occasion to remember, and therefore they were to note that the year is appointed to begin the 25th day of March; a day in which we commemorate the Angel’s appearing to the Blessed Virgin, with the joyful tidings that “she should conceive and bear a son, that should be the Redeemer of mankind.”  And she did so forty weeks after this joyful salutation; namely, at our Christmas:  a day in which we commemorate his Birth with joy and praise:  and that eight days after this happy birth we celebrate his Circumcision; namely, in that which we call New-year’s day.  And that, upon that day which we call Twelfth-day, we commemorate the manifestation of the unsearchable riches of Jesus to the Gentiles:  and that that day we also celebrate the memory of his goodness in sending a star to guide the three Wise Men from the East to Bethlehem, that they might there worship, and present him with their oblations of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  And he—­Mr. Herbert—­instructed them, that Jesus was forty days after his birth presented by his blessed Mother in the Temple; namely, on that day which we call, “The Purification of the Blessed Virgin, Saint Mary.”

[Sidenote:  Other instructions]

And he instructed them, that by the Lent-fast we imitate and commemorate our Saviour’s humiliation in fasting forty days; and that we ought to endeavour to be like him in purity:  and that on Good Friday we commemorate and condole his Crucifixion; and at Easter commemorate his glorious Resurrection.  And he taught them, that after Jesus had manifested himself to his Disciples to be “that Christ that was crucified, dead and buried;” and by his appearing and conversing with his Disciples for the space of forty days after his Resurrection, he then, and not till then, ascended into Heaven in the sight of those Disciples; namely, on that day which we call the Ascension, or Holy Thursday.  And that we then celebrate the performance of the promise which he made to his Disciples at or before his Ascension; namely, “that though he left them, yet he would send them the Holy Ghost to be their Comforter;” and that he did so on that day which the Church calls Whitsunday.—­Thus the Church keeps an historical and circular commemoration of times, as they pass by us; of such times as ought to incline us to occasional praises, for the particular blessings which we do, or might receive, by those holy commemorations.

[Sidenote:  His own practice]

He made them know also why the Church hath appointed Ember-weeks; and to know the reason why the Commandments, and the Epistles and Gospels, were to be read at the Altar or Communion Table:  why the Priest was to pray the Litany kneeling; and why to pray some Collects standing:  and he gave them many other observations, fit for his plain congregation, but not fit for me now to mention; for I must set limits to my pen, and not make that a treatise, which I intended to be a much shorter account than I have made it:  but I have done, when I have told the Reader, that he was constant in catechising every Sunday in the afternoon, and that his catechising was after his Second Lesson, and in the pulpit; and that he never exceeded his half hour, and was always so happy as to have an obedient and a full congregation.