Easter Even

THE COLLECT.

Grant, O Lord, that as we are baptized into the death of thy
blessed Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, so by continual mortifying
our corrupt affections we may be buried with him; and that,
through the grave, and gate of death, we may pass to our joyful
resurrection; for his merits, who died, and was buried, and rose
again for us, thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. _Amen_.

THE EPISTLE. 1 St Peter iii. 17.

It is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for
well-doing, than for evil-doing. For Christ also hath once
suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us
to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the
Spirit: by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in
prison; which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering
of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing;
wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water. The like
figure whereunto, even baptism, doth also now save us, (not the
putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good
conscience towards God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: who
is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God, angels and
authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

THE GOSPEL. St Matth. xxvii. 57.

When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named
Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple. He went to Pilate,
and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be
delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a
clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had
hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of
the sepulchre, and departed. And there was Mary Magdalene, and
the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre. Now the next
day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests
and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, saying, Sir, we remember
that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days
I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made
sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night and
steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead:
so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto
them, Ye have a watch; go your way, make it as sure as you can. So
they went and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and
setting a watch.