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FOR THE HALLOWING OF A GRAVE IN

UNCONSECRATED GROUND.

When a Burial with the Office of the Church takes place in unconsecrated ground, the following Prayers may, at the discretion of the Minister, be used during the Burial Office.

When they come to the Grave, the Minister shall say:

O GOD, who hast founded the earth, and fashioned the heavens, and set the stars in the firmament; who art the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, though they be buried in the cave of the field, for that all live unto Thee; Vouchsafe to bless this grave of Thy servant for the repose of his mortal flesh, whose spirit has returned to Thee who gavest it. O GOD, whose SON JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD, having loosed the bonds of death, is risen again for the salvation of all believers; Look upon this burial-place, and keep it in peace, that it may be a sleeping-place for the bodies of Thy servants until the great day; through JESUS CHRIST Our LORD. Amen.

O LORD JESU CHRIST, Redeemer of Mankind, who in Thy burial didst hallow an earthly sepulchre; We humbly beseech Thee to bless, hallow, and consecrate, this grave, wherein we are about to lay the body of Thy servant, that it may remain here at rest, till, in the day of Thy Second Coming to judge the world, the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible; through Thy mercy, O Blessed SAVIOUR, who livest and reignest, with the FATHER and the HOLY GHOST, one GoD world without end. Amen.

Then shall the Priest say:

The blessing of GOD ALMIGHTY, the FATHER, the Son, and the HOLY GHOST, be upon this grave.

Amen.

Then shall follow the remainder of the Burial Service,
from the words:

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AN ALTERNATIVE ORDER FOR THE BURIAL OF BAPTIZED INFANTS AND VERY YOUNG CHILDREN.

N.B.-This Order may be used "at the request of the relatives, friends, or legal representatives, having the charge of, or being responsible for, the burial of the deceased." (See Burial Laws Amendment Act of 1880.)

The Priest and Clerks, meeting the Corpse at the entrance of the Churchyard, and going before it, either into the Church or towards the Grave, shall say, or sing:

I am the resurrection and the life, saith the LORD: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.-St. John xi. 25, 26.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see GOD.-St. Matt. v. 8.

JESUS called them unto Him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of GOD.-St. Luke xviii. 16.

Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones: for I say unto you, that in heaven their

Angels do always behold the face of My FATHER which is in heaven.-St. Matt. xviii. 10.

He shall gather the Lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom.-Isa. xl. 11.

The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away: blessed be the Name of the LORD.-Job i. 21.

After they are come into the Church shall be sung or said one or both of these Psalms following:

PSALM Xxiii.-Dominus regit me.
PSALM CXiii.—Laudate, pueri.

Then shall follow the Lesson, which shall be one of the following:
Rev. xiv. to ver. 6; or 2 Sam. xii. 15-23;
or 1 Cor. xv. 20 to end.

When they come to the Grave, while the Corpse is made ready to be laid into the earth, the Priest shall say, or the Priest and Clerks shall sing:

Man that is born of woman hath but a short time to live, and is full of misery. He cometh up, and is cut down, like a flower: he fleeth as it were a shadow, and never continueth in one stay.-Job xiv. 1, 2.

While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.- -2 Sam. xii. 22, 23.

A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not. Thus saith the LORD: Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears; for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD: and they shall come again from the land of the

enemy. And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD, that thy children shall come again to their own border.-Jer. xxxi. 15, 16, 17.

Then, while the earth shall be cast upon the body by some
standing by, the Priest shall say:

Forasmuch as it hath pleased ALMIGHTY GOD of His great mercy to take unto Himself the soul of our dear brother here departed, we therefore commit his body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life, 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.

Then shall be said or sung:

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 on 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 waters: and GoD shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.-Rev. vii. 15.

Then the Priest shall say:

LORD, have mercy upon us.

CHRIST, have mercy upon us.

LORD, have mercy upon us.

OUR FATHER, which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be

done in earth, As it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. Ánd lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Priest.

ALMIGHTY GOD, with whom do live the spirits of them that depart hence in the LORD, and with whom the souls of the faithful, after they are delivered from the burden of the flesh, are in joy and felicity; We give Thee hearty thanks for that it hath pleased Thee to deliver this our brother out of the miseries of this sinful world; beseeching Thee, that it may please Thee, of Thy gracious goodness, shortly to accomplish the number of Thine elect, and to hasten Thy kingdom; that we, with all those that are departed in the true faith of Thy holy Name, may have our perfect consummation and bliss, both in body and soul, in Thy eternal and everlasting glory; through JESUS CHRIST our LORD. Amen.

O ALMIGHTY GOD, who out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast ordained strength, and madest infants to glorify Thee by their deaths; Mortify and kill all vices in us, and so strengthen us by Thy grace, that by the innocency of our lives, and constancy of our faith even unto death, we may glorify Thy holy Name; through JESUS CHRIST Our LORD. Amen.

GRANT, O LORD, that as we are baptized into the death of Thy blessed Son our SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST, SO by continual mortifying our corrupt affections we may be buried with Him; and that,

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