it not because the Romans ftill retained their Latin fervice, after the Latin language was loft among them by the course of time and inundation of barbarous nations? It is true indeed that God understands our petitions in any language; and he understands as well the breathings of our hearts, if we pray in no language at all. The defign of our prayers is not to inform Omniscience, but to acknowledge our own dependence; but how can they properly be faid to be our prayers, if we do not join in them? And how can we be faid to join in them, if we neither understand the fenfe nor the words? If I know not the meaning 1 Cor. xiv. of the voice I fhall be unto him that". Speaketh a barbarian, and he that Speaketh fhall be a barbarian unto me. It is a happiness therefore that our service is fuch as all may join in it, because all understand it; and herein we particularly follow the precept

B 3

I Cor. xiv. precept of the Apostle, Let all things be done to edifying.

26.

3. It recommends our liturgy yet more, that it was compofed principally out of fcripture or out of antient liturgies and fathers. There are not only feveral parts and paffages borrowed intire, as particularly the Lord's prayer, and the pfalms and leffons in their monthly and yearly course, and St. Ambrofe's hymn called Te Deum and the prayer of St. Chryfoftom, and the like: But even where intire parts and paffages are not borrowed, and the very words of fcripture or of fathers are not taken and applied, yet their fpirit and manner, their ftyle and character are ftill preferved; and perhaps there is scarce any collect in our liturgy, fcarce any fentiment or expreffion that may not be juftified by the authority of one or other And what a comfort and fatisfaction fhould it be to us, that

of them.

we

we are fuch a found part of the holy catholic church, that we thus maintain the communion of faints, that we worship God in the fame manner as the martyrs and confeffors and best of christians did in the pureft ages; and the fpirit of their liturgies, like Elijah's upon Elifha, hath defcended in a double portion upon 2 King. i Ours.

9.

I

4. It is a farther recommendation of it, that our prayers are addreffed to the proper object thro' the proper mediator, to the one God thro' the one mediator between God and men 1 Tim. ii. the man Chrift Fefus. Each collect 5. begins with a folemn invocation of the one, and concludes with the prevailing merits and interceffion of the other. And in this inftance again our church is truly primitive and apoftolical, and hath purged away the dregs of later times. For look into the Roman miffals and manuals of devotion, and you will find as B 4 many

I Cor. vii.

6.

many prayers directed to the Virgin Mary as to God himself, as many offered thro' the mediation of faints and angels, as of the Son of God himfelf. And yet it is certain, that nothing can be more contrary to the doctrine of fcripture, or a greater deviation from the practife of the catholic church for more at least than three centuries after Chrift. Let us congratulate ourselves therefore, that our worship is restored to it's genuin fimplicity and purity. Rome Chriftian as well as Rome Pagan may have Gods many and Lords many, but to us there is but one God the father of whom are all things and we in him; and one Lord Jefus Chrift by whom are all things, and we by him.

5. It is befides a great excellence of our fervice to have fo many fhort diftinct petitions, and renders them more fit and easy to be remember'd and repeated. Our liturgy in this

respect

respect may be compared to a ftring of pearls, every one valuable but altogether almost ineftimable. If the whole was disposed in one continued prayer, tho' it should not be tedious, yet it would keep our minds upon the ftretch too long together; whereas these breaks and paufes give relief, our fouls recover breath as it were, and we return to worship again with new spirit and vigor. Brevity is a beauty in all forts of compofition, and especially when man is addreffing himself to God. Long prayers are too much like preaching to God Almighty. Sure we are that the Lord's prayer, which was defign'd to be a ftandard and model for all others, is short as it is comprehenfive; and you know not whether to admire it more for it's fulness or it's brevity.

6. The variety of our fervice is another excellence in the compofition of it, and contributes much to the keeping up of our attention and de

votion.