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 Al- rise up early, and so late take rest, and mighty God 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 God, and say, (Then shall the Priest say the cxvith Psalm,) Dilexi quoniam. eat the bread of carefulness: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. Lo, children and the fruit of the womb are an heritage and gift that cometh of the Lord. Like as the arrows in the hand of the giant even so are the young children. Happy is the man that hath his quiver IAM well pleased: that the Lord hath full of them: they shall not be ashamed 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 compassed me round about: and the pains of hell gat hold upon me. I found trouble and heaviness, and I called upon the Name of the Lord : 0 Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. Gracious is the Lord, and righteous : yea, our God 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. when they speak with their enemies in the gate. 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. Then the Priest shall say, Let us pray. Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, 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 trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil : For thine is the kingdom, The power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen. Min. O Lord, save this woman thy servant; Ans. Who putteth her trust in thee. sence of all his people: in the courts of As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen. Or, Psalm cxxvii. Nisi Dominus. EX XCEPT the Lord build the house: their labour is but lost that build it. Except the Lord keep the city: the watchman waketh but in vain. It is but lost labour that ye haste to Minister. Let us pray. vouchsafed to deliver this woman thy ALMIGHTY God, we give thee humble thanks for that thou hast servant from the great pain and peril of Child-birth; Grant, we beseech thee, most merciful Father, that she, through walk according to thy will, in this life thy help, may both faithfully live, and present; and also may be partaker of everlasting glory in the life to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. The Woman, that cometh to give her Thanks, must offer accustomed Offerings; and, if there be a Communion, it is convenient that she receive the holy Communion. OR DENOUNCING OF GOD'S ANGER AND JUDGEMENTS AGAINST SINNERS, With certain Prayers, to be used on the first Day of Lent, and at other times, as the Ordinary shall appoint. After Morning Prayer, the Litany ended according to the accustomed manner, the Priest shall, in the Reading-Pew or Pulpit, say, BRETHREN, in the Primitive Church there was a godly discipline, that, at the beginning of Lent, such persons as stood convicted of notorious sin were put to open penance, and punished in this world, that their souls might be saved in the day of the Lord; and that others, admonished by their example, might be the more afraid to offend. Instead whereof, (until the said discipline may be restored again, which is much to be wished,) it is thought good, that at this time (in the presence of you all) should be read the general sentences of God's cursing against impenitent sinners, gathered out of the seven and twentieth Chapter of Deuteronomy, and other places of Scripture; and that ye should answer to every Sentence, Amen: To the intent that, being admonished of the great indignation of God against sinners, ye may the rather be moved to earnest and true repentance; and may walk more warily in these dangerous days; fleeing from such vices, for which ye affirm with your own mouths the curse of God to be due. TOW seeing that all they are accursNo witness) who do err and go astray from ed (as the prophet David beareth the commandments of God; let us (remembering the dreadful judgement hanging over our heads, and always ready to fall upon us) return unto our Lord God, with all contrition and meekness of heart; bewailing and lamenting our sinful life, acknowledging and confessing our offences, and seeking to CURSED is the man that maketh bring forth worthy fruits of penance. any carved or molten image, to worship it. And the people shall answer and say, Amen. For now is the ax put unto the root of the trees, so that every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. It is a Minister. Cursed is he that curseth fearful thing to fall into the hands of his father or mother. Answer. Amen. the living God: he shall pour down rain upon the sinners, snares, fire and Minister. Cursed is he that removeth brimstone, storm and tempest; this shall his neighbour's land-mark, Answer. Amen. be their portion to drink. For lo, the Lord is come out of his place to visit Minister. Cursed is he that maketh the wickedness of such as dwell upon the blind to go out of his way. Answer. Amen. Minister. Cursed is he that perverteth the judgement of the stranger, the fatherless, and widow. Answer. Amen. the earth. But who may abide the day of his coming? Who shall be able to endure when he appeareth? His fan is in his hand, and he will purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the barn; but he will burn the chaff with unquench Minister. Cursed is he that smiteth able fire. The day of the Lord cometh his neighbour secretly. Answer. Amen. as a thief in the night: and when men shall say, Peace, and all things are safe, I ready to receive us, and most willing to pardon us, if we come unto him with faithful repentance; if we submit ourselves unto him, and from henceforth walk in his ways; if we will take his easy yoke, and light burden upon us, to follow him in lowliness, patience, and charity, and be ordered by the governance of his Holy Spirit; seeking always his glory, and serving him duly in our vocation with thanksgiving: This if we do, Christ will deliver us from the curse of the law, and from the extreme malediction which shall light upon them that shall be set on the left hand; and he will set us on his right hand, and give us the gracious benediction of his Father, commanding us to take possession of his glorious kingdom: Unto which he vouchsafe to bring us all, for his infinite mercy. Amen. then shall sudden destruction come upon | sinners; assuring ourselves that he is them, as sorrow cometh upon a woman travailing with child, and they shall not escape. Then shall appear the wrath of God in the day of vengeance, which obstinate sinners, through the stubbornness of their heart, have heaped unto themselves; which despised the goodness, patience, and long-sufferance of God, when he calleth them continually to repentance. Then shall they call upon me, (saith the Lord,) but I will not hear; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me; and that, because they hated knowledge, and received not the fear of the Lord, but abhorred my counsel, and despised my correction. Then shall it be too late to knock when the door shall be shut; and too late to cry for mercy when it is the time of justice. O terrible voice of most just judgement, which shall be pronounced upon them, when it shall be said unto them, Go, ye cursed, into the fire everlasting, which is prepared for the devil and his angels. Therefore, brethren, take we heed betime, while the day of salvation lasteth; for the night cometh, when none can work. But let us, while we have the light, believe in the light, and walk as children of the light; that we be not cast into utter darkness, where is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Let us not abuse the goodness of God, who calleth us mercifully to amendment, and of his endless pity promiseth us forgiveness of that which is past, if with a perfect and true heart we return unto him. For though our sins be as red as scarlet, they shall be made white as snow; and though they be like purple, yet they shall be made white as wool. Turn ye (saith the Lord) from all your wickedness, and your sin shall not be your destruction: Cast away from you all your ungodliness that ye have done: Make you new hearts, and a new spirit: Wherefore will ye die, O ye house of Israel, seeing that I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God? Turn ye then, and ye shall live. Although we have sinned, yet have we an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins. For he was wounded for our offences, and smitten for our wickedness. Let us therefore return unto him, who is the merciful receiver of all true penitent Then shall they all kneel upon their knees, and the Priest and Clerks kneeling (in the place where they are accustomed to say the Litany) shall say this Psalm. Miserere mei, Deus. Psalm li. HAVE mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness: according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences. Wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my faults: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight that thou mightest be justified in thy saying, and olear when thou art judged. Behold, I was shapen in wickedness : and in sin hath my mother conceived me. But lo, thou requirest truth in the inward parts and shalt make me to understand wisdom secretly. Thou shalt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Turn thy face away from my sins : and put out all my misdeeds. Make me a clean heart, O God: and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence : and take not thy holy Spirit from me. O give me the comfort of thy help again and stablish me with thy free Spirit. Then shall I teach thy ways unto the wicked and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, thou that art the God of my health: and my tongue shall sing of thy right eousness. Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord: and my mouth shall shew thy praise. For thou desirest no sacrifice, else would I give it thee: but thou delightest not in burnt-offerings. The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, shalt thou not despise. O be favourable and gracious unto Sion build thou the walls of Jeru salem. Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, with the burntofferings and oblations: then shall they offer young bullocks upon thine altar. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; Answer. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen. Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, 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 trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil. Amen. Minister. O Lord, save thy servants; Answer. That put their trust in thee. Minister. Let us pray. LORD, we beseech thee, mercifully hear our prayers, and spare all those who confess their sins unto thee; that they, whose consciences by sin are accused, by thy merciful pardon may be absolved; through Christ our Lord. Amen. MOST mighty God, and merciful Father, who hast compassion upon all men, and hatest nothing that thou hast made; who wouldest not the death of a sinner, but that he should rather turn from his sin, and be saved; Mercifully forgive us our trespasses; receive and comfort us, who are grieved and wearied with the burden of our sins. Thy property is always to have mercy; to thee only it appertaineth to forgive sins. Spare us therefore, good Lord, spare thy people, whom thou hast redeemed; enter not into judgement with thy servants, who are vile earth, and miserable sinners; but so turn thine anger from us, who meekly acknowledge our vileness, and truly repent us of our faults, and so make haste to help us in this world, that we may ever live with thee in the world to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Then shall the people say this that followeth, after the Minister. TURN thou us, O good Lord, and so shall we be turned. Be favourable, Lord, Be favourable to thy people, Who turn to thee in weeping, fasting, and praying. For thou art a merciful God, Full of compassion, Long-suffering, and of great pity. Thou sparest when we deserve punishment, And in thy wrath thinkest upon mercy. Spare thy people good Lord, spare them, And let not thine heritage be brought to confusion. Hear us, O Lord, for thy mercy is great, And after the multitude of thy mercies look upon us; Through the merits and mediation of thy blessed Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. THE ¶ Then the Minister alone shall say, HE Lord bless us, and keep us; the Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon us, and give us peace, now and for evermore. Amen. THE PSALMS OF DAVID. BL THE FIRST DAY. Morning Prayer. PSALM I. Beatus vir, qui non abiit &c. LESSED is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners and hath not sat in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord: and in his law will he exercise himself day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the waterside that will bring forth his fruit in due season. 4 His leaf also shall not wither and look, whatsoever he doeth, it shall prosper. 5 As for the ungodly, it is not so with them: but they are like the chaff, which the wind scattereth away from the face of the earth. 6 Therefore the ungodly shall not be able to stand in the judgement neither the sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 7 But the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous : and the way of the ungodly shall perish. WHY PSALM II. Quare fremuerunt gentes? HY do the heathen so furiously rage together: and why do the people imagine a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth stand up, and the rulers take counsel together: against the Lord, and against his Anointed. 3 Let us break their bonds asunder: and cast away their cords from us. 4 He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn the Lord shall have them in derision. |