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take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and fit down in the lowest room, that when he that bade thee cometh, he may fay unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then fhalt thou have worship in the prefence of them that fit at meat with thee. For whofoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himfelf fhall be exalted.

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The eighteenth Sunday after Trinity.
The Collect.

Ord, we beseech thee, grant thy people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and with pure hearts and minds, to follow thee the only God, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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The Epiftle. 1 Cor. 1. 4.

Thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jefus Chrift; that in every thing ye are enriched by him in all utterance, and in all knowledge, even as the teftimony of Chrift was confirmed in you; So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blamelefs in the day of our Lord Jefus Christ.

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The Gospel. S. Matth. 22. 34.

HEN the Pharifees had heard that Jefus had put the Sadducees, to filence, they were gathered together. Then one of them who was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him and faying, Mafter, which is the great commandment in, the law? Jefus faid unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all

Paraphrafe on the Collect for the eighteenth Sunday after Trinity. O Lord, we in treat thee to give all Chriftians Grace to refift the allurements of this wicked World,-of diforderly paffions and defires, and of Satan the great

I thank my God always, &c. The principal defign of this portion of Scripture is to inftruct us by St. Paul's example, to be highly pleased with, and truly thankful for the fpiritual advantages which the bounty of God beftows upon any of our Brethren.

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, &c. This does

Enemy of Mankind-and with holy difpofitions to abey, thee the only true God, through Jefus Chrit our Lord.

So

not fignify that he only is to beloved, but that we ought
to love him with a fincere and prevailing Love.
that tho' our Friends or Relatives may have a share
of our affection, yet that nothing ought to be loved
above, nothing equally with God, much lefs contrary:
to, or against him..

thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyfelf. On these two com"mandments hang all the law and the prophets. While the Pharifees were gathered together, Jefus asked them, faying, What think ye of Chrift? whofe fon is he? They fay unto him, The fon of David. He faith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, faying, The Lord faid unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footftool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his Son? And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durft any man (from that day forth) ask him any more questions.

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The nineteenth Sunday after Trinity.

The Collect

GOD, forafmuch as without thee we are not able to please thee; Mercifully grant, that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct, and rule our hearts, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

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The Epiftle. Ephef. 4. 17.

THIS I fay therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind; having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: who being paft feeling, have given themselves over unto lascivioufnefs, to work all uncleannefs with greediness. But ye have not fo learned Chrift: if fo be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jefus: that ye put off, concerning the former converfation, *the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lufts; and be re

Paraphrafe on the Colled for the nineteenth Sunday after Trinity. O God, fince without thy affiftance, we are not able to ferve thee acceptably; grant we beseech thee, of thy Mercy, that thy Holy Spirit may continually pu

rify and govern our Tempers and Difpofitions, through Jefus Christ our Lord.

• The old Man. Signines thofe evil Habits which the Ephefians had fo long practifed in the state of Hea

newed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, fpeak every man truth with his neighbour; for we are members one of another. +Be ye angry, and fin not. Let not the fun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole, fteal no more; but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are fealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil-fpeaking be put away from you, with all: malice. And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgive ing one another, even as God for Chrifts fake hath forgiven you. The Gospel. S. Matth. 9. 1.

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ESUS entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. And behold, they brought to him a man fick of the palfy, lying on a bed. And Jefus feeing their faith, faid unto the fick of the palfy, Son, be of good cheer, thy fins be forgiven thee. And behold, certain of the scribes faid within themfelves, This man blafphemeth. And Jefus, knowing their thoughts, faid, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is eafier to fay, §Thy fins be forgiven thee? or to fay, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive fins, (then saith he to the fick of the palfy) Arife,

thenifm; the New Man, that divine Life; that Life of Righteoufnefs and Holinefs which Christianity requires. ··Be ye Angry and Sin not. That is, beware of finful· Anger.

Let not the Sun go down, &c. This precept,, fays Plutarch, the Scholars of Pythagoras obferved, who when they had been angry, and reproached one another, before the Sun went down, they fhook Hands, "and embraced one another." Thus must the Chrif tían do,, Lefore he offers up to God his Evening Sa-

crifice that fo he may lift up to God pure Hands, without Wrath. 1 Tim. ii. 8.

§ Thy Sins be forgiven thee. Phyficians, both ancient and modern tell us that Palfies are fometimes occafioned by Intemperance. Wherefore, if this Para lytic brought his Disease upon himself by Drunkennefs or Luft, the propriety of the terms in which the Cure was pronounced will more fully appear. Thy Sine are forgiven thee...

take

up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose,`` and departed to his house. But when the multitude faw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, who had given fuch power unto men. The twentieth Sunday after Trinity. The Collect.

Almighty and moft merciful God, of thy bountiful goodnefs keep us, we beseech thee, from all things that may hurt us; that we that we being ready both in body and foul, may cheerfully accomplish thofe things that thou wouldest have done, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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The Epiftle. Ephef. 5. 15

EE then that ye walk circumfpectly, not as fools, but as wife, *redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Where fore be ye not unwife, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excefs; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in pfalms, and hymns, and fpiritual fongs; finging and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God, and the Father, in the Name of our Lord Jefus Chrift; fubmitting yourfelves one to another in the fear of God.

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The Gofpel. S. Matth. 22. 1.

ESUS faid, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, who made a marriage for his fon; and fent forth his fervants to call them that were bidden to the wedding; and they would not come. Again he fent forth other servants, saying, Tell them who are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready, come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways,

Paraphrafe on the Collect for the twentieth Sunday after Trinity.

O most mighty and merciful God, graciously pre ferve us, we intreat thee, from whatever may be injurious to our welfare; that being in fafety, both as

* Redeeming the time, &c. That is, by all honeft ways and prudent methods to endeavour to avoid the

to our temporal and spiritual concern, we may readily perform thy Commands, through Jefus Christ our Lord.

dangers and perfecutions to which in thofe times they were expofed.

But

one to his farm, another to his merchandize: And the remnant took his fervants, and intreated them fpitefully, and flew them. when the king heard thereof, he was wroth; and he fent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burnt up their city. Then faith he to his fervants, The wedding is ready, but they who were bidden, were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye fhall find, bid to the marriage. So thofe fervants went out into the high-ways, and gathered together all, as many as they found both bad and good; and the wedding was furnished with guefts. And when the king came in to fee the guests, be faw there a man who had not on a wedding-garment. And he saith unto him, Friend, how cameft thou in hither, not having a wedding garment? And he was fpeechlefs. Then said the king to the fervants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and caft him into outer darkness: There fhall be weeping and gnafhing of teeth. For many are called but few are chofen.

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The twenty first Sunday after Trinity.

The Collect.

Rant, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithful people pardon and peace, that they may be cleanfed from all their fins, and ferve thee with a quiet mind, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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The Epiftle. Ephef. 6. 10.

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Y brethren, be ftrong in the Lord, and in the
his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may

Paraphrafe on the Colle for the O God, we beseech thee, of thy great Mercy, to forgive us our Tranfgreffions, and to grant us that Peace which exceedeth all Understanding; that we may be

He Jaw there a Man who had not on, &c. As to the meaning of the Wedding Garment "It is needle's (fays a great Author) to difpute, whether it be Faith, or a pious holy Life. For neither can Faith be feparated from good Works, nor can good Works proceed except from Faith. Chrift's meaning is on

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twenty first Sunday after Trinity.
freed from the dominion and punishment of Sin, and
perform our Duty in all godly quietnefs, through
Jefus Chrift our Lord.

"ly that we are called in order that we may be re
"newed in our Minds after his Image. And there

fo e, that we may remain always in his House, the "old Man with his filthinefs must be put off, and a "new Life defigned, that our Attire may be fuch 66 as is fuitable to so honourable an invitation."

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