The Service of Prayer. III. The Litany . . . . . . . . . 153 Ancient Litanies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 Rogation Litanies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 Structure of the Litany . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 i. Our cry to Christ, 159. ii. Our cry to the Father, 170. iii. Appeal for help, 171. iv. Pressing anxieties of the moment, 172. v. Final Commendation of our prayers to Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173 _Appendix C. Lessons in the Day Hours_ . . . . . . . . . . 173 _Appendix D. Pliny's Letter to Trajan_ . . . . . . . . . . 174 _Appendix E. The addition of Filioque_ . . . . . . . . . 176 _Appendix F. Greek origin of Litanies_ . . . . . . . . . . 177 _Tables of Dates_ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 {1} CHAPTER I. EXTEMPORE WORSHIP AND FORMS OF WORSHIP. There is no such special merit in monotony as to require that the worship of God should be conducted wholly in one method rather than in several. Rather it must be acknowledged that there is merit in variety if it be subjected to dignity and order. For a certain measure of variety arrests and engages the attention of the worshippers and sustains their interest. VARIATIONS OF WORDS AND PHRASES. Much has been said from time to time concerning Extempore Prayers and Extempore Praise, as opposed to those which are more carefully prepared and agreed upon. The discussion has been somewhat confused by the misuse of the word Extempore. Prior to the invention of Printing every one who had to conduct Services was required to know them by heart, so as to be able to say them without book. The fact that he used no book did not make the prayers extempore. In like manner one who is about to conduct the prayers of a Congregation may carefully prepare his subjects, phrases, and words, so as to avoid disorder in the subjects and unfitness in the words. His prayers in that case are not strictly extempore. {2} If however he determines to leave the order of subjects and the choice of words and phrases to the impulse of the moment, his thoughts may travel too fast, or too slowly, or too irregularly for the essential result: for the blessing which Christ promised is to those who _unite_ in worship. (S. Matth. xviii. 19, 20.)