Page images
PDF
EPUB

marriage z; "In pure love (saith Macarius) she casts herself into the hands of her husband, saying, I have nothing of my own, all my goods are yours, my estate, my soul, my body is yours." Now, since love deserveth love again, what can the man do less in return to this kindness, and in compensation for what he enjoys by her, than to give her a right to his estate also? The barbarous Gauls (as Cæsar writes) were wont to give so much out of their own estates, as they received in portion with their wives; and out of those two sums provision was made for the woman if she proved the longer liver. Nor Nor may Christians come behind these heathens, in allowing liberal provisions to their wives while they live with them, and assigning equitable competencies to them if they shall leave them behind them, it being unjust and unworthy in us to suffer any person to be damnified by their kindness to us, where we are able to requite them. 3. The last part of these words, viz. In The Name of the FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY GHOST, AMEN, are a solemn confirmation of this engagement we have made, being an invocating the Holy Trinity as witness to this compact, and every branch thereof, especially this last of our instating the wife in our honours and our wealth; which if we shall not make good, we must expect the glorious Trinity, which witnessed the promise, will revenge the perjury on those who break it; and the violation of this covenant will hereby become not only a wrong to the woman, but also an affront to Almighty God, to whom therefore in the

Ζ Τὸν πλοῦτον, τὴν δόξαν, τοὺς ἐπαίνους. νόμῳ γὰρ ἅπαντα γίγνεται TоÙ уeуаμпKÓтоs. Lucian. Dial. Rhetor. Mag.

COMBER, VOL. IV.

a Macar. Homil. 32. b Cæsar de Bell. lib. 6. mihi. p. 174.

I

Gallic.

44

next place we pray for grace to be bestowed on both these persons, to enable them to perform their several duties. Amen.

SECTION IV.

OF THE PRAYER FOR A BLESSING ON IT.

I. THE blessing of God hath been always reputed so necessary to the right making and the true performance of covenants, that they have been every where accompanied with sacrifices, or some other kind of address to Heaven; and especially this covenant of marriage was believed by the heathens to be inauspicious if it were not joined with a sacrifices. And we Christians, who know God was the author of it, and is the witness to it, are much more obliged to call upon the Divine Majesty for his blessing on our marriage covenant; and for this end was the present prayer composed; concerning which we may note in general, That as our excellent reformers were not so in love with novelty, as to cast out any ancient or useful part of the Roman offices, so neither were they so taken with that which Rome calls antiquity, as to retain any thing which was contrary to sound doctrine. There were two prayers in the Manual of Salisbury, designed to crave a blessing on the ring, and used in this very place; but we may justly believe they were not very ancient, because they are not in St. Gregory's Sacramentary; and besides, it seemed to our judicious

c Haud enim aliter faustum fœlixque matrimonium putabant Romani, nisi more solenni antea

libassent. Ant. Hotman, de Vet. Rit. Nupt. cap. 29.

composers of this office, an impious kind of superstition, little differing from charming or conjuration, to use any words to convey holiness into any inanimate creature; and to suppose the person wearing it should derive any blessing or grace from thence: wherefore they expunged all that tended that way, and yet retained many pious phrases used in these prayers, but so that they turned them into an address to God, for the confirmation of this covenant, and a blessing on those that now have made it, as may appear by consulting the Roman forms at large, which begin, “O Creator and Preserver of mankind, Giver of spiritual grace, Author of eternal salvation, send thy blessing on this ring," &c. So that we have all the pure metal of these forms, and have left the dross behind. As to the method of this prayer, here is, 1. A description of him we pray unto, O ETERNAL GOD, CREATOR, &c. 2. The general request made to him, SEND THY BLESSING, &c. 3. The nomination of those we make it for, THIS MAN AND THIS WOMAN, &c. 4. The particular petitions made for them: 1. Introduced by an auspicious example, THAT, AS ISAAC and REBEKAH, &c. 2. Enumerated in three branches, (1.) Observance of their covenant, so THESE PERSONS MAY SURELY PERFORM, &c. (2.) Continuance in love and peace, AND MAY EVER REMAIN IN PERFECT LOVE, &c. (3.) Obedience to all God's laws, AND LIVE ACCORDING TO THY LAWS. 5. The conclusion of all, THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN. All which are so plain and proper, that they will be sufficiently illustrated by a very brief discourse.

§. II. O ETERNAL GOD, CREATOR AND PRESERVER OF ALL MANKIND, GIVER OF ALL SPIRITUAL GRACE, THE AUTHOR OF EVERLASTING LIFE; SEND THY BLESSING UPON d Manual. Sarisb. An. 1555. fol. 38.

THESE THY SERVANTS, THIS MAN AND THIS WOMAN,

WHOM WE BLESS IN THY NAME]

The entrance into this prayer is made by enumerating those attributes of God which are most proper to this occasion. 1. His eternity, to mind us of our vast distance, since he is but one, and always the same; but we are many, because we are not suffered to continue by reason of death, Heb. vii. 23; we cannot subsist always in individuals, and therefore we marry to obtain a kind of eternity by the propagation of our species, as the philosophers note. But the very provision we make against our own mortality, admonisheth us to adore him who is eternal without variation or shadow of changing. 2. We commemorate his power over our bodies on the account of his being our Creator and Preserver, Rev. iv. 11, Job vii. 20, and it is useful for us to look on him under these 45 qualifications, especially at this time, because he useth holy marriage as the instrument, by which he creates individuals, and preserves the whole species of mankind. 3. We acknowledge his care of our souls, as he is the Giver of all spiritual grace, 1 Pet. v. 10, and the Author of everlasting life, Heb. v. 9; and this we mention, because we ought to look beyond the temporal blessing of a happy marriage here, even that we may be so happy as by grace to obtain everlasting glory hereafter. The joys of this world, even those of a blessed marriage, are but short and uncertain; let us therefore lift up our hearts to him that hath provided certain and eternal joys for us when all these shall cease. Having thus considered our God in his

• Ταύτῃ τῇ περιόδῳ ἡ φύσις ἀναπληροῖ τὸ ἄει εἶναι· ἐπεὶ κατ' ἀριθμὸν οὐ δύναται, ἀλλάγε κατὰ τὸ εἶδος. Arist. Econ. 1. 1.

Τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ πᾶν τὸ θνητὸν σώζηται, καὶ ἀθανασίας τίνος τυγχάPlut. Sympos.

νει.

eternity, power, and goodness, we begin to petition him to send his blessing upon these persons, for without that nothing can prosper; and therefore it ought to be begged upon all our concerns, especially upon this great affair of marriage: the Greek church observed this, and therefore they frequently repeat this request, "Lord, bless this marriage f." The priest also is said to bless them whom he marries, not only by pronouncing good things unto them, but by praying for a blessing on them: for though God do bless by giving good things from himself, yet men are said in scripture to bless in God's name, when they pray to God for his blessing, Gen. xlviii. 20, 2 Sam. vi. 18, Luke vi. 28, as we here do for these parties, whom we heartily desire God to bless; and we hope those whom we thus bless in God's name shall be blessed.

§. III. THAT, AS ISAAC AND REBEKAH LIVED FAITHFULLY TOGETHER, SO THESE PERSONS MAY SURELY PERFORM AND KEEP THE VOW AND COVENANT BETWIXT

THEM MADE, (WHEREOF THIS RING GIVEN AND RECEIVED IS A TOKEN AND PLEDGE,) AND MAY EVER REMAIN IN PERFECT LOVE AND PEACE TOGETHER, AND LIVE ACCORDING TO THY LAWS; THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN]

This example of so blessed a pair as Isaac and Rebekah were, serves both for a measure of our desires, to shew in what manner we would have this couple blessed; and also for a foundation of our hope, that God will bless these as he hath done others of his servants before. The offices of the eastern church do reckon up all the happy instances mentioned in scripture, saying, "Bless them, O Lord our God, as thou didst bless Abraham and Sarah -Isaac and Rebekah

† Ὑπὲρ τοῦ εὐλογηθῆναι τὸν λόγησον τὸν γάμον τοῦτον. γάμον τοῦτον, &c. et pp. Ev-cholog. pag. 386. et passim.

Eu

« PreviousContinue »