Spirit, and bringing forth the fruits of it, and consist usually of a most humble acknowledgment, and a petition suitable, as is above declared, pp. 66, 67.

And as we have taken there a brief view of the pious sense and spirit of these acknowledgments, so will it not be amiss to do the same here concerning the petitions; which in each Collect are some or other of these following, or such like: "That God would be pleased to prevent and follow us always with His grace, and with His mercy, in all things direct and rule our hearts, to stir up our wills, pour into our hearts (graff in them) the love of His holy name, make us to have a perpetual fear and love of it, to ask such things as shall please Him, to have the spirit to think and do always such things as be rightful, (to please Him, both in will and deed,) that He would increase, nourish, keep us in true religion and all goodness; give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and charity, that we may live according to His will, with pure and free hearts follow Him; accomplish those things He would have done, may be cleansed, assoyled, delivered from all our offences, have pardon, peace, protection, and defence; may plentifully bring forth the fruits of good works, and by Him be plenteously rewarded, and obtain His promises, which exceed all we can desire." Such requests as these, (besides some other, "that God would hear the prayers of the people," of which see pp. 64, and 79,) are

O

by the priest presented to God, fit for the Church's meditations at this time after Pentecost, and not unfitly following the Lessons, the Decalogue, and the following supplications of the people, as the proper place of Collects; being all of them (though in several branches and expressions) in effect thus much; that by the merciful grace, inspiration, defence, and protection of God Almighty, we may be cleansed from our sins, may obey His commandments, may live as Christians ought, not after the flesh but after the Spirit, and so be fitter to meet our blessed Lord at His second Advent to judge the world.

And this meditation of the second Advent of Christ is thought so seasonable in the last place, that some Churches, instead of those readings which we have for the last Sunday of this time, make use of some other which concern the day of judgment: but our Church, as she hath good reason for her method, as we have seen, pp.178,179, so is she not at all defective in her thoughts of Christ's second coming: in time of Advent, and often afterwards, she takes occasion to remember it, but most especially at this season. The last Gospel (except that which implies a prophecy of Christ's Advent) sets before us His raising up of one from the dead, a great ground of our faith and hope of a resurrection. The Epistle that goes with it, and all the rest in a manner aim most evidently at this, the

quickening us to a life spiritual by the hopes of an eternal." The last Collect, with some other, is for the enjoyment of it according to God's promises. So that we see the Church in her meditations for the conclusion of the year, takes in that for her subject which is the close of our Creed, end of our faith, and crown of our devotions; "the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting."

ST. ANDREW.

THIS Saint's day is the first that is kept solemn, because he first came to Christ, and followed Him before any of the other Apostles, (St. John i. 40.) He brought his brother Simon to Christ, ver. 42. He it was that said, "We have found the Messiah," and therefore his day is rightly set at the beginning of Advent for ever, to bring news de Adventu Domini, of the Advent or coming of our Lord.

W

CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL.

WHEREAS other Saints' martyrdoms, or at least the days of their death, are celebrated

by holy Church; St. Paul's Conversion is made the holy day; for these reasons:

I. For the example of it; that no sinner, how great soever, might hereafter despair of pardon, seeing Saul, a grievous persecutor, made St. Paul: "For this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe."c

II. For the joy which the Church had at his conversion.

III. For the miracle wrought at his conversion.

PURIFICATION OF ST. MARY, OR
FEAST OF CANDLEMAS.d

OME Churches keep four holy days in memory of the blessed Virgin, namely, the Annunciation, the Assumption, the Nativity, and Purification. Our Church keeps only the Purification and An

b Conversion of St. Paul. The old Collect. "God, which has taught all the world through the preaching of Thy blessed Apostle St. Paul, grant, we beseech Thee, that we, which have this wonderful conversion in remembrance, may follow and fulfil Thy holy doctrine that he taught; through c1 Tim. i. 16.

Jesus Christ our Lord." Amen.

Purification of St. Mary. The Epistle was the same as that used on the Sunday before, whereas it is now Malachi iii. 1 to 6. The Gospel was St. Luke ii. 22 to 27, but now it goes on to the end of ver. 40.

nunciation which are common to her and our blessed Lord.

The Purification is a double feast, partly in memory of the Virgin's purification, (this being the fortieth day after the birth,) which she observed according to the Law, Lev. xii. 4, though she needed it not; but chiefly in memory of our Lord's presentation in the temple, which the Gospel comme

morates.

Our Saviour thus presented in the temple, offered Himself a live oblation for us, that so the whole obedience of His life might be ours.

This day had one solemnity of old peculiar to it; namely, procession; the order and manner of which I shall set down briefly out of St. Bernard.e

"We go in procession, two by two, carrying candles in our hands, which are lighted, not at a common fire, but a fire first blessed in the Church by a Bishop. They that go out first return last; and in the way we sing, Great is the glory of the Lord.

"We go two by two, in commendation of charity and a social life; for so our Saviour sent out His disciples.

"We carry lights in our hands: first, to signify that our light should shine before men; secondly, this we do this day especially in memory of the wise virgins (of whom this blessed Virgin is the chief)

e In diem. Serm. ii. vol. i. p.961.