Then shall follow one of those two Collects for the Queen, the Priest standing as before, and saying, This prayer varies every Sunday, and on other holy days. It is called the collect, because the priest collects the devotions of the people and offers them to God on their behalf. "The collect for the day" usually collects the meaning of the epistle and gospel into a short prayer, and points out the particular truth which the Church 1 our Queen and Governour,that she (knowing whose Minister she is) may above all things seek thy honour and glory: and that we, and all her subjects (duly considering whose authority she hath) may faithfully serve,honour, and humbly obey her, in thee, and for thee, according to thy blessed Word and ordinance; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth, ever one God, world without end. Amen. ance, and that thou dost dispose and turn them as it seemeth best to thy godly wisdom: We humbly beseech thee so to dispose and govern the heart of VICTORIA thy Servant, our Queen and Governour, that, in all her thoughts, words, and works, she may ever seek thy honour and glory, and study to preserve thy people committed to her charge, in wealth, peace, and godliness: Grant this, O merciful Father, for thy dear Son's sake, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ¶ Then shall be said the Collect of the Day. wishes us to direct our thoughts to on that particular day; for instance, Christmas Day teaches that God was made man when Jesus was born, as on this day. Good Friday reminds us of His death on the cross; Easter, of His Resurrection ; Ascension Day, of His ascending to Heaven; Whitsun-day, of the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Church on earth; Trinity Sunday, that there are Three Persons but one God, but each Person is God. So after the Church has taught us all the truths we are bound to believe, she then proceeds in the collects, and epistles, and gospels of the Sundays after Trinity, to teach us the duties we have to perform. I cannot here explain all these, but on each Sunday some especial duty is pointed out, and the clergyman who preaches usually makes this the subject of his sermon. In the epistle we have the witness of the Apostles for Christ, not, as in His passion, the witness of His enemies against Him. In the gospel we recal the journeys of Jesus from Judea to Galilee, from Galilee to Judea, and in the week from Pilate to Herod, and from Herod back again to Pilate. And if in the journey of our life we suffer trouble, the knowledge that the beloved son of God suffered in like manner, is indeed, though sad to hear and read of, yet good cheering news to us. Immediately after the Collect the Priest shall read the Epistle, saying, The Epistle [or, The portion of Scripture appointed for the Epistle] is written in the beginning at the Chapter of And the Epistle ended, he shall say, Here endeth the Epistle. Then shall be read the Gospel (the people all standing up) saying, The holy |