be able to ftand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, againft powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you *the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to ftand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breaft-plate of righ teoufnefs; and your feet fhod with the preparation of the gofpel of peace: above all, taking the fhield of faith, wherewith ye fhall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of falvation, and the fword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perfeverance, and fupplication for all faints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the Gofpel; for which I am an ambaffador in bonds that therein I may fpeak boldly, as I ought to fpeak. Τ THE The Gofpel. S. John 4. 46. HERE was a certain nobleman, whofe fon was fick at Capernaum. W When he heard that Jefus was come out of Judea into Galilee, he went unto him, and befought him, that he would come down and heal his fon; for he was at the point of death. Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye fee figns and wonders, ye will not believe. The nobleman faith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. Jefus faith unto him, Go thy way, thy fon liveth. And the man believed the word that Jefus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, faying, Thy fon liveth. Then The whole Armour of God. It is fo ftyled,. not only on account of the fervice it does in promoting godlinefs, but because it is entirely form'd and furnished by God. The Truth and the Righteoufnefs, the Peace and the Faith, the Salvation and the Word are his Gifts. And thus the moral of the Heathen Poets' Fictions of old is unquestionably juft; that no Armour, except that of divine Original, is fo tempered as to render us. invulnerable in the Day of Battel. + Except ye See Signs and Wonders, Esc. It feems. the Nobleman thought it neceffary that Jefus fhould be perfonally prefent, if he had a mind to perform the Cure-Therefore to reprove the weakness of his Faith Jefus faid to him, Except ye fee the Signs and Wonder's will ye not believe? fo the fentence may be tranflated. enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend: and they faid unto him, Yesterday at the feventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the fame hour, in the which Jefus' faid unto him, Thy fon liveth; and himself believed, and his whole house. This is again the second miracle that Jefus did when he was come out of Judea into Galilee. LOR The twenty fecond Sunday after Trinity. The Collect. ORD, we beseech thee to keep thy houfhold the Church in continual godlinefs, that through thy protection it may be free from all adverfities, and devoutly given to serve thee in good works, to the glory of thy Name, through Jefus Chrift our Lord, Amen. I The Epiftle. Phil. 1. 3. Thank my God upon every remembrance of you (always in every prayer of mine for you all, making requeft with joy) for your fellowship in the Gospel from the first day until now; § being confident of this very thing, that he who hath begun a good work în you, will perform it until the day of Jefus Chrift; even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inafmuch as both in my bonds and in the defence, and confirmation of the Gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jefus Chrift. And this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge, and in all judgment: That ye may approve E e 2 Paraphrafe on the Colled for the Lord, we intreat thee, to preferve the univerfal Church of Chrift in the continual practise of pure Religion, that by thy Providence it maybe fecure from all Being confident of this very Thing, &c. The Apollle does not speak this out of any opinion of the Telection of the Philippians to eternal Life, or of the certainty of their perfeverance unto the end by virtue of that election. For why then doth he exhort them twenty fecond Sunday after Trinity, to work out their Salvation with fear and trembling chap. ii. 12. See alfo chap. iv. 1. and chap. ii 16. He fays this therefore from a judgment of Charity, conjecturing, from what was pait, what they would be for the future. things that are excellent, that ye may be fincere, and without offence till the day of Chrift: being filled with the fruits of righ teousness, which are by Jefus Christ, unto the glory and praife of God. The Gospel. S. Matth. 18. 21. Eter faid unto Jefus, Lord, how oft fhall my brother fin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jefus faith unto hin, I fay not unto thee, Until feven times; but until feventy times feven. + Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king who would take account of his fervants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, who owed him ten thousand talents. But forafmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be fold, and his wife and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The fervant therefore fell down and worshipped him, faying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that fervant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the fame fervant went out, and found one of his fellow-fervants who owed him an hundred pence; and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, faying, Pay me that thou oweft. And his fel low fervant fell down at his feet, and befought him, faying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not; but went and caft him into prifon, till he fhould pay the debt. So when his fellow-fervants faw what was done, they were very forry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord after that he had called him, faid unto him, O thou wicked fervant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou defiredst me: shouldest not thou also have had compaffion on thy fellow-fervant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So Therefore is the Kingdom of Heaven, &c. This Parable may be confidered as an explanation of the fifth petition of the Lord's Prayer; and is defigned to overturn all the arguments whereby evil Minds juftify Revenge; by fhewing how wrworthy those are of the divine Mercy, who, tho' they are guilty of many griev. ous Offences against God, yet are implacable to their Fellow Creatures, and will not forgive them the fmalleḥ Injuries, though they are truly forry for them. likewife fhall my heavenly Father do alfo unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trefpaffes. The twenty third Sunday after Trinity. The Collect. God, our refuge and ftrength, who art the author of all godlinefs; Be ready, we befeech thee, to hear the devout prayers of thy Church; and grant that thofe things which we afk faithfully, we may obtain effectually, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen. B The Epiftle. Phil. 3. 17. Rethren, be followers together of me, and mark them who walk fo, as ye have us for an enfample. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the crofs of Chrift; whofe end is deftruction, whofe God is their belly, and whofe glory is in their fhame, who mind earthly things) *for our converfation is in heaven, from whence alfo we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jefus Chrift; who fhall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to fubdue all things unto himself. T The Gofpel. S. Matth. 22. 15. HEN went the Pharifees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. And they fent out unto him -their difciples, with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that (thou art true, and teacheft the way of God in truth, neither careft thou for any man: for thou regardest not the perfon of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Paraphrafe on the Collet for the FO Ged, our defence and fupport, from whofe Grace we derive all that is good in us; gracioufly at send, webefeech thee, to the humble petitions of all For our Converfation is in Heaven, &c. That is, all good Chriftians confider that they are Citizens and Freemen not of an earthly City, but of Heaven; that their main intereft lies there; and therefore they live as Men whofe Minda are already there; and with twenty third Sunday after Trinity. good reafon fince their Saviour, who is already there, Cefar, or not? But Jefus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. And he faith unto them, Whofe is this image and fuperfcription? They fay unto him, Cefars. Then faith he unto them, Render therefore unto Cefar, the things which are Cefars; and unto God, the things that are Gods. When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way. O The twenty fourth Sunday after Trinity. The Collect. Lord, we beseech thee, abfolve thy people from their offences; that through thy bountiful goodnefs we may all be delivered from the bands of thofe fins which by our frailty we have committed. Grant this, O heavenly Father, for Jefus Chrifts fake, our bleffed Lord and Saviour. Amen. WE The Epiftle. Col. 1. 3. E give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, praying always for you, fince we heard of your faith in Chrift Jefus, and of the love which ye have to all the faints; for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the Gospel; which is come unto you, as it is in all the world, and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, fince the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth. As ye alfo learned of Epaphras our dear fellowfervant, who is for you a faithful minifter of Chrift; who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit. For this cause, we also, fince the day we heard it, do not ceafe to pray for you, and to defire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all Paraphrafe on the Colle for the O Lord, we intreat thee to pardon our Sins; that through thy abundant Mercy we may be releafed from the bondage of Iniquity to which through human weak Render therefore unto Cæfar, &c. Thus Jefus clearly confuted them on their own principles, and fhewed that the rights of God and the Magiftrate do not in twenty fourth Sunday after Trinity. terfere in the leaft, becaufe Magiftrates are God's |