And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his Name : which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only-begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth. ¶ But when the second Collect before the Epistle is of any Sunday, fast or feria of which there is a memorial, then instead of this Gospel shall be said the Gospel of the Sunday, fast or feria. All persons of either sex (except the unbaptized or excommunicate) shall, upon all Sundays and Principal Holy-days, hear and be at the Divine Service of the Eucharist (whether they be there to communicate or not) and shall there throughout the whole time of the aforesaid service with devout prayer or godly silence and meditation occupy themselves, till the Priest dismisses them with the Blessing: unless they be let with sickness or other like urgent cause. Upon the other Holydays (where there is not a daily Celebration) the Priest shall cause a bell to be tolled at a convenient hour, and shall celebrate the Eucharist, and so many as conveniently may, shall come together and attend the Divine Service. ¶ The Principal Holy-days are The Conversion of St. Paul. St. Barnabas.-The Nativity of St. Andrew the Apostle. St. Thomas the Apostle. St. Stephen the Martyr. St. John the Evangelist. The Holy Innocents. Monday and Tuesday in EasterWeek. Monday and Tuesday in Whitsun-Week. O COLLECTS UPON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHICH MAY BE SAID AFTER THAT FOR THE DAY. For Rain. GOD, heavenly Father, who by thy Son Jesus Christ hast promised to all them that seek thy kingdom, and the necessary to their bodily sustenance; Send us, we beseech thee, in this our necessity, such moderate rain and showers, that we may receive the fruits of the earth to our comfort, and to thy honour; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. O For fair Weather. ALMIGHTY Lord God, who for the sin of man didst once drown all the world, except eight persons, and afterward of thy great mercy didst promise never to destroy it so again; We humbly beseech thee, that although we for our iniqui: ties have worthily deserved a plague of rain and waters, yet upon our true repentance thou wilt send us such weather, as that we may receive the fruits of the earth in due season; and learn both by thy punishment to amend our lives, and for thy cle Increase the fruits of the earth a plague upon thine own peoby thy heavenly benediction; ple in the wilderness, for their and grant that we, receiving thy obstinate rebellion against Mobountiful liberality, may use the same to thy glory, the relief of those that are needy, and our own comfort; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. In the time of War and O Tumults. ALMIGHTY God, King of all kings, and Governor of all things, whose power no creature is able to resist, to whom it belongeth justly to punish sinners, and to be merciful to them that truly repent; Save and deliver us, we humbly beseech thee, from the hands of our enemies, abate their pride, assuage their malice, and confound their devices; that we, being armed with thy defence, may be preserved evermore from all perils, to glorify thee, who art the only giver of all victory; through the merits of thy only Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. In the time of any common ses and Aaron; and also, in the time of king David, didst slay with the plague of Pestilence threescore and ten thousand, and yet remembering thy mercy didst save the rest; Have pity upon us miserable sinners, who now are visited with great sickness and mortality; that like as thou didst then accept of an atonement, and didst command the destroying Angel to cease from punishing, so it may now please thee to withdraw from us this plague and grievous sickness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. TA Prayer that may be said after any of the former. GOD, whose nature and property is ever to have mercy and to forgive, receive our humble petitions ; and though we be tied and bound with the chain of our sins, yet let the pitifulness of thy great mercy loose us; for the honour of Jesus Christ, our Mediator and Advocate. Amen. THANKSGIVINGS UPON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. A After the Collect for the day, kindness to us, and to all men: let the following be said: We bless thee for our creation, LMIGHTY God, Father preservation, and all the blessof all mercies, we thine ings of this life; but above all unworthy servants do give thee for thine inestimable love in most humble and hearty thanks the redemption of the world for all thy goodness and loving- by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for hast relieved and comforted the hope of glory. And, we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful, and that we shew forth thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives; by giving up ourselves to thy service, and by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen. And after the Post Communion, one of the following, as need requires : For Rain. GOD our heavenly Fa O ther, who by thy gracious providence dost cause the former and the latter rain to descend upon the earth, that it may bring forth fruit for the use of man ; We give thee humble thanks that it hath pleased thee, in our great necessity, to send us at the last a joyful rain upon thine inheritance, and to refresh it when it was dry, to the great comfort of us thy unworthy servants, and to the glory of thy holy Name; through thy mercies in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. our souls by this seasonable and blessed change of weather; We praise and glorify thy holy Name for this thy mercy, and will always declare thy lovingkindness from generation generation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. For Plenty. to MOST merciful Father, who of thy gracious goodness hast heard the devout prayers of thy Church, and turned our dearth and scarcity into cheaphumble thanks for this thy ness and plenty; We give thee special bounty; beseeching thee to continue thy loving-kindness unto us, that our land may yield us her fruits of increase, to thy glory and our comfort; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. For Peace and Deliverance from our Enemies. ALMIGHTY God, who art a strong tower of defence unto thy servants against the face of their enemies; We yield thee praise and thanksgiving for our deliverance from those great and apparent dangers wherewith we were passed: We acknowledge it thy goodness that we were not delivered over as a prey unto them; beseeching thee still to continue such thy mercies towards us, that all the world may know that thou art our Saviour and mighty Deliverer ; com through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. membering mercy, hast redeemed our souls from the jaws of death; We offer unto thy fatherly goodat Home. ness ourselves, our souls and ETERNAL God, our bodies which thou hast delivered, For restoring Publick Peace alone makest men to be of one mind in a house, and stillest the outrage of a violent and unruly people; We bless thy holy Name, that it hath pleased thee to appease the seditious tumults which have been lately raised up amongst us; most humbly beseeching thee to grant to all of us grace, that we may henceforth obediently walk in thy holy commandments; and, leading a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty, may continually offer unto thee our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for these thy mercies towards us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. For Deliverance from the Plague, or other common Sickness. a living sacrifice always praising and magnifying thy mercies in the midst of thy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord." Amen. WE Or this, E humbly acknowledge before thee, O most merciful Father, that all the punishments which are threatened in thy law might justly have fallen upon us, by reason of our manifold transgressions and hardness of heart: Yet seeing it hath pleased thee of thy tender mercy, upon our weak and unworthy humiliation, to asswage the contagious sickness wherewith we lately have been sore afflicted, and to restore the voice of joy and health into our dwellings; We offer unto thy Divine Majesty the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, lauding and magnifying thy glorious Name for such thy preservation and providence over us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. T THE ORDER FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE HOLY COMMUNION. So many as intend to be partakers of the Holy Communion shall signify their names to the Curate, at least some time the day before, who shall exhort them that they be clean from the guilt of deadly sin, in mutual charity, and fasting from the previous midnight. ¶ The unbaptized and excom |