Enable with perpetual light The dulness of our blinded sight. That done, the President shall pray in this wise: Almighty God and heavenly Father, who of thine infinite love and goodness toward us, hast given to us thy only and most dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ to be our Redeemer and the Author of everlasting life; who, after he had made perfect our redemption by his death, and was ascended into heaven, sent abroad into the world his Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers; by whose labour and ministry he gathered together a great flock in all parts of the world, to set forth the external praise of thy holy name; for these, so great benefits of thy eternal goodness, and for that thou hast vouchsafed to call these thy servants here present to the same office and ministry appointed for the salvation of mankind, we render unto thee most hearty thanks: we praise and worship thee; and we humbly beseech thee, by the same thy blessed Son, to grant unto all, who either here or elsewhere call upon thy name, that we may continue to show ourselves thankful unto thee for these and all other thy benefits, and that we may daily increase and go forward in the knowledge and faith of thee and thy Son, by the Holy Spirit; so that, as well by these thy Ministers, as by them over whom they shall be appointed thy Ministers, thy holy name may be for ever glorified, and thy blessed kingdom enlarged through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the same Holy Spirit, world without end. ΑΜΕΝ. When this prayer is ended, the President, with two or more of the Ministers present, shall lay their hands severally upon the head of every one that receiveth the order of Ministers; the Receivers humbly kneeling upon their knees, and the President saying: The Lord pour upon thee the Holy Ghost for the office and work of a Minister in the Church of God, now committed unto thee by the imposition of our hands. And be thou a faithful Dispenser of the Word of God, and of his Holy Sacraments; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. AMEN. Then the President shall deliver to every one of them, kneeling, the Bible into his hands, saying: Take thou authority to preach the Word of God, and to administer the Holy Sacraments in the congregation. Then the President shall say: Most merciful Father, we beseech thee to send upon these thy servants thy heavenly blessing, that they may be clothed with righteousness, and that thy Word spoken by their mouths may have such success that it may never be spoken in vain. Grant also that we may have grace to hear and receive what they shall deliver out of thy most Holy Word, or agreeably to the same, as the means of our salvation; and that, in all our words and deeds, we may seek thy glory and the increase of thy kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN. Prevent us, O Lord, in all our doings, with thy most gracious favour, and further us with thy continual help, that, in all our works begun, continued, and ended in thee, we may glorify thy holy name, and finally by thy mercy, obtain everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN. The peace of God that passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be among you, and remain with you always. AMEN. [After a short sermon, impressing upon every soul the importance of giving himself to God, and that without delay, each Minister is recommended, on his first tour round his Circuit in the New Year, beginning the first Sabbath in January, to read the following directions, or some of them, in every congregation, and persuade as many as possible to make solemn Covenant with God, and by Divine grace, to keep the Covenant inviolate unto the day of His coming :] I. Get these three principles fixed in your heart: That things eternal are much more considerable than things temporal; that things not seen are as certain as the things that are seen; that upon your present choice depends your eternal lot. Choose Christ and his ways, and you are blessed for ever; refuse, and you are undone for ever. And then, II. Make your choice. Turn either to the right hand or to the left; lay both parts before you, with every link of each; Christ with his yoke, his cross, and his crown; or, the devil, with his wealth, his pleasure, and curse; and then put it to yourselves thus: "Soul, thou seest what is before thee, what wilt thou do? Which wilt thou have, either the crown or the curse? If thou choosest the crown, remember that the day thou takest this, thou must be content to submit to the cross and yoke, the service and the sufferings of Christ, which are linked to it. What sayest thou? Hadst thou rather take the gains and pleasures of sin, and venture on the curse? Or wilt thou yield thyself to Christ, and so make sure of the crown?" If your hearts fly off, and would fain waive the business, leave them not so. If you be unresolved, you are resolved. If you remain undetermined for Christ, you are determined for the devil. Therefore, give not off, but follow your hearts from day to day; let them not rest till the matter be brought to an issue; and see that you make a good choice. This is your choosing the good part, God and the blessedness of the world to come, for your portion and happiness; and in this is included your renouncing the world and worldly happiness. III. Embark with Christ. Adventure yourselves with him; cast yourselves upon his righteousness, as that which shall bring you to God; as a poor captive exile that is cast upon a strange land, a land of robbers and murderers, where he is ready to perish, and having no hope, either of abiding there, or of escaping home with life; and meeting at length with a pilot, that offers to transport him safely home, he embarks with him, and ventures himself, and all he hath, in his vessel. Do you likewise you are exiles from the presence of God, and fallen into the hands of robbers and murderers; your sins are robbers, your pleasures are robbers, your companions are robbers and thieves. If you stay where you are you perish; and escape home of yourself you cannot. Christ offers, if you will venture with him, he will bring you home, he will bring you to God. Will you now say to him, "Lord Jesus, wilt thou undertake for me? Wilt thou bring me to God, bring me into the Land of Promise? With thee will I venture myself; I cast myself upon thee, upon thy blood, and thy righteousness; I lay up all my hopes, and venture my whole interest, soul and body, with thee." This is closing with Christ as your Priest. And in this is included your renouncing your own righteousness: you can never, you will never, cast yourselves on him alone, till all your hopes in yourselves have given up the ghost. There are two things which must necessarily be supposed, in order to a sinner's coming to Christ: 1. A deep sense of his sin and misery. 2. An utter despair of himself, and all things else besides Christ. 1. A deep sense of sin and misery. No man will regard a Saviour that doth not see himself a sinner; the whole regard not the physician. Therefore, it is said, that the Spirit of God, when he should come to christianize the world, should, in the first place, “convince the world of sin." (John xvi. 8.) He shall convince the world of sin; he shall demonstrate them sinners, bring up their sins before their eyes; bring home their sins upon their consciences, and make them see them, and feel themselves most vile and filthy. Sin hides itself from the sinner's eyes, and all its vileness and deformity. But the Spirit of God plucks off the mantle, and makes sin appear to be sin; makes all the sinner's gods appear to be as so many devils; brings forth the blackness and filthiness of sin into sight, and makes the sinner see himself an unclean |