For without are dogs, and sorcerers, ¡ wisdom, let him ask of GOD, that and whoremongers, and murderers, giveth to all men liberally, and upane idolaters, and whosoever loveth braideth not; and it shall be given and maketh a lie. I JESUS have sent him. But let him ask in faith, mine angel to testify unto you these nothing wavering. things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the SPIRIT and the bride say, Come: and let him that heareth say, Come: and let him that is athirst come: and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, GoD shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things that are written in this book. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, LORD JESUS. The grace of our LORD JESUS CHRIST be with you all. Amen. Te Deum. p. 15. FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. If the lessons of the First Nocturn have been read on the previous day, i.e., when the Feast of SS. Philip and James falls on the preceding Saturday, on the Sunday are read the lessons of the following Monday. FIRST NOCTURN. Ry. If I forget Thee: Al. Let my right hand forget her cunning. * Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember Thee. Al. Al. y. By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, when we remembered thee, O Zion. Let. Lesson II. FOR he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the A double minded man is LORD. unstable in all his ways. Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: but the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. Ry. The waters saw Thee, O God, the waters saw Thee, and were afraid. *The clouds poured out waters, the air thundered. Al. Al. Al. Thy lightnings gave shine unto the world, the earth saw it and was afraid. clouds. Lesson III. The BLESSED is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried Here beginneth the General Epistle of he shall receive the crown of life, S. James the Apostle. Lesson I. Chap. i. which the LORD hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say JAMES, a servant of GOD and of the when he is tempted, I am tempted of LORD JESUS CHRIST, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting: My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack GOD: for GoD cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren. Ry. I will declare Thy Name unto my brethren. Al. * In the midst of; the congregation will I praise Thee. y. I will give thanks unto Thee, O LORD, among the people, and I will sing unto Thee among the nations. In. Glory. In. SECOND NOCTURN. From the Treatise of S. Cyprian, Bishop and Martyr, on the benefits of patience. Lesson IV. Serm. 3. SINCE I am about to speak concerning I say, worshippers of GOD: let us, manifest that patience which we have learnt from heavenly teachings, by spiritual service. For this virtue is common to us with GOD. Patience has its beginning from thence; thence is the source of all its glory and dignity. The source and majesty of patience comes forth from GoD its author. That thing ought to be dear to man which is loved by GOD. The Divine Majesty commends to us that good thing which God loves. For if GOD is our LORD and FATHER, let us patience, dearly beloved brethren, follow the patience of our LORD and and to preach its usefulness and con- FATHER; because it is fit that servants venience, how can I better begin than should be obedient; and it is not meet that sons should be degenerate. by saying, that now I also say your patience will be necessary: since that Ry. With my whole heart: Al. I which ye hear and learn, can never have sought Thee. Al. * O let me not be carried out without patience. For go wrong out of Thy commandments. preaching and wholesome reasoning Al. Al. y. Blessed art Thou, O are effectually learnt, only when that | LORD, O teach me Thy statutes. Olet. which is spoken has been heard patiently. I find nothing, dearly beloved brethren, among the other to, and keeps us for, GoD; which ways of heavenly discipline, by which allays anger, restrains the tongue, the paths of our faith and hope are governs the mind, keeps peace, rules guided to obtain divine rewards, that discipline, breaks the force of passion, is more profitable for our glory, than that we, who with zealous fear and suppresses the violence of haughtiness, quenches the fire of discord, restrains devotion give heed to the LORD's the power of the rich, refreshes the commandments, should maintain pa- poverty of the poor, preserves the tience with the most heedful watch-blessed purity of virgins, the chastity fulness. The philosophers tell us that they are also seeking after patience, but their patience is as false as their wisdom. For how can he be wise or patient, who knows neither the patience nor the wisdom of GOD? R. Praise ye the LORD in the congregation: Al. * The LORD from the fountains of Israel. y. Worship the LORD with holy worship. The LORD. Lesson V. IT is Lesson VI. patience which commends us of widows, the unbroken love of the married; makes men humble in prosperity, brave in adversity, gentle with teaches us speedily to forgive those respect to injuries and contumely; that have offended us; long and earnestly to ask for pardon, if thou hast thyself offended; which overthrows temptations, endures persecutions, perfects sufferings and artyrdoms. Patience it is which is the firm ram BUT we, dearly beloved brethren, part to the foundations of our faith. who are philosophers, not in word but in deed, who carry our wisdom, not in our garb, but in truth, who know more of the inner sense of virtues than of boasting, who speak not proud things, but live as the servants and Ry. Sing us one of the songs of Sion: Al. * How shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land? Al. Al. y. For they that led us away captive required of us then a song. How. Glory. How. P THIRD NOCTURN. were spoken to them by the LORD, not Lesson of the Holy Gospel according only when He was about to keep the to S. John. Lesson VII. Chap. xvi. AT that time: JESUS said unto His disciples: I go My way to Him that sent Me: and none of you asketh Me, Whither goest Thou? And that which follows. A Homily of S. Augustine the Bishop. Tract 94 on S. John. When the LORD JESUS foretold to His disciples the persecutions which they should suffer after His departure, He added and said: These things I spake not unto you from the beginning, because I was with you: but now I go unto Him Who sent Me. And here the first thing that we have to consider is, whether He had not previously foretold that they should have sufferings. For the other three Evangelists sufficiently prove that He had foretold them, before they came to the supper, at the close of which, according to John, He spake those words wherein He saith, These things I spake not unto you from the beginning, because I was with you. * Ry. I will sing a new song unto Thee, O GOD: Al. on an instrument of ten strings will I sing praise unto Thee. . Thou art my GoD, and I will praise Thee: Thou art my God, and I will exalt Thee. Lesson VIII. CAN the question possibly be answered thus, that those Evangelists also say that He was close to His Passion when He spake these words? Therefore it was not from the beginning, when He was with them: because He spake them when He was about to depart, and to go to the FATHER. Wherefore, also, that which is here spoken is true, according to those Evangelists: These things I spake not unto you from the beginning. But how do we deal with the truth of the Gospel according to Matthew, who relates that these words Paschal supper with His disciples, just before His Passion, but that they were also declared from the beginning, when the twelve apostles are first mentioned by name, and are sent to their sacred tasks? Ry. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD: * and to sing praises. Al. y. Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the harp. And. Glory. And. Lesson IX. EVERY good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the FATHER of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath : for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of GOD. Rz. Let them give thanks : Alleluia. * whom the LORD hath re deemed. Alleluia. Y. And delivered | here in a good place; and say to the from the hand of the enemy, and gathered them out of the lands. Whom. Lesson II. WHEREFORE lay apart all filthi ness, and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. poor, Stand thou there, or sit here Ry. Praise the LORD. p. ccix. Hath not GOD chosen the poor HEARKEN, my beloved brethren, of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before blaspheme that worthy name by the Do not they the judgment-seats? which ye are called? If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Ry. Sing unto the LORD: Alleluia. * Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyand praise His name, Alleluia. Vself, ye do well: but if ye have respect Ascribe unto the LORD worship and to persons, ye commit sin, and are strength give the LORD the honour convinced of the law as transgressors. due unto His name. And. Glory. Ry. With my. with Glory. p. ccix. And. Lesson III. Lesson III. body; what doth it profit? Even so Lesson II. faith, if it hath not works, is dead, BEHOLD also the ships, which, being alone. Ry. I will sing. p. ccx. Lesson II. YEA, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one GOD; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? Ry. It is a good thing. p. ccx. Lesson III. though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold how great a matter а little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. Ry. The waters. with Glory. p. ccviii. Lesson III. SO is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: but the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of AND the Scripture was fulfilled deadly poison. which saith, Abraham believed GOD, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the friend of GOD. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Te Deum. p. 15. THURSDAY. Of the Epistle of S. James the Apostle. Lesson I. Chap. iii. Y brethren, be not many masters, MY knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us and we turn about their whole body. Ry. If I forget. p. ccviii. Therewith bless we GOD, even the FATHER; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. Te Deum. p. 15. Of the Epistle of S. James. Ye ings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. amiss, that ye may consume it upon ask, and receive not, because ye ask your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendwhosoever therefore will be a friend ship of the world is enmity with GOD? of the world is an enemy of God. Ry. Praise ye. p. ccix. Lesson II. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth |