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The like is to be observed in the proceedings of all others, although of age, whose parents are living, for their first marriage. And, in after marriages of either of those parties, they fhall be exhorted not to contract marriage without first acquainting their parents with it, (if with conveniency it may be done) endeavouring to obtain their confent.

Parents ought not to force their children to marry without their free confent, nor deny their own confent without just cause.

After the purpose or contract of marriage have been thus publifhed, the marriage is not to be long deferred. Therefore the minifter, having had convenient warning, and nothing been objected to hinder it, is publickly to folemnize it in the place appointed by authority for publick worship, before a competent number of credible witneffes, at fome convenient hour of the day, at any time of the year, except on a day of publick humiliation. And we advise that it be not on the Lord's day.

And, because all relations are fanctified by the word and prayer, the minifter is to pray for a bleffing upon them, to this effect;

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Acknowledging our fins, whereby we have made ourfelves less than the leaft of all the mercies of God, and provoked him to embitter all our comforts, earnestly, in the ' name of Chrift, to intreat the Lord (whose presence and fa'your is the happiness of every condition, and sweetens every relation) to be their portion, and to own and accept them in Christ, who are now to be joined in the honourable eftate of marriage, the covenant of their God: And that, as he hath brought them together by his providence, he would fanctify them by his Spirit, giving them a new frame of heart, fit for their new eftate; enriching them with all gra'ces whereby they may perform the duties, enjoy the com'forts, undergo the cares, and refift the temptations which accompany that condition, as becometh Chriftians."

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The prayer being ended, it is convenient that the minifter do briefly declare unto them, out of the scripture,

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'The institution, use, and ends of marriage, with the conjugal duties, which, in all faithfulness, they are to perform each to other; exhorting them to study the holy word of God, that they may learn to live by faith, and to be content in the 'midst of all marriage cares and troubles, fanctifying God's • name, in a thankful, sober, and holy use of all conjugal comforts; praying much with and for one another; watching over, and provoking each other to love, and good works: and to live together as the heirs of the grace of life.' After folemn charging of the persons to be married, before the great God who fearcheth all hearts, and to whom they must give a strict account at the last day, that if either of them know any caufe, by precontract, or otherwife; why they may not lawfully proceed to marriage, that they now discover it; The minister (if no impediment be acknowledged) fhall cause first the man to take the woman by the right hand, faying these words.

I N. do take thee N. to be my married wife, and do, in the prefence of God, and before this congregation, promife and covenant to be a loving and faithful husband unto thee, until God fhall feparate us by death.

Then the woman fhall take the man by the right hand, and say these words.

I N. do take thee N. to be my married husband, and I do, in the prefence of God, and before this congregation, promise and covenant to be a loving, faithful and obedient wife unto thee, until God fhall feparate us by death.

Then, without any further ceremony, the minifter fhall, in the face of the congregation, pronounce them to be hufband and wife, according to God's ordinance; and fo conclude the action with prayer to this effect;

That the Lord would be pleafed to acompany his own • ordinance with his bleffing, befeeching him to enrich the

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⚫ perfons now married, as with other pledges of his love, fo particularly with the comforts and fruits of marriage, to the • praise of his abundant mercy, in and through Christ Jesus.'

A register is to be carefully kept, wherein the names of the parties fo married, with the time of their marriage, are forthwith to be fairly recorded in a book, provided for that purpose, for the perusal of all whom it may concern.

Concerning Vifitation of the Sick.

T is the duty of the minifter not only to teach the people Committed to his committed to his charge in publick but privately, and particularly to admonish, exhort, reprove and comfort them, upon all feasonable occafions, fo far as his time, ftrength, and perfonal fafety will permit.

He is to admonish them, in time of health, to prepare for death; and, for that purpose, they are often to confer with their minifter about the estate of their fouls, and, in times of fickness, to defire his advice and help, timely and seasonably, before their strength and understanding fail them.

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Times of fickness and affliction are special opportunities put into his hand by God, to minister a word in season to weary fouls: because then the confciences of men are or should be, more awakened to bethink themselves of their spiritual estate for eternity; and Satan also takes advantage then, to load them more with fore and heavy temptations: therefore the minifter, being fent for, and repairing to the fick, is to apply himself with all tenderness and love, to administer some fpiritual good to his foul, to this effect.

He may, from the confideration of the present sickness, inftruct him out of scripture, that diseases come not by chance, or by distempers of body only, but by the wife and orderly guidance of the good hand of God, to every particular perfon fmitten by them, And that, whether it be laid upon him out of difpleasure for fin, for his correction and amendment,

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or for trial and exercise of his graces, or for other special and excellent ends, all his fufferings fhall turn to his profit, and work together for his good, if he fincerely labour to make a fanctified use of God's vifitation, neither despifing his chastning, nor waxing weary of his correction.

If he fufpect him-of ignorance, he shall examine him in the principles of religion, especially touching repentance and faith; and, as he feeth cause, instruct him in the nature, use, excellency and neceffity of those graces; as alfo touching the covenant of grace; and Chrift the Son of God, the Mediator of it, and, concerning remiffion of fins by faith in him.

He fhall exhort the fick perfon to examine himself, to search and try his former ways, and his eftate towards God.

And if the fick perfon fhall declare any fcruple, doubt or temptation that are upon him, inftructions and refolutions fhall be given to fatisfy and fettle him.

If it appear that he hath not a due fenfe of his fins, endeavours ought to be used to convince him of his fins, of the guilt and defert of them; of the filth and pollution, which the foul contracts by them; and of the curfe of the law, and wrath of God, due to them; that he may be truly affected with, and humbled for them: and withal make known the danger of deferring repentance, and of neglecting falvation at any time offered; to awaken his confcience, and rouze him up our of a stupid and fecure condition, to apprehend the justice and wrath of God, before whom none can ftand, but he that, loft in himself, layeth hold upon Christ by faith.

If he have endeavoured to walk in the ways of holiness, and to ferve God in uprightnefs, although not without many failings and infirmities; or if his fpirit be broken with the sense of fin, or caft down through want of the sense of God's favour; then it will be fit to raise him up, by fetting before him the freenefs and fulnefs of God's grace, the fufficiency of righteousness in Chrift, the gracious offers in the gospel, that all who repent, and believe with all their heart in God's

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mercy through Chrift, renouncing their own righteousness, hall have life and falvation in him; it may be alfo ufeful to hew him, that death hath in it no fpiritual evil to be feared by those that are in Chrift, because fin the fting of death is taken away by Christ, who hath delivered all that are his, From the bondage of the fear of death, triumphed over the grave, given us victory, is himself entered into glory, to prepare a place for his people: fo that neither life nor death shall be able to separate them from God's love in Christ, in whom fuch are fure, tho' now they must be laid in the duft, to obtain a joyful and glorious refurrection to eternal life.

Advice alfo may be given, as to beware of an ill-grounded perfuafion on mercy, or on the goodness of his condition for heaven, fo to disclaim all merit in himself, and to caft himself wholly upon God for mercy, in the fole merits and mediation of Jefus Chrift, who hath engaged himself never to caft off them, who in truth and fincerity come unto him. Care alfo must be taken, that the fick perfon be not caft down into Hespair, by fuch a fevere representation of the wrath of God lue to him for his fins, as is not mollified by a sensible propounding of Christ and his merit for a door of hope to every >enitent believer.

When the fick perfon is best compofed, may be least difurbed, and other neceffary offices about him least hindered, he minister, if desired, fhall pray with him, and for him, to his effect.

'Confeffing and bewailing of fin original and actual, the miferable condition of all by nature, as being children of wrath, and under the curfe; acknowledging that all diseases, fickneffes, death, and hell itself, are the proper iffues and effects thereof; imploring God's mercy for the fick perfon, through the blood of Chrift; befeeching that God would open his eyes, discover unto him his fins, caufe him to fee himself lost in himself, make known to him the cause why God fmiteth him, reveal Jefus Chrift to his foul for righte 'oufnefs

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