A Course of Prayer, For Each Day in the Week, Suitable to Every Christian by the Rev. Augustus Toplady of the Church of England.
We bring a few highlights. We recommend this specific work--given the worship wars--and all of Rev. Toplady’s works.
A perennial question is addressed below, to wit: what about prescribed and premeditated forms in and for worship? This question ever lives amongst the Revivalists, Pentecostalists, and even Confession-based Reformed Churches (although they are far better in theology than the Revivalists). Nevertheless, the question has legs in our time.
“Whether a person can present himself at the footstool of the Divine Majesty, using the words of another, and be a sincere worshipper. Certainly, in our private or recluse devotions, it is proper to come before God, and pour out in simplicity and sincerity, the immediate solicitations that we are in need of, expecting our imperfect aspirations to be accepted only in and through the mediation of the Lord Jesus. But some indiscreet captious individuals have prematurely censured those who have adopted a premeditated course of prayer in their families, or in public assemblies, as the quintessence of hypocrisy and the apathy of formality. By this criterion, may not the same suggestions be urged against the universality of singing psalms or hymns? If such poetic composition, which consist of prayer and thanksgiving, are used as a form, wherein can be the impropriety or inconsistency of a devout supplicant offering the same in prose? How assuming must it be in any person to take upon himself the inquisitorial part of prejudging the uprightness of another, and bearing down the efforts of an humble mind, before that period arrives, when the secrets of all hearts shall be made known.”
A Monday morning prayer by Augustus Toplady, atop Morning Prayer devotions:
"OPEN our eyes, O Lord, that we may discern the wonders of thy law, and rejoice our hearts with the knowledge of thy love. Take away our iniquities, and receive us graciously. Be light to our darkness, wisdom to our folly, and manifest thy strength in our weakness. Remember us according to the favour which thou bearest to thy own people: stir us up to seek thy face, and to lay hold on thy covenant; and make us to find that it is indeed good for us to draw nigh unto thee, and to wait upon thee, in and through the name and merits of Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate.”
A Monday morning hymn composed by Augustus Toplady:
I sing to thee, thou Son of God,
Channel of life and grace!
I praise thee, Son of Man, whose blood,
Redeemed the chosen race.
Channel of life and grace!
I praise thee, Son of Man, whose blood,
Redeemed the chosen race.
Thee I acknowledge God and Lord,
Begot e'er time began:
Thou art by heav'n and earth ador'd,
Worthy o'er both to reign.
Begot e'er time began:
Thou art by heav'n and earth ador'd,
Worthy o'er both to reign.
Thy kingdom thou hast open'd wide,
To all who shall believe:
Thy wounded hands, and feet, and side,
To sinners entrance give.
To all who shall believe:
Thy wounded hands, and feet, and side,
To sinners entrance give.
Among their number, I presume
To sing thy precious blood:
Reign here, and in the world to come,
Thou Holy Lamb of God.
To sing thy precious blood:
Reign here, and in the world to come,
Thou Holy Lamb of God.
Rev. Toplady cites a BCP collect and the Bible lections with explanations for families.
A volume worth perusal, like his great work on Calvinistic Divines in the Church of England, a subject that is long lost amongst the rank and file. The great Evangelical (non-Wesleyan) Anglican, Rev. Toplady, works through the rest of the week.
No comments:
Post a Comment