ninifters a flame of fire. But unto the Son he faith, Thy hrone, O God,is for ever and ever,a fceptre of righteufnefs is the fceptre of thy kingdom. Thou haft loved ighteoufnefs, and hated iniquity, therefore God, even by God hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladnefs aDove thy fellows. And, Thou Lord,in the beginning haft aid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are he works of thine hands. They fhall perish, but thou emaineft; and they all fhall wax old as doth a garment; ind as a vefture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed; but thou art the fame, and thy years fhall ot fail. The Gofpel. S. John 1.1. IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,and the Word was God. The fame was in he beginning with God. All things were made by him, ind without him was not any thing made,that was made. n him was life, and the life was the light of men. And he light fhineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man fent from God, vhofe name was John. The fame came for a witnefs,to bear witnefs of the light, that all men through him night believe. He was not that light, but was fent to >ear witness of that light. That was the true light, vhich lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, und the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the fons of God,even to them that believe on his name: which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh,nor of the will of man,but of God. And the word was made lefh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory. as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace ind truth. S. Ste GR S. Stephens day. Rant, O Lord, that in all our fufferings here upon [earth for the teftimony of thy truth, we may stedfaftly look up to heaven, and by faith behold the glory that fhall be revealed; and being filled with the holy Ghoft, may learn to love and blefs our perfecuters,by the example of thy first Martyr Saint Stephen, who prayed for his murderers to thee, O blessed Jefus, who standest at the right hand of God to fuccour all thofe that fuffer for thee, our only Mediatour and Advocate. Amen. Then fall follow the Collect of the Nativity,which shall be faid continu ally unto New-years Eve. For the Epiftle. Acts 7.55. Sitedfaftly into heaven, and faw the glory of God, and Tephen being full of the holy Ghoft, looked up Jefus ftanding on the right hand of God, and faid, Behold, I fee the heavens opened, and the Son of man ftanding on the right hand of God. Then they cryed out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears,and ran upon him with one accord, and cast him out of the city, and ftoned him; and the witneffes laid down their clothes at a young mans feet whofe name was Saul. And they ftoned Stephen calling upon God,and faying, Lord Jefus receive my fpirit. And he kneeled down,and cryed with a loud voice, Lord,lay not this fin to their charge. And when he had faid this, he fell asleep. The Gofpel. S.Matth. 23.34. Behold, I fend unto you prophets, and wife men,and fcribes; and fome of them ye fhall kill and crucifie; and fome of them fhall ye fcourge in your fynagogues, and perfecute them from city to city;that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel, unto the blood of Zacharias, fon of Barachias, whom ye flew between the temple and the altar. Verily I fay unto you, all thefe things fhall come upon this generation. O Jerufalem, Jerufalem, thou S: Stephen oned Acts :7-1-5558 4 up But he being full of the holy Gost looked Neljaply into Heaven and faw the glory of d. Then they ranne upon him with one accord ete God.v.59 |