The Book of Common Prayer Part 55

| | _At the burial of the dead at sea, the words_ to the deep _shall | be subst.i.tuted for the words_ to the ground, _and the words_ | earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust _shall be omitted_.

Then shall be said or sung,

I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, Write: From henceforth blessed are the dead which die in the Lord: Even so, saith the Spirit, for they rest from their labours.

_Then the Priest shall say_,

Lord, have mercy upon us.

_Christ, have mercy upon us_.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespa.s.ses, As we forgive them that trespa.s.s against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.

_Priest_.

Almighty G.o.d, with whom do live the spirits of them that depart hence in the Lord, and with whom the souls of the faithful, after they are delivered from the burden of the flesh, are in joy and felicity: We give thee hearty thanks, for that it hath pleased thee to deliver this our _brother_ out of the miseries of this sinful world; beseeching thee that it may please thee, of thy gracious goodness, shortly to accomplish the number of thine elect, and to hasten thy kingdom; that we, with all those that are departed in the true faith of thy holy Name, may have our perfect consummation and bliss, both in body and soul, in thy eternal and everlasting glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

_Amen_.

THE COLLECT.

O merciful G.o.d, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the resurrection and the life; in whom whosoever believeth shall live, though he die; and whosoever liveth, and believeth in him, shall not die eternally; who also hath taught us (by his holy Apostle Saint Paul) not to be sorry, as men without hope, for them that sleep in him: We meekly beseech thee, O Father, to raise us from the death of sin unto the life of righteousness; that, when we shall depart this life, we may rest in him, as our hope is this our _brother_ doth; and that, at the general resurrection in the last day, we may be found acceptable in thy sight, and receive that blessing, which thy well-beloved Son shall then p.r.o.nounce to all that love and fear thee, saying, Come, ye blessed children of my Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world: Grant this, we beseech thee, O merciful Father, through Jesus Christ, our Mediator and Redeemer. _Amen_.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of G.o.d, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. _Amen_.

| AT THE BURIAL OF BAPTIZED CHILDREN | | OF TENDER YEARS | | _It is permitted_: | | _To add to the opening sentences, this_: | | Jesus said, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and | forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of G.o.d. _St Mark_ | x. 14.

| | _To subst.i.tute for the appointed psalms_: | | _Dominus regit me_. Ps. xxiii.

| | The Lord is my shepherd: therefore can I lack nothing.

| | He shall feed me in a green pasture: and lead me forth beside | the waters of comfort.

| | He shall convert my soul: and bring me forth in the paths of | righteousness, for his Name's sake.

| | Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, | I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy | staff comfort me.

| | Thou shalt prepare a table before me against them that trouble | me: thou hast anointed my head with oil, and my cup shall be | full. But thy loving-kindness and mercy shall follow me all the | days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for | ever.

| | Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost; | | As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world | without end. Amen.

| | _To subst.i.tute for the appointed Lesson_: | | St Matth. xviii. 1.

| | At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is | the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little | child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, | Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as | little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

| Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, | the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall | receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso | shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it | were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, | and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the | world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences | come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! Wherefore | if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast | them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt | or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast | into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it | out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into | life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into | h.e.l.l fire. Take heed that ye despise not one of these little | ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always | behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

| | _To use the prayers that follow_: | | O heavenly Father, whose face the angels of the little ones do | always behold in heaven: Grant us stedfastly to believe that | this little child hath been taken into the safe keeping of thine | eternal love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. _Amen_.

| | O Lord Jesu Christ, who didst take little children into thine | arms and bless them: Open thou our eyes, we beseech thee, that | we may perceive that thou hast now taken this child into the | arms of thy love, and hast bestowed upon _him_ the blessings of | thy gracious favour; who livest and reignest with the Father and | the Holy Spirit, one G.o.d, world without end. _Amen_.

| | We yield thee hearty thanks, most merciful Father, that it hath | pleased thee to regenerate this child with thy Holy Spirit, to | receive _him_ for thine own by adoption, and to incorporate _him_ | into thy holy Church. And humbly we beseech thee to grant that, | as _he_ is made partaker of the death of thy Son, _he_ may also | be partaker of his resurrection; so that finally, with the | residue of thy holy Church, _he_ may be an inheritor of thine | everlasting kingdom; through Christ our Lord. _Amen_.

| | BENEDICTION OF A GRAVE IN UNCONSECRATED GROUND | | _When the Priest and people shall have come to the place,_ | _the Priest shall say_, | | Let us pray.

| | O Lord Jesu Christ, who wast laid in the new tomb of Joseph, | and didst thereby sanctify the grave to be a bed of hope to thy | people: Vouchsafe, we beseech thee, to bless, hallow, and | consecrate this grave, that it may be a resting-place, peaceful | and secure, for the body of thy servant which we are about to | commit to thy gracious keeping, who art the Resurrection and | the Life, and who livest and reignest with the Father and the | Holy Ghost, one G.o.d, world without end. _Amen_.

THE THANKSGIVING OF WOMEN AFTER CHILD-BIRTH,

COMMONLY CALLED THE CHURCHING OF WOMEN

_The woman, at the usual time after her delivery, shall come into the Church decently apparelled, and there shall kneel down in some convenient place, as hath been accustomed, or as the Ordinary shall direct: And then the Priest shall say unto her_,

Forasmuch as it hath pleased Almighty G.o.d of his goodness to give you safe deliverance, and hath preserved you in the great danger of child-birth: You shall therefore give hearty thanks unto G.o.d, and say,

_Then shall the Priest say the cxvi. Psalm_.

_Dilexi quoniam_.

I am well pleased: that the Lord hath heard the voice of my prayer;

That he hath inclined his ear unto me: therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.

The snares of death compa.s.sed me round about: and the pains of h.e.l.l gat hold upon me.

I found trouble and heaviness, and I called upon the name of the Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous: yea, our G.o.d is merciful.

The Lord preserveth the simple: I was in misery, and he helped me.

Turn again then unto thy rest, O my soul: for the Lord hath rewarded thee.

And why? thou hast delivered my soul from death: mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

I will walk before the Lord: in the land of the living.

I believed, and therefore will I speak; but I was sore troubled: I said in my haste, All men are liars.

What reward shall I give unto the Lord: for all the benefits that he hath done unto me?

I will receive the cup of salvation: and call upon the name of the Lord.

I will pay my vows now in the presence of all his people: in the courts of the Lord's house, even in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.

_Or Psalm cxxvii_.

_Nisi Dominus_.

Except the Lord build the house: their labour is but lost that build it.