break it, and give it unto you (there the minifter, who is alfo himfelf to communicate, is to break the bread, and give it to the communicant; Take ye, eat ye; This is the body of Christ 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, ufed by Chrift 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 minister 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 affistance 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.

THE

Of the Sanctification of the Lord's Day.

HE Lord's Day ought to be fo remembered before hand, as that all worldly business of our ordinary callings may be so ordered and fo timely and feasonably laid afide, as they may not be impediments to the due fanctifying of the day when it comes.

The whole day is to be celebrated as holy to the Lord, both in public and private, as being the Chriftian fabbath. To which end, it is requifite, that there be a holy ceffation, or resting all that day, from all unneceffary labours; and an abstaining, not only from all fports and paftimes, 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 perfon hindered from the fanctifying that day.

That there be private preparations of every perfon and family, by prayer for themfelves, and for God's affiftance of the minifter, and for a bleffing upon his ministry; and by fuch other holy exercises, 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 publlic, be spent in reading, meditation, repetition of fermons ; efpecially by calling their families to an account of what they have heard, and catechifing 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 fabbath a delight.

The Solemnization of Marriage.

Although marriage be no facrament, nor peculiar to the church of

God, common to mankind, and of public intereft in every common-wealth; yet, because 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 counfel them, and pray for a bleffing 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 persons, their pur pofe of marriage fhall be published by the minifter three feveral fabbath-days, in the congregation, at the place or places of their most 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 purpofe (if the parties be under age) the confent of the parents, or others under whose power they are (in cafe the parents be dead) is to be made known to the church-officers of that congregation, to be recorded.

The like is to be obferved in the proceedings of all others, although of age, whofe parents are living, for their firft marriage.

And, in after-marriages of either of thofe parties, they fhall be exhorted not to contract marriage without firit 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 fee confent, nor deny their own confent without juft caufe.

After

After the purpose or contract of marriage hath been thus published, the marriage is not long to be deferred. Therefore the minister, having had convenient warning, and nothing been objected to hinder it, is publickly to folemnize it in the place appointed by authority for public 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 public 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;

Acknowledging our fins, whereby we have made ourselves less than 'the least of all the mercies of God and provoked him to imbitter all our comforts, earneftly, in the name of Chrift, to intreat the Lord ⚫ (whose presence and favour is the happiness of every condition, and fweetens every relation) to be their portion, and to own and accept ⚫ them in Chrift, 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 frame of heart, fit for their new eftate; enriching them with all graces whereby they may perform the duties, enjoy the ⚫ comforts, undergo the cares, and refift the temptations which accom'pany that condition, as becometh Chriftians.'

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

The inftitution, ufe, and ends of marriage, with the conjugal duties, which, in all faithfulness, they are to perform each 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, fober, and holy ufe 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 perfons to be married, before the great God who fearcheth all hearts, and to whom they must give a frict account at the last day, that if either of them know any cause, by precontract, or otherwife; why they may not lawfully proceed to marriage, that they now difcover it; The minifter (if no impediment be acknowledged) fhall cause first the man take the woman by the right-hand, faying these words.

IN. 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 shall separate us by death.

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

IN, do take thee N, to be my married husband, and I do, in the prefence of God, and before this congregation, promife and covenant is be a loving, faithful and obedient wife unto thee, until God fball separate 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 accompany his own ordinance with his bluffing, befeeching him to enrich the perfons now married, as with other pledges of his love, to particularly with the comforts and fruits of marriage, to the praife of his abundant mercy, in and through Chrift Jetus.'

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

IT

Concerning Vifitation of the Sick.

Tis the duty of the minifter not only to teach the people committed to his charge in public bat privately, and particularly to admonish exhort, reprove and comfort them, upon all feafonable 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 minister, about the eftate of their fouls, and, in times of ficknefs, to defire his advice and help. timely and feasonably, before their strength and underftanding fail them.

Times of ficknefs and affliction are fpecial opportunities put into his hand by God, to minifter a word in feafon to weary fouls; because then the confciences of men are, or fhould be, more awakened to bethink themselves of their fpiritual eftate for eternity; and Satan allo 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 himfelt with all tendernefs and love, to administer fome fpiritual good to his foul, to this effect.

He may, from the confideration of the prefent sickness, instruct him out of fcripture, that difcafes come not by chance, or by distempers of body only, but by the wife and orderly guidance of the good band of God, to every particular perfon fmitten by them. And that, whether it be laid upon him out of difplealure for fin, for his correction and amendent, or for trial and exercife of his graces, or for other fpecial 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

ufe

ufe of God's vifitation, neither defpiling his chaftening, nor waxing weary of his correction.

If he fufpect him of ignorance, he fhall examine him in the principles of religion, especially touching repentance and faith; and, as he feeth caufe, inftruct him in the nature, ule, excellency and neceffity of thote graces; as alfo touching the covenant of grace; and Chrift the Son of God, the mediator of it, and, concerning remiffion of lins by faith in him

He fhall exhort the fick perfon to examine him felf, to fearch and try his former ways, and his eftate towards God.

And if the fick perton 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 out of a ftupid 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 Chrift 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 fenfe of God's favour; then it will be fit to raise him up, by fetting before him the freenefs and fulness of God's grace, the fufficiency of righteoufnels in Chrift, the gracious offers in the gospel, that all who repent, and believe with all their heart in God's mercy through Chrift, renouncing their own righteousness, fhall have life and falvation in him; it may be alfo ufeful to fhew him, that death hath in it no fpiritual evil to be feared by thofe that are in Chrift, becaufe fin, the fting of death is taken away by Chrift, 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 fhall be able to feparate them from God's love in Chrift, in whom fuch are fure, though now they must be laid in the dust, 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 goodnefs of his condition for heaven, so to difclaim all merit in himfe!f, 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