88. What follows when these Psalms are concluded? The Psalm ended, and the Man and the Woman kneeling before the Lord's Table, the Priest standing at the Table, and turning his face towards them, shall say, Lord, have mercy upon us. Ans. Christ, 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. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil. Amen. 89. From whence are the Supplications which follow immediately after the Lord's Prayer taken? From the Psalms, and are put into the form of responses, that the friends here assembled may all shew their love to the parties by publicly joining in them. 90. Repeat the responses, and say from what Psalm each is taken. Min. O Lord, save thy servant, and thy handmaid; Ans. And let our cry come unto thee. (Ps. cii. 2.) 91. Repeat the first Prayer which follows the Responses. Minister. O GOD of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, bless these thy servants, and sow the seed of eternal life in their hearts; that whatsoever in thy holy Word they shall profitably learn, they may in deed fulfil the same. Look, O Lord, mercifully upon them from heaven, and bless them. And as thou didst send thy blessing upon Abraham and Sarah, to their great comfort, so vouchsafe to send thy blessing upon these thy servants; that they obeying thy will, and alway being in safety under thy protection, may abide in thy love unto their lives' end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 92. In what terms does the minister address God? As "the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." (Exod. iii. 6.) 93. What does he pray God to sow in the hearts of the newly married? The seed of eternal life. "The seed is the word of God." (Luke viii. 11.) 94. What does he pray they may fulfil? Whatsoever in God's holy Word they may profitably learn. "Be ye doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." (James i. 22.) 95. How does the minister beseech God to look upon them? Mercifully, and to bless them. "Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel." (Deut. xxvi. 15.) 96. How did God bless Abraham and Sarah? To their great and endless comfort. "The Lord blessed Abraham in all things." (Gen. xxiv. 1.) And said of Sarah, "I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her." (Gen. xvii. 16.) 97. What does the minister ask God to send upon his servants? His blessing. "Salvation is of the Lord, and thy blessing is upon thy people." (Ps. iii. 8.) 98. Why does he pray that they may obey God's will? Because "he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." (1 John ii. 17.) 99. How will they always be in safety? Under God's protection. "He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust." (Ps. xci. 2.) 100. How long does he pray they may abide in God's love? Unto their lives' end. "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." (Rev. ii. 10.) 101. Repeat the Prayer following, and which is to be omitted where the woman is past child-bearing. O MERCIFUL Lord, and heavenly Father, by whose gracious gift mankind is increased; We beseech thee, assist with thy blessing these two persons, that they may both be fruitful in procreation of children, and also live together so long in godly love and honesty, that they may see their children christianly and virtuously brought up, to thy praise and honour; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 102. From what part of Scripture is the commencement of this prayer taken? From Genesis i. 28. 103. Why do we beseech God they may be fruitful in procreation of children? Because "children are an heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward." (Ps. cxxvii. 3.) 104. How long do we pray they may live together in godly love and honesty? So long that they may see their children christianly and virtuously brought up to God's praise and honour. "I know him, that he will command his children, and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord." (Gen. xviii. 19.) 105. Repeat the next Prayer. O GOD, who by thy mighty power hast made all things of nothing; who also (after other things set in order) didst appoint, that out of man (created after thine own image and similitude) woman should take her beginning; and, knitting them together, didst teach that it should never be lawful to put asunder those whom thou by Matrimony hadst made one: 0 God, who hast consecrated the state of Matrimony to such an excellent mystery, that in it is signified and represented the spiritual marriage and unity betwixt Christ and his Church; Look mercifully upon these thy servants, that both this man may love his wife, according to thy Word, (as Christ did love his spouse the Church, who gave himself for it, loving and cherishing it even as his own flesh,) and also that this woman may be loving and amiable, faithful and obedient to her husband; and in all quietness, sobriety, and peace, be a follower of holy and godly matrons. O Lord, bless them both, and grant them to inherit thy everlasting kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 106. What Scripture shews that God by his mighty power made all things of nothing? "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." (Heb. xi. 3.) 107. In whose image was man created? "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." (Gen. i. 27.) 108. What is taught in the Scripture concerning those who by matrimony are made one? 66 That it is not lawful to put them asunder. Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” (Matt. xix. 4, 5, 6.) 109. What is represented by the state of matrimony? The spiritual union betwixt Christ and his Church, which He loved, and gave himself for, nourishing and cherishing it even as his own flesh. "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it." (Eph. v. 25.) "To 110. What does the minister pray the woman may be? Loving and amiable, faithful and obedient to her husband. love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." (Titus ii. 4, 5.) 111. In what is she to be a follower of holy and godly matrons ? In all quietness, sobriety, and peace. "Be of one mind, live in peace, and the God of peace shall be with you." (2 Cor. xiii. 11.) 112. What does the minister ask in conclusion both for the man and woman? That the Lord would bless them and grant them to inherit his everlasting kingdom. "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." (Rev. xxii. 14.)' 113. How does the priest conclude this part of the service? With a blessing in these words: ALMIGHTY God, who at the beginning did create our first parents, Adam and Eve, and did sanctify and join them together in marriage; Pour upon you the riches of his grace, sanctify and bless you; that ye may please him both in body and soul, and live together in holy love unto your lives' end. Amen. 114. In what part of Scripture do we find the account of the creation of our first parents, Adam and Eve? In Genesis i. 26, 27, 28. 115. Where is the description of their being joined together in marriage? Gen. ii. 18-24. 116. After whose example does the priest entreat God to sanctify and bless the man and woman? After that of St. Paul, who says, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly and I pray God your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless, unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thess. v. 23.) 117. How long does the minister pray they may continue in holy love? Unto their lives' end. "The Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part me and thee." (Ruth i. 17.) 118. How is this interesting office for the Solemnization of Matrimony concluded? With exhortations, taken from the Holy Scriptures. For the married persons having mutually engaged to live together according to God's holy ordinance, that is, according to those laws which He has ordained in his Word, it is necessary they should hear and know what those laws are which they have engaged to perform. A full collection of the duties of both parties is therefore read to them, drawn from the Epistles of the two great Apostles, St. Peter and St. Paul, in imitation of the practice of the primitive Church. 119. Repeat the exhortation which the minister is to read if there be no sermon declaring the duties of man and wife. ALL ye that are married, or that intend to take the holy estate of Matrimony upon you, hear what the holy Scripture doth say as touching the duty of husbands towards their wives, and wives towards their husbands. Saint Paul, in his Epistle to the Ephesians, the fifth Chapter, doth give this commandment to all married men; Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water, by the Word; that he might present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself: for no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the Church: for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife; and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery; but I speak concerning Christ and the Church. Nevertheless, let every one of you in particular so love his wife, even as himself. Likewise the same St. Paul, writing to the Colossians, speaketh thus to all men that are married; Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. Hear also what Saint Peter, the Apostle of Christ, who was himself a married man, saith unto them that are married; Ye husbands, dwell with your wives according to knowledge; giving bonour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered. Hitherto ye have heard the duty of the husband toward the wife. Now likewise, ye wives, hear and learn your duties toward your husbands, even as it is plainly set forth in holy Scripture. St. Paul, in the aforenamed Epistle to the Ephesians, teacheth you thus; Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church: and he is the Saviour of the body. Therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. And again he saith, Let the wife see that she reverence her husband. And in his Epistle to the Colossians, Saint Paul giveth you this short lesson; Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Saint Peter also doth instruct you very well, thus saying; Ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the Word, they also may without the Word be won by the conversation of the wives; while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning, let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible; even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands; even as Sarah obeyed |