Reader.-Sir, be pleased to bless us. Benediction 7. Minister.-May the reading of the Gospel be to us salvation and a defence. Amen. Lesson 7. John xii. 24, 25. At that time Jesus said to His Disciples, Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life, shall lose it, and he that hateth his life in this world, shall keep it unto life eternal. Homily of St. Augustine. The Lord Jesus Himself was the corn of wheat to be put to death, and to be multiplied: to be put to death by the unbelief of the Jews, to be multiptied by the belief of the Gentiles. Therefore, exhorting us to trace the footsteps of His passion, He says, He that loveth his life shall lose it." Which may be understood in two ways. He that loveth, shall lose; that is, if thou lovest, thou shalt lose. If thou wouldest possess life in Christ, fear not that death for Christ which is necessary. Or otherwise; He that loveth his life, shall lose it. 66 Love it not lest thou really lose it; love it not here, lest thou lose it eternally. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us. Thanks be to God. Response 7. On the hot bars I denied Thee not, my God; and when brought to the fire, I confessed the Lord Jesus Christ. Thou hast proved, Ő Lord, and visited mine heart in the night. season. And when brought to the fire, I confessed the Lord Jesus Christ. Reader.-Sir, be pleased to bless us. Benediction 8. Minister.-May he whose festival we keep, intercede for us to the Lord. Amen. Lesson 8. (Homily continued.) The latter of these two seems rather to be the sense of the Gospel. For it goes on, " And he that hateth his life in this world, shall keep it unto life eternal." Therefore, as is said before," He that loveth," that is, "in this world," he surely shall lose it; but " he who hateth," namely, "in this world," shall keep it unto life eternal. A great and marvellous saying, how it should be that a man should love his life to its destruction, and hate it to its preservation. If thou hast loved it perversely, then thou really hatest it; if thou hast hated rightly, then thou hast loved it. Blessed are they who so hate it while really saving it, as not to lose it while loving it. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us. Thanks be to God. Response 8. O Hippolytus, if thou hast faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, I will both show thee treasures, and promise thee life everlasting. As it was, &c. I will both show thee treasures, and promise thee life everlasting. Reader.-Sir, be pleased to bless us. Benediction 9. Minister.-The King of Angels lead us on to the fellow. ship of the inhabitants of heaven. Amen. Lesson 9. (Homily continued.) But beware of the desire of self-murder stealing on thee as if from the precept of hating thy life in this world. For hence certain evil-tempered and perverse men, and to themselves more cruel and wicked murderers, give themselves to the flames, drown themselves in the water, break their bones down precipices, and so perish. This is not from Christ's teaching, who even answered to the devil, suggesting to Him such a fall, "Get thee behind me, Satan; it is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." But to Peter he said, signifying by what death he should glorify God, "When thou wast young, thou girdest thy. self and walkedst whither thou wouldest; but when thou art old, another shall gird thee, and shall carry thee whither thou wouldest not." Where he sufficiently intimated that he who follows Christ's footsteps must be put to death, not by himself, but by another. Te Deum. We praise thee, O God: we acknowledge thee to be the Lord. All the earth doth worship thee: the Father everlasting. To thee all Angels cry aloud: the heavens and all the Powers therein, &c. § 6. MATIN SERVICE FOR MARCH 21. Bishop Ken's Day. [FOR SOCIAL OR PRIVATE DEVOTION.] O Lord, open Thou my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Thy Praise. O God, make speed to save me. O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory be, &c. As it was, &c. Amen. Praise to Thee, O Lord, King of eternal glory. (a) Invitatory with Psalm 95. Vide pp. 188 and 194. O come, let us worship the Lord, the King of Confessors. O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us heartily rejoice, &c. In humble following of his Saviour dear, Who, Lord, uncalled by Thee, Dare Touch Thy Spouse, Thy very self below? Where can Thy seal be found, But on the chosen seed from age to age, Or this: Lord, and what shall this man do? Ask'st thou, Christian, for thy friend! If his love for Christ be true, Christ hath told thee of his end: This is he whom Jesus loves. Ask not of Him more than this, He in youth shall find his rest, Gales from heaven, if so He will, On the lonely mountain rill, Than the meeting waters make. NOCTURN I. (c) Antiphon. Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord. Psalm 1. (1) Blessed is the man that, &c. (c) Antiphon. Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord, who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, and hath not sat in the seat of the scornful. (d) Antiphon. Desire of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance. Psalm 2. (2) Why do the heathen, &c. (d) Antiphon. Desire of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt bruise them with a rod of iron. (e) Antiphon. Psalm 3. (3) (e) Antiphon. Thou, O Lord, art my worship. Lord, how are they, &c. Thou, O Lord, art my worship, and the lifter up of my head. I did call upon the Lord with my voice, and He heard me out of His holy hill. (f) Verse and Response. The Lord loved him and adorned him. And clothed him in a robe of glory. The Lord's Prayer, (privately. Our Father, &c. And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil. Absolution 1. O Lord Jesus Christ, mercifully hear the supplications of Thy people, and grant us Thy peace all the days of our life, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen. Reader.-Sir, be pleased to bless us. Benediction 1. Minister.-The Lord bless us and keep us. Amen. Lesson 1. 1 Tim. iii. 1-6. This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a Bishop, he desireth a good work. A Bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach! Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous : One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. But Thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us. Thanks be to God. Response 1. Well done, thou good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Lord, Thou deliveredst unto me five talents, behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Reader.-Sir, be pleased to bless us. Benediction 2. Minister.-The Lord make His face to shine upon us, and be gracious unto us. Amen. Lesson 2. Tit. i. 7-11. For a Bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre ; But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate ; Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort, and to convince the gainsayers. For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision. Whose mouth must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. But Thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us. Response 2. Let thy Thummin and thy Urim be with Thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom Thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah; they shall put incense before Thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon Thine altar. Bless, Lord, his substance, and accept the work of his hands; smite through the loins of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not again: They shall put incense before Thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon Thine altar. Reader.-Sir, be pleased to bless us. Benediction 3. Minister.-The Lord lift up His countenance upon us, and give us peace. Amen. Lesson 3. Tit. ii. 1-8. But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine. That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becom eth holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sober-minded. In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works; in doc. trine, shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity. Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us. Thanks be to God. Response 3. Let the saints be joyful with glory, let them rejoice in their beds, let the praises of God be in their mouths, and a two-edged sword in their hands: to bind their kings in chains, and their nobles with links of iron. That they may be avenged of them, as it is written, Such honour have all His saints. |