THE GOSPEL. St. Matth. xxv. 1-13. Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For the foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them: but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. Now while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. But at midnight there is a cry, Behold, the bridegroom! Come ye forth to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going out. But the wise answered, saying, Peradventure there will not be enough for us and you: go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went away to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage feast: and the door was shut. Afterward come also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Watch therefore, for ye know not Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 舒 OTHER FESTIVALS GENERALLY OBSERVED BY THE EVANGELICAL CHURCH. FESTIVAL OF REFORMATION, On Sunday Nearest October 31st. THE EPISTLE. Gal. ii. 16-21. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, save through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed on Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law: because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. But if, while we sought to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also were found sinners, is Christ a minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build up again those things which I destroyed, I prove myself a transgressor. For I through the law died unto the law, that I might live unto God. I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live; and yet no longer I, but Christ liveth in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me. I do not make void the grace of God: for if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nought. THE GOSPEL. St. John ii. 13-21. And the passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And he found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: and he made a scourge of cords, and cast all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the changers' money, and overthrew their tables; and to them that sold the doves he said, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house a house of merchandise. FESTIVAL OF HARVEST. THE EPISTLE. Acts xiv. 15-17. Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and bring you good tidings, that ye should turn from these vain things unto the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that in them is: who in the generations gone by suffered all the nations to walk their own ways. And yet he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave you from heaven rains and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness. 40 THE GOSPEL. St. Luke xii. 13-21. And one out of the multitude said unto him, Master, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me. But he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? And he said unto them, Take heed, and keep yourselves from all covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully; and he reasoned within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have not where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater and there will I bestow all my corn and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry. But God said unto him, Thou foolish one, this night is thy soul required of thee; and the things which thou hast prepared, whose shall they be? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. NATIONAL THANKSGIVING-DAY. Last Thursday in November. THE EPISTLE. 1. Tim. ii. 1-8. I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings, be made for all men; for kings and all that are in high place; that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and gravity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who willeth that all men should be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, one mediator also between God and men, himself man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all; the testimony to be borne in its own times; whereunto I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I speak the truth, I lie not), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. THE GOSPEL. Psalm cv. 40-45. The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven. He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river. For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant. And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness: And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people; that they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the Lord. THE HISTORY OF THE PASSION OF JESUS CHRIST, OUR LORD, As Recorded by the Four Evangelists. Part First.---The Introduction. Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper in the house of Simon the leper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. And as he sat at meat, there came Mary having an alabaster cruse of ointment of spikenard, very costly and she brake the cruse, and poured it over his head, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him: Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor! This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and having the bag took away what was put therein. And some of the other disciples, when they saw it, had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. And they murmured against her. But Jesus perceiving it said unto them, Let her alone; why trouble ye the woman? she hath wrought a good work on me. For ye have the poor always with you, and whenever ye will ye can do them good: but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could: she hath anointed my body aforehand for the burying. And verily I say unto you, Wheresoever the gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, that also which this woman hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her. (1) On the next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried out, Hosanna, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel! And Jesus, having found an young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Zion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt. The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb, and raised him from the dead, bare witness, For this cause also the multitude went and met him, for that they heard that he had done his sign. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Behold, how ye prevail nothing: lo, the world is gone after him. (2) Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover. And Jesus said unto his disciples, Ye know that after two days the feast of the Passover, and the Son of man is delivered up to be crucified. Then were gathered together the chief priests, and the elders of the people, unto the court of the high-priest, who was called Caiphas; and they took counsel together that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him. But they said, Not during the feast, lest a tumult arise among the people; for they feared the people. (3) (1) St. John xii. 1-8. St. Matth. xxvi. 6-13. St. Mark xiv. 3-9. (2) St. John xii. 12-15 and 17-19. (3) St. Matth. xxvi. 1-5. St. Mark xiv. 1.2. St. Luke xxii. 1.2. THE HISTORY OF THE PASSION OF JESUS CHRIST, OUR LORD. Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests and captains and communed with them how he might betray him unto them, and said: What are ye willing to give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money; And they weighed unto him thirty pieces of silver. And he consented, and sought opportunity to deliver him unto them in the absence of the multitude. (1) Part Second.---The Last Supper of Jesus with His Disciples. And on the first day of unleavened bread, when they sacrificed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and make ready that thou mayest eat the passover? And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water, follow him into the house where he entereth in. And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples, where is the guest-chamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And he shall show you a large upper room furnished; there make ready. And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. (2) And in the evening he cometh with the twelve, and he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer! For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: for I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. (3) And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them: The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so; but he that is the greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is the chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth. Ye are 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. (4) Now Jesus knowing that his hour was come, that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the worid, he loved them unto the end. And during supper the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he came forth from God, riseth from supper, and layeth aside his garments; and he took a towel, and girded himself. Then he poureth water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. So he cometh to Simon Peter. He saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt understand hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith unto him, He that is bathed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. For he knew him that should betray him; therefore said (1) St. Matth. xxvi. 14-16. St. Mark xiv. 10. 11. St. Luke xxii. 4-6. he, Ye are not all clean. So when he had washed their feet, and taken his garments and sat down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me, Master, and, Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one_another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye also should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, A servant is not greater than his lord; neither one that is sent is greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, blessed are ye if ye do them. I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth my bread lifted up his heel against me. From henceforth I tell you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. (1) When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. The disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake. And they were exceedingly sorrowful and began to say unto him every one, Is it I, Lord? And he said unto them, It is one of the twelve, he that dippeth with me in the disk. And as they were eating, Jesus took the bread, and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and gave to them, saying, Take, eat; this is my body, which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it. This cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins; this do ye, as oft as you drink it, in remembrance of me, and they all drank of it. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. (2) There was at the table reclining in Jesus' bosom one of his disciples whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore beckoneth to him, and saith unto him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. He leaning back, as he was, on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? Jesus therefore answereth, He it is, for whom I shall dip the sop, and give it him. So when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And he said, For the son of man goeth, even as it is written of him: but woe unto that man through whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had not been born. And Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Is it I, Rabbi? He saith unto him, Thou hast said. And after the sop, then entered Satan into him. Jesus, therefore saith unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him. For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor. He then, having received the sop, went immediately out; and it was night. (3) When therefore Judas was gone out, Jesus saith, Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him; if God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me, and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say unto you. A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; even as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow afterwards. Peter saith unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee even now? I will lay down my life for thee. Jesus answereth, Wilt thou lay down thy life for me? Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I have (1) St. John xiii. 1-20. (2) St. Matth. xxvi. 26-29. St. Mark xiv. 22-25. St. Luke xxii. 19. 20. (3) St. John xiii. 21-30, St. Matth. xxvi. 21-25. St. Mark xiv. 18-21. St. Luke xxii. 21–22. |