art thou? that we may give an | answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that Prophet? John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not: He it is who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. TOC The Nativity of our Lord, or the The Collect. ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure Virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption grace, may daily be rebenewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen. and be The Epistle. Hebrews i. 1. GOD, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? And again, when he bringeth in the first-begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom: Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath a nointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. And, Thou, Lord, in the beginthe earth; and the heavens are ning hast laid the foundation of the works of thine hands: they shall perish, but thou remainas doth a garment; and as a est; and they all shall wax old vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed; but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. The Gospel. St. John i. 1. IN the beginning was the Word, was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the be ginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and 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 sons 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 flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth. Saint Stephen's Day. GRANT, O Lord, that, in all our sufferings here upon earth for the testimony of thy truth, we may stedfastly look up to heaven, and by faith behold the glory that shall be revealed; and, being filled with the holy Ghost, may learn to love and bless our persecutors by the example of thy first Martyr Saint Stephen, who prayed for his murderers to thee, O blessed Jesus, who standest at the right hand of God to succour all those that suffer for thee, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen. Then shall follow the Collect of the Nativity, which shall be said continually unto New-year's Eve. For the Epistle. Acts vii. 55. STEPHEN, being full of the holy Ghost, looked up sted fastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus stand ing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the hea vens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, and cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. The Gospel. St. Matt. xxiii. 34 BEHOLD, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and per secute them from city to city; upon that upon you may come all the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the I say unto you, All these things temple and the altar. Verily shall come upon this genera tion. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are would I have gathered thy chil sent unto thee; how often dren together, even as a hel gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me hence રક્ત ads nds here Go forth, till ye shall say, Blessed | forgive us our sins, and to cleanse Saint John the Evangelist's Day. MERCIFUL Lord, we beseech thee to cast thy bright beams of light upon thy Church, that it being enlightened by the doctrine of thy blessed Apostle and Evangelist Saint John may et so walk in the light of thy truth, that it may at length attain to er the light of everlasting life; thro' et, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. The Epistle. 1 St. John i. 1. THAT which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handied of the word of life; (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and urt shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye and also may have fellowship with tos; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his ed Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that The Gospel. St. John xxi. 19. JESUS said unto Peter, Follow me. Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, That that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till come, what is that to thee? This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which should be written every one, I Jesus did, the which if they suppose, that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. The Innocents' Day. Almighty God, who out of babes and sucklings hast ordained strength, and madest infants to glorify thee by their deaths; Mortify and kill all vices in us, and se strengthen us by thy grace, that the innocency of our lives, and constancy of our faith even unto death, we may glorify thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. For the Epistle. Rev. xiv. 1. Looked, and lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and wit him an hundred forty and four | wise men. Then was fulfilled thousand, having his Father's that which was spoken by JereName written in their foreheads. my the prophet, saying, In RaAnd I heard a voice from hea- ma was there a voice heard, laven, as the voice of many wa- mentation, and weeping, and ters, and as the voice of a great great mourning, Rachel weep. thunder: and I heard the voice ing for her children, and would of harpers harping with their not be comforted, because they harps: and they sung as it were a new song before the throne, are not. and before the four beasts, and The Sunday after Christmas-day. guile; for they are without fault before the throne of God. The Gospel. St. Matth. ii. 13. THE Angel of the Lord ap peareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child, and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word; for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my Son. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth; and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the The Collect. ALMIGHTY God, who hast Son to take our nature upon given us thy only-begotten him, and as at this time to be born of a pure Virgin; Grant made thy children by adoption that we being regenerate, and and grace, may daily be renew. ed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen. The Epistle. Gal. iv. 1. NOW I say, that the heir, as long as he is a child, dif fereth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; but is under tutors and governours, until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: but when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Where fore thou art no more a servant but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. The Gospel. St. Matth. i. 18. HE birth of Jesus Christ a his mother Mary was espoused |ness then upon the circumcision to Joseph, before they came only, or upon the uncircumcision together she was found with also? For we say, that faith child of the Holy Ghost. Then was reckoned to Abraham for Joseph her husband, being a just righteousness. How was it then man, and not willing to make reckoned? when he was in cirher a publick example, was cumcision, or in uncircumcision? minded to put her away privily. Not in circumcision, but in uni But while he thought on these circumcision. And he received things, behold, the angel of the the sign of circumcision, a seal Lord appeared unto him in a of the righteousness of the faith dream, saying, Joseph thou son which he had yet being uncirof David, fear not to take unto cumcised; that he might be the thee Mary thy wife; for that father of all them that believe, which is conceived in her is of though they be not circumcised; the Holy Ghost: And she shall that righteousness might be imbring forth a Son, and thou shalt puted unto them also: And the call his name JESUS; for he father of circumcision to them shall save his people from their who are not of the circumcision sins. (Now all this was done, only, but also walk in the steps that it might be fulfilled which of that faith of our father Abrawas spoken of the Lord by the ham, which he had being yet prophet, saying, Behold, a Vir- uncircumcised. For the progin shall be with child, and shall mise, that he should be the heir bring forth a Son, and they shall of the world, was not to Abracall his name Emmanuel, which ham, or to his seed, through the being interpreted is, God with law, but through the righteousus.) Then Joseph, being raised ness of faith. For if they which from sleep, did as the angel of are of the law be heirs, faith is the Lord had bidden him, and made void, and the promise took unto him his wife; and made of none effect. knew her not till she had brought forth her first-born son: and he called his name JESUS. The Gospel. St. Luke ii. 15. AND it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made with haste, and found Mary and known unto us. And they came Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But man to all these things, and whom the Lord will not im- pondered them in her heart. pute sin. Cometh this blessed-And the shepherds returned, The Circumcision of Christ. ALMIGHTY God, who mad-go The Epistle. Romans iv. 8. |
