A COMPANION FOR MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH. THUS SAITH THE LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.... Jer. ch. vi. ver. 16. In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength........Isaiah, ch. XXX. ver. 15. A PRAYER FOR THE CHURCH OF GOD. Almighty and everlasting God, who alone workest great marvels; send down upon our Bishops, and Curates, and all Congregations committed to their charge, the healthful spirit of Thy grace; and that they may truly please Thee, pour upon them the continual due of Thy blessing. Grant this, O Lord, for the honour of our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen. Book of Common Prayer. The Church, for which this Prayer is offered, is excellently described by St. Cyprian. "The Church is a congregation of believers, united to their Bishop, and a flock adhering to their Shepherd; whence you ought to know," says he, "that the Church is in the Bishop, and the Bishop in the Church, and they, that are not with the Bishop, are not in the Church." Galatians, chap. iii. ver. 27. MY SON, repose thy soul upon God, cast all thy care there, and let it be thy great, thy only concern, to approve thyself to Him. When this is done, a man should not much regard what the world thinks of him, nor fear the censures of others, while his own conscience bears testimony to his piety and innocence. To be ill thought of, is sometimes for thy good; it conforms thee to the image of thy Saviour; and if thy soul, like His, be meek and humble; if thou seek not thine own glory, but His that sent thee; the affliction will not be very grievous to be borne. The opinions of men are as many and as different as their persons; the greatest diligence and most prudent conduct can never please them all. And therefore even St. Paul himself, than whom none ever laboured more to recommend his actions to the good acceptance of the world; he who became all things to all men, yet found it necessary to appeal to a higher court, and declared it a small thing with him to be judged of man's judgment. He did his utmost to promote the interest and salvation of others; but even the utmost he could do, was not sufficient to screen him from the wrongful censures, and perverse misconstructions of men. But what is terrible in the condemnation of man? For what indeed is man? He lives and flourishes to-day; but to-morrow he is gone, and his place shall know him no more. Fear God then, and His judgment; for this is omniscient and everlasting; and the more thou fearest Him, the less thou wilt be afraid of any but Him. If thou at present seem to be oppressed with disgrace and ill reports, which thou hast not deserved, bear thy burthen contentedly. Blemish not thy innocence by too deep resentment; nor take off from the brightness of thy crown, by anger and impatience, and eagerness to right thyself. Reflect on Him, who once endured such contradiction of obstinate and implacable sinners; and is now set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Look up to heaven, and remember, there is One, who can make thy innocence as clear as the light, and thy righte sness shine like the sun at noonday.-Thomas A'Kempis, 2 Timothy, chap. iii. verse 16. CHRISTIANS! use the means of grace, and you will obtain victory. READ THE WORD OF GOD with humility, with reverence, with the sincere purpose of applying all its truths, precepts, threats, and promises to your instruction, your consolations, your advancement in holiness and virtue. Lift up your souls to God in prayer and praise. By stated devotions, as the morn of every day renews the goodness of your Almighty Benefactor, and its close finds you subjected to infirmities and sins; by the secret ejaculations of your hearts in the midst of the duties, the trials, the disappointments, and innocent enjoyments of life, to Him who only can direct you, and keep you from falling; maintain intercourse with Heaven-you will be strengthened to resist temptation; you will be animated in your Christian course; and you will be raised above this transitory world, with the hope of those eternal glories prepared for you in the kingdom of your God. Go then-ye are the Servants of Jesus Christ-it is a title infinitely more honourable than any which the world can bestow-for he is now the King of glory, and hereafter he will be the Judge of nations. Ye are candidates for immortality. Go-God is your Friend and Father, Jesus Christ is your Intercessor and Saviour, the Holy Ghost is your Comforter. What more, Christians, can you require to animate and encourage you! Heaven is in view! Fight a good fight; keep the faith; the Lord the righteous Judge, at the day of his appearing, will give you a crown of glory. The Rt. Rev. J. H. Hobart, D.D. Bishop of New York. "Within that awful Volume lies 2 Thess. chap. ii. ver. 15. The Christian's name is given him at Baptism, "wherein he is made a member of Christ, the child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of Heaven;" and at which time his Godfathers and Godmothers promise and vow in his name three things, (which promise when he comes to age himself he is bound to perform.) FIRST, that he will renounce the devil and all his works, the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh.-SECONDLY, that he will believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith, and THIRDLY, that he will keep God's Holy will and commandments, and walk in the same all the days of his life. This, he is taught,—It is his bounden duty to believe and to do BY GOD'S HELP. Thankfulness is enjoined on him to his Heavenly Father: for having called him to this state of Salvation, THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR; and/ prayer: that it may please God to give him HIS GRACE, so that he may continue in the same unto his life's end. See Church Catechism. The Church expressly declares, that even in cases of necessity, Baptism is only to be administered by a lawful* Minister or Deacon, and directly inhibits all other persons from intermeddling with it, though ever so privately, as being no part of their vocation. A plain intimation that no Baptism but what is administered by persons duly ordained, is valid or effectual. For if Baptism administered by persons not ordained, be valid and sufficient to convey the benefits of it; why should such persons be prohibited to administer it in cases of real necessity, when a regular Minister cannot be procured? It would surely be better for the child to have it from any hand, if any hand could give it, than that it should die, without the advantage of it. Our Church, therefore, by prohibiting all from intermeddling in Baptism but a lawful Minister; plainly hints, that when Baptism is administered by any others, it conveys no benefit or advantage to the child, but only brings upon those who pretend to administer it, the guilt of usurping a sacred office. And consequently, that persons so pretendedly baptized-(if they live to be sensible of their state and condition)-are to apply to their lawful Minister or Bishop for that Holy Sacrament, of which they only received a profanation before. Wheatley, on the Book of Common Prayer. *The Clergy of the Church. A COMPANION FOR MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH. THUS SAITH THE LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.....Jer. ch. vi. ver. 16. In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.....Isaiah, ch. XXX. ver. 15. ON PRAYER. THE knowledge is small which we have on earth concerning things that are done in heaven.-Notwithstanding, thus much we know even of saints in heaven, that they pray; and therefore prayer, being a work common to the church as well triumphant as militant-a work common unto men with angels,-what should we think but that so much of our lives is celestial and divine as we spend in the exercise of prayer?-Hooker. He walks as in the presence of God, that converses with Him in frequent prayer and frequent communion; that runs to Him in all his necessities; that asks counsel of Him in all his doubtings; that opens all his wants to Him; that weeps before Him for his sins; that asks remedy and support for his weakness; that fears Him as a judge, reverences Him as a Lord, obeys Him as a father, and loves Him as a friend. Bishop Jeremy Taylor. |