For the Epistle. Isa. xl. 1. COMFORT ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. And there stood up one of them, named Agabus, and signified by the ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and Spirit, that there should be great cry unto her, that her warfare is dearth throughout all the world: accomplished, that her iniquity is which came to pass in the days pardoned: for she hath received of Claudius Cæsar. Then the dis- of the Lord's band double for all ciples, every man according to her sins. The voice of him that crihis ability, determined to send eth in the wilderness, Prepare ye relief unto the brethren which the way of the Lord, make straight dwelt in Judea. Which also they in the desert a high way for our did, and sent it to the elders by God. Every valley shall be exaltthe hands of Barnabas and Saul.ed, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked The Gospel. St. John xv. 12. shall be made straight, and the THIS HIS is my commandment, rough places plain. And the gloThat ye love one another, as ry of the Lord shall be revealed, I have loved you. Greater love and all flesh shall see it together; hath no man than this, that a man for the mouth of the Lord hath lay down his life for his friends. spoken it. The voice said, Cry. Ye are my friends, if ye do what- And he said, What shall I cry? soever I command you. Hence- All flesh is grass, and all the goodforth 1 call you not servants; for liness thereof is as the flower of the servant knoweth not what his the field. The grass withereth, lord doeth: but I have called you the flower fadeth, because the friends; for all things that I have Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon heard of my Father, I have made it; surely the people is grass. The known unto you. Ye have not grass withereth, the flower fadeth; chosen me, but I have chosen but the word of our God shall stand you, and ordained you, that for ever. O Zion, that bringest should go and bring forth fruit, good tidings, get thee up into the and that your fruit should re-high mountain: O Jerusalem, that main: that whatsoever ye shall bringest good tidings, lift up th ask of the Father in my name, he voice with strength; lift it up, be may give it you. not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold his reward is with him, and his work before ye Saint John Baptist's Day. A a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. The Gospel. St. Luke i. 57. time came ing to his preaching, and after his E that she should be delivered; example constantly speak the and she brought forth a son. And truth, boldly rebuke vice, and her neighbours and her cousins patiently suffer for the truth's heard how the Lord had showed sake, through Jesus Christ our great mercy upon her; and they Lord. Amen. rejoiced with her. And it came to the Day-spring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit; and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel. pass, that on the eighth day they |sion of their sins, through the tencame to circumcise the child; and der mercy of our God; whereby they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, Saint Peter's Day. His name is John. And they mar The Collect. velled all. And his mouth was ALMIGHTY God, who, by opened immediately, and his thy Son' Jesus Christ, didst tongue loosed, and he spake, and give to thy Apostle Saint Peter praised God. And fear came on many excellent gifts, and com all that dwelt round about them: mandedst him earnestly to feed and all these sayings were noised thy flock; make, we beseech thee, abroad throughout all the hill all Bishops and Pastors diligent country of Judea. And all they ly to preach thy holy Word, and that had beard them, laid them the people obediently to follow up in their hearts, saying, What the same, that they may receive manner of child shall this be? the crown of everlasting glory, And the hand of the Lord was through Jesus Christ our Lord. with him. And his father Zach-Amen. arias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, For the Epistle. Acts xii. 1. ABOUT that time, Herod the Blessed be the Lord God of Isra- king stretched forth his hands el; for he hath visited and re- to vex certain of the Church. And deemed his people, and hath rais- he killed James the brother of ed up an horn of salvation for us, John with the sword. And bein the house of his servant David; cause he saw it pleased the Jews, as he spake by the mouth of his he proceeded further to take Pe holy prophets, which have been ter also. (Then were the days of since the world began; that we unleavened bread.) And when should be saved from our ene- he had apprehended him, he put mies, and from the hand of all that him in prison, and delivered him hate us: To perform the mercy to four quaternions of soldiers, to promised to our fathers, and to keep him; intending after Eas remember his holy covenant: the ter to bring him forth to the peo oath which he sware to our fa-ple. Peter therefore was kept ther Abraham, that he would in prison; but prayer was made grant unto us, that we,being de- without ceasing of the Church unfivered out of the hands of our to God for him. And when Herod enemies, might serve him with-would have brought him forth, out fear, in holiness and righte- the same night Peter was sleepousness before him, all the days of our life. And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord, to prepare his ways; to give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remis ing between two soldiers, bound with two chains; and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. Saint James the Apostle. Son Jesus Christ, and followed And the angel said unto him, Gird GRANT, O merciful God, that thyself, and bind on thy sandals: as thine holy Apostle Saint and so he did. And he saith un-James, leaving his father and all to him, Cast thy garment about that he had, without delay was thee, and follow me. And he obedient unto the calling of thy went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city, which opened to them of its own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street, and forthwith the angel departed And there stood up one of them from him. And when Peter was named Agabus, and signified by come to himself, he said, Now I the Spirit, that there should be know of a surety that the Lord great dearth throughout all the hath sent his angel, and hath deli-world: which came to pass in the vered me out of the hand of Her-days of Claudius Cæsar. Then the od, and from all the expectation disciples, every man according of the people of the Jews. to his ability, determined to send The Gospel. St. Matt. xvi. 13. relief unto the brethren which from Jerusalem unto Antioch. WHEN Jesus came into the dwelt in Judea. Which also they coasts of Cæsarea Philippi, did, and sent it to the elders by he asked his disciples, saying, the hands of Barnabas and Saul Whom do men say that I, the Son Now about that time, Herod the of man, am? And they said, Some king stretched forth his hands to say that thou art John the Baptist; vex certain of the Church. And he some, Elias; and others, Jeremi-killed James the brother of John as, or one of the prophets. He with the sword. And because he saith unto them, But whom say ye saw it pleased the Jews, he pro that I am? And Simon Peter an- ceeded further to take leter also. swered and said, Thou art Christ, The Gospel. St. Matt. xx. 20. the Son of the living God. And THEN came to him the moJesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thon, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, that thou art. Pe ter, and upon this rock I will build my Church: and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. ther of Zebedee's children, with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit the one on thy right hand, the other on the left, in thy kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed ten The Gospel. St. Luke xxii. 24. of my cup, and be baptized with bringing sick folks, and them the baptism that I am baptized which were vexed with unclean with; but to sit on my right hand, spirits; and they were healed and on my left, is not mine to every one. give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my AND there was also a strife Father. And among them, which of them it, they were moved with indig-should be accounted the greatest. nation against the two brethren. And he said unto them, The kings But Jesus called them unto him, of the Gentiles exercise lordship and said, Ye know that the over them; and they that exerprinces of the Gentiles exercise cise authority upon them are dominion over them, and they called benefactors. But ye shall that are great exercise authority not be so: but he that is greatest upon them. But it shall not be among you, let him be as the so among you: but whosoever younger; and he that is chief, as will be great among you, let him he that doth serve. For whether be your minister; and whosoever is greater, he that sitteth at meat, will be chief among you, let him or he that serveth? is not he that be your servant: Even as the Son sitteth at meat? but I am among of man came not to be minister-you as he that serveth. Ye are ed unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Saint Bartholomew the Apostle. and they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes. of Israel. Saint Matthew the Apostle. The Collect. ALMIGHTY God, who by he believed; and both to preach thy blessed Son didst call and receive the same, through Matthew from the receipt of cus. Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. tom, to be an Apostle and EvanFor the Epistle. Acts v. 12. gelist; grant us grace to forsake B were many signs and won-nate love of riches, and to follow the hands of the Apostles all covetous desires, and inordiders wrought among the people, the same thy Son Jesus Christ, (and they were all with one ac- who liveth and reigneth with cord in Solomon's porch. And thee and the Holy Ghost, one of the rest durst no man join him- God, world without end. Amen. self to them; but the people mag- The Epistle. 2 Cor. iv. 1. nified them. And believers were HEREFORE, seeing we have this multitudes both of men and wo-ceived mercy, we faint not; but men) insomuch that they brought have renounced the hidden things forth the sick into the streets, and of dishonesty, not walking in craflaid them on beds and couches, tiness, nor handling the Word that at least the shadow of Pe- of God deceitfully, but by maniter passing by might oversha- festation of the truth, commenddow some of them. There came ing ourselves to every man's conalso a multitude out of the cities science in the sight of God. But round about unto Jerusalem. if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the fought against the dragon; and God of this world hath blinded the dragon fought and his angels, the minds of them which believe and prevailed not; neither was not, lest the light of the glorious their place found any more in Gospel of Christ, who is the im- heaven. And the great dragon age of God, should shine unto was cast out, that old serpent, them. For we preach not our called the devil and satan, which selves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; deceiveth the whole world; he and ourselves your servants for was cast out into the earth, and Jesus' sake. For God, who com- his angels were cast out with manded the light to shine out of him. And I heard a loud voice darkness, hath shined in our saying in heaven, Now is come hearts, to give the light of the salvation and strength, and the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ. kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the acThe Gospel. St. Matt. ix. 9. cuser of our brethren is cast ND as Jesus passed forth from down, which accused them bethence, he saw a man named fore our God day and night. And Matthew sitting at the receipt of they overcame him by the blood custom: and he saith unto him, of the Lamb, and by the word of Follow me. And he arose, and their testimony; and they loved followed him. And it came to not their lives unto the death. pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, house, behold many publicans and ye that dwell in them. Woe and sinners came and sat down to the inhabitants of the earth with him and his disciples. And and of the sea: for the devil is when the Pharisees saw it, they come down unto you, having said unto his disciples, Why eat-great wrath, because he knoweth eth your Master with publicans that he hath but a short time. and sinners? But when Jesus The Gospel. St. Matt. xviii. 1. heard that, he said unto them, A disciples unto Jesus, saying, T the same time came the They that be whole, need not a physician, but they that are sick. Who is the greatest in the kingBut go ye and learn what that dom of heaven? And Jesus called meaneth, I will have mercy, and a little child unto him, and set not sacrifice; for I am not come him in the midst of them, and to call the righteous, but sinners said, Verily I say unto you, Exto repentance. cept ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore EVERLASTING God, who shall humble himself as this little hast ordained and constitu- child, the same is greatest in the ted the services of Angels and kingdom of heaven. And whoso men in a wonderful order; mer-shall receive one such little child cifully grant, that as thy holy in my name, receiveth me. But Angels always do thee service in whoso shall offend one of these heaven; so, by thy appointment, little ones which believe in me, they may succour and defend us it were better for him that a millon earth, through Jesus Christ stone were hanged about his our Lord. Amen, neck, and that he were drowned Woe in the depth of the sea. Saint Michael and all Angels. For the Epistle. Rev. xii. 7. THERE was war in heaven; unto the world because of ofMichael and his Angels fences! for it must needs be that |