15

9. From lightning and tempest; from

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plágue, péstilence, and fàmine; from báttle

15

3 (c)

and murder, and from sudden-death,

Good Lord, deliver-us.

10. From all sedítion, privy conspíracy, and

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rebellion; from àll fàlse dóctrine, héresy, and

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schìsm; from hárdness of heárt, and contémpt

3 (c)

of thy word and commandment,

Good Lord, deliver-us.

THE OBSECRATIONS.

11. By" the my'stery' of thy hōly incarná

20

(0)

tion; by' 'thy holy nativity, and circumcision;

3 (c)

by' 'thy baptism, fásting, and temptation, Good Lord, deliver-us.

(0)

20

12. By thine agony and bloody sweat; by' thy cross and passion; by thy precious death and búrial; by thy-(*) glorious resurrection

and begs particular preservation from, or those which are most heinous and crying above others."

-from súdden death] We pray to be delivered from 'murder,' that is violent death, and likewise from sudden death, caused by accidental or natural causes.]

and ascénsion; and by' the coming of the Hōly

Good Lord, deliver-us.

13. In áll tíme of our tribulátion; in áll-time

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19

of our wealth; (slow) in the hour of death, and in

(0)

3 (c)

the day of judgment,

Good Lord, deliver-us.

THE INTERCESSIONS.

14. Wé sínners' do beseech-thee to he"ar-us'

-and by the coming of the Holy Ghost] It must be carefully observed, that, in these Obsecrations, as well as in every other part of the service, the preposition' By' should be pronounced distinctly and fully, and never suffered to be shortened into 'be.'

that a

THE INTERCESSIONS] A considerable pause, and a delivery somewhat less slow, may be here introduced, to mark the transition from the Obsecrations to the Intercessions.] 14.-hear us, O Lord God] Many readers suppose, transition is here made with regard to the Divine Person to whom our prayers are addressed :-that as the Deprecations and Obsecrations are expressly directed to the Son, the Intercessions are addressed either to the Father or to the Holy Trinity. There are however reasons for believing, that the address to the Son is continued throughout all the Intercessions. This is the case in the ancient service called Litania Major, which contains the rudiments of our Litany. See Opera Gregorii Magni, Tom. 3. p. 393 fol. Paris 1705.That the compilers of the English Liturgy adopted a similar

O-Lord-God; and that it may please-thee' to

construction, appears probable from the fact that the same words, 'Good Lord,' which have hitherto been directed to Jesus Christ, are continued in all the responses to the end. The expression likewise in the fourteenth versicle, "Thy holy Church Universal," is generally appropriated to our blessed Saviour. The petition in the last versicle, "Endue us with the grace of thy Holy Spirit," shows at least that the preceding Intercessions cannot have been addressed to the Holy Trinity. The words of the Litania Major are decisive: "Ut gratiam Sancti Spiritus cordibus nostris clementer infundere digneris, Domine JESU, te rogamus."-The opinion proposed in this note, is strengthened by the authority of Bisse and Wheatly. For being thus particular in ascertaining the true meaning, the reason will appear when the right mode of delivering the words "Son of God, we beseech thee to hear us," is to be considered.]

-and that it may please thee, &c.] This sentence, as well as all the subsequent Intercessions, is considered by some writers to be incomplete till the people have answered, “We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord." This appears to be the case in the Litany of the Romish Service, from which this petition is taken : "Ut ecclesiam tuam sanctam regere et conservare digneris, te rogamus, audi nos." It is observable that the expression, "We beseech thee to hear us," is not an exact version of the original. The compilers of our Liturgy, therefore, have in this instance, as in others, (see first and fifth verses in the Te Deum) altered the construction; a due regard to which alteration must be observed in the mode of reading. The minister's sentence is complete if the right ellipsis be supplied: "We sinners do beseech thee to hear us, O Lord God; and (we beseech thee) that it may please thee

rule and govern' thy holy Church univérsal, in

12

25

We beseech-thee to hear-us'-good-Lord.

to rule and govern thy holy Church universal in the right way." The construction of the latter petition is precisely the same as that which occurs in the penultimate Collect in the Burial Service: "Beseeching thee that it may please thee shortly to accomplish, &c." Such construction is perfectly correct; but the case is materially altered, if the response of the people be taken as part of the sentence. By transposing the inverted member, the passage stands thus: "We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord, that it may please thee to rule and govern, &c." Such phraseology is unlike any thing that can be found throughout the whole Liturgy. It is to be observed, that the same ellipsis of 'We beseech thee,' which occurs in the first Intercession, before that it may please thee,' likewise takes place at the beginning of all the subsequent Intercessions and Supplications.

That the minister's sentence is complete in itself, may also be inferred from its terminating with a semicolon. If it had required to be completed by the people's response, it would have ended with a comma, as is the case with each of the Deprecations and Obsecrations. On the whole, there appears reason to conclude that each Intercession, with the subsequent Supplication of the congregation, may be considered as together forming a sentence consisting of two members, each of which may be delivered according to its distinct character, without reference to the other.]

-thy holy Church universal] The word "universal" must be joined with 'Church.' By pausing before universal,' instead of after it, the unlearned are led to suppose that ‘universal in the right way' means 'always in the right way.]'

15. That it may pléase-thee' to keep and stréngthen' in the true-worshipping-of-thee, in ríghteousness' and hòliness of life,, thy sèrvant GEORGE, our most grácious King and Gò

14

vernor;

We beseech-thee to hear-us'-good-Lord.

16. That it may pléase-thee' to rule his heart' in thy faith, fear, and love; and that he

15. That it may please thee] The numerous repetitions of this expression are apt to become wearisome to the ear, and to deaden the attention. To prevent these effects, considerable care is required on the part of the minister. It has been judiciously suggested, that, on the first occurrence of the words, and for a few subsequent repetitions, they may be pronounced with particular slowness and impressiveness. Afterwards they may be less slow; but in approaching the end, the solemn and impressive manner should be resumed. It must however be carefully remembered, that if some parts are delivered less deliberately, in order to give more weight to others, still there must never be a careless volubility. Amidst all the variations of manner which a judicious readcr may introduce, he must always maintain the sacred dignity of his pious work.

in the true worshipping of thee] i. e. in the exercise of the true religion, or Protestantism.]

-in righteousness and holiness of life] i. e. " righteousness in all the public acts of his high office; and holiness in all the particular obligations of Christian life." To convey this meaning, a pause is necessary after the word 'righteousness;' and the word 'life' must receive an inflection distinct from that upon holiness.']