Then fhall the earth bring forth her increafe and God, even our own God, fhall give us his bleffing. God fhall blefs us and all the ends of the world fhall fear him. Glory be to the Father, &c. As it was in the beginning, &c. The Pfalm ended and the Man and the Woman kneeling before the they may indeed fulfil the fame. Look, O Lord, mercifully upon them from heaven, and blefs them. And as thou didst fend thy bleffing upon Abraham and Sarah, to their great comfort; fo vouchfafe to fend thy blefing upon thefe thy fervants, that they, obeying the will, and alway being in fafety under thy protection, may abide in thy love unto their lives' end, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen. This Prayer next following shall be omitted, where the Woman is paft Child-bearing. MERCIFUL, Lord and hea Lord's Table, the Preft standing Ovenly Father, by whole gra 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 trefpaffes, as we forgive them that trefpafs againit us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen. Minifter. O Lord, fave thy fervant, and thy handmaid; Answer. Who put their truft in thee. Minifter. O Lord, fend them help from thy holy place; Anfwer. And evermore defend them. GOD of Abraham, God of Ifaac, God of Jacob, blefs thefe thy fervants, and fow the feed of eternal life in their hearts; that whatsoever in thy holy Word they thall profitably learn, cious gift mankind is increafed; We befeech thee, aflift with thy bleffing these two perfons; that they may both be fruitful in procreation of children, and allo live together fo long in godly love and honefty, that they may fee their children chriftianly and virtuously brought up, to thy praife and honour, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen. GOD, who by thy mighty power haft made all things of nothing, who alfo (after other things fet in order) didft appoint, that out of man (created after thine own image and fimilitude) woman fhould take her beginning; and knitting them together, didft teach that it should never be lawful to put afunder thofe whom thou by Matrimony hadft made one: O God, who haft confecrated the fate of Matrimony to fuch an excellent myftery, that in it is fignified and reprefented the fpiritual marriage and unity betwixt Chrift and his Church; Look mercifully upon there thy fervants, that both this Man may love his Wife, according to thy Word, as Chrift did love his fooufe the Church; who gave himself for it, loving and cherithing it even as his own fleth: and alfo that this Woman may be loving and amiable, faithful and obedient to her Huiband and in all quietnefs, fobriety, and peace, be a follower of holy and godly matrons. O Lord, blefs them both, and grant them to inherit thy everlafting kingdom, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen. Then hall the Priest fay, ALMIGHTY God, who at the beginning did create our first parents, Adam and Eve, and did fanctify and join them together in marriage; Pour upon you the riches of his grace, fanétify and bless you, that ye may pleafe him both in body and foul, and live together in holy love unto your lives' end. Amen. After which, if there be no Sermon declaring the duties of Man and Wife, the Minister Jhall read as followeth. ALL ye that are married, or that intend to take the holy eftate of Matrimony upon you, hear what the holy Scripture doth fay, as touching the daty of hufbands towards their wives, and wives towards their hufbands. Saint Paul, in his Epifle to the Ephefians, the fifth chapter, doth give this commandment to all married men; Hufbands, love your wives, even as Chrift alfo loved the Church, and gave himfelf for it; that he might fanctify and cleanfe it with the wathing of water, by the Word; that he might prefent it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any fuch thing; but that it thould be holy,and without blemith. 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 cheritheth it, even as the Lord the Church: for we are members of his body, of his fleth, and of his bones. For this caufe fhall a man leave his father and mother, and thall be joined unto his wife, and they two fhall be one fleth. This is a great mvfiéry: but I fpeak concerning Chrit and the Church. Nevertheless, let every one of you in particular fo love his wife even as himfelf. Likewife the fame Saint Paul, writing to the Coloffians, fpeaketh thus to all men that are married; Hufbands, love your wives, and be not bitter againft them. Hear alfo what Saint Peter, the Apostle of Chrift, who was himfelf a married man, faith unto them that are married; Ye hufbands, dwell with your wives according to knowledge; giv. ing honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker veffel, and as being heirs together of the grace. of life; that your prayers be not hindered. Hitherto ye have heard the duty of the hufband toward the wife. Now likewife, ye wives, hear and learn your duties toward your hufbands, even as it is plainly fet forth in holy Scripture. Saint Paul, in the aforenamed Epiftle to the Ephefians, teacheth you thus; Wives, fubmit yourfelves unto your own hufbands, as unto the Lord. For the hufband is the head of the wife, even as Chrift is the head of the Church; and he is the Saviour of the body. Therefore as the Church is fubject unto Chrift, fo let the wives be to their own hufbands in every thing. And again he faith, Let the wife fee that the reverence her hufband. And in his Epifile to the Coloffians, Saint Paul giveth you this thort leffon; Wives, fubmit yourfelves unto your own hufbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Saint Peter alfo doth inftruct you very well, thus faying; Yé wives, be in fubjection to your own hufbands; that if any obey not the, word, they alfo may without the word be won by the converfation of the wives; while they behold your chafte converfation coupled with fear. Whote adorning, let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, sad 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 or fubjection unto their own hul bands; even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord; whofe daughters ye are as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. nament of a meek and quiet fpirit, which is in the fight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women alfo, who trufted ih God, adorned themfelves, being in It is convenient that the new married Perfons should receive the Holy Communion at the time of their Marriage, or at the firft opportunity after their Marriage. PE THE ORDER FOR THE VISITATION OF THE SICK. Aufw. From the face of his enemy. WHEN any Perfon is fick, notice shall be given thereof to the Minister of the Parijh; who, coming into the fick Perfon's houfe, Jhall fay, EACE be to this houfe, and to all that dwell in it. When he cometh into the fick Man's prefence, he hall jay, kneeling down, DEMEMBER hot, Lord, our Min. O Lord, hear our prayers; Anfu. And let our cry come unto thee. Minifter. LORD, look down from Riniquities, nor the iniquities heaven, behold, vifit, and of our forefathers: Spare us, Anfw. Spare us, good Lord. UR 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 trefpaffes, as we forgive them that trefpafs against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen. Minifier. O Lord, fave thy fer Anfw. Which putteth his truft in thee. Minifter. Send him help from thy holy place; An. And evermore mightily defend him. Mifter. Let the enemy have no advantage of him; Anfw. Nor the wicked approach to hurt him. relieve this thy fervant: Look upon him with the eyes of thy mercy, give him comfort and fure confidence in thee, defend him from the danger of the enemy, and keep him in perpetual peace and fafety, through Jetus Christ our Lord. Amen. HE EAR us, Almighty and mott merciful God and Saviour; extend thy accuftomed goodness to this thy fervant, who is grieved with fickness: Sanctify, we beseech thee, this thy fatherly correction to him; that the fenfe of his weaknes may add ftrength to his faith, and ferioufnels to his repentance: That if it fhall be thy 'good pleafure to restore him to his former health, he may lead the refidue of his life in thy fear, and to thy giory: or elfe, give him grace fo to take thy vifitation, that after this painful life ended, he may dwell with thee in life everlasting, through jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen. Then hall the Minifter exhort the ck Perfon after this form, or other like. Minifter. Be unto him, O Lord, DEARLY beloved, know this, a firong tower; Lord of life and death, and of all things to them pertaining, Scripture for our comfort and inftruction; that we should patiently, and with thanksgiving, bear our heavenly Father's correction, whenfoever by any manner as youth, strength, health, age, weakness, and ficknefs. Wherefore, whatfoever your fickness is, know you certainly, that it is God's vifitation. And for what caufe foever this fickness is fent unto you; whether it be to try your patience for the example of others, and that your faith may be found in the day of the Lord, laudable, glorious, and honourable, to the increafe of glory and endlefs felicity; or elle it be fent unto you to correct and amend in you whatfoever doth offend the eyes of your heavenly Father; know you certainly, that if you truly repent you of your fins, and bear your ficknefs patiently, trufting in God's mercy, for his dear Son Jefus Christ's fake, and render unto him humble thanks for his fatherly vifitation, fubmitting yourfelf wholly unto his will, it fhall turn to your profit, and help you forward in the right way that leadeth unto everlasting life. If the Perfon vifited be very sick, then the Curate may end Ais Exhortation in. this place, or else proceed. T AKE therefore in good part the chaftifement of the Lord: For (as Saint Paul faith in the twelfth chapter to the Hebrews) "whom the Lord loveth he chafteneth, and fcourgeth every fon whom he receiveth. If ye endure chaftening, God dealeth with you, as with fons; for what fon is he, whom the father chafteneth not? But, if ye be without chafifement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye baflards, and not fons. Furthermore, we have had fa. thers of our flefh, which correfted us, and we gave them reverence: fhall we not much rather be in fubjection unto the Father of fpirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chaf tened us after their own pleafure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holinefs." Thete words, good brother, are written in holy of adverfity it shall pleafe his gracious goodness to visit us. And there thould be no greater comfort to Chrif tian perfons than to be made like unto Chrift, by fuffering patiently adverfities, troubles, and fickneffes. For he himself went not up to joy, but firft he fuffered pain; he entered not into his glory, before he was crucified. So truly our way to eternal joy, is to fuffer here with Chrift; and our door to ehter into eternal life, is gladly to die with Chrift; that we may rife again from death, and dwell with him in everlafting life. Now, therefore, taking your ficknefs, which is thus profitable for you, patiently; I exhort you, in the Name of God, to remem ber the profeffion which you made unto God in your Baptifm. And forafmuch as after this life there is an account to be given unto the righteous Judge, by whom all must be judged without refpect of perfons; I require you to examine yourfelf and your eftate, both toward God and man; fo that accufing and condemning yourfelf for your own faults, you may find mercy at our heavenly Father's hand for Chrift's fake, and not be accufed and condemned in that fearful judgement. There fore I thall rehearse to you the Articles of our Faith; that you may know whether you do be. live as a Chriftian man thould, or no. Here the Minifter shall rehearse the Articles of the Faith, faying thus: OST thou believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth? And in Jefus Chrift his onlybegotten Son our Lord? And that he was conceived by the Holy Ghoft, born of the Virgin Mary; that he fuffered under Pontius Phate, was crucified, dead, and buried; that he went down into hell, and alfo did rife again the third day; that he afcended into heaven, and fitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; and from thence 1hall come again at the end of the world, to judge the quick and the dead? And doft thou believe in the Holy Ghoft; the holy Catholic Church; the communion of faints; the remiffion of fins; the refurrection of the fleth; and everlafting life after death The fick Perfon fhall answer, All this I ftedtaly believe. Then hall the Minifter examine whether he repent him truly of his fins, and be in charity with all the world; exhorting him to forgive, from the bottom of his heart, all perfons that have offended him: and if he hath of fended any other, to ask them forgiveness; and where he hath done injury or wrong to any man, that he make amends to the uttermost of his.power. And if he hath not before disposed of his goods, let him then be admonish ed to make his Will, and to declare his debts, what he oweth, and what is owing unto him; for the better difcharging of his confcience, and the quietness of his executors. But men should often be put in remembrance to take order for the fettling of their temporal enates whilst they are in health.. Thefe words, before rehearted, may be faid before the Minifter begin his Prayer, as he hall fee caufe. The Minifter should not omit earnestly to move fuch fick Perfons, as are of ability, to be liberal to the poor. Here hall the fick Perfon be moved to make a special Confeon of his fins, if he feel his confcience troubled with any weighty matter. After which Confef fion, the Priest shall abfolve him (if he humbly and heartily defire it) after this fort: UR Lord Jefus Chrift, who Church to abfolve all finners who truly repent, and believe in him; of his great mercy forgive Andthen the Prick hall Jay the Let us pray. MOST merciful God, who according to the multitude of thy mercies, doft fo put away the fins of thofe who truly repent, that thou remembereft them no more; Open thine eye of mercy upon this thy fervant, who most earnefily defireth pardon and forgivenefs. Renew in him, most loving Father, "whatfoever hath been decayed by the fraud and malice of the devil, or by his own carnal will and frailnefs; preferve and continue this fick member in the unity of the Church; consider his contrition, accept his tears, affwage his pain, as thall teem to thee moft expedient for him. And forafmuch as he putteth his full truft only in thy mercy, impuie not unto him his former fins; but firengthen him with thy bleffed Spirit; and when thou art pieafed to take him hence, take him unto thy favour, through the merits of thy most dear beloved Son Jefus Chrift our Lord. Aen. Then hail the Minister fay this Pfalm. Pf. 1xxi. In te Domine, fperavi. N thee, O Lord, have 1 put my truit, let me never be put to confufion bit rid me, and deliver me in thy righteouf nefs; incline thine ear unto me, and fave me. Be thou my ftrong hold, whereunto I may alway refort: thou haft promifed to help me; for thou art my houfe of defence, and my cattle. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the ungodly out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. thou, O Lord God, art the thing that I long for: thou art my hope, even from my youth. |