the sale of indulgences, formal confessions, and pretended absolutions; all which things had contributed to let the people loose from those primitive bands of discipline, that might tend to some real amendment of life. Our Reformers could easily get rid of these corruptions, but could not so easily restore the primitive rigour that gave origin to them. However, till such times of pious conformity to religious observances, should arrive, they endeavoured to supply it, as well as they were able, by appointing the present Office to be used at this season, calling it, A Commination, or denouncing of God's Anger and Judgments against Sinners. Their meaning was, that the people, being apprised of God's wrath and indignation against their wickedness and sins, might not be encouraged, through want of discipline in the Church, to continue the practice of them; but should, at certain seasons, be moved by the terror of the dreadful judgments of God, thus rehearsed to them, to supply that discipline, of their own free will, by severely judging and condemning themselves, and so avoid being judged and condemned at the tribunal of God.

In the first Book of Edward VI. this Office was directed only for Ash Wednesday. In the second Book, it was, principally by the advice of Bucer, as is said, directed to be used divers times in the year; which times were fixed by Archbishop Grindall's Visitation Articles of 1576, on the three Sundays. next before Easter, on one of the two Sundays next before Pentecost, and on one of the two Sundays next before ChristThe title to the Office was, a Commination against Sinners. At the last Review were added, the explanatory words to the title, or denouncing of God's Anger and Judgments against Sinners; and the times of reading were left discretionally; to be used on the first day of Lent, and at other times, as the Ordinary shall appoint.

mas.

The Rubric directs this Service to be read after the Litany is ended in the former Rubrics, before the last Review, when the Litany was considered as a distinct Service, it was directed, that the Priest should go into the pulpit, and say the following Preface and Exhortation; nor was the pulpit an improper place for this office, since the denouncing of God's judgments is, as it were, a preaching of his word. It is certain, that the pulpit was at first designed, not only for preaching, but for any thing else, that was intended for the edification of the people. There the Lord's Prayer, Creed, and Ten Commandments, were, by King Edward VIth's injunctions, ap

pointed to be read in English, on every Holy-day, when there was no sermon to hinder it; and, by the same injunctions, before the Liturgy was formed, in that place used to be read, in English, the Epistle and Gospel for the day, with a Lesson out of the New Testament, in the morning, and one out of the Old, in the afternoon. However, reading-pews being brought into use before the last Review, this Office was no longer confined to the pulpit; but was allowed, by the Rubric, to be recited by the Minister, either there, or in the reading-pew.

OF THE PREFACE, DENUNCIATION, AND APPLICATION. This Office is introduced by a grave and solemn Preface, fitted to bring the minds of the Congregation into a serious composure, for hearing the Curses which God has denounced against impenitent sinners; by which means, as in a glass, each one will be able to discern his own sins, and the curses to which he is exposed.

It was a divine and positive institution first given to Moses, Deut. xi. 29, and xxvii. 14, and afterwards to Joshua, viii. 33, that these Curses should be repeated in the manner we now use. This seems to have been one of the Jewish institutions, that was not merely ceremonial, but moral. To publish the equity and truth of God, to profess our belief, that his Laws are righteous, and that the sanctions of them are just and certain, is as suitable for our Gospel times, and for Christian worship, as for the Jewish. Though Christ is made a Curse for us, Gal. iii. 13, it is only for those who truly repent; and the Curse of the Law remains in force against all others. The good man, therefore, has need enough to own what his sins had deserved, and to acknowledge his obligations to our Lord, for redeeming him; the bad man, to awaken him from his security and ease, and to bring him to repentance, before it is too late. For this reason, all the people, without distinction, as the sentences of Cursing are read, are to answer and say, Amen: the design of which is, not that the people should curse themselves, and their neighbours, (as some have inconsiderately imagined) but only that they should acknowledge they have deserved a Curse. For it is not here said, cursed be he, or may he be cursed; but, cursed is he, or he is cursed, that is guilty of any of these sins. Consequently, any one that answers Amen, does not signify his

desire that the thing may be so, as he does when he says Amen to a Prayer; but he only signifies his assent to the truth of what is affirmed, as he does when he says Amen to the Creed. It is used here, in no other sense than it is used in several places of the New Testament, where it is translated verily, and signifies no more than verily it is true. These Curses, and the answers that are made to them, like our Saviour's woes in the Gospel, are not the causes or procurers of the evil they denounce, but compassionate predictions of it, in order to prevent it. Above all things, it should be considered, that this manner of answering was appointed by God himself; and persons should be cautious how they charge it, with being either a wicked or improper institution.

These Denunciations are followed by a pathetical discourse, Now seeing that all they are accursed, &c. for applying them to our conscience; it is admirably fitted to the occa sion, and is almost all taken from Scripture.

OF THE PENITENTIAL DEVOTIONS.

The Church has here prepared such Penitential Devotions, as are suitable to the pious resolutions which, she reasonably supposes, must follow the serious discourses just read. These begin with David's Litany, Psalm li. the most solemn of the Penitential Psalms. After this, follows the usual lesser Litany, Lord have mercy upon us; then the Lord's Prayer, followed by the Suffrages. The Minister then addresses himself to God, for the pardon of the Congregation, in the first Collect, O Lord, we beseech thee, &c. and afterwards more pressingly in the second Collect; the people, prepared and revived by these importunate addresses, are now allowed to open their lips for themselves; and they plead for their own pardon in a General Supplication, in a very moving form of words, Turn unto us, O good Lord, &c.

The whole is concluded by a Blessing, which was added at the last Review: it is pronounced in the name of God, in a Form of his own prescribing, Numb. vi. 24. The Lord bless

us and keep us, &c.

OF THE PSALMS.

THE Psalms are a Liturgy of themselves; they contain Prayers and Thanksgivings, Confessions and Litanies, with Lessons declaring the wonderful works of God. They are likewise a sort of Epitome of the Bible, adapted to the purposes of devotion. They treat of the dispensation under the Old Testament, from the Creation to the Captivity; and they open a prophetical view of the dispensation under the New Testament; they give a prospect of the establishment of the Christian Church; and the final triumph of the righteous, with their Lord and King, Messiah. The whole of this is ornamented with the graces of composition, which, in profane subjects, we call poetical. It differs in another respect from the general tenure of Scripture; that it reduces to practice, what is, in other parts, matter of speculation or precept. In this Book, the prayers and praises of the Church have been offered up from age to age: it was the manual of the Jews; and appears to have been so used by Christ himself, who pronounced on the Cross the beginning of Psalm xxii. and expired with a part of Psalm xxxi, in his mouth.

The greater part of the Psalms bear, in their title, the name of David, as their author; some are expressed to be the composition of other holy men; and some, which have no name, are supposed, from internal, or other circumstances, to be the composition of David. They are quoted, in the New Testament, under the general title of Psalms, or Book of Psalms; and have ever been deemed of equal authority, without any distinction between the compositions of David, and those of others. The Jews divide them into five books; beginning the second book with Psalm xlii. the third with Psalm lxxiii. the fourth with Psalm xc. and the fifth with Psalm cvii. Our Church has always considered them as one book only. The Translation inserted in the Common Prayer Book, is that of Cranmer's Bible; and no other title is prefixed to each Psalm, than the initial words of the Latin Vulgate Translation. Each particular Psalm seems to stand in need of some short hint, to apprize the reader of the occasion on which it was written; and the propriety of its appli

cation, in the mouth of a Christian Congregation. This defect, the reader will find supplied in what follows.

It may be observed, that as the whole of the Old Testament, had for its object and end, the preparing of the Jews, for receiving the Saviour of the World, when he should come in his due time; so there is a double sense, in which it must be understood. The one is a literal sense, applicable to the occasion of the respective compositions; the other a prophetical, evangelical, mystical, or spiritual sense, applicable to the Saviour of the world, as well in his human, as heavenly character. As no part of Scripture contains such abundance of allusions to this grand design of God's dispensation, as the book of Psalms, so none stands in such need of this secondary sense, for a full understanding of it. This mode of interpretation seemed necessary to the Jews; who in no other sense could make the life and actions, the troubles, and triumphs of one person like David, the matter of their daily public Service; and, such a sense seems more peculiarly necessary for us, in order, that these compositions may have the use of Christian Hymns, and be pronounced by us, with an application to our own circumstances and situation.

The example for such application of the Psalms to the character of Christ, and also to that of his Church, is given us, in many instances, in the New Testament, where the words of the Psalms are so applied; and though some of these may be so applied, merely in the way of accommodation, like passages of ancient authors, adapted to recent occurrences, yet the much greater part of them are too precise, not to have been written upon a divine, preconcerted, prophetical plan; as they evidently contain much more than, at first sight, they appear to do. It is thought, that the sense of near fifty Psalms is fixed and settled by such application of them, in the inspired writers; such instances furnish a key of interpretation, by which Psalms of the same composition, and expression, may be expounded.

The Fathers of the Church, from the earliest to the latest period, followed the plan of the Apostles and Evangelists; and many of them have left us expositions, that point out, most plainly, this Christian use of every Psalm in the Psalter. In this particular, the Christian interpreters did not more adhere to the example of the Apostles, than the latter Rabbis have, to that of the ancient Jewish Church; for the latter agree in referring many of the Psalms to Messiah, and his kingdom;