12, 17. Ch. 13.

35.

John 15. is the proper Badge and Cognifance of the Chriftian Profeffion, by which the Difciples of Jefus were to be diftinguished from the Difciples of any other Inftitution. other Inftitution. And in the first Ages, Chriftians were fo eminent for the Practice of this Virtue, that it became a Proverb among the Heathens, Behold how thefe Chriftians love one another. And all this enforced upon us by the Example of the Son of God, whofe whole Life and Death was one continued Proof of his Love to Mankind. And he instituted the bleed Sacrament to be a lively Remembrance of that his great Charity, and to be a perpetual Bond of Love and Union among his Followers.

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

The

ME

The PRAYERS.

I.

Church's

Erciful Lord, I befeech thee to caft thy For the bright Beams of Light upon thy Church ; Perfevethat it being enlightened by the Doctrine of thy rance in bleffed Apostle and Evangelift St. John, may fo theTruth. walk in the Light of thy Truth, that it may at

length attain to the Light of everlasting Life, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

II.

Lord, who haft taught us that all our Do- For the ings without Charity are nothing worth; Grace of fend thy Holy Ghoft, and pour into my Heart Charity.

that moft 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. Amen.

III.

Uffer me not, O God, to be toffed about For Sted

faftness in Chriftia

S with various Winds of Doctrine, nor to be
impofed upon by the falfe Reasonings of cun- nity.
ning and fubtle Men. But grant that trusting
to thy Holy 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 con-
ftantly believe thofe Truths which are there re-
vealed. That I may always adore that Divinity
that was incarnate, and worship Jefus, who is
H 2
God

For the Love of our Neighbour.

God as well as Man. Let no heretical Interpretations corrupt the Purity of my Faith, nor Pretences to greater Illum ination ever weaken my Stedfaftnefs. Thou didft graciously establish thy Church with the Gospel of thy Evangelist St. John, when pernicious Errors and Herefies were started to corrupt it. Let the fame watchful Eye of Providence still be its Guard and Defence; that all Chriftians conftantly adhering to the Doctrine he taught, and firmly believing thofe divine Myfteries which he plainly made known to the World, may be preferved from all damnable Herefies; from those 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 Christ our Lord. Amen.

G

IV.

Racious 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 Kindnefs, which is better than Life itself; but grant that I may affift all my Brethren 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 Happi

nefs; by affifting the Needy, protecting the Oppreffed, inftructing the Ignorant, reproving the Wicked and Prophane. 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 thoughtest 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 Destruction; that thus adorning thy Holy Gospel, by doing good according to my Power and Capacity, I may at laft be received into the Endearments of thy eternal Love, and fing everlafting Praises to the Lamb that was flain, and fitteth upon the Throne. Amen, Amen.

CHAP. VIII.

The Holy Innocents. Dec. 28.

'HAT Festival doth the Church cele-
brate this Day?

A. The Martyrdom of the Holy Innocents;

which is mentioned by Origen as what was by Hom. 3. the holy Fathers, according to the Will of in Diverf. God, commanded to be for ever celebrated in

the Church.

H 3

Q. In

Q. In what Senfe were they Martyrs ?

A. In that they fuffered for Chrift, and glorified God by their Deaths. It hath been obferved, that there are three Sorts of Martyrdoms: The first in Will and Deed; which was the Cafe of most of the Apostles: The fecond in Will, but not in Deed; which was the Cafe of St. John the Evangelift; the Antients upon this Account giving him the Title of Martyr, that he yielded his Body to Torments, and was wilAtas nec- ling to die for Chrift: The third in Deed, but dum habi- not in Will; which was the Cafe of the boly Innam, ido- nocents. It having been the Senfe of the Church, nea extitit that they died the Death of Martyrs, though ad coro incapable of making the Choice; God having fupplied the Defects of their Will, by his own Acceptation of the Thing.

lis ad pug

nam.

S. Cypr.
Iren. lib.

3. c. 18.

Mat. 2. 2.

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

A. Herod being alarmed with the Inquiry of the wife Men from the East; and apprehending his own Kingdom in Danger from him that was born King of the Jews, endeavours first by crafty Policy to deftroy our Saviour under a Pretence of worshipping him; but the wife Men being Ver. 12. warned by God in a Dream, returned into their

Ver. 8.

own Country another Way. This Difappointment enraged Herod, and put him upon the Ufe of Ver. 16. 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, is mentioned by Lib.2.c.4. Macrobius, with a Reflection made upon He

rod