Chap. V. vine fervice before the time of St. Jerom 14. And it is plain that they would ftill have been very useful, fince the want of them is forced to be fupplied by the finging of Anthems in Cathedrals, and part of a Pfalm in Metre in Parish Churches. And therefore I cannot but think, it would have been much more decent for us to have been guided by the church what Pfalms to have used in that intermediate time, than to stand to the direction of every illiterate Parish Clerk, who too often has neither judg ment to choose a Pfalm proper to the occafion, nor skill to fing it so as to affift devotion. Advent SECT. I. Of the Sundays in Advent. FOR the greater folemnity of the three principal HolySundays. days, Chriftmas-day, Eafter-day, and Whitfunday, the Why fo called. The anti quity of them. church hath appointed certain days to attend them: fome to go before, and others to come after them. Before Christmas are appointed four Advent-Sundays, fo called, because the defign of them is to prepare us for a religious commemoration of the Advent, or coming of Chrift in the flesh. The Roman ritualifts would have the celebration of this holy season to be Apoftolical, and that it was inftituted by St. Peter's. But the precife time of its inftitution is not fo eafily to be determined: though it certainly had its beginning before the year 450, because Maximus Taurinenfis, who lived about that time, writ a homily upon it. And it is to be obferved, that for the more Sermons ftrict and religious obfervation of this feafon, courses of formerly Sermons were formerly preached in feveral Cathedrals on preached. Wednesdays and Fridays, as it is now the ufual practice in Lent 16. And we find by the Salisbury Miffal, that before the Reformation there was a special Epiftle and Gofpel relating to Chrift's Advent, appointed for those days during all that time. Advent The Collects. §. 2. The Collects for the firft and fecond Sundays in Advent were made new in 1549, being first inserted in the first book of King Edward VI. That for the third Sunday was added at the Restoration in the room of a very 14 De Rit. Eccl. 1. 7. c. 11. 15 Durand. Rational. lib. 6. cap. 2. numb. 2. fol. 255. 16 See Dr. Greenvil's Sermon, preached in the Cathedral of Dur ham, upon the revival of the ancient and laudable practice of that and some other Cathedrals, in having Sermons on Wednesdays and Fridays in Advent and Lent. Quarto, 1686., fhort F fhort one not fo fuitable to the time*. The Collect for Sect. I. the fourth Sunday is the fame with what we meet with in the most ancient offices, except that in fome of them it is appointed for the first Sunday +. 17 The Epiftles and Gofpels appointed on these days are Epiftles all very ancient and very proper to the time: they affure and Gofus of the truth of Chrift's firft coming 17; and, as a proper pels. means to bring our lives to a conformity with the end and defign of it, they recommend to us the confiderations of his fecond coming, when he will execute vengeance on all those that obey not his Gospel 18. year at Ad vent. §. 3. It is worth obferving in this place, that it is the Why the peculiar computation of the church, to begin her year, church be and to renew the annual course of her fervice, at this time gins her of Advent, therein differing from all other accounts of time whatsoever. The reafon of which is, because the does not number her days, or measure her feasons, fo much by the motion of the Sun, as by the course of our Saviour; beginning and counting on her year with him, who being the true Sun of Righteoufnefs, began now to rife upon the world, and, as the Day-ftar on high, to enlighten them that fat in fpiritual darkness. SECT. II. Of the Ember-Weeks. THE firft feafon of the Ember-days falling after the The origithird Sunday in Advent, I fhall take this opportu- nal of them. mity to speak a word or two of them; which are certain days fet apart for the confecrating to God the four seasons of the year, and for the imploring his bleffing by fafting and prayer, upon the Ordinations performed in the church at thofe times; in conformity to the practice of the Apostles, who, when they separated perfons for the work of the miniftry, prayed and fafted, before they laid on their hands. It is true, at the first planting of the Gospel, Orders were conferred at any time, as there was occafion : but as foon as the church was fettled, the Ordination of sd: The old Collect was this. Lord, we beseech thee, give ear to our Prayers, and by thy gracious vifitation lighten the darkness of our bearts, by our Lord Jefus Chrift, Amen. The words (through the fatisfaction of thy Son our Lord) were firft added in the Scotch Liturgy. 17 Epiftle and Gofpel 1. Epiftle for Sunday 2. Sunday 3. Epiftle and for Sunday Sunday 4. 18 Gospel for Sunday 2. and 3. Ministers Chap. V. Minifters was affixed to certain fet times, which was the first original of these four weeks of fafting Why fo called. At what times observed. Why ordi fixed to these times. §. 2. They are called Ember-Weeks (as fome think) from a German word which imports Abftinence: though. others are of the opinion that they are, fo called, because it was cuftomary among the ancients to exprefs their humiliation at thofe feafons of fafting, by fprinkling ashes upon their heads, or fitting on them; and when they broke their fafts on fuch days to eat only cakes baked upon Embers, which were therefore called Ember-Bread. But the most probable conjecture is that of Dr. Marefchal,. who derives it from a Saxon word, importing a Circuit or Courfe; fo that these fafts being not occafional, but returning every year in certain courfes, may properly be faid to be Ember-days, i. e. fafts in course 20 §. 3. They were formerly obferved in feveral, churches with fome ne variety, but were at last fettled by the council of pl of Placentia, A. D. 1095, to be the Wednesday, Fri day, and Saturday, after the first Sunday, in Lent, after Whitfunday, after the fourteenth of September, which; was then obferved as the feaft of Holy-Crofs, and the thirteenth of December, which was then also observed in remembrance of St. Lucy 22. $.4. §. 4. The reafons why the Ordination of Minifters are nations are fixed to thefe fet times of fafting, are thefe: firft, that as all men's fouls are concerned in the ordaining a fit Clergy, fo all may join in fafting and prayer for a bleffing upon it: 1 fecondly, that both Bifhops and Candidates, knowing the time, may prepare themselves for this great work: thirdly, that no vacancy may remain long unfupplied: laftly, that the people, knowing the times, may, if they pleafe, be prefent, either to approve the choice made by the Bishop, or to object against those whom they know to be unwors 2 thy; which primitive privilege is still referved to the people in this well-conftituted church. Tol ji9T the church. How early THOUGH the learned in moft ages have differed conobferved in cerning the day and month of our Saviour's Natiood vity: yet we are certain that the feftival was very obferved in the primitive church. mistaken, yet the matter of the 20 In his obfervations upon the Saxon Gofpels, pages 528, 529. 21 See the Anfwers of Ecbright carly r And if the day was t mistake being of no upon Question 16, in Johnson's Ec clefiaftical Laws, A. D. 734. 22 Concil. tom. 1. col. 502. B. greater greater moment than the falfe calculation of a day; it Sect. III. will certainly be very pardonable in those who perform the business of the festival, with as much piety and devotion as they could do, if they certainly knew the time." §. 2. And that no one may want an opportunity to ce- The service lebrate fo great a feftival with a fuitable folemnity, the for the day. church both excites and affifts our devotion, by an admirable frame of office fitted to the day. In the firft Leffons 23 the reads to us the cleareft prophecies of Chrift's coming in the flesh; and in the fecond Leffons24, Epiftle, and Gofpel, fhews us the completion of thofe prophecies, by giving us the entire hiftory of it. In the collect the teaches us to pray, that we may be partakers of the benefit of his Birth, and in the proper Pfalms fhe fets us to our duty of praifing and glorifying God for this incomprehenfible myftery. 1 ftle, and The Epiftle and Gofpel are the fame that were ufed in The Colthe most ancient Liturgies; but the Collect was made lect, Epi new in 1549. In the firft book of King Edward VI. they Gofpel. are appointed for the fecond Communion, which I fuppofe was the principal one: fince the firft was probably, more early in the morning, for the benefit of fervants, and others who could not attend at the ufual time. The Collect for the firft Communion was different from what we now ufe*, as were alfo the Epiftle and Gospel; the Epiftle beginning Tit. ii. ver. 11, to the end; the Gofpel,, Luke ii. to ver. 15, the last of which we now read for the fecond Leffon in the Morning Service. 3. The Pfalins for the Morning are Pfalms xix. xlv. The Jxxxv. The xixth was chiefly defigned to give glory to Palms." God for all his works of power and excellence: the beginning of it, viz. The heavens declare the glory of God, &c. is extraordinary applicable to the day: for at the birth of Chrift a new ftar appeared, which declared his Glory and Deity fo plainly, that it fetched wife men from the East to come and worship him. The following verses all fet *The Collect for the firft Communion in King Edward's first book was this: God, which makeft us glad with the yearly remem-` brance of the birth of thy only Son Jefus Chrift; grant, that as we joyfully receive bim for our Redeemer, fo we may with fure confidence bebold him, when be ball come to be our Judge, who livetb and reignab, &c. 23 Ifa, ix, to ver. 8. chap. vii. ver. 10. to ver. 176 P 24 Luke ii. to ver. 15. Tit. iii. ver. 4. to ver. 9 forth Chap. V. forth God's goodness, in giving fo excellent a rule of life to men, and in warning us of the great danger of prefumptuous fins. The xlvth Pfalm is thought to be an epithalamium, or marriage-fong, upon the nuptials of Solomon and the king of Egypt's daughter; but it is myftically, and in a moft eminent fenfe, applicable to the union between Chrift and his church. The lxxxvth Pfalm was principally fet for the birth of Chrift; and fo the primitive Chriftians understood it; and therefore chose it as a part of their office for this day, as being proper and pertinent to the matter of the feaft. The prophet indeed speaks of it as a thing past, but that is no more than what is usual in all prophecies: for by fpeaking of things after that manner, they fignified their prophecies fhould as furely come to país, as if what they had foretold had already happened 25 The Evening Pfalms are Pfalms lxxxix. cx. cxxxii. The lxxxixth is a commemoration of the mercies performed and promised to be continued to David and his pofterity to the end of the world. The greatest of which mercies, viz. the Birth of the Meffiah, the church this day celebrates; and therefore appoints this Pfalm to excite us to thanksgiving for fuch an ineftimable mercy, by fhewing us how only the bare promife of it, fo many ages fince, wrought upon the faints of thofe times. The cxth Pfalm is a prophecy of the exaltation of the Meffiah to his regal and facerdotal office 26; both which are by him exercifed at the right hand of the Father, and fettled on him as a reward of his humiliation and paffion 27, The cxxxiid Pfalm feems to have been at firft compofed by Solomon upon the building of the Temple, (part of it being ufed in his prayer at the dedication of it.) It, recounts David's care of the Ark, and his defire to build God a Temple, and God's promises thereupon made to him and his pofterity, of setting his feed upon the throne till the coming of Chrift. SECT. IV. Of the days of St. Stephen, St. John, and the Innocents. The anti- THAT the obfervation of these days is ancient, we have the teftimonies of feveral very ancient writers 29, quity of them. 25 Acts ii. 30, 31. 26 Matt. xxii. 44. As ii. 34. 1. Cor. xv. 25. Heb. i. 13. 27 Phil. ii. 8, 9. 28 2 Chron. vi. 41, 42. 29 Orig. Hom. 3. in Diverf. part. who |