retained a mighty reverence for the Mosaical rites; the church thought fit so far to indulge the humour of the Judaizing converts, as to observe Saturday as a Festival day of devotion, whereon they met for public prayers, and for the exercise of other duties of religion.

Q. What particular custom did the primitive Christians observe in their devotions on the Lord's day?

A. They prayed standing; symbolically representing our resurrection or restitution by the grace of Christ, by which we are delivered from our sins, and from the power of death. And this custom was maintained with so much vigour, that when some began to neglect it, the great council of Nice ordained that there should be a constant uniformity in this case; and that on the Lord's day, men should stand when they made their prayers to God.

Q. Is it proper to fast on the Lord's day?

A. No: because it is to be celebrated with expressions of joy, as being the happy memorial of Christ's resurrection; and therefore whatever savours of sadness and sorrow ought to be restrained.

Q. Did the Christian emperors use their authority to oblige their subjects to keep this day holy?

A. Constantine and Theodosius both prohibited the profanation of this day, either by the works of men's ordinary calling, even of those who are yet strangers and enemies to Christianity: or by any public shows; that the worship of God might not be confounded with those profane solemnities.

Q. How ought Christians to observe this day?

A. It is not enough that we rest from the works of our calling, but our time must be employed in all such religious exercises as tend to the glory of God, and the salvation of our souls. We must regularly frequent the

worship of God in the public assemblies, join in the prayers of the church, hear his holy word, receive the blessed sacrament when administered, and contribute to the relief of the poor, if there be any collection for their support. In private, we ought to enlarge our ordinary devotions, and to make the subject of them chiefly to consist in thanksgiving for the works of creation and redemption; withal, recollecting all those peculiar mercies we have received from the bounty of heaven through the whole course of our lives: to improve our knowledge by reading and meditating upon divine subjects; to instruct our children and families; to visit the sick and the poor, comforting them by some seasonable assistance, and if we converse with our friends and neighbours, to season our discourse with prudent and profitable hints for the advancement of piety; and to take care that no sourness or moroseness mingle with our serious frame of mind.

Q. What seems to be the most obligatory duty upon this day?

A. The being present at the assemblies of public worship, from which nothing but sickness or absolute necessity should detain us for the day being dedicated not only to the honour and worship of God, but also appointed to this end, that we might openly profess ourselves Christians: it must be an argument we are very little concerned to do either, if we abstain from God's solemn worship at such times.

Q. What are the great advantages of the religious observation of the Lord's day?

A. It keeps up the solemn and public worship of God, which might be very much neglected, if it were left to depend upon the determinations of human authority. It preserves the knowledge and visible profes

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sion of the Christian religion in the world, when, notwithstanding the great differences there are among Christians in other matters, they yet all concur in observing this day in memory of our Saviour's resurrection. And considering how much time is taken up, by the greatest part of mankind, in providing for the necessaries of life; and how negligent and careless they are in the concerns of their souls, who flow in plenty and abundance; this stated season is highly useful to instruct the ignorant by preaching and catechising, and to put those in mind of their duty, who in their prosperity are apt to forget God. Moreover, by spending this day in religious exercises, we acquire new strength and resolution to perform God's will in our several stations the week following.

Q. Since a great part of the duty of the day consists in thanksgiving, pray what is implied in that duty?

A. A due acknowledgment of God's blessings; a just value and esteem of them; and a desire and endeavour to make all possible returns.

Q. When may we be said duly to acknowledge God's mercies?

A. When we do not let them pass undiscerned and unregarded by us, but carefully consider and take notice of them; and when we do not ascribe the good things he has given us to our own deserts and endeavours, or to any other thing or creature, but only to him.

Q. When may we be said to have a just value and esteem of God's mercies?

A. When we retain them in our memory, and make frequent reflections upon them; it being natural to remember those things we highly prize. When we do not grudge or repine at our portion, but are contented

with those circumstances which the providence of God has made to be our lot.

Q. What return ought we to make to God as a testimony of our thankfulness?

A. We ought to profess our dependence upon him, and our obligations to him for the good things we enjoy. We ought to publish to the world our sense of his goodness with the voice of praise, and tell of all his wondrous works. We ought to comfort his servants and children in their afflictions, and relieve his poor distressed members in their manifold necessities; for he that giveth alms, sacrificeth praise." We ought carefully to obey him in all those instances wherein he has declared his will and pleasure, and be ready to sacrifice the dearest things in this world, even our lives, for the advancement of his glory, and the maintenance of his truth.

THE PRAYERS.

FOR A DEVOUT OBSERVATION OF THE LORD'S DAY.

GLORY to thee, O my God, who in compassion to human weakness, which is not capable of an uninterrupted contemplation of thee, hast appointed a solemn day on purpose for thy remembrance. Glory be to thee, for proportioning a seventh part of our time to thyself, and liberally indulging the remainder to our own use. Let me ever esteem it my privilege and my happiness, to have a day of rest set apart for thy service, and the concerns of my own soul; to have a day free from distractions, disengaged from the world, wherein I have

* Ecclus xxxv. 2.

nothing to do but to praise and to love thee. Give me grace to worship thee in my closet, and in the congregation; to spend it in doing good, in works of necessity, devotion, and charity; in prayer, and praise, and meditation. O let it be ever to me a day sacred to divine love, a day of heavenly rest and refreshment. Grant, O Lord, I may not only give thee due worship myself, but may give rest and leisure also to my family, to all under my charge, to serve thee also; to indulge ease to my very beasts, since good men are merciful even to them. O blessed spirit, who on the first day of the week didst descend in miraculous gifts and graces on the Apostles, descend upon me, that I may be always in the spirit on the Lord's day. And since the blessing of everlasting salvation, which we Christians on thy day commemorate, does wonderfully exceed the creation commemorated by the Jews; O let our love and praise, devotion and zeal, proportionably exceed theirs also: and this I beg for Jesus Christ his sake, our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

A GENERAL THANKSGIVING.

WORTHY art thou, O Lord of heaven and earth, to receive glory, and honour, and power, for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all things that are therein; thou preservest them all, and the host of heaven praiseth thee. Glory be to thee, O Lord God Almighty, for creating man after thine own image, and making so great a variety of creatures to minister to his use. Glory be to thee O heavenly father, for my being and preservation, strength and health, understanding