the rule over us, as those that watch for our souls. To observe those pious regulations, which our spiritual governors shall from time to time enjoin for the building us up in our holy faith. To spend these fasting days in devotion and retirement, with particular intercessions for all orders of the clergy; that the bishops may lay hands suddenly on no man, and may be eminent for their piety and charity; that they may govern with justice and equity, and shew great gentleness and moderation in their behaviour towards all men; that all they who engage in any holy function may have a due regard to the great ends for which it was instituted, and that they may be furnished with all those abilities which are necessary for the discharge of their ministry.

THE PRAYERS.

FOR THE ORDAINERS AND THE ORDAINED.

ALMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, who hast purchased to thyself an universal church by the precious blood of thy dear Son; mercifully look upon the same, and at this time so guide and govern the minds of thy servants, the bishops and pastors of thy flock, that they may lay hands suddenly on no man, but faithfully and wisely make choice of fit persons to serve in the sacred ministry of thy church. And to those which shall be ordained to any holy function, give thy grace and heavenly benediction, that both by their life and doctrine they may set forth thy glory, and set forward the salvation of all men, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

FOR DEACONS.

ALMIGHTY God, giver of all good things, who of thy great goodness dost vouchsafe at this time to call

several of thy servants to the office of deacons in thy church; make them, I beseech thee, O Lord, to be modest, humble, and constant in their ministration, to have a ready will to observe all spiritual discipline; that they, having always the testimony of a good conscience, and continuing ever stable and strong in thy Son Christ, may so well behave themselves in this inferior office, that they may be found worthy to be called into the higher ministries in thy church, through the same thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and honour, world without end. Amen.

FOR PRIESTS.

ALMIGHTY God, giver of all good things, who by thy Holy Spirit hast appointed divers orders of ministers in the church; mercifully behold thy servants now to be called to the office of priesthood, and replenish them so with the truth of thy doctrine and innocency of life, that both by word and good example, they may faithfully serve thee in this office, to the glory of thy name, and the good of thy church, through the merits of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen.

FOR THE CLERGY, THAT THEY MAY RIGHTLY

DISCHARGE THEIR HOLY FUNCTIONS.

GRANT, O Lord, that all those who dedicate themselves to the service of thy altar, may be inwardly moved by the Holy Spirit to take upon them that sacred ministration; that their consciences may testify to them, that by engaging in this holy calling, their chief design is to serve thee, promote thy glory, and edify thy people; that they may neither be led by ambition nor covetous.

ness; that neither the honours nor the revenues that are annexed to this profession, may have any competition in their minds with a mighty zeal for thy glory, and a desire to promote the salvation of souls. To this end, O Lord, grant that they may make thy holy writ the chief subject of all their studies; that they may from thence instruct thy people committed to their charge, and silence gainsayers; that they may faithfully and diligently administer thy holy sacraments; that they may labour in season and out of season, by private and public admonitions and exhortations; that they may maintain peace and love among all Christians, and frame themselves and their families according to the precepts of thy holy gospel. Give them the will, O Lord, to do their duty, and strength and power faithfully to perform the same, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

CHAP. IV.

GOOD-FRIDAY.

Q. What Fast does the church this day observe? A. That of our Saviour's passion, commonly called Good-Friday.

Q. Why is this day called Good-Friday?

A. From the blessed effects of our Saviour's sufferings, which are the ground of all our joy; and from those unspeakable good things which he hath purchased for us by his death, whereby the blessed Jesus made expiation for the sins of the whole world, and by the shedding of his own blood obtained eternal redemption for us."

Q. Why is the commemoration of our Saviour's sufferings observed as a day of fasting and humiliation? A. Because at this time we properly consider our

Saviour's passion with respect to the cause of it, and therefore must needs own it to be matter of the greatest sorrow and humiliation, since they were the sins of mankind that drew upon him that painful and shameful death of the cross. And in this manner, and with this prospect, the memory of his sufferings hath been kept from the first age of Christianity; not that the grief and affliction they then expressed did arise from the loss they sustained, nor from any indignation against our Saviour's mortal persecutors, but from a sense of the guilt of the sins of the whole world, for which our Lord had this day suffered. Q. How was this whole week called in the primitive church?

A. The great and the holy week; because in this week was transacted an affair of the greatest importance to the happiness of sinful man; and actions truly great were performed to secure his salvation; death was conquered, the devil's tyranny was abolished, the partition wall between Jew and Gentile was broken down, and God and man were reconciled. And it was called holy from those devout exercises which Christians employed themselves in upon this occasion. And several of the Christian emperors, to shew what veneration they had for this holy season, caused all law-suits to cease, and tribunal-doors to be shut up, and prisoners to be set free. Q. How was this week observed in the primitive church?

A. With great strictness of fasting and humiliation. Some abstained from food the whole six days, some four, some three, and those that did least two; which were Good-Friday, and the day following. They applied themselves to prayer both in public and private, to hearing and reading God's holy word, and exercising a most ↳ Heb. ii. 14, 15. Ephes. ii. 14, 16. 1 Thes. i. 10.

solemn repentance for those sins which crucified the Lord of life. Thus, with abhorrence of sin, and penitential grief, did they celebrate the memory of our Saviour's sufferings.

Q. What provision has the Church of England made to exercise the devotion of her members all this week?

A. She calls all her devout members every day this week to meditate upon our Lord's sufferings, having collected in her offices most of those portions of Scripture that relate to this tragical subject; increasing their humiliation by the consideration of our Saviour's: that with penitent hearts, and firm resolutions of dying likewise to sin, they may attend their Saviour through the several stages of his bitter passion. And, by encouraging a prudent abstinence from innocent pleasures, and the cares of worldly business, as well as from the common liberties of food, she directs their thoughts and affections to the serious consideration of such things as concern their eternal salvation; that by reflecting upon the guilt of their sins, and disposing their minds to an abhorrence of them, they may be qualified for the benefit of our Saviour's expiation.

Q. Who was it that this day suffered?

A. Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God; begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, very God of very God; the prince of glory, the heir of everlasting bliss, the promised Messias; who took upon him the nature of man, and in that nature being still the same person he was before, did suffer for our salvation; for the princes of this world crucified the Lord of glory, and God purchased his church with his own blood.