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afflicted—Isa. xliii. 1, 2, 3. Advantages of a frequent Retrospect of Life—Deut. via. 2. Fear of Peter when walking on the Sea—Mat. xiv. 30, 31. The Christian waiting for his Deliveror—1 Thess. i. 10. Praver of David for Self-knowledge—Ps. exxxix. 23. 24. The Wedding Garment—Mat. xxii. 11,1,2, 13. The Christian reigning in Life—Rom. v. 17.
THE COVENANT OF TWO FRIENDS.
Beloved friends and brethren in Christ, we have now come together to make a covenant with God; and O, that you both may remember it until death, for the wise man said, that in the multitude of counsel there is safety, and together we stand, but if divided we are sure to fall. But justice is that great standard of righteousness which will enable us to comply with all that is good, and will support us all in the civil society of men in time, and in the end crown us eternally in the kingdom of our God.
The time, appointed for the great covenant of matrimony having arrived, the minister saying unto them:
Dearly beloved, we are now met here in the sight of God, and in the presence of these witnesses, to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony, which is an honorable estate instituted by God in the time of man's innocence, signifying unto us the mystical union that is between Christ and his church, which holy estate Christ adorned and beautified with his presence and first miracle that he wrought in Cana of Galilee, and is commended by St. Paul, to be honorable among all men, and therefore, is not by any, to be despised or taken in hand unadvisedly, but reverently, discreetly, advisedly, and in the fear of God, into which holy estate these two persons present, come now to be joined together in matrimony, therefore, if any of you can show any just cause why they may not lawfully be joined together in matrimony, let him or her, now speak, or else hereafter forever hold his peace.
