which have been fince the world began; that we should be faved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; to perform the mercy promifed to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; the oath which he fware to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might ferve him without fear, in holinefs and righteoufnefs before him all the days of our life. And thou, Child, fhalt be called the Prophet of the Higheft; for thou fhalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; to give knowledge of falvation unto his people by the remiffion of their fins, through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dayfpring from on high hath vifited us; to give light to them that fit in darknels, and in the fhadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. And the child grew, and waxed ftrong in fpirit; and was in the defarts till the day of his fhewing unto Ifrael.

Saint Peter's Day.
The Collect.

Almighty God, who by thy Son Jefus Chrift didst

give to thy Apoftle Saint Peter many excellent gifts, and commandeft him earnestly to feed thy flock; Make, we befeech thee, all Bishops and Paftors, diligently to preach thy holy Word, and the people obediently to follow the same, that they may receive the crown of everlasting glory, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

PARAPHRASE.

On the COLLECT for St Peter's Day.

O Almighty God, who by thy Son Jefus Chrift, didft impart to thy Apoftle St Peter, many excellent and miraculous gifts to enable him to propagate the gofpel, and didit give him a command, which, tho' directed to him in particular, is intended for the ufe of the minifters of the Gospel in general, to feed thy fheep, (John xxi. 10.) we beseech thee, that thy good providence would fo order it, that all bishops and all paftors of inferior dignity, may zealously preach thy holy word, and the people may with equal care practife what they shall deliver, and that both, at the refurrection, may receive a crown of glory, (1 Peter iv.) which we pray for the fake of Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For

For the Epistle. Acts xii. 1.

A

BOUT that time Herod the king ftretched forth his hands to vex certain of the Church. And he killed James the brother of John with the fword. And because he faw it pleafed the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter alfo. (Then were the days of unleavened bread) And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of foldiers to keep him, intending after Eafter to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore was kept in prifon; but prayer was made without ceafing of the Church unto God for him. And when Herod would have brough him forth, the fame night Peter was fleeping between two foldiers, bound with two chains; and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light fhined in the prifon; and he fmote Peter on the fide, and raised him up, faying, Arife up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. And the angel faid unto him, Gird thyfelf, and bind on thy fandals: and so he did. And he faith unto him, Caft thy garment about thee, and follow me. And he went out and followed him, and wift not that it was true which was done by the angel, but thought he faw a vifion. 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 his own accord, and they went out, and paffed on through one fireet, and forthwith the angel departed from him. And when Peter was come to himself, he faid, Now I know of a furety, that the Lord hath fent 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 Matth. xvi. 13.

WH

THEN Jefus came into the coafts of Cefarea Philippi, he afked his difciples, faying, Whom do men fay that I, the Son of man, am? And they faid, Some fay that thou art John the Baptift, fome Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He faith unto them, But whom fay ye that I am? And Simon Peter anfwered and faid, Thou

art

art Chrift, the Son of the living God. And Jefus answered and faid unto him, Bleffed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I fay alfo unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church; and the gates of hell fhall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, fhall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou fhalt loofe on earth, fhall be loofed in heaven.

Saint James the Apoftle.

The Collect.

RANT, O merciful God, that as thine

G

holy Apoftle Saint James, leaving his father and all that he had, without delay was obedient unto the calling of thy Son Jefus Chrift, and followed him; fo we forfaking all worldly and carnal affections, may be evermore ready to follow thy holy commandments, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

For the Epiftle. Acts xi. 27. and part of Chap. xii. N thofe days came prophets from Jerufalem unto Antioch. And there ftood up one of them, named Agabus, and fignified by the Spirit, that there fhould be great dearth throughout all the world; which came to pafs in the days of Claudius Cefar. Then the difciples, every man according to his ability, determined to fend relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judea. Which alfo they did, and fent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. Now about

PARPA HRA S E.

On the COLLECT for St James' Day.

O merciful God, we beseech thee to grant to us thy humble fervants, that as St James left his fhip and his father to follow our blefied Saviour, (Matt. iv. 21.) when he was called to the apoftleship; fo we being freed from all our carnal and corrupt affections, may with equal readiness follow the rule prefcribed us by thy holy gofpel: and this we beg for the fake of our bleffed Saviour Jefus Chrift. Amen.

that

that time, Herod the king ftretched forth his hands to vex certain of the Church. And he killed James the brother of John with the fword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter alfo.

The Gospel. St Matth. xx. 20.

Τ

HEN came to him the mother of Zebedee's children, with her fons, worshipping him, and defiring a certain thing of him. And he faid unto her, What wilt thou? She faith unto him, Grant that thefe my two fons may fit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. But Jefus anfwered and faid, Ye know not what ye afk. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I fhall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptifm that I am baptized with? They fay unto him, We are able. And he faith unto them, Ye fhall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptifm that I am baptized with: but to fit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. But Jefus called them unto him, and faid, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles. exercife dominion over them, and they that are great, exer cife authority upon them. But it shall not be fo among you : but whofoever will be great among you, let him be i your minifter; and whofoever will be chief among you, let him be your fervant: even as the Son of man came not to be miniftered unto, but to minifter, and to give his life a ranfom for many.

Saint Bartholomew the Apoftle.

The Collect.

Almighty and everlasting God, who didft give to thine Apoftle Bartholomew grace truly to believe, and to preach thy word; Grant, we beseech thee, unto thy Church

O

to

to love that word which he believed, and both to preach. and receive the fame, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

For the Epiftle. As v. 13.

Y the hands of the Apostles were many figns and won

B ders wrought among the people, (and they were all

with one accord in Solomon's porch. And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women) Infomuch that they brought forth the fick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter paffing by might overfhadow fome of them. There came alfo a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerufalem, bringing fick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean fpirits, and they were healed every one.

The Gospel. St Luke xxii. 24.

A

ND there was also a ftrife among them, which of them fhould be accounted the greateft. And he faid unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercife lordship over them; and they that exercife authority upon them,,are called benefactors. But ye fhall not be fo: but he that is greatef among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth ferve. For whether is greater, he that fitteth at meat, or he that ferveth? is not he that fitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that ferveth. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I

PARAPHRAS E.

On the COLLECT for Saint Bartholomew the Apostle.

Almighty and everlafting God, who didit impart fuch grace to the apoftle St Bartholomew, as to make him become a faithful believer of the word which our bleffed Lord revealed to mankind, and afterwards a zealous preacher of the fame; grant we beseech thee, thy grace to us, and all the members of the church, that we may ardently love that divine dodrine which he fo readily embraced, that our clergy may faithfully preach the fame, and our people readily adopt it; and this we beg for the fake of Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

6

Hh

PARA