The Directory for the Public Worship of God

WHEN the congregation is to meet for public worship, the people (having prepared their hearts for it beforehand) should all come and join in it; not absenting themselves from the public ordinance through negligence, or upon pretence of private meetings.

Let all enter the assembly, not irreverently, but in a grave and seemly manner, taking their seats or places without adoration, or bowing themselves towards one place or other.

The congregation being assembled, the minister, after solemnly calling on them to worship the great name of God, is to begin with prayer.

The public worship being begun, the people are wholly to attend upon it, forbearing to read anything except what the minister is then reading or citing; and abstaining much more from all private whisperings, conferences, greetings, or doing reverence to any person present, or coming in; and also from all gazing, sleeping, and other indecent behaviour which may disturb the minister or people, or hinder themselves or others in the service of God.

If any, through necessity, are hindered from being present at the beginning, they should not, when they come into the congregation, take to their private devotions, but reverently compose themselves to join with the assembly in that ordinance of God which is then in hand.

READING of the word in the congregation, being part of the public worship of God (in which we acknowledge our dependence on Him, and subjection to Him), and one means sanctified by Him for edifying his people, is to be performed by the pastors and teachers.

All the canonical books of the Old and New Testament (but none of those which are commonly called Apocrypha) shall be publicly read in the vulgar tongue, out of the best allowed translation, distinctly, that all may hear and understand.

It is requisite 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 Testament ends on one Lord's day, it is to begin the next.

Beside public reading of the holy scriptures, every person that can read is to be exhorted to read the scriptures privately (and all others that cannot read, if not disabled by age, or otherwise, are likewise to be exhorted to learn to read) and to have a Bible.

AFTER reading the word (and singing the psalm) the minister who is to preach is to endeavour to get his own and his hearers' hearts to be rightly affected with their sins, so that they may all mourn in the sense of it before the Lord, and hunger and thirst after the grace of God in Jesus Christ, by proceeding to a more full confession of sin, with shame and holy confusion of face, and to call upon the Lord.

We judge this to be a convenient order, in the ordinary public prayer; and yet, so as the minister may (as in prudence he thinks fit) defer some part of these petitions till after his sermon, or offer up to God some of the thanksgivings hereafter appointed, in his prayer before his sermon.

PREACHING of the word, being the power of God unto salvation, and one of the greatest and most excellent works belonging to the ministry of the gospel, should be so performed, that the workman need not be ashamed, but may save himself, and those that hear him.

It is presupposed (according to the rules for ordination), that the minister of Christ is in some good measure gifted for so weighty a service, by his skill in the original languages, and in those arts and sciences which are handmaids to divinity; by his knowledge in the whole body of theology, but most of all in the holy scriptures, having his senses and heart exercised in them above the common sort of believers; and by the illumination of God's Spirit, and other gifts of edification, which (together with reading and studying the word) he should still seek by prayer and a humble heart, resolving to admit and receive any truth not yet attained, whenever God makes it known to him.

Ordinarily, the subject of his sermon is to be some text of scripture, presenting some principle or head of religion, or something suitable to some special or emergent occasion; or he may go on in some chapter, psalm, or book of the holy scripture, as he sees fit.

But the servant of Christ, whatever his method may be, is to perform his whole ministry: Painfully, not doing the work of the Lord negligently. Plainly, that the least may understand. Faithfully, looking at the honour of Christ, the conversion, edification, and salvation of the people. Wisely, framing all his doctrines, exhortations, and especially his reproofs, in such a manner as may be most likely to prevail. Gravely, as becomes the word of God. With loving affection, so that the people may see all of it coming from his godly zeal. And as taught of God, and persuaded in his own heart, that all that he teaches is the truth of Christ.

THE sermon being ended, the minister is to give thanks for the great love of God, in sending his Son Jesus Christ to us; for the communication of his Holy Spirit; for the light and liberty of the glorious gospel, and the rich and heavenly blessings revealed in it; and to pray for the continuance of the gospel, and all its ordinances, in their purity, power, and liberty: to turn the chief and most useful heads of the sermon into some few petitions; and to pray that it may abide in the heart, and bring forth fruit.

And because the prayer which Christ taught his disciples is not only a pattern of prayer, but is itself a most comprehensive prayer, we recommend that it also to be used in the prayers of the church.

The prayer ended, let a psalm be sung, if it may be done conveniently. After this (unless some other ordinance of Christ, that concerns the congregation at that time, is to follow) let the minister dismiss the congregation with a solemn blessing.

BAPTISM, as it is not to be delayed unnecessarily, so it is not to be administered in any case by any private person, but only by a minister of Christ, called to be the steward of the mysteries of God.

Nor is it to be administered in private places, or privately, but in the place of public worship, and in the face of the congregation, where the people may most conveniently see and hear; and not in the places where fonts, in the time of Popery, were unfitly and superstitiously placed.

The child to be baptized after notice given to the minister the day before, is to be presented by the father, or (in case of his necessary absence) by some Christian friend in his place, professing his earnest desire that the child may be baptized.

Then the minister is to demand the name of the child; which being told him, he is to say (calling the child by his name), I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. As he pronounces these words, he is to baptize the child with water: as for the manner of doing of it, it is not only lawful but sufficient, and most expedient, to be by pouring or sprinkling water on the face of the child, without adding any other ceremony.

THE communion, or supper of the Lord, is to be frequently celebrated; but how often, may be considered and determined by the ministers and other church-governors of each congregation, as they find most convenient for the comfort and edification of the people committed to their charge.

The ignorant and the scandalous are not fit to receive the sacrament of the Lord's Supper.

When the day has come for administration, the minister, having ended his sermon and prayer, shall make a short exhortation: Expressing the inestimable benefit we have by this sacrament, together with the ends and use of it, setting forth the great necessity of having our comforts and strength renewed by it in our pilgrimage and warfare, how necessary it is that we come to it with knowledge, faith, repentance, love, and with souls hungering and thirsting after Christ and his benefits, and how great the danger is to eat and drink unworthily.

After all have communicated, the minister may, in a few words, put them in mind of the grace of God in Jesus Christ, held forth in this sacrament; and exhort them to walk worthy of it.

THE Lord's day ought to be so remembered beforehand, that all worldly business of our ordinary callings may be so ordered, and so timely and seasonably laid aside, that they may not be impediments to the due sanctifying of the day when it comes.

The whole day is to be celebrated as holy to the Lord, both in public and private, as being the Christian sabbath. To this end, it is requisite that there be a holy cessation or resting all that day from all unnecessary labours; and an abstaining, not only from all sports and pastimes, but also from all worldly words and thoughts.

That all the people meet so timely for public worship, that the whole congregation may be present at the beginning, and with one heart solemnly join together in all parts of the public worship, and not depart till after the blessing.

That whatever time is vacant, between or after the solemn meetings of the congregation in public, be spent in reading, meditation, repetition of sermons; especially by calling their families to an account of what they have heard, catechising them, holy conferences, prayer for a blessing upon the public ordinances, singing of psalms, visiting the sick, relieving the poor, and similar duties of piety, charity, and mercy, accounting the sabbath a delight.

MARRIAGE is no sacrament, nor is it peculiar to the church of God, but common to mankind; it is of public interest in every commonwealth. Yet, because those who marry are to marry in the Lord, and need special instruction, direction, and exhortation from the word of God at entering into such a new condition, and need the blessing of God upon them in it, we judge it expedient that marriage be solemnized by a lawful minister of the word, that he may accordingly counsel them, and pray for a blessing upon them.

Marriage is to be between one man and one woman only; and those who are not within the degrees of consanguinity or affinity prohibited by the word of God; and the parties are to be of the years of discretion: fit to make their own choice or, on good grounds, to give their mutual consent.

IT is the duty of the minister not only to teach the people committed to his charge in public, but privately; and particularly to admonish, exhort, reprove, and comfort them on all seasonable occasions, so far as his time, strength, and personal safety will permit.

He is to admonish them, in time of health, to prepare for death; and for that purpose, they are often to confer with their minister about the state of their souls; and in times of sickness, they are to desire his advice and help, timely and seasonably, before their strength and understanding fail them.

WHEN any person departs this life, let the dead body, on the day of burial, be decently attended from the house to the place appointed for public burial, and there immediately interred, without any ceremony.

And because the custom of kneeling down, and praying by or towards the dead corpse, and other such usages, in the place where it lies, before it is carried to burial, are superstitious; and because praying, reading, and singing have been grossly abused both in going to and at the grave, and are in no way beneficial to the dead, and have in many ways proved hurtful to the living; therefore, let all such things be laid aside.

However, we judge it very convenient that the Christian friends which accompany the dead body to the place appointed for public burial, apply themselves to meditations and conferences suitable to the occasion; and that the minister, if he is present, may put them in remembrance of their duty.

WHEN some great and notable judgments are either inflicted upon a people, or apparently imminent, or notoriously deserved by some extraordinary provocations; and also when some special blessing is to be sought and obtained, public solemn fasting (which is to continue the whole day) is a duty that God expects from that nation or people.

A religious fast requires total abstinence, not only from all food (unless bodily weakness manifestly disables a person from holding out till the fast is ended), but also from all worldly labour, discourses, and thoughts, and from all bodily delights.

WHEN any such day is to be kept, let notice be given of it, and of the occasion of it, some convenient time beforehand, so that the people may better prepare themselves for it.

And, because singing psalms is, of all others, the most proper ordinance for expressing joy and thanksgiving, let some pertinent psalm or psalms be sung for that purpose, before or after the reading of some portion of the word suitable to the present business.

IT is the duty of Christians to praise God publicly, by singing of psalms together in the congregation, and also privately in the family.

In singing psalms, the voice is to be tunefully and gravely ordered; but the chief care must be to sing with understanding, and with grace in the heart, making melody unto the Lord.

THERE is no day commanded in scripture to be kept holy under the gospel but the Lord's day, which is the Christian Sabbath.

Festival days, commonly called Holidays, having no warrant in the word of God, are not to be continued.

Nevertheless, it is lawful and necessary, upon special emergent occasions, to set aside a day or days for public fasting or thanksgiving, as the several eminent and extraordinary dispensations of God's providence administer cause and opportunity to his people.

Just as no place is capable of any holiness under the pretence of whatever dedication or consecration is made, neither is it subject to such pollution by any superstition formerly used, and now laid aside, as may render it unlawful or inconvenient for Christians to meet together in it for the public worship of God. And, therefore, we hold it requisite that the places of public assembling for worship among us should be continued and employed for that use.