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regulated. Though "absent from our Lord in the body, we should be present with him in our spirit ;" contemplating him with an eye of faith, fixing our love upon him, reposing our confidence in him, and directing to him our prayers and praises; that being thus raised above the world, its vain delights, its sordid interests, its empty glories, we may be prepared for the perfect fruition of the glorious and blissful presence of our God and Saviour.

CHAPTER XXXII.

Of the SUNDAY after ASCENSION DAY.

Q. EXPLAIN the lessons for the day.

4. The first lesson for the morning service (Joel ii.) contains the prediction of the descent of the Holy Spirit, the actual completion of which prediction the Church, on this day, looks forward to commemorate on the ensuing Sunday. The second lesson (John xvii.) is part of the animating prayer of Christ for his disciples, that they might be sanctified and preserved in unity by that Spirit of truth which was to descend upon them. The first lesson for the evening service (Zeph. iii.) is principally occupied in celebrating the salvation which was to be conferred upon the Church, the spiritual Zion; which salvation was completed, when Christ, ascending into heaven, became the "King of" his spiritual "Israel" and sent that Holy Ghost, through whose mighty. power his people are to be gathered and redeemed from their captivity to sin and Satan, and made "a praise throughout the earth." The second lesson for the evening (2 Thess. iii. to ver. 17.) directs us to pray, that the "word of God may have free course, and be glorified;" which we may be assured will take place, through the powerful operations of the Holy Ghost, whose coming we are soon to coinmemorate; and also exhorts us "patiently to wait for the coming" of that blessed Saviour who has ascended into heaven; and "not to be weary in well-doing," since we have the prospect of a glorious reward in heaven.

Q. Explain the collect, epistle, and gospel for the day. A. The collect prays for the descent of " the Holy Ghost to comfort and to exalt us to heaven, whither our Saviour

•Christ hath gone before." The epistle exhorts us to make a good use of the gifts of the Holy Ghost; and the gospel contains the promise of this blessed Comforter.

Q. What has the week after the ascension been sometimes called?

A. During this week, the apostles and disciples continued in the lively expectation of the Comforter, and in earnest prayer for him; on which account this week has been styled the week of expectation.

Q.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

WHITSUNDAY.

A FESTIVAL.

WHAT event does the Church this day commemorate ?

A. The Church, in the festival of this day, commemorates the gift of the Holy Ghost, who this day visibly descended upon the apostles."

Q. Does not this festival correspond to the feast of Pentecost among the Jews?

A. The feast of Pentecost among the Jews, instituted in memory of the delivery of the law on mount Sinai, became afterwards distinguished by the descent of the Holy Ghost on the apostles, enabling them to promulgate that spiritual law, which was the perfection and consummation of the law delivered on mount Sinai. This festival, therefore, corresponds to the feast of Pentecost among the Jews; and it has been observed from the very first ages of Christi anity.t

Q. Why was this festival styled Whitsunday?

A. This festival was, perhaps, styled metaphorically WhitSunday, that is White-Sunday, from the diffusion of light which on this day fell on the apostles, and enabled them to become "lights to lighten the world ;" or it was so called, from its being one of the two principal seasons of baptism,

u Acts ii. 2.

* So called from being the fiftieth day after the Passover, wivτnnost ήμερα.

Just, Mar. Tertullian, Origen, bear testimony to its observance.

when all who were baptized wore white garments, in token of the spiritual purity which baptism designated, and the innocence of life to which they then bound themselves.

Q. Why were Easter and Whitsuntide fixed upon as stated seasons of baptism?

A. Easter was appointed as a season for the administration of baptism, in memory of Christ's death and resurrection; corresponding to which are the two parts of the Christian life represented in baptism, dying unto sin, and rising again to newness of life and Whitsuntide was appointed for this purpose, in memory of the baptism of the apostles. with "the Holy Ghost and with fire," and of their having at that time baptized themselves three thousand souls.w

Q. Were infants baptized only at these stated times?

A. Infants and sick persons received baptism at all times ;* the baptism of adults alone was deferred to these stated periods.

Q. Why were adults baptized only at these stated periods? A. These stated times were appointed for the baptism of adult converts, in order that they might be prepared by catechetical instruction, and by the examination of the bishop or presbyter, for receiving this holy sacrament; for which also they prepared themselves by prayer and fasting in the season of Lent.

Q. Explain the psalms appointed for the morning service. A. The psalms for the morning service, are the 48th and 68th. The 48th psalm, under images taken from the earthly Jerusalem, celebrates God's mercy to his spiritual Zion, the Church; which mercy was powerfully displayed this day in the miraculous descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Church, and the conversion of three thousand souls who were added to the Church? The 68th psalm, under the emblem of the removal of the ark to mount Zion, describes Christ's ascension and exaltation, with their blessed consequences, his "giving gifts to men ;" and also describes the conversion of the nations, and the collection and preservation of the Church, by "the company of preachers," who were this day invested with the supernatural powers which enabled them to accomplish this mighty work.

Q. Explain the psalms appointed for the evening service. A. The psalms for the evening service are the 104th and

Matt. iii. 11.

Tertullian de Bap. Orig. in Lev. c. 12. Cyr. Epist. ad Fich

y Acts ii, 41.

w Acts ii. 41.

* Eph. iv, 8.

145th. The 104th psalm, which celebrates the wisdom and power of God in the creation and preservation of the world, is appointed for this day, because many of its expressions refer to the powerful operations of the Holy Ghost, who made "the clouds his chariot, and walketh upon the wings of the wind." "The earth," at first, "trembled at the look of him;" but it was afterwards" renewed by his breath, and filled with the fruits of his works." The 145th is an eucharistic psalm, celebrating the goodness of God, and "the glory of that kingdom" which was this day established in the world by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Q. Explain the lessons, epistle, and gospel for the day. A. The first lesson for the morning (Deut xvi. to ver. 18.) records the appointment of the Jewish Pentecost, which was a type of the Christian Pentecost; for as the law was at this time given to the Jews from mount Sinai, so also was the new evangelical law this day promulgated by the administration of the Holy Ghost. The first lesson for the evening (Isaiah xi.) contains a striking prophecy of the establishment of Christ's kingdom, and the conversion of the Gentiles to the kingdom of Christ, through the inspiration of the apostles by the power of the Holy Ghost. The second lessons (Acts iv. to ver. 36, and Acts xix. to ver. 21.) record the accomplishment of this prophecy, in the miraculous cures which were wrought by the apostles by the power of the Holy Ghost, and in the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Christian converts. The gospel records our Lord's promise of sending the Comforter, and the epistle describes the miraculous descent of the Holy Ghost and its conse

quences.

Q. What are we to believe concerning the Holy Ghost?

A. The Holy Ghost is the third person in the adorable Trinity, distinct from the Father and the Son, and eternally proceeding from both; being called the Spirit of Christ, and the Spirit of the Son, as well as of the Father."

Q. What are the various gifts of the Holy Spirit?

A. All the gifts of the Holy Ghost may be ranged under the following: the apostolical, the ecclesiastical, and the ordinary gifts.*

Q. What were those gifts of the Spirit styled apostolical ?

a Rom. viii. 9. 1 Pet. i. 11. Gal. iv. 6.

See Bishop Horne's excellent sermon, entitle, "The unspeakable Gift" from which the following account of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is principally taken.

A. The gifts of the Spirit styled apostolical, were those conferred by God on the apostles, in order that they might proclaim and establish the Christian faith. For this purpose, they had conferred on them "the word of wisdom,” the revelation of the wisdom of God in the redemption. They had "the word of knowledge," or the gift of understanding the Scriptures which contain and describe this wisdom. They had "faith," to remove all obstacles by miracles, and to give them an invincible confidence and courage. They had the gift of "healing" all diseases by a single word, and the power of working all "miracles," of controling the agency of created nature. They had the gift of "prophecy," to explain things past, and to foretel things future; to preach and pray at all times by the Spirit, till all things were put in order, and the Church services framed and established. They could "discern spirits," and see through all the devices and disguises of Satan at a glance. And they had the gift of "tongues, and their interpretation," by which the same persons were enabled to speak and understand all the languages under heaven, without a moment's labour.

Q. When were these miraculous gifts conferred on the apostles?

A. These miraculous gifts were conferred upon the apostles on the day of Pentecost; when there came suddenly a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the place where they were sitting and there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as of fire, which sat upon each of them.

Q. What doth this sound from heaven represent to us?

A. This sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, was a fit emblem of the divine Spirit, by whose efficacy the Gospel was to have a speedy and unexpected success and it signifies to us, that the promulgation of the Gospel was attended with the same divine presence and power that the giving of the law was, but not with the same circumstances of terror.

Q. What do the cloven tongues represent to us?

A. The cloven tongues, as it were of fire, represent to us not only the gift of various languages conferred on the apostles, to enable them to preach to divers nations, but also the quick and piercing efficacy of their speech.

6 Acts ii. 3.

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