church, I hear that there be divifions among you; and I partly believe it. For there must be also herefies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's fupper. For in eating, every one taketh before other his own fupper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. What? have ye not houfes to eat and to drink in? or defpife ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What fhall I fay to you? fhall I praife you in this? I praife you not. For I have received of the Lord that which alfo I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jefus, the fame night in which he was betrayed, took bread: and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and faid, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the fame manner alfo he took the cup, when he had fupped, faying, This cup is the new teftament in my blood: this do ye as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do fhew the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore, whofoever fhall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, fhall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and fo let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily,

after he hath prayed for them, and admonished them, he reconciles them, and brings them into the church. The penitents thus received, trim their heads and beards, and laying off their penitential weeds, they re-clothe themselves in handsome apparel. The church-doors were wont to be fet open all this day; to fignify that penitent finners coming from north, or fouth, or any quarter of the world, shall be received to mercy, and the church's favour."-Sparrow.

Divifions] That is, feparate parties, eating and drinking by themselves, contrary to the nature and intention of the Lord's fupper.

Drunken] It is worth remark, that the Greek word does not necessarily imply intoxication.

Unworthily] The Corinthians perverted the ends of the inftitution by forming feparate companies, and by being guilty of excefs; or at least, approaching too near it, confidering that the ordinance they met to obferve was a religious one.

The Lord] Will be liable to the punishment due to grofsly mifufing the fign or fymbol of the Lord's body and blood.

eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not difcerning the Lord's body. For this caufe many are weak and fickly among you, and may fleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chaftened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the reft will I fet in order when I come.

The Gofpel. St. Luke xxiii. 1.

THE whole multitude of them arofe, and led him unto Pilate. And they began to accufe him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cæfar, faying, that he himself is Christ a king. And Pilate asked him, faying, Art thou the king of the Jews? And he answered him and faid, Thou fayest it. Then faid Pilate to the chief priefts and to the people, I find no fault in this man. And they were the more fierce, faying, He ftirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place. When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilean. And as foon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he fent him to Herod, who himself was alfo at Jerufalem at that time.. And when Herod faw Jefus, he was exceeding glad: for he was defi rous to fee him of a long feafon, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have feen fome miracle done by him. Then he queftioned with him in many words; but he answered himnothing. And the chief priests and fcribes ftood and vehemently accufed him. And

Damnation] i. e. Temporal judgment. See verfes 30, 31, 32; Rom. Xii. 2; 1 Peter iv. 17. The judicial inflictions of speedy temporal punilhments, viz. weakness, fickness, and death, were peculiar to the Apof tolical age; they were unerringly proportioned to the guilt incurred; and were defigned to preferve and 'eftablifh the purity of the Chriftian worship and practice, as well as the authority of the Apoftles. See Acts V. 5; 1 Cor. v. 5; Cor. x. 8; xiii. 2; 1 Tim. i. 20; Revel. ü. 22.

Judged] Alluding to verfe 29, "He that eateth," &c.; and proving that the word there tranflated damnation, fignifies temporal chaftisement from the Lord, to prevent future condemnation.

M

Herod with his men of war fet him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and fent him again to Pilate. And the fame day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity beween themselves? And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, and the rulers, and the people, faid unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him: No, nor yet Herod: for I fent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. I will therefore chastise him, and release him. For of neceffity he muft release one unto them at the feaft. And they cried out all at once, faying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: (Who for a certain fedition made in the city, and for murder, was caft into prifon.) Pilate therefore, willing to release Jefus, fpake again to them. But they cried, faying, Crucify him, crucify him. And he faid unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore, chastise him, and let him go. And they were inftant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. And Pilate gave sentence that it fhould be as they required. And he released unto them him that for fedition and murder was caft into prison, whom they had defired; but he delivered Jefus to their will. And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenean, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the crofs, that he might bear it after Jefus. And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, who also bewailed and lamented him. But Jefus turning unto them faid, Daughters of Jerufalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Bleffed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave fuck. Then fhall they be gin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills,

Cover us. For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry? And there were also two other malefactors led with him to be put to death. And when they were come to the place, which is Calvary, there they crucified him; and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then faid Jefus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and caft lots. And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, faying, He faved others; let him fave himself, if he be Chrift, the chofen of God. And the foldiers alfo mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, and faying, If thou be the king of the Jews, fave thyself. And a fuperfcription alfo was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, faying, If thou be the Chrift, fave thyfelf and us. But the other anfwering, rebuked him, faying, Doft not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the fame condemnation? And we indeed juftly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amifs. And he faid unto Jefus, Lord, remember me when thou comeft into thy kingdom. And Jefus faid unto him, Verily I fay unto thee, To-day fhalt thou be with me in Paradife. And it was about the fixth hour. And there was a darkness over all the earth, until the ninth hour. And the fun was darkened, and the vail of the temple was rent in the midft. And when Jefus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghoft. Now when the Centurion faw what was done, he glorified God, faying, Certainly this was a righteous man. And all the people that came together to that fight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned. And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, ftood afar off, beholding these things.

GOOD-FRIDAY.

The Collects.

ALMIGHTY God, we beseech thee graciously to

behold this thy family, for which our Lord Jesus Chrift was contented to be betrayed, and given up into the hands of wicked men, and to fuffer death upon the crofs, who now liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghoft, ever one God, world without end. Amen,

Almighty and everlasting God, by whofe Spirit the

whole body of the Church is governed and fanctified; Receive our fupplications and prayers, which we offer before thee for all eftates of men in thy holy Church, that every member of the fame, in his vocation and miniftry, may truly and godly ferve thee, through our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. Amen.

Merciful God, who haft made all men, and hateft

nothing that thou haft made, nor wouldeft the death of a finner, but rather that he should be converted and live; Have mercy upon all Jews, Turks, Infidels, and Hereticks, and take from them all ignorance, hardness of heart, and contempt of thy word; and fo fetch them home, bleffed Lord, to thy flock, that they may be faved among the remnant of the true Ifraelites, and be made one fold under one fhepherd, Jefus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

TH

The Epistle. Heb, x. 1.

HE law having a fhadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never

Collects Thefe three prayers, the firft for God's compaffionate regard, the fecond for the Chriftian church, and the third for unconverted nations, were adopted at the reformation, with many alterations, from the Romish miffals. They will be found, for the most part, in the prefent fervices of that church on the Feria vi. in Parafceve. The introitus was pfalm xxii, In the first book of Edward VIth, the firft collect is appointed for matins; the other two at the communion. This day has been obferved as an holy day from great antiquity. Eufebius informs us, that it was fo in his time, and long before. "For, fays he, this day of our Saviour's paffion we are wont to celebrate, not only with faftings and watchings, but alfo with attentive hearing and reading of the holy fcriptures."-Ecc. Hift. 1. 2, c. 17.