he will give no disturbance to others: and every one must experience, that what he saith, on this occasion, with his own mouth, is brought more home to his soul, becomes more personal and affecting, than if he had silently assented to it, when said for him. And as it is a very useful, so it is a very old custom *; revived in our church, after being laid aside by the Church of Rome; who begin their service with an act of humiliation by the priest alone, in which the people have no share. Another direction is, that the confession be said, a!! kneeling. And that posture in prayer, especially in this part, hath not only ancient authority, but nature itself, on its side: and doth so strongly, both express and excite inward humility, that it should never be omitted wilfully, or negligently, in favour of ease and indolence: considerations, very unworthy of notice at such a time. Still they, whose infirmities will not permit them to be on their knees without pain or hurt, may doubtless allowably stand, or even sit : for God will have mercy, and not sacrifice †. And further: as in many full congregations this rule cannot be observed by every one, without taking up more room, than can with convenience be spared; certainly the superior rule, of doing the things, wherewith one may edify another ‡, binds us rather to be content with standing, though a less eligible posture, than exclude numbers of our fellow Christians from being tolerably accommodated for joining in worship with us. kneeling, though greatly preferable, is not prescribed as indispensably necessary. The children of Israel, we read in the book of Nehemiah §, were assembled with fasting; and, probably for the reason just men* Basil, Ep. lxiii. Rom. xiv. 9. VOL. III. D d Matt. ix. 13. xii. 7. § Neh. ix. 1, 2. For tioned, stood and confessed their sins. The penitent publican did not fail of being accepted, though he stood, when he said, God be merciful to me a sinner *. And on some days the early Christians did not kneel at all. In the first words of the confession, we apply to God, as our Father: the author of our being, and therefore intitled to all honour and service from us; the adopter of us, after our forfeiture, into his family again through Jesus Christ, and therefore intitled to have it paid him with double gratitude. We acknowledge him Almighty, either to protect or punish; and therefore to be obeyed from interest, as well as duty: we acknowledge him to be most merciful; and therefore, in the highest degree, unfit to have been offended, and fit to have pardon asked of him. The expression, We have erred and strayed from thy ways, like lost sheep, is taken from Scripture. I have gone astray, like a lost sheep: seek thy servant †. Again: all we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way: and the Lord hath laid on him, on Christ, the iniquity of us all ‡. But to understand the full propriety of the phrase, it must be observed, that both the likelihood of straying was much greater, and the consequences of it much more fatal, in open countries, full of wild beasts, as those of the East were, than in ours. And such a great and terrible wilderness §, in the spiritual sense, is this world. It hath been objected, that our confession is too general. But it comprehends all sins, both of omission and commission. The particulars, each person's conscience, if it be duly tender, will represent to itself, * Luke xviii. 13. Is. liii. 6. + Psalm cxix. 176. as far as is needful, or well can be, in public. And was every sin, that men can fall into, expressed by name, the catalogue would be too long; and such, th that many, (it is to be hoped) could not with truth join in the whole: nor would it be proper, that they who had, and had not, been guilty, should confess all the same things; or that those about us should perceive, which we did confess. It hath been further objected, that in our appointed form, there is no acknowledgment of the original corrruption of our nature by the fall. Nor is there an explicit one, even in the prayer of our blessed Lord. But surely when we say, that we have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts, it may well be part of our meaning, that they are from the first irregular and depraved. The words, and there is no health in us, besides re that they also profess our inward frame throughout to be more or less disordered, signify too, that we have no power of our own, either to cure the spiritual diseases, of which we are already sick, or to prevent the attacks of future ones. And therefore we apply to God, that he would heal our souls *: whom also, in the conclusion, we implicitly promise, that whatever amendment shall be produced in us by the means which he prescribes, we will give the glory of it, not to ourselves, but to his holy name: who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ to the praise and glory of his grace †. After the confession follows the absolution: which some have apprehended to be a very Popish form. But indeed neither of them is taken out of any Popish service. On the contrary, both of them appeared for the first time in the second edition of King Edward + Eph. i. 3. 6. Psalm xli. 4. the sixth's Common Prayer-book: which was made with the advice of foreign, and even Presbyterian Protestants. Nay, this absolution was directly levelled against Popery. For the Popish absolutions were given in private, separately to each particular person, positively and without reversion, in the name of the priest and this is given in public, to all persons at once, conditionally, if they are truly penitent, in the name of God. The people were misled by the former absolutions to a groundless trust in sacerdotal power: and would have taken offence, if after their confession none had been subjoined. This therefore was drawn up, to be used over them: which tends very powerfully to comfort men, but can never mislead them; because it leads them to trust only in God's mercy; and in that no otherwise, than if they truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel, proving their sincerity by their reformation: on which terms alone he hath given his ministers power and commandment to pronounce to his people the absolution and remission of their sins. And as none, but his ministers, are commissioned to make this solemn proclamation of pardon on his behalf: it is fitly ordered, that none should share with them in publishing it, by repeating it along with them. And you will observe, that wherever in the service the congregation are not directed to speak, but the minister only, their speaking the same words low, as many persons inconsiderately do, removes only part of the impropriety, and leaves the rest. On this therefore, and the like occasions, you will remember, that your business is only to hearken and assent with silent reverence: of which reverence, in the present case, continuing on your knees, in token of your humble thankfulness to God, is undoubtedly a suitable expression. After the above-mentioned declaration, immediately follows an admonition to pray for repentance and God's holy Spirit: which may seem perhaps needless and unaccountable; considering, that we have just been professing to exercise repentance, and have been assured of God's forgiveness upon it, of which the gift of his Spirit is a consequence. But if it be con sidered also, that we are to repent, not only before, but after pardon; and even the more deeply for the mercy and love shewn in our pardon, else it would be justly revoked: and that the continuance of God's Spirit with us depends on the continuance of our supplications for his presence, which will also procure us greater degrees of it; there will be found no weight in this objection. At the end of the absolution, and of every prayer, the people are directed to say, Amen: which means, it is true; we do sincerely desire, or sincerely affirm, what hath been said. This was the practice of the Jewish Church: it was also that of the Christian in the Apostle's days. How shall he, that occupieth the room of the unlearned, say Amen, at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not, what thou sayest *? And the subsequent ecclesiastical writers shew, that it used to be pronounced audibly and fervently: each expressing his own faith or desire, and animating that of his fellow-worshippers. We should therefore by no means neglect to give this proof, amongst others, that we not only hear the service with attention, but join in it with earnestness. After the confession and absolution, comes the Lord's Prayer: it being a very proper time to address God in that form, which our Saviour taught his Disciples, when we have approved ourselves his real * 1 Cor. xiv. 16. |