And behold, a woman who the saints; for the hope was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment; for she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, he said unto them, Give place; for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land. THE EPISTLE. Coloss. i. 3. which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which is come unto you, as it is in all the world, and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth; as ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; who also declared unto us your love in the spirit. For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might according to his glorious WE give thanks to God power, unto all patience and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you; since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which you have to all and long suffering, with joyfulness; giving thanks unto the Father, who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; who hath The Twenty-sixth Sunday after Whitsunday. delivered us to doubt ? If thou be THE COLLECT. LORD, we beseech thee to encourage the hearts of thy faithful people, that they, always relying on thy power, and trusting in thy grace, may bring forth plenteously the fruit of good works, and of thee be plenteously rewarded, both in the world which now is, and that which is to come, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. the days come, saith the Lord, that they shall no more say, The Lord liveth who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; but, The Lord liveth who brought up, and who led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them, that they might dwell in their own land. If there be any more Sundays before Advent Sunday, the Service of some of those Sundays which were omitted after the Epiphany, shall be used. And if there be fewer, the overplus may be omitted; provided that this last Collect, Gospel, and Epistle, shall always be read upon the Sunday next before Ad vent. SELECTIONS FROM SAINTS' DAYS. Saint Stephen's Day. GRA DECEMBER 26. THE COLLECT. RANT, O Lord, that in all our sufferings here upon earth, for the testimony of thy truth, we may steadfastly look up to heaven, and by faith behold the glory that shall be revealed; and being filled with the holy Spirit, may learn to love and bless our persecutors, by the example of the first martyr, Saint Stephen, who cried for his murderers to thee, and commended his spirit into the hands of the blessed Jesus, who standeth at the right hand of God, to succour all those who suffer for him, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen. Amen. THE GOSPEL. St. Matt. xxiii. 34. BEHOLD I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes ; and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city; that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them who are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children to gether, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. FOR THE EPISTLE. Acts, vii. 55. STEPHEN, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, and cast him out of the city, and stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling out, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. The Innocents' Day. DECEMBER 28. THE COLLECT. ALMIGHTY God, who out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast ordained strength, and madest infants to glorify thee by their deaths; mortify and kill all vices in us, and so strengthen us by thy grace, that by the innocency of our lives and constancy of our faith even unto death, we may glorify thy holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. THE GOSPEL. St. Matt, ii. 13. THE angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word; for Herod will seek the young child to destroy |