contrary, so that we have no cloak for our sins; yea, not <6 only despising the riches of God's goodness, forbearance, "and long-suffering, but standing out against many invita ❝tions and offers of grace in the gospel; not endeavouring, as we ought, to receive Christ into our hearts by faith, or "to walk worthy of him in our lives.

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"To bewail our blindness of mind, hardness of heart, "unbelief, impenitency, security, lukewarmness, barrenness; our not endeavouring after mortification and new"ness of life, nor after the exercise of godliness in the 66 power thereof; and that the best of us have not so sted"fastly walked with God, kept our garments so unspotted, nor been so zealous of his glory, and the good of others, 66 as we ought and to mourn over such other sins as the congregation is particularly guilty of, notwithstanding the "manifold and great mercies of our God, the love of Christ, "the light of the gospel, and reformation of religion, our own purposes, promises, vows, solemn covenant, and other special obligations to the contrary.

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To acknowledge and confess, that, as we are convinced "of our guilt, so, out of a deep sense thereof, we judge ❝ourselves unworthy of the smallest benefits, most worthy. "of God's fiercest wrath, and of all the curses of the law, "and heaviest judgments inflicted upon the most rebellious "sinners; and that he might most justly take his kingdom " and gospel from us, plague us with all sorts of spiritual and "temporal judgments in this life, and after cast us into utter "darkness, in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, "where is weeping and gnashing of teeth for evermore.

"Notwithstanding all which, to draw near to the throne "of grace, encouraging ourselves with hope of a gracious "answer of our prayers, in the riches and all-sufficiency of "that only one oblation, the satisfaction and intercession of "the Lord Jesus Christ, at the right hand of his Father and 66 our Father; and in confidence of the exceeding great and "precious promises of mercy and grace in the new covenant, "through the same Mediator thereof, to deprecate the heavy "wrath and curse of God, which we are not able to avoid, "or bear; and humbly and earnestly to supplicate for mercy, "in the free and full remission of all our sins, and that only

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"for the bitter sufferings and precious merits of that our "only Saviour Jesus Christ.

"That the Lord would vouchsafe to shed abroad his love "in our hearts by the Holy Ghost; seal unto us, by the "same Spirit of adoption, the full assurance of our pardon "and reconciliation; comfort all that mourn in Zion, speak "peace to the wounded and troubled spirit, and bind up "the broken-hearted: and as for secure and presumptuous "sinners, that he would open their eyes, convince their "consciences, and turn them from darkness unto light, and "from the power of Satan unto God, that they also may "receive forgiveness of sin, and an inheritance among them "that are sanctified by faith in Christ Jesus.

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With remission of sins through the blood of Christ, to pray for sanctification by his Spirit; the mortification of "sin dwelling in and many times tyrannizing over us; the quickening of our dead spirits with the life of God in Christ; grace to fit and enable us for all duties of conversa❝tion and callings towards God and men; strength against temptations; the sanctified use of blessings and crosses; "and perseverance in faith and obedience unto the end.

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"To pray for the propagation of the gospel and kingdom "of Christ to all nations; for the conversion of the Jews, "the fulness of the Gentiles, the fall of Antichrist, and the "hastening of the second coming of our Lord; for the de"liverance of the distressed churches abroad from the ty66 ranny of the antichristian faction, and from the cruel op"pressions and blasphemies of the Turk; for the blessing "of God upon all the reformed churches, especially upon "the churches and kingdoms of Scotland, England, and “Ireland, now more strictly and religiously united in the "Solemn National League and Covenant; and for our "plantations in the remote parts of the world: more par"ticularly for that church and kingdom whereof we are "members, that therein God would establish peace and "truth, the purity of all his ordinances, and the power of godliness; prevent and remove heresy, schism, profane"ness, superstition, security, and unfruitfulness under the means of grace; heal all our rents and divisions, and preserve us from breach of our Solemn Covenant.

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"To

"To pray for all in authority, especially for the King's Majesty; that God would make him rich in blessings, both "in his person and government; establish his throne in re"ligion and righteousness, save him from evil counsel, and "make him a blessed and glorious instrument for the con“servation and propagation of the gospel, for the encourage"ment and protection of them that do well, the terror of "all that do evil, and the great good of the whole church, "and of all his kingdoms; for the conversion of the Queen, "the religious education of the Prince, and the rest of the "royal seed; for the comforting the afflicted Queen of Bo"hemia, sister to our sovereign; and for the restitution and "establishment of the illustrious Prince Charles, Elector Pa"latine of the Rhine, to all his dominions and dignities; for "a blessing upon the High Court of Parliament, (when sit"ting in any of these kingdoms respectively,) the nobility, "the subordinate judges and magistrates, the gentry, and all "the commonality; for all pastors and teachers, that God "would fill them with his Spirit, make them exemplarily "holy, sober, just, peaceable, and gracious in their lives; "sound, faithful, and powerful in their ministry; and fol"low all their labours with abundance of success and blessing; and give unto all his people pastors according to his "own heart; for the universities, and all schools and religious seminaries of church and commonwealth, that they 66 may flourish more and more in learning and piety; for the "particular city or congregation, that God would pour out "a blessing upon the ministry of the word, sacraments, and "discipline, upon the civil government, and all the several "families and persons therein; for mercy to the afflicted "under any inward or outward distress; for seasonable "weather, and fruitful seasons, as the time may require; for "averting the judgments that we either feel or fear, or are "liable unto, as famine, pestilence, the sword, and such like.

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"And, with confidence of his mercy to his whole church, " and the acceptance of our persons, through the merits and "mediation of our High Priest, the Lord Jesus, to profess "that it is the desire of our souls to have fellowship with "God in the reverend and conscionable use of his holy ordi"nances; and, to that purpose, to pray earnestly for his

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66 grace and effectual assistance to the sanctification of his "holy sabbath, the Lord's day, in all the duties thereof, publick and private, both to ourselves, and to all other "congregations of his people, according to the riches and "excellency of the gospel, this day celebrated and enjoyed.

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"And because we have been unprofitable hearers in times 66 past, and now cannot of ourselves receive, as we should, "the deep things of God, the mysteries of Jesus Christ, "which require a spiritual discerning; to pray, that the "Lord, who teacheth to profit, would graciously please to "pour out the Spirit of grace, together with the outward 66 means thereof, causing us to attain such a measure of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord, and, in him, of the things which belong to our peace, "that we may account all things but as dross in comparison of him; and that we, tasting the first-fruits of the "glory that is to be revealed, may long for a more full "and perfect communion with him, that where he is, we 66 may be also, and enjoy the fulness of those joys and plea 66 sures which are at his right hand for evermore.

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"More particularly, that God would in a special man"ner furnish his servant (now called to dispense the bread "of life unto his household) with wisdom, fidelity, zeal, and "utterance, that he may divide the word of God aright, "to every one his portion, in evidence and demonstration "of the Spirit and power; and that the Lord would cir"cumcise the ears and hearts of the hearers, to hear, love, "and receive with meekness the ingrafted word, which is "able to save their souls; make them as good ground to "receive in the good seed of the word, and strengthen "them against the temptations of Satan, the cares of the “world, the hardness of their own hearts, and whatsoever "else may hinder their profitable and saving hearing; that "so Christ may be so formed in them, and live in them, "that all their thoughts may be brought into captivity to “the obedience of Christ, and their hearts established in "every good word and work for ever."

We judge this to be a convenient order, in the ordinary publick prayer; yet so, as the minister may defer (as in prudence he shall think meet) some part of these petitions till

after

after his sermon, or offer up to God some of the thanksgivings hereafter appointed, in his prayer before his sermon.

Of the Preaching of the Word.

PREACHING of the word, being the power of God unto salvation, and one of the greatest and most excellent works belonging to the ministry of the gospel, should be so performed, that the workman need not be ashamed, but may save himself, and those that hear him.

It is presupposed, (according to the rules for ordination,) that the minister of Christ is in some good measure gifted for so weighty a service, by his skill in the original languages, and in such arts and sciences as are handmaid unto divinity; by his knowledge in the whole body of theology, but most of all in the holy scriptures, having his senses and heart exercised in them above the common sort of believers; and by the illumination of God's Spirit, and other gifts of edification, which (together with reading and studying of the word) he ought still to seek by prayer, and an humble heart, resolving to admit and receive any truth not yet attained, whenever God shall make it known unto him. All which he is to make use of, and improve, in his private preparations, before he deliver in publick what he hath provided.

Ordinarily, the subject of his sermon is to be some text of scripture, holding forth some principle or head of religion, or suitable to some special occasion emergent; or he may go on in some chapter, psalm, or book of the holy scripture, as he shall see fit.

Let the introduction to his text be brief and perspicuous, drawn from the text itself, or context, or some parallel place, or general sentence of scripture.

If the text be long, (as in histories or parables it sometimes must be,) let him give a brief sum of it; if short, a paraphrase thereof, if need be: in both, looking diligently to the scope of the text, and pointing at the chief heads and grounds of doctrine which he is to raise from it.

In analysing and dividing his text, he is to regard more the order of matter than of words; and neither to burden the memory of the hearers in the beginning with too many

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