The Collect

O LORD God, who seest that we put not our trust in anything that we do; Mercifully grant that by thy power we may be defended against all adversity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Old Testament Lesson

Isaiah 50:4–10

(The Lesson is written in the 50th chapter of the Book of Isaiah the Prophet, beginning at the 4th verse.)

The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me. Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up. Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.

Here endeth the Lesson.

Psalms

Psalm 71

1 IN thee, O LORD, have I put my trust; let me never be put to confusion, * but rid me and deliver me in thy righteousness; incline thine ear unto me, and save me.

2 Be thou my stronghold, whereunto I may alway resort: * thou hast promised to help me, for thou art my house of defence, and my castle.

3 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the un-godly, * out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

4 For thou, O Lord GOD, art the thing that I long for: * thou art my hope, even from my youth.

5 Through thee have I been holden up ever since I was born: * thou art he that took me out of my mother's womb: my praise shall be alway of thee.

6 I am become as it were a monster unto many, * but my sure trust is in thee.

7 O let my mouth be filled with thy praise, * that I may sing of thy glory and honour all the day long.

8 Cast me not away in the time of age; * forsake me not when my strength faileth me.

9 For mine enemies speak against me; * and they that lay wait for my soul take their counsel together, saying,

10 God hath forsaken him; * persecute him, and take him, for there is none to deliver him.

11 Go not far from me, O God; * my God, haste thee to help me.

12 Let them be confounded and perish that are against my soul; * let them be covered with shame and dishonour that seek to do me evil.

13 As for me, I will patiently abide alway, * and will praise thee more and more.

14 My mouth shall daily speak of thy righteousness and salvation; * for I know no end thereof.

15 I will go forth in the strength of the Lord GOD, * and will make mention of thy righteousness only.

16 Thou, O God, hast taught me from my youth up until now; * therefore will I tell of thy wondrous works.

17 Forsake me not, O God, in mine old age, when I am gray-headed, * until I have showed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to all them that are yet for to come.

18 Thy righteousness, O God, is very high, * and great things are they that thou hast done: O God, who is like unto thee!

19 O what great troubles and adversities hast thou showed me ! and yet didst thou turn and refresh me; * yea, and broughtest me from the deep of the earth again.

20 Thou hast brought me to great honour, * and comforted me on every side:

21 Therefore will I praise thee, and thy faithfulness, O God, playing upon an instrument of music: * unto thee will I sing upon the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.

22 My lips will be glad when I sing unto thee; * and so will my soul whom thou hast delivered.

23 My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long; * for they are confounded and brought unto shame that seek to do me evil.

The Epistle

2 Corinthians xi. 19.

(The Epistle is written in the 11th chapter of the Second Epistle of Saint Paul to the Corinthians, beginning at the 19th verse.)

YE suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise. For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face. I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also. Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.

Here endeth the Epistle.

The Gospel

St. Luke viii. 4.

WHEN much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way-side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.