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with a new Christian, the king with a new subject, and the family with a new branch thereof, John xvi. 26. The father hath received a double blessing, in the preservation of his wife, and the addition of a new support to his name and family, by which he receives a kind of immortality upon earth, so that both of them are obliged to offer up their praises, and may do it very properly in this Psalm, which declares, first, how vain all means are without God's blessing, either, 1st, for the production of children, ver. 1; or 2dly, for the preserving them, ver. 2; or 3dly, for the providing for them, ver. 3. Secondly, how certainly they are his gift, ver. 4. Thirdly, how great a benefit they are to those to whom he gives them: 1st, a security against their enemies, ver. 5; 2dly, a comfort and succour to themselves, ver. 6: all which the paraphrase will make more clear.

The Paraphrase of Psalm CXXVII,

Ver. 1. There are many who think to make themselves happy in this world, and particularly to advance their family by their own policy and pains; and accordingly their heads and hands are very busy, but their heart is never lifted up to God for his concurrence; and yet, EXCEPT THE LORD bestow children upon us, and so BUILD THE HOUSE and propagate the family, THEIR LABOUR IS BUT LOST, and all their endeavours vain, THAT attempt to BUILD IT without his blessing, for either they shall never have any children, or none to live with them; so that we will acknowledge this propk which is prepared to support our house (against we that are the present pillars of it fail) is purely the gift of God.

Ver. 2. And he that gives them only can preserve them; for if a house should multiply into a city, or a family were so

i Heb. 2 filius, deriv. a ædificavit, unde domum ædificare ponitur pro liberorum procreatione, Exod. i. 21, Ruth iv.

11, Heb. iii. 3. Ham. Annot. in loc.

* Παίδες ἔρυμα δόμασι. Eurip.

numerous as to people a strong town, they could not defend themselves without God's protection, EXCEPT THE LORD, who never sleepeth, KEEP THE CITY from fire and sword, force and treachery, THE WATCHMAN who is set to give warning of these evils either shall not discover them, or not soon enough to prevent them, so that he WAKETH BUT IN VAIN, and shall not secure the inhabitants that rely upon him. He that increaseth mankind therefore, and gives them their beginning, must defend and preserve them to the end1: so that we will not only own the bounty of God in giving us this child, but depend upon his providence for the sparing of it to continue with us to our comfort.

Ver. 3. Nor shall my care for their provision hinder my piety or my prayers. I see many parents indeed who cark and toil like drudges and slaves all their days to provide for their children, without looking up for the blessing of God; but alas, IT IS BUT LOST LABOUR to seek riches for them, unless a blessing go with them, because either your children shall not live to enjoy them, or shall not make a good use of themm. To what purpose then is it THAT YE break your sleep, and HASTE TO RISE UP EARLY, not to pray, but begin your work, at which you continue till night come on, and so, without calling upon God, weary and LATE go to your bed to TAKE REST; why do you not allow yourselves time to sleep in the night? and why do you scarce take leisure for your food in the day? or when you do, you muse upon your business, AND EAT THE BREAD OF CAREFULNESS. After all this good men's children are as prosperous, and their families as lasting, whose care hinders not their refreshment nor their devotion, FOR SO doth God take care of their children that HE GIVETH all things necessary to them and theirs; and HIS BELOVED, who rely on his blessing, work but moderately, eat cheerfully, and SLEEP Soundly, because they pray heartily to him that keeps them, and makes what they do to prosper.

1 Hinc omne principium, huc refer exitum. Horat. Carm. lib. 3. Od. 6.

m Psal. xxxix. 6. Dic cui thesaurizas? filiis meis, inquis.

Hoc audes dicere de morituris?

omitto dicere qualibus filiis, nam forte, quod congregavit avaritia, perdet luxuria. Aug. de Temp. ser. 50.

Ver. 4. Again, as we cannot have riches for our children, so neither can we have children to inherit our riches without God's blessing; and who would toil for an estate without hopes of an heir to leave it to? But Lo, I myself have lately experienced that CHILDREN, AND THE FRUIT OF THE WOMB, as well as the fruits of the earth, are created by God's power, and bestowed by his bounty on whom and when he pleaseth: and truly they are the greatest earthly blessing; it is not the estate, but they ARE AN HERITAGE to those that long enjoy them, and whenever we receive them we must own them to be a present AND GIFT of the highest value of all THAT COMETH to us from the bounty oF THE LORD; so that he deserves the highest praises for them, and we must not through worldly care regard him least when he doth the most for us.

Ver. 5. O how much are we bound to our heavenly Father for this useful mercy! They that are without children are naked and exposed to injuries and contempt, but LIKE as the ARROWS made ready and brandished IN THE HAND OF THE GIANT are an ornament to him and a terror to his distant enemies, EVEN SO ARE THE YOUNG CHILDREN which God 219 gives us; they grace our persons and keep our foes in awe, who dare not affront or hurt us, knowing we have those who will hereafter arise to vindicate our honour and right our

wrongs.

Ver. 6. We will bless him for giving them, and trust in him for their provision and preservation; and doubtless HAPPY IS THE MAN THAT, by God's bounty, HATH HIS house (which is the QUIVER wherein these arrows are placed) FULL OF THEM; they will solace his mind, serve his necessities, and defend him in his old age. THEY who are blessed with many children SHALL NOT BE ASHAMED nor afraid WHEN THEY SPEAK or contend WITH THEIR ENEMIES; no, not though it be IN THE GATE of the city, where causes are tried in peace, and assaults made in time of war; because they have so many partakers: which therefore engages us upon the receipt of this blessing to praise Almighty God, and say,

GLORY BE TO THE FATHER, &c.

AS IT WAS IN THE BEGINNING, &c.

SECTION III.

OF THE PRAYERS.

§. I. THAT part of this office which is petitionary is modelled exactly by the great apostle's rule, 1 Tim. ii. 1, consisting of the very same particulars which he there prescribes, viz. 1. supplication, in the lesser litany, LORD, HAVE MERCY &c.; 2. prayer, in the Lord's Prayer, OUR FATHER, &c.;. 3. intercession, in the suffrages, O LORD, SAVE THIS WOMAN; 4. giving of thanks, in the collect, O ALMIGHTY GOD, &c.

Having spoken of the three former before upon other occasions, we shall only make some brief observations on them, and then apply them to this case by a short paraphrase. 1st, the hymn being over, the church intimates that another part of duty, viz. prayer, is beginning; and that the woman and whole congregation may devoutly join therein, the priest excites them by this word, LET US PRAY. 2dly, when we are to pray, we should begin with, Our Father, but that our sins make us unworthy to call God by so familiar a name; for till we have owned our unworthiness, and confessed our sin and misery, we are not fit to use so great a privilege; therefore the Lord's Prayer (when we poor sinners are to say it) ought to be ushered in with, LORD, HAVE MERCY UPON US. 3dly, the Lord's Prayer itself is so sacred as to hallow all our other prayers, and so comprehensive as to suit all conditions; and it is therefore used in this office both by the eastern and western church", only we have prudently added the doxology in this place, because it is an office of thanksgiving. 4thly, the sentences are designed as

n Eucholog. p. 324. Manual. Sarisbur. fol. 37.

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intercessions for the woman's safety and defence, and are taken out of the book of Psalms; but neither their suitableness to this office, nor their being indited by the Spirit of God, hath preserved them from the impious abuses of our late separatists, who have most insolently derided the church for using these portions of God's holy word: but the wickedness of this contempt will be sufficiently shewed in the following paraphrase:

The Paraphrase of the lesser Litany, &c.

§. II. Our praises being finished, LET US now unanimously and devoutly PRAY to the blessed Trinity.

But because of our great unworthiness, we will first make our supplication to each Person, and humbly say,

O LORD God the Father, HAVE MERCY UPON Us, and pity our misery.

O CHRIST God the Son, HAVE MERCY UPON US, and pardon our sin.

O LORD God the Holy Ghost, HAVE MERCY UPON Us, and remove our indispositions.

The Lord's Prayer.

O God, who by pitying and relieving thy children in all their troubles on earth, declarest thyself to be OUR FATHER WHICH ART IN HEAVEN, and engagest us to desire that HALLOWED and praised may BE THY NAME for thy infinite goodness to us all, and especially to this woman, whom thou hast eminently delivered, and given her a longer life in this world; but since neither she nor we can be perfectly happy till the next, let THY KINGDOM of glory COME as soon as we are fit for it; in the mean time, whether thou appointest us affliction or prosperity, THY WILL BE DONE by us and upon us, IN Earth, as IT IS accomplished by and upon those that are IN HEAVEN, for we see thou always willest what is for our good: only while we live here, let our necessities be supplied, and GIVE US THIS DAY, and every day hereafter, OUR DAILY BREAD, which we cannot subsist without. AND FORGIVE US, for Jesus' sake, all OUR TRESPASSES that we have committed, even as we