O Lord, who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights:
Give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being
subdued to the Spirit, we may ever obey thy godly motions in
righteousness 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 EPISTLE. 2 Cor. vi. 1.
We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also, that ye
receive not the grace of God in vain; (for he saith, I have heard
thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I
succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is
the day of salvation;) giving no offence in any thing, that the
ministry be not blamed; but in all things approving ourselves as
the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in
necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in
tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; by pureness, by
knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by
love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God; by
the armour of righteousness 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 chastened, and not killed; as
sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich;
as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
THE GOSPEL. St Matth. iv. 1.
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness, to be
tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty
nights, he was afterward an-hungred. And when the tempter came to
him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones
be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall
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 setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto
him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down; for it is
written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, and in
their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash
thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written
again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil
taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him
all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith
unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall
down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence,
Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God,
and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and
behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
| THE LENT EMBER DAYS
|
| _The second Ember Collect in the Book of Common Prayer may be_
| _used with the Collect of the day_.
|
| THE GOSPEL. St Matth. ix. 36.
|
| When Jesus saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on
| them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep
| having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest
| truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore
| the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into
| his harvest.