SERMON XXXVI.

THE OBLIGATION OF THE DAILY SERVICE.

Close of the Church's Year.

EXODUS XXIX. 38, 39.

NOW THIS IS THAT WHICH THOU SHALT OFFER UPON THE ALTAR; TWO LAMBS OF THE FIRST YEAR DAY BY DAY CONTINUALLY. THE ONE LAMB THOU SHALT OFFER IN THE MORNING, AND THE OTHER LAMB THOU SHALT OFFER AT

EVEN.

In these words we find the institution of the Daily Service of the Jewish Church-the Sacrifice of a lamb day by day continually, morning and evening, accompanied with an offering of bread and wine. While this "constant Sacrifice was," as Bishop Patrick says, "an acknowledgment of GoD's Sovereign dominion over His people, the principal thing to be observed,” in the addition to it of the bread and wine, "is, that this was ordained to represent GOD's dwelling among them in the Sanctuary (v. 41); where this Daily Sacrifice was the constant provision made for His Table (as the Altar is called) and bread and wine a necessary attendant (as they are at all tables) upon the meat that was set before HIM." This daily sacrifice implied, moreover, a confession of guilt, and of the punishment

justly due to it, a transfer of that guilt and punishment to the "Lamb," which was to be "without blemish," and of God's willingness and readiness to accept the sacrifice thus offered to HIM by His Priest on behalf of the people. It would appear from the Jewish history that so long as tabernacle or temple continued, at the door of, or within which, this sacrifice could be offered, so long did it continue to be offered daily; interrupted only, perhaps, when the people fell away into gross forgetfulness of their God, but revived whenever the king" did that which was right in the sight of the LORD."

Nor, when the true Lamb came, and had, by His "offering of HIMSELF once for all" made "a full, perfect, and sufficient Sacrifice, Oblation, and Satisfaction for the sins of the whole world," did the Daily Sacrifice cease. That which under the Jewish dispensation had been daily typified, was under the Christian daily commemorated. The sacrifice of the material lamb with the bread and wine ceased, but, without an interval, yea even before its actual cessation, it was succeeded by the Daily commemorative Sacrifice, with bread and wine; for the disciples "continued stedfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." The practice of the Apostles was followed up by the early Christians; and even when the "consecrated bread and wine" was, through lack of devotion and growing lukewarmness, no longer the principal part of the Daily Service of the Church, the offering of prayer and praise was continued, to obtain, at least, that portion of the Church's "daily bread," without which she could neither "live, move, nor have her being." And as the Church Catholic extended herself amongst all people, and nations, and

tongues, so, ever mindful of what was due to her great Head, she made provision that, not only privately, but publicly also, "daily should HE be praised." And hence in every Liturgy of every branch of CHRIST'S Church, which has sought to "continue stedfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship," a like provision is made, and a form of Daily Worship prescribed.

And be not startled, my Brethren, at this assertion, or fear that it implies that our own Church has not in this respect sought to "continue stedfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship." She is not guilty of any short-coming in this respect; she hath made this provision, she hath prescribed a form of daily worship. You may indeed well ask, How can these things be? when you are sure, of your own personal knowledge, that the doors of your own Sanctuary have been closed and locked throughout the week, and opened only on the LORD's own day. Well may you have been led to imagine that the Church had provided but a weekly service, or that she had required of her ministers no other public ministrations than those which they performed on the LORD's Day, or that if in any places you have heard that service was performed on any other day of the week, that such minister was doing more instead of less than the Church required of him. Alas! my Brethren, that we should have to confess it! The blame is not yours. Here stands, and here has stood for many a century this House of Prayer, consecrated to the daily service of ALMIGHTY GOD, around it on all sides are dwelling those for whose benefit it was raised, for aught we can know to the contrary, longing for increased means of Grace, sighing for more frequent opportunities of entering the Courts

of the LORD's House, or it may be, falling away by little and little, through the world's absorbing duties and temptations, from the grace already given; but where has been the ministering Priest? The Church, I repeat it, is not guilty of debarring you of the food for which perhaps your souls have hungered. This is the injunction which she has issued, this the direction which each minister of your Church has engaged himself to obey: "All Priests and Deacons are to say Daily the Morning and Evening Prayer, either privately or openly, not being let (hindered) by sickness, or some other urgent cause. And the Curate that ministereth in every Parish Church or Chapel, being at home, and not being otherwise reasonably hindered, shall say the same in the Parish Church or Chapel where he ministereth, and shall cause a bell to be tolled thereunto a convenient time before he begin, that the people may come to hear God's Word, and to pray with him.' That this direction has escaped your observation I can readily understand, as perhaps not ten persons out of every hundred have ever read the preface at the beginning of the Prayer Book; and of those who have read it, most, perhaps, have thought, that because the direction was not obeyed, there was some good reason for its neglect. But still I think that most have read these words at the beginning of Morning and Evening Prayer, "The Order for Morning (Evening) Prayer Daily throughout the year," and yet have attached no meaning to the expression,

daily"; the possibility of such a thing as Daily public Prayer never having entered the mind. And so it is, that we ofttimes lose sight of a duty altogether from

1

The Preface to the Book of Common Prayer.

frequent neglect, and forfeit privileges because we have not known how to appreciate them.

But still, my Brethren, the fault has not been yours. I have not given you the opportunity of which, for any thing I know to the contrary, many might and would have gladly availed themselves. The fault, the blame is mine, not your's; and perhaps the best excuse or self-defence which I can offer is, that the neglect has been so general, and disobedience to the Church's injunction in this respect so universal, that until of late it did not occur to me as being either neglect or disobedience. While it would be unjustifiable to plead ignorance, I do not feel that it was wilfulness which influenced me. The painful fact, however, is, that you have been debarred the opportunity which I, unless "from home, and otherwise reasonably hindered," was bound to have given you for the Daily Public Worship of ALMIGHTY GOD. "Tis true that the following are sometimes urged as "reasonable hindrances" for this disobedience, and as reasons for omitting to do what is enjoined. That in large parishes the Clergyman might be more usefully employed amongst his flock than in saying the Morning and Evening Prayer. That the practice may be useful in large towns, while in small country parishes the attempt to revive the Daily Service would prove unsuccessful.

Now, in the first place, these reasons seem to me to contradict each other. If the practice may be useful in large towns, it must be admitted that the clergyman would be usefully employed in adopting it; and yet, be it remembered, that some of the largest parishes are in large towns and cities, and where, it is well known, the Daily Service is often provided. If the