departed into their own country |quaintance. And when they another way. The first Sunday after the Epiphany. The Collect. LORD, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people who call upon thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, The Epistle. Rom. xii. 1. thy father and I have sought thee I BESEECH you therefore, sorrowing. And he said unto brethren, by the mercies of them, How is it that ye sought God, that ye present your bodies me? wist ye not that I must be a living sacrifice, holy, accepta- about my Father's business? And ble unto God, which is your rea- they understood not the saying sonable service. And be not which he spake unto them. And conformed to this world; but be he went down with them, and ye transformed by the renewing came to Nazareth, and was subof your mind, that ye may prove ject unto them: but his mother what is that good, and accept-kept all these sayings in her able, and perfect will of God. heart. And Jesus increased in For I say, through the grace given wisdom, and stature, and in faunto me, to every man that is vour with God and man. among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to eve ry man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office; so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. The second Sunday after the Epiphany. ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who dost govern all things in heaven and earth; mercifully hear the supplications of thy people, and grant us thy peace all the days of our life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. The Gospel. St. Luke ii. 41. No JOW his parents went to Jeru- The Epistle. Rom. xii. 6. salem every year at the feast of the passover. And when he HAVING then gifts, differing according to the grace that was twelve years old, they went is given to us, whether prophecy, up to Jerusalem, after the custom let us prophesy according to the of the feast. And when they had proportion of faith; or ministry, fulfilled the days, as they return- let us wait on our ministering; ed, the child Jesus tarried behind or he that teacheth, on teaching; in Jerusalem; and Joseph and or he that exhorteth, on exhortahis mother knew not of it. But tion: he that giveth, let him do they, supposing him to have been it with simplicity; he that ruleth, in the company, went a day's with diligence; he that showeth journey, and they sought him mercy, with cheerfulness. Let among their kinsfolk and ac-love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil, cleave good wine until now. This beto that which is good. Be kind-ginning of miracles did Jesus in ly affectioned one to another Cana of Galilee, and manifested with brotherly love, in honour forth his glory, and his disciples preferring one another: not sloth-believed on him. ful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; rejoicing in The third Sunday after the Epiphany. hope; patient in tribulation; conThe Collect. tinuing instant in prayer; distri- ALMIGHTY and everlasting buting to the necessity of saints; mercifully look upon given to hospitality. Bless them our infirmities, and in all our which persecute you; bless, and dangers and necessities stretch curse not. Rejoice with them forth thy right hand to help and that do rejoice, and weep with defend us, through Jesus Christ them that weep. Be of the same our Lord. Amen. mind one towards another. Mind The Epistle. Rom. xii. 16. not high things, but condescend BE not wise in your own con to men of low estate. The Gospel. St. John ii. 1. ceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things AND the third day there was a honest in the sight of a meth marriage in Cana of Galilee, If it be possible, as much as lieth and the mother of Jesus was in you, live peaceably with all there. And both Jesus was call-men. Dearly beloved, avenge ed, and his disciples, to the mar- not yourselves, but rather give riage. And when they wanted place unto wrath; for it is writwine, the mother of Jesus saith ten, Vengeance is mine; I will unto him, They have no wine. repay, saith the Lord. ThereJesus saith unto her, Woman, fore, if thine enemy hunger, feed what have I to do with thee? him; if he thirst, give him drink: mine hour is not yet come. for in so doing thou shalt heap His mother saith unto the ser- coals of fire on his head. vants, Whatsoever he saith unto not overcome of evil, but overyou, do it. And there were set come evil with good. there six water-pots of stone, af ter the manner of the purifying The Gospel. St. Matt. viii. 1. Be WHEN he was come down of the Jews, containing two or from the mountain, great three firkins a-piece. Jesus saith multitudes followed him. And unto them, Fill the water-pots behold, there came a leper and with water. And they filled them worshipped him, saying, Lord, if up to the brim. And he saith thou wilt, thou canst make me unto them, Draw out now, and clean. And Jesus put forth his bear unto the governor of the hand, and touched him, saying, I feast. And they bare it. When will, be thou clean. And immethe ruler of the feast had tasted diately his leprosy was cleansed. the water that was made wine, And Jesus saith unto him, See and knew not whence it was thou tell no man, but go thy way, (but the servants which drew show thyself to the priest, and ofthe water knew) the governor of fer the gift that Moses commandthe feast called the bridegroom, ed for a testimony unto them. and saith unto him, Every man And when Jesus was entered inat the beginning doth set forth to Capernaum, there came unte good wine, and when men have him a Centurion, beseeching him, well drunk, then that which is and saying, Lord, my servant worse: but thou hast kept the lieth at home sick of the palsy grievously tormented. And Je- damnation. For rulers are not a sus saith unto him, I will come terror to good works, but to the and heal him. The Centurion evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid answered and said, Lord, I am of the power? do that which is not worthy that thou shouldest good, and thou shalt have praise come under my roof; but speak of the same: for he is the ministhe word only, and my servant ter of God to thee for good. But shall be healed. For I am a man if thou do that which is evil, be under authority, having soldiers afraid; for he beareth not the under me: and I say unto this sword in vain: for he is the minman, Go, and he goeth; and to ister of God, a revenger to exe. another, Come, and he cometh; cute wrath upon him that doeth and to my servant, Do this, and evil. Wherefore ye must needs he doeth it. When Jesus heard be subject, not only for wrath, it, he marvelled, and said to them but also for conscience' sake. that followed, Verily I say unto For this cause pay ye tribute alyou, I have not found so great so; for they are God's ministers, faith, no not in Israel. And I attending continually upon this say unto you, that many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven: But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus said unto the Centurion, Go thy way, and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the self-same hour. very thing. Render, therefore, to a ship, his disciples followed The fourth Sunday after the Ostin midst of somany and and the sea, and there was a great great dangers, that by reason of calm. But the men marvelled, the frailty of our nature we can- saying, What manner of man is not always stand upright; grant this, that even the winds and the to us such strength and protec-sea obey him? And when he was tion, as may support us in all dangers, and carry us through all temptations, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. come to the other side, into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, The Epistle. Rom. xiii. 1. exceeding fierce, so that no man LE ET every soul be subject unto might pass by that way. And the higher powers; for there behold, they cried out, saying, is no power but of God: the What have we to do with thee, powers that be are ordained Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou of God. Whosoever, therefore, come hither to torment us before resisteth the power, resisteth the the time? And there was a good ordinance of God: and they that way off from them an herd of resist shall receive to themselves many swine, feeding. So the E devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine; and behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils. And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they besought him, that he would depart out of their coasts. The fifth Sunday after the Epiphany. The Collect. LORD, we beseech thee to Lord Jesus; giving thanks to God likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest, while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the Okeep thy Church and House wheat with them. Let both grow hold continually in thy true re- together until the harvest; and in ligion, that they who do lean the time of harvest I will say to only upon the hope of thy hea- the reapers, Gather ye together venly grace, may evermore be first the tares, and bind them in defended by thy mighty power, bundles to burn them; but gathrough Jesus Christ our Lord. [ther the wheat into my barn. Amen. The Epistle. Col. iii. 12. PUT of God, holy and beloved) The sixth Sunday after the Epiphany. The Collect. was manifested that he might GOD, whose blessed Son bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, destroy the works of the devil, long-suffering; forbearing one and make us the sons of God, another, and forgiving one ano-and heirs of eternal life; grant ther, if any man have a quarrel us, we beseech thee, that having against any; even as Christ for- this hope, we may purify ourgave you, so also do ye. And, selves, even as he is pure; that above all these things, put on when he shall appear again with Charity, which is the bond of power and great glory, we may perfectness. And let the peace be made like unto him in his of God rule in your hearts, to the eternal and glorious kingdom; which also ye are called in one where, with thee, O Father, and body; and be ye thankful. Let thee, O Holy Ghost, he liveth the word of Christ dwell in you and reigneth, ever one God, richly in all wisdom; teaching world without end. Amen. and admonishing one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual BEHOLD what manner of love songs; singing with grace in the Father hath bestowed your hearts to the Lord. And upon us, that we should be called whatsoever ye do in word or the sons of God; therefore the deed, do all in the name of the world knoweth us not, because it The Epistle. 1 John iii. 1. knew him not. Beloved, now are shall all the tribes of the earth we the sons of God; and it doth mourn, and they shall see the Son not yet appear what we shall be: of man coming in the clouds of but we know, that when he shall heaven, with power and great appear, we shall be like him; for glory. And he shall send his anwe shall see him as he is. And gels with a great sound of a trumevery man that hath this hope in pet, and they shall gather togethhim purifieth himself, even as he er his elect from the four winds, is pure. Whosoever committeth from one end of heaven to the sin, transgresseth also the law; other. for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was The Sunday called Septuagesima, or manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever the third Sunday before Lent. The Collect. abideth in him, sinneth not: who-LORD, we beseech thee fasoever sinneth, hath not seen him, vourably to hear the prayers neither known him. Little chil- of thy people, that we, who are dren, let no man deceive you: he justly punished for our offences, that doeth righteousness is right- may be mercifully delivered by eous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. thy goodness, for the glory of thy name, through Jesus Christ our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen. The Epistle. 1 Cor. ix. 24. KNOW ye not, that they which The Gospel. St. Matt. xxiv. 23. TH HEN if any man shall say un- run in a race, run all, but one to you, Lo, here is Christ, or receiveth the prize? So run, that there; believe it not. For there ye may obtain. And every man shall arise false Christs and false that striveth for the mastery, is prophets, and shall show great temperate in all things. Now they signs and wonders; insomuch do it to obtain a corruptible that (if it were possible) they shall crown, but we an incorruptible. deceive the very elect. Behold, II therefore so run, not as uncerhave told you before. Wherefore, tainly; so fight I, not as one that if they shall say unto you, Be-beateth the air: But I keep under hold, he is in the desert; go not my body, and bring it into subforth: behold, he is in the secret jection, lest that by any means, chambers; believe it not. For as when I have preached to others, the lightning cometh out of the myself should be a cast-away, east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For whereso- unto a man that is an houseever the carcase is, there will the holder, which went out early in eagles be gathered together. Im- the morning to hire labourers into mediately after the tribulation of his vineyard. And when he had those days, shall the sun be dark-agreed with the labourers for a ened, and the moon shall not give penny a day, he sent them into his her light, and the stars shall fall vineyard. And he went out about from heaven, and the powers of the third hour, and saw others the heavens shall be shaken. And standing idle in the market-place, then shall appear the sign of the and said unto them, Go ye also Son of man in heaven; and then into the vineyard, and whatso I The Gospel. St. Matt. xx. 1. THE kingdom of heaven is like |