door, is the shepherd of the fheep. To him the porter openeth; and the fheep hear his voice and he calleth his own fheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own fheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him; for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow; but will flee from him; for they know not the voice of ftrangers. This parable spake Jefus unto them but they underftood not what things they were which he spake unto them. Then faid Jefus unto them again, Verily, verily I fay unto you, I am the door of the sheep. *All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he fhall be faved, and fhall go in and out, and find pafture. and find pasture. The thief cometh not but for to fteal, and to kill and to deftroy: I am come, that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

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Trinity Sunday.
The Collect.

Lmighty and everlasting God, who has given unto us thy fervants grace, by the confeffion of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, in the power of the divine Majefty to worship the unity; We befeech thee, that thou wouldest keep us ftedfaft in this faith, and evermore defend us from all adversities, who livest and reignest one God, world without end. Amen.

Paraphrafe on the Collect for Trinity Sunday. ..O moft mighty and eternal God, who hait taught us thy Servants, according to the profeffion of a right Faith to acknowledge the Divinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and in the power of thy Majefty to

↑ And be calleth his own Sheep by Name, &c. This is in allusion to the customs of Judea, where Shepherds had Names for their Sheep, who answered to them as Dogs and Horfes do with us, following to the Paftures, and wherever their Shepherds thought fit to lead them. The moral meaning of this circumftance is, that good Men are obedient to the inftructions of good and faith. ful Teachers, who fhew them their Duty both by precept and example with great plainnefs; not conceal

worthip one God; we beseech thee to keep ys firm in this belief and continually to preferve us from all evil, who liveft and reigneft one God for ever and ever.

ing it because it may be difagreeable to their inclina tions.

All that ever came before me, &c. That is, a'l thofe who in former times affumed the character of Teachers of Religion, without commiffion from me are impoftors, whofe only defign is to fleece the People whom they pretend to inftruct, and to promote their own worldly intereft at the expence of Mens Souls.

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For the Epiftle. Rev. 4. 1.

Fter this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven ! and the firft voice which I heard, was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which faid, Come up hither, and I will fhewi thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was fet in heaven, and one fat on the throne, and he that fat, was to look upon, like a jafper, and a fardine ftone; and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in fight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty feats; and upon the feats I saw ‡four and twenty elders fitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded || lightnings, and thunderings, and voices. And there were feven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the feven Spirits of God. And before the throne there was a fea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion, and the fecond beaft like a calf, and the third beaft had a face as a man, and the fourth beaft was like a flying eagle. And the four beasts had each of them § fix wings about him, and they were full of eyes within, and they rest not day and night, faying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory, and honour, and thanks to him that fat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, the four

And be that fat, was, to kok upon, &c. As the Perfon on the Throne here reprefents God the Father; fo thefe appearances denote his power, and justice, and Mercy, and the faithfulness of his Covenant to Mankind.

↑ Four and twenty Elders, &c. Thefe reprefent the Elders or Bishops of the Churches about Jerufalem, fitting with the B fhops of that City in Council.

Lightnings and Thunderings, &c. Thefe import the threatnings of God's fierce anger and vengeance againit the Jews.

A Sea of Glass, &c. &c. This denotes the People of Ifrael, as the Glafs does their Actions and Confciences clearly feen through by this great Judge. The

four Beafts, or living Creatures fignity four Apoths, and that all the People fhould be gathered under their Enfign by the profeffion of the Gofpel. And thefe being full of Eyes intimate that the Perfons fignified by them were endued with the gift of Prophecy, and all manner of neceffary gifts and illuminations of the Spirit.

Six Wings about him. These denote their zeal and readiness to propogate the Gofpel; and the num ber of their Eyes denotes their perfect knowledge of the Types and Prophecies of the old Teftament; and their foreknowledge or momentous events under the New: and they ceafe not continually to give praise to God.

and twenty elders fall down before him that fat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and caft their crowns before the throne, faying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created.

The Gospel. S. John 3. 1.

Here was a man of the Pharifees, named Nicodemus, a ru

Tler of the Jews.

ler of the Jews. The fame *came to Jefus by night, and faid unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doeft, except God be with him. Jefus answered and faid unto him, Verily, verily I fay unto thee Except a man be born again, he cannot fee the kingdom of God. Nicodemus faith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the fecond time into his mothers womb, and be born? Jefus anfwered, Verily, verily I fay unto thee, Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is fpirit. Marvel not that I faid unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it lifteth, and thou heareft the found thereof; but canft not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; fo is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and faid unto him, How can these things be? Jefus anfwered and faid unto him, Art thou a mafter of Ifrael, and knoweft not these things? Verily, verily I fay unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have feen, and ye receive not our witnefs. If I have told you earthly

Came to Jefus by Night. He came to Jefus privately for fear of his Brethren of the Council, who were generally Chrift's Enemies,

Except a Man be born again, &c. That is, unless Man be reformed from all Iniquity, in his Mind, Will, and Affections, by the ope ation of the Holy Spiit, and fo become as it were, a new Creature, he cannot be a real Chriftian, nor partake in the Bleflings and

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Promifes of the Gospel. The being born again was a form not altogether unknown to the Jews; because the admihon of a Profelyte into their Church was looked on by them as a fecond Birth to him: as his natural Parents and Relations were looked upon as no longer fuch: and the Profelyte himself was thought to have received a new Soul by the change of his Keigion.

things, and ye believe not; how fhall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things? *and no man hath afcended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man who is in heaven. And as Mofes lifted up the ferpent in the wilderness: even fo mult the Son of man be lifted up; that whofoever believeth in him, fhould not perish, but have, eternal life.

The first Sunday after Trinity.

The Collect.

God, the ftrength of all them that put their truft in thee; Mercifully accept our prayers: and becaufe through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do no good thing without thee, grant us the help of thy grace, that in keeping thy commandments we may please thee, both in will and deed, through Jefus Chrift our Lord.

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Amen.

The Epiftle.

I S. John 4. 7.

Eloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifefted the love of God towards us, because that God fent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and fent his Son to be the propitiation for our fins. ‡ Beloved, if God fo loved us, we ought alfo to love one another. No man hath feen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwel

enable us by thy Grace fo faithfully to obey thy precepts that both our actions and intentions may find favour in thy fight, through Jefus Christ our Lord.

Paraphrafe on the Collect for the first Sunday after Trinity. O God, who art the defender and fupport of all that rely upon thee; lend a merciful Ear to our petitions; and becaufe through our natural weakness, we are not able, without thy adiftance, to ferve thee acceptably;

And n Man bath afcended into Heaven, &c. Neither Mofes norany Prophets afcended into Heaven to receive their commition and inftruction from thence: but Jefus Chrift came down from Heaven and therefore must have been intimately acquainted with the Counçels of the Father. Nay he was at that very time in Heaven, even whilft he was upon Earth; and therefore must have been a meffenger of much higher dignity than any that came before him.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought, &c.

The

proper way to exprefs our grateful fenfe of God's Love towards us is to love one another; and in imitation of that pattern to extend our Love even to those who do not deferve it of us. The reafon of this is plain, becaufe God is not in the compafs of our good offices; and therefore the only method left us of fhewing our Love to him whom we cannot vifibly converfe with, nor bring any benefit to, is to love thole with whom we do converfe, and who may be the better for us. This is in effect to do as he did.

leth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, becaufe he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have feen and do teftify, that the Father fent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whofoever fhall confefs that Jefus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, fo are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love cafeth out fear; because fear hath torment: He that feareth, is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he firft loved us. If a man fay, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath feen, how can he love God whomi he hath not feen? And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God, love his brother alfo.

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The Gospel. S. Luke 16. 19.

Here was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple, and fine linen, and fared fumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar nained Lazarus, who was laid at his gate full of fores; and defiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich mans table: moreover, the dogs came and licked his fores. And it came to pafs, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abrahams bofom: the rich man alfo died, and was buried. And in hell he lift up his eyes being in torments, and feeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bofom. And he cried, and faid, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and fend Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember, A a 2

But Abraham, jaid, Sen, remember, &c. This parable teaches usthat Men fhall be punished hereafter no merely for the groffer Crimes of Murder, Adultery, Injuftice, Oppreffion, or Lying: but likewife for their Luxury and Extravagance, and abufe of the Riches

and worldly Biefings which Providence has bestowed upon thea. And on the other hand it affords com o t and encouragement to all whofe circumftances are firait and low in the World. If their poverty be fuftained with patience, contentment and truft. God; if they