Sunday before Lent.

The Collect

Lord, we beseech thee favourably to hear the prayers of thy people, that we, who are justly punished for our offences, may be mercifully delivered by thy goodnefs for the glory of thy Name, through Jefus Chrift our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

The Epiftle. 1 Cor.9.24.

Now ye not that theywhich run in a race,run all,but one receiveth the prize?So run that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the maftery, is temperate in all things: Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown,but we an incorruptible.I therefore fo run,no: as uncertainly; fo fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into fubjection, left that by any means when I have preached to others, I my felf fhould be a caft-away..

TH

The Gofpel. S. Matth.20.1.

"He kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an houfholder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a peny a day, he fent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and faw others standing idle in the marketplace, and faid unto them, Go ye alfo into the vineyard, and whatfoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the fixth and ninth hour, and did likewife. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others ftanding idle,and faith unto them, Why ftand ye here all the day idle? They fay unto him,Because no man hath hired us. Je faith unto them, Go ye alfo into the vineyard, and whatloever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the Lord of the vineyard faith untol

his fteward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the laft unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour,they received every mana peny. But when the first came, they fuppofed that they should have received more; and they likewife received every man a peny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the houfe, faying, Thefe last have wrought but one hour,and thou haft made them equal unto us,which have born the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them,and faid,Friend, I do thee no wrong:did not thou agree with me for a peny?take that thine is,and go thy way:I will give unto this laft even as unto thee.Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?ls thine eye evil,because I am good?So the laft fhall be first, and the firft laft: for many be called,but few chosen.

The Sunday called Sexagefima,or the fecond Sunday before The Collect.

Lent.

O Lord God, who feeft that we put not our trust in any thing that we do; Mercifully grant that by thy power we may be defended against all adversity, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

The Epiftle, 2 Cor. 11. 19,

E fuffer fools gladly, feing ye your felves are wife. For ye fuffer if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himfelf, if a man finite you on the face. I fpeak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak: howbeit, whereinfoever any is bold (I speak foolishly) I am bold alfo. Are they Hebrews? fo am I : are they Ifraelites? fo am I are they the feed of Abraham? fo am1 are they minifters of Chrift? (Ifpeak as a fool) I am more in labours more abundant; in ftripes above meafure; in prifons more frequent; in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I fourty ftripes fave

Thrice was I beaten with rods. Once was I ftoned.

Thrice I fuffered fhipwrack. A night and a day I have been in the deep: in journeying often ;. in perils of waters; in perils of robbers; in perils by mine own countreymen; in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city; in perils in the wilderness; in perils in the fea; in perils among falfe brethren, in wearinefs and painfulness; in watchings often, in hunger and thirst,in faftings often, in cold and nakednefs;belides thofe things that are without,that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the Churches. Who is weak,and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? IfI must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. The God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, which is bleffed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.

VV

The Gospel. S. Luke 8. 4.

Hen much people were gathered together,and were come to him out of every city,he fpake by a parable, A fower went out to fow his feed: and as he fowed, fome fell by the way-fide, and it was troden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And fome fell upon a rock,and as foon as it was fprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And fome fell among thorns, and the thorns fprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundred-fold. And when he had faid these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And his difciples asked him, faying, What might this parable be? And he faid, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that feeing they might not fee, and hearing they might not underftand. Now the parable is this; The feed is the word of God. Thofe by the wayfide are they that hear;then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, left they fhould believe and be faved. They on the rock,are they, which when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in t

temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns, are they,which when they have heard,go forth, and are choked with cares and riches, and pleafures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground,are they, which in an honeft and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience..

The Sunday called Quinquagefima, or the next
Sunday before Lent.

The Collect.

Lord, who haft taught us that all our doings with out charity are nothing worth, Send thy holy Ghoft, and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity, the very bond of peace and of all vertues, without which whofoever liveth is counted dead before thee. Grant this for thine only Son Jefus Chrifts fake Amen.

The Epistle. 1 Cor. 13. 1.

Hough I fpeak with the tongues of men and of angels,and have not charity, I am become as founding brafs, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophefie, and understand all myfteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith,fo that I could remove mountains, and have no charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor,and though I give my body to be burned,and have not cha rity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity fuffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not it felf, is not puffed up, doth not behave it felf unfeemly, feeketh not her own, is not eafily provoked, think eth no evil, rejoyceth not in iniquity, but rejoyceth in the truth; beareth all things,believeth all things,hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophefies,they shall fail, whether there be tongues, they fhall ceafe; whether there be knowledge it fhall vanish away. For we know in part,

and we prophefie in part. But when that which is per fect is come, then that which is in part fhall be done away.When I was a child,I fpake as a child,I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man,I put away childish things.For now we fee through a glafs darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then fhall I know even as alfo I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity,thefe three; but the greatest of these is charity.

The Gospel. S. Luke 18.31.

"Hen Jefus took unto him the twelve, and faid unto them,Behold,we go up to Jerufalem,and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man fhall be accomplished. For he fhall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and fhall be mocked,and fpitefully en treated,and spitted on. And they fhall fcourge him,and put him to death; and the third day he fhall rife again. And they understood none of these things: and this fay ing was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken. And it came to pafs,that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man fat by the way-fide begging:and hearing the multitude pafs by,he asked what it meant. And they told him that Jefus of Nazareth pafleth by. And he cried, faying, Jefus thou fon of David,have mercy on me. And they which went before rebuked him,that he should hold his peace: but The cried fo much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him,faying, What wilt thou that I fhould do unto hee? And he faid, Lord, that I may receive my fight "And Jefus faid unto him, Receive thy fight; thy faith nath faved thee. And immediatly he received his fight and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people when they faw it, gave praife unto God.