1 say daily the Morning and Evening Prayer, either privately or openly, not being let by sickness or some other urgent cause1." To the adoption of them for family worship, it is urged as an objection, that something is required which bears more immediately upon domestic wants and circumstances: and to supply this deficiency a daily Prayer has, in this compilation, been provided, instead of the Collect of the week. The Collects for Wednesday and Friday are selected as relating to those events of our Redemption which took place on those days, and which have thus invested them 1 Preface to the Book of Common Prayer. with a degree of Holiness; our Lord having been betrayed on the Wednesday and crucified on the Friday'. Another objection is raised, on account of the length of the Services as they are found in the Book of Common Prayer; and to obviate this objection, the Psalms are omitted, together with what are called the state Prayers, and the Lessons are so placed that they may be read or not, according to convenience. For the omission of the state Prayers the apology is, that in behalf of the King and all who are in authority under him, the daily 1 Apostolical Constitutions, lib. v. c. 15. lib. vii. c. 23. Sacrifice of Prayer is offered in our Cathedrals and many of our Parish Churches, and no good Christian will forget, in his private devotions, to make supplication for the Peace of his Country and his Church: so that it does not seem absolutely necessary that this should form a part of domestic worship. By those who really admire the Services of the Church, greater variety in their devotions will not be required than that which is afforded by the daily change of the first Collect. But as the same Prayers are used twice, perhaps thrice, on a Sunday, at Church, two forms have been compiled for the Lord's Day; |