Fora right alienate my Mind from the Love of God. Give me a conftant Supply of Courage and Refolution to refift the Temptations of the World, the Flesh, and the Devil; that being rescued from the Dominion of my corrupt Affections, by being turned from Darkness to Light, I may be affured thou wilt deliver me from eternal Death and Hell-Torments, which are the Punishments due unto my Tranfgreffions. Grant this through the Virtue of that facred Name thou didst this Day receive; to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghoft be all Honour and Glory, World without End. Amen. III. ALMIGHTY God, I adore thy infinite Pa tience, which haft not cut me off in the Midft of my Follies; I magnify thy wonderful Goodness which hath fpared me thus long, and indulged me a larger Time of Repentance. Let me no longer abufe that precious Treasure, which thou haft allotted me as a proper Seafon to work out my own Salvation, and to fecure that Happiness which is great in itself, and infinite in its Duration. Let me bid adieu to all thofe vain Amusements, those trifling Entertainments and cruel Diverfions, which have robbed me of many valuable Hours, and have endangered the Lofs of my immortal Soul. Let me no longer wafte my Time in Eafe and Pleafure, in unprofitable Studies, and more unprofitable Converfation; but grant that by Diligence and Honesty in my Calling, by Conftancy and Fervour in my Devotion, by Moderation and Temperance in my Enjoyments, by juftice and Charity in all my Words and Actions, and by keeping a Confcience void of Offence towards God and Man, I may be able to give a good Account of it in the Day of judgment; and be accepted in and through the Merits of Jefus Chrift, my only Mediator and Advocate. Amen. CHAP. 105 CHA P. X. Ehe Epiphany, January 6. Q. WHAT Festival doth the Church celebrate this Day? A. The Epiphany, or the Manifestation (as the Word fignifies in the Greek) of our Saviour Jefus Chrift to the Gentiles. Q. To what Gentiles was our Saviour this Day manifefted? Porphyr. I. Plat. Apul. A. To the wife Men of the Eaft, called Magi in Mat. ii. 1. the Greek; who were famous for all Sorts of Learn- Mays. ing, especially celebrated for their Knowledge and de Abft. Skill in Aftronomy; and in the Eaft, their Priests and 14. § 16, Men of the best Quality dedicated themselves to apud thefe Studies. Though fome Authors are of Opi- Apol. nion, that the Greek Word we tranflate wife Men,is p. 290. in the Scripture always taken in the worft Senfe, for Vol. I. Men practifing Magical and unlawful Arts; and if p. 436. it be fo understood, it magnifieth the Power and Grace of Chrift the more, that among the Gentiles Men of fuch a Profeffion fhould be the firft Adorers of that bleffed Jefus. Q. What other Signification hath the Word Epiphany? Lightfoot, A. It fignifies Chrift's Appearance in the World, the Nativity of our Saviour; which, among the Ancients, is commonly ftyled the Appearing, fimply, or the Appearing of God. And the Feaf of the Na- Dr. Ham, tivity being celebrated twelve Days, of which the Mat. ii. firft and the laft, according to the Custom of the Jews in their Feafts, were high or chief Days of Solemnity, each of thefe might fitly be called Epiphany in that Senfe, and not only referring to the Star, though not excluding but containing it alfo, asa fpecial Circumstance belonging to the Nativity. Befides, 16, 17. John ii. Juft. de Mith. lib. 37. c. 2. Plin. Nat. Befides, the Word hath been farther made ufe of to Q. How did God manifeft the Birth of our Saviour to the wife Men? A. by a luminous Appearance of a Star in the lower Region of the Air, obferved by those wife Men to differ from the ordinary Stars of Heaven; which, as a new, prodigious Sight, feemed to them to prefage fomething of great Moment and Confideration. For new Stars among the Gentiles, were fometimes looked upon as Omens, that Infants born Lucan.1. at the Time of their Appearance fhould arrive at Hift. 1. 2. great Power. The Appearance of the Star, and the Journey of the Chaldean wife Men are mentioned by Chalcidius the Platonist. It feems not improbable, what fome Authors have fuggefted, that lig. Chrift. this feeming Star, which appeared to the wife Men in 1. 3. c. 14. the East, might be that glorious Light which shone upon the Bethlehem Shepherds, when the Angel came to impart to them the Tidings of our Saviour's Birth; which at a Distance might appear like a Star, or at least, after it had thus fhone upon the Shepherds, might be lifted up on high, and then formed into the Likeness of a Star. c. 25. D. Auguft. Grot. de Ver. Rc Numb. Q. How could the wife Men guess at the Birth of our Saviour from the Appearance of this Star? A. Some think they might receive Light in this Matter from the Prophecy of Balaam, or from xxiv. 17. fome other Prophecies in Daniel; but as one feems too obfcure for the determining any particular Time, fo the others probably were not known to the Chaldeans. It is more likely they might be governed by that general Expectation the World was then in of an univerfal Monarch, and by the particular Expectation the Jews had of the Mejias's coming in that Age, which might cafily be pro mulged mulged to the neighbouring Nations. Though befides this, fome Way of divine Revelation may be fuppofed by their calling him King of the Jews. Mat. ii. 2 For when God gave an extraordinary Sign, we may well imagine he would take Care to have it understood. Q. How did they learn that our Saviour should be born in Bethlehem? A. Upon their Arrival at Jerufalem, they publifhed the Cause and Defign of their Journey, which gave great Uneafinefs to Herod, who was jealous of any Competitor: Upon which Herod Mat. ii. 7. enquired of thofe who had greateft Skill in the ancient Prophecies, what Place was affigned for the Birth of the expected Meffias; when he understood that Bethlehem was marked out for that Honour, he communicated to the wife Men the Determination of the Chief Priefts and Scribes, with a Defign to deftroy this young Prince if they difcovered him; ftrictly charging them to bring him Word, pretending that he would go and worship him; which Trouble and Jealoufy of Herod, confirms the Expectation the Jews had of a King to be born a bout that Time. Q. How did the wife Men find the young Child Jefus? A. By the Help of the fame Star which appear- Mat. ii. 9ed to them in their own Country; which was now vifible to them again, and conducted them in their Search of our Saviour, by going before them, and standing still where the young Child was; which was Matter of great Joy and Satisfaction to them. Q. How did the wife Men behave themselves upon their finding our Saviour? A. They fell down and worshipped him, and opened their Treasures, and prefented unto him Gifts, Gold, Frankincenfe, and Myrrh; the most Ver, 11. valuable Product of their own Country. Thereby alfo 3. C. 10. alfo acknowledging his Majefty, according to the Custom all over the East, where they were wont to Iren. lib. approach Kings with Prefents. And by the Quality of their Gifts they feemed to defcribe the Object of their Adoration; for they offered Myrrh as to a Man that was to be delivered to Death and the Grave for our Salvation; Gold, as to a King, whose Kingdom fhall have no End; Incenfe, as to a God who was made known to them that fought him not. Q. Why did God manifeft his Son to the Gentiles? A. That his Grace might appear to all Men. For as the Jews had Notice of our Saviour's Birth by the Appearance of Angels to the Shepherds, fo the Gentiles received it now by the Appearance of a Star; thereby fhewing that the Time was come wherein the Wall of Partition fhould be broken down, and that all Nations should be one Sheepfold under one Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ. Q. Wherein appears the Zeal and Courage of these wife Men? A. That upon the Appearance of an extraordinary Star, they undertook fo long and tedious a Journey; neither regarding the Difcourfes of the World, which might charge them with Folly and Rathnefs, nor confidering the Dangers of going to proclaim a new-born King at the Court of a jealous Prince. Q. What may we learn from the Obfervation of this Festival? A. That true Wisdom doth not fo much confift in a great Understanding, furnished with a large Stock of univerfal Learning, as in the Ufe of fuch Advantages to the nobleft Purposes of ferving God and doing Good. That no Man is too great to be religious, because Piety and Virtue are the only Qualities that ennoble the Mind, without which Birth and Title will never give a Man a folid and lafting |