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fhall the fun be darkened, and the moon fhall not give her light, and the stars fhall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens fhall be fhaken. And then fhall appear the fign of the Son of man in heaven: and then fhall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they fhall fee the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great found of a trumpet, and they fhall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The Sunday called Septuagefima, or the Third before Lent. The Collect.

Lord, we beseech thee favourably to hear the prayers of thy people, that we, who are juftly punished for our offences, may be mercifully delivered by thy goodnefs, for the glory of thy name, through Jefus Chrift our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost ever one God, world without end. Amen.

The Epiftle. 1 Cor. ix. 24.

KNOW ye not that they which run in a race, run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may

picturefque and fublime defcription of the eagle throws light on the pafage before us:

"On the rock fhe dwelleth and abideth,

On the edge of the rock, and the scalp.
From thence the fpieth out food,

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The Bishop of Killalla's Tranflation.

Septuagefima] Many reafons are given for this name; but in my apprehenfion the beft is, a confequentia numerandi, because the first Sunday in Lent is called Quadrigefima, containing about forty days from Eafter; therefore the Sunday before that being ftill further from Eafter, is called Quinquagefima; (being the next round number above 40) five being the next number above four; and fo the Sunday before that, Sexagefima, and the Sunday before that Septuagefima.--Sparrow's Rationale, 140.

The Colled This prayer for pardon and mercy was adopted from Greg. Sac. The introitus was pfalm xxiii.

Receiveth the prize] The whole of this portion of the chapter is, as Dr. Hammond well observes, agonistical, and no way to be explained but

obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery, is temperate in all things: Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. I therefore fo run, not as uncertainly; fo fight I, not as one that beateth the air: but I keep under my body, and bring it into fubjection, left that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a caft away.

THE

The Gospel. St. Matt. xx. 1.

HE kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an houfholder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he fent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and faw others ftanding idle in the market-place, and faid unto them, Go ye alfo into the vineyard, and whatfoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the fixth and ninth hour, and did likewife. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others ftanding idle, and faith unto them, Why ftand ye here all the day idle? They fay unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He faith unto

them, Go ye alfo into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the Lord of the vineyard faith unto his fteward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they fuppofed that they should have received more; and they likewife received every man a penny. And when they had receieved it, they murmured against the good man of the houfe, faying, by obfervation of the cuftoms in the Grecian games, or anywves. Thefe beautiful allufions were particularly appropriate in an epiftle to the Corinthians, as the famous Ifthmian grames were celebrated near that city. The Apostle's firft reference is to the deopas, or courfe; and his fecond to the Tavgation, or conteft, compounded of boxing and wrestling; the fuccefsful candidates in both which games received a garland, or crown of leaves. For compleat illuftration of this elegant metaphorical portion of fcripture, I beg to refer the reader to Hammond's Notes in loc.

Third hour] Nine o'clock in the morning.

A penny The Roman denarius; about 7d. English.

These last have wrought but one hour, and thou haft made them equal unto us, which have borne the burthen and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and faid, Friend, I do thee no wrong; didft not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this laft even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the laft fhall be firft, and the first laft: for many be called, but few chofen.

The Sunday called Sexagefima, or the fecond Sunday before

Lent.

The Collect.

Lord God, who feeft that we put not our truft in any thing that we do; Mercifully grant, that by thy power we may be defended against all adverfity, through. Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

The Epiftle. 2 Cor. xi. 19.

YE fuffer fools gladly, feeing ye yourselves are wife. For

ye fuffer if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man fmite you on the face. I fpeak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak: howbeit, whereinfover any is bold, (I speak foolishly) I am bold alfo. Are they Hebrews? fo am I: are they Ifraelites? fo am I: are they the feed of Abraham? fo am I: are they minifters of Chrift? (I fpeak as a fool) I am more: in labours more abundant; in ftripes above meafure; in prifons more frequent; in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty ftripes fave one. Thrice was I beaten with rods. Once was I ftoned. Thrice I fuffered fhipwreck. A night They murmured] The Jews were indignant because the gospel covenant was extended to the Gentiles.

The Collect This prayer for protection againft adverfity was adopted from the Sacra. of Greg. The introitus was pfalm xxiv.

Te fuffer fools, &c.] This is fine irony, in the confidence of your own wildom, you fuffer yourselves to be impofed on by fools, wicked teachers, and falfe apoftles.

K

and a day I have been in the deep; in journeyings often; in perils of waters; in perils of robbers; in perils by mine own countrymen; in perils by the heathen; in perils in the city; in perils in the wildernefs; in perils in the fea; in perils among falfe brethren; in wearinefs and painfulnefs; in watchings often; in hunger and thirft; in faftings often; in cold and nakedness; befides thofe things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. The God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, which is bleffed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.

WHI

The Gofpel. St. Luke viii. 4.

HEN much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable. A fower went out to fow his feed: and as he fowed, fome fell by the way-fide; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And fome fell upon a rock; and as foon as it was fprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And fome fell among thorns; and the thorns fprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundred-fold. And when he had faid these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And his difciples afked him, faying, What might this parable be? And he faid, Unto you it is given to know the myfteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that feeing they might not fee, and hearing they might not understand. Now the parable is this: The feed is the Word of God. Thofe by the wayfide, are they that hear: then cometh the devil, and taketh away the Word out of their hearts, left they should be

A fower went out to fow, &c.] In this parable Chrift compares the preaching of the gofpel to a husbandman's fowing corn in a field; and fhews his hearers, that as the fame feed produced better or worse corn, according as it was fown in better or worfe ground; fo the preaching of the doctrines of Chriftianity had more or less effect upon the lives of men, according as they were heard and received by men of honeft and well-dilpofed hearts, or by those of an evil and contrary disposition.

lieve, and be faved. They on the rock are they, which when they hear, receive the Word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, which when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares, and riches, and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honeft and good heart, having heard the Word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

The Sunday called Quinquagefima, or the next Sunday before Lent.

The Collect.

Lord, who haft taught us, that all our doings without charity are nothing worth; fend thy Holy Ghoft, and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity, the very bond of peace, and of all virtues; without which whofoever liveth is counted dead before thee. Grant this for thine only Son Jefus Chrift's fake. Amen.

TH

The Epiftle. 1 Cor. xiii. 1,

HOUGH I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as founding brafs, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, fo that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

The Collect] This prayer for the gift of Chriftian charity was com pofed A. D. 1549, and introduced into King Edward's firft book. The introitus was pfalm xxvi. The Tuefday fucceeding this Sunday is called Shrove Tuesday; a name derived from the Saxon word frivé, to confess; it being the practice amongst the Roman Catholics formerly to confefs their fins to their priests on that day, as a preparation for the fast on which they were about to enter.

Charity Univerfal benevolence. The word is rendered love in Tin dall's New Teftament, in the bibles of 1549 and 1568, and in the Geneva verfion. We learn the fenfe of the word charity in the time of Henry. VII. from Sir Thos. More's Dialogues, b. iii. c. 8: Charity is a good, virtuous, and well-ordered love?

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