So large a portion of the day as conveniently may be, is to be spent in public reading and preaching of the word, with finging of pfalms, fit to quicken affections fuitable to fuch a duty: But especially in prayer, to this, or the like effect:

ver,

"Giving glory to the great Majefty of God, the Creator, Preferand fupreme Ruler of all the world, the better to affect us "thereby with an holy reverence and awe of him; acknowledging "his manifold, great, and tender mercies, especially to the church " and nation, the more effectually to foften and abase our hearts "before him; humbly confeffing of fins of all forts, with their se"veral aggravations; juftifying God's righteous judgments, as be- * ing far less than our fins do deferve; yet humbly and earnestly "imploring his mercy and grace for ourfelves, the church and na"tion, for our king, and all in authority, and for all others for "whom we are bound to pray, (according as the prefent exigent "requireth,) with more fpecial importunity and enlargement than "at other times; applying by faith the promises and goodness of "God for pardon, help, and deliverance from the evils felt, feared, "or deserved; and for obtaining the bleffings which we need and "expect; together with a giving up of ourselves wholly and for e"ver unto the Lord."

In all these, the Ministers, who are the mouths of the people unto God, ought fo to speak from their hearts, upon ferious and thorough premeditation of them, that both themselves and their people may be much affected, and even melted thereby, especially with forrow for their fins, that it may be indeed a day of deep humiliation and afflicting of the foul.

t

Special choice is to be made of fuch Scriptures to be read, and of fuch texts for preaching, as may best work the hearts of the hearers to the special business of the day, and moft difpofe them to humiliation and repentance: Infifting moft on those particulars which each. minifter's obfervation and experience tells him are moft conducing to the edification and reformation of that congregation to which he preacheth.

Before the clofe of the public duties, the minifter is, in his own and the peoples names, to engage his and their hearts to be the Lord's, with profeffed purpose and refolution to reform whatever is amifs among them, and more particularly fuch fins as they have been more remarkably guilty of; and to draw near unto God, and to walk more clofely and faithfully with him in new obedience, than ever before.

He is alfo to admonish the people, with all importunity, that the work of that day doth not end with the public duties of it, but that they are so to improve the remainder of the day, and of their whole life, in reinforcing upon themfelves and their families in private, all thofe godly affections and refolutions which they profeffed in public, as that they may be fettled in their hearts for ever, and themselves may more fenfibly find that God hath smelt a fweet favour in Christ from their performances, and is pacified towards them, by answers of grace, in pardoning of fin, in removing of judgments, in avert3 S ing

ing or preventing of plagues, and in conferring of bleffings, fuitable to the conditions and prayers of his people, by Jefus Chrift.

Befides folemn and general fafts enjoined by authority, we judge that, at other times, congregations may keep days of fafting, as divine Providence fhall adminifter unto them fpecial occafion; and alfo that families may do the fame, fo it be not on days wherein the congregation to which they do belong is to meet for fafting, or other public duties of worship.

WE

Concerning the Obfervation of Days of public Thanksgiving.

HEN any fuch day is to be kept, let notice be given of it, and of the occafion thereof, fome covenient time before, that the people may the better prepare themselves thereunto.

The day being come, and the congregation (after private preparations) being assembled, the minister is to begin with a word of exhortation, to ftir up the people to the duty for which they are met, and with a fhort prayer for God's affistance and bleffing, (as at other conventions for public worship,) according to the particular occafion of their meeting.

Let him then make some pithy narration of the deliverance obtained, or mercy received, or of whatever hath occafioned that affembling of the congregation, that all may better understand it, or be minded of it, and more affected with it.

And, because finging of pfalms is of all other the most proper ordinance for expreffing of joy and thanksgiving, let fome pertinent pfalm or pfalms be fung for that purpose, before or after the reading of fome portion of the word fuitable to the prefent business.

Then let the Minister, who is to preach, proceed to further exhortation and prayer before his fermon, with special reference to the present work: After which, let him preach upon fome text of Scripture pertinent to the occafion,

The fermon ended let him not only pray, as at other times after preaching is directed, with remembrance of the neceffities of the Church, King, and State, (if before the fermon they were omitted,) but enlarge himself in due and folemn thanksgiving for former mercies and deliverances; but more especially for that which at the prefent calls them together to give thanks: With humble petition for the continuance and renewing of God's wonted mercies, as need fhall be, and for fanctifying grace to make a right use thereof. And fo, having fung another pfalm fuitable to the mercy, let him difmifs the congregation with a bleffing, that they may have some convę. nient time for their repaft and refreshing.

But the Minifter (before their difmiffion) is folemnly to admonish them, to beware of all excefs and riot, tending to gluttony or drunkeness, and much more of these fins themselves, in their eating and refreshing; and to take care that their mirth and rejoicing be not carnal, but spiritual, which may make God's praife to be glorious, and themfelves humble and fober; and that both their feeding and

rejoicing

rejoicing may render them more cheerful and enlarged, further to celebrate his praises in the midst of the congregation, when they return unto it, in the remaining part of that day.

When the congregation fhall be again affembled, the like courfe in praying, reading, preaching, finging of pfalms, and offering up of more praise and thanksgiving, that is before directed for the inorning, is to be renewed and continued, fo far as the time will give leave.

At one or both of the public meetings that day, a collection is to be made for the poor, (and in the like manner upon the day of public humiliation), that their loins may blefs us, and rejoice the more with us. And the people are to be exhorted, at the end of the latter meeting, to spend the refidue of that day in holy duties, and testifications of Chriftian love and charity one towards another, and of rejoicing more and more in the Lord; as becometh those who make the joy of the Lord their strength.

Of Singing of Pfalms.

IT is the duty of Chriftians to praise God publickly, by finging of pfalms together in the congregation, and alfo privately in the family.

In finging of pfalms, the voice is to be tunably and gravely orderbut the chief care muft be, to fing with understanding, and with grace in the heart, making melody unto the Lord.

ed;

That the whole congregation may join herein, every one that can read is to have a pfalm-book; and all others, not difabled by age or otherwise, are to be exhorted to learn to read. But for the present where many in the congregation cannot read, it is convenient that the minifter, or fome other fit perfon appointed by him and the other ruling officers, do read the pfalm, line by line, before the finging thereof.

AN

A N

APPENDIX,

Touching Days and Places for Public Worship.

THere is no day commanded in fcripture to be kept holy under the gofpel, but the Lord's day, which is the Chriftian Sabbath.

Festival-days, vulgarly called holy-days, having no warrant in the word of God, are not to be continued..

Nevertheless, it is lawful and neceffary, upon special emergent occafions, to Separate a day or days for public fafting or thanksgiving, as the feveral eminent and extraordinary dif penfations of God's providence hall adminifter caufe and opportunity to his people.

As no place is capable of any holiness, under pretence of whatfoever dedication or confecration; fo neither is it subject to fuch pollution by any fuperftition formerly used, and now laid afide, as may render it unlawful or inconvenient for Chrifti. ans to meet together therein for the public worship of GodAnd therefore we hold it requifite, that the places of public affembling for worship among us, should be continued and em ployed to that use.

F IN I S.

A Part of the Covenanted Uniformity in Religion betwixt the Churches of CHRIST in the Kingdoms of Scotland, England, and Ireland.

WITH

An Act of the General Affembly, anne 1645, approving the fame.

Ezek. xliii. 11. And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, fhew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms therof,-and all the laws thereof: and write it in their fight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them,