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devil, the world, and the flesh: That they are Chriftians, and federally holy before baptifm, and therefore are they baptized: That the inward grace and virtue of baptifm is not tied to that very moment of time wherein it is adminiftred; and that the 'fruit and power thereof reachreth to the whole courfe of our life: and that outward baptifin is not fo neceflary, that, through the 'want thereof, the infant is in danger of damnation, or the parents ' guilty, if they do not contemn or neglect the ordinance of Christ, when and where it may be had.”

In these or the like inftructions, the minifter is to use his own liperty and godly wisdom, as the ignorance or errors in the doctrine of baptifin, and the edification of the people, fhall require.

He is alfo to admonish all that are prefent,

"To look back to their baptifm; to repent of their fins against 'their covenant with God; to ftir up their faith; to improve and make right use of their baptifm, and of the covenant fealed there"by betwixt God and their fouls.'

He is to exhort the parent,

"To confider the great mercy of God to him and his child; to "bring up the child in the knowledge of the grounds of the Chrif "tian religion, and in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; "and to let him know the danger of God's wrath to himself and "child, if he be negligent: requiring his folemn promife for the performance of his duty."

This being done, prayer is also to be joined with the word of intitution, for fanctifying the water to this fpiritual ufe; and the minifter is to pray to this or the like effect:

"That the Lord, who hath not left us as ftrangers without the "Covenant of promife, but called us to the privileges of his ordi"nances, would gracioufly vouchfafe to fanctify and blefs his own "ordinance of baptifm at this time: That he would join the inward baptifm of his Spirit with the outward baptifm of water; "make this baptifm to the infant a feal of adoption, remiffion of "fin, regeneration, and eternal life, and all other promifes of the "Covenant of grace: That the child may be planted into the likenefs of the death and refurrection of Chrift; and that, the body of "fin being destroyed in him, he may ferve God in newness of life all his days."

Then the minifter is to demand the name of the child, which beng told him, he is to fay, (calling the child by his name,)

I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft.

As he pronounceth these words, he is to baptize the child with water: Which, for the manner of doing of it, is not only lawful but fufficient, and moft expedient to be, by pouring or fprinkling of the water on the face of the child, without adding any other ceremony. This done, he is to give thanks and pray, to this or the like purpofe:

"Acknowledging with all thankfulness, that the Lord is true and faithful in keeping Covenant and mercy: That he is good and

gracious,

"gracious, not only in that he numbereth us among his faints, but "is pleafed alfo to bestow upon our children this fingular token and "badge of his love in Chrift: That, in his truth and fpecial provi"dence, he daily bringeth fome into the bosom of his church, to be "partakers of his inestimable benefits, purchased by the blood of his ❝ dear Son, for the continuance and increase of his church.

"And praying, that the Lord would still continue, and daily "confirm more and more this his unfpeakable favour: That he "would receive the infant now baptized, and folemnly entered in"to the household of faith, into his fatherly tuition, and defence, " and remember him with the favour that he fheweth to his people; "that, if he shall be taken out of this life in his infancy, the Lord, "who is rich in mercy, would be pleased to receive him up into "glory; and if he live, and attain the years of discretion, that the "Lord would fo teach him by his word and Spirit, and make his bap"tifm effectual to him, and fo uphold him by his divine power and "grace, that by faith he may prevail against the devil, the world, " and the flesh, till in the end he obtain a full and final victory, and "fo be kept by the power of God through faith unto falvation, "through Jefus Christ our Lord.”

Of the Celebration of the Communion, or Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.

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HE communion, or fupper of the Lord, is frequently to be celebrated: but how often, may be confidered, and determined by the minifters, and other church-governors of each congregati on, as they fhall find most convenient for the comfort and edificatien of the people committed to their charge. And, when it fhall be administered, we judge it convenient to be done after the morningfermon.

The ignorant and fcandalous are not fit to receive the facrament of the Lord's fupper.

Where this facrament cannot with convenience be frequently adminiftred, it is requifite that public warning be given the Sabbathday before the administration thereof: and that either then, or on fome day of that week, fomething concerning that ordinance, and the due preparation thereunto, and participation thereof, be taught; that, by the diligent ufe of all means fanctified of God to that end, both in public and private, all may come better prepared to that heavenly feast.

When the day is come for administration, the minister, having ended his fermon and prayer, shall make a short exhortation.

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Expreffing the ineftimable benefit we have by this facrament; "together with the ends and ufe thereof; fetting forth the great "neceffity of having our comforts and strength renewed thereby, "in this our pilgrimage and warfare: how neceflary it is that we ❝.come unto it with knowledge, faith, repentance, love, and with hungring and thirsting fouls after Chrift and his benefits: how "great the danger, to eat and drink unworthily.

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"Next, he is, in the name of Chrift, on the one part, to warn all fuch as are ignorant, fcandalous, profane, or that live in any fin or offence against their knowledge or confcience, that they "prefume not to come to that holy table; fhewing them, that he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment unto himself: and, on the other part, he is in efpecial manner to invite and encourage all that labour under the fenfe of the burden, of their fins, and fear of wrath, and defire to reach out unto a greater progrefs in grace than yet they can attain unto, to come to the Lord's table; affuring them, in the fame "name, of ease, refreshing, and ftrength to their weak and wearied fouls.

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After this exhortation, warning, and invitation, the table being before decently covered, and fo conveniently placed, that the communicants may orderly fit about it, or at it, the minifter is to begin the action with fanctifying and bleffing the elements of bread and wine fet before him, (the bread in comely and convenient veffels, fo prepared, that being broken by him, and given, it may be distributed amongst the communicants; the wine alfo in large cups,) having firft, in a few words, fhewed that thofe elements, otherwife common, are now set apart and fanctified to this holy ufe, by the word of inftitution and prayer.

Let the words of inftitution be read out of the evangelifts, or out of the first Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians, chap. xi. v. 23. I have received of the Lord, &c. to the 27th verfe, which the minifter may, when he feeth requifite, explain and apply.

Let the prayer, thanksgiving, or bleffing of the bread and wine, be to this effect:

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"With humble and hearty acknowledgment of the greatness of ❝ our misery, from which neither man or angel was able to deliver us, and of our great unworthiness of the leaft of all God's mercies give thanks to God for all his benefits, and efpecially for that great benefit of our redemption, the love of God the Father, the "fufferings and merits of the Lord Jefus Chrift the Son of God, by " which we are delivered; and for all means of grace, the word " and facraments; and for this facrament in particular, by which "Chrift, and all his benefits, are applied and fealed up unto us, "which, notwithstanding the denial of them unto others, are in "great mercy, continued unto us, after fo much and long abuse of "them all.

"To profefs, that there is no other name under heaven by which "we can be faved, but the name of Jefus Chrift, by whom alone we "receive liberty and life, have access to the throne of grace, are "admitted to eat and drink at his own table, and are fealed up by "his Spirit to an assurance of happiness and everlasting life. "Earnestly to pray to God, the Father of all mercies, and God of "all confolation, to vouchfafe his gracions prefence, and the effec"tual working of his Spirit in us; and fo to fanctify these elements "both of bread and wine, and to blefs his own ordinance, that we

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may recceive by faith the body and blood of Jefus Chrift, cruci"fied for us, and fo to feed upon him, that he may be one with us, "and we one with him; that he may live in us, and we in him, and ઠંડ to him who hath loved us, and given himself for us."

All which he is to endeavour to perform with fuitable affections, answerable to fuch an holy action, and to ftir up the like in the people.

The elements being now fanctified by the word and prayer, the minifter, being at the table, is to take the bread in his hand, and fay, in thefe expreffions, (or other the like, used by Christ or his apoftle, upon this occafion :)

"According to the holy inftitution, command, and example of our bleffed Saviour Jefus Chrift, I take this bread, and having "given thanks, break it, and give it unto you, (there the minister, "who is alfo himself to communicate, is to break the bread, and

give it to the communicants): Take ye, eat ye; this is the body of "Chrift which is broken for you: do this in remembrance of him."

In like manner the minifter is to take the cup, and fay, in these expreffions, (or other the like, used by Christ or the apostle upon the fame occafion:)

"According to the inftitution, command, and example of our "Lord Jefus Chrift, I take this cup, and give it unto you, (here he "giveth it to the communicants), This cup is the new teftament in "the blood of Chrift, which is fhed for the remiffion of the fins of many: "drink ye all of it."

After all have communicated, the minifter may, in a few words, put them in mind,

"Of the grace of God, in Jefus Chrift, held forth in this facrament, and exhort them to walk worthy of it."

The minifter is to give folemn thanks to God,

"For his rich mercy, and invaluable goodness, vouchfafed to them "in that facrament; and to intreat for pardon for the defects of "the whole fervice, and for the gracious affiftance of his good Spirit, "whereby they may be enabled to walk in the ftrength of that grace, as becometh those who have received fo great pledges of "falvation."

The collection for the poor is fo to be ordered, that no part of the public worship be thereby hindered."

Of the Sanctification of the Lord's Day.

HE Lord's day ought to be fo remembered before-hand, as tha all worldly bufinefs of our ordinary callings may be fo order ed, and so timely and seasonably laid afide, as they may not be im pediments to the due fanctifying of the day when it comes.

The whole day is to be celebrated as holy to the Lord, both public and private, as being the Christian Sabbath. To which end

it is requifite, that there be a holy ceflation, or refting all that day, from all unneceflary labours; and an abstaining, not only from all fports and pastimes, but alfo from all worldly words and thoughts.

That the diet on that day be fo ordered, as that neither fervants be unneceffarily detained from the public worship of God, nor any other person hindered from the fanctifying that day.

That there be private preparations of every perfon and family, by prayer for themselves, and for God's affiftance of the minifter, and for a bleffing upon his miniftry; and by fuch other holy exercifes, as may further difpofe them to a more comfortable communion with God in his public ordinances.

That all the people meet fo timely for public worship, that the whole congregation may be prefent at the beginning, and with one heart folemnly join together in all parts of the public worship, and not depart till after the bleffing.

That what time is vacant, between, or after the folemn meetings of the congregation in public, be spent in reading, meditation, repetition of fermons; efpecially by calling their families to an account of what they have heard, and catechizing of them, holy conferences, prayer for a bleffing upon the public ordinances, finging of pfalms, vifiting the fick, relieving the poor, and fuch like duties of piety, charity and mercy, accounting the Sabbath a delight.

The Solemnization of Marriage.

Although, marriage be no facrament, nor peculiar to the Church

of Cod, but common to mankind, and of public interest in every commonwealth; yet, becaufe fuch as marry are to marry in the Lord, and have special need of inftruction, direction, and exhortation, from the word of God, at their entering into fuch a new condition; and of the bleffing of God upon them therein; we judge it expedient, that marriage be folemnized by a lawful minifter of the word, that he may accordingly counsel them, and pray for a beffing upon them.

Marriage is to be betwixt one man and one woman only; and they, fuch as are not within the degrees of confanguinity or affinity prohibited by the word of God; and the parties are to be of years of difcretion, fit to make their own choice, or, upon good grounds, to give their mutual confent.

Before the folemnizing of marriage between any perfons, their purpose of marriage fhall be published by the minister three feveral Sabbath-days, in the congregation, at the place or places of their moft ufual and conftant abode, refpectively. And of this publication, the minifter who is to join them in marriage fhall have fufficient teftimony, before he proceed to folemnize the marriage.

Before that publication of fuch their purpose, (if the parties be under age), the confent of the parents, or others under whofe power

they

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