laudable Practice

Continuing with extracts from John Shepherd's A Critical and Practical Elucidation of the Morning and Evening Prayer of the Church of England (1796), we turn to the canticle after the first lesson, beginning with the Te Deum. In stark contrast to the demotion of the Te Deum in most contemporary Anglican versions of the Daily Office, Shepherd rejoices in its "superior excellence": its excellence is surpassed by no human composition. Indeed the composition alone is human, the materials are of divine original. The "methodical composition" of the Te Deum is in three parts: The first part is an act of praise, or an amplified Doxology. The second, a confession of the leading articles of the Christian faith. The third contains intercessions for the whole church and supplications for ourselves. The first part, the doxology, draws us into the praises given to the Triune God by the company of heaven: This hymn not only opens to us a view of heaven, but with the evangelic...

Also the Holy Ghost: the Comforter. The Te Deum's daily reference to the Holy Spirit has a particular relationship to Pentecost.  Describing the Holy Ghost as "the Comforter" grounds our praise in the pentecostal experience.  As we are aware during this Whitsun week, the collect of Whitsunday petitions that we may "evermore rejoice in his holy comfort", echoing the Gospel of the feast: And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever ... But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. What is more, this is also anticipated in collect of the Sunday after Ascension Day - "send to us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us" - and in the Gospel: When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me...