These lectures at I'iniier's Hall were only tlie revival of a similar course of public instruction which had been instituted sevei'al years previously, and dropped at the llestoration. Neal, in his History of the Puritans, gives the following ;.c- count of its origin: — " Most of the citizens of London ha\ ing some relative or friend in the army of the Earl of Essex, so many bills were sent up to the pulpit every Lord's day for their preservation, that the ministers had not time to notice them in prayer, or even to read them. It was therefore agreed to set apart an hour at seven o'clock every morning, half of it to be spent in prayer for the welfare of theimb- lic, as well as particular cases, and the other in exhortations to the ))eople. ilr Case began it in his church in Milk Street, from whence it was removeil to the other distant c!iurches in lotation, — a moiitli at each. A number of the most eminent ministers conducted this service in town, and it was attended by great crowds of jieople. After the heat of the war was over, it became what was called a Casuistical Lecture,and continued till tlieliestoration." According to Palmer's Noncontormists' Memorial, most of the lectures were delivered at Crijjplegate Church, and some at St Giles', whilst the lectures in the series against Popeiy were delivered at Southwark.
The lectures were published in successive volumes, and are very valuable. The first volume was edited by Case, who had been chiefly instrumental in the en c- tion of the lectureshii),— it is entitled, '• 'i'iie Morning l^xercise Methodized; or, certain chief heads and points of the (Christian religion oi)ened and improved, in divers .sermons," etc. Tlic volume bears date Id'd'O. Oilier four volun-es suc- cessively ajipeared in ICCl, 1674, 168:}, and 1690. To each of the volumes tliere was a preface by Samuel Annesley, LL.D., who iiad also given one of the lectuies in each course. In 1675, there w as published, under the editorial superintendence of the Kev. Nathaniel Vincent, A.M., " The Morning I'xercise against Popery; or, the principal errors of the Church of Home detected and confuted, in a morning lecture preached lately at Southwark."
It is not so generally knowii, that, besides the works enumei-ated above, there were volumes of the same character published at still earlier dates. Tiie titles of them may be given :— "The Morning Exercise at tiiles-inthe-Fields, May 1655, jirinted for Richard (Jibhs, in Chancery Lane, near Sergeants' Inn;" and "The Word of Faith, at Martin"s-inthe-Fields, Febiuary 1655, printed for Fian. Tyton, at the Tiiri-e D.iggers, in Fleet Street."
Dr Owen contiilmted three sei mons to these" Morning Exercises;" — one en- titled, " How we may Bring our Hearts to Bear Kejiroofs," publi.slud in the ."-^up- idement to " The Morning Exercise" at Ci ipjilegate, 1674; a second, " The Chamber of Imagery," etc., in "The Morning Exercise" in 168;>; and a third, — whicii seems to have escajied the notice of Mr Orme, and is not included in Rus- sell's edition of Owen's works,— entitled, " The Testimony of the Church is not the Only, nor die Chief Beason of our Believing tiie Serijiture to be the Word of God," and juiblished in "The Morning Exercise against Popery," 1675. — Eu.
SERMON XllL
HOW WE MAY BRING OUR HEARTS TO BEAR REPROOFS.
'• Let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness ; and let him reprove me, it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head : for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities." — Ps. cxli. 5.
It is generally agreed ])y expositors that this psalm, as that forego- ing, with two of those that follow, was composed by David in the time of his banishment, or flight, from the court of Saul. The state wherein he describeth himself to have been, the matter of his pleas and prayers contained in them, with sundry express circumstances regarding that season, and his condition therein, do manifest that to have been the time of their composure.
That the psalmist was now in some distress, whereof he was deeply sensible, is evident from that vehemency of his spirit which he ex- presseth in the reiteration of his request or supplication, verse 1 ; and by his desire that his prayer might come before the LoilU as incense ; and the lifting up of his hands as the evening sacrifice, verse 2. The Jewish expositors guess, not improbably, that in that allusion he had regard unto his present exclusion from the holy services of the taber- nacle ; which in other places he deeply complains of
For the matter of his prayer, in this beginning of the psalm (for I shall not look beyond the text), it respecteth himself, and his deport- ment imder his present condition ; which he desireth may be harmless and holy, — becoming himself, and useful vuito others. And whereas lie was two Avays liable to miscarry, — first, By too high an exaspera- tion of spirit against his oppressors and persecutors; and, secondly, By a fraudulent and pusillanimous compliance with them in their Avicked courses ; which are the tAvo extremes that men are apt sinfully to run into in such conditions, — he prays earnestly to be delivered from them both. The first he hath respect unto, verse 3, " Set a watch, 0 Lord, before my mouth ; keep the door of my lips ; " — namely, that he might not, under those great provocations Avhich Avere given him, break forth into an imseemly intemperance of speech against his unjust oppressors;