Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

and heirs of eternal life; Grant us, we beseech thee, that having this hope, we may purify ourselves, even as he is pure; that when he fhall appear again with power and great glory, we may be made like unto him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where with thee, O Father, and thee, O Holy Ghoft, he liveth and reigneth ever one God, world without end. Amen.

BE

The Epiftle. 1 S. John 3. 1.

we

Ehold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we fhould be called the fons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the fons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we fhall be but we know, that when he fhall appear, fhall be like him; for we fhall fee him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Whofoever committeth fin, tranfgreffeth alfo the law: for fin is the tranfgreffion of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our fins; and in him is no fin. +Whofoever abideth in him, finneth not: whofoever finneth, 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 fin is of the devil: for the devil finneth from the beginning. For this purpose the fon of God was manifested that he might deftroy the works of the devil. The Gofpel. S. Matth. 24. 23.

Paraphrafe on the Collect for the O God, whofe Son Jefus Chrift came into the World, to overcome Satan, by deftroying his wicked Works, and to procure for us the glorious Privileges of the Sons of God and Heirs of Salvation; teach us, therefore, who have this Hope to become like that Saviour here in

We shall be like him, for we fball fee him, &c That is, we fhall be like Chrift, for he fhall change our vile Body into the likeness of his glorious Body; and we fall fee him as be is not in the lowly Condition in which he appeared upon Earth, but in the Glo

fixth Sunday after the Epiphany.
Holiness of Life; that when he fhall make his fecond
appearance in Glory to judge the quick and dead, we
may be made like him in Happiness and Immortality
in Heaven, where he reigneth with thee O Father and
thee Holy Ghoft, one God thro' all Eternity.

ry which he had with the Father, before the World

[blocks in formation]

TH

[ocr errors]

Hen if any man fhall fay unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. * For there fhall arife falfe Chrifts and false prophets, and shall fhew great figns and wonders; infomuch that (if it were poffible) they fhall 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 fecret chambers, believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the weft: fo fhall alfo the coming of the Son of man be. For wherefoever the carcafe is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of thofe days, || fhall the fun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens fhall be shaken. And then shall appear the fign of the Son of man in heaven: and then fhall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they fhall fee the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he shall fend his angels with a great found of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

+ The Sunday called Septuagefima, or the third Sunday before Lent. The Collect.

C

[ocr errors]

Lord, we beseech thee favourably to hear the prayers of thy people, that we who are justly punished for our offen

For there fball arife falfe Chrifts, &c. As the Gof pel from whence this is taken is part of our Saviour's Prophecy concerning the deftruction of Jerufalem, fo the falfe Chrifts and falfe Prophets here fpoken of relate to what is told us by the Hiftorian Jofephus, (viz.) that many Impoftors and Magicians perfuaded the "People to follow them into the Defart, where they "promifed to fhew them manifeft Signs and Wonders done by God"—as alfo to what is related of Simon Magas, Acts viii. 9. 10. that be bewitched the Samaritans fo with his Sorceries, that they all gave heed to him from the leaft to the greatest, faying this Man is the great power of God.

The Sun fhall be darkened, &c. By this is meant that the Ecclefiattical and Civil State of the Jews Thould be deftroyed, which are compared, according to

the Eaftern Language, to the Sun, Moon and Stars.

And be ball fend his Angels, &c. i. e. when Jerus falem fhall be deftroyed, Chrifl will fend forth his Minifters to preach, and convert great numbers to the Faith, through all parts of the World.

↑ Septuagefima Sunday is fo called, becaufe (reckon ing from the beginning of the Week before it) it is feventy days before Eafter. Then it was that fome of the primitive Chriftians were ufed to begin their forty Days Abftinence of Lent, omitting on this occafion Thurfdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Thursdays becaufe of the Lords Supper, and Afcenfion, on that Day Saturdays, because thereon our Saviour retted in the Grave, in Token of our future Reft; and Sundays because of his Refurrection on that Day.

[ocr errors]

ces, may be mercifully delivered by thy goodnefs, for the glory of thy Name, through Jefus Chrift our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghoft, ever one God, world without end,Amen.

K

The Epiftle. 1 Cor. 9. 24.

I

Now 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 maftery is temperate in all things: now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. I therefore fo run, not as uncertainly; fo fight I, not as one that beateth the air: but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, left that by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be a caft-away.

"T

The Gospel. S. Matth. 20. 1.

[ocr errors]

HE kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an houfholder, 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 faw others standing idle in the market-place, and faid unto them, Go ye alfo into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right, I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the fixth, and ninth hour and did likewife. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others ftanding idle, and faith unto them, Why ftand ye here all the day idle? They fay unto him, Because no

Paraphrafe on the Collect O Lord, we intreat thee mercifully to hear our Petitions, that we whom thou juftly chaltifeft for our Sins, may of thy goodness be graciously relieved from our

And every Man that triveth, &c. The phrafes in the Epistle for this Day allude to the Ifthmian Games, which were celebrated by the Corinthians every five Years, at a place called Cenchrea; and confifted of Run ning, Wrestling, Boxing, &c. Therefore as the Com batants on thele occafions were used to prepare them felves for them by a courfe of Exercife and fpare Diet; fo, St. Paul fays, ought Chriftians willingly to fubdue

for Septuagefima Sunday.

Afflictions, that we may live to thy Glory, through the Merits of thy Son our Saviour, who reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. their Paffions and Appetites by Mortification and Selfdenial: because the Prize we contend for is fo much fuperior to theirs: theirs being only a Crown of Olive or Bays; ours a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away.

The Kingdom of Heaven is like, &c. The true de fign of this parable is to fhew that the Jews who had the Gofpel firft propofed to them, would be the last in receiving it. The Houtholder reprefents God,-

man hath hired us. He faith 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 faith unto his steward, 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 firft came, they fuppofed that they fhould have received more; and they likewife received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the good-man of the house, faying, Thefe laft have wrought but one hour, and thou haft made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered lone of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didft not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this laft 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 laft fhall be firft, and the first laft: for many be called, but few chofen.

[ocr errors]

The Sunday called + Sexagefima, or the Second Sunday before Lent. The Collect.) ni

The Vineyard, the Difpenfations of Religion in ge neral which were given to mankind in the différent parts of the world. The Labourers hired early in the morning fignified the Jews, who were born Members of God's Church, under the law of Mofes.-Thofe hired at the third, fixth, and ninth hours, fignified those of the Gentiles who were converted to the worship of God, and became, fome Profelytes of righteoufnefs, others Profelytes of the Gate.-The invitation at the eleventh hour fignified the calling of the Gentiles in every country, by the Light of Nature, to live pioufly and wifely.

[ocr errors]

They received every Man a Penny. The equal reward bestowed on all, fignifies the Gospel with its Privileges and Advantages, which all, both Jews and Gentiles, enjoyed upon an equal footing. Only we must not carry the refemblance fo far as to fuppofe that either of them had merited the Bleffings of the Gofpel, by

[ocr errors]

behaving well under their different Difpenfations. For this was a gift of God's free Grace alone. But as the Law was a Schoolmafter to bring the Jews to Chrift, fo a right improvement of the Light of Nature prepared the Gentiles for the reception of the Gofpel,

They murmured, &c. Thus the Jews murmured, and rejected the Gofpel, when the Gentiles were admitted to its Privileges without fubmitting to the inftitutions of the Law of Mofes, Acts xxii. 21. 22, Thes. ii, 16.

+ Sexagefima Sunday is fo called because (reckoning from the Wednesday before it) it is fixty Days before Eafter. Then it was that fome of the primitive Christians began their forty Days Faft of Lent, omitting on this oc cafion, Thursdays and, Sundays. [See Septuagefima Sunday.

Lord God, who feeft that we put not our truft in any thing that we do; Mercifully grant that by thy power we may be defended against all adverfity, through Jefus Chrift our Lord.

O

Amen.

Y

[ocr errors]

The Epiftle. 2 Cor. 11. 19.

[ocr errors]

E fuffer fools gladly, feeing ye yourselves are wife. For ye fuffer if a man bring you into bondage, if a ınan devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man finite you on the face. I fpeak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak: howbeit, whereinfover any is bold (L fpeak foolishly) I am bold also. Are they Hebrews? fo am I : are they Ifraelites ?' fo am I are they the feed of Abraham? so am I are they minifters of Chrift? (I fpeak as a fool) I am more; + in labours more abundant; in ftripes above measure; in prifons more frequent; in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty ftripes fave one. Thrice was I beaten with rods; Once. was I ftoned; Thrice I fuffered fhipwreck; A night and a day I have been in the deep in journeying often; : in perils of waters; in perils of robbers; in perils by mine own country-men; in perils by the heathen; in perils in the city; in perils in the wilderness; in perils in the fea; in perils among false brethren; in wearinefs and painfulness; in watchings often; in hunger and thirst; in faftings often; in cold and nakednefs; besides those

O Lord God, who knoweft our own ftrength for our own

Paraphrafe on the Collet for Sexagefima Sunday.
that we rely not upon
defence and fupport;

Ye fuffer Fools gladly, &c. This expreffion, and what follows, relates to the falfe Teachers who had crept in among the Corinthians during St. Paul's ab fence, who endeavoured to enflave them to the Jewish Law, to make them a prey to their Covetoufnefs; and treated them with infolence, tyranny, and contumely; infufing into them, at the fame time, jealoufies, and evil furmifes againft their lawful Paftor.

II Speak foolishly. Obferve here how cautionfly St. Paul behaved himself in a point, which he knew to be fo nice. For tho' the falfe Teachers amongst the Corinthians had rendered fuch a vindication neceffary:

graciously protect us by thy might against all Calamities for the fake of Jefus Christ our Lord.

yet he knew that it is very difficult to expatiate upon ourselves in Converfation without incurring the cenfure of vanity.

+ In labours more abundant, &c. &c. The methods afed for exercifing St. Paul's Patience and Virtue, teach us plainly, that the way in which God would be ferved by Chriftians, especially by his Minifters, is that of conftancy, and indefatigable diligence, and diffufive Charity. That eafe and idleness, and luxury, and effeminate declinings of trouble for the publick good, are by no means agreeable to the character of a Difciple of Jesus.

[ocr errors]
« AnteriorContinuar »