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with a burning heat, but it withereth the grafs, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perifheth: fo alfo fhall the rich man fade away in his ways. Bleffed is the man that

endureth temptation; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promiled to them that love him.

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The Gospel. S. John 14. 1,

ND Jefus faid unto his difciples, Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe alfo in me. In my Fathers house are many manfions; if it were not fo, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you: and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be alfo, And whither I go, ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas faith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goeft, and how can we know the way? Jefus faith unto him, *I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father alfo; and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip faith unto him, Lord, fhew us the Father, and it fufficeth us. Jefus faith unto him, Have I been fo long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath feen me, hath feen the Father; and how fayest thou then Shew us the Father? Believeft thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I fpeak unto you, I fpeak not of myself; but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the .works. Believe me, that I am in the Father, and the Father in me; or elfe believe me for the very works fake. Verily, verily I fay unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do, fhall he do alfo, and greater works than these fhall he do; because I go unto

tors, a great Love to God, an entire truft in hum, and refignation to his Will; and an exact Temperance as to worldly enjoyments.

I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, &c. That is, Chrift is the Guide, and Director, and fo the Way. He is the Teacher of the Truth, revealed for this pur

pole, and to the Truth; he is the Author, and only fource of eternal Happiness, and fo the Life; to the enjoyment whereof with his Father we cannot attain, but by obeying and relying upon him, in these several capacities.

my Father. And whatsoever ye fhall afk in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. afk any thing in my Name, I will do it.

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Saint Barnabas the Apofle.

The Collect.

If ye fhall

Lord God Almighty, who didft endue thy holy Apoftle Barnabas with fingular gifts of the Holy Ghoft; Leave us not, we beseech thee, deftitute of thy manifold gifts, nor yet of grace to use them alway to thy honour and glory, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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For the Epiftle. Acts 11. 22.

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Idings of these things came unto the ears of the Church which was in Jerufalem; and they fent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. Who when he came, and had feen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghoft, and of faith; and much people was added unto the Lord. Then departed Barnabas to Tarfus for to seek Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they affembled themselves with the Church, and taught much people; *and the difciples were called Chriftians firft in Antioch. And in these days came prophets from Jerufalem unto Antioch. And there stood up one of them, named Agabus, and fignified by the Spirit that there fhould be great dearth throughout all the world; which came to pafs in the days of Claudius Cefar. Then the difci

Paraphrafe on the Collect for St. Barnabas's Day.

O allpowerful Jehovah who didft beftow upon thy Apoftle Barnabas extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Sprit, in that he was a good Man, full of the Holy Gheft and of Faith, Acts xi. 24. Endue us alfo we be cech

And the Disc.ples were called Chriftians, &c. As the first Believers, by affuming this Name, openly profelfed their Faith in the Doctrines of Chrift, engaged themfelves to obey his precepts, and imitate his examlefo nothing lefs is required of all who pretend to

thee with thy various fpiritual Graces, and enable us to employ them to the purposes of Religion and Holinefs, through Jefus Christ our Lord.

the fame Title in fucceeding Ages. For let every one fays St. Paul that nameth the Name of Chrift, (ì. e) let every one that taketh upon him the Name of Chriftian, depart from Iniquity.

ples, every man according to his ability, détermined to fend relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judea. Which also they did, and fent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

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The Gospel. S. John 15. 12.

HIS is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I : have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not fervants; for the fervant knoweth not what his Lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye fhould go, and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit fhould remain; that whatsoever ye fhall afk of the Father in my Name, he may give it you.

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Saint John Baptifts Day.

The Collect.

Lmighty God, by whofe providence thy fervant John Baptift was wonderfully born, and fent to prepare the way of thy Son our Saviour, by preaching of repentance; Make us fo to follow his doctrine and holy life, that we may truly repent according to his preaching, and after his example conftantly speak the truth, boldly rebuke vice, and patiently fuffer for the truths fake, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Omfort

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For the Epiftle. Ifai. 40. I.

ye, comfort

ye my people, faith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerufalem, and cry unto her, that her warHh

Paraphrafe on the Collet Allpo verful God, who by a miraculous act of thy Providence didft caufe John the Baptizer to be born, and fent forth to prepare Men for the reception of Jefus Chrift, by exhorting them to forfake their Iniquities: Give us Grace fo to follow his Inftructions, and imitate his virtuous example, that, according as he

Ye are my Friends, if ye do whatsoever, &r. It is certainly the test of fincere Friendship to conform our felves to the Will of the Perfon beloved in all Things

for St. John Baptift's Day.

taught us, we may truly Repent of our paft Sins, and, like as he did, always fpeak the Truth however feemingly oppofite to our worldly intereft, couragioufly reprove Sin, and patiently endure Affliction in the difcharge of our Duty through Jefus Chrift ou: Lord.

lawful. And what can be a stronger motive to do the will of Chrift, than that we fhall there by gain the favour and Friendship of one who will never fail nog

fate is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned; for the hath received of the Lords hand double for all her fins. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make ftraight in the defert a high-way for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill fhall be made low, and the crooked fhall be made ftraight, and the rough places plain. And the glory of the Lord fhall be revealed, and all flefh fhall fee it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. The voice faid, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodlinefs thereof is as the flower of the field. The grafs withereth, the flower fadeth, because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: furely the people is grafs. The grafs withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God fhall stand for ever. O Zion, that bringeft good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain: O Jerufalem, that bringeft good tidings, lift up thy voice with ftrength; lift it up, be not afraid; fay unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God. Behold, the Lord God will come with ftrong hand, and his arm, fhall rule for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He fhall feed his flock like a fhepherd, he fhall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bofom, and fhall gently lead thofe that are with young.

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The Gofpel. S. Luke 1. 57.

Lifabeths full time came that fhe fhould be delivered; and fhe brought forth a fon. And her neighbours, and her coufins heard how the Lord had fhewed great mercy upon her, and they rejoiced with her. And it came to pafs, that on the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child, and they called him Zacharias, af

forfake us; and who has equal power and inclination to do us good!

*

Comfort ye, comfort ye, &c. Tho' this Prophecy relates primarily to the return of the Jews from the Babylonian Captivity; yet it was completely fulfilled only by the miflion of John the Baptift to prepare the Jews for the reception of the Gospel. And it can never be fufficiently admired for the fublimity and dignity of its Language, as well as for the energy and

beauty of its fentiments.

Elifabeth's full Time came, &c. John the Baptift was introduced into the World in this remarkable manner, that the attention of his Countrymen being awakened,. and high expectations of him raid, he might execute the duties of his Miniftry with greater advantage, and effectually prepare the People for receiving the Mediah himself, who was foon to appear in Perfon..

ter the name of his father. And his mother anfwered and faid, Not fo; but he shall be called John. And they faid unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. And they made figns to his father, how he would have him called. And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, faying, +His name is John. And they marvelled all. And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loofed, and he fpake and praised God. And fear came on all that dwelt round about them; and all these fayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill-country of Judea. And all they that had heard them, laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child fhall this be? And the hand of the Lord was with him. And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghoft, and prophefied, faying, Bleffed be the Lord God of Ifrael, for he hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raifed up an horn of falvation for us in the houfe of his fervant David; as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been fince the world began; that we fhould be faved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; to perform the mercy promifed to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; the oath which he sware to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might servė him without fear, in holiness and righteoufnefs before him all the days of our life. And thou, Child, fhalt be called the Prophet of the Highest; for thou. fhalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; to give knowledge of falvation unto his people by the remiffion of their fins, through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the Day-fpring from on high hath vifited us; to give light to them that fit in darkness, and in the fhadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. And the child grew, and waxed ftrong in fpirit; and was in the deferts till the day of his fhewing unto Ifrael. Hh 2

+ His Name is John. This Name as it fignifies the Grace of God, so it was properly beftowed upon this Child; who was fent to declare God's Grace and Mercy

to Mankind through the Meffiah, of whom he was the Fore-runner.

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