Grant to us, Lord, we beseech thee, the spirit to think and do
always such things as be rightful; that we, who cannot do any thing
that is good without thee, may by thee be enabled to live according
to thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. _Amen_.
THE EPISTLE. 1 Cor. x. 1.
Brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all
our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud, and in the sea; and
did all eat the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the same
spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed
them; and that rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not
well pleased; for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these
things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after
evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were
some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and
drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication,
as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty
thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted,
and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them
also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these
things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for
our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore
let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There
hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man: but
God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that
ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape,
that ye may be able to bear it.
THE GOSPEL. St Luke xvi. 1.
Jesus said unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man which
had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted
his goods. And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I
hear this of thee? Give an account of thy stewardship; for thou
mayest be no longer steward. Then the steward said within himself,
What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship:
I cannot dig, to beg I am ashamed. I am resolved what to do, that,
when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into
their houses. So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto
him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?
And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take
thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then said he to
another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures
of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.
And the lord com mended the unjust steward, because he had done
wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation
wiser than the children of light. And I say unto you, Make to
yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, that when
ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.