municating of impenitent finners; declareth imme diately thereupon, "that what fover his minifters fhall loofe on earth, fall be loofed in heaven;" whereby he giveth to understand, that when any perfon is cut off from his church, he is not deprived of all hopes of falvation; but can again be loofed from the bonds of condemnation. Therefore fince God declares in his word, not to take pleafure in the death of a finner, but that he turn from his wickedness and live, fo the church always hopes for the repentance of the backflidden finner, and keepeth her bosom open to receive the penitent: accordingly the apoftle Paul, 1 Cor. v, commanded the Corinthian (whom he had declared ought to be cut off from the church] to be again received and comforted, fince being reproved by many, he was come to the knowledge of his fins to the end that he fhould not be fwallowed up with over much forrow. 2. Cor, ii.

Secondly, Chrift teacheth us in the aforementioned text, that the sentence of abfolution, which is passed upon fuch a penitent finner, according to the word of God, is counted fure and firm by the Lord; therefore no one ought to doubt in the leaft, who truly repents, that he is affuredly received by God in mercy, as Chrift faith, John, Chap, xx. "Whofe foever fins ye remit, they are remitted unto them."

But now to proceed to the matter in hand. I ask thee N. whether thou doft declare here with all thine heart before God and his church, that thou art fin

cerely forry for the fin and ftubbornnefs for which thou hast been jufly cut off from the church ? whether thou doft alfo truly believe, that the Lord hath forgiven thee, and doth forgive thy fins for Chrift's fake and that thou therefore art defirous to be readmitted into the church of Chrift, promiting henceforth to live in all godlinefs, according to the coin-* mand of the Lord?

(Then the minifter fhall further fay, ) We then here affembled, in the name and authoity of the Lord Jefus Chrift, declare thee N, to be abfolved from the bonds of excommunication; and, do receive thee again into the church of the Lord, and declare unto thee that, thou art in the communion of Chrif and of the holy facraments, and of all. the fpiritual bleffings and benefits of God, which he promifeth to and bestoweth upon his church: may, the eternal God preferve thee therein to the end, through his only begotten Son Jefus Chrift, Amen.

Be therefore affured in thy heart my beloved brother, that the Lord hath again received thee in. mercy. Be diligent henceforward to guard thy felf against the fubtilty of fatan, and the wickedness of the world, to the end that you may not fall again into fin; love Chrift, for many fins are forgiven thee. And you beloved chriftians, receive this your bro. ther with hearty affection; be glad that he was dead and he is alive again, he was loft and is found: rejoice

with the Angels of heaven, over this finner who repenteth; count him no longer as a firanger, but as a fellow citizen with the faints, and of the houfehold of God.

And whereas we can have no good of ourselves, let us praising and magnifying the Lord Almighty, implore his mercy, faying.

G1

RACIOUS God and Father, we thank thee

through Jefus Christ, that thou haft been pleafed to give this our fellow brother repentance unto life, and us caufe to rejoice in his converfion. We beseech thee, fhew him thy mercy, that he may be. come more and more affured in his mind of the remiffion of his fins, and that he may receive from thence inexpreffible joy and delight, to ferve thee. And whereas he hath heretofore by his fins offended many, grant that he may by his converfion edify many. Grant alfo that he may ftedfastly walk in thy ways, to the end; and may we learn from this example, that with thee is mercy, that thou mayest be feared; and that we counting him for our brother and co-heir of life eternal, may jointly ferve thee with filial fear and obedience all the days of our life, through Jefus Christ our Lord, in whose name we thus conclude our prayer:

Our Father, &c.

Form for Ordaining the Minifters of
God's Word.

The fermon and the ufual prayers being'
finished, the Minifter fhall thus fpeak, to
the congregation.

ELOVED brethren, it is known unto you,

BELOVED

that we have now at three different times publifhed the name of our brother N. here prefent, to learn whether any person had aught to offer concerning his doctrine or life, why he might not be ordained to the ministry of the word. And whereas no one-hath appeared before us, who hath alledged any thing lawful against his perfon, we fhall therefore at prefent, in the name of the Lord, proceed to his ordination; for which purpose you N. and all those who are here prefent, fhail first attend to a fort declaration taken from the word of God, touching the inftitution and the office of paftors and minifters of God's word; where, in the first place you are to obferve, that God our heavenly Father, willing to call and gather a church from among the corrupt race of men anto life, eternal, doth by a particular mark of his favour ufe the miniftry of men therein.

Therefore Paul faith, That the Lord Jesus Chrift hath given fome apostles, and fame prophets, and fome evangelifts, and fome paftors and minifters; for the perfecting of the faints, for the work of the

1

miniflry, for the edifying of the body of Chrift. Here we fee that the holy Apoftle among other things faith, that the paftoral office is an inftitution of Chrift.

for as it is the

:

What this holy office enjoins, may cafily be gathered from the very name itfelf; duty of a common fhepherd, to feed, guide, protect and rule the flock committed to his charge fo it is with regard to thefe fpiritual hepherds, who are fet over the church, which God calleth unto falvation, and counts them as fheep of his pasture. The pafture with which these fheep are fed, is nothing else but the preaching of the gospel, accompanied with prayer; and the adminiftration of the holy facraments; the fame word of God is likewife the staff with which the flock is guided and ruled, confe quently it is evident, that the office of paflors and. minifters of God's word is,

Firft. That they hall faithfully explain to their fuck, the word of the Lord, revealed by the writings of the prophets and apoftles and apply the fame,, as well in general, as in particular, to the edification of the hearers, with inftructing, admonishing, com forting, and reproving, according to every one's need, preaching repentance towards God, and reconciliation with him through faith in Chrift; and refuting with the holy feriptures all fchifms and herelics which are repugnant to the pure doctrine.All this is clearly fignified to us in holy writ, for the