descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen. Then he says, MAY the reading of the Holy Word (or Holy Gospel) be unto us salvation and protection. Amen. Then he reads one of the short chapters following. First Week. Special blessings promised to prayers rightly offered in the Sanctuary. The Lesson is taken from the Book of Numbers, from the 2d Book of Chronicles, and from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mat 1 thew. AND the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, say ing unto them, The Lord bless thee, and keep thee; the Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; the Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And they shall put My name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them. 2 If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now Mine eyes shall be open, and Mine ears attent unto the prayer which is made in My sanctuary. For now have I chosen 1 Numb. vi. 22. 4 Isai. lxv. 17; lxvi. 1. and sanctified this house, that My name may be there for ever: and Mine eyes and My heart shall be there perpetually. 3 Jesus saith to His disciples, Verily I say unto you, Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them. Second Week. The glory of the Gentile Church. Band a new earth: and the former EHOLD, I create new heavens shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create : for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. ... Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her : rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her.. For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream. For it shall come that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory and I will set a 2 2 Chron. vii. 14. : 3 St. Matt. xviii. 20. nations sign among them, and I will send | I will make the place of My feet those that escape of them unto the glorious. . . . For brass I will bring that have not heard gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness. .... Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise. My fame, neither have seen My Third Week. Fourth Week. The glory of the city and temple in heaven. From the Revelations of St. John the Divine. A ND I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the taberInacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall The glory of the visible temple on be His people. . . . And God shall earth. From the Book of the Prophet 'I Isaiah. wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And He said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that WILL glorify the house of My glory. . . . And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee for in My wrath I smote thee, but in My favour have I had mercy on thee. Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that overcometh shall inherit all things; their kings may be brought. and I will be his God, and he shall be My son. . . . . And there came unto me one of the seven angels. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted. The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir-tree, the pinetree, and the box together, to beautify the place of My sanctuary; and 1 Isai. lx. 7. с And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven . . . . having the glory of 2 Rev. xxi. 2. that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the gar God and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper-stone, clear as crystal; and had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. ...ment of praise for the spirit of hea : .... And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. Fifth TWeek. The preaching of the Gospel, through Christ's ordained ministers, predicted and commanded. From the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, and from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. THE Spirit of the Lord is upon viness; that they might be calledtrees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified. And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. But ye shall be named the priests of the Lord: men shall call you the ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. 2 And Jesus came and spake unto His eleven disciples, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Sixth Week. Same subject continued. From the Holy Gospels according to St. Matthew and St. John, and from the Revelations of St. John. me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach the Gospel unto the meek; He hath sent me to 3 bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and kingdom shall be preached in all the opening of the prison to them the world for a witness unto all A' T that time Jesus said to His disciples, This Gospel of the 1 Isai. lxi. 1. 2 St. Matt. xxviii. 18. 3 St. Matt. xxiv. 14, nations; and then shall the end come. 1 At another time Jesus said to His apostles, Peace be unto you: as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you. And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. 2 And I John saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. Seventh Week. Exhortation to persevere in all virtue, and to cultivate a love for spiritual wisdom. From St. Paul's Epistles to the Philippians and Colossians. things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 4 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering ; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him. Eighth Week. OUR conversation is in heaven; Christ appears twice to this dire from whence also we look : for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself. Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever 1 St. John xx. 21. 4 Colos. iii. 12. ciples on the first day of the week. From the Holy Gospel according to St. John. THEN the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when He had so said, He shewed unto them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. . . But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Jesus, the doors being shut, and Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, HEA and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. Short chapters which may be read THE right hand, and by the arm of His strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine for the which thou hast laboured: but they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the Lord; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of My holiness. ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he. Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all. Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow. And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, saith the Lord. 4 At that time Jesus said, Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light. 2 Acts ii. 42. 2 And the disciples continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of 1 Isai. lxii. 8. 4 St. Matt. xi. 28. 3 Jerem. xxxi. 10. |