dealt graciously with us so deal with this infant whom we humbly bring and offer to our blessed Saviour Jesus that he should receive him and blesse him with the blessings of an everlasting love Receive him O most gracious Lord who is thy child by creation make him thine also by adoption into thy covenant of grace and favour let him be consigned with thy Sacrament be admitted into Christs kingdome enter into his warfare beleeve his doctrine labour and hope for his promises that this child witnessing here a good confession may have his understanding for ever brought unto the obedience his affections to the love and all his faculties to the service of Christ and after he hath served thee in his generation he may receive his part and portion in thy glory thorough Jesus Christ our Lord. Then arising from their knees the Minister shall say unto the Godfathers and Godmothers as followeth WEl beloved friends you have brought this child to be presented unto Christ as a servant of his laws and a Disciple of his doctrine ye have prayed that God would receive him and give him a portion in the Gospel and kingdome of his Son ye have heard what promises God hath made on his part and ye beleeve and know all his words are yea and Amen and not one tittle of them shall pass unaccomplished now therefore because it is a Covenant of grace and favour on Gods part and of faith and obedience on ours though God prevents us with his grace and begins to doe for us before we can doe any thing to him yet you under whose power this child is and by whose faith and charity this child comes to Christ in holy Baptisme must also on his or her behalf promise that he will forsake the devil and all his wicked works that he will faithfully beleeve Christs holy Gospel and dutifully keep all Christs Commandements Minister Dost thou abjure and renounce and promise to forsake the Devil and all his wicked works not to listen to his temptations not to be led by the flesh by the vain powers of the world by carnal or covetous desires but thou wilt be the servant of the Lord Jesus Answer I forsake them all and will be a servant of Jesus Minister Dost thou beleeve in God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and Earth And in Jesus Christ his onely begotten Son our Lord And that he was conceived by the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary that he suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried that he went down into hell and also did rise againe the third day that he ascended into Heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty and from thence he shall come again at the end of the world to judge the quicke and the dead And dost thou believe in the holy Ghost the Catholick Church the Communion of Saints the remission of sins the resurrection of the flesh and everlasting life after death Answer All this I will profess and stedfastly beleeve Minister Wilt thou be baptized into this faith Answer That is my desire Let us Pray O Almighty God who hast given the promise of thy Spirit to us and to our children even to as many as the Lord our God shall call Give thy holy Spirit to this infant that the evil spirits of darkness may not take thy portion from thee nor hurt the body nor deceive the understanding nor corrupt the will nor tempt the affections of this infant but that thy Spirit who bloweth where it listeth no man knows whence he cometh nor whether he goeth may be in this child as the seed of God springing up to life eternal that the kingdom of God which is within and commeth not with observation may early rule and conduct this infant prevent the folly of his childhood from growing up to sins in his youth and may work strongly in him when his weakness his ignorances and temptations are most powerful to prevail upon him that from his cradle to his grave he may be guided by the Spirit of God in the paths of the divine Commandements Admit him O God into the bosome of the Church into the armes of thy mercy into a right of the promises into the service of Christ into the Communion of Saints and give him power to become the Son of God that being buried with Christ in Baptisme he may also rise with him thorough the faith of the operation of God thorough the same our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen Then the Minister of the Sacrament shall take the child in his armes and ask the Name Then naming the child aloud he shall dip the head or face or body of the child in the water saying N. I baptize thee in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Dipping the head at the naming of the holy Trinity If the child be weak or any other great Cause intervene it may suffice instead of dipping to sprinkle water on the face using the same form of words Then shall the priest make the sign of the Cross upon the childs forehead saying WE sign this child with the sign of the Cross and enroll him a Soldier under the banner of Christ to signifie and in ceremony to represent that the duty of this and all baptized persons is manfully to fight under the banner of Christ against the flesh the world and the Divel all the daies of their life and by the power which Christ our Blessed Lord who hath the key of David hath given unto me I admit this child into the Communion of Saints into the bosome of the visible Church the kingdome of Grace and the title to the promises Evangelical and the hopes of glory OUr Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus who when he had overcome the sharpness of death did open the kingdom of heaven to all beleevers and gave unto his Church the keyes of the kingdome that his ministers might let into it all that come to him he of his infinite goodness and truth make good his gracious promises upon this infant that what we doe on earth according to his will he may confirme in heaven by his spirit and by his word to the glory of the blessed and undivided Trinity God the Father Son and Holy Ghost Amen Then shall the Minister adde this Invitation SEeing now dearly Beloved that this infant hath received holy Baptisme and is washed in the laver of regeneration admitted into the bosome of the Church into the Covenant of faith and repentance pardon and holiness let us give thanks to God for these graces and pray that this child may lead his life according to the present undertaking I. WE give thee thanks and praise O heavenly and most gracious Father that it hath pleased thee to call this child to thy holy Baptism to renew him with thy holy Spirit to admit him into the Church to adopt him for thy child and to receive him
never heard and know what was never revealed below O grant that she may have aydes that her she never did neede even mighty assistances in proportion to her new and strang erstate that whatsoever is in the darkenesse or in the fire in the secret regions of wrath and the horrible places of torment and fearful exspectations may not afflict or affright the lambe of thy flock the price of thy bloud the child of thy kingdome and the portion of thine owne inheritance Amen V. O sweetest Jesu say unto this soule This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise say unto this foule Feare not for it is my Fathers pleasure to give thee a Kingdome Let this soule dwell in safe and pleasant regions and be supported with the hope of God comforted with a holy conscience rejoyce in a confirm'd pardon be recreated with the visitation of Angels and walke in white whithersoever the Lambe shall goe Amen VI. Give unto this decaying dying body a blessed and a glorious resurrection to this weary and afflicted this penitent and redeemed soule a portion in the blessed sentence of the right hand amongst the blessed children of thy Father who shall receive the Kingdome prepared for them from the beginning of the world Amen VII Remember O God the good things which by thy grace and by the aides of thy holy Spirit thy servant hath done in all his life and remember not his evil deedes which by the weakenesse of the flesh and the temptations of the Devil and the evil contingencies of this world have afflicted and humbled the soule of thy servant remember thy holy Son did die for these and thy holy Spirit was the cause of those and for whom thou hast given thy Son and to whom thou hast given thy Spirit give thy eternal pardon and thy eternal glories thorough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen After the soule is departed the Minister may say this prayer in behalfe of the living friends and relatives of the dead ALmighty God who governest all things in heaven and earth with infinite wisedome and infinite mercy and bringest good out of evil comfort out of sorrow and after a gentle visitation dost refresh thy children with the light of thy countenance with the blessings of thy providence with the returnes of thy grace and the comforts of thy holy Spirit have mercy upon this family and returne to them all with thy loving kindnesse exchanging their present sorrow into the advantages of holinesse and blessing Be thou now and ever what thou gloriest in a Father of the Fatherlesse a Husband to the Widow a God of comfort to them that mourn◠in secret Grant that thy servant may not weepe as men without hope nor murmure at thy dispensation nor complaine of any thing but themselves nor desire any thing but that thy will be done nor doe any thing but what is agreeable to thy holy word and commandement and grant that when thou smitest any of us it may increase thy feare in us and when thou doest good to any of us in smiting or forbearing in chastising or comforting it may increase thy love in us and let thy holy Spirit so prevail over all our wills and understandings our affections and the outward man our interests and our hopes that we may live in this world pleasing to thee and may goe out of this world with the peace of a holy conscience and may have a joyful resurrection in the last day to a participation of the glories of God thorough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen The Blessing THE Lord blesse you and keepe you the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you and give you peace The blessing of God Almighty the Father Son and holy Ghost be amongst you and abide with you and be your portion for ever and ever Amen Prayers and devotions to be us'd at the Burial of the Dead The Minister before the Corps entring at the Church doore may begin with one or more of these sentences A Good name is better then precious ointment and the day of death then the day of ones birth It is better to goe to the house of mourning then to goe to the house of feasting for that is the end of all men and the living will lay it to his heart I am the resurrection and the life saith the Lord He that beleiveth in me yea though he were dead yet shall he live And whosoever liveth and beleiveth in me shall not die for ever It is appointed to all men once to die and after death comes judgement I would not have you to be ignorant concerning them which are asleepe that we sorrow not even as others without hope For if we beleive that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleepe in Jesus will God bring with him After the Corps is set downe in the body of the Church let Morning or Evening prayer be read according to the time of the day with this difference onely Instead of the usual Psalmes Read Psalme 39. Psalme 49. Psalme 90. For the first lesson read Job 14. or 19. After the first lesson read Psalme 88. For the second lesson read 1 Corinth 15. from verse 12 to the end After the second lesson read Nunc dimittis * LOrd now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word ¶ For mine eyes have seen thy salvation * Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people ¶ To be a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Israel Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. After the usual prayers are done then the Corps carried being to the grave the Minister shall read this lesson Ecclesiastes 12. REmember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth while the evil daies come not nor the yeers draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them While the sun or the light or the moon or the stars be not darkned nor the clouds return after the rain In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble and the strong men shall bow themselves and the grinders cease because they are few and those that look out of the windows be darkned And the doors shall be shut in the streets when the sound of the grinding is low and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high and feares shall be in the way and the almond-tree shall flourish and the grashopper shall be a burden and desire shall fail because man goeth to his long home and the mourners go about the streets Or ever the silver cord be loosed or the golden bowle be broken or the pitcher be broken at the fountain or the wheel broken at the cistern Then shall the dust retrun
a sojourner as all my Fathers were ¶ O spare me a little that I may recover my strength before I goe hence and be no more seen * Let all those that seek thee rejoyce and be glad in thee Let such as love thy salvation say continually The Lord be magnified ¶ But I am poor and needy yet the Lord careth for me thou art my helpe and my deliverer make no tarrying O my God Amen Amen Amen Then Read The second Chapter of Ecclesiasticus or The sixt Chapter of S. Matthews Gospel or The twelfth Chapter to the Romans or The 5 Chapter of the 2 d Epistle to the Thessalonians or The 1 of Timothy the 6. Chapter or Hebrews 12. or James 5 th These at several times After the chapter is read sit still a while and consider of such comforts or instructions as are in the chapter fitted to your needs If this office be said by a Minister in the company of the afflicted person then he may adde such useful and comfortable discourses as are occasion'd by the chapter and then say the following Collect. After meditation or discourse humbly kneel down and pray I. An act of Repentance O My God and Father in vaine doe we beg to have thy heavy hand taken from us so long as the cause remaines Our sins O God our sins are so great so numerous so intolerable that we must needs with shame hide our face and confesse we have deserved all the evill that we suffer and all that which thou hast threatned we have O God more to give thee thanks for then we have to deplore It is thy infinite mercy that we are yet kept from feeling thy severest judgements It is thy mercy that we have our senses and our understandings that we have the use of thy word and sacraments that we have not intolerable pains of body and unsufferable troubles in our mind It is thy blessing that we have bread that we have many friends that we have the praiers of thy faithfull servants that we have faith in thee and that we have hope It is thy infinite mercy that are we yet kept from the unsufferable pains of hell are permitted to pray to thee to relie upon thy mercies to worke out our salvation and to expect thy loving kindnesse in the Land of the living II. All the evils that we suffer we have deserved but nothing of this good have we deserved we are lesse then the least of all thy mercies and our sins are greater then the greatest of all our sufferings * And now O God thou who hast so mercifully dealt with thy servants in taking a lesse fine of us then in justice thou mightest have exacted be pleased also to proceed in the methods of thy mercy and make our present sufferings be instrumental of thy glory of the pardon of our sins of the sanctifications of our Spirits of the humiliation of our soules that like silver tried in the fire we may come forth more pure vessels of honour pleasing and acceptable to thee in Jesus Christ. II. An act of patience and resignation WEE know O God that thou art infinietly wise and infinitely good and thou disposest all the events of thy creatures of excellent purposes and delightest to bring good out of evill Behold O God we are thy servants and thy creatures do to us as seemeth good in thine eyes onely give us patience and a long suffering Spirit that we may not murmure secretly when we complaine openly that we may not make hast in the day of our calamity but with a quiet spirit expect and wait for the time of our redemption But make no long tarrying O Lord make hast to helpe us O God of our salvation and be pleased to give us a light from heaven that with the eye of faith we may see beyond the cloud and looke for those comforts which thou didst prepare for thy servants that love thee and put their trust in thee and have laid up all their hopes in the bosome of God IV. An act of hope O God our God thou hast said unto us I will never leave you nor forsake you thou hast often eased our calamities and taken off thy severe hand thou hast promised to be with us in time of need thou delightest to deliver them whose confidence is in thy goodnesse Thou hast supported our spirits in the day of our sorrow and hast given us many intervals and spaces of refreshment and renewest thy loving kindnesse day by day O let us never have our portion amongst the hopelesse and desperate Let us alwaies pray to thee and hope in thee and in every period of our affliction let us doe some actions of virtue by which we may please thee and be accepted so long as we can pray Thou hast commanded us to hope and we doe hope that these comforts shall refresh our soules that thy mercies will support us under our afflictions that thy Spirit shall comfort us in it and thy grace and thy glorious providence shall speedily deliver us from it Amen Blessed Jesu Amen V. The Petition ANd now O most mercifull Father give thy servants admittance to present our complaint before the throne of grace and let our petition enter into thy presence thy arrows stick fast in us and thy hand presseth us sore Open thy heart the treasure and spring of mercie and thence let comforts and refreshments descend upon thy servants Put a blessed period to our sorrows but first put a stop to our sins let us not sin against thee when for sinne thou art smiting us Let us never charge thee foolishly nor behave our selves peevishly towards others but use all the means we can to ease their sorrows to lighten their burdens to sweeten their lives that so we may expect from thy goodnesse a more plentifull and abundant measure of loving kindnesse VI. Lord put a barr and stop unto our passions make them to be humble ministers of religion and prudent government but never let us suffer any violent transportations in our selves never be provoked to any bitternesse never to be harsh or cruell towards any never to speak any thing peevishly and undecently never to put too much upon any temporall interest In all things let us behold thy providence and reverence thy justice and adore thy majesty and feel thy mercy and obey thy Spirit and if thou shalt still persevere to smite us and to try thy servants let not thy punishing us ever cause us to sin against thee Let not our own follies be our scourges lest we sin against thee and loose thy blessing for ever VII Be pleased O my God to adde this favour unto thy servants that our trouble may not be doubled or increase by our own infirmities take from us all troublesome fancies and too quick apprehensions of our sorrows Blessed be thy Name they are finite and they are temporall sorrows they are lesse then our sins and they are lesse then thy mercies