A. During his Travels with St. Paul in Achaia, whofe Help he is generally faid to have made Use of in the compoling of it. And that this the Apoftle primarily intends, when he fo often speaks Rom. ii. of his Gofpel. Befides this Advantage, we are af- 16fured by the Evangelift himself, that he derived his 8. Intelligence from thofe who from the Beginning bad Luke i. 2. been Eye-witnesses and Minifters of the Word.

Q. Upon what Occafion did he write his Gofpel?

2 Tim. ii.

A. Partly to prevent thofe falfe and fabulous Relations, which even then began to be obtruded upon the World; and partly to fupply what seemed wanting in thofe two Evangelifts that wrote before him, in relation to fome Particulars concerning our Saviour's Birth, Preaching and Miracles. He mainly infifted upon what belongs to Chrifi's Prieftly Office; upon which Account the Ancients, in ac- Ezek. i. commodating the four fymbolical Reprefentments 10. in the Prophet's Vifion to the four Evangelifts, affigned the Ox or Calf to St. Luke.

QWhen was his Hiftory of the Acts of the Apostles writ?

A. It is generally agreed, that it was writ at Rome, at the End of St. Paul's two Years Imprifonment, which makes the Conclufion of it. In this History he relates not only the Actions, but the Sufferings of fome of the chief Apostles, efpecially of St. Paul, of whofe Carriage and moft intimate Transactions St. Luke was beft able to give a true Account, having been his constant Attendant. Q. What is obferved of St. Luke's Style and Manner of Writing?

A. That it was clear and perfpicuous, polite and elegant, exact and accurate; which fhews how great a Share he had in the native Genius of Antioch, the Place of his Birth. He completed the Character of a true Hiftorian, being faithful in his Relations, and elegant in his Writings.

Q. What

Q. What may we learn from the Obfervation of this

Festival?

A. To rejoice in thofe glad Tidings, which this Evangelift publifhed to the World; and not only attentively and reverently to read his Gofpel, but to practife, as he did, that Doctrine which he taught. To be careful to avoid all Flattery in our Addreffes to great Men, which is contrary to that Truth and Sincerity that is fo effential to the Character of a good Chriftian. To be exact and faithful in all our Relations of Matters of Fact, without favouring Parties and Factions. To ftick clofe to the Profeffors of Religion, when they are encompaffed with Variety of Perfecutions; which is an Effect of true Charity, fince Friendship only to Perfons in Power and Plenty, may be fufpected of SelfIntereft.

Q. What Duties do Chriftians owe to their Fellow-Members, when they are perfecuted for Righte

oufnefs' Sake?

A. To vifit them in their Afflictions; and by feafonable Advice to encourage them to perfevere in the Faith. To pray to God for them, that he would be pleased to fupport them under all their Trials, with the Affiftance and Comfort of his Holy Spirit. To vindicate them from the falfe Afperfions of wicked and malicious Men. According to our Abilities to adminifter to their Neceffities; and by our Intereft with others, to procure them that Relief which our own narrow Circumftances cannot fupply them with.

Q. Whence arifes our Obligation to thefe Duties? A. From that Love of Zeal we ought to have for Religion; whofe Deftruction is fought for by thofe who opprefs the Profeffors of it. From that fpiritual Union there is among Chriftians under 1 Cor. xii. their Head Chrift Fefus: So that if one Member fuffers, all the Members fuffer with it. From the Ex

6.

ample

ample of our Saviour, who, out of his great Grace
and Kindness, being rich, for our Sakes became poor; 2 Cor.
emptied himself of his Glory, that we, through his vii. 9.
Poverty, might be made Partakers of spiritual and
durable Riches. From that Charity we owe to all
that are in Want, especially to those that are of the
Household of Faith. And from the Senfe of being
liable ourselves to the fame Distress; and therefore
remembering them that fuffer Adverfity, as being our- 3.
felves alfo in the Body.

A

Heb. xiii.

Health

LMIGHTY God, who calledft Luke the For the Physician, whose Praise is in the Gofpel, to of our be an Evangelift and Physician of Souls, may it Minds. please thee, that by the wholesome Medicines of the Doctrine delivered by him, all the Diseases of my Soul may be healed, through the Merits of thy Son Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

II.

God.

ALMIGHTY God, who alone canft order For the the unruly Wills and Affections of finful Love of Men: Grant that I may love the Things which thou commandeft, and defire that which thou doft promise; that fo, among the fundry and manifold Changes of this World, my Heart may furely there be fixed, where true Joys are to be found, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

III.

YIELD thee hearty Thanks, moft merciful Thankf Father, for thofe glad Tidings of Salvation thy the Go giving for Evangelift St. Luke hath published to the World; fpel. for all the Manifeftations of thy holy Will, and of

Mr. Ket tlewell. For the

Duties we o we to

those that

cuted.

that inestimable Redemption thou haft graciously condefcended to work out for us; and for that thou hast been pleafed to regenerate us by thy Holy Spirit, to receive us for thy own Children by Adoption, and to incorporate us into thy Holy Church: And I humbly befeech thee to grant, that I being dead unto Sin, and living unto Řighteoufnefs, and being buried with Chrift in his Death, may crucify the old Man, and utterly abolish the whole Body of Sin; and that as I am made Partaker of the Death of thy Son, I may also be Partaker of his Resurrection: So that, finally, with the Refidue of thy holy Church, I may be an Inheritor of thine everlafting Kingdom, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

IV.

RIGHTEOUS Lord, who triest thy People with heavy Sufferings for thy Truth and Righteoufnefs' Sake: Give me the Heart conftantly to own thy Ways, and those who fuffer for them. are perfe- Oh! that whenever I fee a Member of thine fuffering, as a good Fellow-member, I may fuffer with it. That I may be among those who grieve for the Afflictions of Jofeph; and come in to bear a Share of their Adverfity, who are enduring Afflictions for thee; and remember thofe who are in Bonds, as bound with them. Let me not be ashamed of the Teftimony of the Lord, nor of any of those that are his Prifoners; but rejoice to make myself a Companion of fuch as are bearing Tribulations for his Truths, and be glad when I can minifter to their Neceffities, and relieve the fame. When they are fick and in Prifon, give me the Heart to vifit them; when they are Strangers and in Want, make me ready to affift them with Supplies fitting for their Circumftances. And Oh! that I may look upon fuch Services as the moft bleffed Opportunities of

fhewing

fhewing my Love unto thee, O bleffed Jefus! knowing that thus to communicate is accepted by thee as done to thyfelf; and that by having a Fellowfhip with the Saints in their Sufferings, I may have a Fellowship with them in that Bleffednefs, where with Thou, O Father, wilt crown both the Sufferers and their Partakers in the End; through the Merits of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. Amen.

CHA P. XXXIII.

Saint Simon and St. Jude, October 28.

QWHAT Festival doth the Church celebrate this
Day?

A. That of St. Simon and St. Jude the Apostles. Q. Why was St. Simon called the Canaanite? A. This Sirname hath given Occasion to several Conjectures. Some fay he was fo called from Cana, a Town in Galilee; and for that Reason they will have him born there. But St. Luke called him Si- Luke vi. mon Zelotes, or the Zealot, plainly fhews, that the Hieron. in Word Canaanite defcends from the Hebrew, which Mat. c. fignifies to be zealous, and denotes his hot and fprightly Temper.

Q. Upon what other Account is be thought to have been called the Zealot?

A. Either becaufe before his Converfion he was one of the Sect of the Zealots; or, as fome who keep ftill the fame Sense of his Name, because after his Converfion he fhewed great Zeal for the Chriftian Faith, and a pious Indignation towards thofe who profeffed Religion with their Mouths, but difhonoured it by their vicious Lives.

A a 2

Q. What

15.

15.