when he was moft feverely reprehended for his inceftuous Defilements, in marrying Herodias, his Brother's Wife: But this envenom'd the Spirit of Herodias against him, who foon got him thrown into Prifon; when, at the Birth day of Herod, her Daughter fo extremely pleafed Herod by dancing in the Midft of the Affembly, that he commanded her to ask of him whatfoever the pleased, and he would give it her, tho' it were half of his Kingdom. She went and afk'd Counsel of her Mother; who, preferring the gratifying her Revenge, above whatever her Ambition or Covetoufnefs could defire, bid her ask of him the Head of John Baptift. Herod was much troubled atthis Requeft; but, to fulfil his Promise, ordered that St John's Head fhould be cut off, and delivered to Herodias's Daughter in a Charger, who immediately brought it to her Mother. Thus ended the high Opinion which Herod had of him, who having been the great Admirer of this holy Person, became his Murderer; which Jofephus reckons to be the Cause of all the Miseries which befel Herod and his Family in a fhort Time after. When Jefus was baptized, he began to preach, and his whole Doctrine was directed to the Manifeftation of his Father's Will, and Amendment of. Man's Life. It propofes alfo one fundamental Principle, Thou shalt lowe the Lord thy God with all thy Soul, and thy Neighbour as thyself. It was plain, eafy, and convincing, tho' it treated of the higheft Myfteries. All was Spirit, Truth, Juftice, Holiness, Humility, and Charity. It neither took away nor difannulled any one perfect or fpiritual Precept of the Law of Mofes; but rather revived, inforced, interpreted, and fulfilled the fame: For whereas that commanded external Obfervance, Chrift's Law requires also internal Obedience: That fays, Love your Friends; this adds, Love your Enemies: That forbids us to kill; this prohibits us from being angry : That commands us not to commit actual Adultery; this requires not to defire, nor luft after a Woman: That taught thee to offer up a Calf, Sheep, Ox, &c. for thy Sins; this enjoins thee to offer up a contrite Heart, by Faith in the Blood of him that died for all, with a firm and refolute Purpose of Amendment of Life. Briefly, the Doctrines of Chrift tend only to the true, fincere, and perfect Service of God, thy Lord that created thee and redeemed thee, for the Exaltation of his holy Name, Power, Goodness, and Glory; to the fupprefling of Man's Pride, by difcovering his Loft and miferable State by Nature; to the Contempt of the World, and the Pomps and Vanities thereof; to the Mortification and fubduing our carnal Appetites; to true Love and unfeign'd Charity towards our Neighbour; to the making us fpiritually minded; to the procuring to us Peace of Confcience, Tran. quility of Soul, Confolation of Spirit, and Purity in the outward Man: And, in a Word, to reduce Mankind again to a certain State of Innocency, Simplicity, and angelical Sanctity upon Earth (fo far as human Infirmity will allow) and to have his Eye fix'd only upon the Kingdom of God in Heaven, and the eternal Inheritance purchafed for all those that truly love and fear him. This was the Doctrine delivered by Jefus, and is the fame which the holy Prophets of old foretold fhould be declared to the World by the true Mefliah. S$ 15 The Gospel according to St MARK. Q. How doth the Gospel of the Caftom of the World, or St Mark begin? A. With an Account of John's preaching in the Wilderness, and prophefying of our Saviour Chrift, as is fignified by Eze kiel's Lion. Q. What was Mark ? A. A Difciple of Peter's, of whom he had learned the Acts of Chrift. Q. What are the Branches to be handled in this Gospel? A. The tempting of Chrift, his Fafting, Prayer, and Miracles. Q. When was Chrift tempted? A. As foon as he had received Baptifm; whereby we learn, that the Spirit of God begins no fooner to work, but is foon crofs'd and thwarted by the Spirit of the Devil, Chap. i. 12. Q. What is the Difference between these two Spirits? A. The Spirit of God is loving, gentle, meek; not forcing nor threatning: The Spirit of the Devil is fubtile, cruel, falfe, and full of Terror. Between thefe two Spirits, the Spirit of Man is continually toffed, the one working to our Salvation, the other to our Damnation. Q. Who tempted Chrift? A. Two Sorts of Creatures. Q. Which be they? ...A. The Devil and the Jews. Q. From whence fetched the Devil bis Arguments wherewith be tempted? A. From three Things, either from the Wit and Reafon of Man, from the corrupting and wreftling of the Scriptures, as in this Place it appears. Q. What doth the Devil tempt unto? A. Sin. Q. What is the Nature of Sin? Q. What follows Sin? A. A two-fold Judgment; the one inward, as Torment of Confcience and Decay of Gifts, the other outward, as Contempt and Reproach of the World. Q. How many Kinds of Temptations are there? A. Two. Q. Which be they? A. Bad, which proceed from the Devil and his Inftruments; and Good, which proceed from God. Q. How doth God ufe to tempt? A. Two Manner of Ways, by Trials on the Right Hand, and by Trials on the Left. Q. How doth be tempt us by Trials on the Right Hand? A. By offering us temporal Bleffings, as Wealth, Promotion, and fuch like, to fee if we will lay hold on them justly, or after an indirect or finful Mannei; or by beftowing upon us temporal Bleffings, to try if we will difpofe of them according as he hath commanded, and as his upright Almoners. Q. How doth be tempt us by Trials on the Left? 4. By fuffering Herefies to rife up any up amongst us, to fee if they from the Temptations of the De- A. By frivolous Questions to entrap his Life; as whether it were lawful to give Tribute to Cæfar or not? chap. xiii. 14. Q. What is Comfort in Temptation? A. That if we abide faithful and conftant, God at the laft will fend his Angels to deliver us, as he did our Saviour, ch. xiii. Q. Why doth God fuffer us to be tempted? 4. For five efpecial Reafons. A. First, to try if we be faithful: Secondly, to make us feek unto him for Help: Thirdly, the better to manifeft his Power and Love in delivering us : Fourthly, to create in our Hearts a Thankfulnels for our Deliverance: And fifthly, that we may be made like unto our Saviour Christ. Q. What doth this infer? pray Temptation. QDoth God fuffer us at any Time to fall under the Force of Temptation? A. He doth. Q. What is the Caufe? A. That he might fhew us our natural Weakness, and make us more heedy in our Walking. Q. After Chrift was delivered like Cafe, moft chearfully endeavoured to perform the Will of his Father. Q. What therefore may we liken the Temptation of the Devil unto? A. A Blow or Wound, which difmays not the good Chriftian, but rather ftirs him up more forcibly to withstand the Affault of his Enemy. Q. What Opportunity did the Devil watch to tempt Chrift? A. When he was alone in the Wildernefs, and oppreft with long Fafting. Q How long had be fafted? 4. Forty Days and forty Nights. Q. What Company had he? A. None but the Wild Beafts. Q. What may we understand by the Wilderness? A. The World. 2 What by the Wild Beafts? A. The inward and outward Dangers thereof. Q. Inward Dangers, of what? 4. Of one's rude and untamed Affections. Q. Outward Dangers, of what? 4. Of the Vanities whereby we continually fall. Q. What is a good Remedy against thefe Dangers? A. Fafting, and not as fome faft, forty Days only as a Cuftom, (at Times and Seafons) but fo long as we live in the Wilderness of this wicked World. Q. hat is Fafting? 4. AB A. Abftinence from Things of the Body, that we may the more readily apply to thofe of the Spirit. Q. How many Kinds of Fafting be there? A. Two. Q. Which be they? 4. Corporal, which is refraining from Meat, and fpiritual, which is in abftaining from Sin. Q. When are we faid truly to faft? A. When we keep our Eyes, from looking after Vanities; our Tongue from Curfing, Swearing, and evil Speaking; our Hearts from meditating on Mifchief; our Hands from pra&tifing unlawful Actions; and our Feet from treading the Way of Scorners. Q: What is the Property of true Fafting? A. It must not be done for vain Glory, but to mortify the Body, that it may be in fubjection to the Spirit; and to the Intent we may have the more Provifion for the relieving of the Poor. What are the Effects that follow Fafting? A. Health, Perfection of Memory, Sharpnefs of Wit, long Q. What are the Effects that follow it? A. Diforder, Impudence, Unfeemlinefs, Negligence, Imbecility of Body, and Destruction of the Soul. Q. Wherein confifts Intempe rance? A. In fumptuous Feafting. Q. Is it not tolerable for Chriftians to feaft. A. Yes, if it be done with Moderation and Thanksgiving, as appears by the Example of Matthew, who feafted our Saviour Chrift, Mat. ii. 15. Q. Whom must we feaft. A. Not our rich Neighbours, left they bid us again, and fo Recompence be made; but the Poor, Maimed, Lame, and Blind; and God fhall reward us at the Refurrection of the Juft, Luke xiv. 12, 13. Q. What must be joined with Fafting to make it acceptable? A. Repentance and Prayer. Q. What is Repentance? A. An hearty Sorrow for Sing with a firm Refolution never to offend again. So that it is not enough to be grieved for our Sina except we likewife amend. . Q. Give me an Inftance? Life, and Happinefs of Soul.. A. It is our Saviour's Words, Q. What is the Oppofite of Fafting? Q. What is Intemperance? A. An overflowing of Voluptuoufnefs, against Keafon, and the Health of the Soul, feeking no other Contentment, but the Delight of the Senfes, Repent and amend, for the Kingdom of God is at hand. Q. What goes before. Repent-' ance? A. Chrift the Son of God, chap. ii. 12. Q. When bath he Power to forgive? A. Whenfoever we call upon him by Faith, as by the Example of the blind Man, chap. x. Q. What doth this Readiness to forgive infer? A. Imitation in us to do the like, one toward another. Q. And why? A. Becaufe, except we forgive one another, we fhall not be forgiven of our Father which is in Heaven, chap. xi. 26. Q. How many Circumftances, as touching ourselves, are to be confidered in pardoning Offences? A. Six. Q. Which be they? A. Connivere, to wink at our Brother's Offences: Condonare, to pardon the Quality of the Cffence: Remittere, to with-hold the Punithment: And Indulgere, to take into Favour. Q. But if the Offence be fuch, as we must needs reprove our Brother, how muft it be done? A. Mildly, lovingly, fecretly, and guiltlefs ourselves of what we reprove him for; freely, and without Fear, upon a true and juft Occafion, and at a fit Time. Q. To what may we compare him that is a great Reprehender of others, and never looks into his own Infirmities? A. To five Things. A. Firft, who it is that muft A. To the Lamp in the Temforgive every one, as well the ple, which giveth Light to the King as the Subject. Secondly, Prieft, and confumes itfelf. Sewhat is to be forgiven; not only condly, to the Eye that fees flight Offences, but all Capital all Things, but fees not itself. Wrongs, whether fudden or pre- Thirdly, to Noah's Workmen, meditated. Thirdly, who they that built an Ark to fave Noah, are we must forgive; namely, our and were drowned themfelves. Christian Brethren. Fourthly, Fourthly, to fuch an one as how often? Not feven Times clothes others, and goes naked only, but feventy-feven Times., himself. Fifthly, to Efau, that Fifthly, in what Sort? Not was a Forrefter, and lived always feignedly, but from the Heart. abroad, and therefore did loofe Sixthly, when not at the Altar the Bleffing at home. only, and when we pray, but at all Times. When our Brother fhall feem to offend, all in this, forgive as we would have God forgive us. Q. In how many Things confifteth Forgiveness? A. In four. Q. Which be they? Q. What is the Gate that opens to Forgiveness before God? A. Prayer. Q. What is Prayer? Q. How many forts of Prayer are there? A. Two; mental, confifting in |