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venient for himself, if he is a fingle PerSon, or as many agreeing together may appoint with leaft Inconveniency to themfelves. If a fingle Perfon happens to be engaged unawares in Bufinefs, or Company, or to be in a Journey, or Voyage, with others, he may retire with his Book for one Quarter of an Hour into fome Recefs, in Jan Houfe, Garden, or Field; and a Mafter of a Family, that hath appointed Hours for Devotion, may order his Books to be laid at his appointed Hours, and invite his Friends, who come in to join with him, if they are fuch as he may communicate with, or they with him; or if not, with all Civility, he may borrow fo Small a Part of an Hour of them, while he fays his Prayers. This Cuftom, if generally obferv'd, would foon bring Religion, and Religious Perfons into Credit, Honour and Veneration; and, I hope, no Man will be fo uncharitable, as to think, that while I thus recommend Set Hours for Devotion, I am fo fuperftitious as to put any Trust in the bare Recital of a few Pfalms, and Prayers, and Hymns, at fuch and fuch prescrib'd Times, but that I do it to restore the ancient Practice of Devotion, which was in use among the Jews, and the Primitive Chriftians, a

mong

mong whom the Distinction of Hours for Prayer was not the Effect of Superftition, but a rational Inftitution, in which they agreed, as it were by common Infpiration, as the best Means of advancing Piety and Devotion.

Of the Five last Offices, that of our Saviour, is to be used in all the Sundays in Advent, and the Festivals of our Saviour, as, Christmas-Day, the Circumcifion, or New Year's-Day, the Epiphany, called among us from the Time of the Saxons, the Twelfth-Day, the Annunciation, Paffion-Sunday, which may be innocently obferv'd, though not noted in the Church of England Kalendar ; PalmSunday, and Afcenfion-Day.

The Office of the Holy Ghoft is to be faid on Whitfunday, Monday, and Tuesday.; and may, with great Comfort and Benefit to ferious Perfons, be faid, or read at any other Time.

The Office of the Saints is to be used on all the Proper Festivals, or Days of Commemoration of particular Saints, whofe Offices are alfo here added by the excellent Reformer of the Devotions; and the Ufe of them is in a peculiar manner comfortable and proper to all Chriftians, who are truly perfecuted for doing, or not doing

any

any thing contrary to their Christian Duty, and the Laws of God.

The Office of the Dead is intended to be faid at Difcretion upon all Occafions, of Epidemical Difeafes, and Mortality, upon the Death of our Neighbours, Friends, and Relations, or upon the Anniversary Day of the Death of any Perfon, whoje Departure we think fit to commemorate, as long as we furvive them; or fometimes a devout Perfon may have Occafion, or Inclination to say one or other of thefe Offices on any Day of the Week, with great Advantage, which may be done, omitting the proper Offices of the Day; and the proper Festivals fhew the Times when they are to be used.

As for Directions in using thefe Offices, none are to be given to those who use them alone; but they are wholly left to the Government of their own Difcretions. But when Two, or more, fay them together, tis fit they should obferve fome Orders, and Rules in their Social Devotion, for which Purpose I propose thefe which follow.

First, As to the Place, let it be fome private Oratory, if any fuch can be bad, at least fome Retirement, if the Houfe, where they meet, will afford any fuch.

At

At Mattins, both falling down on their Knees, let them implore the Affiftance of God; A. faying, Prevent, we beseech thee, &c. Then, both rifing, let them fay together, In the Name of the Father, &c. Then let A. Say the Invitatory, and B. repeat it every where as in the Book. Then, both continuing Standing, let A. repeat one Stanza of the Hymn, and B. the other. Then let A. Say the Antiphon, and B. begin the Pfalm, which they are to recite alternately; or, if they like it better, let the Antiphon be faid at the Beginning and End of the Pfalm, and the Verfes of the Pfalm be read alternately in the way of Pfalmody, according to the prefent Practice of most Congregations of the Church of England, which makes a moft Divine Harmony in Worship betwixt the Priest and Chorus of the People. But the way of reciting the Antiphon, and the Verfes of the Pfalm alternately, is preferr'd by the Reformer, as well as the Author of the Devotions. The Primitive Church had them both from the Synagogue; and there are many Examples of both to be found in the Book of Pfalms. At the End of every Pfalm, let A. Say, Glory be to the Father, &c. and B. As it

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was in the Beginning, &c. both continuing to ftand, and fhewing fome other Sign of Worship, by bowing the Head, or lifting up the Eyes to Heaven: For in all Devotion, the Exteriour Worship is never to be neglected; and thofe, ftiff, morofe, and faturnine Votifts, who are Jo Sparing of bodily Adoration in our most folemn Services, refusing to stand at the Singing of Pfalms, and Anthems, or to bow to God before his Holy Altars, act not only against the common Notions of Mankind, and the Nature of Divine Worship, but, if they would obferve it, against their own Inclinations; which, if not restrained by falfe Preconceptions, or warpt contrary to their Bent by Ferverfenefs of Humour, and Education, would nuturally prompt them, like other Men, to declare their inward by their outward Adoration, and join the Worship of the Body with the Devotion of the Soul. The Plalms being ended, let A. read the Leffons, and B the Refponfories, till he come to the first Star, and then A. is to read to the fecond Star, where B. is to repeat what A. Jaid before, as is directed in all the Refponfores.

The great Hymn, called, Te Deum, concludes the Sunday Mattins. Benedictus,

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