THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD. The brethren meet at the appointed hour at the house of the deceased, and the bishop reads the following verses, some of them in the house of the deceased, and some whenever the hearse happens to stop on the way, or else over the grave itself: never die. AM the resurrection and the life, saith the : he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall St. John xi. 25, 26. I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh I shall see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another. Job xix. 25, 26, 27. We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 1 Tim. vi. 7. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the Name of the Lord. Job i. 21. Here may be sung or read the xxxix. or xc. Psalm, or both. Then may follow a Lesson taken out of the xv. chapter of the 1st Epistle to the Corinthians, beginning at the 20th verse. The following is to be said after the body has been brought to the grave: Man that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live, and is full of misery. He cometh up, and is cut down, like a flower; he fleeth as it were a shadow, and never continueth in one stay. N the midst of life we are in death: of whom may we seek for succour, but of thee, O Lord, who for our sins art justly displeased? Yet, O Lord God most holy, O Lord most mighty, O holy and most merciful Saviour, deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death. Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts; shut not thy merciful ears to our prayer. But spare us, Lord most holy, O God most mighty, O holy and merciful Saviour, thou most worthy Judge eternal, suffer us not, at our last hour, for any pains of death, to fall from thee. The body having been placed in the grave, the bishop takes a portion of the earth of the grave, saying: ORASMUCH as it hath pleased Almighty God of his great mercy to take unto himself the soul of our dear brother [sister] here departed, we therefore commit his [ber] body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in hope of the resurrection to eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. The bishop then throws the earth into the grave, and also every one of the persons present takes a portion of earth, and throws it reverently into the grave. The bishop then says: 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. Lord, have mercy upon us. JUR 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. MERCIFUL God, 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 wellbeloved Son shall then pronounce 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 God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen. THE END. G |