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fhall then appear before thee: That I and all the World shall give a strict Account of all our Thoughts, Words, and Actions; that the Books will be then opened; that out of thofe dreadful Registers we shall be judged: that Satan and our own Confciences will be our Accusers. O let the last Trump be ever founded in my Ears, that I may ever be mindful of my great Accounts; and that I may neither fpeak, or do, nor think any Thing that may wound my own Confcience, or provoke thy Anger, or make me tremble at the awful Day. I know, O Lord, that Love only fhall then endure that terrible Teft, that Love only shall be acquitted, that Love only fhall be eternally bleft; and therefore 1 will ever praise and love thee, Glory be to thee, O thou beloved Son of God, to whom the Father bas committed all Judgment. How can they that love thee, O Jefu, ever defpond, though their Love in this Life is always imperfect, when at laft they shall have Love for their Judge, Love that hath felt and will compaffionate all their Infirmities? and therefore all Love, all Glory be to thee. Amen.

CHA P. III.

Saint Andrew, November 30.

& W

HAT Festival doth the Church celebrate this Day?

A. That of the Apostle St. Andrew.

Q. Of what Parentage and Country was be?

Johnt.44 A. He was born at Bethfaida, a City of Ga

lilee, ftanding upon the Banks of the Lake of Gennefareth, Son to Jonas, a Fisherman of that Town, and Brother to Simon Peter. It is not decided by the Antients, whether he was elder or younger; the major Part think St. Andrew to have been the younger.

Q. How came our Saviour to chufe bis Difciples out of Galilee?

Luk.1.26.

A. Because it was the chief Scene of our Saviour's Ministry; a Circumftance noted by all the Evangelifts; and St. Peter also stamps it with this Character in his Sermon to Cornelius, the Word which began from Galilee. Our Saviour Acts. 10. was both conceived and brought up at Naza- 37; reth a City of Galilee; he began his folemn Mat.2.23. Publication of the Gofpel at Capernaum, the 4. 13, 23Metropolis of Galilee; he preached all round the Region of Galilee; he began his Miracles at Cana in Galilee, he was transfigured at Mount Joh. 2.11. Tabor, a Mount of Galilee; our Saviour's ordi- Mat. 17.2. nary Residence was in Galilee; and he appoint- Mat. 26. eth his Difciples to come to fee him in Galilee, 32. when he was rifen from the Dead.

Q. Was our Saviour's vouchfafing his principal Abode to the Province of Galilee any Teftimony of bis being the Meffias?

A. The Prophecy of Isaiah, ix. 1, 2, 3. plainly relateth to this Matter: And to this Purpose it is quoted by St. Matthew, when our Saviour made Mat.4.14. Capernaum the Seat of his Preaching. The Land of Galilee, or of Zebulon and Nephthali, had the Misfortune to be first in that Calamity which befel their Nation hy the Affyrian; by Occafion of which Calamity, then newly happened, Ifaiah 2 Kings comforteth them with this Prophecy, that in Re- 15. 29. compence of that Mifery they fuffered above

the

Joh.1.40.

37.

the reft of their Brethren, they should have the firft and chiefeft Share of the Prefence and Converfation of the Meffiab that was to come.

Q. How was St. Andrew awakened to expect the Meffiah?

A. By being a Difciple of John the Baptift; who trained up his Profelytes under the Difcipline of Repentance, which prepared them to entertain the Doctrines of the Meffias; whofe Approach he told them was near at Hand, reprefenting to them the Dignity of his Perfon, and the Importance of the Defign be was come upon.

Q. How came St. Andrew acquainted with our Saviour?

A. Being with John the Baptift one Day as ver. 36, Jefus paffed by, and hearing him fay, that he was the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World, he follows our Saviour, upon this Teftimony, to the Place of his Abode; hearing his Inftructions, and improving his Faith by conferring with him; upon which Account by feveral of the Antients he is ftyled the first called Disciple, though in a strict Senfe he was not fo; for though he was the first of the Dif ciples that came to Chrift, yet he was not called till afterwards.

Joh.1.40.

Q. What was the first Effect of bis Faith in the Meffias?

A. He went to his Brother Simon, and imparted to him the joyful News, that he had found the Defire of the World, and their longexpected Happiness, the Chrift who was promifed by the Prophets; and carried him immediately to Jefus; where after a fhort Stay they returned again to their own Houses, and exercifed their Calling. Q. When

5

Q. When did St. Andrew become our Saviour's Difciple and conftant Attendant?

18.

A. About a Year afterwards, when being fully convinced of the Greatness and Divinity of our Saviour's Perfon, by the miraculous Draught of Fifhes, our Saviour commanded Mat. 4, him, with his Brother Peter, to follow him, defigning to make them Fishers of Men; who accordingly left all, and conftantly attended our Saviour's Perfon, and was afterwards called by him to the Office and Honour of the Apoftolate.

Q. What became of St. Andrew after our Saviour's Afcenfion?

A. It is generally affirmed by the Antients, Socrat. that the Apostles agreed among themselves by Hift. Eccl. Lot, fay fome, probably not without the fpe- lib.1.c.19. cial Guidance and Direction of the Holy Ghost, what Parts of the World they fhould feverally take. And that in this Divifion St. Andrew Eufeb.lib. had Scythia, and the neighbouring Countries, 3. c. I. allotted him for his Province.

Q. How and where did St: Andrew fuffer Martyrdom ?

A. After this bleffed Apoftle had planted the Gospel in feveral Places, and by his indefatigable Labours had converted many to the Faith, he came at laft to Patre in Achaia, where by laying down his Life he confirmed the Truths he had taught. For by endeavouring to convert Egeas the Proconful of Achaia, and to preferve his new Converts from Apoftacy, whom the Governor ftrove to reduce by all Arts to their old Idolatry, he engaged the Proconful a gainft him; who commanded him to be fcourged, and then to be crucified; and that his Death

might be more lingering, he was faftened to the Cross, not with Nails, but with Cords.

Q. What Account is there of the Manner of bis Crucifixion?

A. That as he was led to Execution, he fhewed a chearful and compofed Mind, and that being come within Sight of the Crofs, he faluted it with this kind Address, That he had long expected and defired that happy Hour; that the Crofs bad been confecrated by bearing the Body of Chrift; that be came joyful and triumphing to it, that it might receive him as a Difciple and Follower of bim who once hung upon it, and be the Means to carry him safe unto his Mafter, having been the Inftrument upon which bis Mafter did redeem bim. Having prayed and exhorted the People to Conftancy and Perfeverance in their Religion, he was faftened to the Cross, whereon he hung two Days, teaching and inftructing the People all that Time; and when great Importunities were used with the Proconful to spare his Life, he earnestly begged of our Lord, that he might at that Time depart, and feal the Truth of Religion with his Blood, which accordingly happened.

Q. What was the Form of St. Andrew's Cross? A. The Inftrument of his Martyrdom is commonly faid to have been fomething peculiar, in the Form of the Letter X, being a Cross decuffate, two Pieces of Timber croffing each other in the Middle: And hence ufually known by the Name of St. Andrew's Crofs.

Q. What became of his Body?

A. Being taken down from the Cross, it was embalmed, and decently and honourably interred

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