the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God. 1 Wherefore, brethren, be ye not unwise, but understanding what the I will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another, and so much the more as ye see the day approaching. Second Week. The Angels worship in heaven. From the Revelations of St. John the Divine. 3 AND after these things, I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: for true and righteous are His judgments. .. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye His servants, and ye that fear Him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be 1 Ephes. v. 17. 4 Eccles. v. 1. arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And He saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage-supper of the Lamb. And He saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. Third Week. Decency and reverence in Divine worship. From the Book of Ecclesiastes, and from St. Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians. "KEEP foot when to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of Let all things the saints. be done decently and in order. Fourth Week. For Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it.. Them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon Mine altar; for Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, are these. For if ye thoroughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; if ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever. Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; and come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? Is this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the Lord. 3 Brethren, he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile : let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. 4 Sixth Week. Christ sanctions the performance of beneficent works on the Jewish Sabbath. From the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. ND Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sab1 And Jesus went into the temple bath. And, behold, there was a woof God, and cast out all them that man which had a spirit of infirmity sold and bought in the temple, and eighteen years, and was bowed tooverthrew the tables of the money-gether, and could in no wise lift up changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. Fifth Week. herself. And when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And He laid His hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath-day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the Sabbath-day. The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou 2 Isai. lvi. 1, 7. Same subject continued. HUS saith the Lord, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my 1 St. Matt. xxi. 12. 3 1 St. Pet. iii. 10. hypocrite, doth not each one of piercing even to the dividing asunder you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath-day? And when He had said these things, all His adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him. 1 Seventh Week. Same subject continued. From the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. ND when Jesus was departed of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Short chapters, which may be read house, she hath hewn out her ISDOM hath builded her seven pillars: she hath killed her beasts; mingled nagogue: and, behold, there was a she hath also furnished her table. man which had his hand withered. She hath sent forth her maidens: And the Pharisees asked Him, sayshe crieth upon the highest places ing, Is it lawful to heal on the Sab- of the city, Whoso is simple, let him bath-days? that they might accuse turn in hither: as for him that Him. And He said unto them, wanteth understanding, she saith What man shall there be among to him, Come, eat of my bread, you, that shall have one sheep, and and drink of the wine which I have if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath-mingled. day, will he not lay hold on it, and Jesus saith, I am the living lift it out? How much then is a bread, which came down from heaman better than a sheep? Where-ven: if any man eat of this bread, fore it is lawful to do well on the he shall live for ever: and the Sabbath-days. Then saith He to bread that I will give is My flesh, the man, Stretch forth thine hand. which I will give for the life of the And he stretched it forth; and it world.... Verily, verily, I say unto was restored whole, like as the you, Except ye eat the flesh of the other. Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is meat indeed, and My Eighth Week. The keen and piercing power of God's Word in discriminating between the true and false Chris tian. blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My From St. Paul's Epistle to the blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in Hebrews. Bis quick, and powerful, and RETHREN, the word of God him. Same subject continued. sharper than any two-edged sword, From the Book of the Prophet 1 St.Matt. xii. 9. 2 Heb. iv. 12. 3 Prov. ix. 1. 4 St. John vi. 51. Isaiah, and from the Holy Gos- | with you, even the sure mercies of pel according to St. John. David. 2 Jesus said unto the Jews, Labour O, every one that thirsteth, not for the meat which perisheth, he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for Him hath God the Father sealed. .. Your Again Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst. fathers did eat manna derness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. Then he says, . Let our mouth be filled with Thy praise. in the wil Ry. That we may tell of Thy glory and honour all the day long. . But Thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us after Thy great goodness. Ry. And according to the multitude of Thy mercies do away our offences. Then all kneeling, say the Confession and Litany following: BLESSED Trinity, one God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, we here assembled, prostrate in spirit before Thee, do confess, in the sight of the whole court of heaven, our innumerable offences committed against Thy Divine Majesty. We have sinned, Lord, we have sinned; we have grievously offended Thee through the whole course of our lives, by thought, word, and deed; and therefore are most unworthy to lift up our eyes to heaven, or so much as to name Thy sacred name: how much more unworthy are we to appear before Thee in Thy sanctuary, and assist in Thy holy service! But, O God eternal, Creator of all things, Father of mercies, and God of all comfort, who hast made us in Thine own image, redeemed us by Thy only Son, adopted us Thy children, and shewest mercy to those who humbly and sincerely seek it; be merciful to us, O Lord, and give us a true contrition for all the sins we have committed against Thee, that, being turned from all our evil ways, we may by a sincere repentance obtain Thy peace, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. From all evil, from all sin, from the spirit of unbelief, from all abuse of this sacred day, and of those places which are sacred to Thee; from whatever is an offence to Thee, or a scandal to the weak, O Lord, deliver us. From contempt of Thy worship, and all kinds of irreverence in Thy holy presence; from sloth, coldness, and levity in time of prayer; from the neglect of prayer and of Thy sacred word, O Lord, deliver us. O Lord, we beseech Thee to hear us, and grant us Thy assistance, that we may sanctify this holy and happy day according to Thy commandments. Grant that, while we serve Thee with outward decency, we may be likewise careful to adore Thee in spirit and in truth; that we may unite with the blessed above, in praising, adoring, and praying to Thee, and prepare our souls to celebrate with them an eternal Sabbath; We beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord. Grant that we may this day labour to rise to a new life, examining the state of our souls, and resolving to amend whatever is displeasing to Thee; We beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord. Grant that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Thee; denying our wills, ruling our tongues, softening our tempers, mortifying our lusts; and learn patience, meekness, purity, forgiveness of injuries, and continuance in welldoing; We beseech thee to hear us, O Lord. Grant that we may not give this day to earth which is consecrated to heaven; but employ it in such exercises as may raise our hearts above earthly things, and unite them to Thee by love, who art our only sovereign and everlasting good. O Lord, graciously vouchsafe to hear us, and grant us these our petitions. O Son of God, Redeemer of mankind, spare us, we beseech Thee, and have mercy upon us. |