ful Father; for thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ's Sake, forgive me all that is past; and grant that I may ever hereafter serve and please thee in Newness of Life to the Honour and Glory of thy Name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. III. tlewell. of our HAVING thus utterly renounced my Sins, O Mr. KetHoly Father! I desire above all Things to partake For the of thy Righteousness; having utterly defaced and Renewal corrupted myself, I would gladly be new made by Minda thee; having hitherto miscarried whilst I would be in my own Hands, I desire now to be altogether in thine. I loath myself, O my dear God! whilst I am without thee, and whatever else I lose, my earnest Prayer is, that I may recover thy Likeness, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen. IV. I KNOW, O gracious Lord! that I cannot receive For a Spi Holiness. this but from thyself; therefore be thou the blessed rit of true Giver, and the Gift. I know also, alas! that I am utterly unworthy to have thy divine Image stamped upon my Soul; but I extremely need it, and I extremely value it; and such thou art pleased to account worthy of it. And I heartily love thee, O my God, or else I should not be thus desirous to be like thee. And thou lovest to communicate thy Goodness; and whom shouldest thou imprint and display it upon, but on those who love thee, and are earnestly desirous of the same! Hear me, therefore, O my God, and breathe into my Heart that Spirit, which renews me after thine own Image, in Righteousness and true Holiness. Oh, thou! who seekest out Sinners to make them good, do not reject me now, when I seek thee out to make me better. I am poor and naked, O fill me with thy Righteousness! My good Thoughts are inconstant and changeable,-O fix them by thy Grace! Set up thy Kingdom, O Jesu, in my Heart! for to For uni versal Obedience. become thy faithful Servant is more to me than to have the Empire of this World; keep me stedfast, O Lord, in serving thee, till thou takest me finally to enjoy thee, through Jesus Christ, my blessed Saviour and Redeemer. Amen. V. LORD, grant that at all Times I may account my Sins, yea all my Sins, to my Shame; and make thy Laws, yea all thy Laws to be my Rule; and thy blessed Will to be in every Thing my Choice and Satisfaction. Let thy Promises be my Hope, thy Providence my Guard, thy Grace my Strength, and thy blessed Self my Portion, both now and in the End, through Jesus Christ my Saviour and Redeemer. Amen. 3. CHAP. III. EMBER DAYS IN LENT. Q. WHAT are Ember-Days? 4. Certain Days set apart for consecrating to God, the four Seasons of the Year, and for the imploring of his Blessings by Fasting and Prayer Acts xiii. upon the Ordinations performed in the Church at such Times. And this in Conformity to the Practice of the Apostles, who when they separated Persons for the Work of the Ministry, prayed and fasted before they laid on their Hands. It will become us, therefore, to address Heaven at this Time after the same Manner, that God would be pleased so to govern the Minds of the Bishops, that they may admit none into Holy Orders, but such as are duly qualified for the Discharge of that sacred Function; and that those who shall be ordained to serve at the Altar may, by their exemplary Lives and zealous Labours, turn many unto Righteousness. Q. When are these Ember-Days observed in the Church? A. At the four Seasons of the Year, being the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, after the first Sunday in Lent, after Whitsunday, after the fourteenth of September, and after the thirteenth of December: It being enjoined, by a Canon of the Church, that Deacons or Ministers be ordained or made but only Can. 31. upon the Sundays immediately following these Ember Fasts. Q. Why are these Fasts called Ember-Days? A. Some think they are so called from a German Word that imports Abstinence; others that they are derived from Ember, which signifies Ashes; and therefore are styled Ember-Days, because it was customary among the Ancients to accompany their Fastings with such Humiliations, as were expressed by sprinkling Ashes upon their Heads, or sitting in them; and when they broke their Fasts upon such Days, to eat only Cakes baked upon Embers, which was therefore called Ember Bread. But Dr. Pag. 528, Maraschal's Conjecture, in his Observations upon the Saron Gospels, seems to hit upon the true Etymology, which he derives from the Saxon Word importing a Circuit or Course; so that these Fasts, being not occasional, but returning every Year in certain Courses, may properly be said to be Ember Days, because Fasts in Course. Q. Wherein consists the Piety of instituting these Days? A. The Ordination of fit Persons to serve in the sacred Ministry of God's Church being of that vast Importance to the Welfare of it, as well as to the Salvation of those Souls that are Members of that Body; it is very necessary and fitting that all Christians, who are so much concerned in the Consequences of it, should use their best Endeavours to make it successful and efficacious; which cannot be better done than by the united Prayers and Fastings of Christians, which have always been esteemed. an admirable Method to procure God's Favour 529. and Blessing upon such Occasions. Besides, the Time of Ordinations being publicly stated, the People have the Advantage and Liberty of making their Objections, if they have any Thing material to offer against the Candidates for Holy Orders; a Privilege which the ancient Church always allowed; and is very much encouraged by the Church of EngForm of land, who gives free Leave to every Man to declare, if he knoweth any Impediment or Crime in any Persons presented to be ordained, and calls upon them to come forth and shew the Crimes alledged. Q. What Officers are established in the Christian Church? Consecr. Form of A. The Church being a regular Society founded by Christ, distinct from, and independant of, all other worldly Societies, must naturally make us suppose that he instituted some Officers, for the Preface to Government of it. And it is evident to all Men Consecr. diligently reading Holy Scripture, and ancient Authors, that from the Apostles Time there hath been these Orders of Ministers in Christ's Church, Bishops, Priests, and Deacons; which Offices were evermore had in such reverent Estimation, that no Man by his own private Authority might presume to execute any of them, except he were first called, tried, and examined and known to have such Qualities as were requisite for the same; and also by public Prayers, with Imposition of Hands, approved and admitted thereunto. These Orders have all some spiritual Powers annexed to their Office, though soine in a greater Degree, and others in a less. Form of Q. What is the Office of a Deacon? A. "It pertaineth to the Office of a Deacon, in "the Church where he shall be appointed, to assist "the Priest in divine Service, and especially when. "he ministreth the Holy Communion, and to help "him in the Distribution thereof, and to read the "Holy Scriptures and Homilies in the Congrega"tion, and to instruct the Youth in the Catechism; "to baptize and to preach, if he be admitted there"to by the Bishop. And furthermore it is his "Office, where Provision is so made, to search for "the sick, poor, and impotent People of the Parish, "to intimate their Estates, Names, and Places "where they dwell, unto the Curate, that by his "Exhortation they may be relieved by the Parish, " or other convenient Alms." Q. Upon what Occasion was this Order instituted in the Church? A. This Office had its Original from the Mur-Acts vi, muring of the Grecians, who were probably Proselytes, Jews by Religion, and Gentiles by Descent, against the Hebrews, who were Jews both by Religion and Descent. That their Widows were neglected in the daily Ministration, when Believers had all Things in common, and were supplied out of one Treasury. To prevent any Mismanagement for the future, the Apostles appointed seven Men of honest Report, full of the Holy Ghost, and of Wisdom, to superintend the Necessities of the Poor, and to serve Tables, who were called Deacons. Q. Doth this serving of Tables only imply the Care of the Poor? A. Besides the Care of the Poor, by their serving of Tables, was implied their peculiar Attendance at the Lord's Table. It being the Custom of Christians in those Times to meet every Day at the Lord's Table, where they made their Offerings for the Poor, and when Poor and Rich had their Meals together; consequently it was their Office to deliver the sacramental Elements, when consecrated, to the People. They had also Authority to preach and baptize, as appears from the Example of Philip, one of the Seven; but they all along, in the Primitive Church, retained so much of the chief Design of their Institution, that they took Care of the Church's Revenues under the Bishops, and distributed them as the Bishop and his College of Presbyters appointed. Q. Was not this Office exercised, as some pretend, Can. by Lay-Men? 4. The Solemnity that was used in setting C c Apost. |