Imatges de pàgina
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his Enemies with calm Arguments, and modest Silence. That we might practise that difficult Duty of loving our Enemies, he prayed most earnestly for Luke xxii. his, even when he felt the most cruel Effects of 34. their Malice, and imputed it to their Ignorance.

Q. What Encouragement hath our Saviour promised to excite us to the Performance of our Duty?

A. He offereth Pardon and Forgiveness of what is past, and perfect Reconciliation to God by the Merits of his Death and Passion, provided we return to him by sincere Repentance. He supplieth us with Strength at present to enable us to do our Duty, by enlightening our dark Minds, by exciting our Wills to that which is good, and by raising our Courage under Difficulties and Dangers. He alarms our Fears by the Threatenings of eternal Punishment in the next Life, and encourages our Hopes by the Promises of everlasting Rewards to the whole Man, both Body and Soul; which are the most powerful Considerations in the World to take Men off from Sin, and to bring them to Goodness.

Q. What Thoughts are proper to entertain our Minds upon this Festival?

A. Great Admiration of the stupendous Love of God towards Mankind, in sending no less a Person than his own Son, and no less dear to him than his only-begotten Son, out of his mere Grace and Goodness, to accomplish our Salvation, who were Enemies to God by our evil Works. Great Thankfulness to the blessed Jesus for his wonderful Humility and Condescension, when he undertook the Work of our Redemption. He who lodged in the Bosom of his Father, came into the World, and had not where to lay his Head. He, who had Heaven for his Throne, was contented to be born in a Stable, to be laid in a Manger, to be wrapped in swaddling Clothes. Great Transports of Gratitude; that, for our Sakes, he would be pleased to be made miserable, that we might be made happy; to be poor, that we might be enriched to die, that we might live for ever.

11.

Great Trust and Confidence in the Mercy of God; who hath shewed such Tenderness and Compassion towards us, and done such great Things for our Salvation.

Q. How ought we to express our Thankfulness for the Incarnation of our blessed Saviour?

A. We ought to join with the heavenly Host, and the pious believing Shepherds, in Hymns of Praise and Thanksgivings. To comply with the Tit. ii. 12. great Design of this wonderful Love, by denying all Ungodliness and worldly Lusts, and by living soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present World. To propound this pattern of Love for our own Imitation, 1 John iv. and because God hath so loved us, to love one another; and to stoop to the lowest Offices of Charity for the Relief of our Neighbour. Never to despise the Poor for the Meanness of their Circumstances, since it is what our Saviour chose for our Sakes; but to cherish and assist them as his lively Representatives here upon Earth, especially because all the Kindness we shew to them he reckoneth as done to himself. Q. How ought we to express our Love to the blessed Jesus, for this wonderful Condescension?

John xiv.

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A. By earnestly labouring to please him to the utmost of our Power, in a constant Care to keep his Commandments, and endeavouring to prevail upon others to do the same. By making a daily Progress in Piety and Virtue, that we may be conformed to the likeness of that beloved Object. By setting a great Value upon all Ways and Opportunities of conversing with him: in praying and meditating, in hearing his Word, and receiving the blessed Tokens of his Love, which he hath left us in the holy Sacrament. By being more concerned to hear his holy Name blasphemed, than for any Reproach that can be cast upon ourselves. By longing for Tit. ii. 13. his glorious Appearing, that we may enjoy him without Interruption to all Eternity.

Q. How is the Observation of this Festival abused?

A. When, instead of making it an Instrument of Religion, we chiefly employ this holy Season in Vanity and Folly; when our Joy evaporates in Extravagance, and degenerates into Sin and Sensuality; when we express it by Luxury and Intemperance, to the great Scandal of our Saviour and his holy Religion; it being the improperest Season (if there can be any one more so than another) for Impiety and Wickedness, and a most notorious Aggravation of it, because contrary to the Design of our Saviour's coming into the World, who was 1 John iii made manifest that he might destroy the Works of 8. the Devil.

THE PRAYERS.

I.

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us thy only For Renobegotten Son, to take our Nature upon him, and vation. as at this Time to be born of a pure Virgin; grant that I, being regenerate and made thy Child by Adoption and Grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit, through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, ever one God, World without End. Amen.

II.

the Design

O GOD, whose blessed Son was manifested that For Conhe might destroy the Works of the Devil, and formity to make us the Sons of God, and Heirs of eternal of Christ's Life; grant, I beseech thee, that having this Hope, coming I may purify myself, even as he is pure; that World. when he shall appear again with Power and great Glory, I may be made like unto him in his glorious Kingdom: where with thee, O Father, and thee, O Holy Ghost, he liveth and reigneth one God, World without End. Amen.

Thanks

the Birth

viour.

III.

IT is very meet, right, and my bounden Duty,

giving for that I should at all Times, and in all Places, give of our Sa- Thanks unto thee, O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty Everlasting God: because thou didst give Jesus Christ thy only Son to be born as at this Time for us; who by the Operation of the Holy Ghost was made very Man of the Substance of the Virgin Mary his Mother, and that without Spot of Sin, to make us clean from all Sin: 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.

Praise to
God for

the Incar-
nation.

Mr. Kettlewell.

Thankful

ness for

IV.

GLORY be to God on High, and in Earth Peace, Good-will towards Men. I praise thee, I bless thee, I worship thee, I glorify thee, I give Thanks unto thee for thy great Glory, O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty. 0 Lord, the only-begotten Son Jesus Christ, O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, who wert made Man to take away the Sins of the World, have Mercy upon me, by turning me from my Iniquities: Thou who wast manifested to destroy the Works of the Devil, have Mercy upon me, by enabling me to renounce and forsake them: Thou who art the great Advocate with the Father for penitent Sinners, receive my Prayer. For thou only art holy, thou only art the Lord, thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the Glory of God the Father. Amen.

V.

WHAT am I, dear Lord, that thou shouldst leave the Right Hand of God, and come to visit me? Hadst thou no Ease in thy own Breast so long

made

as I lay plunged in Misery? How camest thou, be- Christ's ing so highly exalted, and the Eternal Son of God, being to have any affectionate Concern at all for me? Was Man. I not a deformed polluted Wretch, and thy professed Enemy? And was not either of these enough to turn away thy Face from me? But if, notwithstanding all this, thy overflowing Goodness would put thee upon doing Something for my Sake; why must thou come thyself upon Earth, and be subject to the Miseries of human Nature, and to the Affronts of an ungrateful World, to bleed and die to redeem me? How unfathomable is thy Grace, and what an unsearchable Depth of Love is this, which thou hast opened to us? O! how happy do I think myself in it, and how doth my Heart rejoice at the Remembrance of it! Lord! I love thee dearly, and long to love thee more: Would I had the Heart of the Seraphim, that I might be all over Love, and feel my Soul affected to that Degree which I desire, and thou infinitely deservest of me: I wish no greater Pleasure than to be found perfect in thy Love, and to have thee so dear to me, that I may contemn all the gilded Vanities and Allurements of this World at the Thoughts of it. O! that thou wouldst fill me, if that might be, with an Affection full and absolute, like thy own, that so I might love thee infinitely, as I am beloved by thee. At least possess me with such a Sense of thy Love, and such a Thankfulness for all thy Favours, as is somewhat worthy of thee: Though should I offer the utmost Acknowledgments, which the most affected and enlarged Heart can pay, I should not give thee the thousandth Part of what I owe thee. Let all the Angels adore thy glorious Goodness, and all the Sons of Men, so long as they have a Tongue to speak, set forth thy noble Praise; for thou, O sweetest Jesu, art the Son of the Blessed, the Joy and Glory of the World, the Lamb of God, the Saviour of Mankind, who was slain for our Sakes, and art alive again, and sittest now for ever at the Right

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