Dec. 5, 1833.] (ad Populum.) [No. 13.-Price 1d. SUNDAY LESSONS. THE PRINCIPLE OF SELECTION. AMONG projected alterations in the Liturgy, not the least popular seems to be a very considerable change in the selection of the Sunday Lessons. People do not see, first of all, why such and such chapters are chosen out of the Old Testament, in preference to others, which they think more edifying. Secondly, they see no reason why the Church should not assign Proper Lessons to every Sunday from the New Testament, as well as from the Old. One who hopes that he should not be found froward, were a change to be made by competent Spiritual Authority, begs leave, nevertheless, to submit, to all considerate lovers of the PrayerBook, the following remarks on the two points specified above. 1. Before people find fault with the selection of particular chapters, they ought to be tolerably certain that they understand the principle, on which the Lessons in general were selected. It is to be regretted, that we have remaining little, if any, historical evidence, touching the views of the Compilers of the Liturgy in that portion of their task. What we do know, amounts to this : : In King Edward's Prayer-Books no distinction was made, as to appointing Lessons, between Sundays and other days of the week. The chapter of the Old Testament set down for the day of the month was read in course for the Sunday Lesson; as is the case still in regard of the New Testament. With a view to this, probably, the well-known notice was prepared, which now stands prefixed to the Second Book of Homilies, but in Strype's opinion' belongs rather to the First Book. "Where, (i. e. whereas,) it may so chance, some one or other chapter of the Old Testament to fall in order to be read upon the Sundays or Holidays, which were better to be changed with some other of the New Testament for more edification, it shall be well done to spend your time to consider well of such chapters before-hand." This came out first, as it seems, in 1560; and about the same time a Commission was 1 Life of Parker, i. 167. 8vo. given to Archbishop Parker, Bishop Grindal, and others; " to peruse the order of the Lessons, throughout the whole year, and to cause new Calendars to be printed." In pursuance of which the present Table of Sunday Lessons was prepared, and came out the same year. We may then consider it as Archbishop Parker's; and surely not one among the Reformers might be more thoroughly depended on for a sound practical view of things. Farther than this, we have no direct information. We must be guided, therefore, entirely by the internal evidence of the Lessons themselves. if I The series begins from Septuagesima Sunday, because it was the custom of the early Church to read the Book of Genesis in Lentl. Let us examine them in their order, ending with the 6th Sunday after Epiphany in the following year. We shall find, mistake not, that the selection may be accounted for on this supposition, viz. That the arrangers desired to exhibit GOD's former dealings with His chosen people collectively, and the return made by them to GOD, in such manner as might best illustrate His dealings with each individual, chosen now to be in His Church, and the snares and temptations most apt to beset us as Christians. Certainly, there does exist a very wonderful analogy between these two cases, that of the Jewish nation delineated in the Bible, and that of a baptized Christian, as known by daily experience : an analogy most striking in itself, most clearly pointed out more than once in the New Testament, and very serviceable, if rightly understood, in many great points of faith and practice. This analogy arises out of the fact, that Christians severally are, what the Jews collectively were, partakers of an especial Covenant. It is to be supposed, that the Great Enemy has his peculiar way of dealing with souls placed in such a relation, as with parents, children, subjects, and others, according to their several relations. To exhibit such his purpose and proceedings, and to exemplify also the counteracting methods of Providence, seems to be one especial purpose of the historical portions of the Old Testament: in which the prophetical are here included. One of the most To give an instance of what is here meant. prevailing temptations to unbelief and careless practice is the daily experience we have, of Christians behaving so very differently from what one should expect, à priori, in God's elect. It does 1 See Wheatley on the Common Prayer, ch. iii. sect. x. § 4. not seem as if, left to ourselves, we should have any adequate idea of the kind of hypocrisy described by Bishop Butler, in his Sermon on Self-deceit, and elsewhere; I mean, the temper which leads men to act towards GOD ALMIGHTY, (whom, in theory and understanding, they own,) as if it were in their power to deceive Him. To explain this for the benefit of those most in danger, seems one great purpose of the Old Testament: to explain it, I say, for the benefit of unworthy Christians, who may discern themselves, by anticipation, in the faithless demeanour of the Jews. It is conceivable, that a series of extracts might be made, to illustrate this matter more particularly; i. e. on a principle of admonition. Would not such a series coincide, very nearly, with the Sunday Lessons? Thus, the first and second chapters of Genesis represent man as at first placed in covenant with his Maker; the third, sixth, and ninth represent his fall, and the wonderful mixture of judgment and mercy which prepared him for the recovery, which God had in store for him, by virtue of a New Covenant. Then, (Gen. xii.) follows the first definite step towards the establishment of that New Covenant the call of Abraham, to be the select pattern and spiritual progenitor of all who shall ever be saved by it. And here again judgment is shewn mingled with mercy, and thorough probation accompanying both, by the two selected chapters of Abraham's history; the fall of Sodom', and the sacrifice of Isaac2. Then begins the account of Jacob and his family, the other great section of the Patriarchal History; displaying on the one hand, the great danger of taking liberties with moral duty, under the notion of being favourites with GOD; (for the subsequent misfortunes of Jacob's family are clearly traceable to that first want of faith ;) on the other hand, the mysterious ways of Providence, turning those misfortunes and errors into means for the great purpose of preparing a covenanted nation to take the place of the covenanted family3. With Exodus begins the history of that nation, which may perhaps not improperly be styled the appropriate type of each backsliding Christian, as Abraham we know was the type of the faithful. The chapters selected shew, first, GOD preparing the way for their election; then their reluctant acceptance of the favour"; next, the actual process of their deliverance"; the whole being so 3 Gen. xxvii. xxxiv. xxxix. xlii. xliii. xlv. 6 Exod. ix. x. xii. xiv. 1 Gen. xix. 4 Exod. iii. 2 Gen. xxii. arranged, that this latter shall correspond with the season of Easter; which is indeed (so to speak) the point of sight of the whole Christian Calendar, as the passover is of the Jewish. But to proceed :-The Lessons from Easter to Whit-Sunday, (taking into account the great days of Easter-week and Ascension,} are so many specimens of the transgressions of the elect people, and of the methods taken to chastise or reclaim them'. The case of Balaam, most evidently, needs not to be excepted from this account; for never was a clearer analogy than between him and the Jewish people: they murmuring and rebelling with the Shechinah before their eyes; he coveting the reward of iniquity, perhaps plotting seduction in his heart, while he heard the words of GOD, and saw the vision of the ALMIGHTY. No analogy can be more exact; except it be that between the same miserable man and a Christian baptized, sinning against faith and knowledge. The Lessons for Trinity-Sunday, as was natural, interrupt for one week the progress of the history, for the purpose of reviewing the whole course. The mind is carried back, first, to God's original intent in creating man after His own image2; next, to the appointed condition or mean, by which that image is to be regained; viz. the imitation of Abraham's faith3. In effect, they rehearse to us both Covenants; that of Paradise, and that of the Gospel. Resuming our view of the covenanted people, we contemplate them first victorious', peaceful, and comparatively innocent, renewing their engagements with their Maker in the days of Joshua"; in the days of the Judges blacksliding and factious, but not yet deliberately unbelieving; next, trained by Eli's sons to irreverence for holy things'; and so, not ill-prepared to apostatize, by choosing a king on principles of accommodation and worldly policy 9. The gradual degeneracy and downfal of that unhappy king, (the emblem of the Jews of his time, as Balaam had been of a former generation,) and the substitution of one of better mind, are continued through a chain of Lessons, to the excision, long after his death, of almost all that remained of his family 10. 1 Exod. xvi. xvii. xx. xxxii. Numbers xvi. xxii. xxiii. xxiv. xxv. vi. vii. viii. ix. x. xii. xiii. xvi. xxx. 2 Gen. i. 3 Gen. xviii. 3 Josh. xxiii. 6 Judges iv. v. 7 1 Sam. ii. iii. 91 Sam. xiii. xv. xvii. 10 2 Sam. xxi. Deut iv. v. 4 Josh. x. 8 1 Sam. xii. |