We thank thee, O most gracious God, that thou hast heard us when we cried unto thee, for thy servant in his weakness and distress; that thou hast not turned away our prayer nor thy mercy from him. We cried to thee, and thou hast delivered and healed him, thou hast brought him from the grave, thou hast kept him alive, that he should not go down into the pit, thou hast forgiven his iniquity, and healed his diseases, thou hast redeemed his life from destruction, and hast crowned him with loving-kindness and tender mercies, thou hast not deprived him of the residue of his years, thou hast repented thee of the evil. His age is not departed; thou hast renewed his youth, and given him to see man, with the inhabitants of the world; and to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Day and night thy hand was heavy upon him, but thou hast turned away thy wrath, and hast forgiven the iniquity of his sin: for this every one that is godly shall pray unto thee in a time of trouble. Thou art a hiding-place, thou preservest us from trouble: when our flesh and our heart faileth us, thou art the strength of our heart, and our portion for ever; indeed, Lord, thou art good unto thine Israel; even to such as are clean of heart. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but thou deliverest them out of all: though all the day long they be afflicted, and chastened every morning, yet are they continually with thee; thou holdest them by thy right hand; thou art a present help in trouble, when all the help of man is vain. Let thy servant love thee, because thou hast heard his voice and supplication. Let him offer unto thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving; and pay his vows to the Most High; and take the cup of salvation, and call upon thee all his days. Let him be wholly devoted to thy praise, and glorify thee in soul and body, as being thine, and seasonably depart in peace unto thy glory; through Jesus Christ, our Life and Righteousness.[272] Amen.
_A Thanksgiving for the Deliverance of Women in Child-bearing._
We return thee thanks, most gracious God, that thou hast heard our prayers for this thy handmaid; and hast been her help in the time of her necessity, and delivered her from her fears and sorrows. Death and life are in thy power; thou killest, and thou makest alive; thou bringest down to the grave, and thou bringest up; thou makest the barren to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. We thank thee, that thou hast given thy servant to see the fruit of her womb, and that thou hast brought her again to thy holy assembly, to go with the multitude to thy house, and worship thee with the voice of joy and praise, that she may enter into thy gates with thanksgiving, and into thy courts with praise, and we may all be thankful to thee on her behalf, and speak good of thy name. Thou art good, O Lord, to all, and thy tender mercies are over all thy works; thou preservest them that love thee; thou raisest up them that are bowed down; thou fulfillest the desire of them that fear thee; thou also dost hear their cry, and save them. Command thy blessing yet upon thy servant and her offspring; let her not forget thee and thy mercies, but let her devote the life which thou hast given her to thy service, and educate her offspring, as a holy seed, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And as thou hast said, that thy curse is in the house of the wicked, but thou blessest the habitation of the just; let her and her house serve thee, and let holiness to the Lord be written upon all wherewith thou blessest her: let her make thee her refuge and habitation. Give her the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which in thy sight is of great price. Let her not love the world, nor mind earthly things, but use the world as not abusing of it; seeing the time is short, and the fashion of this world passeth away. Restore her soul, and lead her in the paths of righteousness: though she must walk through the valley of the shadow of death, let her fear no evil. Let thy goodness and mercy follow her all the days of her life, and let her dwell for ever in thy glorious presence, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.[273] Amen.
If the Child be dead, those passages which imply its living must be omitted; and if the Woman be such as the Church hath cause to judge ungodly, the Thanksgiving must be in words more agreeable to her condition, if any be used.