The advice which the author has wished to offer to young men on the subject of Church principles, he has heard expressed in a sermon, from which he has obtained leave to transcribe an extract, which will serve to explain his meaning better than he could himself. "To embrace in their fulness the holy doctrines which the church has preserved to us, is not matter of names and words; not even of argument or proof. It is not even the holding certain truths, much less the clothing them in awful words. In this way people come to hold shreds and patches of truth, against our blessed LORD's warning, and so putting a piece of new cloth, unwrought, unadapted to themselves, to an old garment; that which is put in to fill it up, taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Thus, they injure themselves in their own faith, and may cause the truth itself to be evil spoken of. Use not high words, which express not what thou feelest, but what thou wouldest wish to feel. Try not to work thyself up to feel what thou feelest not; engage not upon high subjects and thoughts which are out of proportion to thy moral attainments; speak not of them in places ill-suited to them, or to persons unfitted to receive them; or when thyself art not in a fit frame, or more than what thou hast realized, (and this is what was meant by reserve as to religious knowledge) refrain thyself, and bind thyself to steady pursuit of present duty, remembering that thou art not thy own master, but that of all thou art, hast, dost, thou art to give account before GOD." As much has been said in the course of this Tract concerning the doctrine of CHRIST crucified, as connected with that of Christians bearing the cross, one is much afraid of seeming to speak controversially on a subject of so awful a nature; it would therefore perhaps be as well, before closing it, to express one's meaning in the following prayers of Bishop Wilson : "Luke ix. 23. Jesus said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." "O JESUS, who hast made this the rule and means of our salvation, enable us by Thy Spirit, Thy doctrine, and example, to observe it daily;-to wean our hearts from a love and fondness for this world, its pleasures, profits, and all its idols to mortify our corrupt affections, and to correct and amend what is amiss in us; that we may be meek, and humble, and temperate, and learn to submit our wills to the will and law of GOD. And grant, O LORD, that we may never lead heathens and unbelievers to have unworthy thoughts of Thee and of Thy religion, by our ungodly lives, while we pretend to be Thy followers." "Luke xiii. 24. Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." 66 'May we never flatter ourselves, that the way to Heaven and happiness is easy, and that the generality of Christian people are in the way of salvation, when Thou hast declared the contrary. O may Thy SPIRIT convince us, that cur salvation is not to be secured without great watchfulness and care, without labour, pains, and diligence ;-and that, on these conditions, Thy goodness will enable us to overcome all the difficulties we can possibly meet with!" [THIRD EDITION.] LATELY PUblished, The Fifth Edition of TRACT, No. 80, containing the former portion of the Treatise, price 11d. These Tracts are published in Numbers, and sold at the price of 2d. for each sheet, or 7s. for 50 copies. LONDON: PRINTED FOR J. G. F. & J. RIVINGTON, ST. PAUL'S CHURCH YARD, AND WATERLOO PLACE. 1813. GILBERT & RIVINGTON, Printers, St. John's Square, London. TRACTS FOR THE TIMES. THE GREEK DEVOTIONS OF BISHOP ANDREWS, TRANSLATED AND ARRANGED. I HAVE SET WATCHMEN UPON THY WALLS, O JERUSALEM ; WHICH SHALL NEVER HOLD THEIR PEACE DAY NOR NIGHT. ADVERTISEMENT. THE only deviation in the following Translation from the order of the original text, as we have it, has been in the case of such portions of it as are obviously without or out of place. These have been inserted into the main course of the Prayers, or collected together, or, if repetitions, omitted. No alterations have been made in the text itself, and all transpositions are noted as they occur. CONTENTS: 1. Preparation. Times of Prayer. Places of Prayer Circumstances of Prayer 2. Order of early or Matin Prayer-Litany-Confession 4. Course of Prayer for the Week (for each Day, under the five acts of Confession, Prayer for Grace, Profession, Intercession, and Praise, with an Introduction): First Day VOL. V. B Page 3 4 5 6 12 Samuel among such as call upon His name1. Ps. xcix. 6. GOD forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you and showing you the good and the right way. 1 Sam. xii. 23. We will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word. Acts vi. 4. He kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before his GOD, as he did aforetime. Dan. vi. 10. In the evening, and morning, and at noon day will I pray, and that instantly, and He shall hear my voice. Ps. lv. 18. Seven times a day do I praise Thee. Ps. cxix. 164. 1. In the morning, a great while before day. Mark i. 35. 2. In the morning watch. cxxx. 6.] 3. The third hour of the day. 4. About the sixth hour. Ps. lxiii. 6. [vid. also Ps. Acts ii. 15. Acts x. 9. 5. The hour of prayer, the ninth. Acts iii. 1. 6. The eventide. Gen. xxiv. 63. 1 Transferred from p. 4 of Edition of 1675. |