Page images
PDF
EPUB

worthy of death is done unto him. I will therefore chaftife him, and release him. For of neceffity he must release one unto them at the feaft. And they cried out all at once, faying, Away with this man, and releafe unto us Barabbas: (who for a certain fedition made in the city, and for murder, was caft into prifon.) Pilate therefore willing to releafe Jefus, fpake again to them. But they cried, faying. Crucify him, crucify him. And he faid unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no caufe of death in him: I will therefore chaftife him, and let him go. And they were inftant with Joud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priefts prevailed. And Pilate gave fentence that it fhould be as they required. And he releafed unto them him that for fedition and murder was caft into prifon, whom they had defired; but he delivered Jefus to their will. And as they led him away, they laid hold upon ne Simen a Cyrenean, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the crofs, that he might bear it after Jefus. And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, who alfo bewailed and lamented him. But Jefus turning unto 'them, faid, Daughters of Jerufalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourfelves, and for your children. For behold, the days are coming. in the which they fhall fay, Bleffed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave fuck. Then fhall they begin to fay to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. For if they do these things in a

And

green tree, what fhall be done in the dry? And there were alfo two other malefactors led with him to be put to death. And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors; one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then faid Jefus, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and caft lofts. And the people food beholding: and the rulers alfo with them derided him, faying, He faved others; let him fave himself, if he be Chrift the chofen of God. And the foldiers alfo mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, and faying, if thou be the King of the Jews, fave thyfelf. a fuperfcription alfo was written over him in letters of Greek, and Larin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, faying, if thou be Chrift, fave thy felf and us. But the other anfwering rebuked him, faying, Doft not thou fear God, feeing thou art in the fame condemnation? And we indeed justly: for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this man hath done nothing amifs. And he said unto Jefus, Lord, remember me when thou comeft into thy kingdom. And Jefus faid unto him, Verily I fay unto thee, To-day fhalt thou be with me in paradife. And it was about the fixth hour: and there was darkness over all the earth, until the ninth hour. And the fun was darkened, and the vail of the temple was rent in the midft. And when Jefüs had cried with a loud voice, he faid, Father, into thy hands I

com

commend my spirit: and having faid thus, he gave up the ghoft. Now when the centurion faw what was done, he glorified God, faying, Certainly this was a righteous man And all the people that came together to that fight, beholding the things that were done, fmote their breafts, and returned. And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, flood afar off beholding these things,

Al

Good Friday.

The Collects. Lmighty God, we befeech thee graciously to behold this thy Family, for which our Lord Jefus Chrift was contented to be betrayed, and given up into the hands of wicked men, and to fuffer death upon the crofs; who now liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghoft, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

-Almighty, andre everlasting God, by whofe Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and fanctified; Receive our fupplications and prayers which we offer before thee for sall eftates of men in thy holy Church, that every member of the fame in his vocation and ministry, may truly and godly ferve thee, through our Lord and Saviour Jefus Christ. Amen. O Merciful God, who haft made all men, and hateft nothing that thou haft made, bnor wouldeft the death of a finner, but rather that he fhould be converted, and live; Have mercy upon all Jews, Turks, Infidels, and Hereticks; and take from them all ignorance, hardness of heart, and contempt of thy word; and fo fetch them home, bleffed Lord, to thy flock,

[ocr errors]
[blocks in formation]

not the very image of the things, can never with thofe facrifices which they offered year by year continually, make the comers thereunto perfect: for then would they not have ceafed to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged, fhould have had no more confcience of fins. But in those facrifices there is a remembrance again made of fins every year. For it is not poffible that the blood of bulls and of goats fhould take away fins. Where. fore when he cometh into the world, he faith, Sacrifice and

offering thou wouldeft not, but. a body haft thou prepared me: In burnt-offerings and facrifices for fin thou hast had no pleafure: Then faid I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God. Above, when he faid, Sacrifice and offering, and burnt-offerings, and offering for fin thou wouldest not, neither hadft pleasure therein, which are offered by the law; then faid he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the fecond. By the which will we are fanctified, through the offering of the body of Jefus Chrift once for all. And every prieft ftandeth daily miniftering and offering oftentimes the fame facrifices, which can never take away fins. But this

D5

man,

man, after he had offered one facrifice for fins, for ever fat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his foottool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are fanctified; whereof the Holy Ghoft alfo is a witnefs to us: For after that he had faid before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after thefe days, faith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; and their fins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remiffion of thefe is, there is no more offering for fin. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holieft by the blood of Jefus, by a new and living way, which he hath confecrated for us through the vail, that is to fay, his flesh and having an high Pricft over the houfe of God; let us draw near with a true heart, in full affurance of faith, having our hearts fprinkled from an evil confcience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profeffion of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promifed:) and let us confider one another to provoke unto love, and to good works; not forfaking the affembling of our felves together, as the manner of fome is; but exhorting one another: and fo much the more, as ye fee the day approaching.

The Gospel. S. John 19. 1. ILATE therefore took Jefus PLATE there him, ond the

foldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, and faid, Hail, King of the Jews and they fmote him with their hands. Pilate therefore

went forth again, and faith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. Then came Jefus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate faith unto them, Behold the man! When the chief priefts therefore and officers faw him, they cried out, faying, Crucify him, cruci fy him. Pilate faith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him. The Jews anfwered him, We have a law, ard by our law he ought to die, because he made himfelf the Son of God. When Pilate therefore heard that faying, he was the more afraid; and went again into the judgementhall, and faith unto Jefus, Whence art thou? bar fefus gave him no answer. Then faith Pilate unto him, Speakeft thou not unto me? Knoweft thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? Jefus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above; therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater fin. And from thenceforth Pilate fought to releafe him: but the Jews cried out, faying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Cefar's friend: Whofoever maketh himself 1 King, fpeaketh against Cefar. When Pilate therefore heard that faying, he brought Jefus forth, and fat down in the judgement-feat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the

Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it was

the preparation of the pafsover, and about the fixth hour; and he faith unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him, rilate faith

unto

unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests anfwered, We have no King but Cefar. Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified: and they took Jefus, and led him away. And he bearing his crofs, went forth into a place called, The place of a fcull, which is called in the Hebrew, Golgotha: where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either fide one, and Jefus in the midit. And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross; and the writing was JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jefus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. Then faid the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he faid, I am King of the Jews. Pilate anfwered, What I have written, I have written. Then the foldiers, when they had crucified Jefus, took his garments, and made four parts; to every foldier a part; and alfo his coat: now the coat was without feam, woven from the top throughout. They faid therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but caft lots for it, whofe it thall be: that the Scripture might be fulfilled, which faith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vefture they did caft lots. Thefe things therefore the foldiers did. Now there ftood by the crofs of Jefus his mother, and his mother's fifter, Mary the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jefus therefore faw his mother, and the difciple standing by whom he loved, he faith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy fon, Then

[ocr errors]

faith he to the difciple, Behold thy mother, And from that hour that difciple took her unto his own home. After this Jefus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, faith, I thirft. Now there was fet a veifel full of vinegar and they filled a fpunge with vinegar, and put in upon hyffop, and put it to his mouth. When Jefus therefore had received the vinegar, he faid, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghoft. The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies fhould not remain upon the crofs on the fabbath-day (for that fabbath-day was an high day) befought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then came the foldiers, and brake the legs of the firit, and of the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jefus, and faw that he was dead alrea dy, they brake not his legs. But one of the foldiers with his fpear pierced his fide, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that faw it bare record, and his record is true; and he knoweth that he faith true, that ye might believe. For thefe things were done, that the Scripture fhould be fulfilled, A bone of him fhall not be broken. And again, another Scripture faith, They fhall look on him whom they pierced.

[blocks in formation]

that through the grave and gate of death, we may país to our joyful refurrection, for his merits, who died, and was buried, and rofe again for us, thy Son Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen. The Epiftle. S. Pet. 3. 17. Tis better, if the will of God

I be fo, that ye fuffer for well

doing, than for evil-doing. For Chrift alfo hath once fuffered for fins, the juft for the unjuft; (that he might bring us to God) being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: by which alfo he went and preached unto the fpirits in prifon; which fometime were difobedi. ent, when once the long-fuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing; wherein few, that is, eight fouls, were faved by water. The like figure whereunto, even baptifm doth alfo now fave us, (not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good confcience towards God) by the refurrection of Jefus Chrift; who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers being made fubject unto him.

The Gofpel. S. Matth. 27. 57. W there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Jofeph, who alfo himself was Jefus difciple. He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jefus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Jofeph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the fepulchre, and departed. And there was Mary Magdalene and the other Mary fitting over-against the fepul

HEN the even was come,

[ocr errors]

chre Now the next day that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharifes came together unto Pi'ate, faying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver faid, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rife again. Command therefore

that the fepulchre be made fure

until the third day, left his difciples come by night, and teal him away, and fay unto the people, He is rifen from the dead: fo the last error fhall be worfe than the firft. Pilate faid unto them, Yehave a watch; go your way, make it as fure as you can. So they went, and made the fepulchre fure, fealing the ftone, and fetting a watch, 59

EASTER-DAY.W

At Morning Prayer, instead of the Pfalm O come let us fing, &c.thefe Anthems fall be jung or faid.

HRIST our pafs-over is

Cfacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feaft;

Not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickednefs: but with the unleavened bread of fincerity and truth. 1 Cor. 5. 7.

C

HRIST being raifed from the dead, dieth no more: death hath no more dominion over him;

For in that he died, he died unto fin once but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

Likewife reckon ye alfo yourfelves to be dead indeed unto fin: but alive unto God, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Rom. 6. 9.

HRIST is rifen from the

Cdead: and become the firstfruits of them that fept

For fince by man came death : by man came alfo the refurrection of the dead,

[ocr errors]
« PreviousContinue »