For fruitfulness, and perfect love, And constant peace, they pray'd, On Eleëmon the Lord's Servant, And Cyra, the Lord's Handmaid. They call'd upon the Lord to bless Their spousal celebration, And sanctify the marriage rite To both their souls' salvation. A pause at every prayer they made, The Choristers took up their part, And sung in tones that thrill'd the heart, "Have mercy on us, Lord!" Then with the marriage rings the priest Pronouncing them before high Heaven Now and for ever more, for time This did he in the presence Of Angels and of men; And at every pause the Choristers Intoned their deep "Amen!" Then to that gracious Lord, the Priest Who, as our sacred Scriptures tell, He call'd upon that gracious Lord To stablish with his power The espousals made between them, In truth and love, this hour; And with his mercy and his word Their lot, now link'd, to bless, And let his Angel guide them In the way of righteousness. With a Christian benediction, The Priest dismiss'd them then, And the Choristers, with louder voice, Intoned the last "Amen!" The days of Espousals are over; To the sacred fane the bridal train, A gay procession, take again. Through thronging streets their way. 1 "Formerly these crowns were garlands made of flowers or shrubs; but now there are generally in all churches crowns of silver, or other metals, kept for that purpose."- Dr. King's Rites, &c. p. 232. "A certain crown of flowers used in marriages," says the excellent Bishop Heber, (writing from the Carnatic,)“ has been denounced to me as a device of Satan! And a gentleman has just written to complain that the Danish Government of Tranquebar will not allow him to excommunicate Before them, by the Paranymphs, Composed of all sweet flowers of spring! With lighted tapers in array He raised his voice, and call'd aloud Creating Woman thus for Man Flesh of his flesh; appointing them And on our Lord he call'd, by whom The marriage feast was blest, When first by miracle he made His glory manifest. Then in the ever-blessed Name, From the man's Paranymph he took And crowning him therewith, in that Thrice holy Name, he said, "Eleëmon, the Servant of God, is crown'd For Cyra, the Lord's Handmaid!" Next, with like action and like words, Her coronal, intwined wherein Her he for Eleëmon crown'd, The Servant of the Lord; .. Alas, how little did that name With his true state accord! "Crown them with honour, Lord!" he said, "With blessings crown the righteous head! To them let peace be given, A holy life, a hopeful end, A heavenly crown in Heaven!" some young persons for wearing masks, and acting, as it ap pears, in a Christmas mummery, or at least in some private rustic theatricals. If this be heathenish, Heaven help the wicked! But I hope you will not suspect that I shall lend any countenance to this kind of ecclesiastical tyranny, or consent to men's consciences being burdened with restrictions so foreign to the cheerful spirit of the Gospel.” — vol. iii. pp. 446. |