from Scripture wholly feparate from each other. The Former, we have Cause to think, if left to itself, would have given us but very little Affiftance, on This Subject especially; Nor would I be understood to afcribe the following Confiderations to its fole Discovery. All I here mean is, for the Sake of Method; to begin with fuch Arguments in Favour of Publick Worship as may seem deducible from the Relation we ftand in to Almighty GOD -from the Circumftances of Mankind and from the Consciousness of what

about us

paffes within ourselves; abftracting for the present from any Divine Injunction or Pofitive Law for the fame Purpose.

1. And First, Let us confider, how this Matter appears in the Views of Reason and Experience; more particularly in respect of our Obligations to Almighty GOD.

"That there is a GOD," and "that He is to be worshipped," are Truths, which I will prefume need no Proof in this Place. Should it be faid, "This Worship is a Tribute, which may be paid within a Man's own Breaft;" it will readily be granted, that the Payment of it ought always to begin there. But, befides thofe Perfonal Confiderations which may offer themselves more properly hereafter; what I would

I would here obferve, as at leaft highly confonant to Nature, is, that not only God's Authority must be revered in our own Minds, but our Sense of it expreffed, and His Name glorified before Men. The Glory of GOD is, or should be, the End pursued by the Whole Creation: It is inceffantly declared by the Irrational, and even the Inanimate, Parts of it; and ought surely to be by Man fet forth with no less Conftancy; because what the others perform by necessary Course, may be freely paid by him, as his Reafonable Service.

But now, in order to promote God's Glory, we must make our Regard for it visible; we must reverence Him publickly, and confefs Him before Men. If His Name may be hallowed, and His Perfections recognized, in the Worship of the Clofet; fuch Acts, of which GOD and our own Confciences are the only Witneffes, cannot exert any direct Influence on thofe about us. Whereas, by the Light of our Devotion Shining before Men, we may engage them also to glorify our Father who is in Heaven. Whilft, by worshipping the LORD in the Beauty of Holiness, we ourfelves appear to ftand in Awe of Him, we tell it out among the Heathen, though not in fo a Matt. V. 16. b XCVI. 9, 10.

b

а

many

many Words, yet with ftill greater Efficacy, that the LORD is King.

There is not perhaps among Mankind an Appearance more declarative of God's Glory, than that of a numerous, yet regular, Congregation, met together in a Place decently adorned and properly. fet apart for facred Purposes, uniformly breathing forth the bumble Defires or pious Tranfports of their Souls, to His Name, which is great, wonderful, and holy! Should any Perfons, out of mere Curiofity, approach fuch holy Solemnities; they cannot (one would think) remain wholly unaffected; but may well be as Saul himself when among the Prophets more than once was, caught by the almoft-irrefiftible Impreffion. If the whole Church be come together into one Place, and there come in, on fo ftriking an Occafion, One that believeth not, or One unlearned; he is convinced of All, he is judged of All: And thus are the Secrets of his Heart made manifeft; and fo, falling down on bis Face be will worship GOD, and report that GOD is in You of a Truth.

b

2. And hence, Secondly, As a Regard to GOD's Glory requires our Publick Acknowledgments, fo muft the Principle that is next

a 1 Sam. X.11. and--XIX. 24. b 1 Cor. XIV. 23, 24, 25.

to

to it in Dignity; I mean, Good will towards Men.

Indeed, fo closely are the Glory of Gop and the Good of Mankind connected in this refpect, that whatever promotes the Former muft in proportion be fubfervient to the Latter; and what hath just been obferved in IlJuftration of the foregoing Article may eafily be accommodated to the Proof of This. We may, in our more fecret Devotions, pray for the Conversion or the Improvement of other Men. But then, what Influence foever our Interceffions may be fuppofed to have towards their spiritual Advantage, our Examples can have none. Thefe, to make them beneficial, must be visible. Which Confideration alone, could we urge no other, ought surely to have fome Weight with Perfons of ample Fortunes and superiour Rank. For, fuppofing at present that Men of Tafte and Refinement could perform their own Duty to Gon in private only, with fufficient Regularity and Succefs; it fhould however be remembered, that all Men cannot receive this Saying: Lefs elevated Minds will ever be incapable of keeping alive their Devotion by fuch purely fpiritual Addrefies to the Divine Being: And yet, certainly, fome Regard must be due to

the

the Souls of Thofe Perfons, by whose Indus try and Fidelity the State of the World, and the Grandeur of their Superiours in particular, is principally maintained.

But the Truth is, Men who pay no outward Regard to the Worship of GOD will not generally, nor can They reasonably, be fuppofed to have much Concern about His Being or Providence. And, whilft the Bulk of Mankind take, as in fact They ordinarily will take, the Patterns of their Conduct, nay even their very Notions of Duty, from Men of Eminence and Authority; fhould Thefe by a total Neglect of the Publick Offices of Religion give Occafion to fufpect, that GOD is scarcely in all their Thoughts; what must soon become of the Piety, and (by easy Consequence) of the Morals of their Inferiours and Dependents, is not hard to fay. In plain Truth, Men of Figure and Affluence would do well to reflect, how much their own Ease, Safety, and Profperity, muft ever depend on the Principles of them of low Degree. And, if, by the Degeneracy of these latter, the former should find their Houfes lefs fafe from Fear, and their Perfons more exposed to Infult and Violence; They must not be surpri

a Eccluf. XXXVIII. 64. b Job XXI. 9.

zed