SERM. earth, to free the humam race from sin and IX. "thou didst not

the punishment due to it,

"abhor the Virgin's womb;"—thou didst not disdain to be born of the Virgin Mary. When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, by willingly thyself submitting to it, thou tookest from it its chief sting,

by opening widely the kingdom of heaven to all true believers. Thou art now exalted to the right hand of God, where thou sittest partaker of the father's glory, whence, we are convinced, that thou wilt descend, at the last day, to be our judge. On which

account, we pray thee, assist thy servants in their passage through this sinful world, those servants to whom thou hast shewn so much love, as to redeem them with thy most precious blood: take them into the number of those saints, who sit with thee in everlasting glory. "O Lord, save thy "people, and bless thine heritage;"-bless those whom the father hath given thee,

whom

IX.

whom indeed thyself purchased with thy SER M. life. Govern them and lift them up for "ever," and evermore support them.

66

Day by day we magnify thee;"-we pay all honour to thy perfections, and let us take care that we may with truth affirm this. And we perpetually pay our devo. tions to thy holy name; vouchsafe therefore, condescend this day, to watch over us and keep us free from sin. "O Lord, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us; O Lord, let thy mercy lighten, or fall, upon us, as our whole trust and confidence is " in thee. O Lord, in thee have I trusted, "let me never be confounded, and subdued

by my spiritual enemies."

The second lesson being ended, we recite the hundredth Psalm, which seems to come with peculiar propriety, after listening to a portion from the gospels. It particularly relates to the gospel times, as appears from its inviting all lands, or nations, to rejoice in

VOL. II.

K

the

SERM. the Lord, and to come before his presence

IX.

with songs, as it declares that we are all equally his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Now follows the Apostles' Creed, called by the name of the Apostles, not from any well-grounded pretensions which it has to have been drawn up by them, but from its containing a brief enumeration of the important doctrines which they delivered. It is called Creed, from the first word of it in Latin, Credo, signifying "I believe.'

As I explained each separate article of it in my discourses on the Catechism, I shall not at present dwell upon it, but merely observe, that the reason of our being ordered to repeat it is, that we may fix the more deeply in our minds the truths which are necessary to be believed, in order to our eternal happiness, and that we may bear open testimony of our agreeing together in the unity of the faith.

After

IX.

After this solemn profession, the minister SERM. and the people betake themselves to prayer, -first, mutually interceding with God for each other, that they may be enabled to offer him an acceptable sacrifice; such is the meaning of "The Lord be with you," and the reply of the congregation, " with thy spirit."

66 And

Having thus mutually prepared each other for the following service, which consists wholly of petitions, they begin them with short sentences:-" Lord have " mercy upon us; Christ have mercy upon "us;" to which is subjoined the Lord's Prayer. If there are any, who take offence at this prayer being repeated so often, let them remember that it was Jesus Christ himself who was the author of it;

and though we are cautioned against using vain repetitions in our prayers, yet, all repetitions cannot be vain, since our Saviour is described, in the twenty-sixth chapter

K 2

SERM. chapter of St. Matthew, begging God

IX.

to remove the cup from him three times, and in the very same words. The minister now stands up, and he, together with the people, offers up in short terms the heads of what they afterwards, in the following prayers, ask for more at length; this may be perceived by any one, who will compare them together; the short sentences are so plain as to require no explanation. The collects are then directed. to follow; they are called collects, either. from their having collected in them much good matter, or from their being repeated when the people are collected, or assembled together and the first of these collects is

that for the day.

There are collects appointed for the celebration of the principal parts of Christ's History; for instance, a collect for his birth, for his death, resurrection, and ascension; there are likewise collects to bring to our minds,

and