Page images
PDF
EPUB

remain alway in the holy fellowship of all faithful people. Amen.

MOST merciful God, we bless Thy holy Name for all

Thy servants who have kept the faith, and, having accomplished their warfare, are at rest with Thee. We pray Thee to enable us so to follow their good example, that we with them may finally be partakers of Thy heavenly kingdom, and, at the glorious appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, may behold Him with unveiled face, being changed into His likeness; when He shall present us, with all His Church, faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. Hear us, O heavenly Father, for His sake: to whom, with Thee and the Holy Ghost, be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Then the company shall sing

A HYMN.

Then the Minister shall pronounce

THE BENEDICTION.

NOW the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

After the Benediction it is fitting that the Communicants remain in silent prayer, beseeching God that none may leave His Table without a blessing.

THE ORDER FOR

THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD.

When all are assembled, the Minister shall begin the Service with one or more of these SENTENCES.

OUR help is in the Name of the Lord, who made heaven

and earth.

FOR we are strangers before Thee and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.

ALL flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: the grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

LIKE as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.

I AM the Resurrection, and the Life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.

Then let one or more of the following PSALMS be read, closing with the Gloria Patri:

PSALM XXXIX. 4-13.

LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made my days as a handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity.

Surely every man walketh in a vain show; surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

And now, Lord, what wait I for: my hope is in thee.

Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish.

I was dumb, I opened not my mouth: because thou didst it.

Remove thy stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of thine hand.

When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity.

Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.

O spare me, that I may recover strength: before I go hence, and be no more.

PSALM XC.

LORD, thou hast been our dwelling place: in all genera

tions.

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world: even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

Thou turnest man to destruction: and sayest, Return, ye children of men.

For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past: and as a watch in the night.

Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth

up.

In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up: in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.

For we are consumed by thine anger: and by thy wrath are we troubled.

Thou hast set our iniquities before thee: our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.

For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.

The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years: yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

Who knoweth the power of thine anger: even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.

So teach us to number our days: that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Return, O Lord, how long: and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.

O satisfy us early with thy mercy: that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us: and the years wherein we have seen evil.

Let thy work appear unto thy servants: and thy glory unto their children.

And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

PSALM CIII. 13-18.

LIKE as a father pitieth his children: so the Lord pitieth

them that fear him.

For he knoweth our frame: he remembereth that we are dust.

As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone: and the place thereof shall know it no more.

But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him: and his righteousness unto children's children;

To such as keep his covenant: and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

PSALM CXXX.

OUT of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice: let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.

If Thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities: O Lord, who shall stand?

But there is forgiveness with thee: that thou mayest be feared.

I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait: and in his word do I hope.

My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch

for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning

Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.

And he shall redeem Israel: from all his iniquities.

PSALM XXIII.

THE Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me 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 they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness 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.

If so desired, a Hymn or Anthem may here be sung.

Then let the Minister read one of the following Lessons from the HOLY SCRIPTURES, and before the reading let him say, Hear the Word of God as written for our admonition and comfort.

1 CORINTHIANS XV. 20-28; 35-58.

NOW is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have

« PreviousContinue »