vouchsafed, Thy Son our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN. After this Prayer a Hymn shall be sung before the SERMON, At the close of which may be used one of the forms of a General Prayer, as on page 81-83. Then a Hymn, and the THE BENEDICTION. HE grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. AMEN. THE OFFICE FOR THE CONFIRMATION OF MARRIAGE. "Marriage must always be performed before a competent number of witnesses; and at any time, except on a day of public humiliation. And we advise that it be not on the Lord's day. And the Minister is to give a certificate of the marriage when required. "When the parties present themselves for marriage, the Minister is to ask if there is any person present who knows any lawful reason why these persons may not be joined together in the marriage relation, that they will now make it known. "No objections being made, he shall then proceed to give them some instructions from the Scriptures, respecting the institution and duties of this office." OD be merciful unto us, GOD and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN. N the Name of Almighty God, I demand of each IN of you here present, that if ye know any good reason why these persons M., and N., should not be joined in Marriage, ye do now declare the same, as ye would answer before the Searcher of Hearts. OD created man in His own image, and said, it GOD is not good that man should be alone: I will make a help meet for him. He brought unto the man the woman whom He had made. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. Therefore shall a man leave father and mother, and cleave unto his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh. Marriage, thus ordained of God in Eden, was confirmed at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, by the gracious presence and miraculous blessing of our divine Lord Jesus Christ: who also hath said, What God hath joined together let not man put asunder. Moreover, His Holy Apostle Paul has commended unto the husband the example of Christ in loving His Church, and unto the wife the willing subjection of the Church unto Christ as her Head. Whence we learn that Marriage is well-pleasing to God our Saviour, and most honourable to all who maintain therein a mutual love and unshaken fidelity. I therefore, a minister of the blessed Gospel, charge and entreat you both, to seek the help of God in all your duties; that His grace may make your union fruitful of comfort in this life, and a furtherance of your everlasting salvation, to the glory of His holy Name. Let us pray. MOST Holy and Most Merciful Lord God, we be seech Thee for these Thy servant and handmaid; that they may, with a reverent trust in Thee, enter into the covenant of marriage, as they now propose, and truly keep all the vows which they are about to make according to Thy Word. Grant this, O our Father, with the forgiveness of our sins, through Christ Thy Son. AMEN. Then the Minister shall bid the man and the woman to join their right hands: which being done, he shall say to the man: OST thou promise to love her, honour her, defend DOST her, sustain and cherish her, in joy and in sorrow, in health and in sickness, in prosperity and in adversity? Wilt thou be faithful to her in all things |