Christ Jesus; who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men; and, being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Monday before Easter.

ALMIGHTY GOD, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified; mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Tuesday before Easter.

GOD, our Heavenly Father, grant us grace, we beseech thee, to bear willingly whatever cross is laid upon us, and to follow the most holy footsteps of thy well-beloved Son, though they lead us along the way of sorrows; till we come to thine own everlasting life. Amen.

Wednesday before Easter.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who of

thy tender love toward mankind hast sent thy Son Jesus Christ into the world to lead the world to thee; mercifully give us grace to follow the example of his patience, and grant us to be made partakers of his resurrection, to the life that has no end. Amen.

Thursday before Easter.

GRANT, O Lord, that we, being watchful, be kept from falling in the hour of temptation; and give us such strength of heart and submission to thy will, that we may not shrink from the bitter cup which our Master accepted at thy hand; and thine be the glory forever. Amen.

Good Friday; Day of the Crucifixion.

AL LMIGHTY GOD, we beseech thee graciously to behold this thy family, for which our Lord Jesus Christ was contented to be betrayed, and given up into the hands of wicked men, and to suffer death upon the cross. And this we beg in the name of our Mediator; through whom we ascribe unto thee all honor and glory, now and ever. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and sanctified; receive our supplications and prayers, which we offer before thee for all estates of men in thy holy Church, that every member of the same, in his vocation and ministry, may truly and faithfully serve thee, through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

O MERCIFUL GOD, who hast made all men, and hatest nothing that thou hast made, who desirest not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live; have mercy upon all unbelievers, and take from them all ignorance, hardness of heart, and contempt of thy word; and so fetch them home, blessed Lord, to thy fold, that they may be made one flock under one shepherd, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE GOSPEL.

St. John xix. 16.

AND they took Jesus and led him away.

And he, bearing his cross, went forth into a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in the Hebrew, Golgotha; where they crucified him, and two others with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst. And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross; and the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH,

THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title then read many of the Jews; for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city; and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. Pilate answered, What I have written, I have written. Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat. Now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did. Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar; and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his

mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished; and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

THE EPISTLE.

Heb. x. I.

THE 'HE law, having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never, with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually, make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered, because that the worshippers, once purged, should have had no more conscience of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me. In burnt-offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above, when he said, Sacrifice and offering, and burnt-offerings, and offering for sin, thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein, which are offered by the law; then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.