The Epiftle. Rom. xv. 4.

Hatfoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning; that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Now the God of patience and confolation grant you to be like-minded one towards another, according to Chrift Jefus: That ye may with one mind, and one mouth, glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift. Wherefore receive ye one another, as Chrift alfo received us, to the Glory of God. Now I fay, That Jefus Chrift was a minister of the circumcifion, for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy, as it is written, For this caufe I will confefs to thee among the Gentiles, and fing unto thy Name. And again he faith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. And again, Praife the Lord all ye Gentiles, and laud him all ye people. And again Efaias faith, There shall be a root of Jeffe, and he that fhall rife to reign over the Gentiles in him fhall the Gentiles trust. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghoit.

;

The Gospel. St Luke xxi. 25,

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ND there fhall be figns in the fun, and in the moon, and in the ftars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the fea and the waves roaring; mens hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth; for the powers of heaven fhall be fhaken. And then fhall they fee the Son of man coming in a cloud, with power and great glory. And when thefe things begin to come to pafs, 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 fhoot forth, ye fee and know of your own felves that fummer is now nigh at hand. So likewife ye, when ye fee these things come to pafs, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I fay un'o you, This generation fhall not pafs away, till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth fhall pafs away: but my words fhall not pafs away.

The

The third Sunday in Advent.

The Collect.

0 Lo

Lord Jefu Christ, who at thy firft coming didft fend thy meffenger to prepare thy way before thee; Grant that the Minifters and ftewards of thy myfteries may likewife to prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the difobedient to the wisdom of the juft; that at thy fecond coming to judge the world, we may be found an acceptable people in thy fight, who liveft and reignoft with the Father and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen,

The Epistle. 1 Cor. iv. 1.

ET a man fo account of us, as of the Minifters of

Chrift, and Stewards of the myfteries of God. Moreover, it is required in Stewards, that a man be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing, that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own felt, For I know nothing by myself, yet am I not hereby juftified: but he that judgeth me, is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifeft the counfels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

PARAPHRASE.

On the COLLECT for the Third Sunday in Advent.

O Lord Jefus Chrift, who at thy firft advent, when thou didst condefcend to converfe with us mortals in the flesh, didft fend thy meffinger, Ich the baptift, as a harbinger to prepare thy way before thee, (Mar.

Sa

10.) as it was foretold by thy prophet Malachi; (Chap. iii. 1.) we beseech thee fo to blefs the pious labours of the paftors of thy church, who are the minifters of Chrift and ftewards of the myfleries of God, (1 Cor. ..) that they, after the example of John the baptift, may prepare thy way before thee, by turning the hearts of the difabedient to the wildom of the juft, (Luke i. 17.) that at thy fecond advent when thou shalt come judge the world, (2 Tim. iv. 1.) we may prove acceptable in the fight of our God and Saviour (1 Tim. ii. 3.) who liveth and reigneth in equal ory with God the Father, and God the Holy Ghot, to all eternity, Amen,

O Lord,

The Gofpel. St Matth. xi. 2.

NOT

TOW when John had heard in the prifon the works of Chrift, he fent two of his difciples, and faid unto him, Art thou he that fhould come, or do we look for another? Jefus anfwered, and faid unto them, Go and fhew John again those things which ye do hear and fee: The blind receive their fight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleanfed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the Gofpel preached to them. And blessed is he whofoever fhall not be offended in me. And as they departed, Jefus began to fay unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to fee? A reed fhaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to fee? A man clothed in foft raiment ? behold, they that wear foft clothing are in kings houses. But what went ye out for to fee? A prophet? yea, I fay unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written, Behold, I fend my meffenger before thy face, which fhall prepare thy way before thee.

The fourth Sunday in Advent.
The Collect.

Lord, raife up, we pray thee, thy power, and come among us, and with great might fuccour us; that whereas through our fins and wickednefs we are fore let and hindered in running the race that is fet before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us, through the fatisfaction of thy Son our Lord; to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghoft, be honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

PARAPHRASE

On the COLLECT for the Fourth Sunday in Advent.

O Lord, we beseech thee to ftir up thy ftrength and come and help us. (Pfal. ixxx. 2.) and to afford us the powerful affiftance of thy grace, that we may not be retarded with the weight of fin, which doth fo eafily befet us, but may run with patience the race which is fet before us, (Heb. xii.

1.) and

The Epiftle. Phil. iv. 4.

Ejoice in the Lord alway; and again I fay, Rejoice. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing, by prayer and fupplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which paffeth all understanding, fhall keep your hearts and minds through Chrift Jefus.

The Gospel. St John i. 19.

TH

HIS is the record of John, when the Jews fent Priests and Levites from Jerufalem, to afk him, Who art thou? And he confeffed, and denied not; but confeffed, I am not the Chrift. And they afked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he faith, I am not. Art thou that Prophet? And he anfwered, No, Then faid they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an antwer to them that fent us. What fayeft thou of thy felf? He faid, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as faid the prophet Efaias. And they which were fent, were of the Pharifees. And they asked him, and faid unto him, Why baptizeft thou then, if thou be not that Chrift, nor Elias, neither that Prophet? John anfwered them, faying, I baptize with water; but there ftandeth one among you, whom ye know not: He it is, who coming after me, is preferred before me, whofe fhoes latchet I am not worthy to unloofe. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

PARAPHRASE.

1.) and that thy bountiful grace, which thou doft liberally bestow on alf that afk it with a devout heart, may defend and deliver us from all the temptations, by which we may be attacked, thro' the merits and fâtisfaction of Jefus Chrift, &c. Amen.

The Nativity of our Lord, or the Birth-day of CHRIST, commonly called Christmas-day.

The Collect.

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Lmighty God, who hast given us thy only begotten 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 fame our Lord Jefus Chrift; who liveth and reigneth with thee, and the fame Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

The Epiftle. Heb. i. 1.

GOD

HOD, who at fundry times, and in divers manners, fpake in time paft unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these laft days fpoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom alfo he made the worlds. Who being the brightnefs of his glory, and the exprefs image of his perfon, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our fins, fat down on the right hand of the Majefty on high: Being made fo much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent Name than they. For unto which of the angels faid he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? and again, I will be to him a Father, and he fhall be to me a Son. And again, when he bringeth in the firft-begotten into the world, he

PARAPHRASE.

On the COLLECT for the Nativity of Jefus Chrift.

O Almighty God, who haft given thy only begotten Son, (John iii. 16.) not to take upon him the nature of angels, but to take on him the feed of Abraham, (Heb. ii. 16.) and to be born of a pure virgin, which birth we this day, with grateful hearts, commemorate; afford us, we beseech thee, thy grace, that we being born again into a fpiritual life, (John ii. 3. Pet. i. 23.) may receive the adoption of fons, (Gal. iv. 5.) and may daily be renewed in the fpirit of our minds, (Epb. iv. 23.) by the influence of the holy fpirit; which we beg for the fake of our everbleffed Lord, &c. Amen.

O Lord,