For the nefs in establishing fuch Orders of Men on purpose to tranfact with us in his Name the momentous Affair of our eternal Salvation. To continue ftedfaft in the Communion of a Church, which is fo conformable to the ancient Model for Discipline as well as Doctrine. To obey those that have the Rule over us, as thofe that watch for our Souls. To obferve those pious Regulations, which our fpiritual Governors fhall from time to time enjoin for the building us up in our holy Faith. To spend thefe fafting Days in Devotion and Retirement, with particular Interceffions for all Orders of the Clergy; that the Bishops may lay Hands fuddenly on no Man, and may be eminent for their Piety and Charity; that they may govern with Juftice and Equity, and fhew great Gentleness and Moderation in their Behaviour towards all Men; that all they who engage in any holy Function, may have a due Regard to the great Ends for which it was inftituted, and that they may be furnished with all those Abilities which are neceffary for the Discharge of their Ministry. The PRAYERS. I. Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who Ordainers haft purchased to thyfelf an univerfal and the Church by the precious Blood of thy dear Ordained. Son; mercifully look upon the fame, and at this Time fo guide and govern the Minds of thy Servants the Bishops and Paftors of thy Flock, that they may lay Hands fuddenly on no Man, but faithfully and wifely make Choice of fit Perfons Perfons to ferve in the facred Miniftry of thy Church. And to thofe who fhall be ordained to any holy Function, give thy Grace and heavenly Benediction, that both by their Life and Doctrine they may fet forth thy Glory, and fet forward the Salvation of all Men, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen. A II. all good Lmighty God, Giver of Things, For Deawho of thy great Goodness doft vouch-cons. fafe at this Time to call several of thy Servants to the Office of Deacons in thy Church; make them, I beseech thee, O Lord, to be modeft, humble, and conftant in their Miniftration, to have a ready Will to obferve all fpiritual Difcipline; that they, having always the Testimony of a good Confcience, and continuing ever ftable and strong in thy Son Christ, may fo well behave themselves in this inferior Office, that they may be found worthy to be called unto the higher Miniftries in thy Church, thro' the fame thy Son our Saviour Jefus Chrift, to whom be Glory and Honour, World without end. Amen. III. Almighty God, Giver of all good Things, For Α who by thy holy Spirit haft appointed Priefts. divers Orders of Minifters in the Church; mercifully behold thy Servants now to be called to the Office of Priesthood, and replenish them fo with the Truth of thy Doctrine, and Innocency of Life, that both by Word and good Example they may faithfully ferve thee in this Office, to the Glory of thy Name, and the Good of thy Church, through the Merits of our Saviour Jefus I i Chrift, For the Chrift, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghoft, World without End. Amen. IV. Clergy, Rant, O Lord, that all those who dedicate may themselves to the Service of thy Altar, may that they be inwardly moved by thy holy Spirit to take rightly upon them that facred Miniftration; that their discharge Confciences may teftify to them, that by engagtheir holy ing in this holy Calling, their chief Design is Function to ferve and promote thy Glory, and edify thy People; that they may neither be led by Ambition nor Covetoufnefs; that neither the Honours nor the Revenues that are annexed to this Profeffion, may have any Competition in their Minds with a mighty Zeal for thy Glory, and a Defire to promote the Salvation of Souls. To this End, O Lord, grant that they may make thy holy Writ the chief Subject of all their Studies; that they may from thence inftruct thy People committed to their Charge, and filence Gainfayers; that they may faithfully and diligently adminifter thy holy Sacraments; that they may labour in Seafon and out of Seafon, by private and publick Admonitions and Exhortations; that they may maintain Peace and Love among all Chriftians, and frame themselves and their Families according to the Precepts of thy holy Gospel, Give them the Will, O Lord, to do their Duty, and Strength and Power faithfully to perform the fame, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen. CHAP. QW CHA P. IV. Good-Friday. HAT Faft doth the Church this Day A. That of our Saviour's Paffion, commonly called Good-Friday. Q. Why is this Day called Good-Friday? 483 A. From the bleffed Effects of our Saviour's Sufferings, which are the Ground of all our Joy; and from thofe unfpeakable good Things which he hath purchafed for us by his Death, whereby the bed Jefus made Expiation for the Sins of the whole World, and by the fhed-Heb.9.12. ding of his own Blood obtained eternal Redemption for us. Q. Why is the Commemoration of our Saviour's Sufferings obferved as a Day of Fafting and Humiliation? A. Becaufe at this Time we properly confider our Saviour's Paffion with refpect to the Caufe of it, and therefore muft needs own it to be Matter of the greatest Sorrow and Humiliation, fince they were the Sins of Mankind that drew upon him that painful and shameful Death of the Crofs. And in this Manner, and with this Profpect, the Memory of his Sufferings hath been kept from the first Age of Chriftianity: Not that the Grief and Afflictions they then expreffed did arife from the Lofs they fuftained, nor from any Indignation against our Saviour's mortal Perfecutors, but from a Senfe of the Guilt of the Sins of the whole World, Ii 2 for for which our Lord had this Day fuffered. Q. How was this whole Week called in the Primitive Church? A. The Great and the Holy Week; because in this Week was tranfacted an Affair of the greatest Importance to the Happiness of finful Man; and Actions truly great were performed Heb. 14 to fecure his Salvation; Death was conquered, Ephef. 2. the Devil's Tyranny was abolished, the Partition 14 and 16.Wall betwixt Jew and Gentile was broken 1 Thef. 1. down, and God and Man were reconciled. And 15. 10. done about the Year it was called Holy from thofe devout Exercises which Chriftians employed themselves in upon this Occafion. And feveral of the Chriftian Emperors, to fhew what Veneration they had for this holy Seafon, caufed all Law-Suits to This was ceafe, and Tribunal Doors to be fhut up, and Prifoners to be fet free. And it is to be hoped 1710, that Good Friday may retrieve the ancient Rewhen the verence that was paid to it; fince Authority Day was hath fo worthily required it to be obferved as religiously a Day of Devotion, and fequeftered from all obferved through worldly Bufinefs. And furely no good Christian that is ready to celebrate any other Faft, enwhele City joined upon the Occafion of temporal Calamicon, by ties, will refufe to join in Humiliation, affigned futting up for much more weighty fpiritual Reafons, for of Shops, the faving immortal Souls, and the averting and at eternal Vengeance. out the of Lon by tending the publick Af Q. How was this Week obferved in the PrimiJemblies. tive Church? Dionyf. A. With great Strictness of Fafting and Humiliation. Some abftained from Food the whole fix Days, fome four, fome three, and thofe that did leaft, two; which were Good-Friday, and the Day following. They applied themfelves to Prayer |