quence; we should love our neighbours as Christ loved us; this should 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 PRAYERS.

FOR THE CHURCH'S PERSEVERANCE IN THE truth.

MERCIFUL Lord, I beseech thee to cast thy bright beams of light upon thy church; that it being enlightened by the doctrine of thy blessed Apostle and evangelist St. John, may so walk in the light of thy truth, that it may at length attain to the light of everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

FOR THE GRACE OF CHARITY.

O LORD, who hast taught us that all our doings without charity are nothing worth, send thy Holy Ghost, and pour into my heart that most excellent gift of charity: the very bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee. Grant this for thine only Son Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

FOR STEDFASTNESS IN CHRISTIANITY.

SUFFER me not, O God, to be tossed about with various winds of doctrine, nor to be imposed upon by the false reasonings of cunning and subtle men; but grant that, trusting to thy Holy Scriptures, as the certain rule and guide of my faith, and to thy blessed Apostles, as the planters and propagators of it, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone, I may rejoice in the light they afford, and constantly believe those truths which are there revealed. That I may

always adore that divinity that was incarnate, and worship Jesus, who is God as well as man. Let no heretical interpretations corrupt the purity of my faith, nor pretences to greater illumination ever weaken my stedfastness. Thou didst graciously establish thy church with the gospel of thy evangelist St John, when pernicious errors and heresies were started to corrupt it. Let the same watchful eye of providence still be its guard and defence; that all the Christians constantly adhering to the doctrine he taught, and firmly believing those divine mysteries which he plainly made known to the world, may be preserved from all heresies; from those fatal and evil consequences which attend them in this world; and from those punishments prepared for them in the next. Grant this through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

FOR THE LOVE OF OUR NEIGHBOUR.

GRACIOUS God! who art good, and dost good, who extendest thy loving kindness to all mankind, suffer 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 hast required this mark of our love to thee; O! Let no temptation expose me to ingratitude, or make me forfeit thy loving kindness, which is better than life itself; but grant that I may assist all my brethren with prayers and good wishes where I cannot reach them by actual services. Make me ready to embrace all occasions that may administer to their happiness; by assisting the needy, protecting the oppressed, instructing the ignorant, reproving the wicked and profane. 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 Jesus, 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 misery; O! Let me think nothing too dear to part with to set forward the everlasting good of my fellow Christians. They are members of thy body, therefore I will cherish them; thou hast redeemed them with an inestimable 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 last be received into the endearments of thy eternal love, and sing everlasting praises to the Lamb that was slain; and sitteth upon the throne. Amen.

CHAP. VIII.

THE HOLY INNOCENTS. DECEMBER 28.

Q. What Festival does the church celebrate this day? A. The Martyrdom of the holy innocents, which is mentioned by Origen as commanded by the holy fathers, according to the will of God, to be for ever celebrated in the church.

Q. In what sense were they martyrs?

A. In that they suffered for Christ's sake, and glorified God, by their deaths. There are three sorts of martyrdoms; the first in will and deed which was the case of most of the Apostles: the second in will, but not in deed; which was the case of St. John the evangelist; the ancients upon this account giving him the title of martyr, in that he yielded his body to torments and was willing to die for Christ; the third in deed, but

not in will, which was the case of the holy inno

cents.

Q. What was the occasion of the death of these infants?

A. Herod being alarmed with the enquiry of the wise 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 destroy our Saviour, under a pretence of worshipping him; but the wise men being warned by God in a dream, returned into their own country another way. This disappointment enraged Herod, and put him upon the use of open force; he sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof from two years old and under, hoping to involve the young king in the cruel execution, and thereby soon to determine his reign.

d

Q. How did our blessed Saviour escape this bloody design of Herod?

e

A. God made known to Joseph the wicked purpose of Herod, by the ministration of an angel, who ordered him to arise and secure the holy child Jesus and his mother, by a flight into Egypt; which he immediately put into execution, and departed in the night, that they might lose no time, and might the better preserve themselves from discovery.

Q. What account have we of our Saviour's journey and abode in Egpyt?

A. The Scriptures are silent in this matter, though historians affirm his first abode was at Hermoplis, in the country of Thebais; where, when they arrived, the holy child Jesus being by design of providence carried into