know deferves it. To venture the promoting their eternal Welfare, though at the Danger of their Difpleasure. To lay hold on all favourable Opportunities to infinuate the Neceffity and Happiness of being religious. To prepare our Mind by Mortification and Repentance for the receiving all thofe heavenly Graces which are enjoined in the Gofpel Inftitution. To bear all the Afflictions and Calamities of this Life with a patient and courageous Mind, entirely refigned to the Will of God. Chearfully to take up the Crofs, and to rejoice when we are counted worthy to fuffer for the Name of Jefus ; that when his Glory shall be revealed, we may be glad Pet. ive alfo with exceeding Joy.

Q. When may Men be faid to fuffer really for the Sake of Jefus, or for the Caufe of Religion?

A. Not only when they fuffer rather than renounce the Chriflian Religion, or the public Profeffion of it; but when they fuffer for any neceffary Point of Faith or Practice, wherein the Effence or Purity of the Chriftian Religion is concerned; and when they fuffer rather than difclaim any undoubted Truth of God whatfoever.

Q. How does the Providence of God bear good Men out in fuch Sufferings?

A. Either by fecuring them from those violent Degrees of Temptation, which would be too ftrong for human Strength and Patience; or in cafe of extraordinary Trials, by giving them the extraordi лary Supports and Comforts of his Holy Spirit : Either by not fuffering them to be tempted above what they are able, or with the Temptation, by making a Way for their Escape.

Q. When may we in our Sufferings for Religion, expect with Confidence the particular Support of God's Providence?

A. When we are careful to perform our own Duty, and do what is required on our Part: And D 4 when,

1

13.

For Converfion from Sia.

For Affiftance in

when, neither to avoid Sufferings, nor to rescue ourselves out of them, we do any Thing contrary to our Chriftian Obligations and a good Confcience. It is an eternal Rule from whence we must in no Cafe depart: That Men muft do nothing contrary to the Rules and Precepts of Religion, no, not for the Sake of Religion itself.

Q. With what Temper of Mind ought good Men to fuffer for the Caufe of Religion?

A. With Patience, that they may not grow faint and weary: With Meekness, that they may not grow angry and bitter against their Perfecutors: With Charity, that they may overcome Evil with Good: With Trust in God's Providence, that they may be fupported under their Sufferings by his Grace, and delivered in his good Time: With Joy and Thankfulness, inafmuch as they are Partakers of Chrift's Sufferings; and when his Glory fhall be revealed, they shall be made glad with exceeding Joy.

The PRAYERS.

I.

Almighty God, who didst give fuch Grace to

thy holy Apostle St. Andrew, that he readily obeyed the Calling of thy Son Jefus Chrift, and followed him without Delay; grant unto me and all Christians, that we being called by thy holy Word, may forthwith give up ourselves obediently to fulfil thy holy Commandments, through the fame Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

O

II.

GOD, merciful Father, that defpisest not the Sighing of a contrite Heart, nor the Defire of Adverfity. fuch as be forrowful, mercifully affift our Prayers that we make before thee in all our Troubles and Adverfities whenfoever they opprefs us; and gra

ciously

ciously hear us, that thofe Evils which the Craft and Subtilty of the Devil or Man worketh against us, may be brought to nought, and by the Providence of thy Goodness they may be dispersed, that we thy Servants, being hurt by no Perfecutions, may evermore give Thanks unto thee in thy Holy Church, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

III.

For Grace

Christian.

BLESSED Jefus, who in thy wife Providence Mr. Kelthinkeft it fit fometimes to call thy faith- well. ful Servants to bear their Crofs, and to fuffer for to fuffer thy Sake who did fuffer a moft ignominious Death as a good for them; bring me not to fuffer till thou haft fitted and prepared me for it; and lay no more upon me, than thou wilt enable me willingly and thankfully to endure. Let me not rafhly expose myself to Danger without thy Call, nor fuffer for my own Fancy or Folly, or for any wilful or affected Error. Give me Grace to live according to the Rules of my most holy Faith, that I may have Courage and Comfort in fuffering for it. Preferve me fted faft in the Belief of thy heavenly Truths, and undaunted in the Profeffion of them. Give me Patience to bear my Crofs; and Meekness to bear with my Perfecutors; Charity to forgive their Wrongs, and to pray to thee for their Forgiveness. Enable me to truft in thy Goodness for Support and Deliverance, and to fix my Faith upon thofe heavenly Joys, with which the Sufferings of this Life are not worthy to be compared; that being made Partaker of thy Sufferings, I may be glad with exceeding Joy when thy Glory fhall be revealed. To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all Honour and Glory, World without End. Amen.

IV.

Almighty Lord, who hast purchased to thy felf for the a Church with thine own Blood, look in Mercy Church upon the fame, however diftreffed throughout the fecution.

World.

World. Pity all its Calamities, and in thy due Time give it a happy Deliverance out of them. Keep it in thy Truth, and preferve it from Herefies and falfe Doctrines, either about Faith or Practice, and from Schifms that tear it in Pieces. And when shou art pleased to try it with Tribulations, let them only purge it, but not lay it wafte. Revive a fuffering Spirit among all the Members of it when it labours under a fuffering State; that they may be ready to quit all worldly Intereft, and be enabled contentedly and joyfully to take up the Crofs, and bear it after thee; that carefully avoiding all Ways of Error and Wickedness, for preventing or refcuing themfelves from Sufferings, they may either be delivered by thy mighty Arm, or rewarded in thy heavenly Kingdom, where, with the Father and the Holy Ghoft, thou liveft and reigneft one God, World without End. Amen.

CHAP. IV.

Saint Thomas, December 21,

Q. WHAT Feftival doth the Church celebrate

this Day?

A. That of St. Thomas the Apostle.
Q. What was he called befide Thomas?

A. Didymus; which, according to both the Greek and Syriac Senfe of his Name, fignifieth a Twin; as Thomas alfo doth among the Hebrews. It being customary with the Jews, when travelling into foreign Countries, or familiarly converfing with Greeks and Romans, to affume to themfelves a Greek or a Latin Name of great Affinity, and fometimes of the very fame Signification with that of their own Country.

Q. Of what Country and Kindred was this Apostle?

A. The

A. The Hiftory of the Gospel takes no particular Notice of either. That he was a few is certain, and probably a Galilean; and it is very likely, that as to his Trade he was a Fisherman; for when St. Peter, after our Saviour's Refurrection, thought fit to return to his former Profeffion of Fifhing, to relieve his prefent Neceffities, Thomas bore him John xxi. Company.

QAfter he was called to be an Apoftle, what Proof did be give of his Willingness to adhere toour Saviour?

2.

&c.

A. When the reft of the Apoftles diffuaded our John xi. 8. Saviour from returning into Judea (whither he was refolved to go for the raifing his dear Friend Lazarus, lately dead), left the Jews fhould stone him, as they had before attempted; St. Thomas defireth them not to hinder Chrift's Journey thither, though it might cost their Lives. Let us alfo go, that we may John xi. die with bim, faith he; probably concluding, that 16. inftead of raifing Lazarus from the Dead, they themfelves fhould be fent with him to their own Graves.

Q. How did our Saviour treat this Slowness of St. Thomas's Understanding; who, when our Saviour, a little before his cruel Sufferings, Speaking to his Dif- John xiv. ciples of the Joys of Heaven, and of his going to prepare a Place for them, profeffed that he knew not whither he went, much less the Way that led to it?

5.

A. With the Mildness and Gentlenefs that is proper to be used to a well-difpofed Mind, in a fhort but fatisfactory Anfwer, that he was the true living John xiv. Way, the Perfon whom the Father had fent into the 6. World, to fhew Men, by his Doctrine and by his Example, the Paths of eternal Life; and that they could not mifs of Heaven, if they did but keep to that Way which he had prefcribed.

Q. What may we learn from the foregoing Particulars?

A. That where the Mind is rightly disposed, and the Affections bent towards Heaven, we ought to bear