number of the twelve apostles; Grant that thy Church being alway preserved from falfe Apoftles, may be ordered and guided by faithful and true pastors, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen. For the Epistle. Acts 1. 15. N those days Peter ftood up in the midst of the difciples, and faid, (The number of the names together were about an hundred and twenty) Men and brethren, this Scripture muft needs have been fulfilled, which the holy Ghoft by the mouth of David fpake before concerning Judas, who was guide to them that took Jefus : for he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this miniftry. Now this man purchafed a field with the reward of iniquity, and falling headlong he burst asunder in the midft, and all his bowels gushed out. And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerufalem, infomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to fay, The field of blood. For it is written in the book of Pfalms, Let his habitation be defolate, and let no man dwell therein; and his Bishoprick let another take. Wherefore of thefe men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jefus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptifm of John unto that fame day that he was taken up from us, muft one be ordained to be a witnefs with us of his refurrection, And they appointed two, Jofeph called Barfabas, who was furnamed Juftus, and Matthias. And they prayed, and faid, Thou, Lord, which knoweft the hearts of all men, fhew whether of these two thou haft chosen : that he may take part of this miniftry and PARAPHRASE. On the COLLECT for St Matthias's Day O almighty God, who by thy divine power did direct the lot, whereby Matthias was elected one of the apostles, in the room of Judas Iscariot, who had forfeited it, by betraying his master; we humbly befeech thee, that thou wouldeft, by thy good Providence, order that all falfe teachers be kept out of the church, that they may not mislead the faithful by falfe doctrine, but that it may be always under the care of worthy and orthodox minifters; this we beg for the fake of our blessed Saviour Jefus Chrift. Amen. PARA apostleship, from which Judas by tranfgreffion fell, that he might go to his own place. And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven Apostles. The Gospel. St Matth. xi. 25, A T that time Jefus answered and faid, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wife and prudent, and haft revealed them unto babes. Even fo, Father, for fo it seemed good in thy fight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father and no man knoweth the Son but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, fave the Son, and he to whom foever the Son will reveal him. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy leaden, and I will give you reft. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye fhall find reft unto your fouls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. The Annunciation of the bleed Virgin Mary. The Collect. WE E beseech thee, O Lord, pour thy grace into our hearts, that as we have known the Incarnation of thy Son Jefus Chrift by the meffage of an angel; fo by his crofs and paffion we may be brought unto the glory of his refurrection, through the fame Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen. PARAPHRASE. On the COLLECT for the Annunciation of the bleed Virgin Mary. O Lord, we humbly pray that thou wouldest be pleased to pour such a portion of grace into our hearts, that whereas thou hast thought proper to inake known the incarnation of thy Son Jefus Christ, by fending an holy angel to the bleffed Virgin, fo we may yield fuch an obedience to thy commands, that we may, through the merits of his crofs and paffion, obtain that everlasting glory which his refurrection hath given us good grounds to hope for; which we ardently pray for the fake of the fame Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen. For For the Epiftle. Isaiah vii. 10. More Oreover the Lord fpake again unto Ahaz, faying, Afk thee a fign of the Lord thy God; afk it either in the depth, or in the height above. But Ahaz faid, I will not afk, neither will I tempt the Lord. And he faid, Hear ye now, O house of David, Is it a fmall thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God alfo? Therefore the Lord himself fhall give you a fign, Behold, a virgin fhall conceive and bear a Son, and fhall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey fhall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. The Gospel. St Luke i. 26. A ND in the fixth month the angel Gabriel was fent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin efpoused to a man, whofe name was Jofeph, of the houfe of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and faid, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee; bleffed art thou among women. And when she saw him, fhe was troubled at his faying, and caft in her mind what manner of falutation this fhould be. And the angel faid unto her, Fear not, Mary; for thou haft found favour with God. And behold, thou fhalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and fhalt call his name Jefus. He fhall be great, and fhall be called the Son of the Higheft; and the Lord God fhall give unto him the throne of his father David. And he hall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there fhall be no end. Then faid Mary unto the angel, How fhall this be, feeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and faid unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest fhall overfhadow thee: therefore alio that holy thing which fhall be born of thee, fhall be called the Son of God. And behold, thy cousin Elifabeth, fhe hath alfo conceived a fon in her old age; and this is the fixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing fhall be impoffible. And Mary faid, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. Saint Saint Mark's Day. The Collett. O Almighty God, who haft inftructed thy holy Church with the heavenly doctrine of thy Evangelift Saint Mark; Give us grace, that being not like children carried away with every blast of vain doctrine, we may be established in the truth of thy holy Gofpel, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen. The Epiftle. Ephef. iv. 7. UNT NTO every one of us is given grace, according to the measure of the gift of Chrift. Wherefore he saith, When he afcended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he afcended, what is it but that he alfo defcended firft into the lower parts of the earth? He that defcended is the fame alfo that afcended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things) And he gave fome apostles, and fome prophets, and fome evangelifts, and fome paftors and teachers; for the perfecting of the faints, for the work of the miniftry, for the edifying of the body of Chrift; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the meafure of the ftature of the fulness of Chrift; that we henceforth be no more children toffed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the fleight of men, and cunning craftinefs, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but fpeaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Chrift: From whom the whole body fitly joined together, and compacted PARAPHRASE. On the COLLECT for St Mark's Day. O almighty God, who out of thy great mercy haft thought proper to enlighten thy church by thofe divine truths and doctrines contained in the gofpel written by the evangelift St Mark, we beseech thee to grant us thy grace, that our belief of thofe facred truths may be founded upon fo firm a foundation, that we be not like children toffed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, (Ephef. iv. 14.) but that we may be established in the prefent truth, (2 Pet. i. 12.) which is revealed unto us by the gofpel; and this we pray for Jefus Chrift his fake. Amen. PARA by that which every joint fupplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body, unto the edifying of itself in love. The Gofpel. St John xv. 1. I Am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have fpoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the fame bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is caft forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and caft them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye fhall afk what ye will, and it fhall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; fo fhall ye be my difciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you; continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye fhall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. Saint Philip and Saint James's Day. Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlafting PARAPHRASE. On the COLLECT for St Philip and St James's Day. Omnipotent Creator who being the only true God, it is eternal life to know thee, (John xvii. 3.) enable us by thy grace to acquire a perfect knowledge of the admirable pattern which our blessed Lord hath left us in this world, and caufe us always to acknowledge him to be the way, the truthy |