VII. SERM. true repentance, and, in order to it, the assistance of his holy spirit; that our present employment may be pleasing to him, and the rest of our life so pure and holy, that through the merits of Christ we may finally come to his eternal joy. Next follows the Lord's Prayer, which is repeated several times in the course of the service; but having already explained it in my discourses on the Catechism, I shall not dwell upon it at present. And now, after having all joined audibly in the Lord's Prayer, which has been preceded by confession of sins, and by hearing the mercy of God proclaimed on certain terms, we go on to the Psalms, or to celebrating the praises of the Almighty. But that the transition may be the more. natural, the minister prays that the congregation and himself may be enabled by God to perform the office, to which they are proceeding, in a proper manner: "Lord, open VII. "open thou our lips," and the people an- SÉR M. swer "That so they shall be able to shew "forth his praise." These words are from the fifty-first Psalm, which is one of those in which David, oppressed by the sense of his guilt, dares not presume to sing the praises of God, before he had prepared himself for it by humiliation and repentance. The two following sentences are likewise taken from the Psalms. "O God, make speed to save us ;"" O Lord make hasté "to help us;" and are aptly introduced on this occasion; for it is at all times reasonable to pray to God to save us from sin, and to help us in performing our duty; it is more particularly so, when we are about to perform so exalted an office as that of celebrating God's praises. All are now ordered to stand up; we read, that when the Priests and Levites praised the Lord, all Israel stood and we begin this good work by the sum of all the praises which VII. SERM. true repentance, and, in order to it, the assistance of his holy spirit; that our present employment may be pleasing to him, and the rest of our life so pure and holy, that through the merits of Christ we may finally come to his eternal joy. Next follows the Lord's Prayer, which is repeated several times in the course of the service; but having already explained it in my discourses on the Catechism, I shall not dwell upon it at present. And now, after having all joined audibly in the Lord's Prayer, which has been preceded by confession of sins, and by hearing the mercy of God proclaimed on certain terms, we go on to the Psalms, or to celebrating the praises of the Almighty. But that the transition may be the more natural, the minister prays that the congregation and himself may be enabled by God to perform, the office, to which they are proceeding, in a proper manner: "Lord, 66 open open thou our lips," and the people an- SÉR M. swer "That so they shall be able to shew "forth his praise." These words are from the fifty-first Psalm, which is one of those in which David, oppressed by the sense of his guilt, dares not presume to sing the praises of God, before he had prepared himself for it by humiliation and repentance. The two following sentences are likewise taken from the Psalms. "O God, make દર speed to save us ;"" O Lord make haste "to help us;" and are aptly introduced on this occasion; for it is at all times reasonable to pray to God to save us from sin, and to help us in performing our duty; it is more particularly so, when we are about to perform so exalted an office as that of celebrating God's praises. All are now ordered to stand up; we read, that when the Priests and Levites praised the Lord, all Israel stood and we begin this good work by the sum of all the praises which VII. SERM. true repentance, and, in order to it, the VII. assistance of his holy spirit; that our pre sent employment may be pleasing to him, and the rest of our life so pure and holy, that through the merits of Christ we may finally come to his eternal joy. Next follows the Lord's Prayer, which is repeated several times in the course of the service; but having already explained it in my discourses on the Catechism, I shall not dwell upon it at present. And now, after having all joined audibly in the Lord's Prayer, which has been preceded by confession of sins, and by hearing the mercy of God proclaimed on certain terms, we go on to the Psalms, or to celebrating the praises of the Almighty. But that the transition may be the more natural, the minister prays that the congregation and himself may be enabled by God to perform, the office, to which they are proceeding, in a proper manner: "Lord, 66 open |