to faft. Verily I fay unto you, they have their reward. But thou, when thou fafteft, anoint thine head, and wash thy face, that thou appear not unto men to faft, but unto thy Father which is in fecret : and thy Father which feeth in secret shall reward thee openly. § Lay not up for yourselves treafures upon earth, where moth and ruft doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor ruft doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor fteal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be alfo.. The first Sunday in Lent. The Collect. Lord, who for our fake didft faft forty days and forty nights; Give us grace to ufe fuch abftinence, that our flesh being fubdued to the Spirit, we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteoufnefs and true holiness, to thy honour and glory, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.. The Epiffle. 2. Cor. 6. 1. E then as workers together with him, beseech you also, that ye receive not the grace of God in vain: (for he faith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the Day of falvation have I fuccoured thee: behold now is the accepted time; Paraphrafe on the Colle O Lord Jesus Christ, who, in order to prepare thyfelf for the Work of the Miniftry, didit undergo a forty Days Faft; teach us fo to mortify and deny our fenfual Defires and Appetites that every. Thought may be Diffemblers, who at fuch Times, either covered their Lay not up for yourselves, &c. This precept very properly follows the preceding for, in order to ren der our Fafting acceptable, it is neceffary, as Ifaiah recommends, that we deal our Bread to the hungry, and that we bring the Poor that are caft out to our Houfes: when we fee the naked, that we cover him, and that we *hide not ourselves from our own Flefh, Ifaiah Iviii. 7. Let no one fuppofe, becaufe Abftinence is particu for the first Sunday in Lent. brought in captivity to the obedience and Glory of thee in all Holiness, who reigneft with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. larly recommended at this feafon, that we are therefore at liberty freely to indulge our Appetites all the reft of the Year. For as the Flesh is an Enemy that vie have to contend with through Life: fo it behoves us continually to keep a guard against its Allurements. We then as workers together, Sr That is, we, the Minifters of Chrift, who are employed in the great Work of reconciling Men to God, intreat you not to receive the Gofpel in vain, by neglecting to make a proper ufe of it: for now you have an opportunity thereby of promoting the Salvation of your Souls. + behold, now is the 'day of falvation.) Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed; but in all things approving ourfelves as the minifters of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in ftripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in faftings; by pureness, by knowledge, by long-fuffering, by kindnefs, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteoufnefs on the right hand and on the left, by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chaftened, and not killed; as forrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet poffeffing all things. +T The Gofpel. S. Matth. 4. 1. HEN was Jefus led up of the spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fafted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered. And when the tempter came to him, he, faid, if thou be the Son of God, command that thefe ftones may be made bread. But he answered and faid, It is written, Man fhall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and fetteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and faith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, caft thyself down; for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they fhall bear thee up, left at any time thou dafh thy foot against a stone: Jefus faid unto him, It is written again, Thou fhalt not tempt the Lord thy God. ↑ Approving ourselves as the Minifters of God, &c. In the remainder of this Epiftle St. Paul gives us an account, in what manner he, and his fellow labourers behaved themselves in the office of the Miniftry. And in their character has left every Minifter of Chrift a model, on which to frame his own. A proper portion of Scripture at the approach of the Ember-Fait, and wor thy the most attentive confideration of all who, either have been, or are now to be, fent forth upen the fame Embally. Then was Jefus led up, &c. The probable reafon why our Lord was brought to this Trial was, not only that the Captain of our Salvation might be made perject through Sufferings: but likewife that he might prove him. Again the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and fheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and faith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then faith Jefus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the. Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou ferve. Then the devil leaveth him, and behold, angels came and miniftered unto him. The Second Sunday in Lent... A The Collect. Lmighty God, who feeft that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves; Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our fouls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may affault and hurt the foul, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. -¦ ¦ The Epißtle. 1 Theff. 4. 1. We fun, that ay ye have received, of us how you ought to walk, E befeech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Je as and to please God, fo ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jefus. For this is the will of God, even your fanctification, that ye fhould abftain from fornication; that every one of you fhould know how to poffefs his veffel in fanctification and honour; not in the * ! Thoughts and Defires, with which our fpiritual Enemies may endeavour to inspire us. And this we beg for the fake of Jefus Christ our Lord. Paraphrafe on the Collect for the fecond Sunday in Lents All powerful God, who knoweft that we are unable to defend or fupport ourselves; be thou our protector in all refpects, that our Bodies may be preferved from all worldly Calamities, and our Souls from all finful 1 felf to be the promised Seed that should bruise the Ser-Chrift made ufe of to repel the Temptations of Satan, pents Head; that as Man once fell by the wiles of the by quoting the holy Scriptures, fhews us, that it is by Devil, fo Man, in the Perfon of Chrift, might triumph the Word of God that we may defeat his attempts, and o er this grand Adverfary. From this example let us querch all the fiery darts of the wicked. 1:arn refolutely to refift the Temptations of Satan, and particularly fuch as might lead us into diftruft, or prefumption, ambition or avarice; or fuch as may any way tend to draw us off from the fervice of God, and the allegiance we owe him. The method which How much does it concern us to make God our Friend, for then are we fure that greater is he that is for us, than they which be against us. * That every one of you should know, &c. That is, that no Man fhould dishonour his Body (which is the luft of concupifcence, even as the Gentiles, which know not God; + that no man go beyond, and defraud his brother in any matter, because that the Lord is the avenger of all fuch, as we also have forewarned you, and teftified. For God hath not called us unto uncleannefs, but unto holiness. He therefore that defpifeth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath alfo given unto us his holy Spirit. The Gospel. S. Matth. 15. 21. JES ९ ESUS went thence, and departed into the coafts of Tyre and Sidon: and behold a woman of Canaan came out of the fame coafts, and cried unto him, faying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou fon of David, my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and befought him, faying, Send her away, for fhe crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent, but unto the loft sheep of the houfe of Ifrael. Then came fhe and worshipped him, faying, Lord, help me. But he answered and faid, It is not meet to take the childrens bread, and to caft it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord; yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters table. Then Jefus answered and faid unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: *be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. W The third Sunday in Lent. The Collect. E befeech thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty defires of thy humble fervants, and stretch forth the right Veffel, the Dwelling and Inftrument of the Soul) by Lufts of Uncleanness, and fuch abominable Affections and Practices, as the ignorant Heathen indulged. That none go beyond, or defraud, &c. That is, that no one invade anothers right, or tranfgrefs the ftated bounds of fuch enjoyments, by fuch Lufts as are either injurious to Marriage, or against the ufe of Nature: for a fevere vengeance will certainly over take all .fuch. But be answered her not a Word: He did not feem to regard her, intending that the greatness of her "Faith bould be made to appear: because it not only juftified his Conduct in working a Miracle for a Heathen, but was a sharp rebuke to the Jews for their infidelity. *Be it unto thee, even as thou wilt. The fuccefs which this Canaanitish Woman met with from Jefus, teaches us two Leffons of great importance. First, that God is no refpecter of Perfons, but always accepts the fincere and fervent Prayer of an humble penitent Heart. Secondly, that it is our Duty to continue in Prayer with earneftness, tho' an Answer be long deferr'd. If we expect our Prayers to be heard, we must be careful to offer them up with Faith, Sincerity and Fer hand of thy Majesty, to be our defence against all our enemies, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen. BE The Epifle. Ephef. 5. 1. E ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us, an offering and a facrifice to God for a fweet-smelling favour. But fornication, and all uncleannefs, or covetousness, let it not be once named amongst you, as becometh faints; neither filthinefs, nor foolish talking, * nor jefting, which are not convenient; but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean perfon, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ, and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them; For ye were fome times darknefs, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light; (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth) proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them: For it is a fhame even to speak of thofe things which are done of them in fecret. But all things that are reproved, are made manifeft by the light: for whatsoever doth make inanifeft, is light. Wherefore he faith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Chrift fhall give thee light. JE The Gospel. S. Luke 11. 14. ESUS was cafting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass when the devil was gone out, the dumb fpake; and the people wondered. But fome of them said, * He cafteth out devils Paraphrafe on the Collea for the third Sunday in Lent. Molt mighty God we intreat thee to hearken to the fincere Petitions of thy humble Servants, and to prevency. For how fhall we hope that God will regard thofe Prayers which we pay no attention to ourselves. *Nor Jeft ng. This expreffion, from the company it is join'd with, plainly fignifies fuch Jefting, as tends to Scurrility and Obfcenity, fuch as injures ferve us by thy Power against the affaults of all our * He cafeth out Devils, &c. Thus we may obferve |