Wings and fly away. In a moderate Ufe of all thofe lawful Pleasures and Enjoyments which relate to the Gratification of our Senfes and fleshly Appetites; as becomes Perfons who expect their Portion not in the Pleasures of this World, but in the Happiness of the next. In a low Efteem of those Idols of the World, Riches and Honour; being ready to forfake them whenever they come in Competition with the Performance of our Duty. In bearing the Afflictions and Calamities of this Life with Patience and Conftancy; looking unto Jefus, who, for the Joy that was fet before him, defpifed the Crofs; and confequently in fixing our Minds upon our chiefeft Good, and earnestly defiring and longing for the Poffeffion of it.

Q. What is the Benefit of this humble, refigned, and depending Frame of Mind?

A. It is the proper Difpofition for Devotion, and the Parent of religious Fear. It is the Seed-plot of all Chriftian Virtues. It makes us ready to receive the Revelations of God's Will to Mankind, and as careful to practise what he enjoins. It makes us greatest in the Kingdom of God, either as that imports our being Members of Christ's Church here upon Earth, or our being Members of the Church triumphant, in Poffeffion of eternal Blifs in Heaven.

Q. How does a Freedom from covetous and ambitious Defires difpofe us to be true Members of Chrift's Kingdom?

A. Not only by fetting us at a Distance from the most dangerous Temptations of Life, which are Riches and worldly Grandeur; but by giving our Minds Leifure to attend the Confideration of Religion, and Liberty to judge and diftinguish the true Nature and Value of Things. For while the Jews expected a temporal Deliverer, and were fed with the Hopes of Power and Dominion over all Nations, they were so strongly prejudiced against the mean Appearance

Appearance of our Saviour, that they refused to acknowledge him for the Melfias. And if our Saviour had not inftructed his Difciples in the Nature of the Kingdom, their Difputes about Preference might have undermined their Charity, and might have prevailed upon them to defert him, when fruftrated in their Expectations. So that as he required them to become little Children in refpect of fuch Defires and Expectations, it is ftill neceffary, in order to be true Followers of the bleffed Jefus, to mortify these worldly Affections; for otherwife the Things belonging to the Spirit will not live and grow in us.

to glorify

Almighty God, who out of the Mouths of For Power Babes and Sucklings haft ordained Strength, God. and madeft Infants to glorify thee by their Deaths; mortify and kill in me all Vices, and fo ftrengthen me by thy Grace, that by the Innocency of my Life, and the Conftancy of my Faith, even unto Death, I may glorify thy holy Name, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

II.

Affiftance

GOD, the Strength of all them that put their For the Truft in thee; mercifully accept my Prayers. of Grace. And because, through the Weakness of my mortal Nature, I can do no good Thing without thee; grant me the Help of thy Grace, that in keeping thy Commandments, I may please thee in Will and Deed, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

BLES

III.

LESSED Jefus, who haft fet before me the For Huperfect Pattern of thy Humility, and haft com-mility. manded me to copy out fo fair an Original; enable

me

For Sub

miflion to God's Will.

Lam. iii.

33.

me by thy Grace to imitate thy wonderful Condefcenfion; that I may not by my Pride and Vanity lose that Happiness thou haft purchased for me by thy Humility. Make me fenfible of my own Vilenefs by Reason of my Sins, which are evident Proofs of my Weakness and Folly; of my Baseness and Ingratitude, which make me contemptible in thy Sight, and ought to cover my Soul with Shame and Confufion. Let this Prospect check all vain and afpiring Thoughts, and wean me from any fond Opinion of myfelf. To thee be the Glory of all the Good I enjoy; for it is from thee I receive it. To thee be the Glory of all the Good I think or do; for it is thy Grace enables me, it is thy Holy Spirit that works in me both to will and do thy good Pleafure. Let me never purchase the Praise of Men by mean Flatteries and finful Compliances: Let me never entertain their Applaufe upon the best Account with too great Delight; left it corrupt the Purity of my Intentions, and beguile me of that Reward thou haft promised to all those that ferve thee in Spirit and Truth. Make me patiently to bear the Indignities I may receive from others, because I have deferved them from thee, and because thou haft fuffered the fame upon my Account: Grant this, O bleffed Jefus, who, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, liveft and reigneft one God, World without End. Amen.

IV.

OST gracious God, who governest the World with infinite Wisdom and Goodness, and doft not afflict willingly, nor grieve the Children of Men; teach me contentedly to fubmit to the Difpenfations of thy Providence, how contrary foever they may be to Flesh and Blood. Thou knowest the surest Ways of making me happy, and art infinite in Loving-kindness and Mercy; therefore

therefore let thy bleffed Will in every Thing be my Choice and Satisfaction. Let all my Dangers, either temporal or spiritual, awaken me to a careful Performance of my own Duty, and to a lively Sense of thy Power, which nothing can refift, and of thy Goodnefs, which endureth continually; that being armed with this Defence, I may ferve thee quietly with a devout Mind, and in thy due Time be made Partaker of thy everlafting Kingdom, through Jefus Chrift. Amen.

CHA P. IX.

The Circumcision of our Lord JESUS
CHRIST, or New-Bear's-Day,
January 1.

QWHAT Feftival doth the Church celebrate
this Day?

A. The Circumcifion of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who, when eight Days were accomplished, fubjected himself to this Law, and firft fhed his facred Blood for us.

Q. What was Circumcifion?

A. A Rite of the Jewish Law, whereby that People were received into Covenant with God, as Chriftians are by Baptifm. It was first enjoined to Abraham, as a Token of the Covenant God made Gen, xvii. with him and his Pofterity. It was renewed by 10. Fofbua, when the Ifraelites entered the Land of Ca- Josh. v. 2. naan; it having been difufed for forty Years during their fojourning in the Wilderness.

Q. When was Circumcifion to be administered?

A. On the eighth Day, because the Mother being Lev. xii. unclean feven Days, and the Child by touching her 2, 3. partaking of the fame Misfortune, was not till

H

then

Buxtorf.
Synag.
Jud. c. 4.

14.

then fit to be admitted into Covenant; nor by reafon of its Weaknefs could it well endure, before that Time, the Pain of the Operation. The Jews laid fuch Stress upon this, that Circumcifion before that Time was counted no Circumcifion; and after that Time it was of leffer Value; hence they thought it neceffary, rather than defer it beyond the ftated Time, to perform it on the Sabbath-Day, though all Work was on that Day forbidden.

Q. What was the Punishment threatened for neglecting this Rite;

Gen. xvii. A. That Soul was to be cut off from God's People ; which, as the Jews generally interpret, supposed a

24.

Man to neglect it when he came to a fitting Age Exod. iv. to understand the Obligation of it. For when Mofes's Child was uncircumcifed, the Angel fought not to kill the Child who was uncircumcifed, but Mofes, the Father, who fhould have circumcised it. Q. What was the original Defign of Circumcifion? A. That every Son of Abraham might bear in his Body the Seal of the Inheritance of the Land of Promife, and the Badge of Diftinction from all other People, with which all that were marked, profeffed their Refolution to obey the only true God, Creator of Heaven and Earth; and that this vifible Sign might put them conftantly in mind of their Duty, and make them ftrive after the invifible Grace which it fealed, the Inheritance of Heaven, and walking as the Peculiar of the Lord.

Q. Why was it to ceafe after the Coming of Christ?

A. The Neceffity of the Change of it appears from the appropriated and peculiar Ends of the

Rite. For when there was to be no more Diftinction betwixt the Children of Abraham and other People, and no one Land more peculiarized than another, but of every Land and Nation he that feareth God and worketh Righteoufnefs is accepted of him; that Badge of Approbation, and Seal of Singularity,