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For the

Gift of

Spirit.

were visible in the Conduct of the holy Apostles; never did so much Resolution get the better of so much Weakness, so great a Contempt of Danger and Death triumph over so shameful a Cowardice, and so sincere and ardent a Desire of Suffering, master a very careful Endeavour to avoid the Appearance of it.

THE PRAYERS.

I.

GOD, who as at this Time did teach the Hearts the Holy of thy faithful People by the sending to them the Light of thy Holy Spirit; grant me, by the same Spirit, to have a right Understanding in all Things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy Comfort, through the Merits of Christ Jesus my Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the Unity of the same Spirit, one God, World without End. Amen.

For the
faithful

Service of
God.

tice suit

Profession.

II.

ALMIGHTY and merciful God, of whose only Gift it cometh, that thy faithful People do unto thee true and laudable Service; grant, I beseech thee, that I may so faithfully serve thee in this Life, that I fail not finally to attain thy heavenly Promises, through the Merits of Jesus Christ. Amen.

III.

For a Prac-ALMIGHTY God, who shewest to them, that able to the be in Error, the Light of thy Truth, to the Intent Christian they may return into the Way of Righteousness; grant, unto all them that are admitted into the Fellowship of Christ's Religion, that they may eschew those Things that are contrary to their Profession, and follow all such Things as are agreeable to the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

IV.

Gifts of

rit.

LORD my God, who, by thy Son our Saviour Dr. Hickes. Jesus Christ, hast promised thy Holy Spirit to them For the who ask him of thee; I beseech thee to give him God's to me in all the Graces and Assistances of which I Holy Spistand in need. I ask him in all Humility and Earnestness, as the greatest Blessing I can receive; I ask him in the Sense of my own Weakness and Infirmities, as knowing without his continual Inspirations I can desire Nothing that is good, or do any Thing that is acceptable to thee: Ŏ therefore let him be with me, and remain with me, and most powerfully assist and support me in all Trials and Temptations when I most need his Help.

Let him be unto me a Spirit of Sanctification to purify my corrupt Nature, a Spirit of Counsel in all Difficulties, of Direction in all Doubts, of Courage in all Dangers, of Constancy in all Persecutions, of Comfort in all Troubles, especially in Times of Sickness, and at the Hour of Death, and of Submission and Resignation to thy holy Will and Pleasure in all Afflictions that are most grievous to Flesh and Blood.

Leave me not a Moment to my own human Frailty without his Assistance; but let him constantly inspire me with Fear, Love, and Devotion towards thee; with Truth, Justice, and Charity towards my Neighbour; and with Abstinence and Sobriety towards myself. And because I live in evil Times, and am in Danger of being deceived by the Wiles and false Pretensions of Men, let him be also unto me a Spirit of Wisdom and Conduct, and Discretion, that in all my Conversations I may be able to discern Truth from Hypocrisy, and sincere, undesigning, and faithful, from false, designing, and flattering Friends.

Furthermore, I beseech thee, let him be unto me a Spirit of Patience under all Crosses and in all Provocations; a Spirit of Trust and stedfast Repose of

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Mind in thy Care and Providence; a Spirit of Forgiveness to my Enemies; a Spirit of Humility to make me quiet and easy in myself, meek and gentle to others, and to free me from all the Sin and Torment of Pride, Envy, and Ambition; and, finally, so let him guide me and govern me through the whole Course of my short Life here, that I may not fail to obtain everlasting Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

V.

IT is very meet, right, and my bounden Duty, that I should at all Times, and in all Places, give Thanks unto thee, O Lord, holy Father, Almighty Everlasting God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, according to whose most true Promise, the Holy Ghost came down as at this Time from Heaven, with a sudden great Sound, as it had been a mighty Wind, in the Likeness of fiery Tongues, lighting upon the Apostles, to teach them and to lead them into all Truth; giving them both the Gift of divers Languages, and also Boldness, with fervent Zeal, constantly to preach the Gospel unto all Nations, whereby we have been brought out of Darkness and Error, into the clear Light and true Knowledge of thee, and thy Son Jesus Christ: Therefore with Angels and Archangels, and with all the Company of Heaven, I laud and magnify thy glorious Name, evermore praising thee, and saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts, Heaven and Earth are full of thy Glory. Glory be to thee, O Lord most High. Amen.

CHAP. XXII.

MONDAY IN WHITSUN-WEEK.

Q. WHAT shews the great Solemnity of the Festival we commemorate at this Time?

A. The particular Care the Church hath taken to set apart this and the following Day for the Exer

eise of religious Duties; to the End that we might have Leisure to offer up our Praises and Thanksgivings to God, for that perfect Discovery he hath made of his Will to Mankind in the Christian Revelation, which coutains the best and surest Meaus of serving him, aud of performing those Obligations we lie under to the divine Majesty; and which hath been confirmed by the Descent of the Holy Ghost.

Q. How is the Knowledge of Religion attained? A. Either by the Light of Nature, which discovers to us the Being of a God, and the infinite Perfections of the divine Nature, particularly his Goodness, which inclines him to reward those that serve him and diligently seek him; and his Justice, which requires him to punish those that disobey him; and that therefore consequently there is a Part of Man which will subsist in the next World, capable of these future Rewards or Punishments, which leads us to the Immortality of the Soul; which System of Principles, with a suitable Practice deducible from them, we call Natural Religion; or else by Supernatural Revelation, which we call Revealed Religion. Q. What do you mean by Supernatural Revelation? A. God's manifesting himself, or his Will, to Mankind some Way or other, over and above what he hath made known to us by the Light of Nature; in such a Manner and in such Instances, that all our own Reasonings could never have attained unto; which Manifestation was sometimes made immediately by God, and sometimes by the Mediation of Angels, as were most of the Revelations of the Old Testament.

Q. How doth it appear that a Revelation from God is possible?

A. This is evident from the Nature of God, and the Capacities of Men, as well as from that Proof which is produced to satisfy us concerning a Mis sion from God. An infinite Being that created

our Souls capable of knowing him and loving him, can never want Power to communicate farther Light to our Minds, and make farther Discoveries of his Will and Pleasure: and Man thus made after his own Image can use those Faculties he is endowed with, both in receiving and delivering the Matter of the Revelation, especially when it offers itself in a Manner suitable to those Faculties. And when such Things are discovered as by Prophecy, which none but God could reveal, and such Things done as by Miracles, which none but an Almighty, at least a supernatural Power, could effect, we are as sure such Evidences are Proofs of a supernatural Revelation, as we are that the Creation of the World is a Demonstration of the Existence of a Deity. Now this is a Matter so evident, that it hath been generally believed among all Mankind, even among the Heathens, who were destitute of true Revelation; and the Consent of all Nations, that there is such a Principle as Inspiration in the World, doth make it plain, that it carries no Repugnancy to natural Light, supposing that there is a God, that he should reveal his Mind by some particular Persons to the World; to which Purpose the TestiDe Divin. mony of Tully is very considerable; and among most of the Philosophers these two Principles went together, the Existence of a Deity, and the Certainty of Inspiration.

lib. 1.

Q. Whence appears the Necessity and Expediency of divine Revelation?

A. From the great Ignorance and Corruption of human Nature,and that Misery and Guilt which Mankind had contracted, which was plain even to those that were unacquainted with the Original of it: So that some extraordinary Means became necessary for their Recovery. And from the infinite Goodness of God, whose Providence not only extends his Care to the Bodies of Men and their outward Conditions in this World, but chiefly to their immortal Souls and their Happiness in another Life; upon which

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