'And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of

his course, according to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense

when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were

praying without at the time of incense.'--Luke 1:8-10

Before proceeding to describe the 'morning sacrifice,' it is necessary to advert to a point

of considerable interest and importance. There can be no doubt that, at the time of

Christ, public prayer occupied a very prominent place in the ordin ary daily services of

the Temple. Yet the original institution in the law of Moses contains no mention of it;

and such later instances as the prayer of Hannah, or that of Solomon at the dedication

of the Temple, afford neither indication nor precedent as regards the ordinary public

services. The confession of the high-priest over the scape-goat (Lev 16:21) cannot be

regarded as public prayer. Perhaps the nearest approach to it was on occasion of

offering the firstfruits, especially in that concluding entreaty (Deut 26:15): 'Look down

from Thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Thy people Israel, and the land which

Thou hast given us, as Thou swarest unto our fathers, a land that floweth with milk and

honey.' But, after all, this was again private, not public prayer, and offered on a private

occasion, far different form the morning and evening sacrifices. The wording of King

Solomon's prayer (1 Kings 8) implies indeed an act of united and congregational

worship, but strictly speaking, it conveys no more than that public supplication was

wont to be offered in times of public necessity (1 Kings 8:30-52). Nor can anything

definite be inferred from the allusions of Isaiah to the hypocrisy of his contemporaries

(Isa 1:15) in spreading forth their hands and making many prayers. 81

It was otherwise after the return from Babylon. With the institution and spread of

synagogues --designed for the twofold purpose, that in every place Moses should be

read every Sabbath day, and to provide a pla ce 'where prayer was wont to be made'--

the practice of public worship soon became general. In Nehemiah 11:17 we find already a

special appointment 'to begin the thanksgiving in prayer.' Afterwards progress in this

direction was rapid. The Apocrypha afford painful evidence how soon all degenerated

into a mere form, and how prayer became a work of self-righteousness, by which merit

might be obtained. This brings us to the Pharisees of the New Testament, with their

ostentatious displays of devotion, and the hypocrisy of their endless prayers, full of

needless repetitions and odious self-assertion. At the outset we here meet, as usual, at

least seeming contradictions. On the one hand, the Rabbis define every attitude and

gesture in prayer, fix the most rigid formulas, trace each of them up to one of the

patriarchs, 82 and would have us believe that the pious have their nine hours of

devotion, laying down this curious principle, suited to both worlds--'Prolix prayer

protracts life.'

On the other hand, they also tell us that prayer may be contracted within the narrowest

limits, and that a mere summary of the prescribed formulas is sufficient; while some of

their number go the length of strenuously contending for free prayer. In fact, free prayer,

liturgical formulas, and special prayers taught by celebrated Rabbis, were alike in use.

Free prayer would find its place in such private devotions as are described in the parable