of fire. But unto the Son he faith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever, a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning haft laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands. They shall perish, but thou remaineft; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed; but thou art the fame, and thy years shall not fail. The Gospel. S. John 1. 1. N the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The fame was in the beginning 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 comprehendeth it not. There was a man fent 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 fent 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 || In the beginning was the Word, &c. The three firl Verfes of this Gospel are such an evident proof of our Saviour's Divinity, that the most subtle argumentation can hardly evade it. But what is too hard for prejudice and prepofieffion! I And the light shineth in Darkness, &c. Christ was a Light to Ighten Mankind, who were in the Darkness of Sin and Ignorance, with the Knowledge of the Gospel. But that very Ignorance and Wickednefs which rendered fuch a Revelation necessary, is the unhappy cause why to many have rejected it. Let us take heed therefore that we be not like those of whom St. Paul faith, the God of this World hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, left the glor ous Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 2 Cor. 4. 4. 1 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. G + Saint Stephen's Day. The Collect. Rant, O Lord, that in all our fufferings here upon earth, for the teftimony 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 blefs our perfecutors 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 fuccour all those that fuffer for thee, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen. Then shall follow the Collect for the Nativity, which shall be faid continually unto New-years Eve. For the Epistle. Acts 7.55. Tephen being full of the of the holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, ‡ and faw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens 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 Paraphrafe on the Collect for St. Stephen's Day. Give us Grace, O Lord, under all our Perfecutions for the Gospel, to look up with Faith to that eternal Glory which thou haft promised to every Christian fufferer; and enable us also by thy Spirit, after the ex + The Festival of St. Stephen ftands firit after that of our Saviour's Nativity, because he was the first after his divine Master that suffered Martyrdom for the profeffion of Christianity: and from his example we are taught that Faith in the Glory which shall be revealed is the best support under all our affictions, and that to love and bless our Perfecutors is a fure proof of Christian difpofition. a truly I And law the glory of God, &c. Well might St. paul define Faith to be the substance of Things hoped ample of St. Stephen, to pray for our greatest Enemies to thee, O Christ, who art a continual Interceffor for thy People at the right hand of God. for, and the evidence of Things not seen. Hebr. xi. 1. fince it is indeed the he Eye of the Mind, which gives us a clear view of Things distant and invisible. And the glorious prospect which St. Stephen thus enjoyed under his Martyrdom, will be the principal comfort and fupport of every fincere Christian, amidst all the Afflictions of this World, as well as in his departure out of it. Thanks be to God for this unspeakable gift. young mans feet, whose name was || Saul. And they ftoned 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 faid this he fell afleер. Ehold, The Gospel. St. Matth. 23. 34. of them B I fend unto you prophets, and wife men, and scribes; and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and fome of shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and perfecute them from city to city; that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel, unto the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom ye flew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, † All these things shall come upon this generation. § O Jerufalem, Jerufalem, thou that killeft the Prophets, and stoneft them which are fent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you defolate. 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. M * Saint John the Evangelift's Day. The Collect. Erciful 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, through Jesus Christ our Lord. || Saul. This was he who was afterwards called Paul, who by the Grace of God afterwards diftinguished himself far more in the fupport and propagation of Chriftianity, than he did now in his oppofition to it; and became at last a glorious Martyr to that cause, which he now perfecuted. + Allthese Thin s shall come upon this Generation. This Prophecy was fulfilled about thirty-eight Years after, in the deftruction of Jerufalem. Jerusalem, Jerufalem, &c. Who can read this passage and not be deeply affected with these tender expreffions of Chrift's Love towards this ungrateful, impenitent People! Let us then take heed that we abuse not those Mercies which God is continually extending towards us, lest we too should one Day fuffer a worfe fate than the Jews. * The Festival of St. John the Evangelist has the fecond place next to our Lord's Nativity, because he was Paraphrafe on the Collect for Gracious God, so illuminate thy Church by the Doctrine of thy Apostle St. John, that through the Amen. * TH The Epistle. 1 S. John 1. 1. HAT 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 handled 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 heard of him, and declare unto you, thatGod is is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship 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 cleanfeth us from all fin. If we say that we have no fin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our fins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our fins, and to cleanse us from M the Difciple whom Jesus particularly loved. As he was the youngest of our Lord's Disciples, so perhaps it was his early Piety that gained him this preference: which should strongly excite us to remember our Creator and Redeemer in the Days of our Youth, and so diligently to walk in the light of that Truth, which this Evangelift has given us, that we may at length attain to the light of everlasting Life through Jesus Chrift. * That which was from the beginning, &c. Observe here how well qualified this Apostle was to bear Teftimony concerning his divine Master, since he had not St. John the Evangelist's Day... only seen his Person and Miracles, had not only heard $ If we walk in the Light, &c. i. e. If we endea vour to be holy as he is Holy, we have Communion with God, and God with us; and he, for the fufferings of Jesus Chrift, will pardon all those finful Infirmities and Defects, which, in this state of imperfectior, cleave to our best Actions. all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not finned, we make him a liar, and his Word is not in us. J The Gospel. S. John 21. 19. ESUS faid unto Peter, Follow me, Then Peter turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved, following, which alfo leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter seeing him, faith 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 faying 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 I come, what is that tothee? This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things, and we know that his teftimony is true. + And there are also many other things 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. i ‡ The Innocents Day. The Collect. : Almighty God, who out of the mouths of babes and fucklings haft ordained strength, and madest infants to glorify thee by their deaths; Mortify and kill all vices in us, and so Then went this laying abroad, &c. Notwithstanding the care which the Apostle took to prevent any mistakes in this respect, yet some have invented a fabulous Story that he did not die, but was tranflated like Enoch, or Elias. But what our Saviour faid concerning his tarrying till he came, was sufficiently fulfilled, in that he permitted him to live till he came to take vengeance upon the Jews by the destruction of Jerufalem. St. John living till he was above eighty years of Age, which was probably more than ten Years after that event. † And there are also many other Things, &c. The expression in the latter part of this sentence. I suppose, that even the World itself could not contain the Books that should be written seems according to our present tranf lation to be hyperbolical and might more properly have been I suppose, the World would not receive (or believe) tha Books that should be writ-ten. For if Mankind are not sufficiently induced to believe in Jesus Chrift through the Writings already published concerning him: neither would they believe tho' they had a minute account of every Miracle which he wrought. † The flaughter of the Innocents is commemorated in the third place after our Lord's Birth-Day, because it was confequent upon it. And let us rememler that Christ has assured us that unless, we be converted, and become as little Children, we shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Let their unambitious Simplicity, Humility, and Innocence be always the object of our imitation. |