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garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him feven other Ipirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in, and dwell there; and the laft ftate of that man is worse than the firft. And it came to pafs, as he fpake these things, a certain woman of the company lift up her voice, and faid unto him, Bleffed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou haft fucked. But he faid, Yea, rather bleffed are they that hear the word of God and keep it.

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The fourth Sunday in Lent.

The Collect.

RANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deferve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved, through our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. Amen.

The Epiftle. Gal. iv. 21.

ELL me, ye that defire to be under the law, do ye not

hear the law? for it is written that Abraham had two fons, the one by a bond-maid, the other by a free-woman. But he who was of the bond-woman, was born after the flesh; but he of the free woman was by promife. Which things are an allegory; for thefe are the two covenants: the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and anfwereth to Jerufalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerufalem which is above is free, which

PARAPHRASE.

On the COLLECT for the fourth Sunday in Lent.

O Almighty God, grant, we beseech thee, that we who by the calamities we undergo in this world, are punished lefs than our iniquities deferve, (Ezra ix. 13.) and, on account of our numerous violations of thy divine law, do dread thy juft vengeance falling on us, may, by thy mercifal goodness be delivered from our afflictions; and by the powerful influence of thy grace, exciting us to a reformation of our lives, may avoid the eternal punishment which we have incurred by our fins; and this we beg for the fake of our Lord Jefus Chrift. Amen.

is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice thou barren that beareft not; break forth and cry, thou that travaileft not for the defolate hath many more children than fhe which hath an hufband. Now we, brethren, as Ifaac was, are the children of promife. But as then he that was born after the flesh, perfecuted him that was born after the spirit; even fo it is now. Nevertheless, what faith the fcripture? Caft out the bond-woman and her fon; for the fon of the bond-woman fhall not be heir with the fon of the free woman, So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

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The Gofpel. St John 6. 1.

ESUS went over the fea of Galilee, which is the fea of Tiberias. And a great multitude followed him, because they faw his miracles which he did on them that were difeafed. And Jefus went up into a mountain, and there he fat with his difciples. And the paffover, a feaft of the Jews, was nigh. When Jefus then lift up his eyes, and faw a great company come unto him, he faith unto Philip, Whence fhall we buy bread, that these may eat? (And this he faid to prove him; for he himself knew what he would do.) Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not fufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of his difciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, faith unto him, There is a lad here which hath five barley loaves, and two fmall fishes; but what are they among fo many? And Jefus faid, Make the men fit down. Now there was much grafs in the place. So the men fat down, in number about five thoufand. And Jefus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he diftributed to the difciples, and the difciples to them that were fet down; and likewife of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he faid unto his difciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be loft. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. Then thofe men, when they had feen the miracle that Jefus did, faid, This is of a truth that Prophet that should come into the world.

The

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The fifth Sunday in Lent.

The Collect.

E befeech thee, Almighty God, mercifully to look upon thy people; that by thy great goodness, they may be governed and preferved evermore both in body and foul, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

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The Epiftle. Heb. ix. 11.

HRIST being come an high Prieft of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to fay, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls, and of goats, and the afhes of an heifer fprinkling the unclean, fanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; how much more fhall the blood of Chrift, who, through the eternal fpirit, offered himself without fpot to God, purge your confcience from dead works to ferve the living God? and for this caufe he is the Mediator of the new teftament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the tranfgreffions that were under the first teflament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

The Gospel. St John viii. 46,

ESUS faid, Which of you convinceth me of fin? And if I fay the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God, heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. Then answered the Jews, and faid unto him, Say we not well, that thou art a Samaritan, and haft a devil? Jefus anfwered, I have not a devil; but

PARAPHRASE.

On the COLLECT for the fifth Sunday in Lent.

Omnipotent Being, we intreat thee to look down with compaffion upon thy people who now offer up their prayers to thee, that by thy gracious providence they may have their bodies preferved from all misfortunes, and their fouls fecured from fin and temptation, which we request of thee for the fake of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift, Amen.

PARA

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I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. And I feek
not mine own glory: there is one that feeketh and judgeth.
Verily, verily, I fay unto you, If a man keep my faying,
he shall never fee death. Then faid the Jews unto him,
Now we know that thou haft a devil. Abraham is dead,
and the prophets; and thou fayeft, If a man keep my saying,
he fhall never tafte of death. Art thou greater than our
Father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are
dead whom makeft thou thyfelf? Jefus anfwered, If I
honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father
that honoureth me, of whom ye fay, that he is your God:
yet ye have not known him; but I know him and if
I thould fay, I know him not, I fhall be a liar like unto
you: but I know him, and keep his faying,
Your father
Abraham rejoiced to fee my day, and he faw it, and was
glad. Then faid the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty
years old, and haft thou feen Abraham? Jefus faid unto
them, Verily, verily, I fay unto you, Before Abraham was,
I am. Then took they up ftones to caft at him but Jefus
hid himself, and went out of the temple.

The Sunday next before Eafier.

The Collect.

ALmighty and everlasting God, who, of thy tender love

towards mankind, haft fent thy Son our Saviour Jesus Chrift, to take upon him our flesh, and to fuffer death upon the cross, that all mankind fhould follow the example of his great humility; Mercifully grant that we may both follow the example of his patience, and alfo be made par

PARAPHRASE.

On the COLLECT for the Sunday next before Eafter.

O all-powerful and everlasting God, who art a God of tender mercy, (James v. 11.) and haft fent thy fon in likeness of finful flesh, (Rom. viii. 3.) though he was before in the form of God, &c. (Phil. ii. 6.) and being found in fashion as a man, to humble himself and become obedient unto death, even the death of the crofs, (Phil. ii. 8.) fhewing by this an example of humility not to be equalled, we beseech thee, for thy

mer

takers of his refurrection, through the fame Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

The Epiftle. Phil. ii. 5.

ET this mind be in you, which was alfo in Chrift Jefus : who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a fervant, and was made in the liknefs of men and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the crofs. Wherefore God alfo hath highly exalted him, and given him a Name, which is above every name; that at the Name of Jefus every knee fhould bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue fhould confefs, that Jefus Chrift is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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The Gospel. St Matth. xxvii. 1.

THEN the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jefus to put him to death. And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. Then Judas, who had betrayed him, when he faw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of filver to the chief priests and elders, faying, I have finned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they faid, What is that to us? fee thou to that. And he caft down the pieces of filver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the filver pieces, and faid, It is not lawful for to put them into the treafury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counfel, and bought with them the

PARAPHRASE.

mercies fake, to give us grace, that we may take example from his humility and patience whilft we continue here, and may share with him in his bleffed refurrection hereafter; and this we beg for Jefus Chrift his fake. Amen.

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