that thou wilt recollect their scattered Duft into the fame Form again, that our Souls fhall be re-united to our Bodies, that we fhall be judged both in Body and Soul for the Sins committed by both; that the Bodies of the Wicked fhall be fitted for Torment, and the Bodies of the Saints changed in Quality, and made glorified Bodies, immortal and incorruptible, fitted for Heaven, and eternally to love and enjoy thee, for which glorious Vouchfafement I will always praife and love thee. Amen. A III. bleffed eternal Lmighty God, whofe Works are great and For a marvellous, whofe Ways are juft and true; Refurrec thou art infinite in Power, and therefore nothing tion to is impoffible to thee; thou art abundant in Good- Life. ness and Truth, and therefore whatever thou haft promised fhall come to pafs. Fit and prepare me, O Lord, by the Affiftance of thy Grace, for that bleffed Immortality of Body and Soul, which thou haft made the Portion of all those that love and fear thee. Let me never defile my Body by fenfual and brutish Lufts, fince thou haft defigned to make it immortal and incorruptible. Let me never fink under the Burthen of my present Infirmities and Miseries; fince thou haft graciously promised to reward my Patience and Submiffion with a glorious Body, no more liable to Pains, or Diseases, or Diffolution. Let me not immoderately grieve for thofe Friends and Relations that fleep in the Lord, because they shall awake at the last Day in greater Perfection and Glory. Let not the Thoughts of Death be any longer uneafy to me, for that it reduceth my Body to Duft; I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he fhall ftand upon the Earth at the laft Day; and though after my Skin, Worms destroy my Body, yet in my Flesh fhall I fee God. Oh, let thefe great and precious Promifes fo fo influence my Life and Conversation, that I may efcape the Corruption that is in the World through Luft, and by purifying myfelf as thou art pure, may partake of the Divine Nature in thy heavenly Kingdom, through the Merits of Jefus Chrift my Lord and Saviour. Amen. CHA P. XVIII. St. Mark the Evangelift, QWHAT Festival doth the Church celebrate this Day? A. That of the Evangelift St. Mark. A. The Name was at firft given to all those that preached the Gofpel. But afterwards it came to be confined to thofe Four that writ the Hiftory of the Life and Preaching of our Saviour Jefus Chrift: Whofe four Gospels make Part of the facred Canon of Scripture. Q. What do you mean by the Word Gofpel? A. It is of Saxon Original, in which Language it fignifies a good Word, and anfwers to Evalyéλiov in Greek, which imports good News or good Tidings. In the facred Use of the Word, there seems to be a Figure very common and ordinary, whereby what fignifies good News is fet to denote the Hittory of that good News; as the Hiftory of the Birth, Life, Actions, Precepts, Promises, Death, Refurrection, and Afcenfion of Christ, is that Gospel, which, of all other Relations, we Chriftians ought to look upon as good Tidings of great Joy. Q. Of what Authority are the four Gospels that make Part of the facred Canon of Scripture? A. The Hær. lib. 3. c. 2. A. The whole Church of Chrift hath received them from the Beginning, as the genuine Writings of thofe Apostles and Evangelifts whofe Names they bear; and hath teftified that they were delivered to them by the Apostles as the Foundation and Pillar of Iren. adv. their Faith. They were owned as Writings divinely infpired; whereupon Copies of thefe Gofpels were carried by the Difciples of the Apoftles, or Apoflolic Men, to all the Churches they converted or established; they were read from the Beginning in all Chriftian Affemblies on the Lord's Day, and cited in the fecond Century for the Confirmation Juf. Mart. of the Faith, and the Conviction of Heretics. Apol. a. Which is a fufficient Proof, that they are the genuine Works of thofe Apoftles and Evangelifts, whofe Names they bear, and worthy to be received as the Records of our Faith. Q. What Account have we of St. Mark? Præf. in. Marc. A. He was doubtlefs born of Jewish Parents, Hieron. originally defcended of the Tribe of Levi. And this is very much confirmed by his Style, wherein he ufes the Hebrew Manner of expreffing himself; neither does his Roman Name fuggeft any Evidence to the contrary, because it was cuftomary with the Jews, when they travelled into foreign Parts, efpecially into the European Provinces of the Roman Empire, to adapt to themfelves an Appellation of that Kind. He was converted by fome of the Apoftles, probably by St. Peter, to whom he was a conftant Companion in all his Travels; fupplying the Place of an Amanuenfis, and Interpreter. Q. What Need was there of an Interpreter? A. Though the Apoftles were divinely inspired, and had the Gift of Languages conferred upon them; yet was the Interpretation of Tongues a Gift 1 Cor. xii. more peculiar to fome than others. For Chriftian 21. Affemblies in thofe Days being frequently made up of Men of different Nations, who could not under ftand 27. ftand what the Apoftles or others had fpoken to 1 Cor. xiv. the Congregation; fome were enabled to interpret what others did not understand; and to speak it to them in their own native Language, And it is probable it might be St. Mark's Talent to expound St. Peter's Difcourfes after this Manner. Q. Where was St. Mark fent to plant Christianity? A. He was by St. Peter fent into Egypt, fixing his main Residencé at Alexandria, and the Places thereabout. Where fo great was the Success of Eufeb. lib. his Miniftry, that, according to Eufebius, he converted Multitudes both of Men and Women, not only to the embracing the Chriftian Religion, but to a more than ordinary strict Profeffion of it. 2. c. 15. Q. Did this Evangelift confine bis Preaching to Alexandria, and thofe Parts? A. He afterwards removed Weftward to the Parts of Libya, going through the Countries of Marmorica, Pentapolis, and others thereabouts; where, notwithstanding the Barbarity and Idolatry of the Inhabitants, yet by his Preaching and Miracles he planted the Gofpel, and confirmed them in the Profeffion of it. And upon his Return to Alexandria, he wifely ordered the Affairs of the Church, and provided for Succeffion by conftituting Bifhops, and other Officers and Paftors. Q. How did St. Mark fuffer Martyrdom? A. About Eafter, at the Time the Solemnities of Serapis happened to be celebrated; the People being excited to a Vindication of the Honour of their Idol, broke in upon St. Mark, while he was employed in Divine Worship, and binding his Feet with Cords, dragged him through the Streets, and thruft him into Prifon, where in the Night he had the Comfort of a Divine Vifion. Next Day the enraged People renewed the Tragedy, and used him in the fame Manner, till his Flesh being raked off, and his Blood run out, his Spirits failed, and he he expired. Some add, that they burnt his Body, and that the Chriftians decently entombed his Bones and Afhes near the Place where he used to preach. But all this Account is given by Authors whofe Credit we cannot depend upon; and therefore must be received with Grains of Allowance. Q. Were his Remains afterwards removed? A. They were with great Pomp tranflated from Alexandria to Venice, as is afferted by fome Writers; and though there is great Reason to doubt the Truth of this Relation, yet, however, he is adopted the tutelar Saint and Patron of that Republic, and has a very rich and ftately Church erected to his Memory. Q. What Writings did this Evangelift leave behind bim? 2.C. IS. A. Only his Gospel, which was written at the Entreaty of the Converts at Rome, who, not content to have heard St. Peter preach, preffed St. Mark Eufeb.lib. his Disciple, that he would commit to Writing an hiftorical Account of what he had delivered to them; which he performed with no lefs Faithfulness than Brevity; and being perufed by St. Peter, was ratified by his Authority, and commanded to be read publickly in their religious Affemblies. It may very well be looked upon as a Supplement to St. Matthew's Gofpel; for by the Light this gives, that becomes more clear and perfpicuous. Q. Why is this Gofpel frequently flyled St. Peter's? A. Not fo much becaufe dictated by him to St. Mark, as because he principally compofed it out of that Account which St. Peter ufually delivered in his Difcourfes to the People, and becaufe it received the Stamp of St. Peter's Approbation. Q. What particular Proof is there of his Impartiality? A. In that he is fo far from concealing the fhameful Fall and Denial of St. Peter, who was his dear |