And he kneeled down, and walk in the light of thy truth, cried with a loud voice, Lord, that it may at length attain to lay not this sin to their charge. everlasting life, through JESUS And when he had said this, he CHRIST, our Lord. Amen.

fell asleep.

The Epistle. 1 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

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 handled of the word of life; your synagogues, and persecute (for the life was manifested, them from city to city; that and we have seen it, and bear upon you may come all the witness, and show unto you righteous blood shed upon that eternal life which was with the earth, from the blood of the Father, and was manifested righteous Abel, unto the blood unto us;) that which we have of Zacharias, son of Barachias, seen and heard, declare we unto whom ye slew between the you, that ye also may have temple and the altar. Verily I fellowship with us; and truly say unto you, All these things our fellowship is with the shall come upon this generation. Father, and with his Son JESUS O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou CHRIST. And these things that killest the prophets, and write we unto you, that your stonest them which are sent joy may be full. This then is unto thee; how often would the message which we have I have gathered thy children heard of him, and declare unto together, even as a hen gather- you, that God is light, and in eth her chickens under her him is no darkness at all. If wings, and ye would not! we say that we have fellowship

Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the LORD.

DAY.

The Collect.

with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of JESUS CHRIST his Son cleanseth us from all

SAINT JOHN THE EVANGELIST's 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 forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word

MERCIFUL LORD, we beseech thee to cast thy bright beams of light upon thy Church, that it being instructed by the doctrine of thy blessed apostle and evangelist St. John, may solis not in us.

from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: and they sung

The Gospel. St. John xxi. 19. For the Epistle. Rev. xiv. 1. JESUS said unto Peter, I LOOKED, and lo, a Lamb Follow me. Then Peter turn- stood on the mount Sion, and ing about, seeth the disciple with him an hundred forty whom JESUS loved, following, and four thousand, having his (which also leaned on his Father's name written in their breast at supper, and said, Lord, foreheads. And I heard a voice 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? as it were a new song before Follow thou me. Then went the throne, and before the four this saying abroad among the beasts, and the elders: and no brethren, that that disciple man could learn that song, but should not die: yet Jesus said the hundred and forty and four not unto him, He shall not die: thousand, which were redeemed but, If I will that he tarry till from the earth. These are they I come, what is that to thee? which were not defiled with This is the disciple which tes- women, for they are virgins : tifieth of these things, and wrote these are they which follow these things, and we know that the Lamb whithersoever he his testimony is true. And goeth: these were redeemed there are also many other things from among men, being the which JESUS did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written,

THE INNOCENTS' DAY.

The Collect.

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.

The Gospel. St. Matt. ii. 13. THE angel of the LORD appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the

O ALMIGHTY GOD, who young child and his mother, out of the mouths of babes and flee into Egypt, and be and sucklings hast ordained thou there until I bring thee strength, and madest infants word; for Herod will seek the to glorify thee by their deaths: young child to destroy him. mortify and kill all vices in us, When he arose, he took the and so strengthen us by thy young child and his mother by grace, that by the innocency night, and departed into Egypt; of our lives, and constancy of and was there until the death our faith even unto death, we of Herod: that it might be may glorify thy holy name, fulfilled which was spoken of through JESUS CHRIST our the LORD by the prophet, sayLord. Amen. ing, Out of Egypt have I called saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord ? And the Lord said, I am JESUS whom thou persecutest: it is

my Son. Then Herod, when | Damascus: and suddenly there he saw that he was mocked of shined round about him a light the wise men, was exceeding from heaven. And he fell to wroth, and sent forth, and slew the earth, and heard a voice 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 inquired of the wise men, Then was hard for thee to kick against fulfilled that which was spoken the pricks. And he, trembling by Jeremy the prophet, saying, and astonished, said, Lord, In Rama was there a voice what wilt thou have me to do? heard, lamentation, and weep- And the Lord said unto him, ing, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

THE CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL.
The Collect.

Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And he was three

O GOD, who, through the preaching of the blessed apostle Saint Paul, hast caused the light of the Gospel to shine days without sight, and neither throughout the world; grant, we did eat nor drink. And there beseech thee, that we, having was a certain disciple at Dahis wonderful conversion in mascus, named Ananias, and to remembrance, may show forth him said the Lord in a vision, our thankfulness unto thee for Ananias: And he said, Behold, the same, by following the I am here, Lord. And the holy doctrine which he taught, LORD said unto him, Arise, and through JESUS CHRIST our go into the street which is called Lord. Amen.

For the Epistle. Acts ix. 1,

Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for behold, he AND Saul, yet breathing prayeth, and hath seen in a out threatenings and slaughter vision a man named Ananias, against the disciples of the coming in, and putting his hand LORD, went unto the High on him, that he might receive Priest, and desired of him letters his sight. Then Ananias anto Damascus to the synagogues, swered, Lord, I have heard by that if he found any of this many of this man, how much way, whether they were men or evil he hath done to thy saints women, he might bring them at Jerusalem: and here he hath bound unto Jerusalem. And authority from the chief priests as he journeyed, he came near to bind all that call on thy

name. But the LORD said unto regeneration, when the Son of him, Go thy way: for he is a man shall sit in the throne of chosen vessel unto me, to bear his glory, ye also shall sit upon my name before the Gentiles, twelve thrones, judging the and kings, and the children of twelve tribes of Israel. And Israel: for I will show him every one that hath forsaken now great things he must suffer houses, or brethren, or sisters, for my name's sake. And or father, or mother, or wife, Ananias went his way, and or children, or lands, for my entered into the house; and name's sake, shall receive an putting his hands on him, said, hundred fold, and shall inherit Brother Saul, the LORD (even everlasting life. But many that Jesus, that appeared unto thee are first shall be last, and the in the way as thou camest) hath last shall be first. sent me, that thou mightest

IN THE TEMPLE, COMMONLY
CALLED THE PURIFICATION
OF SAINT MARY THE VIRGIN.

The Collect.

receive thy sight, and be filled THE PRESENTATION OF CHRIST with the HOLY GHOST. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales; and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. And when he had received meat, he ALMIGHTY and everliving was strengthened. Then was God, we humbly beseech thy Saul certain days with the dis- majesty, that as thy only ciples which were at Damascus. begotten Son was this day And straightway he preached CHRIST in the synagogues, that he is the SON OF GOD. But all that heard him were amazed, and said, Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and For the Epistle. Mal. iii. 1. came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound BEHOLD, I will send my unto the chief priests? But messenger, and he shall prepare Saul increased the more in the way before me: and the strength, and confounded the LORD whom ye seek, shall Jews which dwelt at Damascus, suddenly come to his temple; proving that this is very CHRIST. even the messenger of the

presented in the temple in substance of our flesh; so we may be presented unto thee with pure and clean hearts, by the same thy Son JESUS CHRIST our Lord. Amen.

covenant, whom ye delight in : behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he

The Gospel. St. Matt. xix. 27. PETER answered, and said unto JESUS, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? appeareth? for he is like a And JESUS said unto them, refiner's fire, and like fuller's Verily I say unto you, that ye soap. And he shall sit as a which have followed me, in the refiner and purifier of silver : LORD, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation; which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to

and he shall purify the sons of in the child Jesus, to do for Levi, and purge them as gold him after the custom of the law, and silver, that they may offer then took he him up in his unto the LORD an offering in arms, and blessed God, and said, righteousness. Then shall the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years. And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against lighten the Gentiles, and the the sorcerers, and against the glory of thy people Israel. adulterers, and against false And Joseph and his mother swearers, and against those that marvelled at those things which oppress the hireling in his were spoken of him. And wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.

Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against, (yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. And there was one Anna, a

The Gospel. St. Luke ii. 22. AND when the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses, were accomplished, they brought him to prophetess, the daughter of Jerusalem to present him to Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser; the LORD, (as it is written in she was of a great age, and the law of the LORD, Every had lived with an husband male that openeth the womb seven years from her virginity; shall be called holy to the and she was a widow of about LORD,) and to offer a sacrifice, fourscore and four years, which according to that which is said departed not from the temple, in the law of the LORD, A pair but served God with fastings of turtle-doves, or two young and prayers night and day. pigeons. And behold, there And she, coming in that instant, was a man in Jerusalem, whose gave thanks likewise unto the name was Simeon; and the Lord, and spake of him to all same man was just and devout, them that looked for redempwaiting for the consolation of tion in Jerusalem. And when Israel: and the HOLY GHOST they had performed all things was upon him. And it was according to the law of the revealed unto him by the HOLY LORD, they returned into Gali

lee, to their own city Nazareth. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of GOD

GHOST, that he should not see
death, before he had seen the
LORD'S CHRIST. And he came
by the SPIRIT into the temple;
and when the parents brought was upon him.