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SERMON XXX.

FROM BULL*.

1 TIMOTHY ii. 1, 2.

I exhort, therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority: that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty.

THE text is an order, or injunction, given by Saint Paul to Timothy, a Bishop of the Church, concerning the public and common prayers to be used in the several churches and congregations under his care and jurisdiction. That Timothy was a Bishop, and Bishop of Ephesus, the metropolis or chief city of Asia, is so fully attested by all antiquity, that he must be truly ignorant who ventures to deny it. He consequently had a power invested in him of calling to account the presbyters and

* George Bull, Bishop of St. David's, was born 1634, and died 1709.

teachers within the diocese of Ephesus, concerning their preaching and doctrine: which is unquestionably a branch of Episcopal power.

To this public person, then, to this great Bishop of the Church, is this charge given, that, first of all, (that is not in priority of time, but of dignity,) supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men, &c. Prayer, no doubt, is the principal and noblest part of worship; and therefore to be preferred before preaching. By preaching we are taught how to worship God; but prayer is in itself God's worship. Hence the place of God's worship is styled by our Saviour, the house of prayer. It is no where called the house of preaching, (though preaching also must be there at proper times and seasons,) but a house of prayer: because prayer is the principal worship of God, and the constant business to be performed in it.

Timothy, we find, then, was to take care that such prayers as are specified by the Apostle, should be made in all churches and congregations under his jurisdiction. And how could he do this, but by providing, through his authority, that there should be set forms of prayer, framed according to the rule here given? Hence, in all the Churches of Christ, throughout the world, however distant from each other, we find set forms of public prayers. And, indeed, if we consult the ancient Liturgies extant at this day, we shall be

convinced that they are all framed and composed according to this direction of the Apostle. And we cannot fail to observe, that, however those Liturgies may have been altered and corrupted in after times, yet there still remain in them many most excellent forms of prayer and thanksgiving, in which they all agree; and which cannot, reasonably be thought, therefore, to have any other origin than Apostolical order and appointment, delivered at the very first establishment of Christianity. Such, for example, is that in the Office of the Communion, where the Priest says, Lift up your hearts; and the people answer, We lift them up unto the Lord. There is no Liturgy in any Church to this day, but has this form. Such is the form of thanksgiving in the same Office of the Communion, to be performed by the Priest and people; the Priest saying, Let us give thanks unto our Lord God; and the people answering, It is meet and right so to do. Such, also, is the Doxology or glorification of the ever-blessed Trinity, Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

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For this Doxology was far from being introduced upon occasion of, and in opposition to the Arian heresy, (as some have erroneously supposed,) but is to be found in the most ancient Liturgies, and is, indeed, an essential part of Christian worship, necessary to be used by all Christians, had there never been any heresy in the world. For all Christians

are baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; that is, into the faith and service, and worship of the Holy Trinity : and so, from their very baptism, are bound to render and give to each person divine worship and adoration. Indeed this is the main difference between the worship of Christians and Jews. The Jews worship God as one single person; acknowledging neither Son nor Holy Ghost subsisting in the divine nature. But we Christians worship God in a Trinity of persons and unity of essence; God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, three Persons and one God.

The same harmony and consent of the ancient Liturgies is to be found in the Office of Baptism ; where the person to be baptized is obliged first to renounce the devil and all his works, the pomps and vanity of the world, &c. and then to profess his faith in the Holy Trinity, God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. This form is to be found in the Liturgies of all the Churches of Christ throughout the world, almost in the very same words: and therefore is unquestionably of primitive and apostolical origin. I could give you other instances of the like nature: but these, I think, are sufficient to show that there were.set, prescribed offices and forms of prayer and praise, and profession of faith, delivered to all the Churches of Christ, by the Apostles, or their immediate successors.

Indeed, the exercise of the public worship of

God in set and prescribed forms of prayer, has been the practice of all settled Churches of God, not only ever since Christianity, but even before our Saviour's coming into the world. All the learned know, that the ancient Church of the Jews, before Christ, had set forms of prayer which they used in their temple and synagogues: as have also the Jews even at this very day. And, indeed, many of those forms are excellent; and have no other fault to be found in them, but that they do not end as the prayers of us Christians do, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Nay, it is worthy of observation, that Christ himself, when he recommended to his Disciples, a prayer to be used by them, did not frame an entirely new one, but took out of the ancient prayer-books of the Jews, what was good in them, and thence composed that which we call the Lord's Prayer. Our Father, which art in heaven, was the usual preface of the Jewish prayers. And all the following petitions are to be found, almost in the very same words, in their formularies. And the subsequent reflection of the learned Grotius upon it is remarkable: "So far was the Lord and Founder of the Christian Church from all affectation of unnecessary novelty." Thus has our Saviour plainly shown us what should be our respect for forms of prayer that have been anciently received and approved by the Church of God. And, indeed, it were no difficult thing to show, that many of the offices and forms of prayer, and other religious

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