the Son of man coming in a with me it is a very small thing cloud with power and great that I should be judged of you, glory. And when these things or of mans judgment: yea, I begin to come to pass, then look judge not mine own self. For I up, and lift up your heads; for know nothing by my self, yet your redemption draweth nigh. am I not hereby justified; but And he spake to them a para- he that judgeth me, is the Lord. ble, Behold, the fig-tree, and Therefore judge nothing beall the trees; When they now fore the time, until the Lord Thoot forth, ye see and know of come, who both will bring to your own selves that summer light the hidden things of darkis now nigh at hand. So like- nefs, and will make manifest wise ye, when ye see these the counsels of the hearts; and things come to pass, know ye then shall every man have that the kingdom of God is praise of God. nigh at hand. Verily I say un. The Gospel. S. Matth. 11. 2. to you, This generation shall Ow when John had heard not pass away, till all be fulfil. in the prison the works of led : Heaven and earth Thall Christ, he sent cwo of his din pass away ; buc words shall sciples, and said unto him, Art not pass away. thou he chat flould come, or do we look for another? Jesus, The third Sunday in Advent. answered and said unto them, Go and shew John azain choie O Lord Jesu Chrift, who at things which ye do hear and thy first coming didft fee : The blind receive their send thy messenger to prepare fight, and the lame walk, the thy way before thee; Grant lepers are cleansed, and the that the minifters and stewards deaf hear, the dead are raised of thy mysteries, may likewise up, and the poor have the fo prepare and make ready thy Gospel preached to them. And way, by turning the hearts of blsfted is he whosoever shall the disobedient to the wisdom not be offended in me. And as of the just, that at thy second they departed, Jesus began to coming to judge the world, we say unto the multitudes conmay be found an acceptable cerning John, What went ye out people in thy sight, who liveft into the wilderness to fee? A and reignert with the Father reed shaken with the wind ? But and the Holy Spirit, ever one what went ye out for to see? God,world without end. Amen. A man clothed in soft raimen behold, they that wear soft clo. The Epiftle. i Cor. 4. I. thing are isi kings houses. But L. Et a man to account of us, what went ye out for to see ? A as of the ministers of prophet? yea, I fay unto yoll, Christ, and stewards of the and fiore than a prophet. For myfteries of God. Moreover, it this is he of whom it is writis required in stewards, thar a ten, Behold, I send my mef. man be found faithful. But Tenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before The Gospel. S. Jolin 1. 19, thee. TV His is the record of John, when the Jews sent Priests The fourth Sunday in Advent. and Levites from Jerusalem to The Collect. ask him, Who art thou ? And he Lord, raise up ( we pray confessed, and denied not; but , I come among us, and with great And they asked him, What might succour us; that where then ? Are thou Elias? And he as through our sins and wicked- Taith, I am not. Arc thou that ness, we are sore let and hin. Prophet? And he answered,No. dred in running the race that Then said they unto him, Who is set before us, thy bountiful art thou ? that we may give an grace and mercy may speedily answer to them that fent us. help and deliver us, through What sayst thou of thy self? the satisfa£tion of thy Son our He said, I am the voice of one Lord; to whom with thee and crying in the wilderness, Make the Holy Ghost be honour and straight the way of the Lord, as glory, world without end. Ao said the prophet Efaias: and they which were sent, were of The Epifle. Phil . 4. 4. the Pharisees. And they asked Ejoyce in the Lord alway, him, and said unto him, Why Let your moderation be known not that Christ, nor Elias, neiunto all men. The Lord is at ther that Prophet? John answerhand. Be careful for nothing: ed them, saying, 1 baptize with but in every thing by prayer water ; but there ftandeth one and supplication with thanksgi- among you whom ye know not. ving, let your requests be made He it is who coming after me, known unto God. And the is preferred before me, whose peace of God which passeth all shoes latcher I am not worthy: understanding, thall keep your to unloose. These things were hearts and minds through done in Bethabara beyond Jore Christ Jesus. dang where John was baptizing. mon. The Nativity of our Lord, or the Birth-day of may daily be renewed by thy Lmighty God, who hast Holy Spirit, through the same given us thy only be- our Lord Jesus Chrift, who li gotten Son to take our veth and reigneth with thée, nature upon him, and as at this and the same Spirit, eyer one time to be born of a pure Vir- God,world without end. Amen. gin; Grant that we being re The Epistle. Heb. 1. 1. der er be adoption and grace ; Goaldo hio divers manners fpake in time past unto the fa- but thou art the same, and thy thers by the prophets, hath in years shall not fail. these laft days spoken unto us The Gospel. S. John 1. I. by his Son, whom he hath ap- TN the beginning was the pointed heir of all things, by: I Word, and the Word was i whom also he made the worlds. with God, and the Word was Who being the brightness of God. The same was in the be- his glory, and the express image ginning with God. All things of his perfon, and upholding all were made by him, and withthings by the word of his power, out him was not any thing when he had by himself pur- made that was made. In him ged our sins, sat down on the was life, and the life was the right hand of the Majesty on light of men. And the light fli. high : Being made so much bet- neth in darkness, and the dark ter than the angels, as he hath ness comprehended it not. - by inheritance obtained a more There was a man sent from excellent Name than they. For God, whose name was John. into which of the angels said The same came for a witness, 10 'he at any time, Thou art my bear witness of the light, that Son, this day have I begotten all men through him might be. thee? And again, I will be to lieve. He was not that light, him a Father, and lie shall be but was sent to bear witness of to me a Son ? And again, when that light. That was the true he bringeth in the first-begot- light, which ligheeth every man ten into the world, he faith, that cometh into theworld. He And let all the angels of God was in the world, and the world worship him. And of the an- was made by him, and the gels he faith, who makuch his world knew him not. He came angels fpirits, and his ministers unto his own, and his own rea flame of fire. But unto the ceived him not. But as many Son he faith, Thy throne, O as received him, to them gawe God, is for ever and ever, a he power to become the fons of fceptre of righteousness is the God, even to them that befceptre of thy kingdom. Thou lieve on hisName : which were hast loved righteousness, and born, not of blood, nor of the ihated iniquity; therefore God, will of the flesh, nor of the will even thy God, hath anointed of man, but of God. And the thee with the oyl of gladness Word 'was made fles, and above thy fellows. And thou, dwel, among us, (and we beLord, in the beginning haft held his glory, the glory as of laid 'the foundation of the the only begotten of the Fai earth; and the heavens are the ther) full of grace and truth. works of thine hands. They Thall perish, but thou remain Saint Stephens Day. "eft; and they all thall wax old The Colle&t. as doth a garment; and as a vesture Thalc thou 'fold them our sufferings here unan Pp, and they fliall be changed, earth, for the inithony at thy C 3 trudi, years Eve. ST truth, we may stedfastly look in your synagogues, and perfeup to heaven, and by faith be- cute them from city to city hold the glory that shall be re- thar upon you may come ali vealed ; and being filled with the righteous blood shed upon the Holy Ghost, may learn to the earth, from the blood of love and bless our persecuters, righteous Abel, unto the blood by the example of thy first Mar- of Zacharias, són of Barachias, tyr Saint Stephen, who prayed whom ye new between the for his murderers to thee, O temple and the altar. Verily I blessed Jesus, who standeft at say unto you, All these things the right hand of God to suc- shall come upon this generaticour all those that suffer for on. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thee, our only Mediator and thou that killest the prophets, Advocate. Amen. and stonest them which are sent Then shall follow the Collect unto thee; how often would I of the Nativity, which shall have gathered thy children tobe said continually unto New-gether, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, For the Episile. Ats 7.55. and ye would not. Behold, Tephen' being full of the your house is left unto you de Holy Ghost,looked up fted- solate. For I say unto you, Ye taftly into heaven, and saw the shall not see me henceforth, till glory of God, and Jesus ftand- ye shall say, Blessed is he that ing on the right hand of God, cometh in the Name of thr:Lord and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Saint Folin the Evangelists Day. man standing on the right hand The Colleit. of God. Then they cried out Erciful Lord, we beseech to their ears, and ran upon him beams of light upon thy Church, with one accord, and cast him that it being enlightned by the out of the city, and stoned him; doctrine of thy blessed Apostle and the witnesses laid down and Evangelist Saint Jolin, may their clothes at a young mans so walk in the light of thy feet, whose name was Saul. And truth, that it may at length they stoned Stephen,calling up- attain to the light of everlasting on God, and saying, Lord Je- life, through Jesus Christ our sus, receive my spirit. And he Lord. Amen. kneeled down and cried with a The Epiftle. 1 S. John 1. I. loud voice, Lord, lay not this Hat which was from the fin to their charge. And when beginning, which we have he had said this, he fell asleep. heard, which we have seen with The Gospel. S. Matth. 23. 34. our eyes, which we have looked Ehold, I send unto you pro- upon and our hands have handfcribes; and some of them ye the life was manifested, and we fhall kill and crucifie; and have seen it, and bear witness, some of dicm fhall ye scourge and thew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Fa- die: yet Jesus said not unto The Collect. with another, and the blood of strength, and madeft infants to * Jeiis Christ his Son cleanseth glorifie thee by their deaths 3 us from all fin. If we say that Mortific and kill all vices in us, we have no fin, we deceive our and so strengthen us by thy. selves, and the truth is not in grace, that by the innocency of us. If we confess our sins, he is our lives, and constancy of our faithful and just to forgive us faitheven unto death, we may our fins, and to cleanse us from glorifie thy holyName, through all unrighteousness. If we say Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and liis Word For the Epistle. Rev. 14.1. is not in us. I Looked, and lo, a Lamb The Gospel. S. John 21. 19. stood on the mount Sion, Erus said unto Peter, Follow and with him an hundred foriy bout, scęth the disciple whom Fathers name written in their Jeliis loved, following, which foreheads. And I hcard a voice also leaned on his breaft at lup- from heaven, as the voice of pir, and said, Lord, which is many waters, and as the voice he that betrayeth thee? Peter of a great thunder : and I feeing him, saith to Jesus, heard the voice of harpers Lord, and what Mall this man harping with their harps : And do ? Jelus faith unto him, Ifl they sung as it were a new song will that he carry till I come, before the throne, and before what is that in thee? Follow the four beasts, and the elders ; thou me. Then went this saying and no man could learn that abroad among the trethren, song, but the hundred and forty that that disciple mould nor and four thousand, which were C 4 redeemed |