The booke of common prayer, and administration of the sacraments and other rites and ceremonies of the Church of England.

Saint Iohn Baptist.

The Collect.

ALmightie God, by whose prouidenee thy seruant Iohn Baptist was wonderfully borne, and sent to prepare the way of thy sonne our Sauiour by Preaching of penance: make vs so to follow his doctrine and holy life, that wee may truly repent, according to his preaching, and after his example constantly speake the trueth, boldely rebuke vice, and pattently suffer for the trueths sake, through Iesus Christ our Lord.

The Epistle.

BE of good cheare, * 1.1 my people. Dye prophets, comfort my people, faith your God, comfort Hierusalem at the heart, & tell her that her trauaile is at an end, that her offence is par∣doned, that she hath receiued of the Lordes hand sufficient corxectrion for all her sins. A voice cried in y^e wildernes, Prepare the way of the Lord in the wildernes, make straight the path for our God in the desext. Let all valleys be exalted, and euery moun∣taine and hill be laid low. What so is crooked, let it be made straight, and let the rough be made plaine fields. For the glo∣rie of the Lord shall appeare, & all flesh shal at once see it. For why: the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. The same voyce spake, Now cry. And the Prophet answered, what shall I cry: That all flesh is grasse, and that all the goodlines there∣of is as the floure of the field. The grasse is withered, t•• floure falleth away. Even so is the people as grasse, when the breath of y^e Lord bloweth vpon them. Neuertheles, whether the gtrasse wither, or that the floure fade away, yet the worde of our God endureth for euer. Go vp vnto the hie hill (O Si∣on) thou that bringest good tidings, lift vp thy voice w^t pow∣er, O thou preacher Hierusalem, lift it vp without feare, and

say vnto the cities of Iuda. Beholde your God, behold, the Lord God shall come with power, and beare rule with his arme. Behold, hee bringeth his treasure with him, and his workes goe before him. He shal feede his flocke like an heard∣man: hee shall gather the Lambes together with his arme, and carie them in his bosome, and shall kindly entreate those that beare yong.

The Gospel.

ELizabeths time came y^t shee should be deliuered, * 1.2 and shee brought forth a sonne. And her neighbours and her cousins heard say howe the Lord had shewed great mercie vp∣on her, and reioyced with her. And it fortuned, that in the eight day they came to circumcise the childe, and called his name Zacharie, af∣ter the name of his father. And his mother answered and said. Not to, but his name shall be cal∣led Iohn. And they said vnto her, There is none of thy kin∣red that is named with this name. And they made signes to his father, how he would haue him called. And he asked for writing tables, and wrote, fying, His name is Iohn. And they marueiled all. And his mouth was opened immediatly and his tongue also, and he spake and praised God. And feare came on all them that dwelt nigh vnto him. And all these sayings were noysed abroad throughout all the hie countrey of Iurie, and they that heard them, laide them vp in their hearts, saying, what maner of childe shall this bee: And the hand of the Lord was with him. And his father Zacharias was filled with the holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Pray∣sed be the Lord God of Israel, for hee hath visited and redee∣med his people, and hath raysed vp a horne of saluation vnto vs, in the house of his seruant Dauid, euen as he promised by the mouth of his holy Prophets, which were since the world began. That weshould be saued from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate vs. That hee would deale merci∣fully with our fathers, and remember his holy Couenaunt:

that he would performe the oath which hee sware to our fa∣ther Abraham, for to giue vs. That we, being deliuered out of the hands of our enemies, might serue him without freare all the dayes of our life, in such holinesse and righteousnesse, as are acceptable for him. And thou childe shall bee called the Prophet of the highest: for thou shalt goe before the face of the Lord to prepare his wayes. To giue knowledge of saluation vnto his people, for the remission of sinnes, through the ten∣der mercie of our God, whereby the day spring from an high hath visited vs. To giue light to them that sit in darknesse, and in the shadowe of death, and to guide our feete into the way of peace. And the childe grew, and waxed strong in spi∣rit, and was in wildernesse, till the day came when he should shew himselfe vnto the Israelites.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Esai. 40.1.
• * 1.2

  Luk. 1.57