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No. XXVIII.

Good Friday-First Callert.

A PRAYER THAT GOD MAY GRACIOUSLY BEHOLD HIS FAMILY THE CHURCH UNIVERSAL.

The Invocation is simply:

"Almighty God,"

Containing therefore no statement beyond what the title implies.

The Petition is (reaching to the end of the Collect):

"We beseech thee graciously to behold this thy family, for which our Lord Jesus Christ was contented to be betrayed, and given up into the hands of wicked men, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen."

In this Petition on behalf of God's family we declare: 1. That we ourselves are of the family of God. Eph. iii. 15; Matt. x. 25; Gal. vi. 10; Eph. ii. 19; Heb. iii. 6; 1 Pet. ii. 5; Matt. xii. 46-50; Gal. iv. 4.

2. That of this family Jesus Christ is Lord, i. e. Master. Matt. x. 25; John, xiii. 13, 14; Heb. iii. 6; Matt. xxiii. 8-10.

3. That for this family Jesus Christ was content

(a) To be betrayed and given up, and that to wicked men. Matt. xxvi. 14-16; Zech. xi.

12, 13; John, xiii. 2, 18, 21, 26-30; xviii. 1-13; Acts, ii. 23.

(b) To suffer death, and that on the cross. John, xix. 16-18; Luke, xxiii. 26, 32-46; Gal. iii. 13; Phil. ii. 8; Isa. liii. 5-9.

4. That upon this His family we hope and pray God will be pleased graciously to look down. Deut. xxvi. 15; Ps. lxxx. 14, 15; Isa. lxiii. 5; Lam. iii. 48-50; Job, xxxiii. 26-28; Ps. xxxiii. 13, 14; Numb. vi. 24-27.

5. That Jesus Christ, who was content to bear all this for us, is now living and reigning with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Ps. xxix. 10; Phil. ii. 8-10; Heb. i. 3, 8; xii. 2; Rev. i. 4, 5; 1 John, v. 7.

Supplementary Questions.

Whom do we here pray that God will be pleased graciously to behold?

What does that word imply?

Of whom does this family of God consist?

When we say "this thy family," do we thereby mean that

we ourselves make up the whole of it?

Of this family Who is Lord?

What do we mean by that term?

What was this Lord once content to undergo on behalf of

the family of God?

To whom was he betrayed?

By whom and under what circumstances?

What followed after His betrayal ?

How did He suffer death?

Why so?

By whose instrumentality?

For what purpose was this?

What consequences result to us from it?
Where is this Lord Jesus Christ now?

How is He employed?

With Whom?

When will this terminate?

No. XXIX.

Good Friday-Second Callert.

A PRAYER FOR EVERY PARTICULAR MEMBER OF THE CHURCH.

The Invocation is:

"Almighty and Everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and sanctified,"

66

Here invoking God as Almighty" and " 'Everlasting," we state further:

1. That by His Spirit is the Church

(a) Governed, i. e. directed. John, xvi. 7-14 ; xiv. 16, 17, 26; Jer. x. 23; 2 Thess. iii. 5; Acts, xiii. 2-4.

(b) Sanctified. 2 Thess. ii. 13; 1 Pet. i. 2; 1 Cor. vi. 11; Rom. xv. 16; Jude, 1; Eph. v. 26; 1 Pet. i. 22.

2. That this government and sanctification extends to

the whole body thereof.

1 Cor. vii. 14; Heb. viii. 10, 11; x. 14-17; Eph. v. 26, 27; Rev. xix. 7, 8; 1 Cor. xii. 11; Eph. iv. 7, 11-16.

Hence the prayer which follows.

The Petition is:

"Receive our supplications and prayers, which we offer before thee for all estates of men in thy Holy Church, that every member of the

same, in his vocation and ministry, may truly and godly serve thee;"

Herein are involved the following:

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1. That God's Church is a holy Church. Rom. i. 7; 1 Pet. i. 2, 14-16, 22; Ps. xciii. 5; Zech. xiv. 20, 21; Heb. iii. 1; 1 Thess. iv. 7; Isa. xi. 9; Eph. i. 4; Col. iii. 12; 2 Tim. i. 9.

2. That this Church of God is a body composed of different members. Eph. i. 22, 23; Rom. xii. 4, 5;

1 Cor. xii. 12, 13, 27; Eph. iv. 12-16; v. 23–30; Col. i. 18.

3. That these members are of different ranks and order, and have each their respective and proper vocation and ministry, or service, to attend to. Rom. xii. 4, 6-8; 1 Cor. xii. 4-10, 14-19, 27, 28; vii. 20-24; 1 Pet. ii. 13-18; Acts, vi. 1-4; Eph. v. 22, 25; vi. 1-9; Rom. xiii. 1-8; 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2; Tit. ii.

4. That in that vocation and ministry every such member should seek to serve God

(a) Truly, i.e. in sincerity. Ps. xvii. 1; John, xxi. 17; Matt. xxiii. 14.

(b) Godly, i.e. in a godly manner.

Matt. xxiii. 25-27; Tit. i. 16.

Ps. lxvi. 18;

For grace to do which is therefore the matter of this prayer.

The Conclusion is:

"through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen."

As before.

Supplementary Questions.

Under what figure is the Church of God spoken of in this Collect?

Under whose government is this Church here said to be

placed?

What other office in connexion with the Church of God is

here ascribed to the Spirit of God?

What do we mean by "sanctified?"

How far does this government, and this sanctification, extend?

What is the character claimed for God's Church in the

course of this prayer?

In what senses is this true that God's Church is a holy Church?

If the whole Church make up a body, of what must that body consist?

What do we mean by "members?"

Are these members all of equal rank?

Have they each the same office and calling?

What, then, is required of each particular member of this body?

How should each member seek to serve God?

What do we mean by "truly ?"

What by "godly?"

What do we need to enable us to do this?

How are we to obtain it?

No. XXX.

Good Friday, Third Callert.

A PRAYER THAT SINNERS MAY BE CONVERTED AND BROUGHT INTO THE CHURCH.

N.B.-Does not the particular object of each of these three prayers denote a unity of design in the whole, on the part of the composers thereof? See the headings of each Collect.

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