Sivut kuvina
PDF
ePub

4. Upon this Disappointment of the Scribes and Pharisees, they suddenly cried out that Justus himself was seduced, and they threw him down from the Place where he stood, and being very much bruised, though not killed, he recovered so much Strength as to get upon his Knees, and pray for them that thus cruelly used him; and while he was thus praying for them, they loaded him with a Shower of Stones, till one, with a Fuller's Club, Mar. 78. beat out his Brains. He died, according to Epiphanius, in the Ninety-sixth Year of his Age, about Twenty-four Years after Christ's Ascension.

Q. What doth Josephus mention concerning the Death of St. James?

A. He reckons it as what more immediately alarmed the divine Vengeance, and hastened the universal Ruin and Destruction of the Jewish Nation.

Q. What Writings remain of St. James's?

A. One Epistle addressed to the Jewish Converts dispersed and scattered abroad; to fortify them against all those Temptations whereby the Purity of their Faith might be endangered, and to secure their Patience and their Charity and all other Christian Practices, hereby encouraging them to faithful Perseverance. The Gospel that goes under his Name, is rejected by learned Men as spurious and apocryphal.

Q. What may we learn from the Observation of this Festival?

A. Readily to obey all the Suggestions and Offers of divine Grace, and to prepare our Minds for the Reception of supernatural Truth. Zealously to propagate that Christian Knowledge to others, which the good Providence of God hath graciously bestowed upon us; which obligeth Pastors in respect of their Flock, Parents of their Children, Masters of their Servants, and all Christians in some Degree, in regard of one another, boldly to profess the Truth when the Providence of God calls us to give Tes

timony to it. And under all our Sufferings to preserve a Christian Frame of Mind, and to express our Charity for those who are the Instruments of our Sufferings. Frequently to curb our Appetites in the Use of lawful Pleasures, that we may be prepared to imitate these blessed Apostles in the greatest Acts of Self-denial?

Q. Wherein consists the Duty of Self-denial?

4. In a strict Sense, our sinful and disobedient Appetites are the only Objects of religious Self-denial; and as it is commanded by our Saviour, it seems to denote nothing else, but that we should be willing to quit all earthly Comforts, even Life itself, and to undergo the greatest Hardships, though they end in Death, rather than out of a Fondness to this World, and the Enjoyments of it, to do any Thing contrary to the Religion of Jesus Christ. With Moses chusing rather to suffer Affliction with the Heb. xi. 25. People of God, than to enjoy the Pleasures of Sin for a Season. In a larger Sense, it comprehends the denying our innocent Appetites, as a necessary Means and Instrument, without which we shall never be able to practise the greatest Acts of Self-denial.

Q. In what Terms is the Duty of Self-denial represented in Scripture ?

Ver. 33.

A. By forsaking Father and Mother, by hating Wife and Children, by denying Brother and Sister, by quitting all that we have, by laying down our Lives, and bearing the Cross. He that loveth Fa-Mat. x. 37. ther and Mother more than me, saith our Saviour, is Luke xiv. not worthy of me. If any man come after me, and 26. hateth not Wife and Children, Brethren and Sisters, ver. 27. he cannot be my Disciple. If he forsaketh not all that he hath, and hateth not his own Life, and doth not bear his Cross, he cannot be my Disciple. These are the Maxims of eternal Wisdom, from which whenever we deviate, we do most foolishly ruin and destroy ourselves.

Q. What is implied in the forementioned Expressions?

Jude 3.

A. That no Consideration of Pleasure, or Fear of Pain, should allure or fright us from holding fast the Faith once delivered to the Saints. That the Commands of our Parents, to whom we owe the greatest natural Affection and Reverence, ought not to be complied with, when they contradict the Commands of our Saviour; because all Authority, Natural, Ecclesiastical, and Civil, must be exercised with respect to God, who is the Fountain of all Power. That the most allowable Affection to the Friend of our Bosom, and natural Tenderness to our own Offspring, will not justify the Transgression of our Duty; because, if we truly love God, we should suffer no Creature to be his Rival. That our whole Subsistence in this World must be abandoned, when we cannot keep it without making Shipwreck of Conscience; because otherwise we shall certainly lose the Inheritance that is incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not. That Life itself, which Nature hath taught us to guard with so much Care, must be readily parted with, rather than deny the Truth; because this is, in such a Case, the only Method to secure the Blessings of Life eternal. And that, though the Pain and Ignominy our Persecutors inflict, should equal that of the Cross, yet it must be patiently endured, rather than disown our blessed Master, who suffered that infamous Punishment upon our Account, and will deny us before his Father, if we deny him before Men.

Q. Is this Duty of Self-denial of indispensable Obligation?

4. Religion being a Duty we owe to God, can never be superseded by any Commands even of our Acts v. 29. lawful Superiors; because we are obliged to obey God rather than Men. And when we are brought before Kings and Governors for Christ's Sake, we are to bear our Testimony against them, because all their Authority is derived from God; so that they can have no Power to control those Commands he lays upon us. And if, through Fear, or any other

worldly Passion, we are prevailed upon to comply against the Truth, we may justly expect the dreadful Fate of being denied by our Saviour at the Great Day, before his Father who is in Heaven.

Q. How is the Denial of our innocent Appetites instrumental in mortifying our sinful Desires and disobedient Actions?

A. Because if we gratify them in all Things, where we lawfully may, they will, by long Use and Indulgence, acquire a great Power and Empire over us, and it will be a difficult Task to deny them any Thing; for our Appetites make no Difference between an innocent and sinful Enjoyment, they are only moved by Pleasure; so that if we will be sure to conquer and subdue them in all Instances that are sinful, we must take Care they grow not strong upon us in any Instances whatsoever.

Q. Wherein appears the Reasonableness of this Duty of Self-denial in the strictest Sense?

A. Because that as God hath promised to assist and support us by his Holy Spirit in the Discharge of this difficult Duty; so he hath been graciously pleased to assure us, that he will reward the Practice of it with greater Degrees of eternal Happiness; and nothing can be more reasonable than to part with Things of small Value, for Things infinitely greater and more considerable. And we are sure, that the Sufferings of this present Time are not Rom. viii worthy to be compared with the Glory that shall be 18. recealed. We are his Creatures, and the Purchase of our Saviour's Blood; therefore no Consideration whatsoever should stand in Competition with the serving him. Besides, the blessed Jesus, who requires it from us, hath given us the greatest Example of Self-denial that ever was, and that in Pity and Kindness to us, and wholly for our Benefit and Advantage.

For the
Imitation

THE PRAYERS.

£ I.

ALMIGHTY God, whom truly to know, is of Saints. everlasting Life; grant me perfectly to know thy Son Jesus Christ to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life; that following the Steps of thy holy Apostles, St. Philip and St. James, I may stedfastly walk in the Way that leadeth to eternal Life, through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the
Improve-

Grace,

II.

GRACIOUS God, teach me readily to obey thy ment of heavenly Call; carefully to attend to all the Suggestions of thy blessed Spirit; entirely to give my Assent to all those Truths which have been attested by Miracles, and carry in their Nature an Evidence that they come from above. And when thou hast thus illuminated my Understanding with a Ray of heavenly Light, rectify my crooked and perverse Will, by the Practice of thy holy Precepts, and excite all my Affections to a constant Observation of them. Make me zealous to propagate this sure Way to true Happiness, to all those who sit in the Darkness of Error, or in the Slavery of Sin. Raise up a primitive Spirit of Zeal and Fervour to convert Souls among those who wait at thy Altar ; engage the Minds of the Great and Powerful to countenance all such pious Undertakings, and let every Christian in his Place and Station contribute to so good a Work; that the whole World may be enlightened with the Knowledge and Love of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ing the

III.

For follow- BLESSED God, who hast set before us the ExExample amples of thy Saints, that our Duty may become familiar to us, since performed by Men of like Passions with ourselves; arm me with Resolution

of the Saints.

« EdellinenJatka »