John xiii.

34.

12, 17.

vanced, as to the Degree of it, even to the laying down our Lives for one another; fo effectually taught, fo mightily encouraged, fo very much urged and infifted upon, that it may very well be called a new Commandment; for though it was not altogether unknown to Mankind before, yet it was never taught in this Manner, nor fuch Strefs laid upon it by any other Inftitution.

Q. What Obligations have we to the Performance of this Duty?

A. The Frame of our Nature difpofeth us to it, and our Inclination to Society, in which there can be no Pleasure, no Advantage without mutual Love and Kindness. It is highly acceptable to God, and the best Expreffion of our Love towards him, fince our Neighbour is God's Creature and his Image, and the Object of his Love and Kindness. It is the particular Command of our blessed Saviour. urged upon his Difciples fo earnestly, as if he required nothing elfe in Comparison of it. It is the John xv. proper Badge and Cognizance of the Christian Profeffion, by which the Difciples of Jefus were to be distinguished from the Difciples of any other Inftitution. And in the firft Ages, Chriftians were fo eminent for the Practice of this Virtue, that it became a Proverb among the Heathens, Behold bow thefe Chriftians love one another. And all this enforced upon us by the Example of the Son of God, whose whole Life and Death was one continued Proof of his Love to Mankind. And he inftituted the blessed Sacrament to be a lively Remembrance of that his great Charity, and to be a perpetual Bond of Love and Union among his Followers.

Ch. xiii.

35

Q. By what Rules ought we to govern our Love to our Neighbour?

A. It ought to be univerfal, because we defire every body should love us; and the Reafons upon which this Duty is founded, extend it to all Man

kind. It ought to be fincere, fince the Love of ourselves is made the Measure of it. Upon which Account we should be as careful to conceal our Neighbour's Defects,and to compaffionate his Miffortunes, as we are very apt to do when the Cafe is our own. It ought to be folid and fubftantial, and to exprefs itfelf in Things of the greatest Confequence; we fhould love our Neighbours as Chrift loved us; this fhould make us concerned for the Salvation of their Souls, and put us upon ufing all proper Means to recover them from a State of Sin and Infidelity.

Church's

the Truth.

MERCIFUL Lord, I beseech thee to caft thy For the bright Beams of Light upon thy Church; Perfeve that it being enlightened by the Doctrine of thy rance in bleffed Apostle and Evangelift St. John, may fo walk in the Light of thy Truth, that it may at length attain to the Light of everlasting Life, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

O

II.

Grace of
Charity.

LORD, who hast taught us that all our For the Doings without Charity are nothing worth; fend thy Holy Ghoft, and pour into my Heart that most excellent Gift of Charity, the very Bond of Peace and of all Virtues, without which whofoever liveth is counted dead before thee. Grant this for thine only Son Jefus Chrift's Sake.

III.

Amen.

fastness in

SUFFER me not, O God, to be toffed about For Stedwith various Winds of Doctrine, nor to be im- Chriftiani pofed upon by the falfe Reasonings of cunning and ty. fubtil Men. But grant that trufting to thy Holy Scriptures,

G 3

For, the Love of

our Neighbour.

Scriptures, as the certain Rule and Guide of my Faith, and to thy bleffed Apoftles, as the Planters and Propagators of it, Jefus Chrift himself being the chief Corner-Stone, I may rejoice in the Light they afford, and conftantly believe thofe Truths which are there revealed. That I may always adore that Divinity that was incarnate, and worship Jefus, who is God as well as Man. Let no heretical Interpretations corrupt the Purity of my Faith, nor Pretences to greater Illumination ever weaken my Stedfaftnefs. Thou didst graciously establish thy Church with the Gofpel of thy Evangelift St. John, when pernicious Errors and Herefies were ftarted to corrupt it. Let the fame watchful Eye of Providence ftill be its Guard and Defence; that all Chriftians conftantly adhering to the Doctrine he taught, and firmly believing thofe divine Myfterics which he plainly made known to the World, may be preferved from all damnable Herefies; from thofe fatal and evil Confequences which attend them in this World; and from thofe Punishments prepared for them in the next. Grant this through the Merits of Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

VI.

GRacious God! who art good and doft Good,

who extendeft thy loving Kindness to all Mankind, thy Creatures, the Work of thy Hands, thy Image capable of loving thee, and enjoying thee eternally; fuffer me to exclude none, O Lord, from my Charity, who are the Objects of thy Mercy and Tenderness, but let me treat all my Neighbours with that Love and Good-will, which is due to thy Servants and to thy Children. Thou haft required this Mark of our Love to thee: O! let no Temptation expofe me to Ingratitude, or make me forfeit thy loving Kindness, which is better than Life itself; but grant that I may affift all my Bre

thren

thren with Prayers and good Wishes where I cannot reach them by actual Services. Make me ready to embrace all Occafions that may adminifter to their Happiness; by affifting the Needy, protecting the Oppreffed, inftructing the Ignorant, reproving the Wicked and Profane. Grant that I may look upon the Defects and Frailties of my Neighbour as if they were my own, that I may conceal them; that making thy Love to me, O blessed Jefus, the Pattern of my Love to them, I may above all Things endeavour to promote their eternal Welfare. Thou thought eft nothing too dear to part with to rescue me from eternal Mifery; Oh! let me think nothing too dear to part with to fet forward the everlasting Good of my Fellow Chriftians. They are Members of thy Body, therefore I will cherish them; thou haft redeemed them with an ineftimable Price, therefore will I endeavour to recover them from a State of Deftruction; that thus adorning thy Holy Gofpel, by doing good according to my Power and Capacity, I may at laft be received into the Endearments of thy eternal Love, and fing everlasting Praises to the Lamb that was flain, and fitteth upon the Throne. Amen, Amen.

CHAP. VIII.

The Holy Innocents. December 28. Q. WHAT Festival doth the Church celebrate this Day?

A. The Martyrdom of the Holy Innocents; which is mentioned by Origen as what was by the holy Hom. 3. Fathers, according to the Will of God, commanded to be for ever celebrated in the Church.

Q. In what Senfe were they Martyrs?

A. In that thy fuffered for Chrift, and glorified

G 4

God

God by their Deaths. It hath been observed, that there are three Sorts of Martyrdoms: The first in Will and Deed; which was the Cafe of moft of the Apoftles: The fecond in Will, but not in Deed; which was the Cafe of St. John the Evangelift; the Ancients upon this Account giving him the Title of Martyr, that he yielded his Body to Torments, and tas nec- was willing to die for Chrift: The third in Decd, lis ad pug- but not in Will; which was the Cafe of the Holy Innam, ido- nocents. It having been the Sense of the Church, that they died the Death of Martyrs, though incapable of making the Choice; God having fupplied Iren. lib. the Defects of their Will, by his own Acceptation of the Thing.

dum habi

nea extitit

ad coro

nam.

St. Cypr.

3. C. 18.

Ver. 8.

Ver. 12.

Ver. 16.

Q. What was the Occafion of the Death of thefe Infants?

A. Herod being alarmed with the Enquiry of the Mat. i. 2. wife Men from the Eaft; and apprehending his own Kingdom in Danger from him that was born King of the Jews, endeavours firft by crafty Policy to deftroy our Saviour under a Pretence of worshipping him; but the wife Men being warned by God in a Dream, returned into their own Country another Way. This Disappointment enraged Herod, and put him upon the Ufe of open Force; be fent forth and flew all the Children that were in Bethlehem,and in all the Coafts thereof, from two Years old and under, hoping to involve the young King in the cruel Execution, and thereby foon to determine his Reign. This Slaughter of the Bethlemite Children under two Years old, Lib.2.c.4. is mentioned by Macrobius, with a Reflection made upon Herod on that Occafion by the Emperor Augufius.

Q. How did our bleffed Saviour escape this bloody Defign of Herod?

A. God made known to Jofeph the wicked PurVer. 13. pofe of Herod, by the Miniftration of an Angel, who ordered him to arise and secure the Holy Child

14.

Jefus