Father in my name, he may thereof is as the flower of the

give it you.

SAINT JOHN BAPTIST'S DAY.

The Collect.

field. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, ALMIGHTY GOD, by whose the flower fadeth; but the word providence thy servant John of our GoD shall stand for ever. Baptist was wonderfully born, O Zion, that bringest good and sent to prepare the way tidings, get thee up into the of thy Son our Saviour, by high mountain: O Jerusalem, preaching repentance; make that bringest good tidings, lift us so to follow his doctrine and up thy voice with strength; holy life, that we may truly lift it up, be not afraid; say repent according to his preach- unto the cities of Judah, Behold ing; and after his example con- your GoD, Behold, the LORD stantly speak the truth, boldly GOD will come with strong rebuke vice, and patiently hand, and his arm shall rule for suffer for the truth's sake, him: behold his reward is with through JESUS CHRIST him, and his work before him. Lord. Amen. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

our

For the Epistle. Isa. xl. 1.

The Gospel. St. Luke i. 57.

ELISABETH'S full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth

COMFORT ye, comfort ye my people, saith your GOD. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD's hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that a son. And her neighbours crieth in the wilderness, Pre- and her cousins heard how the pare ye the way of the LORD, LORD had showed great mercy make straight in the desert a upon her; and they rejoiced highway for our God. Every with her. And it came to pass, valley shall be exalted, and that on the eighth day they every mountain and hill shall came to circumcise the child; be made low and the crooked and they called him Zacharias, shall be made straight, and the after the name of his father. rough places plain. And the And his mother answered and glory of the LORD shall be said, Not so; but he shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see called John. And they said it together; for the mouth of unto her, There is none of thy the LORD hath spoken it. The kindred that is called by this voice said, Cry. And he said, name. And they made signs What shall I cry? All flesh to his father, how he would is grass, and all the goodliness have him called. And he asked

for a writing table, and wrote, our God; whereby the Daysaying, His name is John. And Spring from on high hath they marvelled all. And his visited us, to give light to them mouth was opened immediately, that sit in darkness, and in the and his tongue loosed, and he shadow of death, to guide our spake, and praised GOD. And feet into the way of peace. fear came on all that dwelt And the child grew, and waxed round about them and all strong in spirit; and was in these sayings were noised the deserts till the day of his abroad throughout all the hill showing unto Israel.

SAINT PETER'S DAY.

The Collect.

O ALMIGHTY GOD, who,

didst give to thy apostle Saint Peter many excellent gifts, and

feed thy flock; make, we beseech thee, all Bishops and Pastors diligently to preach thy holy word, and the people obediently to follow the same, that they may receive the crown of everlasting glory, through JESUS CHRIST our Lord. Amen

For the Epistle. Acts xii. 1.

country of Judea. And all they that had heard them, laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be? And the hand of the LORD was with him. And his father by thy Son JESUS CHRIST, Zacharias was filled with the HOLY GHOST, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the LORD commandedst him earnestly to GOD of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us, in the house of his servant David; as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us: to perform the ABOUT that time, Herod mercy promised to our fathers, the king stretched forth his and to remember his holy hands to vex certain of the covenant: the oath which he Church. And he killed James sware to our father Abraham, the brother of John with the that he would grant unto us, sword. And because he saw it that we, being delivered out of pleased the Jews, he proceeded the hands of our enemies, might further to take Peter also. serve him without fear, in (Then were the days of unholiness and righteousness be- leavened bread.) And when he fore him, all the days of our had apprehended him, he put life. And thou, child, shalt be him in prison, and delivered called the prophet of the High- him to four quaternions of est for thou shalt go before soldiers, to keep him; intending the face of the LORD, to prepare after Easter to bring him forth his ways; to give knowledge to the people. Peter therefore of salvation unto his people by was kept in prison; but prayer the remission of their sins, was made without ceasing of through the tender mercy of the Church unto God for him.

He saith unto

And when Herod would have the prophets. brought him forth, the same them, But whom say ye that I night Peter was sleeping be- am? And Simon Peter answered tween two soldiers, bound with and said, Thou art CHRIST, the two chains; and the keepers SON of the living GOD. And before the door kept the prison. JESUS answered and said unto And behold, the angel of the him, Blessed art thou, Simon LORD came upon him, and a Barjona: for flesh and blood light shined in the prison: and hath not revealed it unto thee, he smote Peter on the side, and but my Father which is in raised him up, saying, Arise up heaven. And I say also unto quickly. And his chains fell thee, that thou art Peter, and off from his hands. And the upon this rock I will build my angel said unto him, Gird thy- Church: and the gates of hell self, and bind on thy sandals: shall not prevail against it. and so he did. And he saith And I will give unto thee the unto him, Cast thy garment keys of the kingdom of heaven: about thee, and follow me. and whatsoever thou shalt bind And he went out, and followed on earth, shall be bound in him; and wist not that it was heaven; and whatsoever thou true which was done by the shalt loose on earth, shall be angel; but thought he saw a loosed in heaven. vision. When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city, which opened to them of its own accord and they went out, and passed on through one street, and forthwith the angel departed from him. And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety that the LORD hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

The Gospel. St. Matt. xvi. 13.

WHEN JESUS came into the coasts of Cæsarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist; some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of

SAINT JAMES THE APOSTLE.

The Collect.

GRANT, O merciful Go», that as thine holy apostle Saint James, leaving his father and all that he had, without delay was obedient unto the calling of thy Son JESUS CHRIST, and followed him; so we, forsaking all worldly and carnal affections, may be evermore ready to follow thy holy commandments, through JESUS CHRIST Our Lord. Amen.

For the Epistle. Acts xi. 27,

and part of Chapter xii.

IN those days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the SPIRIT, that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass

in the days of Claudius Cæsar. | know that the princes of the Then the disciples, every man Gentiles exercise dominion over according to his ability, deter-them, and they that are great mined to send relief unto the exercise authority upon them. brethren which dwelt in Judea. But it shall not be so among Which also they did, and sent you but whosoever will be it to the elders by the hands great among you, let him be of Barnabas and Saul. Now your minister; and whosoever about that time, Herod the king will be chief among you, let stretched forth his hands to vex him be your servant: even as certain of the Church. And the Son of man came not to be he killed James the brother of ministered unto, but to minister, John with the sword. And and to give his life a ransom because he saw it pleased the for many. Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also.

SAINT

BARTHOLOMEW THE

APOSTLE.

The Collect.

For the Epistle. Acts v. 12.

The Gospel. St. Matt. xx. 20. THEN came to him the mother of Zebedee's children, with her sons, worshipping O ALMIGHTY and everhim, and desiring a certain lasting GOD, who didst give to thing of him. And he said thine Apostle Bartholomew unto her, What wilt thou? She grace truly to believe and to saith unto him, Grant that these preach thy word; grant, we my two sons may sit, the one beseech thee, unto thy Church, on thy right hand, and the other to love that word which he on the left, in thy kingdom. believed; and both to preach But JESUS answered and said, and receive the same, through Ye know not what ye ask. Are JESUS CHRIST our Lord. Amen ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that BY the hands of the apostles I am baptized with? They say were many signs and wonders unto him, We are able. And wrought among the people, he saith unto them, Ye shall (and they were all with one drink indeed of my cup, and accord in Solomon's porch. be baptized with the baptism And of the rest durst no man that I am baptized with; but to join himself to them; but the sit on my right hand, and on people magnified them. And my left, is not mine to give; believers were the more added but it shall be given to them to the LORD, multitudes both for whom it is prepared of my of men and women) insomuch Father. And when the ten that they brought forth the sick heard it, they were moved with into the streets, and laid them indignation against the two on beds and couches, that at brethren. But JESUS called least the shadow of Peter them unto him, and said, Ye passing by might overshadow

some of them. There came JESUS CHRIST, who liveth and also a multitude out of the reigneth with thee and the cities round about unto Jeru- HOLY GHOST, one GOD, world salem, bringing sick folks, and without end. Amen. them which were vexed with unclean spirits; and they were healed every one.

The Epistle. 2 Cor. iv. 1. THEREFORE, seeing we have this ministry, as we have The Gospel. St. Luke xxii. 24. received mercy, we faint not; AND there was also a strife but have renounced the hidden among them, which of them things of dishonesty, not walkshould be accounted the great-ing in craftiness, nor handling est. And he said unto them, the Word of God deceitfully, The kings of the Gentiles but by manifestation of the exercise lordship over them; truth, commending ourselves and they that exercise authority to every man's conscience in upon them are called benefac- the sight of GOD. But if our tors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

SAINT MATTHEW THE APOSTLE.

The Collect.

Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the GoD of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of CHRIST, who is the image of GoD, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but CHRIST JESUS the Lord; and ourselves your servants for JESUS' sake. For GOD, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of GoD, in the face of JESUS CHRIST.

The Gospel. St. Matt. ix. 9

And

AND as JESUS passed forth from thence, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith O ALMIGHTY GOD, who unto him, Follow me. And he by thy blessed Son didst call arose, and followed him. Matthew from the receipt of it came to pass, as JESUS sat at custom, to be an apostle and meat in the house, behold many evangelist; grant us grace to publicans and sinners came and forsake all covetous desires, sat down with him and his and inordinate love of riches; disciples. And when the Phariand to follow the same thy Son sees saw it, they said unto his