particulars before, only we may note the exact method thereof, being a summary repetition, 1. of the manner how they have made this contract, viz. by their mutual consent, FORASMUCH AS N. AND N. HAVE CONSENTED TOGETHER IN HOLY WEDLOCK. 2. The witnesses before whom they did enter into it, AND HAVE WITNESSED THE SAME BEFORE GOD AND THIS COMPANY. 3. The attestations used to confirm it, which were, 1. words, AND THERETO HAVE GIVEN AND PLEDGED THEIR TROTH EITHER TO OTHER; TO OTHER; 2. signifying signs, AND HAVE DECLARED THE SAME BY GIVING AND RECEIVING OF A RING, AND BY JOINING OF HANDS. And surely it is very useful for the parties to have all they have done thus far laid together, that they may behold it at one view, so that they may be more affected with it, and tremble to think of ever being so false and so wicked as to retract their own full and free consent, witnessed before God and his church, confirmed by the most obligatory words and the most significant rites imaginable; and thus it may be an admonition to the parties to keep their vow, as well as it is a ground for the priest to ratify it, which he doth in the next part; that is, secondly, the promulgation, which is his pronouncing them to be man and wife, IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY GHOST, AMEN. The whole office, as to the essentials, being now completed according to God's word, the ambassador of God pronounces the marriage to be legal and valid. In the Name &c., that is, by the authority of God; for as Grotius notes, it was the same thing to ask the apostles, By what name they did those things? Acts iv. 7, and to ask our Saviour, By what authority he did those things? Matt. xxi. 23. So that here it implies, that the priest declares this marriage to be good and right by the authority of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; which must needs render marriage highly venerable to all that have any fear of God, when they hear it so solemnly ratified by the divine 48 authority. And for this reason we may observe all the offices of marriage as well in the western as the eastern church do nominate the three Persons of the glorious Trinity, the words of the Greek office being these, "The servant of the Lord, N. is married to the handmaid of the Lord, N. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," which hath some affinity to this our publication; but the end in all these forms is certainly the same, viz. by setting God's name to this sacred contract, to make it hallowed, reverend, and irreversible. §. III. GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON, GOD THE HOLY GHOST, BLESS, PRESERVE, AND KEEP YOU; THE LORD MERCIFULLY WITH HIS FAVOUR LOOK UPON YOU; AND SO FILL YOU WITH ALL SPIRITUAL BENEDICTION AND GRACE, THAT YE MAY SO LIVE TOGETHER IN THIS LIFE, THAT IN THE WORLD TO COME YE MAY HAVE LIFE EVER LASTING. AMEN] The marriage being made in the name of the holy Trinity, the fountain of all benediction, we may now expect a blessing from thence, and therefore the church pronounces this benediction upon the covenant now made, and the persons entering into the same; which is done in imitation of Almighty God, who concluded the first marriage which he himself made in Paradise with a blessing, Gen. i. 28, and it is fit we should follow his examplem; for the church hath done so in all ages: Tertullian tells us in his time "the church's blessing did seal the marriage";" and the old name of m Hac ergo similitudine fit nunc in ecclesia, quæ tunc factum erat in Paradiso. Isidor. de Eccles. Off. lib. 2. c. 19. the whole office in the western church was, The order for blessing the spouse, The benediction of the priest, or, more emphatically, The blessing of God. The Greek offices do well agree also with ours in this point; for there the blessing runs thus: "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, the most holy and consubstantial Trinity, the fountain of life, who have one Divinity and kingdom, bless you, and give you length of days, fruitfulness, increase of piety and faith, fill you with all the blessings of this earth, and make you fit for the enjoyment of his excellent promises," &c. As for the present form, it may justly be said to be of a divine original, being a Christian paraphrase upon that blessing which God himself indicted, Numb. vi. 24, 25, 26: The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: the Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. The name of the Lord is three times repeated, once in each verse, with respect (no doubt) to the holy Trinity, more fully to be revealed under the gospel; wherefore we have only explained that mystery, and more largely given the signification of that comprehensive word PEACE, and the rest is the very same. For first, we pray that the holy Trinity may please to BLESS THEM, that is, bestow upon them the good things of this life, health, wealth, plenty, and prosperity: 2. to PRESERVE AND KEEP THEM; that is, to deliver them from the evils of this life, sickness and want, discord and distress: 3. to LOOK MERCIFULLY ON THEM WITH HIS FAVOUR ; that is, to remove all spiritual evils from them, in pitying their natural infirmities, pardoning their mani • Sacramentar. Gregor. Mag. P. 385. P Concil. 4. Carthag. Can. 13. an. 398. Concil. Winton. an. 1076. ap. Spelm. a Leges Edmundi, cap. 5. ap. Spelm. tom. 1. an. 944. fold sins, and saving them from their ghostly enemies: 4. to FILL THEM WITH ALL SPIRITUAL BENEDICTION AND GRACE; that is, to bestow all spiritual gifts and graces upon them, wisdom and piety, faith and charity, meekness and patience, temperance and chastity, &c.: 5. to grant them so TO LIVE TOGETHER HERE, THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE EVERLASTING HEREAFTER; that is, that after an innocent, sweet, and virtuous life, they may both meet in everlasting glory in God's heavenly kingdom. And O how comprehensive and how desirable is this blessing, which doth contain the enjoyment of all good, and the freedom from all evil, temporal, spiritual, and eternal! what can we wish more? How great a benefit is it to be thus blessed by God's commissionated ambassador, who not only prays for these blessings, but also imparts them! Numb. vi. 27. The priest's blessing is of great efficacy with God, and shall be very beneficial to us, if we duly prepare ourselves to receive it. Amen. §. I. THE marriage covenant being now completed, the church will not dismiss the assembly till the office be solemnly concluded with such devotions as may tend to impress it more deeply on the minds of the parties, and obtain a greater measure of grace upon this divine ordinance; there remain yet therefore the hymns, the prayers, and exhortations which finish this holy rite. And that this religious part of the service may become more reverent and more regarded, the married couple are here ordered to follow the priest into the choir, and kneel upon the steps of the altar; whereby also we preserve the memory of that pious and ancient usage of administering the sacrament of the Lord's supper to the bridegroom and bride on the wedding day, of which we will say more in the end of this partition, sect. ult., turning our discourse now to the first sort of these concluding devotions, which are the psalms or hymns, and those will presently appear |