The Psalms for the Morning Service are, ii. lvii. and cxi. The first of these was composed by David, upon his being triumphantly settled in his kingdom, after the opposition made by his enemies. It is also a prophetical representation (and so the Jews themselves confess) of the Messiah's inauguration in his regal and sacerdotal office, after he had been persecuted and crucified. The 57th Psalm was occasioned by David being delivered from Saul; and, in a mystical sense, it contains Christ's triumph over Death and Hell. The last Psalm is a Thanksgiving for the marvellous work of our Redemption, of which the Resurrection of Christ is the chief. The Psalms for the Evening Service are cxiii. cxiv. and cxviii. The first was designed to set forth the admirable Providence of God, which was never more discernible, than in the great work of our Redemption. The second is a Thanksgiving for the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt; an event which has ever been considered as typical of our deliverance from Death and Hell. The last is supposed to have been composed, on David being in undisturbed possession of his kingdom, and after the ark was brought into Jerusalem; it was secondarily intended to prefigure our Saviour's Resurrection. The first Lessons, for the Morning and Evening Service, contain an account of the Passover, and the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt; the one prefiguring Christ, who is our Passover; the other, as was before said, our deliverance from Death and Hell. The Gospel, and the second Lesson for the Evening, gives us full evidence of Christ's Resurrection; and the Epistle, and second Lesson for the Morning, teach us, what use we should make of it. The Collect, Epistle, and Gospel, are all very ancient. OF THE MONDAY AND TUESDAY IN EASTER WEEK. The solemnization of Easter was, among the primitive Christians, prolonged for fifty days, up to Whitsuntide; during this whole time, all Fasts were suspended; the ceremony of Baptism was universally performed, and, in token of a time of joy, Prayers were repeated in the posture of standing, as on Sundays. As devotion abated, this long-extended Feast was shortened. In our Church there is an appointment of Epistles, and Gospels, only for Monday and Tuesday; but there is a provision for the observance of the whole week, by a preface, in the Communion Office, which is suitable to the season, and is to be repeated for eight days successively. The first Lesson for Monday morning, treats of God sending the Israelites mauna, or bread from Heaven. This was a type of our blessed Saviour, who was the bread of life, that came down from Heaven, of which whoever eateth, hath eternal life. The first Lesson for Monday evening, contains the history of vanquishing the Amalakites, by the holding up of Moses's hand; by which posture he put himself in the form of a Cross, and typified the victory, that Christians obtain over their spiritual enemies, by means of the Cross of Christ. The striking also of the Rock, from whence issued water, affords another type; for, in the same manner, our Saviour, when smitten upon the Cross, gave forth that living water, of which whosoever drinketh shall never thirst; which spiritual application, both of the manna, and of the rock, is made by St. Paul, 1 Cor. x. 3, 4. The second Lessons contain full testimony of our Saviour's Resurrection; the first gives an historical account of it; the second relates the story of the lame man being restored to his feet, through faith in the name of Christ; which must be taken as an undeniable proof, that he was then alive. The first Lesson for Tuesday morning, contains the Ten Commandments, which were communicated to the people by the ministry of Moses; wherein is prefigured our Saviour, who was to be a Prophet like unto him; and who was to bring down a new Law from Heaven, and more perfectly reveal the divine Will to man. The first Lesson for the Evening, represents Moses interceding for the children of Israel, for whom he desired even to die, and be blotted out of the book of life; thereby typifying Christ, who died, and was made a curse for us. The second Lesson for the Morning, is a further evidence of our Saviour's Resurrection; and, that for the Evening, contains an argument, which proves, by his Resurrection, the necessity of ours. The Collects, Epistles, and Gospels, for these days, are the same as in the old Offices; only the Collect, for Tuesday was, in King Edward's first Prayer Book, appointed for the second Communion on Easter Day. OF THE SUNDAYS AFTER EASTER. On the first Sunday after Easter, being the Octave of Easter Day, there used to be a repetition of part of the Service of Easter Day; and, hence, this Sunday being celebrated, in like manner, as that Feast, but in a lower degree, obtained the name of Low Sunday. The Epistle of the Day is addressed to those newly baptised; Easter, and Whitsuntide, having been formerly (as has been before said) the seasons for baptising. Both that, and the Gospel, were used, very anciently, on this day. The other Sundays after Easter were, as has been observed, all spent in joyful recollection of our Saviour's Resurrection, and the promise of the Comforter; these make the principal subjects of all the Gospels, from Easter to Whitsuntide. The Epistles for the same period, attemper this joy, by repeated exhortations to the practice of duties, which alone are answerable to the profession of Christians. The Epistles, and Gospels, and all the Collects (except the Collects for the second, and an alteration in the fourth,) are all very ancient. The Gospel for the fifth Sunday, is peculiarly applicable, as it foretells our Saviour's Ascension, and as it relates to the Rogations, which are performed on the three following days. OF THE ROGATION DAYS. What the Greeks called Litanies, the Latins termed Rogations. They were, originally, public supplications, with fasting, for averting some calamity that was apprehended: at length, in the sixth Century, they were, by the first Council of Orleans, ordained to be made annually, on the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, preceding the Ascension Day. On these days, the Church has a regard, not only to prepare our minds, for celebrating our Saviour's Ascension, in a decent manner, but also to appease God's wrath, that so he may be pleased to avert those judgments, which the sins of the nation deserved; and that he may vouchsafe to bless the fruits, with which the earth is at this time covered. In the times of Popery, these Rogations were performed with processions, and other solemnities, all of which were abolished, as superstitious, and inconvenient, at the time of F our Reformation; and no provision has since been made, for any service, on these days, except, that Curates are enjoined, by an injunction of Queen Elizabeth's reign, at the times of perambulations of Parishes, performed on some of these Rogation Days, to admonish the people to give thanks to God, while they behold his benefits, in the increase, and abundance, of his fruits, by saying the 104th Psalm; at which time, also, they are to inculcate such sentences, as Cursed be he which translateth the bounds, and doles of his neighbour; or perform such other order of Prayer, as should, thereafter, be appointed; none such, has been appointed; though there is a Homily for these occasions. OF ASCENSION DAY. The Commemoration of Christ's Ascension, at the expiration of forty days, after his Resurrection, has ever been a Festival in the Church. The Psalms appointed for this day, are the 8th, 15th, and 21st, for the Morning. The 8th, which is employed in magnifying God for his wonderful creation of the world, and for his goodness to mankind, may be prophetically applied to the greatest of all mercies, that of exalting our human nature, by our Saviour's assuming the flesh, and ascending with it to Heaven. The 15th Psalm, shews how justly our Saviour was intitled to ascend the Holy Hill, that is, the highest Heaven, of which Mount Sion was a type; since he was the only person, who had all the qualifications mentioned in that Psalm. The 21st, was plainly fulfilled in our Saviour's Ascension, when he was exalted in his own strength, and had a crown of pure gold set upon his head. The Psalms for the Evening Service, are the 24th, 47th, and 108th. The first, as it celebrates the bringing of the Ark to the house, prepared for it on Mount Sion, prophetically speaks of Christ's Ascension into Heaven. The next is mystically applied to the Christian Church, which it exhorts to make rejoicing, and to sing praise, because, God is gone up with a merry noise, and the Lord with the sound of the trump. In the last, the Psalmist gives thanks to God, among the people, for setting himself above the Heavens, and his glory above all the earth, which was literally fulfilled on this day. The first Lesson for the Morning, is peculiarly applicable, as recording the going up of Moses into the Mount, to receive the Law, and to deliver it to the Jews; this being a type of our Saviour's Ascension into Heaven, to send a new Law, the Law of Faith. The first Lesson at Evening, contains the taking up of Elijah, and his conferring a double portion of his Spirit on Elisha; which may prefigure our Saviour's Ascension, and the sending down of the fulness of his Spirit, on his Apostles and Disciples. The second Lessons are plainly suitable to the day, as are also the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel, which are the same that we meet with in the oldest Offices. OF THE SUNDAY AFTER ASCENSION DAY. As the Apostles, during this week, continued in constant expectation of the Comforter, whom our Saviour had promised, this was sometimes called, Expectation Week. The Collect for this day, was a little altered at the Reformation; but the Epistle, and the Gospel, are the same, that were used of old. The Gospel contains the promise of the Comforter, which is the Spirit of Truth. The Epistle exhorts every one to make such use of those gifts of the Holy Spirit, as becomes good stewards of the manifold Grace of God. OF WHIT SUNDAY. The Feast of Pentecost (so called, from being the fiftieth day after Easter,k) was of great eminence among the Jews; it was instituted in memory of the Law being then delivered on Mount Sinai; and it became of no less account among Christians, for the descent of the Holy Ghost, on that same day, on the Apostles and Disciples. Some conclude, from St. Paul's earnest desire, to be at Jerusalem at this time, Acts xx. 16, that it was observed, in his days, as a Christian Festival. We are certain, it was observed from the earliest ages after the Apostles. Among the conjectures on the derivation of the name, Whit Sunday, one is, that, being the eighth Sunday after Easter, it used, in the French language, to be called, huit Sunday. The proper Psalms for the Morning Service, are, Psalm |