thee, that we having his wonderful converfion in remembrance, may fhew forth our thankfulness unto thee for the fame, by following the holy doctrine which he taught, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

AND

The Epiftle. As ix. 1.

ND Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and flaughter against the difciples of the Lord, went unto the high-prieft, and defired of him letters to Damaf cus to the fynagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerufalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damafcus: and fuddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice faying unto him, Saul, Saul, why perfecuteft thou mɛ? And he faid, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord faid, I am Jefus whom thou perfecuteft: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished faid, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord faid unto him, Arife, and go into the city, and it fhall be told thee what thou must do. And the men which jour neyed with him flood speechlefs, hearing a voice, but feeing no man. And Saul arofe from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he faw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damafcus. And he was three days without fight, and neither did eat nor drink. And there was a certain difciple at Damafcus, named Ananias: and to him faid the Lord in a vifion, Ananias. And he faid, Behold, I am here, Lord. And the Lord faid unto him, Arife, and go into the ftreet which is called Straight, and enquire in the houfe of Judas for one called Saul of Tarfus: for behold, he prayeth, and hath feen in a vifion a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his fight. Then Ananias anfwered, Lord, I have heard by many of this little downwards; he had a handfome bending of his nofe, which was fomewhat longer than ordinary; his beard was thick and long, and a little fprinkled with grey hairs, as were those of his head likewife.

The Collect] This prayer, for manifefting gratitude by obedience, was improved in 1549, from an ancient form in Greg Sac., and flightly altered again in 1662 to its prefent form. The introitus was pfalm cxxxviii.

man, how much evil he hath done to thy faints at Jeru falem: and here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy Name. But the Lord faid unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chofen veffel unto me, to bear my Name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Ifrael: for I will fhew him how great things he must fuffer for my Name's fake. And Ananias went his way, and entered into the houfe; and putting his hands on him, faid, Brother Saul, the Lord (even Jefus that appeared unto thee in the way as thou cameft) hath fent me, that thou mighteft receive thy fight, and be filled with the Holy Ghoft. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been fcales: and he received fight forthwith, and arofe, and was baptized. And when he had received meat, he was ftrengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the difciples which were at Damafcus. And ftraightway he preached Chrift in the fynagogues, that he is the Son of God. But all that heard him were amazed, and faid, Is not this he that deftroyed them which called on his Name in Jerufalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests? But Saul increafed the more in ftrength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damafcus, proving that this is very Christ.

The Gafpel. St. Matt. xix. 27.

ETER anfwered and faid unto Jefus, Behold, we have forfaken all, and followed thee; what fhall we have therefore? And Jefus faid unto them, Verily I fay unto you, that ye which have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of man fhall fit in the throne of his glory, ye alfo fhall fit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Ifrael. And every one that hath forLaken houses, or brethren, or fifters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my Name's fake, fhall receive an hundred fold, and fhall inherit everlafting life. But many that are firft fhall be laft, and the laft fhall be first.

¶ The Prefentation of Chrift in the emple, commonly called the Purification of St. Mary the Virgin. The Collect.

ALMIGHTY and everliving God, we humbly befeech thy Majefty, that as thy only-begotten Son was this day prefented in the Temple in fubftance of our flesh; fo we may be prefented unto thee with pure and clean hearts, by the fame thy Son Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen. The Epistle. Mal. iii. 1.

BEHOLD, I will fend my meffenger, and he shall pre

pare way before me: and the Lord whom ye The Virgin] This feaft is of confiderable antiquity in the church; thofe that place the beginning of it the lateft, fay, it commenced in Juftinian's time, about the year 540, upon the occafion of fome public calamities, as a great earthquake, fhowers of blood, and fome malignant diftempers following thereupon. The Greeks call this feaft by the name of Hypante, which fignifies the meeting, becaufe Simeon and Anna met our Lord in the temple this day. But I take this feaft to be much older than Juftinian's time; fince St. Chryfoftom mentions it as a feaft celebrated in the church in his days; for his 137th Hom. tom. v. is intitled, A fermon upon the Hypante, or the meeting, &c. This day is alfo called Candlemasday, from the abundance of lights which the ancient Chriftians used, both in their churches and proceffions, in remembrance (as is fuppofed) of our bleffed Saviour's being this day declared by old Simeon, "to be a light to lighten the Gentiles;" which portion of fcripture is for that reafon appointed for the gofpel of the day. This practice continued in this country till the ad year of Edward the VIth, when an order of the privy council put an end to it.-Collier's Eccl. Hift. It had alfo one folemnity of old peculiar to it; namely, a proceffion, of which St. Bernard gives us the following account: We go in proceffion, two by two, carrying candles in our hands, which are lighted, not at a common fire, but a fire firit bleffed in the church by the bishop. They that go out first return laft; and in the way we fing, "Great is the glory of the Lord."-We go two by two, in commendation of charity, and a focial life; for fo our Saviour fent out his difciples. We carry lights in our hands; firft, to fignify that our light fhould fhine before men; fecondly, this we do this day efpecially in memory of the wife virgins, (of whom this bleffed Virgin is the chief) that went to meet their lord with their lamps burning. And from this ufage, and the many lights fet up in the church this day, it is called Can delaria, or Candlemas. Because our words should be all done in the holy fire of charity, therefore the candles are light with holy fire.-They that go out first return laft, to teach humility: in humility preferring one before another, (Phil. ii. 3.)-Because God loves a cheerful giver; therefore we fing in the way.-The proceffion itself is to teach us, that we should not ftand idle in the way of life, but proceed from virtue to virtue; not looking back to that which is behind, but reaching forward to that which is before."-For the antiquity of this day, fee Cyril.Alex. Greg. Nys. in diem. The Collect] This prayer, for purity of heart, was originally compofed by Gregory, and incorporated into the liturgy ip 1549. The introitas Was pfalm cxxxiv.

feek, fhall fuddenly come to his temple; even the meffenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in; behold, he fhall come, faith the Lord of hofts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who fhall ftand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's foap. And he fhall fit as a refiner and purifier of filver; and he fhall purify the fons of Levi, and purge them as gold and filver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteoufnefs. Then fhall the offerings of Judah and Jerufalem 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 fwift witnefs against the forcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false fwearers, and againft thofe that opprefs the hireling in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, and that turn afide the ftranger from his right; and fear not me, faith the Lord of hofts.

The Gospel. St. Luke ii. 22.

ND when the days of her purification according to the law.of Mofes were accomplished, they brought him to Jerufalem to prefent him to the Lord; (as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb fhall be called holy to the Lord;) and to offer a facrifice, according to that which is faid in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons. And, behold, there was a man in Jerufalem, whofe name was Simeon; and the fame man was juft and devout, waiting for the confolation of Ifrael: and the Holy Ghoft was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghoft, that he fhould not fee death before he had feen the Lord's Chrift. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jefus, to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms, and bleffed God, and said, Lord, now letteft thou thy fervant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have feen thy falvation, which thou haft prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Ifrael. And Jofeph and his mother marvelled at thofe things

which were spoken of him. And Simeon blessed them, and faid unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is fet for the fall and rifing again of many in-Ifrael; and for a fign which fhall be fpoken againft, (Yea, a fword fhall pierce through thy own foul alfo) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. be revealed. And there was one Anna, a prophetefs, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Afer: fhe was of a great age, and had lived with an hufband feven years from her virginity. from her virginity. And fhe was a widow of about fourfcore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but ferved God with faftings and prayers night and day. And the coming in that inftant gave thanks likewife unto the Lord, and fpake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerufalem. And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. And the child grew, and waxed ftrong in fpirit, filled with wifdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

St. Matthias's Day.

The Collect.

Almighty God, who into the place of the traitor Judas didft choose thy faithful fervant Matthias to be of the number of the twelve Apoftles; Grant that thy church being alway preferved from falfe Apoftles, may be ordered and guided by faithful and true paftors, thro' Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

He

St. Matthias] This day the church keeps in memory of St. Matthias. was, as is probably thought, one of the feventy difciples, and was a diligent attendant upon our Saviour all the time of his preaching, Acts i. 21, 22. After the death of Judas, he was by lot chofen into the number of the Apostles. Act i. 26. His firft preaching was in Judea, after which it is faid he went to preach in Ethiopia the Leifer, nigh the river Apfarus, and the Portus Hyffi, which is in the farther part of Cappadocia; here he continued long, and it is faid, was murdered by fome of the barbarous people-Hier: Script. Eccl.

The Colled This prayer, for faithful paftors for the church, was com pofed 149. The introitus was pfalm exli,