ceive the very elect. Behold, I fore so run, not as uncertainly; so have told you before. Wherefore, fight I, not as one that beateth the if they shall say unto you, Behold, air: But I keep under my body, he is in the desert; go not forth: and bring it into subjection, lest behold, he is in the secret cham-that by any means, when I have bers; believe it not. For as the preached to others, I myself should lightning cometh out of the east, be a cast-away. The Gospel. St. Matt. xx. 1. THE kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an house a and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be holder, which went out early in the gathered together. Immediately morning to hire labourers into his after the tribulation of those days, vineyard. And when he had agreed shall the sun be darkened, and the with the labourers for a penny moon shall not give her light, and day, he sent them into his vineyard. the stars shall fall from heaven, And he went out about the third and the powers of the heavens shall hour, and saw others standing idle be shaken. And then shall ap- in the market-place, and said unto pear the sign of the Son of man them, Go ye also into the vineyard, in heaven; and then shall all the and whatsoever is right I will give tribes of the earth mourn, and they you. And they went their way. shall see the Son of man coming Again he went out about the sixth in the clouds of heaven, with pow- and ninth hour, and did likewise. er and great glory. And he shall And about the eleventh hour he send his angels with a great sound went out, and found others standof a trumpet, and they shall gather ing idle, and saith unto them, Why together his elect from the four stand ye here all the day idle? They winds, from one end of heaven to say unto him, Because no man hath the other. hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his stew OLORD we beseech thee fa-ard, Call the labourers, and give vourably to hear the prayers them their hire, beginning from the of thy people, that we, who are last unto the first. And when they justly punished for our offences, came, that were hired about the may be mercifully delivered by thy eleventh hour, they received every goodness, for the glory of thy name, man a penny. But when the first through Jesus Christ our Saviour, came, they supposed that they who liveth and reigneth with thee should have received more; and and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, they likewise received every man a world without end. Amen. penny. And when they had receivThe Epistle. 1 Cor. ix. 24. ed it, they murmured against the NOW ye not, that they which good man of the house, saying, run in a race, run all, but one These last have wrought but one receiveth the prize? So run, that hour, and thou hast made them ye may obtain. And every man equal unto us, which have borne that striveth for the mastery, is the burden and heat of the day. But temperate in all things. Now they he answered one of them, and said, do it to obtain a corruptible crown, Friend, I do thee no wrong; didst but we an incorruptible. I there- not thou agree with me for a pen K ny? Take that thine is, and go thy in cold and nakedness; besides way; I will give unto this last even those things that are without, that as unto thee. Is it not lawful for which cometh upon me daily, the me to do what I will with mine care of all the Churches. Who is own? Is thine eye evil, because I weak, and I am not weak ? who is am good? So the last shall be first, offended, and I burn not ? If I must and the first last; for many be needs glory, I will glory of the called, but few chosen. The Sunday called Sexagesima, or the second Sunday before Lent. 0 The Collect. things which concern mine infirmities. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I he not. The Gospel. St. Luke viii. 4. much people gathered together, and WHEN were were LORD God, who seest that we put not our trust in any thing that we do; mercifully grant that by thy power we may be come to him out of every city, he defended against all adversity, spake by a parable: A sower went through Jesus Christ our Lord. out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell by the way-side, and Amen. The Epistle. 2 Cor. xi. 19. it was trodden down, and the fowls E suffer fools gladly, seeing of the air devoured it; and some Y ye yourselves are wise. For fell upon a rock, and as soon as it ye suffer if a man bring you into was sprung up, it withered away, bondage, if a man devour you, if a because it lacked moisture; and man take of you, if a man exalt him- some fell among thorns, and the self, if a man smite you on the face. thorns sprang up with it, and choakI speak as concerning reproach, ed it; and other fell on good ground, as though we had been weak: how- and sprang up, and bare fruit an beit, whereinsoever any is bold, (I hundred fold. And when he had speak foolishly) I am bold also. said these things, he cried, He that Are they Hebrews? so am I: are hath ears to hear, let him hear. they Israelites? so am I: are they And his disciples asked him, saying, the seed of Abraham? so am I: are What might this parable be? And they ministers of Christ? (I speak he said, Unto you it is given to know as a fool) I am more: In labours the mysteries of the kingdom of more abundant; in stripes above God; but to others in parables: measure; in prisons more frequent; that seeing they might not see, and in deaths oft. Of the Jews five hearing they might not understand. times received I forty stripes save Now the parable is this: the seed one; thrice was I beaten with rods; is the word of God. Those by the once was I stoned; thrice I suffer- way-side are they that hear; then ed shipwreck; a night and a day I cometh the devil, and taketh away have been in the deep; in jour- the word out of their hearts, lest neyings often; in perils of waters; they should believe and be saved. in perils of robbers; in perils by They on the rock are they, which, mine own countrymen; in perils when they hear, receive the word by the heathen; in perils in the with joy; and these have no root, city; in perils in the wilderness; in which for a while believe, and in perils in the sea; in perils among time of temptation fall away. And false brethren; in weariness and that which fell among thorns are painfulness; in watchings often; in they, which, when they have heard, hunger and thirst; in fastings often; go forth, and are choaked with cares, and riches, and pleasures of shall vanish away. For we know this life, and bring no fruit to per- in part, and we prophesy in part. fection. But that on the good But when that which is perfect is ground are they, which, in an come, then that which is in part honest and good heart, having shall be done away. When I was heard the word, keep it, and bring a child, I spake as a child, I unforth fruit with patience. derstood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, The Sunday called Quinquagesi- I put away childish things. For ma, or the next Sunday before now we see through a glass dark Lent. 0 The Collect. ly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of LORD, who hast taught us that all our doings without charity are nothing worth; send thy Holy Ghost, and pour into our these is charity. hearts that most excellent gift of The Gospel. St. Luke xviii. 31. charity, the very bond of peace, HEN Je Tesus took unto him the and of all virtues; without which, THEN twelve, and said unto them, whosoever liveth is counted dead Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, before thee: Grant this for thine and all things that are written by only Son Jesus Christ's sake. the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For Amen. The Epistle. 1 Cor. xiii. 1. he shall be delivered unto the HOUGH I speak with the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and T tongues of men and of angels, spitefully entreated, and spitted and have not charity, I am become on: And they shall scourge him, as sounding brass or a tinkling cym- and put him to death; and the third bal: And though I have the gift of day he shall rise again. And they prophecy, and understand all mys-understood none of these things : teries, and all knowledge; and and this saying was hid from them, though I have all faith, so that I neither knew they the things which could remove mountains, and have were spoken. And it came to pass, not charity, I am nothing. And that as he was come nigh unto Jethough I bestow all my goods to richo, a certain blind man sat by the feed the poor, and though I give way-side begging; and hearing the my body to be burned, and have multitude pass by, he asked what not charity, it profiteth me nothing. it meant. And they told him, that Charity suffering long, and is kind; Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. And charity envieth not; charity vaunt-he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son eth not itself; is not puffed up; of David, have mercy on me. And doth not behave itself unseemly; they which went before rebuked seeketh not her own; is not easily him, that he should hold his peace; provoked; thinketh no evil; re- but he cried so much the more, joiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth Thou Son of David, have mercy in the truth; beareth all things, be- on me. And Jesus stood, and comlieveth all things, hopeth all things, manded him to be brought unto endureth all things. Charity never him: and when he was come near, faileth: but whether there be pro- he asked him, saying, What wilt phecies, they shall fail; whether thou that I should do unto thee? there be tongues, they shall cease; And he said, Lord, that I may rewhether there be knowledge, it ceive my sight. And Jesus said D unto him, Receive thy sight; thy knowledge our vileness, and truly faith hath saved thee. And imme- repent us of our faults; and so make diately he received his sight, and haste to help us in this world, that followed him, glorifying God: and we may ever live with thee in the all the people, when they saw it, world to come, through Jesus Christ gave praise unto God. The first Day of Lent, commonly our Lord. Amen. Then shall the people say this that followeth, af ter the Minister. TURN NURN thou us, O good Lord, shall we be turned. Be O Lord, be favourable ALMIGHTY and everlasting favourable, who hatest nothing to thy people, who turn to thee in thou hast made, and dost forgive weeping, fasting and praying. For the sins of all those who are peni- thou art a merciful God, full of tent; create and make in us new compassion, long suffering, and of and contrite hearts, that we, wor- great pity. Thou sparest when thily lamenting our sins and ac-we deserve punishment, and in thy knowledging our wretchedness, wrath thinkest upon mercy. Spare may obtain of thee, the God of all thy people, good Lord, spare them; mercy, perfect remission and for- and let not thine heritage be brought giveness, through Jesus Christ our to confusion. Hear us, O Lord, for Lord. Amen. thy mercy is great; and after the This Collect is to be read every day in Lent, af- multitude of thy mercies look upon ter the Collect appointed for the day.. At Morning Prayer, the Litany being ended, shall be said the following Prayers, immediately before the general Thanksgiving. OLORD , we beseech thee, mer us, through the merits and mediation of thy blessed Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. For the Epistle. Joel ii. 12. TURN TURN ye even to me, saith the cifully hear our prayers, and spare all those who confess their sins unto thee; that they, whose Lord, with all your heart, and consciences by sin are accused, by with fasting, and with weeping, and thy merciful pardon may be ab- with mourning. And rend your solved, through Christ our Lord. heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for Amen. 0 MOST mighty God, and mer- he is gracious and merciful, slow to ciful Father, who hast com- anger, and of great kindness, and passion upon all men, and hatest repenteth him of the evil. Who nothing that thou hast made; who knoweth if he will return, and rewouldest not the death of a sinner, pent, and leave a blessing behind but rather that he should turn from him, even a meat-offering and a his sin, and be saved; mercifully drink-offering unto the Lord your forgive us our trespasses; receive God? Blow the trumpet in Zion, and comfort us, who are grieved sanctify a fast, call a solemn assemand wearied with the burden of our bly, gather the people, sanctify the sins. Thy property is always to congregation, assemble the elders, have mercy; to thee only it apper- gather the children and those that taineth to forgive sins: spare us suck the breasts; let the bridetherefore, good Lord, spare thy groom go forth of his chamber, and people, whom thou hast redeemed: the bride out of her closet; let the enter not into judgment with thy priests, the ministers of the Lord, servants, who are vile earth, and weep between the porch and the miserable sinners; but so turn thine altar, and let them say, Spare thy anger from us, who meekly ac- people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the hea- in much patience, in afflictions, in then should rule over them: where- necessities, in distresses, in stripes, fore should they say among the in imprisonments, in tumults, in people, Where is their God? labours, in watchings, in fastings; The Gospel. St. Matt. vi. 16. by pureness, by knowledge, by longWHEN Y fast, be not as the suffering, by kindness, by the Holy hypocrites, of a sad counte- Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the nance: for they disfigure their faces, word of truth, by the power of God, that they may appear unto men to by the armour of righteousness on fast. Verily I say unto you, they the right hand and on the left, by have their reward. But thou, when honour and dishonour, by evil rethou fastest, anoint thine head, and port and good report; as deceivers, wash thy face, that thou appear not and yet true; as unknown, and yet unto men to fast, but unto thy Fa- well known; as dying, and behold ther which is in secret; and thy we live; as chastened, and not Father which seeth in secret, shall killed; as sorrowful, yet alway rereward thee openly. Lay not up joicing; as poor, yet making many for yourselves treasures upon earth, rich; as having nothing, and yet where moth and rust doth corrupt, possessing all things. T and where thieves break through The Gospel. St. Matt. iv. 1. and steal: But lay up for yourselves HEN was Jesus led up of the treasures in heaven, where neither spirit into the wilderness, to moth nor rust doth corrupt, and be tempted of the devil: And when where thieves do not break through he had fasted forty days and forty nor steal: For where your treasure nights, he was afterward an hunis, there will your heart be also. gered. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered written, Man shall and said, It is The first Sunday in Lent. The Collect. LORD, who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights; not live by bread alone, but by give us grace to use such abstinence, every word that proceedeth out of that our flesh being subdued to the the mouth of God. Then the devil Spirit, we may ever obey thy godly taketh him up into the holy city, motions in righteousness and true and setteth him on a pinnacle of holiness, to thy honour and glory, the temple, and saith unto him, If who livest and reignest with the thou be the Son of God, cast thyFather and the Holy Ghost, one self down; for it is written, He God, world without end. Amen. shall give his angels charge conThe Epistle. 2 Cor. vi. 1. cerning thee; and in their hands E then, as workers together they shall bear thee up, lest at any with him, beseech you also, time thou dash thy foot against a that ye receive not the grace of God stone. Jesus said unto him, It is in vain: (For he saith, I have heard written again, Thou shalt not thee in a time accepted, and in the tempt the Lord thy God. Again day of salvation have I succoured the devil taketh him up into an thee: behold, now is the accepted exceeding high mountain, and time; behold, now is the day of showeth him all the kingdoms of salvation) giving no offence in any the world, and the glory of them; thing, that the ministry be not and saith unto him, All these things blamed; but in all things approving will I give thee, if thou wilt fall qurselves as the ministers of God, down and worship me. Then saith WE |