I thee endow:

In the name

and of the

the Holy

Ghost. Amen.

worldly goods mony in Israel.-Boaz drew off his shoe, and said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are of the Father, witnesses this day. And all the people that were Son, and of in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel. So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife. Ruth iv. 7, 8, 9. 11. 13. Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, Behold, Rebekah is before thee, let her be thy master's son's wife, as the Lord hath spoken. And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah. And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death. Gen. xxiv. 50, 51. 53. 67. Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. Col. iii. 17. Do all to the glory of God. 1 Cor. x. 31. A faithful witness will not lie. Prov. xiv. 5. If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee. Gen. xxxi. 50.

Let us pray.

nal God,

Creator and

CCII. A Prayer for a Blessing on the Parties making the mutual Engagement.

1. Before the mountains were brought forth, or

1.0 Eter- ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. Preserver of Psal. xc. 2. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive all mankind, glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Rev. iv. 11. What shall I do unto thee, O thou Preserver of men? Job vii. 20. See also, Neh. ix. 6.-Jer. xxvii. 5.-Isa. xlv. 12.-Psal. xxxvi. 6.

2. Giver of

grace, the

2. The God of all grace, who hath called us unto all spiritual his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 1 Pet. v. 10. I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inha

Author of everlasting

life.

3. Send thy

these thy servants, this

man and this

bitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace. Zech. xii. 10. The Lord God is a Sun and Shield: the Lord will give grace and glory. Psal. lxxxiv. 11. We know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true. This is the true God and eternal life. 1 John v. 20. And being made perfect, he became the Author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him. Heb. v. 9. See also, John i. 14. 17.

3. God blessed them. Gen. i. 28. God Almighty blessing upon bless thee, and give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee. Gen. xxviii. 3, 4. woman whom Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; we bless in and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb. Gen. xlix. 25. He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great. The Lord shall

thy Name;

4. that, as

bekah lived

gether, so

increase you more and more, you and your children.

Psal. cxv. 13, 14. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. Psal. cxxviii. 4. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: the Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them. Num. vi. 22 to 27. Let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee; and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever. 2 Sam. vii. 29.

4. And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's Isaac and Re- tent, and took Rebekah and she became his wife; faithfully to- and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death. Gen. xxiv. 67. When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou keep the vow hast vowed. Eccl. v. 4. When thou shalt vow a

these per

sons may surely per

form and

and covenant Vow unto

betwixt them made.(where

received is a token and

pledge,)

to pay

it

the Lord thy God, thou shalt not slack for the Lord thy God will surely require of this Ring it of thee; and it would be sin in thee. That which given and is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform. Deut. xxiii. 21. 23. If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth. Num. xxx. 2. Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do. Deut. xxix. 9.

5. and may

in perfect

love and

peace toge

through Je

sus Christ our Lord. Amen.

5. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own ever remain husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. Col. ther, and live iii. 18, 19. The aged women likewise, that they according to may teach the young women to be sober, to love thy laws; 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. 3, 4, 5. Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity. Eccl. ix. 9. Be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Eph. iv. 32. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. 2 Cor. xiii. 11. Zacharias and his wife Elisabeth were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. Luke i. 5, 6. Great peace have they which love thy law. Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight. Psal. cxix. 165. 35. If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing, that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. Matt. xviii. 19. Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do. John xiv. 13.

Those whom God hath Joined together let no man put asunder.

Forasmuch

have consent

and have wit

nessed the same before

God and this

company, and thereto

have given

their troth

either to

other, and

CCIII. The Church's Ratification of the Matrimonial engagement.

For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh. Wherefore they are no more twain but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. Matt. xix. as M. and N. 5, 6. Because the Lord hath been witness between ed together in thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou holy wedlock, hast dealt treacherously yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. And did not he make one ? Yet had he the residue of the Spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none and pledged deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. For the Lord, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth have declared putting away. Mal. ii. 14, 15, 16. Unto the marthe same by ried I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not giving and the wife depart from her husband. 1 Cor. vii. 10. Ring, and by And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt joining of hands; I pro- thou go with this man? And she said, I will go. nounce that And Isaac took Rebekah and she became his wife. and Wife to- Gen. xxiv. 58. 67. And Boaz said unto the elders gether, In the and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, and that Ruth the Moabitess, have I purchased to be my wife. Ruth iv. 9, 10. Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. Col. iii. 17. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven : and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Matt. xviii. 18.

receiving of a

they be Man

Name of the

Father,

of the Son, and of the

Holy Ghost.

Amen.

1. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, bless,

CCIV. The Blessing.

1. And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife. 1 Sam. ii. 20. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy preserve, and Ghost, be with you all. 2 Cor. xiii. 14. The Lord keep you; the bless thee, and keep thee: the Lord make his face fully with his shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. Num. vi. 24, 25, 26. The Lord that

Lord merci

favour look

upon you;

2. and so

ell you with Senediction

ail spiritual

and grace,

3. that ye may 80

live together in this

made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion. Psal. cxxxiv. 3. He preserveth the souls of his saints. Psal. xcvii. 10. The Lord is thy keeper; the Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. Psal. cxxi. 5. 7. I intreated thy favour with my whole heart. Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name. Psal. cxix. 58. 132.-In his favour is life. Psal. xxx. 5.

2. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Eph. i. 3. Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. i. 3. Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. 1 Pet. i. 2. I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Eph. iii. 14. 16 to 19. This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. Phil. i. 9, 10.

3. Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs togelife, that in ther of the grace of life; that your prayers be not the world to come ye may hindered. 1 Pet. iii. 7. He that soweth to his flesh everlasting. shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that

have life

Amen.

soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. Gal. vi. 8. Being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. Rom. vi. 22. See also, Luke xviii. 29, 30.