Wherefore, if they fhall fay unto you, Behold, he is in the defart, go not forth: behold, he is, in the fecret chambers, believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the eaft, and fhineth even unto the weft: fo fhall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wherefoever the carcafe is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of thofe days, fhall the fun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven: and the powers of the heavens fhall be fhaken. And then shall appear the fign of the Son of man in heaven and then fhall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they fhall fee the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he fhall fend his. angels with a great found of a trumpet, and they fhall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The Sunday called Septuagefima, or the third Sunday before Lent.
The Collect.

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

The Epistle. 1 Cor ix. 24.

but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery, is tempe

PARAPHRASE.

On the COLLECT for Septuagefima Sunday.

O Lord, we intreat thee of thy loving kindnefs and mercy, to hear the prayers of thy people, who are now gathered together for thy worship, that we, upon whom thou doft juftly inflict punishments for our numerous tranfgreffions of the law, may, by thy mercy, be delivered from them when thy goodness fhall think it fitting and profitable for us; and this we beg for the fake of our bleffed Saviour Jefus Christ, . Amen.

rate

rate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. I therefore fo run, not as uncertainly; fo fight I, not as one that beateth the air: but I keep under my body, and bring it into fubjection; leit that by any means when I have preached to others, I myself fhould be a caft-away.

The Gospel. St Matt. xx. 1.

TH

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 penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and faw others ftanding idle in the market-place, and faid unto them, Go ye alfo into the vineyard, and whatsoever 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. He faith unto them, Go ye alfo into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right that fhall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard faith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the laft unto the firft. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they fuppofed that they fhould have received more; and they likewife received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the good-man of the house, faying, Thele laft have wrought but one hour, and thou haft made them equal unto us which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and faid, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didft not thou agree with me for a penny? 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? Is thine eye evil because I am good? So the last fhall be firft, and the first laft: for many be called, but few chofen.

The

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

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

The Epistle. 2 Cor. xi. 19.

YE

E fuffer fools gladly, feeing ye yourfelves 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 fmite you on the face. I fpeak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak, howbeit, whereinfoever any is bold (I fpeak foolishly) I am bold also. Are they Hebrews? fo am I are they Ifraelites? fo am I: are they the feed of Abraham? fo am I: are they ministers. of Chrift? (I fpeak as a fool) I am more: in labours more abundant in ftripes above measure; in prifons more frequent; in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty ftripes fave one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, Once was I ftoned, Thrice I fuffered fhipwreck; 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 countrymen; 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 weariness and painfulness; in watchings often; in hunger and thirst; in faftings often; in cold and nakedness; befides thofe things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the

PARAPHRASE.

On the COLLECT for the fecond Sunday before Lent.

O Lord, who doft penetrate the fecrets of all mens hearts, and feeft that we do not rely on any thing that we are able to do of, or for our felves, confidering our frail nature and the weakness of our abilities, mercifully grant that we may be defended by thy Almighty power from all adverficies, fpiritual and temporal, which may befall us; and this we beg for the fake of Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

churches.

churches. Who is weak and I am not weak? who is offended and I burn not? If I 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.

The Gospel. St Luke viii. 4.

WH

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 fprung up with it and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and fprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had laid 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 myfteries of the Kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that feeing they might not fee, and hearing they might not understand. Now the parable is this: The feed is the Word of God. Those by the way-side are they that hear: then cometh the devil, and taketh away the Word qut of their hearts, left they should 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 time of 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 hait taught us, that all our doings without charity are nothing worth, Send thy Holy Ghoft, and

pour

pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity, the very bond of peace, and of all virtues; without which, whofoever liveth is counted dead before thee. Grant this for thine only Son Jefus Chrift's fake. Amen.

The Epifle. 1 Cor. xiii. 1.

TH

HOUGH I fpeak with the tongues of men, and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as founding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all myfteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, fo that I could remove mountains, and have not 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 charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity fuffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unfeemly, feeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth: beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth ́all things. Charity never faileth but whether there be prophecies, they fhall fail'; whether there be tongues, they hall ceafe; whether there be knowledge, it fhall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophefy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part fhall be done away. When I was a child, I spake 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.

PARAPHRA

S E.

On the COLLECT for the Sunday before Lent.

O Lord, who batt taught us, that our bet actions, if we have not charity, profit us nothing, (1 Cor. xiii. 2.) pour into our hearts that excellent gift of thy holy fpirit, which is the bond of peace and of perfection, without which, every one is dead whilst he liveth, (1 Tim. v. 6-) grant this for the fake of thy only begotten Son Jefus Chrit. Amen.

R

PARA