ing them; though it may be some allay to the fault of the person, and may render him more capable of the mercy of God by repentance, than if he had done contrary to his conscience, and the clear convictions of his own mind. For it is a much greater fault to do that which we really believe contrary to our duty, than ignorantly to transgress when we are under the power of an erroneous conscience. The first argues we have a will to do evil; the other shews our practice to be agreeable to our judgment; and though we break God's law, yet it is with a sincere intention to serve him.

THE PRAYERS.

FOR UNITY.

O ALMIGHTY God, who hast built thy church upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the head corner-stone; grant that all Christians may be so joined together in unity of spirit by their doctrine, that they may be made an holy temple acceptable unto thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

FOR TRUE PIETY.

LORD of all power and might, who art the author and giver of all good things; graft in my heart the love of thy name, increase in me true religion, nourish me with all goodness, and of thy great mercy keep me in the same, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

FOR TRUE CHRISTIAN ZEAL.

GRACIOUS God, who hast endowed me with an immortal soul, grant that I may apply my most serious thoughts to work out my own salvation with fear and

trembling. Enlighten my understanding, that I may see the wondrous things of thy law; rectify my will, that I may follow the plain rules of good, and eschew the ways of evil; and in all my actions, fix my heart entirely upon thy glory. Let my devout prayers be offered in retirements, where thine all-seeing eye only enters. Let my works of mercy and charity be often unknown to be mine even to those that receive the benefit of them. Make me to consider that the praise of men is but as smoke which vanisheth away, and that thy favour only is better than life, and endureth for ever. Teach me heartily to strive that I may enter in at the strait gate, to fight the good fight of faith, and to destroy the whole body of sin. Grant that I may be always upon my guard against my potent and malicious enemies; and that the short time I have to work, may make me careful to improve it to the best purposes; and the uncertainty of all things here below may call off my mind from the objects of secular happiness; that applying myself entirely to devotion and charity, justice and sobriety, I may be prepared in the temper and disposition of my mind, for that happiness which thou hast promised through the merits of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

FOR THE RIGHT EXERCISE OF ZEAL.

ALMIGHTY God, who art the first and chiefest good, engage all the powers and faculties of my soul to love and delight in thee; and to place all affiance, trust, and confidence in thee. Teach me to proportion my zeal to the value of things, that I may love thee, the Lord my God, with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my strength; and in the first place seek the

kingdom of heaven. Let my zeal have a respect unto all thy commandments, that it may never degenerate into hypocrisy and faction; but that I may always pursue it by just and proper means, and may never think to promote thy honour, and the safety of thy church, by ways offensive to thee, and which thou hast forbid. Let not a good end prevail upon me to use any unlawful means that may advance it, but that trusting in thy providence, and depending upon thy care of our most holy faith, I may never start from the way of my duty, in all those methods I shall at any time pursue, in order to preserve it. Grant this O Lord, for Jesus Christ his sake. Amen.

Q. What Festival does the church this day celebrate? A. That of All Saints.

Q. What do you mean by a Saint?

A. In the beginning of Christianity, the word Saint was applied to all believers, as is plain by the use St. Paul and St. Luke make of it; afterwards none were called so but such as eminently excelled in all Christian virtues; and though that sense still continues in the church militant, yet it now generally signifies such good men, as (whose earthly tabernacle being dissolved) have a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, and so are become a part of the church triumphant. Q. What persons may be denominated saints in the church militant?

b

A. Such who not only believe the doctrines of the

a

Acts ix. 13. Rom. xvi. 15.

b 2 Cor. v. 1.

Christian religion, but conform their whole lives to the precepts of it; such who not only have a holy faith, but are purified thereby, who have a sincere regard to God and another world in all their actions, and are constant and uniform in the discharge of their duty; who abstain from all kind of evil; perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Q. What seems to be the design of the church in instituting this Festival?

A. To honour God in his saints. It being through the assistance of his grace that they were made conformable to his will in this life, and through the bounty of the same gracious Lord, that his free gifts are crowned with happiness in the other.

Q. What further end does the church aim at?

A. To encourage us here below to run the race that is set before us with patience, seeing we are encompassed with so great a cloud of witnesses to work in us firmness and resolution of mind, by propounding the examples and patterns of holy men gone before us, who, in their respective ages, have given remarkable testimony of their faith in God, and constant adherence to his truth.d

Q. By what means did the saints in heaven attain that happiness they now enjoy?

A. It was purchased for them by the death and sacrifice of our Saviour Jesus Christ; the benefits whereof they were made capable of receiving, by the purity of their faith, by the uncorruptedness of their morals, by their constancy, and perseverance in despite of all sufferings and persecutions, and by fighting manfully under Christ's banner to their lives' end.

Q. Wherein consists the happiness of the next life?
A. In this life we are not able to conceive the happi-

ness God hath prepared for those that love him. It doth not yet appear what we shall be; but the Scripture in general hath assured us, that God will reward those that diligently seek him, not according to our narrow and limited conceptions, but according to the exceeding greatness of his power and goodness. So that God having promised to make us happy in the next world, we have all the reason imaginable to put our trust and confidence in him as to the way and manner of effecting it.

Q. What light have the Scriptures given us in this matter?

A. The wisdom of God is pleased sometimes to condescend to our low apprehensions, and to reveal his sublime rewards by such things as we are most apt to value and admire; and therefore it is represented in some places under the metaphor of a kingdom, a crown, and a treasure, it being expressly called the kingdom of the Father, a crown of righteousness, a crown of life, and a crown of glory, a treasure in heaven, and a treasure that faileth not, though the greatest kingdoms and treasures of this world bear no proportion to the least degree of heavenly glory. But the excellency of this happiness is more particularly set forth to us by everlasting life, by the vision of God, and by a likeness to him, and by being with Christ." All which implies that we shall in the next life live free from sin, the great torment and affliction of devout souls in this; that we shall be exempted from all those evils and miseries which are the consequence of it, and which attend us through this earthly pilgrimage;