Page images
PDF
EPUB

thy Holy Spirit; Grant us by the fame Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort, through the merits of Chrift Jefu our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the fame Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

W

For the Epiftle. Acts viii. 14.

HEN the Apostles, who were at Jerufalem, heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they fent unto them Peter and John; who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghoft. (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jefus) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghoft.

The Gospel. St John x. 1.

ERILY, verily I fay unto you, He that entereth not

by the door into the fheep-fold, but climbeth up fome other way, the fame is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door, is the fhepherd of the fheep. To him the porter openeth; and the fheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own fheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own fheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him; for they know his voice. And a ftranger will they not follow; but will flee from him; for they know not the voice of ftrangers. This parable Ipake Jefus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he fpake unto them. Then faid Jefus unto them again, Verily, verily I fay unto you, I am the door of the fheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers; but the fheep did not hear them. I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pafture. The thief cometh not but for to fteal, and to kill, and to deftroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Trinity

[ocr errors]

Trinity Sunday.

The Collect.

Lmighty and everlasting God, who haft given unto us thy fervants grace by the confeffion of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of the divine Majefty to worship the Unity; We befeech thee, that thou wouldest keep us ftedfast in this faith, and evermore defend us from all adverfities, who liveft and reigneft one God world without end. Amen.

A

For the Epiftle. Rev. iv. 1.

FTER this I looked, and behold, a door was opened

in heaven and the firft voice which I heard, was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which faid, Come up hither, and I will fhew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was fet in heaven, and one fat on the throne, and he that fat, was, to look upon, like a jafper, and a fardine ftone and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in fight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty feats; and upon the feats I faw four and twenty elders fitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on, their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings, and thunderings, and voices. And there were feven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the feven fpirits of God. And before the throne there was a fea of glafs, like unto cryftal: and in the midit of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts

PARAPHRASE.

On the COLLECT for Trinity-Sunday.

O omnipotent and everlasting God, who by the affiftance of thy divine grace, haft enabled us to keep clear of all heretical opinions, and to profefs the catholic faith in acknowledging both unity and triplicity in the divine effence; we beseech thee to make us adhere fedfaftly to this faith, alfo to defend us from all fpiritual and temporal calamities which may befal us; and this favour we earnestly request of thee, O thou that liveft and reigneft one God, notwithstanding the diverfity of perfons in thy effence, to all eternity. Amen.

full

full of eyes before and behind. And, the first beaft was like a lion, and the fecond beast like a calf, and the third beaft had a face as a man, and the fourth beaft was like a flying eagle. And the four beafts had each of them fix wings about him, and they were full of eyes within, and they reit not day and night, faying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. And when thofe beafts give glory, and honour, and thanks to him that fat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down before him that fat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and calt their crowns before the throne, faying, Thou art wor thy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power; for thou haft created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created.

TH

The Gospel. St John iii. 1.

HERE was a man of the Pharifees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. The fame came to Jefus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do thefe miracles that thou doft, except God be with him. Jefus anfwered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I fay unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot fee the kingdom of God. Nicodemus faith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the fecond time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jefus anfwered, Verily, verily, I fay unto thee, Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is fpirit. Marvel not that I faid unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it lifteth, and thou heareft the found thereof; but canft not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; fo is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus anfwered and faid unto him, How can these things be? Jefus anfwered and faid unto him, Art thou a mafter of Ifrael, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily I fay unto thee, We speak that we to know, and teftiry that we have feen, and ye receive not

[ocr errors]

our

our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how fhall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath afcended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man, who is in heaven. And as Mofes lifted up the ferpent in the wildernefs; even fo muft the Son of man be lifted up: that whofoever believeth in him, fhould not perish, but have eternal life.

The first Sunday after Trinity.

The Collect.

God, the ftrength of all them that put their truft in

all

trust thee; Mercifully accept our prayers: and because through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do no good thing without thee, grant us the help of thy grace, that in keeping thy commandments we may please thee both in will and deed, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen,

The Epistle. I St John iv. 7.

Eloved, let us love one another; for love is of God,

and every one that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifefted the love of God towards us, because that God fent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and fent his Son to be the propitiation for our fins. Beloved, if God fo loved us

PARAPHRASE.

On the COLLECT for the first Sunday after Trinity.

O God, who art a buckler to all that truft in thee, (2 Kings xviii. 20.) favourably hear our prayers, which we in this congregation affembled put up to thee; and becaufe the frailty of our human nature renders us incapable of doing any good without thy heavenly aid, we beseech thee to afford us fuch an ample portion of thy grace, as may enable us to please thee by an uniform obedience to all thy commands, not only by abstain! ing from vicious actions and by doing all the good that lies in our power but by avoiding all unlawful thoughts and defires; and this favour w beg for the fake of Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

WO

we ought alfo to love one another. No man hath feen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have feen, and do teftify, that the Father fent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whofoever fhall confefs that Jefus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, fo are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love cafteth out fear; because fear hath torment: He that feareth, is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother, whom he hath seen, how can he love God, whom he hath not feen? And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God, love his brother alfo.

The Gospel. St Luke xvi. 19.

THERE was

[ocr errors]

in

HERE was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared fumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, who was laid at his gate full of fores; and defiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover, the dogs came and licked his fores. And it came to pafs, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bofom: the rich man alfo died, and was buried. And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and feeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bofom. And he ried, and faid, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and end Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, nd cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham faid, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime ceivedit thy good things, and likewife Lazarus evil things: ut now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And cfides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf

« PreviousContinue »