afk him in the Sense of my own Weakness and Infirmities, as knowing without his continual Infpirations I can defire nothing that is good, or do any Thing that is acceptable to thee: O therefore let him be with me, and remain with me, and most powerfully affift and fupport me in all Trials and Temptations when I moft need his Help.

Let him be unto me a Spirit of Sanctification to purify my corrupt Nature, a Spirit of Counsel in all Difficulties, of Direction in all Doubts, of Courage in all Dangers, of Conftancy in all Perfecutions, of Comfort in all Troubles, efpecially in Times of Sickness and at the Hour of Death, and of Submiffion and Refignation to thy Holy Will and Pleasure in all Afflictions that are moft grievous to Flesh and Blood.

Leave me not a Moment to my own human Frailty without his Affiftance; but let him conftantly inspire me with Fear, Love, and Devotion towards thee; with Truth, Juftice, and Charity towards my Neighbour; and with Abftinence and Sobriety towards myself. And because I live in evil Times, and am in Danger of being deceived by the Wiles and falfe Pretenfions of Men, let him be alfo unto me a Spirit of Wisdom and Conduct, and Discretion, that in all my Conversations I may be able to difcern Truth from Hypocrify, and fincere, undefigning, and faithful, from false, defigning, and flattering Friends.

Furthermore I beseech thee, let him be unto me a Spirit of Patience under all Croffes and in all Provocations; a Spirit of Truft and ftedfaft Repofe of Mind in thy Care and Providence; a Spirit of Forgiveness to my Enemies; a Spirit of Humility to make me quiet and eafy in myself, meek and gentle to others, and to free me from all the Sin and Torment of Pride, Envy, and Ambition; and, finally, fo let him guide me and govern me through the whole

Q4

Thank f giving for the De

scent of

Ghoft.

whole Course of my fhort Life here, that I may not fail to obtain everlafting Life, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

V.

IT is very meet, right, and my bounden Duty, that I fhould at all Times, and in all Places, give the Holy Thanks unto thee, O Lord, holy Father, Almighty Everlafting God, through Jefus Christ our Lord, according to whofe moft true Promife, the Holy Ghoft came down as at this Time from Heaven, with a fudden great Sound, as it had been a mighty Wind, in the Likeness of fiery Tongues lighting upon the Apostles, to teach them and to lead them into all Truth; giving them both the Gift of divers Languages, and alfo Boldness, with fervent Zeal, conftantly to preach the Gospel unto all Nations, whereby we have been brought out of Darkness and Error, into the clear Light and true Knowledge of thee, and thy Son Jefus Chrift: Therefore with Angels and Archangels, and with all the Company of Heaven, I laud and magnify thy glorious Name, evermore praifing thee, and faying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hofts, Heaven and Earth are full of thy Glory. Glory be to thee, O Lord moft High. Amen.

CHAP. XXII

Monday in Whitlun-Week.

Q. WHAT fhews the great Solemnity of the Fef

tival we commemorate at this time?

A. The particular Care the Church hath taken to fet apart this and the following Day for the Exercife of religious Duties; to the End that we might have Leisure to offer up our Praises and Thanksgivings to God, for that perfect Difcovery he hath

made

made of his Will to Mankind in the Chriftian Revelation, which contains the best and surest Means of ferving him, and of performing those Obligations we lie under to the divine Majefty; and which hath been confirmed by the Descent of the Holy Ghost.

Q. How is the Knowledge of Religion attained?

A. Either by the Light of Nature, which difcovers to us the Being of a God, and the infinite Perfections of the Divine Nature; particularly his Goodness, which inclines him to reward thofe that ferve him and diligently feek him; and his Juftice, which requires him to punish those that difobey him; and that therefore confequently there is a Part of Man which will fubfift in the next World capable of these future Rewards or Punishments, which leads us to the Immortality of the Soul; which Syftem of Principles, with a suitable Practice deducible from them, we call Natural Religion; or elfe by Supernatural Revelation, which we call Revealed Religion.

Q. What do you mean by Supernatural Revelation? A. God's manifefting himself, or his Will, to Mankind fome Way or other, over and above what he hath made known to us by the Light of Nature; in fuch a Manner and in fuch Inftances, that all our own Reasonings could never have attained unto; which Manifeftation was fometimes made immediately by God, and fometimes by the Mcdiation of Angels, as were most of the Revelations of the Old Testament.

Q. How doth it appear that a Revelation from God is poffible?

A. This is evident from the Nature of God, and. the Capacities of Men, as well as from that Proof which is produced to fatisfy us concerning a Miffion from God. An infinite Being that created our fouls capable of knowing him and loving him,

can

can never want Power to communicate farther Light to our Minds, and make farther Discoveries of his Will and Pleasure: and Man thus made after his own Image can use those Faculties he is endowed with, both in receiving and delivering the Matter of the Revelation, efpecially when it offers itself in a Manner fuitable to thofe Faculties. And when fuch Things are difcovered as by Prophecy, which none but God could reveal, and fuch Things done as by Miracles, which none but an Almighty, at least a fupernatural Power, could effect, we are as fure fuch Evidences are Proofs of a fupernatural Revelation, as we are that the Creation of the World is a Demonstration of the Exiftence of a Deity. Now this is a Matter fo evident, that it hath been generally believed among all Mankind, even among the Heathens, who were deftitute of true Revelations; and the Consent of all Nations; that there is fuch a Principle as Infpiration in the World, doth make it plain, that it carries no Repugnancy to natural Light, fuppofing that there is a God, that he should reveal his Mind by fome particular Perfons to the World; to De Divin. which Purpose the Testimony of Tully is very confiderable; and among most of the Philofophers thefe two Principles went together, the Existence of a Deity, and the Certainty of Inspiration.

lib. 1.

Q. Whence appears the Neceffity and Expediency of Divine Revelation?

A. From the great Ignorance and Corruption of human Nature, and that Mifery and Guilt which Mankind had contracted, which was plain even to afe that were unacquainted with the Original of So that fome extraordinary Means became ry for their Recovery. And from the infinite f God, whofe Providence not only extends to the Bodies of Men and their outward Gendrons in this World, but chiefly to their immortal

mortal Souls and their Happiness in another Life; upon which Account rational Creatures plunged in Mifery, become fit objects of the divine Care and Compaffion, For though natural Light convinces us of the Exiflence of a Deity, and thews us how reasonable it is to pay our Adorations to that Power that created and preferves us, yet it does not fufficiently direct us in the Way and Manner of performing it; though it gives us fome Hopes of Pardon upon our Repentance, from the general Notion of God's Goodness, yet it prefcribes us no certain Method for the obtaining our Reconciliation. So that Revelation was neceffary both to relieve the Wants of Men in a natural State, and to recover the Luftre and Brightness of their natural Principles, fullied and impaired by the Degeneracy of Mankind; and farther to add fuch Improvements, as might be perfective of human Nature, and instruct Men in the Method of appeafing an offended Deity. All the Pretences of the Heathen Lawgivers, as Lycurgus, Numa, &c. to have received their Laws from fome Divinity, was a tacit Confeffion that Revelation was neceffary and expedient to conduct Men to Happiness.

Q. What are the feveral Kinds of Revelation? A. The feveral Kinds of Revelation, whereof fome are mentioned by the Jews, and others recorded in Holy Scripture, are Infpiration, Vifions, Dreams, Prophecy, Oracle, Voices, particularly the Bath-Col, and that which the Jews reckon peculiar to Mofes, which they called Gradus Mofaicus.

Q. What do you mean by Infpiration?

A. Infpiration is a Revelation which is infenfibly communicated and breathed as it were into the Soul of a Man, so that the inspired Perfon does not think his own Thoughts, nor order his own Conceptions, nor form his own Notions fo far as he is infpired. But this doth not exclude the Exercife of his own

Reason