Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

Let us come before his prefence with thanksgiving: and fhew ourselves glad in him with pfalms.

For the Lord is a great God: and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are all the corners of the earth: and the ftrength of the hills is his alfo.

The fea is his, and he made it: the dry land.

and his hands prepared

O come, let us worship, and fall down: and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

For he is the Lord our God: and we are the people of his pafture, and the fheep of his hand.

To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts: as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness;

When your fathers tempted me: proved me, and faw my works.

Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and faid: It is a people that do err in their hearts, for they have not known my ways.

Unto whom I swear in my wrath: that they should not enter into my rest.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

As it was in the beginning, &c.

that in his time the fervice of the church commenced with this pfalm; it being fung in a loud manner, in order to inform the people who were waiting around the church, that the public devotions were begun. Hence its name of Invitatory Pfalm. This portion of the fervice, however, was different from the Invitatory itfelf, which was of old, and ftill is in the Roman Catholic church, fome felect paffage or text of scripture, introduced and reiterated in most of the offices: But it being confidered by our Reformers as a "fond thing, and vainly invented," it was partially prohibited in the first Book of Common Prayer, and entirely done away by the above rubric; the latter part of which was, introduced at the review, A. D. 1662. As it is the laudable practice at many churches for the congregation to commence their devotions with finging a pfalm, it may be worth while to repeat, that this custom is fanctioned, as we have seen above, by the highest authority-that of the primitive Chriftian church.

Palm xco. This divine compofition was used in the public fervice of the Jews, on the Feaft of Tabernacles, according to Grotius; or, on the Sabbath-day, according to Calvin. We find it alfo adopted into the Liturgies of the early Chriftian church, both of the Eaft and of the Weft. It calls upon us to praife God, to pray to him, and to hear his holy word; and is therefore a proper introduction to the fucceeding parts of the fervice, which are compofed of acts of adoration, petition, and listening to the word of exhortation.

Then fhall follow the Pfalms in order as they are appointed: And at the end of every Pfalm throughout the Year, and likewife at the end of Benedicite, Benedictus, Magnificat, and Nunc dimittis, fhall be repeated,

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghoft.

Anfw. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever fhall be: world without end. Amen,

Then fhall be read diflintly with an audible voice the Firft Leffon, taken out of the Old Testament, as is appointed in the Calendar (except there be proper Leffons affigned for that day:) he that readeth, so standing, and turning

The Pfalms in the order, &c.] We learn from the original preface to the Book of Prayer, that before the Reformation the pfalms were divided into feven portions, of which each was called a Nocturn (a night, or very early fervice.) Of late times, (continues the preface) a few of the pfalms have been ufed daily, and the reft utterly omitted. To fupply this omiffion, the church established, in 1662, the prefent rubric. Various modes, in different ages of the church, have been adopted in reciting the pfalms. In the early times, the pfalms were often fung by one perfon alone; alone; the reft liftening with devout attention: the common cuftom in the Egyptian monafteries. Sometimes they were fung by the whole affenbly joining together; this was the moft ancient and general practice. Sometimes they were fung in alternation by the congregation; one part repeating one verfe, and the other part reciting the next. Sometimes one perfon repeated the first part of the verfe, and the reft joined altogether at the clofe; a practice called by the Greeks vanyev and Taxes, and by the Latins succinere; and which was the origin of the office of Precentors in cathedrals.-Bingham's Ant. Chrift. Church, book xiv. c. 1. The extract from St. Chryfoftom, which, for the fake of convenience, I have introduced under the rubric refpecting the pfalms in the Evening Service, will manifeft the high eftimation in which they were held by the early Chriftians, and the general ufe to which they were applied in the fervice of God.

The Voluntary before the First Lefon.] This practice, common in all churches which have an organ, feems to have been derived from a custom obferved in the Jewish fynagogues. In them it was formerly, and is, as I am informed, at prefent ufual, for the mufic to play previously to reading a portion of the law, (to which our firft leffon correfponds) during the interval whilft the minifter (unngern, fee Luke iv. 20) is taking the roll of the law from the altar, where it is kept, and carrying it to the reader, and the reader is unrolling it (avans To BiChios) to find out the portion intended to be read.

He that readeth, Jo ftanding, &c.] In the early times of the Reformation, the minifter read the leffons, and performed other of the offices, in the choir, chancel, or near the altar, which, in large or incommodious churches, occafioned the people much difficulty in hearing him; and hence

himfelf, as he may best be heard of all fuch as are present. And after that, shall be faid or fung in English the Hymn called Te Deum laudamus, daily throughout the year.

NOTE, That before every Leffon the Minister fhall fay, Here beginneth fuch a Chapter, or verfe of fuch a Chapter of fuch a Book: And after every Lesson, Here endeth the First, or Second Leffon.

Te Deum laudamus.

WE praife thee, O God: we acknowledge thee to be

the Lord.

All the earth doth worship thee: the Father everlafting. To thee all angels cry aloud: the Heavens and all the Powers therein.

it was that the minifter is directed to turn himself to the congregation when he reads the leffons, and to recite them " diftinctly," and with "an audible voice." Some of the bithops however after a time (availing themfelves of a rubric, introduced by Elizabeth in 1559) difpenfed with the performance of the Morning and Evening Service at the altar; and reading-pews were, in confequence of this difpenfation, erected in the body of the church for the ufe of the minifter; a practice, the convenience of which foon occafioned it to be general. In many parish churches in the kingdom thefe reading-pews ftill remain.

Here beginneth fuch a Chapter, &c.] This rubric is founded upon a practice of great antiquity in the Chriftian church; namely, that of the deacon rifing up before the leffon was begun to be read, and calling out with a loud voice, "Let us liften, my brethren." General filence and attention being by thefe means obtained, he that read introduced the leffon with thefe words, "Thus faith the Lord." The leffons, as well as the epiftles and gofpels, were by the review, 1662, ordered to be taken from the new, or James's, tranflation of the bible.

Te Deum laudamus.] Our church, in the introduction of hymns into her fervice, follows the practice of the Apoftolic times; grounded upon that injunction of St. Paul, "In every thing give thanks, teaching and admonishing one another in pfalms and hymns, and fpiritual fongs, finging with grace in our hearts unto the Lord." Theff. v. 18; Col. iii. 16. And the reafon of directing a hymn after the leffons is exceedingly judicious, as there is no portion of fcripture appointed for a leffon by the church which does not awaken in the foul the emotions of gratitude and admiration; and confequently fuggeft the neceffity of thankfgiving and praife. The Te Deum is admirably calculated to exprefs thefe emotions; being fervent, majeftic, and fublime: Its antiquity and author are uncertain; Ambrofe, Hilary, and Jerome, having been mentioned as its compofers. The most early account attaches a fort of miraculous origin to it. It tells us, that when St. Ambrofe baptized his celebrated convert Auguftine, before he afcended from the water, he burst into the rapturous expreffion of adoration with which the hymn commences; that Auguftine immediately fubjoined the fecond verfick; and that they thus continued ejaculating

To thee Cherubin and Seraphin: continually do ery,
Holy, Holy, Holy: Lord God of Sabaoth;
Heaven and earth are full of the majefty: of thy glory.
The glorious company of the Apostles: praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the Prophets: praise thee.
The noble army of Martyrs: praise thee.

The holy Church throughout all the world: doth ac knowledge thee;

The Father: of an infinite Majefty;

Thine honourable, true: and only Son;
Alfo the Holy Ghoft: the Comforter.
Thou art the King of Glory: O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son: of the Father.

When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man: thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb.

When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death: thou didft open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers.

Thou fittest at the right hand of God: in the glory of the Father.

We believe that thou fhall come: to be our judge. We therefore pray thee, help thy fervants: whom thou haft redeemed with thy precious blood.

Make them to be numbered with thy Saints: in glory everlasting.

O Lord, fave thy people: and blefs thine heritage.
Govern them and lift them up for ever.

Day by day we magnify thee;

And we worship thy Name: ever world without end. Vouchfafe, O Lord: to keep us this day without fin. O Lord, have mercy upon us: have mercy upon us. O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us: as our truft is in thee.

O Lord, in thee have I trusted: let me never be confounded,

alternately the fentences which compofe this divine hymn, till Ambrofe concluded in the words, "O Lord, in thee have I trufted," &c. The opinion which attributes the Te Deum to St. Nicetius bishop of Triers, who flourished in the beginning of the fixth century, feems to be better founded than any other,

[ocr errors]

ye the Lord: praise

¶ Or this Canticle, Benedicite, omnia opera Domini. All ye Works of the Lord, blefs him, and magnify him for ever. Oye Angels of the Lord, blefs ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Heavens, blefs ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.

Oye Waters, that be above the firmament, blefs ye Lord: praife him, and magnify him for ever.

the

O all ye Powers of the Lord, blefs ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.

Oye Sun and Moon, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.

Oye Stars of Heaven, blefs ye the Lord: praife him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Showers and Dew, blefs ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Winds of God, blefs ye, the Lord: praife him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Fire and Heat, blefs ye the Lord: praife him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Winter and Summer, bless ye the Lord; praise him, and magnify him for ever.

[ocr errors]

ye Dews and Frofts, blefs ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.

ye Froft and Cold, blefs ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Ice and Snow, blefs ye the Lord: praife him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Nights and Days, blefs ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.

Or this Canticle] This hymn, called in the Apocrypha, "The fong of the Three Children in the burning fiery furnace," was adopted by the early Chriftians into their liturgies from the fervice of the ancient Jewish church. It is a full and noble paraphrafe of the 148th pfalm. In the first Common Prayer-Book of Edward VIth, this canticle was directed to be ufed in the room of Te Deum throughout Lent; but in his fecond book, which contained double hymns for both leffons, the use of either hymn was left to the difcretion of the minifter; and the words "Or this Canticle" were inferted. Athanafius directs virgins to ufe it in their private devotions; and the fourth council of Toledo orders it to be fung by the clergy of Spain and Gallicia, every Lord's-day, and on the festivals of the martyrs, under pain of excommunication.—Bingham's Ant. b. xiv. ç. 21

« ForrigeFortsett »