With righteousness shall he judge the world: and the people with equity.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, &c.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever &c.

The Collect.

GOD, which makest us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of thy only Son Jesus Christ; grant that as we joyfully receive him for our Redeemer, so we may with sure confidence behold him, when he shall come to be our Judge, who liveth and reigneth &c.

The Epistle. Tit. ii.

THE grace of God that bringeth salvation unto all men hath appeared, and teacheth us that we should deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and that we should live soberly, and righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and appearing of the glory of the great God and of our Saviour Jesu Christ; which gave himself for us, to redeem us from all unrighteousness, and to purge us a peculiar people unto himself, fervently given unto good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all ferventness of commanding. See that no man despise thee.

The Gospel. Luke ii.

AND it chanced in those days, that there went out a commandment from Augustus the emperor, that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was the first, and executed when Cyrenius was lieutenant in Syria. And every man went unto his own city to be taxed. And Joseph also ascended from Galilee, out of a city called Nazareth, into Jewry, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; because he was of the house and lineage of David; to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, which was with child. And it fortuned, that, while they were there, her time was come that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her first begotten son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same region shepherds watching and keeping their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord stood hard by them, and the brightness of the Lord shone round about them and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Be not afraid: for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, that shall come to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the

Lord. And take this for a sign; Ye shall find the child wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger. And straightway there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly soldiers, praising God, and saying, Glory to God on high, and peace on the earth, and unto men a good will.

At the second Communion. Domine, Dominus noster. Ps. viii. O LORD our Governor, how excellent is thy Name in all the world thou that hast set thy glory above the heavens.

Out of the mouth of very babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength, because of thine enemies: that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

For I will consider thy heavens, even the works of thy fingers the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained.

What is man, that thou art so mindful of him : and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

Thou madest him lower than the angels to crown him with glory and worship.

Thou makest him to have dominion of the works of thy hands: and thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet;

All sheep and oxen : yea,

the beasts of the field;

and

The fowls of the air, and the

fishes of the sea and whatsoever walketh through the paths of the seas.

O Lord our Governor: how excellent is thy Name in all the world.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, &c.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever &c.

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY God, which hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and this day 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 &c.

The Epistle. Heb. i.

GOD, in times past diversely and many ways spake unto the fathers by prophets, but in these last days he hath spoken to us by his own Son, whom he hath made heir of all things, by whom also he made the world; which (Son) being the brightness of his glory, and the very image of his substance, ruling all things with the word of his power, hath by his own person purged our sins, and sitteth on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being somuch more excellent 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 his Father, and he shall be my Son? And again, when he bringeth in the first-begotten. Son into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. And unto the angels he saith, He maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. But unto the Son he saith, Thy seat (O God) shall be for ever and ever; the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre: Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity; wherefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thy hands: they shall perish, but thou endurest; but they all shall wax old as doth a

⚫ with oil 1552.

garment; and as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed; but thou art even the same, and thy years shall not fail.

The Gospel. John i.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by it; and without it was made nothing that was made. In it was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in fdarkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. There was sent from God a man, whose name was John. The same came as 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 the light. That light 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 among his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to sbe the sons of God, even them that believed on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor yet of the will of man, but of God. And the same Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw the glory of it, as the glory of the only-begotten Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.

¶ Proper Psalms and Lessons at Evensong.

Psalms lxxxix. cx. cxxxii.

The First Lesson, Esa. vii. "God spake once again to Achas,"&c. unto the end. The Second Lesson, Tit. iii. "The kindness and love of our Saviour," &c. unto "Foolish questions."

¶ At Matins.

¶ St. Stephen's Day.

The Second Lesson, Acts vi. vii." Stephen full of faith and power," unto, "And when forty years."

At the Communion.

Quid gloriaris in malicia? Ps. lii.

WHY boastest thou thyself,

f the darkness 1552.

g be made sons 1552.