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The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany. (45.)

The Collect.

O LORD, we beseech thee to keep thy Church and Household continually in thy true religion, that they who do lean only upon the hope of thy heavenly grace, may evermore be defended by thy mighty power, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle. Col. iii. 12.

PUT on therefore (as the elect of God, holy and beloved) bowels of mercies, kindtess, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 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, Church, of the whole world. God hath no where engaged to keep off assaults and temptations; he thinks it encouragement enough to sustain us under, to succour us in, and at his own due time, to deliver us out of, our dangers and distresses. When therefore, these attack us, either in our personal, or our public capacity, our business must be to seek his protection, by earnest and constant prayer; and thus to silence all those wicked distrusts which frail nature, the prevalence of sensual affections, and the extremity of afflictions, are too apt to betray us into: to remember, that, though ourselves are weak, yet our Redeemer is mighty: that the 'stormy wind," which cannot "rise" but at his "word," shall, when he pleases to command, be immediately laid by it again: that he is disposed to look upon our sufferings and infirmities with a very tender eye: and, provided we be not wanting to our duty, he will accept that most pious and most necessary prayer, which our Church, in allusion to the passage now before us, hath taught us to put up this day.

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Let us come therefore to the throne of grace, in an humble sense of "being set in the midst of so many and great dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature, we cannot always stand upright;" and may he " grant us such strength and protection, as may support us in all dangers, and carry us through all temptations, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." Dean Stanhope.

(45.) The four precedent Sundays have manifested Christ's glory to us in part, by the miracles he wrought while he conversed with us on earth: the Gospel for this day mention his second coming to judgment, when he shall appear in his full glory, and all the holy angels with him: which glorious appearance, as it will be dreadful to those who

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. Aud 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. (46.)

The Gospel. St. Matt. xiii. 24.

THE kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto

have resembled the tares, for they shall then be burned with unquenchable fire: so it will be a joyful appearance to such as the Epistle persuades us to be, namely, the meek, and gentle, and charitable. And the Collect is for such, praying God "to keep his Church and household continually in the true religion," &c. Bp. Sparrow.

(46.) The best improvement to be made of this day's Epistle is by labouring to adorn our souls with the graces, virtues, and excellent qualities which it recommends: for instance, to put on the most tender "mercy, compassion, and kindness," towards others, and "humbleness of mind" in respect of ourselves. This is a raiment which will never wax old; nor is any thing more becoming to a Christian than "the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit." Again, let us put on patience and "long suffering," under all the evils and sufferings that may befal us: which is the best way to make them sit easy on us, and will make them soonest pass away.

Moreover we are exhorted here to "forbear one another," not breaking out into hasty and violent passions, not straining matters to the utmost rigour and severity of the laws, but bearing with one another's infirmities, and using a conscience and moderation in all our ways and dealings with each other, and likewise "forgiving one another," if any difference shall arise, not studying revenge, or rendering evil for evil, but by Christ's example, as well as precept, forbearing and forgiving one another. But because charity is the sum and perfection of all other graces, let us above all things put on that "bond of perfectness," which will make us perfect and complete, lacking nothing; for that will procure and preserve peace both with God and man. and if that rule govern our hearts, it will beget

them, An enemy hath done this.

The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest, while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest; and in the time. of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn. (47.)

The Sirth Sunday after the Epiphany. (48.)

The Collect.

O GOD, whose blessed Son was manifest

and keep a lasting peace there likewise. 2. As a means to attain all these graces, let us set a high price and value on the word of God, and suffer it to dwell in us richly in all wisdom; for it is by the heavenly seed of God's word that those graces are begotten in us. To which let us add, 3. The singing of psalms and other hymns, and spiritual songs, making melody in our hearts unto God. This is the way prescribed for our praising of God here on earth, and it is that which can best fit and prepare us to sing forth his praises for ever in heaven. Finally, in all our actions let us have regard to the honour of our Maker, "that whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, we may do all to the praise and glory of God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Dr. Hole.

(47.) The true import of the concluding words of this Gospel, and the principal lesson to be drawn from the whole parable, is this: that God hath fixed the day, in which he will judge the world; a day, the proceedings of which shall make a distinction between the righteous and the wicked; a perfect distinction, and such as the condition of this world cannot admit. That the punishment of the damned, intimated by binding and burning the tares, will be irreversible and extreme, such as can leave the good no room for envying, or grudging, the now boasted prosperity of the ungodly. That the distribution of final rewards and punishments is therefore a royalty peculiar to God, which he lets no other into; that the time of that distribution is in a future state; that such a time will in the course of things, as certainly come, as in nature a harvest follows a seed-time; and that the reason, why it is not yet come, is because matters are not yet ripe for it. So that, upon the whole, so long as forbearance can be any way of service, either to the persons on whom it is immediately exercised, or to any others by their influence or example, so long it is continued; but, when these uses cease, and mercy hath done its part, then vengeance shall

ed that he might destroy the works of the devil, and make us the sons of God, and heirs of eternal life; grant us, we beseech thee, that having this hope, we may purify ourselves, even as he is pure; (49.) that when he shall appear again with power and great glory, we may be made like unto him (50.) in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where, with thee, O Father, and thee, O Holy Ghost, he liveth and reigneth, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

The Epistle. 1 St. John iii. 1. BEHOLD what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew succeed. The good corn shall be parted from the refuse, and each assigned to a place worthy of it: the one laid up as a valuable treasure in the granary of this heavenly householder; the other cast out as a nuisance, no longer to be endured, and burnt in indignation, as unquenchable as the fire into which it is cast. All which considered, men have reason to be contented with God's own methods, and his own time, and should not throw out rash censures of Providence, nor desire to hasten a justice that will take care to do itself right. And this shall be done effectually, in its proper season, to the entire satisfaction of every good man, and the eternal confusion of all obstinate and incorrigible sinners: when all mankind shall see abundant reason to join in that celestial song of Moses and the Lamb, "Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." Rev. xv. 3.

Dean Stanhope.

(48.) The Collect, Epistle, and Gospel for this day were all added at the last review; till which time, if there happened to be six Sundays after the Epiphany, the Collect, &c. for the fifth Sunday were repeated. Wheatly.

The Collect and Epistle for this day remind us of the two great ends of Christ's manifestation in the flesh; namely, that he might destroy the works of the devil, and make us the sons of God. The Gospel warns us against false Christs and false prophets, who come for other and contrary ends: namely, to make us slaves of Satan, and to promote his works. Dr. Hole.

(49.) St. John teaches us, that "every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as he is pure," 1 John iii. 3. The Church therefore justly prays, that "we may purify ourselves, even as our Saviour Christ is pure;" that is, may endeavour, as far as our frail nature will allow us, to imitate his purity. Dr. Bennet. (50.) That is, glorious as he is, as to his human

him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know, that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Whosoever committeth sin, transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever

abideth in him, sinneth not: whosoever sinneth, hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. (51.)

The Gospel. St. Matt. xxiv. 23. THEN if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs and false pro

nature now in heaven; though not in the same degree, yet with the same kind of glory.

Dr. Bennet.

(51.) The purpose of this day's Epistle is to teach us, 1. to admire and adore the infinite love and goodness of God in making us his sons, and taking us into so near and dear a relation to himself. This St. John could not here speak of without ecstacy and amazement; "Behold! what manner of love is this," what unparalleled, what unspeakable, what undeserved love, is this, "that we should be called the sons of God!" And St. Paul elsewhere, like one in a rapture, cries out, "O the height and depth, and length and breadth, of" this "love of God that passeth knowledge." (Ephesians iii. 18.)

2. Let the apprehension hereof beget in us a lively hope of the far greater bliss and happiness that will follow after it; for we cannot now take the full dimensions of this great privilege. At present let us fill our minds with well-grounded hopes, and rest assured of the full and speedy accomplishment

of them.

3. Let this hope teach us to purify ourselves, "even as he is pure," that we may be meet to be received into the undefiled regions; let us endeavour to be like God, that we may be fit to enjoy him. To attain which, let us,

4. Beware of committing any wilful and deliberate sin, against the light of God's laws, and the dictates of our own conscience; for that will forfeit this high privilege, and make us the children of the devil, and not the sons of God.

phets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that (if it were possible) they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore, if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For where soever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days, shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shakAnd then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (52.)

en.

Lastly, let us abandon all the works of the devil. which Christ came to destroy, and pray for all those fruits of the Spirit, that he came to plant in our hearts; so shall we that are now sons be made meet partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. Dr. Hole.

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(52.) From the warning here given against false Christs and false prophets, we may learn to take the good advice here and elsewhere given to us, not to believe every spirit,” but to "beware of false prophets," and "false teachers, many whereof are gone abroad in the world." To prevent the being imposed upon by them, St. John directs, to try the spirits whether they be of God," (1 John iv. 1;) that is, to bring the doctrine and principles of all such pretenders to the test of holy Scripture, the only infallible standard and measure of divine truths. "To the law and to the testimony," saith the Prophet Isaiah, "if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." (Isa. viii. 20.) But because all sects quote Scripture for their opinions, and pretend to have the word of God on their side, we must remember, that all persons are not qualified to interpret the word of God; and that, if any take upon them to expound it, without any office, parts, or call thereunto, it is no wonder if they mistake error for truth, and put darkness for light. The apostle St. Peter tells us, that "the unlearned and unstable wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction." (2 Pet. iii. 16.) And therefore they are to receive the instructions of those that are appointed to teach them; it wa

The Sunday called Septuagesima, Or the Third Sunday before Lent. (53.)

The Collect.

O LORD, we beseech thee favourably to hear the prayers of thy people, that we, who are justly punished for our offences, may be mercifully delivered by thy good ness, for the glory of thy name, through Jesus Christ our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

"the priest's lips that preserve knowledge, and the people are to seek the law at his mouth." (Mal. ii. 7.)

2. From the sad fate of Jerusalem, by the destruction both of the city and temple, we may learn to avoid those provoking sins that occasioned it. The sins of Jerusalem were obstinate impenitence and infidelity, the abuse of God's mercies, and a wilful resisting of all the means of reclaiming her; the Jews would take no warning, but resolutely withstood all the methods both of mercy and justice. This was the occasion of their misery, and this will be our fate too, if we walk in the same ways; and "except we repent," and turn from our sins unto God, 66 we shall all likewise perish."

Lastly, from the signs and certainty of an approaching judgment, let us learn to look and prepare for it; not saying with the wicked servant. "My Lord delays his coming," and so neglecting ail care and preparation for him; but let us be always upon our watch, lest he come upon us unawares: let us make our accounts ready, that we may be able to yield them up with joy, and not with grief; so shall we avoid the doom of slothful, and receive the reward of good and faithful, servants, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Dr. Hole.

(53.) Among the several reasons given for the names of this and the two following Sundays, the most probable seems to be this: the first Sunday in Lent, being forty days before Easter, was for that reason called Quadragesima-Sunday, which in Latin signifies forty; and fifty being the next round number above forty, as sixty is to fifty, and seventy to sixty; therefore the Sunday immediately preceding Quadragesima-Sunday, being farther from Easter than that was, was called Quinquagesima for fifty) Sunday, which is also fifty days inclusive Defore Easter: and the two foregoing Sundays, being still farther distant, were for the same reason called Sexagesima and Septuagesima (sixty and seventy) Sundays.

2. The observation of these days and the weeks following, appear to be as ancient as the times of regory the Great. The design of them is to call

The Epistle. 1 Cor. ix. 24. KNOW ye not, that they which run in a race, run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery, is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast-away. (54.)

us back from our Christmas feasting and joy, in order to prepare ourselves for fasting and humiliation, in the approaching time of Lent; from thinking of the manner of Christ's coming into the world, to reflect upon the cause of it, namely, our own sins and miseries; that so, being convinced of the reasonableness of punishing and mortifying ourselves for our sins, we may the more strictly and religiously apply ourselves to those duties when the proper time for them comes. Some of the more devout Christians observed the whole time, from the first of these Sundays to Easter, as a season of humiliation and fasting; though the generality of the people did not begin their fasts till Ash-Wednesday. Wheatly.

The Collect for the day beseeches Almighty God favourably to hear the prayers of his people, offered up at these solemn seasons, and likewise mercifully to deliver them from the just punishment of their sins, to be now more particularly confessed and lamented. Dr. Hole.

The Epistle persuades us to works of penitence and holy mortification after St. Paul's example: and, lest we should shrink from these hardships, it encourages us by proposing the reward of these religious exercises, namely, a glorious and everlasting crown. The Gospel is much to the same purpose: it tells us that God's vineyard is no place for idle loiterers; all must work that will receive any reward at the same time it affords comfort and encouragement to those, who have been previously negligent, by assuring them of God's goodness, provided they will exert themselves even now with diligence and sincerity.

Bp. Sparrow, Wheatly.

(54.) To the race and the combat, prescribed in this passage, every man is called. And every man, if the fault be not his own, may prove victorious in it. That expression, of "one obtaining the prize," is not intended by St. Paul to lessen our hopes, but to encourage our labours. It is meant to teach us, that the utmost we are able to do is little enough, that the benefit we aim at will recompense all our pains, and that each person, upon that account,

The Gospel. St. Matt. xx. 1. THE kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the market-place, and said unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, should exert himself as vigorously, and be as careful not to be outdone by any other, as if only the one best in the whole number could win the prize, that all are striving for. Let us then (and God grant we inay) put forth our whole strength, fix our minds upon this crown, and be continually pressing forward to it. Let us not suffer our thoughts to be dissipated by impertinence or vanity; by any of the follies or trifles, which, upon pretence of entertaining, would loosen them, and break their force in this most necessary, as well as most important affair. For we are not so much as at liberty to engage in, or to stand clear of, this race and combat. Were the choice left to us, yet not to come in were to be undone: but that was happily made for us long ago. We set out in this course, and were listed in this service at our baptism, and cannot retract without desertion and apostacy. The greater reason is there, why, having gone so far already, we should by all means disengage ourselves from the weight of our sensual and corrupt affections; mortifying them by the abstinence, and other holy severities, proper for that season of humiliation and fasting, to which this portion of Scripture is so wisely propounded by our admirable Church, as a seasonable preparation. And, lastly, let not any of u- presume to think those remedies a dispensation below us, to which St. Paul himself did not disdain to have recourse. For, if he, who was "caught up into" the third heaven, favoured with extraordinary visions and revelations, above the power of human tongue to utter, entrusted with the conversion of so many nations, an indefatigably laborious in that ministry; if he, notwithstanding all these virtues and advantages, found it necessary to "keep under

Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the good man of the house, saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong; didst not thou agree with me for a penny Take that thine is, and go thy way; I will give unto this last even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last; for many be called, but few chosen. (55.)

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his body," and "bring it into subjection;" (ver. 27;) if he saw reason to fear, that otherwise he "after having preached to others, should himself be a cast-away;" what care can be too great for us, whose attainments and zeal are so much less? How can we answer it to God, or to our souls, if we so far forget our own sinfulness and frailty, as not readily to submit to every method of forwarding us in the race that is set before us, and make not a diligent and thankful use of every advantage and defence, in this war of the spirit against the flesh? for sure we ought to esteem it a most happy thing, if, by all possible means, we can at last arrive to that unspeakable blessing, of having "our whole spirit, and soul, and body, preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ," (1 Thess. v. 23,) and be in that great day mercifully delivered by his goodness." Collect for the day. Which he of his infinite mercy grant we may; to whom be glory and honour, for ever and ever. Dean Stanhope.

(55.) The design of our Church, in recommending this portion of Scripture to our thoughts at this time, will be best answered probably by the following observations.

1. We are upon this occasion more especially obliged to take notice of the kindness of this householder in calling these labourers. Thus does our heavenly householder. He appoints and calls us to our duty, he frequently repeats that call, and does not cast us off at our first refusal: nay, he does more than any master upon earth can do, for he prepares our hearts to hearken to his calls; he strengthens and assists us in the duty we are called to; he rewards us according to our good dispo

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