The Epiftle. Gal. iv. 1.

OW I fay, that the heir as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a fervant, though he be lord of all; but is under tutors and governors, until the time appointed of the father. Even fo we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: but when the fulness of the time was come, God fent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of fons. And because ye are fons, God hath fent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a fervant, but a fon; and if a fon, then an heir of God through Chrift.

THE

The Gospel. St. Matt. i. 18.

HE birth of Jefus Chrift was on this wife: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, fhe was found with child of the Holy Ghoft. Then Jofeph her husband, being a juft man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, faying, Jofeph, thou fon of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghoft: And the fhall bring forth a Son, and thou fhalt call his name Jefus; for he fhall fave his people from their fins. (Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was fpoken of the Lord by the prophet, faying, Behold, a Virgin shall be

Under the elements of the world] Under an introductory and ritual law, which occupied us about the things of this world. Compare Col. ii. 8, 20; Heb. ix. 1. The phrase seems opposed to the spiritual and perfect law of Christ.

The fulness of the time] A fit ftate of the world for the introduction of the gofpel; confidering the religious, political, and literary circumftances of mankind. The expreflion anfwers to the mature age of the pupil as appointed by his father, mentioned verse 2.

Abba, Father] Impelling and entitling us to invoke God, under the name or title of Abba, the Syriac word for father.

Efpoufed] Had made an agreement of marriage; no woman is ever married amongst the Jews, without a previous elpoufal.

with child, and fhall bring forth a Son, and they fhall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted, is, God with us.) Then Jofeph being raised from fleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till fhe had brought forth her first-born Son; and he called his name Jefus.

The Circumcifion of CHRIST.
The Collect.

LMIGHTY God, who madeft thy bleffed Son to be circumcifed, and obedient to the law for man; Grant us the true circumcifion of the Spirit; that our hearts and all our members being mortified from all worldly and carnal lufts, we may in all things obey thy bleffed will, through the fame thy Son Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle. Rom. iv. 8.

BLESSED is the man to whom the Lord will not im

pute fin. Cometh this bleffednefs then upon the circumcifion only, or upon the uncircumcifion alfo? For

Jefus] i. e. Saviour or deliverer; an appellation common amongst the ancient Jews; but conferred with peculiar force, happiness, and propriety, on the Saviour of the world.

The Collect This prayer for grace to conquer paffion, and controul defire, was first introduced into the liturgy, together with the epiftle and gofpel, in 1549. The introitus was pfalm cxxii. The obfervation of this feaft is not of very great antiquity; the first mention of it under this title is in Ivo Cartonenfis, who lived about the year 1ogo, a little before St. Bernard, which latter has alfo a fermon upon it. In Ifodore, and other more early writers, it is mentioned under the name of the octave of Chriftmas. The reafon why it was not then obferved as the feaft of the circumcifion, was probably because it fell upon the calends of January, which was celebrated among the heathens with fo much diforder and revellings, and other tokens of idolatry, that St. Chryfoftom calls it εος την διαβολικήν, "the devil's feftival;" for which reafon the fixth general council absolutely forbade the obfervation of it amongst Christians.

Upon the circumcifion only] The epiftle from whence this portion is taken for the epiftle of the day, contains, amongst other matter, a general argument of St. Paul, on the nature and terms of juftification; intended to correct the erroneous notions of the Judaizing Chriftians, refpecting this point; and another mistake under which they laboured-the exclufive elec tion of their own nation. Thefe privileges they confined to themselves,

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we fay, that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righte oufnefs. How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcifion, or in uncircumcifion? not in circumcifion, but in uncircumcifion. And he received the fign of circumcifion, a feal of the righteousness of the faith, which he had yet being uncircumcifed; that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcifed; that righteoufnefs might be imputed unto them alfo: And the Father of circumcifion to them who are not of the circumcifion only, but also walk in the fteps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcifed. For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his feed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are of the law, be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect.

The Gofpel. St. Luke ii. 15.

AND it came to pafs, as the angels were gone away

from them into heaven, the fhepherds faid one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and fee this thing which is come to pafs, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with hafte, and found Mary and Jofeph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had feen it, they made known abroad the faying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it, wondered at thofe things which were told them by the fhepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the fhepherds returned, glorifying and praifing God for all the things that they had heard and feen, as it was told unto them. And when eight days were accomplished

and they grounded them upon the extraordinary piety of their fathers, and the covenant which the Almighty had vouchfafed to enter into with them; on their perfect knowledge and diligent study of the law; and on the fufhciency of the work of the law for falvation, particularly circumcifion and facrifices. St. Paul having in the former part of the epiftle argued, that both Jews and gentiles may be juftified by the fame means, namely, without the Levitical law, through faith in Chrift; he adduces, in confirmation of it, the example of Abraham, who was an idolator before his call, but long before he had been circumcifed, was declared juft by God, on account of his fincere and exemplary faith.

for the circumcifing of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was fo named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

The fame Collect, Epiftle, and Gospel fhall ferve for every day after unto the Epiphany.

The EPIPHANY, or the MANIFESTATION of CHRIST to the GENTILES.

God, who by the leading of a Star didst manifest thy only-begotten Son to the Gentiles; Mercifully grant, that we which know thee now by faith, may after this life have the fruition of thy glorious Godhead, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epiftle. Ephef. iii. 1.

FOR this caufe, I Paul, the prifoner of Jefus Chrift

for you Gentiles; if ye have heard of the difpenfation of the grace of God, which is given to me to youward. How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery (as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the myftery of Chrift) which in other ages was not made known unto the fons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy Apoftles and Prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles fhould be fellow-heirs, and of the fame body,

The Collect This prayer, for the enjoyment of the prefence of God in heaven, was adopted from the fervices antecedent to the Reformation, together with the gofpel. The epiftle was introduced in 1549, in lieu of that part of the Ixth chap. of Ifaiah which is now read for the first leffon of the morning fervice. The introitus was the xcvith pfalm. This Greek word, (Epiphany) fays Sparrow, fignifies manifeftation, and hath been of old used for Christmas-day, when Chrift was manifefted in the flesh; and for this day, when the ftar did appear to manifeft Chrift to the wife men, as appears by Chryfoftom and Epiphanius. Upon this identity of the word, fome unfkilful ones were mined to think that anciently the feafts of Christmas and Epiphany were one and the fame; but plain it is, by Chryfoftom, Epiphanius, and Nazianzen, in their fermons upon this day, that thefe two feafts were obferved, as we do, upon feveral days.-Rationale, 134. The ancients gave this day the two names of rа aya Qurα, "The holy lights;" and Op; "The manifeftations of God." On it the Latins were accuftomed to baptize the catechumens, or candidates for baptifm; and to adorn the churches with a profufion of lights..

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and partakers of his promife in Chrift, by the Gospel: whereof I was made a minifter, according to the gift of the grace of God, given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am lefs than the least of all faints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unfearchable riches of Chrift; and to make all men fee what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jefus Chrift: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places, might be known by the Church the manifold wifdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purpofed in Chrift Jefus our Lord. In whom we have boldness and accefs with confidence by the faith of him.

The Gofpel. St. Matt. ii. 1.

W the days of Herod the King, behold, there came

WHEN Jefus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in

wife men from the caft to Jerufalem, faying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have feen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerufalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief-priefts and fcribes of the people together, he demanded of them, where Chrift fhould be born. And they faid unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea: For thus it is written by the prophet, And thou, Bethlehem in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: For out of thee fhall come a governor that shall rule my people Ifrael. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wife men, enquired of them diligently what time the ftar appeared. And he fent them to Bethlehem, and faid, Go, and fearch diligently for the young child, and when

His far A temporary ftar, or meteor, which appeared for the purpofe of railing attention to Chrift amongst these religious gentile philoLophers.

And all Jerufalem, &c.] For both prophecy and tradition had taught the Jews to expect the Meffiah at this time. An opinion alfo prevailed amongst the Gentiles, that at this period a perfonage would be born in the Eaft, who fhould have univerfal dominion.-Sueton. Vespa. 4. Tacit. Hift. v. 429; ed. Lip.