Advice from William Beveridge:
how to prepare for and participate in corporate worship[Writing nearly three hundred years ago William Beveridge, Bishop of St Asaph in Wales, gave some first-class advice on how to prepare for and participate in corporate worship. This is what he wrote in his The Great Necessity and Advantage of Public Prayer, 1708.]Here then is the great task we have to do in all our public devotions, even to keep our spirits or hearts in a right posture all the while that we are before God, who sees them, and takes special notice of their motions... Blessed be God, by His assistance we may do it, if we will but set ourselves in good earnest about it, and observe these few rules... First, when you go to the house of God at the hour of prayer, be sure to leave all worldly cares and business behind you, entertaining yourselves, as ye go along, with these, or such like sentences of Scripture: Like as the hart desireth the water brooks, so longeth my soul after thee, 0 God; my soul is athirst for God, yea, even the living God. when shall I come to appear before the presence of God? (Ps. 42:1,2). 0 how amiable are thy dwellings, thou Lord of hosts! My soul hath a desire and longing to enter into the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God. (Ps. 84:1, 2). We will go into His tabernacle and fall low on our knees before His footstool. (Ps. 132:7). When ye come into the church say with Jacob, How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God; and this is the gate of heaven (Gen. 28:17), or something to that purpose. And as soon as ye can get an opportunity, prostrate yourselves upon your knees before the Master of the house, the great God of heaven, humbly beseeching Him to unite your hearts unto Himself, to cleanse your thoughts by the inspiration of His Holy Spirit, to open your eyes, and to manifest Himself unto you, and to assist you with such a measure of grace in offering up these spiritual sacrifices, that they may be acceptable to Him by Jesus Christ. And now set yourselves, in good earnest; as in God's sight, keeping your eye only upon Him, looking upon Him as observing what you think, as well as what you say or do, all the while you are before him. While one or more of the Sentences out of God's Holy Word (wherewith we very properly begin our Devotions to Him) are reading, apprehend it as spoken by God Himself at first, and now repeated in your ears, to put you in mind of something, which He would have you to believe or do upon this occasion. While the Exhortation is reading, hearken diligently to it, and take particular notice of every word and expression in it, as contrived on purpose to prepare you for the service of God, by possessing your minds with a due sense of His special presence with you, and of the great ends of your coming before Him at this time. While you are confessing your sins with your mouth, be sure to do it also in your hearts, calling to mind every one, as many as he can, of those particular sins which he hath committed, either by doing what he ought not to do, or not doing what he ought, so as to repent sincerely of them, and steadfastly resolve never to commit them any more. While the minister is pronouncing the Absolution in the name of God, every one should lay hold upon it for himself, so as firmly to believe, that upon true repentance, and faith in Christ, he is now discharged and absolved from all his sins, as certainly as if God Himself had declared it with His own mouth, as He hath often done it before, and now, by His ministers. While you, together with the minister, are repeating the Psalms or Hymns, to the honor and glory of God, observe the minister's part as well as your own; and lift up your hearts, together with your voices, to the highest pitch you can, in acknowledging, magnifying and praising the infinite wisdom, and power, and goodness, and glory of the most high God in all His works, the wonders that He hath done, and still doth, for the children of men, and for you among the rest. While God's Word is read in either of the chapters, whether of the Old or New Testament receive it not as the word of men but (as it is in truth) the Word of God, which effectually worketh in you that believe (1 Thess. 2:13). And therefore hearken to it with the same attention, reverence and faith, as you would have done, if you had stood by Mount Sinai, when God proclaimed the Law, and by our Saviour's side, when He published the Gospel. While the Prayers or Collects are reading, although you ought not to repeat them aloud, to the disturbance of other people; yet you must repeat them in your hearts, your minds accompanying the minister from one prayer to another, and from one part of each prayer to the other, all along with affection suitable to the matter sounding in your ears, humbly adoring God according to the names, properties or works, which are attributed to Him at the beginning of each Prayer, earnestly desiring the good things which are asked Him in the body of it, for yourselves or others. And steadfastly believing in Jesus Christ for His granting of them, when He is named, as He is at the end of each prayer, except that of St Chrysostom; because that is directed immediately to Christ Himself as promising, that when two or three are gathered together in. His name, He will grant their requests, which is therefore very properly put at the end of all our daily prayers, and also the Litany (most part whereof is directed also to our Saviour) that when we have made all our common supplications unto Him, we may act our faith in Him again for God's granting of them according to His said promise. And so we may be dismissed with, The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God the Father; and the Communion or Fellowship of the Holy Ghost; under which are comprehended all the blessings, that we can have, or can desire, to make us completely happy, both now and forever. After the Blessing, it may be expedient still to continue for some time upon your knees, humbly beseeching Almighty God to pardon what He hath seen amiss in you, since you came into His presence; and that He would be graciously pleased to hear the prayers, and to accept of the praises, which you have offered up unto Him, through the merits of Jesus Christ our only Mediator and Advocate. |
