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S. Of His second coming, "when He will throughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Matt. iii. 12.

T. What are the words of David? Ps. xciii. 5.

S. "Holiness becometh Thine house, O Lord, for ever."

The Epistle. Rom. xiii. 8.

Owe no man anything, but to love one another : for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is. far spent, the day is at hand; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

T. How may we fulfil the law?
S. By loving our brethren.
T. What do we thereby show?

S. Our love to God. John, iv. 21.

T. How are we taught to measure our love to our neighbour? Lev. xix. 18; Matt. vii. 12.

S." Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." "Therefore all things, whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets."

T. What does St. Paul call love? Col. iii. 14.
S." The bond of perfectness."

T. Where do we find the law of God?

S. In the Commandments (Ex. xx.) delivered to Moses on Mount Sinai for the children of Israel.

T. How does St. Paul exhort us to fulfil God's law? S." For now is our salvation nearer than when we believed."

T. How do we show that we sleep?

S. By not watching and praying, and "working out our own salvation with fear and trembling."

T. How is our day of salvation daily drawing nigh? S. As the day of Christ's second coming draws near our own death approaches.

T. Mention a parable of our Saviour's teaching us to watch for that day.

S. The parable of the ten virgins. Matt. xxv.

T. What were the words of the bridegroom to those who slumbered and slept while he tarried?

S. "I know you not."

T. What may we learn from the parable of the servant (Matt. xxiv. 45) whom his lord left ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

S." Blessed is that servant whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing."

T." But if that servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken ?"

S." The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

T. What night was far spent at our Saviour's first coming?

S. The darkness of ignorance and the Jewish dispensation.

T. What glorious day was breaking then?

S. The Light of the Gospel of Christ.

T. How may we take these words in another sense to ourselves?

S. Considering the night, as the time of our mortal life,

The day, as the glory in heaven which awaits us. T. How does St. Paul describe our hopes now? 1 Cor. xiii. 12.

S. "Now we see through a glass darkly."

T. What light shines in our darkness? 2 Cor. iv. 6. S. "The light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

T. Who enables us to discern this light? 2 Cor. iii. 18.

8. "The Spirit of the Lord."

T. But what shall be the brightness of that perfect day described by Isaiah, lx. 19, 20?

S." The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended."

T. How must we prepare for this day?

S."Let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light." (See Collect.)

T. How are we to walk?

S. "Honestly, as in the day."

T. What does St. Paul say of those unrighteous who do the works of darkness? 1 Cor. vi. 9.

S. "They shall not inherit the kingdom of God."

T. Who are described as without the city of God? Rev. xxii. 15.

S. "For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie."

T. How may we avoid making provision for the flesh? Rom. viii. 13.

S." If ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body ye shall live."

T. What is it to put on the Lord Jesus?

S. To follow His example. "For as many as have been baptized in Christ Jesus have put on Christ." Gal. iii. 27. "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." Gal. v. 24.

THE SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT.

The Collect.

BLESSED Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience, and comfort of Thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which Thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

T. How do we begin this prayer?

S. "Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning."

T. What are the words of St. Paul? Ephes. i. 3.

S. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus

Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ."

T. What are the holy Scriptures?

S. The books of the Old and New Testament.

T. How are the Scriptures a spiritual blessing to us? Rom. xv. 4.

S. "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."

T. What comfort and hope do the Scriptures give? S. The promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ. T. What is our Saviour's command concerning them? S." Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me." John, v. 39.

T. Give examples of some who heard, read, marked, and learned the Holy Scriptures in the right way.

S. The Bereans, who "were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed." And Timothy, to whom Paul says,-" Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make them wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." 2 Tim. iv. 14, 15.

T. What inspired guide have we in the learning and understanding of the Scriptures?

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