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First SUNDAY in LENT.

First SUNDAY in LENT.

SINCE

INSTRUCTIO N.

INCE, according to the council of Trent, the whole life of a Christian ought to be a continual pennance, we ought to embrace with fervour that, at least, which is prefcribed during the time of Lent, by fafting with all the exactnefs the Church requires of fuch, as are not incapable thereof thro' age, infirmity, or other lawful excufe. To animate ourselves the more to this, we ought often to call to mind the univerfal practice of our pious ancestors in the faith of Chrift, (and which fubfifted near twelve hundred years) of taking only one meal a day during the time of Lent, and that not till after Evening-fong, which was always faid towards the evening.

We must carefully avoid feeking to please our tafte in the choice and feasoning of such meats as are allowed in Lent; for to do that, according to the holy Fathers, would be only changing dainties, and not retrenching them: It would be nourishing fenfuality inftead of extinguishing it: And it may be faid, that it would not be fatisfying the obligation of Lent, as it would be no longer mortifying the body, or doing pennance.

This firft faft regards only thofe, who have attained to a certain age of life, and who can go thorough with it, without prejudice of their health. But there is another faft, from which no one is exempt, and which admits of no difpenfation. This confifts in avoiding, with a particular care, whatever may lead to fin. It is for this great and important end, that we muft ftrive against our bad habits with fresh zeal: We muft mortify ourselves, and be temperate in every thing, by retrenching from our ordinary converfation, fleep, and most innocent diverfions, that we may be able to spend more time in prayer, retirement, and the exercises of acts of charity.

Such are the intentions, fuch the defires of the Catholick Church. Can there therefore be a greater abfurdity than to hear Christians talking in their publick prayers of

macerating their bodies, of fighing and groaning under the weight of their fins, of being terrified with the judgments of God, while they content themselves with complying outwardly (and that too often very imperfectly) with the ceremony of a bodily fast; notwithstanding there is the fame mirth, jollity, good cheer, diverfions, and recreations going on, as in other parts of the year. This is not the faft the Lord hath chofen, as appears from the exprefs declaration of God himself in the Lesson of Afb-Wednesday, and that of Friday before the first Sunday in Lent.

In order therefore not only to use the language of the Church, but likewife to follow it's spirit and directions, we must join to our fafting, prayer, retirement, and the avoiding whatever leads to fin, the virtues of continency and alms-deeds, which were formerly looked on as infeparable from Lent, and other fafts. We frequently beg the grace of continency in the publick prayers of the Church during that holy time, and the practice of it was formerly impofed as a precept. With regard to alms, the holy Fathers look on them fo neceffary, that they fay our fafts will avail nothing without them; and the defign of the church is, and the practice from the moft early times was, that we fhould live fo in Lent and other Fafting-days, as to be able to retrench confiderably from the expences of our tables, in order to beftow, what was fo retrenched, on the poor.

Those that are entangled in any habitual mortal fin, can do nothing better for their falvation, or more agreeable to the fpirit of the Church, than to approach the facrament of pennance at the beginning of Lent; that after having taken time to become fenfible of the enormity of their fins, to figh and weep before God, and to fatisfy, as far as they are able, his juftice, they may hope to obtain at the end of Lent, the grace of reconciliation, which the Church grants to contrite and humble finners.

HE

IN

MASS. Introit, Pf. xc. E fhall call upon me, and I will hear him: I will refcue him, and glorify him: I will fill him with length

Nvocabit me, & ego exaudiam eum: Eripiam eum, & glorificabo eum: Longitudine dierum ad implebo eum,

of days. P. He that taketh up his abode in the aid of the most high, fhall remain under the protection of the God of

heaven.

V. Glory,

Pf. Qui habitat in adjutorio altiffimi, in protectione Dei cœli commorabitur.

V. Gloria.

I. COLLECT. Deus qui Ecclefiam. God, who purifief thy Church by the yearly obfervation of Lent; grant that what thy children endeavour to obtain of thee by abftinence, they may put in execution by good works. Thro'.

II. COLLECT. Acunatis.

Referve us, O Lord, we beseech thee, from all

fion of ever glorious and bleffed Mary, the evervirgin-mother of God, of the bleffed Apostles, Peter and Paul, of bleffed George, and of all thy Saints; grant us, in thy mercy, health and peace; that all adverfities and errors being removed, thy Church may ferve thee with a pure and undisturbed devotion.

III. COLLECT. Omnipotens.

Almighty and everlafting God, who haft do.

minion over the living and the dead, and art merciful to all thofe, whom thou knoweft are to be thine by faith and good works: We humbly befeech thee, that they for whom we have purpofed to offer our prayers, whether the prefent world ftill detains them in the flesh, or the next hath already received them divefted of their bodies, may by the clemency of thy goodnefs, and the interceffion of thy faints, obtain pardon and full remiffion of all their fins. Thro'.

Thefe two laft Collects, with their respective Secrets and Poftcommunions, are continued to Palfion-Sunday.

EPISTLE. 2 Cor. vi. I, 10.

Brethren: We exhort you that you receive not

For he himself

the grace of God in vain faith, In an acceptable time have I heard thee: And in the day of falvation have I helped thee. Behold now is the acceptable time: Behold now is the day of falvation. Give no offence to any man, that our miniftry may not be blamed. But in all things let us behave ourselves like fervants of God with much patience in tribulation, in neceffities, in diftrefs, in ftripes, in prifons, in feditions, in labours, in watchings, in faftings: With chastity, with knowledge, with longfuffering, with meeknefs, with the Holy Ghoft, with unfeigned charity, with the word of truth, with the power of God; by the armour of righteoufnefs on the right hand and on the left: In honour and difhonour, in bad and good repute: As feducers, tho' we preach the truth: As unknown, tho' known: As dying, tho' behold we are alive: As perfons punifhed, yet not killed: As forrowful, yet always rejoicing: As needy, yet enriching many: As having nothing, yet poffeffing all things.

GRADUAL. Pf. xc.

God hath given his Angels a charge over thee, to guard thee in all thy ways. V. They fhall bear thee up on their hands, left at any time thou hit thy foot against a stone.

Angelis fuis Deus mandavit de te, ut cuftodiant te in omnibus viis tuis. V. In manibus portabunt te ne unquam offendas ad lapidem pedem tuum.

TRACT.

He that taketh up his abode in the aid of

the most high, shall remain under the protection of the God of hea

Pf. xc.

Qui habitat in adjutorio altiffimi, in protectione Dei cœli commorabitur. V. Dicet Domino, fufceptor meus es

ven. V. He fhall fay to the Lord, Thou art my protector and iny refuge: He is my God, in him will I hope. V. For it is he, who hath delivered me from the fnare of thofe that hunted me, and from their threats. V. He fhall cover thee with his fhoulders, and thou fhalt hope under his wings. V. His truth fhall compass thee with a fhield: Thou shalt not fear the terrors of the night. V. Nor the arrow flying by day, nor the mifchief talking in the dark, nor a fall, nor the noon-day devil. V. A thousand fhall fall on thy fide, and ten thoufand on thy right hand: But he fhall not approach thee. V. For he hath given his Angels charge over thee, to guard thee in all thy ways. V. They fhall bear thee up on their hands, left at any time thou hit thy foot against a stone. V.Thou fhalt tread on the afp and the bafilifk, thou fhalt trample on the lion and the dragon. V. Since he hath hoped in me, I

tu, & refugium meum: Deus meus, fperabo in eum. V. Quoniam ipfe liberavit me de laqueo venantium, & à verbo afpero. V. Scapulis fuis obumbrabit tibi, & fub pennis ejus fperabis. V. Scuto circumdabit te veritas ejus : Non timebis à timore nocturno. V A fagittà volante per diem, à negotio perambulante in tenebris, à ruinà, & dæmonio meridiano. V. Cadent à latere tuo mille, & decem millia à dextris tuis: Tibi autem non appropinquabit. V. Quoniam Angelis fuis mandavit de te, ut cuftodiant te in omnibus viis tuis. V. In manibus portabunt te, ne unquam offendas ad lapidem pedem tuum. V. Super afpidem & bafilifcum ambulabis, & conculcabis leonem & draconem. V. Quoniam in me fperavit, liberabo eum; protegam eum, quoniam cognovit nomen meum. V. Invocabit me, & ego exaudiam eum: Cum ipfo fum in tribulatione. V. Eripiam eum, & glo

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