From the Book of Common Prapet. MORNING PRAYER. Exhortation. And al though we ought at all times humbly to acknowledge our sins before God; yet ought we most chiefly so to do, when we assemble and meet together, to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at his hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his most holy Word, and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary as well for the body as the soul. Prayer of St. Chrysostom. Almighty God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy name thou wilt grant their requests;...... COLLECT for the third Sunday in Advent. O Lord Jesus Christ, who at thy first coming didst send thy messenger to prepare thy way before thee; Grant that the ministers and stewards of thy mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the ust; that at thy second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. CATECHISM. Question. What is thy duty towards God? Answer. My duty towards God is......to worship him, to give him thanks, to put my whole trust in him, to call upon him, to honour his holy Name and his Word, and to serve him truly all the days of my life. From the Homilies. BOOK II. HOMILY 8. Of the Place and Time of Prayer. HOMILY 9. Of Common Prayer and Sacraments. (passim.) HOMILY 14. Of the Resurrection, for Easter Day CRANMER'S CATECHISM. This Commandment, good children, teacheth how we should behave ourselves towards God in his works. For when we have a mind to serve God, and to shew to him, as to our Lord and Maker, the greatest pleasure that we can, then we must not choose by the advice of our own imagination neither this nor that work, but we must sanctify the Sabbath-day, that is to say, employ and bestow it upon godly and holy works and business. And here note, good children, that the Jews in the Old Testament were commanded to keep the Sabbath-day, and they observed it every seventh day, called the Sabbath or Saturday. But we, Christian men, in the New Testament, are not bound to such Commandments of Moses' Law concerning differences of times, days, and meats, but have liberty and freedom to use other days for our Sabbathdays, therein to hear the Word of God, and to keep an holy rest. And therefore that this Christian liberty may be kept and maintained, we now keep no more the Sabbath or Saturday, as the Jews do, but we observe the Sunday, and certain other days, as the magistrates do judge it convenient, whom in this. thing we ought to obey. And to the intent you may the better perceive such things, as shall be spoken herein, consider, I pray you, how wonderful a Commandment this is. When worldly lords and masters receive men inte their service, they bid them not keep holy day, but they set them on work, and appoint them divers labours to be done for their service and behoof. But our Lord God doth not so with us in this Commandment. He biddeth not us to do neither this nor that work, he com mandeth us not to gad hither and thither on pilgrimage, to paint, gild, or clothe saints' images, to set up candles before them, nor to exercise any such feigned men's works, and false honouring of God (as the deceitful monks and friars were wont to teach us), but he biddeth us to rest from labours, and commandeth us to keep holy day. But yet note, good children, that when you hear say, that God hath commanded to rest from works, you must not gather hereof, that you should cease from such good works by the which your neighbour is relieved: as to give alms to the poor, to preach the Word of God, to instruct the ignorant; and such-like (for God hath commanded such works to be done, and he doth earnestly require them of us); but although we do these works never so diligently, yet by them we only serve and help our neighbour for God's sake. But when we will serve God only with such a kind of work, that pertaineth not to our neighbour, but is proper and several to God alone, then God commandeth you not to set before your eyes any outward work, but to rest from such works. For this God requireth of us in this Commandment. And now, good children, listen unto me, and you shall know the cause why God doeth thus. He is so rich a God, and his majesty is somighty, that he hath no need of our outward works nor worshippings. Again, he is so gentle, liberal, and merciful, that of his own accord he desireth to do good to all men, whereby his name is praised and honoured. Therefore he, that will do pure service and honour to God, let him give himself to rest and quietness, not working to be made holy by his own outward works, but let him keep holy day, let him suffer the benefits of God to be poured liberally and freely upon him. For to believe that we receive all good things freely from God, and to acknowledge them with a true faith, and gladly to praise and thank God for the same, is the most excellent and highest honour that can be yielded to him in this life. But it is not sufficient for us to keep the Sabbath-day. But the Lord saith, "Thou shalt sanctify the Sabbath-day," that is to say, we shall bestow that day about holy, heavenly, and godly things. Now, if ye desire to know with what holy works you should pass away this day, you shall understand that we can do no greater holy works, than to hear the Word of God, and to learn the true fear of God, and the right faith in him, and to prepare ourselves that we may worthily be partakers of the Lord's Table, thereby to receive great comfort to the quiet of our consciences, and confirmation of our faith. And moreover, on such days chiefly we ought in faith and spirit fervently to pray to God to give us all good things, that we lack and have need of, and to defend and deliver us from all ill things. And, thus praying, we shall not fail to be heard. These be the chief holy day works, by the which God rather serveth and worketh for us than |