Epiph. stained from Flesh, he drank neither Wine nor ftronk Drink, nor even used the Bath; he was Eufeb. lib. fo very abftemious, that is Body was covered 2. c. 23. with Paleness through Fafting. Prayer was his constant Business and Delight, and by his daily Devotions, his Knees were become as hard and brawny as Camels. And by his Prayers in a great Drought he obtained Rain. He governed the Church with Wisdom and Application, and fhewed great Charity to his Enemies by praying for them at the Hour of his Death. He was not only reverenced by the Chriftians, but honoured even by the Jews for his excellent Virtues.

Q. How did the Enemies of St. James confpire

bis Ruin?

A. St. Paul having escaped the Malice of the Jews by appealing to Cafar, they refolved to revenge it upon St. James; but not being able to Jofeph. accomplish it under Feftus's Government, they

Antiq.

more effectually attempted it under the ProJud. 1. 20. curatorfhip of Albanus his Succeffor. When

c. 8.

Ananus the younger, then High Priest, and of the Sect of the Sadducees, mercilefs and implacable in his Temper, refolved to dispatch him before the new Governor could arrive; to this End the Council is haftily fummoned, and the Apoftle, with fome others, were accused for tranfgreffing the Law, and for Blafphemy against God.

Q. How did the Scribes and Pharifees fet about to enfnare kim?

A. By flattering Speeches they endeavoured to engage him, at the Confluence of the Pafchal Solemnity, to undeceive the People concerning Eufeb.lib. Jefus, whom they looked upon as the Meffiab; 2. c. 3. and that he might be the better heard, to go

with them to the Top of the Temple, thinking by this Method to bring him to renounce Chrift. They addreffed to him as he was placed upon the Pinacle of the Temple, in these Words, Tell us, O juft Man, what we are to believe concerning Jefus Chrift, who was crucified? He answered, with a loud Voice, Why do ye enquire of Jefus the Son of Man? He fits in Heaven on the right Hand of the Majefty on High, and will come again in the Clouds of Heaven. Upon which the People glorified the blessed fejus, and proclaimed Hofanna to the Son of David.

Q. How did St. James fuffer Martyrdom;

A. Upon this Difappointment of the Scribes and Pharifees, they fuddenly cried out that Justus himself was feduced, and they threw him down from the Place where he ftood; and being very much bruifed, though not killed, he recovered fo 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 beat out his Brains. He died, according to Epiphanius, in the Ninety-Hær. 78. fixth Year of his Age, about Twenty-four Years after Chrift's Afcenfion.

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

A. He reckons it as what more immediately alarmed the Divine Vengeance, and haftened the univerfal Ruin and Destruction of the Jewish Nation.

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

A. One Epifle addreffed to the Jewish Converts difperfed and fcattered Abread; to fortify them against all thofe Temptations whereby the

Purity of their Faith might be endangered, and to fecure their Patience and their Charity, and all other Chriftian Practices, hereby encouraging them to faithful Perfeverance. The Gospel that goes under his Name is rejected by learned Men as fpurious 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 fupernatural Truth. Zealoufly to propagate that Chriftian Knowledge to others, which the good Providence of God hath graciously bestowed upon us; which obligeth Paftors in refpect of their Flock, Parents of their Children, Masters of their Servants, and all Christians in fome Degree, in regard of one another, boldly to profefs the Truth when the Providence of God calls us to give Testimony to it. And under all our Sufferings to'preferve a Christian Frame of Mind, and to exprefs our Charity for those who are the Inftruments of our Sufferings. Frequently to curb our Appetites in the Ufe of lawful Pleasures, that we may be prepared to imitate thefe bleffed Apostles in the greatest Acts of Self-denial.

Q. Wherein confifts the Duty of Self-denial?

A. In a ftrict Senfe, our finful and disobediens Appetites are the only Objects of religious Selfdenial; and as it is commanded by our Saviour, it feems to denote nothing else, but that we fhould be willing to quit all earthly Comforts, even Life itself, and to undergo the greatest Hardships tho' they end in Death, rather than, out of a Fondnefs to this World, and the Enjoyments of it, to do any Thing contrary to the Re

ligion of Jefus Chrift. With Mofes chufing rather to fuffer Affliction with the People of God, than to Heb. 11. enjoy the Pleafures of Sin for a Seafon. In a larger 23. Senfe it comprehends the denying our innocent Appetites, as a neceffary Means and Inftrument, without which we shall never be able to practife the greatest Acts of Self-denial.

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

A. By forfaking Father and Mother, by hating Wife and Children, by denying Brother and Sifter, by quitting all that we have, by laying down our Lives, and bearing the Crofs. He Mat. 10. that loveth Father and Mother more than me, 37: Luke 14. faith our Saviour, is not worthy of me. If any Man come after me, and bateth not Wife and 26. Children, Brethren and Sifters, he cannot be my Difiple. If be forfaketh not all that he bath, Ver. 33. and hateth not his own Life, and doth dot bear bis Varv 27. Crofs, he cannot be my Difciple. These are the Maxims of eternal Wisdom, from which whenever we deviate, we do moft foolishly ruin and destroy ourselves.

Q. What is implied in the forementioned Expreffions?

A. That no Confideration of Pleasure, or Fear of Pain, fhould allure or fright us from holding faft the Faith once delivered to the Saints. Jude 3. 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; becaufe all Authority, Natural, Ecclefiaftical, and Civil, must be exercifed with Refpect to God, who is the Fountain of all Power. That the molt allowable Affection to the Friend of our Bofom,

R

Bofom, and natural Tenderness to our own Offfpring, will not juftify the Tranfgreffion of our Duty; because if we truly love God, we should fuffer no Creature to be his Rival. That our whole Substance in this World must be abandoned, when we cannot keep it without making Shipwreck of Confcience; because otherwife we shall certainly lofe the Inheritance that is incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not. That Life itself, which Nature hath taught us to guard with fo much Care, must be readily parted with, rather than deny the Truth; becaufe this is, in fuch a Cafe the only Method to fecure the Bleffings of Life eternal.

And that though the Pain and Ignominy our Perfecutors inflict, fhould equal that of the Cross, yet it must be patiently endured, rather than difown our bleffed Master, who fuffered that infamous Punifhment upon our Account, and will deny us before his Father, if we deny him before Men. Q. Is this Duty of Self-denial of indifpenfable Obligation?

A. Religion being a Duty we owe to God, can never be fuperfeded by any Commands even of our lawful Superiors; because we are obliged to Ats 5. obey God rather than Men. And when we are

29.

brought before Kings and Governors for Chrift's Sake, we are to bear our Teftimony against them because all their Authority is derived from God? fo that they can have no Power to controul thofe Commands he lays upon us. And if, through Fear, or any other worldly Paffion, 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 n Heaven.

Q. How