His Throne be established in Righteousness; "and on Himself and His Pofterity let the "Crown for ever flourish. -- And Grant, that "the Course of this World may be fo peaceably "ordered by Thy Governance, that Thy “CHURCH_may joyfully ferve Thee in all "Godly Quietness; thro' Jesus CHRIST our "LORD. Amen.

A

SERMON

Preached at

St. MARY's in OXFORD,

AT THE

AS SIZE S,

On Thursday, March 8. 1753.

Published at the Requeft of the HIGH-SHERIFF and the GRAND-JURY.

The THIRD EDITION.

PSALM LXXXIX. 7.

GOD is greatly to be feared in the Affembly of the Saints; and to be bad in Reverence of All them that are about Him.

A

MIDST feveral humane Defigns fet on foot, and worthy Deeds done, in different Parts of this Nation, there is however one Appearance which darkens the Prospect of Good Men: I mean That Indifference about the Worship of Almighty GoD, which hath for fome Time been defcending, like other Fafhions, from Perfons of Station and Fortune to the Body of the People. Hence We fee even that small Portion of Time, which our Creator from the Beginning reserved for His own Service, fo frequently proftituted to the Purposes of Worldly Bufinefs or Pleafure.

Instead

Instead of devoutly approaching the Courts of the LORD, with their refpective Families, One goes to bis Farm, Another to his Merchandise. An unneceffary Journey or an impertinent Visit, any Thing or even Nothing, shall be fufficient to detain Men from paying their weekly Acknowledgments to that bountiful Hand, from which they are every Moment receiving Life and Breath and all Things!

A difcouraging Symptom this, and fuch as may well alarm every Lover of our Country! For certain it is, and the Experience of Ages confirms the Obfervation, that a General Neglect of God's Publick Worship is closely connected with a Decay of every Thing Great or Glorious in a Nation: And, as it is immediately the Reproach, fo doth it, naturally as well as judicially, bring on the Ruin, of any People. I will not fay, but that in civilized States, whilst the Remains of a liberal Education continue to operate, a certain Decency of Manners, aided by a Senfe of Honour, may for a While preserve tolerable Order, and even produce fome beneficial Effects, in the upper Ranks of Men. But, among less cultivated Minds, the Degeneracy will fhew itself much fooner; rendering that Strength and Activity, on the Application whereof so much must in every Community always depend, not

barely

b

T

T