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"Expressing the inestimable benefit we have by this sa"crament, together with the ends and use thereof: setting "forth the great necessity of having our comforts and "strength renewed thereby in this our pilgrimage and "warfare: how necessary it is that we come unto it with "knowledge, faith, repentance, love, and with hungering "and thirsting souls after Christ and his benefits: how great the danger to eat and drink unworthily.

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"Next, he is, in the name of Christ, on the one part, "to warn all such as are ignorant, scandalous, profane, or "that live in any sin or offence against their knowledge or "conscience, that they presume not to come to that holy "table; shewing them, that he that eateth and drinketh "unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment unto himself: "and, on the other part, he is in especial manner to in"vite and encourage all that labour under the sense of the "burden of their sins, and fear of wrath, and desire to "reach out unto a greater progress in grace than yet they can attain unto, to come to the Lord's table; assuring "them, in the same name, of ease, refreshing, and strengthr "to their weak and wearied souls."

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After this exhortation, warning, and invitation, the table being before decently covered, and so conveniently placed, that the communicants may orderly sit about it, or at it, the minister is to begin the action with sanctifying and blessing the elements of bread and wine set before him, (the bread in comely and convenient vessels, so prepared, that, being broken by him, and given, it may be distributed amongst the communicants; the wine also in large cups,). having first, in a few words, shewed that those elements, otherwise common, are now set apart and sanctified to this, holy use, by the word of institution and prayer.

Let the words of institution be read out of the Evange lists, or out of the first Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians, Chap. xi. 23. I have received of the Lord, &c. to the 27th Verse, which the minister may, when he seeth requisite, explain and apply.

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

"With humble and hearty acknowledgment of the greatness of our misery, from which neither man nor angel was

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"able to deliver us, and of our great unworthiness of the "least of all God's mercies; to give thanks to God for all "his benefits, and especially for that great benefit of our "redemption, the love of God the Father, the sufferings " and merits of the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God, by "which we are delivered; and for all means of grace, the "word and sacraments; and for this sacrament in particu"lar, by which Christ, and all his benefits, are applied and "sealed up unto us, which, notwithstanding the denial of "them unto others, are in great mercy continued unto us, "after so much and long abuse of them all.

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"To profess, that there is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved, but the name of Jesus Christ, "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 sealed 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 consolation, to vouchsafe his gracious pre"sence, and the effectual working of his Spirit in us; and "so to sanctify these elements both of bread and wine, "and to bless his own ordinance, that we may receive by "faith the body and blood of Jesus Christ, crucified for us, "and so 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 to him who hath loved us, and given himself for us. All which he is to endeavour to perform with suitable affections, answerable to such an holy action, and to stir up the like in the people.

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The elements being now sanctified by the word and prayer, the minister, being at the table, is to take the bread in his hand, and say, in these expressions, (or other the like, used by Christ or his apostle upon this occasion :)

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According to the holy institution, command, and ex"ample of our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ, I take this bread, "and, having given thanks, break it, and give it unto you; "(there the minister, who is also himself to communicate, "is to break the bread, and give it to the communicants ;) "Take ye, eat ye; this is the body of Christ which is broken. for you: do this in remembrance of him."

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In like manner the minister is to take the cup, and say, in these expressions, (or other the like, used by Christ or the apostle upon the same occasion :)

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According to the institution, command, and example "of our Lord Jesus Christ, I take this cup, and give it unto you; (here he giveth it to the communicants;) This cup "is the new testament in the blood of Christ, which is shed for "the remission of the sins of many: drink ye all of it."

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

"Of the grace of God in Jesus Christ, held forth in this "sacrament; and exhort them to walk worthy of it." The minister is to give solemn thanks to God,

"For his rich mercy, and invaluable goodness, vouch"safed to them in that sacrament; and to entreat for par"don for the defects of the whole service, and for the "gracious assistance of his good Spirit, whereby they may "be enabled to walk in the strength of that grace, as be"cometh those who have received so great pledges of sal❝vation."

The collection for the poor is so to be ordered, that no part of the publick worship be thereby hindered.

Of the Sanctification of the Lord's Day.

THE Lord's day ought to be so remembered before-hand, as that all worldly business of our ordinary callings may be so ordered, and so timely and seasonably laid aside, as they may not be impediments to the due sanctifying of the day when it comes.

The whole day is to be celebrated as holy to the Lord, both in publick and private, as being the Christian sabbath. To which end, it is requisite, that there be a holy cessation or resting all that day from all unnecessary labours; and an abstaining, not only from all sports and pastimes, but also from all worldly words and thoughts.

That the diet on that day be so ordered, as that neither servants be unnecessarily detained from the publick worship of God, nor any other person hindered from the sanctifying hat day.

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That there be private preparations of every person and family, by prayer for themselves, and for God's assistance of the minister, and for a blessing upon his ministry; and by such other holy exercises, as may further dispose them to a more comfortable communion with God in his publick ordinances.

That all the people meet so timely for publick worship, that the whole congregation may be present at the beginning, and with one heart solemnly join together ir all parts of the publick worship, and not depart till after the blessing. That what time is vacant, between or after the solemn meetings of the congregation in publick, be spent in reading, meditation, repetition of sermons; especially by calling their families to an account of what they have heard, and catechising of them, holy conferences, prayer for a blessing upon the publick ordinances, singing of psalms, visiting the sick, relieving the poor, and such like duties of piety, charity, and mercy, accounting the sabbath a delight.

The Solemnization of Marriage.

ALTHOUGH marriage be no sacrament, nor peculiar to the church of God, but common to mankind, and of publick interest in every commonwealth; yet, because such as marry are to marry in the Lord, and have special need of instruction, direction, and exhortation, from the word of God, at their entering into such a new condition, and of the blessing of God upon them therein, we judge it expedient that marriage be solemnized by a lawful minister of the word, that he may accordingly counsel them, and pray for a blessing upon them.

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

Before the solemnizing of marriage between any persons, their purpose of marriage shall be published by the minister three several sabbath-days, in the congregation, at the place or places of their most usual and constant abode, respectively

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And of this publication the minister who is to join them in marriage shall have sufficient testimony, before he proceed to solemnize the marriage.

Before that publication of such their purpose, (if the parties be under age,) the consent of the parents, or others under whose power they are, (in case the parents be dead,) is to be made known to the church officers of that congregation, to be recorded.

The like is to be observed in the proceedings of all others, although of age, whose parents are living, for their first marriage.

And, in after marriages of either of those parties, they shall be exhorted not to contract marriage without first acquainting their parents with it, (if with conveniency it may be done,) endeavouring to obtain their consent.

Parents ought not to force their children to marry without their free consent, nor deny their own consent without just cause.

After the purpose or contract of marriage hath been thus published, the marriage is not to be long deferred. Therefore the minister, having had convenient warning, and nothing been objected to hinder it, is publickly to solemnize it in the place appointed by authority for publick worship, before a competent number of credible witnesses, at some convenient hour of the day, at any time of the year, except on a day of publick humiliation. And we advise that it be not on the Lord's day.

And because all relations are sanctified by the word and prayer, the minister is to pray for a blessing upon them, to this effect:

"Acknowledging our sins, whereby we have made our"selves less than the least of all the mercies of God, and "provoked him to embitter all our comforts; earnestly, in "the name of Christ, to entreat the Lord (whose presence "and favour is the happiness of every condition, and "sweetens every relation) to be their portion, and to own "and accept them in Christ, who are now to be joined in "the honourable estate of marriage, the covenant of their God: and that, as he hath brought them together by his providence, he would sanctify them by his Spirit, giving

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