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O let the nations rejoice and be glad for thou fhalt judge the folk righteously, and govern the nations upon earth.

Let the people praife thee, O God: yea, let all the people praise thee.

Then shall the earth bring forth her increase: 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, and to the Son and to the Holy Ghoft; As it was in the beginning, is

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fervants, and fow the feed of eternal life in their hearts; that whatfoever in thy holy Word they shall profitably learn, they may in deed fulfil the fame. Look, O Lord, Look, O Lord, mercifully upon them from heaven, and blefs them. And as thou didft fend thy bleffing upon Abraham and Sarah, to their great comfort, so vouchsafe to fend thy bleffing upon these thy fervants; that they obeying thy will, and alway being in fafety under thy protection, may abide in thy love unto their lives' end; through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

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¶ This Prayer next following shall be omitted, where the Woman is past child-bearing.

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Merciful Lord, and heavenly Merciful Lord, and heavenly Father, by whofe gracious gift mankind is increased; We befeech thee, affift with thy bleffing thefe two perfons, that they may both be fruitful in procreation of children, and alfo live together fo long in godly love and honefty, that they may fee their children chriftianly and virtuously brought up, to thy praise and honour; through

Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

God, who by thy mighty pow

thing; 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, didst teach

that it should never be lawful to put afunder thofe whom thou by Matrimony hadft made one: O God, who haft confecrated the state of Matrimony to fuch an excellent myftery, that in it is fignified and reprefented the spiritual marriage and unity betwixt Chrift and his Church; Look mercifully upon these thy fervants, that both this man may love his wife, according to thy Word, (as Chrift did love his fpoufe the Church, who gave himself for it, loving and cherishing it even as his own flesh,) and allo that this woman may be loving and amiable, faithful and obedient to her husband; 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 Jesus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

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ALL ye that are married, or that intend to take the holy estate of matrimony upon you, hear what the holy Scripture doth fay as touching the duty of hufbands towards their wives, and wives towards their hufbands.

Saint Paul, in his Epiftle to the Ephefians, the fifth Chapter, doth give this commandment to all married men; Husbands, love your wives, even as Chrift alfo loved the Church, and gave himself for it, that he might fanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water, by the Word; that he might prefent it to himself a glorious Church, not having fpot, or wrinkle, or any fuch thing; but that it fhould be holy, and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himfelf: for no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord 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 fhall be joined unto his wife; and they two fhall be one flesh. This is a great myftery; but I fpeak concerning Chrift and the Church. Nevertheless, let every one of you in particular fo love his wife, even as himself.

Likewife the fame Saint Paul, writing to the Coloffians, speaketh

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thus to all men that are married; Hufbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against 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; giving 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 yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband 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 husbands in every thing. And again he faith, Let the wife see that fhe reverence her husband.

And in his Epistle to the Coloffians, Saint Paul giveth you this fhort leffon; Wives, fubmit yourfelves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.

Saint Peter alfo doth inftruct

you very well, thus faying; Ye wives, be in fubjection to your own husbands; 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. Whofe adorning, let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and 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 ornament 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 trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in fubjection unto their own hufbands; 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.

¶ It is convenient that the new-married persons should receive the holy Communion at the time of their Marriage, or at the first opportunity after their Marriage.

THE

THANKSGIVING OF WOMEN AFTER CHILD-BIRTH,

COMMONLY CALLED,

THE CHURCHING OF WOMEN.

¶ The Woman, at the usual time after her Delivery, shall come into the Church decently apparelled, and there shall kneel down in some convenient place, as hath been accustomed, or as the Ordinary shall direct: And then the Priest shall say unto her,

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Turn again then unto thy reft, O my foul: for the Lord hath rewarded thee.

And why? thou haft delivered my foul from death mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

I will walk before the Lord : in the land of the living.

I believed, and therefore will I fpeak; but I was fore troubled : I faid in my hafte, All men are liars.

What reward fhall I give unto the Lord for all the benefits that he hath done unto me?

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