as being to sit in a more eminent place in the Congregation to pay her thanks to God for her safe deliverance from so great a danger which Veil may not only mind her of her subjection but teach her also to make reflexion upon that first sin wherein the Woman was the first which brought the Sex first under subjection and withall subjected them to the great danger of Child-birth Indeed some superstitious Persons who are apt to create fears to themselves where there is no ground of fear which is the right meaning of superstition taken in a bad sense scruple more at this Vestment than at the committing of a gross sin and where-ever this Veil is used I verily believe it may be to convince these pittiful Christians of their gross ignorance who scruple so at every indifferent thing that they do not only destroy all Christian duty but all Christian liberty too which they so much contend for I do not read it injoyned by any Ecclesiastical Canon nor by any injunction of the Church only it is a civil custom and fashion of the Country and hath no more offence in it than the wearing of new Gloves at Marriages or blacks at Funerals Dr. Whitgift Defence of his Answer to the Admonition Fol. 537. 3. Note The Woman is to kneel in a convenient place For kneeling I suppose no just exception can be taken out against that for it hath ever been the manner in Christ's Church Note 1. Book of Edward VI. unto the Quire Door whether we offer to God or receive ought offered from him in this wise to do it Vid. Bishop Andrews Serm. on Phil. 2.8 9 10 11. Now the Woman at this time hath a peculiar offring of praise and thanksgiving to offer up to God for her deliverance and therefore it is fit she do it in most decent and humble manner But as to the convenient place we must take our directions from custom and the Ordinary however in case it be more within the publick view and the publick hearing than any other place the Chancel and as neer to the Communion Table as may be approached the Woman not pressing or presuming within the Rail which is a place peculiar to the Priest only is the fittest place and hath ever been so accounted in the Churches practise For that is indeed properly the Sacrarium where Oblations were wont to be made They who brought any gift were to bring it unto the Altar or to the Holy Table which in Ignatius is frequently termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Altar According to that of our Saviour If thou bring thy gift to the Altar Mat. 5.23 which is clearly a Christian injunction implying when we bring any special gift to God for any special mercy received thither we must bring it It was the usual place whither all oblations donations and gifts devoted to God and the maintenance of his Service were brought Vid. Capital Caroli Magni Wormatiae lib. 6. c. 285. And then the Priest shall say unto Her For as much as it hath pleased Almighty God of his goodness to give you safe deliverance and hath preserved you in the great danger of Child-birth you shall therefore give hearty thanks unto God and say Rubrick Then shall the Priest say this Psalm Note 1. In the former Liturgy this Preface For as much as it hath pleased c. was left arbitrary to the Priest these words or such like as the case shall require but since our Reformers very prudently noting of how dangerous a consequence it is to leave things arbitrary in publick Offices especially when some extravagant Ministers took occasion thereby to depart clearly from the sense sometimes as well as from the words and assumed such a liberty as did exceed the due bounds of modesty and sobriety therefore to avoid all such extravagancies for the future have tied up the Ministers to use these very words which words are to be applied to the Woman who is to return her thanks and that she may discharge this duty of thankfulness with the more fervency and devotion she is in few words put in mind 1. Of the greatness of her danger 2. Of God's goodness to her in her deliverance Note 2. The Minister is to go before the Woman I suppose in the reading of the Psalm and she to make her Response of every Verse after him for in the Preface she is to say as well as the Priest is to say in the Rubrick The usual Psalm both in the Scotch Liturgy and our former Liturgy was Psalm 121. which was a Psalm not abused but very appositly applied in regard the Contents of it are expresly thus That the faithful ought only to look for help from God But in regard some Persons have made their exceptions against it by reason of some passages in the Psalm which were not plain enough to their capacities in their literal meaning therefore our late Reformers being willing to give satisfaction to all truly tender Consciences have laid that Psalm aside and made choice of two other less liable to exception for to supply that defect Psal 116. This Psalm is a grateful acknowledgment of God's seasonable deliverances and gracious returns to the prayers of his afflicted distressed Servant which are to be answered with vows of new obedience and intire affiance in God This Psalm indeed was not Penn'd for such a particular occasion as this but yet it is thought seasonable at this time to be used and may very fitly be applied to this occasion Paraphrase Vers 1. I desired of the Lord in whom I reposed my chief and only confidence that he would be pleased to hear my prayer and in his good time consider my distress and send me a seasonable and gracious deliverance Vers 2. Now seeing he hath thus graciously heard my request and bestowed upon me the mercy which I prayed for I shall when ever my calamities approach me or seize upon me apply my self by my prayers chiefly and solely to God and however I neglect not any other lawful means yet will I make him my chief trust and dependance Vers 3. My dangers indeed which by the strength and goodness of my God I have escaped were very great menacing death Vers 4. And when I had small or no hopes of rescue left me from any humane means I made my address to God's over-ruling help and providence I humbly and fervently besought him in my Prayers that he would send me a seasonable deliverance Vers 5. For certainly thought I be my dangers what they will yet I have a merciful and faithful God in whom I trust who will make good his promise of mercy to all who depend upon his promises and faithfully by prayer solicite him for performance Vers 6. It is his proper attribute to be the supporter of the weak and the reliever of those who are in distress and accordingly hath he dealt with me in my greatest destitution Vers 7. And now being thus rescued
pronounced by all the People with a loud Voice Jerom. in 2. proaem comment in Galat. Clem. Alexandr stromat lib. 7. Optati◠est adimpletionis omnium petitionum The Lord's Prayer and the Decalogue answering each the other Lord's Prayer  Decalogue God is our Father Therefore No other Gods but Him God is in Heaven No graven Image to worship it God's Name must be hallowed We must not take his Name in vain We pray that Gods Kingdome may come and his wil may be done Some portion of time must be consecrate for his worship and service We pray that he would give us our daily Bread Having sufficient we must be helpful to others and so honour our Father Mother and having sufficient we have the less temptation to be injurious to others in any kind We pray that God would not lead us into temptation We must contentedly sit down with what we have and not entertain any covetous desires after that which is another Mans. Minister  O Lord save this Woman thy Servant Psal 34.22 Psal 33.21 Answer  Who putteth her trust in Thee  Minister  Be Thou to her a strong Tower Psal 25.1 Psal 18.1 Answer  From the face of her enemy  Minister  Lord hear our Prayer  Answer Psal 4.1 And let our cry come unto Thee Psal 5.1 2. Note These Responds are the very Scripture phrase taken out of the Psalms that Treasury of Devotion and are fitted to the present occasion wherein Minister and People as taking it one from the other put up their Prayers to God for a continued mercy upon the Woman who comes devoutly to return her thanks to God for the great mercy already received Minister Let us Pray Note The Prayer following being clearly fitted to the occasion this clause is set before it to stir up the People to joyn heartily and unanimously with the Minister in begging of Almighty God those special blessings and mercies to rest upon the Woman which are there and then prayed for O Almighty God we give Thee humble thanks for that thou hast vouchsafed to deliver this Woman thy Servant from the great pain and peril of Child-birth 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 Note This Prayer seems principally to be grounded upon 1 Tim. 2.14 15. and is an admirable summary of devotion wherein the Church so far honours these weaker Vessels as to pray for as many blessings upon them as they can possibly be capable of or as can be summ'd up in so few words It is very great pity that any Woman should be so silly so over-laden with sin and over-led with lust 2 Tim. 3.6 as to be carried away as so many Captives by those Seducers and Instruments of destroying Souls who creep first into their Houses then into their hearts into their bosomes so as to depart from God and from this Office of the Church which is purposely framed up for them in reference to their present and future Estate being meerly gull'd out of their Religion by those who pretend it to be Popish and fain would make it so Sed avertat Deus whereas I do verily believe there is no such Christian provision made in all the Mass-Book for Child-bearing Women not so sober grave and serious without any the least mixture of unprofitable and useless Ceremonies Rubrick The Woman that cometh to give her thanks must offer her accustomed offrings and if there be a Communion it is convenient that she receive the holy Communion Note These accustomed offrings were some Evangelical Oblations and small Retributions given to God into the hands of his Ministers by the Woman to be as an evidence of her gratitude for the eminent blessing which she had received and when we offer up our special thanks to God for special mercies it is fit we should bring presents unto him there is nothing Jewish in it but we are obliged to be thankful to God for his mercy no less then the Jews Non ore tantum sed opere David was for a Quid retribuam Psal 116.11 And when-ever we do offer to God it is but Tibi Domine de tuis 1 Chron. 29.14 Now that the Woman receive the Communion if there be a Communion is very requisit that by a new addition of mercies she may have the more ties and obligations upon her to spend the remainder of her days in holiness and may double her oblations together with her mercies received and return home not emptier but the fuller for her oblations filled with joy and comfort having received a spiritual refreshment as well as a corporal deliverance and so make it the business of her whole life to devote her self and those Children to God which God hath given her Lastly Here is to be noted that neither the blessing nor the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ concludes this Office in regard it is a service to be performed betwixt the first and second service which doth so conclude as Dr. Sparrow observes Rational pag. 363. Neither is such like Office altogether a stranger in the Reformed Churches beyond the Seas for in the Hungarian Polonian and Lithuanian Churches we read of an Office of this nature used Vid. Mr. Durel pag. 48. sect 59. THE Primitive Church Discipline GEN. III. xxiv And he drove out the Man and he planted at the East of the Garden of Eden Cherubims and a flaming Sword which turned every way to keep the way of the Tree of Life THis is the first early instance we have in Scripture for Church-Discipline Gratian derives it hence Distinct 50. c. 64. Epiphanius seems to derive it hence Haeres 52. and so doth Jerom. in Hos lib. 2. c. 6. and Augustine in Genes ad lit lib. 11. c. 40. and many others and if so there is not only Scripture for such a Discipline but the most ancient of Scripture An ancient godly Discipline of putting notorious sinners to open Penance which it seems is lost amongst us and we only wish as there is cause enough for it a happy restauration of it It was indeed when it was used as it ought to be a very laudable and edifying way to reform the scandals of Christianity and to make Christians in profession to be Christians in their lives and conversations too It is strange that the only reforming discipline should be abandoned those Churches which are stiled the Reformed that excommunication should be it self excommunicate and that driven out of the Church which should drive out vice And I wonder a whole Nation should vote the restauration of it and so few in the Nation should endeavour it It is a sign that vice hath overtopt Christianity hath gotten the upper hand of all Laws both Political and Ecclesiastical and that may very
they are Persons who must give an account of their proficiency in the Gospel who are under their charge Heb. 13.17 I wish the Ministers were so careful of their People as to go to the Sick when they call or send for them and that the People had so much respect for the Ministers and for themselves too as to send for them upon all occasions when ever they stand in need of any spiritual aids Peace be to this House and to all that dwell in it Note This is clearly grounded upon that of our Saviour When ye come into an House salute it say peace that is all kind of prosperity be to this House Matth. 10.12 13. Luk. 10.5 6. And if there be any pious Person or Son of Peace in the house capable of so great a blessing theâ— the blessing of peace shall rest upon him if not the blessing shall return to the Minister and the party visited shall receive no advantage by the Ministers coming to him upon a design of so much charity Rubrick When he cometh into the sick Mans presence he shall say knéeling down Remember not Lord our iniquities c. Note This short Prayer is warranted from these Texts of Scripture Joel 2.17 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Act. 20.28 Psal 85.3 Answer Spare us good Lord. Note This supposes a company joyned in Prayers with the Minister and to return back Spare us good Lord in answer to the Ministers Spare thy People going before Rubrick Then the Minister shall say Let us Pray Lord have mercy c. Our Father which art in Heaven c. Note I have already often accounted for the frequent use of these in our divine Offices and therefore I shall not now say any thing of them only give me leave to insert this short Paraphrase upon the Lord's Prayer Our Father which art in Heaven O Lord God our Heavenly Father who art the giver of all goodness who art the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ by nature ours by grace and favour who dwellest in Heaven the Throne of thy Majesty the Seat of thy Glory attended by myriads of Angels ready to take Commissions from Thee in order to execute thy will and pleasure Hallowed be thy Name Send down thy grace unto us and to all People that we may glorifie thy great Name as we ought to do Let thy blessed and glorious Name be ever sanctified by us and by all that draw nigh unto Thee may we never profane it in our common talk abuse it by detestable oaths or blasphemies nor vainly make use of it in words or works professing Thee with our Lips and departing from Thee in our Lives Thy Kingdom come May the Scepter of thy Spirit so over-rule our unruly Spirits that we may worship Thee serve Thee and obey Thee as we ought to do Lord remove from us the Kingdom of thy Justice for if Thou shouldst strictly account with us no flesh could be justified bring us into Thy Kingdom of Grace that we may be comforted here and into thy Kingdom of Glory that we may be crowned hereafter Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven So long as we are to live in this Vale of misery let not our own wills but Thy will be done in us and by us in our several stations periods and conditions incline our hearts unto Thee that we may do all thy commands sincerely readily chearfully and in some proportion to what is done by the blessed Saints and glorious Angels in Heaven where there is no opposing disputing or resisting of thy will Give us this Day our daily Bread And that we may go on the more cheerfully in the discharge of our duties not taken off nor interrupted by any anxious thoughts about the things of this life We pray Thee to send us all things needful both for our Souls and Bodies the necessaries of our lives from day to day proportion'd to every Mans being or sustenance Give us the day of our life and the life of our days our daily bread victual for the nourishing of our bodies doctrinal for the reforming of our lives Sacramental for the sanctifying and saving of our Souls And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us We beseech Thee also to be merciful unto us and to forgive us our sins punish not on us those sins wherewith we have offended and provoked Thee to punish us Pardon all our sins of impiety committed against Thee of injustice and uncharitableness committed against our Neighbours of intemperance and uncleanness committed against our selves These and all other sins committed by us against thy Divine Majesty in thought word or deed we pray Thee to pardon and pass by as we forgive all who have any way or at any time trespassed against us in thought word or deed in body goods or Name And lead us not into Temptation And to these blessings of thy Mercy in pardoning what is past add that other of thy providence to preserve us for the time to come Suffer us not through our own corâ—uptions which are very many nor through the Devils malice which is very great to be brought into any temptation or snare or to be intangled in any dangers or difficulties which may not be easily supported by us But deliver us from evil But let it be thy pleasure to save and defend us in all dangers ghostly and bodily to keep us from all sin and wickedness from our ghostly enemy and from everlasting death Deliver us from the blandishments of the flesh the allurements of the World the plausible snares of the Devil From external evils internal evils eternal evils by thy grace from the evil of sin by thy mercy from the evil of punishment Good Lord deliver us For thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory for ever and ever Amen These and all other blessings of thy grace goodness mercy and Majesty we trust Thou wilt bestow upon us of thy mercy and goodness through our Lord Jesus Christ For thine is the Kingdom and we doubt not but that Thou art able to remove from us all those Evils and Judgments which we have prayed to be delivered from For thine is the power Both which we beg at thy hands in order to advance and to set forth thy glory For thine is the glory To Thee therefore Father Son and Holy Ghost Three Persons and One God be ascribed in our Prayers and in our praises all honour glory power praise might majesty and dominion to both Ages the present and the future for the ever of this World which hath an end and the ever of that other World which is without end Amen Lord so be it Minister O Lord save thy Servant c. O Lord look down from Heaven c. Hear us Almighty and most merciful God and Saviour c. Note These Prayers are all prescribed and deliver'd in the very Scripture phrase so full of piety charity and devotion and so sitted to all
our debauched souls with thy grace extirpate sin that grace may be implanted break the power of sin in us bruise Satan under our feet and set up the Throne and Scepter of Jesus Christ in our hearts bring down every exalting thought and proud imagination in us to the obedience of Christ translate us out of the kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of thy dear Son Let not Sin nor Satan reign in us but let thy Son reign in us by the Scepter of his Holy Spirit May thy Kingdom of Grace come to us that we may come to thy Kingdom of Glory 3 Petit. And O Lord we desire Thee to cloath our Souls with those Divine affections that we may love the same love choose the same objects and delight in unions and holy conformities with Thee Lord so incline our hearts and affections that we may make thy providence which is the guide of the World the measure of our desires that we may be patient in all accidents and conform to thy will both in doing and in suffering that we may submit to all changes even to persecutions for thy Holy Name Make us to do thy will in the manner of Angelical obedience promptly readily cheerfully and with all our faculties as the Angels in Heaven serve Thee with concord harmony and peace so may we joyntly serve Thee here on Earth with peace and purity and love unfeigned That we may have nothing in us that may displease Thee but that quitting all our own desires and pretensions we may live in all Angelical conformity Make our Souls subject to Thee and our passions to our Souls that thy will may be done by us here on Earth as it is done by the Holy Angels in Heaven 4 Petit. And O Lord we pray Thee to give us all that is necessary for the support of our lives that portion of bread which is Day by Day needful for us we pray Thee for the poor who want it and have it not but as it is deposited in thy hand Let thy mercy O Lord ploughing the Fields of Heaven bring them in their Meat in due season we pray Thee for the rich who have it and yet may stand in need of thy blessing with it From the highest to the lowest we all wait upon Thee that thou would'st be pleased to feed us with food convenient for us We beg but for a Day that we may always have our dependance on Thee to minister to us as we need it 5 Petit. And seeing every sin entertained with a free choice and a full understanding is an obstruction to our Prayers keeping our Prayers from Thee and thy blessings from us as sinful delinquents and penitent Servants we desire Thee to pardon and forgive us all our sins not only our sins of infirmity invasion and sudden surprize which through natural weakness may adhere to most of our best actions but also our sins of a deeper dye our sins of wilfulness and wickedness Pardon O Lord what is past in thy mercy and keep us from such presumptuous sins and all other for the time to come by thy grace And when we ask forgiveness of Thee incline our hearts to discharge the obligation which thy condition of pardon hath laid upon us in forgiving one another May the indearing mercy of Thee our Father lay an engagement upon our Souls not to contrive the least revenge or entertain the least malice against our erring brethren and follow Christians who have in the least been injurious to us we implore thy mercy to forgive our grand trespasses which are talents and we beg thy grace that we may forgive petty injuries done to us which are but pence 6 Petit. And seeing O Lord we are in this World hemm'd about with many dangers and lie exposed to many afflictions as Persons placed in the midst of dangers we make our addresses to Thee the only great and most gracious deliverer humbly beseeching Thee to guard and defend us from all adversities which may happen to the Body and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the Soul Lord suffer us not to be led into temptation but if through frailty and weakness we fall into any gross sin give us the grace of repentance to rise again and work in us such a detestation of sin for the time to come that we may stand the firmer after our fall may the fear of falling with thy supporting grace be for ever after the best tenure of our standing 7 Petit. Deliver us O Lord from the evil of sin by thy grace from the evil of punishment by thy mercy From our selves O Lord deliver us from the allurements of the flesh from the temptations of the World from the suggestions of the Devil From evil men from the Men of this World from all their plots plausible snares terrible threats violent and rude armes may their power only prevail to exercise our patience but not to subvert our faith or destroy our confidence in Thee Shelter us under the covert of thy Wings against all fraud and every violence that no temptation may destroy our hopes weaken our strength alter our state or overthrow our glories this we beg for our selves for thy whole Church hear them we pray Thee for us hear us for them and thy Son Jesus Christ for us all Doxology To whom with Thee and the Holy Spirit be ascribed all honour power and glory for thine One God in Essence distinguished in Personality is the Kingdom Power and Glory now and for ever Amen So it is Lord so be it Minister O Lord save thy Servants c. Note These short Ejaculatory Prayers by way of Response for which the reason is already given in my first essay upon the Service-Book are so grave so clearly Scriptural that they are delivered in the very Scripture phrase so that I look upon it as a very needless task to put my self to any further trouble about the recommending of them to the vulgar I know rational Men are able to give a right judgment upon rational things and to acquiesce and truly for the inferiour sort of People whom I have no small value for they costing Christ as dear as the most Potent in Superiority I advise them to trust the judgment of the Church in the ordering of these external things which are not contrariant to the Word of God and assure them withall that their obedience in such matters is better than Sacrifice or any exteriour act of Religion performed meerly in a customary manner and for fashion-sake as I fear too many are guilty of Minister Let us pray Note The reason for this I have given already it is only when we are turning our selves as it were to any special part of devotion required in any special and distinct Office to be intent upon it and to make it our Hoc age O Lord we beseech thee mercifully c. O most mighty God c. Note These are for the substance Scriptur'd
hopes of a Resurrection Such Ceremonies are used in exprobration to Death and Mortality By them we shew that we are not sorry for our departed friends as Men without hope we look upon them only as Herbs and Flowers cropt off for a time and to spring up again in their season We sow their Bodies in the Earth with as much faith as we do our Seeds and Herbs and equally expect the spring of both In 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 Note Our end borders upon our beginning Finisque ab origine pendet Death and Life like Jacob and Esau take hold on each others â—eel Orimur morimur We bring sin and death into the World with us Haeret lateri lethalis arundo 'T is in vain to hope for long life which is so short that it is at an end whilst we are speaking of it Dum loquimur fugit vita The Man in the Gospel sung a Requiem to his Soul for many Years when the summons came presently Stulte hac nocte Luk. 12.20 Vitae summa brevis spem nos vetat inchoare longam A Christians hope is not in this life only which is not the only life indeed not to be reckon'd of as life at all Via non vita A midling betwixt life and death Mortalis vita vitalis mors but truly my hope saith David is in Thee O Lord who canst deliver my Soul from sin and my Body from the Grave Psal 39.7 8. Thou killest and thou makest alive thou bringest down to the Grave and bringest up 1 Sam. 2.6 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 Note As there is a two-fold Resurrection a Resurrection from sin to the life of grace which is glory begun Rom. 6.4 1 Cor. 15.34 and a Resurrection from the Sepulchre to the life of glory which is grace compleat 1 Cor. 15.54 Philip. 3.21 So there is a two-fold death The first death to which the first nature which we derive from Adam is subjected For upon Adam's sin all that are partakers of his nature are concluded under the sentence of death pronounced against him 1 Cor. 15.22 It was a statute made in Paradise a Decree not to be reversed a Debt not possible to be declined Gen. 3 19. Statutum est omnibus semel mori Heb. 9.27 All Men must die the first Death Wherein the Sepulchre like the Serpent feeds on nothing but dust it is not so much the death of the Body as the Death of the Corruption of the Body Mortalitas magis finita est quam vita And there is a second death to which all regenerate Christians who belong to Christ are not subjected but as they derive another nature from Christ so in that nature they shall be raised again to the life immortal 1 Cor. 15.22 Souls and Bodies both For however there is a death of the Soul not that it ceaseth to be but when it ceaseth to be righteous Habet anima mortem suam cum vita beata caret quae vâ—ra animae vita dicenda est August Perdere animam est non ut non sit sed ut male sit So the glosse upon Matth. 16.26 Yet they who belong to Christ who live according to his Doctrine and Example shall be raised Souls and Bodies to an endless life of endless felicities They who have a part in the Resurrection of grace shall have no part in the Second Death Which first Resurrection is proverbially applied to the flourishing condition of the Church under the Messias after a long time of Persecution Revel 20.5 According to that of the Apostle speaking of the Jews received to favour as Persons raised from the dead again Rom. 11.15 and the Second Death is applied to an â—tter final irreparable excision and cutâ—ing off Revel 20.6 Now against this Second Death the bitter pains of Eternal Death in the burning Lake where the Worm never dies and the Fire is not quenched the Church here teaches us to pray for as to the first Death which is a Debt to be paid to that nature which we derive from Adam there is no avoiding of it Palvis es in pulverem reverteris â—s Man's Epitaph written with Gods own Finger Gen. 3.19 But Libenter mortalis sum qui sim futurus immortalis is the faithful Man's subscription Thou knowest Lord the secrets of our hearts shut not thy merciful Eares to our Prayers 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 Note Here we pray to God who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Maker of hearts and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Knower and Searcher of hearts and of actions as well as of hearts that he would in mercy hear our Prayers and in equal mercy pardon and forgive us our sins that he would sanctifie us by his Holiness imparted to us that he would defend us by his power save us in his infinite mercy and as we must all stand before him at the day of Judgment so he would stand by us at the Hour of Death that so the Devil who assaults us in the heel Gen. 3.15 and is most busie at the end and close of our life may have no advantage of us but that by the Shield of Faith we may put by all his Fiery Darts and never come into those everlasting Burnings but dying as Moses did Ad osculum oris Jehovae At a kiss of the Mouth of God So the Chalde paraphrase in Deut. 34.5 We may depart in the arms of God and so pass by Death temporal to Life Eternal Rubrick Then while the Earth shall be cast upon the Body by some standing by the Priest shall say Note This is left arbitrary for any by-stander to perform by which it is implied that it shall be the state and condition of every One one day He that casts earth upon the dead Body to day may have earth cast upon his tomorrow Hodie mihi cras tibi For as much as it hath pleased Allmighty God of his great mercy to take unto Himself the Soul of our dear here departed Eccles 12.7 we therefore commit _____ Body to the ground earth to earth ashes to ashes dust to dust Eccles 12.7 Eccles 3.20 Gen. 3.19 in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to Eternal Life Psal 16.9 1 Cor. 15.20 21 22. 1 Thes 4.13 14. through our Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile Body that it may be like unto his glorious Body according to the mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things to Himself Philip. 3.20 21. Note When we perform these officia postremi muneris as the Fathers call them and decently commit the Bodies
wherein the Woman is to return her praise and thanks to God for her deliverance when the pain is ovâ—r and the danger is past Had the Church never enjoyn'd this our own reason may tell us this is fit to be done First to pray to God for his mercy we would receive and then to praise God for his mercy received That so our duty may keep pace with God's bounty and our grateful devotions answer in some proportion God's gracious deliverances Certainly as the Apostle speaks this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A very rational Service a Service that hath very much of reason in it Rom. 12.1 and none but such who have little reason and less religion in them can be against it No Christian who hath grace and gratitude in him but will blush at that pitiful and poor Objection which is made against it as if forsooth in returning thanks for every one thus delivered and vouchsafed this mercy we should be like the Messilian Hereticks who do nothing else but pray Indeed I think of the two it is better being like such Heretiques who do nothing but pray than to be like such Schismatiques and disquiet Spirits who do nothing but rail and quarrel at whatever is so prudently ordered and established by lawful Authority and this is the judgment of a very reverend Man Hook Eccles Polic. lib. 5. sect 74. David tells us it is a good thing a thing very well becoming the just and religious Persons to be thankful Psal 92.1 Psal 33.1 I like not that godliness which teacheth any Man to be unthankful Among the Ten Lepers which were cleansed our Saviour took notice but of one that returned to acknowledg the mercy Luk. 17.17 18. Christ in commending of him condemned the other Nine Yet we read not of any special command injoyning one or other to return back and to give thanks only the nature of the benefit received did in all reason require it By which it is evident that when God is merciful to us we are bound up by reason as well as Religion to be thankful to him And where can a Woman express her thanks to God for so great a mercy better than in the Congregation and that for these reasons 1. To evidence her own thankfulness 2. To provoke others to the like thankfulness by her example 3. To excite all to make some reflexion upon the first sin which laid so heavy a curse exposing them to so great a danger upon Woman-kind 4. To work in Children an impression of love duty and obedience towards those Mothers of theirs who did undergo so much pain and sorrow to bring them into the World Neither know I how or which way Children can ever make amends or sufficiently requite their Parents Now in regard this return of Thanks is to be performed in the publick and in the Face of the Congregation it is intitled The Churching of Women For so soon as God gives them strength and they have retired themselves so long time as is consistent with the Christian rules of modesty and sobriety it is very fit they should come in decent and humble manner and make a publick acknowledgment of Gods great mercy to them in the presence of God's People then met together in Gods house neither do I conceive how the great end of this Office according to the Churches intention can be exactly performed and discharged to have it hudled up in silence and obscurely in their private houses nor indeed done at all unless the Ordinary grant forth a dispensation in a case of apparent necessity which it concerns the Church to be very wary in granting in regard as I have observed in this irreligious Age we have so many gross and dead-hearted Christians that they are apt to pretend a necessity where really none is and Midwifes in such cases made too often guilty of the midwifery of lies by which means the publick Offices of the Church are too much abused and scandalously slubber'd over in private Houses Rubrick The Woman at the usual time after her delivery shall come into the Church decently apparelled and there shall knéel down in some convenient place as hath béen accustomed or as the Ordinary shall direct And then the Priest shall say unto her Note 1. By usual time we are to understand so soon as ever she shall be able Statim post partum Ecclesiam ingredi non prohibetur Canon Law Dist. 5. c. Haec quae Levit. 12. Decretal lib. 3. Tit. 4. And yet by the civil Law and according to the Tradition of the Church in case the Woman be like to live the usual time is Forty Days after her delivery not as if the Woman were so long time to be adjudged unholy or lying under any uncleanness mentioned in the Levitical Law which Law so far as Ceremonial we hold utterly abolished but only upon a ground of Christian modesty and to chastize intemperance and the like are Women so long restrained from the carnal delights of the Matrimonial Bed as appears by the Canon Law Dict. 5. c. and the Constitution 17th of Leo. Neither can any modest or sober Christians cavil at this unless they will cavil also at that prudent advise given by the Apostle for married Persons upon occasion by mutual consent to abstain from those things which are lawfully enjoyed at other times 1 Cor. 7.5 Note 2. By decent apparel is doubtless meant some distinguishing habit by which the Woman who is to give her thanks is to be taken notice of from other Women No such habit either commanded or forbidden but left as an indifferent thing Vid. Haman L'estrange neither can any conscience which is not scandalously and shamefully weak so weak indeed as it may rather be interpreted stubbornness of will than weakness of conscience take any just offence at this for according to the judgment of Tertullian I cannot conceive what hurt can possibly be in a Vestment where the wearers are not faulty Tertul. lib. de pall And St. Paul hath fully determin'd in the case touching all indifferent things That to the pure all things are pure Tit. 1.15 that is they who strictly abstain from unlawful freedom may with a safe Conscience use any lawful liberty But the usual Vestment worn for distinction at this time by the Woman was a comely Veil to be as a token of her modesty and subjection for the use of the Veil had that meaning in it in the Apostles time 1 Cor. 11.10 So Photius tells us in his Epist 210. The Woman ought to be subject to the Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to bear the sign of her subjection a covering on her Head Such kind of covering every Woman ought to wear in the Congregation 1 Cor. 11.5 But if the Woman be singled out from the rest to joyn with the Minister in discharging any Christian duty as in this case Then questionless she ought to have a Veil not only for decency but for distinction too
by him and delivered from those dangers which did encompass me I have nothing to do but to serve him in all sincerity and integrity of conversation Vers 8. For he hath rescued my life from death wiped all tears from my eyes restored me from my weakness to a perfect strength and soundness Vers 9. Therefore will I spend the remainder of my days which he shall afford me in this World in his service and at the present make my humble address to the place of God's special presence there to celebrate that mercy which he hath afforded me in so signal a deliverance Vers 10 11. When my calamities were most pressing and my dangers greatest by which I was clearly convinced that the arm of flesh was not to be trusted in for my relief yet I knew there was one sure hold to which I might hopefully and successfully resort the never failing Omnipotent hand of God therfore to that I betook my self entirely and from that I received my deliverance Vers 12 13 14. For this and for all other abundant mercies which God hath so graciously bestowed upon me I am bound up by all obligations to make my most thankful acknowledgment and to do it in the most solemn manner in the presence of the whole Congregation by way of publick Festival blessing and magnifying God's Holy Name who hath preserved my life from so great a danger and kept it as a Jewel of his own Cabinet as being by me humbly deposited with and intrusted to him And this is his gracious way of dealing not with me only but with all who truly rely and depend upon Him For which signal mercy of his I here present my self at this time to pay that gratitude and oblation of praise which if I did not promise in my danger yet am now bound up to perform after my deliverance Vers 16. O most gracious Lord how am I obliged to Thee by all the bonds that any ingagement can lay upon me No Servant bought with a price or born in a Man's house can be more closely bound to him than I am bound to Thee who hast rescued me by so great a deliverance from so great a danger Vers 17 18 19. What remains now but that I should return to Thee the humblest offrings of praise and prayer and spend my whole life as a vow'd oblation to thy service rendring Thee all possible praise in the publick Assembly and in the most solemn manner saying Blessed be the name of the Lord or Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the begining is now and ever shall be World without end Amen Vid. Dr. Hammond Or this Psalm 127. Note This or the former is left to the prudence and discretion of the Minister but the Church in both hath made so good a choice that the Minister in either cannot make an ill one Paraphrase This Psalm was composed by Solomon as a Compendium of his Ecclesiastes wherein is set down the vanity of worldly sollicitude without God's blessing as in all things else so in that of Children the greatest blessing of life Vers 1. There is no way in the World to attain any secular wealth or safety save only from the blessing of God the author and dispenser of all good things The building up of Houses and Families of gathering Riches and begetting Children to inherit them is not to be imputed to Man's sollicitude but is wholly imputable to God's blessing Unless God by his special protection guard a City all the guards of Men can do but little to the securing or preserving of it and unless God build up a Family all the industry of Men will not be successful to it Vers 2. 'T is to little purpose for Men to deny Nature that rest which God hath indulged to her to moil incessantly and to debar themselves the enjoyment of worldly comforts thinking by this means to inrich their Posterity for they who trust and depend upon their own anxious and sollicitous indeavours are generally frustrated and disappointed in their aims and ends whereas they who take God's blessing along with them thrive insensibly and become prosperous though they never loose any sleep in the pursuit of it Vers 3. And for Children that 's a particular blessing of God's from whom all increase comes and he gives them as he pleases and sees good as a present reward to the piety and other virtues of Men. Vers 4. And of all blessings this of a numerous Progeny is the greatest every Child being an addition of strength and safety to the Father Children of Youth are as arrows in the hand of a mighty Man and defend the House from Hostil Invasions as well as Weapons can Vers 5. As the Military Man guards himself with Weapons Arrows and Darts having them in a full quiver all in a readiness and prepared so the Master of a Family is fortified from Hostile Invasions and all other insolencies and molestations by the multitude and strength of his numerous Children who are in a readiness to back and defend him at all turns from injuries of any kind which the open violence or more secret fraud of Men can design against him either in the Field or in any Court of Judicature Vid. Dr. Hammond Therefore for other blessings and for these amongst the rest Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost c. Note Two more excellent Psalms could not have been selected out of the whole Book of Psalms for this Office which though not Penn'd for this particular occasion yet are most admirably fitted to it and most seasonably applied and no Church in the World is more happy for her Verba Opportuna as our Church of England is Then the Priest shall say Let us Pray Note This is like the Prophet David â—s invitatory Psal 95.1 and is frequently used in other Offices of the Service Book especially before the Lord's Prayer to shew what requests we desire more particularly to summe up in that Prayer at that time For this reason is this clause inserted into the Absolution at the begining of Morning Prayer Wherefore let us bâ—seech Him to grant us true repentance and his holy Spirit c. The meaning is that we are incited more particularly to pray for the grace of repentance and the gifts of the Spirit in the Lord's Prayer immediately following which Prayer was undoubtedly indicted by our Saviour for such a purpose or else it is set before these Three Versicles Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us which antiquity called the lesser Litany and were of very early admission into the service of the Church Clemens lib. 8. c. 5. c. 6. And fitly are they placed before â—â—e Lord's Prayer because expedient it is we implore God's mercy before we resort to him in Prayer Durand rational lib. 4. c. 12. It is an address to the blessed Trinity whereby
we avouch our faith in God One in Essence Three in Person we are to pray to But be this Oremus or Let us pray set where it will the end and â—se of it is very good to settle and fix our intentions towards some ensuing duty for unless we are thus stirred up and called upon we are apt to grow dull and drowsie and to supplicate God to hear those Prayers which we do not hear our selves This Oremus is very ancient as appears out of Chrysostom Augustine and others and there was a practise amongst the Heathens in their sacred though erroneously so Offices very like unto it Vid. Plutarch in Coriolano Our Father which art in Heaven Our Teacheth us to pray one with another one for another he who prays only for himself shal be heard only for himself The prayers we put up to God should be cast in the mould of love and charity He who is angry with his brother cannot offer a pleasing and acceptable offring to God his Father without faith no acceptable pray'r without love no true faith Father This begets in us love a humble confidence a holy kind of presumption what wil God deny us who vouchsafes us this to call him Father Though we are sinful he will not forget to be merciful though we forget our duties he will not forget his Nature Laesus est sed tamen pater which art in Heaven This begets in us fear and a holy kind of reverence This minds us of our earthly peregrination shews our wants and whence we are to expect relief it notes us to be strangers and pilgrims on Earth standing in need of his help and assistance who is in Heaven It teacheth us whither we are to direct our prayers and where to settle our affections when we pray Orantis est nil nisi coelestia cogitare It shews whence every good comes we can possibly want or stand in need of it shews God to be all-sufficient able to help us for in Heaven as willing to hear us for our Father It minds us that we are but viatores Travailours Earth is our way and Heaven is our home Our Nos pudeat eum aspernari fratrem quem deus non aspernatur filium Est vox charitatis as this Pray'r is Breviarium fidei so is it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Singuli pro omnibus omnes pro singulis orant Pro se orat necessitas pro aliis charitas Father Magnum nomen hoc sub quo nemini desperandum Surgam ibo ad patrem Luc. 15.18 19. Pater etiamsi offensus est pater filius etiamsi nequam tamen filius He will never forget the nature of his Name though we forget our duties There is indulgentia paterna liberalitas paterna Facilitas dandi condonandi in patre Nomen patris explicat charitatem dei excitat charitatem nostri which art in Heaven Other Fathers sub terris he in coelis Isay 63.16 Psal 10.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 3. aquilarum hoc negotium non talparum non milvorum Caelumque tueri Jussit We do genus de coelo ducere Act. 17. We should look home with the Prodigal Luc. 15. As Absolom desired to see the King's face 2 Sam. 14. So we the face of Christ and God in Heaven Coelum petere is the Unum necessarium In this sense Qua supra nos maxime ad nos Pater ergo vult In coelis ergo potest Nullus pater talis pater Tertull. Hallowed be thy Name This shews as Holiness is the chief attribute in God so it should be the chiefest thing in our account we should be holy as he is holy holy in our words holy in our actions holy in our lips holy in our lives We must not falsify Gods Name set it where he will not set it himself nor pretend it to justifie or legitimate any Action which is sinful This is as if we should carry God's Ark into the Field to fight against himself or fight the devils cause under the banner of Christ or wear Christs livery in the bare profession of a name and do the devils service We do not sanctifie God's Name but profane it when we profess him in words and deny him in works When we pretend Christian liberty to destroy Christian duty make use of Religion to usher in Sacriledge and Rebellion Paint the Cross upon banners and yet by actions most sinful and scandalous put Christ as it were upon a new Crucifixion God is not to be named but he is above every name only he was pleased to make himself known under the notion of names that we might have some directions how to invocate and call upon Him This is Caput votorum Sanctificetur cannot come from any Persons that are profane Psal 50.16 17. Not Jacob 's voice and Esau 's hands Not a Scriptum est from the Devil's mouth nor the devils gloss and comment upon GOD's Text. In Nomine Domini incipit omne malum that ought not to be There are Qui sub Christiano Nomine Christianam vulnerant Religionem Quid verba audio cum facta videam En Testimonia rerum loquentia signa God's Name is as a Castle we must not flie to it but in time of need Prov. 18.10 Deus Sanctificat nos faciendo Sanctos ex non sanctis nos sanctificamus Deum non faciendo eum sanctum sed agnoscendo praedicando Extrinsecus assumpsit sibi nomen ut invocetur Thy Kingdom come In this Petition we pray for the propagation of the Gospel the spreading of Christian Religion all the World over that God's Name which was onely great in Israel may be known and acknowledged reverenced and adored among all Nations we pray for the extirpation of sin and the implantation of grace that we may be translated out of the Kingdome of Darkness into the Kingdom of Light freed from the slavery of sin and Satan and intitled to the glorious liberty of the Sons of God That Christ would set up his Throne and Scepter in our hearts that the work of grace may be here in us glory begun and the work of glory may be hereafter in us and upon us grace compleat We pray for the means ordained and appointed of God to bring this Kingdom to us and us into it the word the Sacraments and a regular and ordain'd Ministry to preach the one and to administer the other Thy Kingdom of God 1. Universal over all 2. Special over the Church and this latter 1. Regnum gratiae inchoatum in hac vita 2. Regnum gloriae consummatum post hanc vitam Rex hujus Regni Christus 1. Quia Deus 2. Quia Mediator Regni hujus cives 1. Angeli 2. Sancti Militantes in terris Triumphantes in coelis Regni hujus Leges 1. Verbum Dei 2. Spiritus Dei Regni hujus Dona 1. Fides 2. Conversio 3. Justificatio 4. Sanctificatio 5. Glorificatio Regni hujus hostes 1. Diaboli 2. Homines impii In