The Collect. ALMIGHTY God, whose praise this day the young innocents thy witnesses hath confessed and shewed forth, not in speaking but in dying; Mortify and kill all vices in us, that in our conversation our life may express thy faith, which with our tongues we do confess; through Jesus Christ our Lord. The Epistle. Apoc. xiv. I LOOKED, and lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred and forty-four thousand, having his name and his Father's name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the sound 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 as it were a new song before the seat, and before the four beasts, and the elders; and no man could learn the song, but the hundred and forty-four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women, for they are virgins: these follow the Lamb Pwhithersoever he goeth: these were redeemed from men, being the first-fruits unto God, and to the Lamb. And in their mouths was found no guile; for they are without spot before the throne of God. The Gospel. Matt. ii. THE angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a sleep, saying, Arise, and take the child, and his mother, and ¶ fly into Egypt, and be thou there till I bring thee word; for it will come to pass that Herod shall seek the child to destroy him. So when he awoke, he took the child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt, and was there unto the death of Herod; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my Son. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, he was exceeding wroth; and sent forth men of war, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts, (as many as were two 'year old or under,) according to the time which he had diligently known out of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by the prophet Jeremy, where as he said, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, weeping, and great mourno hundred forty and four thousand 1552. r years 1552. p wheresoever 1552. q flee 1552. ing, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they were not. ¶ The Sunday after Christmas Day. Levavi oculos. Psalm cxxi. I WILL lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help. : My help cometh even from the Lord which hath made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved : and he that keepeth thee will not sleep. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord himself is thy keeper: the Lord is thy defence upon thy right hand. So that the sun shall not burn thee by day neither the moon by night. : The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: yea, it is even he that shall keep thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out, and thy coming in: from this time forth for ever more. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, &c. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever &c. The Collect. ALMIGHTY God, which hast given us, &c. as upon Christmas day. The Epistle. Gal. iv. AND I say, that the heir (as long as he is a child) differeth not from a servant, though he be lord of all; but is under tutors and F governors, until the time that the father hath appointed. Even so we also, when we were children, were in bondage under the ordinances of the world: but when the time was full come, God sent his Son, made of a woman, and made bond unto the law, to redeem them which were bond unto the law, that we through election might receive the inheritance that belongeth unto the natural sons. Because ye are sons, God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, which crieth, Abba, Father. Wherefore now thou art not a servant, but a son; if thou be a son, thou art also an heir of God through Christ. The Gospel. Matt. i. THIS is the book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham begat Isaac; Isaac begat Jacob; Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; Judas begat Phares and Zaram of Thamar; Phares begat Esrom; Esrom begat Aram; Aram begat Aminadab; Aminadab begat Naasson; Naasson begat Salmon; Salmon begat Boos of Rahab; Boos begat Obed of Ruth; Obed begat Jesse; Jesse begat David the king; David the king begat Salomon of her that was the wife of Urie; Salomon begat Roboam; Roboam begat Abia; Abia begat Asa; Asa begat Josaphat; Josaphat begat Joram; Joram begat Osias; Osias begat Joatham; Joatham begat Achas; Achas begat Ezechias; Ezechias begat Manasses; Manasses begat Amon; Amon begat Josias; Josias begat Jeconias and his brethren, about the time that they were carried away to Babylon and after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconias begat Salathiel; Salathiel begat Zorobabel; Zorobabel begat Abiud; · Abiud begat Eliachim; Eliachim begat Azor; Azor begat Sadoc; Sadoc begat Achin; Achin begat Eliud; Eliud begat Eleasar; Eleasar begat Matthan; Matthan begat Jacob; Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, even he that is called Christ. And so all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David unto the captivity of Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the captivity of Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations. The birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary was married to Joseph, (before they came to dwell together,) she was found with child by the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband (because he was a righteous man, and would not put her to shame) was minded privily to depart from her. But while he thus thought, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in sleep, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her cometh of the Holy Ghost. She shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a maid shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emanuel, which if a man interpret is as much to say as, God with us. And Joseph as soon as he awoke out of sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and he took his wife unto him and knew her not till she had brought forth a her first begotten son: and called his name JESUS. The Circumcision of Christ. At Matins. The First Lesson, Gen. xvii. unto the end. Lætatus sum. Ps. cxxii. I WAS glad when they said unto me: We will go into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand in thy gates O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is builded as a city : that is at unity in itself. For thither the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord : to testify unto Israel, to give thanks unto the Name of the Lord. For there is the seat of judgment: even the seat of the house of David. ALMIGHTY God, which madest thy blessed Son to be circumcised, and obedient to the law for man; Grant us the true circumcision of bthy Spirit; that our hearts, and all our members, being mortified from all worldly and carnal lusts, may in all things obey thy blessed will; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. The Epistle. Rom. iv. BLESSED is that man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Came this blessedness then upon the uncircumcision, or upon the circumcision also? For we say, that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? when he was in the circumcision, or when he was in the uncircumcision? Not in the time of circumcision, but when he was yet uncircumcised. And he received the sign of circumcision, as a seal of the righteousness of faith, which he had yet being uncircumcised; that he should be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed to them also: and that he might be the father of circumcision, not unto them only which came of the circumcised, but unto them also that walk in the steps of the faith that was in our father Abraham, before the time of circumcision. For the promise (that he should be the heir of the world) happened not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are of the law be heirs, then is faith but vain, and the promise of none effect. The Gospel. Luke ii. AND it fortuned, as soon as the angels were gone away from the shepherds into heaven, they said one to another, Let us go b the Spirit 1552. c in time 1552. d be heir 1552. |