Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	day_n	keep_v	sabbath_n	3,822	5	10.2486	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A36061	A directory for the publique worship of God, throughout the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland together with an ordinance of Parliament for the taking away of the Book of common-prayer, ... die Jovis, 13. Martii, 1644 / ordered by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, that this ordinance and directory bee forthwith printed and published.	England and Wales. Parliament. Ordinance of Parliament for the taking away of the Book of common prayer.; Westminster Assembly (1643-1652)	1644 (1644)	Wing D1545; ESTC R210506	26,872	96

and afflicting of the soul Speciall choice is to be made of such Scriptures to be read and of such Texts for Preaching as may best work the hearts of the hearers to the speciall businesse of the day and most dispose them to humiliation and repentance insisting most on those particulars which each Ministers observation and experience tels him are most conducing to the edification and reformation of that Congregation to which he preacheth Before the close of the Publique Duties the Minister is in his own and the peoples names to engage his and their hearts to be the Lords with professed purpose and resolution to reform what ever is amisse among them and more particularly such sins as they have been more remarkably guilty of and to draw neerer unto God and to walk more closely and faithfully with him in new obedience then ever before He is also to admonish the people with all importunity that the work of that day doth not end with the Publique duties of it but that they are so to improve the remainder of the day and of their whole life in reinforcing upon themselves and their families in private all those godly affections and resolutions which they professed in Publique as that they may be setled in their hearts for ever and themselves may more sensibly finde that God hath smelt a sweet savour in Christ from their performances and is pacified towards them by answers of Grace in pardoning of sin in removing of Judgements in averting or preventing of plagues and in conferring of blessings suitable to the conditions and prayers of his people by Jesus Christ Beside solemne generall Fasts injoyned by Authority we judge that at other times Congregations may keepe dayes of Fasting as Divine Providence shall administer unto them speciall occasions And also that Families may doe the same so it be not on dayes wherein the Congregation to which they doe belong is to meet for fasting or other publique Duties of Worship Concerning the Observation of Dayes of Publique Thankesgiving WHen any such Day is to be kept let notice be given of it and of the occasion thereof some convenient 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 stir up the people to the Duty for which they are met and with a short prayer for Gods assistance and blessing as at other Conventions for Publique Worship according to the particular occasion of their meeting Let him then make some pithy narration of the Deliverance obtained or Mercy received or of whatever hath occasioned that assembling of the Congregation that all may better understand it or be minded of it and more affected with it And because singing of Psalmes is of all other the most proper Ordinance for expressing of Joy and Thanksgiving let some pertinent Psalme or Psalmes be sung for that purpose before or after the reading of some portion of the Word suitable to the present businesse Then let the Minister who is to preach proceed to further Exhortation and Prayer before his Sermon with speciall reference to the present work after which let him preach upon some Text of Scripture pertinent to the occasion The Sermon ended let him not only pray as at other times after preaching is directed with remembrance of the necessities of the Church King and State if before the Sermon they were omitted but inlarge himself in due and solemn Thanksgiving for former mercies and deliverances but more especially for that which at the present calls them together to give thanks with humble petition for the continuance and renewing of Gods wonted mercies as need shall bee and for sanctifying grace to make a right use thereof And so having sung another Psalme suitable to the mercy let him dismisse the Congregation with a blessing that they may have some convenient time for their repast and refreshing But the Minister before their dismission is solemnly to admonish them to beware of all excesse and riot tending to gluttony or drunkennesse and much more of these sins themselves in their eating and refreshing and to take care that their mirth and rejoycing be not carnall but spirituall which may make Gods praise to be glorious and themselves humble and sober and that both their feeding and rejoycing may render them more cheerfull and inlarged 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 shall be againe assembled the like course in praying reading preaching singing of Psalmes and offering up of more praise and thanksgiving that is before directed for the morning is to be renewed and continued so far as the time will give leave At one or both of the publique meetings that day a Collection is to be made for the poor and in the like manner upon the Day of Publique Humiliation that their loynes may blesse us and rejoyce the more with us And the people are to be exhorted at the end of the latter meeting to spend the residue of that Day in holy duties and testifications of Christian love and charity one towards another and of rejoycing more and more in the Lord as becommeth those who make the joy of the Lord their strength Of Singing of Psalmes IT is the duty of Christians to praise God publiquely by singing of Psalmes together in the Congregation and also privately in the Family In singing of Psalmes the voice is to be tunably and gravely ordered but the chief care must be to sing with understanding and with Grace in the heart making melody unto the Lord. That the whole Congregation may joyne herein every one that can reade is to have a Psalme book and all others not disabled by age or otherwise are to be exhorted to learn to reade But for the present where many in the Congregation cannot read it is convenient that the Minister or some other fit person appointed by him and the other Ruling Officers doe read the Psalme line by line before the singing thereof An Appendix touching Dayes and Places for Publique worship THere is no Day commanded in Scripture to be kept holy under the Gospell but the Lords day which is the Christian Sabbath Festivall daies vulgarly called Holy daies having no warrant in the word of God are not to be continued Neverthelesse it is lawfull and necessary upon speciall emergent occasions to separate a day or daies for Publique Fasting or Thanksgiving as the severall eminent and extraordinarie dispensations of Gods providence shall administer cause and opportunity to his people As no place is capable of any holines under pretence of whatsoev●… Dedication or Consecration so neither is it subject to such pollution by any superstition formerly used and now laid aside as may render it unlawfull or inconvenient for Christians to meet together therein for the publique worship of God And therefore we hold it requisite that the places of publique assembling for worship among us should be continued and imployed to that use FINIS THE CONTENTS THe Ordinance The Preface Pag. 1 Of the Assembling of the Congregation 9 Of Publique reading of the holy Scripture 12 Of Publique Prayer before the Sermon 14 Of the Preaching of the Word 27 Of Prayer after the Sermon 36 Of the Sacrament of Baptisme 39 Of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 48 Of the Sanctification of the Lords Day 56 Of the Solemnization of Marriage 58 Of the Visitation of the Sick 64 Of Buriall of the Dead 73 Of Publique solemne Fasting 74 Of the observation of dayes of Publique thanksgiving 80 Of singing of Psalmes 83 An Appendix touching Dayes and Places of Publique Worship 85

of imposing of the former Ceremonies new ones were dayly obtruded upon the Church Adde hereunto which was not foreseen but since hath come to passe that the Leiturgie hath been a great means as on the one hand to make and increase an idle and unedifying Ministery which contented it self with set Forms made to their hands by others without putting forth themselves to exercise the gift of Prayer with which our Lord Jesus Christ pleaseth to furnish all his Servants whom he calls to that office So on the other side it hath been and ever would be if continued a matter of endlesse strife and contention in the Church and a snare both to many godly and faithfull Ministers who have been persecuted and silenced upon that occasion and to others of hopefull parts many of which have been and more still would be diverted from all thoughts of the Ministery to other studies especially in these latter times wherein God vouchsafeth to his people more and better means for the discovery of Error and Superstition and for attaining of knowledge in the mysteries of godliness and gifts in Preaching and Prayer Upon these and many the like weighty considerations in reference to the whole Book in generall and because of divers particulars contained in it not from any love to Novelty or intention to disparage our first Reformers of whom we are perswaded that were they now alive they would joyn with us in this work and whom we acknowledge as Excellent Instruments raised by God to begin the purging and building of his House and desire they may be had of us and Posterity in everlasting Remembrance with thankfulnesse and honour but that we may in some measure answer the gracious Providence of God which at this time calleth upon us for further Reformation and may satisfy our own Consciences and answer the expectation of other Reformed Churches and the desires of many of the godly among our selves and withall give some publique Testimony of our endeavors for Uniformity in Divine Worship which we have promised in our Solemn League and Covenant VVe have after earnest and frequent calling upon the Name of God and after much Consultation not with flesh and blood but with his holy VVord resolved to lay aside the former Leiturgie with the many Rites and Ceremonies formerly used in the VVorship of God And have agreed upon this following Directory for all the parts of Publique VVorship at ordinary and extraordinary times VVherein our care hath been to hold forth such things as are of Divine Institution in every Ordinance and other things we have endeavoured to set forth according to the Rules of Christian Prudence agreeable to the generall Rules of the VVord of God Our meaning therein being onely that the generall heads the sense and scope of the Prayers and other parts of Publique VVorship being known to all there may be a consent of all the Churches in those things that contain the substance of the Service and VVorship of God And the Ministers may be hereby directed in their Administrations to keep like soundnesse in Doctrine and Prayer and may if need be have some help and furniture And yet so as they become not hereby slothfull and negligent in stirring up the gifts of Christ in them But that each one by meditation by taking heed to himself and the Flock of God committed to him and by wise observing the wayes of Divine Providence may be carefull to furnish his heart and tongue with further or other materials of Prayer and Exhortation as shall be needfull upon all occasions A DIRECTORY FOR Publique Prayer Reading the Holy Scriptures Singing of Psalmes Preaching of the Word Administration of the Sacraments and other parts of the Publique Worship of God Ordinary Extraordinary Of the Assembling of the Congregation and their Behaviour in the Publique Worship of God WHen the Congregation is to meete for Publique Worship the people having before prepared their hearts thereunto ought all to come and joyne therein not absenting themselves from the Publique Ordinances through negligence or upon pretence of Private meetings Let all enter the Assembly not irreverently but in a grave and seemly manner taking their seates or places without Adoration or Bowing themselves towards one place or other The Congregation being assembled the Minister after solemne calling on them to the worshiping of the great name of God is to begin with Prayer In all Reverence and Humility acknowledging the incomprehensible Greatnesse and Majesty of the Lord in whose presence they doe then in a speciall manner appeare and their own vilenesse and unworthinesse to approach so neare him with their utter inability of themselves to so great a Work And humbly beseeching him for Pardon Assistance and Acceptance in the whole Service then to bee performed and for a Blessing on that particular portion of his Word then to bee read and all in the Name and Mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Publique Worship being begun the people are wholly to attend upon it forbearing to Reade any thing except what the Minister is then reading or citing and abstaining much more from all private whisperings conferences salutations or doing reverence to any persons present or comming in as also from all gazing sleeping and other undecent behaviour which may disturbe the Minister or people or hinder themselves or others in the service of God If any through necessity be hindred from being present 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 joyne with the Assembly in that Ordinance of God which is then in hand Of Publique Reading of the holy Scriptures REading of the Word in the Congregation being part of the publique Worship of God wherin we acknowledge our dependence upon him and subjection to him and one Means sanctified by him for the edifying of his People is to bee performed by the Pastors and Teachers Howbeit such as intend the Ministery may occasionally both reade the Word and exercise their gift in Preaching in the Congregation if allowed by the Presbytery thereunto All the Canonicall Books of the Old and New Testament but none of those which are commonly called Apocrypha shall be publiquely read in the vulgar Tongue out of the best allowed Translation distinctly that all may heare and understand How large a portion shall be read at once is left to the wisdome of the Minister But it is convenient that ordinarily one Chapter of each Testament bee read at every meeting and sometimes more where the Chapters be short or the coherence of matter requireth it It is requisite that all the Canonical books bee 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 Testament endeth on one Lords day it is to begin the next Wee commend also the more frequent reading of such Scriptures as hee that readeth shall

When the sick person is best composed may be least disturbed and other necessary offices about him least hindred the Minister if desired shall pray with him and for him to this effect 〈…〉 and bewailing of sin Original and Actual the miserable condition of all by nature as being Children of Wrath and under the Curse acknowledging that all Diseases Sicknesses Death and Hell it self are the proper issues and effects thereof Imploring Gods mercy for the sick person through the Blood of Christ beseeching that God would open his eyes discover unto him his sins cause him to see himself lost in himself make known to him the cause why God smiteth him reveal Jesus Christ to his soul for Righteousnesse and life give unto him his holy Spirit to create and strengthen faith to lay hold upon Christ to work in him comfortable evidences of his love to arm him against Temptations to take off his heart from the world to sanctify his present visitation to furnish him with patience and strength to beare it and to give him perseverance in Faith to the end That if God shall please to adde to his dayes he would vouchsafe to blesse and sanctify all means of his recovery to remove the disease renew his strength and enable him to walk worthy of God by a faithfull remembrance and diligent observing of such vows and promises of holinesse and obedience as men are apt to make in times of sicknesse that he may glorifie God in the remaining part of his life And if God have determined to finish his dayes by the present Visitation he may finde such Evidence of the Pardon of all his sins of his interest in Christ and Eternall life by Christ as may cause his inward man to be renewed while his outward man decayeth that he may behold Death without fear cast himself wholly upon Christ without doubting desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ and so receive the end of his Faith the Salvation of his Soule through the only merits and intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ our alone Saviour and All-sufficient Redeemer The Minister shall admonish him also as there shall be cause to set his house in order thereby to prevent inconveniences to take care for the payment of his debts and to make restitution or satisfaction where he hath done any wrong to be reconciled to those with whom he hath been at variance and fully to forgive all men their trespasses against him as he expects forgivenesse at the hand of God Lastly the Minister may improve the present occasion to exhort those about the sick person to consider their own mortality to return to the Lord and make Peace with him in health to prepare for sicknesse death and judgement and all the dayes of their appointed time so to wait untill their change come that when Christ who is our life shall appear they may appear with him in glory Concerning Buriall of the Dead WHen any person departeth this life let the dead body upon the day of Buriall be decently attended from the house to the place appointed for publique Buriall and there immediately interred without any Ceremony And because the customes of kneeling down and praying by or towards the dead Corps and other such usages in the place where it lies before it be carried to Buriall are Superstitious and for that praying reading and singing both in going to and at the Grave have been grosly abused are no way beneficiall to the dead and have proved many wayes hurtfull to the living therefore let all such things be laid aside Howbeit we judge it very convenient that the Christian friends which accompany the dead body to the place appointed for publique Buriall doe apply themselves to meditations and conferences suitable to the occasion and that the Minister as upon other occasions so at this time if he be present may put them in remembrance of their Duty That this shall not extend to deny any civill respects or differences at the Buriall suitable to the ranke and condition of the party deceased whiles he was living Concerning Publique Solemne Fasting WHen some great and notable Judgements are either inflicted upon a People or apparently imminent or by some extraordinary provocations notoriously deserved as also when some speciall blessing is to bee sought and obtained Publique solemne Fasting which is to continue the whole Day is a Duty that God expecteth from that Nation or people A Religious Fast requires totall abstinence not only from all food unlesse bodily weaknesse doe manifestly disable from holding out till the Fast be ended in which case somewhat may be taken yet very sparingly to support nature when ready to faint but also from all worldly labour discourses and thoughts and from all bodily delights although at other times lawfull rich apparell ornaments and such like during the Fast and much more from what ever is in the nature or use scandalous and offensive as garish attire lascivious habits and gestures and other vanities of either sexe which we recommend to all Ministers in their places diligently zealously to reproove as at other times so especially at a Fast without respect of persons as there shall be occasion Before the Publique meeting each Family and person apart are privately to use all religious care to prepare their hearts to such a solemne work and to be early at the Congregation So large a portion of the Day as conveniently may be is to be spent in Publique Reading and Preaching of the Word with singing of Psalmes fit to quicken affections suitable to such a Duty but especially in Prayer to this or the like effect Giving Glory to the Great Majesty of God the Creator Preserver and Supreame 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 soften and abase our hearts before him Humbly confessing of sins of all sorts with their severall aggravations justifying Gods righteous Judgements as being farre lesse then our sins doe deserve yet humbly and earnestly imploring his mercy and grace for our selves the Church and Nation for our King and all in Authority and for all others for whom we are bound to pray according as the present exigent requireth with more speciall importunity and inlargement then at other times Applying by faith the Promises and Goodnesse of God for Pardon help and deliverance from the Evils felt feared or deserved and for obtaining the blessings which we need and expect together with a giving up of our selves wholly and for ever unto the Lord. In all these the Ministers who are the mouthes of the people unto God ought so to speak from their hearts upon serious and through premeditation of them that both themselves and their people may be much affected and even melted thereby especially with sorrow for their sins that it may be indeed a Day of deepe humiliation