Lastly, This sheweth that the hours among the _Jews_ were of two sorts; some lesser, of which the day contained twelve: others _greater_, of which the day contained four, as hath been above shewn: the lesser are termed _hours of the day_, _Are there not twelve hours of the day?_ _John 11. 9._ The greater, some term _hours of the Temple_, or _hours of prayer_. _Peter_ and _John_ went up into the _Temple_, at the _ninth hour of prayer_, _Acts 3. 1._ But in truth there are but three hours of prayer, the _third_, the _sixth_, and the _ninth_.[239] The _third_ instituted by _Abraham_, the _sixth_ by _Isaac_, and the _ninth_ by _Jacob_. The _third hour_ the _Holy Gost_ descended upon the _Apostles_, _Acts 2. 15._ About the _sixth_ _Peter_ went up to the house-top to pray, _Acts 10. 9._ At the _ninth_, _Peter_ and _John_ went into the _Temple_, _Acts 3. 1._
[239] _Drusius in præterit. Act. 3. 1. Non fuisse ultra tres horas precationis in die apud Judæos, clare testatur David Kimchi._
From these greater hours of the day and night, the _Canonical hours_,[240] in use in the _Roman Church_, had their beginning; each _Canonical_ hour containeth three lesser hours, so that in the whole night and day there are eight _Canonical hours_. At six of the clock in the evening began the first, and that is termed _Hora vespertina_; or _vespertinum_ simply, (_officium_ being understood) their _Vespertine_. At nine of the clock at night began the second, and that is termed _Completorium_, their _Completory_. At midnight began the third, _Nocturnum_, their _Nocturn_. At three of the clock in the morning, began their _Matutinum_, their _Matines_. The Canonical hours for their day-service were named, _Hora prima_, _tertia_, _sexta_, _nona_. Their first hour began from six of the clock in the morning, and held till nine: the third from nine till twelve, the sixth from twelve till three, the ninth from three till six at night.
[240] _Vide Bellarm. de bonis oper. in part. 1. cap. 10._
The Dial in use among the ancient _Jews_, differed from that in use among us: theirs were a kind of stairs; the time of the day was distinguished, _not by lines_, but by _steps_, or _degrees_; the shade of the Sun every half hour moved forward to a new _degree_. In the Dial of _Ahaz_, the _Sun_ went back מעלות _Magnoloth_, _degrees_, or _steps_, not _lines_, _Isai. 38. 8._