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art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that Prophet? John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not: He it is who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

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

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY 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 same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

The Epistle. Hebrews i. 1. GOD, who at sundry times

and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his

glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said 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 shall be to me a Son? And again, when he bringeth in the first-begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom : Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath a

nointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. And, Thou, Lord, in the begin ning hast laid the foundation of

the works of thine hands: they the earth; and the heavens are shall perish, but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old vesture shalt thou fold them up, as doth a garment; and as a and they shall be changed; but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

The Gospel. St. John i. 1. IN the beginning was the

Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the be ginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of

men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for

a witness, to bear witness of the light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But

as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his Name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we

beheld his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth.

Saint Stephen's Day.

The Collect.

GRANT, O Lord, that, in all our sufferings here upon earth for the testimony of thy truth, we may stedfastly look up to heaven, and by faith behold the glory that shall be revealed; and, being filled with the holy Ghost, may learn to love and bless our persecutors by the example of thy first Martyr Saint Stephen, who prayed for his murderers to thee, O blessed Jesus, who standest at the right hand of God to succour all those that suffer for thee, our only Mediator and Advocate.

Amen.

Then shall follow the Collect of the Nativity, which shall be said continually unto New-year's Eve.

For the Epistle. Acts vii. 55. STEPHEN, being full of the fastly into heaven, and saw the holy Ghost, looked up stedglory of God, and Jesus standand said, Behold, I see the hea ing on the right hand of God, vens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, and cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

The Gospel. St. Matt. xxiii. 34 BEHOLD, I send unto you

prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and per secute them from city to city;

that upon you may come all the earth, from the blood of the righteous blood shed upon righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias,

whom

ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this genera tion. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are would I have gathered thy chil sent unto thee; how often dren together, even as a hell gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me hence

forth, till ye shall say, Blessed
is he that cometh in the Naine
of the Lord.

Saint John the Evangelist's Day.
The Collect.

MERCIFUL Lord, we beseech thee to cast thy bright beams of light upon thy Church, that it being enlightened by the doctrine of thy blessed Apostle and Evangelist Saint John may so walk in the light of thy truth, that it may at length attain to the light of everlasting life; thro' 1 Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinued, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

The Gospel. St. John xxi. 19.

JESUS said unto Peter, Follow me. Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, That that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till

come, what is that to thee? fieth of these things, and wrote This the disciple which testithese things, and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which should be written every one,, Jesus did, the which if they I suppose, that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.

The Epistle. 1 St. John i. 1. THAT which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handied of the word of life; (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us ;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have The Collect. heard of him, and declare unto Almighty God, who out of you, That God is light, and in the mouths of babes and him is no darkness at all. If we sucklings hast ordained strength, say that we have fellowship with and madest infants to glorify him, and walk in darkness, we thee by their deaths; Mortify lie, and do not the truth: but and kill all vices in us, and so if we waik in the light, as he strengthen us by thy grace, that is in the light, we have fellow-by the innocency of our lives, ship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to

The Innocents' Day.

and constancy of our faith even unto death, we may glorify thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the Epistle. Rev. xiv. 1. Looked, and lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and wit

him an hundred forty and four | wise men. Then was fulfilled

that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, la

are not.

The Collect.

thousand, having his Father's Name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many wa-mentation, and weeping, and ters, and as the voice of a great great mourning, Rachel weepthunder: and I heard the voice ing for her children, and would of harpers harping with their not be comforted, because they harps: and they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and The Sunday after Christmas-day. the elders; and no man could learn that song, but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women, for they are virgins: these are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth: these were redeemed from among men, being the first-fruits unto God, and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile; for they are without fault before the throne of God.

ALMIGHTY 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 renew ed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, ever one God, world without end.

Amen.

The Epistle. Gal. iv. 1.

but

The Gospel. St. Matth. ii. 13. THE Angel of the Lord ap-NOW I say, that the heir, as peareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child, and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word; for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my Son. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth; and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the

long as he is a child, dif fereth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; is under tutors and governours, until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: but when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Where fore thou art no more a servant but a son; and if a son, the an heir of God through Christ. The Gospel. St. Matth. i. 18.

was on this wise: When a

HE birth of Jesus Chris

his mother Mary was espoused | ness then upon the circumcision

to Joseph, before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost: And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS; for he shall save his people from their sins. (Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a Virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.) Then Joseph, being raised from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife; and knew her not till she had brought forth her first-born son: and he called his name JESUS.

The Circumcision of Christ.

The Collect.

only, or upon the uncircumcision also? For we say, that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised; that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. For the pro

mise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect.

A

The Gospel. St. Luke ii. 15. ND it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now

ALMIGHTY God, who mad-go even unto Bethlehem, and

est thy blessed Son to be circumcised, and obedient to the law for man; Grant us the true Circumcision of the Spirit; that, our hearts, and all our members, being mortified from all worldly and carnal lusts, we may in all things obey thy blessed will; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle. Romans iv. 8.

see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made with haste, and found Mary and known unto us. And they came Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But

BLESSED is the man to Mary kept all these things, and

whom the Lord will not im

pondered them in her heart.

pute sin. Cometh this blessed-And the shepherds returned,

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