Imatges de pàgina
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THE FINAL BLESSING.

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The peace of GóD, which pásseth all under

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standing,, keep your hearts and minds' in the

The peace] The concluding Blessing presents the reader with one of the most difficult passages in the whole service. Its meaning will perhaps become more obvious by being expressed in a shorter, but equivalent form: "May the peace given by God the Father, keep you in the knowledge and love of the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord; and may the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be amongst you now, and remain with you always." If this be the true meaning, does the usual mode of delivery convey this meaning distinctly? The climax in the original will be more marked, and the meaning of the whole rendered more clear, if a slight pause be made after 'love,' and the words of God and of his Son' be kept together, without admitting the usual pause after the word 'God.'

Some deliver the first part thus: "The peace-of-God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love-of-God, &c.' This mode would be good, if the sentence ended here; but our hearts are to be kept in the knowledge and love not only of God, but also of his Son, 'Jesus Christ our Lord.' The introduction of another person into the sentence, requires that a contradistinction between the two persons should be made by giving to each a separate and opposite inflection.]

-keep your hearts] i. e. keep your hearts in the love, and your minds in the knowledge, &c. The inverted parallelism is observable.]

knowledge and love' of God and of his Són, Jésus

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Christ our Lord; and the BLESSING of God

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Almighty,, the Father, the Son, and the HòLY

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GHOST-bè amôngst-you, and remáin-with-you' A'LWAYS.

--all understanding] Some give a strong emphasis to the word 'all.' This excites the idea of a contradistinction which does not seem to be intended.]

HOLY GHOST,, be amongst-you] These words are sometimes delivered thus: 'Holy Ghost-be-amóngst-you.' This mode is contrary to the general rule, that when a nominative (Blessing) is accompanied with inseparable adjuncts, a pause should be introduced before the verb. (See Rule 1. p. 16.) In the present instance, by connecting the words 'Holy Ghost so closely with 'be amongst you,' the hearers might be led to suppose, that the Blessing of the Third Person in the Holy Trinity was alone intended.]

-bè amóngst-you] The conclusion of the Blessing is frequently repeated thus: "Be amóngst-you and remain-withyou, àlways." This mode connects the word 'always' with 'be amongst you;' but this would be tautology; for 'be amongst you always' must be equivalent to remain with you always.' The true meaning is 'Be amongst you now, and remain with you always.]

—ALWAYS] Though this word should be pronounced distinctly and forcibly, yet it must not be converted into 'all ways."]

In pronouncing this Blessing, affectionate earnestness may be superadded to the solemn and impressive manner which is required in the preceding parts of the Service. It is likewise highly proper, that the words, instead of being delivered in an

under tone, should be rendered audible to all. The practice of the Wise King deserves our notice: "And it was so that when SOLOMON had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees, with hands spread up to heaven. And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice." 1 Kings viii. 55.

THE ADDITIONAL COLLECTS.

Assíst-us mércifully'-O-Lord, in these our supplications and prayers; and dispóse the way-of-thy-servants' towards the attainment' of

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EVERLASTING SALVA'TION; that, among all the changes and chances of this mortal-life, they

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may ever be defended by thy most gràcious and ready help, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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ō Almighty Lord, and everlasting Gódvouchsafe' we beseech-thee' to direct, sanctify, and govern' both our hearts and bodies' in the ways of thy laws and the wórks of thy com

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mandments; that' through thy most mighty protéction' both hère and evér,, we may be preserved in body and soul-through our Lord and Saviour' Jesus Christ.

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Gránt, we beseech - thee' - Almighty - Gód, that the words which we have héard' thís-day'

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with our outward eàrs, máy' through thy grace'

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be só gràfted inwardly in our hearts,, that they may bring forth-in-us' the fruit of good living, to the hónour and praise of thy' náme, through Jésus Christ' our Lòrd.

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Prevént-us'-O-Lórd, in àll'our dóings' with thy' most grácious favour, and further-us with thy continual help; that in áll-our-works, begún, continued, and ended in THE E,, we may glorify' thy holy náme; and finally, by thy

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mercy, obtain everlasting life-through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom,, who knowest our necessities before-we-ask, and our ignorance in-asking-we beseech-thee' to

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have compassion upon our infirmities; and thóse-things which' for our unworthiness' we dare-not, and for our blindness' we cannot-ask,, vouchsafe to give-us, for the worthiness of thy Són' Jesus Christ our Lord.

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Almighty God, who hast prómised to hear the petitions' of them that àsk in thy Son'sname-we beseech-thee' mércifully to inclíne thine éars to ús' that have made now' our prayers and supplications-unto-thee; and gránt' that those things which we have faith

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fully asked' according to thy' will,, may effèc

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tually be obtained' to the relief of our necèssity, and to the setting forth of thy' glory-through Jesus Christ' our Lord.

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THE MINISTRATION OF PUBLIC BAPTISM OF INFANTS, TO BE USED IN THE CHURCH.

Hath this Child' been alréady-baptized, or no?

If they answer No; then shall the Priest proceed as followeth.

* Dearly Beloved :-forasmuch as all-men' are conceived and bórn' in sin; and that our SAVIOUR CHRIST saíth-low) None can enter into

* This address should be delivered in an easy, natural manner, and with as little reference to the Book as possible.]

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