The Gospel. St. Matth. xxvii. 1. W HEN the morning was come, all the chief priefts and elders of the people took counfel against Jefus, to put him to death. And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governour. 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 priefts 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 treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury ftrangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. (Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, faying, And they took the thirty pieces of filver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Ifrael did value, and gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.) And Jefus ftood before the governour; and the governour asked him,

faying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jefus faid unto him, Thou fayeft. And when he was accufed of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then faith Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word, infomuch that the governour marvelled greatly. Now at that feaft the governour was wont to release unto the people a prifoner, whom they would. And they had then a notable prifoner, called Barabbas. Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate faid unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jefus which is called Chrift? For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. When he was fet down on the judgement-feat, his wife fent unto him, faying, Have thou nothing to do with that juft man: for I have fuffered many things this day in a dream because of him. But the chief priests and elders perfuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and deftroy Jefus. The governour anfwered and faid unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They faid, Barabbas. Pilate faith unto them, What fhall I do then with Jefus, which is called Chrift? They all fay unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governour faid, Why,

what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, faying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate faw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, faying, I am innocent of the blood of this juft perfon: fee ye to it. Then anfwered all the people, and faid, His blood be on us, and on our children. Then releafed he Barabbas unto them: and when he had fcourged Jefus he delivered him to be crucified. Then the foldiers of the governour took Jefus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of foldiers. And they ftripped him, and put on him a fcarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, faying, Hail, King of the Jews. And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and fmote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. And as they came out they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name; him they compelled to bear his crofs. And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to fay, a place of a fcull, they gave him vinegar

to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tafted thereof, he would not drink. And they crucified him, and parted his garments, cafting lots: that it might be fulfilled, which was fpoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they caft lots. And fitting down they watched him there; and fet up over his head his accufation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then were there two thieves crucified with him; one on the right hand, and another on the left. And they that paffed by reviled him, wagging their heads, and faying, Thou that destroyeft the temple, and buildest it in three days, fave thyfelf: if thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewife alfo the chief priests mocking him, with the fcribes and elders, faid, He faved others, himself he cannot fave: if he be the King of Ifrael, let him now come down from the crofs, and we will believe him. He trufted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he faid, I am the Son of God. The thieves alfo, which were crucified with him, caft the fame in his teeth. Now from the fixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jefus cried with a loud voice, faying, Eli, Eli, lama fabachthani?

therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them. Then he remembered the days of old, Mofes and his people, faying, Where is he that brought them

up out of the fea with the fhepherd

of his flock? where is he that put his Holy Spirit within him? that led them by the right hand of Moses, with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting Name? that led them through the deep as an horfe in the wilderness, that they should not stumble? As a beaft goeth down into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord caufed him to reft: fo didft thou lead thy people, to make thyself a glorious Name. Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness, and of thy glory: where is thy zeal, and thy ftrength, the founding of thy bowels, and of thy mercies towards me? Are they reftrained? Doubtlefs thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Ifrael acknowledge us not: Thou, O Lord, art our Father, our Redeemer, thy Name is from everlasting. O Lord, why haft thou made us to err from thy ways? and hardened our hearts from thy fear? Return for thy fervants' fake, the tribes of thine inheritance. The people of thy holinefs have poffeffed it but a little while our adverfaries have trod

den down thy fanctuary. We are thine: thou never bareft rule over them; they were not called by thy Name.

The Gospel. St. Mark xiv. 1.
FTER two days was the feast

of the Paffover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the fcribes fought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. But they faid, Not on the feaft-day, left there be an uproar of the people. And being in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he fat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard, very precious; and the brake the box, and poured it on his head. And there were fome that had indignation within themselves, and faid, Why was this waste of the ointment made? for it might have been fold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor: and they murmured against her. And Jefus faid, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me: for ye have the poor with you always, and whenfoever ye will ye may do them good; but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could; fhe is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. Verily I fay unto you, Wherefoever this Gofpel fhall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath

done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her. And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests to betray him unto them. And when they heard it they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he fought | how he might conveniently betray him. And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the paffover, his disciples faid unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare, that thou mayeft eat the paffover? And he fendeth forth two of his difciples, and faith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there fhall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water; follow him: And wherefoever he fhall go in, fay ye to the good-man of the houfe, The Mafter faith, Where is the guest chamber, where I fhall eat the paffover with my difciples? And he will fhew you a large upper-room furnished, and prepared: there make ready for us. And his difciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had faid unto them and they made ready the paffover. And in the evening he cometh with the twelve. And as they fat, and did eat, Jefus faid, Verily I fay unto you, One of you which eateth with me fhall betray

me.

:

And they began to be forrowful, and to fay unto him one by one, Is it I? and another faid, Is it I? And he answered and said

unto them, It is one of the twelve that dippeth with me in the dish. The Son of Man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but wo to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed: good were it for that man if he had never been born. And as they did eat, Jefus took bread, and bleffed, and brake it, and gave to them, and faid, Take, eat: this is my body. And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. And he faid unto them, This is my blood of the new teftament, which is fhed for many. Verily I fay unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the Kingdom of God. And when they had fung an hymn they went out into the mount of Olives. And Jefus faith unto them, All ye fhall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will fmite the fhepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. But, after that I am rifen, I will go before you into Galilee. But Peter faid unto him, Although all fhall be offended, yet will not I. And Jefus faith unto him, Verily I fay unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou fhalt deny me thrice. But he fpake the more vehemently, If I fhould die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wife. Likewife alfo faid