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No. II.

Second Sunday in Advent.

A PRAYER FOR A RIGHT USING OF THE

The Invocation is:

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WORD OF GOD.

Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scripture to be written for our learning;"Here we address God as the "Blessed Lord," and then state as a motive leading us to prayer,

1. That he has caused the Holy Scriptures to be written. 2 Peter, i. 21; 2 Tim. iii. 16, 17; Ex. xxxiv. 27; Jer. xxx. 2.

2. That this he has done for our learning, i.e. for us to learn them and to learn from them. Rom. XV. 4; 1 Cor. x. 11; John, xx. 31; Rev. i. 11.

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

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grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen."

In this petition we declare:

1. That we have a hope of everlasting life. Tit. i. 2; Heb. vi. 17-20; Rom. v. 2; viii. 24, 25.

2. That this hope is a blessed hope. Tit. ii. 13; Jer. xvii. 7; Rom. v. 5.

3. That this hope and this life are both given to us by God in Jesus Christ. John, iii. 16; i. 4; xi. 25;

1 John, v. 11; Col. iii. 4; Rom. v. 10, 17.

4. That this Jesus Christ is our Saviour.

Matt. i. 21;

1 Tim. iv. 10; Luke, ii. 11; John, iv. 42; Tit. iii. 6 ; 2 Peter, iii. 18.

5. That this hope given to us by God, in Jesus Christ our Saviour, must be

(a) Embraced: Zech. ix. 12; Ps. lxxviii. 7; Rom. xv. 13.

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6. That this is to be done by

(a) Patience. Luke, viii. 15; xxi. 19; Rom. v. 3, 4; Heb. vi. 12; x. 36; xii. 1; 2 Peter, i. 6. (b) Comfort of the Sacred Scriptures, which are God's holy word. Rom. xv. 4; Ps. cxix. 49, 50; 1 Cor. xiv. 3.

7. That this patience and comfort of God's holy word, again, are to be sought by a right use of those Scriptures which he has caused to be written for that very end. 2 Sam. xiv. 17; 1 Thess. iv. 18; Zech. i. 13; Isa. xii. 1; Rom. xv. 4, 5; Acts, xv. 31. 8. That this right use of those Scriptures consists in these five things:

(a) Hearing them, i.e. going to the place where
they are appointed to be read and listening
attentively whilst they are read. Deut. v. 1;
vi. 3; Acts, xv. 21; Luke, iv. 16-20.

(b) Reading them, i.e. studying them ourselves
at home and reading them in our families.
Acts, xvii. 11; Deut. xvii. 19; John, v. 39.
(c) Marking them, i.e. diligently heeding what
they say. Acts, viii. 30; Deut. vi. 6–9.
(d) Learning them, i.e. treasuring them up in
our minds; hiding them as it were in our
hearts. Ps. cxix. 9-11; Luke, ii. 19; iv. 4.
(e) Inwardly digesting them, i.e. meditating
upon them afterwards, so as to be nourished
and fed thereby, that we may grow to the
stature of men in Christ. Ps. cxix. 97-99;
i. 1-3; Jer. xv. 16; Ezek. iii. 1, 2.

Supplementary Questions

(TO BE USED AS BEFORE).

What is that which we are here said to have a hope of? What kind of hope is it said to be?

Through Whom have we this hope?

What is Jesus Christ here said to be?

What must be done with respect to the hope of life

referred to in this Collect?

What do you mean by embracing?

By holding fast?

How is this to be done?

What is patience?

How does God's Word supply comfort to the soul?

How are these, i. e. patience and comfort, to be sought? In what does the right use of the Sacred Scriptures consist?

What is included under the words hearing the Scripture ? Under reading?

Marking?

Learning?

Inwardly digesting?

Illustrate all by appropriate Scripture references.

No. III.

Third Sunday in Advent.

A PRAYER FOR A BLESSING ON THE LABOURS OF THE MINISTERS OF GOD.

The Invocation is:

"O Lord Jesu Christ, who at thy first coming didst send thy messenger to prepare thy way before thee;"

Here we invoke Christ, the Second Person in the everblessed Trinity; thereby" honouring the Son" even as we "honour the Father:" and by acknowledging him as our Lord, profess ourselves his servants. We state here, as an incentive to the prayer we are about to offer :

1. That at our Lord's first coming he was preceded by a messenger. Matt. iii. 1, 2; Luke, iii. 1-3.

2. That this messenger he himself sent. Mal. iii. 1 ; iv. 5; Matt. xi. 10.

3. That this messenger was sent to prepare his way before him. Isa. xl. 3-5; John, i. 6-8.

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

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'grant that the ministers and stewards of thy mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at thy second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen."

Here the following important points are involved:

1. That there is to be a second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts, i. 11; John, xiv. 3; Matt. xxv. 31. 2. That this second coming will be to judge the world. Heb. ix. 27; 2 Cor. v. 10; John, v. 22; 2 Tim. iv. 1. 3. That for such his second coming it is necessary that

a way be prepared. Tit. ii. 11-14; Mark, i. 3; Isa. lvii. 14, 15.

4. That this preparation consists in the hearts of the disobedient being turned to the wisdom of the just. Luke, i. 16, 17, 76-79.

5. That it is the work of ministers and stewards of the

mysteries of God, as instruments in God's hands, to do this. Eph. iv. 11-13; 1 Cor. xii. 28; Heb. xiii. 17; Ezek. iii. 17; 1 Cor. iv. 1; Eph. vi. 19; Acts, xxvi. 17, 18; 1 Cor. iii. 5-7.

6. That this being done we shall then be found an acceptable people in God's sight. 1 Pet. ii. 9; Eph. i. 3-6; Mal. iv. 5, 6.

For this, therefore, we earnestly pray: and we also state further,

7. That he in whose sight acceptance is sought, is now

living and reigning with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Eph. i. 20; Acts, ii. 32, 33; Heb. i. 4; 1 Cor. xv. 25; 2 Tim. ii. 11, 12.

8. That this is, though they be three distinct Persons, yet only as one God. 1 John, v. 7; John, x. 30; Deut. vi. 4.

9. That it is now, and will be so for ever and ever. Heb. i. 8; Rom. vi. 9, 10; Dan. iv. 34; Ps. cxlvi. 10.

Supplementary Questions.

What is stated in the invocation of this Collect respecting

our Lord's first coming?

Who was the messenger here spoken of?

Where do we find his history recorded?

How did he come?

Where, and for what?

By Whom was he sent ?

Will our Lord come again?

How do we know it?

What for this time?

Will His object be the same as before?

What is necessary beforehand?

How is a way to be prepared?

Whose office is it to do this?

What will be the result when this takes place ?

What have we further stated in this Collect as to the

present position and office of Christ?

Produce Scripture proofs of these statements.

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