The Order for the

Burial of the Dead


[St. Nicholas', Montgomery, Wales [With Poems Added from The Temple 1633.
The poems may be assigned to a narrator, to be called The Poet, or to the Curate, congregation or private worshipper.
The poems may be read by one person, antiphonally or groups.
(Links within the text may be used or omitted.)]
There are 3 separate Poet readings indicated by 3 columns:

3 Possibilities 
For the Burial Service of the Dead  Conversation: Death, Christ and Christian "Rest" the Christian Return to God

[The 3 can be 3 individual versions. Or they may be read as 3 steps toward a higher elevation.] For background music try the hymn tune Penpark: 


The priest meeting the corpse at the church stile, shall say or else the priests and clerks shall sing, and so go either unto the church, or toward the grave.

Burial: Church-monuments Conversation: Dialogue-Antheme Rest: The Pulley

I AM the resurrection and the life (saith the Lord): he that believeth in me, yea, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall not die forever. John 11

I KNOW that my redeemer liveth, and that I shall rise out of the earth in the last day, and shall be covered again with my skin, and shall see God in my flesh: yea, and I myself shall behold him, not with other, but with these same eyes. Job 19

WE brought nothing into this world, neither may we carry anything out of this world. The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away. Even as it hath pleased the Lord, so cometh things to pass: blessed be the name of the Lord. 1 Tim. 6, Job 1

Burial: The Flower Conversation: Life or Employment (II) Rest: Pilgrimage

When they come at the grave, whiles the corpse is made ready to be laid into the earth, the priest shall say, or the priest and clerks shall sing.

[Magdalene Herbert, George Herbert's mother]MAN that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live, an is full of misery. He cometh up and is cut down like a flower; he flieth as it were a shadow, and never continueth in one stay. In the midst of life we be in death: of whom may we seek for succor but of thee, O Lord, which for our sins justly art displeased. Yet, O Lord God most holy, O Lord most mighty, O holy and most merciful savior, deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death. Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts, shut not up thy merciful eyes to our prayers: but spare us Lord most holy, O God most mighty, O holy and merciful savior, thou most worthy judge eternal, suffer us not at our last hour for any pains of death to fall from thee. Job 11

Burial: Mortification Conversation: Justice (II) or Forerunners Rest: Even-song or Josephs coat


 

[Tomb of Herbert's parents, Montgomery]Then while the earth shall he 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 resurrection to eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body that it may be like to his glorious body, according to the mighty working, whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself.

Then shall be said or sung.

I HEARD a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, From henceforth blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. Even so saith the Spirit, that they rest from their labors.

Burial: Vertue Conversation: Death Rest: H. Communion

Then shall follow this Lesson, taken out of the fifteenth chapter to the Corinthians, the first Epistle.

CHRIST is risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. For by a man came death, and by a man came the resurrection of the dead. For as by Adam all die, even so by Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: The first is Christ, then they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he hath delivered up the kingdom to God the Father; when he hath put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign till he have put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. When all things are subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. Else what do they which are baptized over the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized over them; yea, and why stand we alway then in jeopardy? By our rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesu our Lord, I die daily. That I have fought with beasts at Ephesus after the manner of men, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not again? Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die. Be not ye deceived, evil words corrupt good manners. Awake truly out of sleep, and sin not. For some have not the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.
    But some man will say, How arise the dead? With what body shall they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest, is not quickened except it die. And what sowest thou? Thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare corn, as of wheat or some other, but God giveth it a body at his pleasure, to every seed his own body. All flesh is not one manner of flesh, but there is one manner of flesh of men, and other manner of flesh of beasts, and other of fishes, another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and there are bodies terrestrial. But the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one manner glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars. For one star differeth from another in glory: so is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it riseth again in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it riseth again in honor. It is sown in weakness, it riseth again in power. It is sown a natural body, it riseth a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. As it is also written, The first man Adam was made a living soul, and the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit, that is not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural, and then that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy. The second man is the Lord from heaven, heavenly. As is the earthy, such are they that be earthy. And as is the heavenly, such are they that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly.

    This say I brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither doth corruption inherit uncorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, and that in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye by the last trump. For the trump shall blow, and the dead shall rise incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. When this corruptible hath put on incorruption, and this mortal hath put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. Death where is thy sting? Hell where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be unto God, which hath given us victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore my dear brethren, be ye steadfast and unmovable, always rich in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know, how that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Burial: Grace Conversation: Judgement Rest: Aaron or Content

The Lesson ended, 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, etc.
 

    And lead us not into temptation.
    Answer. But deliver us from evil. Amen.

   The Priest.

ALMIGHTY God, with whom do live the spirits of them that depart hence in the Lord, and in whom the souls of them that be elected, after they be delivered from the burden of the flesh, be in joy and felicity: We give thee hearty thanks, for that it hath pleased thee to deliver this N. 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 haste thy kingdom, that we with this our brother, and all other 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. Amen.

Burial: The 23 Psalme Conversation: Dooms-day Rest: Trinitie Sunday
The Collect

O 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 taught us (by his holy Apostle Paul) not to be sorry, as men without hope, for them that sleep in him: We meekly 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, as our hope is this our brother doth; and that at the general resurrection in the last day, we may be found acceptable in thy sight, and receive that blessing which thy well-beloved Son shall then pronounce to all that love and fear thee, saying, Come ye blessed children of my Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. Grant this we beseech thee, O merciful Father, through Jesus Christ our mediator and redeemer. Amen.

Burial: Affliction (III) Conversation: The World Rest: Love (III)
[George Herbert at Bemerton]

Editor's Note: This Burial Service for George Herbert edition would take 2 hours to perform. It works as a computer page to show the relationship of some poems to the liturgical expressions and theological ideas of the Elizabethan Age. To actually use this as a service, some liturgy may have to be abbreviated or cut, depending on the purpose of the service and the number of poems used.

The words to the hymn tune Penpark

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Related Links to Richard Hooker and the Book of Common Prayer.


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Web author: Charles Wohlers