great multitude spread their gar-ry of God. Now I say, that Jements in the way; others cut down sus Christ was a minister of the branches from the trees, and straw-circumcision, for the truth of God, ed them in the way. And the to confirm the promises made unmultitudes that went before, and to the fathers: And that the Genthat followed, cried, saying, Ho-tiles might glorify God for his sanna to the Son of David: bless- mercy; as it is written, For this ed is he that cometh in the name cause I will confess to thee among of the Lord; Hosanna in the high-the Gentiles, and sing unto thy est. And when he was come into name: And again he saith. ReJerusalem, all the city was moved, joice ye Gentiles, with his people: saying, Who is this? And the mul- And again, Praise the Lord, all ye titude said, This is Jesus the Pro-Gentiles; and laud him, all ye phet of Nazareth of Galilee. And people. And again Esaias saith, Jesus went into the temple of God, There shall be a root of Jesse, and and cast out all them that sold and he that shall rise to reign over the bought in the temple, and over- Gentiles, in him shall the Gentiles threw the tables of the money-trust. Now the God of hope fill changers, and the seats of them you with all joy and peace in bethat sold doves, and said unto them, lieving, that ye may abound in It is written, My house shall be hope, through the power of the called the house of prayer; but ye Holy Ghost. have made it a den of thieves. The Gospel. St. Luke xxi. 25. in the The second Sunday in Advent. AND there shall be signs LESSED Lord, who hast sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth disB tress of nations, with perplexity; sea and the waves roaring; be written for our learning; grant men's hearts failing them for fear, that we may in such wise hear and for looking after those things them, read, mark, learn, and in- which are coming on the earth; wardly digest them, that by pa- for the powers of heaven shall be tience, and comfort of thy holy shaken. And then shall they see Word, we may embrace, and ever the Son of man coming in a cloud hold fast the blessed hope of ever- with power and great glory. And lasting life, which thou hast given us when these things begin to come in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. to pass, then look up, and lift up The Epistle. Rom. xv. 4. your heads; for your redemption HATSOEVER things were draweth nigh. And he spake to written aforetime, were writ-them a parable, Behold the figten for our learning; that we, tree, and all the trees; when they through patience, and comfort of now shoot forth, ye see and know the Scriptures, might have hope. of your own selves, that summer Now the God of patience and is now nigh at hand. So likewise consolation grant yo you to be like ye, when ye see these things come minded one towards another, ac-to pass, know ye that the kingcording to Christ Jesus: That ye dom of God is nigh at hand. Vemay with one mind and one mouth rily I say unto you, This generaglorify God, even the Father of tion shall not pass away till all be our Lord Jesus Christ. Where- fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall fore receive ye one another, as pass away; but my word shall not Christ also received us, to the glo-pass away. W The third Sunday in Advent. is he whosoever shall not be of- messenger to prepare thy way be- went ye out into the wilderness to fore thee; grant that the Ministers see? A reed shaken with the and Stewards of thy mysteries may wind? But what went ye out for likewise so prepare and make to see? A man clothed in soft raiready thy way, by turning the ment? Behold, they that wear hearts of the disobedient to the soft clothing are in kings' houses. wisdom of the just, that, at thy But what went ye out for to see ? second coming to judge the world, A prophet? yea, I say unto you, we may be found an acceptable and more than a prophet. For people in thy sight, who livest and this is he of whom it is written, Bereignest with the Father and the hold, I send my messenger before Holy Spirit, ever one God, world thy face, which shall prepare thy without end. Amen. The Epistle. 1 Cor. iv. 1. ET a man so account of us, way before thee. The fourth Sunday in Advent. L and Stewards of the mysteries of O LORD, raise up, we pray God. Moreover, it is required in thee, thy power, and come stewards, that a man be found among us, and with great might faithful. But with me it is a very succour us; that whereas, through small thing, that I should be judg- our sins and wickedness, we are ed of you, or of man's judgment: sore let and hindered in running yea, I judge not mine own self. the race that is set before us, thy For I know nothing by myself, yet bountiful grace and mercy may am I not hereby justified; but he speedily help and deliver us, that judgeth me is the Lord. through the satisfaction of thy Therefore judge nothing before Son our Lord: to whom, with the time, until the Lord come, thee and the Holy Ghost, be howho both will bring to light the nour and glory, world without hidden things of darkness, and end. Amen. will make manifest the counsels of The Epistle. Phil. iv. 4. the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. The Gospel. St. Matt. xi. 2. Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, Be careful for nothing; but in he sent two of his disciples, and every thing by prayer and supplisaid unto him, Art thou he that cation, with thanksgiving, let your should come, or do we look for requests be made known unto God. another? Jesus answered and said And the peace of God, which passunto them, Go, and show John eth all understanding, shall keep again those things which ye do your hearts and minds through hear and see: The blind receive Christ Jesus. The Gospel. St. John i. 19. THIS is the record of on John their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel and Levites from Jerusalem to preached to them: And blessed ask him, Who art thou ? And he confessed, and denied not; but whom he hath appointed heir of confessed, I am not the Christ. all things, by whom also he made And they asked him, What then? the worlds; who, being the brightArt thou Elias? And he saith, I ness of his glory, and the express am not. Art thou that Prophet? image of his person, and upholdAnd he answered, No. Then said ing all things by the word of his they unto him, Who art thou? power, when he had by himself that we may give an answer purged our sins, sat down on the to them that sent us: What say- right hand of the Majesty on high; est thou of thyself? He said, being made so much better than I am the voice of one crying in the angels, as he hath by inheritthe wilderness, Make straight the ance obtained a more excellent way of the Lord, as said the pro- name than they. For unto which phet Esaias. And they which of the angels said he at any time, were sent were of the Pharisees. Thou art my Son, this day have And they asked him, and said un- I begotten thee? And again, I will to him, Why baptizest thou then, be to him a Father, and he shall be if thou be not that Christ, nor Eli-to me a Son? And again, when he as, neither that Prophet? John an- bringeth in the first-begotten into swered them, saying, I baptize the world, he saith, And let all with water; but there standeth the angels of God worship him. one among you, whom ye know And of the angels he saith, Who not; he it is, who, coming after maketh his angels spirits, and his me, is preferred before me, whose ministers a flame of fire. But unshoe's latchet I am not worthy to to the Son he saith, Thy throne, O unloose. These things were done God, is for ever and ever; a scepin Bethabara, beyond Jordan, tre of righteousness is the sceptre where John was baptizing. of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved The Nativity of our Lord, or the Birth-day of Christ, commonly called Christmas-day. The Collect. righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of glad ness above thy fellows. And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast A LMIGHTY God, who hast laid the foundation of the earth; given us thy only begotten and the heavens are the works of Son to take our nature upon him, thine hands: they shall perish, but and as at this time to be born of a thou remainest; and they all shall pure Virgin; grant that we, being wax old as doth a garment; and regenerate and made thy children as a vesture shalt thou fold them by adoption and grace, may daily up, and they shall be changed; be renewed by thy Holy Spirit, but thou art the same, and thy through the same our Lord Jesus years shall not fail. Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, God, world without end. ever one Amen. The Epistle. Heb. i. 1. The Gospel. St. John i. 1. N the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with COD, who, at sundry times, God. All things were made by and in divers manners, spake him; and without him was not in time past unto the fathers by any thing made, that was made. the prophets, hath in these last In him was life, and the life was days spoken unto us by his Son, the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the dark-ness of the time was come, God ness comprehended it not. There sent forth his Son, made of a wowas a man sent from God, whose man, made under the law, to rename was John: The same came deem them that were under the for a witness, to bear witness of law, that we might receive the the light, that all men through him adoption of sons. And, because might believe. He was not that ye are sons, God hath sent forth light, but was sent to bear wit- the Spirit of his Son into your ness of that light. That was the hearts, crying, Abba, Father. true light, which lighteth every Wherefore thou art no more a serman that cometh into the world. vant, but a son; and if a son, then He was in the world, and the world an heir of God, through Christ. was made by him, and the world The Gospel. St. Matt. i. 18. knew him not. He came unto his HE birth THE of Jesus Christ was own, and his own received him not. on this wise: When as his But as many as received him, to mother Mary was espoused to Jothem gave he power to become the seph, before they came together, sons of God, even to them that be- she was found with child of the lieve on his name: Which were Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her born, not of blood, nor of the will husband, being a just man, and of the flesh, nor of the will of man, not willing to make her a public but of God. And the Word was example, was minded to put her amade flesh, and dwelt among us, way privily. But while he thought (and we beheld his glory, the glo- on these things, behold, the angel ry as of the only begotten of the of the Lord appeared unto him in Father) full of grace and truth. a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto The Sunday after Christmas-day thee Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy A LMIGHTY God, who hast Ghost: And she shall bring forth a given us thy only begotten Son, and thou shalt call his name Son to take our nature upon him, Jesus; for he shall save his people and as at this time to be born of from their sins. Now all this was a pure Virgin; grant that we, be- done, that it might be fulfilled which ing regenerate and made thy chil- was spoken of the Lord by the prodren by adoption and grace, may phet, saying, Behold, a Virgin shall daily be renewed by the Holy Spi- be with child, and shall bring forth rit, through the same our Lord Je-a Son, and they shall call his name sus Christ, who liveth and reign- Emmanuel, which being interpreteth with thee and the same Spirit, ed, is, God with us. Then Joseph, ever one God, world without end. being raised from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, Amen. The Collect. The Epistle. Gal. iv. 1. and took unto him his wife; and say, that the heir, as knew her not till she had brought forth her first-born Son; and he NOW I long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he called his name Jesus. be lord of all; but is under tutors and governors, until the time ap pointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were The Circumcision of Christ. The Collect. LMIGHTY God, whomadest to be circum in bondage under the elements A thy blessed Son of the world; but when the ful-cised, and obedient to the law for man; grant us the true circum- And when they had seen it, they cision of the Spirit, that, our made known abroad the saying hearts and all our members being which was told them concerning mortified from all worldly and car- this child. And all they that heard nal lusts, we may in all things it wondered at those things which obey thy blessed will, through the were told them by the shepherds. same thy Son Jesus Christ our But Mary kept all these things, Lord. Amen. and pondered them in her heart. B The Epistle. Rom. iv. 8. And the shepherds returned, gloriLESSED is the man to whom fying and praising God for all the the Lord will not impute sin. things that they had heard and Cometh this blessedness then upon seen, as it was told unto them. the circumcision only, or upon the And when eight days were acuncircumcision also? For we say, complished for the circumcising that faith was reckoned to Abra- of the child, his name was called ham for righteousness. How was JESUS, which was so named of it then reckoned? when he was the angel before he was conceived in circumcision or in uncircum- in the womb. The same Collect, Epistle, and Gospel shall serve for every day after, unto the Epiphany. cision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. And he received the sign of circumcision, a The Epiphany, or the Manifesta tion of Christ to the Gentiles. The Collect. leading of GOD, who by the seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had, yet being uncircumcised; that he might be the father them that believe, though they be not circumcised; begotten Son to the Gentiles; merthat righteousness might be im-cifully grant that we, who know puted unto them also: And the fa- thee now by faith, may after this ther of circumcision to them who life have the fruition of thy glorious are not of the circumcision only, Godhead, through Jesus Christ our but also walk in the steps of that Lord. Amen. faith of our father Abraham, which The Epistle. Ephes. iii. 1. he had, being yet uncircumcised. FOR this cause, I Paul, the priFor the promise, that he should be soner of Jesus Christ for you the heir of the world, was not to Gentiles; if ye have heard of the Abraham, or to his seed, through dispensation of the grace of God, the law, but through the righteous- which is given me to you-ward: ness of faith. For if they which How that by revelation he made are of the law be heirs, faith is known unto me the mystery (as I made void, and the promise made wrote afore in few words, whereof none effect. ⚫by, when ye read, ye may underThe Gospel. St. Luke ii. 15. stand my knowledge in the mysND it came to pass, as the tery of Christ) which in other ages angels were gone away from was not made known unto the them into heaven, the shepherds sons of men, as it is now revealed said one to another, Let us now unto his holy Apostles and Progo even unto Bethlehem, and see phets by the Spirit; that the Genthis thing which is come to pass, tiles should be fellow-heirs, and of which the Lord hath made known the same body, and partakers of unto us. And they came with his promise in Christ, by the Goshaste, and found Mary and Joseph, pel: whereof I was made a minisand the babe lying in a manger. ter, according to the gift of the A |