FORM III.

AN ORDER FOR THE BURIAL OF A PROFESSOR OF RELIGION.

TRIUMPHANT.

BLESSED be God, even the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath brought to light, life and immortality in the gospel, and hath saved us according to His own purpose and grace in Christ Jesus, who hath abolished death, and ransomed us from the power of the grave. God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salativon by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. He also Himself likewise took part of flesh and blood; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death are all their lifetime subject to bondage. Therefore, we are always confident, knowing that whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord; and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

I know that my Redeemer liveth; and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another, though my reins be consumed within me. For I know in whom I have believed; and I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him, against that day. I have fought a good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing. For to me to live is Christ; and to die is gain.

O death! where is thy sting? O grave! where is thy victory? Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

I will behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to His abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance,

incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for them who are kept by the power of God, through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. Verily, there is a reward for the righteous. In thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for ever more. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun, in the kingdom of their Father. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory. We shall be where He is, to behold His glory, that, where He is, there we may be also. Neither shall life, nor death, nor any other creature, separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. He shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, when He shall come to be glorified in His saints. And we know, that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. We shall walk with Him in white, clothed in white robes, and palms in our hands, with crowns of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give, even a crown of glory, that fadeth not away. We stand and rejoice in this hope of the glory of God, looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. We, minding this promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, confessing that this is not our rest, but that we seek a better country, even an heavenly. We shall come to Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born, which are written in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirit of just men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. After this, I beheld, and, lo! a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands. 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 upon 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 water; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. And He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people; and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying; neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away. And there shall be no more curse; but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him; and they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light; and they shall reign for ever and ever. Wherefore, comfort ye one another with these words.

FORM IV.

FOR THE BURIAL OF A PERSON NOT A Professor of RELIGION.

DIDACTIC.

BEHOLD, God has made our days as an hand-breath, and our age as nothing. Our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding. One dieth in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet; and another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure. They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms cover them. The grave is our house. We may say to corruption, Thou art my father; to the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sister. We dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust; which are crushed before the moth. As for man, his days are as grass; as the flower of the field, so he flourisheth; for the wind passeth over it, and it is gone. Thou, O Lord, takest away their breath; they die, and return to their dust. Thou turnest man to destruction, and sayest, Return, ye children of men; neither can any stay thine hand, or say unto thee, What doest thou? Thou carriest them away as with a flood. The days of the years of our pilgrimage 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. What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? Who shall deliver his soul from the hands of the grave? We know that God will bring us to death, and to the house appointed for all living. They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches, none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him, that he should still live, and not see corruption. And when he dieth, he shall carry nothing away.

Let no man deceive you, brethren; for it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. For we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive according to the deeds done in his body, whether they have been good or evil. I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. When the wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish; for as we brought nothing into the world, so it is certain we can carry nothing out. And thinkest thou, O man, who despisest the riches of God's goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering, that thou shalt escape in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath; but glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh good? The ungodly shall not stand in judgment. The wicked is reserved to the day of destruction. They shall be brought forth to the day of wrath. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all that forget God; for God will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the

days of thy youth; and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things, God will bring thee into judgment. He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised him from the dead. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

Oh, that we were wise! that we understood this! that we would consider our latter end! Lord, make us to know our end, and the measure of our days, what it is; that we may know how frail we are. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

He that hath ears to hear, let him hear; for, behold, the Judge standeth at the door.

FORM V.

FOR THE BURIAL of One NOT A PROFESSOR of RELIGION.

ALARMING.

By one man, sin entered into the world, and death by him; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. By one man's offence, death hath reigned, even over them who had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression; and so judgment came upon all, even to condemnation. The voice said, Cry; and he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass; all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field; the grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it. Surely the people is grass. They trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; yet none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him, that he should still live for ever, and not see corruption. One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh. It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. And what man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? If the Almighty set His heart upon man; if He gather unto Himself his spirit and his breath, all flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust. For there is no man that hath power over the spirit, to retain the spirit, neither hath he power in the day of death; and there is no discharge in that war. Neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it. Their love, and their hatred, and