humble' lowly' penitent' and obedient heart' to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same by his infinite goodness and mercy' And although we ought at àll times' humbly to acknowledge our sins before Go`d" yet ought we chiefly so to do' when we assemble and meet together' to render thanks' for the great benefits we have received at his hands" to set forth' his most worthy pràise" to hèar' his most hòly wo`rd" and to a'sk those things' which are requisite and necessary' as well for the body' as the soul" Wherefore' I pray and beseèch you' as many as are here present' to accompany me' with a pùre heart' and humble voice' unto the throne of the heavenly grace' saying'

GENERAL CONFESSION.

Now to examine the Confession in the same way.

Almighty and most merciful Father.'-Here the greatest stress is usually laid on the word, Father; whereas it ought to be on the attribute, mèrciful. We are making a confession of our sins, and imploring pardon for them of God; and it is upon the greatness of his mercy, that we presume to approach him in this manner, or to hope for pardon; which is implied in the words properly read Almighty and most me'rciful Father-Another fault here committed, is the dropping the voice at the end, as if it were a full stop;

whereas, it is evidently an incomplete member of a sentence, as would appear if it were immediately followed by the subsequent one, which belongs to it, without the reader's being interrupted by the congregation. But that interruption ought to make no change in the proper manner of delivering it, which should be in a sustained note, and which the reader would use were he to continue it without such interruption. 'Almighty and most merciful Father' we have erred and strayed from thy ways' like lost sheep.' These last two words are often run into one another, and pronounced as if they were but one; instead of 'like lost sheep,' it is read, like losssheep.' We have followed too muc'h the devices and desires of our own hearts.' Here by laying the stress on the word, much, there is no more implied, but that we have given way to our inclinations more than we should do; and that, may admit of being interpreted, but in a small degree. But when it is repeated thus- We have followed too much' the devices and desires of our own hearts' it implies, in a great degree, there are no boundaries fixed to our wanderings; and not only so, but the tone of voice accompanying that emphasis, includes at the same time self condemnation, and contrition. 'We have followed too much' the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; and we have done those things which we ought not to have done.' In which way of reading, the repetition of the word, done, four times in so short a space, and in the same tone, is at

once disagreeable to the ear, and obscures the meaning. But in the right way of reading it- We have left undone those things which we ought to have done" and we have done those things' which we ought no`t to have done"" The two emphases placed on the two negatives, make the word, done, with which they are connected, pass unnoticed by the ear; and the different notes of voice, used to the same word, twice repeated in one sentence, give at once an agreeable variety to the ear, and enforce the meaning upon the understanding. Which is no more than this; 'We have left undone' what we ought to have done; and we have dòne' what we ought no`t to have done. And there is no health i'n us.' In this way the stress is improperly laid upon in, and the important word, health, is passed over unmarked. It should be read

and there is no health in us.-But thou O Lord have mercy upon us miserable offenders.' In this way of running the words of the invocation into one another, all reverence to the Deity is lost. But thou O Lord,' Whereas, by interjecting a small pause before the immediate address to him by name, and at the same time lowering the voice, in token of respect, the manner would be such, as alone can become a creature, addressing his Creator. But thou' O' Lord' have mercy upon us miserable offenders"""" In these words, here, as well as in all other places where they are repeated, it is usual to lay the emphasis on the insignificant word, upon, instead of the important one, mercy; by saying,-have mercy upon us'-instead of 'have mercy upon us miserable offenders.'

The difficulty of reading the Liturgy with spirit, and even with propriety, is somewhat peculiar, on account of the inveterate and long established faults to which almost every one's ears are become so familiar; so that such a delivery as would shock any one of even moderate taste, in any other composition, he will, in this, be likely to tolerate, and to practise. Some read, "have mercy upon us, miserable offenders," and others, "have mercy upon u's, miserable offenders;" both laying the stress on a wrong word, and making the pause in the wrong place, so as to disconnect "us" and "miserable offenders," which the context requires us to combine. Every one, in expressing his own natural sentiments would say "have mercy upon us-miserable-offenders."

the ear.

'Spare thou those O God who confess their faults.” In the first part of the sentence, the words, thou those, when run too closely together, have a bad effect on 'Spare thou those'-which may be avoided by a small separation of those words; as, Spāre thou' those' O God' who confe`ss their faults.-Restore thou those who are penitent.' Here is a repetition of the same words, thou those, which has still a worse effect on the ear, and is to be remedied in the same way. 'Restore thou' those who are pe'nitent. According to thy promises' declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord"" And grant O most merciful Father for his sake'-Here we have another instance of the want of respect to the Deity, by not making the proper pause before the immediate address to him; and indeed the same may be observed throughout the

whole service. It should be read thus: And grant' O most merciful Father' for his sake' that we may hereafter' live a go`dly' rìghteous' and sober life" to the glory of thy holy name.

I shall now insert the confession marked as I think it ought to be read.

Almighty and most mèrciful Father' we have er red and strayed from thy ways' like lost sheep"" We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts"" We have offended against thy holy la'ws"" We have left u'ndone those things which we ought to have done" and we have done those things which we ought not to have done" and there is no health in us"" But thou' Ŏ Lord' have mercy upon us-miserable-offenders"" Spare thou' those' O God' who confèss their faults"" Restore thou' those who are pe`nitent" according to thy promises declared unto mankind' in Christ Je'sus our Lord"" And grant' O most mèrciful Father' for his sake" that we may' hereafter' live a godly' righteous' and sober life' to the glòry of thy holy name"" Amen.

THE ABSOLUTION.

In reading the absolution, it is usual to begin it in the same manner, and tone of voice, as if it were a