A Commentary On The Litany
by The Revd Thomas Bisse (1675-1731)
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Notes on the Litany by the Revd Thomas Bisse, Chancellor of Hereford Cathedral and a founder of the Three Choirs Festival.
Empathy With The Afflicted
BUT if any Christian has no visible share of afflictions, if God hath not "dealt with him after his sins;" yet a due sense of them should make him of a sorrowful, and of God's forbearance, should make him of a contrite heart.
And lastly, if he be at ease himself; yet he should weep with them that weep, the poor, the naked, and the miserable, which are far the greatest part of the church militant. And such an one cannot be a vital member of the body; who if any single member suffer, much more if many members suffer, suffers not, sympathises not, with them.
If it be asked, with what propriety can that joyful hymn, Glory be to the Father, &c. be put in the midst of these sorrowful supplications? I answer, thus did holy David, in whose penitential psalms are interwoven many triumphant hymns.
And thus the church, when calling to mind the noble works God did for her in the times of old, naturally breaks forth into thanksgiving, which as naturally quickens her faith, and doubles her importunity, in the following ejaculations. When the lamp of devotion is oppressed with sorrow and almost sunk, then the oil of gladness dropt into it causes it to burn again and to flame out the more.
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From "The Beauty Of Holiness In The Common Prayer, As Set Forth In Four Sermons, The Rolls Chapel, 1716", by Thomas Bisse D. D.. Includes some minor editorial changes, chiefly paragraphing.
Thomas Bisse was Chancellor of Hereford Cathedral and one of the leaders in what would eventually become the Three Choirs Festival. Thomas's brother Philip was Bishop of Hereford, and you can can find out more about both of them at Wikipedia.
You can find the full text of this book at Google Books.
