Sivut kuvina
PDF
ePub

thou shalt call his name Jefus: for he fhall fave his people from their fins. (Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was fpoken of the Lord by the prophet, faying, Behold, a Virgin fhall be with child, and fhall bring forth a Son, and they fhall call his Name Emmanuel, which being interpreted, is, God with us) Then Jofeph being raised from fleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till fhe had brought forth her first-born Son; and he called his Name Jefus.

AL

The Circumcifion of Chrift.

The Collect.

Lmighty God, who madest thy bleffed Son to be circumcifed, and obedient to the law for man. Grant us the true circumcifion of the Spirit, that our hearts and all our members being mortified from all worldly and carnal lufts, we may in all things obey thy bleffed will, through the fame thy Son Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

[ocr errors]

The Epiftle. Rom. iv. 8.

LESSED is the man to whom the Lord will not impute fin. Cometh this bleffedness then upon the circumcifion only, or upon the uncircumcifion alfo? For we say, that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcifion, or in

PARAPHRASE.

On the COLLECT for the Circumcifion of Chrift.

O Almighty God, who made thy bleffed Son fubmit to the painful operation of circumcifion, that he might, in every refpect conform to the law of Mofes, and fulfil all righteoufnefs, grant us the true circumcifion of the heart in the spirit, and not in the letter, (Rom. ii. 29.) that our hearts and all our members may be mortified, (Col. iii. 5.) and weakened from the fleshly lufts which war against our fouls, (1 Pet. ii. 11.) and that, instead of yielding to the dominion of our lufts, we may perform a perfect and compleat obedience to the will of God, (1 Theff. iii. 12.) and this we requeft of thee for the fake of our bleffed Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. Amen.

uncircumcifion? not in circumcifion, but in uncircumcifion. And he received the fign of circumcifion, a feal of the righteoufnefs of the faith, which he had yet being uncircumcifed; that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcifed; that righteousness might be imputed unto them alfo: And the father of circumcifion to them who are not of the circumcifion only,, but also walk in the fteps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcifed. For the promife, That he fhould be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham or to his feed, 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.

The Gospel. St Luke ii. 15.

from them into heaven, the fhepherds faid one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and fee this thing which is come to pafs, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with hafte, and found Mary and Jofeph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had feen it, they made known abroad the faying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it, wondered at thofe things which were told them by the fhepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the fhepherds returned, glorifying and praifing God for all the things that they had heard, and feen, as it was told unto them. And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcifing of the child, his Name was called JESUS, which was fo named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

The fame Collect, Epistle, and Gospel, fhall ferve for every Day after unto the Epiphany.

[blocks in formation]

The Epiphany, or the Manifeftation of CHRIST to the Gentiles.

The Collect.

God, who by the leading of a Star didft manifeft thy only begotten Son to the Gentiles; Mercifully grant, that we which know thee now by faith, may after this life have the fruition of thy glorious Godhead, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen,

FOR

The Epiftle. Ephef. iii. 1.

OR this caufe 1 Paul, the prifoner of Jefus Chrift for you Gentiles; if ye have heard of the difpenfation of the grace of God, which is given me to you-ward: how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery (as I wrote afore in few words, whereby when ye read ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Chrift) which in other ages was not made known unto the fons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy Apoftles and Prophets, by the Spirit; That the Gentiles fhould be fellow-heirs, and of the fame body, and partakers of his promife in Chrift by the Gofpel whereof I was made a minifter, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am lefs than the leaft of all faints, is this grace given, that I fhould preach among the Gentiles the unfearchable riches of Chrift; and to make all men fee, what is the fellowship of the mystery," which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in

PARAPHRASE.

On the COLLECT for the Epiphany.

O God, who, directing the eastern fages by a ftar, (Matt. ii. 9.) didft discover that thy only begotten Son was manifeft in the flesh, (1 Tim. iii. 16.) and that the gentiles would be made partakers of falvation, we befeech thee of thy mercy to grant, that whereas, thro' thy divine goodness we that were formerly gentiles, have now, by faith, attained to the knowledge of thee, which is however but an imperfect knowledge, a knowledge in part, and feeing thro' a glafs darkly, (1 Cor. xiii. 12.) we may in the life to come, enjoy the knowledge and happiness of the beatifick vifion, when we fhall know.even as we are known, (ibid.) and be forever with the Lord, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

God

God, who created all things by Jefus Chrift: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places, might be known by the Church the manifold wifdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Chrift Jefus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and accefs with confidence by the faith of him.

W

The Gospel. St Matt. i. 1.

HEN Jefus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wife-men from the east to Jerufalem, faying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the caft, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard thefe things, he was troubled, and all Jerufalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priefts and fcribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Chrift fhould be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea: For thus it is written by the prophet: And thou, Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the leaft among the princes of Juda: For out of thee shall come a Governor that fhall rule my people Ifrael. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wife-men, enquired of them diligently what time the ftar appeared. And he fent them to Bethlehem, and faid, Go, and fearch diligently for the young child, and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him alfo. When they had heard the king, they departed; and lo, the ftar which they faw in the eaft, went before them, till it came and ftood over where the young child was. When they faw the ftar, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they faw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshipped him : And when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincenfe, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream, that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

.

The

The First Sunday after the Epiphany.

The Collect.

to

Lord, we beseech thee, mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people which call upon thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and alfo may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the fame, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

I

The Epistle. Rom. xii. 1.

Befeech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye prefent your bodies a living facrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable fervice. And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. For I fay, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himfelf more highly than he ought to think; but to think foberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the fame office: fo we being many are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

Now

The Gospel. St Luke ii. 41.

TOW his parents went to Jerufalem every year at the feaft of the paffover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerufalem, after the custom of the feaft. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jefus tarried behind in Jerufalem; and

PARAPHRASE.

On the COLLECT for the firft Sunday after the Epiphany.

O Lord, we beseech thee, of thine infinite mercy to give ear unto the prayers of thy people, who proftrate them felves before thee, in the public fervice of the church, and grant us fuch a measure of faith and chriftian knowledge, (Rom. xii. 3.) that we being thoroughly informed of our I duty, may carefully acquit ourselves thereof; and this we earnestly requeft for the fake of Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

PARA

« EdellinenJatka »