Page images
PDF
EPUB

Then opened he their under- | which he hath testified of his

standing, that they might understand the Scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his Name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.

The first Sunday after Easter.
The Collect.

ALMIGHTY Father, who to die for our sins, and to rise

hast given thine only Son

again for our justification; Graut us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, that we may alway serve thee in pureness of living and truth; through the merits of the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle. 1 St. John v. 4.
born

WHATSOEVER is
of God overcometh the
world; and this is the victory
that overcometh the world,
even our faith. Who is he that
overcometh the world, but he
that believeth that Jesus is the
Son of God? This is he that
came by water and blood, even
Jesus Christ; not by water
only, but by water and blood:
and it is the Spirit that beareth
witness, because the Spirit is
truth. For there are three that
bear record in heaven, the Fa-
ther, the Word, and the Holy
Ghost: and these three are one.
And there are three that bear
witness in earth, the spirit, and
the water, and the blood: and
these three agree in one. If we
receive the witness of men, the
witness of God is greater: for
this is the witness of God,

Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life; and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son hath not life.

THE same

The Gospel. St. John xx. 19. day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were

shut, where the disciples were

assembled for fear Jews,
came Jesus and stood in the

midst, and saith unto them,
Peace be unto you. And when
he had so said, he shewed unto
them his hands and his side.
Then were the disciples glad
when they saw the Lord. Then
said Jesus to them again, Peace
be unto you: As my Father
hath sent me, even so send I
And when he had said
you.
this, he breathed on them, and
saith unto them, Receive ye the
holy Ghost. Whosesoever sins
ye remit, they are remitted un-
to them; and whosesoever sins
ye retain, they are retained.

[blocks in formation]

The Epistle. 1 St. Peter ii. 19. | voice; and there shall be one

THIS is thank-worthy, if a

man for conscience toward

God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? But if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently; this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

The Gospel. St. John x. 11.

am

JESUS said, I the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth; and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are_not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my

fold, and one shepherd.

The third Sunday after Easter.

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY

God,

who

shewest to them that be in error the light of thy truth, to the intent that they may return into the way of righteous ness; Grant unto all them that are admitted into the fellowship of Christ's Religion, that they may eschew those things that are contrary to their profession, and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. The Epistle. 1 St. Peter ii. 11.

DEARLY beloved, I beseech strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having your conversation honest among the Gentiles; that, whereas they speak against you as evil doers, they may, by your good works which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake; whether it be to the King, as supreme: or unto governours, as unto then that are sent by him, for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: as free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness; but as the ser vants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the King.

The Gospel. St. John xvi. 16. JESUS said to his disciples, little while and not see me; and again, a little

while and ye shall see me; because I go to the Father. Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while and ye shall not see me; and again, a little while and ye shall see

me; and, Because I go to the Father? They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith. Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while and ve shall not see me; and again, a little while and ye shall see me? Verily, verily I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in travail, hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

The fourth Sunday after Easter.

The Collect.

Almighty God, who alone order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men; Grant unto thy people, that they may love the thing which thou commandest, and desire that which thou dost promise; that so, among the sundry and manifold changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed, where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle. St. James i. 17.

EVERY good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Fa ther 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 first-fruits 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 with meekness the engrafted Word, which is able to save your

souls.

J

:

The Gospel. St. John xvi. 5. ESUS said unto his disciples, Now I go my way to him that sent me, and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thon But, because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send hinm unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement: of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of judgement, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to

come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

The fifth Sunday after Easter.
The Collect.

Lord, from whom all good
things do come; Grant

us thy humble servants, that by thy holy inspiration we may think those things that be good, and by thy merciful guiding may perform the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Epistle. St. James i. 22.
Eye doers of the Word,

ceiving your own.selves. For if any be a hearer of the Word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass. For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetfill hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion, and undefiled before God and the Father, is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the

world.

The Gospel. St. John xvi. 23. VERILY ERILY, verily I say unto you, ye shall ask the Father in my Name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my Name:

ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: the time cometh when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father, At that day ye shall ask in my Name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you; for the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God. Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe? Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

The Ascension-day.
The Collect.

GRANT, we

beseech thee, Almighty God, that like do believe only-be

gotten Son our Lord Jesus

Christ to have ascended into the heavens; so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend, and with him continually dwell, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

For the Epistle. Acts i. 1. THE former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all Jesus began both to do and

like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

The Gospel. St. Mark xvi. 14.

them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my Name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord

teach, until the day in which JESUS appeared unto the ele ven as at meat, and he was taken up, after that he upbraided them with their unthrough the Holy Ghost had belief and hardness of heart, given commandments unto the | because they believed not them Apostles whom he had chosen: which had seen him after he to whom also he shewed himwas risen. And he said unto self alive after his passion, by many infallible proofs; being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God: and, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem, and in

all Judæa, and in Samaria, and

unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven, as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come, in

had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the Word with signs following.

Sunday after Ascension-day.
The Collect.

God the King of glory
who hast exalted thine

only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph unto thy kingdom in heaven; We beseech thee, leave us not comfortless; but send to us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us, and exalt us unto the same place whither our Saviour Christ is gone before, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen. The Epistle. 1 St. Peter iv. 7. THE end of all things is at hand; be ye therefore so

« PreviousContinue »