Lessons of the Protestant Episcopal church ...

Front matter

C IlIbRARY OF CONGRESS.

il^^ Irfit- !

I

Preface

Many years ago I published an edition of the Lessons of our Church, as they are appointed to be read in the course of our public worship, on Sundays and other holy days, throughout the year; which was then highly approved of, by the generality of those who purchased the work, and became acquainted with the use of it Since it has been out of print, I have had repeated applications for it, and have often been solicited to reprint it. Hitherto my circumstances would not admit of it. Of late, however, I have met with more encouragement ; this has led me to hazard another trial, which I hope, by the blessing of God, will prove as acceptable to our members, as the other.

In this edition, as in the former, I have followed the Tables of licssons, as they are appointed to be read on Sundays and other holy days ; beginning with the first Sunday in x\dvent, which our Church considers as the commencement of her ecclesiastical year.

At the head of every Season, or remarkable holy day, I have prefixed an exposition, for the assistance and benefit of the common reader ; and especially for the use of children, whose early knowledge in the terms adopted by the Church, is of the utmost importa^nce to them, and their religion, through life. The arrangement of our feasts and fasts, affords the best system of divinity in the world, and whoever endeavours to regulate his theological reflections by it, will soon find his mind, not only to grow submissive to order and regularity, but he will also daily discover new views of God and his perfections - iy PREFACE.

it will lead him to consider his power, his goodness, his wisdom, and all his other attributes. Besides it will teach him to reflect upon his own nature, his weakness, his need of a Saviour, and the absolute necessity he is under, of obtaining divine assistance from the Spirit of God, to enable him to perform his duty. Indeed, from this system he will first learn his obligations to the Supreme Being, so as to love him with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his strength. And, in the second place, he will also see it to be his duty to love his neighbour as himself. Yea, he wiU perceive the necessity he is under, to " live a godly, righteous, and sober life and to practise in his own soul, a constant guard over himself. For our lessons form a perfect rule of faith and manners, which is able to make a man wise unto salvation.

I shall now proceed to give some directions proper to be observed by my reader, in the use of the Lessons.

You should steadily fix your eyes upon your book, and carefully attend to the lessons, while the minister reads them, and you will then receive great benefit from God's holy word, especially, if you endeavour to digest it by serious meditation. God has given the sacred scriptures to guide and direct us ; and how can we discharge our duty as men and as Christians, unless we listen with attention to these divine oracles, and inwardly digest the truths they contain. In the sacred scriptures, are the words of eternal life, and the threatenings of eternal death.

When you take your book of lessons into your hands, and the Minister saith, ^' Here beginneth such a chapter, or verse of such a chapter, of such a book;" then say secretly to yourself,

" O Lord, open thou mine eyes ; that I may see the wondrous things of thy law."

Let the sacred oracles of God, awaken in you sorrow and shame, for the sins you have at any time committed, and prevail with you speedily to repent and forsake them.

PREFACE. V

While the Minister is reading the Lessons, be humble, and consider that God is speaking in them to you : and when there is any commandment of his contained in either of them, say to yourself, " Lord give me grace to obey this command."

When he reads God's threatenings, or judgments against impenitent sinners, say in your mind, Deliver me, O Lord, from this judgment."

Let the instances of God's mercy excite your gratitude thus, Glory be to thee, O Lord, for this instance of thy mercy."

When the minister saith, " Here endeth the first or second lesson,'' then lift up your eyes and your heart to heaven and say, " Bless, O Lord, the good seed of thy word, now sown in my heart ; that I may, at all times, bring forth fruit unto holiness, and in the end reap everlasting life."

Lastly, Be careful, when you set down, and rise up before and after the reading of the Lesson, to do it in a very decent and devout manner, as under the immediate eye of God ; who not only sees the heart, but has also a regard to our outward conduct and behaviour. Be equally careful, however, not to show any distortions of the face, or singular attitude of the body, which may incur the censure of Pharisaical or hypocritical pretensions to holiness. But let your looks and every action, be easy and natural ; and then your example, will be pleasing and profitable to others, as well as useful and improving to yourself.— Bear in mind the pride of the Pharisee, and the humility of the publican : and be sure not to forget, that he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted ; while he, that exalteth himself, shall be abased. * . ^

LESSONS

OF THE

PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH,

ADVENT.

Advent means a solemn time set apart by the Chmrck, to prepare people to keep Christmas with the greater devotion.— The Roman ritualist would have this holy season to be apostolical, and that it was instituted by St. Peter, but the exact time of its institution is not so easily known : though it certainly had its beginning before the year four hundred and fifty, because Maximus Tauriensis, who lived at that time, wrote a homily upon it. — And it is worth our observation, that it is the peculiar computation of our Church to begin her year-, and to renew the annual course of her holy and divine service, at this advent ; herein differing from ail other accounts and revolutions of time whatsoever. The reason of which is, to let the world know, that she neither numbers her days, nor measures her seasons, so much by the motion of the sun, as by the course of her Saviour ; beginning and continuing on the year with him, who, being the true Sun of Righteousness, began now to rise upon the world, and, as the day-star from on high, to enlighten those who sat in spiritual darkness.

This holy season contains four Sundays, called the first, second, third, and fourth Sundays in Advent. The first Sunday in Advent, is always the next Sunday after the twenty-sixth of November 5 or, according to the rule in the book of common prayer ^' it is always the nearest Sunday to the feast of St. AndreWj whether before or after."

THE FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT.

FIRST LESSON FOR MORNINGo

ISAIAH L

The vision of Isaiah, tlie son of Amoz, which he sav/ concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judak

2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear,

earth ; for the Lord hath spoken :

1 have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.

i 3 The oxknowethhis owner, and, the ass his master's crib ; Z>2^/^ Israel doth not know, my people dothnot consider*

4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, children that are corrupters ! they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.

i 5 Why should ye be strickea

ADVENT.

any more ? ye will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it ; hut wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores : they have not been 'closed, neither bound up, neither mollified wath ointment.

7 Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire : your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

8 And the daughter of Z ion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.

9 Exceptthe Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we shouldhave been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gommorrah.

10 Hear the word of the Lord, ye riders of Sodom ; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gommorrah :

11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me ? saith the*^ Lord : I am full of the burnt-ofi'erings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts ; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he -goats.

12 When ye come to appear before me, vvho hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts ?

1 3 Bring no more vain oblations ; incense is an abomination unto me ; the new-moons and sabbaths, the callingof assemblies, I cannot away with :itis iniquity, even the solemn meeting.

14 Your new-moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth : they are a trouble unto me ; I am weary to bear thein,

1 5 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you ; yea, when ye make many prayers,! willnot hear : your hands are full of blood.

16 Wash you, make you clean ; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes : cease to do evil ;

17 Learn to do well ; seek judgment ; relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord : Thougli your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow ; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.

20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword : for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

21 How is the faithful city become an harlot ! it was full of judgment ; righteousness lodged in it ; but now murderers.

22 Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed Avith Avater :

"^23 Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves : every one loveth gifts, and folio weth after revrards : they judge notthe fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

24 Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies :

25 And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin :

26 And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning : afterAvard thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.

27 Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.

28 And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed,

29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen»

30 For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.

31 And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both bum together, and none shall quench them.

SECOND LESSON FOR MORNING.

LUKE I. to V. 59.

FORASMUCH as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,

2 Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eye-witnesses, and ministers of the word ;

3 It seemed good to me also having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,

4 That thou mightest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed.

5 THERE was, in the days of Herod the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia ; and his wife to as of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

7 And they had no child, be cause that Elisabeth was barren ; and they both were now well stricken in years.

8 And it came to pass, that^ while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,

9 According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to bum incense when he went into the tem« pie of the Lord.

10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

1 1 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

12 And when Zacharias saw Am, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

1 3 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias ; for thy prayer is heard ; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness ; and many shall rejoice at his birth.

15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink ; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.

to

ADVENT.

16 And many of the children of krael shall he turn to the Lord their God.

17 And he shall gobefore himm the spirit andpower of Elias,totiirn the hearts of the fathers to the cliildren, and the disobedient to the wis- ^ dom of the just ; to make ready a j people prepared for the Lord.

18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, ^Yhereby shall I know this ? foi^ I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.

19 And the angel answering, said unto liim, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God ; and am sentto speak unto thee, and to shew thee these crlad tidings.

20 And behold, thou shah be dumb, and not able to speak, until the davthat these things shall be j performed, because thou behevest j not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.

22 And when he came out, he could not speak unto them ; and they perceived that he had seen a vision m the temple ; for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless. ,

23 And it came to pass, that as ^ soon as the days of his mmistration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.

24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,

25 Thus hath the Lord deaU wdth me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Na-. zareth .

27 To a\drgin espousedto a man, whose name was Joseph, of the house of David-; and the virgin's name was Mary.

28 And the angel came in unto her, and said. Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee ; blessed art thou among women.

29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what maimer of salutation this shoidd be.

30 And the angel saidmito her, Feai* not. Alary ; for thouhastfoimd favoiu* with God.

31 And behold, thou shah conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son. and shah call his name

jEsrs.

32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest ; and the Lord God shall give unto him the tlirone of liis father Da^^d ;

33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever ; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

34 Then said Alary unto the angel, HoAV shaU this be, seeing I know not a man 1

35 \nd the angel answered and said unto her. The Holy Ghost shall come uponthee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee ; therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God.

36 And behold, thy cousin Ehsabeth she hath also conceived a son in her old age, andtliis is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

37 For with God nothing shall be impossible. -, , , i

38 \r.d Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord ; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.