ministers is left to the whole body of the Church or its representa-
tives, the Confirmation and solemn Ordination of those chosen have
always belonged to the Apostles, and their successors in the Minis-
try, by an authority tracing itself up to Christ Himself, and not de-
rived directly from the Congregation.
The Church of England accordingly, appealing as usual to Holy
Scripture and primitive antiquity, lays down in Art. xxiii., " On
Ministering in the Congregation," two fundamental principles;
first, that the Ministry is not merely a function, to be assumed by
any Christian, but that it belongs to a regularly constituted Order of
men " lawfully called and sent to execute the same " ; next, that the
call and mission of such men belong to those "who have public
(official) authority given them in the Congregation to call and send
Ministers into the Lord's Vineyard."
From very early times forms of Service for this solemn Ordination
and Mission grew up in the Church, gradually developing them-
selves into greater fulness and elaborateness of Ceremonial, both in
the East and the West. The essentials of Ordination are perfectly
simple. It is universally acknowledged that they are merely what
the Apostles themselves used— Imposition of hands with Prayer and
Benediction, and solemn Mission in the Name of Jesus Christ. Bat
round these, as was natural, many forms of Examination, Prayer,
and Ordination, and much significant Ceremonial gathered, with
considerable variety in different ages and portions of the Church.
In the East we find existing the Greek, the Coptic, the Jacobite,
the Maronite, and Nestorian Ordinals ; all having common substance
and independent varieties. In the West, the form which prevailed
was that of the Boman Church, the gradual development of which
can be traced in the Sacramentaries of Leo i., Gelasius, and Gregory
the Grent. In England, before the Reformation, the Ordinals, fol-
lowing this general type, varied in detail in the different Uses— the
Sarum Use being the predominant form.
Thk Formation of our Services.— The Prayer Book of 1549 con-
tained no 'Ordinal; but Cranmer, with six Bishops and six other
Divines, was appointed, under an Act of Parliament, to draw up a
form of Service " for Making and Consecrating Archbishops, Bishops,
Priests, and Deacons, and other Ministers of the Church," and the
result of their labours was published by authority in March 1550.
The Service so published— confining itself to the three Orders, and
taking no notice of " other Ministers of the Church " (the Minor
Orders)— was taken, as usual, from the ancient form (the Sarum
Pontificate), with much alteration, especially in the hortatory por-
tions, and much ritual simplification. Thus in the Ordination of
Deacons, the Investiture with the Stole was omitted ; in the Ordina-
tion of Priests, the Inyestiture with Stole and Chasuble and the
anointing and blessing of the hands : in the Consecration of Bishops,
the anointing of the head and hands, and the delivery of the ring
and the mitre. Variations were also made in the prayers and in the
formula of Ordination. But substantially the order and general
character of the Service remained the same.
This Service passed through two subsequent stages.
263 q
In 1552 it was added to the Revised Prayer Book, in a modified
form, omitting in the Ordination of Priests the delivery of the Paten
and Chalice, and in the CoDBecration of Bishops the delivery of the
Pastoral Staff ; and in the Ordination of Priests and Deaoons the
direction that the Candidates should appear in Ecclesiastical habits.
Otherwise no considerable change was made.
The Ordinal remained unaltered till 1662, when it was carefully
revised and some changes, generally tending to greater solemnity,
were introduced. Still, however, the general structure and character
of the Service were preserved, in spite of some objections and sug-
gestions of alteration.
THE PREFACE.
In this Preface, written in 1552, and, with the rest of the Service,
formally sanctioned in Art. xxxvi., the Church of England declares
with unmistakeable clearness her deliberate adhesion to the ancient
law of the Catholic Church, in respect of the Ministry. The posi-
tion, taken up on the authority of " Holy Scripture and ancient
Authors," is distinctly historical. It asserts unhesitatingly that
"from the Apostles' time" there have been these Orders of Minis-
ters in Christ's Church, Bishops, Priests, and Deacons " ; and that
the call and mission to the Ministry have always been given through
Imposition of Hands, with public Prayer "by lawful authority."
That lawful authority is shewn by the Service to rest properly with
the Bishops, although in the Ordination of Priests the Priests pre-
sent take a subsidiary part. To this ancient rule, thus traced up to
Apostolic times, and so presumably to Apostolic authority, our
Church declares her steadfast obedience — in this case, as in all
others, desiring to follow the guidance of the Primitive Church—
and refuses to allow any to minister within her own borders, unless
ordained according to that rule.
The Historical Question.— The historical assertion, on which
her rule is based, is absolutely unquestioned as regards Priests and
Deacons, (a) The existence of Presbyters in the Church at Jerusa-
lem is recognised from the first (in Acts xi. 30 & xv. 4, 6, 23) ; the
ordination of Presbyters in Gentile Churches is described as a mat-
ter of course (in Acts xiv. 23 & xx. 17) ; the Pastoral Epistles are full
of the work and qualifications of the Order. No record is given of
the first institution of this Order; and some ancient authorities
suggest (without any historic certainty, but with much probability)
that its germ was found in the Seventy, appointed by Our Lord
(Luke x. 1) to a lower kind of Apostolate. (&) The Diaconate is
clearly traceable to the Institution of the Apostles (in Acts vi. 1-6) ;
in which the Seven— who, though not formally called Deacons, were
appointed to discharge the functions always assigned to the Diacon-
ate—were chosen by the people, but ordained by the Apostles. 16
also is fully described and regulated in the Pastoral Epistles ; and
from this beginning has continued unbroken.
The Episcopate alone has been questioned; and even here the
question is confined within narrow limits, and, in spite of much
controversy, its main points are now clearly ascertained. For, first,
it is perfectly certain that the name "Bishop" (or Overseer) is in
the New Testament attached as a descriptive title to the office of
Presbyter (see Acts xx. 17, 28 ; Tit. i. 5-7 ; 1 Tim. iii. 1-7) ; and hence
it is evident that the Episcopal Order did not appear, as a fully
developed and distinct Order, so long as the Apostolate remained.
It is, in the next place, clear that in the New Testament the germ
of the Episcopate can be plainly traced, in the presidency of
St. James over the Church at Jerusalem, in the delegated authority
of Timothy, Titus, and perhaps Epaphras (see Col. i 7 & iv. 12, IS),
263 b 22
and not improbably in the recognition of "the Angels" of the
Seven Churches of Asia in the Apocalypse. Lastly, it is equally
certain that, from the early part of the 2nd century onwards, the
distinctive existence of the Episcopate, as the highest Order in the
Ministry, was universally recognised in every portion of the Church,
and even in the heretical Sects seceding from it. The one question
therefore is, How did this rapid and universal development of the
Episcopate take place ? Of usurpation, or radical change of system,
there is no historical trace whatever. Nor is it accounted for by a
merely natural development of organization; for in the case of
Archbishoprics and Patriarchates, such natural development of
jurisdiction created no distinct Order. The only adequate cause,
to which it can be referred, is the sanction of such natural develop-
ment by distinct Apostolic authority— especially the authority of
St. John, for many years th» last survivor of the Apostolic band —
on the approaching withdrawal of the Apostolate. Ihis is evidently
the answer implied in the Preface, and it has on its side, not only
universal ancient tradition, but also an almost overwhelming pre-
ponderance of probability.
The Minor Orders— There were in the old Pontifical Forms of
Service for admission to the Minor Orders of the Ministry, which
gradually grew up— viz., Sub-deacon, Acolyte, Exorcist. Singer,
Reader, Doorkeeper. But it is universally acknowledged that these
stand on a wholly different footing from the three greater Orders,
as not being essential to the constitution of the Church, and not
carrying with them distinct Ministerial authority. It is wholly in
the power of any Branch of the Church to constitute, abolish, or
revive them. They were accordingly disused at the Reformation,
and, although proposals have been made to revive some of them,
have never been restored. They form, indeed, a kind of link be-
tween clergy and laity, and are not in themselves incompatible with
some secular employments.
The Rule of Episcopal Ordination.— The clause, "or hath had
formerly Episcopal Ordination," was added in 1662. Up to that
time our Prayer Book here recognised as Ministers of the Church
only those who were ordained under our own form. But it appears
certain that, while the rule of the Church was clearly enunciated in
the Preface and carried out in general practice, yet men having
Presbyterian Ordination were in exceptional cases (especially of
those ordained abroad) allowed to minister in the Church, in con-
sideration, no doubt, of the disturbed and disorganized condition of
Christendom. In 1662, however, the conditions had changed. Pres-
byterian Ordination had been asserted, not as an exception, but as
the rule, and the Presbyterian system, in general, had been raised
on the ruins of the Episcopal. The old rule was, therefore, re-
enacted with this additional provision, clearly distinguishing Epis-
copal Ordination from all other, and all exceptions to it for the
future disallowed.
The Age for Ordination.— Various limitations of age for Ordi-
nation are found in different ages and different branches of the
Church. In the Church of England, till the revision of the Ordinal
in 1662. the minimum age for the Diaconate was fixed in this place
at 21, the ages for the Priesthood and the Episcopate being, as now,
24 and SO. This would give, in the regular condition of things, a
Diaconate of at least three years before Priest's orders, and a Pres-
byterate of at least six years before Consecration to the Episcopate.
In the Canons of 1604, however, the alteration of the age for the
Diaconate to 28 is already found (Canon xxxiv.). An exception is
here allowed by "Faculty," that is, dispensation, apparently from
the Archbishop ; but an Act of Parliament in 1804 (44 Geo. iii. c. 48.),
enforcing the rule without naming any exception, might make the
legal value of such a dispensation doubtful. The old rule had at
264
THE
FORM AND MANNER
OF
MAKING, ORDAINING, AND CONSECRATING
OF
BISHOPS, PRIESTS, AND DEACONS,
ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF
THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.
THE PREFACE.
JT is evident unto all men diligently reading holy Scripture and
* ancient Authors, that from the Apostles' time there have been these
Orders of Ministers in Christ's Church ; Bishops, Priests, and Deacons.
Which Offices were evermore had in such reverend Estimation, that no
man might presume to execute any of them, except he were first called,
tried, examined, and known to have such qualities as are requisite for the
same ; and also by publick Prayer, with Imposition of Hands, were ap-
proved and admitted thereunto by lawful Authority. And therefore, to
the intent that these Oruers may be continued, and reverently used and
esteemed, in the Church of England ; no man shall be accounted or
taken to be a lawful Bishop, Priest, or Deacon in the Church of
England, or suffered to execute any of the said Functions, except he
be called, tried, examined, and admitted thereunto, according to the
Form hereafter following, or hath had formerly Episcopal Consecra-
tion, or Ordination.
And none shall be admitted a Deacon, except he be Twenty-three years
Of age, unless he have a Faculty. And every man v;hich is to be admit-
ted a Priest shall be full Four-and-twenty years old. And every man
which is to be ordained or consecrated Bishop shall be fully Thirty years
of age.
And the Bishop, knowing either by himself, or by sufficient testimony,
any Person to be a man of virtuous conversation, and without crime; and,
after examination and trial, finding him learned in the Latin Tongue,
and sufficiently instructed in holy Scripture, may at the times appointed
in the Canon, or else, on urgent occasion, upon some other Sunday or
Holy-day, in the face of the Church, admit him a Deacon, in such manner
and form as hereafter foUoweth.
864
least this advantage, that it recognised a longer duration, and so a
more substantial reality, in the Diaconate.
The Qualifications of Candidates.— The right to judge of per-
sonal qualifications seems to rest wholly in the discretion of the
Bishop. The only requirements here laid down are simply " virtuous
conversation and without crime," and sufficient education— the
"learning in the Latin tongue" representing general education,
and the acquaintance with Holy Scripture the special education in
religious knowledge. The method by which the existence of these
requirements shall be ascertained is left to the Bishop, who is also
evidently the judge of general fitness. (On this see 1 Tim. iii. 1-18.)
In Canon xxxv. of 1604 it is provided that the Bishop shall examine
the Candidate " in the presence of those Ministers that shall assist
him in the laying on of hands." In Canon xxxiv. it is laid down,
that (a) a Candidate "shall have taken some degree in the Uni-
versities, or shall be able to yield an account of his faith in Latin,
according to the Articles .... and to confirm the same out of Holy
Scripture " ; and shall also present College testimonials to character,
or testimonials from "three or four grave Ministers . . . who have
known his life and behaviour at least three years before." (6) Be-
sides these personal qualifications, it is ordered, by Canon xxxvi. and
Act of Parliament, that he shall take the "Oath of the King's
Sovereignty," accept the Prayer Book, and subscribe the xxxix.
Articles. The present form of Clerical Subscription is provided by
an Act of 1865, amending the provisions of the Acts of Uniformity :
" I assent to the Thirty-nine Articles, and to the Book of Common
Prayer, and of the ordering of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons. I
believe the doctrine of the Church of England as therein set forth to
be agreeable to the Word of God. and in Public Prayer and Adminis-
tration of the Sacraments, I will use the Form in the said Book
prescribed and none other, except so far as shall be ordered by law-
ful authority." (c) It is also provided in Canons xxxiii., xxxiv. that
the Bishop shall not ordain outside his own diocese without Letters
Dimis8ory, and that in all cases he shall see that a Candidate has
"a title," that is, a call to a definite sphere of work, with some
suitable maintenance. No distinction as to educational and per-
sonal qualifications is made between the Deacon and the Priest,
although the nature of the two offices would seem to suggest such a
distinction.
The Times appointed in the Canon are, of course, "the Ember
Seasons." (On these, see above, Table of Fasts, &c.) These Seasons,
as seasons of periodical fasting, were gradually fixed, as appropriate
and convenient for " the laying on of hands with prayer and fast-
ing." It was probably about the 5th century that the appointment
of these for Ordination became a rule in the Western Church, and
this rule was accepted in the Church of England as early as the
8th century.
THE FORM AND MANNER
OF
MAKING OF DEACONS.
The comparison of this Service with that for the Ordination of
Priests shews clearly the marked difference which properly exists
between the two offices, and which is indicated in their titles. The
name " Deacon" (corresponding in Greek to the Latin word Minis-
ter) is simply Servant of Christ and of the brethren for His sake.
Used of all orders (1 Cor. iii. 5; 2 Cor. vi. 4, &c), it is especially
applicable to the lowest and humblest. The name " Presbyter " (or
" Elder ") is a name of dignity— properly the dignity of age— and so
2C5
THE FORM AND MANNER
OF
MAKING OF DEACONS.
T When the day appointed by the Bishop it come, after Morning Prayer u
ended, there shall be a Sermon or Exhortation, declaring the Duty and Office
of such as come to be admitted Deacons; how necessary that Order is in the
Church of Christ, and also, how the people ought to esteem them in their Office,
the Father and the Son : have mercy upon
us miserable sinners.
O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity,
three Persons and one God : have mercy
% First the Archdeacon, or his Deputy,
shall present unto the Bishop (sitting
in his chair near to the holy Table)
such as desire to be ordained Deacons,
(each of them being decently habited,)
saying these words,
REVEREND Father in God, I pre-
sent unto you these persons present,
to be admitted Deacons.
upon us miserable sinners.
O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity,
three Persons and one God : have mercy
upon us miserable sinners.
Remember not, Lord, our offences,
nor the offences of our forefathers ; nei-
me vistiop. ther take tnou ven„eance of our sins :
'T'AKE heed that the persons, whom gpare ug( g00(j Lord, spare thy people,
-»- ye present unto us, be apt and meet, whom thou hast redeemed with thy
for their learning and godly conversa- moat precious blood, and be not angry
tion, to exercise their Ministry duly, to
the honour of God, and the edifying of
his Church.
T The Archdeacon shall answer,
I HAVE enquired of them, and also
examined them, and think them so
to be.
T Then the Bishop shall say unto the
people :
BRETHREN, if there be any of you
who knoweth any Impediment, or
notable Crime, in any of these persons
presented to be ordered Deacons, for
the which he ought not to be admitted
to that Office, let him come forth in the
Name of God, and shew what the Crime
or Impediment is.
H And if any great Crime or Impedi-
ment be objected, the Bishop shall
surcease from Ordering that person,
until such time as the party accused
shall be found clear of that Crime.
1 Then the Bishop (commending such
as shall be found meet to be Ordered
to the Prayers of the congregation)
shall, with the Clergy and people pre-
sent, sing or say the Litany, with the
Prayers as followeth.
The Litany and Suffrages.
OGOD the Father of heaven : have
mercy upon us miserable sinners.
O God the Father of heaven : have
mercy upon us miserable sinners.
O God the Son, Redeemer of the
world : have mercy upon us miserable
sinners.
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 us miserable sinners.
with us for ever.
Spare us, good Lord.
From all evil and mischief ; from ein,
from the crafts and assaults of the de-
vil ; from thy wrath, and from ever-
lasting damnation,
Good Lord, deliver us.
From all blindness of heart ; from
pride, vain-glory, and hypocrisy •, from
envy, hatred, and malice, and all un-
charitableness,
Good Lord, deliver us.
From fornication, and all other dead-
ly sin ; and from all the deceits of the
world, the flesh, and the devil,
Good Lord, deliver us.
From lightning and tempest ; from
plague, pestilence, and famine ; from
battle and murder, and from sudden
death,
Good Lord, deliver us.
From all sedition, privy conspiracy,
and rebellion ; from all false doctrine,
heresy, and schism ; from hardness of
heart, and contempt of thy Word and
Commandment,
Good Lord, deliver us.
By the mystery of thy holy Incarna-
tion ; by thy holy Nativity and Circum-
cision ; by thy Baptism, Fasting, and
Temptation,
Good Lord, deliver us.
By thine Agony and bloody Sweat ?
by thy Cross and Passion ; by thy pre-
cious Death and Burial ; by thy glorious
Resurrection and Ascension ; and by
the coming of the Holy Ghost,
Good Lord, deliver us.
In all time of our tribulation ; in all
time of our wealth ; in the hour of
death, and in the day of judgment,
Good Lord, deliver us.
We sinners do beseech thee to hear
O God the Holy Ghost, proceeding from \ us, O Lord God ; and that it may please
265
of authority. Applied by the Apostles even to themselves (1 Pet. v.
1), it however naturally attaches itself to the central Order— the
very backbone of the Ministry— through which Pastoral authority
is most widely exercised. This difference of character will be traced
again and again in the Services.
(A.) The Introductory Part of the Service.
The Sermon is to be addressed primarily ad clerum, especially to
those about to be ordained, to explain the nature and the duty of
the Diaconate ; but secondarily ad populum, to enforce the necessity
and accordingly the right dignity of the office. From this, as from
all else, it is clear that Ordinations as a rule ought to be public.
The Presentation of the
Candidates by the Archdeacon,
or his deputy, represents the an-
cient practice of the positive
"Testimony of the Clergy"
(whose head the Archdeacon is),
after dne examination and en-
quiry ; as the notice to the people
following represents the negative
"testimony" (by absence of ob-
jection) " of the Laity." In the
old Service the form was, " Reve-
rend Father, the holy Church
demands that these men," &c. ;
and this form has an evident
reference to the ancient choice
by clergy and people of those to
be ordained to any charge.
The provision that " each shall
be decently habited" was in-
serted in 1662. In 1549 it was
expressly provided that " each
should have on him a plain Alb,"
and that the Deacon who read
the Gospel should "put on the
tunicle." This was struck out
in 1552. The present provision,
though it does not order, seems
to suggest, that the habit should
be that of ordinary subsequent
ministration.
The notice to the people in the
Service follows up the previous
reading in the congregation of
the Si quit, or invitation of ob-
jection in case of necessity, on a
previous Sunday.
The use of the Litany, though
not universal, is found in most of
the ancient Western Ordinals.
It is natural, as a provision for
canning out the Apostolic prac-
tice (Acts vi. 6; xiii. 8), of or-
daining after fasting and prayer.
For the Litany is, in itself, the
form of most fervent and de-
tailed prayer, claiming emphatic-
ally the Intercession of Our Lord
Jesus Christ by being addressed
mainly to Him; and is made
specially appropriate by the in-
serted Suffrage for those about
to be ordained. It may be noted
that it is not terminated by the
Prayer of St. Chryeostom and
"the Grace of Our Lord," but
made distinctly an introduction
to the Communion Service, of
which the Ordination is a part.
(B) The Communion Service and Ordination.
The Collect (a) in its pre-
amble distinctly asserts the Mi-
nistry in its various Orders (see
1 Cor. xii. 28; Eph. iv. 11) as an
Ordinance of God, not of man,
and claims for the Diaconate the
authority of Apostolical Insti-
tution. (6) Its prayer is for the
twofold qualification of know-
ledge of truth and innocence of
life, and the twofold result of
faithful Ministry, the setting
forth of God's glory and the edi-
fication of His Church.
The Epistle may be either
(a) St. Paul's exposition of the
qualifications of Deacons and of
their families, and of the posi-
tion of the Order, as capable of
becoming a preparation for the
Priesthood; or (b) the historic
record of the appointment of the
Seven (who, though not express-
ly called Deacons, are undoubt-
edly the first representatives of
the office of the Diaconate), and
the subsequent progress and en-
largement of the Church.
At this point of the Service (up
to 1865) the Oath of allegiance to
the Sovereign was administered.
It has passed through several
forms since 1552. It then con-
tained a special repudiation of
THE 0£,DERI*iO OF DEACONS.
thee to rule and govern thy holy Church
universal in the right way ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to keep and
strengthen in the true worshipping of
thee, in righteousness and holiness of
lite, thy Servant GEORGE, our most gra-
«ious King and Governour ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to rule hit
heart in thy faith, fear, and love, and
that he may evermore have affiance
in thee, and ever seek thy honour and
glory j
We beseech t?iee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to be his de-
fender, and keeper, giving him the vic-
tory over all his enemies ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to bless
and preserve our gracious Queen Mary,
Edward Prince of Wales, and all the
Royal Family;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to illuminate
all Dishops, Priests, and Deacons, with
true knowledge and understanding of
thy Word ; and that both by their
preaching and living they may set it
forth, and shew it accordingly;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to bless these
thy servants, now to be admitted to the
Order of Deacons, [or Priests,] and to
pour thy grace upon them ; that they
may duly execuie their office, to the
edifying of thy Church, and the glory
Of thy holy Name ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to endue the
Lords of the Council, and all the Nobi-
lity, with grace, wisdom, and under-
standing ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to bless and
keep the Magistrates, giving them gi aoe
to execute j ustice, and to maintain truth ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to bless and
keep all thy people ;
We beseech tltee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to give to all
nations unity, peace, and concord ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to give us
an heart to love and dread thee, and
diligently to live after thy command-
ments ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to give to all
thy people increase of grace to hear
meekly ihy Word, and to receive it with
pure affection, and to bring forth the
fruits of the .Spirit ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to bring into
the way of truth all such as have erred,
and are deceived ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
j That it may please thee to strengthen
I such as do stand ; and to comfort and
help the weak-hearted ; and to raise up
them that fall ; and finally to beat down
Satan under our feet ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to succour,
help, and comfort, all that are in dan-
ger, necessity, and tribulation ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to preserve
all that travel by land or by water, all
women labouring of child, ail sick per-
sons, and young children ; and to shew
thy pity upon all prisoners and captives;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to defend, and
provide for, the fatherless children and
widows, and all that are desolate and
oppressed ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to have mercy
upon all men ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to forgive our
enemies, persecutors, and slanderers,
and to turn their hearts ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to give and
preserve to our use the kindly fruits of
the earth, so as in due time we may
enjoy them ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to give us
true repentance ; to forgive us all our
sins, negligences, and ignorances ; and
to endue us with the grace of thy Holy
Spirit to amend our lives according to
thy holy Word ;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
Son of God : we beseech thee to hear
us.
Son of God : we beseech thee to hear us.
O Lamb of God : that takest away the
sins of the world ;
Grant us thy peace.
O Lamb of God : that takest away the
sins of the world ;
Have mercy upon us.
O Christ, hear us.
O Christ, hear us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
f Then shall the Priest, and the people
with him, say the Lords Prayer-
OUR Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name. Thy king-
dom coma Thy will be done, in earth
as it is in heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread. And forgive us our tres-
passes. As we forgive them that trespass
against us. Andlead usnot into tempta-
tion : Hut deliver us from evil.
Priest. O Lord, deal not with us after
our sins.
266
the claim* of the "Bishop of
Rome," with an undertaking to
observe all the statutes made
against them, and to oppose all
who maintain them ; and it for-
mally accepted the Sovereign as
" the Supreme Head on earth of
the Church of England." In
1662 this was changed to a re-
pudiation of the authority of any
Tt foreign Prince, Person, Pre-
late, State, or Potentate," and
an acceptance of the Sovereign
as "Supreme Governor of this
Realm in all Spiritual or Eccle-
siastical things or causes, as well
as Temporal." In 1689 it was
made " to abhor, detest, and ab-
jure " the doctrine " that Princes
excommunicated or deposed by
the Pope may be deposed or
murdered." In 1858 it was finally
settled to an undertaking to bear
true allegiance to the Sovereign,
to defend the crown, to maintain
the Act of Settlement, and to
abjure all foreign allegiance. In
1865 it was ordered that this Oath
should be administered previous-
ly, instead of being taken during
the "
authorised, expound) it in the
Church.
(c) The Duty of the Diaco-
nate.—The fifth (enlarged from
the old Sarum form) describes
the proper duty of the Deacon,
according to the ancient model,
which the Church of England
clearly desired to retain, although
in modern practice the distinc-
tion between it and the duty of
the Priest is much obscured.
It is, first, the duty of simple
Assistance to the Priest in Divine
Service, and especially in the
Holy Communion; next, the duty
of publio Reading of Scriptures
and HomiUes, and of giving
Catechetical instruction to the
young ; thirdly, the duty of act-
ing as deputy of the Priest in
ministering Baptism; fourthly
(as evidently exceptional), on
"licence of the Bishop himself,"
the duty of preaching ; and, last-
ly, that duty, out of which the
Diaconate originally sprang, of
visiting the poor and sick, in
order that, under the direction
le Service.
The Examination of the
Candidates.
Of the searching questions now
put, we note-
to) The Call.— The firstdwells
on the "Inward Call" to the
Ministry by the witness of the
Holy Spirit in the heart, to be
sought by earnest meditation and
prayer, as the first and most
essential of all requirements.
The second, on the " Outward
Call," according to the Law of
Christ in His Church, in the form
in which it is embodied in " the
Order of this Realm" (that is,
clearly, in the Ecclesiastical
Law) and in the practice of the
Church. This impjhes the will-
ingness to accept, as accordant
to Christ's Law, all the regula-
tions under which the Ministry
Is to be exercised in the Church
of England, and to submit to all
constituted authority therein.
(6) The Rule of Faith.— The
third and fourth refer to the
basis of Christian doctrine and
morality, as contained in Holy
Scripture (see Art. vi.), and re-
quire readiness to read (and, if
of the parish Priest, they may be
relieved by alms. It will be seen
that of these duties many may
be performed by laymen; that
the properly ministerial duty of
the Deacon is simply subordi-
nate, carrying very little Pastoral
authority; and that licence to
preach is supposed to be given
only when the Deacon is excep-
tionally qualified for it, or in
case of exceptional necessity. If
the Diaconate were kept strictly
to these, and not necessarily re-
garded as a stepping-stone to the
higher Orders, it would seem that
a lower standard of educational
and other qualifications might be
accepted for it, and that it might
serve as a link between the Pres-
byterate and the people. In the
revival of the ancient Order of
DeaconeBs in the Church, this
original idea of the Diaconate is
strictly observed.
(d*) The Individual Life and
Obedience. — The sixth dwells
on the right accordance with
"the doctrine of Christ" of the
lives of the Deacon and his
family, as an example to the
Church.
(*) The seventh, on Canonical
Obedience to the constituted
267
THE ORDERING OF DEACONS.
Answer. Neither reward us after our
Iniquities.
Let us pray.
OGOD, merciful Father, that despis-
est not the sighing of a contrite
heart, nor the desire of such as be sor-
rowful ; Mercifully assist our prayers
that we make before thee in all our
troubles and adversities, whensoever
they oppress us ; and graciously hear
us, that those evils, which the craft and
subtilty of the devil or man worketh
against us, be brought to nought ; and
by the providence of thy goodness they
may be dispersed ; that we thy ser-
vants, being hurt by no persecutions,
may evermore give thanks unto thee in
thy holy Church ; through Jesus Christ
our Lord.
O Lord, arise, help us, and deliver us
for thy Name's sake.
OGOD, we have heard with our ears,
and our fathers have declared unto
us, the noble works that thou didst in
their days, and in the old time before
them.
O Lord, arise, help us, and deliver us
for thine honour.
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 with-
out end. Amen.
From our enemies defend us, O Christ.
Graciously look upon our afflictions.
Pitifully behold the sorrows of our
hearts.
Mercifully forgive the sins of thy people.
Favourably with mercy hear our
prayers.
O Son of David, have mercy upon us.
Both now and ever vouchsafe to hear
us, O Christ.
Graciously hear us. O Christ; graci-
ously hear ui, O Lord Christ.
Priest. O Lord, let thy mercy be
shewed upon us ;
Answer. Aswedoputourtrustinthee.
; Let us pray.
WE humbly beseech thee, O Father,
mercifully to look upon our in-
firmities ; and for the irlory of thy Name
turn from us all those evils that we most
righteously have deserved ; and grant,
that in all our troubles we may put our
whole trust and confidence in thy mer-
cy, and evermore serve thee in holiness
and pureness of living, to thy honour
and glory ; through our only Mediator
and Advocate, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
5 Then shall be sung or said the Service
for the Communion, with the Collect,
Epistle, and Gospel, as followeth.
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY God, who by thy Divine
Providence hast appointed divers
Orders of Ministers in thy Church, and
didst inspire thine Apostles to choose
into the Order of Deacons the first
Martyr Saint Stephen, with others ;
Mercifully behold these thy servants
now called to the like Office and Ad-
ministration ; replenish them so with
the truth of thy Doctrine, and adorn
them with innocency of life, that, both
by word and good example, they may
faithfully serve thee in this Office, to
the glory of thy Name, and the edifica-
tion of thy Church ; through the merits
of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who liveth
and reigneth with thee and the Holy
Ghost, now and for ever. Amen.
The Epistle. 1 Tim. ill. 8.
LIKEWISE must the Deacons be
grave, not double tongued, not
given to much wine, not greedy of
filthy lucre, holding the mystery of the
faith in a pure conscience. And let
these also first be proved ; then let them
use the Office of a Deacon, being found
blameless. Even so must their wives be
grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in
all things. Let the Deacons be the hus-
bands of one wife, ruling their children
and their own houses well. For they
that have used the Office of a Deacon
well purchase to themselves a good de-
gree, and great boldness in the faith
which is in Christ Jesus.
Or else this, out of the sixth of the Acts of
the Apostles.
Acts vi. 2.
THEN the twelve called tne multi-
tude of the disciples unto them, and
said, It is not reason that we should
leave the Word of Ciod, and serve tables.
Wherefore, brethren, look yeoutamong
you seven men of honest report, full of
the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we
may appoint over this business. But we
will giveourselves continually to prayer,
and to the ministry of the Word. And
the saying pleased the whole multitude.
And they chose Stephen, a man full of
iuith, and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip,
and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Ti-
mon, and Parmcnas, and Nicolas a
proselyte of Antioch ; whom they set
before the Apostles ; and, when they
had prayei, they laid their hands on
them. And the Word of God increased,
and the number of the disciples mul-
tiplied in Jerusalem greatly, and a
great company of the Priests were obe-
dient to the faith.
1 And before the Gospel, the Bishop, sit-
ting in his chair, shall examine every
one of them that are to be Ordered, in
the presence of the people, after this
manner following.
DO you trust that you are inwardly
moved by the Holy (Ihost to take
upon you this Office and Ministration
authorities of the Church, in
which is, of course, included spe-
cial subordination to the Priest
under whom he is to serve.
The Ordination itself is not-
able as containing in extreme
simplicity the essentials of Or-
dination, viz., Imposition of
Hands and Mission in the Name
of the Holy Trinity ; and stands
in marked contrast with the ex-
treme solemnity of the Ordina-
tion of Priests. The delivery to
the Candidate of the New Testa-
ment marks his main duty as a
Reader of the Gospel, with power
to expound it if specially licensed.
In the old Sarum Service the
Bishop was directed to say se-
cretly," Receive the Holy Ghost,"
and then with appropriate words
to invest the Deacon (on the left
shoulder only) with the stole —
called " the stole of itr.mortnlity,"
and supposed to represent the
''easy yoke" of the Ministry of
Christ— and deliver to him the
Gospel (as now;.
The Gospel, read by one of the
Deacons (generally the one who
has most distinguished himself
in the Bishop's examination), is
Luke xii. 85-88— substituted in
1662 for the Gospel of the day-
containing simply Our Lord's
charge of watchfulness and ear-
nestness to all His Ministers.
The final Prayer at the close
of the. Communion Service, while
it thanks God for His great good-
ness in receiving those newly
ordained to their office, marks
especially the humility and obe-
dience which it implies, and prays
that by strength in Christ they
may so exeicise it as to be found
worthy of the higher Ministries
of the Church.
The concluding Rubric states as a minimum of time of con-
tinuance in the Diaconate what has now become the common aver-
age, with the effect of almost obliterating it as a substantive Order
in the Church.
THE FORM AND MANNER
OF
OHDERING OF PRIESTS
The general plan of this Service is the same as that of the pre-
ceding, and it contains many common elements. It will be sufficient
to notice the striking points of difference.
The Epistle (substituted in
1662 for Acts xx. 17-35 or 1 Tim.
iii. 1-16) is Eph. iv. 7-13, the close
of the doctrinal portion of that
frreat Epistle, immediately fol-
owing the grand passage on the
Unity of the Church (see Epistle
for Seventeenth Sunday after Trin-
ity), describing the variety of
gifts and offices in the Church
from the One glorified Lord, and
their concentration on the work
of the perfecting of the Saints
and the collective edification of
the Church. In this enume-
ration the extraordinary func-
tions of Apostles and Prophets
have passed away. There re-
mains the office of the regular
Ministry, to be Evangelists to
the unconverted, to be Pastors
and Teachers to those who have
been converted to Christ; so
that both may come to fulness
of growth in Him.
The Gospel may be (a) the
brief description of Our Lord's
mission of His labourers into the
spiritual harvest, under the im-
pulse of the Divine compassion,
which brought Him down from
Heaven to seek and to save the
lost. (It immediately precedes
His Pastoral Charge to the
Twelve.) The alternative Gos-
pel (6), is the passage (John x.
1-16), of which a portion forms
the Gospel for the Second Sunday
after Easter (which see), contain-
ing the whole description by Our
Lord Himself of His Office to the
THE ORDERING OP DEACONS.
to serve God for the promoting of his
glory, and the edifying of his people '/
Answer. I trust so.
The Bishop.
DO you think that you are truly call-
ed, according to the will of our
Lord Jesus Christ, and the due Order
of this Ilealm, to the Ministry of the
Church ?
Answer. I think so.
The Bishop.
DO you unfeignedly believe all the
Canonical Scriptures of the Old
and New Testament ?
Answer. I do believe them.
The Bishop.
WILL you diligently read the same
unto the people assembled in the
Church where you shall be appointed to
serve ?
A nswer. I will.
Tlie Bishop.
IT appertained to the Office of a
Deacon, in the Church where he
shall be appointed to serve, to assist
the Priest in Divine Service, and spe-
cially when he minlstereth the holy
Communion, and to help him in the
distribution thereof, and to read holy
Scriptures and Homilies in the Church ;
and to instruct the youth in the Cate-
chism ; in the absence of the Priest to
baptize infants, and to preach, if he
be admitted thereto by the Bishop.
And furthermore, it is his Office,
where provision is so made, to search
for the sick, poor, and impotent people
of the Parish, to intimate their estates,
names, and places where they dwell,
unto the Curate, that by his exhorta-
tion they may be relieved with the
alms of the Parishioners, or others.
Will you do this gladly and willingly ?
Answer. 1 will so "do, by the hulp
of God.
The Bishop.
WILL you apply all your diligence
to "frame and fashion your own
lives, and the lives of your families, I
according to the Doctrine of Christ ; j
and to make both yourselves and them, i
as much as in you lieth, wholesome |
examples of the flock of Christ ?
Answer. I will so do, the Lord being I
my helper.
The Bishop.
WILL you reverently obey your Ordi- ;
nary, and other chief Ministers of
the Church, and them to whom the
charge and government over you is I
committed, following with a glad mind
and will their godly admonitions ?
A nswer. I will endeavour myself, the
Lord being my helper.
H Then the Bishop laying his Hands seve-
rally upon the Head of every one of
them, humbly kneeling before him, shall
say,
TAKE thou Authority to execute the
OtHce of a Deacon in the Church of
God committed unto thee; In the Name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost. Amen.
T Then shall the Bishop deliver to every
one of them the A^ew Testajiient, say-
ing,
TAKE thou Authority to read the
Gospel in the Church of God, and
to preach the s;ime, if thou be thereto
licensed by the Bishop himself.
1 Tlien one of them, appointed by the
Bishop, shall read Vie Gospel.
St. Luke xii. 35.
LET your loins be girded about, and
your lights burning ; and ye your-
selves like unto men that wait for
their Lord, when he will return from
the wedding ; that, when he comclh
and knocketh, they may open unto
him immediately. Blessed are those
servants, whom the Lord when lie
cometh shall find watching. Verily I
say unto you, that he shall gird himself,
and make them to sit down to meat,
and will come forth and serve them.
And if he shall come in the second
watch, or come in the third watch,
and find them so, blessed are those
servants.
% Then shall the Bishop proceed in the
Communion, and all that are Ordered
shall tarry, and receivi the holy Com-
munion the same day with the Bishop.
f The Communion ended, after Vie last
Collect, and immediately before tli»
Benediction, .shall be said these Collects
following.
ALMIGHTY God, giver of all good
things, who of thy great goodness
hast vouchsafed to accept and take
these thy servants unto the Office of
Deacons' in thy Church ; Make them,
we beseech thee. O Lord, to be modest,
humble, and constant in their Minis-
tration, to hiive a ready will to ob-
serve all spiritual Discipline : that they
having always the testimony of a good
conscience, und continuing ever stable
and strong in thy Son Christ, may so
well behave themselves in this inferior
Office, that they may be found worthy
to be called unto the higher Ministries
In thy Church ; through the same thy
Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom
be glory and honour world without end.
Amen.
PREVENT us, O Lord, in all our
doings with thy most gracious fa-
vour, and further us with thy continual
help ; that in all our works begun,
Church. By a mixture of meta-
phor He, as the One Mediator, is
the Door of Entrance into the
Fold of Salvation, and also the
Good Shepherd, sacrificing even
flis life for all who have entered
in, from far and near alike. The
greater emphasis is perhaps on
the latter Office, in which all His
Ministers are shepherds under
the Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. v. 4),
while in the former He is abso-
lutely alone.
(In 1558 John xx. 19-28 was
provided as an alternative Gos-
pel.)
At this point, as in the Or-
dination of Deacons, followed
"the Oath of allegiance to the
Sovereign."
The Exhortation of the
Bishop to the Candidates, be-
fore putting the questions, is
peculiar to this Service. It is a
striking picture of the whole
Pastoral duty and life. In ac-
cordance with this general idea,
it first (a) brings out with great
emphasis the dignity and gravity
of the Office of Priesthood, as
the true Pastoral Office, in which
they are to be God's messengers
to teach, His watchmen to pre-
monish, His stewards to feed and
provide for the Lord's family ;
and beyond this to seek the wan-
. dering, and those who are already
His children "in this naughty
world"; (6) next, it dwells on
the heavy responsibility of the
Office in its solemn duty to the
sheep of Christ, bought with His
Blood, and to the Church as His
Spouse and Body, and the need
of unremitting labour to dis-
charge it rightly, by perfecting
in those under their charge both
Christian faith and Christian
life ; (c) from this it passes on to
the need of prayer for the Spirit
of God, study of Holy Scripture,
and practical conformation of
life thereto; and (d) ends with
an expression of confidence that
by God's grace they who come
to be ordained have resolved to
give their whole hearts to His
service, and to grow by these
means to ripeness and strength,
and a desire that by answer to
the questions they will express
this resolution before the "Con-
gregation of Christ."
The Questions, while they re-
peat in some points those in the
Ordination of Deacons, agree
with the tone of this more special
Exhortation.
(a) The Call.— The first dwells
on the call to the Ministry— the
inward call being presupposed
before entering on the lower
office, and the outward call alone
being here brought out.
(6) The Bule of Faith and
Practice.— The second requires
acceptance (see Art. vi.) of Holy
Scripture as the Bule of Faith,
containing all things necessary
to salvation, and therefore as the
basis of their future teaching.
The third calls for adhesion, in
all Ministry of the Doctrine, the
Sacraments, and the Discipline
of Christ, to the standard laid
down by the Church of England
(&s especially in the Prayer Book) .
The fourth accordingly claims
from them resistance to all that
infringes on these standards of
truth, and diligence to impress
them on the people by teaching
and exhortation. 9
(c) The Individual Life. —
The fifth dwells on the duty of
constancy in prayer and study of
Holy Scripture, and on a dis-
tinct tone of unworldliness and
spirituality of life.
The sixth, on the duty of
Christian example, in themselves
and in their families.
(d) The Submission to Order
and Peace. — The seventh re-
quires a promise to seek for the
things which make for "quiet-
ness, peace, and love among all
Christian people."
The eighth, in consonance with
this, demands obedience to high-
er Church authorities, in respect
both of advice and of formal
judgment.
Prayer and Blessing.— The
solemnity of the occasion is now
marked by blessing and prayer ;
to which there is nothing to cor-
respond in the other Service.
The Blessing of the Bishop
pravs God. as sriving power both
to will and to do (Phil. ii. 13), to
perfect His work in those who
have now dedicated themselves
to Him.
2C0
THE ORDERING OF PRIESTS.
continued, and ended in thee, we may
glorify thy holy Name, and finally by
thy mercy obtain everlasting life";
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, keep your hearts
and minds in the knowledge and lov\J
of God, and of his Son Jesus Chrr3t
our Lord : And the Blessing of God
Almighty, the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Ghost, be amongst you, and
remain with you always. Amen.
1 And here it must be declared unto the Deacon, that he must continue in that
Office- of a Deacon the space of a whole year (except for reasonable causes it
shall otherwise seem good unto the Bishop) to the intent he may be perfect, and
well expert in the things appertaining to the Ecclesiastical Administration. In
executing whereof if he be found faithful and diligent, he may be admitted by his
Diocesan to the Order of Priesthood, at the tim*s appointed in the Canon ; or else,
on urgent occasion, upon some other Sunday or Holy-day, in the face of the
Church, in such manner and form as hereof ter followeth.
THE FORM AND MANNER
ORDERING OF PRIESTS.
J When the day appointed by the Bishop is come, after Morning Prayer is ended,
there shall be a Sermon or Exhortation, declaring the Duty and Offi,ce of such as
come to be admitted Priests: how necessary that Order is in the Church of Christ,
and also how Vie people ought to esteem them in their Office.
5 First, the Archdeacon, or, in his ab-
sence, one appointed in his stead, shall
present unto the Bishop (sitting in his
cltair near to the holy Table) all them
that shall receive the Order of Priest-
hood that day (each of them being de-
cently habited) and say,
REVEREND Father in God, I pre-
sent unto you these persons present,
to be admitted to the Order of Priest-
hood.
The Bishop.
TAKE heed that the persons, whom
ye present unto us, be apt and
meet, for their learning and godly
conversation, to exercise their Ministry
duly, to the honour of God, and the
edifying of his Church.
1 The Archdeacon shall answer,
T HAVE enquired of them, and also
-*- examined them, and think them so
to be.
1 Then the Bishop shall say unto Vie
people ;
/"J.OOD people, these are they whom
*-* we purpose, God willing, to receive
this day unto the holy Office of Priest-
hood: For after due examination we
find not to the contrary, but that they
be lawfully called to their Function
and Ministry, and that they be per-
sons meet for the same. But yet if
there be any of you, who knoweth
any Impediment, or notable Crime, in
any of them, for the which he ought
not to be received into this holy Mini-
stry, let him come forth in the Name of
God, and shew what the Crime or Im-
pediment is.
\ And if any great Crime or Impediment
be object'd, .Die Bishop shall surcease
from Ordering that person, until such
time as the party accused shall be found
clear of that Crime.
% Tlien the Bishop (commending such
as shall be found meet to be Ordered
to Vie Prayers of the congregation)
shall, with the Clergy and people pre-
sent, sing or sat/ the Litany, with the
Prayers, as t» before appointed in the
Form of Ordering Deacons ; save only,
that, in the proper Suffrage there add-
ed, the word [Deacons] shall be omitted,
and the word [Priests] inserted instead
of it.
H Then shall be sung or said the Service
for the Communion, with tin- Collect,
Epistle, and Gospel, as followeth.
The Collect.
A LMIGHTY God, giver of all good
-r»- things, who by thy Holy Spirit
269
The Silent Prater following
is unique in the order of the
Prayer Book, and marks the con-
viction that the faithful discharge
of the Ministry is a matter of
personal concernment to every
member of the Church.
The Veni Creator is an old
Latin hymn (probably for Pen-
tecost), ascribed by common tra-
dition to St. Ambrose, but with
no sufficient authority. Though
its Prayer might be offered for
all, yet it has been used in this
place, with special reference to
the gifts of Ordination, since the
11th century. Both the versions
given are free translations; the
latter, which is diffuse and para-
phrastic, was alone found till
1662, when the former, much
closer to the terseness of style
in the original, was inserted.
It is curious that neither brings
out the force of the " Cre&tor,"
by which in the Latin the Eter-
nal Creative Power of the Holy
Spirit over all humanity is con-
trasted with His Presence in the
Church as the Paraclete.
This grand hymn, sung usually
by all kneeling (though it is only
ordered that the Candidates shall
kneel) as a solemn Invocation of
the Holy Spirit, seems to gather
up what should have been the
substance of the preceding pri-
vate prayers. It is (a) an Invo-
cation of the Holy Spirit as
Creator and as Paraclete, whose
gift is light through " the celes-
tial fire " and who anoints us in
His sevenfold gifts with "com-
fort, life, and fire of love"; (6)
n*>xt a Prayer for Light, Grace,
Protection, and, above all, for
knowledge of God, the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Ghost,
pouring itself out in praise now
and to all eternity.
The Final Prayer— mainly
original, although having some
likeness to ancient forms — (a) in
its preamble dwells on the mis-
sion by our heavenly Father of
His dearly beloved Son Jesus
Christ, and on the mission by
Him before His Ascension of
His Ministers (John xx. 21)—
" Apostles, Prophets, Evangel-
ists, Doctors, and Pastors "
(Eph. iv. 11)— to gather in His
flock in all parts of the world,
and so to set forth His glory;
(6) thanks God for these His
blessings, of which the present
call of those to be ordained is
an exemplification ; (c) prays for
grace to shew our thankfulness
by constant progress in the know-
ledge and faith of God, so that,
both by Ministers and people,
His Name may be glorified, and
His Kingdom enlarged.
The Ordination.— The Form
of Ordination is strikingly dif-
ferent from that of the Ordina-
tion of Deacons, and is of pecu-
liar solemnity. It is taken with
modifications from the old Ser-
vice Books, but it is of compara-
tively late origin, not being in
all probability older than the
13th century. The essentials of
Ordination (see Acts vi. fi; xiii.
8; 1 Tim. iv. 14; v. 22; 2 Tim.
i. 6) are simply Imposition of
Hands, with benedictory Prayer
and Mission in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ. (This Mis-
sion is frequently symbolized by
delivery of the insignia of office.)
These are conveyed in various
forms. Thus in the Greek Church
the form of words used is, " The
Divine Grace chooses
the most pious Deacon for the
Office of Priest. Let us pray
therefore for him that the grace
of the All-holy Spirit may come
upon him." In the Early West-
ern Ordinals the actual Ordina-
tion seems to have been silent,
prefaced by a Prayer that God
would send on those to be or-
dained the " fulness of His hea-
venly gifts, that they may dis-
charge by His help the office
which with His acceptance they
have undertaken." In the later
Ordinals, a second Imposition of
Hands, by the Bishop alone, was
afterwards used (before the Post-
Communion), with the words
" Receive the Holy Ghost, whose
sins . . . retained." But this
is evidently a late insertion, not
older than the 12th century. The
special form adopted in our Ser-
vice is the repetition of the exact
words of Our Lord Himself (John
xx. 22, 23) to His Apostles, con-
veying a Mission (" As my Father
hath sent Me, even so send I
vou"), a Gift ("Receive ye the
iloly Ghost "), and a Charge
270
THE ORDERING OF PRIESTS.
hast appointed clivers Orders of Minis-
ters in the Church ; Mercifully behold
these thy servants now called to the
Office of Priesthood ; and replenish
them so with the truth ot thy doctrine,
and adorn them with innocency of life,
that, both by word and pood example,
they may faithfully serve thee in this
Office, to the glorv of thy Name, and
the edification of thy Church; through
the merits of our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who liveth and reigneth with thee and
the Holy Ghost, world without end.
The Epistle. Ephes. iv. 7.
UNTO every one of us U given grace,
according to the measure of the
gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith,
When he ascended up on high, he led
captivity captive, and gave gifts unto
men. (Now that he ascended, what
is it but that he also descended first
into the lower parts of the earth ? He
that descended, is the same also that
ascended up far above nil heavens,
that he might till all things.) And lie
gave some Apostles, and some Prophets,
and some Kvnngelists, nnd some Pastors
and Teachers ; for the perfecting of the
Saints, for the work of the Ministry, for
the edifying of the Body of Christ ;
till wo nil come in the "tmity of the
faith, and of the knowledge of the
Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto
the measure of the stature of the ful-
ness of Christ.
5 After this shall be read for the Gospel
part of the ninth Chapter of Saint Mat-
thew, as followeth.
St. Matth. ix. 36.
WHEN Jesus saw the multitudes,
he was moved with compassion
on them, becnus i they fainted, and were
scattered abroad ns sheep having no
shepherd. Then siith he unto his dis-
ciples. The harvest truly is plenteous,
but the labourers nre few. Pray ye
therefore the Lord of the harvest, that
he will send forth labourers into his
harvest.
J Or else this that followeth. out of tlie
tenth Chapter of Saint John.
St. John x. 1.
"17 E It I L Y, verily I say unto you,
» He that entercth not by the door
into the sheep-fold, but cliinbeth up
some other way, the same is a thief and
a robber. Hut he that entercth in by
the door is the Shepherd of the sheep.
To him the porter opencth, and the
sheep hear his voice ; and ho callcth
his own sheep by name, and leadcth
them out. And when he putteth forth
his own sheep he goeth before them,
and the sheep follow him ; for thev
know his voice. And a stranger will
they not follow, but will flee from him;
for they know not the voice of stran-
gers. This parable spake Jesus unto
them, but they understood not what
things they were which he spake unto
them. Then said Jesus unto them again,
Verily, verily I say unto you, 1 am the
door of the sheep. All tliat ever came
before me are thieves and robbers : but
the sheep did not hear them. I am
the door; by me if nny man enter in,
he shall be saved, and shall go in and
out, and find pasture. The thief com-
eth not but for to steal, and to kill, and
to destroy : I am come that they might
have life, and that they might have it
more abundantly. I am the good Shep-
herd : the good Shepherd pivcth his
life for the sheep. Hut he that is an
hireling, and not the Shepherd, whoso
own the sheep are not, seefh the wolf
coming, and leaveth the sheep, and
liocth; and the wolfentchefh them, and
pcattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth,
because he is an hireling, and careth
not for the sheep. I am the good Shep-
herd, and know my sheep, and am
known of mine. As the Father know-
eth mc, even so know I the Father ;
and I lay down my life for the sheep.
And other sheep I have, which are not
of this fold: them also I must bring,
and they shall hear my voice; and there
shall be one fold, and "one Shepherd.
% Then the Bishop, sitting in his chair,
shall say unto them as hereafter fol-
loweth.
YOU have heard, Brethren, as well
in your private examination, as in
the exhortation which was now made
to you, and in the holy Lessons taken
out of the Gospel, and the writings of
the Apostles, of what dignity, and of
how great importance this Office Is,
whereunto ye are called. And now
a^ain we exhort you, in the Name of
our Lord Jesus Christ, that you have
in remembrance, into how high a Dig-
nity, and to how weighty an Office and
Charge ve are called : that is to say,
to be Messengers, Watchmen, and
Stewards of the Lord ; to teach, and
to premonish, to feed and provide for
the Lord's family ; to seek for Christ's
sheep that arc dispersed abroad, and
for his children who are in the midst
of this naughty world, that they may
be saved through Christ for ever.
Have always therefore printed in your
remembrance, how great a treasure is
committed to your charge. For they are
the sheep of Christ, which he bought
with his death, and for whom he shed^
his blood. The Church and Congrega-'
tion whom you m ust serve, is his Spouse, '
and his Body. And if it shall happen
the same Church, or any Member there-
of, to tnke any hurt or hindrance by
reason of your negligence, ye know the
greatness of the. fault, and also the
horrible punishment that will ensue*
Wherefore consider with yourselves the
270
( " Whose soever sins " . . " re-
tained"*. This repetition of
His words rests on the manifest
ground that this was a Mission
and Consecration of the Ministry
of the Chnrch, "even to the end
of the world," which was accord-
ingly to be perpetuated by His
Authority and in His Name. The
insertion (in 1662) of the words
"for the Office and work of a
Priest in the Chnrch of God
.... Amen," was made avow-
edly, here and in the Consecra-
tion Service, in order to empha-
sise the distinction between the
offices of Priest and Bishop. It
brings out clearly what previ-
ously was, of course, implied—
that the reference is to the
C/mrinma, or "gift by the laying
on of hands" (1 Tim. iv. 14:
2 Tim. i. 6), for the discharge of
the solemn duties of the Minis-
try, without some belief in which
no man would dare to enter that
Ministry at all. The insertion is
obviously a great improvement;
but the words, as they previously
stood— both in the Ancient Ser-
vice and in that of 1549— being a
literal repetition of Our Lord's
original words, were evidently
sufiicient for valid Ordination.
It is, of course, understood, as
in all other acts done in Christ's
Name, that, while His gift to
the Apostles was plenary and un-
conditional, our acts are purely
ministerial, and conditional on a
right preparation of soul in the
recipient; and that the Apos-
tolic Mission, while in essence
continued in all time, was in its
own character unique and super-
natural.
The Charge otven in this
Ordination is threefold, (a) The
Dispensation of the Word; (ft)
the Dispensation of the Sacra-
ments ; (c) the " Power and Com-
mandment " of Absolution (on
which see John xx. 23, and comp.
Matt. xvi. 19; xviii. 18). The
last is implied by the use of t >ur
Lord's own words. Tha other
two are plainly enunciated ; the
former is symbolized by the giv-
ing of the Bible; the latter in
1549 was still symbolized by the
placing in the hands the Paten
and Chalice— a practice old, but
of no primitive antiquity, dis-
continued in 1558.
In this Ordination it is to be
noticed that, according to an-
cient custom, the Priests present
take part— the Bishop being thus
seen to act after the primitive
custom, a* the Head of his Col-
lege of Presbyters. But it has
been universally recognised in
all ages of the Church that the
power of Ordination belongs pro-
perly to the Bishop, and that the
co-operation of the Priests is not
essential.
The final Collect is a two-
fold Prayer (a) for the newly
ordained, that they may be
"clothed in righteousness (Ps.
cxxxii. 9), and that the Word
spoken by them may avail to the
saving of souls ; (6) for the peo-
ple, that they may have grace
to receive that Word, and shew
forth in act the glory of God,
271
THE ORDERING OF PRIESTS.
end of your Ministry towards the chil-
dren of God, towards the Spouse and
Body of Christ ; and see that you never
cease »onr labour, your care and dili-
gence, until you have done all that lieth
in you, according1 to your bounden duty,
to bring all such as are or shall be com-
mitted to your charge, unto that agree-
ment in the faith and knowledge of
(iod, and to that ripeness and perfect-
ness of age in Christ, that there be no
place left among you, either for en or in
religion, or for viciousness in life
Forasmuch then as your Office is both
of so great excellency, and of so great
difficulty, ye see with how great care
and study ye ought to apply yourselves,
as well that ye may shew yourselves
dutiful and thankful unto that Lord,
who hath placed you in so high a Dig-
nity ; as also to beware, that neither
you yourselves offend, nor be occasion
that others offend. Howbeit, ye cannot
have a mind and will thereto of your-
selves ; for that will and ability is given
of God alone : therefore ye ought, and
have need, to pray earnestly for his
Holy Spirit. And seeing that you can-
not by any other means compass the
doing of so weighty a work, pertaining
to the salvation of man, but with doc-
trine and exhortation taken out of the
holy Scriptures, and with a life agree-
able to the Mine ; consider how studi-
ous ye ought to be in reading and
learning the Scriptures, and in framing
the manners both of yourselves, and of
them that specially pertain unto you,
according to the rule of the same Scrip-
tures : and for this self-same cause,
how ye ought to forsake and set aside
(as much as you may) all worldly cares
and studies.
We have good hope that you have
well weighed and pondered these things
with yourselves' long before this time ;
and that you have clearly determined,
by God's grace, to give yourselves
wholly to this Office, whereunto it hath
pleased God to call you: so that, as
much as lieth in you, you will apply
yourselves wholly to this one thing,
and draw all your cares and studies
I this way ; and that you will continual-
' ly pray to God the Father, by the Me-
diation of our only Saviour Jesus Christ,
for the heavenly assistance of the Holy
Ghost: that, by daily reading and
weighing of the Scriptures, ye may
wax riper and stronger in your Minis-
try ; and that ye may so endeavour
yourselves, from time to time, to sanc-
tity the lives of you and yours, and to
fashion them after the Rule and Doc-
trine of Christ, that ye may be whole-
some and godly examples and patterns
for the people to follow.
And now, that this present Congre-
gation of Christ here assembled may
also understand your minds and wills
1»> these things, and that this your pro-
mise may the more move you to do your
duties, ye shall answer plainly to thesi*
things, which we, in the Name of God
and of his Church, shall demand of you
touching the same.
DO you think in your heart, that you
be truly called, according to the
will of our Lord Jesus Christ, and
the order of this Church of England,
to the Order and Ministry of Priest-
hood ?
Answer. I think it.
The Bishop,
ARE you persuaded that the holy
Scriptures contain sufficiently all
Doctrine required of necessity for eternal
salvation through faith in Jesus Christ?
and are you determined, out of the said
Scriptures to instruct the people com-
mitted to your charge, and to teach no-
thing, as required of necessity to eternal
salvation, but that which you shall be
persuaded may be concluded and prov-
ed by the Scripture ?
Answer. I am so persuaded, and have
so determined by God's grace.
The Bishop.
WILL you then give your faithful
diligence always so to minister
the Doctrine and Sacraments, and the
Discipline of Christ, as the Lord hath
commanded, and as this Church and
Realm hath received the same, accord-
ing to the Commandments of God ; so
that you may teach the people commit-
ted to your Cure and Charge with all
diligence to keep and observe the same?
Answer. I will so do, by the help of
the Lord.
The Bishop.
WILL you be ready, with all faith-
** ful diligence, to banish and drive
away all erroneous and strange doc-
trines contrary to God's word ; and to
use both publick and private monitions
and exhortations, as well to the sick as
to the whole, within your Cures, as
need shall require, and occasion shall
be given ?
Answer. I will, the Lord being my
helper.
The Bishop.
WILL you be diligent in Prayers,
and in reading of the holy Scrip-
tures, and in such studies as help to the
knowledge of the same, laying aside
the study of the world and the flesh ?
Answer. I will endeavour myself so to
do, the Lord being my helper.
The Bishop.
T^ILL you be diligent to frame and
™ * fashion your own selves, and your
families, according to the Doctrine of
Christ ; and to make both yourselves
and them, as much as in you lieth,
wholesome examples and patterns to
the flock of Christ ?
271
THE ORDERING OF PRIESTS.
Answer. I will apply myself thereto,
the Lord bt-iii^r my helper.
The Bishop.
\IfILL you maintain and get for-
" wards, as much as Heth in you,
quietness, peace, and love, among all
Christian people, and especially among
them that are or shall be committed to
your charge ?
Answer. I will so do, the Lord being
my helper.
The Bishop.
117 ILL you reverently obey your Or-
' ' dinary, and other chief Ministers,
unto whom is committed the charge and
government over you ; following with
a glad mind and will their godly ad-
monitions, and submitting yourselves
to their godly judgments ?
Answer. 1 will so do, the Lord being
my helper.
5 Then shall the Bishop, standing up,
say,
ALMIGHTY God, who hath given you
this will to do all these things ;
Grant also unto you strength and power
to perform the same ; that he may ac-
complish his work which he hath begun
in you ; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
T After this, the Congregation shall be
desired, secretly in their Prayers, to
make their humble supplications to
God for all these things : for the which
Prayers there shall be silence kept for
a space.
H After which shall be sung or said by
the Bishop (the persons to be Ordain-
ed Priests all kneeling) Veni, Creator
Spiritus ; the Bishop beginning, and
the Priests, and others that are pre-
sent, answering by verses, as follow -
eth.
COME, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,
And lighten with celestial fire.
Thou the anointing Spirit art,
Who dost thy seven-fold gifts impart.
Thy blessed Unction from above,
/.« comfort, life, and fire of love.
Enable with perpetual light
The dulness of our blinded sight.
Anoint and cheer our soiled face
Witli the abundance of thy grace.
Keep far our foes, give peace at home :
Where thou art guide, no ill can come.
Teach us to know the Father. Son,
And t/iee, ofbot/t, to be but One.
That, through the ages all along,
This may be our endless song ;
Praise to thy eternal merit,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Or this:
COME, Holy Ghost, eternal God,
Proceeding from above.
Both from the Father and the Son,
The Ood of peace and love :
Visit our minds, into our hearts
Thy heavenly grace inspire ;
That truth and godliness we may
Pursue with full desire.
Thou art the very Comforter
In grief and all distress ;
The heav'nly gift of Ood most high.
No tongue can it express ;
The fountain and the living spring
Of joy celestial ;
The fire so bright, the love so sweet.
The Unction spiritual.
Thou in thy gifts art manifold,
Uy them Christ's Church doth stand :
In faithful hearts thou writ'st thy law,
The finger of God's hand.
According to thy promise, Lord,
Thou givest speech with grace ;
That thro' thy help God's praises may
Resound in every place.
O Holy Ghost, into our minds
Send down thy heav'nly light ;
Kindle our hearts with fervent zeal,
To serve God day and night.
Our weakness strengthen and confirm,
(For, Lord, thou know'st us frail ;)
That neither devil, world, nor flesh.
Against us may prevail.
Put back our enemy far from us,
And help us to obtain
Peace in our hearts with God and man,
{The best, the truest gain;)
And grant that thou being, O Lord,
Our leader and our guide,
We may escape the snares of sin.
And never from thee slide.
8uch measures of thy powerful grace
Grant, Lord, to us, we pray ;
That thou may'st be our Comforter
At the last dreadful day.
Of strife and of dissension
Dissolve. O Lord, the bands.
And knit the knots of peace and love
Throughout all Christian lands.
Grant us the grace that we may know
The Father of all might,
That we of his beloved Son
May gain the blissful sight ;
And that we may with perfect faith
Ever acknowledge thee,
The Spirit of Father, and of Son,
One God in Persons Three.
To God the Father laud and praise.
And to his blessed Son,
And to the Holy Spirit of grace,
Co-equal Three in One.
And pray we, that our only Lord
Would please his Spirit to send
On all that shall profess his Name,
From hence to the world's end. Amen.
t That done, the Bishop shall pray in
this wise, and say,
Let us pray.
ALMIGHTY God. and heavenly Fa-
ther, who, of thine infinite love and
goodness towards us, hast given to us
thy only and most dearly beloved Son
Jesus Christ, to be our Redeemer, and
the Author of everlasting life : who,
after he had made perfect our redemp.
tion by his death, and was ascended
into heaven, sent abroad into the world
u
072
THE ORDERING OF PRIESTS.
his Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists,
Doctors, and Pastors ; by whose labour
and ministry he gathered together a
great flock in all the parts of the world,
to set forth the eternal praise of thy
holy Name : For these so great benefits
of thy eternal goodness, and for that
thou hast vouchsafed to call these thy
servants here present to the same Office
and Ministry appointed for the salvation
of mankind, we render unto thee most
hearty thanks, we praise and worship
thee ; and we humbly beseech thee, by
the same thy blessed Son, to grant unto
all, which either here or elsewhere call
upon thy holy Name, that we may con-
tinue to shew ourselves thankful unto
thee for these and all other thy bene-
fits ; and that we may dally increase
and go forwards in the knowledge and
faith of thee and thy Son, l>y the Holy
Spirit. So that as well by these thy Mi-
nisters, as by them over whom they
shall be appointed thy Ministers, thy
holy Name may be for ever glorified,
ami thy blessed kingdom enlarged ;
through the same thy So» Jesus Christ
our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with
thee in the unity of the same Holy Spi-
rit, world without eud. Amen.
5 When this Prayer is dune, tlie Bishop
with the Priests present shall lay
their hands severally upon Vie head
of every one that receiveth the Order
of Priesthood ; the Receivers humbly
kneeling upon their knees, and the
Bishop saying.
RECEIVE the Holy Ghost for the
Office and Work of a l'riest in the
Church of God, now committed unto
thee by the Imposition of our hands.
Whose sins thou dost forgive, they are
forgiven ; and whose sins thou dost re-
tain, they are retained. And be thou a
faithful Dispenser of the Word of God,
and of his holy Sacraments ; In the
Name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Uhost. Amen.
T Then the Bishop shall deliver to every
one of them kneeling, the Bible into
his hand, saying.
HPAKE thou Authority to preach the
* Word of God, and to minister the
holy Sacraments in the Congregation,
where thou shalt be lawfully appointed
thereunto.
If When this is done, the Nicene Creed
shall be sung or said ; and the Bishop
shall after that go on in the Service
of the Communion, which all they
that receive Orders shall take toge-
ther, and remain in the same place
where Bands were laid upon them,
until such time as they have received
the Communion,
f The Communion being done, after
the last Collect, and immediately be-
fore the Benediction, shall be said
these Collects.
MOST merciful Father, we beseech
thee to send upon these thy ser-
vants thy heavenly blessing ; that they
may be clothed with righteousness, and
that thy Word spoken by their mouth?
may have such success, that it may
never be spoken in vain. Grant also,
that we may have grace to hear and re-
ceive what they shall deliver out of thy
most holy Word, or agreeable to the
same, as the means of our salvation ;
that in all our words and deeds we may
seek thy glory, and the increase of thy
kingdom; through Jesus Christ ouj
Lord. Amen.
PREVENT us, O Lord, in all our do-
*■ ings, with thy most gracious favour,
and further us with thy continual help:
that in all our works begun, continued,
and ended in ihee, we may glorify tin
holy Name, and finally by thy mercy
obtain everlasting life ; through JestiV
Christ our Lord. Amen.
understanding, keep your heart";
and minds in the knowledge and love
of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ out
Lord : And the blessing of God Al-
mighty, the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Ghost, be amongst you, and re-
main with you always. Amen.
1 Ami if on the same day the Order of Deacons be given to some, and the Order
of Priesthood to others ; the Deacons shall be Jirst presented, and then the Priests i
and it shall suffice that the Litany be mice said for both. The Collects shall both he
used; Jirst, that for Deacons, then that for Priests. The Epistle shall be Ephes. iv
7-13, as before in this Office. Immediately after which, they that are to be maue
Deacons shall be examined, and Ordained, as is above prescribed. Then one of
them having read the Gospel (which shall be either out of St. M»tth. ix. 36—38, as
before in this Office; or else St. Luke xii. 35-38, a.i before in the Form for the
Ordering of Deacons,) the?/ that are to be made Priests shall likewise be i
and lirdained, as is in this Office before appuvUmU
THE FORM OF ORDAINING OR CONSECRATING
or AN
ARCHBISHOP OR BISHOP.
In respect of order this Service differs from- the other Services in
beginning with the Communion Service, placing the Sermon in its
usual place in that Sen-ice, and then inserting the Litany after the
presentation of the Candidates (immediately following the Gospel)
and before the Consecration. In substance a careful examination
will shew that there is far less distinction between it and the Service
for the Ordination of Priests, than between ftiis latter Service and
the Service for the Ordination of Deacons. In fact, with the excep-
tion of the charge to ordain, the charge to the Bishop differs only in
degree from that of the Priest. This illustrates the historical fact
that the Episcopate, although inheriting whatever could be in-
herited of the Apostolic Commission, was developed under Apostolic
authority out of the order of Presbyters, to whom originally the title
of " Bishop " belonged.
The Service is to be conducted by the Archbishop or some Bishop
appointed by him. The presence of other Bishops is implied
throughout, according to the old rule, which prescribed, as a matter
of Church order, though not of absolute necessity, that three
Bishops at least should concur in the Consecration.
The Collect, inserted in 1662
(bearing much similarity to the
Collect for St. Peter's Day), is a
prayer for Bishops and Pastors,
that they may minister God's
Word and discipline, and for the
people that they may obediently
follow the same, so that all may
obtain the crown of Glory.
The Epistles were till 1662
used also in the Ordination of
Priests. The former (a) (1 Tim.
iii. 1-7) has been used here from
time immemorial. Although it
bears forcibly on the Episcopal
oversight, yet undoubtedly it was
applied originally to the Pres-
byters (as "Bishops" or "Over-
Beers"), and described the re-
quisites of station and character
for all Pastoral Office. The lat-
ter (b) (Acts xx. 17-85) is simi-
larly a Pastoral charge given to
the elders of the Church of
Ephesus by St. Paul, although
in its beautiful description of his
own Apostolic work it has an
implied reference to the work of
the Bishop, as now bearing a
higher function— in "declaring
the whole counsel of God," in
watching night and day with
prayer over the Church, in warn-
ing against sin and heresy, and
in the spirit of absolute self-
devotion for love's sake.
The Gospels.— In 1552 these
were John xxi. 15-17 (as now),
and John x. 1-16, as in the Ordi-
nation of Priests. In the present
Service we have («) (John xxi.
15-17) the threefold question and
Pastoral charge to St. Peter to
feed and tend the flock, wiping
out the disgrace of his threefold
denial; (b) (John xx. 19-23) the
solemn mission and charge to all
the Apostles, on which the words
of Ordination are based ; and (c)
(Matt, xxviii 18 20) the charge
of Our Lord to His disciples, con-
taining the whole Charter of the
Church— the declaration of the
universal Power of Christ, the
charge to baptize and to teach,
and the promise of His continual
presence. " even to the end of
the world."
274
THE FORM OF ORDAINING OR CONSECRATING
OF AH
ARCHBISHOP OR BISHOP;
Which U always to be performed upon some Sunday or Holy-day.
1 When all things are duly prepared
in the Church, and set in order, after
Morning Prayer it ended, the Arch-
bishop (or some other Bishop ap-
pointed) shall begin the Communion
Service ; in which this shall be
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY God, who by thy Son
*» Jesus Christ didst (jive to thy holy
Apostles many excellent gifts, and didst
charge them to feed thy flock ; Give
grace, we beseech thee, to all Bishops,
the Pastors of thy Church, that they
may diligently preach thy Word, and
duly administer the godly Discipline
thereof ; and grant to the people, that
they may obediently follow the same ;
that all may receive the crown of ever-
lasting glory ; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
T And another Bishop shall read the
Epistle.
1 Tim. Hi. 1.
rPHIS is a true saying, If a man desire
* the Office of a Bishop, he desireth
a good work. A Bishop then must be
blameless, the husband of one wife,
vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given
to hospitality, apt to teach ; not given
to wino, no striker, not gree Iv of filthy
lucre, but patient, not a brawler, not
covetous ; one that ruleth well his own
house, having his children in subjection
with all gravity ; (For if a man know
not how to rule hi* own house, how
shall he take care of the Church of God?)
. Not a novice, lest beinj; lifted up with
pride he fall into the condemnation of
the devil. Moreover, he must have a
good report of them which are without;
lest he fall into reproach, and the snare
of the devil.
Or this:
Tor the Epistle. Acts xx. 17.
piROM Miletus Paul sent to Ephesus,
■■■ and called the elders of the Church.
And when they were come to him, he
said unto them, Ye know, from the flrst
day that I came into Asia, after what
manner I have been with you at all
seasons, serving the Lord with all hu-
mility of mind, and with manv tears
and temptations which befell me by the
lying in wait of the Jews : And how I
kept back nothing that was profitable
unto you, but have shewed you, and
have taught you publickly, and from
house to house, testifying both to the
Jews, and also to the Greeks, repent-
ance toward God, and faith toward our
Lord Jesus Christ. And now behold, I
go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem,
not knowing the things that shall befall
me there; save that the Holy Ghost
witnesseth in every city, saying, That
bonds and afflictions abide" me. But
none of these things move me, neither
count I my life dear unto myself, so
that I might finish my course with joy,
and the ministry which I have received
of the Lord Jesus, to testify the Gospel
of the grace of God. And how behold,
I know that ye all, among whom I have
gone preaching the kingdom of God,
shall see my face no more. Wherefore I
take you to record this day, that I am
pure from the blood of all men. For I
have not shunned to declare unto you
all the counsel of God. Take heed there-
fore unto yourselves, and to all the
flock over the which the Holy Ghost
hath made you Overseers, to feed the
Church of God, which he hath purchas-
ed with his own blood. For I know this,
that after my departing shall grievous
wolves enter in among you, not sparing
the flock. Also of your own selves shall
men arise speaking perverse things, to
draw away disciples after them. There-
fore watch, and remember, that by the
space of three years, I ceased not to
warn every one night and day with
tears. And now, brethren, I commend
you to God, and to the word of his
grace, which is able to build you up
and to give you an inheritance among
ad them which are sanctified. I have
coveted no man's silver, or gold, or ap-
parel ; yea, ye yourselves know, that
these hands have ministered unto my
necessities, and to them that were with
me. I have shewed you all things, how
that so labouring ye ought to support
the weak ; and to remember the word*
of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is
more blessed to give than to receive.
t Then another Bishop shall read the
Gospel.
St. John xxi. 15.
JESUS saith to Simon Peter, Simon
■» son of Jonas, lovest thou me more
than these? He saith unto him Vea
Lord, thou knowest that I love thee'
He saith unto him. Feed my lambs,'
He saith to him again the second time,
274
The Presentation or the
Candidate, vested in the Rochet
( corresponding to the Albe, which
was directed for the Deacons and
Priests in 1549), by two Bishops
is in accordance with a custom
of great antiquity. It is followed
by the King's mandate for Con-
secration of the Candidate as
duly nominated, elected, and con-
firmed according to law ; and by
the " Oath of Canonical Obedi-
ence" to the Archbishop (short-
ened from the old form) in virtue
of his Metropolitan authority,
saving, of course, all the rights
of due Episcopal independence.
This oath is not to be taken by
any Archbishop.
The Invitation to Prater
after the example of Our Lord
Himself ( Luke vi. 12, IS), and of
His disciples (Acts xiii. 1-4), is
followed by the Litany, with spe-
cial Suffrage and a Prayer for
the person to be consecrated,
which is a special application to
his case of the latter of the two
Prayers for the Ember Season.
The Questions which follow
(introduced by a Preface assum-
ing a tone of brotherly equality
rather than fatherly authority)
and the Benedictory Prayer fol-
lowing them, are substantiallv
the same as in the Ordination of
Priests; except that (a) in the
sixth to the reference to promo-
tion of love and peace is added
an enforcement of the duty of
exercising authority and disci-
pline, according to the power
given in God's Word, and regu-
lated by the Law of the Bealm ;
(6) the seventh requires a pro-
mise to be faithful in ordaining
others; and (e) the eighth lays
stress on the duty of gentleness
and charity.
After this the Bishop is to put
on the rest of the Episcopal
habit, evidently with a view to
taking part in the ministration
of the Holy Communion, just as
the Deacon who was to read the
Gospel was directed «in 1519) to
"put on a Tunicle" before do-
ing so.
The Prayer following the
pause for silent prayer and the
Veni Creator is again like that in
the Ordination of Priests ; ex-
cept in itB closing reference to
the exercise of authority, not to
destruction but to salvation, and
of direction of the family of God.
The form of Consecration
itself similarly corresponds to
the Ordination of Priests; ex-
cept that in place of the charge
"WhoBe soever 8ins,"&c.,isfound
St. Paul's exhortation to Timo-
thy (2 Tim. i. 6, 7) to stir up the
grace of God given in Consecra-
tion, in " power, love, and sober-
ness." Here, as in the Office for
"the Ordering of Priests," the
word* "for the office and work
. . . Holy Ghost. Amen" were
inserted in 1662. (See note on
P. 271.)
The Charge at the delivery
of the Bible is an earnest and.
striking exhortation to the new
Bishop, first, to study it, both
for exhortation and for teaching,
so as to save himself and those
committed to his charge; next,
to use the Pastoral authority as
" a shepherd, not a wolf," to help
the weak and to seek and bring
back the lost ; to be " so merci-
ful as to be not too remiss," and
so firm in discipline, as "not to
forget mercy"; lastly, to look
forward to the crown of Glory
from the Chief Shepherd at Hi's
appearing
The Final Collect has little
of special reference to Episcopal
Office, being only a prayer for
grace to preach the Word and to
enforce preaching bv example,
which belongs to all Pastoral
charge.
1HE CONSECRATION OF BISHOPS.
Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me ?
Ho saith unto him, leu, Lord, thou
knowest that I love thee. He saith unto
him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto
him the third time, Simon, son of
Jonas, lovest thou me ? Peter was
grieved because he said unto him the
third time, Lovest thou mo? And he
said unto him, Lord, thou knowest nil
things ; thou knowest that I love
thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my
sheep.
Or else this.
St. John xx. 19.
THE same day at evening, being the
first day of the week, when the
doors were shut where the disciples
were assembled for feur ot the Jews,
came Jesus, and stood in the midst,
and saith unto them, Peace be unto
you. And when ho had so said, ho
shewed unto them his hands and his
side. Then were the disciples glad
when they saw tlio Lord. T lien suit!
Jesus to them again, Peace be untc
you : as my Father hath sent me, ever
so send I you. And when he had said
this, he breathed on them, and saith
unto them, Receive ye the Holy Uhost.
Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are
remitted unto them ; and whoseso-
ever sins ye retain, they are re-
tained.
Or thit.
St. Matth. xxviii. 18.
% T E S U S came and spake unto them,
** saying, AH power is given unto
me in heaven and in earth. Go ye
therefore and teach all nation--, bap-
tizing them In the Name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ;
teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever 1 have commanded you :
and lo, I am with you alway, even
unto the end%f the world.
% After the Gospel, and the Nicene Creed,
and the Sermon are ended, the Elected
Bishop (vested with his Rochet) shall
be presented by two Jiishops unto the
Archbishop of lltat province (or to
some other Bishop appointed by law-
ful commission) the Archbishop sit-
ting in his chair near the holy Table,
and the Bisliops that present him say-
ing,
TVTOST Beverend Father in God, we
•*■'-*■ present unto you this godly and
well-learned man to be Ordained and
Consecrated Bishop.
f Then shaU the Archbishop demand the
King s Mandate for the Consecration,
and cause it to be read. And then shall
be ministered unto litem the Oath of
due Obedience to the Archbishop, asfol-
loweth.
The Oath of due Obedience to the Arch-
bishop.
TN the Name of God. Amen. I JV.
*■ chosen Bishop of the Church mid
See of If. do profess and promise all
due reverence and obedience to the
Archbishop and to the Metropolitical
Church of If. and to their Succes-
sors : So help me God, through Jesus
Christ.
T This Oath shall not be made at the Con-
secration of an Archbishop.
% Then the Archbisliop shall move the
Congregation present to pray, saying
thus to them t
BRETHBFN, it is written in the Gos-
pel of Saint Luke, That our Saviour
Christ continued the whole night in
prayer, before he did choose and send
forth his twelve Apostles. It is written
also in the Acts of the Apostles, That
the Disciples who were at Antioch did
fast and pray, before they laid hands
on Paul and Barnabas, and sent them
forth. Let us therefore, following the
example of our Saviour Christ, and his
Apostles, first fall to prayer, before we
admit, and send forth this person pre-
sented unto us, to the work whereunto
we trust the Holy Ghost hath called
him.
1 And then shall be said the Litany, as
before in the Form uf Ordering Dea-
cons, save only, tluit after this place
That It may please thee to illuminate all
Bishops, Ac. the proper Suffrage there
following shall be omitted, and this in-
svrted instead of it ;
THAT it may please thee to bless this
our Brother elected, and to send
thy grace upon him, thut he may duly
execute the Office whereunto he is call-
ed, to the edifying of thy Church, and
to the honour, praise, and glory of thy
Name ;
Answer. We beseech thee to hear us,
good Lord.
1 Then shall bo said this Prayer follow-
ing.
ALMIGHTY God, giver of all good
things, who by thy Holy Spirit
hast appointed divers Orders of Mini-
sters in thy Church ; Mercifully be-
hold this thy servant now called to
the Work and Ministry of a Bishop ;
and replenish him so with the truth
of thy doctrine, and adorn him with
innocency of life, that, both by word
and deed, lie may faithfully serve
thee In this Office, to the glory of
thy Name, and the edifying and well-
governing of thy Church ; through the
merits of our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who livetli and reigneth with thee
and the Holy Ghost, world without
end. Amen.
5 Then the Archbishop, sitting
chair, shall say to hi
Consecrated,
that is to be
13 BOTH KB, forasmuch as the holy
±J Scripture and tho ancient Canons
command, that we should not be hasty
in laying on hands, and admitting any
person to Government In the Church of
275
THE CONSECRATION OF BISHOPS.
Christ, which he hath purchased with
no leu price than the effusion of his
own blood ; before I admit you to this
Administration, I will examine you in
certain Articles, to the end that the
Congregation present may have a trial,
and bear witness, how you be minded
to behave yourself in the Church of God.
A RE you persuaded that you be truly
■*»• called to this Ministration, accord-
ing to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the order of this Kealm V
Answer. I am so persuaded.
The A rchbUhop.
ARE you persuaded that the holy
-c%- Scriptures contain sufficiently all
doctrine required of necessity for eter-
nal salvation through faith in Jesus
Christ ? And are you determined out of
the same holy Scriptures to instruct the
people committed to your charge ; and
to teach or maintain nothing as requir-
ed of necessity to eternal salvation, but
that which you shall be persuaded may
be concluded and proved by the same ?
Answer. I am so persuaded, and de-
termined, by God's grace.
The Archbishop.
\XfILL you then faithfully exercise
** yourself in the same holy Scrip-
tures, and call upon God by pniver, for
the true understanding of the same ; so
as you may be able by them to teach
and exhort with wholesome Doctrine,
and to withstand and convince the
gainsayers ?
Answer. I will bo do, by the help of
God.
The Archbishop.
ARE you ready, with all faithful dili-
gence, to banish and drive away
•11 erroneous and strange doctrine con-
trary to God's Word ; and both pri-
vately and openly to call upon and
encourage others to the same ?
Answer. I am ready, the Lord being
my helper.
The Archbishop.
U/IUL you deny all ungodliness and
TT worldly lusts, and live soberly,
righteously, and godly, in this present
world ; that you may shew yourself in
all things an example of good works
unto others, that the adversary may be
ashamed, having nothing to say against
you ?
Answer. I will so do, the Lord being
my helper.
The Archbishop,
VX^ILL you maintain and set for-
"" ward, as much as shall lie in you,
quietness, love, and peace among all
men ; and such as be unquiet, disobe-
dient, and criminous, within your Dio-
cese, correct and punish, according to
such authority as you have by God's
Word, and as to you shall be committed
by the Ordinance of this Realm ?
Answer. I will so do, by the help of
God.
The Archbishop.
WILL you be faithful in Ordaining,
sending, or laying hands upon
others?
Answer. I will so be, by the help of
God. ' V
The Archbishop.
YI7ILL you shew yourself gentle, and
TT be merciful for Christ's sake to
poor and needy people, and to all stran-
gers destitute of help ?
Answer. I will so shew myself, by
God's help.
5 Then the Archbishop standing up
shall say,
ALMIGHTY God, our heavenly Fa-
ther, who hath given you a good
will to do all these things. Grant also
unto you strength and power to perform
the same ; that, he accomplishing in you
the good work which he hath begun,
you may be found perfect and irrepre-
hensible at the latter day ; through Je-
sus Christ our Lord. Amen.
T Then shall the Bishop elect put on
the rest of the Episcopal habit; and
kneeling down, Veni, Creator Spiritus,
shall be sung or said over him, the
Archbishop beginning, and the Bi-
shops, with others that are present,
answering by verse*, a* followeth.
COME, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,
And lighten with celestial fire.
Thou the anointing Spirit art.
Who dost thy seven-fold gifts impart.
Thy blessed Unction from above,
Is comfort, life, and fire of love.
Enable with perpetual light
The dulness of our blinded sight.
Anoint and cheer our soiled face
With the abundance of thy grace.
Keep far our foes, prive peAe at home :
Where thou art guide, no ill can come.
Teach us to know the Father, Son,
And thee, of both, to be but One.
That, through the ages all along,
This may be our endless song ;
Praise to thy eternal merit.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Or this:
Holy Ghost, eternal God.
tfc.
befoi
the Form for Ordering
Priests.
1 That ended, the A rchbishop shall say.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Answer. And let our cry come unto
thee.
Let us pray.
ALMIGHTY God, and most merciful
Father, who of thine infinite good-
ness host given thine only and dearly
beloved Son Jesus Christ, to be our Re-
deemer, and the Author of everlasting
life : who, after that he had made per-
27$
THE CONSECRATION OF BISHOPS.
feet oar Redemption by his death, and
vai ascended into heaven, poured down
his sifts abundantly upon men, making
some Apostles, some Prophets, some
Evangelists, some Pastors and Doctors,
to the edifying and making perfect his
Church ; Grant, we beseech thee, to this
thy servant such grace, that he may
evermore be ready to spread abroad thy
Gospel, the glad tidings of reconcilia-
tion with thee ; and use the authority
given him, not to destruction, but to
salvation ; not to hurt, but to help : so
that as a wise and faithful servant, giv-
ing to thy family their portion in due
season, he may at last be received into
everlasting joy ; through Jesus Christ
our Lord, who, with thee and the Holy
Ghost liveth and reigneth, one God,
world without end. Amen.
1 Then the Archbishop and Bishops
present shall lay their hands upon
the head of the elected Bishop kneel-
ing before them upon his knees, the
Archbishop saying,
RECEIVE the Holy Ghost, for the
Office and Work of a Bishop in the
Church of God, now committed unto
thee by the Imposition of our hands ; In
the Name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. And
remember that thou stir up the grace
of God which is given thee by this Im-
position of our hands : for God hath not
given us the spirit of fear, but of power,
and love, and soberness,
t Then the Archbishop shall deliver
him the Bible, saying,
/>IVE heed unto reading, exhorta-
V* tion, and doctrine. Think upon the
things contained in this Book. Be dili-
gent in them, that the increase coming
thereby may be manifest unto all men.
Take heed unto thyself, and to doctrine,
and be diligent in doing them : for by
so doing thou shalt both save thyself
and them that hear thee. Be to the
flock of Christ a shepherd, not a wolf ;
feed them, devour them not. Hold up
the weak, heal the sick, bind up the
broken, bring again the out-oasts, seek
the lost. Be so merciful, that you be not
too remiss ; so minister discipline, that
you forget not mercy : that when the
chief Shepherd shall appear you may
receive the never-fading crown of
glory ; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
5 Then the Archbishop shall proceed in
the Communion-Service ; with whom
the new Consecrated Bishop (with
others) shall also communicate.
1 And for the last Collect, immediately
before the Benediction, shall be said
these Prayers.
MOST merciful Father, we beseech
thee to send down upon this thy
servant thy heavenly blessing ; and so
endue him with thy holy Spirit, that
he, preaching thy Word, may not only
be earnest to reprove, beseech, and re-
buke with all patience and doctrine ;
but also may be to such as believe a
wholesome example, in word, in con-
versation, in love, in faith, in chastity,
and in purity ; that, faithfully fulfilling
his course, at the latter day he may re-
ceive the crown of righteousness laid
up by the Lord the righteous Judge,
who liveth and reigneth one God with
the Father and the Holy Ghost, world
without end. Amen.
PREVENT us, O Lord, in all our do-
ings, with thy most gracious favour,
and further us with thy continual help ;
that in all our works begun, continued,
and ended in thee, we may glorify thy
holy Name, and finally by thy mercy
obtain everlasting life ; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, keep your hearts
and minds in the knowledge and love
of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our
Lord : And the blessing of God Almigh-
ty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Ghost be amongst yon, ai
with you always. Amen.
277
FORMS OF PRAYER WITH THANKSGIVING
TO ALMIGHTY GOD;
For use in all Churches and Chapels within this Realm, every
Year, upon the Anniversary of the Day of the Accession of the
Reigning Sovereign, or upon such other Day as shall be appointed
by Authority.
This Service is the only survivor of four State Services.
(a) For the Fifth of November, appointed in 1605, in comme-
moration of the frustration of the Gunpowder Plot, revised in 1662,
and in 1689 enlarged by commemoration of the landing on that day
of William in. in England.
(fc) For the Thirtieth of January, appointed in 1662 as a
" Form of Prayer with Fasting," in commemoration of "the martyr-
dom of King Charles the First," and altered in 1685 by authority of
James n.
(c) For the Twenty-ninth of May, appointed in 1662 for this day
as the day of "His Majesty's Birth and happy return to his King-
doms," and reappointed with the necessary alterations by James n.
in 1685.
The observance of these three days was enjoined by various Acts
of Parliament ; and the three Services were issued in 1662 (the first
having been revised and the other two composed) by authority of
Convocation and of the Crown. But, although ordered to be printed
at the end of the Prayer Book of 1662, they were not included in that
book, as submitted to Parliament, and are not, therefore, covered
by the Act of Uniformity. The alterations subsequently made in
these Services rested on the authority of the Crown alone.
(d) For the Day of the Sovereign's Accession.— The observance
of this day has never been ordered by Act of Parliament ; nor does
it appear that the Service in its earlier forms passed through the
hands of Convocation. The first Form of this Service was issued in
the reign of Elizabeth (1578) ; a second at the Accession of Charles i.
in 1626 ; and a third, almost entirely new, at the Accession of James n.
This last form, with considerable alteration, was sanctioned at the
Accession of Queen Anne, and, with some slight modifications at the
S78
FORMS OF PRAYER WITH THANKSGIVING
TO ALMIGHTY GOD;
For use in all Churches and Chapels within this Realm, every Year, upon th%
Anniversary of the Day of the Accession of the Reigning Sovereign, or upon
such other Day. as shall be appointed by Authority.
% At Mattin* and Eventong the following Psalms, Lesions, Suffrages, and Collect*
may be used :
Proper Psalms, xx., cu, cxxi.
Proper lessons.
TJie First, Joshua i. to v. 10, or Proverbs
viii. to v. 17.
The Second, Rom. xiii. to v. 11, or Rev.
xxi. 2*2— xxii. 4.
U The Suffrages next after the Creed.
Priest. O Lord, shew thy mercy upon
us.
Answer. And grant us thy salvation.
Priest. 0 Lord, save the King ;
Answer. Who putteth his trust in thee.
Priest. Send him help from thy holy
place.
Answer. And evermore mightily de-
fend him.
Priest. Be unto him, 0 Lord, a strong
tower ;
Answer. From the face of his enemies.
Priest. Endue thy Ministers with righ-
teousness.
Answer. And make thy chosen people
joyful.
Priest. O Lord, save thy people.
Answer. And bless thine inheritance.
Priest. Give peace in our time, O Lord.
Answer. Because there is none other
that fl.gh.teth for us, but only thou, 0 God.
Priest. O Lord, hear our prayer;
Answer. And let our ory come unto
thee.
% After the first Collect, at Morning or
Evening Prayer, the following Collect :
OGOD, who providest for thy people by
thy power, and rulest over thein in
love ; Vouchsafe so to bless thy Servant
our King, that under him this nation may
be wisely governed, and thy Church may
serve thee in all godly quietness ; and
grant that he being devoted to thee with
his whole heart, and persevering in good
works unto the end, may, by thy guid-
ance, come to thine everlasting kingdom ;
through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord,
who liveth and reigneth with thee and
the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world with-
out end. Amen.
Ilf the Litany be sung or said, these
Prayers immediately after thePrayer,
" We humbly beseech thee : " an'i if the
Litany be not said, then these Prayers
instead of the Prayurs for the King
and for the Royal Family at Mattins
or Eventong.
OLORD our God, who upholdest and
govemest all things by the word of
thy power ; Receive our humble prayers
for our Sovereign Lord.GEORUE. as on
this day set over us by thy grace
and providence to be our King ; and,
together with him, bless, we beseech
thee, our gracious Queen Mary, Edward
Prince of Wales, and all the Royal
Family ; that they, ever trusting in
thy goodness, protected by thy power,
and ci owned with thy gracious and end-
less favour, may long continue before thee
in peace and safety, joy and honour, aid
after death may obtain everlasting life
and glory, by the Merits and Mediation of
Christ Jesus our Saviour, who with thee
and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth
ever one God , world without end. A men.
ALMIGHTY God, who rulest over all
A the kingdoms of the World, and dost
order them according to thy good plea-
sure ; We yield thee unfeigned thanks, for
that thou wast pleased, as on this day,
to set thy Servant our Sovereign Lord,
King GEORGE, upon the Throne of this
Realm. Let thy wisdom be his guide,
and let thine arm strengthen him ; let
truth and justice, holiness and riuhteous-
ness, peace and charity abound in his
days. Direct all his counsels and endea-
vours to thv glory, and the welfare of his
subjects ; give us grace to obey him cheer-
fully for conscience sake ; and let him al-
ways possess the hearts of his people ; let
his Reign be long and prosperous, and
crown him with everlasting life in the
world to come ; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
A Prayer for Unity.
OGOD, the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, our only Saviour, the Prince
of Peace : Give us grace seriously to lay
to heart the great dnngers we are in by
our unhappy divisions. Take away all
hatred and prejudice, and whatsoever else
may hinder us from godly Union and Con-
cord: that, as there is but one Body, iind
one Spirit, and one Hope of our Calling,
one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one
God and Father of us all, so we may
henceforth be all of one heart, and of one
soul, united in one holy bond of Truth
and Peace, of Faith and Charity, and may
with one mind and one mouth glorify
thee ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. A-
278
Accession of George i., remained in use till the closing years of the
reign of Queen Victoria. It was then submitted to the Convocations
of both Provinces for revision ; and, after such revision, was used on
the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury (acting by consent of
the Privy Council) on June 20th, 1897— the 60th Anniversary of the
Accession of the Queen. The revised Service in its ultimate form was
not sanctioned by the Sovereign in Council till November 9th, 1901.
These four Services were at the beginning of each reign enjoined
by Royal Proclamation, and (looking to the Act of Uniformity) were
of doubtful legal obligation. They continued, however, in use till
1859, when, in accordance with petition of Convocation and Parlia-
ment, the order for the use of the first three was revoked. The
petition for their disuse arose from a growing dislike of religious
celebrations of political events, and a feeling that there had been
introduced into these Services expressions of political opinion and
extravagant loyalty, with denunciations of "hellish malice," "Popish
treachery," " blood-thirsty enemies," and the like, which were un-
seemly in the worship of God. These objections do not apply either
to the celebration of the day of the Sovereign's Accession, which, as
a national celebration, may well have a religious sanction in the
National Church, or to the Form of Service as at present sanctioned,
which has now the authority of the Convocations and of the Crown,
although it is not enjoined by any Act of Parliament.
The present Order of Service provides for modifications of the
Morning and Evening Services and of the Service of Holy Commu-
nion, and for a Special Service " to be used on the same day at any
convenient time " ; and these are to be used " either on the Day of
the Accession of the Reigning Sovereign, or upon such other Day
as shall be appointed by Authority."
I. In the Morning and Evening Services—
(a) The Proper Psalms are Ps. xx., a prayer for the king;
Ps. ci., the king's vow of mercy and judgment ; Ps. cxxi. (a " Song
of Degrees "), the expression of trust in the blessing and protection
of the Lord.
(6) The Proper Lessons are, from the Old Testament, Joshua i.
1-10, theblessing and charge of God to the Ruler ; or Prov. viii. 1-17,
the self-revelation of Wisdom, " by whom kings reign and princes
decree justice"; from the New Testament, Rom. xiii. 1-11, St.
Paul's teaching of duty to " the powers that be," as " ordained of
God"; or Rev. xxi. 22— xxii. 4, the picture of the Kingdom ol
Heaven, and the Throne of God and of the Lamb, exalted over all
nations and kings of the earth.
(c) The Suffrages after the Creed are enlarged, so as to lay
especial stress on Praver for the Kinsr.
279
FOKMS OF PRAYER FOR THE DAY OF ACCESSION.
THE COMMUNION.
T In the Order of the Administration of
Holy Communion in place of the Col-
lect, Epistle, and Gospel of the day
shall be said the following :
The Collect.
OGOD, who providest for thy people hy
thv power, and rulest over them in
love ; Vouchsafe so to bless thy Servant
our King, that under him this nation may
be wisely governed, and thy Church may
serve thee in all godly quietness ; and
grant that he being devoted to thee with
his whole heart, and persevering in good
works unto the end, may, by thy guid-
ance, come to thine everlasting kingdom ;
through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord,
who liveth and reigneth with thee and
the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world with-
out end. Amen.
The Epistle. 1 St. Pet. 11. 11.
DEARLY beloved, I beseech you as
strangers and pilgrims, abstain from
fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
having your conversation honest among
the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak
against you as evil-doers, they may, by
your good works which they shall behold,
glorify God in the day of visitation. Sub-
mit yourselves to every ordinance of man
for the Lord's sake ; whether it be to the
King, as supreme ; or unto governours,
as unto them that are sent by him for
the punishment of evil-doers, and for the
praise of them that do well. For so is the
will of God, that with well- doing ye may
put to silence the ignorance of foolish
men : as free, and not using your liberty
for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the
servants of God. Honour all men. Love
the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the
King.
The Gospel. St. Matt. xxii. 16.
AND they sent out unto him their dis-
A ciples, with the Herodians, saying,
Master, we know that thou art true, and
teachest the way of God in truth, neither
carest thou for any man : for thou re-
gardest not the person of men. Tell us
therefore, What thinkest thou ? Is it law-
ful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?
But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and
said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites ?
shew me the tribute- money. And they
brought unto him a pennv. And he saith
unto them, Whose is this image and su-
perscription? They say unto him, Caesar's.
Then saith he unto them. Render there-
fore unto Caesar the things which are Cae-
sar's; and unto God the things that are
God's. When they had heard these words,
they marvelled, and left him, and went
their way.
T If this day shoxMfall on a Sunday or
other hoi a- day, theCollect, Epistle, and
Gospel of the day shall be used, and the
Collect, "O God, who providest," shall
be said after the, Collect of the day.
t The following Service may also be used
on the same day at any convenient
time.
Te Deum Laudamus.
E praise thee, 0 God : we acknow-
w
ledge thee to t>e the Lord.
All the eartli doth worship thee : the
Fattier everlasting.
To thee all Angels cry aloud : the Hea-
vens, and all the Powers therein.
To thee Cherubin, and Seraphin : con-
tinually do cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy : Lord God of Sa-
baoth ;
Heaven and earth are full of the Ma-
jesty : of thy Glory.
The glorious company of the Apostles :
praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the Prophets :
praise thee.
The noble army of Martyrs : praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all the
world : doth acknowledge thee ;
The Father : of an infinite Majesty
Thine honourable, true : and only Son ;
Also the Holy Ghost : the Comforter.
THOU art the King of Glory : O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son : of the
Father.
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver
man : thou didst not abhor the Virgin's
womb.
When thou hadst overcome the sharp-
ness of death : thou didst open the King-
dom of Heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God :
in the Glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come : to be
our Judge.
We therefore pray thee, help thy ser-
vants : whom thou hast redeemed with
thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy
Saints : in glory everlasting.
LORD, save thy people : and bless
thine heritage.
Govern them : and lift them up for ever
Day by day : we magnify thee ;
And we worship thy Name : ever world
without end.
Vouchsafe, O Lord : to keep us this day
without sin.
O Lord, have mercy upon us : have
mercy upon us.
O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us :
as our trust is in thee.
O Lord, in thee have I trusted : let me
never be confounded.
% Then the Priest shall say,
The Lord be with you.
Answer. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon ua.
OUR Father, which art in heaven, Hal-
lowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom
come. Thy will be done, in earth as it
0
279
(d) After the Collect for the Day follows a Special Collect for
the Kino, praying God, who "rules His people in love," to grant
him, first, grace wisely to govern his people, so that the Church may
"serve God in all godly quietness "; and next, such devotion and
perseverance in God's service that he may come to His everlasting
kingdom.
(e) At the close of the Litany, or instead of the Collects for the
King and the Royal Family, three Special Collects are to be
used —
(1) A Prayer for the King, "set over us by God's grace and
Providence"; for the Queen and for the Royal Family, that
under His Providence «hey may have peace and safety, joy
and honour here, and come after death to everlasting life and
glory.
(2) A Thanksgiving to the God, who "rules all the kingdoms
of the world," for having set the King upon the Throne; and a
prayer, first, that his reign may be guided by wisdom and good-
ness, and directed to the glory of God and welfare of the people ;
next, that we may give him not only cheerful obedience, but the
possession of our hearts ; and lastly, that a long and prosperous
reign may lead to the crown of everlasting glory.
(3) These are followed by the singularly beautiful Collect for
Unity— an echo of Eph. iv. 4-6, the great passage on the Unity of
the Church in God. It prays (a) for a deep conviction of the sin
and danger of " our unhappy divisions," and for the removal of
all hindrances to " godly union and concord " ; and next (6) for
a living unity, in truth accepted by faith, and peace inspired
by charity.
II. In the Service of Holt Communion—
(a) The first Collect for the King, "O God, who providest,"
&c, is to be used, if the day fall on a Sunday or other holy-day, after
the Collect for the Day, in other cases as a substitute for that Collect.
(6) The Epistle is 1 Pet. ii. 11-18, St. Peter's exhortation "to
submit to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake." It corre-
sponds to the similar teaching of St. Paul in the Second Lesson, but,
with a more distinctively Oriental phraseology, refers expressly to
" the King," and closely connects " Honour the King " with " Fear
God."
(c) The Gospel is Matt. xxii. 16-28, Our Lord's answer to the
question about the tribute-money, implying that "the rendering te
Csesar the things that'are Csesar's" is to be distinguished, but not
separated, from "the rendering to God the things that are God's."
It is to be noted that this special Epistle and Gospel are not to
supersede those appointed on the day, if it be a Sunday or holy-day.
980
FORMS OF PRAYER FOR THE DAY OF ACCESSION.
fs in heaven. Give us this day our daily
bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As
we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation ; But de-
liver us from evil. Amen.
1 Tiien the Priest standing up shall say,
O Lord, save the King ;
Answer. Who putteth his trust, in thee.
Priest. Send him help from thy holy
place.
Answer. And evermore mightily de-
vantage of him.
Answer. Nor the wicked approach to
hurt him.
Priest. 0 Lord, hear our prayer ;
Answer. And let our cry come unto
thee.
Let us pray.
OGOD, who providest for thy people by
thy power, and rulest over them in
love; Vouchsafe so to bless thy Servant
our King, that under him this nation may
be wisely governed, and thy Church may
serve thee in all godly quietness ; and
grant that he being devoted to thee with
his whole heart, and persevering in good
works unto the end, may, by thy guid-
ance, come to thine everlasting kingdom ;
through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord,
who liveth and reigneth with thee and
the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world with-
out end. Amen.
OLORD our God, who upboldest and
governest all tilings by the word of
thy power ; Receive our humble prayers
for our Sovereign Lord GEORGE, as on
this day set over us by thy grace
and providence to be our King ; and,
together with him, bless, we beseech
thee, our gracious Queen Mary, Edward
Prince ot Wales, and all the Royal
Family : that they, ever trusting in
thy goodness, protected by thy power,
and crowned with thy gracious and end-
less favour, may long continue before thee
in peace and safety, joy and honour, and
after death may obtain everlasting life
and glory, by the Merits and Mediation
of Christ Jesus our Saviour, who with
thee and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reign-
eth ever one God, world without end.
Amen.
ALMIGHTY God, who rulest over all
. the kingdoms of the World, and dost
order them according to thy good plea-
sure; We yield thee unfeigned thanks, fot
that thou wast pleased, as on this day,
to set thy Servant our Sovereign Lord.
King GEORGE, upon the Throne of this
Realm. Let thy wisdom he bis guide,
and let thine arm strengthen him ; let
truth and justice, holiness and righteous-
ness, peace and charity abound in his
days. Direct all his counsels and endea-
vours to thy glory, and the welfare of his
subjects ; give us grace to obey liim cheer-
fully for conscience sake ; and let him al-
ways possess the hearts of his people ; let
his Reign be long and prosperous, and
crown him with everlasting life in the
world to come ; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
A Prayer for Unity.
OGOD, the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, our only Saviour, the Prince
of Peace ; Give us grace seriously to lny
to heart the great dangers we are in by
our unhappy divisions. Take away all
hatred and prejudice, and whatsoever else
may hinder us from godly Union and Con-
cord : that, as there is but one Body and
one Spirit, and one Hope of our Calling,
one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one
God and Father of us all, so we may
henceforth be all of one heart, and of one
soul, united in one holy bond of Truth and
Peace, of Faitli and Charity, and may with
one mind and one mouth glorify thee;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
ALMIGHTY God, the fountain of all
wisdom, who knowest our necessities
before we ask, and our ignorance in ask-
ing ; We beseecli thee to have compassion
upon our infirmities ; and those things,
j which for our unworthiness we dare not,
' and for our blindness we cannot ask,
vouchsafe to give us for the worthiness
'■ of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE blessing of God Almighty, the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost,
I be amongst you, and remain with you
I always. Amen.
"GEORGE R.I.
'T*THERE\S by Our Royal Warrant dated the Twenty-third day of June, One
' \\ thousand nine hundred and ten, certain Forms of Prayer and Service
' were made for the Sixth day of May and commanded to be printed and published
' and annexed to the Book of Common Prayer and Liturgy of the Church of
• England to be used yearly in all Churches and Chapels in England and Wales
' and in the Town of Berwick-on-Tweed :
" NOW Our Will and Pleasure is that Our said Royal Warrant be revoked,
' and that the use of the said Forms of Prayer and Service be discontinued ; and
' that the Forms of Prayer and Service hereunto annexed be forthwith printed
• and published and annexed to the Book of Common Prayer and Liturgy of the
■ Church of England to be used yearly on the Sixth day of May in all Churches and
' Chapels within the Provinces of Canterbury and York.
" Given at Our Court at Saint James's the Eighth day of December
" 1925 ; in the Sixteenth Year of Our Reign.
" By His Majesty s Command.
" WILLIAM JOYNSON-HICKS."
III. The Special Service.
This Service — somewhat unique in construction, opening at once
with Praise and passing on to Prayer— consists of—
(a) The Te Decm, presented in three distinct sections, evidently
with a view to bring out its threefold character (see p. 39), as, first,
a Hymn or Praise from all in earth and heaven to the Lord of
Hosts, and from the whole Christian Church to the Three Persons
of the Holy Trinity; next, a Creed or the Lord Jesus Christ in
form of address to Him ; and, lastly, a Prayer with praise to the
Lord, for all His people and for ourselves as trusting in Him.
(b) The Lord's Prayer, preceded by the Dominut Vobitcum and
the Kyrie Eleison, and followed by special Suffrages for the King.
(c) The three Collects of the Morning Service and the Prayer for
Unity, concluding with the Prayer of St. Chrysostom and the Grace.
INTRODUCTION TO THE ARTICLES.
Section I.— History of the Articles.
The Confessions of the 16th Century. — The Articles of the
Church of England form one of the many declarations on faith
and discipline, which were put forward in the 16th century by such
religious bodies as had thrown off allegiance to Rome, and dis-
owned at the same time many points of the religious and eccle-
siastical system of the Mediaeval Church. For this action of what
is commonly termed " Protestantism " is, by the nature of the case,
simply negative. It declares what is repudiated, not what is ac-
cepted. It may indicate true Reformation or entire Revolution in
things religious. Hence— at a time when the unsettlement of the
whole mediaeval system gave occasion to much wild speculation and
practice, and the repudiation of allegiance to Rome forced on men
the necessity of discovering other bonds of Christian unity— it be-
came necessary for the various Reformed bodies to declare positively
what they held in faith, and what ecclesiastical constitution they
recognised. The result was seen in a series of Confessions, of which
the great Augsburg Confession was the chief.
The Augsburg Confession. — This Confession, published in 15S0,
afterwards enlarged and amended in 1552, and put forth as the
"Wurtemburg Confession," has special interest to us, as having
considerably affected our own Articles. It was drawn up chiefly by
Melancthon, and approved by Luther for presentation to the Diet,
at a time when there seemed hope of reconciliation between the
Roman Catholic and Lutheran bodies in Germany, and when the
extravagances of ultra-Protestantism had so alarmed Luther him-
self, as to suggest great care and moderation in framing authorita-
tive statements of doctrine. The original Confession contains xxi.
Articles of Faith and vii. of Protest against Abuses. Of the former
Articles it may be noted (a) that (as is the case of all Lutheran
documents) they lay great stress on the reality and efficacy of Sa-
cramental grace, while they insist strongly on the need of spiritual
reception ; and, in relation to the Holy Communion, declare ex-
pressly that "the Body and Blood of Christ are really present";
(6) that they define the Church much as in our Articles, assert the
authority of the Church to ordain rites and ceremonies, and claim
for it " the preaching of the Word, the Power of the Keys, and the
Administration of the Sacraments " ; (c) that, while they set forth
with great fulness and emphasis the doctrine of Justification by
Faith, and the absolute need of God's prevenient grace, they abstain
from all declarations on Predestination and Election ; (d!) that they
maintain that nothing in the Lutheran system is alien from Holy
Scripture and the primitive Church. The Abuses protested against
are mainly the refusal of the Cup to the Laity, Compulsory Celibacy
of the Clergy, Monastic Vows, Propitiatory Sacrifice of the Mass,
Compulsory Confession, and Papal Supremacy. It will be seen at a
glance that in general the Confession adopted much the same basis
which was afterwards taken up in England ; and indicated a desire,
frustrated by unfortunate circumstances, to take the same line of
Reformation, as distinct from Revolution.
This Confession was one of many. Not only did every Reformed
body put out its own Confession, but even those who retained their
obedience to Rome were obliged to define their position, as by the
promulgation of the decrees of the Council of Trent, and the ac-
ceptance of the Creed of Pope Pius iv.
The tosition of the Church of England. — The Church of
England perhaps especially felt this necessity. For at the very
ffffft 23
moment of the repudiation of the Papal Supremacy, it was expressly
declared upon her behalf (in 1538) that there was no intention " to
decline or vary from the congregation of Christ's Church in things
concerning the very Articles of the Catholic faith, or in any other
things declared by Holy Scripture and the Word of God necessary
to Salvation." It was thought necessary that this declaration— so
remarkably exemplified subsequently in the whole composition of
the Prayer Book, and the adoption, under limits, of the old Eccle-
siastical Law— should be expressed formally from time to time in
certain "Articles of Religion," not designed to be an exhaustive
statement of the Christian Faith, but confined mainly to the points
of faith and discipline then brought into controversy. These Ar-
ticles assert the position thus taken up by the Church of England ;
an<1 it will be seen that they bear on her relation primarily to the
Church of Rome, but secondarily to the movements of the foreign
Reformations, and also to the spirit of revolutionary ppeculation
and action, naturally aroused, in England as elsewhere, at a time of
great religious change.
The Ten Articles. — The first series of such Articles, called the
" Ten Articles," was put forth in 1586, the year of the final rupture
■with Rome. They were prepared by a Committee of Divines, acting
under direction of Henry viii. and his Vicar- General, Thomas
Cromwell ; and having subsequently passed both Houses of Convo-
cation, were issued as " Articles to stablish Christian quietness and
unity." They dealt with " the principal Articles of Christian faith " ;
with the "Sacraments of Baptism, Penance, and the Altar" ; with
Justification ; with the veneration of Images and Saints ; with the
Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, and with Purgatory. Their
whole character was transitional, as is strikingly seen in their
adoption not of Two or of Seven, but of Three Sacraments ; and
their general tendency was conservative in doctrine, with reform of
abases in practice. Little influence, if any, of foreign Confessions
is to be traced in them. No general subscription to them was re-
quired ; bat they were signed by Cromwell, by the Archbishops and
many of the Bishops, and put forth with all the influence of the
Royal authority.
The Thirteen Articles. — After this ensued a struggle between
two parties in the Church— the party of further innovation, headed
by Cromwell and Cranmer, and the party, represented by Gardiner,
who would have refused further religious change, though still firm
for independence of Rome. The former party was inclined to ally
itself with the foreign Reformers of the Lutheran School, who were
now, in the face of the Zwinglian and Calvinistic movements, in-
clining more than ever to conservatism in things religious, and even
proposing a federation on the basis of Episcopal Government, in
which the Church of England should take the lead. The result of
these negotiations is seen in the Thirteen Articles, drawn up about
1589 in conference between Lutheran and Anglican divines at Lam-
beth, and contained in a document found among Cranmer's papers'.
These Articles are written in Latin, evidently following the Augs-
burg Confession, but with characteristic variations ; as, for example
(a), defining Justification as including " renovation of heart," and
necessarily carrying with it regeneration of life ; (b) strongly assert-
ing the Independence of National Churches, and enforcing the rights
of the Civil Authority ; and (c) on Penitence, containing a iong
Dissertation, dwelling on the need and benefit of Confession and
Absolution, but with no mention of any " Sacrament of Penance."
They dealt with the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and the twofold
nature of Christ ; with Original Sin and Justification ; with the
Church ; with the use of the Sacraments ; with the doctrine of
Baptism and the Eucharist, and with Penitence ; with the Ministry
and Rites of the Church and the Civil Authority ; and with the Re-
surrection and the Last Judgment. Their tenour is diffuse and
280 c
explanatory. For they were evidently designed to be rather the
basis of a Concordat with the Lutheran*, than a body of Articles to
be formally adopted. In fact, they never had any legal force at all ;
and their chief interest lies in this, that they were probably the
channel through which the Augsburg Confession subsequently
affected our English Articles.
The Six Articles.— The reaction, which followed in favour of
the other party, is marked in the well-known Six Articles of 1589,
brought forward in Parliament by the Duke of Norfolk, carried
against the stout resistance of Cranmer and his friends, and ac-
cepted by the Convocation of Canterbury. These Articles, to which
submission was enforced by the severest penalties, had little to do
with definition of abstract doctrine. The first maintained the doc-
trine of Transubstantiation with its consequences ; the others en-
forced certain important points of the Mediaeval Church system,
viz., Communion in One kind, Vows of Chastity, the use of Private
Masses, the Celibacy of the Clergy, and the obligation of Auricular
Confession. The publication of these Articles, in fact, simply indi-
cated the temporary victory of the party of reaction. It is doubtful
how far the cruel penalties provided by Statute against all infringe-
ment of them were put in force ; but their effect was to stop further
progress in doctrinal and ecclesiastical change during the closing
year3 of Henry vm.
The Forty-two Articles.— The accession of Edward vi. intro-
duced a complete reversal of this policy, giving to the reforming
party an ascendency, which they used vigorously and even vehe-
mently. The publication of the Prayer Book was the firstfruits of this
ascendency. The principles which it embodies are clearly expressed
in the original Preface ; and, as it had to be accepted and used by all,
laity as well as clergy, under the Act of Uniformity, it might have
been thought sufficient in itself to define the doctrinal and eccle-
siastical position of the Church of England. But in 1551 it was de-
cided to add to the publication of the Revised Prayer Book, and the
proposed reconstitution of the Ecclesiastical Law, the promulga-
tion of a more complete and definite body of Articles. The result
was the Forty-two Articles, " agreed upon by Bishops and other
learned nen in Synod of London, 1552, for avoiding of controversy
and establishment of godly concord on certain matters of religion."
From this heading it seems doubtful whether these Articles were
submitted to the Convocations properly so-called. Cranmer had the
chief hand in framing them, acting under an Order of the Council
in 1551 ; probably he submitted them to the " Bishops and other
learned men " for consideration and revision ; afterwards they passed
again throuerh his hands, and were forwarded by him to the Council,
with a view to the enforcement of subscription to them upon the
clergy by royal authority; finally, they were published by the
" King's Majesty's commandment " in May 1553, with the order
that all beneficed clergy should sign them on pain of deprivation.
But the death of Edward vi. in July 1553 put a stop to the whole
proceeding; and the Articles remained in abeyance through the
whole time of the reaction under Queen Mary.
These Forty-two Articles are, as will be seeD hereafter, the basis
of our present Articles. Although the heading shews that they
were only intended to deal with "certain matters of Religion," in
view of the controversies of the time, and although the consideration
of their substance confirms this statement, yet they were far the
fullest and most precise declaration yet put forth by the Church of
England. They shew very clearly the influence (perhaps through
the abortive Thirteen Articles) of the Augsburg Confession; but
they contain much independent matter, and, even where they follow
the Confession, introduce material changes in its substance. In one
point especially they go beyond it. At the time when they were
drawn up the influence of Calvinism was just beginning to be felt in
280 d
England, although it had as yet no great ascendency ; and it is
obvious that this had made it necessary to pronounce upon the
questions of Predestination and Election, on which the Calvinistic
system turns. On the whole they clearly defined the position of the
Church as Catholic, in respect of the preservation of the doctrine of
the Creeds and the main features of Church organization ; and at the
same time, as what is usually called " Protestant," in accepting the
Reformation principle of adhesion to Holy Scripture as the basis
of faith, asserting freedom and independence against Rome, claim-
ing right to reject doctrinal corruptions and practical abuses con-
trary to Scripture and primitive Church practice, and dealing in
complete independence with the doctrines of Justification and
Election, which formed the leading principles of the Lutheran and
Calvinistic Reformations.
The Elkvex Articles.— On the accession of Elizabeth, pending
the revision of these Articles, a short preliminary series of Eleven
Articles was issued in 1559 by Royal and Episcopal authority. These
were of a simple and practical type, accepting Holy Scripture as the
basis of faith and the Creeds as its interpretation, asserting the
authority of the Church and the Royal Supremacy, maintaining
the Prayer Book, rejecting Private Masses, the Veneration of Images
and Relics, and restoring the Cup to the Laity.
The Thirty-nine Articles. — Meanwhile the revision of the
Forty-two Articles was carried on, mainly under the direction of
Archbishop Parker, who, like the Queen herself, was bent on pre-
serving as far as possible the old basis, as against the more revo-
lutionary ideas of the growing Calvinistic party. The Confession
of Wurtemburg (1552), a revised and enlarged edition of the Con-
fession of Augsburg, was clearly studied by the revisers. The revised
Articles were submitted to Convocation, and passed with alterations
reducing them to Thirty-nine in 156S. It was intended that they
should be promulgated only by Royal authority. But Parliament
claimed a right to discuss them, which was ultimately conceded,
and finally subscription to them was enforced by Act of Parliament
in 1571. They were put out both in Latin and in English. It is
doubtful whether the Latin or English version is to be considered
as original; but it appears that the two are substantially of co-
ordinate authority, and may be used with great advantage to
elucidate and interpret each other.
Of the alterations made in the Forty-two Articles, which are
numerous, the chief are the following : —
(a) Some Articles were added or enlarged, evidently for the sake
of completeness. Thus Art. ii., On the Son of Ood, was enlarged ;
Art. v., On the Holy Ghost, was inserted; in Art. vi. were added a
list of Canonical Books, and a definition of the position of the
Apocrypha; Art. xii., On Good Works, was inserted. Arts. xxix.
and xxx., on the Holy Communion, were also added. These altera-
tions all shew the desire of a fuller and more definite settlement of
doctrine.
(6) On the other hand, eome Articles were omitted, either as now
obsolete, or from a desire to refrain from pronouncing authoritative
opinion on the subjects dealt with. Such were the old Article x.
on the limits of the action of Grace ; the old Article xvi. on " Blas-
phemy against the Holy Ghost"; and the last Four Articles (the
old xxxix., xl., xli., xlii.) condemning the belief that the Besnrrection
is past (being only a spiritual Resurrection), and that the souls of
the departed die with the body or sleep idly, " the fable of Heretics
called Millenarii," and the opinion that all men, "be they never so
ungodly," shall be saved at the last.
(c) On two points there is some historical doubt.
980 e
In Art. xx. the celebrated clause, " The Church hath power to
decree rites and ceremonies and authority in controversies of faith,"
was certainly not in Parker's original draft, nor was it inserted in
Convocation. In all probability it was inserted by the Council at
the instance of the Queen, and afterwards accepted by Convocation
and Parliament.
Art. xxix., on the other hand, which was in the original, was
omitted in the Authorized Latin Edition published in 1563 by Royal
Command, bat restored in 1571. In this case also probably the
change was made at the instance of the Queen ; bat the change so
made was not accepted.
The Articles thus completed were put forth as " agreed upon by
the Archbishops and Bishops of both Provinces and the whole
Clergy, in the Convocation holden in London in the year 1562, for
the avoiding of Diversities of opinion and for the establishing con-
sent touching true Religion." The title shews the claim for them
of a greater comprehensiveness and completeness than was ad-
vanced in 1552 ; but at the same time declares the object to be, as
before, the settlement of controversy and union of all on a general
basis of agreement. Subscription to them was required not only
from clergy, but from all persons taking degrees at the Universities.
Even in 1688 the Toleration Act required from Dissenting Ministers
subscription to all, except xxxiv., xxxv., xxxvi., and parts of xx. and
xxvii. The first of these obligations alone remains at the present
moment.
Tub Lambeth Articles.— The Articles thus drawn up in 1562
have remained unchanged till the present time. The history, how-
ever, would be incomplete without a brief reference to the attempt
to supplement them in 1595 by the addition of the well-known
" Lambeth Articles." This attempt marks the temporary domi-
nance of the Calvinistic theology, under the influence of the great
Puritan party, in the reign of Elizabeth. It arose, indeed, out of a
Sermon at Cambridge, which was denounced as heretical, because it
ventured to question some of the primary points of the Calvinistic
system. There the Articles were drawn up by the theological
Professors, and accepted with some modifications by Archbishop
"Whitgift, and certain other Bishops and Divines with whom he
took counsel. They expressed in the most uncompromising and
terrible form the main points of the Calvinistic theology; declaring,
for example, that —
(a) " God from all eternity has predestinated some to life ; some
He hath reprobated to death."
(6) "The moving cause of Predestination to life is not prevision
of faith, or perseverance, or good works, or of anything which may
be in the persons predestinated, but only the will of the good
pleasure of God."
(c) "A true justifying faith and the Spirit of God sanctifying is
not extinguished, doth not fall away, doth not vanish, in the elect,
either finally or totally."
(rf) " Saving grace is not given to all men, by which they may be
saved if they will."
Happily, however, these Articles were strongly reprobated by the
Queen and her advisers, and therefore failed to become in any sense
authoritative ; and a subsequent petition by the Puritan party at the
Hampton Court Conference for their adoption was formally refused.
But both the attempt to introduce them and its failure are signifi-
cant. The attempt shews a conviction on the part of the Calvinistic
party that the distinctive tenets of Calvinism are not embodied in
the Articles ; and that this conviction is well founded will be seen
by contrasting the Lambeth Articles with Arts, xv., xvi., xvii., of our
Thirty-nine Articles. The failure shews that, when formally sub-
mitted, these tenets were refused deliberately, and that they there-
fore form no part of the theology of the Church of England.
Section II.— The Substance of the Articles.
The Declaration.— The Declaration prefixed to the Articles was
drawn up by Laud in 1628, in view of the vehement denunciations of
Arminianism which had been uttered in Parliament and elsewhere,
with constant appeals to the true sense of the Articles. It is put
forth simply by Royal Authority, " with the advice of so many of the
Bishops as might conveniently be called together." Accordingly it
lays great stress on the Prerogative of the King as " Defender of the
Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church," and his consequent
duty to maintain Unity and Peace ; ratifies and confirms the Articles
as " containing the true doctrine of the Church of England, agree-
able to God's Word "; promises that for all questions of Ecclesi-
astical Regulation, the Convocation shall have licence to deliberate,
and, with the Royal Assent, to act ; dwells with satisfaction on the
general acceptance of the Articles by all Schools of opinion ; forbids
going beyond them for " curious and unhappy differences " or putting
upon them any other than their " literal and grammatical sense,"
and threatens penalty in ca3e of disobedience to this prohibition.
The advice is wise and sensible enough; but it must have been
Bomewhat marred by the imperious tone in which it is conveyed.
The Articles themselves may
groups :—
(A) Thb Articles of the
Catholic Faith.
In these Articles (i.— v.) the
Church of England simply ac-
cepts, with some exposition, the
great Articles of Christian faith,
as held in all ages by the Catho-
lic Church, and embodied in the
Ancient Creeds.
Thus, Art. i., Of Faith in the
Holt/ Trinity, in its former clause
asserts the Unity of the Godhead ;
in its latter clause the Doctrine
of the Holy Trinity.
Arts, ii , iii., iv., Of the Word or
Son of Qod, declare the doctrine
of the Son of God, His Eternal
Godhead, His Incarnation, His
" two whole and perfect Natures,
the Godhead and the Manhood,"
His Atonement, Descent into
Hades, Resurrection, Ascension,
and future Coming to Judgment.
Here the Articles simply traverse
the ground covered by the second
paragraph of the Apostles' and
Nicene Creeds, and that portion
of the Athanasian Creed which
treats of the union of the two
Natures in Our Lord Jesus
Christ; except that Art. ii.
dwell'? more fully on the doctrine
of the Atonement (as a recon-
ciliation of the Father to us, and
a Sacrifice for sin), which is but
be divided into the following
slightly touched upon in the
Ancient Creeds.
Art. v., Of the Holy Ghost, simi-
larly declares the doctrine of the
Holy Ghost in language like that
of the Nicene and Athanasian
Creeds.
These Articles, except in form
of expression, belong not to the
Church of England, but to the
whole Church of Christ. They
express the resolution already
quoted, "not to decline or vary
from the congregation of Christ's
Church in things concerning the
very Articles of the Catholic
faith."
(B) The Articles of the Rules
of Faith.
In these (Arts, vi.— viii.) the
Church of England adopts the
great principle which charac-
terized the Reformation in all
its forms, and which stands in
direct antagonism to the decree
of the Council of Trent on this
subject.
This principle is enunciated in
Art. vi., Of the Sufficiency of Holy
Scripture. It declares that "Holy
Scripture containeth all things
necessary to salvation" — as ei-
ther " read therein" or " proved
thereby "—and so repudiates the
280 g
co-ordination of Scripture and
Ecclesiastical Tradition laid
down in the Tridentine Decree
of 1546. The remainder of Art.
vi. adopts the true Hebrew Canon
of the Old Testament, as against
the corrupted Canon of the Ro-
man Church, and fixes the right
position of the "Apocryphal"
or "Ecclesiastical" books.
Art. vii., Of the Old Testament,
is subsidiary to Art. vi., simply
declaring the unity of the Old
Testament and the New — as both
having the promise of everlasting
life through the Mediation of
Christ— and the permanent obli-
gation of the Moral Law.
Art. viii., Of the Three Creed*,
accepts the three Creeds as true
interpretations of Scripture (in
which the Church Catholic has
exercised the " authority in con-
troversies of faith" maintained
in Art. xx.).
In these Articles the Church
enunciates the great principle of
the English Reformation, claim-
ing the right to reject all accre-
tions of un-Scriptural doctrine,
as also all traditions contrary to
Scripture. At the same time it
is clear (from Art. viii.) that she
appeals to the Bible as God ac-
tually gave it— that is, with in-
terpretation from both the faith
and the practice of the Christian
Church.
(C) Articles of Personal
Religion.
In this long group (Arts. ix. —
xviii.) the Church of England
goes on to deal with the ap-
plication of the " objective " or
absolute Articles of the Faith,
as enunciated in Holy Scrip-
ture, to " subjective religion,"
that is, to the salvation of the
individual soul. This class of
subjects had naturally come into
striking prominence in the con-
troversies of the Reformation,
which in nil its phases brought
out the personal freedom and
responsibility of every Christian,
in respect of acceptance of the
truth of the Gospel and the au-
thority of the Church. In the
Continental Reformations per-
haps this had been the case even
more strikingly than in England,
and accordingly in dealing with
these matters the Church in-
directly defines her own position
in relation, first, to the Lutheran,
and next to the Calvinistic,
system.
This group has two sub-divi-
sions : —
(a) Arts, ix.— xiv. have to do
with the great question of Justi-
fication, which had been the
inspiring principle of the whole
Lutheran movement.
Then Art. ix., On Original Sin
(or rather inborn sinfulness), de-
clares the existence of corruption
in the nature of man, through
which he is " very far gone from
original righteousness " and "in-
clined to sin "—a corruption not
wholly extirpated, even in the
regenerate; "although there is
no condemnation to them that
believe and are baptized " ; and
Art. x., On Free Will, is a state-
ment of the limitation of free-
dom in humanity thus corrupted,
and the incapacity of man to
turn to God and do good works,
without the grace of God in
Christ "preventing us" and
" working with us." These both
lead up to Art. xi., On the Justifi-
cation of Man. This enunciates
that which is commonly called
" Justification by Faith," but
which is more correctly laid
down as "Justification for the
merit of Our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ through faith, and
not for our own works or deserv-
ings " ; and so, while allowing
the co-operation of man, places
the first source of salvation in
the free Mercy of God through
the mediation of Our Lord Jesus
Christ.
From this, Arts, xii., xiii., xiv.
go on to deal with the true posi-
tion of work— that is, conscious
exercise of will— in the Christian
Life. Art. xii., On Good Works,
dei^cribes this positively by de-
claring good works to be the
necessary fruits of a living faith,
and, as such, pleasing and ac-
ceptable to God in Christ. Arts,
xiii., xiv., On Works before Jus-
tification and Works of Super-
erogation, describe it negatively
by repudiating the independent
value and merit of works done
280 h
oefore the grace of Christ and
the Inspiration of His Spirit,
and the strange figment of
" Works of Supererogation," over
and above duty to God, which
'* cannot be taught without arro-
gancy and impiety," and which,
indeed, could only have arisen
out of a dry narrow legalism of
idea.
In this group of Articles the
Church, while taking a line of
independence towards the Lu-
theran theology, yet (as a com-
parison with the Lutheran Con-
fessions shews) expresses a dis-
tinct sympathy with it, as it had
finally come forth, tempered bv
the lesions of experience, and
guarded from fatalistic and An-
tinomian extravagance. The
whole treatment strikes the key-
note of true personal Christi-
anity, by ascribing the source of
all salvation to the Love of God
in Christ, and yet, by the very
requirement of faith, implying
the co-operation of man, and
making this still clearer by re-
cognising the true function of
works.
(6) Arts, xv.— xviii. deal with
the chief subjects which had
been forced on Christian thought
by the resolute logical dogma-
tism of Calvin.
Art. xv., Of Christ alone without
Sin, and Art. xvi., Of Sin after
Baptism, reject in the clearest
terms the idea, derived from a
consideration of the Omnipo-
tence of God's grace, of "inde-
fectibility of grace " or " of
faith " ; which leads to the two
opposite conclusions— a belief in
the attainment by the elect of a
state from which they cannot
fall, and a despairing hopeless-
ness in those who, "after they
are baptized and born again in
Christ," fall from grace, as sin-
ning against the Holy Ghost,
and, therefore, incapable of par-
don.
These lead on to Art. xvii.,
On Predestination and E ection,
which grapples directly with the
primary question. To this there
is nothing to correspond either
in the Augsburg or Wurtem-
birg Confession. What were the
tenets of the Calvinistic School
thereon may be seen in the
Lambeth Articles. Now on this
subject it is to be noted that, in
the description of the doctrine,
the Article, avoiding the techni-
cal language of the Schools, fol-
lows accurately the words of Holy
Scripture, and therefore speaks
of Predestination to life, and not
to death, and closely connects
this with God's call consciously
received and through grace obey-
ed, with free Justification and
renewal in the image of Christ,
and with the walking religiously
in good works— thus implying
the co-operation of man, without
attempting to solve the insoluble
mystery of the reconcilemenc of
God's sovereignty and man's
freedom. Next it disclaims the
doctrine as the keystone of teach-
ing and system, declaring it fit
only for the meditation of those
who feel in themselves the grace
of God, and who find in it the
confirmation of faith, and the
kindling of love, but "a most
dangerous downfall to curious
and carnal persons," apt to lead
either to desperation or to
wretchlessness (recklessness) of
unclean living. Lastly, it asserts
the generality of God's promises,
and declines to speculate on any
Will of God except that which is
revealed to us.
Art. xviii., Of obtaining Eternal
Salvation only by the Name of
Christ, may be considered a
corollary to this; refusing to
hold the sufficiency of " Natural
Religion " (to those to whom the
Gospel has come), and declaring
that salvation is assured to us
only in the Name of the Lord
Jesus Christ.
It will be clear to all who know
what the positions of Calvinism
on these mysterious subjects
really are, that in these Articles
the Church of England declines
adhesion to them, so far as thf-y
go beyond the express declara-
tions of Holy Scripture, in their
desire of an impossible logical
consistency, and refuses to make
them the basis of Church doc-
trine and life. That this de-
claration was unsatisfactory to
the Calvinistic party (as might
indeed have been reasonably ex-
pected) the history of the Lam-
beth Articles shews unmistake-
ably.
It may be remarked of the
whole of this group that it bears
more plainly than any other the
impress of the theology of the
age. It has now ceased to be of
che same theologioal and polemi-
cal importance. But in relation
to spiritual self-knowledge and
dealing with individual souls, the
truths referred to must be as
important as ever.
(D) Articles on the Church
and the Sacraments.
These Articles (Arts, xix.—
xxxvi.) go on to dwell, not on
personal, but on what may be
called " Corporate Christianity "
—setting forth the nature, au-
thority, and discipline of the
Church, and the true doctrine
of the Sacraments, which are
ministered by the Church to the
individual. The Reformation in
England turned in great measure
on Sacramental doctrine, espe-
cially as exemplified in the Se-
cond Great Sacrament; and,
moreover, since almost all acts
done in it were done collectively,
it naturally drew special atten-
tion to the true corporate con-
stitution of the Church, and of
the various Branches of it. This
group of Articles, therefore,
though having evident reference
to Foreign Confessions, bears a
strong Anglican impress, and is
illustrated at every point both
by the language of the Prayer
Book and by the history of the
time. In it also, from the nature
of the case, are found the strong-
est protests against the usurpa-
tions of Rome.
(a) In this group we have, first,
Articles dealing with the funda-
mental nature, authority, and
Ministry of the Church. Thus,
Art. xix., Of the Church, defines
the Church by its tokens— pro-
fession of faith in Christ, preach-
ing of God's Word, and right
ministry of the Sacraments ;
Art. xx., Of the Authority of the
Church, lays down the reality of
that authority, both to decree
Rites and Ceremonies, and to
intervene in controversies of
faith ; and at the same time its
limitation, by the supreme au-
thority of " God's Word written,"
of which the Church is "the
keeper and witness" ; and Art.
xxi., Of General Councils, applies
these principles to the General
Councils freely chosen, to which
the Church of England always
appealed, not, indeed, as infalli-
ble, but as the highest and fullest
expression of Church authority.
Each of these positive state-
ments carries with it a negative
protest against the Church of
Rome ; in Art. xix., against her
claim of Infallibility, in Art. xx.,
against her requirement of faith
in things not laid down in Scrip-
ture, as necessary to salvation,
and in Art. xxi. against the
Pope's claim to summon and
preside over General Councils,
and to confirm their decrees by
superior authority.
From these we pass naturally
to Art. xxiii., Of Ministering in
the Congregation, asserting the
need of a regular Order of Minis-
ters in the Church, ordained by
authority ; and to Art. xxiv., Of
Speaking in the Congregation in
such a tongue as the Penjile under-
standeth, claiming for all mem-
bers of the Church the right of
Worship in their own tongue.
Art. xxii., Of Pitraatory, &c,
which is one of simple protest
against the dogma of Purgatory,
the abuse of Indulgences, the
Veneration of Images and Relics,
and the Invocation of Saints,
seems to break the natural order,
and is probably inserted here
only because, in fact, the errors
denounced were used as means
of usurping absolute authority
and of enforcing practices for-
bidden by the Word of God.
In all these Articles, in dis-
tinct accordance with the actual
course of the Reformation in
England, the Church, taking up
its position on Scripture as in-
terpreted by Church History and
Tradition, eschews the easy path
of sweeping generalities, and
attempts the more difficult task
of harmonizing unity with in-
dividuality and authority with
freedom.
(6) The next section of this
group contains the doctrine of
the Sacraments ; first as gene-
280 k
23-5
rally considered, and next in
separate relation to Baptism and
Holy Communion. In accord-
ance with the critical import-
ance in the history of the Re-
formation of the controversies
on the latter of the two great
Sacraments, it devotes but one
Article to Baptism, and no less
than four to the Holy Commu-
nion ; and it is moreover evident
that, even in the general treat-
ment, there is more particular
reference to the latter.
Thus Art. xxv., Of the Sacra-
ments, first defines " Sacraments
ordained of Christ " in language
suggested by the Augsburg Con-
fession, but so modified as to
express even more strongly their
reality as not mere badges of
Christian profession, but "sure
pledges and effectual signs of
grace," through which "God in-
visibly works" in us, and both
" quickens and confirms faith " ;
next, limits the application of
this name to " Baptism and the
Supper of the Lord," refusing to
class with them "the five com-
monly called Sacraments "—not
having a visible sign ordained of
God — of which the Church treats
each on its own merits; and
lastly (in evident reference to
the Second Sacrament), declares
that they were ordained " not to
be gazed upon or carried about,"
but "duly used," with "whole-
some effect " only on " those who
worthily receive them." To this
is added Art. xxvi., On the Un-
worthiness of Ministers, which de-
nies that this can interfere with
the blessing to be derived from
Christ's own ordinance "minis-
tered by His commission and
authority " ; while it lays stress
on the need of discipline to re-
move the unworthy from so
sacred a Ministry.
Next, Art. xxvii., Of Baptism,
applies the principles of the pre-
ceding Article, strongly empha-
sises the regenerating grace of
Baptism — as grafting into the
Church, and sealing adoption to
the sonship of God— and defends
Infant Baptism as " agreeable
with the institution of Christ,"
that is, as arising naturally out
of the very idea of Baptism.
Lastly, four Articles are de-
voted to the Holy Communion.
Art. xxviii.. Of the Lord's Supper,
emphatically disclaims the two
opposite errors, which had di-
verged from the primitive truth
— Zwinglianism and Transob-
stantiation — and sets forth the
true doctrine of the Holy Com-
munion in the language of Holy
Scripture itself; and then, as-
serting that in the Sacrament
the Body of Christ can only be
received spiritually through
faith, repeats the former protest
against its " being reserved, car-
ried about, lifted up, or wor-
shipped." From this Art. xxix.,
Of the wicked which eat not the
Body of Christ, is a corollary, as-
serting in a strong negative form
the necessity of faith for being
in it " partakers of Christ." Art.
xxx., Of both kinds, maintains
the right of the Laity to the Cup
of the Lord ; and Art. xxxi., Of
the One Oblation of Christ finished
upon the Cross, dwelling emphati-
cally (as in the Holy Communion
Service) on " the offering of
Christ once made " as .the one
"perfect redemption, propitia-
tion, and satisfaction," protests
against " the sacrifices of Masses"
(as ordinarily understood) as
"blasphemous fables and dan-
gerous deceits"— in terms the
vehemence of which can only be
explained by reference to the
crucial importance of this point
in the whole of the religious
movement of the age.
These Articles on the Sacra-
ments, perhaps more than any
other, illustrate the true nature
of the Via Media of the Church
of England ; shewing that it is
determined, not by balance be-
tween opposite extremes, but by
refusing technical theories, and
going back to the simple truth
as declared in Holy Scripture,
from which historically extreme
errors have diverged on either
hand. They also preserve very
distinctly the true harmony be-
tween the " objective " and sub-
jective " elements of Salvation—
the absolute reality of the grace
of Christ in the Sacraments, and
the impossibility of receiving it
without spiritual preparation of
faith.
2801
\.e) To this succeeds a miscel-
laneous series of Articles on vari-
ous points of the constitution
and discipline of the Church.
Art. xxxii., Of the Marriage of
Priests, repudiates the compul-
sory Celibacy, which is known
not to have existed in the Primi-
tive Church, but to have been
imposed in after apes. Art.
xxxiii., Of Excommunicate Per-
sons, asserts strongly the right
of the Church to exercise Dis-
cipline, even to Excommunica-
tion, and the duty of all her
members in this respect to sup-
port her authority. Art. xxxiv.,
Of the Traditions of the Church,
has a twofold purpose. As a-
gainst Roman despotism, it as-
serts the freedom of National
Churches to enact and abolish
traditions and ceremonies— pro-
vided that "nothing be ordained
against God's Word." As against
the excessive individualism of
the Puritan party, it maintains
the duty of individual obedience
to such exercise of authority.
Art. xxxv., Of the Homilies, di-
rects the reading of the two
books of Homilies, the one drawn
up in 1552, the latter in 1559, with
a view to avoidance of contro-
versy and supply of sound ver-
nacular and popular instruction.
Art. xxxvi., Of Consecration of
Bishops and Ministers, defends
the Ordinal from attack on the
Roman side as insufficient, on
the Ultra - Protestant side as
superstitious and ungodly; and
decrees that all ordained accord-
ing to it are rightly ordained.
The whole of this group is of
great historic interest, illustrat-
ing at every point the actual
course of the English Reforma-
tion ; and, as many of the reli-
gious questions of our own time
bear largely on the Constitution
and Authority of the Church,
these Articles have considerable
importance at the present mo-
ment.
(E) Articles on the Civil
Power.
These Articles deal with the
relation, first of the Church, and
then of the individual Christian,
to the Civil Power.
Art. xxxvii., Of the Civil Magis-
trate, is one peculiarly Anglican
and of great importance. First,
it asserts and limits the Royal
Supremacy over the Church,
which was at that time regarded
as co-extensive with the Nation
—all Englishmen, as they were
born into the latter, being bap-
tized into the former. It asserts
the Supremacy as over all Es-
tates of the Realm, Ecclesiastical
as well as Civil, in all causes—
the Sovereign being the repre-
sentative of the whole Church,
and, acting, of course, under
Ecclesiastical Law. It limits
the Supremacy by denying it all
power to assume or confer the
Ministry of the Word and Sacra-
ments, which derives its authority
from Christ Himself. Next, it
still further explains the true
idea of the Royal Supremacy by
repudiating all Supremacy of the
Bishop of Rome over the Church
of England.
The latter part of Art. xxxvii.
and the succeeding Articles deal
with certain points of individual
duty and privilege in the State,
which had been called in ques-
tion on religious grounds. Thus
Art. xxxvii. asserts the right of
the State over life, both to in-
flict capital punishment, and to
command its subjects to serve in
war. Art. xxxviii., Of Christian
men's Goods, maintains the right
of property, while at the same
time it dwells on the moral duty
of charity which attaches to it.
Art. xxxix., Of a Christian man's
Oath, distinguishes between the
vain swearing which is forbidden
in the Gospel, and the solemn
use of an Oath before God.
These last Articles are evi-
dently subsidiary, and of inferior
importance to the rest.
Conclusion.— The study of the Articles will go far to shew how it
is, that, although drawn up only for the immediate needs of the 16th
century, and probably under the expectation of future Revision,
they have, as a matter of fact, remained unchanged as a standard of
doctrine down to the present time. Even as looked at in them-
$80 »'
selves, and- still more as viewed in relation to the theology of the
time, they are extraordinarily fit to serve the purpose for which they
have so long been used.
They are comprehensive, because (in the true sense of the word)
they are " moderate "—that is, they refrain from pronouncing on
points, on which it is impossible or unnecessary to pronounce. They
are thus moderate, because they almost invariably eschew technical
theological systems, and go back to the simple language of Holy
Scripture. It would be unreasonable to suppose that they could
not be amended, in the light of the experience and advance of know-
ledge gained in the last three hundred years. But substantially
they embody the true fundamental principles of Christian faith and
Ecclesiastical constitution, which still meet our needs.
They are imposed by authority on the Clergy alone, not as an
absolutely perfect and exhaustive statement of doctrine, but as con-
taining substantial Scriptural truth, and as a standard which they
agree not to contradict in their public teaching. For the laity they
have no coercive force, nor do they constitute conditions of Lay
Communion. But they have necessarily a didactic value, as exposi-
tory of Anglican doctrine on many important points. It is unfor-
tunately obvious, from the loose and depreciatory languasre often
used about them, that they are very imperfectly known and under-
stood ; and it is certain that they deserve far more attentive and
respectful study.
til
Hrticles ot IRelfgton
AGBEED UPON BY THE
ARCHBISHOPS AND BISHOPS OF
BOTH PROVINCES,
AND THE WHOLE CLERGY,
IN THE
CONVOCATION HOLDEN AT LONDON IN THE
YEAR 1562,
For the Avoiding of Diversities of Opinions, and
for the Establishing of Consent touching
true Religion:
Reprinted by His Majesty's Commandment, with
His Royal Declaration prefixed thereunto.
281
- ■ ,'.- ... .. ^mmmmm m
ARTICLES
AGREED UPON
BY THE ARCHBISHOPS AND BISHOPS OF BOTH
PROVINCES, AND THE WHOLE CLERGY,
In the Convocation holden at London in the Fear 1562, for the avoiding of Diversi-
ties of Opinions, and for the establishing of Consent touching true Religion:
Reprinted by His Majesty's Commandment, with His Royal Declaration pre-
fixed thereunto.
HIS MAJESTY'S DECLARATION.
"DEING by God's Ordinance, according to Our just Title, Defender of the Faith,
■*-* and Supreme Governour of the Church, within these Our Dominions, We hold it
most agreeable to this Our Kingly Office, and Our own religious Zeal, to conserve
and maintain the Church committed to Our Charge, in Unity of true Religion,
and in the Bond of Peace ; and not to suffer unnecessary Disputations, Alterca-
tions, or Questions to be raised, which may nourish Faction both in the Church
and Commonwealth. We have therefore, upon mature Deliberation, and with
the Advice of so many of Our Bishops as might conveniently be called together,
thought fit to make this Declaration following :
That the Articles of the Church of England (.which have been allowed and
authorized heretofore, and which Our Clergy generally have subscribed unto) do
contain the true Doctrine of the Church of England agreeable to God's Word :
which We do therefore ratify and confirm, requiring all Our loving Subjects to
continue in the uniform Profession thereof, and prohibiting the least difference
from the said Articles ; which to that End We command to be new printed, and
this Our Declaration to be published therewith.
That We are Supreme Governour of the Church of England: And that if any
Difference arise about the external Policy, concerning the Injunctions, Canons,
and other Constitutions whatsoever thereto belonging, the Clergy in their Convo-
cation is to order and settle them, having first obtained leave under Our Broad
Seal so to do : and We approving their said Ordinances and Constitutions ; pro-
viding that none be made contrary to the Laws and Customs of the Land.
That out of Our Princely Care that the Churchmen may do the Work which is
proper unto them, the Bishops and Clergy, from time to time in Convocation,
upon their humble Desire, shall have Licence under Our Broad Seal to deliberate
of, and to do all such Things, as, being made plain by them, and assented unto
by Us, shall concern the settled Continuance of the Doctrine and Discipline of
the Church of England now established ; from which We will not endure any
varying or departing in the least Degree.
That for the present. tlioufch some differences have been ill raised, yet We take
comfort in this, that all Clergymen within Our Realm have always mo* willing-
ly subscribed to the Articles established ; which is an argument to Us, that they
all agree in the true, usual, literal meaning of the said Articles ; and that even
in those curious points, in which the present differences lie, men of all sorts take
the Articles of the Church of England to be for them ; which is an argument
again, that none of them intend any desertion of the Articles established.
That therefore in these both curious and unhappy differences, which have for
so many hundred years, in different times and places, exercised the Church of
Christ, We will, that all further curious search be laid aside, and these Disputes
shut up in God's promises, as they be generally set forth to us in the holy Scrip-
tures, and the general meaning of the Articles of the Church of England accord-
ing to them. And that no man hereafter shall either print, or preach, to draw
the Article aside any way, but shall submit to it in the plain and full meaning
thereof : and shall not put his own sen9e or comment to be the meaning of the
Article, but shall take it in the literal and grammatical sense.
That if any publick Reader in either of Our Universities, or any Head or Mas-
ter of a College, or any other person respectively in either of them, shall affix
any new sense to any Article, or shall publickly read, determine, or hold any
publick Disputation, or suffer any such to be held either way, in either the
Universities -or Colleges respectively ; or if any Divine in the Universities shall
preach or print any thing either way, other than ts already established in Con-
vocation with Our Royal Assent ; he, or they the Offenders, shall be liable to
Our displeasure, and the Church's censure in Our Commission Ecclesiastical, as
well as any other : And We will see there shall be due Execution upon them.
m
ARTICLES OF RELIGION.
I. 0/ Faith in the Holy Trinity.
Til IK I. to but one living and true
Gcd, everlasting, without body,
parts, or passions ; of infinite power,
wisdom, and goodness; the Maker, ami
Preserver of all things both visible ami
invisible. And in unity of this Godhead
there be three Persons, of one sub-
stance, power, and eternity ; the Fa-
ther, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
II. Of the Word or Son of God, which
uas mad*, very Man.
ry\\¥. 8on, which is the Word of the
■*- Father, begotten from everlasting
of the Father, the very and eternal God,
and of one substance with the Father,
took Man's nature in the womb of the
blessed Virgin, of her substance : so
that two whole and perfect Natures,
that is to say, the Godhead and Man-
hood, were joined together in one Per-
son, never to be divided, whereof is one
Christ, very God, and very Man ; who
truly suffered, was crucified, dead and
buried, to reconcile his Father to us,
and to be a sacrifice, not only for ori-
ginal guilt, but also for all actual sins
cf men.
III. Of the going down of Christ into
Hell.
AS Christ died for us, and was buried,
so also is it to be believed, that he
went down into Hell.
IV. Of the Resurrection of Christ.
CHRIST diil truly rise ugain from
death, and took again his body,
with flesh, bones, and all things ap-
pertaining to the perfection of Man's
nature ; wherewith he ascended into
Heaven, and there sttteth, until he re-
turn to judge all Men at the last day.
V. Of the Holy Ghost.
THE Holy Ghost, proceeding from
the Father and the Son, is of one
•substance, majesty, and glory, with the
Father and the Son, very and eternal
God.
VI. Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scrip-
tures for saltation.
HOLY Scripture contuinet hall things
necessary to salvation : so that
whatsoever is not read therein, nor may
be proved thereby, is not to be required
of any man, that it should be believed as
an article of the Faith, or be thought
requisite or necessary to sulvation. In
the name of the holy Scripture we do
understand those Canonical 'Books of
the Old and New Testament, of whose
authority was never any doubt in the
Church.
Uf the Names and Numlwi ol tin
Canonical Hooks.
/1ESES1S,
^Exodus,
Leviticus,
Numbers,
Deuteronomy,
Joshua,
Judgtt,
liuth.
The First Hook of Samuel,
The Second Hoot- of Samuel,
The First Book of Kings,
The Second Book of Kings,
The First Book of Chronicles,
The Second Book of ChromcUs,
The First Book of Esdras,
The Second Book of Esdras,
The Book of Esther,
The Book of Job,
The Psalms,
The l'roverbs,
Ecclesiastes. or Preacher,
Cantica, or Songs of Solomon,
Four Prophets the greater,
Twtlce /'ropht Is the less.
And the other Books U» Hieromt
saith) the Church doth read for example
of life and instruction of manners ; but
yet doth it not apply them to establish
any doctrine ; sucli ure these following:
l'he Third Book of Esdras,
The Fourth Book of Esdras,
The Book of Tobia.i,
The Bool of Judith,
The rest of the Book of Euher,
The Book of Wisdom,
Jesus the Son of Sirach,
Baruch the Prophet,
The Song of the Three Children,
The Story of Susanna,
Of Bel and Hie Dragon,
The Prayer of Manassm,
The First Book of Maccabees,
The Second Book of Maccabees.
All the Books of the New Testament,
as they ure commonly received, we do
receive, and account them Canonical.
VII. Of the Old Testament.
rT,HE Old Testament is not contra rv
•*- to the New : for both in the Old
and New Testament everlasting life is
offered to Mankind by Christ, who is
the only Mediator botwoM God and
Man, being both God and Man. Where-
28*
ARTICLES OF RELIGION.
fore they are not to be heard, which
feign that the old Fathers did look only
for transitory promises. Although the
haw given from God by Moses, as
touching Ceremonies and Kites, do not
bind Christian men, nor the Civil pre-
cepts thereof ought of necessity to be
received in any commonwealth ; yet
notwithstanding, no Christian man
whatsoever is free from the obedience
of the Commandments which are called
Moral.
VIII. Of the. Three Creed*.
THE Three Creeds, Nictne Creed,
Athanwsius's Creed, and that which
is commonly called the Apostles' Creed,
ought thoroughly to be received and be-
lieved: for they may be proved by most
certain warrants «f holy Scripture.
IX. 0/ Original or Birth-sin.
ORIGINAL Sin standeth not in the
following of Adam, (as the Pela-
gians do vainly talk ;) but it is the fault
and corruption of the Nature of every
man, that naturally is Ingendered of
the offspring of Adam; whereby man
is very far gone from original righte-
ousness, and is of his own nature in-
clined to evil, so that the flesh lusteth
always contrary to the spirit ; and
therefore in every person born into this
world, it deserveth God's wrath and
damnation. And this infection of na-
ture doth remain, yea in them that are
regenerated ; whereby the lust of the
flesh, called in the Greek, phronema
sarkos, which some do expound the
wisdom, some sensuality, some the af-
fection, some the desire, of the flesh, is
not subject to the Law of God. And al-
though there is no condemnation for
thein that believe and are baptized, yet
the Apostle doth confess, that concupi-
scence and lust hath of itself the nature
of sin.
X. 0/ Free-will.
THE condition of Man after the fall
of Adam is such, that he cannot
turn and prepare himself, by his own
natural strength and good works, to
faith, an< I calling upon God : Where-
fore we have no power to do good works
pleasant and acceptable to God, with-
out the grace of God by Christ prevent-
ing us, that we may have a good will,
and working with us, when we have
that good will.
XI. Of the Justification of Man.
WE are accounted righteous before
God, only for the merit of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ by Faith, and
not for our own works or deservings :
Wherefore, that we are justified by
Faith only is a most wholesome Doc-
trine, and very full of comfort, as more
largely is expressed in the Homily of
Justification.
XII. Of Good Works.
ALBEIT that Good Works, which ate
the fruits of Faith, and follow after
Justification, cannot put away our sing,
and endure the severity of Hod's Judg-
ment ; yet are they pleasing and ac-
ceptable toGod in Christ, and do spring
out necessarily of a true and lively
Faith ; insomuch that by them a lively
Faith may be as evidently known as a
tree discerned by the fruit.
XIII. Of Works before Justification.
WORKS done before the grace of
Christ, and the Inspiration of his
Spirit, are not pleasant to God, foras-
much as they spring not of faith in Je-
sus Christ, neither do they make men
meet to receive grace, or (as the School -
authors say) deserve grace of congruity:
yea rather, for that they are not done
as God hath willed and commanded
them to be done, we doubt not but they
have the nature of sin.
XIV. Of Works of Supererogation.
VOLUNTARY Works besides, over
aud above, God's Commandments,
which they call Works of Supereroga-
tion, cannot be taught without arro-
gancy anil impiety : for by them men
do declare, that they do not only render
unto God as much as they are bound to
do, but that they do more for his sake,
than of bounden duty is required :
whereas Christ saith plainly, When ye
have done all that are commanded to
you, say, We are unprofitable servants.
XV. Of Christ alone without Sin.
CHRIST in the truth of our nature
was made like unto us in all things,
sin only except, .from which he was
clearly void, both in his flesh, and in
his spirit. He came to be the Lamb
without spot, who, by sacrifice of him-
self once made, should take away the
sins of the world, and sin, as Saint John
saith, was not in him. But all we the
rest, although baptized, and born again
in Christ, yet ortend in many things ;
and if we say we have no sin, we
deceive ourselves, and the truth is not
in us.
XVI. Of Sin after Baptism.
NOT every deadly sin willingly com-
mitted after Baptism is sin against
the Holy Ghost, and unpardonable
Wherefore the grant of rejientance is
not to be denied to such as fall into sin
after Baptism. After we have received
the Holy Ghost, we may depart from
grace given, and fall into sin, and by
the grace of God we may arise again,
and amend our lives. And therefore
they are to be condemned, which say,
they can no more sin as long as they
live here, or deny the place of forgive-
ness to such as truly repent.
285
ARTICLES OF RELIGION.
XVII. Of Predestination and Election.
PREDESTINATION to LM is the
A everlasting purpose of God, where-
by (before the foundations of the world
were laid) he hath constantly decreed
by his counsel secret to us, to deliver
from curse and damnation those whom
he hath chosen in Christ out of man-
kind, and to bring them by Christ to
everlasting salvation, as vessels made
to honour. Wherefore, they which be
endued with so excellent a benefit of
God be called according to God's pur-
pose by his Spirit working in due
season : they through Grace obey the
calling : they be justified freely : they
be made sons of God by adoption : they
be made like the image of his only-
begotten Son Jesus Christ : they walk
religiously in good works, and at length,
by God's mercy, they attain to ever-
lasting felicity
As the godly consideration of Pre-
destination, and our Election in Christ,
is full of sweet, pleasant, and unspeak-
able comfort to godly persons, and such
as feel in themselves the working of the
Spirit of Christ, mortifying the works
of the flesh, and their earthly members,
and drawing up their mind to high
ami heavenly things, as well because it
doth greatly establish and confirm their
faith of eternal Salvation to be enjoyed
through Christ, as because it doth fer-
vently kindle their love towards God :
So, for curious and carnal persons, lack-
ing the Spirit of Christ, to have contin-
ually before their eyes the sentence of
God s Predestination, is a most danger-
ous downfall, whereby the Devil doth
thrust them either into desperation, or
into wretchlessness of most unclean liv-
ing, no less perilous than desperation.
Furthermore, we must receive God's
promises in such wise, as they be gener-
ally set forth to us in holy Scripture :
and, in our doings, that Will of God is
to be followed, which we have express-
ly declared unto us in the Word of God.
XVIII. Of obtaining eternal Salvation
only by the Name of Christ.
T^HEY also are to be had accursed
* that presume to say, That every
man shall be saved by the Law or Sect
which he professeth, so that he be dili-
gent to frame his life according to that
Law, and the light of Nature. For holy
Scripture doth set out unto us only the
Name of Jesus Christ, whereby men
must be saved.
XIX. Of the Church.
"PHE visible Church of Christ is a con-
x grefration of faithful men, in the
which the pure Word of God is preach-
ed, and the Sacraments be duly minis-
tered according to Christ's ordinance in
all those things that of necessity are
requisite, to the same.
As the Church of Jerusalem, Alexan-
dria, and Antioch, have erred ; so also
the Chore,!! of ft?"** hath erred, not only
In their living and rmthner of Cere-
monies, but also in matters of Faith.
XX. Of the A uthority of the Church.
'T'HE Church hath power to decree
-*- Rites or Ceremonies, and authority
in Controversies of Faith : And yet it is
not lawful for the Church to ordain any
thing that is contrary to God's Word
written, neither may it so expound one
place of Scripture, that it be repugnant
to another. Wherefore, although the
Church be a witness and a keeper of
holy Writ, yet, as it ought not to decree
any thing against the same, so besides
the same ought it not to enforce any-
thing to be believed for necessity of
Salvation.
XXI. Of the Authority of General
Councils.
rjENERAL Councils may not be ga-
*-* thered together without the com-
mandment and will of Princes. And
when they be gathered together, (foras-
much as they be an assembly of men,
whereof all be not governed with the
Spirit and Word of God,) they may err,
and sometimes have erred, even in
things pertaining unto God. Wherefore
things ordained by them as necessary
to salvation have neither strength nor
authority, unless it may be declared
that they be taken out of holy Scripture.
XXII. Of Purgatory.
THE JBftB»ah.-JDftCirine concerning
*- Purgatory, Pardons, Worship '
and ArtoratiQ.ii, as well of In
Ueli((ucs, and also invocatior
is*~a'JT8nd thing vatnTy*11
grounded upon no warranty of Scrip-
ture, but rather repugnant to the Word
of God.
XXIII. Of Ministering in the Congrega-
tion.
IT is not. lawful for anv man to take
1 upon him the office of puhliek
preaching- or ministering the Sacra-
ments in the Congregation, before he
be lawfully called, and sent to execute
the same. Ahd'fhose we ought to judge
lawfully called and sent, which he
chosen and called to this work by men
who have publick authority given unto
them in the Congregation; to call and
send Ministers into the Lord's vineyard.
XXIV Of speaking in the Congregation
in such a Tongue as the people under-
standeth.
TT is a thing plainly repugnant to
-*- the Word of God, arid the custom of
the Primitive Church, to have publick
Prayer in the Church, or to minister the
Sacraments in a tongue not understand-
ed of the people.
ARTICLES OF RELIGION.
XXV. Of the Sacraments.
O ACRAMENTS ordained of Christ be
*-» not only badges or tokens of Chris-
tian men's profession, but rather they
be certain sure witnesses, and effectual
signs of grace, and God's good will to-
wards us, by the which he doth work
invisibly in us, anil doth not only
quicken, but also strengthen and con-
firm our Faith in him.
Th_ere are two Snr.nimepta ordajrtf"'
of Qhriai-our Lord in the UosrieT, that la
to say, Bautiajn, and the Sujmgrof the
Those five commonly called Sacra-
ments, that is to say, Confirmation,
Penance, Orders, Matrimony, and Ex-
treme Uncrion, are not to be counted
for Sacraments of the Gospel, being
luch as have grown partly of the cor-
rupt following of the Apostles, partly
are states of life allowed in the Scrip-
tures ; but yet have not like nature
of Sacraments with Baptism, and the
Lord's Supper, for that they have not
any visible sign or ceremony ordained
Df God.
The Sacraments were not ordained of
Christ to be gazed upon, or to be car-
ried about, but that we should duly use
them. And in such only as worthily
receive the same they have a whole-
some effect or operation : but they that
receive them unworthily purchase to
themselves damnation, as Saint Paul
saith.
XXVI. Of the Unworthiness of the Mi-
nisters, which hinders not the effect of
the Sacrament.
ALTHOUGH in the visible Church
the evil be ever mingled with the
ffood, and sometimes the evil have chief
authority in the Ministration of the
Word and Sacraments, yet forasmuch
as they do not the same in their own
name, but in Christ's, and do minister
by his commission and authority, we
may use their Ministry, both in hearing
the Word of God, and in receiving of
the Sacraments. Neither is the effect of
Christ's ordinance taken away by their
wickedness, nor the grace of God's gifts
diminished from such as by faith and
rightly do receive the Sacraments mi-
nistered unto them ; which be effectual,
because of Christ's institution and pro-
mise, although they be ministered by
evil men.
Nevertheless, it appertaineth to the
discipline of the Church, that enquiry
be made of evil Ministers, and that they
be accused by those that have know-
ledge of their offences ; and finally be-
ing found guilty, by just judgment be
deposed.
XXVII. Of Baptism.
APTISM is not only a sign ot pro-
tession, and mark of difference,
fi
whereby Christian men are discerned
from others that be not christened, but
it is also a sign ef Regeneration or new
Birth, whereby, as by an instrument,
they thui receive Baptism rightly are
grafted into the Church ; the promises
or' forgiveness of sin, and of our adop-
tion to be the sons of God by the Holy
Ghost, are visibly signed and scaled ;
Faith is confirmed, and Grace increas-
ed by virtue of prayer unto God. The
Baptism of young Children is in any
wise to be retained in the Church, as
most agreeable with the institution ot
Christ.
XXVIII. Qftht. lord's Supper.
U^HE Supper of the Lord is not only
a sign of the love that Christians
ought to have among themselves one to
another ; but rather is a Sacrament of
our Redemption by Christ's death : in-
somuch that to such as rightly, worthi-
ly, and with faith, receive the same,
the Bread which we break is a partak-
ing of the Body of Christ ; and likewise
the Cup of Blessing is a partaking of the
Blood of Christ.
Transubstuntiation (or the change of
the substance of Bread and Wine) in
the Supper of the Lord, cannot be prov-
ed by holy Writ ; but is repugnant
to the plain words of Scripture, over-
throweth the nature of a Sacrament,
and hath given occasion to many super-
stitions.
The Body of Christ is given, taken,
and eaten, in the Supper, only after an
heavenly and spiritual manner. And
the mean whereby the Body of Christ
is received and eaten in the Supper is
Faith.
The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper
was not by Christ's ordinance reserved,
carried about, lifted up, or worshipped.
XXIX. Of the Wicked which eat not the
Body of Christ in the use of the Lord's
Supper.
THE Wicked, and such as be void of
a lively faith, although they do car-
nally and visibly press with their teeth
(as Saint Augustine saith) the Sacrament
of the Body and Blood of Christ, yet in
no wise are they partakers of Christ :
but rather, to their condemnation, do
eat and drink the sign or Sacrament of
so great a thing.
XXX. Of both kinds.
THE Cup of the Lord is not to be
denied to the Lay-people : for both
the parts of the Lord's Sacrament, by
Christ's ordinance and commandment,
ought to be ministered to all Christian
men alike.
XXXI. Of the one Oblation of Christ
finished upon the Cross.
THE offering of Christ once made is
that perfect redemption, prwitia-
287
ARTICLES OF RELIGION.
Hon, and satisfaction, for all the sins
of the whole world, both original and
actual ; and there is none other satis-
faction for sin, but that alone. Where-
fore the sacrifices of M"«r««- in the
which it w.'ih commonly said, that the
Priest did otter Christ *'"r thti Mfak (!'"'
the dead . to have remission of pain or
guilt, were blaauheinous fables, and
dangerous deceits.
XXXII. Of the Marriage of Priests.
BISHOPS, Priests, and Urinous, are
not rommaudi'd by God's Law,
either to vow the estate of single life,
or to abstain from marriage : therefore
it is lawful for them, as for all other
Christian men, to marry at their own
discretion, as they shall 'judge the same
to serve better to godliness.
XXXIII. Of excommunicate Persons, how
they are to be avoided.
THAT person which by open denun-
ciation of the Church is rightly cut
off from the unity of the Church, and
excommunicated, ought to be taken of
the whole multitude of the faithful, as
an Heathen and Publican, until he be
openly reconciled by penance, and re-
ceived into the Church by a Judge that
hath authority thereunto.
XXXIV. Of the Traditions of the Church.
IT is not necessary that Traditions
and Ceremonies be in all places one,
and utterly like ; for at all times they
have been divers, and may be chunked
according to the diversities of countries,
times, and men's manners, so that no-
thing be ordained against God's Word.
Whosoever through his private judg-
ment, willingly and purposely, doth
openly break the. traditions and cere-
monies of the Church, which be not
repugnant to the Word of God, and be
ordained and approved by common au-
thority, ought to be rebuked openly,
(that others may fear to do the like,)
as he that otfendeth against the com-
mon order of the Church, and hurteth
the authority of the Magistrate, and
woundeth the consciences of the weak
brethren.
Every particular or national Church
hath 'auTnorfly Tft ordain, cjiajjjre, and
abolish, ceremonies or rites of the
Church ordaiucu only by man's au-
thority, so that all things be done to
odifying.
XXXV. 0/ the Homilies.
THE second Hook, of Homilies, the
several titles whereof we have
joined under this Article, doth contain
a godly and wholesome Doctrine, and
.necessary for these times, as doth the
former Book of Homilies, which were
set forth in the time of Edward the
Sixth ; and therefore we judge them to
be read in Churches by the Ministers.
diligently and distinctly, that they may
be uuderstanded of the people.
Of the Names of the Homilies.
1 (jF the right Use of the Church.
2 Against peril of Idolatry.
3 Of repairing and keeping clean of
Churches.
4 Of good Works : first of Fasting.
h Against Gluttony and Drunkenness.
6 Against Excess of Apparel.
7 Of Prayer.
8 Of the Place and Time of Prayer.
9 That Common Prayers and Sacra-
ments ought to be ministered in a
known tongue.
10 Of the reverend estimation of God's
fiord.
11 Of Alms-doing.
12 Of the Nativity of Christ.
13 Of the Passion of Christ.
14 Of the Jlesurrection of Christ.
15 Of the worthy receiving of the Sacra-
ment of the Body and Mood of Christ.
16 Of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost.
17 For. the Rogation-days.
18 Of the state of Matrimony.
19 Of Repentance.
20 Against Idleness.
21 Against Rebellion.
THE Book of Consecration of Arch-
bishops and Bishops, and Ordering
of Priests and Deacons, lately set forth
in the time of Edward the Sixth, and
confirmed at the same time by authority
of Parliament, doth contain all things
necessary to such Consecration and Or-
dering : neither hath it any thing, that
of itself is superstitious and ungodly.
And therefore whosoever are conse-
crated or ordered according to the Kites
of that Book, since the second year of
the forenumed King Edward unto this
time, or hereafter shall be consecrated
or ordered according to the same Bites;
we decree all such to be rightly, orderly,
and lawfully consecrated and ordered.
XXXVII. Of the Civil Magistrates.
ryH¥. King's Majesty hath the chief
x power in this Kealm of England,
and other his Dominions, unto whom
the chief Government of all Estate* of
this Realm, whether they he Ecclesias-
tical or Civil, in all causes doth ap-
pertain, and is not, nor oneht to be,
subject to any foreign Jurisdiction.
Where we attribute to the King's Ma-
je«fv the chief eovernment. by which
Titles we understand the minds of some
slanderous folks to lie offended : we
ARTICLES OF RELIGION.
give not to our Princes the ministering
either of God's Word, or of the Sacra-
ments, the which thing the Injunctions
also lately set forth by Elizabeth our
Queen do most plainly testify ; but that
only prerogative, which we see to have
been given always to all godly Princes
in holy Scriptures by God himself ; that
is, that they should rule all states and
degrees committed to their charge by
God, whether they be Ecclesiastical or
Temporal, and restrain with the civil
sword the stubborn and evil-doers.
The Bishop of Rome hath no jurisdic-
tion in this Kealm of England.
The Laws of the Realm may punish
Christian men with death, for heinous
and grievous offences.
It is lawful for Christian men, at the
commandment of the Magistrate, to
wear weapons, and serve in the wars.
XXXVIII. Of Christian men's Goods,
which are not common.
THE Riches and Goods of Christians
are not common, as touching the
right, title, and possession of the same,
as certain Anabaptists do falsely boast.
Notwithstanding, every man ought, of
such things as he possesseth, liberally
to give alms to the poor, according to
his ability.
XXXIX. Of a Christian man's Oath.
AS we confess that vain and rash
Swearing is forbidden Christian
men by our Lord Jesus Christ, and
James his Apostle, so we judge, that
Christian Religion doth not prohibit,
but that a man may swear when the
Magistrate requireth, in a cause of faith
and charity, so it be done according to
the Prophet's teaching, in justice, judg-
ment, and truth.
THE EATIFICATION.
fJlHlS Book of A rticles before rehearsed, is again approved, and allowed to be
holden and executed within the Jtealm, by the assent and consent of our
Sovereign Ixidy ELIZABETH, by tlte grace of God, of England, France, and
Ireland, Queen, Defender of the Faith, Ac. Which Articles were deliberately
read, and confirmed again by the subscription of the hands of the Archbishop
and Bishops of the Upper-house, and by the subscription of the whole Clergy of
the Nether -house in their Convocation, in the Year of our Lord 157L
A TABLE OF THE ARTICLES.
1. Of Faith in the Holy Trinity.
2. Of Christ the Son of God.
3. Of his going down into Hell
4. Of his Resurrection.
5. Of the Jloly Ghost.
6. Of the Sufficiency of the Scripture.
7. Of the Old Testament.
8. Of the Three Creeds.
9. Of Original or Birth-sin.
10. Of Free- Will
11. Of Justification,
12. Of Good Works.
18. Of Works before Justification.
14. Of Works of Supererogation.
15. Of Christ alone without Sin.
16. Of Sin after Baptism.
17. Of Predestination and Election.
18. Of obtaining Salvation by Christ,
19. Of the Church.
20. Of the Authority of the Church.
H of the A uthority of General Councils.
Of Purgatory.
Of Ministering in the Congrega-
ti<m.
Of speaking in the Congregation.
Of the Sacraments.
Of the Unworthiness of Ministers.
Of Baptism.
Of the Lord's Supper.
Of the Wicked which eat not the
Body of Christ.
Of both kinds.
Of C/irist's one Oblation.
Of the Marriage of Priests,
Of Excommunicate Persons.
Of the Traditions of the Church
Of the Homilies.
Of Consecrating of Ministers.
Of Civil Magistrates.
Of Christian men's Goods.
Of a Christian man's Oath,
The Ratification,
TABLE OF KINDRED AND AFFINITY, &c.
The Church, laying emphatio
stress on the sacredness of Mar-
riage, as the great bond of human
society, sanctioned and hallowed
by the Word of God, naturally
desires to provide against its con-
traction in any cases, which may
be rightly barred by relationship
of kindred or affinity already ex-
isting. Accordingly following in
this both the Civil and Ecclesi-
astical Law, the Prayer Book
provides this Table for the guid-
ance of the people.
The wording of the title shews
that, like the Canon Law of the
Church generally, the Marriage
Law of the Church of England
takes as its basis the prohibitions
of "God's Word" (Lev. xviii.
6-18). This is, of course, not
simply because these prohibi-
tions form part of the Levitical
Law, but because they are con-
ceived to be among "the Com-
mandments, which are called
moral" (see Art. vii.)— that is,
which rest on great natural prin-
ciples, belonging to man as man.
These prohibitions, however, not
being couched in terms of full
legal exhaustiveness, require in-
terpretation and extension by
analogy. Thus, for example, in
its prohibitions the Levitical Law
notices the mother, the aunt, and
the granddaughter, while it omits
the daughter, the niece, and the
grandmother ; it notices the bro-
ther's wife, but omits the wife's
sister (unless the disputed pas-
sage in v. 18 is supposed to refer
to this relation). The. tendency
of the Canon Law— based on the
Levitical rule, but perhaps not
unaffected by the provisions of
the Roman Law — was to carry
such extension to great length,
with, however, considerable vari-
ations in different times and dif-
ferent places. Speaking gener-
ally, it was larger in its prohibi-
tions than our present Law— not
only in extension of the degrees of
consanguinity and affinity, but al-
so in taking cognizance of legal re-
lationship (by adoption) and spi-
ritual relationship (e.g. by com-
mon sponsorship). A.t the Refor-
mation the Church of England,
here as elsewhere, desired to re-
turn more closely to the Scrip-
tural standard. The present Law
apparently rests on an Act of
Henry vm., revived in the first
year of Elizabeth.f orbidding mar-
riage between persons " not with-
out the Levitical degrees." (It
should be noted that the excep-
tional provision of what is called
the Levirate Law (see Deut. xxv.
5, Matt. xxii. 24)— made to pre-
vent extinction of a family in Is-
rael—has never been adopted in
the Law of the Christian Chxirch.)
Of that Law our Table, drawn up
by Archbishop Parker in 1568,
and confirmed in the Canons of
1604 (Can. xcix.), is designed to
be the authoritative interpreta-
tion.
The principles on which it is
constructed are the following :
(a) It places both sexes on the
same footing, forbidding to the
man whatever is forbidden to
the woman.
(6) It forbids marriage to a
man on the ground of near kin-
dred or consanguinity within
what the old Roman Law called,
"the third degree"; either in
the direct line upwards or down-
wards—with mother and grand-
mother, daughter and grand-
daughter; or in collateral lines
—with aunt, sister, and niece.
It omits accordingly all prohibj.
A TABLE
OF
KINDRED AND AFFINITY,
•VHEREIN WHOSOEVER ARE RELATED ARE FORBIDDEN IN
SCRIPTURE AND OUR LAWS TO MARRY TOGETHER.
A Man may not uiarry his
1 p RANDMOTIIER,
2 ^ Grandfather's Wife,
;; Wife's Grandmother.
4 Father's Sister,
5 Mother's Sister,
6 Father's Brother's Wife.
7 Mother's Brother's Wife,
8 Wife's Father's Sister,
9 Wife's Mother's Sifter.
10 Mother,
11 Step-Mother,
12 Wife'sMother.
13 Daughter,
14 Wife's Daughter.
15 Son's Wife.
16 Sister,
17 Wife's Sister,
18 Brother's Wife.
19 Son's Daughter,
20 Daughter's Daughter,
21 Son's Sons Wife.
22 Daughter's Son's Wife,
23 Wife's Son's Daughter,
24 Wife's Daughter's Daughter.
25 Brother's Daughter,
26 Sister's Daughter,
27 Brother's Son's Wife.
28 Sister's Son's Wife,
29 Wife's Brother's Daughter,
V) Wife's Sister's Daughter.
A fVoman may not marry with hei
1 pRANDFATIJKK,
2 ^ Grandmother's Husband,
3 Husband's Grandfather.
4 Father's Brother,
5 Mother's Brother,
6 Father's Sister's Husband.
7 Mother's Sister's Husband,
8 Husband's Father's Bi other,
9 Husband's Mother's Brother.
10 Father,
11 Step-Father,
12 Husband's Father.
13 Son,
14 Husband's Son,
15 Daughter's Husband.
16 Brother,
17 Husband's Brother,
18 Sister's Husband.
19 Son's Son,
20 Daughter's Son,
21 Son's Daughter's Husband.
22 Daughter's Daughter's Husbanu
23 Husband's Son's Son,
24 Husband's Daughter's Son.
25 Brother's Son,
26 Sister's Son,
27 Brother's Daughter's Husband.
28 Sister's Daughter's Husband,
29 Husband's Brother's Son,
30 Husband's Sister's Son.
tion of marriage between cousins
(which was usually found, though
with considerable variations, in
the old Canon Lawi, because
cousinhood is beyond the third
degree. In this respect, as in
others, it follows the Levitical
Law.
O) Acting on the broad and
infinitely important principle,
sanctioned by Our Lord Him-
self, that man and wife " are one
flesh," it puts affinity or connec-
tion by marriage on exactly the
same footing as kindred or con-
nection by blood, in relation to
the prohibited degrees. Hence
(1) witli the mother it classes the
stepmother b mother-in-law ; (2)
with the grandmother, the grand-
father's wife and wife's grand-
mother; (8) with the daughter,
the stepdaughter and daughter-
in-law : (4) with the granddaugh-
ter, the wife's granddaughter and
the granddaughter-in-law ; (5)
with the sister (including in this
name the half-sister, as in Lev.
xviii. 9), the sister-in-law, whether
wife's sister or brother's wife;
(6) with the aunt, the aunt-in-
law, whether the uncle's wife or
the wife's aunt; (7) with the
niece, the niece-in-law, whether
the nephew's, wife or the wife's
nieco.
It will be seen that the Table
is constructed on broad and ob-
vious principles, and that, if these
be infringed in any case (as, for
instance, in that of the deceased
wife's sister*) there is no reason
why the infringement should not
be indefinitely extended.
With the above exception '■
marriages within the degrees are
not only voidable by legal pro-
cess, but are actually void.
See 7 Edw.T.ch. 47.
A (Gfossntij
IMPORTANT WORDS AND PHRASES
PEAYEE BOOK,
With References to the Text, and Illustrative Passages
from English Classical Authors, containing Obsolete
Expressions (especially in Psalms), as well as
Theological, Ecclesiastical, and Liturgical Terms,
with Explanations and Etymologies.
BY
REV A. L. MAYHEW, M.A.,
Chaplain of Wadhim. College. Oxford.
KEY TO SCHEME OF REFERENCES.
1. The Roman Numerals refer to the 29 sections of the Prayer Book,
as set forth in the Table entitled ' The Contents of this Book.'
2. The Collects, Epistles, and Gospels, section xiv., are referred to
according to the following plan :—
1 (Ac.) Sunday in Advent 1 A.
Sunday after Christmas Day S. a. C.
1 (&c.) Sunday after Epiphany la. Epi.
Septuagesima Sunday S. S.
Sexagesima Sunday Sex. S.
Quinquagesima Sunday Q. S.
1 (&c.) Sunday in Lent 1 L.
Sunday next before Easter S. b. E.
Monday (&c.) before Easter M. b. E.
Easter Sunday E. S.
1 (&c.) Sunday after Easter 1 a. E.
Sunday after Ascension S. a. As.
Whitsunday Wh. 8.
Trinity Sunday Tr. S.
1 (&c.) Sunday after Trinity 1 a. Tr.
Nativity of Christ Nat. of Ch.
(Other abbreviations explain themselves.)
The small letters, c, e, g, refer to Collect, Epistle, Gospel respectively.
8. Ps. refers to the Psalter, section xxv.
4. The small letter r refers to the Rubrics.
5. The Introductions and Notes to the Teacher's Prayer Book are
referred to thus:— 'see p. 25' (24mo. Ed.)
Note. — The asterisk (*) placed before a word denotes a theoretical
form. The sign = is to be read ' a translation of.'
B.G. : A Select Glossary of Bible Words.
N.E.D. : The New English Dictionary.
W.B.W. : Wright's Bible Word-Book, ed. 1884.
Aids: The King's Printers"Aids to the Student ' in their ' Teacher's
Bible * (2taio. Ed.)
Variorum : The King's Printers' Bible (A. V.), with Various Ren-
derings and Readings from the best Authorities.
BIBLICAL TEXTS.
A.V., Authorised Version. | N.T., New Testament.
LXX., Septuagint. R.V., Revised Version (1881).
O.T., Old Testament. Vulg., Vulgate (Latin Bible^.
LANGUAGES.
Fr., French.
O.Fr., Old French.
Germ., German.
Gk., Greek.
Heb., Hebrew.
Icel., Icelandic.
Lat , Latin.
M.E., Middle English.
O.E., Old English (Anglo-Saxon).
M.H.G., Middle High German.
GLOSS^IR, "IT-
ABB A, S. a. C. e; 8 Tr. e, father
(applied to God) ; cp. Mark 14. 36.
Aramaic word used by the Jews
in their prayers.
ABHOR (Te Deum), to shrink from
with dread.
Abhor thou not the fyre.
Douglas, jKneid (N.E.D.).
Lat. abhorrere (Vulg.).
ABIDE, Ps. 106. 13 & 1*7. 17, to en-
dure.
The stroke of death he must abide.
Then lies him meekly down fast by his
brethren's side.
Milton, The Passion, 20.
ABJECTS, Ps. 35. 15, lowly, mean,
despicable persons. See B.G.
We are the quetn's abjectt, and must
obey. Shaks. Rich. 111. i. 1. 106.
Lat. abjectus, low, mean, worth-
less, degraded j lit. cast down.
ABOLISH, xvi., to destroy.
Our Saviour Jesus Christ who bathe
abolished death. Geneva, 2 Tim. 1. 10.
Fr. abolir ; Lat. abulere, to de-
stroy, terminate.
ABRAHAMS BOSOM, lTr.<;,the
resting-place of happy souls after
death, paradise ; a phrase familiar
to the Jews in the time of our
Lord. Cp. Josephus on Hades,
chap. 3.
ABSOLUTION, ix., a freeing or
loosing from bondage or penalty ;
Lat. absoluiio.
ABSTINENCE, 1 L. e, refraining
from food, fasting ; Lat. abzti-
nentia.
ACCESS, Epi. e, permission to
approach; Lat. accessus (Vulg.).
ACCORDINGLY, xn., correspond-
ingly, in a manner corresponding
to its importance.
When you have seen more and heard
more, proceed accordingly.
Shaks. Much Ado, iii. 2. 125.
ACCUSTOMABLY, xv., customa-
rily, usually.
Pride is a fault that accustomably fol-
loweth prosperitie. Lambarde(N.E.D.).
ADO, Ps. 46. 6, disturbance, tumult.
Husband, let's follow, to see the end of
this ado.
Shaka Tarn. Shrew, v. 1. 140.
M.E. at do, i.e. to do; an idiom
properly peculiar to Northern
English.
ADVENT, the coming of our Lord;
Lat. adventus (Vulg.), an arrival,
a being present.
ADVERTISE, xv., to inform, warn.
This is to be partaker of other men's
sins, I advertise you in God's name, look
to it. Latimer's Serm. p. 81.
O. Fr. advertir (mod. avertir) ;
cp. Lat. advertere, to turn, direct
the mind to a thing.
ADVOCATE, ix. ; xv. (1 John 2. 1),
one who aids or pleads the cause
of another, an intercessor ; Lat.
advocatiiK (Vulg. = TrapducAijTOs),
lit. called to one's aid ; hence, in
law, a legal assistant, an advo-
cate.
AFFIANCE, xn., trust, confidence.
Ah 1 what's more dangerous than thia
fond affiance f
Shaks. 1 Ben. VI. iii. 1. 74.
O.Fr. ajiance, from qfier, to trust;
Low Lat. affidare.
AFORE, xi., Ps. 74 6 & 129. 6, before.
I shall be there afore you.
Shaks. Lear, i. 5. 5.
AFTER, xn., Pb.90.15, according to.
Thy complexion shifts to strange effects
after the moon.
Shaks. Meat. iii. 1. 25.
AGONY, xn., W. b. E. g, the suf-
ferings of our Saviour in the gar-
den of Gethsemane; Lat. agonia
(Vulg.) = aywla, Luke 22. 43.
ALABASTER BOX, M. b. E. g, a
casket for perfumes, a box for
unguents; Lat. alabaster (Vulg.)
= aAa/Wrpo?, Mark 14. 3. The
salve box was so called from the
material, a kind of soft marble.
ALIEN, Ps. 69. 8, a stranger.
I am become ... an aliant unto my
mothers sonnes. Geneva
Lat. alienua.
ALL, ii., 'All the whole Bible;* Ps.
96. 1.
All the whole army stood agazed en him.
Shaks. i Hen. VI. i. 1. 126.
ALLEGORY, 4 L. e, a description
of one thing under the image of
another; Lat. allegoria (Vulg.) =
aWrryopia, Gal. 4. 24.
OLOS8ARY.
ALLOW, xvi., Ps. 11. 6, to approve
of, to praise.
The Lorde aloveth the waye of the righ-
tuoos. Coverdale, Ps. L
That young men travel under some tutor
or grave servant, 1 allow welL
Bacon's Xstayt, 18.
O. Fr. alouer (and allouer) ; Lat.
allaudare, to applaud, This word
is not to be confused with allow
in the sense of 'to assign as a
portion or allowance ; ' Fr. allouer;
Law Lat. alloeare.
ALMS, xv., relief given to the poor.
The word is properly singular ;
hence the expression 'asked an
alms' (Acts 3. 3); M.E. almesse;
O.E. almeste; Late Lat. eleemotyna
(Vulg.)= eArn/AOo-vvrj (Matt. 6. 4),
lit. pity.
ALOES, Ps. 15. 9, a spice used for
scenting robes. The word is the
rendering of the Heb. 'ahalOth,
the name of a plant which has not
been identified. See Aide (art.
Plants). Lat. aloe (Vulg.) =
ikon, John 19. 39.
ALTAR, xv. (1 Cor. 9. 12) ; xxiv.
(Ps. 51. 19), a place for sacrifices ;
Lat. altare (Vulg.) ; lit. a high
place.
ALWAY, in the Psalms far more
common than the form always,
whereas in Shakspere's works al-
ways is the usual form.
His waves alwaye prosper.
Geneva, Ps. 10. 5.
AMAZEMENT, xx. (last word),
confusion, perturbation.
Amazement shall drive cou-age from the
State. Shaks. Per. L 2. 26.
Connected with maze, the orig.
sense of which was confusion,
perplexity. The rendering in
Wyclif's version (1388) 'pertur-
bacioun ' =perturbationem (Vulg . ) ,
1 Pet. 8 6.
AMBASSADOR, 21 Tr. e, messen-
ger from a sovereign power ;
O. Fr. ambassadeur ; O. Span, am-
baxador.
AMEN. In prayers, to let it be; in
affirmations, to it is; see especially
xxiv. The word ia used in the
Vulg. version of Matt. 6. 18, &c.
= afirjv, and this is the Heb.'a»«»,
truth, what is firm and stedfast ;
a word often occurring alone with
the sense ' this is true,' or * may
this be true.'
AMIABLE, Ps. 84. 1, lovely; see
R.V.
O amiable lovely death.
Shaks. John, liL 4. 25.
O.Fr. amiable; Late Lat. arnica-
bilem.
AN HUNG RED, 1 L. g, 'he was an
hunored'='he hungered' (P».V.).
The form first appears in the N.T.
in Tyndale's version (1526) ; an =
on; Shakspere has an- hungry,
Cor. i. 1. 209. The usual form in
M.E. was of-hungred.
ANABAPTISTS, xxix. 88, a fana-
tical sect in Germany in the 16th
century, who held that property
is unlawful. They also main-
tained that those who had been
baptized in infancy ought to be
baptized again, hence their Lat.
name anabaptitta, as if from
ai'a/3a7TTi<n-rj«, one who baptizes
again.
ANGEL, St. Mi., a ministering spi-
rit ; M. b. E. e, the angel of his
presence, lit. the angel of hiB
Face, i.e. God manifesting Him-
self to His people in the events of
their history. Lat. angelut (Vulg.)
= ayyeAoc, lit. a messenger, hence
a messenger of God, an angel.
ANNUNCIATION (of our Lady),
vi., an announcing, a making
known; Lat. annuntiatio (Vulg.).
ANOINT, often in Psalms, to smear
with any fat substance ; anoint is
properly a participial form ; O.Fr.
enoint, p.p. of enoindre; Lat. in-
ungere.
ANTHEM, ix., properly a hymn
sung in alternate parts ; now, any
church music adapted to passages
from the Scriptures ; see p. 43 ;
Chaucer has an ^m ; M.E. antefnj
Eccles. Lat. avtiphona ; Gk. avrC-
c>a>i/a (pi.), sounding in response
to.
APACE, Ps. 58. 6, at a great pace.
His dewy locks did drop with brine
apace. Spenser, F. Q. iv. 11. 11.
Chaucer wrote the word as two
words, a pat, meaning 'a foot
pace,' the phrase being originally
used of horses when proceeding
slowly, or at a walk. M.E. pat;
Fr. pas; Lat. passu*, a step.
aoL.oss.A-Ft-5r_
APOCALYPSE, v., the Revelation
of John the Divine; Lat. apnea-
li/psis, the title of the hook in the
Valgate = airo«aAv«^i$ ; lit. an un-
covering, an unveiling.
APOSTLES, (Te Dcum), the first
order in the early Church; the
having seen Christ was a neces-
sary condition of the apostolic
office. Lat. apostolus (Vulg.) =
AitootoAos ; lit. Bent forth, hence
a messenger having powers con-
ferred upon him; used in the
Gospels of ' the Twelve.'
APOSTOLICK, xv. (Creed), the
Christian Church, so called on
account of its foundation, doc-
trine, and order being due to
the Apostles. Eccles. Lat. apos-
tolicut = a7ro<TToAt»c6s ; relating to
an apostle.
APPROVE, i., to prove, to demon-
strate.
The eager anguish did approve his
princely fortitude.
Chapman's II. xi. '231.
O.Fr. approver (mod. approuver) ;
Lat. approbare, to approve ; also,
to prove, show.
ARCHBISHOP,xxvn.,chief bishop;
O. E. arcebiscop (often in the
Chronicle); Eccles. Lat. archi-
episcopus = ap\ienL(TKono<:. The
prefix arch has the meaning of
first, chief.
ARCHDEACON, xxvi., a church
dignitary, next in rank below a
bishop, by whom he is appointed ;
O. E. arcediacon ; Eccles. Lat.
archidiaconus = apxiSidicovos, an
archdeacon ; lit. a chief deacon.
ARMOUR OF LIGHT, 1 A. e, the
arms belonging to a soldier of
light, to a Christian warrior. The
word armour here includes offen-
sive as well as defensive arms, so
in Shakspere often. O. Fr. ar-
meiire ; Lat. armatura, armour.
ASH-WEDNESDAY, the first day
of Lent, so called from the use
of ashes by penitents, the Latin
name being ' dies cinerum.'
ASP, Ps. 14. 5 = ao-7ri? (LXX.).
a viper ; see Aids (art. Animal
Creation).
ASSAULT, ix., attack; O.Fr. as-
salt ; Lat. ad and saltus, a leap.
ASSWAGE, xiii., to soften, allay,
appease.
The good gods assuage thy wrath.
Shaks. Cor. v. 2. 77
M. E. assuagen ; O.Fr. asuager;
Late Lat. *assuaviare, to sweeten.
AT, Ps. 129. 5, ' as many as have evil
will at Sion.' Here at serves to
point out the mark aimed at, as in
Blow them at the moon.
Shaks. HarrU. iii. 4. 209.
ATONEMENT, xm., propitiation
of an offended or injured person
by reparation of wrong or injury ;
amends, satisfaction, expiation.
Atonement means ' at onement,'
the means whereby two parties
are made ' at one.'
BADE, 2 Tr. g, invited; O.E. bad.
See Bid.
BALMS, Ps. 141. 6, * Let not their
precious balms break my head.'
The reading is doubtful ; see Vari-
orum and Cheyne, Book of Psalms,
1888. Balm is a form of Lat. bal-
samum ; Gk. piXaaftov ; Heb. 63-
sam, the balsam plant, spice.
BANNS, xx., proclamation or pub-
lic notice given in church of an
intended marriage ; pi. of ban, a
proclamation ; O. Fr. ban ; Late
Lat. bannum, which is a word of
Teutonic origin; cp. O.E.ge-bann,
a proclamation.
BANQUET, xv., a feast, a rich en-
tertainment; the word has refer-
ence to the table on which the
feast is spread ; Fr. banquet from
banc, a bench; M.H.G. banc.
BAPTIZE, xvi., to admit into
Christ's Church by the use of
water; Lat. baptizare (Vulg.) =
(3anTi&iv ; lit. to dip under water.
BASTARD, xxi., one who is not
a true, genuine son (Heb. 12. 8).
O.Fr. bastard.
BEAM, Ps. 104. 3, a piece of timber
used in building; 4 Tr. g, used to
signify some great defect, opposed
to a mote or speck of dust, which
represents some trifling fault.
O.E. beam, atree ; cp. Germ. baum.
aXiOSSARY.
BEASTS, Tr. 8. e, 'four beasts
full of eyes,' liyingr creatures ; so
E.V., Rev. 4. 6. In the Greek the
word is £<•><*, rendered in the Vulg.
animalia.' O.Fr. beste (now bete) ;
Lat. bestia.
BEELZEBUB. S L. g, the chief of
the devils. Such is the form of
the word in the Vulgate, bat the
correct reading is without doubt
BeeAfejSovA, lieelzebul, a Semitic
word meaning probably ' lord of
the height,' i.e. of the upper air.
See Variorum and Cheyne, Isaiah
ii. 155. Beelzebub, on the other
hand, is the Heb. Ba'al zebhubh,
in R.V. Baal-zebub, * lord of flies '
(2 Kin. 1.2).
BELIEF, xviii., the Apostles'Creed.
I sat softly adown and seide niv bilete.
Piers liowman (N.E.D.).
BENEDICTION, xv., blessing; Lat.
benedictio (Vulg.) from benedicere,
to speak well, to bless.
BETTERS, xviii., one's superiors
in rank or station.
(Giving) not contraries wordes and an-
sweres to their better*.
Higden(tr.)(N.E.D).
BEWRAY, in., to disclose, to show.
To hear her secrets so bewrayed.
Shaks. nijr. 352.
M. E. bewraien, bewreien, from
O.E. icregan, to accuse.
BIBLE, ii.; xxvii. (Priests), THE
BOOK by way of eminence, con-
taining the Old and New Testa-
ments ; Fr. bible ; Lat. biblia; Gk.
fiipXLa, a collection of papers or
books, pi. of /3i/3AiW from /3i/3Ao?,
the inner bark of the papyrus,
paper,' a word of Egyptian ori-
gin. The word ' Bible ' is not
found in Anglo-Saxon literature.
Bibliothece is the term employed
for the Scriptures, as the library,
the great treasure-house of books.
BID, xv., to invite; O.E. biddan, to
command.
BISHOP, xxvii., in ecclesiastical
usage, the highest of the three
orders of the Christian ministry ;
O.E. b'xrop; Eccles. Lat. episco-
pus ; Gk. en-uncoii os, a commis-
sioner, inspector, superintendent;
lit. an overseer. 2 a. E. e, ' the
Shepherd and Bishop of your
souls,' i.e. Christ.
ye ben now turned to the schipberde
and bitchop of Joure soulis. Wyclif.
BISHOPRICK, St. Mias. e, office,
lit. overseership ; so R.V.
An other take his biskopriehe
Wyclif.
BISSEXTILE, viii., a name for
leap-year; Late Lat. bi.sextilit
annus, bissextile year, from bis-
sextus. In leap-year Feb. 24, i.e.
the sixth day before the calends
of March, was counted twice over,
so in that year there was a sextut
dies and a bissextus dies.
BLASPHEME, Ps. 4. 2, to put to
shame, to insult (a man) ; Lat.
blasphemare (Vulg.); Gk. /3A<mt-
<f>r}(te7v, to speak ill of.
BODY, Ps. 53. 1, ' the foolish body,'
a person, a human being.
Unworthy body as I am.
Shaks, Gent. i. 2. 13.
BODY (of the church), xv. ; xx.,
the nave, or main part of a church.
The Table . . . shall stand in the body of
the church. (Ed. 1552.)
BONDS, Ps. 2. 3 & 107. 14, cords,
chains; O.E. bond.
Gnawing with my teeth my bonds in
sunder. Shaks. Errors, v. 250.
BOTTLE (for tears), Ps. 56. 8, a
skin-bottle ; probably there is an
allusion to the leather flask com-
monly used by travellers; O.Fr.
bote!; Late Lat. bntticula, dim. of
buttis, butis; Gk. /3ims, a flask.
BOWELS, 22 Tr. e, 'in the bcwels
of Jesus Christ,' the heart. The
bowels were considered the seat
of the affections.
There is no lady of more softer bowels.
Shaks. Troil. ii. 1 11.
O. Fr. bo'el (mod. brynv) ; Lat.
botelbtm (ace), a small intestine.
BRIEFS, xv., 'the sovereign's let-
ters patent, authorizing a col-
lection for a charitable purpose,
now styled Queen's Letters' (Dr.
Hook).
Bear this sealed brief with winged haste
to the lord marshal
Shaks. lien. IV. (l)ir 4. 1.
Fr. briff. a short writ ; Late Lat.
breve (Ducange).
OLOS S-A-HY _
BROTHERHOOD, THE, 3 a. E. e,
Christian brethren. The early
disciples generally termed them-
selves the 'brethren.' Cp. Acts
9. oO.
BUCKLER, Ps. 18. 1, a shield.
And by his side a swerd and a hokeler.
Chaucer, Prol. 112.
O.Fr. bocler (mod. bouclier), so
named from the bode {buckle) or
boss in the centre.
BURNT-OFFERING, Ps. 40. 9, a
special kind of sacrifice = Heb.
'olah, in which the whole victim
was burnt on the altar, represent-
ing the devotion of the sacrificer,
body and soul, to God.
BURNT -SACRIFICE, Ps. 20. 3 &
66. 13 = Heb. 'oluh. See above.
BY, 3 A. e, ' I know nothing by my-
self,' i.e. against myself (so B.V.).
By him and by this woman here what
know you ? Shaks. A IV s Well, v. 3. 237.
CADES, Ps. 29. 7, the wilderness of
Kadesh ; so B. V. Lat. Cades
(Vulg.).
The Lord schal stire to-gidere the desent
of Codex. Wjclif.
C/^SAR, 23 Tr. g, the Roman em-
peror. The emperors bore this
name after the great Caius Julius
Caesar. Hence Germ. Kaiser, em-
peror, and Buss. Tsar.
CALENDAR vn., an orderly ar-
rangement of the divisions of
time, as days, weeks, months;
Late Lat. calendarium from Lat.
calendm, a name given to the first
day of each month from calare,
to summon, convoke (the people).
CALVARY, Th. b. E. g, a bare scull,
the name of the place of the
Crucifixion; Lat. calvaria (Vulg.)
= Kpa.vi.ov.
CANDLE, Ps. 18. 28, properly lamp ;
so R.V. Cp. Vulg. luccrna = Heb.
nSr. Lat. candela, a candle, taper,
from candere, to glow.
CANON, xv.. an ecclesiastical law,
a rule of doctrine or discipline
enacted by a council, and con-
firmed by the sovereign ; Lat.
canon ; Gk. kolv&v, a straight rod,
a rule, anything that serves to re-
gulate or determine other things.
CANONICAL, xxix. 6, applied to
the Scriptures the title means
1 admitted into the authorized
list.' Cp. the Latin phrase Scrip-
tures Canonica* in the translation
of Origen. Eccles. Lat. canrni-
calis, cp. Gk. Kavoviicos, according
to rule. m
CANTICLE, ix. (Benedicite, Omnia
Opera so called), a sacred chant ;
O.Fr. cantique; Eccles. Lat. can-
ticum, from Lat. cantare, to sing,
play.
CAREFUL, 4 A. e, 'be careful for
nothing,' cherish no anxious
harassing care.
Careful hours have written strange de-
features in my face.
Shaks. Errors, v. 29a
CARNAL, Circum. c ; St. Jas. c;
xvi., fleshly; Lat. carnalis (Vulg.).
CASE, in., state, condition.
She hath been in good case
Shaks. Hen. I V. (2) ii. 1. 115.
Fr. cas; Lat. casus.
CASSIA, Ps. 45. 9, a spice of the
nature of cinnamon ; Lat. casta
(Vulg.) — Kao-la = Heb. qetti'oth;
see Aids (art. Plants).
CAST, Ps. 42, 12, ' Mine enemies . . .
cast me in the teeth,' reproach me ;
so B.V.
AH his faults observed,
Set in a note-book, Icarn'd, and conn'd
by rote.
To cast into my teeth.
Shaks. J. C. iv. 3. 99.
CATECHISM, xvm.,instructionby
question and answer: Eccles. Lat.
catcchismus, from Gk. icaTt)xC£eiv,
a form of »carr;xe"'> to instruct ;
lit. to din into one's ears.
CATHEDRAL CHURCH, xv. r,
prop, a church with a bishop's
throne; Eccles. Lat. cathedralit
from cathedra; Gk. KaOeSpa, a seat.
CATHOLICK, ix. (Creed) ; xv.
(Creed), universal; Eccles. Lat.
catholicus; Gk. Ka0oAi*6s.
CAUSE, Ps. 69. 6, ' for my cause,' on
my account, through mo : so B.V.
Ye shull never be juged to deth for my
cause. Merlin (N.E.D.).
OliOSSAHY.
CAUTION, zz. r, a snm of money
put in to secure a party from loss ;
Lat. cautio.
CAVIL, i., 'occasion of cavil,' the
raising of frivolous objections.
If there be any hole left for eavill to
enter. Bible. /Ye/. (1611 ).
From Lat. cavillari, to reason
captiously.
CENSURE, zziz. (declaration), Ju-
dicial sentence, condemnation;
Lat. censura.
CENTURION, 3 a. Epi. g, the com-
mander of a hundred ; Lat. cen-
turio (Vulg.) from centum, a
hundred.
CEREMONY, in., a regular form
of doing anything, a religious
rite ; Lat. caerimonia. Ps. 119. 8,
ceremonies, statutes ; so R.V.
That Abraham . . . wolde holde my sere-
monyes and lawia
Wyclif(138-J). Gc/i.26.5.
CERTIFY, Ps. 39. 5, to inform cer-
tainly.
Pilat sent til Tyberius to certifie him of
this cat Hampole (N.K.D.).
O.Fr. certifier; Late Lat. certifi-
care.
CHALICE, xt., the Cnp in the
Communion; Lat. calix (Vulg.).
CHAMBERING, 1 A. e, wanton, im-
modest behaviour.
Let us walke honestly .... nether in
chamburynge and wantannes. Tindale.
CHANCEL, tz. ; zv., the east end
of a church ; so called because
formerly fenced off with a screen ;
O.Fr. chancel; Eccles. Lat. can-
cellus, the place of the altar ;
Lat. cancelli, a lattice, railings.
CHAPEL, iz., a lesser place of
worship, sometimes a part of, or
subordinate to, another church ;
O.Fr. chapele; Eccles. Lat. capella.
CHARITY, Q. S. e, love: so R.V.;
Fr. charitt ; Lat. charitas (Vulg.)
for caritcu, from cams, dear.
CHERUBIN, iz. (Te Deum), a word
used by the theologians of the
Middle Ages to denote the second
of the nine Orders of Angels ;
heavenly intelligences endowed
with a perfect knowledge of God.
O.Fr. cherubin (sing.) ; Heb. the-
rubhim; see below.
To thee cherubyn and seraphym crien
with uncoeynge vols.
Prytner (1400) (N.E.D.).
CHERUBINS, Ps. 18. 10, the throne-
chariot of Jehovah conceived as
composed of living beings = Heb.
kherubh, cherub; which appears
in the Vulg. in the form cherubim;
Heb. kherubhim, pi. of kherubh.
Two foldun eherubyns.
Wyclif , Ex. 28. 1&
CHIEF, Ps. 105. 35, the beginning,
the first-fruits {i.e. the first-born).
O.Fr. chief, the head ; Late Lat.
*capum for Lat. caput.
CHRIST, the Anointed One; Lat.
Christua ; Gk. ypiords = Heb.
Messiah, Anointed.
CHRISTEN, zvi., to baptize, to
admit into the Christian Church.
Were ye baptised in the name of Paul ?
I thanke God that I cristened none of
yon. Tindale, 1 Cor. 1. 14.
CHRISTIAN, zvi., a baptized
person; Lat. Christianus (Vulg. )=
Xpioriavo?, a follower of Christ.
A name first given by outsiders.
See Acts 11. 26.
CHRISTMAS-DAY, N. of C, the
Birthday of Christ; M.E. Crirte-
masse (Chaucer) ; O.E. masse, the
mass, a church festival; Eccles.
Lat. missa.
CHURCH, (1) ix. (Creed), a body of
Christians; see zziz. 19. (2) iz.
r, a building set apart for Chris-
tian worship; O.E. cyrice; Gk.
Kvptaxov, a church, lit. belonging
to the Lord, from Kvpios, the Lord.
See N.E.D.
CHURCHMEN.zzix., ecclesiastics,
clergymen.
A single life Is proper for Church Men.
Bacon, Essay 8.
CITATIONS, xv., notices to appear
before courts ; Late Lat. citatio.
CIVIL, zziz. 37, * Estates Eccle-
siasticalor Civil,' 'the c/pi7sword,"
that which pertains to the State ;
Lat. civilis, civic, pertaining to
citizens, from civis, a citizen.
CLEAN, Ps. 31. 14, entirely.
Until! all the people were gone cleans
over Jorden. Geneva, Josh, a 17.
Though clean past your vnuth.
Shaks. Hen. IV. (2) 1. 2. 110.
C3-i- o s e-A.mr .
CLERGY, ii.; ix., the ministry, in
distinction from the laity ; O.Fr.
clergie; Eccles. Lat. clericdtum,
the body of the clergy ; from
clericug; see below.
CLE RKS, ix. r, readers of responses
in chnrch services ; O.E. clerc, a
clergyman : Eccles. Lat. clericug ;
Gk. k Atjpikos, clerical, from kAtjoos,
the clergy, lit. a lot, a portion.
The Christian ministry were pro-
bably called 'clerus' because the
clerical office was first assigned
by lot ; cp. Acts 1. 26. See Light-
foot, Philippian*, p. 245.
CLIMB UP, Ps. 132. 3, in the ori-
ginal ' go up ; ' so R. V.
CLOKE, ix., to hide or conceal, as
with a cloak.
To cloak offences with a cunning brow.
Shaks. Lucr. 749.
O.Fr. cloque, a cloak (mod. cloth*,
a bell) ; Late Lat. cloca, a bell,
also a cape shaped like a bell.
COASTS, Ps. 105. 33, borders
(R.V.).
God, throughout all coasts of the world,
hath them that worship Him.
Edward VI. 's Catechism, p. 47.
O.Fr. coxte (mod. cote) ; Lat. costa,
a rib, side.
COLLECT, a prayer offered by the
minister in the name of the con-
gregation ; Eccles. Lat. collecta,
an assembly for worship, also a
prayer offered in their name.
COMFORTABLE, Ps.54.6&69. 17;
xv., 'the most comfortable Sacra-
ment,' affording strength, conso-
lation.
A comfortable doctrine.
Shaks. Tw. i. 5. 239.
O.Fr. comfortable from Late Lat.
confortare (Vulg.), to strengthen.
COMFORTER, ix. (Te Deum) ;
xxvu. Wh. S. p ; S. a. As. g,
Strengthener, a title of the Holy
Spirit, the R. V. rendering of
7rapa#cArjTOs, Paracletus (Vulg.), in
St. John's Gospel. See Advocate.
Thilke Hooli Goost, the coumfortour.
Wyclif, John 14 26.
COMMEMORATIONS, n., see p. 9;
Lat. commemoratio.
COMMUTATION, xxiv., a threat-
ening; Lat. comminatio.
COMMON, as in 'The Book of Com-
mon Prayer,' used by all, serving
for all.
Tite, most dereworthe sone by the
comyn feith. Wyclif, Titus 1. 4.
COMMUNE, E. Mon. g, to converse,
talk together.
I would commune with you of such
things. Shaks. Meas. iv. 3. 108.
O.Fr. communier ; Lat. commu-
nicare.
COMMUNICATE, xv., to partake
of the Holy Communion.
COMMUNION, HOLY, or Lords
Supper, the second of the two
great Sacraments of the Gospel ;
Eccles. Lat. Communio, a partak-
ing of the Lord's Supper ; cp. Gk.
KoivuvCa, a joint participation,
with reference to the Eucharist
(1 Cor. 10. 6).
COMMUNION OF SAINTS, ix.
(Creed), the fellowship of the
holy: Lat. communio sanctorum.
See Saints.
COMPASS, Ps. 24. 1, 'the compaxs
of the world,' the circuit, circum-
ference.
My life is run his compass.
Shaks. J. C. v. 3. 25.
Fr. compos ; Late Lat. comi astus,
a circle.
COMPETENT, xvm. r, 'a compe-
tent age,' fit, suitable, sufficient ;
Fr. competent ; Lat. competentem.
CONCEITS, 3 a. Epi. e, notions,
ideas.
Dangerous conceits are poisons.
Shaks. Oth. iii. 8. 326.
O.Fr. concet ; Lat. covceptum
(ace.) ; pp. of concipere, to lay
hold of, to comprehend.
CONCUPISCIENCE, 2 L. e; xxix.
9, longing, desire; Lat. concupi-
scentia (Vulg.).
CONFEDERATE, Ps. 83. 5, banded
in league together; Lat. confoe'
deratus.
CONFESSOR, vn. (Nov. 6), one
who bears witness for Christ, and
suffers at the hands of the hea-
then for His Name's sake. See
p. 16. Eccles. Lat. ctvfessor.
CONFIRMATION, xix., a rite in
which the baptized are strength-
ened and confirmed by the Spirit
34
w^rmrmrmn
Q0L.OBS-AJEl-5r.
In answer to prayer joined with
the symbolic act of laying on
of hands ; Lat. conflrmatio, a
strengthening.
CONFOUND, xi., to mix in dis-
order; Lat. confundere (Vulg.).
CONFUSION, xi., a mingling, mix-
ing ; Lat. confusio.
CONGREGATION, ix.r; xxix. 19,
a religions assembly ; Lat. congre-
gatio from grex, a nock.
CONGRUITY, xxix. 13, 'grace of
congruity,' grace corresponding
to works ; Schol. Lat. congrnitas,
agreement.
CONIES, Ps. 104. 18, rabbits ; O.Fr.
eonin, conil ; Lat. cuniculus. Bnt
'conies' is a mistranslation, the
animal referred to is the 'rock-
badger ;' so R.V. marg. See Aids
(art. Animal Creation).
CONSCIENCE, 12 Tr.c, the spiritual
faculty which with authority ap-
proves or condemns our acts ;
Lat. conecientia (Vulg.), joint
knowledge.
CONSECRATION, xv.r; xxvn., a
rendering sacred, a dedicating to
a holy office ; Lat. consecratio
(Vulg.).
CONSENT, Ps. 50. 18, to agree with.
The original implies perfect sym-
pathy : Twith bim thou had*t thy
pleasure ; ' see Cheyne. Lat. con-
' tentire, to feel with.
CONSTANTLY, St. John B. c,
consistently, uniformly, firmly,
steadily.
Patiently and constantly thou hast stuck
to the bare fortune of Posthumus.
Shaks. Cymb. iii. 5. 119.
CONTINENCY, xx., continence.
In her chamber
Making a sermon of continence to her.
Shaks. Tarn. 8. iv. 1. 186.
Lat. continentia (Vulg.).
CONTRITE, Ps. 34. 18 & 51. 17 ; xn.,
penitent, humbled; lit. bruised
thoroughly ; *La.t.coritritus (Vulg.).
CONVENIENT, 3 L. e; xx. r; xxm.
r, proner, snitable.
'Tis not convenient you should be cozened.
Shaks. Wive*, iv. 5. 83.
Lat. conveniens.
CONVERSATION, Ps. 37. 14 k 50.
23; 3 a. E. e; 23 Tr. e, manner of
life; Lat. convertatio (Vulg.), in
Class. Lab. social intercourse. In
23 Tr. e, the original means ' citi-
zenship ; ' so R. v .
CONVERSION, xi., change; Lat.
concersio (Vulg.).
CONVERT, Ps. 23. 3, to change,
restore (R.V.) ; Lat. convertere
(Vulg.).
CONVEY ONE SELF, Pr. 31.13, to
flee (R.V.). O.Fr. conveier, con-
voier; Late Lat. conviare, to ac-
company on the way (Ducange),
from Lat. via, a way.
CONVINCE, 5 L. g, to convict, to
bring convincing proof. See R.V.
Lat. convincere, to overcome com-
pletely.
CONVOCATION, i., an assembly
of the clergy by their representa-
tives ; Lat. convocatio, a calling
together.
CORPORAL (PRESENCE), xv.,
material, carnal ; see p. 147a. Lat.
corporalis (Vulg.) from corpu»,
body.
COVENANT, Ps. 25. 9, an agree-
ment; O.Fr. covenant, from con-
venir, to agree ; Lat. convenire, to
come together.
COVET, xv., to desire eagerly and
unlawfully; O.Fr. coveiter, covoiter
(mod. convoiter) ; cp. Late Lat.
*cupiditare, to desire.
CREATURE, xv., a created thing
(e.g. bread) ; 4 Tr. e, the creature
= the creation ; so R. V. ; Lat.
creatura, from creare, to create.
CREDENCE, Ps. 106. 24, belief,
confidence.
His love and wisdom may plead for
amplest credence.
Shaks. All's Well.i. 2.11.
O.Fr. credence ; Late Lat. creden-
tia from Lat. credere, to believe.
CREED, ix. ; xv., a summary of
Christian belief ; Lat. credo, I
believe (the first word in the Lat.
form of the Apostles' Creed).
CRIMINOUS, xxvn. (Bishops),
charged with crime; Late Lat.
criminosus, guilty, from crimen, a
charge, accusation.
aLOBBARY.
CROWN, S. 8. e, 'a corruptible
crown,' a perishable garland (of
olive, bay, parsley, or pine) ; O.Fr.
eorone (mod. couronne) ; Lat. co-
rona, a wreath.
CUBIT, 15 Tr. fir, a measure of
length ; Lat. cubitum, the elbow,
an ell ; lit. a bend. See Aids (art.
Measures).
CUNNING, Ps. 137. 5, skill.
I have no cunning in protestation.
Shaks. Hen. V. v. 2. 150.
CURATE, ix., one who has 'cure'
or charge of souls ; Eccles. Lat.
curatus, whence Fr. cure.
CURE, xxvn. (Priests), that which
is committed to the charge of a
priest ; Eccles. Lat. euro, (Du-
cange)-
CURIOUS, xxix. (Art. 17), too eager
in enquiring about a thing, in-
quisitive. Lat. curiosus.
CUSTOM, 4 a. Epi. e; St. Mt. g,
the customary toll, duty, as op-
posed to a tax, i.e. direct payment
for State purposes. O. Fr. cos-
tume; cp. Low Lat. costuma, a
customary payment, generally in
kind; connected with Lat. con-
suetudo, custom.
CYMBAL, Ps. 150. 4; Q. S. e, a
clashing musical instrument; Lat.
cpmbalum(.V\i[g.)=KvfjLpa\ov. See
.did* (art. Music).
DAME, xvin. r, the mistress of a
household ; Fr. dame, a lady ; Lat.
domina.
DAMNATION, Th. b. E. e; xv.,
judgment ; so R.V. ; the sense is,
he brings on himself condemna-
tion in his eating and drinking,
if he discern not the body.' Lat.
damnatio, condemnation.
DARLING, Ps. 22. 20 & 35. 17. The
Hebrew original means strictly
'my single one,' i.e. my life be-
sides which I have no other; see
R.V. and Cheyne. O.E. deorling,
a favourite, lit. a little dear.
The derling was as the sone of an uny-
corn. Wyclif, Ps. 28 (29). 6.
DEACON, xxvn., in the Church of
England a person of the lowest of
the three orders in the ministry ;
Lat. diaconus (Vulg.) = Sia/coi/os,
a church officer who distributed
the contributions for the poor
(Acts 6. 1, 5) ; also a deacon ; in
class. Gk. a servant, an attendant
at a feast.
DEEP, THE, Ps. 106. 9 & 107. 24,
the sea.
And they shall fetch thee jewels from
the deep. Shaks. iliiit. iii. 1. 161.
DEFENDER OF THE FAITH,
xxix.(Ratification), a title applied
to Queen Elizabeth in the Ratifi-
cation of 1571 ; it was conferred
on Henry vm. personally by the
Pope Leo. x. in 1521, and annexed
to the crown by Act of Parliament
in 1548.
DEPRAVE, xv., to misrepresent,
speak ill of.
That lie and cog and flout, deprave, and
slander. Shaks. Much Ado, v. 1. 95.
Lat. depravare, to pervert, distort
(Vulg.), from pruvus, crooked.
DEVICES, ix., plans ; O.Fr. devise,
will, pleasure; Late Lat. divisa,
lit. a division, judgment.
DEVIL, THE, xn. 1 L. g, the ac-
cuser or adversary, Satan; O.E.
diofol; Lat. diabolus (Vulg.) =
6"ia£oAos, the slanderer. 8 L. g,
devils, evil spirits, a rendering
of Saifiovia, in Vulg. dcemonia.
Ps. 106. 36, devils = Heb. shSdim,
the demigods of the heathen ; see
note by Cheyne, Book of Psalms,
p. 293.
DILIGENCE, xxvn., best efforts;
Lat. diligentia (Vulg.).
DIOCESAN, xxvn. r, the bishop of
the diocese.
DIOCESE, ii., the district in which
a bishop exercises his authority ;
Lat. dioecesis; Gk. Siouojo-i?, a dis-
trict, administration; lit. house
keeping, from ol/cos, a house.
DISANNUL, 13 Tr. e, to cancel, set
aside, invalidate ; Lat. dis and
annulare (Vulg.), in class. Lat.
aimullare, to bring to nothing.
DISCIPLE, 4 a. E. g, a learner;
Lat. discipulus (Vulg.).
DISCOMFIT, Pb. 18. 29, to defeat,
to put to the rout.
The Earl <>f Douglas is ducomJUed.
Shaks. Hen. IV. (1)1. 1. 67.
O.Fr. desconjlre; Lat. dis and con-
ficere, to sweep away, destroy.
DISCOVER, Ps. 29. 8, to strip, lay
bare (the branches of trees); see
R.V. ; O.Fr. descouvrir, to un-
cover.
DISPENSATION, Epi. e, « the di$-
vernation of the grace of God,' i.e.
the stewardship with regard to
the grace of God; Lat. dispentatio
(Vulg.).
DISSEMBLE, Ps. 18. 15, submit
themselves ; so R.V. The original
implies an enforced submission
through fear, void of sincerity;
dissemble is derived through Fr.
from Lat. dissimulare, to disguise,
conceal.
O hardness to dissemble f—
How do you, Desdemona t
Shaks. Oth. iii. 4. 31
DISSOLUTION, xxi., death.
We expected
Immediate dissolution.
Milton. P. L. x. 1048.
Lat. dinsolutio, an unloosenine
(Vulg. i.
DISTEMPERS, xxi., disorders;
here used of troubles of the mind.
He hath found
The head and source of all your s^n's
distemper. Shaks. /{ami. ii. 'J. 55.
O. Fr. destemprer, to derange ;
Lat. temperate, to apportion, re-
gulate.
DOCTOR, 1 a. Epi. g, xxvn., a
teacher; Lat. doctor (Vulg.).
DOMINATION. Ps. 19. 11, domi-
nion ; so R.V. ; Lat. dominatio
(Vulg.).
DOMINICAL, vin., relating to the
Lord's Day; see p. 30 on the Sun-
day Letter ; Eccles. Lat. domini-
calis from dominus (Vulg.), the
Lord.
DRAGONS, (1) Ps. 71. 11 & 91. 13 &
148. 7, great monsters; the Heb.
tannin is generally used of a sea
monster, but in Ps. 91 it stands
for one of the serpent tribe. Fr. I
dragon ; Lat. draco (Vulg.) -
SpaKtav (LXX.). St. Mi. e, dragon
the devil, Satan.
(2) Ps. 41.20, generally supposed
to mean the jackal (Heb. tan).
See Aid* (art. Animal Creation).
DUTY, xv. r, xx. r, fee, payment
due ; Anglo-Fr. dueti, debt.
When thou receivest money for thy
' duty.
ndale.
labour or ware, thou receivest thy duty.
Till' '
E
EASTER, the festival of the Re-
surrection of Christ. St. Pet. e,
Eatter = the Passover ; so R.V.
O.E. eastro, pi., the Easter festi-
val; cp. O.H.G. bttrun, 'pascha*
(Tatian). These words represent
the old pre-Christian Teutonic
name for the festival of spring.
Bede connects the name with that
of a goddess of spring worshipped
by the heathen Germans.
EFFUSION, xxvn. (Bishops), a
pouring out; Lat. ejjusio (Vulg.).
ELDERS (of the Jews), S. b. E. g,
the chief men of a community.
Here one of the various classes
composing the Sanhedrim. From
the New Test. Greek word for
'elder,' npeafivTepos, came Lat.
presbyter (Vulg.). See Priest.
ELECT, 5 a. Epi. e, those who are
' chosen out ' from the world ;
Lat. electus (Vulg.).
ELEMENTS, xv. r.'the consecrated
Elements,' i.e. the Bread and
Wine. S. a. C. e, 'elements of the
world,' elementary teaching, rudi-
mentary instruction ; see R.V.
St. Paul is speaking of the Mosaic
Law. The Greek word for 'ele-
ments' in this passage (o-roixeia)
means lit. ' the letters of the al-
phabet'as being set in rows. Lat.
elementum (Vulg.).
EMBER - DAYS, vm., recurring
fast-days at four seasons of the
year; O.E. ymb-ryne, a running
round, circuit, revolution.
EMMANUEL, S. a. C. g, God with
us; Lat. Emmanuel (Vulg.); see
Immanukl.
ENABLE, xxvn. (Venl, Creator),
to make strong, able ; able is from
O.Fr. habile; Lat. habiUm.
Q-LOSSARY.
ENDEAVOUR (ONE SELF), 2a. E.
c ; xxvu. (Priest), to strive, try.
ilf to sleep.
Twelf. iv. 2. 104.
From Fr. devoir, a duty, to owe ;
Lat. debere.
ENDOW, xx., to provide a woman
with a dower on marriage; O.Fr.
endoer; Lat. dotare.
ENDUE, (1) Ps. 182. 9; ix., 'endue
thy ministers with righteousness,'
to clothe ; Lat. induere (Vulg.).
(2) xii. ; Ps. 188. 3; xxix. 17, to
endow. See above.
ENSAMPLE, 2 a. E. c; 23 Tr. e, au
example.
For his meekness and his good deed
Take ensample here of Pers.
Robert Brunne, 5939.
O.Fr. ensample (for essemple or ex-
ample) ; Lat. exemplum.
ENSUE, Ps. 34. 14, to follow after.
Let not to-morrow then ensue to-day.
Shaks. Rich. II. ii. 1. 197.
Cp. O.Fr. ensivre; Late Lat. ime-
quere (for Lat. insequi).
ENTERPRIZE, xxvm., an under-
taking ; cp. O. Fr. entreprinse,
from entreprendre, to undertake.
ENTREAT, G. S. g, to treat, to use
in a particular manner.
Fairly let her be entreated.
Shaks. Rich. II. iii. 1. 37.
O.Fr. entraiter from Lat. tractare.
EPACT, viii., an addition, the ex-
cess of the solar above the lunar
year ; the numeral of the moon's
age on 1st March; O.Fr. epacte ;
Late Lat. eracta ; 6k. eireucTOs,
brought in, added— eiraxTai (ij/me'-
pou). See Diet. Christian Anti-
quities.
E P I P H A N Y, the Manifestation ;
Eccles. Lat. epiphania ; Eccles.
Gk. eiri<f>avia, the Manifestation
of Christ to the Gentiles ; eiri-
4>dveia, an appearance.
EPISTLE, a letter; Lat. epittola
(Vulg.) =etrio-ToAij, anything sent
by a messenger.
ESCHEW, Ps. 18. 23 & 34. 14, to
shun, avoid.
What cannot be eschewed must be em-
braced. Shaks. Wives, v. 5. 251.
O.Fr. isehuer, to shun, to shy at.
ESPOUSED, S. a. C. g, betrothed;
so K.V. ; 0. Fr. espouter, to wed,
from Lat. upontus, promised, p.p.
of epondeo.
ESTATE, Ps. 22. 24; xin., state,
condition ; O.Fr. e.tat (now etat) ;
Lat. .• tut uk.
The angels also which kept not their
fyrst estate. Tindale.
EVANGELIST, St. Mk. e, apreacher
of the glad tidings, a missionary ;
St. Mt. c, a writer of one of the
Gospels ; Lat. ecangelixta (Vulg.)
= evayyeAumjs.
EVE, xiv. rl, EVEN, vm.,the latter
part of the day before a Festival.
EVEN SONG, vi., Evening Prayer,
which is appointed to be said or
sung. O.E. eS/n/ang.
EXCOMMUNICATIONS, xv. r,
notices of excommunication ;
Eccles. Lat. excommunicatio, a
putting out from Christian com-
munion or fellowship.
EXPEDIENT, xii., tending to ad-
vantage, profitable, fit ; Lat. expe-
dient from expedit, it is profitable.
EXTINCT, Ps. 118. 12, quenched as
fire ; see R.V. Lat. extincttis, ex-
tinguished, p.p. of extinguere.
FABLES, xxix. (Art. 81), mere
stories without a particle of truth
in them. O.Fr. fable; li&t.fabula.
FACULTY, xxvu. (Preface), a
special dispensation granted by
the Ordinary to do something
which otherwise would be prohi-
bited ; Lat. facultat, power of
doing (Vulg.).
FAIN, Ps. 71. 21, glad.
Man and birds are fain of climbing high.
Shaks. Hen. VI. (2) ii. 1. &
O.E. fag en, glad.
FAITH, xi., 'the Catholic Faith,'
that which is believed; xxix. 11,
'justified by Faith,' trust in God.
O.Fr./«d (now foi); Lat. fide*.
FAN, xxiv., a winnowing shovel
with which corn after threshing
was thrown up against the wind
OLOS8ARY.
to clear it of the chaff . O . E . fann ;
Lat. vannus (see Isa. 41. 16; Jer.
4. 11).
FELLOWS, Ps. 45. 8, 15, 'above
thy fellows' all other contempo-
rary kings ; ' the virgins that be
her fellow*,1 her companions.
M.E. felawe, companion ; Icel.
fllagi.
FIRKIN, 2 a. Epi. g, nearly nine
gallons.
Waterpots of stone . . containing* two
or thre fyrkins a pece.
Mathews" Bible.
FIRMAMENT. Pa. 19. 1, the sky
fixed above the earth ; Lat. fir-
momentum (Vulg.), suggested by
orepe'io/uia, that which has been
made firm ; the LXX. rendering
of the Heb. word which meana
'the expanse.'
FLAGON, xv., the vessel in which
the wine for the Holy Commu-
nion is brought to the Lord's
Table ; O. Fr. flacon ; Late Lat.
flaxconem.
FLITTINGS, Ps. 56. 8, wanderings
to and fro (see 1 Sam. 19. 18—26. 25).
Fools are fain o' flitting.
Scottish Proverb.
FOND, xxix. 22, foolish.
In alle these thineis Joob synnede not
in hise lippis, nether spak ony fonned
thing »>ens God. Wyclif, Job 1. 22.
FONT, xvi., the vessel for holding
the water in which persons are to
be baptized ; Late Lat. fontem,
the baptismal vessel; Lat. fontem,
spring of water.
FOOLISH, Ps. 58. 1, 'the foolish
body,' the corrupt, impious per-
son; so the Heb. vabhal (A.V.
* Nabal,' 1 Sam. 25.25) ; see Cheyne,
Book of Psalms, p. 33.
FOR BECAUSE, in., because.
And for because the world Is populous.
Shaks. Rich. II. v. 5. Z.
FORM, S. b. E. e. 'in the form of
God,' i.e. with the essential attri-
butes of God. Lat. forma (Vulg.)
= f*°p4»j.
FRAILTY, 4 a. Epi. c; 24, Tr. c,
weakness ; O. Fr. fraelete ; Lat.
franilitatem, fragility, the con-
dition of liability to being easily
broken.
FRANKINCENSE, Epi. g, an aro-
matic resin, the olibanum of
commerce; see 4id*(art. Plants).
O.Fr. franc encens, pure, genuine
incense ; incenfe — Lat. incensum,
lit. what is burnt.
FRET. Ps. 39. 12, to eat away; Ps.
87. 1, to vex. O.E. fretan (= for
+ etan, to eat). See B.G
FROWARD, Ps. 64. 2, workers of
iniquity, so R.V. ; for from-ward,
averse, perverse.
With the frovmrde thou wilt sh«>we thy
self fromard. Genera, P*. 18. 26.
FROWARDNESS, xv. r, perverse-
BMI.
Who in his frowardneu from her was
fled. Spenser. F. Q. ill. 6. 20.
FRUIT, Ps. 132. 12, offspring, chil-
dren; O.Fr. fruit; Lat. fructus
(Vulg.).
FRUITION, Epi. e, enjoyment ;
Late Lat. fruitio.
FULFILLED, xv.,filled completely.
They are so fulfilled with men's abuses.
Shaks. Lucr. 125a
FUNCTION, xiii. (Ember), office,
duty, ministration ; Lat. functio,
the performance of a duty.
G
GARNISH, 8 L. g, to decorate (a
house); O.Fr. garnir, to fortify,
lit- to warn off.
GAT ME, Ps. 80. 8, I betook my-
self, went.
GENDER, 4L.c, in this passage ' to
bear children." In the allegory
the covenant from Mount Sinai
is a mother like Hagar. O.Fr.
(en)gendrer ; Lat. generare, to be-
get (Vulg.).
GENERALLY, xvm.. universally;
cp. xxix. 17. Cp. Lat. generaliter
(Vulg.).
GENERATION, Ps. 22. 31, 'it shall
be told concerning the Lord to
the next generation' i.e. their
posterity ; 9 Tr. g. ' in their gene~
ration,' i.e. in worldly matters, for
the purposes of their self-interest.
Lat. generatio (Vulg.).
a-ri o s s-ajr-v- .
GENTILES, Ps. 18. 50, the other
nations besides Israel = Heb.
goyim. Lat. gentiles, foreigners
(in legal codes) ; lit. people of the
same race; cp. It&t.gentes (Vulg.).
GHOST, 'The Holy Ghost' (Te
Deum). Ghost = Lat. Spiritus,
Spirit (Vulg.).
Thilke Hooli Goost, the coumfortour.
Wyclif, John 14. 26.
O.E. gast.
GHOSTLY, xv.; xvm.; xix., spi-
ritual.
A divine , a a h ottly confessor.
Sliaks. Rom. iii. 3. 49.
GLASS, Q. S. e; 5 a. E. e, a mirror
of polished metal = speculum
(Vulg.).
GLORY, Ps. 57. 9, 'awake up, my
glory,' i.e. my spirit ; Ps. 106. 20,
'their Glory,' i.e. Jehovah (Jer.
2. 11).
GOLDEN NUMBER, viii.; see p.
30.
GOOD FRIDAY. The term is pe-
culiar to the English Church.
The day was once called in Eng-
land and Iceland ' Long Friday ; '
cp. O.E. Langa Frigedceg and Icel.
Lanni-frjadagr. The French call
it Vendredi saint, the Germans
Char Freitag, i.e. Care-Friday.
GOOD-MAN, W. b. E. g, 'the good-
man of the house,' the master of
the house.
All they which he of the male kind In
every housholcl sit before the goodman of
the house, and they of the female kind
before the goodwife.
More's Utopia, p. 157.
GOSPEL, a translation of evan-
gel item (Vulg.) = evayyeXiov, glad
tidings ; O.E. godsrell(=god, good
+ spell, tale, story).
GOVERNANCE, ix.; xv
direction, control.
XXIV.,
A pupil under Gloster s governance.
Shaks. Hen. VI. (2) i. 3. 50.
O.Fr. governance.
GOVERNOUR OF THE FEAST,
2 a. Epi. g, the translation of Lat.
architriclinus (Vulg.) = apxtrpiK-
Aivos, the president of a banquet,
who was usually chosen from the
guests.
GOVERNOURS, S. a. C. e, the
stewards or bailiffs appointed to
manage the household and pro-
perty of a minor. S. b. E.. g,
• Pilate the governor,' the Procu-
rator of Judaea. O.Fr. gouverneur;
Lat. gubernatorem from gubemar;
to steer a ship.
GRACE, 15 Tr. e, * the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ,' the divine
love manifesting itself to man in
the life and death of Jesus Christ ;
O.Fr. grace; Lat. gratia, favour
(Vulg.).
GRAFT, 7 Tr. c {graffe in ed. 1604),
to implant or incorporate, as a
bud upon a stem.
The braunchls ben brokun that Y be
graffid in. Wyclif, Rom, XL 19.
O.Fr. greffer.
GRAVEN, xv., 'any graven image/
i.e. cut or carved, of wood or stone.
Ps. 7- 16, ' he hath graven a pit.'
i.e. cut or dug. O.E. grafen, pp.
of grafan, to carve, to dig.
GRIEF, xv., 'open his grief,' i.e.
declare what burdens his mini"1 .
O.Fr. gref, burdensome; Lot.
gravem.
GRIN, Ps.59.6,to snarl; so Cheyne
GRUDGE, Ps. 59. 15, to grumble
make a murmuring sound. Tin
whole passage however prob.
means ' if they be not satisfied,
they tarry all night ;' boR.V.
Sotheli if thei ben not fillid, and the>
schulen grutche. Wyclif.
GUILE, Ps. 32. 2; Inn. D. e, deceit,
falseness ; O.Fr. guile = Eng. wile.
HABITED, xxvii. r, clothed in
proper official dress; from Lat.
habitus, dress, attire, appearance,
condition.
HALLOW, in Lord's Prayer and
4th Commandment, to make holy,
to separate from profane or secu.
lar uses. O.E. (ge)halgian, from
halig, holy. See Holy.
HANDMAID, Ps. 116. 14, 'the son
of thine handmaid,' i.e. of thy
female slave ; the phrase denotes
' a home-born slave.'
OLOSSARY.
HANDY-WORK, Ps. 19. 1 ft 90. 17,
the work of the hands; M.E.
handiwerk; O.E. hand-getceorc.
HARNESSED, Ps. 78. 10, clad in
armour (cp. Ex. 18. 18) ; O. Fr.
harneis, harnoit, armour.
HAVOCK, Ps. 74. 9, Met us make
havock of them,' i.e. let us destroy
them; so A.V. ; havoc often in
Shakspere, as in—
Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war.
Shales. J. C. M. 1. 278.
O.Fr. havoc, prey.
HEALTH, ix.,'noA«attA'Ps.S8.S,
soundness of spirit, of body. Ps.
62. 7, health = salvation, deliver-
ance. Health means the condition
of being hale, whole. O. E. halt
from hal, whole.
HEATHEN, in the Psalms the na-
tions surrounding the Jews (see
Gentiles) ; xxix. S3, non-Chris-
tian. O.E. h&ben, a dweller on a
heath (Aart). Dwellers in remote
unfilled districts being among the
last to be converted 'heathen'
came to mean the same thing as
' unbeliever.'
HEAVEN, Ps. 8. 8, the sky, the fir-
mament. In Lord's Prayer,
'which art in heaven,' the spiri-
tual world, xii., ' the Father, of
heaven,' i.e. who from heaven
nearest ; in Latin, Pater de ccelis
Deut.
HEBREW, Sex. S. e, a Jew ; the
word literally means 'one of a
people living across,' i.e. East of
the Euphrates ; it first occurs as
applied to Abraham; originally,
and in the O. T. usually, a name
not used by the Jews of them-
selves, but one by which others
knew the Chosen People. See
B.G. (s.V. Ebreu).
HELL, in the Psalms, the place of
the dead conceived as an under-
world = Heb. she'ol ; rendered in
the LXX. ^Stjs, Hades, and in the
Vulg. infemum, the region below.
This is the meaning of the word
in the Creeds, in xxix. 3, and
1 Tr. g, St. Pet. p. The original
sense of the English word ' hell '
is ' the hidden or secret place.'
HELL-FIRE, 6 Tr. g, the fire of G*
henna, i.e. of the vale of Hinnom.
This valley, S.E. of Jerusalem,
was the place for the burning of
offal, and its name was used by
the Jews symbolically for the
place for torment after death.
HERESY, xn. ; xxvn., the beliei of
a sect or party, in opposition to
the general belief of the Christian
Church ; Lat. h&resit (Vulg.) =
cupeo-is, a taking, a choice.
HERETICK, Gd. Fri. c, the holder
of a heresy; Lat. haereticut (Vulg.)
= aiperueo?, heretical, factions
(Titus 8. 10).
HERITAGE (Te Deum), inheri-
tance ; God's people are called
His inheritance (see Ps. 88. 12).
O. Fr. heritage from heriter, to
inherit.
Tliy testimonies hare I taken as an heri-
tage for ever. Geneva, P$. 118. 111.
HERODIANS, 23 Tr.?, partisans of
the Herods, in religious belief for
the most part Sadducees. Lat.
Herwliani (Vulg.).
HINDRANCE, Ps. 15. 5, hurt, dis-
advantage ; but see P..V.
He that sweareth to his owne hinder-
ance and changeth not Genera.
HIS = ITS, Ps. 92. 10, ' mine eye
shall see his last ; ' xxn., ' every
seed hit own body.' Its does not
once occur in the Bible (ed. 1611).
HOLD, xv., 'the Lord will not hold
him guiltless,' i.e. judge; Ps. 81.
7, hold of, to observe, regard,
worship ; Ps. 56. 6, ' they hold all
together,' gather together ; E.
Mon. g, * eyes were holden,' influ-
enced, restrained.
HOLPEN, Ps.22.5; x. (Magnificat),
helped.
To be holpen and socoured.
More's Utopia, p. 96.
HOLY, a word applied especially to
God, and things belonging to God.
In the Bible 'Holy' generally =
Heb. gOdash, which means literally
' separate,' and so is applied pecu-
liarly to Him who is apart from
all impurity and imperfection.
Holy, O.E. haHg, meant originally
the hale, the perfect, from hal,
whole.
QLOSSABY.
HOLY CITY, THE, E. S. g, Jeru-
salem. Cp. Rev. 11. 2.
HOLY HILL (Jehovah's), Ps. 3. 4,
Zion.
HOLY PLACE, THE, 5 L. e, the
inner sanctuary of the Taber-
nacle, the Holy of Holies (Heb.),
the most holy place (A.V.), Ex.
26. 84.
HOMILY, xxix. 85, a discourse com-
posed and published by authority ;
Eccles. Lat. homilia ; Gk. 6/w\ia,
a homily, instruction, intercourse
(1 Cor. 15. 88).
HONEST, 3 a. Epi. e; 3. a. E. e,
seemly, honourable ; so R.V. ;
Lat. honestus, honourable. In this
sense frequently in Shakspere.
HONOURABLE (Te Deum), worthy
of honour (cp. Rev. 7. 12). Lat.
honorabilig. In the American
Prayer Book the word is changed
to 'adorable.'
HORN, Ps. 18. 1, 'Jehovah the horn
of salvation,' the weapon of attack,
the means of deliverance and vic-
tory. See also St. J. Bap. g.
HORNS (OF THE ALTAR), Ps.
118. 27, the projecting corners on
the summit of the altar.
HOSANNA, 1 A. gr, a Hebrew ex-
pression of praise or gratulation,
originally a form of supplication,
occurring in Ps. 118. 25, and mean-
ing ' Save, I beseech thee.' Lat.
Hosanna (Vulg.) =-uxrawa. (Matt.
21. 9).
Otanna to the sone of David. Wyclif.
HYMN, ix. r (Te Deum) ; 5 a.
Epi. e; 20 Tr. e, a metrical com-
position in praise of God, forming
part of the religious worship of
Christians; Lat. hymnus (Vulg.)
. = U/iVOS.
HYSSOP, Ps. 51.7; Wed.b. E. e, a
bunch of the caper plant used for
sprinkling, and especially in the
purification service of the Taber-
nacle and Temple ; Lat. hyssopus
(Vulg.) = vo-<r<oflros ; Heb. 'ezdbh.
See Aids (art. Plants).
IGNORANCES, xn., acts or sins of
ignorance. Lat. ignorant.ce (Vulg.,
Ps. 24 (25). 7).
ILLUMINATE, xn., to enlighten;
Lat. illuminare (Vulg.).
IMMACULATE, xxi., spotless;
Lat. immaculatus (Vulg.).
IMMANUEL, Ann. V. M. e, God
with us; a Heb. phrase. See
Emmanuel.
IMMORTAL, xvi., deathless; Lat.
immortalis (Vulg.).
IMPOSITION, xxvii., a laying on;
Lat. impontio (Vulg.).
IMPOTENT, xxvii., 'impotent peo-
ple of the parish. ' weak, powerless ;
Lat. impotens (Vulg.).
INCARNATE, xv. (Nicene Creed),
clothed with flesh ; Late Lat. in-
carnatus.
INCARNATION, xi. ; xn., the be-
ing clothed with flesh ; Late Lat.
incarnatio.
INCENSE, Ps. 141. 2, odour of spices
burnt; Lat. incensum (Vulg.), lit.
what is burnt.
INCOMPREHENSIBLE, xi., im-
measurable, boundless, infinite;
in the original Latin the word
is ' immensus ; ' Lat. incompre-
hensibilis, that cannot be seized,
grasped.
INCORPORATE, xvi., to make a
person a member of a body social,
cr society, xv., members incor-
porate. Lat. incorporate, pp. of
incorporare.
INDIFFERENTLY, xv.,impartially,
without respect of persons ; cp.
Lat. indiffer enter, without dis-
tinction.
I did nothing pise hut monish all judges
indifferently to do right.
Latimer (W.B.W.).
INDITE, Ps. 45. 1, to write, com-
pose; O.Fr. enditer; Late Lat.,
indictare.
INFALLIBLE, As. D. e, that cannot,
deceive; Late Lat. infaJUbilis.
By manie infallible tokens.
Geneva, Actnl. 3.
24—5
nmmnifm
SLOS8ARY.
INFIDEL, Gd. Fri. e, one who does
not believe in Christ; Lat. in-
fldeUs (Vulg.).
INFORM, Ps. 105. 22, to teach;
Lat. informare ; but the Heb.
should be rendered 'to bind his
princes ; ' so R.V.
INHABITERS, Ps. 75. 4, dwellers.
Woo, wo to the inh'ibiteri of the erth.
Tinilale, Rev. 8 13.
INHERITANCE, ix., 'bless thine
inheritance,' i.e. thy people, thy
peculiar possession.
INJUNCTIONS, xxix. (the Decla-
ration) ; xxix. 87, directions set
forth by Qneen Elizabeth with
regard to the Royal Supremacy;
Lat. injunctiones, things enjoined,
commands.
INNOCENTS, Inn. D., the infants
slain by Herod's orders; Lat.
innocentes, the harmless ones.
INORDINATE, St. Mt.e, irregular,
immoderate ; Lat. inordinatus{see
Vulg., 2 Thess. 3 6).
INQUISITION, Ps. 9. 12, a judicial
searching for; the reference is
to the Avenger of Blood. Lat.
inquisitio (Vulg.).
INSPIRATION, 5 a. E. c; xv. c;
xxix. 13, divine influence ; Lat.
inspiratio (Vulg.), lit. a breathing
into.
INSTANT, 5 a. Epi. e, pressing,
urgent, importunate; the idea
in the original is rather that
of stedfastness ; see R.V. Lat.
instant.
INSTRUMENT, xxix. 27, a docu-
ment or deed conveying or giving
a title to some possession; Lat.
instrumentum.
INSTRUMENT OF TEN
STRINGS, Ps. 83. 2, a ten-string-
ed harp. See Aids (art. Music).
INSTRUMENTS OF DEATH, Ps.
7. 14, deadly weapons, spears or
arrows.
INVENTION (of Cross), May 3, the
rinding ; Lat. inrentio.
INVITATORIES, n.,antiphonsused
in the course of the singing of the
Psalms; Eccles. Lat. invitatorium.
INVOCATION, xxix. 22, a calling
on in prayer ; Lat. incocaiio.
IRREPREHENSIBLE, xxvu. (Bi-
shops), free from blame ; Lat.
irreprehensibilis (Vulg.).
ISLES, Ps. 72. 10, Heb. coast-lands,
i.e. those of the Mediterranean.
ISRAELITES, Sex. S. e, children of
Israel (Jacob), a name meaning
•God flghteth.' See Aids (Pro-
per Names). Lat. Israelite
(Vulg.) = 'Io-paijAiTcu. See also
Gd. Fri. c.
ISSUE, xiii., 'a happy issue,' re-
sult ; O.Fr. issue, pp. of Utir,
eissir; Lat. exire, to go out.
J AH, Ps. 68. 4, a transliteration of
Heb. Jah, which is probably a
shortened form of Heb. Jahveh,
See Jehovah.
JEALOUS, xv., ' am a jealous God,'
used of Jehovah as not brooking
any rival ; the severe punisher of
departure from Himself. O.Fr.
jalous ; Late Lat. zelosus, zealous,
from Lat. zelus (Vulg.) ; Gk. <)V]Aosf
zeal, lit. heat.
JEHOVAH, Ps. 83. 12 & 88. 18, the
God of Israel ; an incorrect form
of Heb. Jahveh, a name which i3
fenerally rendered ' the Lord ' in
l.V. Cheyne (in Book of Pi alms,
p. 141) says 'whatever the origin
of Jahveh, the ideas of self-exist-
ence and self-manifestation must
have inseparably cohered with
that name to reflective worship-
pers. To the Jew Jahveh was the
most special name for the Divine
Being.' See Jah.
JEOPARDY, xxn. (1 Cor. 15. 30),
risk, danger; O.Fr. jeu parti, a
game in which the chances are
even ; Late Lat. jocus partitus.
JESUS, S. a. C. a, the same as Heb.
Jeshua or Joshua, ' the Lord is
salvation;' Lat. Jesus (Vulg.) —
'Lyo-ovs.
JEW, Gd. Fri. c, a descendant of
Abraham ; Jeu>s=0.¥r. Juis.^Juifs;
Lat. Judai (Vulg.) ='Iov5aioi, lit.
the people of the tribe of Judah
(a name which means ' celebra-
ted').
JEWRY. Ps. 76. 1, Judah; O.Fr.
Juierie, Juerie.
JUSTIFIED, 11 Tr. g, set right with
God: Lat. justiflcatus (Vulg.).
KIND, xv. r, ' the Communion in
both Icinds,' i.e. the Bread and the
Wine. See also xxix. 30.
KINDLY, xti., natural, according to
their kind.
And kindly creatures turn all to ser-
pents. Shaks. Ant. ii. 5. 78.
KNAP, Ps. 46. 9, to cut in sunder;
see R.V.
As lying a gossip as ever knapped ginger.
Shaks. Merch. iii. 1. 10.
KNOW, Ps. 1. 7, to regard with
watchful care and love.
KNOWLEDGE, TO GIVE, xvn.
r, to give notice.
LADY, OUR, vi., 'Annunciation
of our Lady,' i.e. of the Blessed
Virgin Mary.
LAMMAS DAY, vn„ August 1;
O.E. hlofmccsse dceg, ' loafmass
day' (in the Chronicle); on this
day took place the Blessing of
Bread ; see Diet, of Christian
Antiquities (s.v.).
LARGE, Ps. 31. 9, ' in a largeroom,'
i.e. a broad unconfined place, so
that I am free from straits and
difficulties.
Thou hast sett my feet in a large place.
Wyclif.
LATCHET, 4 A. g, a shoe-tie ; lit. a
little lace; O.Fr. lacet.
Whose shoes latchet I am not worthie
to stoup downe and unlose.
Geneva, Mark 1. 7.
LAUD, xiii.; xv., to praise; Lat.
laudare.
Laude him all nacions.
Tlndale, Rom. 15. 11.
LAVER, xvi., a vessel for washing ;
in Chaucer, lavour ; O.Fr. lavoir
from later, to wash ; Lat. lavare.
LAW, THE.very often in the Psalms
the whole revelation of God, so far
as it was then given ; the render-
ing of the Heb. ' Torah,' instruc-
tion, doctrine.
LAWYER, 13 Tr. g; 18 Tr. g, one
learned in the law of Moses, whose
special province was the interpre-
tation of each provision. See Aide
(art. Jewish Sects, &c).
LAY TO, Ps. 119. 126, 'to lay to
thine hand,' to work ; so R.V.
LAY-PEOPLE, xxix. 80, the laity
as distinct from the clergy; O.Fr.
lai ; ^ Lat. laicus (Vulg.) ; Gk.
AatKo?, relating to the people.
LEARN, Ps.25.4,to teach; so R.V.
You learn me noble thankfulness.
Shaks. Ado. ir 1. 3L
LEASING, Ps. 4. 2 * 5. 6, falsehood,
lying; O.E. Unsung.
But that false pilgrim which that leafing
told. Spenser, F. Q.i.6.48.
LEAVEN, E. S., dough which when
sour causes the fresh dough to
ferment and rise ; Fr. levain ;
Lat. levamen, that which raises.
LEGEND, ii., an ecclesiastical
story ; Eccles. Lat. legenda.
LENT, the spring fast of forty
days ; O.E. lencten, lengten, lenten,
spring.
LESSON, a reading of Scripture;
Fr. lecon; Lat. lectio (Vulg.).
LET, 4 A. c, hindered; from O.E.
lettan, to hinder, lit. to make late.
LETTER, 12 Tr. e, ' not of the letter,
but of the spirit,' not of the mere
outward book containing the He-
brew Scriptures, but of the life-
giving spirit breathing in them.
O.Fr. letre; Lat. littera (Vulg.).
LEVIATHAN, Ps. 74. 15 & 104. 26, a
huge monster ; in the former pas-
sage the term is supposed to refer
to the crocodile of the Nile, the
emblem of Egypt, in the latter
to some great fish in the Medi-
terranean ; Lat. leviathan (Vulg.)
from the Hebrew.
LEVITE, 13 Tr. g, one of the tribe
of Levi ; Lat. Levita (Vulg.) =
Aevinjs.
LIARS, Ps. 66. 2, 'shall thine ene-
mies be found liars unto thee,'
submit themselves; so R.V. See
Dissemble.
OLOSSARY.
LICENTIOUSNESS, t., excessive
freedom from ecclesiastical re-
straints, from Lat. ticentiosut.
LIEN, Ps. 68. 13, lain.
When they have lien a little space on
the ground. M ore's Utopia, p. 188.
LIGHT, xv.; LIGHTEN (Te Deum),
to alight, descend.
New lighted on a heaven-kissing hill.
8haks. Baml. lii. 4. ».
LIKE, hi., to please. See B.G.
The music like* you not.
Shaks. Gent. iv. 2. 56.
LIKE, til, likely, probable.
Is't like that lend contains her ?
Shaks. Merch. ii. 7. 49.
LITANY, a responsive form of sup-
plication and intercessory prayer ;
Eccles. Lat. Mania ; Gk. \navda,
a supplication.
LITURGY, i., public worship, an es-
tablished form of prayer ; Eccles.
Lat. liturgia ; Gk. AeiTOvpyia,
the discharge of a public duty.
In the early Church the Commu-
nion Service was wont to be ex-
clusively entitled ' The Liturgy.'
LIVELY, xv., 'thy true and lively
Word,' full of life, life-giving.
Our fathers who received the livelie
oracles. Geneva, Acts 7. 3a
LORD, THE = Heb. Jahveh, ' Jeho-
vah,' Ps.95. 1 ; xv. (Nicene Creed),
'the Lord, and Giver of Life'=
to fl-pevjLia to Kvpioy Kal to £wo-
ttoiov. ix. (Te Deum), ' Lord God
of Sabaoth ; ' cp. Isa. 6. 3, ' Holv,
holy, holy is Jehovah Sabaoth.'
Applied to our Saviour Jesus
Christ in the Prayer Book (pas-
sim). O.E. hiaford, lit. guardian
of bread.
LOVERS, Ps. 88. 11 & 88. 18, loving
ones, friends.
My lovers and my friends stand aside
from my plague. Geneva, Ps. 38. 11
LUCRE, in., gain; Lat. lucrum
(Vulg.).
Not geven to filthy lucre.
Tindale, 1 Tim. 3. &
LUST, Ps. 92. 10, desire; O.E. lust,
pleasure. Cp. 14 Tr. e. ■
LUTE, Ps. 33. 2= Heb. weSeZ,aharp.
See Aids (art. Music, s. v. Nebcl).
O.Fr. lut; Port, alaude ; Arab.
al'ud, a lute, wood, timber (the
prefix 'al being the Arabic definite
article).
M
MAGNIFY, Ps. 80. 1, to praise
highly, to extol ; Lat. magnijicare
(Vulg.), to make great.
MALEDICTION, xxiv.. curse; Lat.
maledictio (Vulg.); lit. an evil
speaking.
MAMMON, 9 Tr.g; 15 Tr.g, riches;
Lat. mammona (Vulg.)=/u.a/awi>ac ;
Chald. mamona.
MAN, xx., husband, ' I pronounce
that they be Man ana Wife to-
gether.'
MANNA, Ps. 78. 25, the food sup-
plied to the Israelites in the wil-
derness ; Lat. manna (Vulg.) =
Heb. man.
MARTYR, St. Ste. c ; ix.(Te Deum),
one who by his death bears wit-
ness to the truth of the Christian
religion; Lat. martyr (Vulg.);
Gk. faap-rvp, /maprvc, a witness;
lit. one who remembers, declares.
MARVEL, Tu. b. E. g, to wonder;
O.Fr. merveiller from merreille, a
wonder = Lat. mirabilia, wonder-
ful things.
MASSES, xxix. 31, celebrations of
the Holy Communion for the liv-
ing and dead for the remission
of pain or guilt. O.E. masse;
Eccles. Lat. mist a.
MATRIMONY, xx., marriage; Lat.
matrimonium (Vulg.), connected
with mater, a mother.
MATRON, xx., a married woman,
the mother of a family; Lat.
matrona, connected with mater.
MATTINS, vi., morning prayers;
Fr. matins; cp. Lat. matutinus,
belonging to the morning.
MEAN, xxix. 28, the medium, the
means ; O.Fr. meian (now moyen) ;
Late Lat. medianum, middle.
MEAT, Ps. 42. 8, food. O.E. mete.
My teares have bene my meate daye and
night Geneva.
MEAT-OFFERING, Ps.40.8=Heb.
minchah, lit. a gift, an offering of
meal or vegetables.
MEDIATOR, St. Ste. c, He who
unites God and man : Lat. media-
tor (Vulg.) from medius, middle.
OLOSSAEV.
MEET, 2 L. g, fit, proper, according
to measure.
It is not meet that I should be sad.
Shaks.2ffen.7r. ii. 2. 42.
O.E. (ge)mete.
MEMBER, Circum. c; 1 a. Epi. e,
one of a community ; lit. the limb
of a body; Lat. membrum (Vulg.).
MEMORY, xv., a memorial.
These weeds are memories of those worser
hours. Shaks. K. Lear, iv. 7. 7.
MERCIFUL, ix. (Joel 2. 13), full of
compassion, love, pity ; Mercy =
O.Fr. mercit, mercid ; Lat. merce-
dem (ace), pay, reward ; also pity,
mercy.
MERCY-SEAT, Ps. 28. 2, the lid or
covering of the Ark of the Co-
venant. So the Pr. Bk. Vers,
understands the Hebrew. But
the Hebrew should be rendered
' sanctuary,' with reference to the
innermost part of the Temple,
the Holy of Holies. The Variorum
renders ' chancel ; ' so Cheyne.
MESECH, Ps. 120.4, Mesech (R.V),
tribes between the Black and the
Caspian Sea ; see Cheyne.
METE, Ps. 60. 6, to measure. O.E.
metan.
Y schai meete the greet valei of taher-
naclis. Wyclif.
METROPOLITICAL, xxvu., 'the
Metropolitical Church, ' the Church
of the Metropolitan, i.e. of the
Archbishop . The term metropolis
is applied in ecclesiastical lan-
guage to the chief church of the
Province ; so Canterbury is the
metropolis of the Southern Pro-
vince. Late Lat. metropolis; Gk.
/wrjTpoiroXi?, lit. the mother-city.
MILITANT, xv.,' Church militant;
Christians serving as soldiers ;
Lat. militare (Vulg.), to fight.
MIND xv., ' ye that mind to come,'
propose, intend.
So had hee appointed, minding himselfe
to goe afoote. A. V. (1611 ), Acts 20. 13.
MINDED, TO BE, Ps. 55. 8, to in-
tend, purpose.
Joseph was mynded to put her awave
seeretely. Tindale. Matt. 1. 19.
MINISHED, Ps. 12. 1 & 107. 39, made
little, diminished.
His minished might-
Spenser, F. Q. i. 11. 43.
O.Fr. menuuer; Late Lat. minu-
tiare.
MINISTER, ix. r, a term for the
"clergyman as servant of Christ
and of His people; in the early
Church minister was the Latin
equivalent for ' deacon ' (which
see) ; Lat. minister (Vulg.), a ser-
vant, lit. the lesser official.
MINISTRATION, 12 Tr. e, service.
Lat. ministratio (Vulg.), a service,
work of a minister.
MINSTRELS, Ps. 68. 25, players on
stringed instruments; 24 Tr. cj,
flute -players ; so B.V. O. Fr.
menestrel ; Late Lat. mini-ttralem,
one in service, a retainer, con-
nected with minister (which see).
MIRACLE, 2 a. Epi. g, in the orig.
properly ' a sign ; ' Lat. miraculum
(Vulg. in O. T.), something won-
derful, connected with mirus,
wonderful.
MISCARRY, Ps. 21. 7, to fail ; in the
original to be moved; so R.V.
1 would not have him mincarry for the
half of my dowry.
Shaks. T*. IT. iii. 4. 70.
MODERATION, 4 A. e, forbear-
ance, gentleness; so R.V. Lat.
moderatio, restraint, temperate-
ness.
MOLTEN, xxiv., ' carved or molten
image,' melted (cp. Ps. 106. 19).
O.E. {ge)molten, pp. of meltan, to
melt.
MONITIONS, xxvu. (Priests),
'publick and private monitions,'
warnings ; Lat. monitio.
MONSTER, Ps. 71. 6, the rendering
should be, ' I am as a wonder unto
many, but Thou art my strong
refuge ; ' so R.V. Lat. monstrum,
a portent, something to make one
learn.
MORE, St. Thos. c, 'the more con-
firmation,' greater.
It is my more dishonour.
Shaks. Cor. iii. 2. 124.
MORI ANS, Ps. 68. 31, ' the Morions'
land,' Heb. Cush, i.e. Ethiopia:
Bee Aids. O.Fr. Morien ; Late Lat.
Mauritanum ; cp. Lat. Mauri-
tania, Morocco; Maurux, a native
of N. Africa. Cp. Luthar's ren-
dering, Morenland, land of the
Moors. •
atOSBARY.
MORTAL, 1 A. e; 1 Tr. e, liable to
death and subject to infirmity ;
Lat. mortalis (Vulg.), from mora,
death.
MORTIFY, Inn. D. e; Circnm. c,
to kill, destroy ; Lat. mortificnre
(Vulg.).
MOST, xvi., greatest, 'the most
number of the people.'
The most champion of the world.
King Arthur (W B W.)
MOTE. 4 Tr. a, a particle of dust;
O.E. mot.
Brothir, suffre I schal do out a mote fro
thin l>e. Wyclif.
As thik as motU in the 8«nne heem.
Chaucer. C. T. 6450.
MOTIONS, 1 L. c, promptings, in-
fluences, inspirations ; Lat. motto,
a moving.
MOUTHS, Ps. 85. 15, 'making
mouth* at me,' a printer's correc-
tion for 'making mowes;' M.E.
moe, an ill-natured thrusting out
of the lips, a grimace ; O. Fr.
moue; O. Dutch moutce, the pro-
truded under lip.
And otherwhiles with bitter mockes and
mowes
He would him scorne.
Spenser. F. Q. vi. 7. 49.
MOVE, ix., to stir, impel ; Lat.
movere.
MUCH, ii., very, 'much agreeable.'
1 confess me much guilty.
Shaks. As You. i. 2. 196.
MULTITUDE. Ps. 5. 7, 'multitude
of thy mercy,' greatness; Lat.
multitudo (Vulg.).
MUSE, Ps. 143. 5, to meditate;
O.Fr. muser, to sniff as a dog does
in hunting, from *muse (whence
musean), a muzzle, nose of an
animal ; Lat. morsum.
MUSTER UP, i., to display so as
to make a fair show ; M. E.
mouxtre; O.Fr. moustre, a mus-
ter, a show, from momtrer ; Lat.
monstrare, to show.
MYSTERY, xii., 'the mystery of
thy holy Incarnation ;' 8 A. <?,' ste-
wards of thy mysteries: ' x v., 'those
holy mysteries ; ' xx., Matrimony
to such an excellent mystery.' The
usual Scriptural meaning of the
word ' mystery ' is ' a spiritual
truth hidden once but now re-
vealed if) Christ's servants;' cp.
8 A. e, ' stewards of the mysteries
of God . ' The term is particularly
applied to the Holy Communion
as a sacred rite, the mysterious
channel of spiritual grace. Ma-
trimony is a ' mystery ' as being
a type of the relation between
Christ and His Church ; see Eph.
5. 82. Lat. mysterium (Vulg.) =
Gk. fivtTTqpiov, in classic writers
a secret rite in which only the
initiated could join, from y.vi*
to close the eyes or mouth.
MYSTICAL, All S. c, ■ the mystical
body of thy Son,' i.e. the Church
of Christ; so xv. ; xvi., 'sanctify
this water to the mystical washing
away of sin;' xx., 'the myttical
union that is betwixt Christ and
His Church.' The word is deter-
mined by the sense of ' mystery,"
and seems in all these passages
to mean supernatural, spiritual.
Cp. Lat. mysticus: Gk. /ivo-tikos,
secret, connected with the myste-
ries. See above.
N
NAME, Ps. 7. 18, 'the Name of the
Lord.' The 'Name of Jehovah'
in Scripture is need to signify
the Nature of God as revealed
by Himself to men. which is all
that we can know of Him.
NATIVITY, xii., birth; Lat. na-
tivitas (Vulg.).
NAUGHTY, xv., bad, wicked, good
for nothing.
So shines a good deed in a naughty
world. Shaks. Merch. y. 91.
NETHER-HOUSE, xxix. (Ratifica-
tion), the Lower House of Con-
vocation; O.E. neobor, lower.
NETHERMOST, Ps. 86. 13, lowest
(R.V.).
The nethermost gallerie was five cubites
broad. Geneva. 1 Kings 6. 6.
NEW MAN, xvi. ; 19 Tr. e, the new
life a* 6 kclivos avOpwrros.
NEW-FANGLED, m.. fond of what
is new; M.E. newe-farwel, ready
to seize what is new; cp. O.E.
fangol, ready to seize.
So neieefangel be they of their meat.
Chaucer, 10932.
aLOSSARY.
NEW-FANGLENESS, in., eager-
ness for what is new.
Full of vaine follies, and new /angle-
nette. Spenstr, F. Q. i. 4. 25.
NOBLE, ix. (Te Deum), 'the noble
army of Martyrs,' pure, lustrous
= candida'us (in the Lat. origi-
nal), white-robed.
NOCTURN, ii., a seventh portion
of the Psalms read at Noctum, a
service held in the night; Lat.
noctitrnus.
NOISOME, Ps. 91. 3, destroying,
destructive.
People savage, wild and noytome.
More's Utopia, p. 22.
From annoy ; O.Fr. anoi, enui
(mod. ennui).
NOVICE, xxvu. (Bishops, e), a
neophyte, a recent convert ; Fr.
novice; Lat. novitium, newly ar-
rived.
OBLATION, Ps. 51. 19, whole burnt
offering (R.V.) = Heb. kalil, the
whole, a sacrifice of which the
whole is burned, xv., ' alms and
oblations;' the word 'oblations'
probably refers to the bread and
wine just placed upon the table,
as well as to any other offerings
made at this time ; xxix. 81, ' the
one Oblation of Christ,' the Offer-
ing; Lat. oblatio (Vulg.).
OCCUPY, Ps.107. 23, 'which occupy
their business,' do business; so
R.V.
All the ships of the sea were in the* to
cccupie thy marchandise.
Geneva, Eiek. 27. 9.
O.Fr. occuper; Lat. occupare
(Vulg.).
OF, xii., * Father of heaven,' from
heaven = Lat. de c<rlis. xv. (Ni-
cene Creed), ' Light of Light,'
Light out of Light=$ws « (/kotos.
OFFEND, St. Mich, a, to cause to
stumble ; so R.V.; Lat. offendere,
to stumble, to offend.
OFFERTORY, xv., those verses of
Scripture appointed to be read
in the Communion Service while
the people are ' offering.' Hence
sometimes the alms then collected
are popularly called the ' Offer-
tory.' Eccles. Lat. offeriorium.
See Diet, of Christian Antiqui-
ties (s.v.).
OFFICE, xvn. r, 'Office for Private
Baptism,' the service appointed
for a particular occasion ; Eccles.
Lat. officium, public prayers.
OLD MAN, 6 Tr. e; 19 Tr. e, the
former self before the new birth
= 6 TraAaibs OLvOpiOTTOS.
OPERATION, xv.,' by the operation
of the Holy Ghost,' the working ;
Lat. operatio (Vulg.).
OR EVER, Ps. 58. 8, before; or =
ere; O.E. Br, before (Dan. 6. 24).
Or ever I had seen that day.
Shaks. Hand. L 2. 183.
ORACLES, S. a. As. e, 'oracles of
God'=A6yia, a word used by the
Greeks for the solemn utterances
of the priestess at Delphi, and
thus in the N.T. employed for any
answer from God.
Who received the llvelie oracle* to give
unto us. Geneva, A vtt 7. 38.
ORDERED, TO BE, xxix. 36, to be
admitted to Holy Orders.
ORDERS, xxvu. (Preface), * Orders
of Ministers.' In early Church
history the clergy were known col-
lectively by the name of Ordo, a
term of frequent occurrence for a
municipal senate, or for the com-
mittee of an association.
ORDINARY, xv. r, 'the Ordinary
of the place,' that person who has
ecclesiastical jurisdiction, mostly
the Bishop of the diocese ; Eccles.
Lat. ordinarius.
ORDINATION, xxvu. (Preface),
the act of ordaining ; Eccles. Lat.
ordinatio, an appointing to office.
OTHER, in., and Ps. 49. 10, others *
so R.V.
They by their example provoke other to.
work. More's Utopia, p. 83,
PAMPHLET, i., a small work oir
some question of the day. Cp.
Low Lat. panjletus (Philobiblon
R. de Bury, p. 68, ed. 1888).
OLOSSARV.
PARABLE, Sex. S. g. a comparison
of earthly things with heavenly ;
Lat. parabola (Vulg.)=»rapa/3oA»j,
a comparison.
PARADISE, Th. b. E. g, the gene-
ral gathering place of happy but
waiting souls after death, an
equivalent for the ordinary Jew-
ish phrase ' the garden of Eden,'
called also ' Abraham's bosom '
(which see). Lat. paradisus
(Vulg.) = napdSeiaos. The Gk.
word is used of the garden of
Eden by the LXX., Gen. 2. 8. In
classical Greek it occurs in the
sense of ' a park, pl«a<5nre-ground;'
probably of Persian origin.
This dai thou schalt be with me in
paradise. Wyclif.
PARAGRAPH, a distinct portion of
a treatise ; Late Lat. paragraphut ;
Gk. napaypcufHK, a mark written
in the margin.
PARDONS, xxix. 22. indulgences
exempting persons from church-
censures, and from the pains of
purgatory; Late Lat. perdcmum
(Ducange) from perdonare, to re-
mit a debt, to grant.
PARISH, xv., a circuit of ground
committed to the charge of one
minister; Fr. paroissej Eccles.Lat.
paroecia ; Gk. irapoiKia, a diocese ;
in early days the community of
Christians living within a city,
regarded in relation to the non-
Christian population which sur-
rounded it. In the LXX. irapoixia
means a colony of sojourners.
PARISHIONER, xv. r; xxi., a
member of a parish; M.E. pa-
risshtn ; O. Fr. paroiss'en; Late
Lat.- parochianum, from parochia
for paroecia (see above;.
PARSON, xv. r, the incumbent of
a parish ; Late Lat. persona, dig-
nity, rank, curate, parson, person
(Ducange).
PART, xx., ' till death us do part ; '
'depart' was the word used be-
fore 1662, meaning ' to separate ; '
so Wyclif (Matt. 10. 35).
Till death us depart. (Ed. 1604.)
PASCHAL, viii., 'the Paschal Full
Moon ; ' xv., ' the very Paschal
Lamb,' belonging to the Pass-
over ; Eccles. Lat. paschalis from
pascha (Vulg.) = wao-va, the pass-
over ; Heb. pemch, Ex. 12. 11, a
passing over, a sparing.
PASS, xv.,' which passeth&W under-
standing,' to over pass, surpass,
transcend. Cp. 2 Sam. 1. 26.
PASSION (of Christ), xn.; Ann.
V. M. c; xv.; xxix. 85, the suf-
fering of Christ during his trial
and crucifixion ; Lat. passio
(Vulg.), suffering.
PASSIONS, xxix. 1, ' God. . . with-
out body, parts, or passions,' i.e.
He cannot suffer, He cannot be
affected by anything external to
Himself.
PASSOVER, 1 a. Epi. g : E. S. ;
Mon. b. E. fir, a translation of
wa<rxa. See Paschal. Wed.b. E.
g, passover — the Paschal Lamb.
PASTOR, xin. ; St. Mk. <•; St. Pet.
c, the Christian minister as ruler
and feeder of his flock ; Lat. pas-
tor (Vulg.), a shepherd.
PATE, Ps. 7. 17, the crown of the
head.
His wickednes shall fall upon his owne
pate. Coverda'.e.
PATEN, xv., the plate for the bread
in the Holy Communion ; Eccles.
Lat. patena.
PAVILION, Ps. 18. 11, a curtained
tent ; the Psalmist speaks of
darkness as the abode of Jeho-
vah.
He innde darkenes his secret place and
his pavilion rounde about him.
Geneva.
Fr. pavilion, a tent, so called be-
cause spread out like the wings
of a butterfly; Lat. papiliovem, a
butterfly, a tent.
PEEVISH, i., fretful, perverse like
a child.
A wretched and peevish fellow.
Shaks. Hen. V. iii. 7. 142.
PELAGIANS, xxix. 9, heretics in
the 5th century, named after
Pelagius, a native of Wales, who
died a.d. 418. His Gk. name is
said to be a translation of the
Celtic 31 organ, ' by the sea.'
o-LOSSAR-sr.
PEN, Ps. 45. 2, = Heb. 'it, here pro-
bably a reed.
My tunge is a penne of a writere.
Wyclif.
PENANCE, xxiv., ' worthy fruits of
penance '=' fruit worthv of your
repentance;' so R.V., Matt. 8.8.
O.Fr. penance; Lat. poenitentia
(Vulg.).
PENANCE, xxix. 38, punishment
submitted to at the hands of the
ecclesiastical authorities in token
of penitence, xxix. 25, one of
' the five commonly called sacra-
ments.'
PENTECOST, vin., Whit-sunday ;
the ' Fiftieth-day ' Feast, the Feast
of Weeks, the feast of the first-
fruits. Lat. Pentecoste (Vulg.) =
■K€vn\Koa-rr)t the fiftieth (day).
Hence Fr. Pentecote, Germ. Pflng-
sten.
PENY (venie in ed. 1604, now
printed penny), S. S. g,=b~r\va.ot.ov,
the Roman 'denarius,' value about
7J<7., the pay of a Roman soldier
in the reign of Tiberius. O.E.
pening, pending, lit. a little token
or pledge. Cp. Germ. Pfand, a
pledge, pawn.
PERADVENTURE, Ps. 139. 10, per-
haps ; Fr. par aventure, by adven-
ture, perchance.
PERSON, Nat. of Ch.e/the express
image of his person,' i.e. the very
image, the impress of his sub-
stance (which see). XI.; xn., 'three
Persons and one God,' ' one Person
of the Father.' ' Person,' a word
used by theologians to express
eternal distinctions in the divine
nature, must not be understood
in the ordinary sense of 'an in-
dividual.' 23 Tr. g, ' thou regard-
est not the person of men,' the
outside appearance ; thou art im-
partial, and judgest according to
inward realities. Person = Lat.
persona. See Parson.
PERSUASION, i., religious views;
Lat. persuasio, belief , conviction.
PEW, xxiv. r, 'the Reading Pew,'
a raised desk in which to read
the service; M.E. puwe; O.Fr.
pui, a raised place; Lat. podium,
a balcony.
PHARISEE, 11 Tr. a, one belonging
to the Jewish sect of the ' Dis-
tinct ' or ' Separatists ; ' see Aids
(art. Jewish Sects) ; pharisari
(Vulg.; = ^apao-aioi ; Heb. peru-
shim.
PICKING, xvm., pilfering, petty
thieving.
I had of late occasion to speak ofjpir*-
ing and stealing. Latimer (W. B. W. ).
P I E, ii., — Lat. Pica, the Ordinal
regulating the service to be used
at the Canonical Hours. It was
a Table of Reference written on
a board with every possible abbre-
viation of words.
PITIFULNESS, xiU., compassion.
Basilius (praises) Zelmane's valour in
conquering, and piti/ulnrss in pardoning.
Sydney, Arcadia.
PITY, Ps. 102. 14, 'it pitieth them,'
they regard with pity her dust ;
bo Hebrew.
It would pity a man's heart to hear that
I hear of the state of Cambridge.
Latimer (ap. Webster).
PLACE, ix., ' in sundry places,'
passages (see Acts 8. 32).
Plato hath a notable place of the same
thing in his books De RepubUca.
Ascham's Schoolmaster, p. 34.
PLAGUE, xin. 2, a stroke or cala-
mity inflicted by God upon men ;
xm. 6; xxi. r, a malignant pesti-
lence ; Ps. 88. 17, ' I am set in the
plague: ' the Heb. should be ren-
dered I am ready to halt ; ' so
R. V. Lat. plaga, a stroke ( Vulg. ) .
PLANTATION, i., an original set-
tlement in a new country.
I account new plantations to be the
children of former kingdoms.
Bacon, Essay 83, Of Plantations.
Lat. plantatio, a planting.
PLEASURE, Ps. 80. 5, goodwill, fa-
vour ; so R.V.
POMP, Ps. 49. 17, his glory, riches ;
so Heb. xvm., pomps, the out-
ward display, nhow and splendour.
Lat. pompa (Vulg.) ; Gk. nofjurij,
a solemn procession.
Nether shal his pompe descend after
him. Geneva.
PORTS, Ps. 9. 14, gates; so R.V.
Lat. porta (Vulg.).
I rode by nighte unto the valley porte.
Coverdale, Neh. i 13.
C3-X-OSS-A-R'5r.
POSTERITIES, Ps. 106. 81, genera-
tions ; so R.V.
Amonge all potttrit.ves for evermore.
Coverdale.
Lat. po$terita» (Vulg.).
POTSHERD, Ps. 22. 15, a fragment
of pottery ; sherd, a broken thing ;
O.E. sceard.
POWERS, Epi. e, angelic beings ;
21 Tr. e, evil spirits.
PRAYER, O. Fr. preiere (mod.
priire) ; It. pregaria ; Late Lat.
precaria, prayers, demands (Du-
cange); from Lat. precuri, to pray.
PREACH, Ps. 2. 7, 'I will preach
the law,' I will tell of the decree ;
so R.V.; Tr.pricher; Lat. prasdi-
care, to declare in public.
PREACHERS, Ps. 68. 11, the Heb. j
should be rendered ' The women
that publish the tidings are a !
great host ; ' so R.V.
PREACHING, xii., the delivery of j
a public discourse on sacred i
matters.
PRECEDENT, xv. r, preceding, j
going before.
Another defect which I note ascendeth
■ little higher than the precedent.
Bacon. A dv. of L. ( W. B. W. ).
PREMONISH, xxvii. (Priests), to
warn; cp. Lat. prcemonere (Vulg.). j
PRENTICE, xviii. r, a learner of
a trade ; a shortened form of ap- ;
prentice; Late Lat. apprenticius ;
Bee Ducange.
PRESENTATION (of Christ in the
Temple), Pur. St. M. a. the pre- ;
senting of Jesus by His parents
to the Lord, Luke 2. 22; Eccles. i
Lat. preesentatio. See Diet, of |
Christian Antiquities, p. 1140.
PRETORIUM, Tu. b. E. g, the resi-
dence of the Roman governor; Lat. j
prcetorium (Vulg.) = Trpai-nopiof.
From Lat. praetor, the governor
of a province.
PREVENT, 17 Tr. c, to come to
meet, and so, to help. Lat. prae-
venire, to come before.
Tlnu didest prevent him with liberal
blessings. Geneva, Pi. 21. 3.
PRIEST, Ps. 182. 17 = Heb. kdhin,
one of the family of Aaron, whose
descendants alone could offer sa-
crifice unto the Lord.
PRIEST, xxvn., in the Christian
Church the designation of one
belonging to the second order of
the ministry. O.E. preost ; Lat.
Tresbi/ter{Yxilg.); Gr. jrpeo-/3vTepo*
(in N.T. an elder). See Eldebs.
PRIME, vin., the Golden Number.
See p. 30.
PRIMITIVE (Church\ xxiv., the
church of the early ages ; Lat.
primitivu* (Vulg.).
PRINCES, xxix. 21, reigning sove-
reigns ; Lat. princeps, lit. the first.
PRINCIPALITIES, Epi. e; 21 Tr.«,
beings bearing rule in the super-
natural world ; Lat. principalitas ;
in the Vulg. privcipatut.
PRIVY, xii., secret.
In the dai whanne God sclial deme the
privy thingis of men aftir my gospel.
Wyclif, Horn. 2. 1ft
O.Fr. privt; Lat. pricatum, apart.
PROPER (Lessons), v., lessons
selected, and belonging to a cer-
tain Sunday or Holy-day ; Lat.
proprius, one's own, special.
PROPERTY, xv., 'whose property
is always to have mercy,' essential
character, peculiar quality.
This hath been the property of God
since the beginning.
Coverdale (W.B.W.).
O.Fr. proprete; Lat. proprietatem
(Vulg.).
PROPHETS, ix. (Te Deum), the
inspired teachers of the O. T.
church ; St. Mk. ^.Christian teach-
ers and expounders speaking
under the influence of the Holy
Spirit. Lat. propheta (Vulg.) =
Trpocpjjrns, one who speaks forth.
PROPITIATION, 1 Tr. e; xv. (1
John 2. 2), the means whereby
God has been made propitious,
favourable to us; Lat. propitiatio.
PROSELYTES, Wh. S. e, converts
to Judaism ; Lat. protelt/tu»(Vulg.)
= 7rpoo-i7\uTOS ; lit. one who has
come to a place, a sojourner,
hence in N.T. a convert. See
Aids (art. Jewish Sects).
aLOSSABY.
PROVE, Ps. 95. 9, 'proved me,'
found out by experience what
my character was ; O.Fr. prouver;
Lat. probare (Vulg.).
PROVERB, 5 a. E. g, the orig. Gk.
(n-apoi/xia) implies in Scriptural
usage something dark and enig-
matical, often used in the sense
of allegory ; Lat. proverbium
(Vulg.).
PROVIDENCE, 2 Tr. c, God's fore-
seeing care over His creatures :
Lat. providentia (Vulg.).
PROVINCE, i., the territory under
the rule of an Archbishop or
Metropolitan; Eccles. Lat! pro-
vincia (Dncange).
PROVOCATION, Ps. 95. 8, 'as in
the provocation ; ' Heb. ' as at
Meribah,' i.e. chiding or strife,
Ex. 17. 7. Lat. provocatio (Vulg.),
from provocare, to call forth.
PSALM, xxv., Lat. psalmus (Vulg.)
= i^oA/utos. See below.
PSALTER, iv.; v., the book of
Psalms ; Eccles. Lat. pzalterium ;
Eccles. Gk. i/«xAtjjpiov, from
vJfdAAeiv, to harp, lit. to pluck.
PUBLICANS, St. Mat. g, persons
to whom the taxes were sub-let
by the Roman capitalists who
fanned the revenues of a pro-
vince ; see Aids (art. Jewish
Sects). Lat. publicani (.Vulg.)
from publicum, the public income,
revenue.
PULPIT, xxiv. r, O.Fr. pulpite
(now pupitre, a desk) ; Lat. pul-
pitum, a stage for actors.
PURGATORY, xxix. 22, the place,
as the Council of Trent teaches,
wherein souls are purged by fire
from their impurities before they
are admitted into heaven; Eccles.
Lat. purpatorium from Lat. pur-
gare, to make pure.
PURGE, Ps. 51. 7, to remove sin;
so Heb. ; St. Mk. g, to cleanse ;
Lat. purgare (Vulg.). See above.
PURIFICATION, Puri. St. M., a
ritual observance among the Jews,
taking place 40 days after the birth
of a son. Lat. purificatio (Vulg.).
Q
QUADRAGESIMA, viii., 'Quadra-
gesima Sunday is six weeks be-
fore Easter ; ' Lat. quadragesima,
fortieth; in Eccles. Lat. the sea-
son of Lent ; cp. Fr. earime.
QUARREL, Ps. 85. 23, ' to judge my
quarrel,' to do me justice ; O.Fr.
querele; Lat. querela, a. complaint,
an accusation (in law).
QUATERNION, St. Pet. e, a band
of four soldiers : Lat. quatemio
(Vulg.).
QUICK, ix. (Creed); Ps. 55. 16, liv-
ing, alive (R.V.) ; O.E. cwic.
They believe ttiattl e dead be conversant
among the quiche, as beholders and wit-
nesses of all their words and deeds.
Mores Utopia, p. 150.
QUINQUAGESIMA, the next Sun-
day before Lent ; so called be-
cause in round numbers it is 50
days before Easter ; Lat. quinqua-
pesima (dies), the fiftieth day.
QUIRE, ix. r, the part of the church
where the singers are ; O.Fr. quer;
Lat. chorus, a band of singers;
Gk. x»pos.
R
RABBI, Tr. S. p, a title of respect,
Master ; Lat. Rabbi (Vulg.) =
pa/3/3'i ; Heb. rabbi ; lit. my master.
RACA, 6 Tr. g, an expression of
contempt, meaning ' worthless
one ! ' In Vulg. and Greek from
a Chaldee word, the root-idea of
which is emptiness; cp. James 2.
20, ' O vain (empty) man.'
RAHAB, Ps. 87. 8; cp. Ps. 89. 11
(A. V.), a name for Egypt in He-
brew poetry (Isa. 80. 7 & 51. 9),
expressing the boisterousness or
arrogance of the Egyptians as a
people ; Heb. rahab, the boister-
ous one ; cp. Job 26. 12.
RAIMENT, 8 A. g ; Ps. 109, 17, cloth-
ing. M.E. araiment ; cp. O.Fr.
arrayer, to array.
RAMPING, Ps. 22. 13, snatching,
tearing, ravening (R.V.).
They gape upon me with their mouthes,
as it were a rampynge and roarynge Lyon.
Mathew's Bible.
Under whose shade the ramping lion
slept Shaks. 3 Hen. VI. v. 2. 13.
RATIFY, xix., to confirm (a pro-
mise) ; Late Lat. ratificare, to
make settled, valid.
RAVISH, Ps. 10. 9, to carry off; Fr.
ravir ; Lat. rapere, to snatch.
He ttttith aspies, for to ra vytche » por«
man. WycBf.
REALM, xxix. 37, kingdom; O.Fr.
realme (mod. royaume) ; cp. O.Fr.
real (mod. royal) ; Lat. regalem.
REASON, Ps. 38. 3, 'by reason of,*
on account of.
By the rentm of her cost! jnes.
Tlndale. Rev. 18. 19.
O.Fr. raison; Lat. rationem.
REASONABLE, xi., 'reasonable
soul,' endowed with reason, ra-
tional. O.Fr. raitonnable; Late
Lat. rationabiltm.
REBUKE, Ps. 39. 9, an object of
scorn ; so Heb. Cp. O.Fr. rehou-
quer, to take the edge off, to blunt.
REDEEMER, Ps. 19. 15 = Heb.
go'el, deliverer; xn. = Lat. re-
demptor, one who ransoms (Vulg.),
lit. one who buys back (a slave),
and so releases.
REDEMPTION, xxix. 28, the de-
liverance of mankind from sin
and death by the obedience and
sacrifice of Christ ; Lat. reJemptio,
lit. a buying back (Vulg.).
REDUCE, in., to bring back to a
better condition ; Lat. reducere.
REFRAIN, Ps. 40. 11 ft 76. 10 & 119.
101 & 131. 3, to restrain; O.Fr.
refreiner; Lat. refrenare (Vulg.),
to hold in with a bit, from frenum,
a bit, curb.
REGENERATE, N. of Ch. c; xvi.;
REGENERATED, xxix. 9, born
again; Lat. regeneratus (Vulg.).
REGENERATION, Con. St. P. a,
the new birth of the whole crea-
tion, the restitution of all things ;
Lat. regenerate (Vulg.) ; xvi.,
xxix. 27, new birth.
REHEARSE, Ps. 87. 6, to reckon,
to count ; so P.. V. O. Fr. re-
fiercer, to harrow over again, to
go again over the same ground,
From herce, a harrow.
REINS, Ps. 7. 10 & 16. 8 & 26. 2 ft
139. 12, the parts about the heart ;
in the original the kidneys, re-
garded in Hebrew poetry as the
seat of the emotions, and even
representing the inmost mind ;
O.Fr. reines; Lat. renes (Vulg.).
Thou, God, sekyng the hertU and reynet,
sclialt dieme a just man.
Wyclif. Pt. 7. 10.
RELIGION, xin. 10, the perform-
ance of duties for the love of God ;
8 a. E. e, 'Christ's Religion,' a
system of faith and worship ; 5 a.
E. e, ' pure religion ' — flprjoxeia,
a word implying outward cere-
monial service in God's honour,
rather than the inner devotedness
of heart and life to God. Lat. re-
ligio (Vulg.); the word originally
meant reverence, being derived
from relegere, to look back, to
respect, reverence.
RELIQUES, xxix. 22, relics, the
remains of the bodies or clothes
of Saints or Martyrs ; Lat. reliquiai
(Vulg.).
REMEMBER, Ps. 22. 27, 'shall re-
member themselves.'
I remember me. Shaks. Tvo. W. v. 286.
REMISSION, Ash-W.c a remitting
of a penalty, pardon ; Lat. remissio
(Vulg.).
REPLENISH, ixM to fill completely;
O.Fr. replenir from Lat. plenus,
full.
REPROOF, Ps. 81. 13, an object of
scorn, from O.Fr. reprover; Lat.
rerrobare, to reject on a second
trial.
REPROVED, St. Tlios. c, found
wanting after examination.
RESOLUTION, n., 'the resolution
of all doubts,' loosening, unravel-
ing, solution; Lat. re*olutio, un-
tying, explanation.
RESPONDS, ii., musical responses
interspersed in the reading of
Scriptures ; see p. 9 ; from Lat.
respondere, to reply.
REVELATION, Epi. e, an unveil-
ing; Lat. revelatio (Vulg.); also
in A.V. the name of one of the
books of the New Testament =
airoKoAvi^is, the Apocalypse, the
Unveiling ; in Vulg. Apocalypsis.
oil, o s S-A-ivsr.
REWARD, Ps. 81. 26, to punish ; lit.
to pay one's due to ; bo Heb.
The original sense of the word
' reward is to mark or heed, as
a lord who observes a vassal, and
regards him as worthy of honour
or punishment ; O.Fr. reuarder
(now regarder, to look).
RID, Ps. 71. 1, to deliver; M.E.
ridden; O.E. hreddan.
Rydde me and deliver me thorow thy
rightuousnesse. Covtrdale.
RIGHT, Ps. 30. 8 & 46. 5 & 53. 8,
very ; cp. the titles Right Reverend,
Right Honourable.
Then shoulde Jacob rejoiyse, and Israeli
should be ryght glad.
Mathew, Ps. 53. 8.
RIGHTEOUSLY, xn., 'evils that
we most righteously have deserv-
ed,' justly ; righteous — M. E.
rightwis; O.E. rihtwis.
RITES, xxix. 20 & 34, religious
ceremonies ; Lat. ritus, a reli-
gious observance ; a very old term
belonging to religious language
among the Romans. It frequently
occurs in the Vulg.
ROCHET, xxvn. (Bishops), a linen
garment worn by bishops ; O.Fr.
rochet; Low Lat. rochetum (Du-
cange) ; cp. O.H.G. roch, hroch, a
garment.
ROD, Ps. 110. 2, 'the rod of thy
power,' i.e. thy powerful sceptre,
the emblem of royal power; see
Cheyne.
The Lord shal send the rod of thy power
out of Zion. Geneva.
O.E. rod, a rod, pole, gallows,
cross.
ROGATION, vin.: xxix. 35, ' Ro-
gation Sunday,' Rogation Days,'
"the Sunday and the three days
before Ascension Day, set apart
to be observed by processional
prayers and fastings; Eccles. Lat.
rogationes, processional prayers
(Ducange), from Lat. rogare, to
ask. The old English term for
this season was Gami-day?, i.e.
procession days ; see Cotgrave,
s. v. Rouaisons.
ROOM, Ps. 31. 9, 'in a large room;'
see Large ; 17 Tr. g, ' the chief
rooms,' seats ; so R.V. ; ' the
highest room,' the chief seat ;
so R.V. ; ' the lowest room,' the
lowest place; so R.V.
RUBRICK, i.; xv., a rule in the
Prayer Book, so called because in
old times usually written in red
letters ; Late Lat. rubrica, a title
or a rule written in red, from Lat.
ruber, red.
RUNAGATES, Ps.68.6, rebellious;
so R.V.
I wyll not playe the runagate and goe
everywhere, but I retourne apavne to my
father. I'Uall's Erasmus ( W.B. W. ).
Cp. M.E. renegat; O.Fr. renegat,
a renegade, an apostate; Late
Lat. renegatuti, one who denies
his religion (Ducange), from rene-
gare, to deny.
s
SABA, Ps. 72. 10, Seba in R V.,
generally indentified with Meroe,
the chief town of Cush or Ethi-
opia; Bee Aids: cp. Isa. 43.3; Saba
(Vnlg.) = 2aj8a. LXX. and Jo-
eephus ; Heb. Sebha'.
SABAOTH, ix. (Te Deum), ' Lord
God of Sabaoth,' of hosts, armies ;
cp. Vulg. Rom. 9. 29 ; James 5.
4, ' Dominus Sabaoth ' — 2a$aw0
(LXX.) from the Hebrew. Je-
hovah was called the ' Lord of
Armies,' as ruler of the heavenly
hosts, the stars, of the minister-
ing spirits, the angels, of the
armies of His people Israel. It
was a title equivalem to ' the God
of heaven,' ' the Almighty.' It is
often rendered in the LXX. by
travTOKp&Ttap, almighty.
SABBATH, xv. ; xvm., the day of
rest (Ex. 20. 10) ; Lat. tabbatum
(Vulg.) ; trap/Sara, pi. (LXX.) ;
Heb. shabbath, rest; cp. Fr. sa-
medi, Saturday, representing Late
Lat. sabba(ti) dies.
SACKCLOTH, Ps. 30. 12 & 35. 13,
coarse stuff made of hair-cloth
worn during mourning ; Lat.
saccu*, a sack (Vulg.) ; aa.KKO<s
(LXX.) = Heb. mk (Gen. 37. 34).
SACRAMENT, xxix. 25, 26, 28, 29,
35, a sacred rite ordained by
Christ himself ; see p. 255 ; Late
Lat. sacramentum, a sacred rite :
also specially, one of the more
solemn rites of the Gospel and
the Church. In Vulg. sacramen-
tum = ii.vo-nipi.ov, mystery (Rev.
OL088ARY.
17. 7)- Among the Romans the
word sacramentum meant (1) any
thing sacred, hence in law a
sacred deposit, a pledge ; (2) the
military oath of allegiance. Hence
Fr. ferment, an oath.
SACRIFICE, Ps. 4. 5 & 51. 19 - Heb.
zebhach, a slain victim ; Ps. 141. 2
= Heb. minehah, a gift, an offer-
ing; Ps. 118. 27 = Heb. cfiag, the
sacrificial victim, lit. a feast. In
the Prayer Book the word is nsed
very frequently of the self-devo-
tion of Christ and of his atoning
death, as well as of the self-dedi-
cation of Christians for Christ's
sake to God ; see 2 a. E. c ; xv. ;
xviii. ; xxix. 2, 15. In xxix. 31,
' the sacrifice of masses ; ' Lat.
sacrificium, an offering to God
(Vulg.), lit. a sacred function, a
very common word in the religious
language of the Romans.
SADDUCEES, 18 Tr. a, a sect
among the Jews which insisted
chiefly upon morality, and pro-
fessed no hope of future recom-
pense ; see Aide (art. Jewish
Sects) ; Lat. SadducaH (Vulg.) =
la&SovKolot., from a Heb. word
meaning ' righteous.'
SAINTS, ix. (TeDeum and Creed);
All S. c; xxix. 22, the holy ones,
whether on earth or in heaven ;
Fr. saint ; Lat. sanctus (Vulg.) =
ayios (as ifl Phil. 1. 1) = Heb.
qddosh, separated, consecrated
and devoted to the service of
God. See Holt.
SAINTS, Ps. 30. 4 & 81. 26 & 50. 5
& 52. 10 & 79. 2 = Heb. chastdim,
pious men, the Hebrew word in-
cluding both love to God and love
to man ; see Aide (art. Jewish
Sects, ' The Chasidim ').
SALVATION, All S. e, in Psalms
frequently ; xxix. 6, 17, 18, 20, de-
liverance, help, safety, welfare,
prosperity, victory. A word of
large meaning, including all that
is implied in the saving grace of
God. Lat. ealvatio (Vulg.), but
the usual word in the Vulg. is
salus, health, safety.
SANCTUARY, Ps. 20. 2, the holy
place on the heights of Zion;
Lat. tanctuarium (Vulg.) from
eanctus', see Saints.
SANDALS, St. Pet. e, wooden soles
bound on to the feet with straps ;
Lat. sandalia; Gk. aavSaAia ; a
word of Persian origin.
SATAN, Ps. 109. 5, 'let Satan stand
at his right hand,' i.e. an adver.
sary ; so K.V.
SATAN, 1 L. a; St. Mich. «; xn.,
one of the names of him who is
variously called in Scripture the
dragon, the old serpent, the devil,
the accuser, the tempter ; Lat.
Satan {Yvlg.)=tarav (2aravas) =
Heb. Satan, a bitter enemy, a
persecutor ; in the Book of Job,
the malignant accuser of men in
the presence of God. The LXX.
renders Heb. Satan by Ji«/3oAo;
(cp. 1 Chron. 21. 1). See Devil.
SATISFACTION, 4 A. e; xv., 'the
satisfaction of thy Son ; ' xxix. 31,
something done to satisfy a per-
son offended, a term used of the
Offering of Christ on the Cross ;
Lat. satis) 'actio (Vulg), lit. a mak-
ing content (properly a legal
phrase).
SAVIOUR, Ps. 17. 7 & 18. 1 & 108. 21,
He who saves, helps, delivers,
gives victory and prosperity, said
of Jehovah ; x., 'Jesus Christ our
Saviour;' O.Tx.saveor; "Lat.salva-
torem (Vulg.). See Salvation.
SCHISM, xn., a separation from
communion with the Catholic
Church ; in the N.T. the word is
used for a division within the
Church (see 1 Cor. 1. 10); Lat.
echisma (Vulg.) = axia^a, lit. a
rent, as of garments, nets, hence
discord, division.
SCHOOL - AUTHORS, xxix. 13,
more commonly school - men, a
name given to the theological
writers of the Middle Ages. They
were dialecticians as well as theo-
logians, and spent much time on
points of nice and abstract specu-
lation. Lat. schola ; Gk. axokrj,
a place for learned conversation,
lectures ; lit. rest, leisure, spare
time.
SCOURGES, Pp. 89. 32, stripes; so
A.V. ; M.E. scourge (Wyclif, John
2. 15) ; O. Fr. escourge, a thong,
ooL-ossA-ii-sr-
whip; hence the verb S. b. E. g
(Matt. 27.26).
He took to hem Jhesu teourgid to be
crucified. Wyclif. Matt. 27. 26.
SCRIBES, St. Ste. g; 3 Tr. g, an
order among the Jews; trans-
cribers, guardians, students, and
expounders of Scripture ; see Aids
(art. Jewish Sects) ; Lat. scriba
(Vulg.), lit. a writer.
SECT, xxix. 18, mode of life, sys-
tem of opinion; Lat. secta (Vulg.),
lit. a path ; cp. sequor, I follow.
SEDITION, xii.; Th. b. E. g, civil
discord, rebellion ; Lat. seditio
(Vulg.), lit. a going apart.
SEE, xxvu. (Bishops), the seat of
a bishop; M.E. se; O.Fr. se, sed;
Lat. sedem, a seat; in Eccles. Lat.
the church or city of a bishop
(Ducange).
SEED, Ps. 22. 28, offspring, de-
scendants ; O.E. s&d.
SENATORS, Ps. 105. 22, lit. elders ; ,
soR.V. marg. Lat.*ewafor(Vulg.), '
lit. a member of the senate, sena-
*H*,the council of elders, connected
with senex, old.
SEPTUAGESIMA, the third Sun-
day before Lent, in round num-
bers 70 days before Easter ; Lat.
septuagesima (dies), the seventieth.
SERAPHIN, ix. (To Deum), the
highest of the nine Orders of the
Heavenly Intelligences, according
to the teaching of the theologians
of the Middle Ages, representing
ardent love ; serapAin^Heb. i-era-
phim (Isa. 6. 2), seraphs, divine
beings seen by Isaiah in his vision
of heaven, conceived as guards
keeping everything that is pro-
fane or unclean at a distance.
The word has been supposed to
mean ' the burning ones.'
To thee cherubyn and seraphin crien
with outen stentinge.
Douce MS. (1420) (N.E.D. s.v. cherub).
SERMON, xv. ; xvi., a public dis-
course in church ; Lat. sermo,
discourse, word3 (Vulg.).
SERVICE (DIVINE), n.. the Com-
mon Prayers in the Church, an
equivalent for Liturgy (which
Bee); Eccles. Lat. servitium for
tervitut, divine service (Ducange).
SET BY, Ps. 15. 4, 'he that setteth
not by himself,' to think much of,
to esteem.
His name was muche set by.
Geneva, 1 Sam. 18. 30.
SEX AGESIM A, the second Sunday
before Lent, in round numbers
60 days before Easter ; Lat. sexa-
gesima (dies), the sixtieth.
SHAWM, Ps. 98. 7, a mistransla-
tion of Heb. shophdr, a wind in-
strument formed of a ram's horn
or cow's horn, 'cornet' (R. V.) ;
'shawm ' is properly the name of
a reed instrument, and is also
written sfialme, shalmie; M.H.G.
schalmie; O.Fr. chalemie, chalemel,
calamel, a reed pipe, dim. from
Lat. calamus ; Gk. KaAajuos, a
reed.
With shalmes and sounde of t umpeti
sing loude before the Lord the King.
Geneva.
With shaumes and trumpets and with
clarions sweet. Spenser, F. Q. i. 12. 13.
SHINE, Ps. 97. 4, * His lightnings
gave shine,' lightened ; so R.V.
I saw a grett lyght witli bryght shyne.
Cov. My»t. (W.B.W.).
SHIPS OF THE SEA, Ps. 48. 6, the
ships of Tarshish ; so R.V. ; deep-
sea ships, such as were built for
the foreign trade, especially with
Tartessus, a city of the Phoeni-
cians in the south of Spain. The
Pr.Bk.V. here follows Luther (cp.
Isa. 2. 16). See Tharsis.
SHRINKED, Ps. 119, 51, swerved; so
R.V.
SINGULAR, St. Barn, c, rare, spe-
cial; Lat. singular is, by oneself
(Vulg.).
SLEEP, E. Tu. e, 'David fell on
sleep,' fell asleep, i.e. died.
For David . . . fell on slept. Cranmer.
SORE, 4 A. c'sore let and hindered,'
grievously; O.E. save; cp. Germ.
sehr. See Ps. 88. 8.
SORT, Ps. 62. 8,' all the sort of you,'
company, assemblage.
Ye shal be slayne all the torte of you.
Mathew's Bible.
He chaunst to spy a tort of ghepheard
groomes. Spender, F. Q. vi. 9. 5.
Fr. sorte ; It. sorta, condition,
kind, manner.
ox^oee-AjFtTr.
SOUL = Heb. nepheth, (1) Ps.88. 18
& 44. 25 & 74. 20 & 121. 7 & 124.6.
life, the vital principle, ' anima ;
(2) Ps. 42. 1 & 63. 2 & 86. 4, the
mind, especially as emotional, as
loving, hating, trusting, grieving ;
Ps. 11. 6, used of Jehovah.
SOUL, xi. ; xv. ; 2 L. c; xxn., the
inner, the invisible in man as dis-
tinguished from the visible body ;
the reasonable, moral, immortal
part of man.
SPAN, Ps. 89. 6, lit. handbreadths
(R.V.); see^irf* (art. Measures);
O.E. tpann, from a root the pri-
mary meaning of which was 'to
extend.'
SPECTACLE, xxi., 'daily spectacle*
of mortality,' proofs of our lia-
bility to death daily seen; Lat.
spectaculum (Vulg.).
SPENT, xv. r, consumed.
Their vitaille i< consumed and spent.
Hall, Hen. V. (W.B.W.).
SPIKENARD, Mon. b. E. g, the
root of a small plant with an
aromatic smell, an ingredient in
ointments ; see Aids (art. Plants
of Bible); M.E.»ptA-<?H«rrf(Wyclif,
Mark 14. 3) ; Lat. nardus spicatus
(Vulg.), nard furnished with
spikes ; Gk. vapSos; Heb. verd;
Bkt. nalada, the spikenard of the
Himalaya.
SPIRIT= Heb. rUach (1) Ps. 82. 2 &
34. 18 & 78. 9 & 189. 6, the mind as
feeling and perceiving ; (2) Ps. 104.
4, ' He maketh his angels spirits,'
rather, 'Who maketh winds his
messengers;' so R.V. Lat. spi-
ritus, breath (Vulg.).
SPIRIT, xxix. 9, ' the flesh lusteth
contrary to the spirit ' (Gal. 5. 17),
the Holy Spirit, the governing
principle in man, the animating
principle of Christian life ; xxn.,
' the last Adam a quickening
rpirit,' Christ a spirit of influ-
ence, giving life to others (1 Cor.
15. 45) ; xxii., ' the spirits of them
that depart,' denoting that which
is immortal in man.
SPOIL, Ps. 68. 12, booty, plunder
from an enemy's camp ; Lat.
spofium, orig. the skin of an ani-
mal stripped off.
SPOUSE, xx„ 'his tpoute the
Church,' a betrothed, a wife ;
O.Fr. espouse; Lat. tponsa, a be-
trothed woman, one promised.
STABLISH, Ps. 119. 88, make firm ;
O. Fr. ettablir; Lat. ttabilire
(Vulg.) from stabilis, standing
firmly.
STATURE, 1 a. Epi. a, height; but
perhaps the Greek should be ren-
dered by ' age, time of life; ' see
R.V. marff. Lat. statura (Vulg.).
STATUTES, Ps. 119. 5, ordinances;
Lat. statutum, something set, es-
tablished.
The statute* of the Lord are right.
Geneva. Ps. 19. a
STAY, Tn. b. E. e, to rely upon;
O. Fr. estuyer (now etayer), to
prop.
STEWARD, 3 A. e; S. a. As. e, one
entrusted with property to be
dispensed to others, one who has
charge of a household ; M. E.
steward, stiward ; O.E. stigtceard,
lit. a sty-ward, a keeper of the sty
or cattle pen, one who looked after
the domestic animals.
There was a certayne ryche man which
had a tteward. Mathew, Luke 16. 1.
STOCK, E. Tu. e, family. So fre-
quently in Shakspere.
STOCKS, Ps. 105. 18, R.V. renders
' fetters.'
Thei maden lowe hise feet in stockls.
Wyelif.
STOMACH, Ps. 101. 7, ' whoso hath
a high stomach,' a proud heart;
so R.V. ; the Heb. means literally
one wide of heart.
A man of an unbounded stomach, ever
ranking himself with princes.
Shaks. Henry VIII. Iv. 2. St
STOOL, Ps. 94. 20, ' the stool of
wickedness ;' Heb.Arwe', generally
denoting the throne of a king, but
applied here to the elevated seat
occupied by a judge ; Luther uses
the cognate Germ, stuhl.
STRANGE CHILDREN, Ps. 18. 45,
the sons of a foreign land, the
foreigners, the enemy, the stran-
gers ; so R.V.
STRANGERS, Wh. S. e, sojourners
(from Rome) ; so R.V. ; people
from Rome who were sojourning
at Jerusalem.
a-3L.OSSA.RTT-
STRA W, 1 A. a. to spread ; so R.V. ;
a form of strew.
Other cut doune braunehea from the
trees, and ttrawed them in the wave.
Tindale.
SUBSISTING, xi. = Lat. subsisted,
being always, continuing.
SUBSTANCE, xi. ; xv. (Nicene
Creed) = Lat. substantia, the ren-
dering of the Gk. oiieria. essence.
Substantia means lit. 'standing
under,' and expresses, in the lan-
guage of the Schoolmen, the invi-
sible reality which underlies the
visible object. It should be noted
that in theological language sub-
stance does not mean ' visible
matter" as it does in ordinary
parlance. See Transubstantia-
tion.
SUBTILTY, xii., subtlety, acute-
ness, fine craft ; Lat. subtilita*
from subtilis, fine, precise, subtle.
The serpent beguiled Eve through his
subtiltie. Geneva, 2 Cor. 11. a
SUFFER, Ps. 16. 11, to permit;
O.Fr. svJTrir (now souffrir) ; Lat.
sufferre, to endure.
SUFFRAGE, xxvu. r (Bishops), a
short petition, such as is found
in the Litany; Eccles. Lat. suffra-
gium, a prayer to the saints
(Ducange), in Lat. a vote, the
right of voting.
SUNDAY, the first day of the week
= Lat. dies Solis, the pagan name
of the day, mentioned by Justin
Martyr, and retained by Constan-
tine, who in a.d. 821 issued an
edict for the general observance
of Sunday. The division of the
month into weeks of seven days
was an Accadian and Babylonian
institution, the names of the days
being connected with the names
of the sun, moon,. and five planets.
SUNDAY LETTER, seep. 30.
SUPEREROGATION, xxix. 14,
' Works of supererogation,' volun-
tary works besides, over and above
God's commandments ; Lat. su-
pererogatio from supererogare, to
pay out over and above (Vulg.).
SURCEASE, xxvu. r (Deacons),
to delay, desist from ; cp. O.Fr.
rursise, a delay (a law term),
from Fr. turseoir, to pause ; Lat.
supersedere, to forbear.
SWEAT, THE, xxi. r, the Sweat-
ing Sickness, Sudor Anglicus, a
dreadful pestilence which visited
England five times between a.d.
1485 and 1551, destroying thou-
sands.
All in maner as soone as the sweat tooke
them, or within a short tyme after \ elded
up the ghost. Holinshed ( W.B.W.).
SYNAGOGUE, St. Ste. g, a Jewish
place of assembly ; Lat. fpnago(,a
(Vulg.) = o-vvaywyri, a bringing
together, an assembly.
SYNODALS, ii., Canons of Pro-
vincial Synods; Eccles. Lat. syvo-
dale, a letter to the faithful from
a synod (Ducange), from ey nodus;
Eccles. Gk. 01*1/000?, a Christian
assembly, lit. a coming together.
TABERNACLE, Ps. 78. 61, 'the
tabernacle in Silo,' the dwelling-
place of Shiloh; Lat. tabernacu-
lum (Vulg.), a tent; also among
the Romans in religious language
the place wherein auspices were
observed.
TABLE, THE, xv., also 'the Lord's
Table,' ' the holy Table ; ' the word
is borrowed from 1 Cor. 10. 21,
and is a liturgical term of great
antiquity. So among the Romans
the word ' mensa ' was used of a
sacrificial table.
TABRET, Ps. 81. 2 & 149. 3, timbrel
( A.V.), tambourine ; see Aids (art.
Music) ; tabret, tabouret is a di-
minutive of tabonr; O.Fr. tabour;
Span, tambor; Arab, tambur.
TALE NT, 22 Tr. g, the Attic talent,
a sum of money, worth about
£200 ; Lat. talentum (Vulg.) =
rakavrov.
TARRY, Ps. 27. 16, 'O tarry thou
the Lord's leisure,' wait patiently
on Jehovah.
He that will have a cake out of the
wheat must needs tarry the grinding.
Shaks. TroU. i. 1. 16.
TE DEUM LAUDAMUS, ix., the
hymn is so called from the first
three words of the Latin original,
which mean, ' We praise Thee
(Christ) as God.'
TELL, Ps. 48. 11, to count, reckon
up; so Cheyne. O.E. tellan, to
count, from talu, a tale, number.
Walke aboute Sion, ko rounds aboute
her, and tell her towres. Coverdale.
TEMPORAL, 4 Tr. e, lasting for a
time, for the temporary season of
this life, opposed to ' eternal '
(see 2 Cor. 4. 18) ; xxix. 87, per-
taining to this world, secular,
opposed to ecclesiastical; Lat.
temporalii (Vulg.) from tempus,
time.
TEMPTATION, Ps. 95. 8, 'the day
of temptation,' the day of Massah,
a place so called from the chil-
dren of Israel 'tempting' there
Jehovah (see Ex. 17. 7, margin) ;
Lat. tentatio (Vulg.), sometimes
written temptatio, from tentare,
to touch, feel, try by handling,
tempt.
TESTAMENT, Ps. 105. 10; 5L.«;
12 Tr. e, a covenant (see R.V.) a
solemn agreement, hence xxix. 7,
* the Old and New Testament,' the
volumes containing the two Co-
venants of God with His peo-
ple ; Tertullian uses this term of
the Scripture ; Lat. testament urn
(Vulg.); in classical Latin the
publication of a last will, a will,
from testari, to testify. See p. 84.
He ordeynede it to Jacob in to . . . ever-
lastinge testament.
Wyclif, Ps. 104 (105). 10.
TESTIMONIES, Ps. 119 (freq.),
precepts, injunctions attesting or
giving evidence of God's will;
Lat. testimonium (Vulg.) from
testis, a witness.
TH ARSIS, Ps. 72. 10, Tarshish, pro-
bably Tartessus in the south of
Spain; Lat. Tharsis (Vulg.). See
Ships.
THERE, THERE, Ps. 70. 3, Aha.
aha; so R.V.
THIEVISH, frequented by thieves ;
Ps. 10. 8, ' The thievish corners of
the streets,' the lurking places of
the villages ; so R. V.
O bid me . ., rather than marry Paris,
. . . walk in thievish ways.
Shaks. Rom. iy. I. 79.
THOUGHT, 15 Tr. g, 'take no
thought,' be not anxious ; so R.V. ;
thought was often used in Tudor
English in the sense of sadness,
melancholy, anxiety.
King Arthur (W.B.W.).
TIMBRELS, Ps.68.25, tambourines;
see Tabrkt; cp-. M.E. timbre;
O. Fr. tymbre ; Lat. tympanum
( Vulg. ) = tv/uttcuw, a kettle-drum,
from Tvirreie, to strike.
In the mi. Ides were the maides plaring
wiih timbrel*. Geneva.
TINKLING, Q. S. e, clanging; so
R.V.
A tinkling cymbal. Geneva.
Y am maad as bras aownynge, or a cvm-
bal tynkynge. Wyclif.
TONGUES, Q. S. «, the Gift of
Tongues, the gift of uttering rap-
turous praise and adoration.
TRANSFIGURATION, a feast com.
memorating the Transfiguration
of our Lord, Aug. 6; by the Ar-
menians celebrated on July 14;
see p. 18 ; Lat. transfiguratio from
transfigurare (Vulg. ) = jxerafiop-
<f>ovv, to change the form.
TRANSGRESS, Ps. 25. 2, to act
covertly, to deal treacherously;
so Heb. See below.
TRANSGRESSION, xm., a step-
ping beyond the law of God ; Lat.
transgressio (Vulg.) from trant-
gredi, to step beyond.
TRANSITORY, xv.; xxix. 7, pass-
ing away, not lasting ; Eccles.
Lat. transitorius.
TRANSLATION, vn., the removal
of the remains of a saint to a great
Basilica or church ; see June 20,
July 4, Oct. 13, feasts commemo-
rating such an event ; Lat. trans-
latio, a bearing to another place.
TRANSUBSTANTIATION, xxix.
28, a miraculous change in the
elements in the Lord's Supper,
whereby, according to the Church
of Rome, the substantia, the un-
derlying essential nature, of the
Bread and Wine vanishes, and is
replaced by the substantia of the
Body and Blood of Christ, so that
only the accidentia, the separable,
visible, qualities remain ; Eccles.
Lat. tranmbstantiatio (Ducange).
See Substance. .
OLOS8ARY.
TRAVAIL, Ps. 7.15,* he travaiUth
with mischief,' he is in pain to
produce iniquity; xv. (Matt. 11.
28), to labour ; so A-V. and R.V. ;
Fr. travailler, to toil, from travail,
toil ; the same word as our travel,
to journey.
All )e that traveilen and ben chargid
come to me. Wyclif, Matt. 11. 28.
TRAVEL, xii. (truvell in ed. 1604),
to journey.
Whither travel you ?
Shaks. Gent. ir. 1. 16.
The same word as the word above.
TREASURES, Ps. 1S5. 7, treasuries;
so RV.
(He) bringeth forthe the winde out of
his treasure: Genera, Jer. 10. 13.
TRESPASSES (Lord's Prayer),
sins, offences ; O. Fr. trespas,
crime, also a death; lit. a step
beyond or across.
Joure hevenii fadlr schal forjive to Jou
Joure trespassis. Wyclif, Matt. & 14.
TRIBE, Ps. 78. 68,' tribe of Ephraim'
= Heb. thebhet, lit. a branch, a
rod ; 6 a. Bpi. g, ' the tribes of the
earth,' races, nations ; Lat. tribus
(Vulg.).
TRIBULATION,xn.,great distress;
Lat. tribulatio (.Vulg.), lit. a rub-
bing out of corn by a sledge ; from
tribulum, a sledge for rubbing out
corn, consisting of a wooden plat-
form studded underneath with
iron teeth (see Isa. 41. 15).
TRIBUTE, 4 a. Epi. e, a fixed pay-
ment, a contribution to the state ;
Lat. tributvm from tribuere, to
render, pay.
TRINITY, xt.; xxix.l: xn.,' three
Persons and one God ; ' Lat.
Trinitas, the term first used by
Tertullian about a.d. 200. The
equivalent Greek term, Tpia?, is
commonly ascribed to Theophilus,
Bishop of Antioch, a.d. 181.
TROTH, xx., truth, good faith.
M.E. trouthe.
TRY OUT, Ps. 26. 2, to try tho-
roughly.
Trye out my mines and my hert.
Mathew's Bible.
TURKS, Gd. Fri. c, Mohammedans.
Peace shall so sleep with Turk* and in-
fidels. Sliaks. Kich. 11. ir. 1. 139.
TURTLE-DOVE, Ps. 74. 20, 'the
soul of thy turtle-dove,' a name of
endearment to one beloved ; here,
the people of Israel (see Cheyne);
Lat. turtur (Vulg.).
TUSH, Ps. 10. 6, ah exclamation of
scorn which does not occur in the
original.
He sayth in hyi herte : Tushe, I shall
never be cast downe. Mathew's Bible.
TUTOR, S. a. C. e, the legal guar-
dian of a minor; Lat. tutor
(Vulg.).
u
UNCREATE, XI., not made ; cp.
for the form of the participle —
O anything, of nothing first create.
Shaks. Rom i. 1. 183.
UNCTION, xxvn. (Priests), 'bless-
ed Unction,' ' Unction spiritual,'
an anointing from the Holy Spirit,
a figurative expression for sancti-
fying grace; cp. 1 John 2.20 (R.V.) .
The sons of Aaron were anointed
to their office of the priesthood.
See Christ. Lat. unctio (Vulg.),
an anointing.
UNDER, ix. (Creed), 'under Pontius
Pilate,' in the time of, i.e. when
he was governor; in the Gk. eni
IIoKTiou IIcAaTov.
UNDERSTANDED, xxix. 24 & 35,
understood.
These oracles were undent anded.
North's Plutarch (W.B.W.).
This is not a very rare form of the
pp. of understand. Another form
of the pp. in Tudor English was
identical with that of the infini-
tive.
Some things are hard to be understand.
Geneva, 2 Pet . & 16.
UNFEIGNEDLY, ix.; All S.c, with-
out pretence; feign through the
Fr. from Lat. Jingere, to form,
fashion, contrive.
UNICORN, Ps. 22. 21 & 29. 6 & 92. 9
= unicornis (Vulg.), one-horned =
fxovoKepwc (LXX.) = Heb. re'irn,
the name of some species of wild
ox, probably the bison or auerochs
(Urus) ; see Aida (art. Animal
Creation), and Smith's Bible
Diet., s. v.
aL088ARY.
UNIVERSAL, xii.; xv., 'the
universal Church,' the Church
throughout the whole world,
equivalent to ' Catholic ' (which
see) ; Lat. universalis.
UNIVERSITIES, xxix. (Declara-
tion), the two great corporations
of Oxford and Cambridge ; Late
Lat. unicersitas, a corporate body,
a corporation, also in a special
sense, a great teaching corpora-
tion.
UNSATI ABLE* in., that cannot be
satisfied ; Lat. insatiabilis (Vulg.).
UNTOWARD, xvii.,* this untoward
?eneration,' crooked ; so R. V.
Acts 2. 40) ; used sometimes in
the sense of refractory, unman-
nerly.
What mean* thi* scorn, thou most un-
toward knave ? Slinks. John, I. 243.
UP, * I will up,' Ps. 12. 6, now will I
arise ; so R.V.
I will up, sayeih the Lord.
Mathew's Bible.
UPBRAID, Ascen. a, to reproach.
And the theves, that weren crucified
with liym, upbreididen hym of the same
thing. Wyclif, Matt. V. 44
USE, ii., * Salisbury Use,' a form of
' saying and singing in Churches '
in use in different dioceses ; Lat.
USHS.
VAIL, Th.b.E.fir, spelt veil in R.V.,
'the veil of the sanctuary,' the
inner curtain screening off the
Holy of Holies from the Holy
Place (see Ex. 26. 88). O.Fr. veile
(now voile) ; Lat. vilum, a sail,
also a cloth, covering, veil
(Vulg.).
VAIN, Ps. 26. 4, 'vain persons,'
men of falsehood (so Cheyne).
Lat. vanus, empty, worthless
(Vulg.).
VAIN-GLORY,xn.,personal vanity;
see Phil. 2. 8, where ' vain-glory '
is the R.V. rendering of K*vo6o£ia,
lit. empty glory.
VANITY, Ps. 5. 5 & 6. 8 & 10. 7,
emptiness, falsehood, iniquity ;
lit. a breath. Lat. vanitas (Vulg.).
VENERABLE, vn., May 27, * Vene-
rable Bede ; ' see p. 20. Lat. vene-
rabili; to be reverenced (Vulg.).
VERILY, xvm., 'verily and indeed
taken,' truly.
VERITY, xi.,' the Christian Verity,'
truth, true doctrine ; Lat. verita*
(Vulg.).
VERY, xv. (Creed)=aAT>0iw>?, kvery
God,' true God, as distinguished
from any created thing ; cp. 1
Thess. 1. 9, where the same Greek
word is used to distinguish the
true God from idols.
To serve to the lyvynge God and veri.
Wyclif.
VESSEL, 2 L. e, ' to possess his ves-
sel' i.e. his wife (see Ellicott) ;
O.Fr. vessel, vaissel (novrvaitreau);
Lat. tascellum, diminutive of vat,
a vessel.
That ech of Jou kunne welde Ids vessel
In holynesse. Wyclif.
VESTED, xxvn. (Bishops, r.),
* vented with his Rochet,' clad offi-
cially ; Lat. testis, clothing.
VESTURE, Ps. 102. 27, a garment ;
O.Fr. vesteiire; Late Lat. vesti-
tura.
As vesture shalt thou change them, and
thel shal be changed. Geneva.
VEX, St. Pet. e. to afflict; so R.V. ;
Lat. vexare (Vulg.), lit. to keep
on moving a thing about, from
vehere, to carry, move.
VICAR, xv. r, 'Parson, Vicar, or
Curate,' one in charge of a parish,
supplying the place of the Rector,
when the Rector is a corporation
or a layman; Lat. vicarius, a
substitute, deputy, one who sup-
plies the turn or place of another.
VIGIL, vni., or Even, the day pre-
ceding a Feast or Festival of the
Church ; see p. 29; Lat. vigilia, a
watching (Vulg.).
VILE (BODY), 23 Tr. e; xxn., the
body of our humiliation (R.V.),
i.e. the body which we bear in
our present low estate, exposed
to sufferings, infirmities, indigni-
ties.
VISITATION, (of Virgin Mary),
vn., July 2; see p. 22; Lat. visi-
tatio (Vulg.).
VISITATION, 3 a. E. e; xxi., * so
to take thy visitation,' God's visit
to the world or to the soul to save
and to bless.
VOCATION, 17 Tr. e; Gd. Fri. c;
xv., God's calling to the life in
Christ, also that state of life
unto which it may please God to
call a man : Lat. vocatio, a calling
(Vulg.).
VOID, Ps. 69. 26. desolate ; so Heb. ;
O.Fr. toide, empty.
She (Nineveh) U empty and voyde and
waste. Geneva, Nahum 2. 10.
VOUCHSAFE, ix. (Te Deum) ;
xii.; xv., to condescend to grant ;
M.E. vouchen safe, to warrant as
safe ; Law Fr. voucher, to call ;
Lat. vocare.
VULGAR, xvi., 'in the vulgar
tongue,' the language used by
the common people, i.e. English,
not Latin ; Lat. vulgaris, belong-
ing to the great mass or multi-
tude, from vulgus.
The booke of Christes holy Testamente
to bee read of the people in their vulgare
tongue.
Udall's Erasmus (W.B.W.).
w
WAIT, watching, ambush, Ps. 41. 9,
*hath laid great waif;' R.V. has
'hath lifted up his heel.' O.Fr.
gaite, also guet.
WANTONLY, xx., licentiously, un-
restrainedly ; M.E. wantoun, wan-
towen, untrained, ill-bred ; wan =
lacking, wanting, and touren, O.E.
togen, pp. of teon, to bring up.
WARD, St. Pet. e, the watch or
guard, the sentry = fyvkoncnv.
And thei passiden the first and the se-
counde warde. Wychf.
WARILY, xv. ; xxiv., cautiously.
Warily
I stole into a neighbour thicket by.
Shaks. L. L. L. v. 2. 93.
WATCH, E. Ev. g, a guard; so
R.V. ; i.e. a body of soldiers serv-
ing as a guard.
WATER-PIPES, Ps. 42. 9, the
torrents of a waterfall ; LXX.
renders KarappanToiv, of (thy)
cataracts (so R.V. marg.).
WAX, Nat. of Ch. e: Ps. 102. 26, to
grow, become ; O.E. weasan.
WEALTH, Ps. 69. 23, welfare, well-
being, prosperity. M.E. vcelthe.
WEALTHY, Ps. 123. 4, those that
are at ease ; so R.V.
WEDLOCK, xx., 'in holy wedlock,'
solemn pledge before God, used
of the mutual promise between
man and wife; O.E. wedlac, a
pledge.
WELL, Ps. 84. 6, a place of springs ;
so R.V.
A teelle of watir spryngynge up in to
everhistynge lijf. Wychf, John 4. 14.
WELL-LIKING, Ps. 92. 13, flourish-
ing (as foliage) ; see Cheyne.
Their children were fat and weU-UHng.
Latimer (W.B.W.).
WHEN AS, S. a. C. g, when ; so R.V.
Many a battle have I won in France,
Whenut I he enemy hath been ten to-
one. Shaks. 3 Henry VI. i. ft 75.
WHITSUN (W E E K), for Whit-
Sunday Week ; in Iceland the
usual name for Whit-Sunday is
Hvita-sunna.
WHIT-SUNDAY, the Festival
which commemorates the out-
pouring of the Holy Spirit on the
Day of Pentecost (which see);
the name means White Sunday,
so called because Whitsuntide
was in northern Europe one of
the chief seasons for baptizing,
and candidates for baptism were
arrayed in white garments ; O.E.
Hwita Sunnan-dag, in A.S. Chro-
nicle, a.d. 1067 ; cp. Icel. Hvita-
sunnu-dagr. The Welsh name for
the day is Sulgwyn, i.e. White
Sunday.
WHOLESOME, Ps. 28. 9, 'the
wholesome defence,' the saving de-
fence, the protecting citadel,
stronghold of salvation (R.V.).
WILL, xi., 'whosoever will be
saved,' desires to be ; see p. 48-
WINE-FAT, Mon. b. E. e. a vat
or large vessel foi holding the
pressed juice ; O.E. fat, a vessel,
a cask.
OL,088ARY.
WINK, in., ' (the Ceremonies) were
winked at,' OTerlooked, unnoticed
(cp. Acts 17.30).
If the people of the land h de their eyes
and tcinke at th.it man.
Genera, Ue. 30. 4.
WISE, S. a. C. g. 'on this wise,'
thus, in this fashion ; O.E. win.
The byrthe of Jesus Christ was on this
wjfte. Tindale.
WIST, 1 a. Epi. g, 'wist ye not,'
knew ye not ; O.E. wiste, pret. of
witan, to know.
Witten )e not that in tho things that
ben of my fadir, it behoreth me to be T
Wyclif.
WIT, ii., intellect.
By lore the young and tender wit is
turned to folly. Shaks. Q*tU. V. L 1. 47.
O.E. (ge)witt.
WONT, 12 Tr. e, accustomed ; M.E.
woned, p.p. of wonien; O.E. gewu-
nian,to dwell, to be accustomed to.
And as he was wont, eftsoone he tau)te
hem. Wyclif, Mark 10 1.
WORD OF GOD, xxix. 19, 22, 24,
34, the Holy Scriptures.
WORD, THE, Nat. of Ch. i; = o
Aoyos, our Lord Jesus Christ, He
who being God, with God, was
made flesh, dwelt among us, was
in the world as Man. Cp. the
LXX. (Ezek. 1. 24), where in one
MS. the Heb. Shaddai, the Al-
mighty God, is rendered by o
Aoyos, ' the Word.'
WORLD = aiwv, rx. (Gloria Patri),
' world without end,' time without
end = ets aliava ; so xv. (Creed),
'the life of the world to come,'
of the age to come.
WORLD = »c6o>io«, the material
world, men living in the world,
especially those not of the Church,
the alienated from the life of God ;
xii. ; 18 Tr. c,' the world, the flesh,
and the devil.'
WORSHIP, Ps. 22. S, ' thou worship
of Israel;' the verse should be
rendered, ' But thou art holy, O
thou that art enthroned upon the
praises of Israel ; ' so R.v . : Ps.
47. 4, ' the worxhip of Jacob, the
excellency of Jacob, i.e. the Holy
Land (see Cheyne). O.E. weorth-
scipe, honour.
WORSHIP,xx.,to honour, respect,
to treat as worthy.
Worschipe till fadir and thi modir.
Wyclif, Matt. 19. 19.
WORTHILY, Ash-W. c, suitably.
Thou and thy fellows your li
did worthily perforin.
Shaks. Temp. v. 33.
WRETCHLESSNESS, xxix. 17, in
1553 spelt rechlesnesse = Lat. se<-u-
ritas, carelessness, recklessness ;
O.E. recelias, reckless, from recan,
to reck, to care.
Recheletne* <n' speking.
Chaucer, Persones Tale.
WRIT, ' Holy Writ; xxix. (Art. 20),
Holy Scripture.
And thus 1 clothe niv native villainy
With old odd ends stol'n forth of holy
writ. Shaks. Rich III. i. 3. 337.
WRITING-TABLE, St. J. Bap. g, a
writing tablet ; so R.V.
He asked for writing table*. Geneva.
1813
IBINTED BT BTRE AND SPOTTISWOODE, LTD., KING'S PRINTERS, LONDON.
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