The use of such a form is ancient, and the Revisers in 1549 had the substance ready to their hand. Comparing the older Litany with that which we use, we note that the Revisers have frequently combined several suffrages to make one suffrage, as in the following instance: {160} By thine Agony and bloody By thy Passion and Cross: Sweat; by thy Cross and deliver us, O Lord. Passion; by thy precious Death By thy precious Death: and Burial; by thy glorious deliver us, O Lord. Resurrection and Ascension; By thy glorious Resurrection: and by the coming of the Holy deliver us, O Lord. Ghost: By thy marvellous Ascension: deliver us, O Lord. Good Lord, deliver us. By the grace of the Holy Spirit the Comforter: deliver us, O Lord. Here five suffrages are grouped into one. In like manner four are grouped in the suffrage, _From all evil and mischief_ &c. The number of petitions was further reduced by the omission of all the prayers to the Saints, entreating them to pray for us. These were very numerous--28 fixed; and 40 more, which varied according to the week-day. The petitions which were then introduced present two features which should be carefully studied--_Duplication_ and _Wreathing_[5]. _Duplication_ has been already explained (see p. 33), and is here of the Progressive sort. We give numerous instances below. _Wreathing_ is when two phrases have two members each, and are united by taking the two first members together, and the two second members together. A simple instance of this is found in the union of the phrases, _by their preaching they may set forth,_ _and by their living they may shew accordingly_ {161} the Word of God. These, being wreathed together, become _that by their preaching and living they may set it forth and shew it accordingly_. In such combinations it is necessary that the ideas shall be in harmony with one another. God's truth is set forth in sermons, and shewn in the preacher's life: with rather less exactness, but with sufficient truth, and with admirable suggestion, we may say that God's truth is set forth in the good life of a preacher, and shewn in his sermons. One of the best instances of Wreathing is in the combination of the three phrases _succour all that are in danger,_ _help all that are in necessity,_ _comfort all that are in tribulation._ Danger, Necessity, and Tribulation are in progressive order of calamity. In danger, the calamity may be avoided--we want support for our own strength: in necessity, the blow has fallen--we want help at once from outside: in tribulation, the disaster has come--we want comfort. If we have understood Progressive Duplication, we shall at once see that Wreathing is used in unison with it.