The Marrow and Juice of 260 Scriptures, Part 58
A GENERALL CONNExion and Harmony of all those holy Scriptures that are appointed to be read throughout all the Congregations and Parishes of England, vponupon all the Saboth daies, or Sondaies throughout the whole yeare, as also vponupon those great and solemne Feasts of Christs Natiuity, his Circumcision, his Appearing and manifesting of himselfe to the Gentiles, his Fasting, and Tentation, his Passion, Death, Resurrection, Ascension, and his sending down of the holy Ghost, with the graces and gifts thereof, which fell vponupon the Church, and shall continue with them to the end of the World.
FIrst of all, for the 4. Sondaies before Christmas, which are called Sondaies of Aduent, Foure Sondaies in Aduent.holy scriptures are chosen, containing doctrines, exhortations, and their vses, as touching the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ, his first & his secōd coming: that is to say, his coming in the flesh for our saluation, and his second coming at the end of the world to iudge the quicke and the dead.
Hereupon followeth immediatly the celebration of the feast of the Natiuity of our Lord Iesus Christ, Christmas day.wherein choyce scriptures are culled out by the Fathers of the Church, concerning Christs true incarnation, his perfect birth, and taking true flesh of the flesh of the virgin Mary.
The day of our Lords circumcision,Christs Circumcision. called New-yeares day is remembred in the next place: wherein the doctrines of Christs performing the sacrament of circūcision in his own person, and the true circumcision of the heart are handled.
Christs Epiphany,To these doctrines accordeth the doctrine of the Calling of the Gentiles, handled vponupon the day to the Epiphany (that is, Christs Apparition to the Gentiles) commonly called, the Twelfth day: when the wise Gentiles came from the East to Ierusalem to worship Christ the new-borne babe, and Sauiuiour of the world.
The 5. Sondaies after the Epiphany Fiue Sondayes after the Epiphany,are next in order, wherein the doctrines concerning Gods fauour vntounto all Nations, in redeeming, calling, and sauing them by Christ his sonne, are discoursed vponupon.
On the 3 Sondaies following called Septuagesima, Sexagesima & Quinquagesima, Septuagesima, Sexagesima, Quinquagesima Sondaies,are chosen texts of holy Scripture, conteining doctrines of Humiliation, that the church may be prepared vntounto the celebration of the happy memory of our Lords perfect humiliation, by his fasting and temptation, as also by his passion and death.
VponUpon the 6. subsequent Sondaies, called the sixe Sondaies in Lent,Sixe Sondayes in Lent, are sit scriptures chosen out, containing doctrines, exhortations & dehortations, as touching the true humbling of our selues in soule and body, by refraining of those sins which do hinder our true and hearty seruice of God: As also by the embracing of those graces and vertues which doe make vsus fit vessels for God to be serued in, whereby wee may be the more effectually humbled and cast down in sorrow against the time of the memoriall of Christs sorrowes, caused by our sinnes: and therewithall meditate the ioyes, which all Christians doe conceiue in that most comfortable doctrine of Christs Resurrection.
Easter day,Hereunto is annexed the celebration and commemoration of our Lords Resurrection, vnderunder the name of the Feast of Easter: wherein the church hath made choice of doctrines accordingly, not onelyonly to proue the truth of Christs powerfull Resurrection, but also there out to argue the necessity of our dying to sin, and rising againe to newnesse of life.
Fiue Sondayes after Easter,On the 5. Sondaies following this feast of Easter, they hauehave picked out such texts of holy scripture as do proue the truth of the doctrine concerning Christs resurrection: such scriptures also which doe propound exhortations to viuification, as well as mortification: that so they may be the better fitted to make benefit of Christs Ascension, another great pillar vpholding Gods house.
The solemne least of our Lords Ascension, Ascension day,is remembred in the next place: for the which feast holy scriptures are also chosen to proue the truth and the necessity of that most comfortable doctrine of our Sauiours ascending into heauē: both to prepare a place for his elect children, as also to send downeth holy Ghost vntounto the Church in most plentifull maner, which he did at the feast of Pentecost, commonly called Whitsonday, or Witsunday.
At the time appointed,Whitsonday, called Pentecost. our Lord performed his promise concerning his sending of a comforter vntounto his Church, namely vponupon this day called Pentecost. For which cause the church hath chosen remarkable scriptures, to the intent that all Gods people dispersed vponupon the face of the earth, may with true thanfulnes acknowledge so vnspeakable a benefit.
The Vnity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Vnity which,Trinity Sōday The 25. Sondayes after Trinity, is to be worshipped, cannot bee remembred: and therefore some scriptures are also appointed for the commemoration and celebration of that most diuine and sacred mystery, not onelyonly vponupon that day which is called Trinitie Sonday, but also for fiue and twenty Sondaies after: Wherein, as vponupon this day, the doctrines concerning the mystery of this indiuisible Trinity, are handled: So for the twenty fiue Sondaies after this feast, (which make vp the other halfe yeare,) they hauehave selected such texts of holy scripture, as may most fitly stand Gods people in stead for doctrines and exhortations, vntounto the bringing forth of the fruites of the spirit, and to the hatred and detestation of the workes of the flesh.