The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, | so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good | and not evil all the days of her life. She seeketh wool, and | flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. She is like the | merchants ships; she bringeth her food from afar. She riseth | also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, | and a portion to her maidens. She considereth a field, and | buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planeth a vineyard. | She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. | She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth | not out by night. She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her | hands hold the distaff. She stretcheth out her hand to the | poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. She is | not afraid of the snow for her household; for all her household | are clothed with scarlet. She maketh herself coverings of | tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. Her husband is | known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the | land. She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth | girdles unto the merchant. Strength and honour are her clothing; | and she shall rejoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth | with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She | looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the | bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; | her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done | virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Favour is deceitful, | and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she | shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let | her own works praise her in the gates. | | THE GOSPEL. St Matth. xiii. 44. | | The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; | the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof | goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. | Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, | seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of | great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. | | AT THE DEDICATION FESTIVAL | | THE COLLECT. | | Almighty God, whom year by year we praise for the dedication | of this church, and who hast preserved us in safety to worship | therein; Hear, we beseech thee, the prayers of thy people, and | grant that whosoever in this place shall make his supplication | before thee, may by the granting of his petitions be filled | with joy to the glory of thy holy Name, through Jesus Christ | our Lord. _Amen_. | | THE EPISTLE. 1 St Peter ii. 1. | | Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, | and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire | the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so | be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as | unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God,