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And in one LORD' Jesús Christ; the only-be

gotten Son-of-God; begotten-of-his-Father' be

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fóre áll worlds; Gód of God, Light of-Light,

(0)

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véry-God of-very-God; begotten, nòt máde; being of one súbstance with the Father; by' whóm, áll-things were made; who, for ús mèn' and for oùr salvátion, came down from

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heaven, and was incarnate' by' the Holy Ghost'

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of the Virgin Máry, and was made màn; and was crúcified-also-for-us' under Pontius Pilate; He suffered, and was bùried; and the third

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-God of God] Sheridan justly observes, that this passage is often delivered improperly, in the following manner: 'God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God.' In which mode of expression, God of God, would, according to the common acceptation, imply a superiority in Christ over God; as when we say that God is 'King of kings.' But by laying the stress on ' of,' as 'God of God, the true meaning is pointed out; which is, God proceeding from God, light from light, very God from very God. [If the five clauses which describe the mysterious nature of Christ, are repeated in a low and solemn tone, the effect becomes very impressive.]

-one Substance with the Father] The reader must take care to adopt the falling inflection on the word 'Father,' and to introduce a pause after it, to show distinctly that the following clause' By whom all things were made,' belongs to the Son.]

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day' he róse-again, according to the Scriptures;

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and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the ríght-hand of the Father. And he shall come again, with glōry,, to judge both the quick and the dead; whose kingdom' shall have nó end. And I believe in the HóLY GHOST; the Lórd

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and giver of life; who procéedeth from the Father and the Sòn; whó, with-the-Father-and

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the-Són-together, is worshipped and glórified; who spáke by the prophets.

And I believe òne Catholic and Apostólic

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Church;-I acknowledge óne Baptism' for the

(slower)

remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to còme.

(Then shall follow the Sermon.)

In referring to the Prayer, used before and after the Sermon, the author ventures to offer a few remarks, extending beyond the mere manner of delivery. The desire of being useful to the Student will, he hopes, prove a sufficient excuse. The 55th Canon prescribes The Form of a Prayer to be used by all Preachers before their Sermons.' It is observable, that most of the persons and things that it suggests as subjects for prayer, have already been prayed for. This consideration, and the expediency of avoiding every thing that tends unnecessarily to lengthen a service which, in fact,

is compounded of three distinct services, have induced the Clergy in modern times to deviate from the literal direction of the Canon; availing themselves of the licence implied in the indefinite words-that they are to pray "after this sort, as briefly as conveniently they may," they commonly substitute one of those short but suitable collects, with which our admirable Liturgy abounds. But to introduce something of original composition, as is occasionally heard, must be considered to be a wide departure from the intention of the Canon, namely, the promotion of "Uniformity." To substitute a collect in place of the form prescribed, is indeed a deviation from the letter, though not from the spirit of the law; but to introduce something of one's own, is a violation both of the letter and of the spirit. Besides, it will naturally incur the imputation of vanity and want of taste; and generally affords a convincing proof of the inferiority of moderns in composing forms of prayer.

The manner in which the Prayer before the Sermon is sometimes connected with the Lord's Prayer, likewise calls for remark. Some preachers, aiming at a little deviation from the usual words, are heard to make the transition somewhat in the following way :-" in whose blessed name, and perfect form of prayer, we further call upon thee, as, 'Our

Father which art in heaven, &c.' 'The word 'Father' is thus used in the objective, instead of the vocative case; and the right construction and meaning of the sentence are entirely destroyed. Indeed, a doubt may be justly raised respecting the propriety of the more usual connecting phrases :—such as' who hath taught and commanded us, when we pray, to say,' or, saying,' "Our Father, &c." In such construction, the whole prayer appears, according to the strict rules of grammar, to constitute the object of the verb: 'to say,' or 'saying'-what? "Our Father which art in heaven, &c." Such indeed is the connecting expression adopted in St.

Luke's Gospel: "When ye pray, say, 'Our Father, &c.'" Here such a phrase is perfectly proper, because the prayer is not used as a prayer at the time of our reciting it in the Gospel it is read merely as part of St. Luke's narrative. But when we actually pray the prayer, the introductory words 'to say,' or 'saying,' seem to be improperly retained.

Thus to say' (founded on the words in St. Matthew, "After this manner therefore pray ye,") is the other most common connecting form, and is perhaps less objectionable than 'to say,' or 'saying.' All difficulty however is avoided by introducing expressions like the following:-'in whose blessed name and comprehensive form of prayer, we conclude our imperfect petitions :-'Our Father, &c.' Many Clergymen altogether omit the use of any connecting words.

In saying the prayer which follows the Sermon, as well as in pronouncing the Blessing, the young Divine is to be cautioned against the very common practice of speaking with so feeble a voice as not to be heard by a considerable part of the congregation. To adopt a marked difference of manner between preaching and praying, is highly proper; but it is also proper, that all parts of the service should be audible. A word of admonition may be likewise given against introducing changes in established formulas. Maturer judgment will condemn such alterations or additions as the following: 'Our Father who art in heaven;'-' May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, &c.'--' May the peace of God, which passeth all human understanding, &c.' These trivial deviations from the usual forms, show desire of novelty, rather than soundness of judgment.]

THE OFFERTORY.

Let your light' số-shine before mén,, that they may see your good works, and glòrify your FATHER which is in heaven.

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3

Láy-not-up for yourselves' treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves' break through and steal; but lay-up for yourselves' treasures in HEA'VEN; where néither-moth' nór-rust-doth-corrupt, and

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where thieves' do not-break-through, nór steàl. Whatsoever ye would' that mèn should do

unto you, even só' dó unto them; for this-is the law' and the prophets.

Not every-one that sáith-unto-me, Lord,

Lórd,, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven

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;

but hé, that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Zaccheus stood forth, and sáid unto the Lórd, Behold-Lord, the hálf-of-my-goods' I give to the poor; and if I have dóne' any wrong-toany-man, I restore-him four-fold.

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Who goeth a warfare-at-any-time, of his ow'n-cost? Who planteth a vineyard,, and éateth-not of the fruit-thereof? Or who feed