T. What will then keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus?

S. "The peace of God, which passeth all understanding."

The Gospel. St. John, i. 19.

THIS is the record of John, when the Jews sent Priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that Prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou, then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that Prophet? John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not: He it is who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

T. What are we now to consider?

S. The record of John the Baptist concerning himself. T. What should we notice in this?

S. His truth and humility, and desire to exalt Christ.

7. What did the inquiry of the Jews show?

S. That they expected Christ, and that Elias should appear before Him.

T. On what prophecy did they ground this belief?

S. On that of Malachi, iv. 5. "Behold, I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord."

T. What were the words of the Angel showing how this prophecy was fulfilled in John?

S. "And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

T. Where do we read the words of Esaias repeated by St. John?

S. Isaiah, xl. 3: "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God."

T. What did the Jews demand, seeing John was not the Messiah nor Elias?

S. "Why baptizest thou, then?"

T. What does this question show?

S. That they expected Christ to baptize.

T. How was that foretold in Zech. xiii. 1; Is. lii. 15? S. "In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness." "So shall He sprinkle many nations."

T. [This also showed that they considered no one might baptize without authority from God.] What was the difference between John's and our Saviour's baptism? S. John "baptized with water unto repentance," but Christ "with the Holy Ghost." Matt. iii. 11.

T. How do we learn that John's baptism was only preparatory to the baptism of Christ? Acts, xix. 2–6.

S. Paul, finding disciples at Ephesus, "Said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on Him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them the Holy Ghost came upon them."

T. Of what should the words of St. John, "There standeth one among you whom ye know not," remind us?

S. That Christ is ever with us, though we may not know it, and though our eyes are holden that we may not see Him.

THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD, OR THE BIRTHDAY OF CHRIST, COMMONLY CALLED CHRISTMAS DAY.

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY GOD, Who hast given us Thy onlybegotten Son to take our nature upon Him, and as at this time to be born of a pure Virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made Thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by Thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the same Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

T. How do we begin this Collect?

S." Almighty God, Who hast given us Thy only-be. gotten Son to take our nature upon Him."

T. What did this exceeding great gift show?
S."That God so loved the world." John, iii. 16.

T. Was it our nature and none other that Jesus took upon Him?

S. Yes; "For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels: but He took on Him the seed of Abraham." Heb. ii. 17.

T. How was this accomplished?

S. By His birth of the Virgin Mary.

T. What new birth did He come to declare unto us?

S. That of Baptism. Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." John, iii. 5, 6.

T. What do we speak of ourselves as being now?

S. "Regenerate, and made His children by adoption and grace."

T. What does "regenerate" mean?

S. Born again unto God.

T. What are we by nature?

S. "Children of wrath." Ephes. ii. 3.

T. What does St. Paul teach us to believe that Christians have received? Rom. viii. 2.

S. The Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."

T. What do we therefore pray?

S. That we may be daily renewed by the Holy Spirit. T. What do we mean by this?

S. That if we fall into sin, and grieve and weaken the Spirit within us, it may be strengthened and restored to us. T. Do we not constantly do this?

S. Yes. "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Rom. iii. 23. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." 1 John, i. 8.

T. What is the first step to our being renewed after falling away?

S. Repentance.

"For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of." 2 Cor. vii. 10. T. What will this lead us to ?

S. Confession. "If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

T. But if we continue "to sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth," what must we expect? Heb. x. 26–29.

S. "There remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?"

T. Therefore our prayers for renewal must be made

?

S. Daily, "through our Lord Jesus Christ."

The Epistle. Heb. i. 1.

GOD, Who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the Fathers by the Prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by