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⚫ for the covenant; and for many temporal bleffings.

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To pray for the continuance of the gospel, and all ordinances thereof, in their purity, power and liberty: To turn the chief and most useful heads of the fermon into fome few petitions; and to pray that it may abide in the heart and bring forth fruit.

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To pray for preparation for death and judgment, and a 'watching for the coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift: to in'treat of God the forgiveness of the iniquities of our holy things, and the acceptation of our fpiritual facrifice, thro' 'the merit and mediation of our great high priest and Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ.'

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And because the prayer which Chrift taught his difciples, is not only a pattern of prayer, but itself a most comprehensive prayer, we recommend it also to be used in the prayers of the church.

And whereas, at the adminiftration of the facraments, the holding publick fafts and days of thanksgiving, and other special occafions, which may afford matter of special petitions and thanksgivings; it is requifite to exprefs fomewhat in our publick prayers (as at this time it is our duty to pray for a bleffing upon the affembly of divines, the armies by fea and land, for the defence of the king, parliament, and kingdom) every minister is herein to apply himself in his prayer, before or after fermon, to those occafions: but, for the manner, he is left to his liberty as God fhall direct and enable him, in piety and wisdom to discharge his duty.

The

prayer ended, let a pfalm be fung, if with conveniency it may be done. After which (unless fome other ordinance of Christ, that concerneth the congregation at that time, be to follow) let the minister difmifs the congregation with a folemn bleffing.

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Of the administration of the Sacraments:

And firft, Of Baptifm.

Baptifm, as it is not unneceffarily to be delayed, so it is

not to be adminiftred in any cafe by any private person, but by a minister of Christ, called to be the steward of the myfteries of God.

Nor is it to be adminiftred in private places, or privately, but in the place of publick worship, and in the face of the congregation, where the people may moft conveniently fee and hear; and not in the places where fonts, in the time of Popery, were unfitly and fuperftitioufly placed.

The child to be baptized, after notice given to the minifter the day before, is to be prefented by the father, or (in cafe of his neceffary absence) by fome Chriftian friend in his place, profeffing his earnest desire that the child may be baptized.

Before baptism, the minifter is to ufe fome words of inftruction, touching the inftitution, nature, ufe, and ends of this facrament: fhewing,

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That it is inftituted by our Lord Jefus Chrift; That it is 'a feal of the covenant of grace, of our ingrafting into Chrift, and of our union with him, of remiffion of fins, regeneration, adoption, and life eternal: That the water, in baptism, reprefenteth and fignifieth, both the blood of Christ, which taketh away all guilt of fin, original and actual; and the 'fanctifying virtue of the spirit of Christ against the dominion of fin, and the corruption of our finful nature: That baptizing, or fprinkling and washing with water, fignifieth the cleanfing from fin by the blood and for the merit of Christ, together with the mortification of fin, and rifing from fin to newness of life, by virtue of the death and refurrection of Chrift: That the promife is made to believers and

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'their feed; and that the feed and pofterity of the faithful, 'born within the church, have, by their birth, intereft in the 'covenant, and right to the feal of it, and to the outward

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privileges of the church, under the gofpel, no less than 'the children of Abraham in the time of the old teftament; the covenant of grace, for fubftance, being the fame; and the grace of God, and the confolation of believers, more ' plentiful than before: That the Son of God admitted little 'children into his prefence, embracing and bleffing them, faying, For of fuch is the kingdom of God: That children, by 'baptism, are folemnly received into the bofom of the visible 'church distinguished from the world, and them that are withI out, and united with believers; and that all who are bap'tized in the name of Chrift, do renounce, and by their bap'tism are bound to fight against the devil, the world, and the flefh: That they are Chriftians, and foederally 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 reacheth to the whole courfe of our life; and 'that outward baptifm is not fo neceffary, that through the 'want thereof the infant is in danger of damnation, or the parents guilty, if they do not contemn or neglect the ordi"nance of Chrift, when and where it may be had.'

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

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He is also to admonish all that are prefent,

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

He is to exhort the parent,

To confider the great mercy of God to him and his child;

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to bring up the child in the knowledge of the grounds of the Chriftian 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 fo* lemn promife for the performance of his duty.'

This being done, prayer is alfo to be joined with the word of inftitution, for fanctifying the water to this fpiritual use; 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 ordinances, would graciously vouchsafe to fanctify and 'blefs his own ordinance of baptifm at this time: That he f 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 promises of the covenant of grace: That 'the child may be planted into the likeness of the death and refurrection of Chrift; and that, the body of fin being de'ftroyed 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 being 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 Ghost.'

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 most 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 purpose;

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'Acknowledging with all thankfulness, that the Lord is true and faithful in keeping covenant and mercy; That he is good and gracious, not only in that he numbreth us a

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mong his faints, but is pleased also to bestow upon our children this fingular token and badge of his love in Christ: That, in his truth and special providence, he daily bringeth fome into the bofom 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.

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And praying, That the Lord would ftill continue, and daily confirm more and more this his unfpeakable favour: "That he would receive the infant, now baptized, and folemn'ly entred into the houshold of faith, into his fatherly tuition and defence, and remember him with the favour that 'he sheweth to his people: That, if he fhall 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 baptifm '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 fi'nal victory, and fo be kept by the power of God, through 'faith unto falvation, through Jefus Christ our Lord.'

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

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 congregation, as they fhall find most convenient for the comfort and edification of the people committed to their charge. And, when it shall be adminiftred, we judge it convenient to be done after the morning sermon.

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

Where this facrament cannot with convenience be frequent

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