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LECTURE XI.

THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND, AS A SPIRITUAL

INSTITUTION.

THE SERVICES OF THE CHURCH.

1 TIM. ii. 8.

I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands without wrath or doubting.

We now approach the innermost sanctuary of the temple, of which we have hitherto been counting the towers, and considering the bulwarks and palaces. For the great purpose of all this goodly array of means and ordinances,-a Christian church,—a Christian ministry, and the office of the Christian magistrate, in their maintenance and protection,-is no other than that men may "worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;" may "pray every where, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting;" may"offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God

by Jesus Christ;" promised indeed with the lip, but rendered in the heart and the life.

In speaking of the provision made by the Church. of England for the fulfilment of this great purpose of Christian fellowship, I need hardly remark that she does not consider the most comely external form of godliness, as any substitute for its inward power; or confine her view of a sacrifice acceptable to God, to that which is presented in the precise mode which she has seen fit to adopt.

"He despiseth not," she tells us, "the sighing of a contrite heart, nor the desire of such as be sorrowful." Without words therefore, when the feelings are too intense for utterance; or in our own words, such as most aptly express our wants, however artless and unpolished the mode of expression; or in the words of scripture, which abounds with petitions suited to every imaginable desire and feeling of the mind; or in those of uninspired men like ourselves, whose language we can adopt as our own, she believes that the desires of the heart, which constitute the essence of prayer, may be acceptably presented to God. But in devising the best means for the general and permanent edification of Christ's household, the fathers of the Reformed Church of England preferred to adhere to the practice which had prevailed from the earliest ages in all parts of the Christian community, that of regulating the public worship according to a prescribed form, partly composed in the language of scripture itself, and partly in that of uninspired men, of various ages and countries.

Of this method, the great recommendation is, that it best complies with the injunction in the text, that prayer be offered up without the intrusion of irregular passions, or uncertainty as to the subject of petition; that it secures to the people the essentials of religious instruction, the means of offering to the Almighty a reasonable and holy sacrifice of prayer and praise, unaffected by the imperfections mental or spiritual of particular teachers; that, while all is done which piety and prudence can dictate to marshal in the service of the church, the most exalted talents, the most genuine wisdom, the most earnest devotion, the chief objects of Christian fellowship are placed beyond the reach of injury from the failure of these qualifications in individual instances, and can neither be defeated by the unfaithfulness of the worst pastor, nor deteriorated by the weaknesses of the best.

The degree of benefit hence derived to the general body of worshippers, must of course depend greatly on the nature and quality of the provision which the church herself has made on their behalf; by which must also be estimated the amount of compensation which they receive, for the restraints thus necessarily imposed on the gifts of individual instructors. In pursuance therefore of my remarks on the distinctive features of the Church of England as a spiritual society, I now propose,

I. To offer some general observations on her Liturgy, considered as embodying the whole course of arrangement whereby she either provides for

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by Jesus Christ;" promised indeed
but rendered in the heart and the lif
In speaking of the provision m
of England for the fulfilment
of Christian fellowship, I ne
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form of godliness, as any
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to God, to that which
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of a contrite heart.

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an, and presenting to God. No one who pirit of her formularies, can ouse is the house of prayer; on are assembled for the purpose ip; not merely or mainly to listen of a fellow creature, "charm he never but themselves to engage in acts of our ow ce, of faith, of supplication, of thanksgivhumble adoration; the instructions and

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Crtations of their teacher, whether prescribed or wherwise, being designed, by the help of that essed Spirit whose ambassador he is, to prepare their minds for the performance of these personal those resulting duties, by which alone their sincerity acts of homage, and for the faithful discharge of

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Far would I be from depreciating the importance of preaching, as the great instrument ordained of

LECTURK XI

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conversion of sinners and the but where so undue a pro

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Lastening forward with moment when we are to be exhibitions of gospel truth,

ppeals to our understanding and the talents of our favorite instructor

e him to impart; but little of genuine on can be hoped for, however powerfully our ons may be affected, or our judgments informed nd convinced.

There is still but too much ground for the complaint made in the days of Hooker, that with many the whole exercise of religion was "a mere preach," and "no sermon no service" their standing and approved rule. It cannot however be thus with any consistent attendant on the services of the Church of England; in which, beside that from the very nature of a prescribed ritual, the thoughts are withdrawn from the administrator and centered in the act of devotion, and thus God is less likely to be defrauded of His due either through delight in the excellence or disgust at the defects of His creature, the part which every one is expected to take in the service by voice and act as well as implied assent, is admirably calculated to bring

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