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MINISTER'S DIRECTORY. 
 
1 
 
 \ 
 
THE 
 
 MINISTER'S DIRECTORY ; 
 
 OR, 
 
 FORMS FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 AND OTHER RITES AND ORDINANCES, ACCORDING TO 
 THE USE OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 BY THE 
 
 REV. JAMES ANDERSON, 
 
 MINISTER OF THE PARISH OF CULTS, 
 
 Editor of the " Family Altar; or, a Guide to Devotion ;*' and Aoiboi 
 " Catechism on the Sacraments of the Old and New Testai: 
 
 EDINBURGH : 
 Moodie & Lothian, Prince's Street; Ogle & Mm 
 South Bridge ; Paton & Ritchie, South IIav 
 Street. Glasgow : M. Ogu 
 London : 1 1 am i i .t« n . Adam 
 
 MDCCCLVI. 
 
CUPAR: 
 PRINTED IN THE FIFESHIRE JOURNAL OFFICE. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The following work is designed not only as a Directory 
 to Students of Divinity, but to those who are entering 
 on the discharge of the duties of the Clerical Office. 
 In preparing it with that view, the Author trusts that 
 he will not be considered as undervaluing the merits 
 of similar works already before the world, or as wishing 
 to interfere with their claims on public favour. Of their 
 excellence he entertains a very high opinion, and espe- 
 cially of the one written by the Rev. William Liston of 
 Redgorton. but in all of them there are omissions which 
 the Author has endeavoured to supply. All possible 
 care has been taken to render it satisfactory to those for 
 whom it is chiefly intended, by making it more full and 
 complete than anything of the kind hitherto published, 
 and by inserting the true Scripture account of the sub- 
 jects mentioned, without regard to the distinguishing 
 opinions of any party or denomination — so that it i- 
 presumed it may be useful at least to some of every 
 denomination. 
 
 The Author cannot help expressing hie obligations 
 
IV. 
 
 those from whose works he has at times borrowed both 
 sentiment and phraseology. 
 
 To his numerous Friends and Subscribers he begs to 
 express his deep sense of gratitude for the support which 
 they have given him in his undertaking ; and he at the 
 same time throws himself upon their indulgence, with 
 an humble hope that they will make candid allowance 
 for any error of judgment, or defect in execution, which 
 they may observe in the performance of the pleasing 
 but anxious task he has had to fulfil. 
 
 The Author humbly commits his work to Him whose 
 glory it is designed to promote, and to whom all the 
 good it may accomplish, if it should accomplish any, is 
 exclusively due. 
 
 Manse of Cults, March 10, 1856. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 Parochial Visiting, 1 
 
 Forms for Marriage, 11 
 
 „ Baptism, ... ^ .... 18 
 
 Discipline, 28 
 
 Public Service of the Church of Scotland— 
 
 Prayer before and after Sermon, 36 
 
 An Address when intimating the Sacrament of the Lord's 
 
 Supper, ... 44 
 
 An Address when intimating the appointment of a Fast-day, 
 preparatory to the dispensing of the Sacrament of the 
 
 Lord's Supper, 49 
 
 Communion Service.— Fast-Day— 
 
 Prayer before and after Sermon, 53 
 
 Preparation Day— 
 
 Prayer before and after Sermon, 61 
 
 Communion Sabbath— 
 
 Prayer before and after Sermon 60 
 
 Form9 for Fencing Communion Tables, 
 
 Consecration Prayer, 89 
 
 Communion Table Addresses— 
 
 First Table Service, 
 
 Second Table Service, 
 
 Third Table Service, . 103 
 
 Fourth Table Service, 108 
 
 Bxhortatioo, or Concluding AddrtM, • 114 
 
 Prayer after the Communion, 1 - 1 
 
VIII. 
 
 Communion .Service— Page. 
 Sabbath Evening — 
 
 Prayer before and after Sermon, 125 
 
 Thanksgiving Day— 
 
 Prayer before and after Sermon, 133 
 
 Licensing of Probationers, ....... 141 
 
 Ordination and Induction of Ministers, . . . .151 
 
 Ordination of Elders, 175 
 
 Ordination of Deacons, 184 
 
 Prayers for a Fast-Day, in Time of War, Pestilence, 
 
 or Famine, ......... 196 
 
 Prayers for Days of Public Thanksgiving, . . . 202 
 
 Form for a Prayer when Visiting the Sick, . . . 205 
 
 „ when Death Visits a Family, . 209 
 
MINISTERS DIRECTORY. 
 
 PAROCHIAL VISITATION, 
 
 Ministers, in the discharge of the office which they 
 have undertaken, will be frequently called to converse 
 with their people in private, and to visit them from 
 house to house. It is requisite on such occasions that 
 they address their people on topics suitable to their 
 circumstances, and pray with and for them. And this 
 may be done as follows : — 
 
 Let us pray. 
 
 Eternal and unchangeable Jehovah ! we adore thee 
 as the supreme ruler of the visible and invisible 
 worlds, the sovereign of life and of death, of earth 
 and of heaven. Thou hast thy way in the whirlwind 
 and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of thy 
 feet. Who hath resisted thy will ? Who can say 
 unto thee, What doest thou? The armies of heaven, 
 the inhabitants of earth, tremble at thy great and 
 terrible name. Glorious are the operations of thy 
 hands. How wonderful have been the designs of 
 thy love and the counsels of thy wisdom ! Thou, 
 Lord, art nigh unto all them that call upon thee, 
 to all that call upon thee in truth. Thou wilt fulfil 
 the desire of them that fear thee; thou also wilt 
 
2 MINISTER b DIRECTORT. 
 
 tear their cry, and wilt save them. We, O Lorti% 
 would approach thy throne of grace in the name of 
 thy beloved Son. Through him we are encouraged to 
 trust in thee. Adored be thy name for the gift of thy 
 Son, and for delivering him for our offences ! Herein 
 is love. Thou didst give him to be a propitiation for 
 tis. "YVe cast ourselves on thy mercy in Christ Jesus ; 
 we put our trust in his atonement. Thou art in Christ, 
 and art alone accessible by him. Have compassion on 
 ns. O Lord, and help us. We have sinned, and have 
 committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have 
 rebelled, even by departing front thy precepts, and 
 from thy judgments. Make us deeply penitent and 
 humbled for our sins. Send down upon us thy Holy 
 Spirit ; may he convince us of sin ; may he illuminate 
 and quicken us ; may he teach us to pray ; may he 
 melt us into repentance. Then only shall we truly 
 pray and repent ; then only shall we believe with our 
 hearts unto righteousness. Let us feel that we are the 
 sick who need the Physician. Let us feel that we are 
 poor and miserable and blind and naked. Our only 
 hope is that Christ has died for our sins according to 
 the Scriptures. Only can his precious blood reach our 
 case, and cleanse us from all sin. Though we see him 
 not, yet believing in him may we rejoice with joy un- 
 speakable and full of glory. Keep us, O Lord, we pray 
 thee, amidst the temptations to which we are daily ex- 
 posed. Make us sensible of our own weakness, that 
 our hearts may be raised to thee for needful supplies 
 of strength. Blessed be thy name, God, for all the 
 means which thou hast provided that we might be led 
 to the knowledge of thy great love. We pray that we 
 may be enabled to improve them aright for thy glory 
 and the good of our souls. How great and precious, 
 O Lord, are thy promises to thy people, and how valu- 
 able are the blessings which thou art ready to bestow 
 upon them ! May those now assembled before thee 
 share in these thy blessings, and have a saving interest 
 in thy promises. O grant to their souls the living 
 bread whieh comes down from heaven, and dispose 
 
PAROCHIAL VISITATION. O 
 
 them to hunger and thirst after righteousness. May 
 they live by the faith of the Son of God, and out of 
 his fulness may they receive and grace for grace. 
 Should any of them be living without God and with- 
 out hope in the world, we pray that they may be con- 
 vinced of their guilt and folly, and be impressed with 
 their danger, and do thou lead them to that Saviour 
 who of God is made to us wisdom and righteousness, 
 sanctification and redemption. Assist us, gracious 
 God, as we are severally to be employed at this time. 
 May we speak and hear the Word as becomes the 
 oracles of the living God. Hear these our prayers, 
 and do thou answer them in mercy, for Christ's sake. 
 Amen. 
 
 My friends, you are a part of that flock of which the 
 Holy Ghost has given me the oversight. I come to 
 you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, whose ser- 
 vant I am, to beseech you in his name to come unto 
 him that ye may have life. However little attention 
 may be paid to the message we bring, the tidings which 
 we announce are infinitely the most important that ever 
 were communicated to the human race. We come to 
 you announcing the tidings of salvation, proclaiming 
 to you that God is in Christ reconciling the world unto 
 himself, not imputing to men their trespasses. If God 
 has been graciously and mercifully pleased to give sal- 
 vatioii to his people after they had offended him and 
 forfeited his favour, he surely has a right to say in 
 what way they shall receive this salvation. Accord- 
 ingly he has done so. He has explained to U8 in hia 
 Word the method in which alone he will confer it ; that 
 it is through faith in his Son Jesus Christ. God is a 
 being of infinite holiness and purity; he could not 
 therefore look upon sin but with abhorrence, nov could 
 he, consistently with his justice, pardon it anless 
 piation was made for it — unless the punishment which 
 he had denounced was inflicted upon one who. h> 
 
4 MINISTERS DIRECTORY. 
 
 himself infinite, could give satisfaction to infinite jus- 
 tice. Accordingly in the fulness of time he sent his 
 own Son into the world, who was God as well as man, 
 that he might in man's room and stead bear that 
 punishment which sin had deserved and justice de- 
 manded, and which no other could have borne. 
 
 Christ is your surety, your substitute. God has 
 laid on him the iniquity of you all. He bore your 
 sins, or the punishment which was due for your sins, 
 in his own body upon the cross. He did all that God 
 required to enable him, consistently with his justice, to 
 pardon sin and save a ruined world. 
 
 Through Christ peace has been proclaimed upon 
 earth, and goodwill to the children of men. We are 
 now commissioned to give the fullest and the freest offer 
 of salvation to all who will accept of it. Whosoever 
 believes, repents, and obeys the Gospel, shall assuredly 
 be saved. " There is now no condemnation to them 
 who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, 
 but after the spirit." Faith in Christ, then, is abso- 
 lutely necessary ; it is the foundation of all religious 
 principle. Without faith there can be no righteous- 
 ness, no holiness, no peace, no joy, no hope. Faith in 
 Christ is the very life of the soul. It worketh by love, 
 and it overcometh the world. 
 
 If any of you, however, feel that you have not that 
 love to God which exhibits itself by obedience to his 
 laws, and which is the evidence of faith, of your union 
 with Christ, and of the renewal of your nature, to you 
 I would with more peculiar earnestness address my- 
 self. Your condition is one that requires the utmost 
 attention. You are yet in a state of alienation from 
 God ; you are yet in a state of nature, and not in a 
 state of grace. But you are the persons to whom we 
 are particularly sent, and to whom our message is par- 
 ticularly addressed, for we are sent to call sinners to 
 repentance. We now pray you, in Christ's stead, be 
 ye reconciled unto God. 
 
 What is it that has kept you from embracing Christ 
 and his salvation as offered to you in the Gospel ? 
 
PAROCHIAL VISITATION. O 
 
 Here is the question that you should put to yourselves, 
 and endeavour to return the true answer. Is it the 
 world, or the things of the world, that are engrossing 
 your thoughts and your affections, and leading you to 
 neglect this great salvation ? Oris there some favour- 
 ite sin which you delight in the indulgence of, and 
 which you will not lay aside for Christ's sake ? What- 
 ever it be that is holding you in bondage, I entreat of 
 you to lay it aside, and now come unto Christ, and 
 you shall find peace and rest for your souls. 
 
 But you may perhaps be ready to say, How shall I 
 come ? How shall I be made a partaker of that re- 
 demption which Christ has purchased? I answer, come 
 unto Christ in the ordinances of his own appointment ; 
 and if you wish to know what these ordinances are. I 
 refer you to your Catechisms for the answer: — "The 
 outward and ordinary means whereby Christ com- 
 municateth to us the benefits of redemption, are 
 his ordinances, especially the Word, sacraments, and 
 prayer, all which are made effectual to the elect for 
 salvation." 
 
 The first that is mentioned is the Word. The Word 
 of God is the sword of the Spirit. It is that instru- 
 ment which he commonly makes use of for bringing 
 conviction to the soul, for awakening men to a sense 
 of their guilt and danger, and thus of leading them to 
 flee unto Christ for mercy. Let me entreat you, there- 
 fore, to be much employed in reading God's Word, in 
 private and in your families ; and when you read it 
 pray to God that he may open your eyes to see the 
 wondrous things out of his law. that he may seal in- 
 struction upon your hearts, that his Word may 1 
 "a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path." 
 You must also attend upon the preaching of the ( « ospcl 
 and wait upon God in his own sanctuary. God has 
 promised, where two or three are assembled together 
 in his name, to be present in the midst of them to 1 
 them. "He loveth the gates of Zion nioiv than all the 
 dwellings of Jacob." In all a^es of the Christian 
 Church, it has chiefly been by the preaching of (». 
 
I MINISTERS DIRECTORY. 
 
 Word that men have been brought to the knowledge 
 and obedience of the truth ; and accordingly we ob- 
 serve that those who are God's people never, without 
 strong reason, absent themselves from his house of 
 prayer. Many careless persons attend public worship 
 who go there without any right feeling of the duty and 
 obligation of public worship, and of the benefit that is 
 to be derived from it. But God's people are all there 
 when they are able. They feel the public ordinances 
 of God's worship to be the wells of salvation, to be the 
 fountains of grace where their spiritual life is refreshed 
 and invigorated, and, with the Psalmist, they are 
 ready to cry out, " How amiable are thy tabernacles, 
 Lord of hosts ! our souls long, yea, even faint for thy 
 courts." 
 
 The sacraments of Christ, which are Baptism and 
 the Lord's Supper, are also means of grace which 
 ought never to be neglected. Baptism is generally 
 administered to children in their infancy, and I fear 
 the privilege thus enjoyed by professing Christians is 
 but little valued, and the obligations and responsi- 
 bilities then incurred, but little thought of. You 
 should ever bear in mind that in this ordinance you 
 are solemnly dedicated and given up to Christ, and are 
 thereby bound to live no longer to yourselves, but to 
 him who died for you and rose again. I entreat you 
 to make it your study and your prayer that you may 
 prove yourselves " a holy generation, a peculiar people." 
 There is another ordinance — the sacrament of the 
 Lord's Supper, which Jesus instituted on that night 
 on which he was betrayed into the hands of his 
 enemies, and which he commanded his disciples to 
 observe in remembrance of him. It is not merely from 
 a principle of gratitude and love to Christ that you 
 ought to communicate, but in obedience to his positive 
 command, and with a view to your own spiritual and 
 eternal interest. In the sacrament of the supper you 
 behold the Lamb of God offered as a sacrifice for your 
 sins, in the symbols of his broken body and of his 
 blood shed ; you see him wounded for your transgres- 
 
YAROelilAL, VISITATION. , 
 
 slons, and bruised for your iniquities. This solemn 
 ordinance is one of the means of spiritual nourishment 
 and growth in grace which your Lord has appointed 
 for you in your journey through life- Here you feed 
 by faith on Christ and all his blessings. 
 
 Prayer is the last of these ordinances or means of 
 grace which you are required to use. Prayer is the 
 life of devotion. It is the food of the soul. It is the 
 v*y element in which the renewed soul lives. It is 
 the first thing that was remarked of Paul after his con- 
 version — ' Behold, he prayeth.' It is as impossible for 
 a renewed soul to live without prayer, as for a natural 
 man to live without food. Indeed, you may judge in 
 some measure of your spiritual condition from the 
 delight you have in, or the aversion you feel towards 
 this duty. If you feel that you are in your element 
 when you are engaged in prayer to God, and keeping 
 up a communication betwixt earth and heaven through 
 Jesus Christ — it is a true proof that a work of grace 
 is going on in you ; that " the spirit of God i6 dwelling 
 in you;" and you know that " as many as are led by 
 the spirit of God, they are the sons of God." 
 
 But if you feel that you have no delight in this 
 divine exercise, that you can allow days, nay, weeks, to 
 pass without seriously engaging in prayer, it is a sure 
 proof that you are still in a state of spiritual death ; 
 that you are dead in trespasses and sins — and if you 
 live and die in this state you must perish. Let me be- 
 seech you who are living in the neglect of this duty, 
 immediately to begin it. God has promised to be 
 found of them who seek him. He has told us to " ask 
 and it shall be given us, to seek and we shall find, to 
 knock and it shall be opened unto us." 
 
 Have stated times, therefore, for prayer. Begin and 
 end the day with prayer. Then retire into your 
 closets and pray to your Father who heareth in secret, 
 and he will reward you openly. Have, if possible, a 
 particular place for prayer — a place which is your 
 Bethel, where you wrestle with God, like Jacob resolv- 
 ing not to leave him till he bless you. And von, who arc 
 
3 MINISTER S DIRECTORY. 
 
 heads of families, I trust you all keep up the worship 
 of God in your houses. If any of you have hitherto 
 neglected this duty, let me entreat you to do so no 
 longer. You have no reason to expect that the bless- 
 ing of God will rest upon you and yours if you never 
 implore it. But if you seek spiritual blessings upon 
 your families for Christ's sake, they will assuredly be 
 bestowed. 
 
 Consider, you that are parents, what a portion you 
 deprive your families of if you neglect to pray for 
 them. And what misery you may be the means of 
 entailing upon them by your evil example, and your 
 culpable neglect. 
 
 We see parents sometimes lamenting over the bad 
 conduct of their children, when they never implored of 
 God to give them grace and strength to perform duty 
 and resist temptation. Do think seriously of these 
 things, and set about reforming your conduct. 
 
 Masters, give unto your servants that which is just 
 and equal, knowing also that ye have a master in 
 heaven. It is the duty of masters to be kind and 
 gentle to their servants, not to oppress them, or exact 
 more than they can give; to pay them faithfully just 
 wages ; to treat them exactly as they would themselves 
 wish to be treated, were they in the same situation ; 
 and to give them religious instruction, and watch over 
 their moral conduct. 
 
 Servants, be obedient unto them that are your masters 
 according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in 
 singleness of heart, as unto Christ ; not with eye ser- 
 vice, as men pleasers, but as the servants of Christy 
 doing the will of God from the heart. 
 
 Ever keep in mind that you are dying creatures — 
 that the present day is hastening on your last hour — 
 and you have an eternity before you either of perfect 
 bliss or perfect misery, and your happiness or misery 
 hereafter depends upon your embracing or neglecting 
 the means of grace which are held out to you here. 
 " Seek, then, the Lord while he may be found, call 
 upon him while he is near." Amen. 
 
PAKOCHIAL VISITATION. 9 
 
 Let us pray — 
 
 O Lord, thou art the fountain of blessedness, the 
 Father of lights, from whom cometh down every good 
 and every perfect gift. It is our high privilege to 
 come before thee through Jesus Christ, and may we 
 find mercy and acceptance. In every situation in 
 life in which we may be placed, may we, O Lord, re- 
 member that the chief object which we should keep in 
 view is to promote thy glory — that thou art ever pre- 
 sent with us — that thou still upholdest us by thy 
 bounty — that thou hast redeemed us by thy grace, and 
 that, therefore, thou hast the most unquestionable 
 right to our service. 
 
 We would bless thy name, O Lord, for those pecu- 
 liar, for those inestimable blessings which thou hast 
 bestowed on us, the sinful children of men, by Jesus 
 Christ, thy Son. We bless thee that he came to save 
 the lost. Through faith in his blood, let our sins be 
 pardoned ; sanctify us by thy spirit, that we may bear 
 his image, and fill us with comfort, that our spirits 
 may rejoice in God our salvation. manifest the ex- 
 ceeding greatness of thy power, and the exceeding 
 riches of thy grace, in bestowing on us such blessings, 
 in making us all that we should be, and in enabling us 
 to do whatsoever thou requirest of us. 
 
 In an especial manner we pray, Lord, that thou 
 wouldst bless all who are now before thee. Bless them 
 in their different spheres and occupations. Draw them 
 not away with the wicked, and with the workers of 
 iniquity. May they testify that they love thee, by 
 keeping thy Word. May they receive the trutli in the 
 love of it, that they may be saved. Remember them 
 with the love which thou bearest to thy chosen. 
 
 Bless the heads of families. May they show all dili- 
 gence in their duties, and all fidelity in their trust. 
 Teach and enable them to bring up their children in 
 the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Lei it be 
 the joy of their hearts to see them walking in the truth, 
 and setting their faces heavenward. Bless their chil- 
 dren. Preserve them from sin and shame, from youth- 
 
10 minister's directory. 
 
 ful follies and youthful crimes. Give them grace to 
 obey their parents. O preserve them in thy favour, 
 and teach them by thy Spirit. May they be made to 
 feel the value of religious knowledge, and do thou open 
 their hearts to attend to the things which are spoken 
 to them. Incline their hearts to holiness, and give 
 them the wisdom which is from above. 
 
 We pray, O Lord, that masters may be a blessing to 
 their servants, by their kindness, by giving them reli- 
 gious instruction, and watching over their moral con- 
 duct. And may servants be a blessing to their masters, 
 by conscientiously performing their duties — not with 
 eye service, as men pleasers, but as the servants of 
 Christ doing the will of God from the heart. May 
 they all serve thee in righteousness and in holiness all 
 the days of their life. And do thou, O Lord, grant 
 that in all the afflictions and privations with which 
 thou hast been pleased to visit any in thy presence, 
 they may discern and acknowledge thy Fatherly wis- 
 dom and goodness. supply all their wants, and ful- 
 fil all their desires, in such a manner as thy wisdom 
 sees best, for thy own mercy's sake in Christ Jesus. 
 
 And now, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy 
 Spirit, be with you all. — Amen. 
 
MARRIAGE BERTH B, 
 
 FORM I . 
 
 Marriage, as the most important of all connections, 
 was divinely intended to be also the most permanent. 
 If marriage be a religious bond, why should it not be 
 made the subject of a religious form ? "Why should 
 not a sacred connection, which probably shapes the 
 whole future course of life — which creates new duties, 
 and which imposes now responsibilities to God and 
 man, be marked by the solemnities of that religion, 
 through which alone the virtues of our mortal state 
 can be sustained ? Its divine obligation might be 
 proved even from the nature of its objects ; for unless 
 it were indissoluble, it would be wholly inadequate 
 to the preservation of mental purity and domestic 
 peace, to the protection of woman and to the educa- 
 tion of children ; and to be indissoluble it must be 
 divine. But we have the most authoritative of all evi- 
 dence in the testimony of our Lord — " Whom God 
 hath joined together, let no man put asunder." 
 
 Before proceeding with the marriage service, the 
 certificate of proclamation of banns, as well as the 
 certificate required from the Registrar, must be pro- 
 duced, on each of which the officiating minister writes 
 a certificate that the parties were that day married by 
 him. 
 
1*2 -minister's directory. 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 Lord, it becomes us in all our ways to acknow- 
 ledge thee, and upon all our undertakings to implore 
 thy blessing. We are ever receiving renewed tokens 
 of thy goodness and mercy. Make us grateful unto 
 thee, not only for the temporal mercies which we enjoy, 
 but more especially for the spiritual blessings which, 
 through Jesus Christ, thou hast bestowed upon us. 
 
 Thou, O Lord, art ready to forgive ; thou waitest to 
 be gracious. Thou dost incline thine ear ; thou dost 
 abundantly pardon. 0, wash us in the blood of thy 
 dear Son, sanctify us by his Spirit, and accept of us in 
 his merits. Let grace regulate and sanctify all our 
 words and actions. Make us faithful, diligent, and 
 circumspect in all the duties of our several places and 
 relations. Be graciously present with us, O Lord, at 
 this time, and grant that the connection which is now 
 to be formed may be sanctioned and enriched by thy 
 special blessing. Amen. 
 
 After prayer the minister directs the parties to stand 
 forth, the bridegroom at the bride's right hand, and 
 addresses them as follows : — 
 
 Much of the happiness of human life depends on the 
 faithful discharge of the duties which result from the 
 relations which we hold one to another. All are not 
 under obligations to perform the same duties, for these 
 are often determined by the state and circumstances 
 in which we are placed. It is evident that special and 
 peculiar duties are founded upon the different relations 
 of man. There are reciprocal duties sacredly binding 
 upon husbands and wives, who are joined in the closest 
 relation and most intimate union that subsist in this 
 world, and in the faithful, and constant, and consci- 
 entious performance of which obligations their happi- 
 ness in this life, and also in the life to come, is deeply 
 involved. 
 
MARRIAGE SERVICE. 13 
 
 The marriage bond was the earliest of all the obli- 
 gations enjoined on the human race. Adam, speaking 
 by direct inspiration, pronounced, as the general law 
 of mankind — 'A man shall leave his father and his 
 mother, and cleave unto his wife.' Thus we have the 
 bond appointed by the Creator himself, and appointed, 
 not only to be the most general obligation, out the 
 most permanent. In regard to the duties mutually 
 binding upon husbands and wives, and which must de- 
 volve upon you from the union that is now to be 
 formed, the first is sincere love and undissembled af- 
 fection. Without reciprocal affection, it is impossible 
 to preserve that unity and harmony, and to enjoy that 
 happiness which persons fondly promise themselves in 
 the conjugal relation. Love is the strongest cement 
 of human souls, and the foundation of all true conju- 
 gal felicity; and where this is wanting, discord and 
 misery necessarily ensue. All who look for the enjoy- 
 ment of peace and happiness in the matrimonial union 
 without constant and cordial love will find themselves 
 miserably disappointed ; and as their love should go 
 with them through the whole of life, they should care- 
 fully pursue such a course of conduct as is calculated 
 to preserve and strengthen it, and daily avoid all occa- 
 sions that tend to impair or deaden that principle. 
 Surely the command of God, the nearness of the rela- 
 tion, and their blended interests should oblige hus- 
 bands and wives to the duty of love, though in the 
 rugged road of life they may meet with many things 
 to slacken their affections. 
 
 Another duty common to husband and wife is 
 fidelity, or a just observation of their solemn vows and 
 engagements. Fidelity is the foundation of ail mar- 
 riage promises, and when this is overturned, the ex- 
 tract itself is no longer binding on the unoffending 
 party. How careful, then, should you be, not only to 
 adhere strictly to the letter of your marriage vow, but 
 watchfully to avoid all occasions that may frustrate 
 the chief ends of its institution. 
 
 Moreover, it is reciprocally incumbent upon you to 
 
14 minister's directory. 
 
 promote one another's spiritual interest and edification, 
 by recommending each other, in your prayers, to the 
 protection and mercy of a good and gracious God. 
 You should endeavour to forward one another in 
 knowledge, and piety, and godliness. You should ex- 
 cite and animate one another to good works. In this 
 manner you ought to live as being heirs together of 
 the grace of life. Your mutual interest engages you 
 to such wise and holy conduct, for if you have the 
 fear of God in your hearts, you will not fail to be a 
 good husband, nor you to be a good wife. When 
 grace reigns in the heart, subduing its evil passions, 
 peace — which is a fruit of the Spirit of God — will 
 sweeten every relation. 
 
 If any objection be known why and — 
 
 should not be united in lawful wedlock, let it now be 
 declared. 
 
 Join hands. 
 
 Do you take this woman, whom you now hold by the 
 hand, to be your lawful and wedded wife, and do you 
 promise, before God, and in the presence of these wit- 
 nesses, to be to her a faithful and loving husband, till 
 God shall separate you by death ? 
 
 Do you take this man, whom you now hold by the 
 hand, to be your lawful and wedded husband, and do 
 you promise, before God, and in the presence of these 
 witnesses, to be to him a faithful, a dutiful, and loving 
 wife, till God shall separate you by death ? 
 
 In the name of God, I now declare you to be 
 married persons, and whom God hath joined together, 
 let not man put asunder. 
 
 Let us pray. 
 
 Let thy blessing, Lord, rest upon those whom we 
 now have, in thy name, joined in a marriage covenant. 
 May their hearts be given to thee supremely. May 
 they make thy will and glory the rule and end of their 
 affection and their being. May they instantly rear for 
 thee a domestic altar. May they and their house serve 
 the Lord. May the Word of God and prayer sanctify 
 
MARRIAGE SEKVrCE. 15 
 
 their all. So may their time be spent ; so may their 
 substance be consecrated ; so may their family, 
 shouldst thou increase them with children, be disci- 
 plined. Long may they be spared to each other, pros- 
 pered in their basket and in their store, blessed with 
 all spiritual blessings — their souls in health — the pro- 
 moters of each other's piety — the bearers of each 
 other's burdens — the helpers of each other's joy — walk- 
 ing hand in hand toward their home in heaven. 
 
 May all their connections, near and remote, be bound 
 in the bundle of life with the Lord their God. 
 
 Hear us, Lord, and accept of us in the beloved. 
 Amen. 
 
 FORM II. 
 
 The Word of God not only gives direction for the 
 performance of those duties which we owe to all men 
 as fellow creatures, but also respecting those which are 
 peculiar to the relation in which we stand to one 
 another as husband and wife, as that in which Adam 
 and Eve stood, and received the blessing of God. 
 Marriage is a divine obligation, and was expressly ap- 
 pointed by God, and is an engagement which cannot 
 be dissolved, except by the infidelity of one of the 
 parties. Our Saviour, having a reference to the decree 
 of God, expressly says that the husband and wife are 
 one flesh, and that being joined by God no man can 
 separate them. As to the duties peculiar to the mar- 
 ried state, the first unquestionably is, fidelity to the 
 marriage vow, the violation of which is repeatedly 
 threatened with the wrath of God. Doubtless the 
 violation on the part of the wife is more aggravated on 
 account of the consequences to which it may l< 
 but the crime abstractly is the same in both par 
 and shall receive the same punishment. Another d 
 is conjugal affection. " Let every one of you, in - 
 ticular, so love his wife even a< himself, and tin- 
 
16 minister's directory. 
 
 see that she reverence her husband." " Husbands love 
 your wives, and be not bitter against them ; giving 
 honour unto the wife as the weaker vessel." " Wives, 
 submit yourselves unto your husbands, as it is fit in 
 the Lord." 
 
 The duty of the husband is to love, cherish, com- 
 fort, and provide for his wife. The duty of the wife 
 is to love, solace, and encourage her husband amid his 
 cares and trials, yielding to his authority as given by 
 God. Besides these duties, it is binding on both to 
 promote each other's progress in religion, and to assist 
 one another in their pilgrimage to that better country, 
 where they hope to dwell. The more perfectly that 
 this duty is performed, the greater will be the advan- 
 tage of the connection, and the higher will the happi- 
 ness be which results from it. 
 
 That union, which takes place from love and solid 
 attachment between parties, of piety, of similar dis- 
 positions, and accordant habits, bids fair to be produc- 
 tive of the greatest earthly happiness conferred on man. 
 From the moment of your union you must regard 
 yourselves as one being, with one interest, one heart, 
 one purpose in life, combined in every object of exist- 
 ence, while you continue in this world. No length of 
 time, no act of human will, can thenceforth annul the 
 bond. It is fixed for ever, it is indissoluble, for it is 
 divine. 
 
 Should love decline, there is no surer way of 
 extinguishing it altogether, and producing daily misery, 
 than apparent in difference, neglect, or disrespect. It 
 is certainly a great felicity, and must tend mightily to 
 smooth the rugged path of life, when husbands and 
 wives harmonize, not only in their natural temper and 
 dispositions, but especially in their moral principles 
 and religious sentiments. Your aim, then, should be 
 to preserve a conscience void of offence, and God will 
 guard your reputation. He will grant you grace and 
 peace and every other blessing essential to your happi- 
 ness. 
 
 These duties, and others connected with the marriage 
 
MARRIAGE SERVICE. 17 
 
 relation, you engage and promise, through divine grace, 
 to perform to each other. Do you not ? 
 
 If they assent, he goes on to say — 
 
 If any objection be known why and 
 
 should not be united in lawful wedlock, let it now be 
 be declared. 
 
 Join hands. 
 
 Do you take this woman, whom you now hold by the 
 hand, to be your lawful and wedded wife, and do you 
 promise, before God and in the presence of these wit- 
 nesses, to be to her a faithful and loving husband till 
 God shall separate you by death ? 
 
 Do you take this man, whom you now hold by the 
 hand, to be your lawful and wedded husband, and do 
 you promise, before God and in the presence of these 
 witnesses, to be to him a faithful, a dutiful, and loving 
 wife, till God shall separate you by death ? 
 
 I declare you to be husband and wife, according to 
 God's ordinance. Whom God hath joined together, 
 let no man put asunder. 
 
18 
 
 BAPTISM. 
 
 FORM I. 
 
 " There shall be produced to the Minister officiating 
 in the administration of the Sacrament of Baptism of 
 any child, a certificate of the Registration of the birth 
 of such child ; and failing such production, such 
 Minister shall forthwith intimate the baptism of such 
 child, with all the information which he may have re- 
 garding the birth and parentage of such child, to the 
 Registrar of the Parish in which the parents of such 
 child resides." 
 
 The ordinance of Baptism is usually administered 
 in the church, on the Sabbath, at the close of the 
 sermon ; but it is sometimes administered in private. 
 When administered in private it is invariably com- 
 menced with prayer. 
 
 Let us pray. 
 
 O Lord, thou art a great God and great King, the 
 Lord Jehovah, in whom is everlasting strength. We de- 
 sire to come to thee in the new and living way of thine 
 own appointment, relying for acceptance before thee, 
 on the merits and intercession of our Lord and Saviour. 
 It is our guilt which needs thy mercy. God be merci- 
 ful to us sinners. Incline and enable us to come to 
 Jesus Christ, weary and heavy laden as we are, and 
 may we find rest in him. Make us sensible of our 
 guilt and ruin ; and help us to rely on his blood, and 
 
BAPTISM. 19 
 
 build all our hopes on his righteousness. Do thou, 
 Lord, grant that being grafted in Christ, we may live 
 to him. Suffer us not to deceive ourselves by a mere 
 form and profession of religion ; but give us true faith 
 that we may really abide in Christ, and bear much 
 fruit. Quicken thou our souls. Regenerate and 
 sanctify us. May we know what is the hope of our 
 calling. May we walk in the light. 
 
 AVe give thee thanks, Lord, that thou hast been 
 pleased to bless this family with another proof of thy 
 great goodness. May this new pledge and token of thy 
 love be preserved by thy mercy and dedicated to thy 
 glory. Do thou guard his (her) infancy, and preserve 
 his (her) youth, and train him (her) up for thine ever- 
 lasting kingdom. 
 
 May the mother of this child live before thee, having 
 in the moment, of her extremity experienced thy favour 
 compassing her as with a shield, and crowning her 
 with songs of deliverance. Do thou, most gracious 
 God and Father, perfect that which concerneth her. 
 
 May the solemn pledge of pious duty to this child 
 which his (her) parents are now to give, be fulfilled 
 happily by thine aid to thy glory, and to the good of 
 this family. 
 
 Lord, impress upon us a deep sense of our baptismal 
 obligations. May we perform all our solemn duties, 
 in a simple dependence on the promise and aids of thy 
 grace. 
 
 Hear these our prayers, God ; pardon our sins, 
 and accept of us for Christ's sake. Amen. 
 
 The minister says to the parent, " Present your child 
 for baptism ;" and when this has been done, proceeds 
 to address him as follows : — 
 
 In presenting your child for baptism, you proiV-s it 
 to be your desire that lie (or she) may be admit t 
 member of the visible church and i < tl of 
 
 the new covenant. Is not this your desire ? God hath 
 
20 minister's directory. 
 
 been pleased to reveal his will to man in various ways 
 besides the discovery which he makes of himself in the 
 dispensations of his Providence. He makes known to 
 us his will by words, which is the ordinary way we ac- 
 quire the knowledge of Divine truths, or by visible 
 signs, which are sometimes called figures, or sacra- 
 ments. There have been external rites and ceremonies 
 in all the forms of religion that ever existed in the 
 world. The religion of heathen nations hath always 
 abounded in them. The Jewish religion was loaded 
 with ceremonies of Divine appointment. Such were 
 sacrifices, which we have reason to believe were pre- 
 scribed by God to Adam immediately after his fall. 
 Such was the rite of circumcision given to Abraham 
 and his children. Such was the multitude of ordi- 
 nances instituted by Moses, in which, by various offer- 
 ings and washings, and sprinklings with water, the 
 blessings of the covenant of grace were represented in 
 symbolical language. Even in the gospel of Christ, 
 the most spiritual religion that ever was in the world, 
 there are two ordinances of this kind — Baptism and 
 the Lord's Supper. Baptism was instituted by Jesus 
 Christ after his resurrection, when all power in heaven 
 and on earth was given unto him, and immediately be- 
 fore his ascension into glory. " Go ye and teach all 
 nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and 
 of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." These words 
 contain the commission which Christ gave to his 
 apostles to administer this holy ordinance. Baptism, 
 then, has come in the place of circumcision. Circum- 
 cision was a sign of the covenant of grace which God 
 entered into with Abraham and his seed, and a seal of 
 the righteousness of the faith, and he who received it 
 was constituted a member of the Jewish Church. Bap- 
 tism is significant of the same gieat truth — consecra- 
 tion to God ; and it is accompanied by the same pro- 
 mise, " I will be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after 
 thee ;" as asserted by the apostle on the day of Pente- 
 cost at Jerusalem — " Repent and be baptised every one 
 of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission 
 
BAPTISM. 21 
 
 of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 
 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and 
 to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our 
 God shall call." It is evident, therefore, that as the 
 entrance into the Jewish Church was by circumcision, 
 so the entrance into the Christian Church is by bap- 
 tism. Hence the administration of baptism is here 
 prescribed to those who are made disciples, and as such 
 disposed to become formally the members of Christ's 
 Church. Hence it derives its federal or covenant cha- 
 racter, and is rightly considered as a mystery or sacra- 
 ment. Let it not be understood, however, that the act 
 of baptism with water constitutes men Christians, for 
 it supposes that those who are baptized have a previous 
 right to gospel privileges ; for the infants of believing 
 parents are born within the covenant, and have the 
 promises of it made to them. Baptism is, therefore, 
 nothing more than a visible and formal recognition 
 and occupation of that right, or a solemn admission to 
 the privileges of Church membership. 
 
 Moreover, the washing of regeneration refers to bap- 
 tism with water, which is not only a figure or emblem 
 of the cleansing virtue of regenerating grace, but the 
 means of conveying it to the soul, when it is accom- 
 panied with the effectual operation of the Holy Spirit. 
 Baptism is the sign, but it is not, properly or directly, 
 the seal of regeneration ; it symbolises the blessing, 
 but it seals the covenant. As a symbol, the ordinance 
 addresses itself to the senses ; as a seal, it appeals to 
 faith. As a symbol, it is a badge of distinction from 
 the world ; as a seal, it stands related, not to the per- 
 son, but to the covenant. Baptism, consequently, is a 
 sign and seal of all the blessings of the covenant of 
 grace, and our engagement to be the Lord's, which it 
 actually is to all who worthily receive it. These bless- 
 ings are our ingrafting into Christ, or union with him. 
 By nature we are branches of the first Adam, from 
 whom we derive deadness and corruption. Christ the 
 second Adam is the true vine, into whom, when \\ i 
 ingrafted, or transplanted, we are quickened and puri- 
 
22 minister's directory. 
 
 fied from sin and corruption ; and this spiritual purifi- 
 cation, and our need of it from the very womb, are 
 signified by the water in baptism sprinkled on infants, 
 who are free from all actual transgression of the law of 
 God, but not from a corrupt nature derived from their 
 parents. Another blessing signified by baptism is the 
 remission of sins through the blood of Christ. As 
 water washes away the stains of the body, so the blood 
 of Christ cleanseth from guilt. God, for his sake, for- 
 give th all sin. 
 
 Presenting, therefore, your child for baptism, you 
 profess your belief in the doctrine of man's primitive 
 apostacy from God, with its unhappy effects on the 
 whole human race ; the method of recovery through 
 Christ ; the work of the Spirit in applying a purchased 
 redemption ; the full and free offers of Christ, and of 
 salvation through him, made in the gospel, to the very 
 chief of sinners ; the nature of that faith which unites 
 to Christ, of that holiness which makes men meet for 
 the inheritance of saints in light, and which is indeed 
 heaven begun in the soul; and of those various good 
 works of piety, or of charity, by which you are bound 
 to glorify God, to serve him in your generation, and to 
 prove to yourself and others the truth and energy of 
 your faith. You promise before God and the Church 
 that if God shall be pleased to spare you and this 
 child you will seek to unfold and explain to him (her), 
 as he (she) grows up, the nature of baptism, and im- 
 press on his (her) mind the solemnity of his (her) en- 
 gagements. And you will set before him (her) in your 
 own conduct the example of a pious and Christian life. 
 And having devoted your child to Christ in this ordi- 
 nance, how importunate and prayerfully solicitous- 
 should you be that the blessing symbolised may be 
 actually bestowed. These things you now profess to 
 believe, and these duties you promise, through Divine 
 grace, to perform. Do you not ? 
 
 Let us pray. 
 
 Lord, thou givest us life, and thou givest u& 
 
BAPTISM. 23 
 
 all the blessings we enjoy in life. Thou hast given 
 us the greatest gift thou hadst to bestow. Thou 
 hast given Jesus Christ, thine unspeakable gift, for the 
 redemption of a lost world, and surely thou wilt with 
 him freely give us all things which thou knowest to be 
 good for us. 
 
 Give us grace, Lord, to repent of our sins, and to 
 believe in Christ to the saving of our souls. In his 
 name may we trust. In his righteousness may we be 
 exalted. By his blood purge our conscience from dead 
 works. 
 
 We desire, Lord, with grateful hearts to bless 
 thee for the distinguished and peculiar privileges which 
 as Christians we enjoy. We bless thee for the ordi- 
 nances of the gospel, and especially for the sacrament 
 of baptism ; and we pray that thy blessing may attend 
 the dispensation of it to this infant. Sanctify so much 
 of the element of water as is to be made use of in this 
 solemnity. Whilst we baptise outwardly with water, 
 do thou baptise inwardly with the Holy Ghost, that so 
 this child may be admitted not only into thy visible 
 Church upon earth but also into thy invisible spiritual, 
 redeemed, justified, and sanctified family. Let thy 
 work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto 
 their children, and let the beauty of the Lord our God 
 be upon us ; and establish thou the work of our hands ; 
 yea, the work of our hands establish thou it, for thine 
 own name's sake. Amen. 6 
 
 The minister now sprinkles water on the face of the 
 child ; and pronouncing its name aloud, says, " I bap- 
 tise thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, 
 and of the Holy Ghost, one God." 
 
 Let us pray. 
 
 Ratify in heaven, O Lord, that which we have now 
 done upon the earth, in the name and By the appoint- 
 ment, and depending on the blessing of the gp 
 of the Church, our Lord and Saviour Je>u> Christ, 
 May the child that has now been admitted a member 
 
24 minister's directory. 
 
 of the visible Church be received into the number of 
 those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of 
 life. May the great Shepherd of the sheep take charge 
 of him (her) as one of the Lambs of his flock. May he 
 regard him (her) with special care. 
 
 We, Lord, pray not that thou wouldst take him 
 (her) out of the world, but that thou wouldst keep him 
 (her) from the evil that is in the world. Do thou spare 
 him (her), if it be according to thy will, to be a com- 
 fort to the parents to whom in trust thou hast given 
 him (her). 
 
 We pray that the engaging parent may be enabled 
 with fidelity and perseverance to discharge the duties 
 under which he is laid not only by parental tie but 
 also by this solemn transaction. May the Divine Spi- 
 rit guide and bless all his efforts for the godly upbring- 
 ing of his child. 
 
 We praise thy name for a living mother and a living 
 child. W r e thank thee for thy goodness to the mother, 
 and we beseech thee to restore her to health and 
 strength. Fill her heart with thanksgiving and love to 
 thee, and may she pay her vows in the presence of thy 
 people. 
 
 Thy vows are upon us all, Lord ; early were we 
 baptised into the name of Christ, and thus set apart to 
 his service. May baptismal obligations be more 
 strongly felt among us than they have ever yet been, 
 and may every day exllbit new evidence of their 
 sanctifying influence. 
 
 We ask all of our covenant God, God in Christ, 
 Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost. W^e ask the mercy 
 of God the Father, through the mediation of God the 
 Son, and by the application of God the Holy Ghost. 
 O seal this covenant by thy Spirit, and let us be en- 
 tirely and for ever thine. Amen. 
 
BAPTISE. 25 
 
 •form II. 
 
 The minister says to the parent, " Present your 
 child for baptism ;" and when this has been done, pro- 
 ceeds to address him as follows : — 
 
 In presenting your child for baptism, you profess it 
 to be your desire that he (she) may be admitted a 
 member of Christ's visible Church, and receive the seal 
 of the new covenant. Is not this your desire? 
 
 Baptism is a sacrament which Christ hath ordained 
 for the sealing and confirming and renewing of the 
 covenant of grace made between our offended God and 
 us sinners, through the mediation of Jesus Christ. 
 
 The covenant thus solemnly sealed by baptism im- 
 plies, that although you are a sinner, and so have lost 
 all right and title to God's blessings — yet God the 
 Father doth give himself to be your reconciled and 
 loving Father ; and God the Son doth give himself to 
 be your Saviour ; and God the Holy Ghost giveth 
 himself to be your sanctifier — so that all your sins 
 shall be pardoned, and strength of grace given you to 
 do God's will ; and, finally, eternal life and happiness 
 bestowed upon you, and all upon the condition that 
 you repent of your sins, and watch against and resist 
 all temptations to sin ; and that you firmly believe the 
 gospel of Christ, and taking the Father, the Son, and 
 the Holy Spirit for the one only true God, worship 
 and serve him only, sincerely, and endeavour to obey 
 all his laws as long as you live. 
 
 Baptism is the application of water, as expressive of 
 the need of purification, and as emblematic of the in- 
 fluences from God, that can alone cleanse the soul. It 
 represents the washing of the soul from sin, by the 
 blood of Christ, for those who are baptised are 
 baptised in the name of Christ for the remission of 
 sins. It represents the union of the soul to Christ, and 
 its forming a part of his spiritual body. For by one 
 spirit are ye all baptised into one body. It represents 
 the regeneration, and, consequently, sancrification l»y 
 
26 MINISTERS DIRECTORY. 
 
 the Spirit, being saved, not by works of righteous- 
 ness which ye have done, but according to his mercy, 
 by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the 
 Holy Ghost. It represents your resurrection unto 
 life. For, if ye have been planted together in the 
 likeness of his death, ye shall be also in the likeness of 
 his resurrection. 
 
 Baptism, then, is not merely an admission into the 
 Christian Church, not merely being made a member of 
 the Church on earth, but is a sign and seal of the cove- 
 nant of grace, and of your being united to Christ, 
 and, consequently, made a partaker of the benefits of 
 his death and resurrection. It superseded the sign of 
 circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith, 
 which Abraham had, and continues for ever to be a 
 sign of your adoption into the number of the children 
 of God. For ye are all the children of God by faith 
 in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been 
 baptised into Christ, have put on Christ. 
 
 When one arrived at maturity of age is baptised, he 
 avows his acceptance of this salvation, and makes this 
 surrender of himself to the service of God his Saviour. 
 When you bring your infant offspring to him in faith 
 to be baptised, you express your earnest desire that 
 they may share the same benefits, and be the redeemed 
 worshippers and servants of God the Father, Son, and 
 Holy Spirit. You renew your own profession of faith 
 in the great truths of religion, and devotedness to this 
 one God in three persons. Farther, you engage that 
 if God shall spare you and your child together, it shall 
 be your earnest and assiduous endeavour to bring him 
 (her) up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. 
 For this purpose you will diligently employ all the 
 means of grace which are put within your reach — spe- 
 cially you will pray for your child while he is yet in 
 years of infancy, and with him after he comes to years 
 of understanding. You will give him such an education 
 as your circumstances in life will admit, and particu- 
 larly you will instruct him in, and enable him to peruse 
 for himself that word of life which, through faith in 
 
BAPTISM. 27 
 
 Christ Jesus, is able to make wise unto salvation. 
 You will set before your family a Christian example, 
 walking before the Lord in his statutes and ordi- 
 nances blameless — waiting upon him regularly in the 
 assemblies of his people, and reducing to daily prac- 
 tice the requirements of his word. And thus, by 
 prayer, instruction, and example, seeking to train up 
 your child in the way he should go, that when he is 
 old he may not depart from it. These and all other 
 obligations incumbent on you as a Christian parent, 
 you engage, through divine grace assisting you, to per- 
 form. Do you not ? 
 
28 minister's directory. 
 
 DISCIPLINE. 
 
 Our Lord Jesus Christ hath instituted a govern- 
 ment and governors in his house, with power to meet 
 for the order and government thereof. He only has a 
 right to give laws to his Church, or to institute rites 
 and ordinances for her observance. His will is the 
 supreme guide of his professing people ; his Word their 
 code of laws ;^and his glory their ultimate end. The 
 authority of Church officers is not original, but sub- 
 ordinate and delegated ; that is, as they are his ser- 
 vants, and act under his commission, and in his name, 
 they have power only to declare what the scriptures 
 reveal as his will, and to pronounce sentence accor- 
 dingly. If they attempt to establish any other terms 
 of communion than those which his Word warrants — 
 or to undertake to exercise authority in a manner 
 which he has not authorised, they incur guilt, and 
 have no right to exact obedience. Discipline that is 
 exercised faithfully and judiciously, ought to be re- 
 garded as one of the most precious means of grace by 
 which offenders are humbled, softened, and brought to 
 repentance ; the Church purged of unworthy mem- 
 bers ; offences removed ; the honour of Christ pro- 
 moted ; real Christians stimulated and improved in 
 their spiritual course ; faithful testimony borne against 
 error and crime ; and the professing family of Christ 
 made to appear holy and beautiful in the view of the 
 world. Without wholesome discipline for removing 
 
DISCIPLINE. 29 
 
 offences and excluding the corrupt and profane, there 
 may be an assembly, but there cannot be a Church. 
 The truth is, the exercise of a faithful watch and care 
 over the purity of each other in doctrine, worship, and 
 life, is one of the principal purposes for which the 
 Christian Church was established, and on account of 
 which it is highly prized by every enlightened be- 
 liever. And it may be safely affirmed, that a large 
 part of all that is holy in the Church at the present 
 day, either in faith or practice, may be ascribed, under 
 God, as much to sound ecclesiastical discipline as to 
 the faithful preaching of the gospel. 
 
 And if the maintenance of discipline be all impor- 
 tant to the interests of true religion, it is a matter of 
 no less importance that it be conducted with mild- 
 ness, prudence, and wisdom. 
 
 Accordingly, in Presbyterian Churches, the power 
 of carrying these laws into effect, and of bringing 
 these sanctions to bear upon the consciences of men, is 
 vested in kirk-sessions. The kirk-session is the lowest 
 judicatory in the Church of Scotland. A kirk-session 
 is composed of the minister of the parish, and of lay 
 Elders. It is legally convened, when summoned by 
 the minister from the pulpit, or by personal citation to 
 the members. The meetings of session are opened and 
 closed with prayer. 
 
 The opening prayer is in such form as the follow- 
 ing :— 
 
 Let us pray — 
 
 O Lord, thoujart our refuge and our strength. In 
 thee alone is our help. To thy full and abounding 
 grace, in Jesus Christ our Lord, we are indebted for 
 our salvation. We thank thee for thine unspeakable 
 
30 minister's directory. 
 
 love in the gift of thy Son Jesus Christ, and for every 
 spiritual blessing conveyed to us through him. We 
 bless thee that thou didst send him into the world to 
 lead us to the knowledge and worship of thee the only 
 true God, to establish in our hearts the love of right- 
 eousness, and to train us up for everlasting felicity. 
 
 We acknowledge, Lord, that, notwithstanding all 
 these marks of Divine favour, we dishonour thee and 
 violate our religious profession. Thou knowest our 
 weaknesses, thou knowest our temptations, our sorrows, 
 and our sins. Humble us, Lord, we beseech thee, 
 under a sense of our sins, and give us to know that there 
 is no remission of sins but through faith in the blood 
 of thy Son ; by his blood may we be justified, and have 
 peace with thee. Vouchsafe, O Lord, to turn us from 
 all iniquity ; create us again after thine own image, that 
 we may live to thy praise. May it be the continual de- 
 sire of our souls to obey and serve thee, and may life 
 be valued principally by us as an opportunity of do- 
 ing thy will and keeping thy commandments before 
 men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our 
 Father who is in heaven. 
 
 And we pray, O Lord, that being now convened as 
 a court of thy Church, we may receive thy countenance 
 and blessing. May we be deeply impressed with the 
 importance of the trust committed to us, and of the re- 
 sponsibility that attaches to us, and in every step of our 
 proceedings may we be guided by that wisdom which 
 cometh from above. 
 
 We will go forward in thy strength, trusting for par- 
 don and acceptance through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
 Amen. 
 
 Voluntarily compeared D. A. and C. B., confessing 
 that they had been guilty of the sin of antenuptial for- 
 nication, and having expressed their penitence, the 
 Moderator solemnly and suitably addressed them in 
 these terms ; — 
 
 Confession of sin is necessary. God requires it 
 
DISCIPLINE. 31 
 
 of you ; not for his information of the iniquities 
 you have committed, for he knows them, in all their 
 number and aggravations, but to convince you of your 
 guilt and misery, to bring your sins to remembrance, to 
 excite in you a humbling and lively sense of their evil 
 and danger. When you transgress God's holy law, 
 you do not always perceive the guilt and wickedness of 
 your transgressions. Your natural corruption and evil 
 habits seduce you, your passions blind you, and pre- 
 vent you from reflecting on the injury you do to your 
 own souls. Now, sincere confession leads you to con- 
 sider your ways and doings, removes from the eyes of 
 your mind the veil that covered your sins from your 
 sight, disposes you to hate them, and to desire ardently 
 the free and full forgiveness of them, through God's 
 mercy richly manifested in the gospel of Christ. 
 
 But this confession must be accompanied with shame 
 and contrition, and with deep sorrow and remorse of 
 mind, for having offended God. For confession sup- 
 poses a fault to be known and avowed. True confes- 
 sion of sin springs from a broken and contrite heart. 
 The main thing is, that your grief be sincere, that it 
 proceed from the heart, that it be productive of ab- 
 horrence of all sin, and especially that it be accom- 
 panied with full purpose of heart to forsake them. 
 The renouncing of sin is not less necessary than the 
 confessing of it. In some respects it may be consi- 
 dered as more necessary, since it is the criterion by 
 which you may judge of the truth of your repentance 
 and conversion towards God. And without reforma- 
 tion of heart and life, what are your open confession 
 and regrets, but a new dishonour done to God, and a 
 new source of grief to yourselves, which pfoves, in- 
 deed, that you are convinced of your guilt, that you 
 feel some dissatisfaction in having offended God, and 
 that you dread his displeasure; but which proves, at 
 the same time, that you do not love him so much as to 
 sacrifice to him your evil inclinations and vicious plea- 
 sures, that these are dearer to you than his approba- 
 tion, than his grace, and his salvation. How can - 
 
32 minister's directory. 
 
 expect that God will look favourably upon you, if you 
 continue to offend him by persisting in your sins ; or 
 can you hope that he will show you mercy, when you de- 
 part from the way, and neglect the appointed means of 
 obtaining it ? " He that covereth his sins shall not 
 prosper ; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them 
 shall have mercy." Instead of covering your sins, 
 whatever you know of the depravity of your hearts, 
 and of the transgressions of your lives, you should 
 confess them to God — praying that he would more 
 effectually convince you of your vileness, and of your 
 need of his pardoning mercy. Who can tell the guilt 
 that stains your lives, and the evil workings that defile 
 your hearts ? But with all these you must go to God, 
 and bewail before him what you could not disclose to 
 your dearest friend on earth. You ought to acknow- 
 ledge and lament, at a throne of grace, not only your 
 open and gross violations of duty, but also the hard- 
 ness of your heart, the weakness of your faith, the 
 deadness of your hope, the languor of your love, 
 the coldness of your zeal, and the inefficiency of 
 your desires and resolutions. Yes, if you confess 
 them in the spirit of true repentance, and lay 
 aside every weight, and the sin that doth most easily 
 beset you, being sanctified by the Spirit unto obedi- 
 ence and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, you 
 shall obtain mercy, and the remission of all your sins ; 
 not only of some slight offences, but of crimes of the 
 deepest dye. For this most precious blessing, you have 
 the word and promises of God, which assure you that, 
 if you confess your sins, he is faithful and just to for- 
 give you your sins, and to cleanse you from all un- 
 righteousness. The mercy of God in Christ is the 
 only safe refuge for sinners, for the most guilty, pro- 
 vided they truly repent of their sins and believe on 
 Christ ; but it is not a refuge of impunity, for such as 
 persevere in their iniquities. You must apply, then, to 
 Christ for that pardon which he has procured by his 
 blood, and freely offers to all who, renouncing their 
 own righteousness, flee to him as their only hope and 
 
DISCIPLINE. 33 
 
 city of refuge, the only Saviour of the lost, the friend 
 of the chief of sinners. 
 
 There is, therefore, no true repentance without faith 
 in Christ. Although repentance and confession do 
 not merit the pardon of transgression, they are indis- 
 pensible to the real enjoyment of forgiving mercy. 
 Hence the wisdom and grace of that arrangement 
 which connects the manifestation of Divine forgiveness 
 with the sorrows of penitence and the humble confes- 
 sion of iniquity before God. And what tongue can 
 tell the happiness of that hour when the soul, op- 
 pressed by sin, is enabled freely to pour forth its sor- 
 rows before God, and to take hold of his covenanted 
 mercy in Christ Jesus. In order to succeed in fulfill- 
 ing all those duties required of you, it is necessary to 
 pour out your hearts in humble supplication before 
 God, for without prayer all other precautions will be 
 found ineffectual. Prayer is not only one of the most 
 important and indispensible duties of religion ; it is 
 not only an appointed mean of procuring the aids of 
 Divine grace, but it has a natural tendency to exalt 
 and purify, and sanctify the soul — to wean the affec- 
 tions from things earthly, and to fix them on things 
 heavenly and divine. Prayer obtains from heaven the 
 graces which you need to comfort the flesh, and to 
 make the spirit triumph ; but it is vigilance which 
 teaches you usefully to employ the assistance which 
 God grants to your prayers. You must join watch- 
 fulness to prayer in order successfully to resist and 
 overcome the enemies of your salvation. If you thus 
 habitually watch and pray that you enter not into 
 temptation, he will stretch out to you his succouring 
 hand, he will strengthen you by his Spirit, and n i 
 you more than conquerors over all your eneu 
 
 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, i King 
 
 and Head of this Church, and by virtue of the p 
 and authority committed by him to it, 1 do now 
 absolve you from the scandal of your sin, and restore 
 you to the privileges of the Church. 
 
34 minister's directory. 
 
 Let us pray. 
 
 Eternal and Almighty Lord God, we would ap- 
 proach thy throne with feelings of deep humility and 
 contrition, and in the name of Jesus Christ, our great 
 Mediator, acknowledge our trangressions, and suppli- 
 cate thy mercy. 
 
 Our sins, O Lord, are a heavy burden ; but we look 
 to him who died upon the cross to take them away. 
 We have no righteousness of our own, but we place 
 our trust in him who is the Lord our righteousness. 
 We have redemption in his blood. May he who taketh 
 of the things of Christ, shew them to us. Let us 
 learn increasingly the excellency of the knowledge of 
 Christ. To us may it be given to understand what an 
 all-sufficient Saviour he is. May we feel that we need 
 such a Saviour. To us may he be precious. May he 
 be our life, our all. May we grow up unto him id all 
 things. 
 
 And we pray especially, O Lord, that thou wouldst 
 visit in mercy those now before thee who have pub- 
 licly acknowledged their guilt, and expressed contri- 
 tion for their sins. Open their ears to discipline, and 
 seal instruction upon them. Make them willing to cast 
 away all their transgressions whereby they have trans- 
 gressed, that so their iniquities may not be their ruin. 
 May they walk no longer after the flesh to fulfil the 
 lust of the flesh, but grant that they may crucify the 
 flesh with the affections and lusts. May the time past 
 of their lives suffice to have lived to themselves, and to 
 have served their own lusts and pleasures. May the 
 vices of their minds, and the disorders of their lives, 
 be effectually corrected and subdued. 
 
 We humbly beseech thee, Lord, to give them re- 
 pentance unto life that needeth not to be repented of, 
 that genuine sorrow for sin which flows from a sense 
 of thy pardoning mercy, and will be productive of 
 fruits meet for repentance, that so they may receive 
 the promise of forgiveness which thy Gospel holds out 
 unto them, and walk before thee as pardoned sinners. 
 Guide their feet into the way of peace ; preserve them 
 
DISCIPLINE. 
 
 from the paths of the destroyer ; keep them both out- 
 wardly in their bodies, and inwardly in their souls. 
 Lead them by the right hand of thy righteousness, de- 
 fend them with the right arm of thy power, and 
 strengthen them in the path of duty, that they may 
 serve thee without fear in righteousness and holiness 
 all the days of their lives. 
 
 Hear us, most merciful Father, for the sake of Jesus 
 Christ our Lord, to whom be glory for ever. Amen. 
 
 In cases of antenuptial fornication, the parties are 
 very generally rebuked and restored to church privi- 
 leges on one appearance. In other cases of scandalous 
 offences, the mode of procedure is different. See ' The 
 Form of Process in the Judicatories of the Church of 
 Scotland, with relation to Scandals and Censures/ 
 Act xi., Ass. 1707. cap. ii. and vi. 
 
86 
 
 PUBLIC SERVICE 
 
 OF 
 
 THE CHUECH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 Psalm ix. — 7-12. 
 
 MORNING PRAYER. 
 
 O Lord thou art our God, early will we seek thee ; 
 thou art our fathers' God, and we will exalt thy name. 
 We rejoice, O Lord, that though thou art worshipped 
 by thousands of angels — though ten thousand times ten 
 thousand ministering spirits continually stand before 
 thee — though the whole universe send forth one har- 
 monious song of praise unto thee the great original — 
 yet thou art still accessible to the humblest of thy sin- 
 cere worshippers among the sons of men ; thine ear is 
 still open to their cry, and thy hands are spread out 
 all the day to a rebellious people. Truly, Lord, thy 
 ways are past finding out, thy greatness is unsearch- 
 able, thy goodness is infinite, thy tender mercies are 
 over all thy other works. 
 
 We rejoice, Lord, that although thou art incom- 
 prehensible by us as to thy essential perfections, yet 
 thou hast revealed thyself in thy Word, in the most 
 endearing characters as our Creator, our Preserver, 
 and our bountiful Benefactor ; as a God of spotless 
 holiness, as an avenger of transgressors, and yet as 
 slow to anger, unwilling to punish, and delighting in 
 mercy. 
 
 We adore thee, that we have shared so liberally of 
 
PUBLIC SERVICE OP THE CHURCH. 37 
 
 thy bounty, and experienced so much of thy mercy. 
 From the moment that we were brought into existence, 
 our lives have been at thy disposal, and our days and 
 years have been prolonged only because thy goodness 
 has never been withheld. We have not only shared 
 the ordinary gifts of thy providence, but we have indi- 
 vidually received special blessings, and experienced 
 signal instances of thy fatherly protection. We have 
 not only been guided safely along the smooth and easy 
 paths of life, but we have been supported and upheld 
 in the rugged and dangerous steps of our journey. 
 
 By thy good hand around us we have escaped a 
 thousand snares, and been preserved from numberless 
 dangers, even when we were unconscious of the power 
 that protected us. 
 
 But all thy other blessings, O Lord, however great 
 or numerous, and however deserving of our gratitude 
 and praise, are infinitely surpassed by that astonishing 
 display of thy love which thou hast given us in Jesus 
 Christ. When we, Lord, look up into the heavens 
 which thy fingers have framed, when we contemplate 
 thee arrayed in majesty, seated in glory, of thyself in- 
 finitely happy, and independent of us or of our ser- 
 vices, then we are forced to say, what is man that thou 
 art mindful of him, or the son of man that thou 
 shouldst visit him ? We feel that even in our best state 
 we are altogether vanity. 
 
 But in our fallen condition, alienated from thee in 
 our hearts, rebels against thy authority, despisers of 
 thy mercy, we are filled with wonder and astonish- 
 ment that we should ever have been the objects 
 of thy regard, far less that thou shouldst have 
 thought of restoring us to that state from which 
 we had fallen, and of making us for ever happy in 
 the enjoyment of thyself. Nay, that our redemp- 
 tion should have been accomplished even by the 
 death of thy only-begotten and well-beloved Son. 
 When we, O Lord, allow our minds to dwell on the 
 inconceivable price which has been paid for our re- 
 demption — when we consider how precious our souls 
 
38 minister's directory. 
 
 must appear in thy sight, we are overwhelmed with 
 the thought of our ingratitude, and our lamentable 
 blindness and unconcern for our own best interests. 
 Although our Saviour has died that we might live, and 
 although the offers of eternal bliss are daily pressed 
 upon us — we with shame must acknowledge that we 
 feel no true gratitude in our hearts to the most merci- 
 ful Redeemer, as we ought to feel — we set no value, 
 such as we ought, on the matchless blessings which he 
 has purchased for us. Many of us live in open re- 
 bellion against thee — contemning the offers of mercy — 
 heedless as to what shall become of us when the few 
 years of our pilgrimage are at an end ; we live as if 
 our souls and our bodies were for ever to sleep in the 
 dust. We fervently pray, Lord, that such of us as 
 are in this unhappy condition, may by the powerful in- 
 fluences of thy Spirit, be roused from our fatal security. 
 We know that it is nothing but thy Almighty power 
 and free grace that can quicken the dead soul and 
 break the hard heart. We truly feel that the carnal 
 mind is enmity against God, and that by nature we 
 are dead in trespasses and sins. Let thy Spirit, O 
 Lord, apply to us the benefits of that redemption 
 which thou hast wrought for us in Christ Jesus. May 
 we, O Lord, have our understandings enlightened in 
 the knowledge of Christ — may we be brought from 
 darkness to light — from the power of sin and Satan to 
 serve thee, the living and the true God — may our 
 sins be pardoned for Christ's sake. We believe that 
 by the works of the law no man can be justified, 
 but by the faith of Jesus Christ. Not by works of 
 righteousness, therefore, which we have done, but ac- 
 cording to thy mercy, Lord, do thou save us, by 
 the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the 
 Holy Ghost, that we at last may be presented before 
 thee holy and without blemish, not having spot, or 
 wrinkle, or any such thing. Send forth, Lord, we 
 pray thee, the Spirit of thy Son into our hearts, for we 
 know that as many as are led by the Spirit of God, 
 they are the Sons of God. 
 
PUBLIC SEEVICE OF THE CnURCH. 39 
 
 May all the powers of our mind and soul be renewed 
 that we may be fitted for a holy life, for we are ex- 
 pressly told in thy Word that without holiness no man 
 shall see the Lord. 
 
 We adore thee, O Lord, for the high spiritual privi- 
 leges and advantages which we enjoy. We bless thee 
 for the institution and the regular return of the 
 Christian Sabbath. May we ever welcome its return 
 with joy, and enter upon the solemn duties of it with 
 that preparation of heart which is becoming in those who 
 place themselves in the immediate presence of the Most 
 High, and present their addresses to the Majesty of 
 heaven and of earth. we pray, that when we engage 
 in thy service, we may do so with our whole hearts — 
 that we may celebrate thy praise with unfeigned devo- 
 tion — that we may express our thankfulness with grate- 
 ful hearts — that we may confess our sins with deep 
 contrition and with genuine repentance. May ^e im- 
 plore thy grace, truly feeling our need of it, and de- 
 pending on its all-sufficiency for the supply of all our 
 spiritual wants. 
 
 We pray that .thou wouldst pour down upon all 
 Christian assemblies this day thine abundant bless- 
 ings. May it please thee to give unto them increase 
 of grace to hear meekly thy word and to receive it 
 with pure affection, and to bring forth the fruits of the 
 Spirit. Thou hast graciously promised to be with thy 
 ministering servants alway, even to the end of the 
 world. We beseech thee, therefore, to endue plenteously 
 with heavenly gifts, such as shall this clay minister in 
 thy name. Enable them to preach with all earnestness 
 and faithfulness, as those who stand between the living 
 and the dead, and watch for souls as those that must 
 give an account. 
 
 Look in mercy, Lord, on all who are confined 
 from thy courts by personal or family affliction, and 
 by thy immediate teaching make up to them the want 
 of public ordinances. Pity the multitude who ev. 
 where profane the holy Sabbath, and give them repen- 
 tance to salvation. Assist us, gracious God, as we 
 
40 MINISTER'S DIRECTORY. 
 
 arc severally to be employed in speaking and hearing 
 from thy Word. Make thy grace sufficient for us, and 
 perfect thy strength in our weakness. And all we 
 ask is in the name, and for the sake of Jesus Christ, 
 to whom with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, be glory 
 for ever. Amen. 
 
 Read a portion of Scripture. 
 
 Prayer — The Lord's Prayer. 
 
 Psalm xxiv. — 7. 
 
 Lecture or Sermon. 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 O Lord, we would again approach the foot-stool of 
 thy throne with holy reverence and confidence. We 
 would come unto thee through Jesus Christ, as chil- 
 dren to a father, knowing that thou art both able and 
 willing to bestow upon us whatever we may stand in 
 need of, either for this life or that which is to come ; 
 for the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and 
 his ears are open to their cry. We pray, Lord, that 
 our sins may be all pardoned, and that we may be re- 
 newed in the whole man after the image of thee, our 
 God ; that we may never more sin against thee, but 
 abound in every good word and work. In the whole 
 of our conduct in life we would set thee, the Lord, be- 
 fore us ; and because thou art at our right hand, we 
 shall not be greatly moved. 
 
 We pray thee, Lord, to give us more clear 
 views of our own sinfulness and depravity, and 
 also more deep impressions and more just conceptions 
 of the spotless purity of thy nature. May we see 
 what an evil and bitter thing it is to sin against God, 
 and may we, in every situation in life, be guarded and 
 circumspect, lest we should forget thee and com- 
 mit iniquity. We lament that wickedness and forget- 
 fulness of God should so much prevail amongst us — 
 
PUBLIC SERVICE OF THE CHURCH. 41 
 
 that we should have more relish for the idle amuse- 
 ments and sinful pleasures of this transitory life than 
 for the pure exercises and sublime enjoyments of our 
 holy religion. Cause us, Lord, to remember that the 
 religion which we profess requires us to be constantly 
 exercised unto godliness, to be denied unto all ungod- 
 liness and worldly lusts, to live soberly, righteously, 
 and godly in this present evil world. May we remem- 
 ber the declaration of our Saviour, that " if any man 
 will come after me he must take up his cross daily and 
 follow me, and whosoever doth not bear his cross and 
 come after me cannot be my disciple." Enable us, 
 therefore, we beseech thee, to be ever ready to forsake 
 every object, however dear to us, which in any manner 
 interferes with our love and duty to thee. 
 
 We would take unto us the whole armour of God, 
 that we may be able to withstand in the evil day. We 
 would have our loins girt about with truth, and have 
 on the breastplate of righteousness, that the weapons 
 of our warfare be not carnal, but mighty, through God, 
 to the pulling down of the strongholds of sin and 
 Satan, casting down imaginations and every high thing 
 that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and 
 bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience 
 of Christ. 
 
 We pray, Lord, that the preaching of thy Word 
 may be rendered effectual for these purposes. May 
 the means of grace never be aggravations of ruin. 
 We know that Paul may plant, and Apollos water, 
 but it is thou alone who givest the increase. May the 
 word which we have this day preached, have thy 
 blessing to attend it. [Here take in the text.] 
 
 We pray that the time may speedily arrive when 
 men in all lands shall join in one harmonious song of 
 gratitude and praise unto thee, for the astonishing dis- 
 plays of thy love thou hast given to the human race. 
 Look down, O God, from heaven, and behold from the 
 habitation of thy holiness and glory a world lying in 
 wickedness and sin, and in thy good time we pray thee 
 to have mercy upon the work of thy hands. We re- 
 
42 minister's directory. 
 
 joice in the declaration of our Lord, that his gospel 
 shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto 
 the nations. Hasten, therefore, the time, we beseech 
 thee, when the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and 
 when all flesh shall see it together. 
 
 We pray, Lord, that we who are favoured with the 
 gospel may be enabled by thy grace to improve our 
 distinguished privileges. May we be grounded and 
 settled in the faith, and be no more as children tossed 
 to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doc- 
 trine, by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness, 
 whereby they lie in wait to deceive. But speaking the 
 truth in love, may we grow up into him in all things 
 which is the head, even Christ. 
 
 Bless the ministers of the gospel of all denomina- 
 tions with the spirit of their office. May they be faith- 
 ful to their important trust in winning souls to Christ. 
 We would offer up our prayers unto thee in behalf of 
 thy Church which thou hast established in our land. 
 May she be watered with the dew of heaven. Bless 
 the ministers of our National Church. May they find 
 that the way of the Lord is strength to the upright, 
 and may they in pointing out the way of salvation to 
 thy people, make the great High Priest of our profes- 
 sion their pattern and their guide. 
 
 We pray thee, Lord, to be with those who are now 
 labouring in the propagation of the gospel in foreign 
 parts. Strengthen their hands and encourage their 
 hearts. Support them under every discouragement 
 they may meet with, and may their endeavours be 
 crowned with abundant success. 
 
 Continue thy mercies, O Lord, to this guilty land, of 
 which we are sinful members. Bless abundantly her 
 Majesty, the Queen, who sways the sceptre over these 
 realms. Protect her person and direct her counsels, 
 and prosper all her endeavours for the peace and wel- 
 fare of her dominions. Give thy favour to her royal 
 consort, Prince Albert, and vouchsafe thine almighty 
 protection to the Prince of Wales, and all the members 
 of the royal family. Surround the Queen's throne 
 
PUBLIC SERVICE OF THE CHURCH. 43 
 
 with the wise and faithful of the land, men fearing God 
 and hating covetousness. Counsel the deliberations of 
 Parliament, and direct them to such measures as may 
 promote the public prosperity, and the domestic peace 
 and happiness of this great empire. Bless all inferior 
 rulers and magistrates. May they not wear the sword 
 of justice in vain. May they be a terror to evil-doers, 
 and a praise and protection to those that do well. 
 Bless the whole body of the people. May they be dis- 
 tinguished for their regard for religious principles and 
 observances, for their respect and attachment to the 
 institutions of their country, and for their social and 
 domestic virtues. 
 
 Let a double portion of thy blessing descend upon 
 this parish and congregation. May they learn to take 
 up their cross and follow Christ — manifesting the same 
 temper and spirit that was in Christ Jesus. Like him 
 may they say in all trying circumstances, the cup which 
 our Father hath given us, shall we not drink it ? 
 
 Bless the young. Take them into the arms of thy 
 mercy, and love and bless them. Teach them to love 
 thee, to pray to thee, and to serve thee. We pray, in an 
 especial manner, that thou wouldst bless thy servant 
 whom thou hast appointed to preach the glorious 
 gospel of the blessed God to this people. May his 
 mind be the seat of all those gifts and graces which 
 are needful to the advancement of their holiness, their 
 comfort, and their usefulness. And while he plants 
 and waters, may God command a blessing, and ap- 
 point an abundant increase. 
 
 Look in mercy, O Lord, on the sons and daughters 
 of affliction. When thou afflictest with the one hand. 
 do thou uphold and comfort with the other. Comfort 
 those who mourn the loss of departed friend*. Pre- 
 pare the dying for death. Pity, Lord, the poor and the 
 needy; do thou supply their wants, and teach them 
 resignation to thy righteous dispensations. Prepare 
 us all for whatever thou art preparing for u<. 
 
 We thank thee, O Lord, for the abundant supply of 
 food with which thou hast stored our land. We prav 
 
44 MINISTER'S DIRECTORY. 
 
 that thou wouldst send such weather as thou knowest 
 to be necessary for preparing the earth to receive the 
 precious seed, that there may still be plenty of provi- 
 sions for man and for beast — on thy goodness all our 
 trust depends. 
 
 We pray that thou wouldst assist us in what still 
 remains of our duty. Enable us, in singing to thy 
 praise, to offer the tribute of thankful hearts to thee. 
 Dismiss us with thine own blessing. Conduct us in 
 safety to our places of abode. Enable us to spend the 
 remainder of this day in thy fear, and in searching our 
 hearts and ways before thee. All that we ask is in 
 the name, and through the merits of Christ Jesus our 
 Lord. — Amen. 
 
 Psalm lxxxiv. 8. 
 
 The Blessing. 
 
 May the love of God the Father, the grace of our 
 Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and the communion 
 and fellowship of the Holy Spirit, abide with you, and 
 with all the people of God, now and henceforth, even 
 for evermore Amen. 
 
 AN ADDRESS 
 
 When intimating the time the Sacrament of the Lord's 
 Supper is to be dispensed — which is generally 
 three weeks before it takes place : — 
 
 I. Intimation — The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper 
 is, God willing, to be dispensed in this place this day 
 , being the ■ day of . 
 
 As you have now the near prospect of celebrating the 
 Lord's Supper, it is your duty and interest to prepare 
 for it ; and no preparation can be of more importance 
 than a right knowledge of the end and design of that 
 
PUBLIC SERVICE OF THE CHURCH. 45 
 
 solemn ordinance, and the qualifications necessary in 
 those that would worthily partake of it. 
 
 The Lord's Supper is a federal feast, or feast of 
 covenant between God and man, instituted by Christ 
 himself, and perpetually to be observed by all chris- 
 tians. Those who in obedience to Christ's command 
 partake of bread and wine, in commemoration of his 
 body given, and his blood shed for them, acknowledge 
 Christ to be their Saviour and Redeemer, Lord and 
 Master, and God grants and confirms to them, under 
 the symbols of bread and wine, the body and blood of 
 his Son, Christ Jesus ; that is, all the blessed effects of 
 his body broken, and his blood shed — which are par- 
 don of past sins, promise of eternal happiness upon 
 future obedience of the gospel, and grace to direct and 
 enable them to perform this obedience. 
 
 To be prepared for meeting with Christ in the sacra- 
 ment of the Supper, you must firmly believe the whole 
 doctrine concerning Christ, his incarnation, his birth, 
 life, and death, his resurrection, ascension, intercession, 
 and coming again to judge the world at the last day. 
 You must yield an unshaken assent to the truth, that 
 Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and that 
 there is no salvation in any other ; no other name 
 under heaven given among men, whereby you can be 
 saved. You must believe that he is the great prophet 
 and teacher of the church, by whom God did make the 
 most perfect revelation of his will, and of the way of 
 life and salvation. You must believe that he, 
 priest, did satisfy the justice of God, and make an 
 atonement for our sins, by the sacrifice of himself; 
 that he did perfectly obey the whole law, and did 
 merit the pardon of your sins, and purchase temporal, 
 spiritual, and eternal blessings for all such as do truly 
 repent and believe his gospel ; and that he Uvea 
 ever to make intercession for you. You must, how- 
 ever, believe that he is the Lord and Lawgiver o\' the 
 church, King of nations, and King of saints ; that all 
 power is given unto him in heaven and on earth ; that 
 he has sovereign authority over all persons and thi 
 
46 minister's directory. 
 
 that it is his undoubted right to reign over you, to 
 rule and govern you by his laws and spirit ; and that 
 he is appointed of God to be the judge of the quick 
 and dead, before whose judgment seat you must 
 all appear, that you may receive according to the deeds 
 you have done in the body, whether good or evil. 
 These are some of the essential truths which you are 
 to believe concerning Christ, in order to be prepared 
 for coming to his table ; but you must by no means 
 satisfy yourselves with a speculative knowledge of 
 these things. You must not think it enough that you 
 do give an assent to the truth of the gospel. The 
 assent of the mind to the truth of the gospel is abso- 
 lutely necessary, but it is not enough ; there must be 
 something more than this to make it a true and saving 
 faith, even the consent of the will to the terms of the 
 gospel. If you expect to be saved by Christ, you must 
 receive him in all his offices, as the gospel offers him 
 unto you. You must flee to his righteousness, and 
 bow to his sceptre ; you must trust to his satisfaction, 
 and rely upon his merits for the pardon of your sins, 
 and a title to the favour of God and to life eternal ; 
 and you must also submit to his government, and 
 yield a willing obedience to his laws, devoting your- 
 selves to him, to be his for ever, in opposition to the 
 world, the flesh, and the devil, and performing all your 
 duties to God and man in his strength, looking for the 
 acceptance of your persons and works only upon his 
 account. In a word, you must show your faith by 
 your works, and make it appear that you do indeed 
 believe the doctrines and the promises of Christ, by 
 your obedience to his commands ; that faith will never 
 save you which is not fruitful in good works. 
 
 If you would be prepared for a communion table, 
 you must sincerely repent of all your sins. Repent- 
 ance towards God is no less necessary than faith 
 towards our Lord Jesus Christ. Without repentance 
 you are unfit ta join in any of God's ordinances. You 
 must mourn for and turn from your sins. You 
 must confess and forsake your sins. The first act of 
 
PUBLIC SERVICE OF THE CHURCH. 47 
 
 return to God is an act of repentance. It is sorrow 
 for sin. This sorrow for sin is the first operation of 
 the Spirit of grace in recovering you to himself. You 
 cannot otherwise return to God than by repenting; 
 you have gone astray — you will never be restored — 
 you will never be reconciled — but in the spirit of godly 
 sorrow for sin. True repentance springs from a living 
 faith in the 'mercy of God as displayed in the media- 
 tion of Christ ; it is the melting of the heart in genu- 
 ine sorrow, on account of having displeased the God 
 of love ; and its language is that of the returning pro- 
 digal — " Father, I have sinned against heaven and in 
 thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy 
 son." It is peculiarly suitable to the service in which 
 you are about to be engaged, where all Christ's suffer- 
 ings are displayed, and all his love is caused to pass 
 before you. It is accompanied with sincere and firm 
 resolutions to have respect to all God's command- 
 ments, and it adopts with pleasure the words of the 
 Psalmist — " 0, how love I thy law ! It is my medi- 
 tation all the day." 
 
 If you would be prepared for coming to the table of 
 the Lord, you must live a holy life. That faith is not 
 a living faith which does not purify the heart and re- 
 form the life ; neither is that repentance of any value 
 which is not attended or followed with amendment, or 
 an actual forsaking of your sins, a ceasing to do evil, 
 and a learning to do well. 
 
 You have not the love of God in you if you do not 
 delight to converse with him in his ordinances. God 
 has been so condescending as to represent his ordi- 
 nances as so many places of interview for his people, 
 where they meet with him, or, in the Scripture 
 phrase, draw r near to him, appear before him, and 
 carry on a spiritual intercourse with him. Hence it 
 is that they delight in his ordinances ; that they love 
 to pray, to hear, to meditate, to commemorate the 
 death of Christ, and to draw near to the thron< 
 grace in all the ways in which it is accessible. 
 These appear to them not only duties but privileges ; 
 
48 minister's directory. 
 
 exalted and delightful privileges, which sweeten their 
 pilgrimage through this wilderness, and sometimes 
 transform it into a paradise. Now, will your love 
 stand this test? Have you found it good to draw 
 near to God in the holy sacrament of the supper ? Or 
 are you averse to it? How then can you pretend that 
 the love of God dwells in you ? "What ! Can you love 
 him, and yet be so averse to serve him, so alienated 
 from him, and have no pleasure in drawing near to 
 him, and conversing with him ? This is contrary to 
 the prevailing temper of every true lover of God. 
 Every true lover of God is of the same spirit with 
 David, who, in his banishment from the house of God, 
 cries out in this affecting strain : — " As the hart 
 panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth my soul 
 after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, the 
 living God. When shall I come and appear before 
 God ?" This is certainly your temper, if his love 
 dwell in you. Examine yourselves, then, whether ye 
 be in the faith ; prove your own selves. Self-exami- 
 nation is absolutely necessary before coming to the 
 table of the Lord. " But let a man examine himself, 
 and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup.'' 
 Seek grace from God to be faithful in the performance 
 of this important duty. Often examine your hearts ; 
 exercise yourselves unto godliness ; make religion 
 your business ; eye the Word of God as your rule, 
 and the example of Christ as your pattern. " As he 
 who hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all 
 manner of conversation." " Be ye followers of God as 
 dear children." " Let your light so shine before men, 
 that they may see your good works, and glorify your 
 Father which is in heaven." 
 
PTELK SERVICE OF THE CHURCH. 
 
 AN ADDRESS 
 
 When intimating the appointment of a Fast-day, 
 preparatory to the dispensing of the sacrament 
 of the Lord's Supper : — 
 
 It is now my duty to intimate to you, that it is 
 intended, God willing, to observe Thursday next 
 as a day of humiliation, self-inquiry, and prayer, 
 within the bounds of this parish, preparatory to the 
 administration of the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, 
 which we have in view next Lord's day. 
 
 The holy sacrament of our Lord's Supper may be 
 viewed in two very different aspects. To those who 
 worthily partake of it, it is a mystery of love, a sac- 
 red ordinance in which Christ dispenses spiritual gifts 
 and graces, and renewed assurances of God's pardon- 
 ing mercy and special love. But to those who com- 
 municate unwarrantably, the Lord's Supper is a 
 mystery of death, which aggravates their condemna- 
 tion by adding to the number of their former sins, the 
 abuse of this ordinance, the profanation of the sacred 
 symbols of Christ's body and blood. It must, there- 
 fore, be of great importance for you to know whether 
 or not you be prepared for celebrating this holy ordi- 
 nance. It is your duty to examine yourselves in the 
 fear of God, to review your past lives, to reflect upon 
 your evil ways, to be humbled for them, to abandon 
 them, and with full purpose of heart to return unto 
 the Lord. And if you thus resolve, and resolve effec- 
 tually, you have some reason to believe that you will 
 worthily and advantageously commemorate the dying 
 love of your Redeemer. 
 
 By the participation of this supper you profess your 
 value and esteem for Christ crucified, shewing that 
 you are not ashamed of his cross, but that your depend - 
 ance and confidence in God's favour is through his 
 mediation and sacrifice ; that you receive it as a faith- 
 ful saying, and worthy of nil acceptation, that Je^us 
 
 D 
 
50 minister's DIBECTOBY. 
 
 Christ came into the world to save sinners. The 
 fountains of life, and the wells of salvation are here 
 opened unto you, and you are called upon to draw 
 water with joy. 
 
 I would have you to keep in mind that you must 
 not carelessly or without due consideration partake of 
 this ordinance, for that is contrary to its nature, and 
 deprives you of the desired benefits. Those who would 
 observe this ordinance to the glory of God and to their 
 own spiritual advantage, must examine themselves 
 thoroughly, impartially, and as under the inspection of 
 him who searches all hearts, as to their principles, 
 views, feelings, and ends. In this manner you must 
 search your hearts and try your ways, that you may 
 not expose yourselves to the danger they incur who 
 approach a communion table under false impressions 
 of their state and character, and who dishonour the 
 Redeemer by heartless homage or gross delusion. 
 
 I hesitate not to affirm that Jesus Christ hath no- 
 thing for you if you have nothing for him ; I do not 
 mean of merit or righteousness to recommend you to 
 his acceptance ; but I mean if you have no holy desires, 
 no faith, no love, no confidence in him. The Holy 
 Spirit hath nothing for you if you are not convinced 
 of the necessity, and worth, and excellence of his grace, 
 and of the utility of prayer in order to obtain it. The 
 Father hath nothing for you if you have no esteem for 
 the blessings which he offers you, for the gift of his 
 Son, the gift of his Spirit, and for heaven and eternal 
 happiness. The Saviour hath nothing for you if you 
 regard his religion as unnecessary, his promises as un- 
 certain, his obedience and death as not needful for your 
 salvation, the preaching of his Word as useless, and the 
 holy sacraments as vain ceremonies. The Lord's 
 Supper will administer to you no consolation, will com- 
 municate to you no grace nor promote your sanctifica- 
 tion, if you partake of it only in compliance with 
 custom, or to be seen of men, and without pious and 
 devout dispositions of heart. Without holy desires, 
 without spiritual hunger and thirst, you will find no 
 
TUBLIC SERVICE OF THE CHURCH. 51 
 
 pleasure in the exercises of a communion table, no 
 agreeable relish in the bread of life which is there pre- 
 sented. Without a sense of sin, there is no joy in par- 
 don, without a love of holiness, there is no delight in 
 the gift of the sanctifying Spirit. You must, there- 
 fore, have a high esteem of divine blessings. You 
 must know something of the worth and value of 
 Christ's salvation, if you warrantably hope to be fed 
 and comforted at his table. 
 
 And in order to excite holy affections and disposi- 
 tions of soul, you must impartially examine your con- 
 sciences ; you must with grief and sorrow reflect upon 
 your sins, upon their number, their circumstances, 
 their guilt and aggravations, and resolve for the future 
 to keep the commandments of your God. Feeble as 
 you are, you must strive to shake off the galling fet- 
 ters of corrupt lusts and habits, humbly depending for 
 success on the effectual assistance of promised grace. 
 Renouncing all confidence in your own strength, regard 
 yourselves such as you really are, as wretched and 
 miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. 
 
 After your frequent experience of the vanity and de- 
 ceitfulness of the proffers of this world, do not imagine 
 that you will find these more solid and satisfying than 
 you have seen them heretofore. The world hath often 
 promised you refreshment, but it hath always deceived 
 you; another source, other waters are necessary to 
 quench your thirst for felicity. It is in the grace of 
 Christ and the favour of God only that you can find 
 the full supply of all your spiritual wants. Are your 
 souls cast down and disquieted within you because of 
 your iniquities, and can you find no rest till you be 
 interested in the blessings which your Saviour hath 
 procured and promised; till you obtain justification 
 through his blood, till you have some ground to believe 
 that your peace is made with God, that your sanctifi- 
 cation is begun and advancing, and that the Spirit of 
 God beareth witness with your 'spirit that you are 
 his children ; then trust, brethren, and he not afraid, 
 for in such a frame of mind, and with such desires flow- 
 
52 MINISTERS DIRECTORY. 
 
 ing in your bosoms, you shall never perish. Are ye 
 hungry ? come to the table of the Lord, and there ye 
 shall find the bread of life, the heavenly manna, the 
 meat that endureth unto everlasting life. Are ye 
 thirsty ? come ye to the waters, the living waters of 
 the sanctuary, the blood of Christ shed for the remis- 
 sion of your sins, the sign of which is soon to be pre- 
 sented before your eyes. God will not disappoint your 
 sincere though weak desires. A bruised reed shall he 
 not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench ? 
 Let those then who have complied with the gospel invi- 
 tation and thankfully accepted of the Lord Jesus Christ, 
 take comfort from what has been said on this subject and 
 approach the table of the Lord, praying him to bestow 
 upon you a new heart and new spirit, and the effectual 
 assistance of his grace to enable you to perform your 
 vows and engagements, to subdue the corruptions of 
 your hearts, and to carry you forward in the way of 
 holiness to immortal glory. And may the God of 
 peace that brought again from the dead our Lord 
 Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the 
 blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in 
 every good work to do his will, working in you that 
 which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus 
 Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 
 

 COMMUNION SERVICE. 
 FAST-DAY- 
 
 Psalm cxxx. 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 Thou who dwellest on high, whose name alone is 
 Jehovah, we thy dependent creatures would approach 
 the footstool of thy throne, and through Jesus Christ, 
 our great Mediator, offer unto thee the homage which 
 thy unbounded goodness demands, which the best 
 feelings of our nature dictate, and which thou in 
 thy great mercy hast graciously promised to accept. 
 
 Thou, Lord, art infinite in every perfection — thy 
 glory is inconceivable — the greatness of thine excel- 
 lency none can understand — angels and archangels 
 continually minister before thee — cherubim and sera- 
 phim surround thy throne. The universe itself is thy 
 temple — the objects which adorn it, and the creatures 
 which inhabit it, are equally the objects of thy creative 
 power and of thy providential care ; at thy command 
 they came into existence, and to execute thy pleasure 
 they are upheld in being — all thy works, O Lord, praise 
 thee, all thy saints bless thee. 
 
 When we, O Lord, contemplate the glorious perfec- 
 tions of thy nature, we are lost in wonder and astonish- 
 ment that thy delights should ever have been with the 
 children of men. 
 
54 MINISTER'S DIRECT.- 
 
 We know that thou art altogether holy, that evil can- 
 not dwell in thy sight — that when angels rebelled thou 
 didst banish them from thy presence, and didst leave 
 them to suffer the punishment which their presumptu- 
 ous conduct had merited. How, then, shall we admire 
 and adore thy great mercy manifested unto the sinful 
 children of men ? When man originally transgressed, 
 instead of executing upon him the punishment which 
 thou hadst threatened, and which his disobedience had 
 justly deserved — thou didst view him with an eye of 
 pity — thou didst lay help upon one who was mighty — 
 thou sparedst not thine own Son, but according to thy 
 eternal purpose which thou didst purpose in Christ 
 Jesus our Lord, didst determine to give him for a cove- 
 nant of the people, that he might in due time restore 
 the preserved of Israel, that he might be a light to en- 
 lighten the Gentiles, and thy salvation to the ends of 
 the earth. 
 
 We adore thee that we have heard the good tidings 
 of great joy which thou didst speak by the mouth of 
 all thy holy prophets, and more particularly by thy 
 angel at the birth of Jesus, when he did say, * that unto 
 you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, 
 which is Christ the Lord/ We adore thee for the 
 heavenly doctrines which Jesus taught — for the incon- 
 testable miracles which he wrought, and for the exem- 
 plary life which he led. We are sensible, O Lord, that 
 if any of us have not the knowledge of God, it is our 
 shame, for all may know the Lord from the least to 
 the greatest; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom 
 of the Father, he hath declared him. 
 
 We adore thee for the adequate atonement and 
 complete redemption which Christ accomplished for 
 his people by his sufferings and death. We know 
 that the wages of sin is death — that the soul that sin- 
 neth it shall die. We rejoice, therefore, that through 
 Jesus Christ thou hast magnified thy mercy — that on 
 him thou hast laid the iniquity of us all — that he bore 
 our sins on his own body on the cross — that he was 
 wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our 
 
COMMUXIOtf SERVICE — FAST-DAY. 
 
 iniquities — that the chastisement of pur peace was 
 upon him, and by his stripes we are healed — that as 
 by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so 
 by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous ; 
 and as by the offence of one judgment came upon all 
 men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of 
 one the free gift came upon all unto justification of 
 life. 
 
 We rejoice, O Lord, that Jesus has declared himself 
 to be the resurrection and the life — for if Christ be not 
 risen, our faith is vaiu, and we are still in our sins ; 
 and we know that it behoved Christ to suffer and to 
 rise from the dead the third day, that repentance and 
 remission of sin might be preached in his name among 
 all nations. 
 
 Having so great an High Priest — having such great 
 and precious promises — having such glorious and dis- 
 tinguished privileges — having such hopes and such 
 prospects, what manner of persons ought we to be in 
 all holy conversation and godliness ? We lament that 
 we should be so insensible to thy goodness — that we 
 should set so little value upon our privileges — and 
 that the hopes of heaven should have so little influence 
 upon our hearts and lives. With shame we must con- 
 fess that we hear the tidings of mercy with God, and 
 the offers of pardon for our sins through Jesus Christ, 
 with as much indifference as if we had no offences to 
 be removed, no guilt to be expiated. We are as care- 
 less in studying the Scriptures, and in our attendance 
 upon the ordinances of the religion of Christ, as if we 
 had no interest in the truths of revelation — as if we 
 stood in no need of being warned to flee from the 
 wrath to come. We are as heedless about the state of 
 our souls and the life to come as if the day of our 
 death were to be the termination of our existence, and 
 as if there were neither rewards nor sufferings to be 
 experienced by us beyond the present life. 
 
 Lord, we pray that whatever may have been the 
 conduct of any of us in the times that are past, that 
 henceforward we may be enabled, by thy grace, to live 
 
56 minister'^ dikei i 
 
 as it becomes thy redeemed people. May all oar 
 be forgiven, and may our inclinations to evil be wholly 
 subdued. May thy will, as revealed in thy word, be 
 our constant study; and may it be the chief object of 
 our lives to yield obedience to it. May we be made to 
 see and to receive the truth as it is in Jesus ; and know- 
 ing the truth, may we have an unshaken faith in it ; 
 and being grounded and settled in the faith, may we 
 bring forth fruit unto holiness. 
 
 We thank thee, Lord, for the near prospect which, 
 in the course of thy providence, thou art affording thy 
 people in this place of commemorating the sufferings 
 and death of Jesus Christ. Do thou assist them in 
 their preparation for the solemn service of a com- 
 munion Sabbath. And do thou grant that on this day, 
 set apart for humiliation, self-inquiry, and prayer, they 
 may enjoy the presence and aids of thy Holy Spirit. 
 May they humble themselves before thee in sincerity 
 of heart ; and do thou mercifully forgive all their sins. 
 May they be enabled, by thy grace, to forsake their evil 
 ways, and to turn unto the Lord by a true and un- 
 feigned repentance. Give them all the graces and 
 qualifications which thou knowest to be necessary to 
 fit and prepare them for appearing at thy holy table. 
 Do thou, who art calling and inviting them to the 
 marriage supper of the Lamb, clothe them with the 
 wedding garment. Good Lord, pardon every one that 
 prepareth his heart to seek the Lord God of his 
 fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the 
 purification of the Sanctuary. 
 
 We pray that thou wouldst bless unto us all the 
 means of grace which we enjoy. Go forth, we pray 
 thee, O Lord, this day with the preaching of the 
 gospel — let it not return unto thee void, but may it 
 accomplish the good purpose for which thou dost send 
 it. Assist us in speaking and hearing from thy Word. 
 May we speak from the heart ; and may all our 
 services be accepted and blessed, for Christ's sake. 
 Amen. 
 
COMMUMIOH SERVICE — FAST-DAY. 57 
 
 The Portion of Scripture to be Read. 
 Psalm li. 
 
 Psalm xxxii. — 1 — 7- 
 Sermon. 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 O Lord, we again present ourselves before thee as 
 the Hearer of prayer, and we pray that all the ordi- 
 nances of thy grace may be blessed for our spiritual 
 improvement and growth in grace. May the instruc- 
 tions which have at this time been delivered, and the 
 prayers and the praises which have been offered up in 
 thy sanctuary, have a tendency, through thy grace in 
 Christ Jesus, to improve us in the knowledge of thy 
 will and our duty, to draw down thy blessing upon us, 
 and to prepare us for the exercises and employments 
 of thy glorious church above. 
 
 Thou, Lord, hast given us privileges of the most 
 distinguished kind ; but, alas ! thou knowest that we 
 neither value nor improve them as we ought. We, 
 Lord, must acknowledge that thy Word, which we have 
 heard preached and read, has often been to us as the 
 seed which fell by the wayside, or into stony places, or 
 amongst thorns, which either the wicked one, or the 
 trials of life, or the deceitfulness of riches, hath taken 
 away, or withered, or choked, and rendered unfruitful. 
 We have often seemed to hear thy Word with joy, but 
 our fruit has not been unto holiness. 
 
 We have not been at sufficient pains to ascertain 
 what is meant by the faith of the gospel, nor have we 
 been sufficiently anxious to attain unto it. Neither 
 have we understood, nor sought to understand as we 
 ought, the spirituality and extent of the divine law. 
 We have persuaded ourselves that our faith has been 
 genuine, when we have entertained a speculative belief 
 
58 minister's directory. 
 
 in the truth of scripture doctrine, while we have 
 made little or no attempt to regulate our hearts and 
 lives according to scripture principles. Make us sen- 
 sible, Lord, that the Scriptures not only furnish us 
 with proper subjects of belief, but that they exhibit to 
 us the only infallible standard for regulating our prac- 
 tice. And may we be enabled, by thy grace, both to 
 believe and to act as directed in thy Word. May we 
 remember that it is only when we unceasingly endea- 
 vour to do so, that we act in such a manner as to de- 
 serve the name of Christians. And to this end may 
 we, O Lord, be enabled to embrace the offers of salva- 
 tion as they are held forth unto us in the gospel by 
 Jesus Christ thy son. May we believe in him with all 
 our hearts ; and believing, may our souls be saved. 
 Accept us, in thy beloved son, sanctify us wholly, and 
 freely forgive us all our transgressions, through the 
 merits of our dear Redeemer. 
 
 May those invaluable privileges which we possess, 
 soon be communicated to the whole human race. May 
 all the kingdoms of the earth be brought to the know- 
 ledge and worship of thee, the only true God, and of 
 Jesus Christ, w T hom thou hast sent, whom to know is 
 life eternal. 
 
 Bless all those who preach Jesus and the resurrec- 
 tion, of whatever name or denomination they may be. 
 In an especial manner we pray for the Church which 
 thou hast established in our land. Endue her minis- 
 ters largely with spiritual gifts. May they preach 
 w T ith the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; and 
 may they be honoured instruments in thy hand in 
 winning souls to Christ. 
 
 Bless our native land in all its interests, civil and 
 sacred, both at home and abroad. We pray for all 
 whom thou hast put in stations of authority and public 
 trust. In an especial manner we pray for thy servant, 
 our Sovereign the Queen. Graciously afford her the 
 assistance she stands in need of for the discharge of 
 the duties of her exalted station. May she be under 
 the continual guidance of thy wisdom, and the care 
 
COMMUNION SERVICE — FAST-DAY. 59 
 
 and protection of thy providence. Vouchsafe also thy 
 special favour to her royal consort, Prince Albert, to 
 the Prince of Wales, and all the royal family. May 
 they all be enriched with the grace of the Most High. 
 May they cultivate all those virtues which will render 
 them ornaments to their stations, and blessings to the 
 world. 
 
 We pray for the counsellors and ministers who sur- 
 round the throne, and watch over the public interests ; 
 for the nobles and senators of the land ; for the judges 
 and magistrates, and particularly for those who bear rule 
 in this city ; and for the whole body of the inhabitants, 
 that wisdom and knowledge may be the stability of our 
 times, and the fear of the Lord our treasure. We 
 pray, Lord, that thou wouldst preside in the high 
 courts of Parliament, and that thou wouldst overrule 
 all their deliberations for the public good. Dwell in 
 this corner of thy vineyard. May pure and undefiled 
 religion flourish and abound more and more in it. 
 Put thy fear in every heart, and establish thy 
 worship in every family. Be especially gracious to 
 those of them who have the prospect of partaking of 
 the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. May they keep 
 this feast which thou hast graciously provided, not 
 with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the 
 unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. May they 
 have right views of its end and design. let the love 
 of Christ be shed abroad in their hearts, that they may 
 be filled with contrition for their offences against so 
 gracious a God, that they may be enabled to rejoice in 
 thy mercy, and that all their days they may glorify 
 thee in their bodies, and in their spirits, which are 
 thine. Deliver them from every evil way, and from 
 every temptation to sin. O give them true repentance 
 and a living faith. Teach them to count all things but 
 loss that they may win Christ, aud partake of his 
 salvation. 
 
 May the young, and those who shall for the first 
 time approach the table of our blessed Redeemer, be 
 prepared by thy grace and spirit for making an accept- 
 
60 minister's directory. 
 
 able surrender of themselves to thee. And grant that 
 while they receive the outward and visible sign, their 
 souls may delightfully feel the inward and spiritual 
 grace. 
 
 Bless abundantly thy servant to whom thou hast 
 committed the pastoral care of this people. Do thou 
 enrich him with all heavenly and spiritual blessings. 
 May he come forth on a day of high communion in the 
 fulness of the blessing of the gospel of peace, and dis- 
 pense to this people the bread and the water of life. 
 
 Look down, O gracious Father, on all the sons and 
 daughters of affliction ; mercifully regard them under 
 the pressure of their troubles, and exercise thy pity 
 and compassion towards them. sanctify thy 
 fatherly correction to them. Prepare the dying for 
 their last and great change s Comfort those who mourn 
 the loss of departed relations. May they possess that 
 resignation which calmly acquiesces in all the appoint- 
 ments of divine Providence. Dispose us now to sing to 
 thy praise with true devotion of heart. Dismiss us 
 with thy blessing. Carry us in safety to our respec- 
 tive dwellings. Enable us to spend the remainder of 
 this day, and all the days of our lives, in thy fear and 
 service. 
 
 Incline thine ear to our request, Lord, and accept 
 of us, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our strength and 
 our Redeemer. Amen. 
 
 Paraphrase. 
 
 BLESSING. 
 
 May grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, 
 the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be with you, and with 
 all the people of God, now, henceforth, and for ever- 
 more. Amen. 
 
61 
 
 PBEPAEATION-DAY.-AFTEBXOOX. 
 
 Only one Diet. 
 
 Psalm xxii. 23-27. 
 
 PRAYER BEFORE SERMON. 
 
 Blessed and ever-glorious Lord God, we rejoice that 
 we are not only permitted to approach into thy presence, 
 but that thou hast desired us to address thee by the 
 endearing epithet of Father. Thou, Lord, art indeed 
 our Father, and we are thy children. We are thine by 
 creation, we are thine by providence ; but in these re- 
 lations we are thine in common with all the other 
 creatures which thou hast made. We, Lord, are 
 thine in a more endearing relation than that which any 
 of thy other creatures can claim ; we are thine by re- 
 demption, we are thine by grace. that we were 
 enabled, upon good evidence, individually to say that 
 we are thine also by regeneration and adoption — that 
 the love and the power of sin were subdued within us 
 — that we could go on through life, adorned with the 
 graces, and bringing forth the fruit of the Spirit. 
 
 We, Lord, feel, and we pray that thou wouldst 
 give us grace to feel more strongly, that our obliga- 
 tions unto thee as the children of men are infinitely 
 greater than those of any other race of beings which 
 thou hast formed. 
 
 O that we were enabled to form something like ade- 
 quate conceptions of thy unparalleled love to us, and of 
 
62 minister's directory. 
 
 the undeserved preference which thou hast given us to 
 those angels who fell from their first estate, and even 
 to those of our brethren of mankind from whom thou 
 hast still concealed the glorious light of the Gospel of 
 Christ. that we were enabled not only to form a 
 just estimate of our invaluable privileges, but that we 
 were made in reality to feel the infinitude of the obliga- 
 tions under which we are laid to thee, and that grace 
 were given us to banish from our minds every affection 
 and every desire which can at all interfere with, or 
 interrupt us in rendering unto thee the homage of our 
 whole hearts, and the obedience of our whole lives. 
 that we could constantly bear in mind our high 
 destiny. 
 
 May we ever bear in mind that we are now, or 
 should now be, training for a meetness for being ad- 
 mitted into thine effulgent presence, and for joining 
 with angels and archangels, with cherubim and sera- 
 phim, and with all the companies of the redeemed, in 
 giving praise to Him who sits upon the throne, and 
 unto the Lamb for evermore. 
 
 And may we ever most gratefully and affectionately 
 remember that in order to our being allowed to indulge 
 such glorious anticipations, thy divine love and thy 
 divine mercy were stretched to the uttermost, and that 
 the richest gift which Heaven could bestow, the most 
 costly sacrifice the universe could furnish, was willingly 
 offered and graciously accepted — that for the salvation 
 of fallen man the only Son of the only true God suf- 
 fered death, even the accursed death of the cross. O, 
 the height and the depth, the breadth and the length 
 of the love of God ; it passeth knowledge. Surely, 
 greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down 
 his life for his friend : but God commendeth his love 
 to us, in that, while we were yet sinners, in due time 
 Christ died for us. 
 
 O let us not forget nor undervalue such love. Let 
 us not abuse such goodness. May the infinite value 
 of the ransom that was paid for our redemption con- 
 vince us of the infinite guilt and misery from which we 
 
COMMUNION SERVICE — PREPARATION-DAY. 63 
 
 are redeemed, and of the infinite baseness of repeating 
 those sins which occasioned such offence, and which 
 called for such a sacrifice. Grant us grace, we beseech 
 thee, to incline us to fall in with the plan of redemp- 
 tion through the blood of the Lamb that was slain 
 from the foundation of the world. Cause us to be in 
 bitterness for all the offences that we have committed 
 against thee, the Lord of Love, and author of all our 
 mercies. give us true repentance, that repentance 
 unto life which is never to be repented of. Do thou, 
 O Lord, by thy spirit, begin and carry on a work of 
 saving faith in our hearts, and perfect it, by thy grace, 
 in love and in mercy, for thy glory, and our eternal 
 happiness. May the life which we live in the flesh #be 
 by the faith of him who loved us and gave himself for 
 us. and hath made us kings and priests unto God. Let 
 us never consider ourselves Christians, but as we re- 
 semble Christ. May our conformity to his principles, 
 temper, and conduct become daily more and more ap- 
 parent, both to ourselves and to others. Enable us to 
 continue in his Word, that we may be his disciples in- 
 deed, rooted and built up in him, and established in 
 the truth, as we have been taught, and abounding 
 therein with thanksgiving. 
 
 We thank thee, Lord, for the ordinances of the 
 Gospel. We bless thee that these ordinances are re- 
 gularly administered among us, and that, under the 
 guidance of thy Spirit, we have the means of attaining, 
 through the scriptures, that wisdom which maketh 
 wise unto salvation. We thank thee for the near pros- 
 pect which thou art affording thy people in this parish 
 of contemplating, by faith in the Sacrament of the Sup- 
 per, the sufferings and death of Christ. May they dis- 
 cern in them the surest grounds for confidence and 
 hope towards God, and derive from them a divine in- 
 fluence for their consolation and improvement. May 
 they regard in this ordinance Christ wounded for their 
 trangressions, and bruised for their iniquities ; and 
 may they feel assured that in him they have redemption 
 through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. 
 
<J4 minister's DIRECTORY. 
 
 We pray that they may have the graces of faith, re- 
 pentance, and love in vigorous and lively exercise, and 
 thereby have life, light, and joy communicated to 
 their souls. 
 
 We pray, Lord, for thy countenance and blessing as 
 we are now met in thy presence. May we speak because 
 we believe, and may we hear to the saving of our souls. 
 Forbid that any here present should remain uninter- 
 ested in the blessings of the Gospel. Forbid that they 
 should reject the counsel of God against themselves, 
 and judge themselves unworthy of everlasting life. 
 
 We will go forward in thy strength, making mention 
 of thy righteousness, even of thine only. Hear, O 
 L6rd, these our humble prayers, and accept of us 
 through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. 
 
 Paraphrase xli. — 3, 4, 5, and 6 verses. 
 
 Sermon. 
 
 PRAYER AFTER SERMON. 
 
 Lord, what shall we render unto thee for all thy 
 goodness ? thou art daily loading us with thy benefits. 
 With grateful hearts we would ever recollect, as the 
 greatest of all earthly blessings, that we have been 
 trained up in the knowledge of the Christian religion, 
 and taught the way in which we ought to go. We 
 were early devoted to thee by the most solemn engage- 
 ment, and from our childhood we have been taught the 
 testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments which 
 thou our God hast commanded. 
 
 May we therefore serve thee the Lord with fear; 
 may our hearts stand in awe of thy Word. May it be 
 our study to do as thou hast commanded us — neither 
 turning aside to the right hand nor to the left. May we 
 commit our thoughts, ways, and works unto the Lord, 
 that they may be established. May we keep the 
 precepts of our Lord, that we may abide in his love. 
 
I OHMUFIOB SERVICE — PKEPARATIOX-DAY. 65 
 
 May we cast off and abhor the works of darkness. May 
 we seek God and serve him with all our hearts. Know- 
 ing our own insufficiency to act in this manner, we 
 gladly embrace the promises of thy aid and assistance 
 which thou hast given in the Gospel of thy Son. We 
 believe that the steps of a good man are ordered of the 
 Lord, and he alone holdeth up our goings in his paths, 
 that our footsteps may not slide. We therefore rejoice 
 that thou wast pleased to say of old — " This shall be 
 the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel 
 after these days, I will put my laws in their inward 
 parts, and write them in their hearts ; and I will put a 
 new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out 
 of their flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and 
 keep mine ordinances." 
 
 Animated by these declarations, we would now wait 
 upon the Lord, that we may be sanctified through the 
 truth, that we may be saved by the washing of regene- 
 ration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost ; that so the 
 law of the spirit of life, which is in Christ Jesus, may 
 in due time make us free from the law of sin and death. 
 
 More especially since the day-spring from on high 
 hath visited us by the appearance of Jesus Christ to 
 guide our feet in the way of peace, and furnish us 
 thoroughly unto all good works, we will now come unto 
 him for grace and strength, that we may work out our 
 salvation with hope and confidence, as well as with fear 
 and trembling, knowing that it is God who worketh in 
 us both to will and todo of his good pleasure. And being 
 confident of this very thing, that he that hath begun 
 a good work in us will perform it until the day of Jesus 
 Christ, may we be found in Christ, who is all and in all. 
 
 Let us be washed in his blood. Let us be clothed 
 with his righteousness. Let us be sanctified by his 
 spirit. Thou, Lord, art the glory of our strength, 
 and through thy free, rich grace bring us at last where 
 we shall hunger no more, nor thirst any more, where 
 danger is for ever escaped and sorrow fled ! 
 
 For accomplishing these objects we pray that thou 
 wouldst help us to improve the means of grace with 
 
 E 
 
66 minister's DIRECTof;i 
 
 which we are favoured. May the Word which we hare 
 now heard be, by thy blessing, the means of leading us 
 to attend more seriously to those things which belong 
 to our everlasting peace. May we remember that we 
 must answer unto thee for the use which we make of 
 all the instructions which w r e receive. Let none of us 
 •who live in this Christian country deceive ourselves by 
 supposing that ignorance may be pleaded as an excuse 
 for our neglecting or acting contrary to the precepts of 
 the gospel. But may we remember if we remain igno- 
 rant under the light of the gospel, that our very igno- 
 rance is a crime, for which we must account unto thee. 
 May we therefore be careful to have ourselves tho- 
 roughly instructed in the knowledge of the religion of 
 Christ, by studying the scriptures, by attending upon 
 the preaching of the gospel, by meditating on the Word 
 of God, and by praying for divine aid to reduce thy 
 laws into practice. 
 
 We pray, O Lord, that the predicted time may speedily 
 come w^hen the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with 
 healing in his wings, and illuminate the whole world ; 
 when the Gentiles shall come to his light, and kings to 
 the brightness of his rising, and all Israel shall be saved. 
 
 Let the reformed churches be more and more re- 
 formed. Raise up more faithful ministers, who shall 
 be the honoured instruments of bringing the people to 
 choose thee with all their hearts, and to serve thee fully. 
 
 We would offer up our prayers unto thee in behalf 
 of thy Church, w r hich thou hast established in our land. 
 May she be enriched with thy grace, and watered with 
 the dew^ of thy Holy Spirit. Bless the ministers of 
 our National Church. May they be enabled faith- 
 fully and judiciously to point out the way of salvation 
 to thy people, making the great High Priest of our 
 profession their pattern and their guide. 
 
 We would desire, O Lord, to thank thee for all the 
 privileges, both sacred and civil, which we enjoy. May 
 they be preserved and transmitted unimpaired to the 
 latest posterity. Let not our ingratitude, we beseech 
 thee, for thy blessings ever provoke thee to withdraw 
 
COMMUNION SERVICE — PREPARATION-DAY. 67 
 
 them from us ; but as a nation may we repent of the 
 evil we have done, and do thou, O Lord, continue to 
 be gracious -with us. 
 
 We pray, Lord, for our sovereign lady, Queen 
 Victoria. Enrich her, we beseech thee, with thy 
 choicest blessings. Bless our Queen's Consort, Prince 
 Albert, and vouchsafe thine Almighty protection to 
 the whole of the royal family. Bless the nobles and 
 senators of the land. Preside, we beseech thee, in the 
 High Courts of Parliament. Make our judges just, 
 and our exactors righteousness. Bless all inferior 
 rulers, judges, and magistrates ; may they all be faith- 
 ful to their trust, and instruments in thy hand for pro- 
 moting the public good. 
 
 AVe pray, O Lord, for the inhabitants of this parish, 
 and the members of this congregation. May they be 
 blessed with all spiritual and heavenly blessings in 
 Christ Jesus. May the very God of peace sanctify 
 them wholly. Be especially gracious to those of them 
 who intend to-morrow to testify their love and grati- 
 tude to the Saviour, in the ordinance of the Supper, 
 for the rich and spiritual blessings which through him 
 they have received. May they adore him who hath 
 instituted, as with his dying breath, the holy solemnity 
 of his Supper to be through all ages a memorial of his 
 dying love, and a bond of that union which it is his 
 sovereign pleasure that his people should preserve. 
 Do thou, Lord, give them grace to observe this or- 
 dinance to thy glory, and to their own spiritual advan- 
 tage. Prepare, direct, and support thfhi, that they 
 may go to thy table to renew their covenant, and to 
 take the Lord Jesus Christ to be their Saviour, their 
 strength and Redeemer, their only portion and inherit- 
 ance for ever. Forbid that any should ignorantly and 
 without due preparation come to this feast. Forbid 
 that any should come without the wedding garment. 
 Ptestrain the fears, and remove the scruples, of thy re- 
 deemed people. Do thou encourage the faint-hearted, 
 and may the presumptuous and the self-confident be 
 roused to a conviction of their guilt, to an apprehen- 
 
68 minister's directory. 
 
 sion of their danger, and let them, in penitence and 
 faith, flee to that blood of the Lamb, which is the only 
 refuge from his wrath. Prepare the hearts of the 
 young for this solemn ordinance. Give them courage 
 to vow unto the Lord, and strength to fulfil their vows. 
 May they be made welcome guests. May they rely on 
 him who is able and mighty to save. Do thou, Lord, 
 impart support and consolation to the aged, who are 
 preparing once more to take into their hands the me- 
 morials of Christ's broken body and blood. May thy 
 never-failing mercy be their confidence and joy. Be 
 thou the strength and consolation of thy servant, the 
 minister of this parish and congregation. May he be 
 clothed with salvation. May he work the work of the 
 Lord. May he save himself and those who hear him. 
 May he minister abundantly to their souls of the 
 word and bread of life. 
 
 Do thou, God, extend thy compassion to the sons 
 and daughters of affliction. Look upon their affliction 
 and their pain, and forgive all their sin. Prepare the 
 dying for their last and great change. Comfort those 
 who mourn the loss of departed relatives. Help us, O 
 Lord, to spend every day in the view of our last, and 
 so as to fit us for it. Mercifully forgive, O God, the 
 sins we have committed against thee since we met to- 
 gether in thy house of prayer. Be with us in singing 
 thy praises. Dismiss us w T ith thy blessing. Conduct 
 us in safety to our places of abode. Enable us to spend 
 the remainder of this day in thy fear, and in searching 
 our hearts arid ways before thee. Hear us, we beseech 
 thee, gracious God, and accept of us, and bless us, for 
 Christ's sake. Amen. 
 
 Paraphrase, xlviii. — 6, 7, 8, and 9 verses. 
 
 BLESSING. 
 
 May the love of God, the Father, the grace of our Lord 
 and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and the communion and fel- 
 lowship of the Holy Ghost, remain with you, and with alk 
 the people of God, now. henceforth, and for ever. Amen. 
 
69 
 
 COMMUNION SABBATH, 
 
 Pabaphrase, xli. — 1-6. 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 O Lord, we would approach unto thee as the hearer 
 of prayer with reverence and humility. And we pray 
 thee to pour out upon us a spirit of grace and suppli- 
 cation. Thou, Lord, hast promised to lend an ear 
 unto the cry of the poor and needy who humbly trust 
 in thy mercy. We would therefore come unto thee 
 disclaiming all merit of our own, trusting entirely to 
 thy grace and mercy which thou art manifesting unto 
 a guilty world through Jesus Christ. 
 
 Although we are thy creatures, the workmanship of 
 thy hands, and the sheep of thy pasture, we have with- 
 drawn ourselves from thee — we have disowned thy 
 authority — we have strayed from thy fold. Although 
 thou didst plant us a noble vine, we have become the 
 degenerate plants of a strange vine. We have for- 
 gotten thee the God who made us — we have lightly 
 esteemed thee the rock of our salvation. Our sins 
 have not only been those of infirmity and of casual oc- 
 currence, but we have been guilty of presumptuous and 
 flagrant transgressions of thy law* In thought, in 
 word, and in deed, we have acted in such a manner as 
 justly to offend thee. Our affections have been too 
 much engrossed with temporal objects — we have been 
 lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God — our con- 
 versation has been vain — our actions have been full of 
 guilt — the whole head is sick — the whole heart is 
 
70 minister's directory. 
 
 faint. We are unworthy to appear in thy sight, and 
 in our own name we know that we dare not presume to 
 ask any blessing ; nor for our own sake can we indulge 
 a hope of seeing the light of thy reconciled counte- 
 nance. 
 
 We come unto thee only in the name and relying on 
 the merits of Jesus Christ thy beloved Son, in whom 
 thou art ever well pleased. We rejoice that thy love 
 to the world was so great that thou didst send thy 
 Son into it that whosoever believeth in him should 
 not perish but have everlasting life. We, O Lord, be- 
 lieve in Christ, but we still have cause to pray, Lord, 
 help our unbelief — for thou, Lord, knowest that 
 although we profess faith in the Kedeeraer, and look 
 for salvation only through him — although we have 
 been baptized in the name of Christ, and call ourselves 
 Christians, we fall far short of the high character we 
 assume. Our faith in Christ, alas I is too weak to 
 have that sanctifying and regenerating influence upon 
 our hearts which it ought to produce. We profess to 
 be his disciples, but thou, O Lord, knowest that we 
 are not prepared as we ought to be to follow him both 
 through good and through bad report. We are will- 
 ing to perform those parts of our duty which require 
 no sacrifice, and put us under no restraint ; but alas ! 
 how unwilling and how ill prepared are we for taking 
 up our cross daily to follow thee. 
 
 O convince us, we beseech thee, that till we love 
 thee supremely — till we esteem thy loving kindness to 
 be better than life, and thy favour than silver or gold, 
 that our faith is lamentably deficient, that our concep- 
 tions of thy nature and character are unworthy and im- 
 perfect. And do thou, O Lord, by the irresistible in- 
 fluence of thy Spirit, bring every one of us to that state 
 of mind and of feeling that we may be ready to leave 
 all and follow thee. may we be made to see this 
 world, to which we are so apt unduly to attach our- 
 selves, in its true light. May we not vainly expect 
 from it what it is, in consequence of sin having entered 
 into it, incapable of yielding — may we look for happi- 
 
GOJtliURIOK SABBATH. 71 
 
 ness only in thee — may the promises of thy Word which 
 are made to the faithful, and the assurances of peace 
 and reconciliation which are held out to us through 
 Christ, be our support and our consolation amidst all 
 the trials to which we are exposed. 
 
 If we shall be called to endure hardships and diffi- 
 culties in this life, may we consider them only, as they 
 truly are, light afflictions which endure but for a 
 moment ; and may we remember that all our suffer- 
 ings are only the consequence of sin, and not worthy 
 to be named when compared to what our Saviour en- 
 dured for our sakes, although he was holy, harmless, 
 undefiled, and separated from sinners. 
 
 We humbly pray thee, Lord, to give us more deep 
 and lively impressions of thy love manifested unto us 
 in Christ, and may the remembrance of it ever 
 encourage us to come unto thee, imploring every spi- 
 ritual blessing. May we remember that if thou 
 sparedst not thine own Son, but didst give him up to 
 the death for us all, that thou wilt with him freely 
 give us all things. Convinced of thy willingness to 
 bestow upon us what we stand in need of, we would 
 implore of thee to send down thy Spirit into our hearts, 
 that he may convince us more fully of the evil and the 
 misery of sin, and make us more clearly to see the 
 value of thy favour. let thy Spirit influence our 
 hearts to that which is good. May our corrupt affec- 
 tions be subdued — may heavenly dispositions be given 
 us — may we be enabled to abhor and abstain from sin 
 — may we hunger and thirst after righteousness. And, 
 O Lord, being once heartily engaged in thy service, 
 and being renewed and sanctified by thy Spirit, may 
 we experience the joys resulting from it — may we be 
 filled with all joy and peace in believing that we may 
 abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost 
 — may we have a foretaste of that happiness which 
 shall be made perfect in heaven — may we have such a 
 peace as Jesus Christ has left, and which the world 
 can neither give nor take away. 
 
 May we rejoice in the ordinances of thy grace here, 
 
72 MINISTER^ DIRECTORY. 
 
 that we may be prepared for engaging in a more sub- 
 lime worship hereafter. 
 
 We thank and praise thee, O Lord, for the holy 
 sacrament of the supper, and the invitation given us 
 to become guests at thy holy table, Grant that we 
 may not presume to come to thy table trusting in our 
 own righteousness, but in the manifold and great mer- 
 cies declared unto us in our Lord Jesus Christ. Give 
 us hearts raised above the desires of this world, and 
 free from all the pollutions of it. Make us truly sen- 
 sible of the many wants of our souls, that we may 
 come to thy table hungering and thirsting after the 
 blessings of grace ; with an earnest desire to partake 
 of the benefits of thy Divine institutions. And, O let 
 us there receive the pardon of all our sins, and such 
 supplies of thy grace as may support us under our 
 many weaknesses and infirmities ; and grant that by a 
 right performance of this and all other religious duties, 
 our faith may be more and more strengthened, our 
 hopes enlivened, our love increased, our zeal inflamed, 
 and our souls so entirely and inseparably united to 
 thee, that nothing may be ever able to dissolve the 
 union ; but that being begun here in grace, it may 
 hereafter be consummated in glory, through the 
 merits of him that died for us, even the Son of thy 
 eternal love, Jesus Christ the righteous. With grate- 
 ful hearts we desire, Lord, to praise thee that thou 
 hast permitted us to see the return of another Sab- 
 bath. May we esteem the Sabbath a delight, the holy 
 of the Lord' and honourable. 
 
 Pour out, we beseech thee, this day a spirit of grace 
 and supplication upon all the congregations of thy 
 people. Bless the ministry of the gospel,, and make it 
 the power of God unto salvation to every one that be- 
 lieveth. 
 
 Replenish all the ministers of thy Word with the 
 gifts of thy grace ; animate them with zeal for the in- 
 terests of thy glory, for the salvation of sinners, and 
 for the advancement of Christ's kingdom. 
 
 And sinee thou, O Lord, hast permitted thy people 
 
COMMUNION SABBATH. 73 
 
 to see the light of a communion Sabbath, do thou pre- 
 pare them for the devotions of it. Comfort the 
 mourners in Zion. May they experience that 
 whenever there is the sincere desire to seek thee, that 
 there thou makest thine abode. Grant us thy pre- 
 sence and blessing, and the assistance of thy Spirit, in 
 every part of the sacred service. 
 
 Hear us, O Lord, our God, forgive and bless, 
 direct, quicken, and assist us in the performance of 
 our holy duties, and* to thee be the praise and the 
 glory, now, and evermore. Amen. 
 
 The portion of Scripture to be read. 
 
 Isaiah, liii. Chapter. 
 
 Paraphrase xxv 5-9. 
 
 Seemon. 
 
 PRAYER AFTER SERMON. 
 
 Lord, with what unfeigned gratitude ought our 
 hearts to be filled unto thee for the abundant mani- 
 festations of thy goodness with which we are favoured. 
 Thou hast not only fitted us for praising and enjoying 
 thee, but thou hast revealed unto us thy will and our 
 duty, and furnished us with the means of making our- 
 selves acquainted with all that thou requirest of us. 
 We have been early instructed in the principles of our 
 holy religion. We pray, Lord, that we may not 
 neglect the precious opportunities which we enjoy for 
 improving ourselves in the knowledge of God, and 
 acquainting ourselves with those things which pertain 
 to our everlasting happiness. 
 
 But with what shame ought we to confess, and 
 would we deplore the corruption of our nature. We 
 have sinned against thee, O God, who hast every 
 claim to our love and our obedience, and we are not 
 
74 minister's directory. 
 
 worthy to be called thy children. We are, indeed, 
 utterly unworthy of so high a privilege ; but behold 
 what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon 
 us, that we, who are by nature the children of dis- 
 obedience, should be called the children of God. We 
 are, indeed, unworthy, but worthy is the Lamb that 
 was slain, and blessed be God, he was slain for us. 
 We have indeed sinned against thee and come short of 
 thy glory ; but. adored be thine infinite mercy, we 
 have an advocate with God the Father, even Jesus 
 Christ the righteous, who is now at thy right hand 
 pleading the merits of his righteousness for our accep- 
 tance, and the efficacy of his blood for the pardon of 
 our sins and the purification of our hearts. See, then, 
 O God, our shield ; look upon the face of thine 
 anointed, in whom thou seest no iniquity in Jacob and 
 no perversity in Israel ; and accept us in thy beloved 
 Son, in whom thou art ever well pleased. We own 
 thy claim upon us. We are thine. May we do 
 nothing to frustrate thy grace and quench thy Spirit. 
 Do thou, our God, supply all our need, according to 
 thy riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 
 
 We pray, Lord, that thou would st follow with 
 thy divine blessing the religious instructions which 
 have been delivered from thy Word in so far as they 
 have been agreeable to thy will. (Here allude to the 
 subject.) We pray that wherever the gospel has this 
 day been preached, it may take effect. Let none of 
 the seed be lost which has been sown. Let no impres- 
 sion which has been made be effaced. 
 
 We, O Lord, most humbly and sincerely implore 
 grace from thee the God of all grace and goodness, to 
 fit and prepare us for a worthy participating of the 
 holy sacrament of the Supper. 
 
 We pray thee, O God, to bless all those who this 
 day desire to approach the table of our blessed Re- 
 deemer, to commemorate his great love to us. While 
 they partake of the elements which represent his pre- 
 cious body and blood, may their hearts be deeply af- 
 fected with the consideration of his cross and passion. 
 
COMMUNION SABBATH. 75 
 
 May they remember their sins with true contrition of 
 heart, and the love of that Redeemer who shed his 
 blood for their remission, with the most lively thank- 
 fulness. 
 
 We pray, Lord, that thou wouldst abundantly 
 bless the young and all who design this day for the 
 first time to approach a communion table, and publicly 
 profess their faith in the Saviour. Give them that 
 preparation of heart which alone cometh from thee. 
 Do thou work in them whatsoever is wanting to fit 
 them for thy divine acceptance. Do thou impart to 
 their souls new supplies of grace, new life, new love, 
 new vigour, and new resolutions, that they may never 
 faint or become remiss in their duty. And grant that 
 while thy people thirst for thee as in a dry and thirsty 
 land, to see thy power and thy glory as they have 
 seen thee in the sanctuary, may their souls be filled 
 as with marrow and fatness, that their mouths may 
 praise thee with joyful lips. 
 
 Hear us, Lord, we beseech thee, and let us find 
 favour and acceptance with thee through the merits, 
 and for the sake of thy Son, and our alone Saviour 
 Jesus Christ. Amen. 
 
 Paraphrase xliv. — 1-6. 
 
 Thereafter the presiding minister addresses the con- 
 gregation from the pulpit to the following effect, 
 which is called the 
 
 FENCING OF THE TABLES. 
 Discourse I. 
 
 The great design for which you are now assembled 
 together is to commemorate the dying love of Christ, 
 who loved you, and gave himself for you. The Ba 
 ment of the Supper was instituted by him for the pur- 
 pose of preserving the memory of his sufferings ; and 
 in observing it, you obey his dying command. 
 
76 minister's directory. 
 
 When he had eaten the Passover with his disciples, 
 when he took bread and blessed it, and brake it, and 
 gave it to them saying, " This is my body broken for 
 you ;" and when he took the cup and gave it also to 
 them saying, " This cup is the new Testament in my 
 blood, shed for the remission of sins," none were 
 present excepting those whom he had chosen to be his 
 Apostles, and who had continued with him in his tri- 
 bulation. This circumstance teaches us that this ser- 
 vice was not designed to be open to all, without discri- 
 mination. It is a feast made for the friends of the 
 Saviour, and for them only. No stranger is to intrude 
 himself among the children of God ; no enemy, or re- 
 bel, is to mingle with the true and loyal subjects of 
 Christ. In the parable of the marriage supper, when 
 the king came in to see the guests, he observed one 
 that had not a wedding garment, and asked him, 
 " Friend, how earnest thou in thither, not having a 
 wedding garment." The man was speechless, self- 
 condemned, and unable to answer ; and the king said 
 to his servants, " Bind him hand and foot, and take 
 him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there 
 shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." In the 
 sight of God, none have a right to take their places 
 at this table but they who are his friends ; they who, 
 by the prevailing principles of their souls, subjected to 
 the authority of Christ, and to the constraining influ- 
 ence of his love, are habitually prepared for death, and 
 for mingling with the redeemed from among men in 
 the kingdom of heaven. There may be much imper- 
 fection, but there must be the truth of faith and re- 
 pentance. There may be much weakness, much dark- 
 ness, fear, doubt, or anxiety ; but there must be a pre- 
 vailing desire to enjoy communion with Christ, a per- 
 ception of his excellence, and a cordial subjection of 
 all the powers of the soul to him as your Lord. 
 
 It is necessary, then, in this holy service that the 
 characters of the disciples of Christ, of worthy com- 
 municants, should be publicly declared. Accordingly, 
 it hath been the custom, immediately previous to the 
 
COMMUNION SABBATH. 7 
 
 service, in order to vindicate the purity of the Church 
 of the living God, to separate between the precious and 
 the vile, to set a fence about the table of the Lord, to 
 warn the ignorant, the irreligious, the profane, not to 
 presume to appear amongst the sons of God — solemnly 
 to debar from this privilege those who are "enemies to 
 God in their minds, and by wicked works." We pre- 
 tend not to judge the heart. We explain the characters 
 of those upon whom God has pronounced his blessing, 
 but the application of these characters we must leave 
 to the conscience ; it is a work that lies between God 
 and the soul. But the characters themselves it is our 
 duty to unfold, and to unfold them faithfully, that the 
 name of our God may not be blasphemed. 
 
 In the name, then, and by the authority of the 
 Great Head of the Church, by whom this service was 
 appointed, I debar all ignorant persons continuing in 
 a state of ignorance, all who know not the nature of 
 the institution, or the end for which it was appointed, 
 or the doctrines and blessings emblematically held 
 forth by the bread broken and by the wine poured 
 out. 
 
 All are debarred who habitually neglect the worship 
 of God, who are strangers to personal devotion, or who 
 suffer their families to grow up without the knowledge 
 of the God of the families of the whole earth, or who 
 pour contempt upon the public worship of God, and 
 habitually profane his holy day ; all who contemn the 
 name or the Word, the day or the service of the living 
 God ; all whose wills are habitually opposed to the 
 will and law of the great and righteous Governor of 
 the universe ; all whose hearts are unsanctified ; all 
 whose affections are fixed on the things of time and of 
 sense ; all who are conscious that they live in the 
 habitual practice of known sin, or in the habitual and 
 allowed neglect of known duty — all these are debarred 
 from taking their place at this holy table. " What 
 communion hath light with darkness ? What fellowship 
 hath Christ with Belial ?" 
 
 It is, nevertheless, true that there are profane and 
 
78 minister's directory. 
 
 irreligious men who come to a communion table merely 
 from worldly motives and temporal considerations, 
 and not from love to God, and obedience to the last 
 and dying command of Jesus Christ. Yes ; there are 
 in the visible church multitudes who have nothing of 
 the Christian but the name, and some occasional ap- 
 pearances. Here we have principally in view those 
 who, after having received a religious education, and 
 been early instructed in the doctrines and duties of 
 Christianity, have surrendered themselves to the grati- 
 fication of their corrupt lusts and passions, and thereby 
 stifled in their heart the fear of God and all concern 
 about their salvation. When tormented by remorse, 
 which conscience sometimes awakens in their soul, they 
 seek for relief by joining in Christian worship, and 
 come to a communion table to show forth the death of 
 a Saviour in whom they do not believe, and to obtain 
 assurance of a salvation in which they have no part, 
 and which they seldom or never think of. With a pro- 
 fane and unbelieving heart they preserve a semblance 
 of religion. Impious in their private conversation, 
 they wish to appear religious in their outward and 
 public conduct. Beyond all doubt, such irreligious 
 men pollute this ordinance, and aggravate their own 
 condemnation. 
 
 If among those who design to communicate at the 
 Lord's table there are some to be found utterly un- 
 worthy of the Christian name, there is a greater num- 
 ber of others whom, though they seem to have abetter 
 claim to it, yet cannot be regarded as true Christians. 
 The end of the Gospel, in requiring faith and repentance 
 as essential means of salvation, is to make us die unto 
 sin and live unto righteousness, to purify us from all 
 filthiness of the flesh and spirit. But those of whom 
 we now speak, enslaved to certain sins which they 
 cannot resolve to part with, and pursuing a course of 
 life contrary to the laws of the Gospel, and in which 
 they are kept by their worldly interests and corrupt 
 passions and habits, form to themselves very false 
 notions of faith and repentance. They satisfy them- 
 
COMMUNION SABBATH. 79 
 
 selves with a faith without works, and a repentance 
 without reformation. According to them, it is suffi- 
 cient to confide in the mercy of God, and in the 
 merits of Christ, and from time to time to con- 
 fess their sins and to ask pardon of them, to be ortho- 
 dox in their religious opinions, and regular in 
 attending the duties of public worship — this they think 
 sufficient to warrant them to believe that they are in 
 a state of grace and reconciliation with God, that they 
 may apply to themselves all the promises of the Gospel, 
 and confidently cherish the hope of salvation. They 
 therefore rarely fail to communicate when opportunity 
 of performing that solemn act of worship occurs, and 
 to make some preparation for that sacred service. In 
 one word, they bring to the Lord's table everything 
 except the sacrifice of their favourite sins, and that 
 purity of heart which is the very thing that the Lord 
 requires. Consequently, they are seen speedily to re- 
 turn to the practice of their former sins and favourite 
 pleasures. But we ask, what ought such men to think 
 of their communions ? Do they not know that one sin 
 deliberately persisted in is sufficient to exclude a man 
 from the Kingdom of Heaven, and to disqualify him 
 for being admitted to the table of the Lord ? What 
 advantages can such persons expect to derive from com- 
 memorating the death of Christ ? Let them but ex- 
 amine the use which they make of this holy institution, 
 and then let them flatter themselves, if they dare, that 
 they truly discern the Lord's body. What was Christ's 
 great object in dying for us, and in giving us in the 
 sacrament of the Supper, so affecting a memorial of his 
 death ? Was it not to convince us of the infinite evil 
 and danger of sin, to recover us from the power and 
 practice of it, and to restore us to the love, and image, 
 and favour, and obedience of God ? But those who 
 design to communicate at the Lord's table, whose 
 characters we have described, take encouragement from 
 the death of Christ to remain in their sins, since they 
 appropriate to themselves the benefits of it, although 
 they persevere in their iniquities. Every communion, 
 
80 minister's directory. 
 
 instead of furthering them in holiness, removes them 
 from it ; instead of awakening them out of their se- 
 curity, sinks them deeper into it. Surely such persons 
 have reason to fear, in coming to the Lord's table in 
 such a state, that they will eat and drink unworthily. 
 
 There are true Christians who live in the exercise of 
 faith and repentance, who sincerely strive to avoid sin 
 and to obey the law of Christ, who, nevertheless, do 
 not always communicate with that spiritual advantage 
 and comfort which they expect from the ordinance, and 
 which it is designed to impart to the soul. Besides 
 faith and repentance, a profitable participation of the 
 holy Sacrament requires some peculiar exercises and 
 dispositions of mind, such as self-examination, warm 
 devotion of heart, deep humility, ardent gratitude, love, 
 and dedication to Jesus Christ. These acts of soul 
 should constantly accompany our solemn remembrance 
 of his sufferings and death at a communion table. 
 Now, in order to attain this suitable frame of mind, 
 serious meditation and diligent preparation of heart 
 are needful, which even true Christians too often 
 neglect. Depending too much on their sincerity, and 
 on the grace they have already received, they are not 
 sufficiently aware of their own weakness, and of their 
 need of renewed supplies of the grace of Christ ; and 
 they do not put a proper interval between their worldly 
 occupations and the most solemn acts of religious 
 worship. It is no matter of wonder, therefore, if they 
 complain of distractions, of coldness, and indifference 
 in their devotions, and if they derive but little profit 
 and consolation from their communions. Yes, without 
 doubt, their languor and deadness in a service so emi- 
 nently calculated to kindle their zeal and to animate 
 their devotion are a just ground of self-reproach, and 
 an offence to their Saviour, in which they cannot con- 
 tinue without endangering their salvation. If they re- 
 ceive little benefit and refreshment from Gospel ordi- 
 nances, it is entirely owing to their own negligence ; 
 and if they continue thus to misimprove the instituted 
 means of advancing and establishing them in holiness 
 
COMMUNION SABBATH. 81 
 
 and righteousness, it is much to be feared that they 
 will gradually decline in piety and godliness. Let 
 him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall. 
 
 But if, after all your diligence and assiduous ap- 
 plication to God and to your duty, you do not experi- 
 ence that fervour and comfort which you wish to feel, 
 still you should not be discouraged ; it is the effect of 
 human infirmity — under which the best christians 
 labour in this present life. Instead of being kept back 
 by your imperfections from the table of the Lord, you 
 should come boldly unto the throne of grace, that you 
 may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of 
 need. They who are most holy, are most sensible of 
 their own imperfections, and most deeply humbled 
 under their sense of unworthiness. Study, then, to 
 retain and cherish every devout sentiment, every holy 
 resolution, and every good tendency, that the "Word of 
 God and the ordinances of his grace produce in your 
 minds- Be watchful and strengthen the things which 
 remain, that are ready to die. Remember how you 
 have received and heard, and hold fast and repent. 
 Kely not on human means for your purification from 
 the stains of sin ; for the blood of Christ is the only 
 fountain effectual for this purpose. Have daily re- 
 course to it by faith which purifieth the heart ; for it 
 will avail you nothing that Jesus shed his blood, if 
 application of it is not made to purge the conscience 
 from dead works to serve the living God. Faith ren- 
 ders you partakers of the merit of Christ's death, and 
 receives pardon and sanctification. which are offered to 
 you only through his atonement and intercession. 
 Let love also soften and inflame your hearts. Risen 
 with Christ, you will seek the things which are above, 
 and show that you have learned to overcome the 
 temptations of Satan, the allurements of the world, and 
 the solicitations of the flesh. Whoever can lift up his 
 heart to God, and say with Peter, " Lord, thou who 
 knowest all things, knowest that I love thee," is in- 
 vited to declare his attachment to his Lord by com- 
 memorating his dying love, and will be a welcome 
 iruest at his table. 
 
82 minister's directory. 
 
 Now, let not the man who is conscious that any sin 
 has dominion over him, dare to take his place at the 
 Lord's table. But let those whose consciences bear 
 them witness that the fruits of the Spirit prevail in 
 their hearts, and are manifested in their lives — who 
 have the Spirit witnessing with their spirits that they 
 are the children of God, delight in T;heir privilege of 
 approaching unto God — let them say with the Psalmist, 
 " I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding 
 joy." May Jesus himself meet you at his table, and 
 may his banner over you be love. Amen. 
 
 Let us sing to the praise of God — 
 
 Paraphrase xxxi — 6. 
 
 While the congregation sing this paraphrase, the 
 elders are engaged in bringing forward and arranging 
 the elements on the communion table. This arrange- 
 ment having been completed, the minister descends 
 from the pulpit, places himself at the head of the table 
 beside the elements, and, the elders standing on each 
 side of him, reads the warrant for administering the 
 ordinance from 1st Corinthians, xi. chapter, 23 — 30, 
 and then adds to the following effect : — On that night 
 in which our blessed Lord was betrayed, he took bread, 
 and before he brake it he gave thanks, as we now do in 
 his name, and after his example offer up our united 
 thanksgivings to God for his saving mercies here set 
 before us. 
 
 Let us pray. 
 
COMMUNION SABBATH. 83 
 
 FENCING OF THE TABLES. 
 
 Discourse II. 
 
 The Lord Jesus Christ, the only King and Head of the 
 Church, instituted the holy Sacrament of the Supper 
 on that night in which he was betrayed, and com- 
 manded all his true and faithful disciples to observe it 
 in remembrance of him. You must, therefore, in obe- 
 dience to the command of your Saviour, and with a 
 thankful remembrance of his astonishing love in giving 
 himself to die for your redemption, devoutly and fre- 
 quently partake of the holy Sacrament of the Supper, 
 and thereby renew your baptismal covenant. You must 
 remember that you do not only receive, eat and drink 
 bread and wine blessed, broken, poured out, and given 
 as signs to put you in mind that Christ was conse- 
 crated of God to be both the high priest and sacrifice 
 of atonement for your sins ; and that his body was 
 wounded to death, and his blood shed on the cross for 
 your redemption ; but you are also, by a living faith, to 
 receive spiritually your crucified Saviour as the food 
 or life of your souls, for the nourishment of your 
 graces, the confirming of your faith, the enflaming of 
 your love, the strengthening of your hope, the commu- 
 nicating from him the Head to you the members all 
 things needful for growth in him, and spiritual union 
 with him, and assurance of eternal life by him. You 
 must join together in the celebration of this ordinance 
 as members of one body, whereof Christ is the Head ; 
 testifying thereby that you have but one Spirit, one 
 hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, and 
 one Father of all ; and are, though many members, yet 
 but one body — all partakers, therefore, of one bread, 
 and bound to live in love and peace, as well as in holi- 
 ness all your days. 
 
 The Passover amongst the Jews bore the nearest 
 resemblance to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, 
 for it commemorated a deliverance, but it was a de- 
 
84 minister's directory. 
 
 liverance by blood, that house alone being safe on 
 which the blood of the paschal lamb was found. 
 Christians remember, in this institution, their deliver- 
 ance, and that it was accomplished only by blood. 
 Jews and Christians agree in this, that without shed- 
 ding of blood there is no remission of sin. The Jew 
 who trusted for acceptance and forgiveness without the 
 blood of atonement, and the Christian who hopes for 
 salvation without the sacrifice of Christ, are both 
 equally deluded. No man can expect to be saved in 
 any other way than on account of the obedience and 
 sufferings of Jesus Christ ; and this Sacrament is ex- 
 pressly appointed as a profession of this belief, and is 
 to Christians a most solemn and indispensable duty. 
 They are, at all times, to be animated with faith in the 
 sacrifice of Jesus, but in this ordinance they more 
 solemnly declare before men, spirits, and God, their 
 sole reliance on the perfect work of Christ, and their 
 fixed desire to become his true disciples. The celebra- 
 tion of this Sacrament is not optional, for it is binding 
 on every Christian. It was the dying command of 
 Jesus that it should be observed, and it was the anxi- 
 ous desire of his followers to observe it frequently. If 
 it be enquired, who are to observe it ? I reply, all w T ho 
 are Christians. There is no exception ; it was a gene- 
 ral and positive command. The appointment is, " Do 
 this in remembrance of me." You, then, who are 
 Christians must observe it, and you who do not observe 
 it are not Christians, and do not love him who said, 
 " If ye love me, keep my commandments." Christians 
 are not merely to keep the commandments contained 
 in the moral law, and to maintain a general principle 
 of love and obedience, but they are to observe every 
 ordinance appointed by God. Surely this command, 
 given just as our Lord was about to enter upon 
 his last sufferings, his atoning sacrifice, and which re- 
 lates to an ordinance which so manifestly expresses the 
 great doctrines of salvation, cannot be neglected by any 
 one who professes to love Jesus, and to be called by 
 his name. But it may be urged that this is an ordi- 
 
COMMtTKION SABBATH. 85 
 
 nance instituted for disciples, and therefore that none 
 who are not of the household of faith dare partake of 
 it. Xow, if this be brought forward by any man as an 
 excuse, I would have him consider that he who is not 
 of the household of faith never shall be admitted into 
 heaven, and, therefore, he professes his belief that he 
 shall not enter into that blessed place. 
 
 They who lightly esteem the Lord's Supper, and who 
 do not partake of it, either from indifference or from a 
 sense of their having no active desire to be Christians, 
 do afford convincing proof that they have no hope of 
 heaven ; not that this Sacrament is of any virtue in 
 itself, but because their state of mind is as opposite to 
 that required for heaven as it is for participating in the 
 Lord's Supper. I would wish every man seriously to 
 consider this fact, and if he be convinced that he can- 
 not safely approach the Lord's table, it is indeed time 
 that he begin a preparation. Who, then, are invited, 
 nay, commanded to celebrate this ordinance? I reply, 
 all who believe that Jesus is the Saviour of sinners ; 
 all who have faith in him as their Redeemer. But how 
 shall a man know if he have that living, active faith 
 which is distinguished from simple assent to evident 
 truth ? I answer, by its producing love ; and he will 
 know whether he love God and Christ, not only by his 
 consciousness of his own affection, but also by his 
 anxiety to serve God ; for Jesus himself hath given 
 this test, " If ye love me, keep my commandments." 
 The question, then, may be answered by every one 
 who examines his own heart and inclinations. He must 
 know whether he feel love to God, and a desire, from 
 that principle, to serve him. He may be sensible of 
 the great coldness of his affection, the truly imperfect 
 state of his service, the innumerable breaches of the 
 holy law of God. But yet, amidst all these humbling 
 circumstances, he does nevertheless feel love to God ; 
 and, however feeble it may be, he may not, without un- 
 truth, deny it, but can say, " Lord, thou knowest all 
 things ; thou knowest that I love thee." While he 
 says so, the sense of his uiiworthiiiess, and the languor 
 
86 minister's directory. 
 
 or coldness of his affection penetrate him so that he 
 almost doubts whether he hath not deceived himself by 
 a momentary impulse when he uttered that appeal ; 
 but still he does feel that he hath a spark of love, and, 
 by the grace of God, he obtains the witness of the 
 Spirit of God within him that he is not deceived ; for 
 the view he hath of his languid affections is accompanied 
 with a desire to God that it might be otherwise, and 
 his prayer, through Christ, is not unanswered, but the 
 Spirit of love himself animates, with more or less fer- 
 vour, the praying soul. 
 
 As Jesus came not into the world to call the right- 
 eous, but sinners, so his ordinances are not instituted 
 for those who are satisfied with their own goodness, 
 but for those who are sensible of their wickedness and 
 their need of a Saviour. All who desire to be saved 
 by Jesus are invited to remember him, and no wedding 
 garment is required but that of faith in his redemption. 
 All who believe in Jesus as a Saviour, and whose be- 
 lief is so sincere and active as to influence the heart, to 
 produce love, and an endeavour to obey the law of 
 God, in a dependance on the assistance and sanctifying 
 influence of his Spirit, may partake of this ordinance, 
 nay, are commanded to partake of it. 
 
 As it is an ordinance of peculiar solemnity, insti- 
 tuted under the most impressive circumstances, and, 
 with the blessing of God, of great benefit to the soul, 
 it is the duty of all to prepare for the celebration of it, 
 that they may derive the expected advantage. Now, 
 in doing so, your first and great object is to obtain a 
 just notion of the evil of sin, and its extreme hateful- 
 ness in the sight of God. You must consider that, as 
 God is infinite in holiness, so his hatred to sin must 
 also be infinite, and. consequently, great beyond the 
 power of conception to conceive. You must then exa- 
 mine your own hearts, look into them, for the purpose 
 of knowing your errors and reforming your lives. You 
 make humble and full confession of all your guilt to 
 your heavenly Father, beseeching his forgiveness 
 through Christ, and his grace to avoid sin hereafter. 
 
COMMUHIOH SABBATH. 87 
 
 It is by dwelling on the doctrines of the gospel that 
 you are filled with contrition for your sin, an earnest 
 hatred to it, and a desire to live in holiness, that you 
 see the necessity of a Redeemer, and that Jesus is the 
 Redeemer suited to your necessities. The considera- 
 tion of what he hath done, and promised to do for you, 
 fills your souls with faith, love, and hope ; and, with 
 thankful, humble hearts, you commemorate that event 
 on which you place your sole reliance. With this, you 
 join most earnest and frequent prayer for the sanctify- 
 ing and strengthening influences of the divine Spirit, 
 and in all your meditations, in all your reflections and 
 preparations, your thoughts arise to God in prayer, 
 and your expectations are from his Holy Spirit. You 
 go to the Lord's table, to acknowledge there your sin 
 and misery, your desert of punishment. You go to 
 offer your grateful thanks for the Saviour who is given 
 to you, to express your belief that you can only be 
 saved by Jesus, and that Jesus is able and willing to 
 save you from all your transgressions. You go to 
 profess your reliance on him alone, and to devote your- 
 selves solemnly to him, as his redeemed people. You 
 go to solicit his promised Spirit, and to pray for 
 strength to finish your period of probation. You go 
 as guilty creatures to beseech pardon, as weak crea- 
 tures to seek for strength, as miserable creatures to 
 obtain comfort, as dying creatures to look for immor- 
 tality. You go, in obedience to Christ's command, 
 but you go willingly, and with thankfulness. You go 
 to profess your cordial faith in, and to feel the truth of, 
 all the doctrines relating to salvation. You go to receive 
 Christ as your Saviour, to give yourselves to him as 
 willing subjects. You go to be made one in Christ, to 
 live by him, and to receive through him the Holy Spi- 
 rit, that you may obtain spiritual gifts and bear the 
 fruit of his Spirit. As Jesus, in his interesting prayer, 
 addressed the Father, saying " I in them, and thou in 
 me, that they may be made perfect in one. that they 
 also may be one in us ;" so, you go to obtain this 
 blessing through faith, and that God the Father may 
 
88 minister's directory. 
 
 love you as children, seeing you are united to Christ 
 who prayed for this paternal love, " that the love 
 wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I 
 in them." All these blessings you go to the Lord's 
 table to partake of, not that you receive them there 
 for the first time, or that you receive them on account 
 of any virtue in the Sacrament itself, but you have 
 them there renewed to you, and have your faith in- 
 creased, and your love exalted, by the blessing of God 
 upon an ordinance which so immediately represents 
 the grand and sole foundation of all your hopes — the 
 death of Jesus Christ. You who partake of this or- 
 dinance without reverence, without faith and love — 
 you who are ignorant of the doctrines of the Gospel, 
 and w 7 hose life is not influenced by its principles — you 
 who receive not Jesus as your only Saviour, and give 
 not yourselves to him as his faithful, loving, and obe- 
 dient subjects — eateth and drinketh unworthily, not 
 discerning the Lord's body, and bringeth judgment 
 instead of blessing on yourselves. You walk not in the 
 Spirit, you fulfil the lust of the flesh, and are thus de- 
 scribed in Galatians, 5th chapter, 9th, 20th, 21st verses. 
 Let those who desire communion with God pray ear- 
 nestly for the Spirit of Christ, that they may see their 
 guilt, and form just notions of the danger of sin, of the 
 way of life, and of the superiority of eternity over time. 
 Abstain from sin, abound in duty, and glorify God in 
 all you do. Study so to live as to adorn the doctrine 
 of God your Saviour. 
 
 You are now to renew your vow r s and obligations to 
 be the Lord's, and to walk in his ways all the days of 
 your life. See that you enter into them with an en- 
 tire dependence upon his strength ; and ! remember 
 them afterwards to carry them into execution. Live 
 in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit, and those who do 
 so live and walk are pointed out in Galatians, 5th 
 chapter, 22d, 23d, and 24th verses. Walk as children 
 of the light and of the day. i; Take the cup of salva- 
 tion and pay your vows to your Hedeemer, in the pre- 
 sence of his people." Amen. 
 
COMMUOTOS SABBATH. 89 
 
 CONSECRATION PRAYEll. 
 
 Lord God, we would desire to approach into thy 
 sacred presence, and to offer up our thanksgiving and 
 our praise unto thee for the numberless blessings which 
 we enjoy. Thy goodness, O Lord, is so unbounded, 
 thy Providence soMnd, and thy grace so conspicuously 
 displayed in all thy dealings towards us, that it is im- 
 possible that we can ever discharge the obligations we 
 are under to thee our God. 
 
 We bless thee, Lord, that thou didst in infinite 
 wisdom and boundless mercy provide a remedy — an all- 
 sufficient Saviour for us, Jesus Christ the righteous. 
 Through him we desire to come unto thee ; in him we 
 desire to be found. His merit is our only plea ; his 
 righteousness our only ground of hope and confidence. 
 
 We give thee thanks, most gracious God, that thou 
 hast appointed certain ordinances in thy church, by 
 means of which the benefits of Christ's redemption are 
 communicated. 
 
 We thank thee that Christ Jesus, thy Son our Lord, 
 hath instituted the holy Sacrament of the Supper, to 
 be a commemoration of his infinite love in condescend- 
 ing to take our nature upon him, and to suffer death 
 upon the cross, in order to make expiation for our sins; 
 and that he has commanded us in his Word to do this 
 in remembrance of him. We, Lord, who are un- 
 worthy of thy regards, desire, in obedience to thy com- 
 mand, and in confidence of thy great goodness and 
 mercy, to approach thy holy table, confessing ourselves 
 unworthy to partake of this feast, which thou hast pre- 
 pared for thy faithful and obedient servants. 
 
 But do thou, most merciful Father, who hast com- 
 passion on all men, and despisest nothing which thou 
 hast made, pardon, we humbly beseech thee, for the 
 sake of Jesus Christ thy Son, all those sins that have 
 rendered us unworthy, and let thy infinite goodness and 
 mercy supply all our wants, and fit our souls for a de- 
 vout and worthy receiving of this blessed Sacrament. 
 
90 minister's directory. 
 
 Banish from us, we beseech thee, all vain and worldly 
 thoughts, and fill us with those holy dispositions which 
 become thy presence, and those that wait on thee. 
 
 Grant, O gracious Father, that by partaking of these 
 outward and visible signs, the symbols of the body and 
 blood of Christ, we may receive that inward and spiri- 
 tual grace which will sanctify our souls, and strengthen 
 our feeble resolutions, and enable us to triumph over 
 the world, the flesh, and the devil. Root out of our 
 hearts whatever is offensive to thy pure eyes ; and 
 endue us with all those heavenly graces which are 
 pleasing in thy sight, and which thou wilt eternally 
 reward. 
 
 Clothe us, God, with the wedding garment, and 
 make us, though of ourselves most unworthy, yet by 
 thy mercy and grace acceptable, guests at thy holy table, 
 that through the blood shed upon the cross, we may be 
 cleansed from all our sins. We pray for thy blessing on 
 the symbols of bread and wine which by thy command we 
 do now employ to represent the body and blood of our 
 Lord, that the bread which is broken may be to us the 
 communion of the body of Christ, and the wine which 
 is poured out may be to us the communion of the blood 
 of Christ, that so in partaking of these outward ele- 
 ments we may have our faith strengthened, our holy 
 purposes confirmed, our love to God and charity to 
 men more and more increased, and our right and title 
 to life eternal sealed and applied to our souls. 
 
 O may those arms of Christ that were once stretched 
 upon the cross, be now open to receive us to thy mercy. 
 Send us not away empty from thy presence, but feed us 
 with the bread of life, and may our souls thereby be 
 strengthened and refreshed, and be so filled with thy 
 grace, that they may never more become the seat of 
 vanity and folly, but be the constant abode of thy eter- 
 nal and ever-blessed Spirit. Be thou the only object 
 of our love, the only spring of our desires, the constant 
 food and nourishment of our souls in this life, and their 
 eternal reward and happiness in that which is to come. 
 
 Hear our prayers, O Lord, and accept of our spiritual 
 
COMMUNION SABBATH. 91 
 
 sacrifices, through the merits of our once crucified and 
 now exalted Redeemer ; and we shall ascribe glory to 
 the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, now and 
 evermore. Amen. 
 
 COMMUNION-TABLE ADDRESSES. 
 The Minister then, still standing in the same place, 
 
 addresses those seated at the table, and about to 
 
 communicate, in terms to the following effect : — 
 Table I. 
 
 Intending communicants, having now read our war- 
 rant for the celebration of this solemn ordinance, and, 
 after our Redeemer's example, having given thanks, 
 and prayed for a blessing, I proceed to put into your 
 hands the symbols of your Saviour's body broken and 
 his blood shed for you ; the gift of himself and all his 
 blessings to worthy communicants. 
 
 The Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was be- 
 trayed, took bread ; and when he had given thanks, as 
 has been done in his name, he brake it, and said, "Take, 
 eat ; [here the Minister breaks, and gives the bread to 
 the communicants] this is my body which is broken for 
 you ; this do in remembrance of me." 
 
 [Having paused for a little, he adds — ] 
 After the same manner, also, he took the cup, when he 
 had supped, saying, " This cup is the New Testament 
 in my blood, shed for the remission of the sins of many ; 
 drink ye all of it. [Here the Minister gives the cup to 
 communicants.] For as often as ye eat of this bread, 
 and drink of this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till 
 he come." 
 
 Or they may be addressed to the following effect, 
 before distributing the elements. Sometimes the one 
 form is adopted, and sometimes the other : — 
 Table I. 
 
 11 Behold what manner of love the Father hath be- 
 stowed upon you, that you should be called the sons 
 
92 MINISTER'S DlJt£C90RY. 
 
 of God." To be called the sons of God is to enjoy all 
 the rights and advantages belonging to that high and 
 honourable designation and endearing relationship. 
 But how do you acquire this glorious title ? What 
 right have you sinful mortals to regard yourselves as 
 the children of God, and to lay claim to the preroga- 
 tives belonging to that name ? For this you are in- 
 debted to the love of God ; you obtain it not by nature, 
 but by grace ; it is by your adoption into the peculiar 
 family of God, by a new birth, which God produces in 
 all the objects of his redeeming love. As many as re- 
 ceived him, to them gave he power to become the sons 
 of God, even to them that believe on his name. And, 
 says the Apostle to the Galatians, " But when the ful- 
 ness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made 
 of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that 
 were under the law, that you might receive the adop- 
 tion of sons." Why did he leave the abodes of glory 
 and become man ? Why did he assume the form of a 
 servant ? Why did he humble himself unto the death ? 
 But from a principle of love. It was sinners doomed to 
 condemnation and death that he came to seek and to 
 save, to heal, to purify, to deliver, and to sanctify. 
 He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to re- 
 pentance. 
 
 The mystery of redemption exhibited to your view 
 in the holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, is a sub- 
 ject of admiration to the angels of light. That which 
 was a stumbling block to the Jews, and foolishness to 
 the Greeks, appears to the eye of faith, in the holy ordi- 
 nance of the Supper, to be the power of God, and the 
 wisdom of God. There the cross of Christ, or the ex- 
 piation of sin made, appears to be the chief work of 
 the Divine perfections. In the death of Christ you 
 behold Divine Justice securing all its rights ; holiness 
 manifesting its abhorrence of sin ; mercy and love shin- 
 ing in a brightness till then unknown, and offering the 
 most effectual consolations to souls oppressed with a 
 sense of guilt. In the death of Christ you behold sin 
 punished, and the sinner saved ; the law magnified, 
 
COMMUNION SABBATH. 93 
 
 and grace freely manifested ; you see heaven and earth 
 reunited ; man entering into favour with God, and God 
 bestowing the most precious gifts upon man. Lively as 
 are the narrations of Christ's sufferings which are given 
 us in the gospels, still they are only very imperfect im- 
 ages of what he endured. Transport yourselves in 
 your thoughts to Mount Calvary, and behold the Son of 
 God, the messenger of his Father's mercy to the human 
 race, suspended on a cross, a crown of thorns upon his 
 head, and his hands and feet pierced with cruel nails. 
 In the midst of those torments his love shone forth. 
 Are not these objects, communicants, worthy of the 
 highest admiration ? When you contemplate in the 
 holy Sacrament those great and transporting truths, 
 have you not good reason to exclaim with the Apostle 
 Paul, " O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom 
 and the goodness of God ! " 
 
 Jesus Christ comes to you when he invites you to a 
 communion table. He then stands at the door of your 
 hearts and knocks, entreating you to open, that he may 
 enter in, and make you partakers of all spiritual bless- 
 ings ; that he may more entirely subdue your unbelief, 
 strengthen your faith, and give you new tokens of his 
 love. A benefactor coming on such a gracious errand, 
 ought surely to meet with a ready and welcome recep- 
 tion. Come to a communion table under a lively 
 sense of your spiritual miseries and wants, bewailing 
 and lamenting them — saying unto Jesus Christ, I am 
 not worthy of the least of all thy mercies. Come 
 hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and ye 
 shall be filled. Christ filleth the hungry with good 
 things, but the rich he sendeth empty away. Come 
 with hearts overflowing with sincere gratitude to the 
 Saviour for the eternal blessings he hath purchased for 
 you, which he freely offers to your acceptance, and 
 which he is ready to seal to you by his Spirit. And 
 what is it, communicants, to love Jesus Christ, but to 
 feel your absolute need of his grace, and to regard 
 him as your supreme God — to be perfectly convinced 
 that you can do nothing, and are nothing without him 
 
94 minister's directory. 
 
 — nothing in nature, nothing in society, nothing in 
 grace. It is not merely from a principle of gratitude 
 and love to Christ that you ought to communicate, but 
 in obedience to his positive command, and with a view 
 to your own spiritual and eternal interest. 
 
 Now, there is no means more proper for increasing 
 and establishing your faith than the holy ordinance of 
 the Lord's Supper, which was instituted by Jesus 
 Christ himself for that special purpose. In that ordi- 
 nance are exhibited, to your external senses, his suffer- 
 ings and death for the redemption of your souls. 
 These things are represented by the bread and wine 
 made use of in this sacrament by divine appointment. 
 By these symbols thelabours of Christ's love are, in some 
 sort, rendered visible to your eyes. A communion 
 table is a striking monument of the truth of his mis- 
 sion in the character of Redeemer of the world. The 
 bread and wine thereat distributed, are solemn pledges 
 that it is for you he suffered and died. In partaking 
 of the communion he says to you, "This is my body 
 which is broken for you, take and eat; this is my 
 blood shed for the remission of your sins, drink ye all 
 of it. Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood 
 hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last 
 day." So excellently fitted is the holy ordinance of the 
 Supper to recall to your remembrance the wondrous 
 things that Christ did for you, and to dissipate all 
 your fears, and doubts, and distrust ; and thus it 
 clearly manifests the wisdom and goodness of its 
 Divine Institutor, and gives you, when you worthily 
 partake of it, ground to address him this language — 
 " Lord, it is good for us to be here." 
 
 " The Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was 
 betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks," 
 as his servant has already done in his name, " he 
 brake it, and gave it to his disciples," as I give this 
 bread to you, and to you, and to you all, and said, 
 " Take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you ; 
 this do in remembrance of me." 
 
 " After the same manner also he took the cup when 
 
I OMMTTinOH SABBATH. 95 
 
 he had supped, and gave it to his disciples." as I give 
 this cup to you, saying " This cup is the New Testa- 
 ment in my blood, shed for the remission of the sins 
 of many ; drink ye all of it. For as often as ye eat 
 this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's 
 death till he come" again. 
 
 The elements are now carried round by the elders in 
 silence, and put into the hands of each communicant. 
 The minister sits till this is finished. 
 
 Then he rises and resumes his address : — 
 
 Christ is graciously present with his own children, 
 when planted around the sacred table which he hath 
 covered with the bread of life — with those who, in obe- 
 dience to his dying command, publicly acknowledge the 
 infinite value and efficiency of his death. What service 
 can you perform, what worship can you render to Jesus 
 Christ, more pleasing and acceptable than a sincere, and 
 open, and unreserved dedication of yourselves to his 
 honour and glory ? There is no gospel ordinance which 
 God more remarkably accompanies with the gifts of his 
 Spirit than the holy Sacrament of the Supper. 
 
 Will a merciful God refuse to bestow upon his people 
 that grace which they supplicate in faith and in fervour 
 of spirit, over the sacred symbols of Christ's broken 
 body and shed blood ? 
 
 Communicants, if ever the lively exercise of faith is 
 necessary and profitable unto you, it is in partaking of 
 the holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. Your offer- 
 ing at God's altar is vain, if you are not intimately con- 
 vinced of the great truths of that religion whereof the 
 death of Christ is the seal, and which you solemnly and 
 publicly profess to believe every time you approach to 
 a communion table. But faith is also necessary in a 
 more particular meaning of the word, as it implies a 
 hearty persuasion of the great and consoling doctrine, 
 that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, 
 and that his blood cleanseth from all sin, even from 
 the deepest stains of guilt. Faith is necessary in the 
 
96 minister's directory. 
 
 holy Sacrament, in order to enable you to make a per- 
 sonal application of what, in a more general view, you 
 ought to consider as offered to all. I behold Jesus, 
 the true Lamb of God, dying to take away the sins of 
 the world. I am ardently desirous that he should take 
 away my sin in particular. I come to him with this 
 view, fully persuaded that he can make me clean, and 
 believing that he will do so, if I seek him with proper 
 dispositions of heart. I pray him to bestow upon 
 me the dispositions that are needful, humbly trusting 
 that he will not withhold them. By faith I pierce 
 through those veils of bread and wine, which, in 
 some manner, hide my Saviour, or at least, repre- 
 sent him to me in a state of weakness and infirmity. 
 I rise to the heavens, and contemplate Jesus seated 
 there, at the right hand of God, making interces- 
 sion for his faithful servants which are upon earth. 
 In that state of glory I cry to him from the depths 
 of my misery, saying unto him, " My Lord and my 
 God." My Lord whom I am bound to serve, and to 
 whom at this moment I make vows of constant and un- 
 reserved obedience ; but, my God, who alone can par- 
 don my sins, subdue my corruption, make me triumph 
 over death, and at last receive me into glory in the 
 kingdom of eternity. Are these your sentiments and 
 dispositions while seated at a communion table ? Are 
 you animated with love to Christ, and inviolable re- 
 solutions of adherence to him ? And what can tend 
 so effectually to kindle your feeble spark of love into a 
 bright flame as the contemplation of that great miracle 
 of love, Jesus bearing your sins in his own body on the 
 accursed tree ? Such an object presented to the eyes 
 of your body and mind should inspire you with some- 
 thing more lively and heavenly than what you ordin- 
 arily experience. Say to Christ, with the apostle 
 Peter, " Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest 
 that we love thee." Remember, however, that the 
 protestations of love which you make to Christ at a 
 communion table must be accompanied with firm and 
 insuperable resolutions of adherence to him in the face 
 
COMMUNION SABBATH. 97 
 
 of every danger and difficulty. See that ye " walk 
 worthy of your calling," that ye " adorn the doctrine of 
 God your Saviour in all things." Remember how soon 
 the pure gold may become dim, and the most fine gold 
 become changed. See that your light is ever bright 
 and shining before men. Now that Christ hath made 
 you free, see that ye be not entangled again with the 
 yoke of bondage. Sit loose to all the cares, and all the 
 pleasures, and all the things of this life. Be frequently 
 at the throne of grace. When oppressed with trouble 
 you should look forward with faith and hope to that 
 blessed place, where you shall be freed from all your 
 afflictions, where your souls shall enjoy undisturbed 
 rest and peace, and where sorrow and misery and death 
 shall be eternal strangers. When you are once landed 
 in the pure regions of immortality, what a comfort will 
 it be for you to stand on the shore and look back on 
 those rough and dangerous seas which you have escaped. 
 How pleasant to remember your past labours and suf- 
 ferings, and to experience that you are beyond the 
 reach of those temptations which were wont to assail 
 you with so much violence and success ! What a blessed 
 estate ! what a glorious portion ! Can you say it " re- 
 maineth" for you, that when these heavens and this 
 earth shall all pass away, you, with all the glorified 
 yonder, shall serve the Lord without wearying, and 
 without fainting, without faltering, for ever ? 
 
 Go now from the table of the Lord, and may the 
 God of love and peace be with you. Amen. 
 
 Let us sing to the praise of God, in 
 
 Psalm CIII— 1, 2. 
 
 While this psalm is singing, the first communicants 
 retire from the table, and it is filled by others. The 
 presiding minister leaves his place at the table. He 
 then takes his seat at the table as one of the next por- 
 tion of communicants, and, after he has communicated, 
 returns to the pulpit, where he presides until the ser- 
 vice is finished. He is succeeded in the meantime by 
 
 G 
 
98 minister's directory. 
 
 another clergyman, who addresses the next portion of 
 the congregation that comes forward. The same thing 
 is done by him, or others who may be present as 
 assistants, till all have communicated in succession. 
 
 Table II. 
 
 The incarnation of the Son of God is the most won- 
 derful of all the events of which we have any know- 
 ledge, and it is the most deeply connected with our 
 welfare. The world passes it by in unbelief, or as if it 
 were of no importance ; but no true christian can look 
 at the fact, that the Son of God became incarnate, but 
 with the deepest emotion. That the First-begotten of 
 the Father, the Heir of all things, by wrhom all worlds 
 were created, and by the word of whose power all 
 things are upheld — who is the effulgency of the Divine 
 glory, and the manifestation of the Divine perfections 
 — should by himself purge our sins, is a mystery of 
 love which exceeds and overwhelms all our admiration, 
 praise, and gratitude. 
 
 No sooner had Adam fallen into sin, than our Lord 
 was announced in obscure but emphatical terms, as 
 he who was to bruise the head of the serpent; he 
 was announced as the mediator of a new covenant, 
 a covenant of grace. Notified to all following gene- 
 rations, all the dispensations of Providence prepared 
 the world for his appearance. After him the pa- 
 triarchs sighed. It was in preparation for his ar- 
 rival that the Levitical economy consisted. Its sha- 
 dows exhibited him, its victims prefigured him, and 
 its prophets opened the mouth only to celebrate him. 
 One fixed the time in which he was to be born, another 
 marked out the place of his birth ; one spoke of his 
 family, and others of his humiliations and sufferings ; 
 one foretold the prodigies of his ministry, another the 
 glory of his reign; one expressed the end of his mis- 
 sion, another spoke of the unworthy treatment he was 
 to meet with from perverse and blinded men. They 
 accumulated emblems the most varied and exalted. 
 
COMMUNION SABBATH. 99 
 
 in order to give some faint idea of his majesty. In 
 their mouth he was the witness of the people, the 
 leader and commander of the people. He was the right 
 hand of the Most High, the lion of the tribe of Judah, 
 the King of kings, strong and mighty in battle. He 
 was the Redeemer, the light, the consolation, the holy 
 one of Israel. He was the star of Jacob, the dew of 
 heaven, the hidden manna, the branch. He was the 
 fairest of the children of men, the spouse of the Church, 
 the ruler whose empire was to extend from sea to sea. 
 He was the angel of the covenant, the angel of the Divine 
 presence, the desire of all nations — in one word, he was 
 " The Wonderful, the Counsellor, the Mighty God, the 
 Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace," of the increase 
 of whose government and peace there was to be no end. 
 At length that memorable day arrived when the Lord 
 was born in the city of David. Many wonderful 
 events signalized his coming. When the great mys- 
 tery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh, was ac- 
 complished at Bethlehem, in its vicinity shepherds 
 were watching their flocks by night. An angel of the 
 Lord, the bringer of good tidings, appeared to them, 
 and a celestial light shone around them. They were 
 seized with sudden terror; but the angel said, "Fear not, 
 for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which 
 shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in 
 the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." 
 At the hearing of these wonderful names, a numerous 
 host of angels made the air resound with solemn ac- 
 clamations and hymns of praise. " Glory to God in 
 the highest, and on earth peace and good-will towards 
 men." But all these things, though strange and 
 astonishing, must strike a christian mind less than the 
 manger in which our Lord was laid, than the swad- 
 dling bands in which he was wrapt, than that abject 
 poverty and meanness in which he was born. Those 
 clouds hide his glory from the eyes of carnal men, but 
 they cannot hinder one whose eyes are opened to dis- 
 cern spiritual things, from seeing treasures of wisdom, 
 of mercy, and of love. Jesus Christ was born in poverty, 
 
100 minister's directory. 
 
 because he came to degrade in your eyes all the show, 
 and pomp, and parade of this world. He was born in 
 meanness, because he was sent to humble and confound 
 human pride, to correct your florid ideas of this world, 
 to remove your weaknesses, and to cure your errors. 
 He was born in sorrows, because he came to expiate 
 your sins, and to teach you to endure trials and tribu- 
 lations. Good reason had an apostle to say, " That it 
 became him for whom are all things, and by whom are 
 all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the 
 Captain of their salvation perfect through suffering." 
 The ways of God are not your ways, neither are his 
 thoughts your thoughts. It is by this sign that dis- 
 appoints and confounds all the plans of human wisdom 
 and vanity, that you recognise him whose name is 
 Wonderful. It is Jesus Christ despised and rejected 
 by men whom he came to instruct and to save ; it is 
 Jesus Christ expiring on a cross in the midst of a 
 malicious and impious people, but perfectly resigned 
 and obedient to the will of his Father — Jesus the 
 Lamb of God, who opened not his mouth when 
 bearing the inconceivable punishment which was due 
 to the sins of all the redeemed. In the garden of 
 Gethsemane he was troubled and sore afraid at the 
 sight of the bitter cup which was given him to drink, 
 but he calmly submitted to the will of the Father, 
 saying — " Not as I will, but as thou wilt." Betrayed 
 by one of his own disciples, bound in fetters, conducted 
 before unjust judges, smitten on the face by a rude 
 soldier, delivered up to the fury of his enemies, covered 
 with wounds, nailed to the cross amidst the impreca- 
 tions of a blind and unrelenting people — nothing was 
 capable of shaking his patience, or of weakening his 
 love. These things which we have mentioned are some 
 of Christ's outward sufferings, but who can conceive or 
 express the inward woes which he endured when offer- 
 ing himself a sacrifice for your sins ? Men may paint 
 Christ's outward sufferings, but not the inward excel- 
 lency from which their virtue flowed ; we may paint 
 the outward appearance of his sorrows, but not the in- 
 
COMMUNIOX SABBATH. 101 
 
 ward bitterness, or invisible causes of them ; men can 
 paint the cursed tree, but not the curse of the law that 
 made it such ; men can paint Christ bearing the cross 
 to Calvary, but not Christ bearing the sins of many ; 
 we may describe the nails piercing his sacred flesh, but 
 who can describe eternal justice piercing both flesh and 
 spirit ; we may describe the soldier's spear, but not the 
 arrows of the Almighty ; the cup of vinegar which he 
 but tasted, but not the cup of wrath which he drank to 
 the lowest dregs ; the derision of the Jews, but not the 
 desertion of the Almighty God forsaking his son, that 
 he might never forsake you who were his enemies ; we 
 may describe the blood issuing from his body, but not 
 the waters of life streaming from the same source, 
 oceans of spiritual and eternal blessings ; we may re- 
 present that blood covering his own body, but not how 
 it sprinkles the souls of others, yea sprinkles many 
 nations ; we may paint the crown of thorns he wore, 
 but not the crown of glory which he purchased. 
 Happy, happy, were it for you if your faith had as 
 lively views of a dying Saviour, as your imaginations 
 often have of incomparably less important objects. In 
 dying Christ broke the power of sin and the sting of 
 death, which he laid at his feet as so many monuments 
 of his victory. In dying he ceased not to pray for his 
 murderers — ; ' Father forgive them, for they know not 
 what they do." By shedding his blood, he made the 
 sword of Divine justice return into its sheath — he 
 established peace both in heaven and upon earth — he 
 hath made you kings and priests unto God and his 
 Father. 
 
 " The Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was 
 betrayed, took bread," &c. 
 
 The robe with which, I trust, every one here is 
 clothed, is a robe of righteousness ; the bread that is 
 here broken to you, is the bread of that peace which 
 passeth all understanding ; the cup of blessing of 
 which you here partake, is a portion which no one 
 taketh from you ; the air which is breathed here, is the 
 air of paradise ; the incense of prayer and intercession 
 
102 minister's directory. 
 
 kindled here, ascend as a sweet savour to the Lord ; 
 the songs which resound here, have for their burden — 
 " I have obtained mercy." Look by faith to the cross of 
 Christ. Here your souls will assuredly find sweet re- 
 freshment from Christ's acceptable offering to God. 
 " He is a hiding place from the storm, a covert from 
 the tempest, a shadow from the heat, as rivers of 
 water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in 
 a weary land." At the sight of the cross you will no 
 longer think of complaining of the greatness of your 
 sufferings, for here you behold sufferings in comparison 
 with which yours must be accounted a light affliction 
 which is but for a moment — here the righteous one 
 suffers for you, the just for the unjust. In the view 
 of the cross, you will soon forget your distresses — for 
 the love of God in Christ Jesus, to you poor sinners, 
 will absorb all your thoughts. Under the cross you 
 are prevented from supposing that some strange thing 
 is happening unto you — the disciple is not above his 
 master, nor the servant above his Lord ; and as the 
 kingdom has been bestowed upon the head, so will it 
 also be upon the members. At the foot of the cross 
 you are preserved from impatience ; for you cannot but 
 rejoice exceedingly that what you are enduring is only 
 a temporal suffering, and not the curse which fell so 
 dreadfully upon your surety. At the foot of the 
 cross your grief will soon be lost in that joy and 
 peace of God, which drop from this tree of life into 
 the ground of your hearts ; and the foretaste you 
 will here obtain of heaven will sweeten the troubles 
 of this life as with the breath of the morning, and 
 before you are aware, will bring over you the feelings 
 of a heavenly repose ; yea, the cross itself will be 
 transformed into such a medium between heaven and 
 earth, that the most comforting thoughts shall descend 
 into your souls, and the most grateful thoughts shall 
 ascend from your souls to heaven, like those angels of 
 God seen in a vision on the plains of Bethel by the 
 solitary and benighted patriarch Jacob. While you 
 dwell in this land of darkness and of discipline, you 
 
COMMUNION SABBATH. 103 
 
 should make it your main business to secure an 
 entrance into those happy mansions of immortality, 
 where all the holy desires of your hearts will be fully 
 accomplished, where your resolutions will be no more 
 subject to change, and where, in one word, you will be 
 rendered perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. 
 May you all, animated by these glorious hopes, give 
 evidence that you are born of God, and that his seed 
 remaineth in you, preserving you from sin, and pro- 
 ducing the peaceable and salutary fruits of righteous- 
 ness which are by Jesus Christ, to the praise and 
 glory of God. Go in peace, and may the God of 
 peace and of love be with you. Amen. 
 
 The communicants now retire from the table as be- 
 fore, and their places are filled by others. While the 
 change is making, the congregation sing the next por- 
 tion of the 103d Psalm, 3 — 5 verses. 
 
 Table III. 
 
 The solemn ordinance which you are this day met to 
 celebrate, is designed to recall to your remembrance 
 an instance of the purest and most unmerited love that 
 was ever manifested to the universe. " Greater love 
 hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for 
 his friends," said he, whom this religious ordinance has 
 for its object. The greatest proof of affection that men 
 can give, is to sacrifice their life one for another. This 
 is the height of the most heroic friendship. If such 
 instances of love have ever been seen in the world (for 
 it is uncertain whether those that are alleged belong to 
 history or fable) when men believed that these had hap- 
 pened, they have celebrated them with transports of 
 joy. Admiration of those who gave them warmed 
 every breast, and their names have been enrolled in 
 the annals of fame. Here we see much more than this, 
 a Saviour sacrificing his life for the redemption of a 
 rebellious and ruined world, a world which knew him 
 not ; nay more, a world which rejected him, which 
 
104 MINISTER'S DIRECTORY. 
 
 hated him, which furiously persecuted him. Can you 
 think of such love without astonishment ? Is it not 
 worthy to be held in everlasting remembrance ? Surely 
 the recollection of it ought to be precious to those who 
 are personally concerned in it. You, communicants, 
 are the objects of that unparalleled love ; you form a 
 part of that corrupt and miserable world which the 
 Son of God came to save ; and it is that death which 
 he endured for you, which a communion table is de- 
 signed to represent to your affectionate and believing 
 regards. There is exhibited to the eye of faith, yes, even 
 to the eyes of sense, your gracious Redeemer delivered 
 into the hands of wicked men, suffering the most igno- 
 minious and cruel punishment, expiring under unknown 
 torments for your everlasting salvation ; for you he 
 became flesh, for you he lived, for you he died ; all his 
 wounds were inflicted for your iniquities. Must it not 
 be delightful for you, who look for salvation through 
 him alone, to recall to your remembrance this most 
 consoling of all events. 
 
 Taking the Apostle Paul for your guide, who, in his 
 Epistle to the Romans, represents to you your Saviour's 
 death in the most interesting view, as the most solid, 
 the only foundation of your hopes of happiness through 
 eternity, you should approach a communion table, say- 
 ing with humble confidence, " The Lord is my light and 
 my salvation ; whom shall I fear ? the Lord is the 
 strength of my life ; of whom shall I be afraid ? " 
 
 To you he now proffers all the blessings of his media- 
 tion ; the forgiveness of sin, the renovation of the soul, 
 the guidance, the support, and the consolations of his 
 own Spirit, and an interest in his everlasting love. 
 
 Reject him and you are poor, and wretched, and 
 miserable, and blind, and naked, and in want of all 
 things. Receive him, and all things are yours. What 
 is wanted is the bending of the human will, the winning 
 of the human heart. In the cross of Christ you see 
 every thing that can satisfy the understanding, or 
 attract the feelings. In that cross you see that sin is 
 so evil, that it must be condemned by God, and you see 
 
COMMUNION SABBATH. 105 
 
 that God is so good, that the sinner must be welcomed 
 by him if he comes in the name of Jesus. In that cross 
 you see that God commends his love to mankind by 
 every attribute which love, the love of God, ought to 
 possess — a love in which there is nothing feeble, no- 
 thing foolish, nothing changeable ; a love worthy of 
 God. Coming to that cross, you see in your master, 
 Jesus Christ, a kindness, a holiness, and a purity be- 
 yond all praise. Those who believe that cross, turn 
 from sin. It secures, more than anything else, that the 
 servants of God should serve him ; It makes them serve 
 him, as they ought to do, lovingly, and not in dread. 
 It gives to the poor heart-broken sinner consolation ; 
 it creates hope in those who are despairing ; it gives 
 energy to those who are sank in conscious impotence; 
 and thus it has every provision which a divinely ap- 
 pointed and divinely invented remedy should have for 
 the woes and the wickedness of mankind. Why do you 
 love God ? Why do you serve the Redeemer ? This 
 is through the influence of his cross in your hearts. 
 You have seen the free and great salvation wrought 
 out by that cross; you have seen what a High Priest 
 he is to your souls through the blood of that cross. It 
 is that cross which has brought you to be the disciples 
 of Jesus Christ. You know the power of the cross. If 
 any man could doubt it for a moment, let him look at 
 himself. Why is he rescued ? Why is he a follower of 
 Jesus Christ ? It is because the cross has conquered 
 him. And what it has done for him, it can do for all. 
 Is not this a strong consolation, a real and sure sup- 
 port, a certain and abiding trust ? Well may you, then, 
 trust in the name of the Lord ! And as you are now to 
 receive at the table of the Lord the emblems of his 
 broken body and precious blood, may you at the same 
 time feed in your hearts by faith with thanksgiving on 
 Christ the Bread of life who came down from heaven, 
 and possess a joy which the world knoweth not of. 
 
 "The Lord Jesus the same night on which he was be- 
 <l, took bread," &c. 
 
 What gratitude do you not owe, not only to the Re. 
 
106 minister's directory. 
 
 deeraer by whom your salvation was purchased, but to 
 that Holy Spirit by whom it is applied ! How grate- 
 ful should you be for the Spirit's grace in uniting you 
 to Christ ! How rich and noble are the privileges of 
 God's children ! God writes upon them his new name 
 — a name of endearing affection, and of the highest 
 honour. All who become the children of God are born 
 not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will 
 of^man, but of God. You who are the sons of God 
 are admitted to the rights and privileges of children. 
 You have liberty of access to him in prayer, and all 
 gospel ordinances, and have your requests graciously 
 heard and answered. And can you sufficiently admire 
 this unexampled love of God towards you ? On what- 
 ever side you view it, it passeth all understanding. 
 Whether you consider the greatness and majesty of 
 God who adopts you, the meanness and unworthiness 
 of those whom he hath chosen, the blessed change 
 that this adoption makes in your condition, the 
 obstacles that lay in the way of your being raised to 
 the dignity of God's children, or the price which it cost 
 to obtain it for you, you will see abundant matter of 
 astonishment and admiration, and the greatest reason 
 to exclaim with the Psalmist, " Many, Lord, my God, 
 are thy wonderful works, which thou hast done, and thy 
 thoughts which are to us-ward : they cannot be reckoned 
 up in order unto thee ; if I would declare and speak 
 of them, they are more than can be numbered ! " 
 
 Now, what was God's end in making you his chil- 
 dren by regeneration and adoption? Without doubt, not 
 merely to give you occasion to admire and celebrate his 
 goodness and love — this is the least that you ought to 
 do — but it was to render you holy, to transform you 
 into his own image, to attach you to his service and 
 obedience, by ties more strong and sacred than those 
 of nature, and to engage you to fear, and love, and 
 honour him as children ought to do a father. This is 
 God's end and design in bringing you into a new and 
 nearer relation with himself. This the Holy Scriptures 
 everywhere teach you, " As he who hath called you is 
 
COMMUNION SABBATH. 107 
 
 holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation." He 
 hath adopted you in Christ, that you should be holy 
 and without blame before him in love. For this reason, 
 your communion with God through Jesus Christ is re- 
 presented to you as a motive to sanctification, and an 
 obligation unto good works. " If we say that we have 
 fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and 
 do not the truth. He that saith he abideth in him, 
 ought himself so to walk even as Jesus Christ walked." 
 Now, to contemplate the adopting love of God in a 
 suitable manner, you must enter into its great design, 
 and use vigorous and constant efforts to concur with 
 its holy and glorious ends ; you must abandon sin in 
 all its forms, and practise holiness in all its branches. 
 God commands all his children to live suitable to their 
 high and heavenly origin — to their exalted and eternal 
 hopes. 
 
 Consider this love of God, with a view of resignation 
 to his will, in the greatest extremities. The first fol- 
 lowers of Jesus Christ were exposed to the severest 
 trials, were hated, and despised, and persecuted for the 
 sake of Christ. If you are not called to endure such 
 trials as they experienced, yet you have all your crosses 
 and tribulations. This life is subject to innumerable 
 evils ; the most elevated and fortunate of the sons of 
 men are exposed to calamities and afflictions ; death 
 often makes sudden and unexpected breaches in fami- 
 lies, which make them weep and mourn. In such 
 situations, in the midst of all those evils that surround 
 you, he who could teach you the secret, not only of be- 
 ing resigned to the will of Providence, but of being 
 calm and content, would teach you a science which you 
 could never sufficiently esteem and cultivate. This 
 science is not so difficult to acquire as some men think. 
 In order to this, you have only to be well acquainted 
 with yourselves, to consider with more attention than 
 you do that great love of God, that glorious prerogative 
 of the sons of God with which he hath honoured you. 
 Would you wish to possess something that will enable 
 you to bid defiance to the world, and to support the 
 
108 minister's directory. 
 
 losses and afflictions which you may be called to 
 suffer ? Learn to know yourselves, to know the 
 excellence of your origin, the glory of your con- 
 dition, and the eternity of your existence. Learn 
 to judge of yourselves, not by the relations you 
 have with the world and society, but by the relation 
 you have with God and Jesus Christ ; not by the em- 
 ployments, and riches, and titles you possess, but by 
 the great and exalted hopes which religion sets before 
 you ; not by the short time you have to live on earth, 
 but by the infinite revolutions of ages which you are 
 destined to pass in heaven ; not by those amusements 
 and pleasures which you enjoy in the society of your 
 acquaintance, and friends, and children, but by the 
 eternal joys which are prepared for you in the presence 
 of God and Christ, and in the company of saints and 
 angels. It was this that supported Abraham when he 
 was called to offer up his son Isaac in sacrifice to God. 
 It was this that supported David in the trying ex- 
 tremities to which he was reduced. It was this that 
 supported Job in the most afflicting circumstances in 
 which a mere man was ever placed. It was this that 
 supported the first Christians in the most cruel and 
 bloody persecutions. Beloved, consider what manner 
 of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we 
 should be called the sons of God ! With this truth 
 properly known and fully believed, there is no sorrow 
 which religion cannot soften, no loss which it will not 
 enable you to bear with courage, no enemy which it 
 will not vanquish, and no song of triumph which 
 it will not put into your mouth. " Who shall separ- 
 ate us from the love of Christ ? Shall tribulation, 
 or distress, or persecution, or famine, or naked- 
 ness, or peril, or sword ? Nay, in all these things 
 you are more than conquerors through him that 
 loved you. For I am persuaded that neither death, 
 nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor 
 things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor 
 depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate 
 you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our 
 
COMMUKIOX SABBATH. 109 
 
 Lord." May God inspire you with these noble senti- 
 ments, to whom, with the Son and Holy Spirit, be hon- 
 our and glory for ever. Go in peace, and may the God 
 of peace and of love be with you. Amen. 
 
 The communicants now leave the table, and their 
 places are filled by others ; the congregation, in the 
 meantime, singing a farther portion of 
 
 Psalm C1II.— 6— JB. 
 
 Table IV. 
 
 Communicants, it is scarcely possible carefully 
 and prayerfully to read God's Holy Word without 
 being forced to exclaim with the Apostle, " 0, the 
 depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge 
 of God ! How unsearchable are his judgments, and 
 his ways past finding out !" Still, if you take the world 
 at large, you will find that the great majority entertain 
 hard thoughts about God. They look upon God as 
 their Judge, and they will speak of God as a great 
 King ; but they do not feel, and they do not enjoy, the 
 thought of God as their Father. And yet there can be 
 no happiness in religion until you can feel that you are 
 reconciled to God, that he has become your Father 
 through Jesus Christ. 
 
 God is love ! He hath manifested his wonderful 
 love to you in the gift of his Son — a gift of infinite 
 value ! You could never have loved God if he had not 
 first loved you. " You have not chosen me," said Christ, 
 " but I have chosen you." All who love God have been 
 called according to his purpose. Who that duly con- 
 siders this stupendous act of mercy, does not see that 
 it presents a pledge equal to itself, that all things shall 
 work together for good to them that love God i 
 
 Has God given you the greatest gift which he had 
 to bestow — has he given you his own Son — has he 
 given him to die for your redemption, and that too at 
 a time when you were in rebellion against him li.i 
 
110 minister's directory. 
 
 God thus displayed the triumphs of his grace, and can 
 you demand further evidence that even now all is well 
 with his people ? " Behold the Lamb of God that taketh 
 away the sin of the world !" Remember the price 
 w T hich your salvation cost the Redeemer, and never be 
 ashamed to profess your obligations to him. Can you 
 contemplate Christ in his wonderful person, as God 
 manifest in the flesh, without being filled with the 
 deepest admiration of his adorable majesty and con- 
 descending grace ? Can you call to mind his astonish- 
 ing love, in taking your nature and satisfying justice 
 in your stead, without feeling the liveliest emotions of 
 gratitude in your hearts ? Can you look at sin as it 
 appears in the blood and agonies of the Son of God, 
 and not feel a mixture of godly sorrow and spiritual 
 joy? Can you view the sufferings of Christ as bring- 
 ing glory to God and salvation to your souls, and not 
 be induced to regard these sufferings as a solid foun- 
 dation of hope in the Divine presence, a powerful plea 
 in your addresses to the throne of God, a source of the 
 highest joy, and a subject of triumphant exultation? 
 Surely if you are in a frame of mind at all suited to 
 your character, you will be ready to break forth in the 
 language of the Psalmist — " Bless the Lord, my 
 soul, and let all that is within me bless his holy name." 
 how happy would you be if you were ever cultivat- 
 ing such a grateful frame of spirit ; it is a preparation 
 for glory — a foretaste of heaven. The occasion of your 
 present meeting invites you to this holy employment. 
 The great object which this day presents to you, is that 
 precious and immaculate victim, by whose blood your 
 souls are redeemed from destruction. In the sacra- 
 ment of the Supper you behold your Redeemer as bear- 
 ing your iniquities, in his own body, on the accursed 
 tree, and thereby effecting your reconciliation with 
 your offended Sovereign. You should then approach 
 the table of the Lord with sentiments of gratitude and 
 praise. Let each believer say, " What shall I render to 
 the Lord for all his gifts to me, especially for the bless- 
 ings of redemption ? What do I owe to the love of the 
 
COMMUNION SABBATH. lit 
 
 Father in giving his Son for me, to the love of the Son 
 in dying for me on the cross ?" Christ must be preci- 
 ous to you now if you would have him so in the eter- 
 nal world ; and you must account it your supreme 
 felicity to glorify him now, if you would hereafter join 
 the chorus of saints and angels in ascribing salvation 
 to God and to the Lamb for ever. 
 
 How wonderful is the compassion of Christ ! In 
 whatever light the love of the Saviour is contemplated, 
 it has heights which cannot be explored, and depths 
 which cannot be fathomed. He is the same yesterday, 
 to-day, and for ever ; the same compassionate, all-suffi- 
 cient Saviour. Every wound which he felt in his 
 sacred body, and every pang which affected his holy 
 soul, proclaims the strength and tenderness of his love. 
 And now that he is enthroned in glory, he comes near 
 you by the preaching of the gospel, and especially 
 when seated at his holy table, with a heart full of kind- 
 ness, and with hands full of blessings. Behold he 
 tenderly and affectionately calls on you to come to 
 him ; he assures you of a most hearty welcome ; he 
 beseeches you to become partakers of the unsearchable 
 riches of his grace. Why, then, should you fear re- 
 jection from such a tender Saviour ? Be encouraged to 
 flee to him, though with a trembling heart ; lay hold 
 on this only hope ; cleave to him amidst many fears, 
 and answer every rising despondency with the words 
 of Peter, " Lord, to whom can I go but unto thee ? 
 thou hast the words of eternal life." It is your inte- 
 rest as well as your duty to give yourselves to him to 
 be his subjects and worshippers ; for this is the only 
 way, and it is a sure way, to secure your happiness 
 when you go down to the dust. Seeing you cannot 
 keep alive your own souls, it is your wisdom, by obe- 
 dient faith, to commit your souls to Jesus Christ, who 
 is able to love and keep them alive for ever. Christ 
 has said, " Because I live, ye shall live also." 
 
 11 The Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was 
 betrayed," &c. 
 
 Communicants, it was the satisfaction and triumph 
 
112 minister's directory. 
 
 of Christ in bis sufferings, that he should have a church 
 in the world, and that those who were given him from 
 eternity, should, in the fulness of time, be gathered in 
 to him. Let the love of Christ then, in dying for you, 
 in rising again, and in interceding for you at the right 
 band of God, constrain you to live no longer to your- 
 selves. Let his power captivate your thoughts, your 
 desires, your affections, to his obedience. He is still 
 on terms of reconciliation with you ; he is still offering 
 to you the richest blessings of his grace ; stretching 
 out to you the arms of his love ; inviting you to come 
 unto him that you may find rest to your souls. All 
 the titles which the Scripture gives him, all the works 
 that it ascribes to him, are so many proofs that be pos- 
 sesseth an all-sufficiency of grace, of merit and of gifts, 
 to satisfy all your holy desires. In him there is a ful- 
 ness of wisdom to instruct you ; a fulness of merit to 
 procure salvation for you ; a fulness of mercy 
 to pardon you ; a fulness of holiness to be your ex- 
 ample ; a fulness of the Holy Spirit to sanctify you ; 
 a fulness of power to protect you, to defend you, and 
 to save you eternally. His love is stronger than 
 death, and his power is almighty. 
 
 Warrantably to believe yourselves the true disciples 
 of Jesus Christ, it is not enough to have the first lin- 
 eaments of the new man drawn on your hearts, to have 
 acquired the principles of Christian virtues, but your 
 graces and virtues must grow and gather strength 
 from day to day ; you must be active and assiduous in 
 all good works. Consider the engagements you have 
 come under in the presence of God, and seriously and 
 unremittingly apply yourselves to make good what 
 your hearts and your outward profession have spoken. 
 And what are the engagements into which you have 
 religiously entered ? The most natural and reason- 
 able in the world. Engagements which you were 
 under from the first moment of your existence, even 
 when your mouth could not utter them. You have 
 engaged to consecrate yourselves to God your Creator, 
 your Preserver, your Redeemer, and your Judge. 
 
COMMUNION SABBATH. 113 
 
 You have engaged to renounce ungodliness and 
 worldly lust, and to live soberly, and righteously, and 
 godly in the world. These are sacred engagements, 
 and they contain nothing inconsistent with the purest 
 light of reason, and the dictates of a good conscience. 
 Be assured, that in fulfilling your engagements, you 
 will taste an inward joy and satisfaction which worldly 
 occupations and pleasures cannot bestow, for God hath 
 made your present happiness to consist in the accom- 
 plishment of your present duties. You will experi- 
 ence an inexpressible delight in binding more closely 
 the bonds that unite you to Christ, to whom you have 
 devoted yourselves, to him who shed his blood to save 
 you, who intercedes for you with his Father, and who 
 is earnestly desirous of making you partakers of his 
 own glory. This world will tempt you to go astray 
 from Christ's little flock ; it will attack you by its 
 pleasures, its maxims, its examples, and its railleries ; 
 oppose to these enemies of your salvation the means of 
 defence which Christ prescribes against temptation, 
 vigilance and prayer ; oppose to them the law of God, 
 and peace of conscience, and good hope and confidence 
 in God in the day of death ; oppose to them the feli- 
 city and glory reserved in heaven for the righteous in 
 the presence of your Saviour and your God ; oppose to 
 them the vows which you have made at a communion 
 table. Say to yourselves, say to others, I have sworn 
 and will perform it, that I will keep the righteous 
 judgments of my God. The Word, Sacraments, in- 
 structions, meditation, prayer, communion with God, 
 and the intercession of Christ, these are now the 
 sources of your joy, the softeners of your sorrows, the 
 supports of your faith and hope. But you should not 
 so satisfy yourselves with these wilderness enjoyments 
 as to think of building tabernacles here ; you should 
 long to be introduced into the heavenly Canaan, to 
 contemplate God face to face, and to receive the effu- 
 sions of his love immediately from himself. You 
 should habitually prepare for that glorious period 
 when, your faith changed into virion, your hope into 
 
 n 
 
114 KnaSTBU'fl DIRECTORY. 
 
 enjoyment, and all your graces and virtues made per- 
 fect, shall consummate and immortalise your felicity. 
 Go in peace, and may the God of peace and of love be 
 with you. Amen. 
 
 If all intending communicants have now had access 
 to the table, the presiding minister, having previously 
 returned to the pulpit, invites the congregation to join 
 in praising God. 
 
 Let us, after the example of Jesus and his dis- 
 ciples, when he instituted this ordinance, conclude the 
 solemn service with a hymn of praise. 
 
 Paraphrase lxv. — 5. 
 
 The minister then gives his 
 
 EXHORTATION OR CONCLUDING ADDRESS. 
 
 The more solemn part of the service of this day is 
 now ended. The Sacramental table is withdrawn, and 
 I trust that many of you can say, from happy experi- 
 ence, " Truly our fellowship has been with the Father, 
 and with his Son Jesus Christ." 
 
 To remember Christ, who instituted this ordinance, 
 is not only your duty, but your privilege and your 
 happiness. The remembrance of him has virtue in it 
 to refresh your souls, to heal your wounded consci- 
 ences, and to revive your languishing graces. Hence 
 it is that this ordinance is not only a memorial of 
 Christ, but a feast for your refreshment and support ; 
 and, consequently, his making it a standing ordinance 
 in his Church, is a standing evidence of his good-will 
 to his people to the end of the world. 
 
 Before approaching to a communion table, before 
 receiving the pledges of the love of Christ, you may 
 have had fears respecting your state, respecting the 
 truth of your faith, the reality and depth of your re- 
 pentance, the sincerity or the warmth of your love, the 
 
COMMUNION SABBATH. 115 
 
 simplicity of your devotion, and determination to take 
 up your cross and follow Christ. But now that 
 you have given yourselves to him ; now that you have 
 eaten and drunk in his presence ; now that you have 
 declared your faith to the world ; now that you turn 
 from all sin to God, with grief for it, and hatred of it ; 
 now that you have solemnly engaged to be the Lord's, 
 are not these fears removed ? 
 
 Though you may be conscious of the sincerity of 
 your souls in giving yourselves to him, yet you may 
 have mourned under a sense of the weakness of your 
 faith, and of the many intervals of coldness in your 
 love to Christ. You may have feared that you will 
 dishonour Christ by apostatizing from him, or by 
 yielding to the temptations of the world, and thus in- 
 cur additional and aggravated guilt by sinning after 
 so solemn vows. But one purpose of this ordinance is 
 to strengthen you for duty, to confirm your holy prin- 
 ciples and resolutions, and to encourage and enable 
 you to go on your way rejoicing. 
 
 You may have reason to fear the difficulties which 
 lie before you, and which are to be overcome in your 
 Christian course ; you may be alarmed at the view of 
 the dangers which threaten you, and the enmity to 
 which you may be exposed. Your Lord has assured 
 you, that the way which leads to life is a narrow path, 
 and that it requires constant watchfulness to avoid 
 turning aside to the right hand or to the left. It is 
 the part of wisdom to foresee and survey these diffi- 
 culties, these dangers, these temptations, to be pre- 
 pared for them, to arm yourselves with the whole 
 armour of God. 
 
 Let an intimate conviction and deep impression of 
 the gracious presence of your God, excite and encour- 
 age you to activity and faithfulness in all duty — for if 
 God be with you, who can be against you ? All neces- 
 sary aid is provided for you in the tenor of the well- 
 ordered covenant, and will be imparted to you in the 
 hour of need. Your help is laid upon one who is 
 mighty and able to save, and who is no less willing 
 
116 minister's directory. 
 
 than he is ablo to support you under all your trials, 
 and to strengthen you for every duty. 
 
 You have duties to perform, numerous and im- 
 portant ; duties that require constant vigilance and 
 energy ; for there is no hour in the life of a good man 
 that has not its peculiar and appropriate service ; and 
 who is sufficient for these things ? You are not suffi- 
 cient of yourselves to think anything as of yourselves, 
 but your sufficiency is of God. 
 
 You have duties to perform to your God, in the 
 cultivation and exercise of the principles of faith and 
 love — in realising a habitual sense of his presence — in 
 the exercise of trust in him, and submission to his will 
 — in private devotion — in the worship of the family — 
 and in waiting on him in the stated public ordinances 
 which he has appointed. In all these you feel how 
 very far short you come of that spirituality and 
 heavenliness of mind, that purity of principle and of 
 motive, that constant reference to his glory which he 
 requires as your great end in all your worship. But 
 in this service you are called to thank God, and to take 
 courage ; here he says to you, " My grace shall be suf- 
 ficient for you ; my strength is made perfect in weak- 
 ness !" " As your day is so shall your strength be." 
 
 To those of you who have approached this sacred 
 ordinance from unworthy or improper motives, I 
 would say with all the earnestness, with all the affec- 
 tionate concern and anxiety of one who feels deeply 
 for your best, for your eternal interests, consider what 
 you have been doing. Wilfully and presumptuously 
 to abuse this ordinance, and the things therein repre- 
 sented, is among the greatest crimes of which men can 
 be guilty. See that you do not expose yourselves to 
 the danger they incur, who approach a communion 
 table under false impressions of their state and 
 character, and who dishonour the Redeemer by heart- 
 less homage or gross delusion. 
 
 If you do not love the Saviour — if you do not ap- 
 preciate that salvation which he has purchased — and if 
 you arc not anxiously desirous to have an interest in 
 
COMMUNION SABBATH. 117 
 
 it, you must have felt the whole of this solemnity, so 
 far as you were personally concerned in it, to be only 
 a solemn mockery — you must have felt that you could 
 not be acceptable guests at the table of the Lord, if 
 you were not resolved, under grace, in your future 
 lives to honour and obey him. 
 
 The very circumstance, however, of your coming to 
 this ordinance, is a proof that you are not altogether 
 insensible of the value of the gospel of Christ. It 
 shows that you think it respectable to be considered of 
 the number of his disciples. You thus give a strong 
 testimony to the truth of the Christian religion. You 
 show that even those w T ho have not yet felt their own 
 personal need of it, admit that the Saviour should be 
 honoured, and that blessed are they who do believe 
 in him, and trust to him for salvation. I trust, there- 
 fore, that even to you this ordinance may yet be sanc- 
 tified — you may, by being led to consider what you 
 should be, and to what you might attain, be led by 
 God's grace to be no longer formal but fervent wor- 
 shippers — you may be led to bemoan your past care- 
 lessness and indifference, and to seek with unwavering 
 confidence, the convincing, the enlightening, the par- 
 doning, the saving, and the sanctifying influences of 
 that Spirit who can subdue every spiritual enemy, 
 either from within or without ; and having found 
 grace to believe in Christ, and to submit to him in all 
 things, you may yet be enabled, by another solemnity 
 of this sort, to come forth with all your graces in 
 lively exercise, filled with faith, having a godly sorrow 
 for sin, an ardent love for the Saviour, and a sincere 
 determination to take his yoke upon you, and to de- 
 vote yourselves unreservedly to him ; and thus you 
 shall be allowed to hold sweet fellowship and com- 
 munion with him, and be made to partake of all his 
 benefits to your spiritual improvement and growth in 
 grace. 
 
 But that you may expect, or even hope for such 
 blessings, you must act as Christ has directed you in 
 the gospel ; you must pray to him who is exalted at 
 
118 .minister's directory. 
 
 God's right hand, for the purpose of giving repentance 
 unto Israel and the remission of sins, to give you a 
 godly sorrow for all your past offences, and especially 
 for the sin of professing to love Him, when in truth 
 you have no true regard for him. You must wait 
 upon him statedly in the courts of his House — you 
 must implore of God without ceasing, that Christ may 
 be revealed in your souls as the hope of glory — that 
 he may indeed become precious to you — that you may 
 be made to see that, unless you are interested in his 
 salvation, you must perish, and that grace may be 
 given you to persevere seeking till you find, which 
 every one who seeks as directed in the gospel is sure 
 to do. 
 
 Let the aged remember their time of life, and profit 
 by what they have seen and heard, what they have 
 felt and done, this day. To some of you this may be 
 the last of your communion Sabbaths here. You may 
 have taken your last spiritual repast in the house of 
 ordinances, and the hour of your departure may be 
 nigh. Let this thought go with you to your dwel- 
 lings, and there make you do what you can to gather 
 up the fragments of time, and strength, and oppor- 
 tunity which yet remain with you, for setting your 
 house in order, and for going out to meet the Bride- 
 groom when he comes. 
 
 Let those, too, who enjoy the health, the vigour, and 
 the hopes of youth and manhood, remember the obli- 
 gations which become their period of life, and to which 
 they have again pledged themselves by the part they 
 have acted in the proceedings of this day. See that 
 you reflect the image of those glories which the eye of 
 faith has seen this day. Let men take knowledge of 
 you that you have been with Jesus, and you have seen 
 the glory of his name. 
 
 To those who have this day for the first time pub- 
 licly avowed discipleship to Jesus by eating bread and 
 drinking wine in obedience to his command, I would 
 say, hold fast the profession of your faith without 
 wavering. That you may persevere in the good course 
 
COMMUNION SABBATH. 119 
 
 you have begun, that you may be true and faithful to 
 the Master in whose service you have entered, the 
 greatest vigilance and self-denial on your part will be 
 necessary. You have, in a manner, broken off entirely 
 all communion with Satan and with the unprofitable 
 works of darkness. You have taken a decided part ou 
 the side of the Saviour. Your spiritual adversary can- 
 not view this with indifference. He will have all his 
 emissaries employed to seduce you from the service of 
 the Gracious Master under whose banners you are now 
 engaged to fight, the success of whose kingdom is to be 
 the overthrow of his own. Every temptation which he 
 can present to seduce you will be employed, and you 
 must put on the whole armour of God, that you may 
 be enabled to withstand in the evil day. One of the 
 first that he may employ — and perhaps he has been 
 employing it already — may be to persuade you that 
 you have received no benefit from this ordinance ; that 
 you do not feel yourselves more attached to the Saviour 
 than before engaging in this service, and why observe 
 such ordinances ? Whatever you may feel, however, 
 you have been complying with a positive command- 
 ment of your Saviour, and you have been seeking com- 
 munion with him, and if you have not been cherishing 
 some enemy to him in your bosom — if you have not 
 been harbouring some beloved sin which you are re- 
 solved not to quit, you must have been acceptable 
 guests, and spiritual benefit has been communicated to 
 your souls, whether you have been sensible of it or not. 
 This spiritual benefit will be discovered by you in due 
 time by a growing love to the Saviour, a growing hatred 
 to sin, a growing regard for God's commandments, a 
 growing relish for ordinances, and a growing desire for 
 heaven and eternal communion and fellowship with 
 the Saviour. 
 
 It is a great mistake to suppose that an immediate 
 
 perceptible change is to be wrought upon us by the ob- 
 
 rance of any ordinance. It is generally in the 
 
 spiritual as in the natural world. The growth of 
 
 grace in the soul is gradual, and often hardly per- 
 
120 minister's directory. 
 
 ceptible. Be not discouraged, therefore, though your 
 experience may not answer your expectations. You 
 had formed mistaken views of the benefits which Christ 
 communicates in his ordinances. 
 
 I would just say in conclusion to all of you. — En- 
 deavour to maintain at all times upon your minds a 
 sense of the high rank you now hold. Remember that 
 you are now no longer strangers and pilgrims, but 
 fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of 
 God. Consider the holy order to which you belong. 
 Consider the glorious privileges to which you are en- 
 titled. You now no longer walk before God with 
 fearful apprehensions of deserved punishment, but you 
 look up to him as adopted children, and can address 
 him by the endearing epithet of Father. You feel con- 
 fident that your whole lot and destiny is fixed by him. 
 You cheerfully acquiesce in all his appointments, 
 whether prosperous or adverse, knowing assuredly that 
 he ordereth all things for good to them that love him, 
 and are the called according to his purpose. And 
 surely your great and prevailing desire now is, that 
 you may be enabled in everything to act as it becomes 
 the children of God and the disciples of Christ. You 
 will not only be solicitous to maintain upon your minds 
 a constant fear of offending him, but you will feel a 
 warm, a heartfelt interest in supporting his cause, 
 which is that of truth and righteousness, by every 
 means in your power. Personal holiness, family reli- 
 gion, Christian conversation, anxiety for the instruction 
 of others, zeal for the propagation of the Gospel and 
 for the support of every Christian ordinance and insti- 
 tution, will be the great aim and object of your lives* 
 Walk as children of the light and of the day. Have 
 your conversation in heaven, whence you look for the 
 Saviour, who shall change your vile bodies, and fashion 
 them like unto his glorious body, by the power where- 
 by he is able to subdue all things unto himself. 
 Amen. 
 
COMMUNION SABBATH. 121 
 
 PRAYER AFTER THE COMMUNION. 
 
 O Almighty and Most Merciful Father ! thou art 
 God over all and blessed for ever. Thy glory tran- 
 scends all our conceptions, and thy tender mercies are 
 over all thy works. We desire with all thankfulness 
 of heart to bless and praise thy holy name, for the 
 numberless instances of thy loving kindness and tender 
 mercy bestowed upon us, especially for that amazing 
 instance of thy love in the redemption of the world by 
 the precious blood of Christ. 
 
 We bless thee, O God, for instituting the holy Sacra- 
 ment of the Supper, to keep up the remembrance of 
 the exceeding love of our Saviour in thus dying for us, 
 and for admitting us, who are wicked and sinful crea- 
 tures, to be guests at his holy table, and thereby ren- 
 dered partakers of the great and precious benefits 
 promised to those who are clothed with the wedding 
 garment. Lord, what is man that thou art mindful of 
 him ? or what are we that thou shouldst so regard us ? 
 Great is thy name, God, and great is thy mercy; thy 
 goodness is unbounded. let the consideration of 
 these thy mercies sink deep into our hearts, and bring 
 forth in us the fruits of a sincere love to thee, and a 
 hearty zeal to thy service, that so our returns of duty 
 and obedience may in some measure answer the great 
 means of thy grace, and bear some proportion to those 
 things which thou hast done for us. do thou vouch- 
 safe such a measure of thy grace and heavenly Spirit 
 as may mortify and subdue in our corrupt hearts what- 
 soever exalts itself against thy blessed will ; and grant 
 that we may walk before thee in all meekness, and 
 humility, and patience, in a perfect submission to thy 
 blessed will, and in cheerful and ready obedience to 
 all thy commandments. Lord, may it be the ear- 
 nest and sincere desire of our souls to be conformable 
 to thy laws, and to obtain thy favour and love. Keep 
 us ever mindful of thy vows, which are upon us, and 
 
122 minister's directory. 
 
 enable us to live as becomes thy redeemed people. 
 Lord preserve us by thy grace, that we may never re- 
 turn again to folly. Without thy restraining grace, 
 every the least temptation will be able to baffle our 
 strongest resolutions. But in thee is our trust ; let 
 us not be confounded. Be thou our help in every 
 time of need, our Saviour and mighty deliverer ; let 
 thy grace and thy Holy Spirit be always present with 
 us, to guide and direct us in all our steps, to strengthen 
 and assist us under our many weaknesses and infirmi- 
 ties, and to conduct us safely amid all the trials and 
 temptations with which we may be visited in this life ; 
 that when we have fought the good fight, and finished 
 our course, we may obtain that crown of righteousness 
 which thou hast promised to them that persevere unto 
 the end. 
 
 We pray, Lord, that if any have this day un- 
 warrantably approached thy holy table, not having 
 the wedding garment, destitute of the qualifications re- 
 quired of all who are admitted to be guests in thy ban- 
 queting house — we pray that thou wouldst have 
 mercy on all such, and graciously forgive the sins 
 which they have presumptuously committed against 
 thee. May they flee unto thee the fountain of all 
 goodness. Let thy merciful ears be open to their 
 prayers, and spare them ; suffer not thine anger to rise 
 against them, nor cast them away in thy displeasure. 
 
 We confess that sin is mingled even with our most 
 holy services. Make us more and more sensible that 
 the best of our duties will not save us, but that the 
 least of our sins is sufficient to damn us ; our own 
 righteousness do as filthy rags defile us, and our duties 
 do witness against us. Our repentance needs pardon, 
 and our tears require washing. Hide thy face from 
 our sins, and blot out all our iniquities. May we live 
 by faith in Christ our righteousness, in him may we 
 die, possessing the hope that gladdens the hearts of his 
 people in the prospect of dissolution, and at the hour 
 of death, in him may we arise and appear glorious 
 when he comes to be glorified in all them that believe, 
 
COMMUNION SABBATH. 123 
 
 to the admiration of elect angels, and to the utter con- 
 fusion and extreme horror of ungodly men. 
 
 We pray, Lord, that thou wouldst sustain the 
 feeble steps of the aged, and of those who may have 
 this day for the last time taken their places at thy 
 holy table. May they remain faithful in the perform- 
 ance of their vows and holy resolutions to the end, 
 and when their heart faints and fails them in the last 
 moments of their earthly pilgrimage, may their spirits 
 be received into thy blessed presence, where they shall 
 obtain fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore. 
 
 May all who are labouring under the burden of 
 many infirmities, and those who are in the health and 
 vigour of life, express their gratitude to thee for the 
 privilege they have enjoyed of recalling to their re- 
 membrance their unspeakable obligations to redeem- 
 ing love. May they give increasing diligence in the 
 work of preparation for death, judgment, and eternity. 
 May they remember their covenant vows, perform 
 their covenant duties, and reap their covenant blessings. 
 
 We pray especially for the young who have this 
 day for the first time approached the Saviour's table. 
 Accept of that surrender which they have made of 
 themselves to thy service. Make them more sensible 
 of thy love, and more thankful for its blessed effects. 
 Let the Spirit of grace dwell in them as the Spirit of 
 holiness. May they serve thee in righteousness and 
 holiness all the days of their life. 
 
 Bless the elders of this congregation, and bounti- 
 fully reward them for their labours of love among this 
 people. May they be clean who bear the vessels of the 
 Lord. May their steps be ordered by thee. To thee 
 may they defer all their plans and enterprises. May 
 they acknowledge thee in all their ways. Be very gra- 
 cious, O God, to those who by sickness, infirmity, or 
 other unavoidable causes, have been prevented from 
 waiting upon thee this day in thy house of prayer, and 
 testifying their love to the Saviour at a communion 
 table. Visit them with the riches and consolations of 
 thy grace. Feed their souls with the bread of life, and 
 
124 minister's directory. 
 
 dispose them to hunger and thirst after righteousness. 
 May all who are in any respect connected with this 
 assembly of thy people be united to thee by a true and 
 living faith. Bless all who have this day been with 
 thee on the mount of ordinances throughout the world. 
 May their souls rejoice in thee the God of their salva- 
 tion. Bless thy ministering servants who have assisted 
 us on this solemn occasion. May their piety be exalted, 
 and their success be ever increasing. Enable all of us, 
 O Lord, who are called to minister at thy altar to be 
 faithful in the discharge of the sacred duties assigned 
 to us ; and may the consciousness of having constantly 
 laboured for the spiritual welfare of our people, and 
 the hope that we have not laboured in vain, be the 
 sweetest consolation to us in the evening of our 
 days. May thy Spirit be with him who is to direct 
 our thoughts this evening. Enable us to sing to thy 
 praise with melody in our hearts. Dismiss us with 
 thy blessing. Be with us during the interval of public 
 worship, and bring us again in peace and safety to thy 
 house of prayer. All that we ask is for Christ's sake. 
 Amen. 
 
 Psalm xcviii. 1 — 5. 
 The Blessing. 
 
 May the love of God the Father, the grace of our 
 Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and the communion 
 and fellowship of the Holy Spirit, abide with you, and 
 with all the people of God, now, henceforth, even for 
 evermore. Amen. 
 
COMMU^OX SABBATII. 125 
 
 SABBATH EVENING. 
 Psalm cxyi. 1 — 6. 
 
 0, Almighty God, we desire to come into thy pre- 
 sence with hearts overflowing with gratitude that such 
 a distinguished privilege is granted to us. We are 
 filled with wonder and astonishment that we, who are 
 sinful dust and ashes, should be permitted to address 
 thee, thou who art the majesty of heaven and of 
 earth. Surely, Lord, thy thoughts are not as our 
 thoughts, nor thy ways as our ways, else, instead of 
 being permitted to adore thy goodness, and to implore 
 thy mercy on earth, we should at this moment have 
 been deploring our miserable condition in that place 
 where thou hast forgotten to be gracious, and where 
 thy mercy is gone for ever. 
 
 O that we were enabled more justly to appreciate 
 thy goodness — that we were made truly to feel the un- 
 utterable obligations under which we lie unto thee our 
 God — that thus our souls, and all that is within us, 
 might be stirred up to magnify and bless thy holy 
 name. 
 
 Early, Lord, were we cast upon thy care, innu- 
 merable are the blessings which thou hast conferred 
 upon us. We will, therefore, shew forth thy loving 
 kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every 
 night. Our tongues shall speak of thy righteousness, 
 and of thy praise, all the day long. Thou art our 
 shield and our defence, thou hast been our refuge in 
 the day of trouble. When we have been in danger, 
 thou hast been our protector — when we have been in 
 sickness, thou hast restored us — when we have been in 
 sorrow, thou hast sent us consolation. Thou hast 
 the hiding place of thy people in all generations. 
 All our temporal wants have been abundantly sup- 
 plied, thou hast made the out-goings of the morning, 
 and oi tting, to rejoice o\\: 
 
126 minister's directory. 
 
 Whilst, however, O Lord, we praise thee for the 
 ample provision which thou hast made for the support 
 and comfort of our bodies, we would, with peculiar 
 gratitude, adore and magnify thy name for the rich 
 provision which thou hast made for our immortal 
 souls. By nature we are the children of wrath, 
 estranged from God, aliens from the commonwealth of 
 Israel. We have added to our original guilt innu- 
 merable actual transgressions ; clothed in our own 
 righteousness, we cannot be justified in thy sight. 
 But we rejoice that there is a fountain opened to the 
 house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, 
 for sin and for uncleanness. We rejoice that we have 
 seen the predictions fulfilled — that the people that 
 sit in darkness shall see a great light ; that upon them 
 that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, the 
 light shall shine. " For unto us a child is born, unto 
 us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon 
 his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, 
 Counsellor, the Mighty God, ihe Everlasting Father, 
 the Prince of Peace, of the increase of whose govern- 
 ment there shall be no end." 
 
 We pray, O Lord, that we may be made seriously to 
 consider, and deeply to feel, the condition in which we 
 are placed by the appearance of the Son of God in the 
 world. May we consider that we are no longer our 
 own, but that we are bought with a price, even the 
 precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without ble- 
 mish and without spot, and that henceforward we 
 ought no longer to live to ourselves, but unto Jesus 
 Christ who died for us. 
 
 We, Lord, lament our own insufficiency to fulfil 
 thy will, and we feel the force of these words, " No 
 man can come unto me except the Father who hath 
 sent me draw him." We pray thee, therefore, Lord, 
 to draw us and we will run after thee. Look clown, O 
 God of mercy, upon us, and be graciously pleased to 
 make thy grace sufficient for us, and to perfect strength 
 in our weakness. Make us to see our sins in all 
 their deformity. Convince the self-righteous, Lord, 
 
COMMUNION SABBATH. 127 
 
 that they are guilty, grant pardon to the peni- 
 tent, humble the proud, raise the bowed down, may 
 the mourners in Zion be comforted. May those 
 who hunger and thirst after righteousness be filled. 
 May we consider ourselves here only as pilgrims and 
 strangers, and may the salvation of our souls appear 
 unto all of us to be the one thing needful, to be the 
 only truly important concern to which our attention 
 can be directed. And we pray, Lord, that we may be 
 led by thy grace to look for this salvation where it is 
 really to be found. May we be convinced that Jesus 
 Christ is the only Saviour of sinners. May w T e, there- 
 fore, Lord, be enabled to believe in Christ with our 
 whole hearts, and to comply with all the requisitions 
 of the gospel. May we be constantly seeking the way 
 to Zion with our faces thitherward. May we be dili- 
 gent in the use of all those means of grace with which 
 we are favoured. May we wait upon thee in the ordi- 
 nances of thine appointment. 
 
 We acknowledge, Lord our God, with all thank- 
 fulness of heart, thy great goodness and mercy vouch- 
 safed to thy people in this place, in giving them an op- 
 portunity this day of approaching thy holy table, and 
 disposing their minds to remember the infinite love of 
 their crucified Saviour. We humbly pray that they 
 may obtain all the benefits of his sufferings and death, 
 to their great and endless comfort. But all glory be 
 to thee, O gracious God, that thou hast impressed a 
 sense of this duty upon their minds. 
 
 Glory be to thee for the fresh supplies of grace they 
 have received at thy hand — glory be to thee for 
 those comfortable promises thou hast given them of 
 pardon and forgiveness — glory be to thee, O Lord God 
 Almighty, for that peace thou hast restored to their 
 souls ; for those resolutions thou hast wrought in them 
 to continue in thy service to the end of their life. 
 Graciously grant that their future lives and conversa- 
 tions may be suitable to the profession they have made ; 
 that they may walk worthy of the gospel of Christ, and 
 adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour in all things. 
 
128 minister's directory. 
 
 Let them never crucify the Son of God afresh, nor put 
 him to an open shame. May they not be of them who 
 draw back unto perdition, but of them who believe to 
 the saving of their souls. 
 
 And we pray, Lord, that all those who have this 
 day been partakers with us of the memorials of 
 Christ's dying love, may henceforth be filled with thy 
 grace. 
 
 Be graciously present with us at this time. When 
 we engage in the solemn services of thy house, suffer 
 not idle thoughts and worldly cares to intrude into 
 our minds, and to divert our attention from the im- 
 portant exercises in which we are employed ; but may 
 we be enabled to worship thee, thou who art a Spirit, 
 in spirit and in truth. May we ever remember that 
 thy all-penetrating eye is upon us, that thou knowest 
 how each of us is employed, whether we be yielding 
 only an outward attendance upon the ordinances of 
 thy appointment, or whether we are endeavouring with 
 sincerity, although with much imperfection, to render 
 unto thee a sincere and an undivided service. 
 
 Assist us, O Lord, as we are now to be employed in 
 speaking and in hearing from thy word ; and do thou 
 hear and answer our requests, for tne sake of Christ 
 Jesus. Amen. 
 
 Paraphrase ii. 2 — 5. 
 SEEM ON. 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 O Lord of hosts ! blessed is the man that trusteth 
 in thee ! Blessed are all they that put their trust in 
 thee ! Thou art mighty in strength and wisdom ! 
 Unrestricted and boundless in thy love ! O how 
 worthy art thou to be praised ! Bless the Lord, O 
 our souls ! Thou art the bountiful Giver of the 
 good that our souls desire, and the merciful withholder 
 
COMMUNION SABBATH. 129 
 
 of the evil that our sins deserve. Great is thy faith- 
 fulness, and thy mercy never faileth. 
 
 We bless thee, our God, for the great salvation 
 which thou hast provided for us in Jesus Christ. We 
 gratefully receive it as all our salvation, and all our 
 desire. We rejoice in the power and grace of the 
 Saviour, and in his suitableness to our condition. 
 Oh ! magnify thy power and thy grace in our deliver- 
 ance Let it be thy good pleasure, God, to deliver 
 us from every weight of sin, and from every yoke of 
 bondage, that our souls may be fitted to serve thee 
 with that sincerity, and readiness, and gladness, which 
 thou requirest of thy people. 
 
 Mercifully accept of our humble thanks for all the 
 blessings which thou hast bestowed upon us. We 
 praise thee for that thou hast vouchsafed to call us to 
 the knowledge of thy grace and faith in thee, and for 
 continuing to bless us with all spiritual blessings in 
 Christ Jesus. Increase this knowledge and confirm 
 this faith in us evermore, and grant that we may im- 
 prove our manifold advantages to the good of o\.r 
 souls, and to the glory of thy name. 
 
 It is of thy goodness, Lord, that thy people in 
 this parish have been permitted this day to engage in 
 the services of the sanctuary, to listen to the instruc- 
 tions of thy Word, and to partake of the memorials of 
 Christ's broken body and shed blood. May they bless 
 thee for all that their ears have heard, their eyes 
 have seen, their hands have handled, and their mouths 
 have tasted, of the Word of Life. May they feel the 
 obligations under which they are anew brought to re- 
 deeming mercy. May they remember that they have 
 consecrated themselves anew to thee, that tliey have 
 renewed their covenant, and said that they are thine, 
 thine wholly, and thine for ever. O Lord, give them 
 grace to walk in accordance with their sacramental en- 
 gagements. May they walk in thy ways, observe thine 
 ordinances, and keep thy precepts. Be thou their 
 light and their strength, and quicken them in the paths 
 of holy obedience. Pardon. O God, we beseech thee, 
 
130 minister's directory. 
 
 the sin of their holy things. Forgive their wandering 
 thoughts, forgive their worldly desires and their 
 worldly anxieties, forgive their deadness to spiritual 
 things, forgive the coldness of their affections, forgive 
 the weakness of their faith. Turn yet again unto them, 
 O our God. and quicken them according to thy Word. 
 Teach them to do thy will, for thou art their God. 
 
 We entreat thy blessing, Lord, upon the instruc- 
 tions which have now been delivered from thy Holy 
 W T ord ; may they be impressed upon our hearts, and 
 manifested in our lives. 
 
 We pray, O Lord, that thou wouldst bless and pros- 
 per the interests of pure and undefiled religion in our 
 native land. May both the avowed and secret enemies 
 of our Church be put to silence, and their machinations 
 defeated. Let there be nothing, we pray thee, to hurt 
 or to destroy in all thy holy mountain. We pray 
 likewise, Lord, that the privileges which we enjoy 
 may be extended to the whole human race. May the 
 happy period soon arrive when incense and a pure of- 
 fering shall be presented unto thee from the rising to 
 the setting of the sun, when all nations shall be blessed 
 of thee and call thee blessed. Give thy Son the 
 heathen for his inheritance, the uttermost parts of the 
 earth for a possession. 
 
 We pray, Lord, for the United Kingdom of Great 
 Britain and Ireland, for all her colonies and depend- 
 encies. May a just sense of the invaluable privileges 
 which they enjoy make the subjects of those domi- 
 nions contented with their condition, loyal to their So- 
 vereign, and united to defend their common rights. 
 
 We pray for thy servant, our Sovereign the Queen. 
 May she long live to sway the sceptre over a free, a 
 loyal, a holy, and a happy people. May her throne be 
 surrounded by the wisest and the best of our land, and 
 may all the measures which they adopt be rendered 
 subservient to the public good. We pray for our 
 Queen's Consort, Prince Albert, the Prince of Wales, 
 and all the members of the Royal Family. May they 
 
comannQB sabbath. 131 
 
 be- adorned with all the graces and virtues which be- 
 come their station. We pray for our nobles, our sen- 
 ators, our judges, our magistrates ; may they all live 
 in thy fear, and experience thy favour. Bless all the 
 ministers of thy Holy Word and Sacraments ; make 
 them burning and shining lights, faithful to Chri&t and 
 to the souls of men. 
 
 Dwell in this corner of thy vineyard ; may true and 
 undefiled religion nourish and abound more and more in 
 it. Bless abundantly this parish and congregation. Give 
 them, we beseech thee, an increase of faith, hope, and love. 
 May their faith be strong in Christ, to the honour of 
 thy name and the salvation of their souls. May their 
 hope be sure and steadfast, entering into that within 
 the veil. May their love, as a holy flame, purify their 
 hearts, and shine forth in their lives. 
 
 Bless the young; enrich their minds with useful 
 knowledge, and adorn their hearts with gracious dis- 
 positions. Guard them from the snares of a world that 
 lieth in wickedness, and train them up for thine ever- 
 lasting kindom. 
 
 Command thy blessing, Lord, to rest abundantly 
 on the labours of thy servant, the minister of this 
 parish. Prosper him in his work of faith and labour of 
 love ; and grant that many may appear as his hope, 
 and joy, and crown of rejoicing, in the presence of the 
 Lord Jesus Christ, at his coming. 
 
 Encourage the desponding and feeble-minded, com- 
 fort the sorrowful, heal the sick, give peace to the 
 troubled in spirit, direct all in difficulties, sanctify all 
 who are in affliction, and prepare the dying for death, 
 judgment, and eternity. Keep us mindful, Lord, 
 that the end of all things is at hand, that we may be 
 sober and watch unto prayer. Stir us up to work while 
 it is called to-day, as those who know that the night 
 of death cometh when we can work no longer. 
 
 Enable us to sing to thy praise ; dismiss us with 
 thy blessing ; conduct us in safety to our places 
 of abode. Enable us to spend the remainder of this 
 
132 minister's directory. 
 
 day, and all the days of our lives, in thy fear and ser- 
 vice. And all that we ask is in the name and for 
 the sake of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Redeemer. 
 Amen. 
 
 Paraphrase lxi — 1 — 4. 
 
 BLESSING. 
 
 Now, may grace, and mercy, and peace, from God 
 the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be with 
 you, and with all the people of God, from henceforth, 
 even for evermore. Amen. 
 
THANKSGIVING-DAY. 
 
 Psalm cvi. — 1 — 6. 
 
 O most merciful and gracious God, whose eyes are 
 over the righteous, and whose ears are open unto their 
 prayers, we thank thee for this opportunity of drawing 
 near to thy throne of grace. Dispose us to call in 
 mind all that we owe to thy goodness. Great have 
 been thy forbearance and loving-kindness to us ; and 
 infinite thy love in Christ Jesus our Lord. 
 
 We, Lord, are sensible that nothing that we can 
 do can at all affect thee, so as either to add to thy 
 happiness or to impair thy peace. Thou art altogether 
 perfect, and therefore thou art necessarily altogether 
 happy. Yet, as thou hast formed us capable of prais- 
 ing thee, and hast made known unto us the manner of 
 service that is most acceptable unto thee, do thou en- 
 able us by thy grace to discharge aright the duties 
 which are incumbent upon us. 
 
 Even by nature, Lord, we are taught, and by the 
 common practice of the world, we are accustomed to ex- 
 press our gratitude to those from whom we receive any 
 favour, and shall we be backward in acknowledging our 
 obligations unto thee who art the giver of everything 
 that is good ? Surely, O Lord, the end for which we 
 — as well as all thy other creatures — were formed, was, 
 that we might give glory unto thy name. As thou 
 hast, therefore, given us powers and faculties for cele- 
 brating thy praise superior to those of all thy other 
 creatures here below, may we, according to the supe- 
 riority of our natures, be more constantly and more 
 devoutly engaged in thy worship, and in thy service. 
 
134 minister's directory. 
 
 We fear, O Lord, that we presume too much on thy 
 goodness and forbearance. Counting on the continu- 
 ance of them, we have been ungrateful, disobedient, 
 and rebellious. Wert thou to withdraw thy goodness 
 from us when we withheld our gratitude from thee, 
 then should we be constrained to be more dutiful and 
 more thankful. But we rejoice, Lord, that thy 
 thoughts are not as our thoughts, nor thy ways as 
 ours ; but as the heavens are higher than the earth, so 
 are thy thoughts and thy ways higher than ours ; and 
 in the midst of deserved wrath thou hast remembered 
 undeserved mercy. Let us not, however, O Lord, de- 
 ceive ourselves by supposing, because sentence is not 
 executed speedily upon us for our transgressions, that 
 thou art not a strict observer of our conduct, or that 
 thou wilt allow the wicked to pass unpunished. But 
 may we remember that thou hast appointed a day in 
 which thou wilt judge the world in righteousness, and 
 wilt render unto every one according to the deeds done 
 in the body, whether they be good or whether they be 
 evil — to them who, by patient continuance in well- 
 doing, seek for glory, and honour, and immortality, 
 eternal life ; but unto them that are contentious, 
 and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, 
 indignation, and wrath, tribulation and anguish upon 
 every soul of man that doeth evil. Let us, therefore, 
 Lord, never sin because grace abounds, but may we 
 be as dutiful and as thankful as though we were to re- 
 ceive nothing but what was the reward of our own ser- 
 vices. 
 
 We, Lord, think but little of our own dependence 
 upon thee — we seldom consider how thou couldest 
 afflict us, and how- soon thou couldest deprive us of all 
 the blessings, and of all the comforts of life. How 
 easily couldest thou, by laying thy chastening hand 
 either upon ourselves or those who are clear to 
 us, render the present world, instead of a scene of 
 enjoyment, only a vale of tears. Thou couldest, in in- 
 numerable ways unknown to us, destroy all our peace. 
 
THANKSGIVING-DAT. 135 
 
 O that we could estimate thy goodness aright — that 
 we could celebrate thy praise as we ought — and that 
 we were always disposed to do it as we could ! 
 
 We, Lord, with shame, must acknowledge that 
 we are often more anxious to be conformed to the ways 
 of the world, and to follow the customs of wicked men, 
 than to obey the commandments of God, and to 
 imitate the example of our blessed Redeemer. Have 
 we not, O Lord, been silent when we have heard the 
 wicked scoffing at religion, or impiously blaspheming 
 thy name, even when our reproof might have been of 
 service ? Nay, have we not sometimes, in order to 
 render ourselves agreeable to the world, neglected to 
 perform those duties which our consciences have called 
 upon us to discharge unto thee our God? Although 
 we have enlisted ourselves in thy service, and called 
 ourselves by thy name, we have not proved ourselves 
 to be good soldiers of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 We pray, Lord, that henceforward we may neither 
 so value the smiles, nor fear the frowns of the world as 
 to be in the smallest degree influenced by them in re- 
 gard to our spiritual concerns ; but may we esteem the 
 approbation of heaven, and the testimony of a good 
 conscience, the most desirable, as they are the most 
 substantial, and the most satisfactory of all enjoyments. 
 May we not serve thee only at stated times, and for 
 particular purposes, but may w r e at all times, and in all 
 situations, endeavour to act as we ought. 
 
 We feel, however, Lord, that it is not in man who 
 walketh to direct his own steps. We would, therefore, 
 O Lord, commit ourselves entirely to thy disposal : and 
 we would rely on the aids of thy Spirit to enable us to 
 perform our duty, and to resist every temptation to 
 evil. We adore thee that thou hast given us so many 
 powerful assistants in our spiritual warfare — that thou 
 hast given us thy Word to instruct us, thy Spirit to en- 
 lighten us, and thy grace to restrain us from wander- 
 ing out of the ways of thy commandments. 
 
 May we, Lord, esteem thy word as a most precious 
 treasure, as more to be desired than gold, yea, than 
 
136 minister's directory. 
 
 much fine gold. May thy testimonies be our study, 
 thy commandments our guide, and thy laws our de- 
 light. Let thy Spirit quicken and enliven us in the 
 discharge of all our spiritual duties. May he show us 
 clearly the way of salvation through Christ, and give 
 us grace to incline, and enable us to walk in it. 
 
 Blessed be thy name for the renewed opportunity 
 which thy people in this place had yesterday of sitting 
 down at a Communion Table, to show forth the 
 Lord's death, and to renew the vows which bind them 
 to love and serve thee. We pray that thou wouldst 
 perfect that which concerns them, even unto the day 
 of the Lord. As they have received the Lord Jesus, 
 so may they walk in him. O enable them to give their 
 hearts wholly to thee, and greatly delight in God their 
 
 Saviour. 
 
 Now, that we are assembled in thy house, and en- 
 gaged in those exercises which are required in thy 
 Word, and which have been the employment and the 
 delight of thy people in all ages of the Christian 
 Church, may we not be mere formal worshippers, but 
 may we worship thee in spirit and in truth, and upon 
 all our services do thou command thy blessing. O 
 may we who are appointed to preach thy Word have 
 grace to be found faithful. May those who hear it re- 
 ceive it into grateful hearts. 
 
 Our prayers, Lord, are now before thee ; grant us 
 an answer in peace, and go forward with, and direct us, 
 in all things aright, this day, and for ever, for Christ's 
 sake. Amen. 
 
 Paraphrase xlii. 
 
 SERMON. 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 O Lord, we would desire to lift up our hearts with 
 our hands unto thee, and to adore thee for all thy 
 goodness. Thou, O Lord, keepest covenant and 
 mercy with thy people, for such as walk before thee 
 
thanksgiving-day. 137 
 
 with all their heart. We, O Lord, have said, that we 
 are thine, we have called ourselves by thy name. 
 May our ways be directed to keep thy statutes, and we 
 shall not be ashamed, when we have respect unto all 
 thy commandments. May we never enter into the 
 path of the wicked, nor go in the way of evil men, but 
 may a constant remembrance of thy astonishing good- 
 ness towards us ever deter us from the commission of 
 evil. 
 
 Thou, Lord, hast formed us for thyself, that we 
 may show forth thy praise. Thou hast visited and 
 redeemed us by raising up for us an Horn of Salva- 
 tion in the house of thy servant David. And in this 
 has thy love been wonderfully manifested, in that 
 while we were yet sinners, in due time Christ died for 
 us. 
 
 May we, Lord, be truly thankful unto thee for 
 this thy greatest and best gift. O may we be pardoned, 
 accepted, and saved, for the .Redeemer's sake. 
 
 May we be enabled by thy grace to live as it 
 becomes thy redeemed people. May we abhor sin in 
 all its forms. May we cultivate every amiable virtue. 
 "Whatsoever things are pure, just, lovely, honest, and 
 of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be 
 any praise, may we, O Lord, think upon these things. 
 May we find more pleasure in the discharge of our 
 duty, and may we feel a less propensity to that which 
 is evil. May we never allow any temptation, however 
 strong, to entice us from the path of our duty, but 
 may we be stedfast and immoveable, always abounding 
 in the work of the Lord, for as much as we know, 
 that in due time we shall reap if we faint not. May 
 we duly consider the promises of the Gospel. May 
 we reflect on the high rewards which are promised to 
 those who shall be found faithful. May we also medi- 
 tate on the threatenings which are denounced against 
 those who forget God, who disregard the institutions 
 of his appointment, who follow the imaginations of 
 their own hearts. May we remember that it will be 
 more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judg- 
 
138 MINISTERS DISfiOTOBT. 
 
 ment than for us, if we neglect that salvation which 
 Christ has wrought for us. May we endeavour to lead 
 the life of the righteous, and our last end shall be like 
 his. 
 
 Follow with thy blessing, Lord, the preaching of 
 thy Word, and all the services of thy house. Water the 
 seed sown, may it spring up to everlasting life. 
 
 Lord, let thy kingdom spread on the earth, scat- 
 ter the darkness which prevents men from seeing its 
 glory, weaken the powers which oppose its progress, 
 and succeed the lawful endeavours of all those who 
 labour for its extension. Let the weapons of their 
 warfare be found mighty to the pulling down every 
 stronghold of error, and to the setting up that king- 
 dom, which is righteousness, peace, and joy in the 
 Holy Ghost. 
 
 Bless all who are called to preach the glorious 
 Gospel of the blessed God, may they deliver thy Word 
 with clearness and force, and may the Holy Spirit so 
 accompany their ministry, that many may be brought 
 to know thee, the only true God, and to live in the 
 faith and love of the Redeemer to the end of their days. 
 
 Bless that Church which thou hast planted in our 
 land. May she be the honoured instrument in thy 
 hand for maintaining and promoting a spirit of true 
 and undefiled religion amongst us. Be thou, Lord, for 
 walls and bulwarks around our Zion. 
 
 Be very gracious ,0 God, to our Sovereign Lady the 
 Queen ; protect her person, prolong her days, guide her 
 councils, let her reign be prosperous, and crown with 
 thy blessing all her endeavours for the public good. 
 Bless her Royal Consort Prince Albert, the Prince of 
 Wales, and all the branches of the Royal Family. 
 Bestow upon them such gifts of thy good Spirit as may 
 fit them for all the duties of their exalted station. 
 Bless thou and counsel all those who exercise lawful 
 authority over us. May our rulers rule in the fear of 
 the Lord. Bless abundantly the whole body of our 
 people. Dwell in this city we beseech thee. Bless it 
 in all its interests. May thy servants in the magis- 
 
THANKSGIVING-DAY. 1 39 
 
 tracy not hold the sword of justice in vain. While 
 they are a terror to evil-doers, may they be the praise 
 and reward of those who do well. 
 
 Bless especially this parish and congregation. En- 
 rich their souls with all spiritual and heavenly bless- 
 ings in Christ Jesus. May all who have enjoyed the 
 privilege of gospel ordinances in this place carry about 
 with them the remembrance of the truths that have 
 been borne in upon their minds, and so live that the 
 world may take knowledge of them that they have been 
 with Jesus. May the light which has shone upon them, 
 abide with them, and guide them in the paths of peace. 
 May they give thanks unto thee for every holy thought 
 and desire, every godly affection and resolution which 
 thou hast been pleased to stir up in them, and for every 
 good impression still remaining upon their spirits. 
 We give thee thanks, gracious God, for those pledges 
 of thy love in Christ Jesus which thy people in this 
 place have yesterday received at thy table. Do thou 
 fill their hearts with a just sense of the benefits which 
 thou hast bestowed upon them. Help them to keep 
 their vows, to conduct themselves in accordance with 
 their obligations. May thy blessing, in a particular 
 manner, rest upon the young, to keep them from draw- 
 ing back and growing weary in their Redeemer's work ; 
 and on the old, that as their day is, so their strength 
 and faith in thee may be, to cheer and support them, 
 as they daily draw nearer to their latter end. 
 
 We pray that all who have neglected to avail them- 
 selves of this opportunity of honouring Christ, and 
 have had no sense of its sacredness and importance, 
 may be convinced of their guilt, and brought to repent- 
 ance, and henceforth seek and serve him with their 
 whole heart, in this and other appointments. 
 
 may the number of true and acceptable communi- 
 cants, here and elsewhere, be daily increasing. 
 
 Bless thy servant whom thou has appointed to dis- 
 pense unto this people the bread of life. Enrich his 
 own soul with thy grace. Strengthen him for his work. 
 May he be blessed and be made a blessing to them 
 
140 minister's directory. 
 
 May he ardently pursue the great and good work of 
 instructing the ignorant and reclaiming the vicious ; 
 and by the excellence of his doctrine, and the holiness 
 of his life, may he save himself and those who hear 
 him. 
 
 We pray, Lord, for those on whom thou hast laid 
 thy chastening hand. May every affliction be sanctified 
 to the afflicted, and be the means of leading them to 
 draw refreshment and consolation from the wells of 
 salvation. Prepare the dying for their last and great 
 change. Comfort those who mourn the loss of departed 
 relatives. Prepare all of us for that great change which 
 will bring us down to the grave, the house appointed 
 for all living. And since the time of our departure is 
 so very uncertain, teach us to number our days that 
 we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. 
 
 We thank thee, Lord, for the abundant supply of 
 food with which thou hast stored our land. We pray 
 that thou wouldst send such weather as thou knowest 
 to be necessary for preparing the earth to receive the 
 precious seed, that there may still be plenty of provi- 
 sions for man and for beast. On thy goodness all our 
 trust depends. Assist us in singing thy praises. Dis- 
 miss us with thy blessing. Carry us in safety to our 
 respective dwellings. Enable us to live to thy praise, 
 to die in thy peace, to rise in glory, and ever be with 
 the Lord, through Jesus Christ, to whom with Thee, 
 and the Holy Spirit, one God, be glory evermore. 
 Amen. 
 
 Psalm l. — 14, 15, 16, 17- Second Version. 
 
 BLESSING. 
 
 May grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, 
 the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be with you and with 
 all the people of God, now, henceforth, and for ever- 
 more. Amen. 
 
LICENSING OF PROBATIONERS. 
 
 After the student has completed his public trials, 
 the Presbytery take a conjunct view of the whole, and 
 if they are satisfied therewith, and consider him duly 
 qualified to preach the gospel, they record this opinion 
 in their minutes (for the form of this minute see the 
 extract of License) ; they must then proceed to propose 
 to him, through their Moderator, the following ques- 
 tions, appointed by Assembly, 1711, Act X, to be put 
 to all who shall pass trials. 
 
 1. Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and 
 New Testaments to be the Word of God, and the only 
 rule of faith and manners ? 
 
 2. Do you sincerely own and believe the whole doc- 
 trine of the Confession of Faith, approven by the Ge- 
 neral Assemblies of this National Church, and ratified 
 by law in the year 1690, and frequently confirmed by 
 divers Acts of Parliament since that time, to be the 
 truths of God, contained in the Scriptures of the Old 
 and New Testaments ; and do you own the whole 
 doctrine therein contained as the confession of your 
 faith. 
 
 3. Do you sincerely own the purity of worship pre- 
 sently authorised and practised in this Church, and 
 asserted in the fifteenth Act of the General Assembly 
 1707, entitled, " Act against innovations in the worship 
 of God ;" and also own the Presbyterian government 
 and discipline, now so happily established in this 
 
142 minister's directory. 
 
 Church ; and are you persuaded that the said doctrine, 
 worship, discipline, and church government, are 
 founded upon the Holy Scriptures, and agreeable 
 thereto ? 
 
 4. Do you promise that, through the grace of God, 
 you will firmly and constantly adhere to, and, in your 
 station, to the utmost of your power assert, maintain, 
 and defend the said doctrine, worship, and discipline, 
 and the government of this Church by Kirk-Sessions, 
 Presbyteries, Provincial Synods, and General Assem- 
 blies ? 
 
 5. Do you promise that in your practice you will 
 conform yourself to the said worship, and submit your- 
 self to the said discipline and government of this 
 Church, and shall never endeavour, directly or indi- 
 rectly, the prejudice or subversion of the same ? 
 
 6. Do you promise that you shall follow no divisive 
 courses from the present establishment in this Church ? 
 
 7. Do you renounce all doctrines, tenets, or opinions 
 whatsoever, contrary to, or inconsistent with, the said 
 doctrine, worship, discipline, and government of this 
 Church ? 
 
 8. Do you promise that you shall subject yourself to 
 the several judicatories of this Church ? Are you will- 
 ing to subscribe to those things ? 
 
 If the student shall give satisfactory answers to the 
 above questions, the Presbytery must then require him 
 to subscribe the Formula, which is prescribed by the 
 same Act of Assembly, 1711, c. 10. 
 
 Thereafter the Presbytery must order the 8th Act of 
 Assembly 1759, against simoniacal practices to be read 
 to the student in their presence by their Clerk. Upon 
 which the Moderator, in the name of the Presbytery, 
 shall license him to preach the everlasting Gospel, and 
 tender to him a suitable exhortation. In some Pres- 
 byteries, before licensing the student, they require their 
 Moderator to engage in prayer to the Great Head oi 
 the Church, that He would be graciously pleased by 
 his grace and spirit to fit and qualify him for the im- 
 portant work in which he is about to engage. Such a 
 
LICENSING OF PROBATIONERS. 143 
 
 mode of procedure ought to be adopted by all Presby- 
 teries. Agreeably thereto prayer is offered up by the 
 Moderator in some such way as the following : — 
 
 Let us pray. 
 
 Blessed and holy Lord God, who didst make all 
 things by thy power, who rulest all things by thy pro- 
 vidence, and fillest all places with thy presence. Thou 
 art an ever-faithful God, watching over and protecting 
 all thy creatures. We~acknowledge our absolute de- 
 pendence upon thee. We acknowledge, Lord, thy 
 great and daily goodness to us, and our own absolute 
 unworthiness^of the least of all thy mercies. Though 
 we have sinned, yet we rejoice that we have an advo- 
 cate with thee, Jesus Christ the righteous, and that he 
 is the propitiation for our sins. In his name we are 
 encouraged to come unto thee, and to seek the bless- 
 ings he has purchased for us by his own blood. O 
 how wonderful has thy grace to us been. Thou hast 
 not left us in our guilty and helpless condition 
 without the means of recovery. Here we find, lost as 
 we are, that there is a great salvation ; weak as we 
 are, that there is help laid upon one who is mighty ; 
 poor as we are, that unsearchable riches are treasured 
 up in Christ ; and, though we have nothing, that in 
 him we may have all things. give us grace to look 
 to him, that we may have redemption through his 
 blood ! Suffer us not to defer the acceptance of his 
 righteousness. Govern thou alone, by thy Word and 
 Spirit, our hearts and our lives. Let all the means we 
 have of spiritual good be in constant exercise beneath 
 the effectual blessing of our God. May a saving par- 
 ticipation of grace and forgiveness leave a deep im- 
 pression of its fulness and excellency on our souls. 
 May we put no trust in any merit or sufficiency of our 
 own, but trust solely in the perfect and finished work 
 of Christ. 
 
 Lord, be gracious to our land. Long has it been 
 sacred to liberty, and sown with the ashes of saints 
 
144 MIXlSTKtt's MMOIOBY. 
 
 and martyrs. Long has the portion of thy Church 
 with which we are connected found here a site and 
 shelter. Thou hast been its present help. On all its 
 glory thou hast set a defence. May it still enlarge the 
 place of its tent, and stretch forth the curtains of its 
 habitation. Let it be the joy of the whole earth. For 
 public services and ordinances, we bless thee. For the 
 gifts and virtues of thy Church, be thou praised. We 
 pray, Lord, that thou wouldst bless, encourage, and 
 support him whom we are now, in thy name, to set apart 
 to preach the glad tidings of salvation to perishing 
 sinners. Endue him with power from on high. May 
 he be enriched with thy grace, and qualified by thy 
 Spirit, for his important work. Establish his heart 
 unblameable in holiness. Assign his sphere, and cheer 
 his labour. May his labour not be in vain in the 
 Lord. May he influence all around him by pureness, 
 by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by love 
 unfeigned. To spend and to be spent in thy service 
 should be his reason of living and the delight of his 
 life, liaise his mind to this standard — endue him with 
 this desire. May he live unto the Lord. May he 
 study thy Word with earnest and prayerful attention. 
 May He who inspired it, the Spirit of Truth, direct his 
 studies into it, and his conclusions from it. May He 
 shine upon his own Word. May He signify to him His 
 own meaning. May He hide it in his heart. May he 
 meditate on it day and night. May he be clean 
 through it. Sanctify him through thy truth — thy 
 Word is truth. Ever may he lift up his soul to thee in 
 every trial of temper, and every contest of principle. 
 Wherever he is, whatever he do, may his heart be 
 always thine. 
 
 May we all be fully alive to our spiritual and eteiv 
 nal interests, and be deeply anxious to fulfil the duties 
 of our important office, with a view to thy glory and 
 the good of souls. Hear these our prayers which we 
 offer up in and through Jesus Christ, our only Medi- 
 ator and Advocate. Amen. 
 
LICENSING OF PROBATIONERS. 145 
 
 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Great 
 King and Head of the Church, and by authority of the 
 Presbytery, I do now license you to preach the Gospel 
 of Christ, and exercise your gifts as a probationer for 
 the Holy Ministry. 
 
 The Moderator and all the Members of the Presby- 
 tery present here give the person licensed the right 
 hand of fellowship. 
 
 The Moderator then proceeds to tender to him 
 a suitable exhortation in some such form as fol- 
 lows : — 
 
 Providence has called you to an honourable, but, at 
 the same time, a difficult office, gifts are necessary to 
 capacitate you for it ; grace to animate you to discharge 
 it faithfully. Take heed to thyself, make it your daily 
 prayer and your diligent endeavour to feel the im- 
 portance of those truths you have believed, of those 
 doctrines you are now called upon to preach. Every 
 one who is appointed to labour in God's vineyard ought 
 to be able to say I have received my commission from 
 Heaven. My call is of God. But in the present day, 
 people commonly look upon the sacred office of a 
 Minister of the Gospel as upon any other profe ssion 
 which may be taken up at pleasure, or for the sake of 
 maintenance The parents decide for their child that 
 he shall be a clergyman. The vain youthful student, 
 especially if he be conscious of possessing some little 
 talent, immediately thinks himself fit for the sacred 
 office. How many young men proceed to Universities 
 to enter upon the study of divinity without even the 
 most distant thought of asking counsel of God, in 
 order to learn by the directions of Scripture, by cir- 
 cumstances of Providence, and their own qualifications, 
 whether it be his will to employ them in the work of 
 the Ministry ! And when arrived at the University, 
 how seldom do they meet with any pious counsellor 
 to take them aside and inquire whether they had any 
 proof of their call to the Ministry than their own notion 
 and fancy, and the counsel of flesh and blood. Hence 
 it is that we have now the mournful example of many 
 
 j 
 
146 minister's directory. 
 
 a flock in Christendom among whom grievous wolves 
 fills the shepherd's office, to the subversion and ruin 
 of many souls. 
 
 I trust you are actuated by a very different spirit, 
 and have nobler and purer motives for becoming a 
 preacher of the Gospel of Christ. 
 
 Rightly to divide the Word of Truth is the neces- 
 sary care of one who is appointed to preach the Gospel, 
 if he would be " approved of God, and be a workman 
 that needeth not to be ashamed." And it is a skill 
 worth studying for and labouring to attain ; your suc- 
 cess and the good of souls depend upon it more than 
 is commonly imagined. It is said of Paul and Barna- 
 bas, when labouring in Iconium in a synagogue of the 
 Jews, that they so spake that a great multitude both 
 of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed. They 
 preached powerfully and successfully. Their style as 
 preachers, as well as their spirit, had much to do with 
 the result. The same remark holds good with respect 
 to all preachers. Much, everywhere and at all times, 
 depends upon the man, intellectually as well as spiritu- 
 ally. This sentiment is sustained, not only by what 
 w r e read in the Word of God, but also by what we 
 see in his providence — in his actual withholding or 
 dispensing success. You discover that certain men have 
 been distinguished for success. You are prepared to 
 say that it was not altogether because they possessed 
 more piety, or exhibited more truth than some others 
 who have been less successful. It was, in part, because 
 they were more skilful in presenting the truth. They 
 drew attention to it ; they produced conviction by it. 
 The Spirit brought many home to God. 
 
 Let it here, however, be distinctly and strongly 
 averred, that no fitness or skill in the presentation will 
 avail to a saving result, unless the Holy Ghost accom- 
 panies and gives efficacy to the Word. You may 
 preach with the eloquence of an angel, and without the 
 Spirit not a conversion would be effected. While I 
 say this with the utmost strength and sincerity, I re- 
 peat the statement that very much depends, in the se- 
 
LICENSING OF PROBATIONERS. HJ 
 
 curing of success, upon the preacher's skill. Indeed, 
 facts on every hand admonish you to study the art of 
 preaching with the utmost intenseness. Skill in this 
 work seems to be almost as important as if skill were 
 the efficient power. "While you seek out and set in 
 order acceptable words — and the message of Heaven 
 deserves the best accompaniments that earth can yield 
 — these must be considered only as a tribute to its ex- 
 cellence, and as a means of exciting attention to it, and 
 in no way as contributing to its saving energy ; it is 
 Gospel truth, in its simplest statements, and in the 
 language of Scripture, that is generally employed in 
 awakening or changing the heart. The arrows which 
 pierce the heart are taken from this quiver, and this is 
 the still small voice in which God is. 
 
 Moreover, it is indispensable, in order to be success- 
 ful, that you be a clear and sound theologian. Of this, 
 I presume, you are convinced, and will act, I trust, 
 agreeably to that conviction ; for suitable means must 
 be used, not only for the good of others, but with a 
 view to the improvement of your own mind in an ac- 
 quaintance with divine truth. It is necessary that you 
 should have a clear view of the truth, and that an in- 
 spiriting confidence in its efficacy must be awakened 
 and sustained. You must utter your message in free- 
 ness and fervour, with the belief that there is an im- 
 portance, a dignity, a worth attached to it which the 
 most reckless must respect, and a power inherent which 
 the most obdurate must feel. 
 
 I speak of truth, then, not merely as lodged in the 
 head, but lodged and living in the heart. To be a suc- 
 cessful preacher you must have not simply clear 
 theoretic knowledge ; you must have especially a deep 
 experimental knowledge of the grand system of doc- 
 trine, of the scheme of salvation wrought out by 
 Christ. It must have all been authenticated in the 
 conflicts and triumphs of your own breast. You speak 
 what you do know; you testily what you have seen 
 and felt. You must so speak, if you would speak 
 with effect. If you do so speak, it will be with effect, 
 
148 minister's directory. 
 
 even though, in other respects, your talents and ac- 
 quisitions be of a secondary order. 
 
 The sermons of the powerful and faithful preacher 
 are taken especially out of the heart, as all good ser- 
 mons must be. Truth may be taken from the head, 
 but it must be carried through the heart before it is 
 imbued with the Spirit and with power- Your purpose 
 before ignorant men must be to instruct them in the 
 doctrine of the Cross ; before careless men, to awaken 
 them to a sense of their guilt ; before sceptical men, to 
 convince them of their unbelief ; before the obdurate, 
 to melt them down into repentance ; in short, to urge, 
 if possible, every unsheltered soul to the refuge by 
 God provided. If you have accomplished none of 
 these points, you feel that you have done but little. 
 You cannot be satisfied with the idea, that you are 
 casting seed which will germinate in other centuries. 
 You cannot console yourself with the wonders which 
 may spring from your labours ages after you are dead. 
 Your purpose — a purpose your heart has grasped — is, 
 by the grace of God, to accomplish something in the 
 very effort, and in every effort. 
 
 But in preaching, you may have an object, and err 
 in the way of reaching it. You must know the human 
 mind, not merely as learned in books, but as read 
 in the field, the street, the shop, or on the ocean. You 
 must know the common mind, in its variety, its mea- 
 sure of knowledge, its mode of reasoning, its springs 
 of feeling and action, otherwise you will reason with- 
 out producing any conviction, and in your most fervid 
 appeals you will awaken not a particle of emotion. 
 You must consent to think and feel as they do. They 
 are men of this world on probation for another, and 
 so are you. When men, living, active, tempted men, 
 are understood and aimed at, the appeal will very 
 likely be a simple, direct, unpretending appeal. You 
 may be pointed in your intention, select in your mat- 
 ter ; but if you be not also actually pointed, urgent, 
 significantly close in your appeal, you will assuredly 
 fail of doing the good you ought to do. You must 
 
LICENSING OF riioBATIONEKS. 149 
 
 think and write just as you are compelled to think and 
 write, with an eye on eternal things, with a heart full 
 of truth and love, with inextinguishable purpose, set 
 upon the glory of God, and the redemption of men. 
 No matter, if thoughts and illustrations break forth 
 different from any which ever occurred to you before. 
 Xo matter if you occasionally run into forms different 
 from anything you ever assumed before. It is all well 
 enough, provided they only lie together in a vigorous 
 and compact body. You should yield to the urgencies 
 of the awakened spirit within, when you have such a 
 spirit, and speak freely and boldly, though you speak 
 without a precedent, and it will not be feebly nor in 
 vain. It may be added, that no one becomes a 
 truly powerful and enduring preacher without study 
 and without training. Whatever be the gifts, there 
 must be rigid discipline; or there will be ultimate failure. 
 Especially must the heart be cultivated ; and let the 
 teacher there be the purifying, enkindling, elevating 
 Spirit of God. Out of a great, warm, illumined 
 heart comes the best eloquence, the most arresting and 
 subduing the world ever hears. 
 
 As you should take heed to yourself respecting the 
 principles on which you act, and the ends at which you 
 aim in your preparation for the pulpit, so it behoves 
 you to be still more careful in these respects when you 
 enter on public service. In all your studies, and in all 
 your labours, watch against a spirit of self-sufficiency. 
 Remember that your ability for every spiritual duty, 
 and all your success, must be from God. To him your 
 eye must be directed, and on his promised aid your 
 expectations of usefulness must be formed. In thus 
 acting the part of a Christian, while you perform the 
 work of an instructor for the benefit of others, your 
 own soul will feel itself interested in the doctrines you 
 preach, and in the duties you inculcate, in the promises 
 you exhibit, and in the reproofs you administer. In 
 short, your whole disposition and conduct ought to 
 evince that you are a disciple of him who u came not 
 to destroy men's lives, but to save them." 
 
150 MINISTER' h> DIRECTORY. 
 
 Prayer, as a means to the attainment in question, 
 should be very prominent. It gives clearness to the 
 understanding, and strength and pureness to emotion ; 
 it quickens thought, and vivifies the gathered and 
 otherwise dead material. You should seek above all 
 things to be eminently a man of prayer, and grace 
 will be^poured into your lips, and you will have the 
 eloquence of the truth and the love and the Spirit of 
 God. Therefore let the call to prayer be ever regarded 
 by you as the invitation to an unspeakable privilege. 
 " Continue instant in prayer." Pray in the Spirit, in 
 the Holy Ghost, and not in your own self-sufficiency ; 
 and you will pray with power. Pray for yourself, pray 
 for all, and pray with faith and expectation ; for in the 
 immutable Word, that Word which must survive both 
 heaven and earth, it stands recorded, " Verily, verily, 
 I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in 
 my name, he will give it you." 
 
 And now I commend you to God, and to the word 
 of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give 
 you an inheritance among all them which are sancti- 
 fied. Amen. 
 
ORDINATION SERVICE. 
 
 Psalm lxxxix. 15 — 19- 
 PRAYER. 
 
 O Lord, thou art the only living and true God, the 
 self-existent, independent,Vand eternal Jehovah. All 
 things derive their existence from thee, all are naked 
 and open to thy view ; and all are subject to thy con- 
 trol and subservient to thy glory. 
 
 Enable us, we huinbly,beseech thee, to approach thy 
 throne at this 1 time with true hearts, and in the full 
 assurance of faith, deeply affected by a sense of our 
 own unworthiness. but relying with confidence on the 
 merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, who is the way, 
 and the truth, and the life, and through whom thou 
 hast promised to^receive us graciously, and love us 
 freely. 
 
 With what unfeigned gratitude ought our hearts to 
 be filled unto thee, that we are permitted to approach 
 into thy house of prayer ! With what fervent devotion 
 ought our services to be offered up at the footstool of 
 thy throne. With what humility and contrition ought 
 our sins to be acknowledged. With what firmness of 
 resolution, and with what fulness of grace ought we 
 to be fortified, that we may really and in earnest de- 
 clare before thee, that we are determined to forsake 
 our sins. 
 
 We pray, Lord, that we may be led to reflect 
 more seriously on the nature of that dedication which 
 we make of ourselves unto thee, when we thus ap- 
 proach into thy immediate presence, and when wc lift 
 up our voices at the footstool of thy throne, acknow- 
 ledging thy goodness, professing obedience to thy com- 
 
152 MINISTERS DIRECTORY. 
 
 mandments, imploring pardon for our offences, and 
 praying for grace to enable us to discharge our duty. 
 
 Thou hast in the Scriptures of truth made known unto 
 us what duties we ought to perform, what doctrines 
 we ought to believe, and what affections we ought to 
 subdue. 
 
 When we, O Lord, reflect on the high privileges 
 svhich we enjoy, and when we consider what thou hast 
 done for our redemption, we are sensible that we can 
 never requite thy goodness. We are convinced that 
 the most unfeigned gratitude and love are ever due 
 unto thee our Great Creator and Merciful Deliverer. 
 But alas ! we are careless and remiss in the discharge 
 of our duty. The snares, the temptations, and the al- 
 lurements of the world, draw off our attention from 
 our first and most important interests. We often pre- 
 fer present and temporary pleasures to future and eter- 
 nal happiness. 
 
 We adore thee, O Lord, that our ingratitude unto 
 thee for thy blessings has never provoked thee to 
 withhold thy goodness from us, but that thou art still 
 waiting to be gracious, still lengthening out the day of 
 our salvation, still calling and inviting us to come unto 
 thee that we may have everlasting life. We thank 
 thee that Jesus Christ not only died for our sins, but 
 that he rose again for our justification ; and that as in 
 Adam all die, so through faith in Christ we shall 
 be made alive. We are convinced that there is 
 no other name given under heaven whereby we must 
 be saved but by the name of Jesus Christ. May we, 
 therefore, be enabled to receive him in all his offices — as 
 our prophet, to instruct us in our duty and in the way 
 of life; as our Priest, to atone for our sins, and to inter- 
 cede for us at thy right hand ; as our King, to rule 
 in us and over us, and to defend us from all our spiri- 
 tual foes. 
 
 May we, O Lord, be convinced that without an in- 
 terest in the merits and purchase of Christ we can 
 have no solid peace in this world, nor any comfortable 
 prospect as to that which is to come. In order to the 
 
ORDINATION SEBVICE. 153 
 
 obtaining this interest in him we pray that we may 
 have that faith which will enable us to give the most 
 implicit trust to all the declarations of thy Word con- 
 cerning him, which v^ill enable us to rest and rely on 
 him alone for salvation, as he is set forth to us in the 
 Gospel, for in thy Word we are expressly told that even 
 this faith is the gift of God, and that by faith we are 
 justified through the redemption that is in Christ 
 Jesus. 
 
 Believing in Christ, we pray, Lord, that our hearts 
 may be sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, and 
 that this Spirit may bear witness with our spirits, that 
 we are the children of God, and, if children, then heirs, 
 heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. 
 
 And being thus predestinated unto the adoption of 
 children by Jesus Christ, according to the good plea- 
 sure of his will, may we bring forth the fruits of 
 righteousness to the praise and the glory of thy grace. 
 
 We, Lord, would lift up our hearts and our voices 
 at the footstool of thy throne, and we would implore 
 the fulfilment of all the gracious declarations thou hast 
 made, and the precious promises thou hast given con- 
 cerning thy church. 
 
 With holy reverence, Lord, we would desire to re- 
 mind thee that thou hast said that thou has chosen 
 Zion — that thou hast desired it for thy habitation — 
 that this is thy rest for ever — that here wilt thou 
 dwell, for thou has desired it. We would remind thee 
 that thou hast promised that thou wilt abundantly 
 bless her provision — that thou wilt satisfy her poor with 
 bread — that thou wilt clothe her priests with salvation, 
 and her saints shall shout aloud for joy. 
 
 And as we, Lord, are now met for the purpose of 
 setting thy servant apart to the work of the ministry 
 that he may declare thy message of salvation to this 
 people, we pray that thy Spirit may be upon him, that 
 he may delight in thy work, and be blessed in his 
 ministrations, and in his flock. 
 
 And grant, we beseech thee, that this people may 
 receive instruction with a teachable spirit. As new- 
 
154 MINlsTKlt's DUUCCTOKY. 
 
 born babes, may they desire the sincere milk of the 
 Word, that they may grow thereby. 
 
 We pray thee, O Lord, to be present with us, and 
 assist us in all the services of this day. May we 
 speak because we believe, and may we hear to the sav- 
 ing of our souls. And let our prayers^and praises be 
 spiritual sacrifices, acceptable in thy sight, through 
 Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 
 
 SERMON. 
 Psalm cxv. 10 — 15. 
 
 The minister intimates that A. B. (the person who is 
 to be ordained,) having received a presentation from 
 
 C. D., the legal Patron to the vacant parish of ; 
 
 and the Presbytery having made trial of his qualifica- 
 tions for the ministry, and being satisfied therewith, 
 his call having been moderated, the edict for ordination 
 having been served, and returned duly executed and 
 indorsed, warning all persons having any objections 
 against his being admitted minister of said parish, to 
 lodge the same with the Presbytery, that they may be 
 judged and cognosced ; proclamation to the same effect 
 having also been this day made, at the most patent 
 door of the church, and no objections offered — (or ob- 
 jections having been offered and disposed of, as the 
 case may be) — the Presbytery are now to proceed to 
 his ordination as minister of this parish by prayer and 
 the imposition of hands. But, in order that they (the 
 people) might be satisfied of his soundness in the Chris- 
 tian faith, he (the officiating clergyman) would now 
 put to him the questions appointed by the act of As- 
 sembly, to be put to ministers at their ordination. 
 
ORDIXATIOX UDCTICB. 155 
 
 The Presentee is then called upon to give satisfactory 
 answers to the following questions. 
 Stand up. 
 
 1. Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and 
 New Testaments to be the Word of God, and the only 
 rule of faith and manners ? 
 
 2. Do you sincerely own and believe the whole doc- 
 trines contained in the Confession of Faith, approven 
 by the General Assemblies of this Church, and rati- 
 fied by law in the year 1690, to be founded upon the 
 "Word of God ; and do you acknowledge the same as 
 the confession of your faith ; and will you firmly and 
 constantly adhere thereto, and to the utmost of your 
 power assert, maintain, and defend the same, and the 
 purity of worship as presently practised in this 
 National Church, and asserted in Act XV., Assembly 
 1707, entitled, Act against innovations in the worship 
 of God? 
 
 3. Do you disown all Popish, Arian, Socinian, 
 Armenian, Bourigirian, and other doctrines, tenets, 
 and opinions whatsoever, contrary to and inconsistent 
 with, the foresaid Confession of Faith ? 
 
 4. Are you persuaded that the Presbyterian Govern- 
 ment and discipline of this Church are founded upon the 
 Word of God, and agreeable thereto ; and do you pro- 
 mise to submit to the said government and discipline, 
 and to concur with the same, and never to endeavour, 
 directly or indirectly, the prejudice or subversion 
 thereof, but to the utmost of your power, in your sta- 
 tion, to maintain, support, and defend the said disci- 
 pline and Presbyterian Government by Kirk-Sessions, 
 Presbyteries, Provincial Synods, and General Assem- 
 blies, during all the days of your life? 
 
 5. Do you promise to submit yourself willingly and 
 humbly, in the spirit of meekness, unto the admoni- 
 tions of the brethren of this Presbytery, and to be 
 subject to them, and all other Presbyteries, and supe- 
 rior judicatories of this Church, where God in his pro- 
 vidence shall cast your lot; and that, according to 
 
156 minister's directory. 
 
 your power, you shall maintain the unity and peace of 
 this Church against error and schism, notwithstanding 
 of whatsoever trouble or persecution may arise, and that 
 you shall follow no divisive courses from the present 
 established^ doctrine, worship, discipline, and govern- 
 ment of this Church ? 
 
 6. Are not zeal for the honour of God, love to Jesus 
 Christ, and|desire of saving souls, your great motives 
 and chief inducements to enter into the function of the 
 holy ministry, and not wordly designs and interest ? 
 
 7. Have you used any undue methods, either by 
 yourself or others, in procuring this call ? 
 
 8. Do you engage, in the strength and grace of 
 Jesus Christ our Lord and Master, to rule well your 
 own family ; to live a holy and circumspect life ; and 
 faithfully, diligently, and cheerfully, to discharge all 
 the parts of the ministerial w r ork, to the edification of 
 the body of Christ ? 
 
 9. Do you accept of and close with the call to be 
 pastor of this parish, and promise, through grace, to 
 perform all the duties of a faithful minister of the Gos- 
 pel among this people. 
 
 The minister then descends from the pulpit to the 
 place where the presentee and the members of Presby- 
 tery, and such other ordained ministers as may be 
 present, are seated. And the person to be ordained 
 alone kneeling, and the whole congregation stand- 
 ing, he pronounces the ordination prayer. When 
 the officiating minister comes to implore the Divine 
 blessing on the person now to be set apart to the office 
 of the ministry, he, along with all the ordained minis- 
 ters present, puts his hand upon the head of the per- 
 son who still continues kneeling. 
 
 ORDINATION PRAYER. 
 
 O God, in thee are hid all the treasures of wisdom 
 and knowledge. Thou are blessed in thyself, and 
 thou art the gracious author of all our blessings. 
 Thou alone hast everlasting life, and thou only canst 
 bestow it on others. Every good gift, and every per- 
 
ORDINATION SERVICE. 15 7 
 
 feet gift is from above, and cometh down from thee, 
 the Father of Lights, with whom is no variableness, 
 neither shadow of turning. 
 
 Thou, Lord, hast endued us with reason, thou 
 hast formed us for immortality, thou hast revealed to 
 us thy will, thou hast made known unto us our duty, 
 thou givest lis all things richly to enjoy. 
 
 Do thou, Lord, enable us to see the way of life 
 through Christ, and do thou dispose us to come unto 
 thee through him. Let us not distrust thy willingness to 
 pardon. But may we come into thy presence pleading 
 the merits of our Redeemer, and his perfect righteous- 
 ness as an atonement for all our sins, and may we 
 plead the same merits and confide in the same strength 
 to enable us to sanctify ourselves wholly unto thy ser- 
 vice. 
 
 We would offer unto thee, Lord, the gratitude of 
 our hearts, that to assist us in the discharge of those 
 duties which we owe unto thee, thou hast promised us 
 the aids of thy Spirit. We would humbly pray for the 
 fulfilment of this promise. Let thy Spirit, Lord, 
 help our infirmities, and fit us for thy service. 
 
 O may we be convinced, as thou in thy Word hast 
 declared it, that it is to thy free and sovereign grace 
 alone that we are indebted for that scheme of mercy 
 and reconciliation which has been made known to us 
 through Jesus Christ, and which he has accomplished 
 at the inestimable price of his own most precious blood. 
 
 O give us that true faith in thy grace and in our 
 Saviour's merits, without which the salvation of the 
 Gospel can never be ours. 
 
 We bless thee, O Lord, that Jesus Christ, when 
 he did tabernacle in this world, which he came to re- 
 deem with his own blood, did ordain chosen disciples 
 to go and preach the Gospel of a free salvation to 
 every creature, and that by these means we, who 
 were an island of the Gentiles, have long been blessed 
 with the knowledge of a Saviour. 
 
 We bless thee for the extraordinary gifts of the 
 Holy Ghost which were bestowed upon the prophets 
 
158 minister's directory. 
 
 and apostles in the first ages of the Church, by which 
 they were enabled to overcome the powerful enemies 
 with which they had to contend. We bless thee for 
 the ordinary communications of thy Spirit which thou 
 art'still vouchsafing to pastors and teachers, into whose 
 hands the commission originally given to the apostles 
 is now entrusted. We bless thee that by means of the 
 preaching of the Gospel a Church has been established 
 and maintained upon earth, against which, thou hast 
 promised, the gates of hell shall not prevail. 
 
 And we pray, most Merciful God, that thou 
 wouldst pour forth abundantly the gifts and graces of 
 thy Spirit upon thy servant [here the officiating mini- 
 ster and the other members of Presbytery place their 
 hands upon the head of the presentee, who is kneeling 
 before them], whom, in thy name, and by thine autho- 
 rity, and the imposition of hands, we do now solemnly 
 ordain and set apart to the work of the ministry. Do 
 thou endue him with the spirit of his office. Holy 
 Spirit of God, who art the only author of all spiritual 
 life, quicken him with the power, and preserve and 
 quicken him in the life which is thy gift. Let thy life 
 be strong in him. With favour do thou compass him 
 as with a shield. May he be instant in season and out 
 of season, willing to spend and to be spent for Christ. 
 May he, from the good treasure of a renewed heart, 
 bring forth those divine truths which are calculated to 
 make men wise unto salvation. May he, by a wise, an 
 able, and an impartial manifestation of the truth, com- 
 mend himself unto every man's conscience, as a work- 
 man that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing 
 the word of truth. And may he, by fulfilling the office 
 of the ministry in all things, both save himself and those 
 who are committed to his care. May the connection that 
 has this day been formed between pastor and people 
 minister to their spiritual good. may many in this 
 parish grow up, under his ministry, in the knowledge 
 and love of thee, to be his crown of rejoicing, and part- 
 ners in his happiness in the day of the Lord. 
 
 We pray, O Lord, that thou wouldst impress all of 
 
ORDINATION SERVICE. 159 
 
 us who are engaged in the work of the ministry more 
 deeply with a sense of the awful responsibility that 
 attaches to us — that thou wouldst dispose us to study 
 thy Word with the most serious attention — to receive 
 the law from thy mouth, and to give warning unto all 
 as from thee — declaring to the wicked that they shall 
 surely die, and to the righteous that they depart not 
 from their righteousness to commit iniquity. 
 
 O Lord, we pray that when wise and able and faith- 
 ful men have once been sent to labour in thy vineyard, 
 that thou wouldst incline the hearts of all thy people 
 to receive instruction, to wait upon the ministrations 
 of thy servants with earnest attention, with diligence, 
 preparation, and prayer — that they may receive the 
 truth in the love of it — that they may lay up thy 
 Word in their hearts, and practise it in their lives. 
 
 Revive thy work among all the churches of Christ. 
 While we intercede for others, visit us with thy salva- 
 tion. Continue thy loving-kindness unto them that 
 know thee, and thy righteousness to the upright in 
 heart. 
 
 Here and accept of us, for the merits of our Re- 
 deemer, who is God over all, blessed for evermore. 
 Amen. 
 
 Whereupon the officiating Minister thus addresses 
 the Minister now ordained : — In name of the Lord 
 Jesus Christ, the great King and Head of the Church, 
 and by authority of the Presbytery, I now admit you 
 to the pastoral charge of this parish, and to all the 
 rights and privileges belonging thereto, and, as such, 
 give you the right hand of fellowship. This form of 
 giving the right hand of fellowship to the person 
 ordained is gone through by all the clergymen present. 
 
 Thereafter the Minister returns to the pulpit, and 
 addresses himself first to the Minister, and then to the 
 people — the former standing during the time that the 
 address to him continues. 
 
160 minister's directory. 
 
 CHARGE TO THE MINISTER. 
 
 Reverend and dearly beloved brother, having been 
 called, as we believe, " by the grace that is given to 
 you of God, ip be a Minister of Jesus Christ," you 
 have now, by " prayer and the laying on of the hands 
 of the Presbytery," been separated and solemnly set 
 apart for discharging the functions of that sacred 
 office. The office of a spiritual instructor is attended 
 with great difficulty and danger, and the duties of it 
 are hard to be discharged. You undertake a very 
 dangerous office, and they who have well considered its 
 duties and its difficulties tremble to undertake it. No- 
 thing less than earnestness can succeed in any case of 
 great difficulty, and the earnestness must of course be 
 in proportion to the difficulty to be surmounted. 
 Great obstacles cannot be overcome without intense 
 application of the mind. How, then, can the work of 
 the ministry be accomplished ? It would be vain and 
 presumptuous to engage in such a laborious and 
 arduous work without delight in it, fitness for it, or 
 regard to its great end and design. No one can form 
 a true estimate of the nature, design, and difficulties 
 of the ministerial office, who leaves out of view the 
 desperate wickedness of the human heart. The Gospel 
 presupposes a charge of guilt against every individual 
 of the human family, and their consequent liability 
 to eternal perdition. It is the duty, then, of the 
 Minister of the Gospel to proclaim the treaty of man's 
 peace with God, to explain its terms, to urge its ac- 
 ceptance, and to bring the sinner into friendship with 
 his offended Lawgiver. This is his business. If there 
 is anything for which a good man will be thankful, and 
 should be thankful, it is that he has been so directed 
 by the Spirit and providence of God as to be put into 
 the ministry. It is, indeed, a work of toil and of self- 
 denial, and demanding many sacrifices of personal ease 
 and comfort. It is often identified with want, and 
 
ORDINAOTCON SERVICE. 161 
 
 poverty, and neglect, and persecution. But it is an 
 office so honourable, so excellent, so noble and ennobl- 
 ing; it is attended with so many precious comforts 
 here, and is so useful to the world, and it has such 
 promises of blessedness and happiness in the world to 
 come, that no matter what a man is required to give 
 up in order to become a Minister of the Gospel, he 
 should be thankful to Christ for appointing and 
 ordaining him to the office. 
 
 The end and aim of the ministry are to be gathered 
 from the apostle's solemn and comprehensive language, 
 " They watch for your souls as they that would give 
 account." There, in that short but sublime and awful 
 sentence, the end of the pastoral office is set before 
 you. 
 
 Moreover, you may learn from the excellent advice 
 which the apostle gives to Timothy and Titus what you 
 should be in the church, and what you should be in 
 the world — your method of preaching, and your man- 
 ner of living. The design of the pulpit is identical 
 with that of the Cross ; and the Minister is to carry 
 out the design of the Saviour in coming to seek and to 
 save that which was lost. Preaching and teaching are 
 the very agency which Jesus Christ employs to save 
 those souls for which he died upon Calvary. If souls 
 are not saved, whatever other designs are accomplished, 
 the great purpose of the ministry is defeated. Paul 
 with his splendid talents and literary attainments 
 might have attracted men's attention had he pursued 
 abstract and metaphysical speculations, but his heart 
 was absorbed in subjects unequalled in magnitude. 
 Christ crucified was the incessant theme upon which 
 he dwelt. This was the leading subject of all his ora- 
 tions ; and neither persecution with all its terrors, nor 
 death with all its horrors, could make him swerve from 
 his purpose. He is an eminent example to all succeeding 
 Ministers of the Gospel. If you should seek to please 
 men, you should not be the servant of Christ ; if you 
 should favour their weaknesses, their prejudices, and 
 their passions, you would ruin their souls instead of 
 
 K 
 
162 minister's directory. 
 
 edifying and saving them. You must preach a cruci- 
 fied Saviour whether men will hear, or whether they 
 will forbear. v You~must preach justification through 
 his righteousness, santification through his Spirit, and 
 salvation through his blood, and all the obligations 
 and duties which result from those high and blessed 
 privileges. If you basely betray the cause of the Lord 
 Jesus, if you be ashamed of his humiliation, of his 
 sufferings and death, you dishonour the name you 
 bear, you are an unfaithful steward of the mysteries of 
 God — for there is no true Christianity without a public 
 confession of a crucified Saviour. 
 
 The Minister of the Gospel is a man of like passions 
 with the hearer of the Gospel ; and there is therefore 
 of necessity, in the discharge of his office, many fail- 
 ings, many short-comings, many infirmities, many in- 
 consistencies, the desire of that admiration and ap- 
 plause which the human mind so eagerly covets re- 
 quires to be continually checked and corrected, and 
 the eye led to Him who alone is the source of blessing ; 
 and then comes the power. Then the cause of the 
 consignment of the treasure to earthen vessels is 
 manifest, and realised in the due effect in the descent 
 from the Holy Spirit of those converting and sancti- 
 fying influences, which, under such circumstances, are 
 promised ; that is, when the eye is directed through 
 the earthly agent, or earthen vessel, to the source of 
 that blessing, God is looked to through his ministering 
 servants, through his appointed agency, and the Gospel 
 becomes the power of God unto salvation ; sinners are 
 reclaimed, the principalities and powers of darkness 
 discomfited, Heaven peopled with countless tribes of 
 redeemed, and God himself honoured with a rich 
 revenue of glory. 
 
 If you preach any other doctrine than the Apostles 
 preached, it is at your peril. Cold themes of morality 
 can do little in any respect, but none at all in rousing 
 sinners, and bringing them to the fountain opened for 
 sin and pollution. Your duty is to make yourself well 
 acquainted with the Word of God, to pray for the aid 
 
ORDINATION SERVICE. 163 
 
 of the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, to satisfy 
 yourself how your own soul is to be saved, and to 
 recommend that method to others, which you yourself 
 are honestly resolved to trust to for your own salva- 
 tion. You are neither to preach a dead faith, nor the 
 efficacy of works, but a living faith, and the fruit which 
 proves that Christ dwells in the soul. If you feel not 
 this yourself, you cannot teach others ; if you do, you 
 will enforce the doctrine of the Cross. You should 
 diligently, studiously, and with fervent prayer, pre- 
 pare your exhortations and discourses, and you should 
 preach them earnestly and plainly. He who goes to 
 the pulpit to preach Jesus Christ loses all thought 
 of himself ; you go not there to exhibit yourself; you 
 go to call sinners to salvation, to preach repentance 
 and remission of sins, through the infinite mercy of 
 God, and the atonement of Jesus Christ ; to call them 
 from the vanities of time to the glories of eternity. 
 On these subjects, you must have eloquence, you 
 must speak with the force of truth. As you feel your- 
 self, you must make others feel also ; and as Paul, 
 when he reasoned, made Felix tremble, so will you 
 make your hearers listen with interest to that impor- 
 tant doctrine which comes from God himself — you will 
 so blend doctrine with practice, that the connexion of 
 the one with the other may never be forgotten. 
 Whilst you constantly maintain Christ to be the vine, 
 you will also uniformly prove that those who abide in 
 him must bring forth fruit. You will not be satisfied 
 with preaching the Gospel in the pulpit, but will be 
 careful to discharge all the other duties of your office. 
 You will visit the sick, instruct the ignorant, encourage 
 the weak, comfort the afflicted, excite the faithful, re- 
 lieve the poor, and set in yourself an example of love 
 to God, love to men, faith in Christ. 
 
 Let me exhort you to give yourself to prayer, as well 
 as to the ministry of the Word. Implore Divine influ- 
 ence to make you a wise and faithful minister of Jesus 
 Christ ; pray also for a blessing to accompany all your 
 labours. Prayer is necessary, not indeed in procuring 
 
164 minister's directory. 
 
 Heaven for you by its merits, but because it is a prin- 
 cipal mean by which supplies of spiritual light and 
 strength are imparted to you, and by which you do hom- 
 age to the presence and perfections of your heavenly 
 Father. Neglect or remissness in this duty will en- 
 danger your safety and unfit you for the work of the 
 ministry. 
 
 I know not language sufficiently powerful to express 
 the value of a Christian ministry. The most ele- 
 vated flight of the imagination cannot reach, far less 
 surmount the high and the responsible station of one 
 of the humblest ministers of Christ. You are sent in 
 Christ's stead, awful thought ! You are sent as a 
 special messenger from him who died for the sins of 
 men. You are sent with the promise of an accom- 
 panying Spirit. You are ordained to promulgate the 
 glad tidings of salvation to the guilty, and to confirm 
 and build up in the faith the chosen people of God. 
 Coming in the name of Christ, you say, and you ought 
 to feel the force of what you say, " The Spirit of the 
 Lord God is upon me." The commission is from 
 Jesus Christ himself, and the subject of the message 
 is, that same Jesus died to save sinners. In the con- 
 templation of the greatness of the subject, and the 
 awful responsibility which devolves upon you, it is not 
 surprising that the mind should for a time sink under 
 the apprehension that no man is sufficient for these 
 things. But the promise of the Spirit comes to your 
 aid, and in proportion to the illumination of that 
 Spirit, and the grace given to behold the mystery of 
 reconciliation, will be the earnestness of your labour ; 
 and, from morning to night, from the beginning to the 
 end of each successive year, you will point with un- 
 ceasing solicitation to the Cross of Christ. You know 
 not how to do enough for your Crucified Redeemer. You 
 know not where to stop, when he offers a full and a 
 free deliverance. You are checked, not by worldly 
 thoughts or weakness of body, but rather over- 
 powered in your utterance by the intensity of that 
 love and rich mercy you are the honoured instru- 
 
OKDINATION SERVICE. 165 
 
 ment of declaring. You feel that life is too short, 
 that your powers and your strength are too feeble to 
 enable you to do, for the sake of one immortal soul, 
 what the interest of multitudes requires at your hands. 
 Your public service, and your ministration from house 
 to house, are indeed a transcript, however faint in 
 impression, of the life and conduct of your Saviour on 
 earth. Keep Christ constantly in view, and you can- 
 not do amiss. No one else can you, in all cases, follow 
 with safety. 
 
 Every faithful minister of Christ will acknowledge 
 that if he is enabled to speak to the glory of God, if 
 he is made an instrument of any good by his example 
 and by his ministrations, the whole is of God. Not 
 unto us, not unto us, but unto thy name be the praise, 
 for thy mercy and thy truth's sake. Yea, every faith- 
 ful minister of Christ is doubly a monument of God's 
 sovereign grace, in his own conversion, in that power 
 of grace which had made him a regenerate child of 
 God, and sustained him through all his course here 
 upon earth, and likewise in the blessing which God 
 hath poured out upon the hearts of others through the 
 means of those whom he thus commissions to preach 
 his everlasting gospel. 
 
 Be strong, then, in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 
 
 To the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love 
 of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, we 
 commend thee. The Lord preserve thy going out 
 and thy coming in from this time forth, even for ever- 
 more. Amen. 
 
 ADDRESS TO THE CONGREGATION. 
 
 Friends and Brethren — You have much ground of 
 thankfulness to God for the kindness of his providence, 
 in not only blessing you with the continuance of the 
 Gospel of Peace, but in again providing you with a 
 pastor to lead you in the way of salvation. A faith- 
 ful minister has claims to the affection of his people, 
 not only on account of his personal qualifications, but 
 
166 minister's directory. 
 
 also by reason of the office with which he is invested. 
 He is an ambassador for Christ, and exhorts his flock 
 in Christ's name to be reconciled unto God. It is 
 your duty, therefore, that you make it your earnest 
 aim, in a dependence on divine grace, to profit by the 
 labours of your pastor in the increase of faith and 
 obedience. Regard him as speaking to you on the 
 most momentous of all themes, and laying aside all 
 malice and hypocrisy, and evil speaking, receive with 
 meekness the engrafted Word, which is able to save 
 your souls. Your duty to your Great Head and 
 Master, Jesus Christ, requires that you be regular at- 
 tenders upon the preaching of the Word, that you re- 
 ceive your minister as appointed over you in his name, 
 and that you duly revere the ordinances and firmly 
 uphold the institutions of his holy religion. Mini- 
 sters have no power but what they derive from Him. 
 Ordinances have no efficacy but what he imparts to 
 them, and institutions are of no value but as they 
 serve to promote and advance his glory. It is he who 
 imparts the words of life— it is he who sheds down 
 the spirit of all grace — it is he who infuses that " virtue 
 which went out of him" while he was upon the earth, 
 into every appointed ordinance in which we minister. 
 What unreserved, unlimited obedience do you all owe 
 to the Lord Jesus Christ. As members of his Church, 
 and subjects of his Government, and heirs of his ever- 
 lasting kingdom, you are bound to yield unto him the 
 entire reverence and devotion of your hearts, the un- 
 divided service of your lives. God hath commanded 
 you, that whatever you do, you do it in the name of 
 the Lord Jesus, he is the only true way to life. In 
 his righteousness alone can acceptance with God be 
 procured, through the operation of his Spirit alone can 
 a holy character be formed, and strength obtained for 
 bringing forth fruit unto eternal life. 
 
 See that you reject not Christ when by his Ministers 
 he speaketh to you from Heaven; when he calls, do not 
 refuse, when he stretcheth forth his hand, do not dis- 
 regard it. Is it not to be feared that in these days of 
 
ORDINATION SERVICE. 167 
 
 boasted light and liberality, many are satisfied with ob- 
 serving the external forms of godliness while they 
 have never experienced its power. Beware of sup- 
 posing that a bare attendance upon the means of grace 
 is religion, that the observance of the forms of prayer 
 is prayer. There are many who attend the House of 
 God, and observe family worship, who never have ex- 
 perienced a change of heart, and consequently are not 
 Christians ; yet how common is it for men to flatter 
 themselves that their state is safe, because they have 
 adopted a sound creed, and perform enjoined duties? 
 How many are there who hate doctrinal errors, and 
 yet perish by those which are practicable ? How many 
 are there who hate false doctrines, and perish by a 
 false heart ? 
 
 Moreover, consider that a dependence upon your 
 own w r orth and works is a delusion by which many are 
 snared to their eternal ruin. Morality is very valuable 
 as a means of promoting the order and peace of civil 
 society. It cannot be too highly valued. But the 
 greatest amount of it is not saving grace, nor will it 
 entitle any sinful being to heavenly bliss. It may ex- 
 ist where the heart is unchanged, and where all crimes 
 stand uncancelled. That which sinks the soul into 
 perdition is not the existence of virtue, but reliance 
 upon it. You presume that because you are adorned 
 with an amiable disposition, and distinguished by such 
 a variety of good works, you must be the favourites of 
 Heaven, and in due time be admitted there. Even 
 among those who have obtained a Christian education 
 and adopted a sound creed the delusion is either di- 
 rectly or indirectly cherished. Morality strikes off 
 only the outward branches ; grace lays the axe to the 
 root of corruption. Morality imparts the appearance 
 on ly ; grace the reality. Morality may make a very 
 useful member of society; grace alone can make a 
 member of the body of Christ. 
 
 Consider that the grand object of the Gospel of Jesus 
 Christ, the end of religion, and of the publication of the 
 merciful counsels of God for your salvation, was to recover 
 
J 68 minister's directory. 
 
 men to holiness here and to happiness hereafter. If you 
 would have the preaching of the Word to be of real benefit 
 to you, you must receive it with meekness and humility. 
 It is humility, submission, and a readiness of mind to ad- 
 mit and entertain the truths of God that he requires of 
 you. The teachableness which the Gospel requires is 
 is not a blind and implicit belief of what the ministers of 
 the Word deliver, but a sincere desire to be instructed in 
 the whole will of God. If you come in this happy dispo- 
 sition to hear the Word preached, it will make good and 
 lasting impressions upon your hearts, and prove unto 
 you the power of God unto salvation. Be active and 
 diligent, therefore, in being not only hearers but doers 
 of the Word of God. The earth does not profitably re- 
 ceive the grain that is sown in it, unless it be previ- 
 ously prepared. Neither will your hearts receive with 
 advantage the good seed of the Word, unless they be 
 opened by meditation and prayer. Your diligence 
 ought to appear by giving a careful and serious atten- 
 tion to the Word when you hear it preached. If what 
 hath been said upon this subject awaken in you a 
 greater respect and veneration for Gospel ordinances, 
 — if it inspire you with a steadfast determination to 
 correct your past negligence and render you more at- 
 tentive to the preaching of the Word, and more ready 
 to put it in practice, — then our preaching will not be in 
 vain nor your hearing in vain. It is a frequent and 
 fatal mistake to separate religion from the duties of 
 active life, — the test by which you ought to examine the 
 genuineness of your faith, — by which you ought to try 
 the strength and stability of your religious principles, 
 is the effect produced on your conduct in the inter- 
 course of society. In the day of trial have these prin- 
 ciples sustained you ? In your combats with an evil 
 world have they brought you off victorious ? Amidst 
 the seductions of passion, and the temptations of evil 
 example, and the ridicule of the profane, have you 
 stood firm as a rock, looking unto Jesus, trusting in 
 God, triumphing in the hope of immortality ? These 
 are questions by which you may discover how far you 
 
ORDINATION SERVICE. 169 
 
 are removed from the character of those who are only 
 hearers and not doers of the Word. Not only must 
 your hearts be prepared and the seed sown in a good 
 soil, but Heaven must shed its blessed influences from 
 above, and the Sun of Righteousness must shine upon 
 it, and the warmth of heavenly love must cherish it, 
 and the dew of divine grace must distil upon it, and 
 even the clouds of adversity must frown, and the rain- 
 drops of affliction must water it. He who has com- 
 manded you to grow in grace has also promised that 
 his grace shall be sufficient for you. You know to 
 whom you may freely apply for aid. Christ came, not 
 merely that you might have life, but that you might 
 it more abundantly. Take courage, then, and open 
 your blossoms to the genial influences which he sheds 
 around you. May he who gives the increase, when 
 Paul plants and Apollos waters, produce and cherish 
 by his Word and Spirit those precious dispositions in 
 your souls. May his doctrine drop as the rain and his 
 speech distil as the dew; and may the soil in every one 
 of you be like a well-watered garden, and like a spring 
 of water whose waters fail not. 
 
 CONCLUDING PRAYER. 
 
 We adore and magnify Thee, Gracious God, as the 
 author of all our blessings, and the source of all our hap- 
 piness. Do thou take us into covenant with thee, and do 
 thou draw near in mercy to hear and help us. We would 
 ever consider it as our highest honour and greatest 
 privilege to call upon God by prayer and supplication 
 with thanksgiving. But we would especially praise 
 thee for the unmerited, yet still continued, communica- 
 tions of thy goodness and grace to us. 
 
 Thou, O Lord, hast in thy great goodness bestowed 
 upon us spiritual blessings of the most valuable nature. 
 Thou hast vouchsafed to us a written revelation of thy 
 will, in which thou hast graciously unfolded to us the 
 relation in which we stand unto thee, — in which we are 
 
170 MINISTERS DIRECTORY'. 
 
 informed of our own sinfulness, of our lost and ruined 
 condition, and of what thou in thy infinite goodness 
 hast done, and our Saviour has suffered for our re- 
 demption. We pray, Lord, that we may be enabled 
 to esteem this revelation as a most invaluable blessing ; 
 that we may study it with the most serious attention, 
 and that we may be guided by thy Spirit to the true 
 interpretation of it, and by the same Spirit may be led to 
 the proper use of it. May we by means of thy Word be 
 made to feel our need of this redemption which was 
 procured by Jesus Christ ; and by thy Spirit may we 
 be made to see the manner in which we are to become 
 partakers of this salvation. May we be made sensible 
 of our utter inability to deliver ourselves from that 
 state of misery and wretchedness into which we have 
 fallen by sinning against thee. And may we be made 
 to see the way of life as it is pointed out in the Gospel 
 by Jesus Christ ; may we see that he is the way, the 
 truth, and the life, that no man cometh unto the 
 Father but by him ; and may we remember the decla- 
 ration of Jesus, that whosoever cometh unto him he 
 will in no wise cast out. May we therefore come unto 
 thee by faith, trusting in the declarations of thy Word, 
 and relying on the efficacy of our Saviour's righteous- 
 ness, and the all-sufficiency of his atonement. For 
 Christ's sake, may our past sins be all forgiven, and 
 may our dispositions to evil be wholly subdued — may 
 we be guided by thy Spirit in the way of truth, and 
 restrained from every sinful act. May we advance 
 from one degree of grace unto another, until at last we 
 arrive at the fullness of the stature of perfect men in 
 Christ Jesus. 
 
 We fervently pray, Lord, that the solemn services 
 in which we have now been engaged may be sanctified 
 to us. May they by thy blessing have a tendency to 
 wean our hearts more and more from the world, and to 
 fix our thoughts and affections on those things which 
 are spiritual and eternal. 
 
 (Here take in the text.) 
 
 Be very favourable, Lord, to the vine which thou 
 
ORDINATION SERVICE. 171 
 
 hast planted amongst us, thy church subsisting in 
 every difference of administration. Uphold the Gos- 
 pel Ministry. We would plead with thee for all the 
 Ministers of Christ. Inspire them with compassion 
 for souls — may they feed the Church of God which he 
 hath purchased with his own blood, the church of which 
 the Holy Ghost has made them overseers. May they 
 preach so fully and so explicitly, that it may be as 
 though Christ himself had come preaching peace. 
 Standing in Christ's stead, from him must they derive, 
 not only all their authority, but all their success. 
 
 To the kindness of thy Providence, and the riches 
 of thy Grace, we, Lord, commend thy servant, whom 
 we have this day ordained a minister over this people, 
 to supply the place of him who has been called to give 
 an account of his stewardship. May the Spirit of the 
 Lord be upon him. May he share largely and in- 
 creasingly in the influences of thy Holy Spirit. May 
 thy Spirit dwell in his heart, as in a temple, and im- 
 part to him a resemblance to thine own perfections, 
 and apply to him in all its fullness the salvation of the 
 Gospel. May the Gospel which he preaches prove, in 
 his own experience, as a well of living water, springing 
 up into everlasting life. May he be so influenced by 
 thy grace, as to be found faithful ; and while he 
 watches for souls, as those that must give account, 
 grant that his words may be so heard and received, 
 that he may be able to give account of his people with 
 joy, and not with grief. We pray, O Lord, that thou 
 wouldst powerfully impress upon the minds and hearts 
 of the people in this parish the testimonies of the 
 Gospel ; the faithful saying which is worthy of all ac- 
 ceptation, that Jesus Christ came to save sinners. May 
 they receive him who has this day been set over them 
 in the Lord with all gladness, and may they esteem 
 him very highly in love for his work's sake. Trom his 
 lips let many learn the way of salvation. Impress 
 upon them the justice, the fitness, the necessity of re- 
 membering him and his work always in their prayers. 
 May they receive the Spirit by the hearing of faith. 
 
172 MINISTERS DIRECTORY. 
 
 Let the Word profit them, being mixed with faith ; yea, 
 being engrafted, may it save their souls. 
 
 Bless, O Lord, the court of thy Church with which 
 we are connected. Bless every member of it. Bless 
 them in their ministrations to their flocks. Lord, give 
 to them abundantly of their Master's spirit. May the 
 places of thy servants who are called to leave the 
 world be filled by a fresh generation of faithful, active, 
 zealous disciples, who, in their turn, shall transmit to 
 the generation following the praises of the Lord our 
 God. Send forth, O Lord, thy light and truth to all 
 nations ; disperse the dark clouds of idolatry, impiety, 
 superstition, and infidelity ; set up thy kingdom of 
 peace and righteousness throughout the earth. Con- 
 tinue, we beseech thee, to bless our land with peace, li- 
 berty, and the light of the Gospel. Bless the Queen 
 and every branch of the Royal Family. Provide for 
 the nation, God, rulers and magistrates such as are 
 able men, who fear thee and hate covetousness. 
 
 Prosper, O God, the means of instruction provided 
 for the young, and do thou open their hearts to attend 
 to the things that are spoken to them. 
 
 Visit with thy compassion and saving grace all the 
 sons and daughters of affliction, and teach them to pro- 
 fit by thy chastisements. Prepare the dying for their 
 great change, and sanctify bereaving dispensations to 
 all who experience them. Prepare us for the various 
 changes of this mortal life ; and lead us, in every visi- 
 tation, to see thy hand, and to submit to thy will. 
 Above all things may we seek thy glory, that when 
 this mortal life is ended, we may then be made partak- 
 ers of immortality in thy most blessed and glorious 
 kingdom. 
 
 Pardon the imperfections of our sacred services. Be 
 with us in singing thy praises. Dismiss us with thy 
 blessing. Carry us in safety to our respective dwell- 
 ings. Hear us, O God, and answer us through the in- 
 finite riches of thy grace and goodness in Christ Jesus, 
 our only Saviour. Amen. 
 
ORDINATION SERVICE. 173 
 
 PSALM cxxxn.— 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15. 
 
 Intimation to the following effect is usually given 
 before pronouncing the blessing by the officiating 
 clergyman : — 
 
 I hereby intimate that the congregation will have an 
 opportunity of taking their minister by the hand, and 
 bidding him welcome among them, as they retire from 
 the church. 
 
 BLESSING. 
 
 May the love of God the Father, the grace of our 
 Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and the communion 
 and fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with you, and 
 with all the people of God, now, henceforth, and for 
 ever. Amen. 
 
 After the congregation is dismissed, the Act directs 
 that the Presbytery shall resume their sitting; at 
 which the minister so admitted shall be required to 
 subscribe anew the Confession of Faith and Formula 
 of this Church ; and his name, if not already standing 
 on the roll of Presbytery, shall be added thereto. 
 
ADMISSION OF A MINISTER FORMERLY ORDAINED. 
 
 At the admission of a minister already ordained, the 
 minister presiding, after having preached, shall narrate 
 the cause of the vacaney, and the steps which have been 
 taken towards filling it up, and shall then put the 
 prescribed questions to him, and call on him to declare 
 his adherence to, and renewal of, the answers formerly 
 given. On his making such declaration, the minister 
 presiding shall, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, 
 the great King and Head of the Church, and by au- 
 thority of the Presbytery, solemnly admit him to the 
 pastoral charge of that parish or congregation, with a 
 right to all the privileges and fruits of the benefice ; 
 the brethren present shall give him the right hand of 
 fellowship; and suitable exhortations shall be ad- 
 dressed from the pulpit to him and the people. 
 
ORDINATION OF ELDERS. 
 
 The elders are a body of men chosen from the con- 
 gregation, constituting, with the minister, the Kirk- 
 Session of the parish- When a vacancy occurs among 
 the elders, the person to supply it is chosen by the 
 Kirk- Session ; and intimation of such choice is pub- 
 licly made to the congregation at least ten free days 
 before the new elder is to be admitted ; that if any ob- 
 jection to his suitableness can be stated, such objection 
 may be made known to the Kirk-Session. 
 
 If no objection be lodged, then, on the day which 
 has been announced, the minister, at the conclusion of 
 the sermon, proceeds : — 
 
 Mr (Here the individual named stands up in 
 
 the elders' pew), — You have by the unanimous appro- 
 val of the members of Session in this parish been 
 elected as a fit person for undertaking the office of an 
 elder ; and your election has, according to established 
 form, been notified to this congregation, in order to as- 
 certain whether any member or members thereof have 
 anything to allege why you should not be invested in 
 that office ; and as no person has brought anything to 
 our knowledge against your moral character and qua- 
 lifications for bearing such office ; and as you have sig- 
 nified to us your willingness to undertake it, and to 
 perform the duties thereof, we proceed to ordain you 
 according to the rules and usages of our Church. 
 
 Now, that this congregation of God's people, with 
 whom you this day stipulate to perform certain duties, 
 may be satisfied that you are sound in the Christian 
 faith, and that you undertake your office, not by con- 
 
176 minister's directory. 
 
 straint, but willingly, I proceed to put to you the fol- 
 lowing questions, to which you must give your as- 
 sent: — 
 
 1. Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and 
 New Testaments, to be the "Word of God, and the only 
 rule of faith and manners ? 
 
 2. Do you sincerely own and believe the whole doc- 
 trine of the Confession of Faith, approven by the 
 General Assembly of this National Church, and rati- 
 fied by law in the year 1699, to be the truths of God; 
 and do you own the whole doctrine therein contained 
 as the confession of your faith? 
 
 3. Do you sincerely own the purity of worship 
 authorized and practised in this Church ; and are you 
 persuaded that the Presbyterian government and dis- 
 cipline, now so happily established therein, are founded 
 upon the Word of God, and agreeable thereto ? 
 
 4. Do you promise that, in your practice, you will 
 conform yourselves to the said worship ; that you will 
 submit yourselves to the said discipline and govern- 
 ment ; that you will never endeavour, directly or in- 
 directly, the prejudice or subversion of the same ; and 
 that you will follow no divisive courses from the pre- 
 sent establishment in the Church ? 
 
 5. Do you accept of the office of an Elder of this 
 parish, and promise, through grace, faithfully, dili- 
 gently, and cheerfully to discharge the duties thereof? 
 
 Then, in name and by authority of Jesus Christ, 
 the only Head of the Church, I do, solemnly with 
 prayer, ordain you to the office of the eldership in 
 this Session and parish ; and thereupon your breth- 
 ren of the Session will give you the right hand of 
 fellowship. 
 
 Let us pray. 
 
 O Lord, who art the God and Father of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ, we desire to come before thee in his name, 
 and to plead his righteousness as our only ground of 
 acceptance in thy sight. In him is all our confidence, 
 and through him alone we entreat the pardon and the 
 
ORDINATION OF ELDERS. 177 
 
 grace we so greatly need, but which we only presume 
 to hope for as the fruit of unmerited and abounding 
 mercy. 
 
 We confess, Lord, that we are nothing of our- 
 selves. We have nothing that we can call our own, 
 nothing that we can offer to thee. Our inmost 
 thoughts and our outward conduct are sinful in thy 
 sight. In us dwelleth no good thing. Thou, Lord, 
 knowest the hardness, the vanity, and the deceitful- 
 ness of our hearts. We have not only neglected thy 
 work, but we have been disobedient to thy Word. We 
 would, therefore, pour out our hearts and humble our- 
 selves before thee. Do thou, in mercy, forgive all our 
 past sins ; do thou root out of our hearts every vicious 
 inclination, and do thou endue us with the graces of thy 
 Holy Spirit. We look for salvation only through the 
 blood of Christ. Grant us grace, Lord, to believe 
 on him to the saving of our souls ; and may we 
 never consider ourselves safe until we are assured that 
 we are the children of God by regeneration and 
 adoption. Do thou, Lord, put us in full pos- 
 session of all the blessings of salvation. May we be 
 encouraged and even constrained by redeeming love 
 to walk in the ways of holy obedience. May the prin- 
 ciples of grace and holiness be wrought in our souls. 
 Make us more wholly thine own, and more devoted to 
 thy service. Thou alone knowest the dangers, diffi- 
 culties, and temptations to which we may be exposed : 
 as our day is, so let our strength be. 
 
 We pray, Lord, that we may be enabled to set a 
 high value on the ordinances and institutions of our 
 holy religion, which thou hast appointed for the per- 
 fecting of the saints and for the edifying of the body of 
 Christ, And do thou grant that those who are in- 
 vested with offices in thy Church may be deeply im- 
 pressed with the importance of the trust committed to 
 them, and of the responsibility that attaches to them. 
 May thy blessing, O Lord, rest upon thy servant 
 whom we now ordain and set apart to the office of 
 the eldership among this people. May his mind be the 
 
 L 
 
178 minister's directory. 
 
 seat of all those gifts and graces which are necessary 
 to qualify him for the duties of his office. May he rule 
 in thy fear, and be guided, when called to the exercise 
 of discipline in thy church, by that wisdom which 
 cometh from above. Stamp an absolute aim and di- 
 rection of usefulness on all his pursuits. Grant that 
 religion may adorn his character and ]ife. May he 
 preserve the order and fellowship of the Gospel. 
 Whatever talents thou hast intrusted to him help him 
 to employ aright. In all things may his conduct be 
 such as thou wilt approve. 
 
 And do thou, Lord, enrich with all heavenly 
 and spiritual blessings the people of this parish and 
 congregation, that they may ever act dutifully to- 
 wards him who is this day set over them. May they 
 receive him in the Lord with all gladness, who comes 
 to them with the counsels of a father and with the 
 kindness of a friend. May they receive in meekness the 
 admonitions he may be called to tender them, and ren- 
 der him that honour and respect which are due to those 
 who watch for their spiritual welfare. fill them with 
 the knowlege and the love, and the obedience of thy 
 will. 
 
 Hear our prayers, Lord, we humbly beseech thee, 
 and accept of us in Jesus Christ, our blessed Mediator 
 and most merciful Redeemer. Amen. 
 
 CHARGE TO THE ELDER. 
 
 As you are now invested with a most sacred, spiri- 
 tual, and responsible office in the Church of Christ, let 
 me exhort you to be faithful and conscientious, and 
 assiduous in discharging the duties of it, which are of 
 a very delicate nature indeed, when you consider your- 
 self as an inspector of the moral conduct of others, and 
 a furtherer of the interests of pure and undefiled reli- 
 gion among men. This consideration should make you 
 exceedingly watchful over your own conduct. " Be ye 
 clean that bear the vessels of the Lord." 
 
 The apostle Paul states, in general, that the work of 
 
ORDINATION OF ELDERS. 179 
 
 Elders is to rule the Church. The keys of govern- 
 ment are not committed to one, but to Church officers, 
 acting together with the pastors in managing the 
 affairs of the Church. The best interest of every ec- 
 clesiastical community requires that there be a con- 
 stant and faithful inspection of all the members 
 and families of the Church; that the negligent be pd- 
 monished ; that wanderers be reclaimed ; that scan- 
 dals be removed; that irregularities be corrected; that 
 differences be reconciled ; and every proper measure 
 adopted to bind the whole body together by the ties of 
 Christian purity and charity. It is your duty, then, to 
 have an eye of inspection and care over all the members 
 of the congregation, and for this purpose to cultivate a 
 universal and intimate acquaintance, as far as may be, 
 with every family in the flock of which you are made 
 an " overseer." You are bound to watch over the chil- 
 dren and youth with paternal vigilance, recognizing and 
 affectionately addressing them on all proper occasions, 
 giving them and their parents in reference to them sea- 
 sonable counsel, and putting in the Lord's claim to 
 their hearts and lives. Every part of Divine truth 
 ought at one time or another to be set before them, 
 and every duty inculcated ; but the great essentials, 
 without which there can be no salvation, should be tes- 
 tified more earnestly and frequently ; nor can you 
 have a better summary of them than this of the apostle, 
 even " repentance towards God, and faith towards our 
 Lord Jesus Christ," with their genuine fruits and ef- 
 fects ; without these no sinner can escape destruction ; 
 and with these none will come short of eternal life. It 
 is your duty to attend to the case of those who are se- 
 rious, and disposed to inquire concerning their eternal 
 interest, to converse with them, and from time to time 
 to give information concerning them to their pastor. 
 It is your duty to take notice of, and admonish in 
 private, those who appear to be growing careless, or 
 falling into habits in any respect criminal, suspicious, 
 or unpromising. It is your duty to visit and pray 
 with the sick, and request the attendance of the pastor 
 
180 minister's directory. 
 
 on the sick and the dying, when it may be seasonable 
 or desired. You are likewise to concur with your pas- 
 tor in the exercise of discipline, according to the Word 
 of God and the consitution of the Church founded 
 thereon. It is your duty to see that none be admitted 
 to the communion of the Church without a careful ex- 
 amination in reference to their knowledge, orthodoxy, 
 good moral character, and hopeful piety ; that none be 
 permitted to remain in the bosom of the Church, with- 
 out maintaining, in some tolerable degree, a character 
 proper for professing Christians ; that none be sus- 
 pended from the enjoyment of Church privileges but 
 after a fair trial ; and that none be finally excommuni- 
 cated from the covenanted family of Christ, without 
 the most patient inquiry, and every suitable effort to 
 bring them to repentance and reformation. It is in- 
 cumbent on you to consult frequently and freely with 
 your pastor on the interests of the flock committed to 
 your charge ; to aid him in forming and executing plans 
 for the welfare of the Church ; to give him information 
 as he may need to enable him to perform aright his vari- 
 ous and momentous duties ; to enforce his just admoni- 
 tions ; and, in a word, by every means in your power, to 
 promote the comfort and extend the usefulness of his la- 
 bours. These are some of the duties which all who 
 bear the office of elder in the Church of Christ are 
 bound faithfully, zealously, and prudently to discharge. 
 Be assured that fidelity in the discharge of the duties of 
 your office, and holy living, are the sure way to obtain 
 the favour of God, and to advance the interests of his 
 Church. Be blameless in your walk and conversation. 
 Higher attainments in piety and virtue are expected in 
 office-bearers of the Church than in other men. The 
 deeper the sense of your own unfitness, the more likely 
 will you be to apply unceasingly and importunately for 
 heavenly aid, and the nearer you live to the throne of 
 grace, the more largely will you partake of that wisdom 
 and strength which you need. Seek, then, the grace of 
 God and the teaching of his Spirit, without which all 
 your efforts for your own good and for the good of 
 
ORDINATION OF ELDERS. 181 
 
 others will prove utterly unavailing. Pray that he 
 may make his grace sufficient for you and perfect his 
 strength in your weakness. Pray for yourself, pray 
 for those over whom the Holy Ghost hath made you 
 an ' ; overseer.'' And pray for me that I may be faith- 
 ful to the trust committed to me. You and I must 
 give an account to Christ how we have managed the 
 trust reposed in us. If we be faithful we shall obtain 
 a crown of life and glory that fadeth not away. 
 
 ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE. 
 
 Dear Brethren, — Every consideration which has 
 been urged to show the importance and duties belong- 
 ing to the office of Ruling Elders ought to remind you 
 of the important duties which you owe to them. Re- 
 member at all times that they are your ecclesiastical 
 rulers. In all your views and treatment of them, then, 
 recognise this character. Obey them " in the Lord," 
 that is, for his sake, and as far as they bear rule agree- 
 ably to his Word. " Esteem them very highly in love 
 for their work's sake,'' and follow them daily with your 
 prayers, that God would bless them and make them a 
 blessing. Reverence them as your leaders. Bear in 
 mind the importance of their office, the arduousness of 
 their duties, and the difficulties with which they have 
 to contend. Countenance and sustain them in every 
 act of fidelity, make allowance for their infirmities ; be 
 not unreasonable in your expectations from them. 
 
 Your Elders will sometimes be called to the painful 
 exercise of discipline. Be not offended with them for 
 the performance of this duty. Rather make the lan- 
 guage of the Psalmist your own, " Let the righteous 
 smite me, it shall be a kindness ; and let him reprove 
 me, it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break 
 my head." Receive their private warnings and admo- 
 nitions with candour and affectionate submission. 
 Treat their public acts, however contrary to your 
 wishes, with respect and reverence. If they be honest 
 and pious men, can they do less than exercise the dis- 
 
182 MINISTERS DIRECTORY. 
 
 cipline of Christ's house against such of you as walk 
 disorderly ? Nay, if you be honest and pious your- 
 selves, can you do less than approve of their faithful- 
 ness in exercising that discipline ? If you were aware 
 of all the difficulties which attend this part of the duty 
 of the Eldership, you would feel for them more ten- 
 derly, and judge concerning them more candidly and 
 indulgently than you are often disposed to do. Here 
 you have it in your power, in a very important degree, 
 to lessen their burdens and to strengthen their hands. 
 When Elders visit your families for the purpose of 
 becoming acquainted with them, and of aiding the 
 pastor in ascertaining the spiritual state of the flock, 
 remember that it is nothing more than their duty. 
 Convince them by the reception you give them, that 
 you wish to encourage them in promoting the best 
 interests of the Church, and that you honour them 
 for their fidelity. Give them an opportunity of seeing 
 your children, and of ascertaining whether your house- 
 holds are making progress in the Christian life. Nay, 
 encourage your children to put themselves in the way 
 of the Elders, that they may be personally known to 
 them, and may become the objects of their affectionate 
 notice, their occasional exhortation, and their pious 
 prayers. Converse with the Elders freely, as with 
 Fathers, who " have no greater joy than to see you 
 walking in the truth." And ever give them cause 
 to retire under the pleasing persuasion that their office 
 is honoured ; that their benevolent designs are duly 
 appreciated, and that their labours " are not in vain 
 in the Lord." ^YJifin. you are sick send for them to 
 pray over you. This is one of the rules of the Gospel ; 
 why will you live in the neglect of it ? You should 
 receive pain and sickness as the chastisement of the 
 Lord, and seek for relief from him, whatever instru- 
 ment or means you employ for that purpose. The 
 counsels and prayers of the ministers and elders of 
 Christ are peculiarly desirable on such occasions ; and 
 you ought more earnestly to seek the pardon of your 
 sins, and the healing of your souls, than the removal of 
 
ORDINATION OF ELDERS. 183 
 
 your bodily sufferings. " The Lord is pitiful and of 
 tender mercy," and they are happy who patiently trust 
 in him, and keep his commandments. May you all 
 be brought under the sweetly constraining influence 
 of grace; may you surrender up your hearts to God, 
 and, in the persevering exercise of faith and patience, 
 be followers of them who now inherit the promises. 
 Amen. 
 
 The same form is gone through in the admission of 
 an Elder already ordained, with the exception of the 
 ordination prayer. After divine service on the day of 
 admission, the minister, after stating the different 
 steps which have been taken in the matter, shall then 
 put the prescribed questions to him, and call on him 
 to declare his adherence to, and renewal of, the answers 
 formerly given. Then, in name, and by authority of 
 Jesus Christ, the only Head of the Church. I do admit 
 you, Mr , to the office of the Eldership in this Ses- 
 sion and parish, and thereupon your brethren of the 
 Session will now give you the right hand of fellow- 
 ship. 
 
ORDINATION OF DEACONS. 
 
 The office to which the Deacon was appointed by the 
 Apostles was to take care of the temporal concerns of 
 the Church, and especially to preside over the collec- 
 tions and disbursements for the poor. It is the name 
 given to a distinct ecclesiastical office.* In the book of 
 the Acts we have a detailed account of the institution. 
 The epistle to the Church at Philippi is specially sent 
 to the Deacons and ministers of the Gospel in that 
 city ; and the same writer in his first epistle to Timothy, 
 after describing the character and qualifications of a 
 faithful minister, describes not less clearly those of the 
 Deacon, evidently showing that the offices were not 
 only distinct, but permanent in the Christian Church. 
 
 It is a defect and fault in some congregations, that 
 the offices of Elder and Deacon, which are entirely dif- 
 ferent in their nature, and which ought undoubtedly to 
 be separated in practice, and to be discharged by dif- 
 ferent persons, are not distinctly maintained ; they so 
 confound and mingle them together as if they were 
 both one ; either appointing none for the office of Dea- 
 con, but leaving that charge also upon the elders, or else 
 giving the Deacons the same power and employment 
 with the elders. It is true, whatsoever the Deacon may 
 do by virtue of his office, that same may be done by an 
 elder, as whatsoever is done by an elder may be done 
 by a minister ; because the higher and more eminent 
 officers in the Church include the powers of the lower. 
 It is also true that the Deacons may assist in judg- 
 ment with the ministers and elders,t and be helping to 
 them in those things that concern the oversight of the 
 
 * First Book of Discipline, chap, ii., p. 74. 
 t Ibid chap. ii v p. ">". 
 
ORDINATION OF DEACONS. 185 
 
 congregations by information and advice ; yet it is 
 necessary that congregations should so far regard the 
 ordinances and reverence the wisdom of God in ap- 
 pointing these officers, as to have both elders and dea- 
 cons, and to preserve them distinct in their actings 
 and operations, not giving to the Deacons, or suffering 
 them to assume the elder's office. 
 
 The main duty of Deacons is to collect, receive, and 
 distribute the whole ecclesiastical goods to them to 
 whom they are appointed. These duties they must 
 perform at the discretion and by the appointment of 
 the ministers and elders ; for which cause, and not for 
 government, they are to be present at the ordinary 
 meetings of the Eldership. We have not the least evi- 
 dence from any source, that the function of govern- 
 ment was ever connected with the Deacon's office. We 
 read of ruling elders, but never of ruling deacons. 
 They have therefore no vote in matters of Church dis- 
 cipline, but have a right to sit in the Kirk Session, and 
 to join in the deliberations of that Court. 
 
 Deacons, besides ministering to the poor of the 
 church, are with great propriety made the managers of 
 all the money tables or fiscal concerns of each congre- 
 gregation. There are very important services in refe- 
 rence to pecuniary concerns which they might manage, 
 and which it is believed would be greatly beneficial to 
 the Church, if they were considered as at all times 
 bound to manage, and should manage with wisdom, 
 energy, and zeal. I refer to the Church's contributions, 
 to the various objects of Christian enterprise which dis- 
 tinguish the present day. That these contributions to 
 the cause of the Bible, of Missions — foreign and 
 domestic — of Sabbath Schools, and of the various other 
 Christian and benevolent undertakings for promoting 
 knowledge, virtue, and happiness, temporal and eter- 
 nal, among men, ought to be continued and greatly in- 
 creased, no one who looks into the Bible, or who knows 
 anything of the Christian spirit, can for a moment 
 doubt. It is quite evident, too, that these contribu- 
 tions ought to be perfectly voluntary, and any attempt 
 
186 minister's directory. 
 
 to render them otherwise would be both unscriptural 
 and mischievous. But would it not tend to render the 
 whole business of liberality to the cause of Christ more 
 regular, more easy, more abundant, and ultimately 
 more productive, if it were placed under the enligh- 
 tened advice and wise management of six or eight Dea- 
 cons in each church. The truth is, an enlightened, 
 active, pious board of Deacons might place this whole 
 subject on such a footing ; and when they had gotten it 
 fairly arranged, and put in operation, might manage it 
 in such a manner, as, without adding in the least de- 
 gree to the burdens of the people, would render their 
 contributions more productive, as well as more easy 
 and economical in every part of their management. 
 Their office, though secular, yet notwithstanding the 
 Church has been no less strict in requiring that they 
 be men " tender and circumspect in their walk, punc- 
 tual in their attending upon ordinances, and strict in 
 their observation of the Lord's Day, and in regularly 
 keeping up the worship of God in their families." Act 
 IX., Ass. 1722, Sess. II. 
 
 As to what respects the election, trial, ordination, 
 and admission, continuance and number of Deacons, the 
 same forms may be gone through as was done concern- 
 ing elders, mutatis mutandis. There must be a minute 
 recording their election, and appointing their edict to 
 be served. There must be a minute stating that the 
 Court (Kirk-session with Deacons) had met for the 
 purpose of receiving any objections which might be 
 lodged by the people ; and there must be another re- 
 cording the fact of their ordination, and stating that 
 they had signed the Confession of Faith, and that their 
 name had been added to the roll of Deacons. 
 
 After divine service on the day of ordination, the 
 Minister, after stating the different steps which have 
 been taken in the matter, proposes the following ques- 
 tions to the persons about to be ordained, to which 
 satisfactory answers must be given in presence of the 
 congregation : — 
 
ordination of deacons. 187 
 
 Questions put before Ordination. 
 
 1. Do you sincerely own and declare the " Confes- 
 sion of Faith," approved by the General Assemblies of 
 this Church, and ratified by law, in the year 1699, to 
 be the confession of your faith ; and do you own the 
 doctrine therein contained to be the true doctrine, 
 which you will constantly adhere to ? 
 
 2. Do you own and acknowledge the Presbyterian 
 Church government of this Church, now settled by 
 law, by Kirk- Sessions, Presbyteries, Provincial Synods, 
 and General Assemblies, to be the only government of 
 this Church ; and do you engage to submit thereto, 
 concur therewith, and never endeavour directly nor in- 
 directly the prejudice or subversion thereof? 
 
 3. Do you promise to observe uniformity of worship 
 and of the administration of all public ordinances with- 
 in this Church, as the same are at present performed 
 and allowed ? 
 
 4. Do you aceept the office of a Deacon in this 
 parish, and promise, through grace, faithfully, dili- 
 gently, and cheerfully to discharge the duties thereof? 
 
 Then, in name and by authority of Jesus Christ, the 
 only Head of the Church, I do, solemnly with prayer, 
 
 separate and set apart you to the office of the 
 
 Deaconship in this Church and parish ; and thereupon 
 your brethren will now give you the right hand of 
 fellowship. 
 
 ORDINATION PRAYER. 
 
 Lord, thou art unchangeable, Almighty, and infi- 
 nite in knowledge, wisdom, and goodness. Nothing is 
 hid from thee, and nothing is beyond thy control. 
 Everything is wisely arranged and determined by thee 
 for thy glory and the good of thy creatures ; and 
 whatever thou hast purposed shall stand, and thou 
 wilt do all thy pleasure. 
 
 Under a deep sense of thine unmerited goodness, we 
 now lift up our souls to thee, Lord, and as children 
 coming to a father to whom they are indebted for every- 
 
188 minister's directory. 
 
 thing, we now appear at thy throne, and beseech thee 
 to accept the sacrifices of a grateful, and a contrite, and 
 an obedient heart. O do thou enable us, by thy Spirit 
 dwelling in us, to believe in all the truths thou hast 
 revealed regarding thyself and thy promises, and the 
 certainty of obtaining through Jesus Christ whatever 
 is good for us. 
 
 We had ruined ourselves, and there was none to de- 
 liver us ; but in thee have we found help, and hope, 
 and plenteous redemption. We have sinned in thy 
 sight, and we are not worthy to be called thy children ; 
 and yet, Lord, thou hast not cast us off, nor visited 
 us according to the multitude of our transgressions. 
 look not on us as we have sinned. Have mercy on 
 us, and blot out all our transgressions. 
 
 Do thou give us thy Spirit to open our eyes, to see 
 more clearly the guilt that defiles us, the sentence that 
 condemns us, and the utter hopelessness of our state 
 without Christ, to cleanse us, to justify us, and to save 
 us. cleanse us in Christ's blood, clothe us with his 
 righteousness, and make us trust in him, live in him, 
 and be blessed with him for ever. May we have the 
 testimony in ourselves that through him, who is our 
 life, we are now dead to sin, and though our life with 
 him be hid in thee our God from the world, yet, when 
 he shall appear, we also shall appear with him in glory. 
 
 Make us deeply sensible, we beseech thee, Lord, 
 of the advantages with which thou hast favoured us, 
 and dispose and enable us to improve them to thy 
 glory. We bless thee for thy great goodness and 
 mercy to thy people in giving them apostles, and pro- 
 phets, and evangelists, and pastors, and teachers, to 
 counsel and guide them in the Divine life. May thy 
 Spirit render the example and advice of those thy ser- 
 vants successful in turning many unto thee and the 
 ways of godliness. O strengthen the hands and en- 
 courage the hearts of all at home and abroad, who 
 have given themselves to the work of enlightening 
 the ignorant, reclaiming the wicked, edifying the body 
 f Christ, and keeping many in their heavenward way. 
 
ORDINATION OF DEACON-. 189 
 
 And we pray, O Lord, that thou wouldst bestow 
 thy Spirit in rich effusion upon thy servants whom in 
 thy name we now set apart and ordain to the office of 
 Deacons in thy Church. May they be men of honest re- 
 port, endued with heavenly wisdom, full of faith and of 
 the Holy Ghost, that they be rich in good works, and 
 thoroughly furnished therein, ready to distribute, will- 
 ing to communicate, and ministering to the necessities 
 of the saints. As thou hast blessed them, make them 
 also a blessing to others, in these and all other ways, 
 in which thine infinite wisdom may see fit to employ 
 them as instruments for doing good, whether in the 
 things of time or those of eternity. May they anxi- 
 ously endeavour to search out and supply the wants of 
 the poor. 
 
 We pray that thou wouldst bless and prosper their 
 labours for the support of a Gospel ministry, whereby 
 adequate means of religious instruction may be afford- 
 ed to the people of all ranks and conditions. To thee 
 may they defer all their plans and enterprises. In 
 their intercourse with society, enable them to be up- 
 right and conscientious in all their dealings. May they 
 acknowledge thee in all their ways. 
 
 And grant, O Lord, that this congregation of thy 
 people, amongst whom thy servants are appointed to 
 labour, in obtaining the means necessary for promoting 
 every Christian object, may receive them as becometh 
 those who are truly alive to the importance and re- 
 sponsibility of their office and of the duties they have 
 to discharge, that their hearts may be encouraged and 
 their hands strengthened. Do thou, O Lord, open the 
 hearts and hands of those whom thou hast blessed with 
 abundance ; let their stores be for others as well as for 
 themselves. May they be convinced that it is more 
 blessed to give than to receive, and that thou, O God, 
 lovest a cheerful giver. Bind society together by the ties 
 of mutual goodwill and kind offices. O may thy Spirit 
 dwell in the hearts of this congregation ; may he diffuse 
 his hallowing influence through all their affections, mo- 
 tives, and desires. Purify the fountains of their con- 
 
190 minister's directory. 
 
 duct ; and conform them in soul, in body, and in spirit, 
 to the whole will of God. 
 
 Hear these our requests, thou merciful Father ; 
 and to thee the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be as- 
 cribed the praise without end. Amen. 
 
 CHARGE TO THE DEACONS. 
 
 My Friends and Fellow-Labourers, — The office to 
 which you have now been appointed and ordained, is 
 no less important than responsible, and, like every other 
 office in the Christian Church, demands qualifications 
 specifically adapted to the discharge of its duties. Is 
 there a man who is not unconscious, though in deepest 
 humility and self-abasement, of possessing them ; and 
 not unwilling, though with fearand trembling, to exercise 
 them in the way required ? And is the party in whom 
 is vested the right of appointment so satisfied of this, 
 as to summon him to the post of honour ? Then, is 
 the call of the man clearly manifested and legitimated 
 to himself and to the Church. 
 
 The office of Deacon solely regards what may be 
 termed the secular interests of the Church. It is ex- 
 pressly distinguished from the spiritual, properly so 
 called, and was originally instituted to set the spiri- 
 tual free from secular occupation. It is not unnatural 
 to suppose that, as Christianity, though spiritual in it- 
 self, deals with men still in the body, and affects, 
 while it is so far dependent for its propagation upon, 
 temporal interests, so that there should be some office 
 in connection with it to take charge of its secular con- 
 cerns ; and this, accordingly, is precisely the design of 
 the office of Deacon. There would have been an obvious 
 defect, — at least an unnecessary, and, it may be, injuri- 
 ous blending of the secular and the sacred, — had there 
 been no such office. 
 
 The original institution was designed, as you will 
 find from the 6th chapter of the Acts of 
 the Apostles, to meet the case of a particular 
 
ORDINATION OF DEACONS. 191 
 
 class of widows ; but the office was not created 
 to meet this or all classes of widows exclusively, 
 or even of the whole Christian poor alone. It con- 
 templated a wider sphere, even the separation of the spi- 
 ritual office of the apostleship and ministry from all un- 
 necessary secular occupation. The case of poor widows 
 came first, but there would soon have been the care of 
 the general poor ; and even though these might have 
 been otherwise provided for, yet the collection of means 
 for the maintenance of the ministry and places of wor- 
 ship, and to defray the expenses of the administration of 
 ordinances, would have required such an order of office- 
 bearers as the Deacon. The principle which governed 
 the appointment was, " It is not fit, it is not proper or 
 becoming for the ministers of the Gospel to leave the 
 Word of God, and to serve tables." Whether the 
 tables be those of the poor, or for receiving and pay- 
 ing away money for any cause connected with the 
 Christian Church, such as Christian missions, still they 
 involve work more or less secular, which others can at- 
 tend to, and from which it is most desirable that the 
 ministers of religion should be set free. 
 
 As the office of Deacon was restricted to the tem- 
 poral interests of the Church, so it was to be perma- 
 nent in its nature. It was designed to form a part of 
 the constitution of the Church in all countries and in all 
 ages. 
 
 Such, then, being the nature of the office to which 
 you have been set apart, and such are some of the 
 duties that now devolve upon you to discharge, it 
 becomes me to advert to some of the qualifications 
 which the inspired volume demands in the Deacon- 
 At the original institution three were mentioned. The 
 seven Deacons were required to be men, 1st, of honest 
 report ; 2d, full of the Holy Ghost ; 3d, of wisdom. 
 In a case on which the peace of the Church and the 
 welfare of its private members were obviously sus- 
 pended, superior character was essential. It was ne- 
 cessary, first of all, that the Deacons be men of tried 
 integrity, of an honesty which was above all suspicion. 
 
192 minister's directory. 
 
 Money and other delicate interests were to be com- 
 mitted to them, interests as to which their fellow-men 
 were peculiarly jealous ; hence it was necessary not 
 only that they be honest, but of honest report, that 
 they should bear a good reputation among the mem- 
 bers of the Church and in society generally. Though 
 a man be of the strictest integrity in heart and con 
 duct, yet if he do not sustain a blameless reputation 
 with others he is not fit for the Deaconship. Next, 
 they were to be men of the Holy Ghost, — men of 
 decided piety, under the teaching and sanctifying 
 grace of the Spirit. This is essential to animate with 
 that activity, love, fidelity, zeal, and perseverance 
 whicli the duties of the office demand. It is only true 
 piety which, during a long succession of years, will 
 sustain the heart in tenderness to the poor amid trials 
 and difficulties, and which will uphold the Deacon in 
 the unwearied, and sometimes unrequited care of the 
 House of God. And, lastly, he is to be a man 
 of wisdom, — a man of discernment and prudence, 
 not carried away by the impulse of his feelings, but 
 one able intelligently to judge between real and unreal 
 cases of indigence ; the proportion and manner in which 
 charity should be dispensed ; the best advice which the 
 circumstances, not only of the poor, but of the Church 
 generally, in perplexing seasons may require. 
 
 Besides those qualifications, we have others given 
 by Paul in the 3d chapter of 1st Timothy. They are 
 all necessary for the satisfactory performance of the 
 duties belonging thereto. 
 
 Let it, then, be your highest ambition to be useful 
 while you live upon earth, to co-operate with God in 
 the execution of his plans of mercy respecting 
 mankind. Believe it, there is no true satisfac- 
 tion to be enjoyed but that whicli springs from 
 the consciousness of having done good. Look 
 around you, and you will see a wide field open, 
 and requiring your active services. Imitate your 
 Lord Jesus Chrisir, who went about doing good. Walk 
 in his steps. Use your most vigorous efforts to make 
 
ORDINATION OF DEACONS. 198 
 
 happiness and charity and peace reign in the earth ; and 
 then, in the midst of the tempests that agitate the 
 world, you will enjoy a pleasing calm of soul, and anti- 
 cipate that happy period when there shall be no more 
 sorrow, nor crying, neither any more pain, for the 
 former things are passed away. 
 
 ADDRESS TO THE CONGREGATION. 
 
 Dear Brethren, — Consider the special claims which 
 the men whom you have now seen ordained to the 
 office of Deacons have on your sympathies and your 
 prayers, as well as the special claims which the Chris- 
 tian and benevolent undertakings to which their lives 
 are devoted, have on your abounding liberality. The 
 office they have undertaken is, indeed, important, and 
 the right discharge of it will be productive of much ad- 
 vantage to the Church both at home and abroad. 
 While they labour to distribute your charities and pro- 
 mote every Christian enterprise, you are under sacred 
 and binding obligations to contribute according to 
 your ability the funds that may be required. If ever 
 the Gospel is to be made known to the ends of the 
 earth, if ever the prophecies which proclaim the uni- 
 versality of Christ's kingdom are to be fulfilled, it must 
 be by the instrumentality of human means. But un- 
 less you bestir yourselves nothing can be done. All 
 who exercise the virtues of beneficence and liberality 
 have reason to believe that God hath a thousand and 
 a thousand ways to increase their substance, or to 
 provide for them in every time of need. It is true 
 that all your works of charity and beneficence are no- 
 thing, and ought not to be compared with the infinite 
 riches of the Divine merey which surpass all knowledge, 
 and yet God hath been graciously pleased to establish 
 a connection between those things by the death of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ. Your good works have nothing 
 meritorious in them, but through the mercy of God in 
 Christ they will receive a reward, not of debt, but of 
 grace ; not of merit, but of promise. You live by the 
 
 II 
 
194 minister's directory. 
 
 mercy of God, you enjoy here the first fruits of it, and 
 look for the full harvest hereafter ; and should not 
 these considerations be motives to excite you to works 
 of mercy and of beneficence ? 
 
 There are many who believe that they are under no 
 obligation of stretching out the hand to the destitute, 
 and pretend to be exempted from the duties of charity. 
 Now, I affirm that charity is an indispensable obligation 
 of all ranks, of all conditions, of all classes of society ; 
 and this every one naturally feels and knows who loves 
 religion. What is in reality the great, the fundamental 
 principle of Christian morality ? It is the love of God 
 and of man. No Christian is exempted from the duty 
 of charity, which is of universal obligation. 
 
 Everything in religion must take its beginning in 
 principle. Your worship is unworthy of God, if it be 
 not spiritual and sincere ; your virtues are not ac- 
 ceptable to him, if they be not pure and persever- 
 ing ; your alms are not precious, but in as far as cha- 
 rity is the soul and motive of them ; your religion is 
 not genuine if it do not proceed from the heart. It is 
 not to the external actions that God looks, it is to the 
 principle which produces them. " Whatsoever is not of 
 faith," says the apostle Paul, " is sin," that is in other 
 words — the most splendid actions are, in the estimation 
 of God, but vanity and nothing, if they be not dictated 
 by the true spirit of religion. Tn vain, therefore, 
 should a man bestow all his goods to feed the poor, if 
 he be not animated by charity ; that sacrifice is of no 
 value, while a glass of cold water presented by charity 
 becomes an acceptable offering in the sight of God. 
 All the various Christian schemes, taking their rise, fre- 
 quently, it may be, in the bosom of indigence and of me- 
 diocrity, are like those springs which, extremely small 
 at their origin, but insensibly increased by the innu- 
 merable streams which join their waters, become at last 
 great rivers, and flow on to fertilize with their refresh- 
 ing waters barren plains, and uncultivated and arid de- 
 serts. In fine, it is your duty, and it should be your 
 earnest and unceasing endeavour to give to others for 
 
ORDINATION OF DEACONS. 195 
 
 the sake of Christ who gave himself for you ; " who, 
 though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, 
 that ye through his poverty might be rich." Give for 
 the sake of the Gospel which brings to your ears as- 
 surances of mercy and salvation through faith in 
 Christ. Give for the sake of your brethren who look 
 to you for help, and their prayers for you, heard in 
 Heaven, will draw down the blessings of grace upon 
 your head. Give from regard to your children, whom 
 the Lord may bless for your sake, for his mercy is 
 upon them that fear him from generation to genera- 
 tion. Amen. 
 
PRAYERS FOR A FAST-DAY IN TIME OF WAR, PESTILENCE, 
 OR FAMINE. 
 
 O Almighty and Most Righteous Lord ! we desire 
 to prostrate ourselves before thee under an awful ap- 
 prehension of thy judgments, and a deep conviction 
 of our own sinfulness. Blessed are they who, in 
 humility of soul, commit their way to thee, the Father 
 of their spirits, and look beyond the things which are 
 seen and temporal, to the things which are not seen 
 and eternal. 
 
 Thou, O Lord, reignest over all the kingdoms of 
 the world. Thou art perfectly just in thy govern- 
 ment ; thou art righteous and upright in all thy judg- 
 ments ; thou art just and true in all thy ways. Thou 
 hast the disposal of all events both in providence and 
 grace. Thou art the Lord who exercisest judgment 
 and righteousness in the earth. Everything that be- 
 fals us here is by thy permission, and all the changes 
 which we daily observe taking place among the nations 
 are accomplished by thy high decrees. 
 
 We, Lord, might have lived in ignorance of thee ; 
 we might have been born in a land where Christ is not 
 named ; we might have been without Christ, having 
 no hope and even without God in the world. But 
 when we, Lord, thus consider what we might have 
 been, we bless thee that thou hast cast our lot in a 
 land of light and *f liberty, where we enjoy so many 
 valuable privileges and blessings. Blessed are all 
 they who wait on thee, O Lord, not only in the ordi- 
 nances of thy grace, but in the way of thy judgments ; 
 in the full assurance that all thy ways, however dark 
 they may seem for the present, are mercy and truth to 
 them that keep thy covenant and thy testimonies. 
 
PRAYER FOR A FAST-DAY. 197 
 
 When we, O Lord, look into the history of former 
 ages and observe the wonderful revolutions which have 
 taken place in the world, may we not consider them 
 merely as the works of those who were the agents in 
 them, or as the effects of chance, but may we view 
 them as parts of a great scheme which thou are per- 
 petually carrying on for the improvement and hap- 
 piness of thy people. 
 
 When we enjoy prosperity, may we consider that we 
 are accountable to thee for the use which we make of 
 our blessings. When we are visited with adversity, 
 may we console ourselves with the thought that thou 
 afflictest not willingly, but as a tender and compas- 
 sionate Father thou chastenest us for our profit, that 
 we may consider our ways and apply our hearts unto 
 wisdom. May we even consider that all the good 
 we enjoy is unmerited, and that all the misery which 
 we suffer is justly deserved, and is only to be viewed 
 as the punishment of sin. 
 
 Do thou, O Lord, make us to see when we have 
 erred, and help us not only to confess and lament what 
 we have left undone, but to abhor and forsake what 
 we have done amiss. We have sinned against the 
 clearest light ; we have set at nought thy admonitions. 
 We are deeply sensible that by our formality, our in- 
 gratitude for thy blessings, and by our abuse of our 
 privileges, we have justly provoked thee to visit us 
 with thy judgments which thou hast denounced against 
 us as a nation. We have justly provoked thee to visit 
 us in anger, and to involve us in trouble and per- 
 plexity. We deserve that thou shouldst remove our 
 candlestick out of its place, that thou shouldst 
 deny us longer the means of grace and the offers 
 of salvation. And we feel even now, O Lord, when 
 we are deploring our guilt and unworthiness, and when 
 we would desire to turn again unto thee, that we de- 
 serve that thou shouldest say unto us as thou didst to 
 those who scorned instruction of old — u Because I 
 have called, and ye have refused, because I have 
 stretched out my hand, and no man regarded ; I also 
 
198 minister's directory. 
 
 will laugh at your calamity, and mock when your fear 
 cometh ! " 
 
 But, O Lord, we pray that thou wouldst not deal 
 with us according to our desserts, but according to the 
 multitude of thy tender mercies in Christ Jesus. We 
 rejoice that thou hast encouraged us in all our dis- 
 tresses to flee unto thee who alone can help and de- 
 liver us. We desire, therefore, O Lord, in this the day 
 of our national calamities, when visited with the alarms 
 and ravages of war, and thereby involved in trying and 
 dangerous scenes from which we, short-sighted crea- 
 tures, see not a way of deliverance, to apply unto thee 
 who canst make light to arise out of darkness, and 
 canst bring order out of confusion. 
 
 We pray, Lord, that thou wouldst put a stop to 
 the perils of warfare and the effusion of human blood. 
 But if thou hast determined that the nations of the 
 earth should chastise each other for their wickedness 
 and infidelity, we pray that thou wouldst be on our 
 side, and we shall triumph not only over the nations of 
 Europe, but over the whole world joined in league 
 against us. We pray for those gallant heroes who ex- 
 pose their lives by sea and land for our defence. 
 Cover their heads in the hour of battle, and save them 
 from their enemies. Inspire them with skill and 
 valour, and crown their enterprises with victory, that 
 thus our proud and insolent foes may be led to listen 
 to such terms as will insure to us a safe, a permanent, 
 and an honourable peace. 
 
 We lament the fate of those who have fallen in their 
 country's cause. May their memories long live in the 
 hearts of their admiring and grateful countrymen. 
 May we be sensible that under providence to their sac- 
 rifices we owe our safety, and to their perils we are in- 
 debted for the liberty we enjoy. 
 
 We likewise sympathise with those who mourn over 
 the bleeding wounds of their gallant sons. May they, 
 O Lord, be comforted with good accounts from them. 
 Do thou heal their wounds, and restore them safe to 
 their country and their friends. 
 
PRAYER FOB A FAST-DAY. 199 
 
 Grant, Lord, that those who are suffering by the 
 desolations of war — that the many fathers and mothers 
 who have thus been left childless — that the many deso- 
 late widows who refuse to be comforted — and that the 
 thousands of children who have been deprived of the 
 protecting care of parents may all bow down with 
 resignation under the bereavements with which they 
 have been visited. May they trust more implicitly in 
 thee, the Rock of Ages, amidst all the changes and un- 
 certainties of time, and do thou raise up for them bene- 
 factors in their time of need. 
 
 O may the time soon come, when wars and rumours 
 of wars shall cease to the ends of the earth — when the 
 sword shall be turned into the ploughshare — when 
 the sound of the trumpet, summoning to battle, shall 
 be heard no more. Let not those who should dwell 
 together as brethren be ranged in hostile array against 
 each other ; let the hearts of the rulers of all nations 
 bGturned to peace, and to study the ways by which they 
 may benefit one another ; and let there be nothing to 
 disturb in all thy holy mountain. 
 
 most holy and righteous Lord God, against 
 
 whom we have greatly sinned, thou hast revealed thy 
 wrath from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighte- 
 ousness of men, and hast declared, that except we repent, 
 we shall all perish. May we be deeply humbled before 
 thee, and do thou enable us to come to thee as our only 
 refuge in this season of sickness and great mortality. 
 Thou hast caused a fearful visitation to fall upon us. 
 The pestilence walketh in darkness. By a mysterious 
 track it comes upon our land and the dwellers therein. 
 May we look to the hand that smites us, and acknow- 
 ledge the justness of the rod which thou hast laid upon 
 us. We confess, Lord, that we have not deserved to 
 be free from that visitation of thy wrath, which has 
 afflicted other nations. We acknowledge with shame 
 and contrition, that we have shown ourselves unthank- 
 ful for many special mercies vouchsafed to us, and 
 have not made that return for our national blessings 
 which thou mightest justly require at our hands. Wo 
 
200 minister's directory. 
 
 have departed from thy commandments ; we have fol- 
 lowed too much the things of this present world ; and 
 in our prosperity we have not sufficiently honoured 
 thee, the author and giver of it all. Yet, cast us not 
 away, Lord, in thy displeasure, but give us grace to 
 tarn to thee in repentance and prayer. When Israel 
 had provoked thee to wrath, and thousands fell by the 
 destroying pestilence, thou didst stay the sword of the 
 avenging angel when the purpose of thy judgment was 
 fulfilled. When the men of Nineveh repented of their 
 iniquity, thou didst lay aside the fierceness of thine 
 anger, and sparedst the guilty city, when thou sawest 
 that they turned from their evil way. 
 
 And now, O Lord, we entreat thee, after thy rich 
 mercy, to grant unto us thine afflicted servants, the 
 like spirit of repentance, that thou mayest withdraw 
 thy chastisements from our land, and stay the plague 
 and grievous sickness which is abroad, making many 
 desolate. Say to the destroying angel, It is enough — 
 stay now thine hand. May the judgments which thou 
 hast sent work in us a more lively faith, a more entire 
 obedience, a more earnest endeavour to conform to thy 
 will, and to advance thy glory. 
 
 O Lord, who art the great and gracious pre- 
 server of man, we cry to thee in trouble ; do thou hear 
 and deliver us from our distresses. From thee more 
 directly or mediately proceeds distress of nations, with 
 perplexity. There is no counsel against thee. Thou 
 dost shake every earthly confidence beneath us ; men's 
 hearts are failing them from fear, and for looking 
 after those things which are coming on the earth. Re- 
 gard us in the pressing necessities in which we are at 
 present placed ; thou hast no delight in the misery of 
 thy creatures ; thou dost not chastise for thine own 
 pleasure, but for our profit. With thee are all the or- 
 dinances of Heaven and the influences of every season. 
 Thou art asserting thy power, and inflicting thy ven- 
 geance in preventing the earth, which sustaineth the 
 life of man, from yielding the wonted provision of food, 
 and in turning abundance into scarcity. Thou hast 
 
PRAYER FOR A FAST-DAY. 201 
 
 called the husbandman to mourning. The famine is 
 sore in our land. Though it hath seemed good to thee 
 to withdraw the bounties of thy providence, and to 
 permit us to experience many privations, yet leave us 
 not to ourselves, nor deliver us into the hands of 
 our enemies. Enable us to acknowledge that our pre- 
 sent distress is of the Lord, and to say, Let him do 
 what seemeth him good. 
 
 We acknowledge that by our abuse of thy gifts, and 
 forgetfulness of thy manifold mercies, we have justly 
 deserved punishment : we have sinned, we have grie- 
 vously sinned against thee ; yet knowing that thou art 
 full of compassion, we beseech thee to withdraw thy 
 judgments, to pardon the offences of thy people, to re- 
 lieve the poor and the needy in their present necessi- 
 ties, and to give and to preserve to our use the fruits 
 of the earth in their seasons. Whilst thy hand is upon 
 us may we learn righteousness. The darker and more 
 cheerless our outward lot may be, so much the more 
 closely may we cling to thee, and so much the more 
 earnestly may we seek after the joys that await the 
 just beyond death and the grave. These our prayers 
 we present to thee, pleading the merits, and relying on 
 the all-prevailing intercessions of our great High 
 Priest, who, with thyself and the Holy Spirit is one 
 God, to whom be glory, both now and ever. Amen. 
 
 Psalm lx., 1, Psalm lxxxv., 1. Psalm cvi., 43. 
 Psalm xxvii., 3. Psalm lv., 2. Psalm cxl., 7. Psalm 
 lxxviii., 50. Psalm xci., 3. Psalm xxxiii., 19. Psalm 
 xxxvii., 19. Psalm cv., lb". 
 
PRAYERS FOR DAYS OF PUBLIC THANKSGIVING. 
 
 God, all the kingdoms of the world are thine, and 
 thou givest them and the glory thereof to whomsoever 
 thou wilt ; for thou art the King of Kings, and the 
 Lord of Lords. In our perplexities we cried unto thee, 
 and thou didst answer us. When our hearts were 
 ready to fail us and fears took hold on us, thou didst 
 strengthen us with might in the inner man, and didst 
 establish the work of our hands. 
 
 Thou, O God, hast wise and gracious views in all 
 thy dispensations. As thy judgments, the sword, pes- 
 tilence, and famine, are intended to humble, to soften, 
 to correct, and convert us, by alarming our fears ; so 
 thy benefits and mercies are designed to draw us to 
 thyself, by motives of love and gratitude. 
 
 We, O Lord, most humbly acknowledge thy good- 
 ness in the victories lately vouchsafed to our forces, by 
 sea and land, over a host of foes who sought to spread 
 desolation, misery, and poverty, through extensive em- 
 pires and flourishing states. We bless thee for having 
 brought to a speedy and successful issue a war to 
 which no occasion had been given by injustice on our 
 part, or apprehension of injury at our hands ; but a 
 war in which we were inevitably involved, in order to 
 check the projects of unbounded ambition, and to main- 
 tain the cause of justice, humanity, civilisation, and 
 freedom in the world. To thee, O Lord, we ascribe 
 the glory. It was thy wisdom which guided the coun- 
 sels, thy power which strengthened the hands of those 
 whom it pleased thee to use as thy instruments 
 in the discomfiture of the lawless aggressors, and the 
 frustration of their ambitious designs. From thee 
 alone coineth victory, and the spirit of moderation and 
 
PRAYER FOR PUBLIC THANKSGIVING. 203 
 
 mercy in the day of success. Continue, we beseech 
 thee, to go forth with our armies whensoever they are 
 called into battle in a righteous cause ; and dispose the 
 hearts of their leaders to exact nothing more from the 
 vanquished than is necessary for the maintenance of 
 peace, and security against violence and rapine. 
 
 Bless abundantly our Sovereign the Queen. Do 
 thou support her in the discharge of her arduous and 
 important duties, and do thou enable her to govern her 
 subjects, not only by wise and salutary laws, but also 
 by the example of her virtues, that truth and righteous- 
 ness and religion may flourish in her reign. 
 
 Above all, give thy grace to those who preside in the 
 councils of our Sovereign, and administer the concerns 
 of her widely extended dominions, that they may apply 
 all their endeavours to the purposes designed by thy 
 good Providence in committing such power to their 
 hands — the temporal and spiritual benefit of the 
 nations entrusted to their care. 
 
 Almighty and merciful God, by whose provi- 
 dence the whole world is governed and preserved, we 
 humbly acknowledge that all the punishments which are 
 threatened in thy law might justly have fallen upon us 
 by reason of our manifold transgressions, and yet thou 
 has not dealt with us as our iniquities have deserved. 
 
 We give thee thanks, Lord, that thou hast been 
 graciously pleased to assuage the fearful disease with 
 which many places in this kingdom have been visited. 
 We thank thee for thy providential care over us, and 
 we pray that thou wouldst entirely withdraw from our 
 land this grievous sickness. 
 
 Lord, enable us to remember the anguish of our 
 souls when our trouble was upon us, and the resolu- 
 tions of repentance and newness of life which we then 
 offered up to thee, and let us not return to vanity ; but 
 O give us grace to pay our vows every day to thee. 
 May the voice of gladness and health be restored to all 
 our dwellings, and may we have faith to live not unto 
 ourselves but to Jesus Christ, who is our only Saviour 
 and deliverer. 
 
204 minister's directory. 
 
 God, through whose good providence the 
 
 earth yieldeth food for the sustenance of man, we offer 
 unto thee our humble thanksgivings for thy mercy 
 vouchsafed to us in blessing the labours of our husband- 
 men with plentiful increase, and preserving the fruits of 
 the field for our use. Give us grace, we humbly beseech 
 thee, that while we receive thy bounty with thankful- 
 ness, we may regard the blessing bestowed on us as a 
 call to repentance, and turn from the evil of our ways. 
 Remove from amongst us all causes of strife and con- 
 tention ; put an end to our unhappy divisions ; and 
 grant that all conditions of men, impressed with the 
 fear of thy judgments, and trusting in thy fatherly 
 care, may faithfully serve thee, in loyalty to their 
 Sovereign, in obedience to the laws, in kindly affection 
 one to another, and in dutiful resignation to thy will. 
 
 Give us the inheritance which fadeth not away, the 
 fruit which is ever yielded by the tree of life. 
 
 Pardon in thy mercy all our sins, keep us henceforth 
 from sinning ; and grant us, in the end, the salvation 
 which thou hast provided for thy people, for Christ's 
 sake. Amen. 
 
 Psalm xlvi., 8, 9, 10, 11. Paraphrase xxiii., 12, 13, 
 14, 15. Psalm cxxii., 6, 7, 8. Paraphrase xviii., 4, 5, 
 6, 7. Psalm xcviii., 1, 2, 3, 4. Psalm ix., 9, 10, 11, 12. 
 Psalm cvi., 40. Psalm lxxvi., 5. Psalm cxxxvi., 21. 
 Psalm cxxxvii., 4. Psalm cii., 13, 14, 15, 16. Psalm 
 ciii., 6. Psalm lxxxvi., 6. 
 
PRAYER WHEN VISITING THE SICK. 
 
 O Almighty God and Father, whose power no crea- 
 ture is able to resist, and in whose hand are all the is- 
 sues of life and death; look down, we beseech thee, from 
 Heaven, thy dwelling-place, upon us thy unworthy crea- 
 tures, and enable us to trust in thee. Do thou humble 
 us before thee, and give us grace to approach thy foot- 
 stool in true repentance, faith, and prayer, and to make 
 an unfeigned surrender of ourselves to thee to be saved 
 in the way of thine own appointment. It is entirely of 
 thy mercies in Christ Jesus that we are not consumed, 
 because thy compassions fail not. 
 
 We thank thee, O Lord, for everything which thou 
 hast mercifully provided to remove pain, to rescue us 
 from immediate death, to give us length of days, and 
 comfort to ourselves and those to whom we are dear. 
 Blessed be God for all those medicinal virtues which 
 thou hast taught man to discover and apply for the re- 
 lief of them that suffer pain or sickness. How mani- 
 fold are the instances of thy goodness ! How numer- 
 ous are the signs of thy compassion ! 
 
 Our days, O Lord, are subject to many infirmities, 
 liable to many diseases, and obnoxious to many wants. 
 But we are sensible that these evils are only the con- 
 sequences of our own apostacy. Thou at first madest 
 man upright after thine own image, and endued him 
 with an immortal spirit ; but alas ! sin has entered into 
 the world, and death by sin, so death has passed upon 
 all men, for all have sinned. 
 
 But we rejoice, O Lord, that our prospects are not 
 confined to this short, this busy, this perplexed, and 
 this uncertain state of existence, but that through 
 Jesus Christ, the Son of thy love, thou hast extended 
 
206 minister's directory. 
 
 our views beyond the grave, and hast opened up 
 unto us the cheering prospects of a glorious immorta- 
 lity. We bless thee, O Lord, that Jesus Christ was 
 made sin for us, who knew no sin ; that we might be 
 made the righteousness of God in him ; and that for- 
 asmuch as we are partakers of flesh and blood he also 
 took part of the same, that through death he might 
 destroy him that had the power of death, that is the 
 devil. 
 
 Having, then, the offer of salvation through Jesus 
 Christ, and knowing the manner in which this salva- 
 tion is to be obtained, may we, Lord, be di- 
 ligent in the use of those means and faithful in 
 the discharge of those duties which are required of us 
 in the Gospel of Christ. When we enjoy health may 
 we study thy holy precepts ; may we inform ourselves 
 of those things which belong to our everlasting peace, 
 and may we enabled in the strength of thy grace to be- 
 lieve and to act in such a manner as that we may be 
 allowed to indulge the hope of being made partakers of 
 all the benefits of Christ's death. So that when the 
 days of darkness, of suffering, and affliction shall ap- 
 proach, as approach they must sooner or later to all of 
 us, may we be enabled to bear them with fortitude and 
 resignation, considering all our trials and afflictions in 
 this world only as the chastisements of a kind and mer- 
 ciful Father, who afflicteth not willingly, neither hath 
 delight in grieving the children of men. 
 
 We adore thee, O Lord, that in our distresses we 
 are not only permitted, but commanded to make known 
 our requests to thee by prayer and supplication. We 
 would now, Lord, avail ourselves of this privilege in 
 behalf of this thy servant whom in the course of thy Pro- 
 vidence, and for wise purposes which are known unto 
 thee, thou hast been pleased to visit with severe afflic- 
 tion. 
 
 Bow down thine ear, O Lord, and hear us, and for 
 thy truth and for thy mercy's sake send us an answer 
 of peace. Give thy servant to know that affliction 
 cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble 
 
PRAYER FOR THE SICK. 207 
 
 spring out of the ground, but that all is permitted or 
 sent of God for wise purposes, for our humiliation or 
 for our spiritual improvement. Whatever may be the 
 cause or whatever may be the issue of the present visi- 
 tion, may this person have reason to say with thy ser- 
 vant David of old, " It is good for me that I have been 
 afflicted." 
 
 If it be consistent with thy will may his health be re- 
 stored and his life prolonged. Lord look upon the 
 affliction and the pain of thy servant. Thou knowest our 
 frame ; thou rememberest we are but dust. Like as a 
 father pitieth his children, so now extend thy mercy to 
 this suffering person. Thou not only forgivest all our 
 iniquities, but thou also healest all our diseases. 
 Speak the word only and thy servant shall be healed. 
 We know that thou waitest to be gracious, and thou 
 hast for our encouragement said, " In a little wrath I 
 hid my face from thee, and in faithfulness and for thy 
 profit have chastened thee as for a moment, but with 
 everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee." May 
 we have reason to hope that such is thy manner of act- 
 ing at present. If it be consistent with thy glory, and 
 with the eternal welfare of thy servant, may his life at 
 this time be spared, and his soul delivered from the 
 power of the grave. 
 
 But, good Lord, when we have thus prayed, enable 
 us, and enable thy servant, to be entirely resigned to thy 
 will, whether it shall be for life or for death. This only 
 we plead, and we would ask in faith, nothing waver- 
 ing, that thou wouldest not separate between the soul 
 and the body until his soul shall be delivered by thy 
 grace and power, through Jesus Christ, from the guilt 
 and dominion of sin. To him to live, while he lives, 
 may it indeed be Christ, and then to die, may it be 
 everlasting gain. Whether he lives may he live unto 
 the Lord, or whether he dies may he die unto the 
 Lord ; living or dying may he be the Lord's. 
 
 We pray, O Lord, that thou wouldest sanctify unto 
 all of us the dispensations of thy providence. When 
 we see others visited with affliction may we be reminded 
 
208 minister's directory. 
 
 of our guilt which is the cause of our suffering, and 
 may we be led to repentance and amendment of life. 
 May we remember that what is their case may very 
 soon be our own ; that we hold our lives by a very un- 
 certain tenure ; that we know not what a day or an 
 hour may bring forth. To-day is our living day, but 
 to-morrow may be our dying. May we, therefore, O 
 Lord, be all waiting in readiness for death, having our 
 loins girded about, and our lights burning, and we 
 ourselves like unto men who wait for the coming of 
 their Lord. 
 
 May this world, Lord, with its vain pleasures and 
 deceitful riches, sink in our estimation. May it be the 
 study of our lives to lay up for ourselves treasures in 
 heaven, so that where our treasures are there our 
 hearts may also be. 
 
 Hear us, Lord, in mercy, forgive our sins, and 
 accept of us for Christ's sake. Amen. 
 
PRAYER WHEN DEATH VISITS A FAMILY. 
 
 O eternal and unchangeable Lord God, who art the 
 same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. Glorious are 
 thy works, deep thy counsels, marvellous thy dispensa- 
 tions in nature, in providence, in grace. To thy all- 
 seeing eye, everything in heaven and on earth is laid 
 open, the relations of every event, and the influence of 
 every measure ; in thy mind there can be no perplexity, 
 and in thy plans there can be no failure. Thy throne 
 is over all, and power and dominion are thine. 
 
 Amidst the perplexities of life, may we look to thee, 
 God, who can guide us through the thickest dark- 
 ness, and who can make a way in the wilderness, and a 
 path in the desert. We are but the creatures of yester- 
 day, whose foundation is in the dust ; but we look up 
 to thee with confidence as the source of our existence, 
 the author of our enjoyments, and the God to whom we 
 owe all our hopes of eternal life through Jesus Christ 
 our Lord. Our only refuge is in thy promised mercy 
 in Christ Jesus ; we cast ourselves wholly on that 
 mercy, fixing our hopes on our Saviour's cross ; we 
 confess our guilt, and entreat that the blood of Christ 
 may cleanse us from all sin. 
 
 In thine hand, O Lord, our breath is. How help- 
 less are we ! The handwriting of death is in us. 
 Unexpected trials have saddened our hearts. When 
 losses, pains, and bereavements afflict us, let us look to 
 thee for support and comfort. It becomes us to say, 
 in whatever way we are tried, we know, Lord, that 
 thy judgments are right, and that in faithfulness thou 
 hast afflicted us. 
 
 We pray, O God, that we may be led to view and to 
 acknowledge thy hand in all the dispensations of t Im- 
 providence — that we may glorify thee for thy goodness 
 — that we may acknowledge the kindness of thy ohfWr 
 tisements — that we may profit by every event which be- 
 
210 minister's directory. 
 
 falls us. May we remember that the various circum- 
 stances of our lot are fixed by thee. And since man's 
 days are determined, and the number of his months are 
 with thee, and thou hast appointed him bounds which 
 he cannot pass, let us resign our friends to thee, O 
 Lord, when thou claimest them, and our own life when 
 thou requirest it without a murmur, and let the whole 
 of life be a preparation for its close. 
 
 And we pray, O Lord, that by all that is happening 
 to us in this state of trial and discipline in which we 
 are placed, we may be more deeply impressed than ever 
 with the vain and transitory nature of all earthly 
 things. We are impressively called upon by the in- 
 stance of mortality with which thou hast been pleased 
 to afflict this family to consider how frail we are, to 
 humble ourselves under thy mighty hand, and to sub- 
 mit to thy dispensations with patience and resignation. 
 Let each of us be duly affected upon so afflicting an 
 occasion, resigning ourselves wholly to thy will and 
 pleasure. And we pray, especially, that thou wouldst 
 visit in mercy and with the consolations of thy Holy 
 Spirit those in this house of mourning who are involved 
 in deep distress by the death of one with whom they 
 were so closely connected. Thou hast in the course of 
 thy mysterious providence removed from this dwelling 
 one who was a beloved wife, and a dutiful and an af- 
 fectionate mother, but we have good ground to believe 
 that she has passed from this world of sorrow and suf- 
 fering to her own home, the land of promise. To whom 
 can the bereaved husband and the sorrowing and dis- 
 consolate children go but unto thee, who art a refuge 
 to the distressed, and a present help in every time of 
 need. 
 
 Do thou, O Lord, look down with an eye of 
 
 pity and compassion upon the family in this house who 
 have suddenly and unexpectedly been deprived of its 
 head, even of one who was a kind husband and a tender 
 and compassionate father. Suggest to their distressed 
 minds every thought which is calculated to soothe and 
 console. 
 
FUNERAL PRAYER. 211 
 
 Be a father to the fatherless, and a husband to the 
 widow. May the well-grounded hope that he, whose 
 untimely loss they now deplore, is removed for ever be- 
 yond the reach of pain and suffering, and rejoicing in 
 the effulgent presence of God, lead them with Christian 
 resignation to say, " the will of the Lord be done, the 
 Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be 
 the name of the Lord.'' 
 
 May they look to thee for wisdom to direct them, 
 grace and strength to sanctify and support them, and 
 may they wait in faith and patience the issue of all thy 
 dealings towards them. 
 
 Sanctify for their good and spiritual improvement, 
 every trial with which it shall please thee to chasten 
 them. May they realise the sure supports of the Gos- 
 pel under this bereavement. 
 
 Do thou prepare us all to meet thee, our God. 
 However sudden, may it be a welcome summons. 
 May our lamps burn brighter amidst the darkness and 
 the chill of death. We pray that the resurrection of 
 Christ may give us new animation every day in his ser- 
 vice, and be the support of our hearts in every scene of 
 mortality. And we pray, that when the face of friend- 
 ship shall become pale through sickness, and ghastly 
 in death; and when those who cling to us in every 
 changing scene shall leave us to the solitude and power 
 of the grave, may we have a life hid with Christ in God, 
 a friend to whom our dust shall be a care, and a deli- 
 verer who shall redeem us from the land of darkness. 
 
 Incline thine ear, Lord, to our requests, and ac- 
 cept of us, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our strength 
 and our Redeemer- Amen. 
 
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