these three are one." And in Rev. xix. 13: "He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood; and His name is called the Word of God."

T. What proofs does St. John give that "the Word was God?"

S." He was in the beginning; all things were made by Him; in Him was life."

T. What do we mean by the beginning?

S. From everlasting; before all things.
T. Is not Christ also to everlasting?

S. "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come,-the Almighty." Rev. i. 8.

T. What does St. John call our Saviour?
S." The true light that shineth in darkness."
T. What darkness was the whole world in?
S. The darkness of sin and ignorance.

prehended him not."

T. Whom did God therefore send?

"They com

S. "His messenger to prepare the way before Him," -John the Baptist.

T. How did Simeon speak of Christ?

S. As "a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Israel." Luke, ii. 32.

T. What did Jesus declare of His own light?

S. I am the Light of the World; he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." John, viii. 12.

T. How may our eyes be darkened that we do not perceive Christ?

S. By our sins, pride, unbelief, and want of charity. T. How does St. Paul speak of those who walk in the vanity of their mind? Ephes. iv. 18.

S."Having the understanding darkened, being

alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts."

T. Show that want of charity causes blindness.

S."He that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes." 1 John, 2. 11.

T. What must we therefore possess to receive Christ? S. Humility. Jesus has said, "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever, therefore,

shall humble himself as a little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matt. xviii. 3, 4.

T. Who were God's own people, to whom He came ?
S. First the Jews, then all the world.

T. Was it necessary that salvation should first be offered to the Jews?

S. Paul and Barnabas spoke to them thus: "It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you; but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles." Acts, xiii. 46.

T. To whom, then, was salvation offered?

S. "As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name."

T. What must be the birth of the sons of God?

S. Not earthly, but a spiritual birth unto God.

T. How do we show our faith in Christ, and receive this new birth?

S. By being baptized, according to His commandment.

T. What do we commemorate this day?

S. The word made flesh, i. e. the birth of Christ.

T. What was the prophecy of Isaiah concerning this glorious manifestation?

S." The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." Isa. xl. 5.

T. What was the Word full of?

S. Grace and truth.

T. Therefore we should keep this day holy, and sing grateful praises to God, after the example of all Christians from the time of the apostles until now.

SAINT STEPHEN'S DAY.

The Collect.

GRANT, O Lord, that, in all our sufferings here upon earth for the testimony of Thy truth, we may steadfastly look up to heaven, and by faith behold the glory that shall be revealed; and, being filled with the Holy Ghost, may learn to love and bless our persecutors by the example of Thy first Martyr Saint Stephen, who prayed for his murderers to Thee, O blessed Jesus, who standest at the right hand of God to succour all those that suffer for Thee, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.

T. What is to-day?

S. The festival of St. Stephen.

T. To whom is this Collect addressed?
S. To our Lord, the "Blessed Jesus."

T. How do we begin our prayer?

66

S. Grant, O Lord, that, in all our sufferings here upon earth for the testimony of Thy truth, we may stead

fastly look up to heaven, and by faith behold the glory that shall be revealed."

T. What is the meaning of testimony?

S. Witness.

T. To what truth did St. Stephen bear witness?

S. That Jesus was the Son of God, the Saviour of the world.

T. What might those expect who bore witness to this truth at that time?

S. Hatred, and persecution, and death. John, xvi. 2. T. How may we bear witness to Jesus now?

S. By teaching His ways to the ignorant; but, above all, by our own holy lives and conversation, that " our light so shine before men that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven." Matt. v. 16.

T. What may we expect as Christians in the world?
S. Hatred and persecution, or ridicule and opposition.
T. What do we call one who dies for the truth?

S. A martyr.

T. What are the three kinds of martyrs?

S. First, in will and deed. Secondly, in will, but not in deed. Thirdly, in deed, but not in will.

T. Of which kind is St. Stephen?

S. The first, and highest.

T. What did he behold in his sufferings?

S."The heavens opened, and the Son of Man stand

ing at the right hand of God." Acts, vii. 56.

T. How may we hope to behold the glory that shall be revealed?

S. By faith; " For we walk by faith, not by sight." 2 Cor. v. 7.

T. What do we need in order to love and bless our persecutors, as Stephen did?

S." Being filled with the Holy Ghost."

T. What example did St. Stephen follow in this?

S. That of Jesus, who, when He was crucified, "said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Luke, xxiii. 34.

T. Why doth our Saviour stand at the right hand of God?

S. "To succour all those that suffer for Him."

T. What must we remember concerning suffering? S. "If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him." 2 Tim. ii. 12. "The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us." Rom. viii. 18.

T. What do we call Christ?
S. Our Mediator and Advocate.
T. What do we mean by this?

S. He who mediates, and intercedes, and pleads His own merits for us with the Father.

T. Can any one else take this office?

S. There is "one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus." 1 Tim. ii. 5. "If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." 1 John, ii. 1. "There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts, iv. 12.

For the Epistle. Acts, vii. 55.

STEPHEN, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their