| shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they | shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God | with us.) Then Joseph, being raised from sleep, did as the angel | of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife; and knew | her not till she had brought forth her first-born son: and he | called his name JESUS. | | _An Additional Collect for Christmastide_. | | O God, who makest us glad with the yearly remembrance of the | birth of thy only Son Jesus Christ; Grant that as we joyfully | receive him for our Redeemer, so we may with sure confidence | behold him when he shall come to be our Judge; who liveth and | reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without | end. _Amen_. | | _The Collect, Epistle, and Gospel for Christmas-day may be used_ | _for six days after, unless another Collect, Epistle, and_ | _Gospel are provided_. SAINT STEPHEN'S DAY _December_ 26. THE COLLECT. Grant, O Lord, that in all our sufferings here upon earth, for the testimony of thy truth, we may stedfastly 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_. _Then shall follow the Collect of the Nativity, which shall be said continually unto New-year's Eve_. FOR THE EPISTLE. Acts vii. 55. Stephen, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly 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 ears, and ran upon him with one accord, and cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. THE GOSPEL. St Matth. xxiii. 34.