74. Devotions when in Labor

Devotion at the approach of the hour of Delivery.

EXHORTATION.

When Paul promises Christian women that by bearing children they shall be saved, he does not mean to say that by bearing children they would merit salvation; for only Jesus Christ has purchased salvation by his sufferings and death;

but he meant to console them by saying that although, in consequence of the fall, they must bear children in great pain, nevertheless they have a gracious and reconciled God, and even if they should die in labor, they may inherit eternal life.

1. But they must remain in the faith, they must not throw away their confidence when the hour of birth approaches, they must not grumble against God, but remain in faith, hope, and assurance, though it should go hard with them, and call to mind the beautiful promise of divine omnipotence.

OF THE HOUR OF DELIVERY.

2. They must remain in the love of God, must love God with all their hearts, and then say, I love thee from my heart, O Lord! I beseech thee not to be far from me with thy help and grace. They must remain in the love of their neighbors, and must previously reconcile themselves to God and their neighbors, as some godly married women are fain to receive the holy communion, in order to sanctify and sacrifice themselves to God. They must also remain in the love of their offspring, and must not carelessly do it harm, or perhaps even deprive it of life by some perverseness, but must submissively follow the good advice and counsel of the people around them. But when unloving mothers show themselves untrue to their children at the time of birth, and will not do what God imposes upon them, and what it is their duty to do, (a sin from which empresses, queens, and princesses are not free,) they are the murderesses of their children, who will accuse them before the throne of God of having deprived them of life from idleness, and killed them before their birth. 3. Finally they must continue in sanctification and chastity, lead a holy, chaste, and Christian life, pray faithfully for their child, guard against sin, and, in this state of sanctification, await the hour of delivery. 47*

DEVOTION AT THE APPROACH

Lord, almighty God! faithful and loving father! the hour of my delivery is constantly approaching, therefore do thou also approach with thy help and grace; I come before thee with prayer, in abiding trust, in full confidence, with a living faith in thy gracious assistance; O do thou come to me with thy most holy presence, goodness and mercy. Come to me, and remain with me, at, during, and after the birth; when I have thee with me, I have the most puissant rescuer the most powerful helper, and the most faithful friend. When the time comes give me good cheer, that I may be undismayed, and may discard all fear, that I may calmly stand, sit, or lie down, and reflect that as thou art with me, all will be well. Give strength unto my limbs that I may not fail, but may perform my labors with thy strength, and happily end them. Through thy power all things will be easy; if the Lord is near me and with me, I am whole. Grant also, dear Lord, unto those around me wisdom and prudence to arrange all things fitly, to do nothing too much and nothing too little, bless what they undertake, and look graciously upon what they attempt, that they may thank thee therefor with me, and I with them. Give me grace to follow good advice and avoid all perverseness, lest I do myself harm or make my OF THE HOUR OF DELIVERY.

child a cripple or cause its death, thereby loading a heavy responsibility upon myself. Hear, O gracious God! my prayer, and the prayers of all present; help me soon, and help me happily, if it is thy holy will. Let me see my child happy and living, and be a joyous mother. See, Lord! here I am, do with me as thou wilt. Forsake me not, and do not withdraw thy hand from me, God, my Salvation, remain with me in the worst of trouble, and then fortify my patience, that I may not grow faint, my hope, that I may not let it fail. Now I can do all things through him who makes me powerful, even Christ. May the heavenly father bless, preserve, and keep me. May Jesus Christ be with me, strengthen and refresh me, and may the Holy Ghost be my spokesman with God with unutterable sighs, and bear witness of my spirit that I am a true child of God. May the love of the father cover, and the grace of the son refresh me. Faithfully will I pray to God and take him to my assistance in all my troubles, which are well known to him; for patience I will beseech him in all things; he will well watch over me and be my help in all things. Amen. 1. Aid me in this hour of anguish,

Father of all mercies, aid!

Thus, while here in pain I languish,

With my heart of death afraid,

Thus I turn to thee and cry,

Father, do not let me die!

Many an hour my form has quivered,

Let me quickly be delivered!

2. Surely all is at thy bidding,

What thou wilt is quickly done;

If thou but command the ridding

Of my pangs, they all are gone.

Come, O Lord, and loose the chain,

Speak dispersion to my pain,

If thou do not give me nurture,

I shall perish in my torture.

3. Lord, the word that thou hast spoken

Says, thou wilt not me forsake;

All my hope is in that token,

Let my spirit never break.

Mighty Lord! I cry to thee:

King of succors, succor me!

In thee all my trust is grounded,

Let me never be confounded.

4. Yet 'tis not for me to measure

Time and place to thy return;

I will wait thy gracious pleasure

Patient, though my bowels burn.

CONSOLATION AT THE HOUR OF BIRTH.

Give me strength and give me force

For the hard and bitter course,

Go not from me I beseech thee,

Let my cries of anguish reach thee.

5. Lord, on thee alone depending,

I will bear without a groan,

Thy omnipotence unending

Is my confidence alone.

Father, lo! I look to thee

Father, Father, pity me.

Come, O come, let pity speed thee,

Come, thy child so sorely needs thee.

Consolation at the approach of the Hour of Birth.

EXHORTATION.

Godly married women are often seized with fear and trembling when their time comes; but why should they be afraid? Have they not a God with them, the God who has imposed these pains, and who surely will help them to bear and to overcome? 1. Remember at this time, that God is a good and gracious God.

2. He is faithful, and will suffer no one to be tempted beyond his powers of resistance, but will

CRY TO GOD BEFORE DELIVERY.

put such an end to the temptation, that it may be borne.

3. He is merciful, and will have mercy on them as a father on his children.

4. He is strong, and can do what men cannot do, for his power is great in those that are weak. Remember that your pangs will be of short duration, and will not last; not for days and years, like the sufferings of David, or the disease of the sick man, but will be over in an hour; and even should they last a little longer, And should it last unto the night,

And through the night till morning,

I know the Lord will make it right,

He needs no help nor warning.

Let such be your comfort.

Cry to God before Delivery.

Lord, Almighty God! as I perceive that my hour will soon have come, I hasten to thee, and beseech thee, do not depart from me. O remain with me, give me strength to bring forth, and graciously deliver me, assuage the throes of labor, which thou hast imposed upon the female sex. O strong and almighty God, help me powCRY TO GOD BEFORE DELIVERY.

erfully; my help is with thee; for thee, Lord, my heart longeth; my God, I hope in thee, let me never be confounded; hasten to bestead me,

Lord, my help! O Jesus, thou who didst take human form and shape for the sake of thy holy birth and incarnation, have mercy upon me, help me through this hour, and save me, O most precious Holy Ghost! dwell in my heart, and cry Abba, dear Father! Bear witness of my spirit that in the midst of my throes I am still a child of God. O thou Holy Trinity! help me, and be merciful unto me. Amen.

ANOTHER.

O thou loving God! who lovest from thy heart the children of men, and hast especially promised to assist us in suffering and sickness, thou knowest the condition in which I am; thou seest also for what it is I am preparing, and what is before me; O therefore all my hope rests upon thee. O thou mighty God, who dost bestead the lonely deer in the wild forest, without human aid, O let the fruit of my body be commended unto thee, and bless the hands that offer to assist at the birth; do thou, thyself, give me the best of help, and graciously deliver me. Thou hast said,

Fear not, I am with thee; do not fail; I am thy God, I will give thee strength, and will help thee; I will keep thee with the right hand

CRY TO GOD BEFORE DELIVERY.

of my righteousness. Upon this gracious promise I rely, and joyfully set about the work which God has appointed for me in my station and condition. I will be of good cheer, and await thy comfort. In the meantime I will patiently bear, according to thy ordinance and thy will, what thou hast imposed upon me. But let not thy face be terrible unto me. Lord, Lord! my trust in adversity, be thou still as ever the gracious God of my hidden pledge; keep, O Lord, thine handiwork. Be pleased, at the proper time, graciously to untie the bonds of nature, and when men would despair, do thou display thy power, and thy wondrous goodness. Be strong with thy power in my weakness, fortify me in body and in soul. Soothe and assuage my pains, and let my offspring see the light of day unharmed and healthy; lay it alive into my arms and hands, and I will sing thy praises with outstretched arms and folded hands, and return to thee as a sacrifice, and a child of holy baptism, what thou hast given me. But if it should be written in thy sovereign wisdom, that I must depart this life in my labor, then thy will be done; thou art my God, my Lord, my Father. I thy creature, thy handmaiden, thy child, deal with me according to thy pleasure; I am prepared for life and for death, and even if thou shouldst design to kill me, I CRY TO GOD DURING BIRTH.

shall still hope in thee. Bestow upon me a patient and willing heart, constant faith, and abiding confidence. I lie in throes and struggles; help me, O Lord Jesus; I cling to thy grace alone; thou canst give me strength. When terror comes, guard me, that I may not be overwhelmed; thou canst dispel all danger, I know thou will not fail. Amen. Cry to God during Birth.

Lord, Lord! great in counsel and mighty in deed; lo, here I am, and sigh for thy help alone. Here no man can aid me but thou alone. Therefore I humbly beseech thee, mighty Helper in the hour of need! to manifest thy almighty power. Thou knowest my sufferings, because thou hast thyself imposed them; whether I sit up or lie down, whether I walk or stand, thou knowest it, and thou, Lord, art near me. Thou seest my tears also, and my sighs are not unheard of thee. I now call to mind thy boundless omnipotence; thou canst do unutterably more than we know or understand; no adversity is so great, but that thou canst dispel it. See, thy mighty hands have fashioned my child; they have clothed it with flesh and skin, life and CRY TO GOD DURING BIRTH.

many benefits thou hast heretofore vouchsafed unto it, and thy look has preserved its breath. Therefore do thou bring it also to see the light of day, according to thy mercy. Lord! Lord! thou who has helped so many thousands over the face of the earth, thou in thy goodness wilt help me also; I rely upon thy mercy and truth; let them watch over all my steps. If danger should seem to threaten, speak the consolation to my soul; I am with thee in adversity, I will rescue thee, I will not desert nor overlook thee. Let me do what I have to do with faithfulness, so that my conscience may be clear; and do thou give strength unto my weakness. Sad heart, be of better cheer, and do not so utterly despond; all will end for the best; thy pains and thy wailing will soon be turned to joy. Amen. ANOTHER.

O gracious and merciful God! thou hast said, Call upon me in adversity and I will rescue thee, and thou shalt praise my name; in accordance with this gracious word I come to thee at this time, my father! I cry to thee in mine adversity; O hear my voice, and do not conceal thyself from my voice. Remember that I am thy child; O do not make me suffer pain beyond my capacity! Lord, when I am in pain, soothe it, Jesus, thou son of David! have mercy upon JRY TO GOD DURING BIRTH.

me; by thy holy birth and incarnation help me, dear Lord God! bestead me, help me, and make me glad. Holy Ghost, thou comforter in hours of trial, speak this comfort to my soul, that I shall soon be a joyous mother. Carry my faltering supplications to the throne of God, and when I can no longer pray for pain, O Jesus! do thou pray for me! O most precious Holy Ghost! do thou speak for me before God with unutterable sighs. O triune God, stretch forth thy hand to me and to my child, as we stretch forth our hearts and hands to thee. Let us not perish nor be harmed. Manifest thy might in us, and we will praise and bless thy power; not only in this mortal time shall thy praise be sounded, I will spread it hereafter also, and extol thy name eternally. Do not let the fruit of my body, which is thy creation, be destroyed, but preserve it graciously by thy power; grant that I may overlook nothing necessary for its well being, and may cast eyes upon it through thy goodness. Lord God Father, who art in heaven, have mercy upon me. Lord God Son, the Saviour of the world, have mercy upon me. Lord God Holy Ghost have mercy upon me Amen. CRY TO GOD DURING LABOR.

ANOTHER.

Merciful and mighty God! the hour has come which thou hast appointed for my delivery, therefore I turn to thee and cry, Father help me through this hour. In thy name I begin my labor, in thy name will I complete it; Lord, my Creator, assist and fortify me; Jesus, thou son of God! who wert born of woman, stay with me, and refresh me. O embrace me with thine arms, and keep me, most precious Holy Ghost! Give me patience and cheerfulness for my labor; have mercy upon me, and make me glad. O thou holy trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! hasten to my relief. Arise, Lord, and help me, or I perish. Christ, thou Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon me. Christ, thou Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon me. Christ, thou Lamb of God! who takest away the sins of the world, leave thy peace with me. Amen. PASSAGES AND PRAYERS DURING LABOR.