Declaration of the be thy wedded husband, to live together after God's ordinance, in the honourable estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love, honour, and obey him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live? I will. [The Woman shall say,] [Here request the Man to take the Woman by her right hand, and say as follows:] Man, in the words "I CALL upon these persons here of the Act. Declaration of the words of the Act. present to witness, that I, A. B., do take thee, C. D., to be my lawful wedded Wife. [Then request the Woman to say as follows:] "I CALL upon these persons here present to witness, that I, C. D., do take thee, A. B., to be my lawful wedded Husband." [Then request the Man to place the ring on the fourth finger of the Woman's left hand; and, having done this, to take her right hand and then the Minister shall say,] : Those whom God and the laws of Joining of hands. this realm have joined together, let no man put asunder. Marriage. Forasmuch as A. B. and C. D. Declaration of have agreed to live together in the honourable estate of Matrimony, and have witnessed the same in the presence of God and this company, and have duly performed all things in this case required by law, I do declare them henceforth man and wife together. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace; And so fill you with all benediction Benediction. and grace, that ye may live together in this life, so that in the world to come ye may have life everlasting. Prayer. Prayer. [Let us pray.] O Eternal God, Creator and Preserver of all mankind, giver of all spiritual grace, the author of everlasting life-send thy blessing upon these thy servants, this Man and this Woman, that as Isaac and Rebecca lived faithfully together, so they may surely perform and keep the vow and covenant betwixt them made, and ever remain in perfect love and peace with each other, and live according to thy laws; through Jesus Christ our Lord. O God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob; the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; favourably regard these thy servants. Impart unto them, we beseech thee, the gracious influences of thy Holy Spirit, that so they may faithfully discharge every duty that appertains to the close and endearing relationship into which they have now entered. Look, O Lord, mercifully from Heaven, and bless them. Grant, that in all their ways they may acknowledge thee, and do thou direct their paths. May they dwell continually in the secret place of the Most High, and abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Be thou their guardian and their guide through all the pilgrimage of life; and so renew and sanctify them, day by day, that, having served and honoured thee here on earth, they may at length, through the merit of the Redeemer's blood, obtain an entrance abundantly into that blessed world where they neither Scripture Exhortations -to the Husband. marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God for ever and Amen. ever. Hear the word of God, as touching the duties of husbands towards their wives, and of wives towards their husbands. St. Paul, in his Epistle to the Ephesians, saith," 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 |