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Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Matt. vii. 21. I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; that thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Tim. vi. 13, 14. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Jude 24, 25. See also, John vii. 17.

1. Dearly beloved, we

in the sight

THE FORM OF

SOLEMNIZATION OF MATRIMONY.

CXCIV. I publish the Banns of Marriage between M. of and N. of If any of you know cause, or just impediment, why these two Persons should not be joined together in holy Matrimony, ye are to declare it. This is the first, [second, or third,] time of asking.

CXCV. The Address to the Congregation.

1. Now are we all here present before God. are gathered Acts x. 33. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, together here beholding the evil and the good. Prov. xv. 3. All of God, and things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him in the face of with whom we have to do. Heb. iv. 13. And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people,. this Man and Ye are witnesses this day. Ruth iv. 9.

this congre.

gation, to

join together

There Wife

in holy Matrimony;

this Woman a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there and both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. John ii. 1, 2. To avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. 1 Cor. vii. 2.

2. which is

an honour

able estate,

God in the

time of man's innocency, signifying unto us the mystical

2. Marriage is honourable in all. Heb. xiii. 4. Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obinstituted of taineth favour of the Lord. Prov. xviii. 22. The Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife and they shall be one flesh. Gen. ii.

union that is betwixt Christ and his Church;

18. 21 to 24. 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? Matt. xix. 4, 5. 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. 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

3. which holy estate

Christ adorn

tified with

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; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. Eph. v. 22 to 33.

3. And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was ed and beau- there: and both Jesus was called, and his disciples, his presence, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the and first mi- mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wrought, in wine. Jesus saith unto them, [the servants,] Fill Galilee; and the water-pots with water. And they filled them

racle that he

Cana of

ed of St. Paul

is commend- up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out to be honour- now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And able among they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted

all men:

4. and therefore is

not by any to be enter

prised, nor taken in

visedly, lightly, or wantonly, to

the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was; (but the servants which drew the water knew ;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, and saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee. John ii. 1, 2, 3. 7 to 11. Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled; but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Heb. xiii. 4.

4. And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took hand, unad them wives of all which they chose. And the Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man. And also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. And God saw that the wickedderstanding; ness of man was great in the earth. Gen. vi. 1 to 5. ly, discreetly, Esau was forty years old when he took to wife

satisfy men's

carnal lusts and appetites, like brute beasts that

have no un

but reverent

advisedly, soberly, and in the fear of God; duly considering

mony was

ordained.

Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite, which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah. the causes for Gen. xxvi. 34, 35. And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am which Matri- weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth : if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me? And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. Gen. xxvii. 46. xxviii. 1. When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, thou shalt make no covenant with them; neither shalt thou make marriages with them; for they will turn away thy son from following me. Deut. vii. 1 to 4. But king Solomon loved many strange women, and it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods. 1 Kings xi. 1. 4. These filthy dreamers defile the flesh. What they know naturally as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. Jude 8. 10. Be not as the horse, or as the mule, which hath no understanding. Psal. xxxii. 9. Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. Prov. xxxi. 10. A prudent wife is from the Lord. Prov. xix. 14. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Prov. iii. 6. See that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. Eph. v. 15. The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord. 1 Cor. vii. 39. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 2 Cor. vi. 14, 15. And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: and I will make thee swear by the

for the pro

creation of

children, to be brought up in the

fear and nur

Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth,
that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the
daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:
but thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kin-
dred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac. And the
servant went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Na-
hor. And it came to pass, that, behold, Rebekah
came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah,
the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother. And the
man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whe-
ther the Lord had made his journey prosperous or
not. And said, Whose daughter art thou? And
she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel
the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor. And
Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban :
and Laban ran out unto the man, and said, Come
in, thou blessed of the Lord. And he said, I will
not eat until I have told mine errand.-And now if
ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell
me; and if not, tell me. Then Laban and Bethuel
answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the
Lord; we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.
Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go,
and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the Lord
hath spoken. And they called Rebekah, and said
unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she
said, I will go. And they sent away Rebekah their
sister. And Isaac brought her into his mother
Sarah's tent, and she became his wife. Gen. xxiv
2, 3, 4. 10. 15. 21. 23, 24. 29. 31. 33. 49, 50, 51
58, 59. 67.

5. First, It 5. God created man in his own image, in the was ordained image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply and replenish the earth. Gen. i. 27, 28. Ye fathers, proture of the voke not your children to wrath; but bring them the praise of up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Eph. vi. 4. Then Manoah entreated the Lord, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born. And

Lord, and to

his holy Name.

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