VOL. II.]

[No. 2.

Under the Law, daily morning and evening devotions were enjoined by God, on all the Israelites."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." This ordinance was con

stantly observed by the Jews, during the continuance of their city and polity. It was probably on this account that the primitive christians set apart these periods as times for solemn worship. And like all the

divine ordinances their institution is

most consonant to reason, and the fitness of things. Every morning VOL. II. No. II.

5

when we awake, we receive, as it were anew, our life from God.When we arise from our beds, to go forth amidst the cares and temptations of the world, and the dangers and business of the day, nothing can be more reasonable than that we should offer to our merciful Preserver our thanksgivings for his care over us during the unguarded moments of sleep, and for all the blessings he is constantly conferring on us; and that we should supplicate his guidance and protection through the day, as well as his favour and blessing on the work of our hands.-In the evening, too, the same reasons call us to a renewal of the same duties of devotion. Retiring from the labours and vanities of the day, and when our exhausted spirits dispose us to sink down upon our beds, in the attitude and image of death, reason requires of us, that as dying men, we should supplicate the pardon of God for our omissions of duty, as well as for our follies and positive transgressions; and that we should again commend ourselves to his protection who never slumbers nor sleeps.

of the morning and evening, many But besides the public devotions of the devout Jews were in the habit of retiring to their closets, in the middle of the day for the purpose of private worship. And we have reason to believe that this custom was

adopted by the early Christians. We learn that St. Peter, "went up

This station is supplied by 7 married Missionaries of the United Brethren. Beinbrech, Clemens Frit sch, Hallb ck, Lemmertz, Marsveld, and Thomsen. The number of inhabitants at this station, is about 1400, of whom near 400 are com

municants.

It is but justice to the United Brethren, to say hat they make the best Missionaries n the world; for to a persevering temperate zeal that never tires, they join habits of personal industry, which enables them to subsist at a very small expense to their employers. Th expense of their establishment at Gnandenthal, amounting to £600 per annum, is defrayed by the missionaries themselves, with a deficiency of only about £19. They have completely won the affections of the Hottentots, have prevailed on them to shake off their habits of sloth, and are rapidly bringing them to a state of civilization.

Caledon.

Messrs. Barker, Hooper, and Smit with Jan Goeyman, a native, labour here, under the London Society. Their success has already been very great in civilizing the Hottentots, and instructing them in the principles of Christianity. The communicants amount to 200.

Theopolis.

60 miles north-east of Bethelsdorp.

Mr. Ullbricht under the direction of the London Society, has the su perintendance of this settlement, which contains upwards of 500 inhabitants. The communicants of his church, amount to 106, and his scholars to 240.

Enon.

Town.

The inhabitants of this settlement amount to about 1100, and are under the care of the London M ssionary Society. The mission is at present vacant. There is a spacious hall connected with the Mission-House, in which the congregation assemble for worship. Communicants, about seventy.

Pacallsdorp.

Near the town of George, and 300 miles east of Cape Town.

Mr. Messer labours here u der the London Missionary Society, with great success; schools have been opened, a number baptized, and 47 added to the communion.

Bethelsdorp.

500 miles east of Cape Town-rear Algoa Bay.

severely by the irruptions of the Caffres, a warlike race of natives residing in their neighbourhood.

Salem.

A settlement of new Colonists, about 100 miles from Algoa Bay.

This station is occupied by Mr. Shaw, under the Wesleyan Missionary Society, and is the northernmost on the eastern coast of Africa.

In addition to the stations we have now enumerated, there are a number lying beyond the boundaries of the Colony, of which we can do little more than give the names.

Griqua Town, New Lallakoo, Malapeetze, Bethesda, Steinkopff, Bethany, and Jerusalem,are London Missionary Stations, of greater or less importance, lying to the northward of the Cape Colony; as also are Lele Fontien, and Rede Fontien, under the care of the Wesleyan Missionary Society.

cortinned.

VOL. II.]

[No. 2.

Under the Law, daily morning and evening devotions were enjoined by God, on all the Israelites."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." This ordinance was con

stantly observed by the Jews, during the continuance of their city and polity. It was probably on this account that the primitive christians set apart these periods as times for solemn worship. And like all the

divine ordinances their institution is

most consonant to reason, and the fitness of things. Every morning VOL. II. No. II.

5

when we awake, we receive, as it were anew, our life from God.When we arise from our beds, to go tions of the world, and the dangers forth amidst the cares and temptaand business of the day, nothing can be more reasonable than that we should offer to our merciful Preserver our thanksgivings for his care over us during the unguarded moments of sleep, and for all the blessings he is that we should supplicate his guiconstantly conferring on us; and dance and protection through the day, as well as his favour and blessing on the work of our hands.-In the evening, too, the same reasons call us to a renewal of the same duties of devotion. Retiring from the labours and vanities of the day, and when our exhausted spirits dispose us to sink down upon our beds, in the attitude and image of death, reason requires of us, that as dying men, we should supplicate the pardon of God for our omissions of duty, as well as for our follies and positive transgressions; and that we should again commend ourselves to his protection who never slumbers nor sleeps.

But besides the public devotions of the morning and evening, many

of the devout Jews were in the habit of retiring to their closets, in the middle of the day for the purpose of private worship. And we have rea

son to believe that this custom was

adopted by the early Christians. We learn that St. Peter,

went up

on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour," which corresponds with our noon. And we find that this was a common period of christian worship, in the time of St. Cyprian, and Clement of Alexandria. It was not long after, that the Monks, who professed to be more devout than other Christians, added other hours of stated prayer. These stated periods of daily devotion had in creased to seven, in the time of Pope Pelagius the Second, who established them by a decree, and provided offices of devotion for the several "Canonical hours."-At the period of the Reformation, our parent Church of England brought back the periods of public worship to the primitive usage, and enjoined only daily morning and evening prayer."

But though the Church has appointed these two periods of public worship, she does not thereby excuse any of her children from the essential duty of private devotion. Stated periods for retirement to the closet are salutary for all men. We may worship God, indeed, at any period of the day, and in the midst of our business, by short mental ejaculations, but the use of stated times for private devotion can not be too highly estimated. Such is the constitution of our nature, that a duty, which we think can be performed at any time, we are apt to defer altogether, unless we regulate our conduct by fixed rules.

In the Cathedral Churches, in England, the regular morning service is constantly performed. But the circumstances of country Parishes will not admit of this daily public worship; nor is it practicable in the Parish Churches of this country. But though the dispersed residences, and the secular avocations of Christians, will not permit them to assemble daily for public worship, none can be excused for the neglect of Family Devotions. And the Amer

ican branch of the Church, has set forth" Forms of Prayer to be used in Families," well suited to their circumstances and their wants.Those heads of Families, therefore, who live in the habitual neglect of these daily morning and evening devotions, frustrate the benevolent intentions of the Church, and loose one of the most interesting bands of the domestic state; while they are deficient in a duty enjoined not less by the dictates of reason than the authority of Scripture.

The first Rubrick in "the order for daily morning prayer" is as follows;

"The Minister shall begin the MORNING PRAYER, by reading one or more of the following sentences of Scripture.”

This Rubrick is somewhat altered from the English Book, and the phraseology is improved, though the substance of it remains the same.

Rubricks are rules or orders directing the mode in which the several parts of public worship are to be performed. They are so called from the latin word Rubrica, which signifies a red colouring. For distinction's sake, they were originally written in red letters; and the Ru bricks of the Romish Missal, and other offices, are still printed in red characters. It is from this circumstance that they derive their appellation. In all modern editions of the Book of Common Prayer, all the offices, with the exception of the responses, are printed in common letters, while the Rubricks are distinguished by being printed in the Italic character.

Prayer is the elevation of the soul to a communion with God; and is commanded by him as a duty, through the pious and faithful performance of which we obtain all the especial blessings we enjoy. It is a high honour to us that we are permitted and assisted to hold this intercourse, and it is also a source of

inestimable benefits to us. But it is a duty of difficult performance. Our attention should be wholly engrossed in the solemn act we are engaged in. The worldly objects which commonly occupy our thoughts must be excluded. Our souls must be suitably humbled under a sense of our unworthiness, and brought to a proper state of serenity by a contemplation of the paternal goodness of God, and the atonement and mediation of the Saviour. Hence it results that some preparation of the mind is necessary before we enter upon the sacred duties of devotion.-It is the custom of the Jews, when they enter their synagogues for worship, to stand silent for some time, to meditate on the presence and perfections of God. And in the early ages of Christianity, it was the custom of the Priest to prepare the people's hearts for worship, by the use of a suitable preface. In imitation of this primitive usage, the Church has prescribed the sentences of scripture, the reading of which are enjoined by t'e foregoing Rubrick.

In the first reformed Book composed in the reign of King Edward, the offices of devotion began with the Lord's Prayer. The Romish Book began in the same way, and so does the Liturgy of the Greek Church. But when the next review of the Liturgy was made, this commencement was thought too abrupt. The sentences from scripture were then prefixed, together with the exhortation, confession, and absolution; as a proper introduction, and to prepare the congregation for the following devotions. And while the addition is calculated to serve these salutary purposes, it brings back the Liturgy nearer to the primitive model.

It should seem that nothing can have a stronger tendency to produce in us a pious frame of soul than the voice of God speaking to us. The Church in prescribing these senten

ces, expects us to regard them as the words of God, addressed to us by the mouth of his embassador ; and she hopes we will not dare to disobey them, since they come from the very Being to whom we are about to address our prayers, and who may justly refuse to regard our petitions if we neglect to observe his commandments.-" Before thou prayest, prepare thyself," says the son of Sirach: And the scripture sentences are admirably selected to prepare us for the duty of devotion. They relate chiefly to repentance, and confession of sins. These should naturally stand first in the devotion of guilty creatures: For, till we feel a genuine sorrow for having offended God, and come in earnest to seek that pardon which is offered to us through his Son, we cannot expect that he will accept our prayers.

When the Minister begins to repeat the sentences, the congregation rises.

This is a decent and proper custom. Its import is, to manifest our reverence for the word of God, now addressed to us, in order to awaken us to repentance.

During this part of the service, the Minister should bear in mind that he stands in the place of an Embassador of Christ, as well as the solemn nature of the duties in which he is about to join with his congregation. He should read the sentences with suitable gravity, with a demeanour expressive of his inward devotion, with collected attention, and with that serious and affectionate tone of voice, that is best calculated to influence the minds and hearts of his people;

to quicken their zeal, and excite in them those heavenly affections which are requisite in prayer. And if such are the duties of the Minister, there are also corresponding obligations on the part of the hearer. During the reading of these sentences, no member of the congregation may stand idle, listless, and inattentive, as though he had nothing to do.