well be spared from our other common employments, or from our vacant hours wherein we do nothing, or are apt to do ill, and are much better spent than in giving and receiving vain, idle, and unprofitable visits, or wasting our precious hours in places of public and dangerous resort, or long and tedious dresses, one of the great sins of this age, or foolish amusements of our thoughts, which so many times in the day might be so nobly entertained with the sublime and ingenious notions of this book.

Two of these four parts are allotted for the morning or forenoon, and two for the evening or afternoon, at such hours as every one may find most convenient for himself, if he is a single person, or as many agreeing together may appoint with least. inconveniency to themselves. If a single person happens to be engaged unawares in business or company, or to be in a journey or voyage with others, he may retire with his book for one quarter of an hour into some recess in a house, garden, or field; and a master of a family, that hath appointed hours of devotion, may order his books to be laid at his appointed hours, and invite his friends who come in to join with him, if they are such as he may communicate with, or they with him; or if not, with all civility, he may borrow so small part of an hour of them while he says his prayers. This custom, if generally observed, would soon bring religion, and religious persons into credit, honour and veneration; and, I hope, no man will be so uncharitable as to think, that while I thus recommend set hours of

devotion, I am so superstitious as to put any trust in the bare recital of a few Psalms, and prayers, and hymns, at such and such prescribed times, but that I do it to restore the ancient practice of devotion, which was in use among the Jews and the Primitive Christians, among whom the distinction of Hours for Prayer was not the effect of superstition, but a rational institution, in which they agreed, as it were by common inspiration, as the best means of advancing piety and devotion.

Of the last five offices, that of our Saviour is to be used in all the Sundays in Advent, and the Festivals of our Saviour, as Christmas Day, the Circumcision, or New Year's Day; the Epiphany, called among us from the times of the Saxons, the Twelfth Day, the Annunciation, Passion Sunday, which may be innocently observed, though not noted in the Church of England Calendar; Palm Sunday, and Ascension Day.

The Office of the Holy Ghost is to be said on Whitsunday, Monday, and Tuesday; and may with great comfort and benefit to serious persons, be said or read at any other time.

The Office of the Saints is to be used on all the proper festivals or days of commemoration of particular saints, whose offices are also here added by the excellent Reformer of the devotions; and the use of them is in a peculiar manner comfortable and proper to all Christians, who are truly persecuted for doing, or not doing anything contrary to their Christian duty, and the Laws of God.

The Office for the Dead is intended to be said at discretion upon all occasions of epidemical diseases and mortality, upon the death of our neighbours, friends, and relations, or upon the anniversary day of the death of any person, whose departure we think fit to commemorate, as long as we survive them; or sometimes a devout person may have occasion or inclination to say one or other of these offices on any day of the week with great advantage, which may be done, omitting the proper offices of the day; and the proper Festivals shew the times when they are to be used.

And the Office for a Family is not confined to any time, but may indifferently be used at the discretion of the master or mistress thereof; upon such ordinary days when no proper service is appointed.

Note, this is the only office of the twelve, which will not agree with solitary devotion, as well as with that which is social; as being calculated chiefly for the use of religious families.

As for directions in using these offices, none are to be given to those who use them alone; but they are wholly left to the government of their own discretions. But when two, or more, say them together, it is fit they should observe some orders and rules in their social devotions, for which purpose I propose these which follow.

First, as to the place; let it be some private oratory, if any such can be had, at least some retirement, if the house where they meet will afford any such.

At Matins, both falling down on their knees, let them implore the assistance of God; A. saying, "Prevent, we beseech Thee," etc. Then, both rising, let them say together," "In the Name of the Father," etc. Then let A. say the Invitatory, and B. repeat it every where as in the book. Then, both continuing standing, let A. repeat one stanza of the Hymn, and B. the other. Then let A. say the Antiphon, and B. begin the Psalm, which they are to recite alternately; or, if they like it better, let the Antiphon be said at the beginning and end of the Psalm, and the verses of the Psalm be read alternately in the way of Psalmody, according to the present practices of most congregations of the Church of England, which makes a most divine harmony in worship between the Priest and Chorus of the people. But the way of reciting the Antiphon, and the verses of the Psalm alternately, is preferred by the Reformer, as well as the Author of the Devotions. The Primitive Church had them both from the Synagogue; and there are many examples of both to be found in the Book of Psalms. At the end of every Psalm, let A. say, "Glory be to the Father" etc., and B. "As it was in the beginning," etc. both continuing to stand, and shewing some other sign of worship, by bowing the head, or lifting up the eyes to heaven: for in all devotions, the exterior worship is never to be neglected; and those stiff, morose, and saturnine votists, who are so sparing of bodily adoration in our most solemn services, refusing to stand at the singing of Psalms and Anthems, or to bow to God

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before His holy altars, act not only against the common notions of mankind, and the nature of Divine worship, but, if they would observe it, against their own inclinations; which, if not restrained by false preconceptions, or warped contrary to their bent by perverseness of humour and education, would naturally prompt them, like other men, to declare their inward by their outward adoration, and join the worship of the body with the devotion of the soul. The Psalms being ended, let A. read the Lessons, and B. the Responsories, till he come to the first star, and then A. is to read to the second star, where B. is to repeat what A. said before, as is directed in all the Responsories.

The great hymn called Te Deum, concludes the Sunday Matins, or begins the Lauds. Benedictus, or the song of Zacharias, is used after the Antiphon, which follows the Hymn in Sunday Lauds. Magnificat, or the song of the blessed Virgin, is recited after the Antiphon, which follows the Hymn at Sunday Vespers. And Nunc dimittis, or the song of Simeon is repeated after the Antiphon, which follows the Hymn in Sunday Compline. And this last service is concluded with the Versicle and Responsory, beginning at "Vouchsafe," etc.

All these may be so used in the same order in other offices, where they are not printed at large; but those who have a mind to use them in the other offices, may receive them in their proper places without any other inconvenience than of turning