Short discourses upon the whole common-prayer designed to inform the judgment and excite the devotion of such as daily use the same / Tho. Comber ...

Sect. XXIV. Of the Collect for the Clergy and Peo∣ple.

§. 1. HOly Scripture is full of Prayers for the Church of God, and particularly for the Governors and Pastors thereof, and all the An∣cient Liturgies have peculiar Petitions for the Bi∣shops and the Clergy, as well as for the Congregati∣ons committed to their Charge: Synesius a Primi∣tive Bishop writes to his Clergy to pray for him in all their Churches; and our Saxon Councils ordain daily Prayers shall be made for the Bishop and for the Church of God;(f) which order we observe in this Anci∣ent Form containing, First a Pre∣face describing God by his At∣tributes and wondrous works: [Almighty and everlasting God &c.] Secondly the Petitions containing, 1st, The Persons prayed for, both the Clergy, [send down upon our Bishops, &c.] and the People, [and all Congregations, &c.] 2ly, The things

desired for them, viz. Gods grace, [the healthful Spirit, &c.] and his Blessing, [And that they may truly please thee, &c.] Thirdly the argument to enforce these requests, [Grant this O Lord, &c.]

§. 2. As Man consists of Two parts, a Soul and a Body, so he is to be considered under a double Ca∣pacity, as a Member of the State which is a Socie∣ty instituted for the preservation of our outward Man, and so we have prayed for our selves in the Prayer for the King: But now it is fit to consider us as Christians and Members of the Church, which is a Society instituted for the salvation of our Souls; and to excite our Devotion, here is set before us that [Almighty] power of God, by which he cal∣led his Church out of the Heathen World, and hath preserved it from Persecutors and Hereticks ever since, so that it is and ever shall be safe, be∣cause he who is the defender thereof is [Ever∣lasting,] and so can always keep it that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it: He planted it at first by [great marvels,] bestowing miracu∣lous gifts on the Ministers and the People also, and his Love toward it is the same still, and therefore if it did need those wonderful gifts now, it should have them; but because it doth not, yet he will work great [marvels] still to deliver it when there is occasion: Wherefore since he is so ready to shew his Love and his Power for his Churches good, we Pray that he will [send down] from heaven (whence every good gift comes, James 1.17.) [the healthful] and saving [Spirit of his grace:] Titus ii. 11. First upon [our Bishops,] the Successors of the Apostles, who ever since their

times have governed every regular and well ordered Church, and are entrusted with the power of choo∣sing and ordaining Ministers, of making rules for the externals of Gods Worship, and for discipline; as also of exercising the power of the Keys in censu∣ring Hereticks, Schismaticks, and all notorious Sin∣ners; and surely this is a great Work, and they who are to undergo it, do need great assistances of the Spirit of grace, which if we can obtain for them, they will rule the Church of God well, and preserve it in purity and peace. We pray also for [all Cu∣rates,] that is, for the Priests and Deacons, to whom the Bishop commits the Curam Animarum, the Cure or rather Care of Souls in particular Congre∣gations; for after whole Nations were converted, the Governing part alone was a burden sufficient for the Bishop; and therefore for the better edifica∣tion of the People, Parish Churches were built, and Ministers fixed there to pray for the People, and to preach and administer Sacraments to them, and to do all other Offices of Religion there; and surely the People are obliged to Pray for these also, that they may have large measures of the same Spirit, that so their Prayers may be devout and prevalent, their Doctrine plain and profitable, their Administrations regular and successful, and their Lives holy and Ex∣emplary, which will be the Peoples own advan∣tage as well as the Ministers happiness. Lastly, The Minister also prays for the same grace for the whole [Congregation committed to his charge,] well knowing that without this [Grace] all his pains among them, and Prayers for them, will be in vain; and since he hath so strict a charge of their Souls that he must answer for them if they perish by his fault, Ezek. xiii. 9. he ought to be very servent in

this request: Finally, That Bishops, Priests and Peo∣ple may all do their duty in their several places, we pray that they may be watered with [the continu∣al dew of Gods blessing,] which will crown the endeavours of both Pastors and People with happy success, and make the whole Body of the Church prosperous and holy, which request we make not only for our own good, but [for the Honour] of him that is the only [Advocate and Mediator] of his Church, even [Iesus Christ,] who is the head of this body the Church, and by his Mediati∣on and intercession obtains all Blessings for it; so that when it is happy and flourishing in all virtue, he is glorified for it and by it, and therefore though we are unworthy, we hope for his sake God will grant it, [Amen.]

Notes

• (f)

  Synesii Epist. xi. pag. 171. Excerpt. Eg∣berti can. 8. Concil. Calcuthens. Can. 10.