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carried him immediately to Jesus; where, after a short Stay, they returned again to their own Houses, and exercised their calling.

Q. When did St. Andrew become our Saviour's Disciple and constant Attendant?

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A. About a Year afterwards, when, being fully convinced of the Greatness and Divinity of our Saviour's Person, by the miraculous Draught of Fishes, our Saviour commanded him, with his Bro-Mat. iv. ther Peter, to follow him, designing to make them Fishers of Men; who accordingly left all, and constantly attended our Saviour's Person, and was afterwards called by him to the Office and Honour of the Apostolate.

Q. What became of St. Andrew after our Sariour's Ascension?

lib. i. c.

A. It is generally affirmed by the Ancients, that Socrat. the Apostles agreed among themselves, by Lot, say Hist. Eccl. some, probably not without the special Guidance 119. and Direction of the Holy Ghost, what parts of the World they should severally take: And that in this Division St. Andrew had Scythia, and the neigh- Euseb. lib. bouring Countries, allotted him as his Province.

Q. How and where did St. Andrew suffer Martyrdom?

A. After this blessed Apostle had planted the Gospel in several Places, and by his indefatigable Labours had converted many to the Faith, he came at last to Patræ, in Achaia, where, by laying down his Life, he confirmed the Truths he had taught. For by endeavouring to convert Egeas, the Proconsul of Achaia, and to preserve his new Converts from Apostacy, whom the Governor strove to reduce by all Arts to their old Idolatry, he enraged the Proconsul against him; who commanded him to be scourged and then to be crucified; and that his Death might be more lingering, he was fastened to the Cross not with Nails, but with Cords.

Q. What account is there of the Manner of his Crucifixion?

3. c. 1.

For Conversion

Q. With what Temper of Mind ought good Men to suffer for the Cause of Religion?

A. With Patience, that they may not grow faint and weary: with Meekness, that they may not grow angry and bitter against their Persecutors: With Charity, that they may overcome Evil with Good: with Trust in God's Providence, that they may be supported under their Sufferings by his Grace and delivered in his good Time: with Joy and Thankfulness, inasmuch as they are Partakers of Christ's Sufferings; and when his Glory shall be revealed, they shall be made glad with exceeding Joy.

THE PRAYERS.

I.

ALMIGHTY GOD, who didst give such Grace from Sin. to thy holy Apostle St. Andrew, that he readily obeyed the calling of thy Son Jesus Christ, and followed him without Delay; grant unto me and all Christians, that we being called by thy holy Word, may forthwith give up ourselves obediently to fulfil thy holy Commandments, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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II.

For Assist-O GOD, merciful Father, that despisest not the Adversity, sighing of a contrite Heart, nor the Desire of such as be sorrowful, mercifully assist our Prayers that we make before thee in all our Troubles and Adversities whensoever they oppress us, and graciously hear us, that those Evils, which the Craft and Subtilty of the Devil or Man worketh against us, may be brought to nought, and by the Providence of thy Goodness they may be dispersed; that we thy Servants, being hurt by no Persecutions, may evermore give Thanks unto thee in thy Holy Church, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

III.

For Grace

Christian,

BLESSED Jesus, who in thy wise Providence, Mr. Ketthinkest it fit sometimes to call thy faithful Ser.. tlewell vants to bear their Cross, and to suffer for thy Sake, to suffer who did suffer a most ignominious Death for them; as a good bring me not to suffer till thou hast fitted and prepared me for it; and lay no more upon me, than thou wilt enable me willingly and thankfully to endure. Let me not rashly expose myself to Danger without thy Call, nor suffer for my own Fancy or Folly, or for any wilful or affected Error. Give me Grace to live according to the Rules of my most holy Faith, that I may have Courage and Comfort in suffering for it. Preserve me stedfast in the Belief of thy Heavenly Truths, and undaunted in the Profession of them. Give me Patience to bear my Cross, and Meekness to bear with my Persecutors: Charity to forgive their Wrongs, and to pray to thee for their Forgiveness. Enable me to trust in thy Goodness for Support and Deliverance, and to fix my Faith upon those heavenly Joys, with which the Sufferings of this Life are not worthy to be compared; that being made Partaker of thy Sufferings, I may be glad with exceeding Joy when thy Glory shall be revealed. To whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all Honour and Glory, World without End. Amen.

IV.

under Per

O ALMIGHTY Lord, who hath purchased to thy-For the self a Church with thine own Blood, look in Mercy Church upon the same, however distressed throughout the section World. Pity all its Calamities, and in thy due. Time give it a happy Deliverance out of them. Keep it in thy Truth, and preserve it from Heresies and false Doctrines, either about Faith or Practice, and from Schisms that tear it in Pieces. And when thou art pleased to try it with Tribulations, let them only purge it, but not lay it waste. Revive

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a suffering Spirit among all the Members of it when it labours under a suffering State; that they may be ready to quit all worldly Interest, and be enabled contentedly and joyfully to take up the Cross, and bear it after thee; that carefully avoiding all Ways of Error and Wickedness, for preventing or rescuing themselves from Sufferings, they may either be delivered by thy mighty Arm, or rewarded in thy heavenly Kingdom, where, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, thou livest and reignest one God, World without End. Amen.

CHAP. IV.

SAINT THOMAS-DECEMBER 21.

Q. WHAT Festival doth the Church celebrate this
Day?

A. That of St. Thomas the Apostle.

Q. What was he called besides Thomas?

A. Didymus; which, according to both the Greek and Syriac Sense of his Name, signifieth a Twin; as Thomas also doth among the Hebrews. It being customary with the Jews, when travelling into foreign Countries, or familiarly conversing with Greeks and Romans, to assume to themselves a Greek or a Latin Name of great Affinity, and sometimes of the very same Signification with that of their own Country.

Q. Of what Country and Kindred was this Apostle?

A. The History of the Gospel takes no particular Notice of either. That he was a Jew is certain, and probably a Galilean: and it is very likely, that as to his Trade he was a Fisherman; for when St. Peter, after our Saviour's Resurrection, thought fit to return to his former Profession of Fishing, to John xxi. relieve his present Necessities, Thomas bore him Company.

Q. After he was called to be an Apostle, what Proof did he give of his Willingness to adhere to our Saviour?

A. When the Rest of the Apostles dissuaded our John xi. 8. Saviour from returning into Judea (whither he was resolved to go for the raising his dear Friend Lazarus, lately dead) lest the Jews should stone him, as they had before attempted: St. Thomas desireth them not to hinder Christ's Journey thither, though it might cost their Lives. Let us also go, that we may John xi. die with him, saith he: probably concluding, that 1. instead of raising Lazarus from the Dead, they themselves should be sent with him to their own Graves.

Q. How did our Saviour treat the Slowness of St. Thomas's Understanding; who when our Saviour, a little before his cruel Sufferings, speaking to his Dis-John xiv. ciples of the Joys of Heaven, and of his going to pre-5. pare a Place for them, professed that he knew not whither he went, much less the Way that led to it?

A. With the Mildness and Gentleness that is proper to be used to a well-disposed Mind, in a short but satisfactory Answer, that he was the true living John xiv. Way, the Person whom the Father had sent into. the World, to shew Men, by his Doctrine and by his Example, the Paths of eternal Life: and that they could not miss of Heaven, if they did but keep to that Way which he had prescribed.

Q. What may we learn from the foregoing Particulars?

A. That where the Mind is rightly disposed, and the Affections bent towards Heaven, we ought to bear with the Heaviness of the Understanding, and to endeavour with Gentleness and Patience to instil that Knowledge which is necessary to make Devotion perfect; and that the doing that Will of God which we know is the best Qualification to attain greater Degrees of Knowledge; since we are assured by our Saviour, if any Man will do his Will, John vii. he shall know of the Doctrine, whether it be of God.

Q. What Proof did St. Thomas require of our Saviour's Resurrection?

A. The Testimony of his own Senses ; for though the rest of the Apostles assured him they T

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