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O let me hear Thy loving-kind- God: let Thy loving Spirit lead me ness betimes in the morning, for in forth into the land of righteousThee is my trust: shew Thou me ness. the way that I should walk in, for I lift up my soul unto Thee.

Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies for I flee unto Thee to hide me.

Quicken me, O Lord, for Thy name's sake and for Thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble.

And of Thy goodness slay mine Teach me to do the thing that enemies and destroy all them that pleaseth Thee, for Thou art my vex my soul; for I am Thy servant.

Then all say,

I

BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:

And in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

MAY

1

Then he says,

AY the reading of the Holy Word (or Holy Gospel) be unto us salvation and protection. Amen.

Then he reads one of the short chapters following:

First Week.

WEDNESDAY.

Repentance not to be delayed. The Lesson is taken from the Book of Proverbs, and of the Prophet Isaiah; and from the Second General Epistle of St. Peter.

'WIS

ISDOM crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets saying, How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in

unto you.

their scorning, and fools hate know-
ledge? Turn ye at my reproof: be-
hold, I will pour out my spirit unto
you, I will make known my words
Because I have called,
and ye refused, I have stretched out
my hand, and no man regarded;
but ye have set at nought all my
counsel, and would none of my re-
proof: I also will laugh at your ca-
lamity; I will mock when your fear
cometh.
Then shall they
call upon me, but I will not an-
swer; then shall they seek me

1 Prov. i. 20.

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early, but they shall not find me: | vineyard, Behold, these three years

for they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord

Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled .with their own devices.

1 Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near let the wicked man forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, and He will abundantly pardon.

2 Beloved, the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

3

FRIDAY.

Same subject continued. From the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke.

THERE

I come seeking fruit on this figtree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: and if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

Second Week.

WEDNESDAY.

Difficulty of leading a Christian
life must not hinder us from at-
tempting it.

From the Holy Gospels according
to St. Matthew, Mark, and Luke;
and from St. Paul's Epistle to
the Hebrews.
4THEN said one unto Jesus,
Lord, are there few that be
saved? And He said unto them,
Strive to enter in at the strait gate:
for many, I say unto you, will seek
to enter in, and shall not be able.

TH

5 He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me.

HERE were present at that season some that told Him of the Galilæans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilæans were sinners above all the Galilæans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but except ye repent, ye shall all like wise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem ? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his it, all that behold it begin to mock

1 Isaiah lv. 6.

4 St. Luke xiii. 23.

7 St. Luke xiv. 28.

He

6 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

7 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish

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him, saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

1 Blessed Paul saith, The time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. Women received their dead raised to life again and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they may obtain a better resurrection and others had trial of

ment.

:

when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.

Third Week.

WEDNESDAY.

of resisting it.

cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, The course of temptation, and way moreover of bonds and imprisonBeing destitute, afflicted, tormented. (Of whom the world was not worthy.)

....

2 Wherefore brethren, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

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From the General Epistle of St. James.

'B'

LESSED is the man that en

dureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,

and cometh down from the Father

of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive 3 Ecclus. ii. 1.

2 Heb. xii. 1.
5 St. James i. 1

with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

1

FRIDAY.

Watchfulness.

From the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke.

1AT

T that time Jesus said, And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads: for your redemption draweth nigh. And He spake to them a parable; Behold the fig-tree, and all the trees; when they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but My words shall not pass away. And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you un

Fourth Week.

WEDNESDAY.

Same subject continued. From the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Thessalonians, and from the First General Epistle of St. Peter.

BUT

OUT of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day; we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

awares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son 4 of man.

1 St. Luke xxi. 25. 4 St. Matt. vi. 19.

3 Brethren, be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith.

FRIDAY.

Against over-carefulness for worldly things. From the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew.

A

T that time Jesus said, Lay not up for yourselves treasures

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upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. . . . . No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment ? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

1 Prov. iv. 24. 42 Thess. ii. 15.

Fifth Week.

WEDNESDAY.

Submission to Church authority.

From the Book of Proverbs; from St. Paul's Epistles to the Romans and Hebrews; from the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians; and from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew.

1

PUT

away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

2 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

3 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

4 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word or our epistle.

5 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves : for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account.

6 Jesus saith to His disciples, If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not

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