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towards the greateft; never to approve of their Faults, nor to be influenced by them to any finful Compliance.

Q. Whofe particular Duty is it to reprove the Great ?

A. It is Part of the Prieft's Office, who is obliged to fuit his Difcourfes to the Sins of his Mark 6. Hearers, as St. John Baptift did before Herod, St. Paul before Felix, and our Saviour before the Scribes and Pharifees.

18.

Acts 24.

25: Matt. 15.

3.

Q. But fince Reproof is fo difficult a Duty to be performed with Success, to Equals as well as Superiors, what Measures ought to be observed in reprehending others?

A. The Occafion ought to be weighty and important; and we should take Care that our Reproof be always free from Paffion or Self-Intereft, left any other Motive appear, befides that of doing good. It fhould be expreffed in the moft decent and fofteft Language, and timed when favourable Circumstances may concur to make it effectual. We ought to be entirely free ourfelves from the Fault we reprehend in others; or at least at the fame time we ought to condemn ourselves, that, by expofing our own Follies, we may with the better Grace rectify thofe of others: We ought to mix due Praises with our Reproofs, that the Roughness of the one may be abated by the Emulation that is raifed by the other. And, laftly, we ought to fkin over the Wound we have made, by applying the most comfortable Lenitive.

The

The PRAYER S.

1.

of St. John

Almighty God, by whofe Providence thy Servant John Baptift was wonderfully Imitation born, and fent to prepare the Way of thy Son Baptift. our Saviour, by preaching of Repentance; Make me fo to follow his Doctrine, and holy Life, that I may truly repent according to his Preaching, and after his Example constantly speak the Truth, boldly rebuke Vice, and patiently fuffer for the Truth's Sake, through the Merits of Jefus Chrift. Amen.

II.

O Protector of that

thee, without whom nothing is ftrong, Guidance, nothing is holy; increafe and multiply upon me thy Mercy, that thou being my Ruler and Guide, I may fo pafs through Things temporal, that I finally lofe not the Things eternal: Grant this, O heavenly Father, for Jefus Chrift his Sake. Amen.

III.

tification.

Lmighty God, who hast sent me into this For ReA World, as a State of Probation and Trial, tirement that I might be a Candidate for Eternity: Teach and Morme frequently to retire from the Occafions and Temptations to Sin, to mortify my Affections to the Love of this World, that dangerous Enemy to my Salvation; as I have folemnly renounced it in my Baptifm, fo let my Practice fhew that I am true to what I then vowed: Make

For Chri

ftian Charity in re

me carefully to avoid that Conversation where the Reputation of my Neighbour is facrificed to the Entertainment of the Company; where Revenge is espoused as a Principle of Honour, and Honesty esteemed Weakness; where Pride and Vanity, and finful Pleasures chiefly reign; where Piety and Devotion infenfibly lose their Strength and Vigour; where Religion is counted a Cheat, and Fools make a Mock at Sin: Defend me, O God, from this infectious Air, fo apt to poifon and corrupt the beft Principles; where it is fo difficult to preferve my Innocence, or to recover thy Favour by Repentance: Grant this, O Lord, for Jefus Chrift his Sake. Amen.

IV.

OST gracious God, thou great Lover of
Souls, who hast made them after thine

M proving. own Image, and purchased them at the Expence of the Blood of thy own Son Jesus Christ our Lord; infpire me with that true Chriftian Charity, which extends itself to the Eternal Welfare of my Neighbour, that I may unfeignedly compaffionate his Unhappiness whenever he tranfgreffes thy holy Laws, and by all prudent Means represent to him his Faults, with their feveral Aggravations, that I may carefully fet his Miscarriages before his Face, and in fuch a true Light, that by a seasonable Warning of his Danger, he may be preferved from that Ruin his Sins deserve, and thy Juftice hath threaten'd. Let no Man's Greatness in this World ever prevail upon me to approve his Vices, or influence me to any the least finful Compliance: And in order to make the Duty of Reproof effectual to the Salvation of my Neighbour, preserve me

from

from any irregular Paffion in the Manner of adminiftring it, and from any By-end in the Prospect of performing it; that fo by thy Bleffing upon a seasonable and prudent Admonition, he may be recovered to a true Sense of his Duty, obtain thy gracious Pardon in this World, and in the next, Life everlasting, thro' Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

CHAP. XXVII.

Saint Peter, June 29.

HAT Feftival doth the Church this Day
celebrate?

WH

A. The Martyrdom of St. Peter, the first of the Apostles.

Q. What Account have we of St. Peter's Original?

A. That he was born at Bethfaida, a Town fituated upon the Banks of the Sea of Galilee ; Job. 1.44. that when he was circumcifed according to the Rites of the Mosaick Law, he was called Simon ver. 42. or Symeon; that our Saviour added to that the Name of Cephas, which in Syriack, the vulgar Language of the Jews at that Time, fignifies a Stone or Rock, from thence it was derived into the Greek Пéreos and fo termed by us Peter.

Q. What doth our Lord feem to denote by this Name?

A. The Firmness and Conftancy of St. Peter's Matt. 16. Faith, and his vigorous Activity in building up 18.

the Church.

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Matt. 4. 18.

John 1.

49.

Q. What was his Profeffion before he was called to be an Apoftle?

A. He was a Fisherman, a Trade toilfome and laborious in itself, and bringing but fmall Advantage to thofe that were employed in it.

Q. How came the first of the Apostles to be chofen from fo mean a Profession?

A. To manifeft the great Power of God, in establishing Chriftianity, when fuch mean illiterate Perfons were able to fubdue the World to the Obedience of the Gofpel. Befides, by the Hardships of fuch an Education, he was prepared to fupport thofe Difficulties which a perfecuted State of Life might expofe him to.

Q. Was St. Peter elder than his Brother St. Andrew?

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A. It is queftioned among the Ancients. Epiphanius gives the Seniority to St. Andrew, and herein is followed by moft of the Writers of the Church of Rome. But St. Chryfoftome, St. Je-. rome, with many more, adjudge it to St. Peter, and for that Reafon fay he was Prefident of the College of the Apofiles.

tift?

Was St. Peter a Difciple of St. John Bap

A. It is thought probable, because his Brother St. Andrew certainly was; and upon the firft News of Christ's appearing, St. Peter was very forward to converfe with him, as if he had been awakened to expect the Meffias.

Q Who brought him first to our Saviour?

A. His Brother St. Andrew; who, upon the Teftimony received from St. John the Baptift, and his pointing to our Lord then paffing by after his Baptifm, followed our Saviour, and brought the joyful News to St. Peter,

Q. What

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