commonly called, The Churching of Women. The Woman at the ufual time after her Delivery, fall come into the Church, decently apparelled, and there shall kneel down in fome convenient place, as hath been accustomed, or as the Ordi nary fhall direct: And then the Priest fhall fay unto her, Orafmuch as it hath plea- I said in my hafte, All men are fed Almighty God of his goodness to give you safe What reward fhall I give undeliverance, and hath preferved to the Lord: for all the benefits you in the great danger of that he hath done unto me? Child-birth, you fhall therefore give hearty thanks unto God, and fay,

F

Then fhall the Prieft fay the 116 Pfalm)

Dilexi, quoniam.
Am well pleated: that the
Lord hath 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 inares of death compaf

liars.

I will receive the cup of falvation and call upon the Name of the Lord.

I will pay my vows now in the prefence of all his people: in the courts of the Lords house, even in the midft of thee, O Jerufalem. Praise the Lord. Glory be to the Father, &c. As it was in the, &c. Or the 127 Pfalm, Nifi Dominus.

fed me round about: and the Except the Lord build the

houfe: their labour is but pains of hell gat hold upon me. loft that build it.

I found trouble and heavi- Except the Lord keep the nefs, and I called upon the city the watchman waketh Name of the Lord : OLord, I but in vain. beseech thee, deliver my foul. Gracious is the Lord, and righteous yea, our God is merciful.

The Lord preferveth the fimple: I was in mifery, and he helped me.

Turn again then unto thy reft, O my foul: for the Lord hath rewarded thee.

And why? thou haft delivered my foul 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 fpeak, but I was fore troubled:

It is but loft labour that ye hafte to rife up early, and so late take reft, and eat the bread of carefulness: for fo he giveth his beloved fleep.

Lo, children and the fruit of the wonib: are an heritage and gift that cometh of the Lord.

Like as the arrows in the hand of the giant: even fo are the young children.

Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they fhall not be afhamed when they fpeak with their enemies in the gate.

Glory be to the Father, &c.
As it was in the, &c.
15.
Then

Then the Prieft fall fay,
Let us pray.

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Chrift, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Ur Father,

Minifter. Lord, hear our

prayer.

Answer. And let our cry

come unto thee.

Minifter. Let

Heaven; which art in Aumighty God, We give

thee humble thanks, for Name. Thy Kingdom come. that thou haft vouchfafed to Thy will be done in Earth, As deliver this woman thy fervant it is in Heaven. Give us this from the great pain and peril day our daily bread. And for- of Child-birth; Grant, we begive us our trefpaffes, As we feech thee, moft merciful Faforgive them that trefpafs a- ther, that the through thy gainst us. And lead us not in- help may both faithfully live, to temptation; But deliver us and walk according to thy from evil: For thine is the king- will in this life present, and dom, The power and the glo- alfo may be partaker of everry, For ever and ever. Amen. lafting glory in the life to come, Minifter. O Lord, fave this through Jefus Christ our Lord. woman thy fervant; Answer. Who putteth her trift in thee.

Minifter. Be thou to her a frong tower,

Aufwer. From the face of her enemy.

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.

A Commination, or denouncing of Gods anger and judgments against Sinners, with certain Prayers to be used on the First Day of Lent, and at other times, as the Ordinary shall appoint.

B

After Morning Prayer, the Inftead whereof (until the Litany ended according to the faid difcipline may be reftored accustomed manner, the Prieft again, which is much to be fall in the reading Pew or wifhed) it is thought good,that Pulpit, fay, at this time (in the presence of Rethren, in the primitive you all) fhould be read the geChurch there was a ged- neral Sentences of Gods curfing ly difcipline, that at the againft impenitent finners, gabeginning of Lent, fuch perfons thered out of the seven and as ftood convicted of notorious twentieth Chapter of Deuterofin, were put to open penance, nomy, and other places of Scriand punished in this world,that pture; and that ye fhould antheir fouls might be faved in fwer to every Sentence, Amen: the day of the Lord, and that To the intent, that being admoothers admonished by their nifhed of the great indignation example, might be the more of God against finners, ye may afraid to offend.

the

the rather be moved to earnest
and true repentance, and may
walk more warily in there dan
gerous days; fleeing from fuch
vices, for which ye affirm with
your own mouths the curfe of 1 Cor. 6. 9, 10.
God to be due.

Minifter. Curfel are the un merciful, fornicators, and adulterers, covetous perfons, idolaters, flanderers, drunkards, and extortioners. S. Matth.. 25. 43.

Urfed is the man that maketh any carved or molten image, to worship it. Deut.

27. 15.

Minifter. Curfed is he that removeth his neighbours landmark. ver. 17. Anfwer. Amen.

Anfwer. Amen.

NOW

Minifter. Ow feeing that all they are accurfed (as the prophet David beareth witnefs) who do err and go aftray from the commandments of God, let us (remembring the dreadful judgment 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 finful life, acknowledging and confeffing

Minifter. Curfed is he that our offences, and feeking to maketh the blind to go out of bring forth worthy fruits of pe his way. ver. 1S. Answer. Amen.

Minifter. Curfed is he that perverteth the judgment of the ftranger, the fatherless, and widow. ver. 19. Answer. Amen.

Minifter. Curfed is he that fmiteth his neighbour fecretly.

nance. For now is the ax put unto the root of the trees, fa that every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and caft into the fire. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God: He fall pour down rain upon the finners, fnares, fire and brimftone, ftorm and tempeft; this fhall be their portion to drink. For lo, the Lord is come out of his place, to vifit the wickednefs of fuch as dwell upon the earth. But who may abide the day of his coming? Who fhall be able to endure when he ap peareth? 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 unquenchable fire. The day of the Lord cometh as a thief in the night: and when men fhall fay, Peace, and all things are 16

Tafe,

fafe, then fhall fudden deftru- with a perfect and true heart we tion come upon them, as for- return unto him. For though row cometh upon a woman tra- our fins be as red as scarlet, vailing with child, and they they fhall be made white as fhall not escape. Then fhall fnow: and though they be like appear the wrath of God in the purple, yet they fhall be made day of vengeance, which obfti- white as wooll. Turn ye (faith nate finners, through the ftub- the Lord) from all your wickbornness of their heart, have edness, and your fin fhall not heaped unto themfelves, which be your deftruction. Caft adefpifed the goodness,patience, way from you all your ungodand long-fufferance of God, linefs that ye have done, make when he called them continu- you new hearts, and a new fpially to repentance. Then fhall rit: Wherefore will ye die, O they call upon me (faith the ye house of Ifrael, seeing that Lord) but I will not hear; they I have no pleasure in the death fhall feek me early, but they of him that dieth, faith the hall not find me; and that be- Lord God? Turn yethen, and caufe they hated knowledge, ye fhall live. Although we and received not the fear of the have finned, yet have we an Lord, but abhorred my coun- Advocate with the Father, Jefel, and defpifed my correcti- fus Chrift the righteous, and on. Then fhall it be too late to he is the propitiation for our knock when the door fhall be fins. For he was wounded for fhut; and too late to cry for our offences, aud fmitten for mercy when it is the time of our wickedness. Let us therejuftice. O terrible voice of fore return unto him who is the moft juft judgment which fhall merciful receiver of all true be pronounced upon them, penitent finners; affuring our when it fhall be faid unto them, felves that he is ready to reGo ye curfed into the fire ever- ceive us, and moft willing to lafting, which is prepared for pardon us, if we come unto the devil and his angels. There him with faithful repentance; fore, brethren, take we heed if we fubmit our felves unto betime, while the day of falva- him, and from henceforth tion lafteth; for the night co- walk in his ways; if we will meth when none can work: take his eafie yoke, and light but let us, while we have the burden upon us, to follow him light, believe in the light, and in lowlinefs, patience, and walk as children of the light, charity, and be ordered by the that we be not caft into utter governance of his Holy Spirit; darkness, where is weeping feeking always his glory, and and gnashing of teeth. Let us ferving him duly in our vocanot abuse the goodness of God, tion with thanksgiving. This who calleth us mercifully to if we do, Chrift will deliver us amendment, and of his end- from the curfe of the law, and lefs pity promifeth us forgive- from the extreme malediction mess of that which is paft, if which fhall light upon them

that

that fhall be fet on the left Make me a clean heart, O God: and renew a right spirit within me.

hand; and he will fet us on his
right hand, and give us the gra-
cious benediction of his Father,
commanding us to take poffef-
fion of his glorious kingdom: ly Spirit from me.

Caft me not away from thy prefence: and take not thy Ho

unto which he vouchfafe to O give me the comfort of bring us all, for his infinite .mercy. Amen.

Deliver me from bloodguiltinefs, O God, thou that art the God of my health and my tongue fhall fing of thy Hood, after thy great goodAve mercy upon me, O righteousness.

neis: according to the multi- O Lord: and my mouth fhall tude of thy mercies, do away fhew thy praife.

For thou defireft no facriWafh me throughly from my fice, elfe would I give it thee: wickedness and cleanfe me but thou delighteft not in from my fin. burnt-offerings.

Glory be to the Father, and Thou shalt purge me with to the Son and to the Holy hyffop, and I fhall be clean: Ghost; thou fhalt wash me, and I fhall be whiter than fnow.