II. Prayers composed when the Psalmist was deprived of an Opportunity of the public Exercise of Religion. Psalm 42, 43, 63, 84, III. Prayers wherein the Psalmist seems extremely dejected, though not totally deprived of Consolation under his Afflictions. Ps. 13, 22, 69, 77, 88, 143. IV. Prayers wherein the Psalmist asketh Help of GoD, in Consideration of his own Integrity, and the Uprightness of his Cause. Psalm 7, 17, 26, 35. V. Prayers expressing the firmest Trust and Confidence in GoD under Afflic tion. Psalm 3, 16, 27, 31, 54, 56, 57, 61, 62, 71, 86. VI. Prayers composed when the People of GOD were under Affliction or Per- PSALMS OF THANKSGIVING. I. Thanksgivings for Mercies vouchsafed to particular Persons. Psalm 9, 18, 21, 30, 34, 40, 75, 103, 108, 116, 118, 138, 144. II. Thanksgivings for Mercies vouchsafed to the Israelites in general. Psalm 46, 48, 65, 66, 68, 76, 81, 85, 98, 105, 124, 126, 129, 135, 136, 149. PSALMS of PRAISE and ADORATION, displaying the ATTRIBUTES of GOD. J. General Acknowledgments of GoD's Goodness and Mercy, and particularly his Care and Protection of Good Men. Psalm 23, 34, 36, 91, 100, 103, 107, 117, 121, 145, 146. II. Psalms displaying the Power, Majesty, Glory, and other Attributes of the Divine Being. Psalm 8, 19, 24, 29, 33, 47, 50, 65, 66. 76, 77, 93, 95, 96, 97, 99, 104, 111, 113, 114, 115, 134, 139, 147, 148, 150. INSTRUCTIVE PSALMS. 1. The different Characters of Good and Bad Men: The Happiness of the one, and the Misery of the other, are represented in the following Psalms; 1, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 24, 25, 32, 34, 36, 37, 50, 52, 53, 58, 73, 75, 84, 91, 92, 94, 112, 119, 121, 125, 127, 128, 133. II. The Excellence of GoD's Law. Psalm 19, 119. III. The Vanity of Human Life. Psalm 39, 49, 90. V. The Virtue of Humility. Psalm 131. PROPHETICAL PSALMS. Psalm, 2, 16, 22, 40, 45, 68, 72, 87, 110, 118. Psalm 78, 105, 106. WHA HISTORICAL PSALMS. OF THE ROGATION DAYS. HAT the Greeks called Latinies, the Latins termed Rogations. They were, originally, public supplications, with fasting, for averting some calamity that was apprehended: at length, in the sixth century, they were, by the first council of Orleans, ordained to be made annually, on the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, preceding the Ascension Day. On these days, the Church has a regard, not only to prepare our minds, for celebrating our Saviour's ascension, in a decent manner, but also to appease God's wrath, that so he may be pleased to avert those judgments, which the sins of the nation deserved; and that he may vouchsafe to bless the fruits, with which the earth is at this time covered. In the times of Popery, these Rogations were performed with processions, and other solemnities, all of which were abolished, as superstitions, and inconvenient, at the time of our Reformation; and no provision has since been made, for any service, on these days, except, that Curates are enjoined, by an injunction of Queen Elizabeth's reign, at the times of perambulations of Parishes, performed on some of these Rogation Days, to admonish the people to give thanks to God, while they behold his benefits, in the increase, and abundance of his fruits, by saying the 101th Psalm; at which time, also, they are to inculcate such sentences, as, Cursed be he which translateth the bounds, and doles of his neighbour; or perform such other order of Prayer, as should, thereafter, be appointed; none such, has been appointed; though there is a Homily for these occasions. TH OF ASCENSION DAY. HE commemoration of Christ's ascension, at the expiration of forty days, after his resurrection, has ever been a festival in the Church. The Psalms appointed for this day, are the 8th, 15th, and 21st, for the Morning. The 8th, which is employed in magnifying God for his wonderful creation of the world, and for his goodness to mankind, may be prophetically applied to the greatest of all mercies, that of exalting our human nature, by our Saviour's assuming the flesh, and ascending with it to Heaven, The 15th Psalm, shews how justly our Saviour was intitled to ascend the Holy Hill, that îs, the highest Heavens, of which Mount Sion was a type; since he was the only person, who had all the qualifications mentioned in that Psalm. The 21st, was plainly fulfilled in our Saviour's ascension, when he was exalted in his own strength, and had a crown of pure gold set upon his head. The Psalms for the Evening service, are the 24th, 47th, and 108th. The first, as it celebrates the bringing of the Ark to the house, prepared for it on Mount Sion, prophetically speaks of Christ's ascension into heaven. The next is mystically applied to the Christian Church, which it exhorts to make rejoicing, and to sing praise, because, God is gone up with a merry noise, and the Lord with the sound of the trump. In the last, the Psalmist gives thanks to God, among the people, for sitting himself above the Heavens, and his glory above all the earth, which was literally fulfilled on this day. The first lesson for the morning, is peculiarly applicable, as recording the going up of Moses into the Mount, to receive the law, and to deliver it to the Jews; this being a type of our Saviour's ascension into heaven, to send a new law, the law of faith. The first lesson at evening, contains the taking up of Elijah, and his conferring a double portion of his spirit on Elisha; which may prefigure our Saviour's ascension, and the sending down of the fullness of his spirit, on his apostles and disciples. The second lessons are plainly suitable to the day, as are also the collect, epistle, and gospel, which are the same that we meet with in the oldest offices. OF THE SUNDAY AFTER ASCENSION DAY. S the apostles, during this week, continued in constant expectation of the A Comforter, whom our Saviour had promised, this was sometimes called, Expectation Week. The collect, for this day, was a little altered at the reformation; but the epistle, and the gospel, are the same, that were used of old. The gospel contains the promise of the Comforter, which is the spirit of truth. The epistle exhorts every one to make such use of those gifts of the holy spirit, as becomes good stewards of the manifold grace of God. OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT. HE Patriarchs knew, as well as we, that faith and repentance, were the Tonly way to please God; they had faith in the prompentance, were they confessed their sins, &c. and in their prayers there was nothing concealed but the name of Christ, which they expressed by the tender mercies, the lacing kindness of the Lord. In a word, both Churches had the same Mediator, the same Spirit, as well as the same God, and for this reason, we use the same Psalms, and the same Scriptures as they did, because dictated by the same Spirit. As far as they embraced the great promise, so far they embraced Christ. Thus " Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ, greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he had respect unto the recompence of reward." This is of great moment to be understood, in order to understand the Bible.--And we only added the gloria, patri to the Psalms of David to render them Christian hyins, 150 An Address. TO THE MEMBERS OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN CONNECTICUT; THE ADDRESS OF THE ANNUAL CONVENTION HOLDEN AT LITCHFIELD ON THE IF 7th JUNE, 1804. Friends and Fellow-Christians! F we look back to the period when the friends of our Communion were engaged in pleading the cause of the Church, suffering in North America without precedent, under the want of the Episcopal office ;-if we recollect how ardently our fathers and fellow-members desired to see a plenary Priesthood established in these realms, and how our candidates for the Ministry could not obtain orders without encountering the dangers of a long voyage, and submitting to an expence of from one to two hundred pounds sterling ;-if we call to mind how many of our pious ancestors and cotemporaries mourned because of their want of confirmation ;—and how some so vehemently longed for the enjoyment of that Apostolic rite, that they crossed the wide Atlantic to obtain it ;-we cannot fail of duly appreciating the Episcopal character, not only by the words of our mouths, but by the ACTIONS OF OUR LIVES, by giving to our Bishops the honour of respect, and our bounden duty of a liberal mainteOur Forefathers, and many of us, 'till of late, were without the benefits arising from the Episcopal function;-then, they were exceeding precious in our eyes,-things much to be desired: it is hoped that they are so still, and that we and our children, and our children's children will estimate the heavensent boon as it deserves. nance. For the perpetual maintenance of a Bishop in this state, many schemes have been devised, but none have promised so much success, as the recommendation of a Special Convention holden at Waterbury," that a half penny tax be Jaid on the grand list of the Episcopalians, for the purpose of commencing a fund for the maintenance of the Episcopate." But this failed, either through misconstruction or want of energy to carry it into operation.. Still impressed with a sense of the duty which they owed to the Episcopate, the members of a subsequent Convention presented a Petition to the Legislature, praying that an Act might be passed to incorporate certain persons into a body politic for this purpose. Their petition has been granted, and in the Act of incorporation the following persons are named Trustees to manage the concerns of the proposed fund, viz. All have accepted their appointment. They have met under the sanction of their Charter, and have chosen Jonathan Ingersol Chairman, Ashbel Baldwin Secretary, and Isaac Beers, Elias Shipman and Joseph Drake Committee. These gentlemen are ready to receive donations from all persons disposed to support the Episcopal Church in the person of its chief minister. Brethren, believing that entreaties will not be necessary to persuade you to make provision for the Supreme Officer in our ecclesiastical polity, we congrat ulate you on the opportunity now presented, of shewing your zeal for the house of the Lord, and of giving to the honour of his name, according to the blessings wherewith he hath blessed you. We are also putting you in mind, to pay a debt a debt of gratitude to our common benefactor, for his merciful providence in granting to us a valid and regular succession in the Ministry, with all the blessings and benefits which are connected therewith ;-and for such inestimable favours, how disproportionate are all the returns that can be made?-God hath been liberal to you in spirituals and in temporals-his goodness and his mercy accompany you your land yields her increase and your barns are filled with plenty-but no provision is made for the fountain of holy orders-no maintenance made for Christ's chief minister among you !-Will any of you then grudge to make God some small return? Will any of you be backward to honour with a part of your substance, that Office, which is the grand Vinculum that binds and unites Christians throughout the world?No! Brethren :-rather consider the Office of a Bishop, as the Representative of Christ, and receive those who bear it, as you would the Apostles. Remember those words of Christ to his Apostles, and in them to every succeeding Bishop of his Church" he who receiveth you, receiveth me, and he who receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me." Disposed to honour the Person sent, on account of the religious reverence due to the Sender, ye need not, Brethren, the force of multiplied arguments to persuade; you to do in the present case what is highly for your honour, your temporal and spiritual emolument. By being liberal in your donations for this confessedly praise-worthy purpose, ye will honour the memory of your departed friends, who have desired to see the things which ye see, viz. Ordinations and Confirmations, and have not seen them; and to hear the things which ye hear, namely, the voices of the Angels of the Churches, and have not heard them. A blessing will descend upon you and your posterity; and whenever mention shall be made of the Church in Connecticut, the Bishop's fund will be mentioned for a perpetual memorial of your zeal, for the cause of God and his Church. Therefore forget not the advice of the son of Sirak, fear the Lord with all thy soul, and reverence his priests. Love him that made thee, with all thy strength, and forsake not his ministers. Fear the Lord, and honour the priest, and give him his portion, as it is commanded thee. Eccles. vii. 29, 30, 31. ASHBEL BALDWIN, Sect'ry. SACRED CRITICISM. EPISTLE of 6. But more PISTLE of St. James, chap. iv. ver. 6.-But he giveth more grace. On these "rendered grace, is rarely used to signify any inward motions or secret ope"rations of the holy spirit on the mind, unless when it expresseth the extraor“dinary gifts, and miraculous endowinents conferred on the Apostles and first Christians." Scripture is the best interpreter of scripture. As what our blessed Saviour saith in one place, (Matt. vii. 11.) How much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"-He in another (Luke xi. 13.) expresseth by "How much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy spirit to those that ask him?"thus comprising all good things in one :→→→ so the word (charis) grace, which is in the New Testament generally applied to ex press the free and undeserved favour of God to man through Jesus Christ, in general, doth sometimes, in a more limited sense, denote the gracious and undeserved assistance of the holy spirit ; and that not only in his miraculous gifts, but in his ordinary influences. In both these respects he is called the spirit (tës charitos) of grace.-Heb. x. 29. comp. with ch. 6. 45. Grace is used for such influences of the holy spirit as are attainable by every Christian. Heb. xii. 28. In like 'manner, St. Peter's admonition, 2 Ep. iii. 18. Grow in grace (en chariti) and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour' Jesus Christ, must be supposed to extend to every Christian, and consequently the word grace to refer to the ordinary inspiration of the spirit of God, as distinguished from His extraordinary and miraculous gifts. There are several other passages wherein (charis) grace must be understood to include the like sanctifying influences of the holy spirit, as mentioned in Acts xi. 23. Eph. iv. 7. And St. Paul expressly says, Eph. iv. 7. "Unto every one of us is given grace "according to the measure of the gift of Christ." How the word grace was admitted so frequently into our Liturgy, into the writings of our Divines-and in the English language was used to denote the influence of God's spirit, may be easily accounted for from the nature of lan-` guage. The word grace is formed from the Latin gratia, in which language, after the Romans became Christians, it was used among other significations, to denote the ordinary inspiration of the Holy Ghost. Our Saxon ancestors were converted to Christianity by a Roman monk, and furnished by him with a Latin Liturgy, in which the word gratia occurs very often. The Saxons before their conversion had words in their language to express favour or good will in general, and these they could apply to God as well as to man; but as they had no notion of that particular species of God's good will, by which he, affords to man the assistance of his Holy Spirit, so they had no vocable for it, until they adopted the word grace into their language. Hence then the primitive and correct sense of the word may be easily ascertained. Psalm cxli. 5.-Let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness; and let him reprove me, it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head :: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities.-Bible translation. Let the righteous rather smite me friendly; and reprove me. But let not their precious balms break my head: yea, I will pray yet against their wickedness-Prayer-Book translation. # However differently these translations express the original, they agree on rendering the cardinal word of the sentence (Heb. NUA) by break. If this be the true reading, the difficulty seems to be insuperable. Commentators may smooth the expression, by giving it a paraphrastic appearance, but a faithful' translation only can give the correct sense of the original. Dr. Castle in his/ Lexicon, under the word (NUA) to break, remarks that the Septuagint, Syriac, Arabic, Ethiopic, Vulgate, and some of the Hebrews, antiently read instead, of (NUA) to break, (INIP) to bedrop, bedew, or anoint. If the reading this learned man proposes be the true and original reading, the translation will run thus: Let the righteous instruct me in mercy and reprove me; the oil of the wicked shall not anoint my head. Exod. xxxiii 7, 8, 9, 10.—And Moses took the Tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the Congregation. And it came to pass, that every one who sought the LORD, went out unto the Tabernacle of the Congregation, which was without the camp. And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the Tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the Tabernacle.—And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the Tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the Tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses.-And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the Tabernacle door; and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door. And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh to his friend.. As there was a sacred Tabernacle before that erected by Moses, and the Cherubim were instituted even from the fall of man, so doubtless the Ark of the Testimony was also of the same antiquity, and from the beginning represented to believers CHRIST GOD-MAN, raised from the dead, no more to die, but exalted to heaven with triumph and great glory, and invested with all power both in heaven and in earth. Comp. Psalm xvi. 10.-Wherefore my heart was glad, and my glory rejoiced, my flesh also shall rest in hope.-For |