Chap. XXVIII.St. Mark the Evangelist Chap. XXIX.–St. Philip and St. James Chap. XXXI.—The Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ 203 Chap. XXXII.-The Sunday after Ascension Day Chap. XXXIV.-Monday and Tuesday in Whitsun Week 217 Chap. XXXVI.—The Sundays from Trinity to Advent 224 Chap. XXXVII.--St. Barnabas the Apostle Chap. XXXVIII.-St. John the Baptist Chap. XL.-St. James the Apostle Chap. XLIII.--St. Michael and All Angels Chap. XLIV.-St. Luke the Evangelist Chap. XLV.-St. Simon and St. Jude Chap. XLVIII.-All Fridays in the Year Devotions for Families and Individuals Devotions for the Sundays in Advent Devotions for St. Andrew's Day Devotions for St. Thomas's Day Devotions for St. Stephen's Day Devotions for St. John the Evangelist's Day Devotions for the Holy Innocents' Day Devotions for the Circumcision, or New Year's Day Devotions for the Festival of the Conversion of St. Paul ibid Devotions for the Festival of the Purification Devotions to be used every Day during the Season of Lent Devotions to be added on Ash-Wednesday to the other Devo. Devotions for the Festival of St. Matthias Devotions for the Festival of the Annunciation Devotions for the fifth Sunday in Lent, called Passion Sunday 297 Devotions for the Sunday next before Easter, called Palm Devotions to be used on the Thursday before Easter, instead of the other Devotions for the Season of Lent Devotions to be added to our other Devotions on those Days when the Holy Communion is administered Devotions for the Festival of St. Mark the Evangelist Devotions for the Festival of St. Philip and St. James Devotions for the Rogation Days Devotions for the Festival of the Ascension Devotions for the Festival of St. Barnabas Devotions for the Festival of St. John the Baptist Devotions for the Festival of St. James Devotions for the Festival of St. Bartholomew Devotions for the Festival of St. Matthew Devotions for the Festival of St. Michael and all Angels 329 Devotions for the Festival of St. Luke the Evangelist Devotions for the Festival of St. Simon and St. Jude Devotions for the Festival of All Saints Prayer to be used before Self-Examination Prayer for an effectual Belief of the Christian Religion 333 Collects and Prayer for the Church Prayer for a right Observation of Holy Days Prayer for the Divine Favour upon our Fasting PRELIMINARY INSTRUCTIONS CONCERNING THE EVIDENCES OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. What do you mean by the Christian religion ? A. The Christian religion is that revelation which God made of his will by his Son Jesus Christ, wherein are contained doctrines to be believed, precepts to be practised, and motives to enforce cbedience. Q. Wherein appears the truth of the Christian religion ? 1. The truth of the Christian religion appears from that full and clear evidence which our Saviour and his apostles gave of their divine mission and authority, by prophečies and miracles, and from the nature of the religion they taught, which is worthy of Ghd, and tends to promote the happiness and welfare of mankind. Q. What proof have we that there ever was such a person as Jesus Christ, and that he suffered under Pontius Pilate? A. It is a fact which has never been disputed, that there was such a person as Jesus Christ, who lived in the reign of the emperor Tiberius. It is not only universally acknowledged by Christians, but hath been owned by Jewsa who have written of those times; and the Heathens themselves have borne their testimony to the truth of this matter of fact, as Tacitus, Suetonius, and Pliny the younger. That the same Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate, is averred both by Christians and Jews. The Christians professed it, notwithstanding the ignominy they might thereby seem to bring upon themselves, who worshipped him as a God; and the Jews owned it, notwithstanding the provoca. tion they might thereby give to the Christians; for it was by their ancestors that he was delivered to be crucified. It is very probable there were public records of the whole maiter at Rome, as the account was sent by Pontius Pilate a Josephus. B to Tiberius: for the ancient Christians, in their apologies, appealed to it, which they had too much understanding and modesty to have done, if no such account had ever been sent, or had not been then extant. The great enemies of Christianity, Celsus and Julian, never made this matter of fact a controversy. No history, therefore, can be better established by the unanimous testimony of people very different from one another, than that of the life and death of Jesus Christ. Q. What evidence did Jesus Christ give that he was a prophet sent from God? A. All the former prophecies which related to the Messiah were fulfilled in him. This ought to have been a convincing argument to the Jews, who owned these prophecies to have been of divine inspiration. He received the testimony of a voice from heaven several times. He was endowed with the power of working miracles; and particularly with the gift of prophecy, proved and made good by the fulfilment of his own predictions ; than which nothing can be a greater evidence of a divine mission, because the greatest proof of infinite power and knowledge. Q. What prophecies that related to the Messiah were fulfilled in Jesus Christ? A. All those prophecies that concerned the birth and life of the Messiah, his death, resurrection, and ascension, were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Q. What prophecies that related to the birth of the Mesa siah were fulfilled in Jesus? A. According to Jacob's prophecy, the Messiah was to come about the time of the dissolution of the Jewish government; the sceptre was not to depart from Judah, that is, the power and authority of the Jewish government were not to cease, till Shilo came; by whom the ancient Jews did understand the Messiah. It was also foretold by the prophets Haggai and Malachi, that he should come before the destruction of the second temple; and the destruction of the temple was foretold by Daniel,d with the precise time of our Saviour's coming. And to manifest to the world that Christ is come, the Jews are now dispersed among all nations, and their government lost, and their families confounded : the second temple is long since destroyed, and the city of Jerusalem made desolate, which b Genesis xlix. 10. c Haggai ii, 6, 7, 8, 9; Mal. üi. 1. d Daniel ix. 24, 25, 26, 27. |