fecret fins in the light of thy_countenance. For when thou art angry, all our days are gone: we bring our years to an end, as it were a tale that is told. The days of our age are threefcore years and ten : and tho' men be fo ftrong that they come to fourscore years, yet is their ftrength then but labour and forrow: fo foon paffeth it away and we are gone. But who regardeth the power of thy wrath? For even thereafter as a man feareth, fo is thy difpleafure. So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Turn thee again, OLord, at the laft, and be gracious unto thy fervants. O fatisfy us with thy mercy, and that foon: fo fhall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life. Comfort us again now after the time that thou haft plagued us; and for the years wherein we have fuffered adverfity. Shew thy fervants thy work, and their children thy glory. And the glorious Majefty of the Lord our God be upon us profper thou the work of our hands upon us, O profper thou our handy work. &c. Glory be to the Father, As it was in the, &c. Then fhall follow the Leffon, taken out of the fifteenth Chapter of the former Epiftle of Saint Paul to the Corinthians. 1 Cor. 15. 20. NOW is Chrift rifen from the dead, and become the firft-fruits of them that flept. For fince by man came death, by man came alfo the refurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Chrift shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Chrift the firft-fruits; afterwards they that are Chrift's, at bis coming. Then cometh the end, when he fhall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule, and all authority and power. For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The laft enemy that fhall be deftroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he faith all things are put under him, it is manifeft that he is excepted which did put all things under him. And when all things fhall be subdued unto him, then fhall the Son alfo himfelf be subject unto him that put all things under him; that God may be all in all. Elfe what fhall fhall they do which are baptized for the dead. If the dead rife not at all, why are they then baptized for the dead? And why ftand we in jeopardy every hour? I proteft by your rejoycing which I have in Chrift Jefus our Lord, I die daily.If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephefus, what advantageth it me if the dead rife not? Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. Be not deceived ; evil communications corrupt good manners. Awake to righteousness, and fin not; for fome have not the knowledge of God. I fpeak this to your fhame. But fome man will fay, How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou foweft is not quickened, except it die and that which thou foweft, thou foweft not that body that shall be, but bare grain; it may chance of wheat, or of fome other grain. But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every feed his own body. All flesh is not the fame flesh but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beafts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are alfo celeftial bodies, and bodies terreftial; but the glory of the celeftial is one, and the glory of the terreftial is another. There is one glory of the fun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the ftars; for one ftar differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead: it is fown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: it is fown in difhonour; it is raised in glory: It is fown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is fown a natural body; it is raised a fpiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a fpiritual body And fo it is written, The firft man Adam was made a living soul, the last Adam was made a quickning fpirit. Howbeit, that was not firft which is spiritual; but that which is natural, and afterward that which is fpiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, fuch are they that are earthy and as is the heavenly, fuch are they also that are heavenly. And as we have born the image of the earthy, we also shall bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I fay, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I fhew you a mystery. We fhall not all fleep, but we fhall all be changed, in a mo ment, ment, in the twinkling of woman hath but a fhort time to live, and is full of mifery. He cometh up, and is cut down like a flower; he fleeth as it were a fhadow, and never continueth in one stay. In the midst of life we are in death: of whom may we feek for fuccour, but of thee, O Lord, who for our Sins art juftly difpleas'd? Yet, O Lord God moft Thou knoweft, Lord, the Orafmuch as it hath to another life, through our able able to fubdue all things to himself. Then fhall be faid or fung. Heard a voice from heaven, faying unto me, Write, From henceforth bleffed are the dead which die in the Lord: even fo faith the Spirit; for they reft from their labours. Rev. 14. 13. OUR Father which art in Heaven; Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth,as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive usour *trefpaffes, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into tempta * Debts, as we forgive our tors. Deb tion ; But deliver us from + evil. Amen. + The evil Prieft. One. A Lmighty God, with whom do live the fpirits of them that depart hence in the Lord, and with whom the fouls of the faithful, after they are delivered from the burden of the flesh, are in joy and felicity; grant unto this this fervant, that the fins which he committed in this world, be not imputed unto him; but that he may ever dwell in the region of light, with Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob; in the place where is no weeping, forrow, nor hea vinefs: and when the day of the general refurrection fhall come, make him and us to rife alfo with the juft and righteous, and receive our bodies again to glory, then made pure and incorruptable. Set us then all on the right hand of thy Son Jefus Chrift, among thy holy and elect; that then we may hear with them, thofe moft fweet and comfortable words: Come ye blessed of my Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. Note, That this laft Prayer is to be omitted if the Perfon was only a Catechumen. Then fhall be added. E do alfo humbly refign up to thee our dear brother [or fifter] whom thou haft been pleafed to deliver out of the miferies of this WE finful world; befeeching thee that it may please thee of thy gracious goodness, fhortly to accomplish the number of thine elect, and to haften thy kingdom: that we, with all those that are departed in the true faith of thy holy Name, may have our perfect confummation and blifs, both in body and foul, in thy eternal and everlasting glory, thro' Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen. The Collect. Merciful God, the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift Chrift, who art the refurrection and the life; in whom whofoever believeth, fhall live, tho' he die; and whofoever liveth and believeth in him, fhall not die eternally; who hath also taught us (by his holy Apoftle Saint Paul) not to be forry as men without hope, for them that fleep in him; We meekly beseech thee, O Father,to raise us from the death of fin unto the life of righteoufnefs; that when we shall depart this life, we may reft in him; and that at the general refurrection in the laft day, we may be found acceptable in thy fight, and obtain a joyful refurrection to everlafting life. Grant this, we beseech thee, O merci ful Father, through Jefus Chrift our Mediator and Redeemer. Amen. THE grace of our Lord ΤΗ Jefus Chrift, and the love of God, and the fellowfhip of the Holy Ghost, be with you all evermore. Amen. The Holy Communion, as well as Baptifm, and other facred Offices of Religion, appear at first to have been fometimes performed over the Graves of the faithful departed, and of the Martyrs, in token of the Chriftians full expec tation of their refurrection to Glory at the last day. The Penitentia! Office; which may be added, in Times of Diftrefs, or of folemn Fafting, before the concluding Prayer, at Noon, on Wednesdays and Fridays, excepting the Fifty Days between Eafter and Pentecoft. Beloved brethren, Seeing that all they are accurfed (as the prophet David beareth witness) who do err and go aftray from the Commandments of God, let us remember the dreadful judgmentshanging over our heads, and always ready to fall up on us, and let us return unto our Lord God with all contrition and meeknefs of heart; bewailing and lamenting our finful life, acknowledging and confeffing our offences, and feeking to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance. For the ax will be put unto the root of the tree, fo that every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, will be hewn down, and caft into the fire. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God: he fhall pour down rain upon the finners, fnares, fire and brimftone, ftorm and tempeft; this fhall be their portion to drink. For lo, the Lord will come out of his N place |