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The Epiftle. Acts i. 15.

thofe days Peter ftood up in the midst of the difciples, and faid, (the number of the names together were about an hundred and twenty) Men and brethren, this fcripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghoft by the mouth of David fpake before concerning Judas, who was guide to them that took Jefus. For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this miniftry. Now this man purchafed a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midft, and all his bowels gushed out. And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerufalem; infomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue Aceldama, that is to fay, The field of blood. For it is written in the book of Pfalms, Let his habitation be defolate, and let no man dwell therein: and, his bishoprick let another take. Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jefus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptifm of John, unto that fame day that he was taken up from us, muft one be ordained to be a witness with us of his refurrection. And they appointed two, Jofeph called Barfabas, who was furnamed Juftus, and Matthias. And they prayed, and faid, Thou Lord, which knoweft the hearts of all men, fhew whether of these two thou haft chofen, that he may take part this miniftry and apoftlefhip from which Judas by tran greffion fell, that he might go to his own place. And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven Apostles.

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The Gospel. St. Matth. xi. 25.

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T that time Jefus answered and faid, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou haft hid these things from the wife and prudent, and haft revealed them unto babes: even fo, Father; for fo it feemed good in thy fight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, fave the Son, and he to whomfoever the Son will reveal him.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will you reft. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye fhalt find reft unto your fouls. For my yoke is eafy, and my burden is light.

Annunciation of the Virgin Mary.

The Collect.

E befeech thee, O Lord, pour thy grace into our hearts; that as we have known the Incarnation of thy Son Jefus Chrift by the meffage of an angel; fo by his crofs and paffion we may be brought unto the glory of his refurrection, through the fame Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

The Epiftle. Ifaiah vii. 10.

Oreover the Lord fpake again unto Ahaz, faying,

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in the depth, or in the height above. But Ahaz faid, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord. And he said,

Virgin Mary There is an ancient tradition, that Mary was an only child, and heir to her father's and mother's goods, Epiph. Contr. Antidic. and therefore was efpoufed to Jofeph, as next of kin, according to the Mofaical law, Numb. xxxvi. 6, which will neceffarily infer her to be of the fame tribe with Jofeph her husband. That Jofeph was a widower when he was efpoufed to the bleffed virgin, and had feveral children by his first wife, is the unanimous opinion of all the Greek fathers for the first ages, Orig. in Matt. 13. Eufeb. Hift. lib. ii. cap. 1. Epiph. Hæref. 28, 78. Greg. Nyis. de Refur. Chrift. Or. 2. Theoph. in Matt. 27, and of many of the Latins, Hill. in Matt. 1. Ambrof. in Gal. for thefe generally fuppofed, that thofe called our Lord's brethren in the gofpel; were Jofeph's children by his first wife. There was a tradition in the church, that the Virgin travelled with St. John to Ephefus; for the fathers of that council, in an epiftle of theirs to the clergy of Conftantinople, mentioning Ephefus, fay, in which John the divine, and the deiparous Virgin Mary fome time dwelt, Act. Eph. Conc. cap. 26. There are various opinions about the time of her death, fome placing it at the fifty-eighth year of her age, fome in the feventy-fecond, but moft in the fixty fecond or third year of her age, and in the year of Chrift 48.

The Collect This prayer for our participation of Chrift's glorious refurrection, was compofed by Gregory, vide Sac. 211; but corrupted and introduced into the miffal in this ftate In 1549 it was purified by the Reformers, and introduced into the first prayer-book of Edward VI. The introitus was palm cxxxi.

Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God alfo? There fore the Lord himself fhall give you a fign; Behold, a virgin fhall conceive, and bear a fon and fhall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey fhall he eat, that he may know to refufe the evil, and choose the good.

The Gospel. St. Luke i. 26.

AND in the fixth month the angel Gabriel was fent

from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin efpoufed to a man whofe name was Jofeph, of the houfe of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and faid, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: bleffed art thou among women. And when the faw him, fhe was troubled at his faying, and caft in her mind what manner of falutation this fhould be. And the angel faid unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou haft found favour with God. And behold, thou fhalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and fhall call his name Jefus. He fhall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Higheft; and the Lord God fhall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he thall reign over the houfe of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there fhall be no end. Then faid Mary unto the angel, How fhall this be, feeing I know not a man? And the angel anfwered and faid unto her, The Holy Ghoft fhall come upon thee, and the power of the Higheft fhall overfhadow thee: therefore alfo that holy thing which thall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy coufin Elizabeth, fhe hath alfo conceived a fon in her old age; and this is the fixth month with her who was called barren. with God nothing fhall be impofible. And Mary faid, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; being it unto meʼaccording to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

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The Collect.

Almighty God, who haft inftructed thy holy church with the heavenly doctrine of thy Evangelift St, Mark; Give us grace, that being not like children carried away with every blaft of vain doctrine, we may be eftablished in the truth of thy holy Gofpel, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

The Epiftle. Ephef. iv. 7.

UNTO every one of us is given grace according

to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he faith, When he afcended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he afcend. ed, what is it but that he alfo defcended firft into the lower parts of the earth? He that defcended is the fame alfo that afcended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave, fome apoftles, and fome prophets, and fome evangelifts, and fome paftors and teachers; for the perfecting of the faints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the ftature of the fulness of Chrift: that we henceforth be no more children, toffed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the fleight of men, and cunning craftinefs, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but fpeaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the

St. Mark This Evangelift is fuppofed to have been a Jew by extrac tion, and that his name was Mordecai; and that he took Marcus as a Roman name, fomething like in found, it being the cuftom of the Jews fo to do, when they travelled from home; as Jefus the brother of Onias was called Jafo, Saul was called Paulus. He planted a Chriftian church at Alexandria, and was the first bishop of that place; Hier. Script. Eccl. Eufeb. Eccl. Hift. lib. ii. cap. 15. The particularities of his martyrdom are not mentioned in any very early writers: Beda, Ado, Nicephorus, and Metaphraftes, fay, that his death was occafioned by an infurrection of the heathen rabble upon him, as he was officiating in his church at Alexandria, who tied a rope about his neck, and dragged him up and down the craggy rocks by the fea fide, till they had killed him.

The Called This prayer, for establishment in evangelical truth, was compofed and inferted in Edward Ift's prayer-book, 1549. The introitus was pfalm cxli.

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head, even Chrift, from whom the whole body, fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every joint fupplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body, unto the edifying of itself in love.

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The Gospel. St. John xv. 1.

Am the true vine, and my Father is the hufbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itfelf, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the fame bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is caft forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them and caft them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye fhall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; fo fhall ye be my difciples. As the Fa ther hath loved me, fo have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I fpoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

St. Philip and St. James's Day.

The Collect.

Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlafting life; Grant us perfectly to know thy Son Jefus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life; that follow

St. Philip After our Saviour's afcenfion, he is recorded to have preached the Gofpel in the higher Afia; Niceph. lib. ii. cap. 29. Others will have him to have joined with Saint Bartholomew in eaching to the Scythians; Metaphr. in vit. Ifidorus fays, he converted Gauls; but it is probable he means the Gallogræci, or inhabitants of