upon him, he never began to be a true Difciple of Christ.

Q. How did the Primitive Chriftians generally embrace Martyrdom?

A. With great Readiness and Chearfulness of Mind; with Comfort and Satisfaction, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to fuffer for the Name of Chrift. And not only the Clergy but the Laity, Women as well as Men, young and old, encountered Death with great Fortitude, though it was armed with all the Variety of Torments that the Malice and Cruelty of their Enemies could invent.

Q. To what Causes may we attribute this great Courage and Refolution of the Primitive Chrif tians?

A. Next to the plentiful Effufion of fupernatural Grace upon fuch Occafions; the great Piety and Virtue of their Lives might be a proper Foundation for this Chriftian Confidence. They were not only innocent, but extremely mortified; they kept their Minds free from Guilt; and inured their Bodies to Hardfhips and fevere Ufage, and never foftened themselves with the Pleasures and Diverfions of the Age. They had a lively Senfe of the Rewards of the next Life, with which the Sufferings of this are not to be compared. Their Minds were inflamed with great Love to their Lord and Mafter Jefus Chrift, whofe Blood was yet warm, and whofe Sufferings for their Sakes were fresh in their Memories. Befides many of the Rich, in Times of Perfecution, reduced themfelves to a voluntary Poverty, diftributing what they had among the Poor, that they might be in a. Readiness for Martyrdom. But the wonderful Manner fometimes of bearing their Torments; as the burning of their Bodies without a Shriek, and their rejoicing in the Midft of Flames, must be at tributed

tributed to the wonderful Work of God; either in taking away the great Senfe of Pain from the boly Martyrs in the Time of their Execution; or by giving them fuch a lively Senfe and affured Profpect of their Reward, as made the most exquifite Torments fupportable to them, and we may reasonably fuppofe, when Women and Children defpifed the Crofs, the Rack, and wild Beafs, that they were fupported with particular Affiftances from that good God, who will not fuffer us 1 Cor. to be tempted above that we are able, or, with the 13 Temptation will find a Way for us to escape, that we may be able to bear it.

G

The PRAYER S.

I.

dinefs to

Christ.

RANT, O merciful God! that, as thy For Rea holy Apoftle St. James, leaving his Father fortake and all that he had without Delay, was obedient aller unto the Calling of thy Son Jefus Chrift, and followed him, fo I, forfaking all worldly and carnal Affections, may be evermore ready to follow thy holy Commandments, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

II.

tented

Condi

vidence hath conftituted feveral Ranks and nefs in a Qualities of Men, that they might mutually affift mean to the Support of each other: Teach me to be tion. content with the Station wherein thou hast been pleafed to place me, honeftly and diligently to dif charge the Duties of my Calling; without Anxiety to depend upon thy Bleffing for the Succefs of my lawful Endeavours. That, however contemptible my Profeffion may be in the Eyes of Men, my Fidelity and Industry may be acceptable in thy Sight; that they may bring me in the Return of a convenient Subfiftence and Provifion for my

For the Government of

Zeal.

For the

Grace of Martyrdom.

Family in this Life; and in the next, the Reward that thou haft promised to all that truly love and fear thee, through the Merits of Jefus Chrift. Amen.

III.

RACIOUS God, who by the Precepts of the Gofpel, and by the Example of the bleffed Jefus, haft taught us the Art of governing our Paffions, let not the fpecious Pretence of Zeal for thy Service betray me to any unreasonable Heats, but much lefs to fuch Actions as thou haft forbidden; let not any Difference in Religion destroy in me that Charity which is a peculiar Mark of thy Difciples; but teach me to compaffionate those that are in Error, and to pity thofe Prejudices which have fo unhappily mifled them: Grant that, with Meekness and Moderation, I may endeavour their Recovery, if peradventure God will give them Repentance to the Acknowledgment of the Truth: Make me ready to exercife all Acts of Kindness to their Perfons; and to implore thy Grace in their Behalf, which is able to fubdue the most inveterate Errors; that though they continue Enemies to thy Truth, I may never facrifice my Patience and Meeknefs; but, by a Continuance in well doing, wait for Glory, Honour, and Immortality, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

IV.

BLESSED Jefus, who for my Sake didft endure the most painful and fhameful Death of the Crofs, let the Senfe of this mighty Love fo conftantly inflame my Soul, that whenever thy Providence hall make it my Duty, I may readily and chearfully embrace Death, though armed with the utmoft Terror, rather than forfake thee. Grant that I may rejoice in fuch a happy Occafion of testifying the Sincerity and Fervour of my Affection towards thee, of fhewing that thou art the

Delight of my Soul, that I not only prefer thec before all the Pleafures and Satisfactions of Life, but that the Torments and Pains of a violent Death are not able to feparate me from thee. Inspire me with Courage and Refolution from above, that no Difficulties nor Dangers may affright me from thy Service, and that the Apprehenfion of them may never tranfport me beyond the Bounds of all Chriftian Decency and Moderation. Whither shall I go? thou haft the Words of eternal Life. O! let the firm Belief of the immortal Joys and glorious Rewards thou haft prepared for thofe that fuffer for thee, fupport me under all the Cruelties of the most mercilefs Perfecutors. Let the Examples of thy holy Martyrs, who had the Trial of cruel Mockings and Scourgings, of Bonds and Imprifonments, who were fioned, who were fawn afunder, and flain with the Sword, of whom the World was not worthy, ftir me up to Patience and Fortitude, that I may be a Follower of them who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promifes. Make me careful to do thy holy Will, that I may have Comfort and Joy in fuffering for it. Grant this, O bleffed Lord, who diedft for me, and rofeft again, and now fitteft at the right Hand of the Father to intercede for me, and all thy faithful Difciples.

Amen.

Mat. x. 3.

Joh. i. 47.

John xxi.

1, 2.

Q. Was be one of the twelve Apostles?

A. Yes; the Evangelical Hiftory is most exprefs and clear as to that Matter. But he being no farther taken Notice of, than the bare Mention of his Name, many both anciently and of later Times have fuppofed that he lay concealed under the Name of Nathanael, one of the firft Difciples that came to Chrift.

Q. Why are Nathanael and Bartholomew thought to be the fame Person under two different Names?

A. Because as St. John never mentions Bartholomew in the Number of the Apostles, fo the other three Evangelifts never take Notice of Nathanael: And as in St. John, Philip and Nathanael are joined together in their coming to Chrift, fo in the rest of the Evangelifts Philip and Bartholomew are conftantly put together; and afterwards we find them joint Companions in the Writings of the Church. What renders this Matter fill more probable?

A. That Nathanael is particularly reckoned up with the other Apoftles, to whom our Lord appeared at the Sea of Tiberias after his Refurrection, where there were together Simon Peter, Thomas, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the two Sons of Zebedee, and two others of his Difciples, who were probably Andrew and Philip.

Q. How doth it appear, that by Difciples is here meant Apostles?

A. Partly from the Names of those that are reckoned up; partly because it is faid, that this John xxi. was the third Time that Jefus appeared to his Difci

14.

ples: It being plain, that the two foregoing Appearances were made to none but the Apofiles. Befides, if Nathanael had not been one of the Twelve already, no tolerable Reason can be given why he, who was fo eminently qualified, was not pitched upon to fill up the Place of Judas.

Q. What fignifies the Word Bartholomew ?