to their Rules, than to those of Jefus Chrift; for then we should not have fo much Malice and Revenge among us. Certain it is, that we are bound to love our Enemies, and if we fincerely do fo, we fhall eafily and heartily pray for them in this excellent Form, which is next to be confidered :

II. The things which we ask in their behalf are two. 1. That God would forgive them, the grievous Sin which they commit in unjustly Hating, perfecuting and flandering us, who have not injured them at all, and this was the Prayer of Chrift, and of St.Steven II. That he would turn their hearts, and not fuffer them to persist in so desperate a wickedness, and this was a Petition of the firft Chriftians (m). And both together do make up a moft perfect Charity, being all that we can beg of God, either for their good, or the demonftration of our fincere affection: For when we confider the greatness of their Crime, and the terror of Gods Judgment upon fuch malicious and mischievous Perfons, what better with can we make for them, than that their Sin, which is paft may be forgiven, fo that they may never fuffer the Divine Vengeance for it, and also that they may have the grace of Repentance, and never commit the like again: And how can we better fhew, that we have forgiven our Enemies, than by defiring, that the Lord alfo may forgive them, being fo far from intending them any harm in this world,that we wish they may not suffer any in the next upon our account. And because we know God will not forgive them, unless they give over their malicious Profecutions, therefore we befeech him alfo to turn their hearts, who can make our Enemies to be at peace with us, Prov.xvi.7.As was evident in the Cafes of

Laban

Laban andEfau,who both purfued Jacob with the higheft refolutions of revenge,yet met with amity and kind embraces: And as Ariftotle, when he fled from Athens to Chalcis, protefted he did it not fo much to fave his own life,as to hinder the Athenians from adding another unjuft Murther to that of Socrates; fo the pious Chriftian may more juftly fay he prays for the turning of his Enemies hearts, not for his own fake but theirs, not fo much to prevent his own danger as their Damnation : And oh how rare a Charity is this to with a Mans Enemy to become a friend to God, and to defire he may be everlastingly happy! It may be this will feem a hard faying to flesh and blood, that we must be hated,perfecutes and flandered, and not at all return evil for evil, but contrariwise pray for them,and with the greatest benefits to those who do all this;but doubtless it is our duty,and will not be fo difficult, if we confider:

I. The Example of Jefus and his Saints, who were more innocent,and more wronged than we can pretend to be, yet they prayed for their Enemies. This was well applyed by Flavianus Bishop of Antioch, who seeing the Emperor Theodofius in a great anger against his Citizens of Antiochia,ufed the very words of our Saviour to him, Father forgive them for they know not what they do, Luke xxiii.34. with which the Emperor was immediately appeased, blushing to differ fo much from the Charity of fo great an Example.

(n) Qui parcit hofii, non cun fummis modo Heroibus conferendus ; fed & Deo fimillimus cenfendus eft. Cicero.

II. Let us confider the noblenefs of this Act, which makes us to be like unto God himself (n), who doth good to his very Enemies; and it makes our Sufferings honourable and glorious, when we bear them with fuch a Patience, and when no evil things can rob us of our Charity.

Part.I. III. We may call to mind, that while we heartily pray for our Foes they cannot really hurt us, our Souls are fafe,while we keep a heart full of Love, we may fuffer but we shall not fin, and so all we endure is a short temporal calamity, which if we thus bear fhall be rewarded with endless Bliss.

Lastly, we may be confident,this will give a happy iffue to all afflictions, for fo generous a Charity will heap coals upon the heads of our Enemies,and melt the moit hoftile humour into Complyance, or else it will fhame them,if they perfift and engage the Almighty to deliver us from their implacable malice; fo that while the angry man by returning evil for evil, incenfeth his Foes, difturbs himself, and difpleafes God, we are taught a much wiser course to which we must resolve to fubmit, and never defift till we can fubdue all our regret and animofities,and fincerely joyn in this bleffed Petition, faying We beseech thee,&c. But there is one remark more that must not be omitted, viz. That we take great care we do not fuffer as Evil doers, 1 Pet.iv. 15. for there are fome who by grievous provocations and injuries make themselves Enemies; fome, who by oppofition to the Laws,by Faction and feditious Principles or Practices, force the higher Powers to punish them, and then call them Perfecutors, and Juftice they term Perfecution (0), as the Donatifts of old, and fome of our modern Sectaries. There are men, who call those Slanderers, who justly reprove them,or represent their real crimes, though with the most innocent and chariad- table defigns: Now thofe men had more need pray to God to forgive themselves, and to turn their own hearts, June rather than those whom they wickedly make, or falfly term their Enemies. And in truth he must be innocent,

*

(0) Non femper culpandus eft qui perfecu tionem facit, nec laudandus qui patitur, Aug. Vicent. ep.48.

as

as well as in Charity,who can rightly make this Petition: He that fuffers unjuftly and for doing fome real good, this man may comfortably feal this Request with his We beseech thee,&c.

5.XXII.at it may please thee to give and preferbe to our use, the kindly fruits of the Earth, lo as in due time we may enjoy them:] We befeech thee,&c.

Having fo largly interceded for others, it is but reafonable we should now be mindful of our felves, and make fome Requefts in our own behalf, which we do in these two laft Petitions, defiring in this Temporal Mercies,and in the next Spiritual for our felves, yet fo as not to exclude our Neighbours. The Original of this Petition may seem to have been that of the Lords Prayer, give us this day our daily Bread, for as there is but one Petition for temporal Supplies there, no more is there here, and as that requeft is only for Bread, that is, for what is abfolutely neceffary, fo the things here asked are not such as minister to Luxury and Excefs, but only to neceffity, even that God will make food to grow out of the Earth, and bless the fruits thereof, which were the first and moft innocent food of Mankind, Gen.i. 28. It being likely, that no flesh or living Creature was eaten for the first 1600 years, till God permitted it to Noah, Gen.ix.3. And afterwards the ftricter fort of Heathens, and their Philofophers, as Porphyry proves,and the feverer Part of Chriftians did ufe no other food, than the fruits of the Earth, and fuch might by this Word comprehend all their food, and pray for the continual Supply thereof but those who make use of that liberty,which the Divine Mercy hath given, and sometimes eat other things, yet cannot live without thefe fruits of the Earth: For which Caufe all the Churches in the World were N

Wont

wont to pray for a bleffing on them, that of St. James

in this manner.

Let us befeech the Lord to give us a temperate Air,gentle showers, refreshing dews, and plenty of all fruits, fo that the year may afford us (tore of all good things, and that the whole year through, there may be abundance of all provifion. Lit.S. Jac.

Be pleased to give us temperate and profitable Weather, grant rain to make the Earth bring forth, and crown the year with thy goodness.Lit.S.Bafil.173

2

(p) Unisms '&κρασίας τῶν αέξων καὶ τελεσφορίας τῶν na sendas Lit.S.Clem. &ita ferè S. Chryfoft.

Pro aeris temperie, & fructuum [abundantials fœcunditate terrarum precamur te, Domine miferere. Offic. Ambrof.

And all other Liturgies do agree to this (p), praying for a feasonable and plentiful year, and a large Encrcafe of the fruits of the Earth and that with fo great an Harmony of Expreffion, as may convince us, that this Part of the Litany is very antient; and doubtlefs ftood here long before it was used in Proceffions through the fields,a Cuftom which is of much later date than this Petition. So that it is probable this request for a bleffing on the fruits of the Earth, made them think in after-times, when there was danger of any Scarcity,it might be profitable to use this, yea all the Litany in Perambulation, that the fight of the fruits in danger might quicken their Devotion: As for the words ufed in this our Form, they are very pious and comprehenlive, acknowledging that God is the Giver and Preferver alfo of all the frutts of the Earth, and accordingly defiring him firft to give them, and then to pzeferve them to our ufe.

Ut fructus terne dane confervare digneris,te rogamus. Brev. Sarisb.

I. It is He,who is the Giver of the fruits of the
Earth,