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and household continually in thy true religion; that they, who do lean only upon the hope of thy heavenly grace, may evermore be defended by thy mighty power, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

THE GOSPEL.

Matth. xiii. 24 - 30.

THE kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way, But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came, and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? From whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest; and in the

time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.

THE EPISTle.

Col. iii. 12-17.

PUT on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, affections of pity, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any; even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things, put on charity, which is the bnd of perfectness, and let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father through him.

The Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany.

THE COLLECT.

O GOD, whose blessed Son was manifested, that he might make us the sons of God, and heirs of eternal life; grant us, we beseech thee, that having this hope, we may purify ourselves even as he is pure; that when he shall appear again with power and great glory, we may be made like unto him in his glorious kingdom; where we may ascribe blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, to Him who sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever. Amen.

THE GOSPEL.

Matth. xxiv. 23-31.

THEN if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it

not.

have told you before. Wherefore, if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert, go not forth; Behold, he is in the secret chambers, believe it not. For as the

lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even into the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the

eagles be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days, shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven; and the powers of the heavens shall be And then shall shaken. appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the

THE EPISTLE.

other. For there shall arise false Christs, Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Behold I

1 John iii. 1-8.

BEHOLD, what manner

of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know, that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man who hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Whosoever committeth sin, transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law.

And

ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him, sinneth not; whosoever sin

neth, hath not seen him, neither know him. Little children, let no man deceive you; he who doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He who committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of

the devil.

The Sunday called Septuagesima, or the third Sunday before Lent.

THE COLLECT.

GRANT unto us, O merciful Father, resolution and constancy to persevere in the path of our duty to the end of our lives; so that no prospect of danger shall deter us from doing that which is right, nor any enticement of evil example tempt us to forfeit our hope of immortality, which we inherit as disciples of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE GOSPEL.

Matth. xx. 1 — 16.

THE kingdom of heaven is like unto a man who is an householder, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the laborers them into his vineyard. And for a penny a day, he sent

he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the market place, and said unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard, and

whatsoever is right I will
give you.
And they went
their way. Again he went

out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and said unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They said unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the laborers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the good man of the house, saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, who have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong. Didst thou not

agree with me for a penny ? Take that thine is, and go thy way. I will give unto this last even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last; for many be called, but few chosen.

THE EPISTle.

1 Cor. ix. 24-27.

KNOW ye not, that they who run in a race, run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man who striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things; and they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air; but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast-away.

The Sunday called Sexagesima, or the Second Sunday before Lent.

THE COLLECT.

O LORD God, who

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WHEN much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake this parable. A sower went out to sow his

seed. And as he sowed, some feel by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered because it lacked away,

moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundred fold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He who hath ears to hear, let him hear. And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God; but

to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. Now the parable is this. The seed is the

word of God. Those by the way side are they who hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock, are they, who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root; who for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns, are they, who, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares, and riches, and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground, are they, who, in an honest and good the heart, having heard word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

THE EPISTLE.

2 Cor. xi. 19-31.

YE suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise. For ye suffer if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite

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