The Congregation being affembled, the Minister, after folemn calling on them to the Worshipping of the great Name of God, is to begin with Prayer.

'In all Reverence and Humility acknowledging the incomprehenfible Greatness and Majefty of the Lord, (in whofe Prefence they do then in a special Manner appear) and their own Vileness and Unworthiness to approach fo near him, with their utter Inability of themselves to fo great a Work; and humbly befeech" ing him for Pardon, Affiftance, and Acceptance in the 'whole Service then to be performed; and for a Bleffing on that particular Portion of his Word then to be 'read: And all in the Name and Mediation of the Lord Jefus Chrift.'

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The publick Worship being begun, the People are wholly to attend upon it, forbearing to read any Thing except what the Minifter is then reading or citing; and abstaining much more from all private Whifperings, Conferences, Salutations, or doing Reverence to any Perfons prefent, or coming in; as alfo from all Gazing, Sleeping, and other undecent Behaviour, which may disturb the Minifter or People, or hinder themselves or others in the Service of God.

If any, through Neceffity, be hindred from being prefent at the Beginning, they ought not, when they come into the Congregation, to betake themselves to their private Devotions, but reverently to compose themselves to join with the Affembly, in that Ordinance of God, which is then in Hand.

Of Publick Reading of the Holy Scriptures.

of the Word in the Congregation,

Part of the publick Worship of God, (wherein we acknowledge our Dependence upon him, and Subjection to him) and one Means, fanctified by him for the edifying of his People, is to be performed by the Paftors

and Teachers.

Howbeit, fuch as intend the Ministry, may occafionally both read the Word, and exercife their Gift in

Preaching

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Preaching in the Congregation, if allowed by the Pref bytery thereunto.

All the Canonical Books of the Old and New Teftament (but none of those which are commonly called Apocrypha) fhall be publickly read in the vulgar Tongue, out of the best allowed Tranflation, diftinctly, that alf may hear and understand.

How large a Portion fhall be read at once, is left to the Wisdom of the Minister; but it is convenient, that or dinarily one Chapter of each Teftament be read at every Meeting; and fometimes more, where the Chapters be fhort, or the Coherence of Matter requireth it *.

It is requifite that all the Canonical Books be read over in Order, that the People may be better acquainted with the whole Body of the Scriptures; and ordinarily, where the Reading in either Teftament endeth on one Lord's Day, it is to begin the next.

We commend also the more frequent reading of fuch Scriptures as he that readeth shall think beft for Edification of his Hearers, as the Book of Psalms, and fuch . like.

When the Minifter, who readeth, fhall judge it necef fary to expound any Part of what is read, let it not be done until the whole Chapter or Pfalm be ended ; and Regard is always to be had unto the Time, that nei ther Preaching, nor other Ordinance, be ftraitned, or rendered tedious. Which Rule is to be obferved in all other publick Performances.

Befide publick Reading of the holy Scriptures, every Perfon that can read, is to be exhorted to read the Scriptures privately, (and all others that cannot read, if not difabled by Age, or otherwife, are likewife to be exhorted to learn to Read) and to have a Bible.

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See the Opinion of the Committee, approved by the General Affembly 1645, Seff. 14. for keeping the greater Uniformity in the Practice of the Directory in fome Points of publick Worship.

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Of Publick Prayer before the Sermon.

Fter reading of the Word (and finging of the Pfalm) the Minifter who is to preach, is to endeavour to get his own and his Hearers Hearts to be rightly affected with their Sins, that they may all mourn in Senfe thereof before the Lord, and hunger and thirst after the Grace of God in Jefus Chrift, by proceeding to a more full Confeffion of Sin, with Shame and holy Confeffion of Face, and to call upon the Lord to this Effect;

"To acknowledge our great Sinfulnefs, Firfi, By reafon of Original Sin, which (befide the Guilt that makes us liable to everlafting Damnation) is the Seed of all other Sins, hath depraved and poisoned all the Faculties and Powers of Soul and Body, doth defile our best Actions, and (were it not restrained, or our Hearts renewed by Grace) would break forth into innumerable Tranfgreffions, and greatest Rebellions against the Lord, that ever were committed by the vileft of the Sons of Men. And, Next, By reafon of actual Sins, our own Sins, the Sins of Magiftrates, of Minifters, and of the whole Nation, unto which we are many ways acceffory: Which Sins of ours receive many fearful Aggravations, we having broken all the Commandments of the holy, juft, and good Law of God, doing that which is forbidden, and leaving undone what is injoined; and that not only out of Ignorance and Infirmity, but also more prefumptuoufly against the Light of our Minds, Checks of our Confciences, and Motions of his own holy Spirit to the contrary, so that we have no Cloke for our Sins; yea, not only despifing the Riches of God's Goodness, Forbearance, and Long-fuffering, but ftanding out against many Invitations and Offers of Grace in the Gofpel; not endeavouring, as we ought, to receive Chrift into our Hearts by Faith, or to walk worthy of him in our Lives.

"To bewail our Blindness of Mind, Hardness of our Heart, Unbelief, Impenitency, Security, Lukewarmness,

Barrenness,

Barrenness; our not endeavouring after Mortification and Newness of Life, nor after the Exercife of Godli nefs in the Power thereof; and that the best of us have not fo ftedfaftly walked with God, kept our Garments fo unfpotted, nor been fo zealous of his Glory, and the Good of others as we ought: And to mourn over fuch other Sins as the Congregation is particularly guilty of, notwithstanding the manifold and great Mercies of our God, the Love of Chrift, the Light of the Gospel, and Reformation of Religion, our own Purpofes, Promifes, Vows, folemn Covenant, and other fpecial Obligations to the contrary.

"To acknowledge and confefs, that, as we are con⚫ vinced of our Guilt, fo, out of a deep Senfe thereof, we judge ourselves unworthy of the fmalleft Benefits, moft worthy of God's fierceft Wrath, and of all the Curfes of the Law, and heaviest Judgments inflicted upon the most rebellious Sinners; and that he might moft juftly take his Kingdom and Gofpel from us, plague us with all Sorts of fpiritual and temporal Judgments in this Life, and after caft us into utter Darkness, in the Lake that burneth with Fire and Brimftone, where is weeping and gnashing of Teeth for evermore.

"Notwithstanding all which, To draw near to the Throne of Grace, encouraging ourselves with Hope of a gracious Aufwer of our Prayers, in the Riches and All-fufficiency of that only one Oblation, the Satisfaction and Interceffion of the Lord Jefus Christ, at the right Hand of his Father, and our Father; and, in Confidence of the exceeding great and Precious Promifes of Mercy and Grace in the New Covenant, through the fame Mediator thereof, to deprecate the heavy Wrath and Curse of GOD, which we are not able to avoid, or bear; and humbly and earnestly to fupplicate for Mercy in the free and full Remission of all our Sins, and that only for the bitter Sufferings and precious Merits of that our only Saviour Jefus Chrift.

"That

"That the Lord would vouchsafe to fhed abroad his Love in our Hearts by the Holy Ghoft; feal unto us, by the fame Spirit of Adoption, the full Affurance of our Pardon and Reconciliation; comfort all that mourn in Zion, speak Peace to the wounded and troubled Spirit, and bind up the Broken-hearted: And as for secure and prefumptuous Sinners, that he would open their Eyes, convince their Confciences, and turn them from Darkness unto Light, and from the Power of Satan unto God, that they alfo may receive Forgiveness of Sin, and an Inheritance among them that are fanctified by Faith in Chrift Jefus.

over us ;

"With Remiffion of Sins through the Blood of Christ, to pray for Sanctification by his Spirit; the Mortification of Sin dwelling in, and many Times tyrannizing the Quickning of our dead Spirits, with the Life of God in Chrift; Grace to fit and enable us for all Duties of Converfation and Callings towards God and Men; Strength against Temptations, the fanctified Use of Bleffings and Croffes, and Perfeverance in Faith and Obedience unto the End.

"To pray for the Propagation of the Gofpel and Kingdom of Chrift to all Nations, for the Converfion of the Jews, the Fulness of the Gentiles, the Fall of Antichrift, and the hastning of the Second Coming of our Lord; For the Deliverance of the diftreffed Churches abroad from the Tyranny of the Antichriftian Faction, and from the cruel Oppreffions and Blafphemies of the Turk; For the Bleffing of God upon all the reformed Churches, efpecially upon the Churches and Kingdoms of Scotland, England, and Ireland, now more strictly and religiously united in the Solemn National League and Govenant; and for our Plantations in the remote Part of the World: More particularly for that Church and Kingdom whereof we are Members, that therein God would eftablish Peace and Truth, the Purity of all his Ordinances, and the Power of Godliness; prevent and remove Herefy, Schifin, Profanenefs, Superftition, Security, and Unfruitfulness under the Means of Grace;

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