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 those who sleep in him; We humbly 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; and that, at the general Resurrection in the last THE THANKSGIVING OF WOMEN AFTER CHILD-BIRTH; COMMONLY CALLED, THE CHURCHING OF WOMEN. 1 This Service, or the concluding prayer alone, as it stands among the Occasional Prayers and Thanksgivings, may be used at the discretion of the Minister. 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 Minister shall say unto her, of my prayer; That he hath inclined his ear unto me; therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. I found trouble and heaviness, and I called upon the Name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. 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. I will pay my vows now in the presence of all his people; in the courts of the LORD'S Louse, even in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD. 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 shall the Minister say the Lord's Prayer, with what follows: but the Lord's Prayer may be omitted, if this be used with the Morning or Evening Prayer. Ο UR Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Naime, Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, As it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil. Amen. Minister. O Lord, save this woman thy servant; Answer. Who putteth her trust in thee. Minister. Be thou to her a strong tower; Answer. From the face of her enemy. Minister. Lord, hear our prayer. Answer. And let our cry come unto thee. Minister. Let us pray. ALMIGHTY God, we give thee humble thanks for that thou hast been graciously pleased to preserve, through the great pain and peril of Childbirth, this woman thy servant, who desires now to offer her praises and thanksgivings unto thee. Grant, we beseech thee, most merciful Father, that she, through thy help, may both faithfully live, and walk according to thy will, in this life 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, which shall be applied by the Minister and the Churchwardens to the relief of distressed women in child-bed; and if there be a Communion, it is convenient that she receive the Holy Communion. FORMS OF PRAYER TO BE USED AT SEA. The Morning and Evening Service to be used daily at sea, shall be the same which is appointed in the Book of Common Prayer. These two following Prayers may | that we may be a safeguard unto be also used in ships of war ETERNAL Lord God, who alone spreadest out the heavens, and rulest the raging of the sea; who hast compassed the waters with bounds, until day and night come to an end; Be pleased to receive into thy Almighty and most gracious protection, the persons of us thy servants, and the Fleet [or Ship] in which we serve. Preserve us from the dangers of the sea, and from the violence of the enemy; the United States of America, and a security for such as pass on the seas upon their lawful occasions; that the inhabitants of our land may in peace and quietness serve thee our God; and that we may return in safety to enjoy the blessings of the land, with the fruits of our labour; and, with a thankful remembrance of thy mercies, to praise and glorify thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. The Collect. IRECT us. O Lord, in all our D doings, with thy most gracious favour, and further us with thy continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in thee, we may glorify thy holy Name; and finally by thy mercy obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Prayers to be used in storms at sea. MOST powerful and glorious mand the winds blow, and lift up the waves of the sea, and who stillest the rage thereof; We, thy creatures, but miserable sin ners, do in this our great distress cry unto thee for help: Save, Lord, or else we perish. We confess, when we have been safe, and seen all things quiet about us, we have forgotten thee our God. and refused to hearken to the still voice of thy word, and to obey thy command ments: But now we see how terrible thou art in all thy works of wonder; the great God to be feared above all: And therefore we adore thy Divine Majesty, acknowledging thy power, and imploring thy goodness. Help, Lord, and save us for thy mercy's sake, in Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord. Amen. Or this. MOST glorious and gracious Lord God, who dwellest in heaven, but beholdest all things below; Look down, we beseech thee, and hear us, calling out of the depth of misery, and out of the jaws of this death, which is now ready to swallow us up: Save, Lord, or else we perish. The living, the living shall praise thee. O send thy word of command to rebuke the raging winds and the roaring sea; that we, being delivered from this distress, may live to serve thee, and to glorify thy Name all the days of our life. Hear, Lord, and save us, for the infinite merits of our blessed Saviour, thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. The Prayer to be suid before a fight at sea against any eneту. MOST powerful and glorious hosts, that rulest and commandest all things; Thou sittest in the throne judging right, and therefore we make our address to thy Divine Majesty in this our necessity, that thou wouldest take the cause into thine own hand, and judge between us and our enemies. Stir up thy strength, O Lord, and come and help us; for thou givest not alway the battle to the strong, but canst save by many or by few. O let not our sins now cry against us for vengeance; but hear us thy poor servants begging mercy, and imploring thy help, and that thou wouldest be a defence unto us against the tace of the enemy. Make it appear that thou art our Saviour and mighty Deliverer, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Short Prayers for single persons, who cannot meet to join in prayer with others, by reason of the fight, or storm. L General Prayers. ORD be merciful to us sinners, and save us for thy mercy's sake. Thou art the great God, who hast made and rulest all things: O deliver us for thy Name's sake. Thou art the great God to be feared above all: O save us, that we may praise thee. Special Prayers with respect to the enemy. THerford HOU, O Lord, art just and defend our cause against the face of the enemy. O God, thou art a strong tower of defence to all who fly unto thee: O save us from the vio lence of the enemy. Ο UR Father. who art in heav en, 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 us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil. Amen. When there shall be imminent danger, as many as can be spared from necessary service in the ship shall be called together, and make on humble confession of their sin to God: In which every one ought seriously to reflect upon those particular sins of which his conscience shall accuse him; saying as followeth. word, and deed, Against thy Divine Majesty, Provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against us. We do earnestly repent, And are heartily sorry for these our misdoings; The remembrance of them is grievous unto us; The burden of them is intolerable. Have mercy upon us, Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father; For thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ's sake, Forgive us all that is past; And grant that we may ever hereafter Serve and please thee In newness of life, To the honour and glory of thy Name; Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Then shall the Priest, if there be any in the ship, say, BE joyful in God, all ye lands; sing praises unto the honour of his Name; make his praise to be glorious Say unto God, O how wonderful art thou in thy works; through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies be found liars unto thee. For all the world shall worship thee, sing of thee, and praise thy Name. O come hither, and behold the works of God; how wonderful he is in his doing toward the children of men. He ruleth with his power for ever; his eyes behold the people: and such as will not believe shall not be able to exalt themselves. O praise our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard; Who holdeth our soul in life; and suffereth not our feet to slip. For thou, O God, hast proved us; thou also hast tried us, like as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the snare; and laidest trouble upon our loins I will go into thine house with burnt-offerings; and will pay thee my vows, which I promised with my lips, and spake with my mouth, when I was in trouble. O come hither, and hearken, all ye that fear God; and I will tell you what he hath done for my soul. I called unto him with my mouth. and gave him praises with my tongue. If I incline unto wickedness with mine heart, the Lord will not hear me. But God hath heard me; and considered the voice of my praver. Praised be God, who hath not cast out my prayer, nor turned his mercy from me. 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. Confitemini Domino. From 0 THAT men would praise the LORD for his goodness; and declare the wonders that he doeth for the children of men! That they would offer unto him the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and tell out his works with gladness! They that go down to the sea in ships, and occupy their business in great waters; These men see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep. For at his word the stormy wind ariseth, which lifeth up the waves thereof. They are carifed up to the heaven, and down again to the Then are they glad, because they are at rest; and so he bringeth them unto the haven where they would be. O that men would therefore praise the LORD for his goodness; and declare the wonders that he doeth for the children of men! That they would exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the seat of the elders! 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. Collects of Thanksgiving. MOST blessed and glorious Lord God, who art of infinite goodness and mercy; We, thy poor creatures, whom thou hast made and preserved, holding our souls in life, and now rescuing us out of the jaws of death, humbly present ourselves again before thy Divine Majesty, to offer a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, for that thou heardest us when we called in our trouble, and didst not cast out our prayer, which we made before thee in our great distress: Even when we gave all for lost, our ship, our goods, our lives, then didst thou mercifully look upon us, and wonderfully command a deliverance; for which we, now being in safety, do give all praise and glory to thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. |