XIV.

OFFICE FOR THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD

On entering the church, the Minister may use the following Sentences. Or, if all the services be performed at the house, he may begin with these Sen tences.

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

None of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself; for whether we live, we live unto the Lord, and whether we die, we die unto the Lord : whether we live therefore or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died and rose, and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and living.

We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the Name of the Lord.

Then may be read, or chanted.

PSALM XC.

1. LORD, Thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations.

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

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

4. For a thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.

5. Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they arc as a sleep in the morning they are, like grass which groweth up.

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

7. For we are consumed by Thine anger, and by Thy wrath are we troubled.

8. Thou hast set our iniquities before Thee, our secret sins in the light of Thy countenance.

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

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

11. Who knoweth the power of Thine anger? even according to Thy fear, so is Thy wrath.

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

Then the Minister shall say:

Hear the Word of God as it is written in the fifteenth chapter of St. Paul's first Epistle to the Corinthians, beginning with the thirty-fifth verse:

But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool,

that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain; it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased Him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh is not the same flesh; but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial : but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the 'dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritua body. There is a natural body, and there is a spirit ual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a Quickening Spirit. Howheit, that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the Heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the Heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption

Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, Which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

[FOR A CHILD.]

Hear the Gospel of our Saviour Jesus Christ, in reference to little children.

AND they brought young children to Him, that He should touch them; and His disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it He was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And He took them up in His arms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them.

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.

For the Son of Man is come to save that which was lost. How think ye? If a man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so, it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple: and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

The Lord gave; and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the Name of the Lord.

After the reading of Holy Scripture the Minister shall say:

Let us pray.

ALMIGHTY AND MOST MERCIFUL GOD, the consolation of the sorrowful, and the support of the weary, Who dost not willingly grieve or afflict the children of men; look down in tender love and pity, we beseech Thee, upon Thy servants, this bereaved