TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES.

This book contains twenty-four sermons delivered to what was likely a Congregational church in Hartford, Connecticut, around 1795. Your Transcriber, a Baptist layman, obtained access to the book 220 years later and half a continent away, in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois.

The dedication provides some information on the occasion for publishing the book. However, the details of its production were not presented. The source material may have been the minister’s notes or one or more of the congregants could have transcribed the messages as they were delivered. At the print shop, it appears that the task of setting and printing was completed over a number of days by a number of different craftsmen, of varying skill and interest in the project. On some pages, almost every line ends with a hyphen as one tried to put as many words as possible on a page. On other pages, very few words end with a hyphen and there is a bit more white space between words. The orthography (“labor” vs. “labour”) and capitalization (“Christian” vs. “christian”) varies from page to page and may vary within a given sentence.

The book includes spellings that the electronic spell checker flags for correction. The Transcriber consulted the Oxford English Dictionary and retained some spellings that were termed obsolete because they may reflect the time when the book was published. Changes to the original are documented in the Transcriber’s Notes at the foot of the document. [Linked to detailed notes.]

The Transcriber followed Project Gutenberg style guidance by removing drop capitals and small cap text from the beginning of paragraphs. The book includes many dashes. They have been standardized to either one or two em-dash characters. In the original text, some of the dashes are quite long.

Rev. Perkins refers repeatedly to the “Christian Religion.” The Transcriber prefers to refer to Christianity as a relationship with Jesus Christ, rather than a religion. Over time, religion may degenerate into ritual and tradition, and lose its relevance and vitality.

Rev. Perkins speaks enthusiastically about the New Testament ordinances, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper. While he does not provide specific details, he evidently considered these practices to require justification and defence, which he provides, at some length. He interchanges the terms “sacrament” and “ordinance” as if they were similar or equivalent. The word “sacrament” may give the impression that participating in the act is a means of gaining merit or favor. The word “ordinance” indicates that the act was instituted or ordained by Christ who set a pattern or model for His worshippers to follow.

When Rev. Perkins discusses baptism, he states that if a minister performs the act, water is employed in some manner, and the proper words are spoken, one is baptized. He discusses only in passing, the death, burial, and resurrection symbolism that is reflected only in full immersion baptism. See Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12.

The Bible tells us:

• Everyone is a sinner. Romans 3:10–12, 23.
• The penalty for sin is death (eternal separation from God). Romans 6:23a.
• Our good deeds (works) do not save us. Isaiah 64:6.
• Salvation is available as a free gift. Ephesians 2:8–9; Romans 6:23b.
• Salvation is available to everyone who chooses to receive it. John 3:16.
• Good works are the proper response of a grateful heart. Ephesians 2:10.
• “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” Acts 16:31
• The Gospel in four verses: 1 Corinthians 15:1–4.

Technical note: This book makes extensive use of small cap text. It may be necessary to experiment with browsers and fonts to find one that shows the formatting correctly.

TWENTY-FOUR

DISCOURSES

on some of the

Important and Interesting

TRUTHS, DUTIES, and INSTITUTIONS of

the GOSPEL,

and the general Excellency

of the

Christian Religion;

Calculated for the People of God of

every Communion,

particularly for the benefit of

PIOUS FAMILIES,

and the

Instruction of all, in the things which

concern their salvation.

By NATHAN PERKINS, A. M.

Pastor of a Church of Christ in Hartford.

HARTFORD:

printed by hudson & goodwin.

MDCCXCV.

DEDICATION.

To the people of my Pastoral Charge—The following discourses are most affectionately dedicated. I account it a happiness to contribute to your establishment in the truth—to unfold to you the great principles, duties, and Institutions of the Christian Religion—to defend them against such as may rise up and deny them—and to lead you and your children in the right way of the Lord.

I can bear you witness, that when these discourses were delivered, you afforded an uncommon attention. You have been very solicitous to have them made public, for your own instruction and benefit; and for the use and benefit of your children, when you shall be gathered to the great Congregation of the dead. They contain not the disputed peculiarities of a party, but the grand principles and truths of our common Christianity, held sacred by our Churches in this Land, and by the whole protestant Christian world, as appears clearly from all their public Creeds and Confessions of Truth.

They are published, as you will easily recollect, nearly word for word, as they were delivered. Particular reasons have induced me to do this. In one discourse only is there a deviation from the original form; that on the Apostle’s caution Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines, or the danger of instability, and pernicious tendency of error. What was merely local is omitted, but the sentiments in substance are carefully retained.

Many learned and judicious Characters, both of the Clergy and Laity, have urged to the publication of these discourses, as being peculiarly adapted to the day in which we live, and the state of Religion in our nation: as calculated for, and greatly needed in Christian Families; there being no such series of discourses to be found in any Volume already published. The design of them is to convince such as need conviction—to reclaim such as may be wandering into error—to confirm the wavering—to console the Christian,—and to exhibit to all; some of the important, essential practical principles of pure and undefiled Religion.——It is only necessary to add—My prayer to God is, that they may, by his divine blessing, be the means of preventing the spread of error and irreligion, and of reviving the decaying interest of piety and holiness, which can only be revived and supported by a more strict and conscientious regard to all divine institutions.

N. P.

THE CONTENTS.

[DISCOURSE I.]

That man has no principle within himself, by whatever name it may be called, which is adequate to all the purposes of his salvation, or a sufficient guide in matters of faith and practice.

Ephes. ii. 12. That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the Covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.

[DISCOURSE II.]

The subject continued.

[DISCOURSE III.]

The ways in which the holy scriptures are perverted by unlearned and unstable men.

2. Peter, iii. 16, 17. As also in all his Epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

[DISCOURSE IV.]

Stated prayer a duty binding on all men.

Acts, ii. 21. And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved.

[DISCOURSE V.]

The duty of public worship, and its beneficial tendency.

Mat. iv. 10. Then saith Jesus, get thee hence Satan, for it is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

[DISCOURSE VI.]

The subject continued.

[DISCOURSE VII.]

The subject concluded.

[DISCOURSE VIII.]

The Ordinance of the Lord’s Supper, not a human invention, but a divine institution.

Mat. xxvi. 26, to the 31. And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and break it, and gave it to the disciples, and said take, eat, this is my body.—And he took the cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, drink ye all of it. For this is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sin. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day, when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom. And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives.

[DISCOURSE IX.]

Baptism by water not a piece of superstition, but appointed by Jesus Christ.

Mat. xxviii. And this part of the 19 verse.—Baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghost.

[DISCOURSE X.]

The subject continued and finished.

[DISCOURSE XI.]

It is the will of the author of Christianity that, in the New Testament dispensation, there should be particular Gospel Churches.

1. Thessalonians, i. 1. Paul and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the Church of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ; grace be unto you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

[DISCOURSE XII.]

The right way to understand the inspired writings.

Luke, xxiv. 45. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.

[DISCOURSE XIII.]

The Gospel to be supported by those who enjoy it.

Gal. vi. 6. Let him that is taught in the word, communicate unto him that teachest in all good things.

[DISCOURSE XIV.]

The Apostles, infallible guides in Religion, being commissioned, and immediately qualified, and inspired by the Redeemer.

2. Thessalonians, ii. 15. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the tradition which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our Epistle.

[DISCOURSE XV.]

The first day of the week proved to be holy time, and set apart by Christ, to be a weekly Sabbath to the end of the world.

Acts, xx. 7. And upon the first day of the week when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow, and continued his speech until midnight.

[DISCOURSE XVI.]

The subject continued and concluded.

[DISCOURSE XVII.]

The parable of the Tares.

Mat. xiii. 24–31. Another Parable put he forth unto them, saying, the kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed Tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the Tares also. So the servants of the householder, came, and said unto him, Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field, from whence then hath it Tares? And he said unto them, an enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, nay; lest whilst ye gather up the Tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest, I will say to the reapers; gather ye together first the Tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.

[DISCOURSE XVIII.]

No immediate inspiration or miraculous teachings of the divine spirit, since the canon of scripture was closed or since the apostolic age.

1. Cor. xiii. 8. Charity never faileth; but whether there be prophecies they shall fail, whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge it shall vanish away.

[DISCOURSE XIX.]

Sinless perfection unattainable in this life.

1. John, i. 8. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

[DISCOURSE XX.]

The Apostle’s caution to all Christians—be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines, or the danger of instability, and pernicious tendency of error.

Hebrews, xiii. 9. Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines.

[DISCOURSE XXI.]

The general excellency of the Christian Religion.

1. Cor. xii. 31. But covet earnestly the best gifts: yet shew I unto you, a more excellent way.

[DISCOURSE XXII.]

The subject continued.

[DISCOURSE XXIII.]

The subject continued.

[DISCOURSE XXIV.]

The subject concluded.

DISCOURSE I.

That man has no principle within himself, by whatever name it may be called, which is adequate to all the purposes of his Salvation, or a sufficient guide in matters of faith and practice.

EPHESIANS ii. 12.

That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.

These words describe the state of the Ephesian Christians, who, before the glorious Gospel was preached among, and, through efficacious grace, embraced by them, were Gentiles. Like other pagan nations, they were professed Idolaters. They were worshippers, we are told, of the great Goddess Diana. But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice, about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.—And when the town-clerk had appeased the people, he said, ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great Goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter? But they were not further removed from the true knowledge of the only right object of all religious homage and praise, or more depraved in heart, than the heathen world, at large. They were, says the Apostle, dead in trespasses and sins. This was their state before renewing grace had quickened them, and made them alive to God and virtue, to holiness and happiness. What is here affirmed of them, no one will dispute, is equally applicable to, and equally true of all mankind, in all ages and nations, before enlightened by a divine revelation and sanctified by the power of divine grace. For all the human race, throughout the world, are alike in this respect, as destitute by nature of the principles of holiness. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile—one and another. They are all, before interested in a Redeemer and sprinkled with his precious blood, without hope and without God in the world. They are aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenants of promise. As long as they are without Christ, they have no part nor lot in salvation. For without him, the great evangelical maxim is, there is no salvation. His name is the only one given under heaven among men, whereby we can attain to felicity, be pardoned as to our sins, or justified as to our persons. No man can come to the father without him. Whosoever denieth the son, the same hath not the father: but he that acknowlegeth the son, hath the Father also.—

What is intended, in the subsequent discourse, is to prove that the world of mankind, merely by their own reason and wisdom, cannot attain to a saving knowledge of God: or that man has no principle within himself, antecedent to divine grace operating on the heart, which is adequate to all the purposes of his salvation, by whatever name it may be called.—

That we may do justice, as far as we are able, to this great and important subject, we will attempt to show—

I. How far, the light of reason, without a celestial guide, can go, in things of a religious and moral nature.——And—

II. Point out its insufficiency, in those respects, which are not only very important, but altogether necessary.——

1. The first thing proposed, is to attempt to show how far the light of reason, without a divine Revelation, can go, in things of a religious and moral nature. If the state and character of mankind, in regard to Religion, shall, in what may be now offered, be placed in a new, or at least different light from what they are usually, when the great and utter depravation of the human heart is intended to be described, it is hoped it will not be less useful. Certainly an attempt to investigate such a subject as is now before us is worthy of particular attention. The proper study of mankind is man. Among all the enquiries, in which the wise and reflecting have engaged, that of discovering how far reason, of itself, without any supernatural assistances, can carry us, in regard to the concerns of our true and spiritual happiness, must be deemed one of the most highly interesting.—

While mankind are without Christ, they are aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the Covenants of promise; they are strangers to all saving blessings, and have no interest in them. They have no good grounds upon which to expect the favour of the supreme being, the pardon of Sin in this, or happiness in another world. If without hope, they are in a lost and perishing situation. They have nothing within them, let it be called by whatever name it may, which can ensure this eternal peace and salvation. To assert or pretend that they have any principle of real holiness, however small a spark it may be considered, is to assert that they have some hope from what is with themselves,—Some ground to hope for life eternal: then, this being the case, they are not aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel or strangers from the Covenants of promise. For, if while without Christ, they are all, without exception, aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenants of promise, they must be without hope, or in a lost and desperate state. To be aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenants of promise is, according to the very meaning of the expressions, and the opinion of expositors, to have no lot or part, more or less, in any assignable degree, in the peculiar blessings and spiritual privileges of God’s own people and servants. Before renewed by saving grace, all men, without one exception, are without Christ. They are without hope. And to be without hope in and from ourselves, is to be in a lost and desperate state in and of ourselves. It is added, they are also, without God in the world. And to be without God in the world, is to be without an interest in his special favour—without a saving knowledge of him—and of course, without any title to his kingdom when they shall be removed from time into Eternity. To be without Christ in the world, is to have no interest in the saving blessings of his Gospel and purchase. The severest critic cannot charge me with having extended, beyond just bounds, the meaning of the text.

This, then, is the real state of all mankind, wherever they may dwell, or to whatever nation they may belong, or whatever notions to the contrary, they may imbibe, while unsanctified by efficacious grace, aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.—A more wretched and forlorn condition can hardly be imagined. They are dead in trespasses and sins. They are destitute of the principles of true holiness, or the power of spiritual life.—Like the inanimate lifeless body—held in the sleep of death, they are without any motions of spiritual life towards God or heavenly glories.—If they had any measure or degree of a really holy temper, or spiritual life, it would, we may fairly presume, never be lost, or extinguished, but be preserved until the day of Christ, when all will be rewarded according to their character and works.

Perhaps, no one doctrine is so much, and so often insisted upon, in sacred Writ, as the perishing condition of sinners. And, there is no one, most certainly, that has been so much denied, or that is so humiliating. It directly militates against our natural pride, and those high notions of our dignity, of which we are so apt to boast.—A patient and candid hearing is therefore requested.——There can be but two notions of our state before renewed by saving grace: one is that we have no really holy principle of spiritual life, in any degree, however small; and the other that we have. All the various ideas and ways of representing our condition before regeneration, which have been adopted by different writers or sects, are resolvable into one, or the other of these. And, that the scripture is most clear and abundant, in the proof, that we are altogether destitute, as we are by nature, of the true principles of holiness or of spiritual life, no one who impartially weighs what it offers, can, it is conceived, call in question. No words are more full than these, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

The reason why any reject altogether the Gospel, or reproach it as a mere fiction, is because they believe that the light of natural reason or conscience is entirely adequate to the purposes of discovering our duty, in its full extent, and guiding us safe to happiness.—And the reason, also, why others, who profess to believe it, have swerved so far from its pure doctrines, is a disbelief of the lost condition of man, or his being wholly under the power and dominion of sin.—Though it be acknowledged, that the world of mankind cannot, by mere natural reason and wisdom, attain to a true and saving knowledge of God; yet it may be very useful to enquire how far the light of nature can go.——And, we readily allow, that the light of nature and common reason may teach us some things concerning the being of God. That he doth exist, the whole universe is a clear demonstration. Sun, moon and stars declare that the hand which made them is divine. Every thing around us, and above us lead us to the Creator. The dawning and dying light equally proclaim the divine existence. Let a man but reason on the nature of cause and effect, and he cannot withhold his assent from this proposition, there doth exist some great intelligent cause of all things, both in the natural and moral world. Indeed, after opening our eyes on the beauties of Creation, it is an infinitely greater absurdity not to believe in the divine existence, than not to believe our own. In reason’s ear, all nature from the highest to the lowest, cries aloud that there is a God. Because that which may be known of God, is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead.—The Psalmist hath a most lofty and sublime passage to the same effect: The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handy work. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their light is gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world. It seems impossible for any, in the exercise of reason, to deny the being of a God; and of course, none can have any valid excuse for refusing to admit this first principle of all religion. The very frame of our bodies—the structure of the human mind—the curious and exquisite formation of every animal or insect cannot fail to convince us, that there doth exist an Almighty Creator. Every house is built by some man, but he that built all things is God. The worlds rolling on high—the wonderful revolution—the grandeur,—the distance,—the size of the heavenly bodies—the beautifully variegated canopy of heaven, which cannot but please and astonish us, when we open our eyes to behold it, prove, beyond all contradiction, that there is a God. The light of reason is sufficient to teach us, then, the divine existence. Accordingly we find that God never sent a messenger to declare or reveal this to us; or would have a miracle wrought to establish it.—And there is none but the fool in his heart can say there is no God. If any men claiming to be philosophers have been found to be speculative atheists, it is owing to their having perverted reason, by their sophistical arguments, and metaphysical reveries. If barbarous nations and tribes of men have been discovered, in remote parts of the world, where it appeared that they had no idea, at all, of a supreme being, it is to be ascribed not to the insufficiency of nature’s light, but to their stupid inattention to that light.

2. The light of reason is sufficient to give all mankind some knowledge of some of the attributes of the divine nature. The heathen world may know from the things that are, the wisdom, power, and goodness of the Deity. If natural reason can discover the being of God, by its own researches, it can also, discover some of the attributes of his being; such as his Almighty power, infinite wisdom and boundless goodness. The very idea of a divine existence implies, a glorious existence—a necessary and eternal existence. It seems to be a clear dictate of reason that if he exist at all, he must exist, in such a manner, as no other being doth or can, by an absolute necessity of nature: that he must be omnipresent—or every where, at one and the same time: be excluded from, and confined to no space. Reason teaches that he inhabits the infinitude of space.—If he be the first cause and Maker of all things, he must be independent, alsufficient and uncontroulable; he must be infinitely the greatest of all beings. Plato, a heathen philosopher who uttered more wise and just sayings about the nature of the Supreme Being than any one of the antient sages, speaking of the divine omnipresence, or ubiquity of the Godhead, says, he is, “a Circle whose centre is every where, and whose circumference is no where.” That he must be omniscient, or possessed of infinite knowledge, is a necessary consequence of his omnipresence.—And reason is likewise able to prove his Eternity. For if he made all things, he must be before all, and above all,—that is, he must be eternal. Hence we find the greatest Lights in the pagan world, when they are speaking of their celestial Divinities, use the epithets eternal—immortal—omnipotent. This is a full proof that reason teaches man, if duly improved, that eternity, almighty power, and wisdom were some of the perfections of God. And the incomprehensibility of these attributes is no evidence that reason does not discover them to be perfections of the divine existence. Far exalted, indeed, above all finite comprehension is the self-existent—necessarily existent—independent—all-sufficient—omnipresent God. All nature is but a temple made by him, and filled with his presence. Heaven is his throne, and the earth his footstool. His power is infinite. Wherever we turn our eyes, we cannot help beholding the displays of it. The heavens declare its glory. All things, in Creation and Providence, speak forth its greatness.—Enough may be seen, in the occurrences of human life, to satisfy all men, even where the light of the Gospel has never shined, that the Deity bears long with his creatures; and that he rules, in his divine greatness and majesty, among the nations. They cannot, if they only exercise, in a proper manner their rational faculties, but know, that he is their preserver, and the benefactor of the world, who dispenses his favors, with a liberal hand, to all men. Accordingly the Apostle Paul, when the Priests of Jupiter, at the City of Lystra, would have done sacrifice, or paid divine honours to him and Barnabas, as divinities, supposing that the Gods were come down in the likeness of men, bid them desist, and told them who alone was the proper object of religious homage; and, that, in the course of his Providence, he had given sufficient tokens of his preserving care and bounty: saying, Sirs, why do you do these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God which made heaven, and earth, and the Sea, and all things that are therein. Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless he left not himself without a witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

3. The light of reason, and conscience, which last, all mankind have, and which, also, is essential to moral agency and accountableness to God, farther teaches all men that worship and obedience are due from the Creature to the Creator. Every rational creature, throughout all worlds, is indispensably bound by the very laws of his existence, to pay reverence and honour, worship and fear, gratitude and obedience to the author of the Universe. If reason can only once discover that there doth exist an almighty, first, intelligent Cause of all things—and that he is possessed of such attributes as wisdom, goodness, omnipresence and omniscience, its voice will call all men to pay divine honours to this great, eternal, almighty Being. It will inform us, that such perfections as inhere in his nature, necessarily claim from all men, homage and submission. Had we no divine revelation, or suppose God never gave one to man, at all, but had left him to the mere light of his own mind to find out the paths of duty and of felicity, we should be indispensably obliged to pay honor and homage to the ruler of the world. If we can prove that he made us, and is the Creator of all things, we can, also, prove that we ought to fear, reverence and worship him. That the Maker of the world, the Father of our spirits and former of our bodies, deserves our grateful acknowledgements and devout adorations, is one of the most obvious dictates of reason. Before we can deny this, we must have perverted our reason, or shut our eyes upon a very plain truth. We can prove, from reason, the obligation to pay divine honours to God, as clearly as we can the duty of justice between man and man—the offices of humanity—and kindness—or any part of morality. And, by similar arguments. Our obligations to moral Virtue—to do justly and love mercy, to speak the truth and to relieve distress, result from the relation we stand in, towards each other. Man bears such a relation to man that he is bound to be just, faithful, tender-hearted:—to mitigate the grief which he beholds, if in his power, and to advance the welfare of society. We are all brethren. We had our beings from one divine Author. We participate in the same common nature. We are exposed to the same calamities, and are Candidates for an endless existence, beyond the grave. We are, therefore, bound, by our very make and station, in the universe of the Almighty, to certain moral duties to each other. These moral duties cannot be omitted or violated without high criminality. Our obligations to pay divine homage to God, in the same manner, result from the relations in which we, as rational Creatures, stand, towards him, the greatest and best of all beings. He is our Creator—our Preserver—our Benefactor. He is the sovereign Lord, legislator, all-wise disposer, and proprietor of the world. The earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein. As he bears such relations, reason, by its own exertions, without any foreign assistance, teaches all men to revere—to trust in—and to pay divine worship to him. To render unto God the things that belong to him, is as much an exercise of justice, as to render unto man the things that belong to him. A system of morals which excludes the worship of the Deity, or the duties which we owe him, is as essentially defective and as repugnant to reason, as if it excluded all the duties of the social life, or which man owes to man.—Agreeably to this, we find all the pagan world, who admitted the being of a God, paying divine honours, of some kind, to their fancied Divinities. Their mistaking in the object of worship and the manner, does not weaken the force of the argument. It only proves the absolute need of a divine Revelation to instruct us, in the alone proper object of all religious adoration and praise, the one living and true God, and the manner in which we may acceptably serve him. Almost all the writers of pagan antiquity, who have come down to us, and have not been buried in the rubbish of time, in some part of their writings, either speak of, or recommend worship of their Gods—or the divinities acknowledged, in the respective Countries where they lived. This all know who have read them. I shall mention but one particular instance, and that is of a Prince famed for his greatness and amiable virtues; Xenophon informs us, that what Cyrus the great preferred before all other things was the worship of the Gods. Upon this, therefore, he thought himself obliged to bestow his first and principal care. He began by establishing a number of Magi, to sing daily a morning service of praise to the honour of the Gods, and to offer sacrifices, which was daily practised among the Persians to succeeding ages.—

That natural reason, or the very nature of things, points out the obligations of divine homage, is plain from the appeal made by the supreme Being, in the following words; a son honoureth his father, and a servant his master, If then I be a Father, where is mine honour? And if I be a Master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts.—The anxious enquiry of the awakened conscience is, wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oyl? Shall I give my first born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? The solicitude is not whether the rational creature ought to worship and serve the Deity; but how he is acceptably to worship and serve him; in what manner he will be worshipped. And, here, as will be soon proved, natural reason fails us. It cannot teach us the way, in which we are to worship and serve God.

4. The light of reason and the conscience of mankind, moreover, give some faint and glimmering prospect of a future state. Conscience and reason are different faculties and powers. Conscience is that moral reflecting power in the soul, that respects right and wrong, good and evil; or it is the moral sense; or a sense of right and wrong. That all mankind have this sense, unless by a long course of sinning and perverse reasoning, they have stupified it, no one ever did deny, or dispute; or can dispute, when he either inspects the operations of his own mind, or recollects that Christ is represented as the true Light, that lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He, as the Creator, has given to every man the light of reason and conscience; otherwise man could not be a moral agent, or accountable creature, any more than the brutal world. And, that the heathen have this light of Conscience, the Apostle to the Romans expressly declares. And when the Gentiles which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these having not the law, are a law unto themselves, which shew the works of the law written in their hearts, their Conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts mean while accusing or else excusing one another. All men have, and must have a Conscience; a sense of right and wrong in moral things; an accuser when they do evil, and an excuser when they do well.—If thou do well, shalt thou not be accepted? Who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? Now this Conscience points out an hereafter to man. There is some thing in the Soul that always looks forward to another state of existence, and upward to a superior power, conscious of his avenging arm when we do evil, knowingly and habitually—feeling that all its exercises and most secret movements are open to an omniscient eye. That there will be an hereafter, a world of retribution is the voice of nature.—

The light of reason, or the knowledge, which we may attain by the exercise of our reasoning faculties, gives all men some feeble and distant glimmerings of another life, after this, where the good will be rewarded, and the wicked punished. Man seems to wish to exist longer, and still longer. He cherishes the fond desire of immortality. He shrinks back from the bare thought of annihilation. Not to be is an idea indescribably painful. But, without a divine revelation, reason only, as it were, casts a wishful glance over into another world.—It is matter of fact, that the wisest and best among the learned Greeks and Romans rather hoped, than believed, that there will be a future state—Cicero, the prince of Roman Eloquence, who was at once an orator, a moralist, a philosopher, and theologian, in one of his learned works, sums up all that the most celebrated philosophers of his own time, and earlier days, had said or written on the grand subject of the immortality of the soul. He, in a lengthy dialogue, ingeniously exhibits all that the philosophers had said for, or against it. And, he closes all, with this remarkable saying, “that he rather hoped than believed, that there was another state of being after this.”—Reason, then, only conjectures about an Eternity. But the immortality of the soul is necessary to all religion. To talk of religion, if we be not to exist hereafter—if we be to fall into nothing at death, and shall sleep eternally in the grave, is the greatest absurdity.—Reason, then, leaves us much in the dark, on a point so important, as that of a future state. What folly and madness, then, to prefer the boasted oracles of reason to the clear light of divine revelation!—We stand in perishing need of a safer guide, in our voyage through this tempestuous Sea of life. And to refuse a perfect directory, the Chart of life, is like the mad seaman, who should venture to traverse the wide extended ocean without a Compass by which to steer his course. While making our voyage through life, we do not sail on a pacific Ocean. We need all the help therefore we can procure. And happy, if we may but reach the haven of eternal rest! In our enquiries on this subject, whether there be any principle in man, by whatever name it may be called, which is adequate to all the purposes of his salvation, or a sufficient guide in matters of faith and practice, we will give all the credit to the reason and conscience of mankind, which can be given, consistently with fact, and the page of history. The light of reason can no further go, than I have conceded, it is apprehended. And, that it did no further go, in matters of religion, among the most learned and civilized heathen nations, I appeal to all, who have ever read their history. What the light of reason is able to do, on moral subjects, will be stated, in the progress of our argument, in its proper place.—

We proceed—as was proposed—

II. To point out the insufficiency of reason, in things of a moral and religious nature, in those respects, which are not only important, but necessary.—And, here it will appear that mankind, while without Christ, are without hope and without God in the world, with an evidence, I trust, convincing to every candid and honest enquirer after truth and duty.—And,

1. The light of nature and highest wisdom of mankind, cannot attain to such a clear knowledge of God as is necessary to salvation. What God is, and who they are that have true conformity to, and communion with him, are questions of the greatest importance in Religion. And, they are questions which have been as little understood, and perhaps as much misapprehended, by mankind, in general, as almost any which have been discussed. Though, as St. Paul observes, the invisible things of God be clearly displayed by, and to be understood from the visible Creation, so that those are without excuse, who have not the knowledge of God from the light of nature alone, yet the heathen, after all their laborious researches, have not obtained this knowledge. Upon a fair trial of human reason, in matters of religion, under the greatest improvements of natural and moral philosophy, the world by wisdom knew not God. So far from it, that the most learned nations, and the greatest adepts in the sublime mysteries of divinity, in the pagan world, have been so vain in their imaginations, as we are told and their foolish hearts were so darkened, that they have represented and worshipped, the glorious incorruptible God, by images made like to corruptible man, and to the meanest and most despicable creatures, in the animal kingdom. They have attributed to what they worshipped as God, all the weaknesses and vices of fallen and depraved man—Pride—Envy—Cruelty—Revenge—and, even, Intemperance, and lewdness.

Not only among the heathen, but even in the most enlightened parts of the christian world, there ever have been, and still are, in many, very gross misapprehensions concerning the divine character, as well as concerning the nature of true religion.—How grossly ignorant the most enlightened of the heathen were with regard to God, and how much they were plunged into strange and absurd idolatries and pollutions, we read, in the following passage of inspired truth. Professing themselves wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and birds, and four-footed beasts and creeping things. Not only the common people, the vulgar, but their wisest men—their orators, philosophers, and legislators did this.—They were even worse, than the vulgar. Does this look like reason’s being a sufficient guide in matters of religion, or man’s having any principle within him by whatever name it may be called, which is able to lead him to the saving knowledge of God? In order to know God, so as to be saved, we must know him as he is; the one only living and true God. None but he himself can tell us what he is. This he hath most plainly done in his holy word. The scriptures, which were spoken and penned by the special influence and inspiration of the holy Ghost, declare to us what and who God is. We only know him, in a saving manner, when we know him, as glorious in holiness, wonderful in works, and fearful in praises:—as the greatest, the wisest and best of all beings;—as a sin-hating, and, at the same time, sin-pardoning God;—as infinitely gracious and merciful. We must see him as infinitely excellent and transcendantly glorious, as infinitely amiable and worthy of all possible praise and adoration. He is goodness and benevolence itself. He is possessed of all natural and moral perfections.—And, Jesus said, why callest thou me good? there is none good, but one that is God. He is a being of impartial, universal and infinite benevolence. Reason cannot tell us what the true moral character of God is.—This revelation alone teaches us. And we cannot be happy with, unless we know the true God—and how he will be worshipped—how he can, and will accept of us—how we may live to his divine approbation. The light of reason cannot lead us into this true and saving knowledge of God. It is above all that reason ever did, or can do. Says Paul to the learned Athenian philosophers and judges—for as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an Altar with this inscription to the unknown God, him therefore whom ye ignorantly worship declare I unto you. Christ, as the great teacher come from God, alone gives us the saving knowledge of the supreme Jehovah. Whosoever denieth the son, the same hath not the father: All things, says he, are delivered unto me of my father; and no man knoweth the son but the father, neither knoweth any man the father, save the son, and he to whomsoever the son will reveal him. The gospel or christianity alone gives us a saving knowledge of the only one living and true God.—The divine character is to be known only from a divine revelation. If it could be discovered without a divine revelation, or by the highest efforts of reason—how could a divine revelation be absolutely necessary?—The essential glories therefore, and perfections of the Deity cannot be discovered by natural reason:—those glories and perfections which make him what he is, or constitute his infinite moral amiableness and transcendant excellence, and worthiness to receive from all intelligent creatures all the services, which they are capable of rendering unto him. He is light, all beauty and glory, and in him is no darkness at all. But the human mind is darkened by sin. The depravity of the heart brings on blindness of mind to the spiritual beauty and glory of the divine character.—Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts. What absurd and essentially erroneous apprehensions of the nature and perfections of the God of Israel had the Syrians, in the following proposal of theirs! And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, their Gods, are the Gods of the hills; therefore were they stronger than we: but let us fight against them in the plain and surely we shall be stronger than they. These heathen knew as much about the true God, as heathen in general. They supposed the God of Israel was only a local and tutelary divinity, who had taken the people of Israel under his peculiar patronage. But the Jehovah of the Jews was altogether different from any of the Idol-gods of the Gentiles.—And he must, by his own revelation, inform us of his real character and essential moral glories.

2. Our rational powers and conscience, under the highest cultivation, unassisted by a divine revelation, cannot inform us what kind of worship and obedience is to be paid to the true God. One of the disciples of Socrates, that great light of the pagan world, desired information from his Master concerning some difficulties attending prayer; and above all, particular requests made to God, which have proved injurious to the petitioners when granted. The philosopher owned himself utterly unable to satisfy the disciple upon this head, and concludes with these remarkable words, “We must continue in our ignorance, till it shall please God to send a person into the world to give us full information concerning our duty.” The light of mere reason, as proved in another part of this discourse, teaches all men, over the whole face of the globe, provided they duly hearkened to it, and cultivated it, that they ought to honour and worship the divine Being. But it cannot tell what sort of homage he will accept, or how we are to worship him. He alone can satisfy us, on this most material point—a point of supreme importance. He must tell us, in what way, we are to pay divine honours to his glorious Majesty. He dwells not in temples made with hands, neither is worshipped by men’s hands as though he needed any thing from us. For he can neither be inriched by our services, nor impoverished by the want of them.—With regard to the worship of the heathen, St. Paul has these remarkable words; Because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. All their rites and forms of worship were absurd, unworthy of the divine nature, and disgraceful to ours. It may be proper here, to mention some striking instances of strange and cruel methods of worship, as a specimen of man’s natural ignorance of the right way of honouring and serving God. The Idol Baal, in scripture mentioned so often, was worshipped by acts of cruelty, which the sottish worshippers inflicted upon themselves. So desirous of ease are mankind, and so averse to pain that we should rationally conclude, that no methods of tormenting themselves could be introduced into their religious worship of their Idols. But the deluded Idolaters, in paying their homage to Baal, cut and wounded their own flesh—gashed and mangled themselves to please their Idol. And they cried aloud, and cut themselves, after their manner, with knives and lancets till the blood gushed out upon them.—The Idol Moloch was worshipped by acts of the strangest and most unnatural cruelty.—Parents sacrificed their children to this Idol; and, it has been very common for parents to appease the anger of their fancied Gods, by sacrificing their tender offspring.—How contrary to reason—to nature! The image of Moloch was made of brass, in a hideous shape, and het red hot; and the devoted victim—the innocent child was brought by its own parents, and thrown naked into this burning brass, and burnt to death,—and no regard paid to its piteous cries. The Carthaginians were wont, as we are told in history, to sacrifice their children, when public calamities visited their state, to placate the resentments of their gods. And, their custom was to select, out of all, the fairest and most promising—such as were best beloved, and to offer them up in sacrifice: to give up the fruit of the body for the sin of the soul. Many nations have, and do to this day, worship their Idols, by acts of extreme cruelty—by consuming themselves in the fire. Modes of worship have been adopted, which are contrary to all the tender affections of human nature. And, no nation, people, or tribe ever yet could be found, in all the world, by voyages or travels, that ever had any rational or decent rites of worship, where the gospel never shined, whether in Europe, Asia, Africa or America. The most civilized and learned heathen nations were as absurd—as extravagant—as ridiculous, in their idolatries, as the rude and savage. And it is confidently affirmed by some modern travellers, that many tribes of men, in the interior parts of extensive countries, have no word in their language, for either a God, or any worship. Whether this be so or not, we cannot absolutely determine:—it rests upon the credibility of the reporters. What can, therefore, be more contrary to fact, than to pretend that man has any principle in himself, which can be a safe guide in matters of Religion?

DISCOURSE II.

That man has no principle within himself, by whatever name it may be called, which is adequate to all the purposes of his salvation, or a sufficient guide in matters of faith and practice.

EPHESIANS ii. 12.

That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the Covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.

The true character and state of mankind before savingly interested in the gospel are not generally acknowledged, or believed, in the world, to this day. Many thousand years have they had, to find out their own state and Character in respect to their Maker and things of a moral and religious nature; and they are now, as much as ever, divided in opinion, and are as far from an union of sentiment, on so important, and one would imagine, plain a point. An impartial inspection into the human heart and extensive view of the history of the world and moral things, we should conceive, would bring them all to one and the same conclusion, and to an exact uniformity of opinion concerning the state and character of mankind.

Whether man be fallen or not, is now, in reality, the dispute. Such as reject with scorn, all idea of a revealed Religion as an impossibility in its own nature, (and some are absurd enough to reject it on this ground) affirm that the light of reason is entirely sufficient for all the purposes of discovering to us, the whole of our duty as rational creatures and to ensure infallibly our happiness here and hereafter; if there be an hereafter. These say that we are now just as we always were: that man never fell or apostatized from his Maker; of course, that he is under no worse circumstances, nor labours under any evils, under which he did not labour when he came forth from the hands of creative wisdom, goodness, and power. And, therefore, that he has an Inward light sufficient for all the purposes of his salvation—a sufficient guide in all things of a moral and religious nature. The consequence is, that a divine revelation is wholly unnecessary. If wholly unnecessary, we may be certain, that a wise and good Being, who perfectly knows all things, would not vouchsafe to give one.—For he does nothing in vain.—

Others, who admit a divine Revelation, believe that man is not so fallen from God, but that he has a degree, though small, of real moral goodness or holiness, which being duly nourished and attended to, will issue in life eternal. But the Apostle, in the words now read, says that all men are, before the Gospel be preached unto and embraced by them, without hope and without God in the world.—And, what was intended, in discoursing upon those words, was to prove that mankind, merely, by their own reason and wisdom, cannot attain to a saving knowledge of God, or, in themselves, are in a helpless and hopeless state—Two things were proposed to be largely considered,

I. How far the light of reason, unassisted, can go in the things of a religious and moral nature.—

II. And, to point out its insufficiency, in these respects, which are not only very important, but altogether necessary.——

The first of these has already been discussed.—And we entered, in the preceding discourse, upon the second—and illustrated the insufficiency of the mere light of reason.—1st. In regard to the essential glories and excellencies of the divine nature and character—and 2nd. in regard to the right way of worshipping and serving God.

We now pass—to observe——

3. The light of mere reason, or conscience of mankind is wholly insufficient to discover to us whether God will accept of us, at all; and if he will, upon what terms. It can tell us that he is the Maker of all things, the Preserver of all things, the governor of all things; but can give us no instruction upon what terms he will receive us into his favour and friendship, or whether he will do it, at all. When we ponder deep on moral and religious subjects, we cannot be but conscious of many imperfections and Sins. We feel that there is a power on high whom we have offended. We dread his anger. When another world is seriously contemplated, we dare not appear in it without some firm hope. An invisible God—an incensed Judge is an alarming thought. The anxious enquiry is wherewith shall we come before him—and bow ourselves before a holy and pure God? Mere reason cannot satisfy the enquiry. It knows not how we may come before him, or with what sacrifices he will be pleased. Being truly humbled and deeply grieved for our offences seems the most natural way of hoping for pardon and acceptance. But, whether a holy and righteous sovereign, on our repentance, can forgive us consistently with his glories, or the safety of his Universe, reason cannot inform us. To cast ourselves upon his infinite clemency is what reason would advise. But, whether this would be safe or not, is a grand uncertainty. Without a revelation, therefore, we do not know whether we may be pardoned—or if we may, how it may be consistently done; or how we may be recovered from the evils, which all men feel, and of which the world is full. Reason can see the disease, under which all men labour, but can prescribe no method of cure. All the wise men of the heathen world for thousands of years together, have tried to discover a method of escape from the evils, which all felt, and of which they justly complained. But all in vain.—An infinitely wise God gave human nature a fair trial—all advantages—and time long enough to satisfy all reasonable men, how far it could go. Look round the world, at this day, and what success has boasted and almost idolized reason had in things of a moral and religious concern, among pagan nations?—Look back on past ages, and where alas! is the man—or the body of men that have found reason a sufficient guide? Even, in the countries blessed with the Gospel, what delusion, what Error, what superstition!—Without a divine Revelation all is darkness, in a moral view:—all is helpless and hopeless:—there is no pardon:—there is no salvation. Reason could never show one sin forgiven or lead a step beyond the grave—or have any idea of the resurrection of the body.

All mankind are, therefore, in themselves, without hope and without God in the world. Under all the pressures of adversity, or dismal pains and calamities of life, separate from revealed Religion, there is no relief for them. All would be darkness,—mystery—and despair. They could not conjecture for what the world was made—for what it is preserved—why there were made rational creatures—What design is aimed at, in the government of the world—or what the real and true character of the Maker of it is—or what will be the end of the whole.

4. The reason and conscience of mankind do not clearly discover a future state, nor place before them rewards and motives sufficiently strong and powerful to induce them, amid the attractions, temptations and vanities of this world, to act with a wise reference to another.

Conscience is God’s monitor, reprover or counsellor within the soul. In many important cases, it dictates what ought to be done, and what ought not to be done in regards to our behaviour towards our fellow men, and towards ourselves as connected in society. It shows us plainly what moral ties, in a multitude of instances, which cannot now be enumerated, bind us. When we do wrong, it punishes us by severe remonstrances and upbraidings. When we do well, it testifies in our behalf, and administers rich consolation by self-approving reflections. It, consequently, serves as a natural law to all men. It is the Deity’s law written or imprinted on all minds. From its present severe reproofs for vicious, and pleasing joys, for virtuous and upright conduct, we may gather, fairly, that there will be a future reckoning—a day of judgment—a world to come—a place to remunerate the just, and to inflict punishments on the incorrigible. At least, we may conclude all this to be highly probable. Conscience, then, points us to a future state as a probability. Accordingly the most, though not all of heathen nations and tribes have had some faint and confused idea of another life after death. Some wavering belief of it. They conjectured that there might be, or would be a future existence. The rational and sober livers among them hoped there would be another life. But no nation, not favoured with revealed light, ever entertained any tolerably consistent or rational notions of it, either of the rewards to be conferred upon the good, or the evils to be endured by the wicked.—With their Poets and Orators all was fable and fiction. They described, with much ornament of language, their Elysian fields—and represented, in a terrifying manner, their furies.—

Few, indeed, if any, had a just idea that one holy, righteous and good Being made and presided over the whole universe. Some have doubted whether ever one of the heathen philosophers really believed, unless he had seen the Old or New Testament, the unity of the Godhead. Socrates is represented by some as dying a Martyr to this belief—but, in his last moments, he ordered sacrifice to be offered to the idol-gods of his country—thereby giving his dying testimony to polytheism. However this may be, it is certain to a demonstration that the heathen have universally been polytheists or have admitted a plurality of Gods. They had their great and their household or domestic divinities—their terrestrial and celestial divinities, more than thirty thousand in all. Almost every thing in nature, as well as the sun, moon and stars, was worshipped—such as groves of trees, fountains of water, rivers, various plants and insects. As concerning, therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifices to Idols, we know that an Idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called Gods whether in heaven or in earth (as there be Gods many and Lords many) but to us there is but one God the father of whom are all things and we by him.

The right way to know what reason can do, in things moral and religious, is to see what it actually hath done, in past ages, among the most learned and polished nations. They had great men—learned men—philosophers—poets—statesmen—and orators: especially the Romans and Greeks. They were opulent, and had many schools of wise men. These cultivated science, and spared no pains in their researches, to discover truth. They did all that reason could do, when learning is most liberally encouraged and happily flourishes, as to a discovery of a future world—and what rewards await the virtuous, and what punishments will be the portion of the wicked. After all, their notions were ridiculous, childish, self-repugnant, and contradictory.

It is true, they had some judicious, weighty, moral, sayings; for in this argument, I would allow them as much as can be allowed them, consistently with fact. But no system of heathen morals proposed any thing, as motives drawn from another world of any force to induce people to act with any due reverence to it—or to prepare for a happy immortality. Reason, consequently, doth not, properly speaking, look into another world. It merely conjectures about it.—The Gospel, or a divine revelation only fully discloses an Eternity to man.—It lays before him Immortality: an Immortality of blessedness, when life is no more, if it have been improved in a pious and virtuous manner.—It denounces on the wicked everlasting misery. But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.——We can now look through all the wastes and glooms of death and the grave to a resurrection of the body—to a judgment-seat—to an endless existence after death—to eternal rewards for the pious—and everlasting woe to the despisers of God and Virtue. By the Gospel, therefore, we have hope, pleasing enrapturing hope—we have light, like the glorious luminary of the sky in his meridian altitude—we have life, spiritual and divine—we have the saving knowledge of God—we have a fulness of felicity opened before us, and promised to us, upon our repentance, faith, and new obedience.

5. Reason and conscience are unable to renew and change our hard hearts, or to give us a true and real light of the excellency of spiritual and divine things. To subdue the obduracy of the heart, to slay the enmity there is in us against the law, character, and perfections of God, is beyond all that reason and conscience can effect. The powers of reason can tell us of our dark, blinded corrupt state. Men of science and liberal enquiry, in all ages, and among all people, have seen, confessed, and bewailed the imperfections and frailties, the infirmities and exceeding depravation of human nature; like a magnificent pile of buildings in ruin—or a fertile and luxuriant soil overrun with noxious plants. It was impossible for candid and inquisitive men among heathen tribes not to have discovered the perverseness and vices of human nature, in general, they are so plain; though they called some things Virtues which were not—and some things Vices which were not. But reason never could suggest, or give a hint of any plan of restoration to a right temper or a holy and innocent condition. There is nothing—no principle in man—no light—or quality that can sanctify, purify, and regenerate the soul. But an inward renovation is absolutely necessary to moral happiness, to become like God, to be either conformed to his perfections, or fitted to enjoy his presence in heaven. The wisest and best heathen confessed it was not in man to heal the moral disorders of his nature, or to rectify the temper, so great was its obliquity; and affirmed that a superior power was needed to effect this, and to make us meet to enjoy forever the favour and friendship of the Creator of the Universe. They felt that a revelation was necessary to lead and direct men how to live, so as to be hereafter blessed, and never once thought of disputing the possibility of such a thing. And nothing, in that Revelation which we enjoy, is plainer than the doctrine of efficacious grace, or more insisted upon than the need of a divine power to sanctify, purify, and change our disordered and depraved nature. Divine influence is essentially requisite, to renew us and to implant within the soul the principle of holiness. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.—But the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them for they are spiritually discerned.—No man can come unto me, except the father, which hath sent me, draw him; and I will raise him up at the last day.—Not that we are of ourselves sufficient to think any thing as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God.—Paul may plant and Apollos water, but it is God that giveth the increase.—Yea they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.

Men do not chuse piety and virtue from any principle within themselves. They chuse their own evil practices which lead to ruin. They actually hate God and holiness, truth and religion, or their conduct would not be such as we see it is, when we carefully examine it. They are not willing to be, and to do, as they ought. They will not, though urged by the weight of the most powerful arguments and all the ardor of importunity, live up to the light which they have; or wisely and diligently improve the talents with which they are entrusted. They hide, like the slothful servant, their talent in a napkin. They have no disposition to improve it. They resemble the prodigal son, in the parable, wasting their substance in riotous living. All men have a propensity to wander from the truth. They do not, and never did, duly and faithfully, improve the light of reason, or those notices of God—of virtue—of the moral law which they had, or now have. All, of course, who shall finally perish, will be self-condemned. They will never have it in their power to say that their Maker has been, either unjust or hard with them; or to reply as the slothful servant did, Lord I know thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed. And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth; lo! there thou hast that is thine.

In the sixth and last place, reason and conscience are insufficient to give us a full and complete system of morality, or moral truths. Let the system of morality taught and believed by the best and wisest of heathen nations, be candidly examined and critically inspected, and it will appear a maimed and imperfect, a broken and defective system. They had endless contentions about what they termed the chief good, that is, the real duty and happiness of man. One of their most eminent moralists reckons up more than one hundred different and contradictory opinions on this subject. Some placed it in self-indulgence: some in riches—some in insensibility—and all in that which never can render us blessed, and in which it can never be found.—Had any one leisure, and could summon up a sufficient stock of patience to collect from all the heathen writers on moral subjects, their various and self-contradictory rules of moral living, we should see how utterly unable mere reason is to form a complete system of moral virtue.

It would be great injustice to the subject before us, not to remark here, that some of the greatest moralists among the Greeks and Romans, had seen the writings of Moses, or the New-Testament, and had gleaned from them, a great proportion of the moral lessons which they delivered. Many of them, which is indeed much to their honour, travelled into the famous countries of Asia, where mankind were first planted by the adorable Creator, and where communications from the Almighty were first made to man, and they returned home to their own countries, enriched with the learning of others. But with all these advantages none of them, Socrates, Plato, or Seneca, who were universally known to be most renowned for moral sayings, formed any thing like a full and perfect system. They leave out many important virtues. They admit many odious and horrible vices; such as self-murder, cruelty, incest, and revenge.—And they place all the virtues on a wrong foundation, and persuade to the practice of them from improper and weak, or sinister and wicked motives. Even the celebrated Cato, who gave forth many moral maxims—who was called honest, just, inflexible in integrity—who was said by his contemporaries to be possessed of a stern virtue, put an end to his own life, because he could not bear to be a witness of the corruption and degeneracy of the age, in which he lived.—Few crimes perpetrated by man can be more heinous than self-murder. There is something terrifying in the extreme to think of ushering ourselves, uncalled, unbidden into the presence of the Deity and into the invisible world. Many nations now in the world where the Gospel was never known or christian doctrines propagated, have no idea at all of the Creator of the universe, or immortality of the soul, or pious duties, or fear of, or love to God.—The heathen tribes of this Land, as those tell us who have had the best opportunities of information, where no European has disseminated any seeds of religious belief, have no idea who made them—or who made the world—or of duty to God. In the interior parts of Africa, a late traveller there, asserts, that various tribes, visited by him, as far as he could learn, had no idea at all of any God or religion, or even words to express any worship to be paid to any power above them. But admit this to be a mistake, still truth compels us to believe them extremely ignorant on moral and religious subjects. They have however as bright faculties and powers of mind as the nations who have the Gospel. The immense difference is to be ascribed principally to that very Christianity, which is, alas! so much neglected by us.—

If we would know what light there is in man—what light all men have—or what help all need, we must see what nations, which never enjoyed any divine Revelation, have known—done—and believed as to God, Piety, and Morality. Superficial reasoners, men who indeed pretend to reason and philosophy—and reject the Gospel, and tell us of the sufficiency of nature’s light—of reason and conscience—or any other principle, lose, and bewilder themselves by not fairly looking into the history of the heathen nations and their moral writings, and seeing what their ideas, notions, and improvements have been, and still are. Their history, in truth, is but one continued narrative of ignorance—idolatry—vices—unnatural lusts—wars—bloodshed—barbarity—and misery; and their moral writings, so far as they have reached our times, contain no just or full system of morality at all. If a man were to conform himself to the whole of their rules of moral living, and understood them all, his life would be a scene of inconsistence and error, vice and folly; and his end self-murder. Our modern scepticks, it must be carefully remembered, collect all their ideas of morality and of God, if any just ones they have, and so far as any of their ideas be just, from that very Religion which they reject. They are, therefore, like a wayward and perverse Child that disowns its parent, merely because he wishes him to be good and happy—to be and do right; and takes the indispensably necessary measures for this purpose.—And if, among the haters of Religion, any be found at this day who have adopted the Atheists Creed, under the splendid name of philosophy—it is a most striking proof of what is the subject of this discourse.—Upon the whole, we may come to this conclusion, that all the conduct of man, since the day he was expelled from the earthly paradise for his Apostacy, proves clearly, even to a demonstration, that there is no light in him, or guide to duty and happiness, which may be depended upon—or which is safe for him to trust to—or sufficient to lead him to God and glory. Without Christ and the Gospel, all is darkness—confusion, and despair. There is no hope, no help, no salvation, no true system even of morality, if we deny a Saviour and his Gospel. See what the pagan world is from the holy Apostle Paul. He will tell you the truth. He will not deceive you by misrepresentation.—But how can I read! How can you hear without confusion!—I shudder at their awful and horrible vices, and utter depravation of heart, and morals. Professing themselves wise, they became fools. And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies with themselves. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever, amen. For this cause God gave them up to vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lusts one towards another, men with men, working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet, and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient—being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful.—Here is a true account of the polished heathen of the antient Roman Empire: of their philosophers as well as of the vulgar. More ignorant and Savage nations and tribes are, if possible, still more vile.—What, then, is human nature? What is man’s true state or character before renewed by divine grace?—What! is he as holy and innocent as Adam was when he was first formed? Is he, in his mind, fair and unspotted, as a clean sheet of paper?—Has he a light in himself sufficient to all the ends of spiritual life on earth, and eternal life in heaven! See what mankind are without the Gospel,—Aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, having ho hope, and without God in the world.

I think it proper, here, to subjoin a few passages of Scripture, out of many, which declare that mankind are corrupted and depraved—or that they have no principle within them, sufficient to enable them to attain to eternal life without the powerful operations of divine grace.—How full to this purpose are those words (Gen. vi. 5). And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart is evil from his youth.—The Psalmist David fully testifies what man is when he puts himself forward as an example. Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.—Behold I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my Mother conceive me.—The prophet Jeremiah speaks of man’s depraved state in very strong terms.—The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it? It follows, I the Lord search the heart, to give to every man according to his works. If the heart be deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, is it, at the same time possessed of any degree of a holy principle—or has it any light to guide it to heaven, or to be a sufficient directory in matters of faith and practice?—How the Apostle Paul viewed man as he is in himself, appears from the long quotation above made from him, and also from the following words—What then are we better than they? no, in no wise, for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin. As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one.—And again, Now we know that what things soever the law saith: it saith to them who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God—for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The same inspired teacher leads the mind to the source of all, the sin of the first man, who stood as a public head for all his posterity. Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin: and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.—Again, you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.—Our blessed Lord himself says, he came to seek and save that which was lost. If we be not lost we need no Saviour, or atonement, or help.—It appears, then, with an evidence exceedingly strong, that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God—and that man, in a natural state, is wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. He has no principle in himself, by whatever name it may be called, which can, being duly exercised, form him for the service of God on earth, or his immediate presence in heaven.

What remains is to add a few reflections by way of improvement.

1. And what hath been said teacheth us the importance of realizing the misery and ruin of the condition of all men, as they are born into the world. A want of belief, or due sense of this, leads to a denial of the Gospel—to a rejection of the propitiatory sacrifice of the Redeemer—to almost every heresy and error. Men cannot bear to admit so mortifying a truth as that of their ruined and fallen, guilty and miserable state. Pride rises up, and repudiates the unpleasing doctrine. One says we are not depraved: another affirms which indeed is the same thing, that we have a light of our own adequate to all the purposes of our salvation:—a third contends that there is a portion of real saving grace in every human heart. All these, in effect, disown the scripture doctrine of the text, the utterly ruined and perishing condition of man in himself. The truth endeavoured to be established in the above discourses, is that the light of reason or highest wisdom of mankind is insufficient to teach us the true and saving knowledge of God. It is of the utmost moment to realize this. The world by wisdom knew not God.—Where there is no vision the people perish: but he that keepeth the law happy is he.—To open their eyes, is the design of the Gospel, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sin, and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me. Understand ye brutish among the people! and ye fools when will ye be wise? He that planted the ear shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, shall he not see? he that chastiseth the heathen, shall he not correct? he that teachest knowledge, shall he not know? The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man that they are vanity.—I know you, says our Saviour, that the love of God is not in you.—Can any one who seriously believes the scriptures, hold that man has any principle, let it be termed how it may, that can be adequate to all the end of spiritual life here, and eternal life hereafter?—That there is in fact no saving knowledge of God out of Christ, is plain from Acts iv. 12.—Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. He that hath not the son, hath not the father. Deny Christ and reject his Gospel, and you reject life. Misery is, then, inevitable. You must realize that you are, in yourselves, lost and guilty,—wretched and undone,—hopeless and perishing.

2. We infer from the foregoing subject the infinite grace and condescension of the Deity in making a revelation of his will, and of the way of salvation to mankind. He was under no obligation to do it. It would not have been either cruel, or hard, or unrighteous in him, to have withheld all pity from them, and to have let them die in their sins. Most justly might a holy and sovereign God have given them all over to the fatal effects of their own folly. It is no injustice or partiality in him to take one and leave another, because he is not obliged to have mercy on any one. If he reveal his will to any nation or people: or if he sanctify, pardon and save one individual, it is all of free grace. All the glory is his, when he sheweth mercy: all the shame and guilt of sin, if we die in our iniquities, are ours.—Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they will walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance.

If the great Lord of heaven and earth give his Gospel to one nation and not to another:—or if he pardon, renew and save one individual and not another: if he bestow upon one ten, upon another five, upon another one talent only: if he impart to one a disposition to improve, by his power and spirit, and not to another—does he do any wrong?—May he not do what he will with his own? Who can find fault? If all have forfeited every claim to mercy, who can complain of either cruelty or injustice on the part of heaven, if it be withheld? Where shall the vile monster, the impious wretch be found who will rise up and impeach the holiness, wisdom and benevolence of God, because he is a sovereign?—Let such if any there be come forward and make good their charge, for their controversy is with the Almighty. By him we are told that we are vile, guilty, perishing, and ill-deserving sinners, that there is no principle in us, while unrenewed, that is sufficient, duly cultivated, to our salvation. Such as affirm that there is, must dispute it out, with him whose is the Universe, whose is the power and glory. That he should condescend to reveal his will to us—to open a plan of life, of restoration to his favour, and to holiness, and happiness, is admirable grace, is such a display of compassion as may well excite within us, every grateful sentiment.

3. We, therefore, further infer from the foregoing subject, the duty of gratitude that we enjoy the light and advantages of a divine Revelation. This light is rich and glorious: those advantages are many and precious. How affecting is the idea of the perishing state of man!—How is the gold become dim and the most fine gold changed!—Who but must weep over the situation of the heathen, that are without hope and without God in the world:—who are in darkness:—who are worshipping dumb Idols: who are bowing down to stocks and stones:—who have Gods many and lords many: who believe in polytheism, and have changed the truth of God into a lie:—who pay honours divine to the sun, moon and stars.—They do not know that there is but one God—or how to serve him, or that he can, and will pardon them. To them all is darkness and mystery. No ray of revealed light reaches them, and they have no rational view of moral and divine things.——Who made us to differ? Who ordered our birth and education in a land of Gospel light and liberty—a land of civil and religious freedom, while such an handful only of the human race either know or enjoy the rights of man?—We know or may know, duly using our reason and the light of the Gospel, the way of truth. We know that there is but one God, one Mediator, one salvation, one way to life eternal.—Happy are ye in knowing the Gospel of the grace of God—in having the holy scriptures in a language which you understand! Happy are ye in having the privilege of public worship!—He showeth his word unto Jacob, his statues and his judgments unto Israel: he hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord.—At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee O father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hath revealed them unto babes.—Why art thou, O America, so highly exalted—so eminently distinguished by all the light and privileges of the Gospel, and civil freedom!—How unnatural, how barbarous any of thy citizens, if they despise these:—if they exert any power to take from thee, thy glory—thy beauty—thy praise, the Gospel of the grace of God: or to oppose or corrupt it; or if they refuse to be thankful for it!—O for a note of praise sublime to ascend from every American tongue and fervour of gratitude to go up from every American heart to the throne of the Universe—that we have all the light, privileges, and ordinances of the christian religion:—delightful, pleasing, divine Religion, pure and undefiled!—May all our hearts welcome thee to our choice—and, then, we are happy. Thou art the glory of any land, the guide of the youth, the support of age, the solace of all thy friends!——Happy is that people whose God is the Lord!

4. We infer from this subject, the absolute need of the divine teachings in order to be saved. We are not of ourselves sufficient to change our own corrupt hearts. Paul may plant and Apollos water, but it is God who giveth the increase. Means are to be employed—divine grace is to be sought importunately and perseveringly—the ministrations of the Gospel are to be attended upon diligently, carefully, and heedfully. But the power of God must call and quicken, sanctify and save the soul. Listen not then, for a moment, to such as tell you, that you have a treasure in yourselves, if you will attend to it, in a proper manner, which is sufficient to all the ends of a holy life, and future blessedness.—Such only deceive themselves. They do but dream in Religion. They are sadly ignorant of the first principles of the Oracles of God.—

In the fifth and last place, we infer from this subject the obligation upon us to improve faithfully the light and advantages of a divine Revelation. We are particularly distinguished on account of our religious privileges. We enjoy the benefit of the outward ministrations of the sanctuary. Gospel truths, and ordinances are dispensed to us. The doors of God’s house are always open to us. We have the holy Sabbath. On the part of God, what could have been done more for his Vineyard than has been done? Now all these advantages we are to improve, with faithfulness and diligence. Let us never disesteem them, let others say or do what they may, or speak ever so hard things of the Gospel, or its institutions. Profane and irreligious men will scoff at all serious piety. Let us never be seduced by the artifices of such, as lie in wait to deceive; or be ashamed of the Gospel of the Son of God; for it is the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. If we abuse the light which we enjoy, and misimprove our religious opportunities and advantages, our guilt will be exceedingly aggravated, and our final ruin, if we perish, proportionately dreadful. For that servant which knew his Lord’s will and prepared not himself, nor did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes.—For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required.

DISCOURSE III.

The ways in which the holy Scriptures are perverted by unlearned and unstable men.

2 PETER, iii. 16. 17.

As also in all his Epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

The holy scriptures, though by divine grace able to make us wise unto salvation, are almost wholly disused by multitudes, who nevertheless would wish to be thought friends to the religion and morals which are taught in them. They even lie by, in many houses covered with dust, as if of no consequence in the direction of human life, and unworthy of a careful attention or serious perusal. Their purity, their beauty, their sublimity, which some of the best and greatest characters that ever adorned human nature, have not only admired, but extolled, are overlooked, either through a want of discernment to acknowledge, or of taste to relish their merit.—Some read them only from custom or for amusement.—Others read them merely to cavil at, reproach, and pervert them. Others, again, search them, not to be guided by the light which they shall exhibit, but to support or confirm the opinions, which they have previously imbibed, and are resolved not to relinquish. Hence not only different, but contradictory principles are pretended to be drawn from them.

Like all other things of importance and worth, they are liable to be abused and misapplied. It is however no valid, nor, indeed, plausible objection against their divinity, or usefulness, that they are capable of being misconstrued and misunderstood. If it please the majesty of heaven and earth to speak to man, at all concerning his duty and happiness as a moral agent, he must speak to him in man’s language. But all human language is imperfect, capable of being perverted and wrongly construed—of course, the holy scriptures are so. In truth, every thing done by man is imperfect. He lives in an imperfect world. His language, when most refined, is imperfect.—It would therefore, bespeak a high degree of folly and inconsideration either to disesteem, or to think meanly of the holy scriptures, because they have been misimproved and profaned. And, it is equally disgraceful to reason and repugnant to philosophy to look upon them as fabulous, or to imagine that no certain and fixed system of doctrines is contained in them, merely because different sects of Christians have understood them differently, and drawn from them, not only different, but contradictory tenets.

The serious mind will most sincerely regret, what cannot be acknowledged, that they have been so often and so grossly perverted. The candid and honest will not be prejudiced against them, or neglect, most diligently to attend to them, though they have been so much misapplied and misunderstood.

To guard, therefore, against the danger and commonness of wresting and perverting the word of God to our destruction is a subject highly important and interesting in itself; at all times proper; but at this day, it is apprehended, to be peculiarly seasonable. It is a subject seldom discussed, but if properly managed may be eminently useful to all christian families and individuals. It may be made very subservient to advance the cause of rational religion, and to prevent the mind from what is visionary and fanciful in matters of infinite concern.

The time and attention of the hearer will consequently be well employed, if his mind may be deeply impressed with the importance of rightly understanding the scriptures and with the greatness of the danger of wresting them to his own destruction, as is often done by unlearned and unstable men: and the pains and anxiety of the speaker will be amply rewarded, if he may but bring any assistance to, or suggest what may prevent any one, if it be, even, but one, from wresting them to his own destruction. For the salvation of one soul is of more worth than the material world, and the loss of one, or his final destruction is greater than words can describe. For what shall it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul.—

These considerations have induced me to make choice of the passage now read, as the subject of discourse at this time. It contains the danger and commonness of the sin of perverting and abusing the scripture to our destruction. It stands connected with the foregoing verses in this manner. St. Peter had been describing, with great force and solemn grandeur, the end of the world—the dissolution of the system of creation—and the coming of the son of man to judge the Universe. He speaks of the heavens passing away with a great noise—the Elements melting with fervent heat—the Earth and all its works being consumed in one universal conflagration—the day of judgment—the perdition of ungodly men—the new heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness—the perfection of felicity for the pious and virtuous. In the text he informs us, that St. Paul, his brother in the kingdom and patience of Christ, had, in all his holy Epistles to the Churches, spoken of these grand and solemn subjects; and that some things contained in his Epistles were difficult to be understood—that is, required attention and care not to misapprehend him. He does not mean that St. Paul was an obscure or unintelligible writer. This would have been a high impeachment and reproach. It would have been at the same time altogether unjust. For he is a nervous and plain writer. He is a strong and close reasoner. And his writings will be admired as long as there shall be either genius or piety in the world. The difficulty then of understanding some things penned by him, under divine inspiring influence, is not owing to any deficiency in perspicuity and clearness of style, but to the spiritual nature and grandeur of the subjects, of which he treated.—After this sublime description of the end of all things, St. Peter, in the two verses immediately preceding the text, addresses a most judicious and pertinent exhortation to the Christians, to whom he wrote, in these words: Wherefore, behold, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot and blemish. And account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our brother Paul also, according unto the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you; as also in all his Epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures unto their own destruction. Ye therefore beloved, seeing ye knew these things before, beware lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. The Apostle was extremely solicitous lest the Christians to whom he directs this catholic or general Epistle, should be seduced from steadfastness, and fell into the errors and delusions of wicked men, who were active in attempts to lead away others from the truth. Men who have embraced errors, are always busy in strengthening their party, by propagating their pernicious principles, and proselyting others to them. And upright and honest Christians are in danger of such, as lie in wait to deceive. They should, therefore, always be upon their guard lest they be seduced, and fall from their steadfastness. The unlearned and unstable, who pervert scripture and people who are illiterate—of small reading and observation—who are given to change, are frequently altering their principles, laying aside the opinions which they once entertained, and taking up new ones. Such people as have not capacity and stability to weigh the reasons of any opinion, but believe as accident—passions, or prejudices dictate—as they chance to read, or hear. One Commentator thinks that the Greek word translated unlearned, may mean unteachable. But I do not find that it is ever so used in any Greek author. Besides, if it were, it could not be the meaning of it here. Unlearned then, here means people of small reading—of little reflection and observation—especially of little knowledge in divinity—and of much conceit. And ignorance is usually confident and impudent. Such wrest and pervert scripture to their own destruction. They cannot, meekly and quietly, receive instruction from the knowing and learned: but undertake to interpret and explain for themselves and others. Being perverse and self-willed, they turn a deaf ear to what is offered by the wise and judicious. They lean to their own understandings. Such self conceited and ignorant people, and withal, unstable, turn the scripture to a wrong and false meaning—make it speak what it was never intended to speak; and going by their false and erroneous interpretations, are plunged into fatal errors—and ruined forever—go down to the grave with a lie in their right hand—are left of God, in his sovereign pleasure, a prey to their own chosen blindness, and perish eternally in their heresies and delusions. Happy those who keep clear of such perverters of scripture!—To wrest the word of God to our own destruction, is to misinterpret and misconstrue it to such a degree—as to deduce from it fatal errors—or essentially false principles, and to live and practice according to such misinterpretations and misconstructions. The end of all this, is final ruin—or misery in a future world. How affecting the idea, that the scriptures, which were given to man for his only infallible guide through a world of sorrow and tears, and to meeten him for a full and perfect blessedness in heaven, should by a corrupt and perverse mind, be turned to his destruction! But alas! so they often are—have been in past ages, and will be in future.

After thus introducing and opening the words selected for present meditation, it is proposed in dependence on divine strength, to enumerate and explain the various ways, in which unlearned and unstable men pervert the scriptures to their own destruction.

They were given to us on purpose to teach and instruct us in the right way of worshipping and serving God in time, and preparing us for the glorious services and employments of the heavenly state. Our best good, here and hereafter, are aimed at, in that Revelation of the divine will, which we enjoy. Indeed our felicity, in subordination to the divine honour, is consulted in that manner, in which it ought to be, according to reason, and the nature of man, both in Creation and Providence, as well as in the sacred Volume. On the part of the Maker of all things there is no want either of wisdom to contrive our happiness, of grace to prepare us for it, or of goodness to effect it. Consequently, if we, at last, fail of life, the fault is alone imputable to ourselves. We are left to act out our own hearts, in regard to things divine: whether we will chuse the way of life or of death. Hence it comes to pass, that the scriptures are wrested or turned to our own destruction. That which was ordained for our good, is, by the amazing corruption and depravity of our hearts, turned into poison, misapprehended and misapplied. It may here be remarked, as worthy of special attention, that the reason why the word of God, in the writings of the old and New Testament, is so frequently and so grossly perverted, is not because these writings are not wisely composed and properly expressed; for they are plain—perspicuous—beautiful—and sublime to admiration; but because of the perverseness, wilful blindness, and vile prejudices of mankind. Had we a good and honest heart, or a single eye to the truth, we should not fall into any fatal or essential errors. Much of the corruption of human nature, therefore, is to be seen, in the strange and absurd constructions put upon particular passages of sacred Writ. And what is very surprising is, that all profess to be faithful and impartial; and the most through self-flattery and self-blindness, actually fancy themselves to be in the right. This is the condemnation that light is come into the world, but men love darkness rather than the light—the light of truth, or of true doctrines. People will not seek or come to the light of divine truth, because their deeds are evil. While unsanctified, they hate God. They hate his truth. They hate his ways. They delight not in the pure and strict principles of Religion. Hence all the Corruptions and Abuses of Christianity in former and later days; and perversion and misunderstanding of scripture.

1. And one way in which primitive Christianity is corrupted, and the holy scriptures perverted and wrested to people’s destruction is by refusing to take the words in their well known and established signification, and wishing to shape them to pre-conceived opinions. As they were written for our instruction and guidance in all things relating to faith and practice, so we are to abide by the common and obvious import of the words used. The only proper and just way of discovering the real and true meaning of scripture-words, is to see how they are generally used by the inspired writers. The most of the words, have a fixed signification, as much as any words can have. Those, whose import is hard to discover, are few in number, and relate to certain customs or rites in the antient nations, now in the lapse of centuries, unknown. And, none of these phrases necessarily obscure by reason of customs now unknown, contain essential doctrines. The things necessary to be believed in order to obtain salvation are few, and so obvious that none can dispute or mistake them, but those who chuse to do it. If any rule of interpreting scripture be so just, at first view, as to be incontrovertible, it is this, that it is to be its own expositor—it is to be interpreted by itself—passages not so plain or clear, by those which are as plain as words can be—things not necessary or essential, by those which are necessary and essential. Do we wish to know the true meaning and spirit of scripture, we are to observe carefully how the words used, upon which we may be contemplating, are generally used in other parts of scripture; what the common known import of words is; and also how the sacred writers generally use them. They are likewise to be understood according to the analogy of faith, or the system of truths most evidently taught us in divine Revelation. The figurative and metaphorical language is to be conceived of from plain and unfigurative. And both according to the subject treated.—When we open the sacred Volume, we should be willing to be guided altogether by what it contains. It contains what we are to believe concerning God, and the duty required of us. We should not aim to make it speak according to ideas and opinions on religious subjects, which we have previously formed—or bend it from its easy natural sense, to conform to certain favourite authors uninspired, whom we passionately admire. If we will arbitrarily, or at our pleasure, take scripture and compel it to accord to our tenets or principles, already imbibed, whether from accident or reflection, or from corrupt writers; being, mean while, resolved to get passages of scripture to favour or support them, whether wrongly or rightly applied, we are certainly guilty of the sin of wresting it to our spiritual hurt, or even final destruction. Because, in this way we shall never fail to misuse it. We shall make it say any thing, we please to admit—or to deny any thing we wish to have it deny. It can, of course, be no rule of life to us, or standard of faith. One man will make it say one thing, and another, a directly opposite thing. Hence, it hath been unjustly charged with contradicting itself, by infidel Cavillers.—Also, serious and honest minds, but not of extensive information, or accuracy of judgment, have often been bewildered and confounded by opposite and contradictory interpretations. Were men to pervert any good writer on common subjects, or any antient Classical author, as they do the word of God, they would be justly chargeable either with incapacity or disingenuity: they would be complained of for the want of fairness, or be accused of willful perversion. No person who pretends to own the truth of scripture can be honest in his enquiries after duty from it, who is not disposed heartily to take it just as it is, without compelling it to speak a language wholly foreign from its most obvious meaning. In general, it has one plain, fixed meaning. And this would be as easily comprehended, were we honest to ourselves, and diligent in our search into it, as the meaning of any plain good writer. To suppose otherwise would be not only to asperse the Sacred Oracles, but to impeach the divine wisdom and goodness. Because, for the same reason that God, infinite in mercy and benevolence, would give to a world lying in sin and wickedness, a revelation of his will at all, he would give one that could be easily understood where there were good and upright intentions in studying it.

2. Another way in which unlearned and unstable men wrest the holy scriptures to their destruction is by taking them unconnectedly and detachedly. If we pay no attention to the particular subject, on which the inspired penman is discoursing, it is not to be expected that the true sense will be obtained. For there is an order and a connexion in every good writer. He speaks according to his subject, and if we would not mistake him, it is incumbent upon us to attend carefully and critically to it. It is impossible for us to keep from misunderstanding an Author, if we overlook his subject or general scope and design. Each writer’s stile or manner is particular to himself. And this is as true of the inspired writers, as of uninspired. The supernatural aids, with which the former were blessed by the immediate influence of the holy Ghost, did not destroy or take away this peculiarity. St. Paul’s manner and diction for example are very different from St. John’s, as every one who has any knowledge of language, must own.

The occasion, likewise, as well as the subject, upon which the sacred penman is speaking, must be duly noticed. If we be doubtful about the real and true meaning of any passage of scripture, we must observe the persons or characters of whom, or to whom the words in question are spoken. Overlooking these, is a fruitful source of perverting scripture. If we will take scripture expressions in a detached manner regardless of the connexion, we can prove any thing and every thing we wish to prove, or support any scheme of principles, in religion, however absurd and irrational, even though blasphemous. In this way, usually, all erroneous persons, who adopt and zealously endeavor to propagate heretical principles, and divisive practices, conduct. They never hearken to the connexion or to the analogy of faith, but recite, at random, texts which in sound seem to accord with their singular notions. They never stop to examine, with coolness and candor, what may be offered against them, like rational men, impartially desirous of finding the truth, whether it shall make for or against them. This is an extremely common way of abusing and misapplying scripture. How frequently do unlearned and unstable men practice it to their own destruction! And how often, too, do artful and designing men practice it, who know better, and who know that they are endeavouring to impose on the world! Many, no doubt, read and study the Oracles of God, on purpose either to misrepresent or ridicule them. To affirm this, is neither, it is apprehended, uncharitable or uncandid. For were not this actually the case, how is it possible, that there should be so many strange, absurd, and wild schemes of religion—such irrational and blasphemous principles—such gross corruptions of christianity. Many heresies, in the various ages of the world, and various christian countries, have sprung up to the disgrace of reason and religion:—dangerous and fatal heresies—and all from this fruitful force, misunderstanding and misapplying particular passages of scripture detached from the general connexion, which may seem in the sound, or at first hearing, to support the tenets, which, the abettors of such tenets, adduce them to support. Some may be plausible. And when much art, sophistry, and false reasoning are used, may deceive even such persons as are, in a measure, upon their guard.

All errors and false systems of doctrine not only originate from an abuse and perversion of scripture, but clearly argue the great degeneracy and corruption of human nature. Were not man a depraved creature, or were he as he was, when first formed in Paradise, he would never wander into erroneous principles. He would never be attached to them. He would never disgrace himself by unwearied efforts to proselyte others to them. Persons who have embraced errors like the troubled sea, whose waters cast up mire and dirt, are restless and uneasy. They have committed themselves to the business of faction; and are zealous to diffuse the poison of their errors, as extensively as possible. Long since did our Lord make the remark; and every age and country have verified it. Wo unto you Scribes, Pharisees, Hypocrites; for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of Hell than yourselves.

It is to the benevolent mind, painful to recollect, that errorists of every description, are more active and laborious to disseminate their mischievous opinions, than the lovers of truth are, the true principles. One cause no doubt is that false principles are pleasing to depraved nature. But the truth, in things moral and divine, though approved of by natural conscience and reason, is never approved of by the unsanctified heart. To receive the truth in the love of it, is the mark of a gracious state. It is one of the most amiable tempers which man ever exercises.—It is also melancholy to think, that persons who have embraced error, are far more anxious to gain proselytes to their false creed, than to promote peace, charity and holy living. They tithe annise and mint, and neglect the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith. They are not contented to enjoy their own singularity of opinion and practice, and the right of private judgment; but, like insurgents in civil government, go about to bring others over to their party.—Hence unhappy differences in the church.—Hence hard speeches and reviling of others.—Hence strange abuse and perversion of scripture.

3. A third way, in which unlearned and unstable men wrest the scriptures to their own destruction, is by false glosses, strained, and fanciful comments, and indulging prejudice while it is read or heard. It would be tedious and endless to go over, even in imagination, with the strange and unnatural comments often put upon plain passages of inspired truth—or the parables used by our Lord—or the transactions recorded in scripture. Some glosses are put upon them, which a sober and thinking mind would conceive impossible to enter the fancy of man. I shall take leave to mention one, out of innumerable others which might be mentioned with equal propriety.—The transfiguration of our Saviour on Mount Tabor, has been cited, and commented upon, to prove that there are not Gospel-ordinances in the New-Testament-dispensation.—A man must have a surprising talent at discovering an occult meaning in scripture to draw an argument against the plain and express Institutions of the Gospel, from that glorious transaction. Perhaps we cannot find among any disputers, such instances of evading, perverting, and twisting plain and obvious points, as among different sectaries of Religion. Truth, amid such collisions and oppressions, may eventually shine forth with a superior splendor.—It is therefore some consolation to reflect that the Christian Religion may be, in the end, advantaged, by the errors and divisions, which a holy Providence suffers to take place. They never can avail to destroy the cause, which they now dishonour. While we see, to our great grief, errors and delusion spreading, our minds ought to be deeply affected with the impression that we do not love, naturally, the great truths and doctrines of the Gospel. Mankind are exceedingly averse, naturally, from the soul-emptying—soul-humbling—Christ-exalting doctrines of God’s word. And consequently, the scriptures are not read or heard with that honest intention to be led into all truth and duty, with which they ought to be. We often, hence, see them misunderstood and misapplied to the ruin of such, as thus wrest them.

4. A farther way, in which the word of God is wrested from its proper meaning by unlearned and unstable men, is their refusing, thro’ pride and self-conceit the necessary helps to understanding them rightly. They look only on one side.—They read only on one side. Tradition, love of novelty or affectation, lead them astray. They may have so high an esteem of some one leader of a Sect—or inticing author—or may so biass their minds by envy, or prejudice, as will end in mis-understanding the word of God.—We should always suspect our own impartiality and honest views. We should ask ourselves such questions as these, “Am I willing to know the truth? Do I entertain no prejudices, unfounded and unreasonable, against such and such doctrines or modes of worship? Do not corrupt and selfish passions warp my judgment? Is not my admiration of such a way—or such an author—or regard to such a man, the cause of my imbibing the principles, I have imbibed? Do I make use of all the helps in my power to search out the true meaning of God’s holy word? Do I repair to his house—to the authorised guides in his Church, for advice, light, and counsel? Am I afraid of delusion—of my own heart, and of temptations?”

He who does not make use of all the assistances, to which, in the course of divine Providence, he hath access, in order to understand the right way of serving and glorifying God, is to be credited in no professions of impartiality or integrity, which he may make.——

5. Another way, in which unlearned and unstable men pervert the holy scriptures, is reading them with a light, trifling and unserious mind, and refusing to seek to God for his grace and spirit to purge away our darkness and prejudices, our evil affections and vain imaginations. A trifling and light temper of mind is a very improper one to read the word of God—or to hear it with. If we be unserious when we read, it is not likely that we shall get any good from it. Our desire, when we either read or hear the word, should be to be spiritually benefited—to get heavenly light and instruction. We are to be guided and directed entirely by holy scripture, and to receive it just as it is. It should be prayerfully read. Our supplication should ascend to the fountain of grace and mercy, wisdom and goodness, that he would illuminate our darkened understandings—confirm our wavering hearts—establish our faith—undeceive us, if deceived—correct our errors, if erroneous—remove our prejudices against the great and essential doctrines of Christianity, if we be actuated by any—increase our regard to his own word—convince us of sin—save us from the seduction of false principles, the fascinating power of heresy—and direct our hearts into his love, and a patient waiting for Christ. More devoutly, and importunately, and perseveringly should we seek the purifying efficacy of grace divine, to save us from all delusion, and to prevent our placing religion in rites and forms, or outward observances, that we may not, being led astray with the error of the wicked fall from our own steadfastness.

6. Another way, and the last that will be now illustrated, in which unlearned and unstable men pervert or wrest the scriptures, is in holding that they cannot be rightly understood, without the same immediate inspiration of the holy Ghost which indited them. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of Man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost. The question is not, whether a renewed heart be of great importance in gaining a true knowledge of the holy scriptures, and give a more lively, solemn and affecting impression of the truths, duties, and doctrines of the Bible: for this is readily acknowledged. But whether it can be understood, in its great principles and doctrines, duties and ordinances, by man, without the immediate inspiration of the spirit of God. If it cannot, it can do him no good, while uninspired. And when inspired he will need no written word. If God have given to us a revelation of his will, he intended it should do us good, and be our sole guide in matters of faith and practice. But it can do us no good, if we cannot understand it. If unregenerated persons cannot understand the truths, duties doctrines and ordinances which it contains, it cannot be the mean of convincing them—reproving them—instructing them and warning them. And if we say, they cannot understand it, because it hath a hidden and mystical meaning: We really make it of no worth. We highly impeach it. The spiritual meaning of scripture is its true meaning. The most pious mind can only understand it, in its true sense. Surely we cannot be so rash as to say, that it is an unintelligible book—like an enigma. And to say, that it has, beyond the real true meaning—a hidden and mystical one, is not only to say a very unreasonable thing, but is to make scripture dependent on man’s fancy for its meaning. To do this, is to set the scripture aside altogether, and in effect to deny it. If none but Saints, or true believers in Christ can understand it, this consequence will follow, it must be, to all the rest of the world, useless.—And to pretend to any light or guide superior in us, to the word of God, is to renounce it, in truth or in realty.—The fact is, that the scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the rule, by which to try all suggestions and impulses:—the only standard. All our hopes, all our joys, all our doctrines, all our discipline, all our practices are to be tried by them. By them to stand or fall.—This is not intended to disparage the work and office of the holy Ghost in his awakening—sanctifying and indwelling influence on the soul. The holy spirit must sanctify and regenerate us. We wholly depend on the sovereign grace of God to save us. In ourselves we are helpless and hopeless. His word is to teach us. His spirit to sanctify us. And his son to redeem us. By grace are we saved through faith, and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God.—

Guided by these sentiments, you will come to a right understanding of holy scripture, and feel the danger of perverting it; you will easily distinguish between truth and error.—Let the plain sense of scripture, not the suggestions of fancy, or supposed extraordinary impulses on the soul, or opinions of men, be your directory.—Search the Oracles of the one living and true God, with humility and integrity, with a desire to understand them—and a resolution to live up to their divine precepts—earnestly seeking to the throne of grace for divine light and teachings. Thus, may you hope that your diligent endeavours to know the right way of the Lord, will be crowned with happy success. For the meek he will guide in judgment.—The meek he will teach his way. Amen.

DISCOURSE IV.

Stated prayer a duty binding on all men.

ACTS ii. 21.

And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved.

These words are a quotation from the prophet Joel. And the whole quotation is the text, from which St. Peter preached that powerful Sermon, which was the mean of converting three thousand hearers.—He very pertinently applies the passage from that prophet to the remarkable day and time, in which he speaks; being the day of Pentecost, when the Apostles, who were all in one place, of one accord, were endowed with miraculous gifts, and qualified to carry the good news of the gospel, according to their commission, over all the earth. And the words of the text inform us, in a very concise manner, what we are to do, in order to be saved. The condition of salvation, proposed in them, is as easy as it can be made, consistently with the honour of the law, attributes, and government of God. For he, being infinitely wise and gracious, never requires of any of his rational creatures either what is hard and cruel, or unjust and improper. As he hath been pleased to make us rational creatures and moral agents, so he ever more treats us as rational creatures. In all his laws, commandments, calls, precepts, and requisitions we are considered as being what we are. He never did, and never will, do any thing incompatible either with wisdom and justice, or benevolence and goodness. Indeed, were we to sit down, and in cool and dispassionate reasoning, to propose or desire our own terms of happiness, could we desire or wish for easier, than what are contained in the text. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved.——It it so indeed?—May we be saved, if we will but accept of salvation, if we desire, or ask for it?—We certainly may. And it is a glorious truth.—It is a pleasing doctrine. It is a delightful thought.—Call not the Religion of the Gospel, therefore, unreasonable. Object no longer to its offers. No more consider it as requiring impossibilities of man. It is the perfection of beauty. It is reason itself:—divine in its nature:—rich in its promises:—plain in its essential precepts:—and heavenly in its tendency.——

In the sequel, we will consider the condition, upon which Salvation is offered to us, in the text: or show that stated prayer is a duty binding on all men.

The condition upon which Salvation is offered to us, in these words now under consideration, is calling upon the name of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved. Calling upon the name of the Lord is, then, the necessary condition of our being saved. How, therefore, the interesting enquiry is, are we to call upon the name of the Lord so as to be saved—or to be intitled to the promised blessing of the text?—The name of the Lord here, and in a great variety of other places of holy Writ, means the attributes of the Supreme Being, his nature, and perfections; or God himself, the only proper object of religious fear and adoration. And calling upon him for help and deliverance, in our troubles and distress, and looking to him for temporal and spiritual blessings, for all needed good for time and Eternity, is repairing to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in every time of need, or that we may procure a supply of spiritual provision to aid us, in our journey through life, and to prepare us for everlasting rest. Let us therefore, says the Apostle, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Calling upon the name of the Lord is the usual scripture-phrase for statedly looking to him as the fountain of light, of goodness, of wisdom, of mercy, and of power, by prayer, that we may obtain all the blessings, whether pertaining to the present or future world, which our circumstances and condition may render necessary. And we are to do this, in all the ways of his appointment, and which reason suggests as proper, whether public, social, or private. I say, which reason suggests as proper: for reason is given to us, to be diligently improved in the things of Religion, as well as of the world, in the concerns of our souls, as well as in our temporal interests, and much more so, as our spiritual concerns are infinitely more important than our temporal. To set aside reason in our enquiries about truth and duty, would be no less absurd, than to reject the light of divine revelation itself. Reason is a mortal foe to enthusiastic and visionary schemes of religion. And to deny its use or office in things of a spiritual nature, is not only highly absurd, but introductory to fatal delusions. He who will have nothing to do with reason in religion, is just prepared to admit any extravagance or error, whatever in doctrine and worship.——Reason and scripture never contradict each other. And with respect to the stated duty of prayer as binding on all men, they are perfectly united. Reason pleads for it. Scripture demands it. And that stated prayer hath a happy influence on every christian grace—on every christian temper—and on the whole of Religion has been generally allowed.

Calling upon the name of the Lord so as to be saved, includes the following things; sincerity,—devout affection,—constancy, or on all stated seasons,—perseverance,—penitence,—and correspondent practice. The manner in which the duty is to be performed is of the greatest moment. The temper of heart, with which we come to God, is a capital part of the duty.—Sincerity, therefore, is implied in calling upon the name of the Lord so as to be saved. This stands in opposition to all hypocrisy, or mere formality. No doubt, many have no more than the mere form; and while pious words and expressions are uttered, and with seeming reverence and devotion, the heart bears no part in the whole, but is wandering with the fool’s eyes to the ends of the earth; goes after its covetousness; indulges vain thoughts; or is unaffected and indevout. The most suitable, pertinent, and happily chosen words may be used, where there is no correspondence of affection. Such merely external performances, or bare lip-service can never ascend with approbation to a holy and omniscient God, who searches the heart and tries the reins of the children of men. External acts of piety, without any devotion of the heart, can be considered in no other light than as hypocrisy and form; and hypocrisy and outward show of religion are most severely reprehended by our Lord, in the words of the prophet Isaiah. Ye hypocrites well did Esaias prophecy of you saying this people draweth nigh unto me with their mouths, and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Drawing nigh to God as his people, and honouring him with our mouths, while the heart is far from him, cannot be pleasing to him. There must be the fervour and friendship of an upright heart. St. James, likewise, directs us, in our approaches to a holy God, to avoid all hypocrisy and insincerity, or heart-iniquity. Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purify your hearts, ye double-minded. We must not be double-minded, having one mind for God, and one for the world. Our aim must be to glorify God. Our warmest affections must centre in him, who deserves all love and praise, both of angels and men. We are told, in a most beautiful and affecting manner, by our Lord himself, in his conference with the woman of Samaria, of the absolute necessity of sincerity and devotion of heart in all our addresses to the throne of grace, whether public, social, or private.—But the hour cometh and now is, when the true worshippers, shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a spirit and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth. All right and acceptable worship is in spirit and in truth. To worship God in spirit and in truth is to worship him in a spiritual manner. And a spiritual worship is a sincere, holy, and devout worship. To worship God in spirit and in truth, is to worship him by the gracious aids of his spirit, and with a sincere upright heart, or with a devout temper of mind. To suppose that the only true and spiritual worship of the Deity, is in the hidden recesses of the soul, is not only a gross perversion of our Saviour’s words, but to reject all worship of him altogether. To affirm that all true worship is to be performed in the secrecy and retirement or silence of the soul is to exclude all idea of worship, to deny that man is what he is, composed of body and soul, a material and immaterial part.—Calling upon the name of the Lord so as to be saved is therefore worshipping him in spirit and in truth, or a devout frame of mind. All our religious duties, indeed, in order to meet with the divine acceptance and approbation, must flow from sincerity of heart.——

Again, calling upon the name of the Lord so as to be saved, is to worship him with affection and reverence. When we draw near to God, his dread should fall on us and his excellency make us afraid. All right homage paid to him, is accompanied with reverence and Godly fear. The affections of the soul must correspond with the solemnity and importance of the duty performed. When we commune with God in prayer, we should stand in awe and sin not. In our petitions, supplications, confessions of sin, thankful acknowledgement of mercies, and adorations we ought to feel the deepest reverence and warmth, or fervour of affection. The attention should be composed, the thoughts collected, the affections engaged, and the whole soul solemnized. The words spoken are to be accompanied with devout exercises.—All the divine glories are to be revered. High, exalted and reverential thoughts of the Majesty of heaven and Earth, the great object of adoration and religious praise, are to be entertained. Before him angels bow. The homage of the heavenly world is paid with all lowliness and reverence. The blessed inhabitants, thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand, all stand before the throne, and in all the ardour, purity and sublimity of heavenly worship, cry holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory. Who should not fear thee, O Lord, for thou only art holy is the language of celestial adoration. How can that mind, which has a proper sense of the infinite greatness and infinite Majesty of God, help being filled with the highest reverence? He is the king immortal, eternal, invisible. He dwells in light unapproachable and full of glory. He is the blessed and only Potentate, gracious, merciful, slow unto anger, long-suffering—forgiving iniquity transgression and sin, but will by no means clear the guilty. The heavenly arches resound with his praises. The temple of the universe is filled with his presence. All nature exhibits his glory. This is that which he hath said, he will be had in reverence by all them that draw near to him: and will be sanctified by all the people. If the affections of the heart do not go up to heaven, with our petitions and supplications, they will be all in vain. Let us, says the prophet Jeremiah in his lamentations, lift up our hearts, with our hands, unto God in the heavens. There must be the internal homage of the heart, as well as external. Both are necessary. Both must go together—Again—says the Apostle Paul, I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting. Holy hands and without wrath and doubting imply the affections and reverence of the heart:—having no malice or bitter passions toward fellow worshippers.—We are directed, in the Epistle to the Hebrews, in this manner, Let us have grace whereby we may serve God, with reverence and godly fear. Deep reverence and pious fear are requisite in all our addresses to a prayer hearing God. We are, moreover farther commanded not to be slothful in business; but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.—Fervour and warmth of affection should attend, therefore, all supplications to the throne of grace. A really pious and devout heart is the chief ingredient in all acceptable worship.

Another particular necessarily implied, in calling upon the name of the Lord so as to be saved, is constancy, or doing it on all stated seasons and proper occasions. He who objects against the stated worship of God on proper seasons, really discards all worship. The rule of worship is the divine word, and not any supposed internal impulse on the soul. We cannot know how or when to worship God, but by his word. And internal, separate from external homage, is not sufficient. The whole man must bow before the God of the whole earth. To present ourselves statedly before him, is only to offer him that homage which reason and nature demand. As the good man is said to be sanctified throughout in soul, in spirit and in body; so it is but fit, in the very reason and nature of things, that he should render unto God homage in all these respects. There must be outward reverence and composure, and proper expressions of the inward fervors of the mind. We are to give others proofs that we worship God. We are to glorify him by social and public prayer. All creation as it were, the heavens over our heads, and the earth on which we dwell, silently worship its glorious author. By men the praises of creation should be rendered vocal. As a Priest in the temple of the Universe, he is to present prayer and praises to the almighty Architect. Shall he be dumb in praising his God, like the mute fish that can only mean his praise? What was the faculty of speech, which so distinguishes man from all the brutal world, given to us for? Why were we made with social powers? was it not, that we might jointly honor, by prayer the Maker of our frame? If so, there must be stated seasons for such divine and heavenly employment. Every work and purpose under the sun must have a stated season. And the more important the work, the greater the need for a fixed season, in which to perform it. If God is to be served at all, there must of necessity be certain fixed seasons in which to serve him. He would not command us to serve him, and allow no fixed time for his service. He is the God of order and not of confusion. He will have every thing done decently and in order. So important and heavenly an employment as that of worshipping and serving him, above all things, must have stated seasons. To deny any stated seasons of worship, is to rebel against reason, scripture, and common sense. Every body, of common sense, knows that if an important work be assigned us to perform, there must be a proper time fixed upon in which to perform it. We are not to consult our own feelings or inclinations, as to the seasons of worship, but when the hour of prayer comes, that is, the stated and fit seasons, we must engage in it, and prepare our hearts to seek the Lord; depending on the assistances of divine grace; knowing that the preparation of the heart and answer of the tongue in man, are both from the Lord. The great original law of worship, is Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. All intelligent creatures are bound, by the most powerful of all ties, to do this. All men, wherever they dwell, are obligated by Creation, to serve the Creator in all the ways, in which they are capable. Preservation in being lays also a solemn bond upon them. The relation of creatures to a Creator does the same. All the glorious excellencies of the divine character make it an indispensable duty to pay him honour divine. Indeed, the adorable attributes of God bind us to worship and serve him. And it is as plain, as any point in moral duty, that there must of necessity be stated seasons, therefore, of worship. Under the law, by God’s own appointment, were the morning and evening sacrifices. Nature herself fixes upon these seasons. The sun in the firmament teaches us the same lesson. The pleasing succession of day and night points out the seasons for family and secret worship. And the Institution of a christian sabbath, specifies the stated periods of public worship.

Besides these stated seasons appointed and determined by nature and scripture, there are other fit and proper occasions, as Providence may order and overrule things, by either favors or frowns, whether public or private, personal or relative. Upon all fit occasions, as well as fixed and stated seasons, our prayers are to ascend to the Almighty ruler of the Universe.—We are to acknowledge him, in all our ways. But we cannot acknowledge him as a prayer-hearing God, without actually praying to him, in all his appointed ways. We are to own him, as a prayer-hearing God, as well as an omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, merciful, glorious, holy, and bountiful God. And no man can devise any way of acknowledging him as a prayer-hearing God, but by actually applying to him, statedly, in prayer. That he is a prayer-hearing God, we are expressly assured, in these remarkable words: O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee all flesh shall come.

It may be, further, observed that stated seasons of calling upon the name of the Lord, are essential parts of the duty of worshipping and owning him. Without stated seasons the duty will die away, and wither, like a plant when the root is materially injured. If man have no stated seasons to worship God, he will either wholly omit, or infrequently practice the important duty, indeed, one of the most important, of human life and of all Religion, or he will negligently or carelessly perform it. In the very reason and nature of the case, there must be, therefore, stated seasons of worship, stated seasons for public worship, stated seasons for family worship, and stated seasons for secret worship. To have no stated seasons, will, in the end, be to reject the duty altogether. In regard to the support of animal life, though the appetites of hunger and thirst be given as directories, still mankind in general have found it necessary, to prevent intemperance and to preserve health to have stated seasons for partaking of food. But in regard to the spiritual life, the preservation of religion in the soul, how much more necessary to have stated seasons for the performance of prayer, which is essential not only to the flourishing state of religion in the soul and in the world, but to its very existence. Such alas! is the deplorable corruption of our nature, that if we will only worship God, when our inclinations direct, or some supposed internal whispering in the recesses of the soul, that we shall soon forget all our obligations to him, who is our Maker, Preserver, and bountiful Benefactor. He who denies the stated seasons of worship cannot be considered, in any other light, than the enemy of all religious adoration and homage.

There must, also, be perseverance in calling upon the name of the Lord, as well as stated seasons, in order to be saved. Perseverance is necessary in order to be successful. It demonstrates sincerity. It evinces engagedness. As to worldly good, perseverance and patience will work wonders. The diligent hand maketh rich. What wise and great achievements have ever been accomplished without perseverance? Would we succeed in our wishes to obtain and secure temporal felicity we must hold on our way. In religion the direction is to go on from strength to strength, to add one degree of grace to another, to be faithful unto the death, would we receive a crown of life. And perseverance in calling upon the name of the Lord alone proves our being in earnest.

To perform the duty only for a short space or infrequently, to begin the practice of it, and then omit it is a fatal symptom of hypocrisy. Hypocrites never persevere in calling upon God, in a serious and devout manner. It is the observation of an eminent Divine, “that Apostacy begins in the omission of prayer.” As the source of all irreligion and wickedness is forgetfulness of God, and not setting him before us; so the first sign of a man’s being disposed to religion and the service of God is betaking himself to prayer; behold he prayeth. And as a religious concern first shows itself in prayer, so the first symptom of declension, the first step to Apostacy is the neglect or careless performance of it. Speaking of the hypocrite, it is said, in the book of Job, Will he always call upon God? As much as if it had been said, it is a mark of the hypocrite that he will not continue to call upon God. He will omit it. He will pretend excuses for the neglect of it. He will profess to disbelieve the obligation of stated worship. Or he will attend only to the duty, in times of trouble and affliction, or under some awakening Providences.

We are commanded to persevere in the duty. And he spake a parable to this end that men ought always to pray and not to faint. Men are never to relinquish the practice of devotional duties, under any temptation or pretext. They are to be continued as long as life continues. While life and breath last, our prayers or devotional exercises are to be attended upon, at the stated seasons. The Apostle speaks of rejoicing in hope, being patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer. To be instant in prayer is to attend upon it, in all proper ways, and upon all fit occasions, and also to be fervent in it. And to continue instant in it is to persevere in the practice of devotional duties as long as it shall please God to prolong our probationary existence. He who relinquishes or infrequently attends upon prayer is either in a delusion, or in an unconverted state, whatever may be his pretext. A really good man who has experienced a work of renewing grace on his heart, cannot long deny or omit stated devotional exercises. For prayer is the very breath of the new Creature. It is recorded of St. Paul as soon as he was converted, Behold he prayeth. This is equally true of all regenerated persons. They will be punctual and constant in their addresses to heaven, at the stated seasons. You cannot keep them from the throne of grace. They would not be hired to keep from it, for immense treasures, or even worlds. The holy heart will no more drop the duty of calling upon the name of the Lord statedly than it will cease breathing. It is a delusion to relinquish so important a duty as stated prayer, in its various forms, because we may have heretofore been insincere or indevout, careless or formal in it. That spirit, which leads any to undervalue or to neglect prayer—to deny or turn away from the due seasons or methods of it, is not from heaven, but is the spirit of error and impiety. Only hear how plain the scripture is on this point. Pray, says the Apostle to the Christians at Thessalonica, without ceasing: that is, continue and persevere to the end of life, in calling upon the name of the Lord: ever maintain a devotional frame of mind: pray on all proper occasions and fit and stated seasons. Again—says he, pray with all manner of prayer. This, in all reason, must include every kind of prayer, public, social and secret. What, can we comply with this express command, and yet neglect family-worship in our houses—or public stated worship on the Lord’s day—or religious retirement? No words can enjoin stated family worship, if these do not. He who can deny family religion or prayer, in the face of this passage of inspired truth, must have a wonderful talent at perverting scripture, and wilfully close his eyes upon a light, which nothing, but high criminal prejudice, can prevent our discerning.—The happy influence of calling upon the name of the Lord, statedly, morning and evening, in our dwellings is indeed very great. “While a desire of imitation is confessedly a strong principle of action, one bright domestic pattern, in a person of superior character and authority, in calling his family to devotion, every morning and evening, will have more effect upon all beneath and about him, than a thousand dry instructions.”—I shall here take leave to repeat some weighty and judicious sentences from an excellent and pious Author. “If,” says he, “you neglect the duty of family prayer it will encourage and authorize their neglect. They may omit it in their families; and their Children’s, Children may omit it; so that perhaps before the end of the world, there may be hundreds, and even thousands, descended from you, who have in effect learnt irreligion and impiety in your houses, and from your example; or at least have never learnt religion there. Yea, perhaps, Christ when he cometh to judgment, may find some of your descendants among the wicked, who shall be burnt up as stubble; and their wickedness and misery may be traced up as high as your neglect of family worship, and be in some degree, charged to your account. Now, can you say this is not probable? And if it be probable, is it not very shocking? You had a thousand times better have your families beggars, than leave them enemies to God and strangers to prayer. Whereas by a faithful care in this duty, you may leave a sweet savour behind you; a praying seed, that shall be the support of religion in every future age, and your joy and crown of rejoicing at the appearance of Jesus Christ. I firmly believe, there will not be a heavier article in any man’s charge at the great Day, than this, that he cut off the entail of religion in his family; suffered it to die in his hands, after it had been conveyed down to him by his pious ancestors; and left an ungodly Seed to be the reproach of Christianity, and spread impiety and irreligion through all succeeding generations to the end of the world.” But the careless omission, in point of heinous guilt, is not to be compared with the wilful denial of family-worship. What can we think of those, who upon a pretended internal impulse or principle, deny and vilify the duty, and exert all their efforts to induce families to discontinue the practice of it? They are given up to strong delusion to believe a lie. What a bitter enemy to religion is that man who denies it to be duty, and refuses to call upon the name of the Lord in his dwelling! Even were the evidence of the duty of family worship, much weaker than it is, we should suppose every good man would statedly perform it; because such a high privilege, and happiness.—Calling upon the name of the Lord so as to be saved, is doing it perseveringly—in all the ways appointed, in God’s holy word, in public—in the family—and in secret.

It may be, added, with evident propriety, that calling upon the name of the Lord so as to be saved, implies doing it, penitently, believingly, and through the mediation and atonement of the son of God. Without true penitence, or godly sorrow, without a Gospel faith—without offering all our desires and requests to heaven in the name of Christ, we cannot be saved. What are the sacrifices of God—such sacrifices as he will be well-pleased with and own! The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, he will not despise.—To whom does he look with a propitious smile? To the humble—the penitent—the believing—the poor and contrite in spirit. We are to seek the Lord while he may be found—to call on him while he is near. We are to ask in faith. We must go to a prayer-hearing God in a believing manner.—We are to seek the needed blessings, both temporal and spiritual, in the name of Christ. And whatsoever ye do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the father by him. All our prayers—petitions for mercy—confessions of sin—and thanksgiving must be in his name, on his account, and through his sacrifice and mediation. Our father who is in heaven, can hear us only through him. The prayers of faith will be heard—and when heard, answered in that time and way, which, upon the whole, shall be best, most for the divine glory and our good. In all our wants and distresses divine favourable interpositions may be hoped for, if sought in faith. Our Lord himself says, Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name believing, ye shall receive—receive in such a manner—and such measures—and at such times, as infinite wisdom sees meet; if not the very identical or individual mercy sought, still what, all things considered, is best. Christ, farther, informs us in regard to the duty of prayer in these most encouraging words, Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the son.—Again, If ye shall ask any thing, in my name, I will do it: that is, all your prayers shall have a gracious audience and acceptance. That shall be done for you, by a wise and merciful God, which shall be most for his glory and your good, though, at present, painful to you, or even ever so contrary to your wishes or hopes.——

To call upon the name of the Lord so as to be saved is then to call on him, in deep repentance—unfeigned Gospel-faith—and through the merits, righteousness, and mediation of his ever-well beloved son.——

Finally, calling upon the name of the Lord so as to be saved is to walk and conduct agreeably to our prayers. He who goes to the throne of grace in a right manner, and so as to be accepted by a gracious and holy God, will live and converse, in a virtuous, prudent, and meek way: that his practice and prayers may not contradict each other. No one can be sincere or in earnest in his devotional exercises, who does not aim to live accordingly. To pray fervently for the pardon of sin, and not to be sorry for our offences is absurd. To implore of God his grace to sanctify us, and not to use all the means of sanctification, is to trifle. To ask for his restraining power to preserve us from vice and temptation, and at the same time, to indulge ourselves in sin, and go in the way of temptations is hypocrisy. To implore the gracious aids of the holy Ghost to purify our souls, to enlighten our understandings—to subdue our stubborn wills—to enable us to cultivate the benevolence, meekness, and humility—the peaceableness, forgiving, condescending temper of Christianity, and not, at the same time, endeavour to act up to those glorious principles, is to show that we are but feigned petitioners for the blessings we devoutly crave. It is essential to all acceptable prayers, that we live according to them. To supplicate the throne of grace to have all sin subdued in us, and not to take all possible care to avoid all the occasions and ways of sin is but mockery. When we seek to God for his grace and power to convince us—to sanctify us—to reclaim us from our sinful wanderings—to guard us from false principles—to remove prejudice from us—to build us up in holiness and faith unto his heavenly kingdom—to enable us to do all his will, to submit to his government—to comport with his Providential dispensations, we are to improve all our best endeavours to live and act accordingly. Can he be pleased with any prayers, unless the deportment and conduct be answerable, in the supplicants? The prayer of the upright is God’s delight. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to him. If we love vice, and live in the commission of known iniquity, our prayers, however many we make, or however long, or seemingly devout, cannot be pleasing to a holy and sin-hating God. The Psalmist says, If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. Such as are impenitent—unbelieving—profane and vicious God will not own and graciously hear, though they offer many and long prayers to him. We must act agreeably to our petitions for mercy, if we would be saved. None can be saved, who will not statedly call upon the name of the Lord, as they are able: and, at the same time, practice according to their prayers. An unholy person cannot be saved while such. A prayerless person cannot be saved as such. To omit stated prayer, in its various forms, allowedly, is to bar against ourselves, the gates of heavenly blessedness. It is to thrust ourselves out of the kingdom of glory. It is to plunge ourselves into misery. That our hearts and practice must correspond with our prayers, in order to meet with the divine acceptance, or be graciously answered, is plain from the following passages of Scripture.—And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.—If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not: and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering: for he that wavereth is like a wave of the Sea, driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.—Now we know that God heareth not sinners, but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doth his will, him he heareth.—If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.—Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.—The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.—Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear. Many more texts, which speak the same language, might easily be collected. But these are deemed amply sufficient to convince every mind which can be convinced at all, that our hearts and lives must correspond with our prayers—must be of the same tenour or the latter will not be heard, or the blessings implored, be granted, or the mercies sought, be imparted.—Thus have I considered the condition of salvation, specified in the text, calling upon the name of the Lord; or that stated prayer is a duty binding on all men.

Calling upon the name of the Lord is the common language of scripture for addresses to the mercy-seat of God by prayer, in all its forms, public, social, or secret. One must be included as well as the other. All must be equally included. For if we may lawfully shut out one, we may the others, with as much propriety. When such general expressions are employed, in the sacred writings, the only just and true way of interpreting them, is to extend them to all the parts or branches of the duty enjoined;—and farther, none can rationally hope to enjoy the blessings promised, unless they perform, in its true meaning and spirit, the condition upon which the blessings or good promised, are suspended. Thus, if we would be saved, we must call upon the name of the Lord, according to the true meaning, extent, and spirit of this duty. And all that do, shall be saved. There will not be one exception. God’s word of promise is sure; never will fail. If we perform the condition as required, the event—our salvation is as certain, as the word of God can make it.—

It may be subjoined, here, before we close the discourse, that calling upon the name of the Lord, may include a sincere engagement in the whole of Religion—not the duties of piety and devotion only—but of sobriety and righteousness and service of God, in an upright manner, believing his truths—studying his will—obeying his laws, comporting with his Providence—and living as his obedient children.——

As the conclusion of the whole, we cannot but be highly delighted with the easiness of the terms of salvation. They are as easy as they could be consistent with the law, character and attributes of the Supreme Being; as they could be, and be compatible with his holiness and sovereign mercy.—Herein, the wisdom and the goodness of the Maker of all things shine with a conspicuous Lustre. He always acts, indeed, with the highest wisdom, and with perfect benevolence. He requires of us only what is reasonable to be required. And the reasonableness of the Christian system is among the most satisfactory and powerful evidence of its truth and divinity.—It is divine in its nature—pure in its laws—rich in its promises—plain in its duties—pleasing in its hopes—sublime in its prospects—supporting in its consolations—grand in its offers—and in its rewards, glorious beyond all that can be imagined in the perfect state.—We are to call upon the name of the Lord, in a right and pious manner, and be saved.—And to this duty of calling upon the name of the Lord we are bound by the strongest of all ties—by our creation—by our preservation—by our redemption—by all the favours of Providence—by our dependence on God—by his glories—by his goodness—by his omniscience—by his omnipresence—by his faithfulness—by our own interest—by our innumerable wants, for soul and body, for time and Eternity. And may we be saved, if we will do it, in that manner, in which we ought?—Certainly we may. And could we desire mercy upon any lower condition?—If we murmur and complain of this, we discover the basest and vilest temper: and deserve everlasting exclusion from the blissful presence of a holy and gracious God. We must be speechless, if condemned forever.

DISCOURSE V.

The duty of public worship, and its beneficial tendency.

MATTHEW iv. 10.

Then saith Jesus, get thee hence Satan, for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

It is becoming fashionable not only to disesteem, but to speak lightly of the worship of the supreme Being, the fountain of all existence and blessedness. It is to be deeply regretted, that, by many his name is profaned, his sabbaths disregarded, his ordinances neglected, and all worship of him habitually omitted. Nay, it is even with one class of people, whose number is not inconsiderable, growing into a maxim, or kind of aphorism, that all Religion consists in doing right between man and man, in promoting the temporal welfare, the order, and best civil good of society. This is openly affirmed by men who pretend to clearness of thought, eminence of abilities, and extensive reading; and echoed by their admirers and imitators. They earnestly contend that Moral Virtue, or doing good to man is the most acceptable offering to the divine Being, and not only the most acceptable, but the only rational and acceptable worship, which can be performed by us to our Maker, Preserver and Benefactor. Having gone this length, they are compelled to take one step more, and to assert that all other Worship, or what have usually been called exercises and acts of Piety, are of no worth, are mere superstition and folly, fit only for the vulgar, or to amuse the uninformed and unenlightened. They forget not, at the same time, to remind us, that this superstition, as they term it, is nursed by an interested and mercenary Priesthood. But the fact is, that a system of Religion, which leaves out the duties we owe to God, is an essentially defective system: and no man of reflection and discernment, who is not a disbeliever in the divine Excellence and revealed religion, can adopt it. For men of thought and good capacities to deny or object against the duties, due from us to the first cause of all things, is quite unaccountable, provided they, at the same time, pretend to give credit to any religion at all. But what is still more strange is, that any who pretend to love and fear God, should yet deny all stated worship of him, whether public, social or secret, and refuse to engage in any duties of devotion, until moved or impelled thereto by some supposed inward impression. This, all must see who exercise their reason, is in effect to deny, and virtually to renounce all divine worship.—And whatever such may profess or declare, so it is, has been, and always will be judged, by all rational men.

A greater service, therefore, cannot be done to the true and spiritual Religion of Jesus Christ, to morality, to order, to virtue, and the happiness of the Community, than to explain and urge the obligations, advantages, and importance of stated public worship. This is now proposed. The low condition of Religion and the existing circumstances of our Land, have induced me to enter, at this time, on this great, useful, and essential subject. It is a subject often indeed discussed. Many excellent discourses and treatises have been written upon it. It is a cause, which hath been pleaded by learned and eloquent advocates, and of such merit in itself, as to deserve all the defence, which can be given to it, by its ablest friends. I would contribute my mite to place it in an advantageous and inviting light, hoping my exertions may not be altogether unavailing. May that gracious and merciful God, whose we are, and whom we ought to serve, smile on this attempt to recommend to all, stated public worship, the honours of his name!

In the progress of these discourses, what is intended is to evince the duty. And then illustrate the beneficial tendency of public worship.

The first thing proposed is to evince the duty of public worship. What is now before us it to prove, by plain arguments from reason and scripture, that all people are under obligations to worship, in a stated public manner, the Deity, such obligations as cannot be violated without the highest criminality. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve.

The occasion of our Saviour’s mentioning this great original law of worship, which is binding on all intelligent Creatures in all worlds, on one as much as another, was the attempt of satan to persuade him to pay divine worship to himself. For the trial of our Lord’s Virtue, this enemy of God and man was permitted to tempt him, during forty days of miraculous fasting, in the wilderness of Judea. The temptation was conducted with wonderful art and address. The ability and experience of the tempter were called forth. In the progress of his assault, and as his last effort, he endeavors to excite within the innocent bosom of the Son of God, the sinful emotions of ambition and pride. For this purpose, he makes the greatest and most splendid offers of temporal honor and grandeur, shewed him while on the pinnacle of the temple, all the kingdoms of the earth and their glory, (pourtrayed, no doubt, on his imagination,) and promised them all to him, provided our Lord would fall down and worship him, or pay him that service and those acknowledgments which were due to the one, only, living, and true God; and which could not be paid to any mere Creature, however exalted, without being guilty of gross Idolatry. But the snare, though most artfully laid, and managed with dextrous skill, was in vain. The temptation did not succeed. Our Lord was invulnerable. Though there was no sin in him for the temptation to work upon, yet the more holy and pure his nature, the more afflicting and disgustful must the temptation have been. He replies, as in the text, with pious indignation. Then saith Jesus, get thee hence Satan, for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. He most pertinently and beautifully appealed to, and cited scripture, as our supreme guide, or primary rule by which to regulate all our conduct, to repel the solicitations of the subtle tempter. Hereby he put an honor on the written word of God. And he has left us an example, whenever we are harassed with temptations, to go and do likewise. Perfect as he was, in moral goodness or innocence, he repaired not to any internal directory, as the primary guide, but to the written word of God, as the alone and supreme directory. And here, in the text, he lays down the great moral law relating to our duty to our Maker. And what he delivers is as plain and peremptory a commandment as any that can be delivered. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. We may offer religious homage and praise to no other. If we do, we are Idolaters. We must worship and serve the one true God. He does not wait to know whether his rational creatures be willing to worship him, or whether they fancy that they have an inward prompter to tell them when to worship, or how to worship him. He does not allow them to postpone his worship, till they think the spirit moves them to attend upon it. Because they may be awfully deluded here. For it is impossible for man, utterly impossible, to know whether he be not mistaken about the movings of the sprit, at the moment. We have a sure rule. The commandment is as express and peremptory, as words can make it. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. The great sovereign of the Universe, the Almighty maker of heaven and earth issues out his Mandate. It is absolute and unconditional. It is suspended on no condition whatever. It is not, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, provided you be willing, provided you feel disposed, provided you think it best, provided you fancy the spirit moves you to it. Such provisos would nullify and vacate the Commandment altogether. Are we thus at liberty to render the laws of God null and void, or of no effect? Woe unto that man, or body of men, who undertake thus to modify and tamper with the law of God, under any pretext whatever. It is at our peril to disobey, or put off, or omit to comply, with this great moral law of heaven. If we pretend to any superior rule, we presume to legislate for ourselves, and are wise above what is written. Man’s inventions are not to be put in the place of, or to supersede the express command of God, relating to his worship.

But how far doth this great moral law of worship extend? How much doth it include? All who have common sense cannot but know that the right way of interpreting an absolute and unconditional law is to apply it to all that, to which it is, or can be applicable. According to this rule of interpreting, the law now under consideration reaches to all men, of all ages and nations. It binds all rational creatures, in the whole universe of the almighty, angel and men, one as much as, and as fully as another, without one exception or limitation. Wherever any rational creature or moral agent can be found, in heaven, on earth, or in any part of universal nature, there this law extends, and binds him eternally and unchangeably.

Further, it is obvious to remark, that this law embraces all the ways, times and seasons of worship. It is impossible but that it should comprehend them all, one as much, and as fully as another, according to the nature and circumstances of the case. We are bound forever, eternally, and unalterably to worship God, in all the ways of which we are capable, and at all fit times and proper seasons, in a public, in a social, and in a private manner. For you will be pleased to observe, that this law of worship comprehends one duty of it, as much as another. It comprises indeed all the branches of it equally. It bids us worship and serve the Lord our God, in all his public Assemblies,—in our houses—in our closets—on all other fit and proper occasions or stated seasons, constantly, perseveringly, while life and breath and being last. For if we say it doth not bind us to pay devotion and adoration, gratitude and religious praise statedly in our Families, we may, with equal justice, say it doth not bind us to offer homage to God in religious retirement, in our closets. We may, also, say it includes not stated public worship. And then we may proceed one step further, and say it binds us to no worship at all. To say it only binds us to worship God, the author of every mercy when and how we may fancy the spirit moves or impels us, we say as much as that we will be our own judges, whether we will ever offer one prayer to the fountain of life and glory, the king, immortal, and invisible, or not: that is, we arrogantly assume the power to legislate for the Deity—to alter—repeal—and modify his law of worship as we please—or as our own fickle and perverse imagination suggesteth. This in effect is to ascend the Throne, to take the work of legislation out of God’s hands into our own.—What daring impiety and presumption!—What ignorance and wickedness are in the heart of man!

With evident propriety might we attempt to establish from the text the duty of the stated worship of the supreme Being, in all its forms; but in the subsequent reasonings, our attention will be principally confined to stated public worship to be constantly attended upon, on all God’s holy sabbaths. The arguments however to evince this to be an indispensable duty, when we are able to attend upon it, at least many of them, will apply with equal force to prove the duty of social and secret worship; that is, we are indispensably obliged, to worship God, statedly, in our families, and in our closets, as well as, in his sanctuary.

1. The very reason and nature of things may convince us that God is to be publicly worshipped by his reasonable Creatures. Public worship comprehends, in general, solemn prayer, religious praise, and pious instructions. An essential part of public worship is stated and solemn prayer, preferring unitedly petitions for both temporal and spiritual blessings to the Throne of grace, devoutly imploring the free and full remission of sin, and gratefully recognizing the receipt of past mercies. Where there is no prayer offered to him, who, in gracious condescension, hath stiled himself the hearer of prayer, there is consequently no worship. Now had we no knowledge of Revelation, or suppose there never was any, we contend, that the light of reason would be sufficient to convince us that the public worship of the Deity is an indespensable duty. That homage from us is due to the one Supreme Being seems to be a very obvious dictate of reason. For if he exist at all, and be necessarily what he is, from Eternity to Eternity, his existence ought to be noticed by us, in a becoming manner, not only meditated upon, but reverentially regarded—regarded with adoration and praise. He is in himself infinitely glorious and transcendently excellent, and of course, must be worthy of all love, esteem, and obedience. Rational creatures, are bound, by the intelligent nature with which they are endowed, to pay the Author of their existence, all the homage of which they are capable, and all those acknowledgements of gratitude, praise, and affection for which they were formed. That they are made capable of knowing, loving, fearing, and serving God cannot be disputed; and never was disputed. If capable of worshipping the Father of our spirits and former of our bodies, they are bound to do it. The very relation we stand in to him, obliges us to honour and serve him. In the very nature and necessity of the case, certain relations subsist between the Creator and Creature. It is impossible that these should be dissolved. They will necessarily continue, in full force, as long as the created nature continues. Whatever changes it may undergo, there can be no dissolution of these relations. They cannot but remain to all eternity, if the created rational nature be to continue forever. And that it will, is highly probable from reason, and the instructions, which can be collected from the best and wisest researches of philosophy, and is fully revealed in the Gospel, in which life and immortality are brought to light. As long, then, as the rational Creature exists, so long the relation he stands in to God, as his Creator, lawgiver, sovereign, preserver—beneficent parent, governor, and judge, will continue. So long, consequently, the obligation to pay all possible adoration and praise, fear and reverence, gratitude and love to him, will continue. We cannot get clear of this obligation. Our crimes or follies, however great cannot annul it. We may as well think to change heaven and earth, as to change this obligation. He that made us and preserves us, certainly hath a right to challenge from us, all the service we can render unto him. For on account of the infinite glories of his nature he must be worthy to receive from us, the affections of our hearts, the praises of our tongues, and services of our lives.

And to render unto him the glory and honour due unto his name, by a religious homage, is as much a moral duty as the offices of justice, mercy, and humanity. The moral Law as much binds us to love and serve God, as to do good to man, to promote his just rights and true happiness. Why are we to do unto others, as we would that they should do unto us, but because the very condition of our nature points it out as proper; reason, common sense, and common interest bind us. We participate of one nature, are placed in the same probationary state, and are liable to the same common evils. Man is then related to man. All are brethren. The laws of reason therefore oblige us to do justice to all:—to be compassionate:—to be condescending—to endeavour to advance the good of all, as we have ability and opportunity. Because the divine Being is our Maker and upholder, for the earth is his, and the fulness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein, we are to worship and serve him. The infinite greatness and glorious majesty of God lay us under the most sacred bonds to worship him. For the Lord is a great God, and a great king above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth; the strength of the hills is his also. The Sea is his; and he made it; and his hands formed the dry land. O come let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Here, in these words of pious David, we are to worship God, because he is God—great and glorious—and because the Maker of the world—and our constant benefactor.

Whether he need our religious services or not—Whether they can benefit him or not—Whether they avail to excite divine commiseration or not—or to change the divine purposes or not—is not the question. He is infinitely exalted, it is conceded, above all blessing and praise, whether of angels or men. His beatitude and glory are incapable of receiving an increase, or sustaining a diminution. His benevolence and clemency are boundless. His omniscience precludes any new information. All our wants and necessities are perfectly before him. The condition of each member of his immense family, in heaven and on earth, is known to him, the blessings which they may need, the dangers which may threaten—the storm which may impend. In regard to the worship of our Father who is in heaven, therefore, the question is, whether it be proper and fit in itself,—whether reasonable—whether the moral law enjoin it. The good it is designed to accomplish respects the worshipper—not the object worshipped. A very mistaken and absurd idea of prayer have those, who suppose the end of it, is to bring any accession of honor or felicity to God. He needs us not. But we cannot be happy without his favour. His favour is life; and his loving kindness better than life. We want his blessings, and must perish forever if they be withholden. And prayer is a mean appointed by him, to obtain all needed mercies.—It hath, therefore, an important—a glorious end.

Moreover, there is another consideration most interesting. We are social beings. Every thing indicates that we were made for society. We are placed in society. As individuals, or singly, we can worship God. We are, consequently, obliged to do it. Were there but one intelligent Creature, in the whole universe, he would be bound, statedly and constantly, to pay homage divine to his adorable Maker. But as we are connected with our fellow-creatures, whether in smaller or larger circles, there are superadded ties to bind us to offer religious addresses to heaven, at all proper seasons or fit times: for there is a time or season for every purpose and duty.—Again, as formed for and placed in society, we have social wants, and, therefore, should look to the author of all good for a supply of them. We should seek his bounty. We have public mercies conferred upon us. These we are bound, by the very nature of the thing, thankfully to acknowledge. We have sins which ought to be jointly confessed, repented of, and pardon solicited, publicly. As a Community or public, common evils are to be deprecated, common favours in Providence owned, and common guilt bewailed. As a people or public we need the smiles and protection of the Almighty. We cannot prosper without them. He orders favourable seasons. He disposes of all public concerns. With him, it is to do as he pleases with us—with ours—with all his people—with all creatures. The very principles of reason, then, teach us jointly to acknowledge our dependence upon him, from whom cometh down every good and perfect gift; who can make us happy—or let us by leaving us to ourselves be miserable. The conclusion is we should engage in his stated public worship and praise. We are capable of doing this. We were made on purpose to shew forth his divine glories and praise. Our tongues, can utter abundantly the memory of his goodness. The faculty of speech, by which we are distinguished from the brutal world, was imparted to us, not to curse and blaspheme, but to praise and adore the glorious donor—not to slander and injure man—but to plead his cause, and the cause of Virtue—to aid man in the road to bliss.

By convening together statedly to worship God, we put a public honor on his name, attributes, providence, and ways. We proclaim to all, that we feel ourselves dependent on him, and subjects of his moral government.—But even beyond this, our being together for public worship quickens and animates each other in things divine and heavenly. It assists and strengthens all the offices of humanity, increases our sense of moral Virtue—is contributing to the honour of Virtue and the depression of Vice. Nay, the power of sympathy—our wish to stand fair in the estimation of each other—the passion of shame—and sense of decency may all, by our being together statedly, in holy time, for the purposes of religious worship, be brought to contribute their proportion to advance the interests of morality, and human happiness. The benevolent lover of God and order—the well-wisher to man’s best and real good—and the peace and happiness of society will stand in a kind of pleasing transport and rapturous gratitude, at the wisdom and goodness of God in appointing public worship. And he cannot but esteem it not a duty only, but a rich privilege to engage in it, at its stated returns.

As reason, thus, teaches us the duty of worshipping the God, who made us, in all the ways, of which we are capable, public, or private; so, it is, here, not improper to remark, we find that much the greater part of heathen nations, in antient days, at set times—or stated seasons, paid some kind of homage to their Idol-Gods. They had their stated sacrifices, oblations, and libations, either annual, or monthly, or weekly. They had their domestic and supreme Divinities, and performed to them not only public, but private, and family devotions. Reason, then, binds all men to pay worship to a superiour power. Revelation points to the right object, and marks out the only true way.

2. God, in his word, most expressly commands us to worship him, and signifies his will, in so plain a manner and so repeatedly, that none can deny the duty, who will be upright in searching his word. We may pretend that we must put off worshipping him, till we reckon we have some internal impression, or impulse, or moving on the soul, or that professed mute worship is sufficient to answer a clear Conscience, but God will not be mocked by such weak pretences. For such pretences disgrace reason, and insult common sense. They are but sorry pleas to evade a plain command. And he who denies, under any cloak whatever, or endeavors to dissuade from the duty of the stated public worship of the Majesty of heaven and earth, can be accounted nothing less than an enemy to God and man, to the glory of God and Salvation of man. Then said Jesus get thee hence, Satan, for it is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. The moment Satan artfully attempted to seduce him from the worship of the one true God, and to draw him to Idolatry, he bids him depart. He frowns upon him with indignation. Get thee hence Satan. Here is an example for us. The moment any one denies, or reproaches the worship of the one supreme Being, our fears should be alarmed, our concern should be roused. Omitting or disparaging, by vile sneers, the worship of God is one of the first steps to a denial of all religion, and to a profligate and immoral life. For a writer of note, and not of the Priesthood, asserts, “that there can be no morality without Religion.”

According to the text, we are to worship God, because he is God: and we are to serve him alone, because there can be but one God—one true God. For all Idols, are a vanity and a lie. And not to worship him, statedly, is to neglect him, to forget him, to forsake him, to be hostile to religion. He has always had a church and people in the world who have faithfully served him. He reared the frame of nature, as a kind of spacious and august Temple, and placed man at first in it, as a Priest to the mouth of creation to offer prayers and praises continually before him. All inanimate things, as it were, silently worship him. It is man’s business to render vocal their homage. He is not to be mute, but to speak forth the divine praises. In the earliest times, God had public worship offered to him, Gen. iv. 26. Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord. Then, began they, as soon as their numbers were adequate, to worship God publicly. A day for solemnizing public worship was instituted in Paradise. Gen. ii. 1, 2, 3. Thus the heavens and earth were finished, and all the hosts of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made: and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it, he had rested from all his work which God had created and made. The appointment of a Sabbath implies the appointment of public worship. A Sabbath, or seventh part of time to be kept holy, necessarily includes the worship of God. For if he were not to be publicly honored and served by his people, in a collective capacity, why need there be a day of rest to be weekly celebrated by religious adoration and praise? And that the Sabbath was observed, and public worship performed by the Saints of the old world cannot be doubted by any, who believe that God had a seed to serve him, in that early age of the world. After the flood, we know that men publicly worshipped God. For we read of their erecting altars, in one place and another, where they removed or resided, and offered sacrifices and praises. Noah, who lived several hundred years before the deluge, and was the father of the new world, was a Preacher of righteousness. But the office of a Preacher cannot be executed without hearers. People must have assembled therefore at stated seasons, to hear him, and to join in worshipping God with him.

When the moral law was given, God commands all to worship and serve him. The moral law was given to Israel as a people, and they were absolutely ordered to worship and serve, as a people, the true God, in distinction from all Idols. The first commandment points out the object of all religious prayer and praises. Thou shalt have no other God before me. They were to forsake all Idols. They were to own, acknowledge, and serve the God of heaven and earth. They were publicly, or as a people, to own, cleave unto, and worship him.—The second Commandment forbids all image-worship—all corruptions and mixtures of human invention in the worship of God. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them. For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God. The reason which God gives, for prohibiting all Idol or image worship is his being jealous for his own honour. He will not give his glory to another, or have any competitor in worship. To worship Idols is directly to forsake and disown him. The third commandment prohibits all profaning the name of God, or his word, or works, or attributes, or any thing whereby he makes himself known. The fourth specifies the proportion of time, the stated season, and appoints the sabbath—or rather renews the appointment of it, for the original appointment was, at the close of Creation, when the six days of labour were ended. All these four commandments relate to the right worship and service of God—the true God; and are honoured with the name of the First table of the law. The moral law begins with our duty to God. It is altogether fit and reasonable that it should begin with our duty to him, who is the sum of all being and blessedness. Divine revelation puts every duty in its proper place. It does not let a less important one occupy the place of a more important one. Our first duty—is with him who is the first of all beings, and infinitely the most glorious.—Can any deny that the worship of God is a moral duty, when so much of the moral law is taken up in commanding it, and regulating it? Then one of them which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him and saying, Master which is the great commandment of the law: Jesus said unto him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. Our Lord thought that the first duty of man was to love and serve God.—And that person must have a very perverted mind who can suppose, that the neglector of divine worship can be said, with any propriety, to love God.

Again, The tabernacle was erected for the public worship of God. It was fashioned by divine order. The very form of it was given to Moses in the mount. Speaking of the various articles used in that wonderful structure, the command to Moses, is, And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was showed thee in the mount. The Tabernacle was the appointed place of public worship for the people of Israel, or God’s visible professing people, in their travels through the wilderness. It continued to be the place of public worship for the nation, till the temple, one of the wonders of the world, was built by Solomon. Here God recorded his name. Here the people were commanded to come. The symbols of his divine presence were in this place. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light: to go by day and night. He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night from before the people. The glory of the God of Israel filled the Tabernacle, was over the mercy-seat. He promised them his blessing in the place of public worship. In all places where I record my name, I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. After the people had gotten possession of the promised land, the Ark of the covenant was lodged in Shiloh, and there for a long time, the people celebrated divine service. When the temple was finished, Jerusalem was fixed upon as the permanent seat. Three times a year all the males were to appear before the Lord in Zion. After the captivity in Babylon the privileges of the sanctuary were again restored. A second temple was built by Zerubbabel, and Israel continued to worship, at Jerusalem, until the Messiah came.

On every Sabbath day, the law of Moses was read and explained by the appointed Teachers, and Songs of Zion were sung. When our Saviour was on earth, in Judea, there were Synagogues, at convenient distances, for public worship, and he honored the Sabbath and public worship by his punctual and constant attendance. And Jesus came to Nazareth where he had been brought up; and as his custom was, he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And even unto this day, the Jews continue the same practice of worshipping God publicly on their Sabbath-days. Isaiah prophesying of Gospel times says, It shall come to pass that from one Sabbath to another all flesh shall come to worship before me saith the Lord.—On the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, St. Paul preached unto them ready to depart on the morrow, and continued his speech until midnight. In places too numerous to be particularly cited, all men are directed to hear the word preached—to attend to it—to obey it. Jesus Christ called and sent his Apostles to proclaim the good news of Salvation. They universally attended the worship of God—prayed—preached—and in religious songs, celebrated the divine praises. And we find it has been the invariable custom of Christians, from the times of the Apostles, down through all ages, and in all countries to the present day, to convene for public worship, in God’s sanctuaries and houses of prayer, from week to week, on the Lord’s day. And we are now, this day, in God’s house, for the same purpose. It is more indeed owing to the institution of public worship, than any thing else, that we now enjoy the Christian Religion; that it has not long ago been lost. Upon the whole, by public worship the interest of the Gospel is supported—the communion of saints preserved—and the kingdom of the Redeemer enlarged.——

DISCOURSE VI.

The duty of public worship, and its beneficial tendency.

MATTHEW iv. 10.

Then saith Jesus, get thee hence Satan, for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

As the stated public worship of the supreme being is the great support of Virtue and Religion in the world, and the means of strengthening and increasing them in particular souls, my design was, with the divine assistance, to give you, in as short a compass as may be, a general view of the subject, an account of what the scripture says and requires, concerning our obligation constantly to attend upon it, on the Lord’s day, unless real necessity may be pleaded; or such an excuse may be offered as will justify us, at the bar of Conscience, and at the bar of the final Judge.

What was proposed in discoursing upon the words of the text was—to prove the duty of public worship.——

And then to illustrate the beneficial tendency of it.

In the preceding discourse, we entered upon the proof that it is an indispensable duty statedly to worship God with our fellow-men. This we attempted by two arguments, first, from the principles of reason—and secondly, from the many plain and clear intimations of the word of God.—We pass, thirdly, to observe that, had not God intended that his people should statedly honour his name by public worship, he would never have instituted the Christian Ministry. That he has appointed such an order of men, is as plainly revealed as any truth or doctrine can be revealed. He calls and qualifies them for the important work. He commissions them. The qualifications for the ministerial work and duty are frequently and largely described. The particular manner, in which they are to be separated to the work, or invested with the office of the evangelical Ministry, is marked out. None who seriously believe in the divine authority of the scriptures, can either deny or dispute the institution of the sacred order, or appointment of stated Pastors to be continued, in the Churches, till the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Most full and express to this purpose are the following passages. And he gave some Apostles: and some prophets: and some evangelists: and some Pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the Ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.—Go ye, teach all nations baptizing them, and teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you—and Lo! I am with you always: even unto the end of the world.—Again; go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved, but he that believeth not, shall be damned. The Apostle Paul seems to make a constant attendance on the preached word a necessary mean of the conviction and conversion of sinners. Whosoever, says he, shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then, adds he, shall they call upon him of whom they have not heard? or hear without a preacher? And so he concludes, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God preached.

Priests and prophets were appointed to minister in holy things in the Jewish Church. The Jews were bound in duty to attend upon their ministrations. A temple was built, by divine order; public prayers were to be offered in it; Sacrifices were to be attended; and other religious ceremonies to be performed. But how absurd was all this: if the people were not to resort to this Temple, to unite in these prayers, and to engage in the other religious offerings? Was it not expressly commanded that the law should be read on the Sabbath day? But to what end could this be, if the people were not to hear it? Did not God, in an extraordinary manner, by his spirit, raise up a succession of prophets in the Jewish Church, and send them forth with his messages to the people to warn, reprove, and instruct them? Is not the necessary consequence that the people were to convene to hear their warnings, or the word of the Lord? In the gospel-dispensation, God has appointed ordinances of worship. His ministering servants are to preach his word faithfully—to take heed to their doctrine—to deliver sound doctrine: they are to teach all nations. But how can they discharge their duty, if people be not obliged constantly to attend to their teachings?

4. The obligation statedly to worship God in public may be argued from the frequent injunctions, in the Gospel, to hear the word dispensed. The parable of the Sower, with our Lord’s own exposition of it, were there no other scripture-argument, would be sufficient to satisfy every reasonable mind that an order of men are appointed to preach the Gospel, and that the people are indispensably obliged to assemble themselves together to hear the word preached, and to join in all the acts of public worship. The sower is the appointed and duly authorized Preacher. The seed sowed is the doctrines or truths of the Gospel. The different soils represent the various sorts of hearers. Those who wisely and duly improve the precious advantages of a preached Gospel, are those who receive the seed into good and honest hearts. Our Lord reminds all, of the duty and importance of rightly hearing the word of the Kingdom, Who, says he, hath ears to hear let him hear. He tells all people to take heed how they hear. Take heed therefore how ye hear. But in order to hear, they must be where the word is to be dispensed. How much he prized the duty of a constant and faithful attendance upon a preached Gospel, we learn from his own mouth. And he answered and said my Mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God and do it. A beatitude is pronounced upon such as hear and keep the word of God. But he said, yea rather blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it. If they hear it, they must be where it is appointed to be dispensed. St. James directs us to be swift to hear, which must imply that we be solicitous and careful to be in the place, where the word is to be preached. Wherefore, continues he, lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass. The duty of hearing the word of God dispensed in his sanctuary, is often enjoined in scripture upon all people, whether old or young, high or low, rich or poor. And this duty involves in it, or necessarily presupposes the whole of public worship. Such persons as think themselves too knowing, or too exalted, or too important, or such as through prejudice, or indolence or disregard of all Religion refuse, to appear before God in his house on the Sabbath to hear the word, and join in other Lord’s-day solemnities, do what in them lies to discredit the public exercises of Religion, and are responsible to him, who will be their final Judge. The sin of neglecting public worship—of profaning the Sabbath—or forsaking divine ordinances is seldom viewed, as it ought to be, as heinous in its nature, and pernicious in its tendency.

5thly. The duty of public worship may be argued from the institution of a Gospel-Church and the holy sacraments, baptism and the Lord’s supper. The very nature of a Gospel-Church, implies the obligation of the stated worship of God in public. The Christian ordinances of baptism and the Eucharist necessarily include public worship. If divine ordinances are to be dispensed—if the friends of religion are to bind themselves to serve, love, and fear God, by covenant vows and a profession of religion, they must meet together for this purpose. How could the ordinances of God be administered, if his people were not to assemble themselves together to enjoy them? The institution of the Christian Sabbath is also a clear proof of the obligation of stated public worship. If God have ordained one day in seven, to be employed in religious duties, his people are to sanctify it, or use it for the ends, for which it was appointed. They are to convene together to pray unto him, to praise his name, to celebrate his ordinances, and to attend to his word. All these institutions, therefore, are connected. If one be denied, the others cannot be retained. They must all stand or fall together. If we give up one, we must, to be consistent, give up all.

Having now, at some length, proved the duty of stated public worship, we shall, as proposed, endeavour to illustrate its importance, in the Christian system, and its beneficial tendency.

In order to see, in a clear and forcible manner, the great importance and beneficial tendency of public worship, we will consider the purposes, for which it was instituted by a wise and gracious God. These are three: Man’s present and temporal happiness: his spiritual and eternal happiness; and the divine glory.

1st. In the institution of public worship, a wise and merciful God, had in view man’s present and temporal happiness. This is a very important end, but is the least so of the three now to be illustrated. Could mankind be convinced of this, and really feel it in a proper manner, we should see a reformation in their conduct—our congregations would be full—our Churches crowded—and the holy Sabbath better observed. The ardent wish is to be happy. The general enquiry is who will show us any good? How may our interest be secured and advanced? While I am therefore pleading for the honours of God’s holy name and worship, in the Sanctuary; I consider myself, and hope to be able to make it appear so, as pleading human happiness. All must, then, attend carefully to what promises to be for the benefit of all. Though few truths be more certain, than that public worship is designed and calculated to promote the real welfare of civil society, or present temporal happiness of man, yet very sanguine hopes of making a deep impression of this most pleasing doctrine upon the mind cannot be entertained. It is extremely difficult to induce people to believe that any part or duty of Religion will yield them a present profit, or be most for their present interest. But our present as well as future good is aimed at undoubtedly by public worship. An unnecessary restraint or burden was never imposed on man by his munificent Creator. God consults our happiness in his Providence and word, and in the whole frame of Christianity. Those that honor me, says he, I will honor, but they that despise me, shall be lightly esteemed. If we honor him with our substance, he will not forget to bless us. Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of thine increase, so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

The peace, the order, and the well-being of society are intended in the Gospel.—The Religion which it exhibits, is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, as well as that which is to come. It is calculated, in its whole frame, its duties, doctrines, and ordinances, to secure the rights of man—to promote freedom, to make mankind happy on earth, as well as blessed in heaven. Its tendency to promote our present good deserves to be numbered among its excellencies and the evidences of its divinity. Indeed, rightly understood, there is no part of it, nor any of its duties, but tend to advance our well-being in this world.—If, in other Countries where it is known, it have, in any measure or degree, injured society, the evil is to be imputed not to its nature or original design, but to superstition, or to the corruptions of it. For in many countries where it is known, it has lost its native simplicity and proper glory. It is so disfigured and distorted that, if the first heralds of it, were now to revisit the earth, they would not even know, that what is called the Christian Religion, in some countries, and among some sects, was pretended to be the religion which they preached, and the truth of which, they sealed with their own blood.

If, in other Lands, ecclesiastical tyranny and persecution have reigned, and the rights of conscience have been invaded and trampled upon, still in our country, there is not a single vestige of this. All enjoy universal toleration. Civil government is not incorporated with the Church. In America there is nothing of the nature of a Hierarchy. The religion of Jesus Christ stands upon its own basis. Happy Land! It is our favoured lot, my fellow Christians, to live in a country which has the honor of exhibiting the first instance the world ever saw, of a civil Government established upon the broad basis of equal and universal liberty. Religion sheds indeed a most benign influence on society. Civil government and true liberty receive support and authority from it. It enforces all good laws by the powerful ties of conscience. It breaths forth ardent prayers to almighty God for the tranquillity of the public—for the divine smiles to rest on rulers and ruled—and on all the various orders of the community—that vice and all land-defiling sins may be suppressed—and that the righteousness which exalteth a nation may flourish. Besides one essential part of Religion is morality. There can be no true Religion without morality. And the more morality is taught, recommended and practiced, the more prosperous will be civil society—the more strengthened in its kind purposes will be civil government—the more respected will be the laws against vice and injustice—the more esteemed will be civil rulers—the more sober, regular, and industrious will be the whole mass of the citizens. Public worship may fitly be termed the school of morality.—The weekly instructions, delivered to attentive audiences, on the Lord’s day, on the duties of morality, have an unknown effect, an insensible influence upon the general morals of the people. As a people we do not realize the singular temporal blessings derived from public worship. The instructions of God’s house tend to enlarge the mind—to promote charity, peace and benevolence, and of course our best temporal interest. They are adapted to soften the heart and liberalize the soul. They adorn the social life; they are well calculated to render man benefit—friendly, and compassionate—diligent in his calling—faithful to his word—punctual in his dealings—sensible to the misfortunes of others—a good Christian—and from a good Christian to a good member of civil society the transition is easy. Were there, as the Atheist pretends to believe, no other world besides this or were death to be the final extinction of the living principle, it would be wise in a people statedly to attend public worship, as an excellent expedient to advance the dearest interests of society.—I have enlarged a little upon this idea, that public worship is designed to promote man’s present temporal happiness; because I deem it an important one, and because it is seldom enlarged upon.

2dly. Another and the great end of public worship is man’s spiritual future and eternal happiness. Between his temporal and spiritual happiness there is no room for comparison. As much above the former is the latter as heaven is above the earth. Our spiritual happiness claims from us our first, our greatest, and chief attention. It is as much to be preferred to our present interest as the soul is to be preferred to the body. Hence the exhortation, labour not for the meat that perisheth, but for that which endureth to everlasting life. What is it to be happy for a few fleeting days on earth, to being blessed in heaven to all Eternity! Even were we to gain the whole world, and lose the soul, we should be infinite losers. God has instituted public worship on purpose that we might be saved from sin and misery: that we might attend supremely to our highest, our spiritual well-being:—that we might know the truth:—that we might be blessed while we live:—and blessed when we shall come to die: and reside after death in his kingdom forever. It is the principal mean, appointed by infinite wisdom and goodness, to awaken, to convince, to convert the sinner—to comfort and establish the saint; to instruct—to guide—to save us from error—to animate us in duty. The truths to be dispensed, in the sanctuary, are God’s truths—the word preached is his word—not human opinions or traditions—or dreams of philosophy; the ordinances administered are also his holy ordinances. The divine word is powerful and penetrating. It is purifying and enlivening. It is compared to things most powerful—to fire that melteth—to a hammer that breaketh in pieces the flinty rock—to a sharp two edged sword—to incorruptible seed that liveth and abideth forever. The word to be dispensed is morally adapted to accomplish all its own purposes—to impress the conscience, to call up attention—to reprove for sin—to convince—to enlighten—and to console the mind. The grace and spirit of God are, moreover, promised to render it effectual. God will not suffer his own means to fail of success. He will clothe them with an almighty energy. Where he hath recorded his name, there he will meet with and bless his assembled people. Zion of old, we are informed, was the birth-place of saints. There they received light and were comforted. This man and that man we are told were born in her. By public worship there performed, souls were quickened—God was honoured—truth was promoted—and grace divine manifested. The great End of public worship is to promote man’s future, spiritual happiness—to bring him to pardon—to sanctify him—and to meeten him for the joys and glories of the heavenly state.—

3dly. God, also, instituted public worship to advance his own glory. This is his highest aim in all things. His ultimate end in Creation, Providence and Redemption. For his sake or to manifest his praise all things are, and were made. Thou hast made all things and for thy pleasure they are, and were made. Of him, as the original cause, through him as the grand Preserver, and to him as the ultimate end are all things: to whom be glory forever. That which is of the greatest worth or importance, no doubt, will by him be first of all regarded, and regarded exactly according to its worth. The divine glory is certainly, in reason’s view, infinitely the most worthy object. And, of course, it is infinitely fit that God should make it his highest aim. It is of more worth than the whole universe. All nature had better go to ruin, than God’s honour be stained. And what he, who is the wisest of all beings, steadily pursues as his ultimate end, ought to be the highest object with all intelligent Creatures, whether in heaven or on earth. In saving man doth the divine glory shine with an attractive splendor.—When the sinner repents—when he submits to a holy and sovereign God—when he is pardoned—when he is sanctified—when he is justified—the divine glory is illustriously displayed. And public worship, in a peculiar manner, honours God. Those who attend upon it testify publicly to the world, their belief in his existence, trust in his mercy, dependence upon his goodness, obedience to his laws, subjection to his authority and acknowledgement of all his glories. When we convene in the Courts of the Lord, to pray unto him, and praise his name, we do as much as declare to all, that we are not ashamed to own and serve him as our God and king, and by our example invite others to give him the glory due upon his name. That God considers public worship as honouring him is evident from his terming the habitation of his house, the place where his honour dwells; that is, where he is honoured in a special manner.—Moreover we are told, that he loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Praying families he loves; but praying worshipping Assemblies he loves more, because he receives a larger tribute of glory from them.——

To show the greatest importance and beneficial tendency of public worship, some further particulars may be pertinently added. Its happy effects are many and great. Could I describe them, in their beauty and glory, every heart would be warmed, every ear would listen, every tender emotion would be excited.

In general, we may be certain that God would not have ordained public worship, had it not been necessary, useful and wise; had it not been for our good in time, and in Eternity. Neither his wisdom, nor goodness, nor justice, nor mercy would require us to do what would, when done, be of no service or benefit to us in particular, or of any importance to the world at large.—

One happy effect of public worship is to prevent Religion from being lost in the world. If ever mankind be brought to a steady, regular, punctual, and conscientious attendance upon it, they must be convinced of its beneficial tendency both on the mind and the morals. The real friend of the Gospel and its benevolent System of principles and duties wants no aid from superstition, or fanaticism. He wishes the promotion of no Religion, which is not genuine and rational. People are not made better by any superstition, or wild and irrational practices. If public worship be not adapted to benefit society, to secure and advance its best interest, its peace and order; if it be not calculated to make us better men—better citizens—better members of civil society; if it have no natural adaptedness to do us good in every relation in life, in every station—in every condition, it can answer no very valuable purposes, as to this world in respect to civil government or our temporal happiness. People at large will entertain no cordial esteem for its duties, or exert themselves statedly to attend upon it, unless we can offer arguments sufficient to satisfy them of its great advantage. To prove that the supreme Being hath most expressly instituted it, and that he most solemnly requires all, of every rank and station, to a punctual attendance upon it, is not enough. This we can easily do. This often hath been done. But the most material point of all, on this subject, is to convince the mind that it hath a most happy beneficial tendency not only to secure our future, but to promote our present felicity. Unless we can lay before people, considerations of sufficient weight, to impress their minds with a deep affecting sense of its great importance and good effects, they will not feel the obligations to attend upon it, in such a manner, as will be influential on their practice. They will treat it as of little consequence in itself, or to the community. They will speak of it in terms either of disrespect or reproach; they will infrequently attend upon it, or wholly retire from it.—Hath it then any happy effects on the minds and morals of a people, or hath it not? Is it of any advantage?—Or is it of so much advantage as to make it highly expedient—and not only highly expedient but an indispensable duty to repair statedly to places of public worship, and join in all its holy exercises? Let us go into a large and candid enquiry. Let us attend to the arguments, which shall be offered, without any prejudice, or unwillingness to be convinced. Let us receive light when presented: hear patiently, and weigh carefully reasons when offered. A prejudiced mind is not in a situation to admit conviction. A real and inward dislike of Religion, will prevent our hearing an argument, as we ought to hear it, the design of which, is to honor and recommend any important branch or interesting duty of it. If we really hate Religion, and have no regard to principles of morality, we are prepared to treat with scorn all arguments in favour of any of its duties, though the arguments be altogether rational and fully conclusive.—

Public worship is directly calculated to preserve religion in the world, or to prevent it from being lost, and is, therefore, of the greatest moment and most beneficial tendency. This consideration will have no effect upon any, who do not esteem Religion both necessary and important. For if it be a fiction, a mere fable, it ought to be disesteemed by all, and expelled from the world, and of course that which tends to prevent its being lost, would on this supposition, be really of pernicious tendency. To all who admit the reality of religion, whatever hath a tendency to preserve it, must be exceedingly dear. And they will be cordially attached to it. As long as public worship is honored and maintained, religion, the holy scriptures, and morality will be honored, likewise, and maintained: will be esteemed and admired. They can never be lost as long as a Christian Ministry and a Christian worship are regarded. There is no other way, possibly, in the nature of things, to extirpate the true religion from the earth, but to pull down all the Altars of God—to rase to the ground all the temples of the Most High—to prevent or forbid all worship of the Deity in public. And the spirit of the present day which hath gone forth against the corrupt governments in Europe, or the thrones of Kings, wages war also against the Altars of God. It makes no discrimination between gross superstition and rational religion. By ridicule, by insult, by impious scoffs, the enemies of morality and the Gospel are exerting all their malice and power to induce people to treat all religion as a mere human contrivance, and to leave the temples of God to moulder down, forsaken and despised. Julian, a Roman Emperor, surnamed with great justice the Apostate, was a very cunning and subtle man. He had great abilities. He was a philosopher. After he became an unbeliever, and openly renounced the Christian religion, he resolved to annihilate it, to expel it, name and thing, from the world. And there are too many, in this age, who ardently wish he had succeeded. As the only probable mean to accomplish his purpose, he deposed all Christian Ministers, and prohibited, by his imperial authority, all public worship. The pagan Priests he honored every where, and highly distinguished them by his favor. The temples of God he turned into shrines for pagan Idols. Lectures on the Platonic philosophy succeeded to the exhibition of Gospel doctrines and divine ordinances. And had not that Being, who is wiser than the wisest, and who, with infinite ease, frustrates the counsel of man, interposed, and raised up a successor to the imperial Dignity who was a cordial friend to the Gospel of the Saviour; the artful Apostate would have done, what all enemies of christianity wish had been done, wholly extirpated it. But Jesus of Nazareth, the despised Galilean, the doctrines of the cross, have triumphed. The gates of hell, Satanic and human malice, cannot prevail. The Christian Religion has lived, in spite of all opposition—and will live to the End of the world. Under Providence, the continuance of it, to this day, is to be chiefly, if not wholly, ascribed to public worship and divine institutions. Drop all public worship, and religion is supplanted. Probably the holy scriptures would never more be translated—if preserved, at all, in their original languages, it would be in the cabinets of the curious. To public worship, then, are we mainly indebted, that religion is not lost, in the waste of time, the revolutions of the arts and sciences, the confusion and wreck of kingdoms, the wars and public calamities of nations, the vices of men, and the multitude of idolatrous rites.

DISCOURSE VII.

The duty of public worship, and its beneficial tendency.

MATTHEW iv. 10.

Then saith Jesus, get thee hence Satan, for it is written; Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Among all the visible Creatures, it is man’s peculiar excellency, that he is capable of considering and worshipping his Maker and was made for that purpose. Your attention is again called therefore to the duty and beneficial tendency of public worship.—We have already largely argued the duty of it from reason and scripture, the two great sources of moral and religious knowledge.—The beneficial tendency of it we urged from a consideration of the purposes, for which it was instituted; which were these three, man’s present and temporal happiness:—his future spiritual and eternal happiness: and the divine glory.—Its beneficial tendency we likewise argued from this consideration, that it is an excellent expedient to prevent Religion from being lost in the world. There will never be much serious godliness among any people or in any family, where public worship is lightly esteemed, or generally neglected. For it is an excellent expedient to keep alive on the mind a sense of Religion, and our obligations to a gracious and holy God.

This is the second consideration, which will be urged, to illustrate the great utility of public worship.

No man who has any just views of the nature and importance of Religion, can be indifferent about the state of it, among those with whom he lives, and in the place where divine providence has cast his lot, and where he expects to spend the remnant of his days. If he desire to have it flourish, to see morality honoured, and the happiness of others increased, he must be a firm friend to the public worship of God. He who treats his Maker with intire neglect, or disowns the obligations he is under to him, will treat his fellow-men with scorn, and make light of the obligations he is under to them. Without public worship God would soon be forgotten, and Religion lost among us. If man be once released from the obligations of Piety, no other will bind them: there will be no mutual trust and confidence among us: yea, society would be dissolved. The fear of God is the principal support of government, and of the peace and good order of the world. The more godliness there is among us, the more honesty, industry, and sobriety there will be. Nothing but religious principles will restrain men from secret wickedness, controul the licentiousness of the Great, who think themselves above law; and curb the wild passions of the people. And as there is no probability that Religion will ever flourish, or even subsist among us, without public worship, it is very desirable it should be constantly and faithfully attended upon for the good of our country; that we may become a sober, virtuous nation, and God may not be provoked, to send upon us destroying judgments, or still more severely chastise us. Let every one then, who wishes well to the interests of his country, shew it, by diligence in attending upon the duties of Piety in God’s Courts. We hear many express themselves very high on the subject of honesty and faithfulness to promises. And too much cannot be spoken in praise of these. They are the pillars of public order. But in what way are we to expect, that the great body of people will be honest, sober, industrious, temperate, and faithful? In the omission, or in the practice of the duties of public worship? Can we hope that they will be regular, sober, honest members of civil society, while they despise the duties, which they owe to God, in his sanctuary, on his holy Sabbaths? If we flatter ourselves that this will be the case, we discover our want of wisdom, and a true knowledge of human nature. We may as well look for the streams to flow, when the fountain is dried up. Will the rose blossom and send forth its fragrance, when the root is decayed? some will tell us notwithstanding, that they have constantly attended public worship, for many years together, and still have never found any happy effects either on their minds or lives. They fail not, also, to add that others, in the circle of their acquaintance, are constant in appearing before God in Zion, who are very bad men, who practise all manner of wickedness. To what purpose, they ask, is it, then, to be constant in the duties of public worship on the Sabbath, if the week be spent in dishonesty, idleness, falsehood, and vice?—It would be perfectly safe to risk our cause in an appeal to experience or fact. Let us examine the lives and conduct of those, who make conscience of the duty of public worship, and those who deny or neglect it altogether. Every one who is capable of observation knows the difference. So true is this, that it is a common remark that no one denies or deserts public worship, but he falls into some vice, some scene of iniquity. He has done that which makes him ashamed to see his fellow-men, and join in worshipping God with them. Atheists and Libertines renounce the duty. They reproach it, and display all the bitterness of malice against it. Some, it is granted, are never seen, or seldom seen, within the walls of a Church, who are still honest and upright in their dealings—and against whom the charge of immorality and profaneness cannot be justly laid. Others may omit the duty, through mere sloth or negligence, or some prejudice or pique. But when candor has made this concession, it must stop. I would wish to wound the feelings of no man—much less to bring in a false accusation. However truth is sacred, and must not be given up.—Are not sabbath-breakers—look round and see, and judge righteous judgment, are not neglectors of the duties of Piety in God’s house, generally profane and immoral? Do they not too often prove, by their conduct, that they have no principle?

If any still object and say, “I have attended constantly for a succession of years, and have found no real good effect on my heart or conduct. I am as much averse to religion as ever: as dishonest and unjust as ever: as ignorant and blind as ever, having no knowledge of one duty, doctrine, ordinance, or virtue of Religion—as profane, as hard-hearted, as unkind, as brutal in my manners and temper as ever, as intemperate and villainous as ever. I therefore am resolved, I will never go to public worship again. I have gotten no good. Public instructions have never taught me any thing. I know no more of the subject of Religion and morality, than if I had never heard one word about them. I have no more conscience about duty, or seriousness, than if I had never been urged and importuned to become an upright and good man.” Is this really the case? Can any one make this confession consistently with truth? If so, your situation is indeed awful and alarming. The tear of commiseration may be shed over you. If you have any sense or reason, you must tremble. An immediate reformation is now incumbent on you. You have not a day or moment to lose. But can you think this a valid objection against the importance and happy advantages of public worship? It is a full proof of your own guilt and iniquity, but no proof against the duty of a constant attendance upon the holy solemnities of Zion. But let me expostulate a moment with you. I feel an uncommon solicitude for you. Give me leave to ask, how do you know that public worship has been of no benefit to you? Can you possibly tell how bad you would have been, or how much more vile and abominable, or ignorant and abandoned, you would have been, than you now are, if you had always refused to attend public worship? You might have been in the midst of almost all evil. You have been under great restraint. If you be not sensible, that you ever received any instruction or one idea of christian doctrine, still you may have acquired much religious knowledge, and gained much strength against temptations and sins, and not be sensible of it. We imperceptibly acquire knowledge and the habits of moral honesty. Perhaps, by attending public worship, you have been saved from those open sins, which would have destroyed your reputation, and ruined you, both for this world and the next. But further, permit me, or rather suffer conscience to do its friendly office, and ask you, if you have never gotten any good at all by public worship, was the fault yours, or was it not? Where is the blame to be fixed? Somewhere it must lie: for it is exceedingly great.—When you have been in God’s Sanctuary, did you never hear one proper prayer offered to the throne of grace, did you never hear from any one, a discourse that contained, at least, some moral or religious truth, some really Gospel-doctrine, something to regulate your morals, to enforce duty, to invite you to love, fear, and serve God, to do good to man, and to live a pious and holy life? Is it possible for you to say, you never heard one prayer, or one discourse, that had any truth or knowledge in it? If you have heard both pious prayers, and edifying discourses, what is the reason you have gotten no good? The blame is yours. Have you not been prejudiced? Have you not been careless and inattentive? Have you not been stupid and thoughtless? How unreasonable then is your conduct in objecting against public worship! How foolishly do you act to forsake God in his worshipping Assemblies? A man sick unto death calls an eminent Physician. The Physician repairs in haste to the chamber of the sick. He hears his groans, he critically examines his case. He prescribes the only proper and effectual remedies; and retires. The patient refuses, after viewing them to apply them. But he insists upon it, that the physician is unskillful, and the means ineffectual. The disorder rages: nature yields under its violence, and the poor Sick man dies, because he would not apply the prescribed means. Where is the blame to be charged? Let common sense furnish the answer.

Public worship is particularly calculated to keep up a sense of Religion on the soul. Such is the nature of man, that he must have forms of worship, or he will lose all sense of God and divine things. The substance and power cannot be preserved, where the forms are denied and relinquished. In the public Assemblies of God’s people, the various principles of human nature are made to operate in favor of religion: the power of sympathy, all know, is very great, and in public worship this may be the mean of exciting serious attention and thoughtfulness. When we go to the house of the Lord, weekly, to pray and praise, to speak and hear divine truths, we shall be ashamed to fall into vice—to commit scandalous crimes—or to act an unjust or unkind part. If we do what is mean, dishonest, or vile, we shall reluctate seeing our fellow-worshippers again, when the Sabbath revolves. All love the praise of others, and desire their esteem; and they therefore will endeavour to behave so as to see their fellow-worshippers with pleasure again. Joint prayers tend to solemnize the soul; joint praises to enliven the affections; and public instruction to enlighten the mind. Nay, barely seeing each other together, after the business, toils and dispersions of the week, tends to soften and humanize the soul:—to promote kindness and friendship, benevolence and morality:—to make us ashamed of our follies and vices—fearful of error—and to esteem and revere Virtue. It nourishes moral sentiments and keeps men from degenerating into an uncultivated unsocial state. In the institution of public worship, the supreme Being considers men as being what they are, as being influenced by the principles, we find they are, in our connexion with the world. He treats them as moral agents and social beings. And all the powers of human nature and principles of society are compelled to operate in favour of moral and divine things. Public worship, therefore, tends to make men sober and moral, pious and just: good citizens and obedient subjects, faithful parents and dutiful children, obliging neighbours and useful members of the Community.—The seasons of public worship are placed at a convenient distance. Were the distance greater or less, it would not be so well. Were the seasons of it to return once in three days, multitudes would not have time enough, to attend to their necessary concerns—or to provide for their comfortable subsistence. Were they to return only once a month, or three or four times in a year—we should forget our duty—be under disadvantages about acquiring religious knowledge, or being fitted for duty. One day, in seven, seems to be a happy mean—a due proportion of time. Six days we may attend to our secular pursuits or callings. Every seventh is to be consecrated to God, as a season of public devotion. And the solemnities of public worship have a direct and immediate tendency to impress the mind with a sense of the reality and importance of divine things, and to cherish and preserve a sense of religion among mankind.—

A third consideration to convince us of the happy tendency of public worship, is its adaptedness to diffuse extensively religious knowledge. That a just understanding of the holy scriptures, and of the essential principles of the Gospel and morality is of high importance, it is presumed no one will dispute. For the soul to be without knowledge is not good. We cannot be happy without it. We cannot be saved without it. It is the food of the mind; supports and invigorates. And here, it ought to be remembered, that such is the nature of the Christian Religion, that it cannot flourish, or be even continued in its purity, without knowledge. A high degree of ignorance is incompatible with salvation. Man is also exceedingly averse to the trouble and pains of acquiring knowledge. He is stupid and unwilling to attend to spiritual things. He needs line upon line: instruction upon instruction.—Besides, a very large proportion of the children of men must of necessity labour for a subsistence in the world. From the very state and circumstances, in which they are placed, laborious diligence is requisite. It is not optional with them, whether to be industrious or not. Necessity compels them. If they will not work, they cannot live. And this is a wise ordering in Providence. For industry is friendly to health and Virtue. If the earth were to yield, spontaneously all that man wants for his support, it would not be so well for him. It is a blessing then that he is obliged to be industrious. Idleness is the inlet of every vice. If man be not necessarily employed about what is useful and good, he will employ himself about evil. Since then so great a part of the human race are obliged to be engaged in laborious employments, public worship is a happy expedient to spread Christian knowledge. Innumerable multitudes may be instructed at one and the same time. The benefit of a whole week of diligent study may be enjoyed in one day by thousands. Public instructions, in God’s house of prayer, are the easiest way of communicating and diffusing knowledge. The Christian Minister, we hence learn ought to be able to teach—to be furnished with a high degree of knowledge—to be a man of learning and extensive science. An illiterate man, however pious and good he may be, is totally unqualified for sustaining the office, or discharging the duties, of a Gospel-Minister.

A fourth argument to prove the beneficial tendency of public worship is, that the duties or exercises of it are well adapted to promote the Salvation of men.—If any under the peculiar advantages of the public stated worship of God finally perish, it will be a dreadful reflection, when they shall be forced to say, how have I hated instruction and my heart despised reproof? And have not obeyed the voice of my Teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me. I was in almost all evil in the midst of the congregation and Assembly.—Wisdom says unto all, of every rank and condition, hear instruction, and be wise and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. Blessed, indeed, are all who hear the word of God and keep it;—who are constant in attending upon, and who duly improve sanctuary-opportunities and privileges; who never fail, except when strict necessity or charity may be pleaded, to appear in God’s house, and exert themselves to have its duties of essential service to them. Every part of divine service is fitted to awaken serious consideration—to call the mind off from vanity and folly—to represent all vice and hypocrisy in an odious, and all Virtue and duty in an amiable light. God and angels are witnesses of the devotions of his worshipping people. When we are before him, here in his courts, his all-seeing eye is upon us. He records in the book of his remembrance what is amiss or insincere, and an account must at last be rendered unto him of the hours we spend here, as well as of all our thoughts, words, and deeds. This is sufficient to compose the mind, to solemnize the heart, and to render us attentive. We may well exclaim with Jacob, how dreadful is this place! this is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven! We should all say with Cornelius, now therefore are we all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.

A fifth argument to evince the beneficial tendency of public worship is, that it is calculated to bring people to a friendly temper towards each other, and to mutual love and forbearance. In divine ordinances, the worshippers appear like brethren. They ask for the same mercies. They look to the same Mediator for a full pardon of their manifold impieties. They profess to believe the same truths, to need the same purifying grace to restore unto their hearts the lost image of God. They partake of the same ordinances. Their voices are mingled in the same praises. Can they, then, fall out by the way? Must they not be mild and forgiving towards each other? Can they refuse to practice condescension? They all appear before a holy God—profess to hope for the same salvation—and at last to enter into the same kingdom of Glory.—

The sixth and last consideration to evince the beneficial tendency of public worship is, that it serves to train us up for the worship and employments of the celestial kingdom. Pious worshippers cannot but rejoice, to think that the institution of public worship is, as it were, a concert of prayer—that all Christians in past ages have loved to engage in it, and left their testimony in its favour by their constant attendance upon it. They recorded their sweet experience of its pleasure. And all sincere friends to the cause of the Redeemer, over the Countries where the Gospel is known, make conscience of assembling together to honour God in public worship. When we address ourselves to the various parts of it, we are animated, we are consoled, with the thought that we are not alone, but that all God’s people are joining with us. How has my heart been enlarged with this idea! But what is the worship of God here on earth compared to the heavenly! Here sin stains our best duties. Imperfections cleave to all our warmest devotions. Clouds of error obstruct the clear and full view of truth. We know but in part, we prophesy but in part. Our harps are hung on the willows. A dead languor rests on all our religious performances. But in heaven there will be no cold hearts—no dissenting voices.—Perfect love will animate all the worshippers in the realms of eternal day. They are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple. Their joy is one. Their happiness is one. And their worship is the perfection of ardour, sublimity and purity.—How can we behold worshipping Assemblies joined in prostrate adorations before the throne of grace, and uniting their voices in hallelujahs of praise to the Eternal King, without having our thoughts led forward to that delightful scene of heavenly worship, where mingled choirs of angels and saints, whose number is ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, are continually saying with a loud voice, worthy is the Lamb! blessing, and honour, and glory, and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne. Do not the crouded Assemblies of Christian worshippers bear some distant resemblance to the Zion above?—Let it be our supreme concern, to be fitted and trained up by the humbler forms of devotion in the Church militant, for the exalted services and work of the Church triumphant.——Such are the happy effects of stated public worship and instructions, prayers and praises. “Prayers,” says a mahometan writer, “are the pillars of Religion; and they that forsake prayer, forsake Religion.”—The public devotions of God’s house, how advantageous: how useful: how beneficial in their tendency!—“To thee, O devotion, we owe the highest improvement of our nature, and much of the enjoyment of our life. Thou art the support of our virtue, and the rest of our souls in this turbulent world. Thou composest the thoughts. Thou calmest the passions. Thou exaltest the heart. Thy communications, and thine only are imparted to the low, no less than to the high, to the poor as well as the rich. In thy presence worldly distinctions cease; and under thy influence worldly sorrows are forgotten. Thou art the balm of the wounded mind. Thy sanctuary is ever open to the miserable; inaccessible only to the unrighteous and impure. Thou beginnest on earth the temper of heaven. In thee hosts of angels and blessed spirits eternally rejoice.” So important is the duty of public worship to the world and the interest of moral Virtue, that we can hardly be too zealous in recommending it, or exceed in our encomiums upon it. For it is impossible a man should be good, while he altogether omits the duties of Piety. The neglect of them shews that we have no right notions of God, no sense of his presence, no hearty desires of his mercy, and no solid hope of his favour.—

We will here, at the proper place to insert the remark, and as a further proof and powerful recommendation of the duty of public worship, see what the views, and opinions, or feelings and practice of the scripture-saints were in regard to it. How the Apostle Paul viewed it, we learn from the following direction of his. Not forsaking the Assembling yourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another. These words teach us that there were, in the days of the Apostles, and should be in all ages, Christian Assemblies for the public worship of God and mutual edification: and that it ever was, and ever will continue to be the duty of all Christians to frequent these Assemblies in obedience to the command of God, to perpetuate and maintain his worship in the world, and for the confirmation of their faith, and their mutual edification unto life eternal. To the Corinthian christians, he says, In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together: He speaks of their being convened for public worship, as their stated custom. And in his salutation to them as a Church, he mentions those that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ. Unto the Church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are Sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Those in every place that call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ are all worshipping Assemblies of Christians. Our Lord himself promises, in a most tender and affecting manner, his gracious notice, presence, and blessing with ever so small a number of his worshipping disciples or followers. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. His calling his followers a church implies necessarily their assembling statedly for worship and mutual edification. Public worship directly honors Jesus Christ, and is a most expressive way of owning him before men; and denying it or neglecting it, is denying him and being ashamed of him. He that denyeth me, and is ashamed of me and my words before men, him will I deny before my father which is in heaven and his angels. The Psalms are full of expressions of warm affection and attachment, as all know who read them, to the courts of the Lord, to public worship. All good men love the ways of Zion, esteem and value exceedingly the word of God—the house of God—the ordinances of God—the Sabbaths of God.—Man never appears in so amiable an attitude as when on his knees before his Maker. The pleasure of engaging cordially in public worship is noble. How often too does God honor his worshipping Assemblies by his favorable presence—by communicating his grace—mercy—peace, and pardon to pious worshippers. What delight! what joy! what sweet experience! what comfort—what transport in joining “in work and worship so divine.” As a specimen of the esteem for the public worship of God, of delight in it—of ardent desires after it—of the profitableness of it—I have selected from the Psalms, the following passages—How amiable are thy Tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! my soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord.—Blessed is the man whom thou chusest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy Courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple. My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee, to see thy power and glory so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. My soul shall be satisfied with marrow and with fatness, and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips. For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand: I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.—One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord; and to enquire in his temple; for those that be planted in the house of the Lord, shall flourish in the courts of our God; they shall bring forth fruit in old age, they shall be fat and flourishing. Again—I was glad, when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord, whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel to give thanks unto the name of the Lord. If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I prefer not Jerusalem to my chief joy.

I have now, my Hearers, largely argued the duty and beneficial tendency of public worship. Better reasons I cannot offer. More powerful inducements to a constant attendance upon it, unless real necessity may be pleaded, as your excuse, cannot be laid before you, that are contained in those considerations which prove its beneficial tendency, above illustrated. If by those you will not be convinced, and reformed, if heretofore negligent of the duty, you must remain unconvinced and unreformed. Divine power and grace alone can awaken, convince, and reform you. Remember, if you neglect or deny public worship, you provoke God—you neglect a plain duty—you set a bad example—you dishonor Jesus Christ—you injure religion—you disserve the cause of morality—you contribute your proportion of influence to extirpate from the earth the christian religion—and must be responsible for all the evils you are the occasion of. Let us all, then, make conscience of so plain and so important a duty as public worship, that by it, we may be trained up for the worship of heaven, for there, they are before the throne of God and serve him, day and night, in his temple.

DISCOURSE VIII.

The Ordinance of the Lord’s Supper not a human invention, but a divine Institution.

MATTHEW xxvi. 26–31.

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said take, eat, this is my body.—And he took the Cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, drink ye all of it. For this is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sin. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day, when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.—And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives.

It affords peculiar satisfaction to the thinking mind, in attending any duty of Religion, to be well assured that it hath either a divine warrant, as thus saith the Lord, or is supported by the clear light of Reason. If we make that a duty which God hath not enjoined upon us, either taught us by the light of nature, or the light of Revelation, we are guilty of will-worship or superstition. In this case, it may justly be said to us, who hath required this at your hands: bring no more vain oblations. To worship God in a way not appointed in his word, or by rites and ceremonies not authorised by him is to presume to interfere with the kingly office of the Saviour. He is king in his Church, and alone had power to make laws and appoint ordinances of worship. It is an infallible mark of an apostate and antichristian Church to pretend to institute sacraments or ordain modes of worship. Our Lord, knowing the proneness of human nature to err, and to adopt modes of worship of their own, has left his people this needful warning and excellent advice. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. We reject, with abhorrence, all human inventions or commandments in things divine. We glory in being guided solely by plain scripture, and not by the opinions or decrees of any men—body of men, or venerable ecclesiastical councils, however wise, or learned, or pious. Superstition and impiety are two extremes, in Religion, which ought to be shunned with equal care. We are not to turn aside to the right hand or to the left. While we anxiously flee from superstition, we should tremble lest we run to the opposite extreme of irreligion. Excellent is the advice of the wise man on this head. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil. The right-hand errors of superstition, and the left-hand errors of irreligion are to be avoided with the utmost solicitude.

As worshipping God in more ways than he has appointed, or in unauthorized ways is superstition; so neglecting the ways and ordinances of worship, which he hath most obviously appointed is irreligion. If we refuse, under any pretence whatever, to attend upon that, as duty, which he hath most expressly commanded, and which is altogether reasonable in itself, we are guilty of impiety, or despising his authority, breaking his laws, and rising up in rebellion against him; and of course shall be dealt with accordingly. For to retrench is no less criminal than to add. We are as strictly prohibited from taking away from, as adding to, the revealed will of God. The conscientious mind, therefore, would wish above all things to avoid both crimes, taking from or adding to, going beyond or stopping short of duty. To determine which crime of the two is most heinous, is perhaps beyond our abilities. It is enough for us to know that both are very aggravated Sins, and to be avoided with the utmost solicitude.

We should carefully and diligently worship and serve the Lord our Maker, just as he has commanded us, precisely, and not according to any traditions of men, decrees of councils, uninspired canons, or our own vain imaginations. Religious and Gospel-worship and ordinances should be kept, pure and entire, free from all human mixtures and inventions. These are the feelings and views which our Churches profess to entertain—to walk by—and to hold. If in any instances, or degree, we deviate from them, we do it mistakenly—and unintentionally; and therefore we trust, should this be the case, it will not be imputed to us, as a wilful aberration from the original purity and primitive glory of the Gospel. We profess, and wish to take Christ’s spiritual and heavenly Religion, just as he, and his Apostles have delivered it to us, in the sacred Volume.—And that we may all be fully and perfectly satisfied, that while remembering the bitter sufferings and agonies of our once crucified, but now risen Redeemer in the sacrament of his supper—in the elements of bread and wine, we are only acting in pious obedience to a plain, positive, and express command, as express as any one can be, of our glorious high Priest, the captain of our salvation.—It is proposed, in the sequel, to—

I. Consider the original and actual institution of the sacramental supper—

II. And—the nature of it, and who may rightfully attend upon it.

I. We are to consider the original and actual institution of the sacramental supper. It may not be improper or unuseful, just to notice here as we enter on this important subject, the names, by which this Ordinance of the New Testament dispensation, is commonly known. I now, in the entry, call this ordinance, an ordinance of the New Testament dispensation, because I hope to be able, in the subsequent reasonings, to prove it to be so, to every mind that has candour, and discernment, to see the force of arguments. It has been differently denominated, in the Christian Church, and by different communions of Christians. It has been called the holy Sacrament—the great Gospel feast—the Christian Passover—the holy supper—the Eucharist—the Communion—and the Lord’s supper. Among all these appellations, that by which it most commonly goes, among christians, is the Lord’s supper. In each of these names, there is a peculiar significance and propriety, as is justly observed in those numerous discourses, which have been published on this Gospel-ordinance. Pious and sensible tracts have been published by learned men and sound divines on the nature of this ordinance—the qualifications of the worthy recipients—the terms of admission to its blessed privileges—the due preparation for attending upon it—the graces to be exercised while attending it—the design of it—and the temper and conduct which become christians after rising from the holy table—as well as the danger and sin of an unworthy and irreverent approach to it.—There is, in holy scripture, most obviously, sufficient reason for these several names given to it. But we readily concede, the word sacrament is not in the New-Testament-writings. It signifies binding ourselves to the Lord by covenant-vows and promises. Whenever we participate of the sacrament of the supper, we solemnly covenant, engage, and promise visually to be the Lord’s; to believe his truths, to be faithful in his service, to perform the duties which he enjoins—and to take him for our only Saviour.—

It may also, once for all, be here remarked, that there are, among the various communions of christians, some circumstances relating to this Ordinance, which are not essential, but are left to the convenience, prudence, and situation of the followers of the Son of God. Such as the frequency with which it ought to be celebrated; the posture of the recipients;—the quantity of the Elements to be taken;—and several other less points, which indeed have caused much contention among pious christians, to the disgrace both of reason and religion. In all indifferent things, it is folly to contend. It is no where said how often the Lord’s Supper is to be solemnized—or whether in the morning or evening of the Sabbath-worship—or whether we shall sit—or stand—or kneel while we partake of the symbols of the body and blood of the Redeemer. These circumstances are perfectly immaterial. And how unhappy, that christians should ever interrupt the harmony of churches on account of them, or divide and separate from each other. But about what trifles, mere nothing, will men furiously quarrel! He who kneels at the holy table is as acceptable a worshipper, as he who sits or stands. God looks at the heart, and not at the outward appearance. A composed, decent, and respectful or reverential posture is becoming, and is required. And as often, as the body of the people, with whom we worship, deem it expedient to solemnize the holy ordinance of the supper, we should do it, even if our private opinions should happen to be different. All that Christian Churches are concerned about, is that their Communion-days or Sacramental seasons may not be too near each other, or too far distant, lest the good effects, which they are intended to accomplish, should be frustrated. These observations are made to reconcile unhappy differences in Churches—to prevent needless disputes—and to promote among all that love our Lord Jesus Christ, however distinguished by name or distant in place, union—love—charity—condescension—and mutual forbearance. I hope the glorious day will soon arrive when God’s people of the various denominations, will make the most of their union, and the least of their difference—and be in all essential things, of one mind, of one way: and will lay aside and be ashamed of their foolish attachment to, and intemperate zeal for mere circumstantial points, names, and forms. Happy are the persons or the church that can divest themselves of all party-views and prejudice—of all bigotry and narrow notions, and embrace all pious people, of whatever sect, in the arms of fraternal affection—loving those most, who appear to have most of the temper and holiness of the Gospel! Alas! what mischief to the best of all causes, that of Jesus of Nazareth, hath bigotry done in every age, and every land, where his name has been known!

But the principle design of the present discourse is to prove, from scripture, the reality of such an ordinance, as we call the sacrament of the supper. Is there, then, such an ordinance, in the Christian Church, to be observed by all the followers and disciples of our Lord, in every age and country? If there be not, we are, in our attendance upon it, justly chargeable with adopting human inventions and corruptions. Consequently are guilty of will-worship or superstition. We go beyond what is required of us. We cannot, of course, hope, upon reasonable grounds, for the divine acceptance and approbation. For God is never honored by, or pleased with our religious observances, however seemingly devout or pious we may be, when we presume to offer him, either what he hath not required of us by plain instructions of his own word, or made known to us by the dictates of reason: or when we offer it in the way, which he hath not required. We are to admit as articles of faith all that he hath enjoined, and only what he hath enjoined, and no more. In our practice, as professed christians, we are to do precisely as he hath commanded us. To believe as he tells us, and to do as he bids us, is the chief of religion. As professed followers of the Redeemer of the world, we are to walk in all the ordinances and commandments of the Lord blameless. On the subject of positive duties we are to be guided, in our inquiries, altogether by the revealed will of him, who appoints them.

Laying aside all prepossessions from education, tradition, or other sources, let us candidly and critically enquire, whether Jesus Christ did not, in the most positive and express manner, institute the sacrament of his supper, or a solemn commemoration of his passion and death by partaking of bread and wine set apart to be emblems of his body and blood. And it is not possible for any language to be plainer or easier to be comprehended, than the passage of scripture chosen for our present meditation. In it we have an account, concise, but full, of the original appointment. We have, in it, the history of the first Christian sacrament ever attended upon. The Jewish Passover is done away expressly, by him whom it typified, and who alone had authority to change or abrogate the whole Jewish system. He says, in so many words, that he abolishes it, and would never more attend it. He says, he sets up another and new ordinance, in its room, to be continued in his Gospel kingdom. He himself dispenses the Elements after consecrating them by prayer. His disciples partook of them. All the circumstances are minutely set down. Nay, he ordained, as king of Zion, as head over all things to his Church, that the commemoration of him, by material bread and wine, should be statedly observed to the end of the world, in his Church, for the important purposes of honouring him as a Saviour, and preserving warm in the heart, and perpetuating the memory of his sufferings, his dying love and rich grace. I will explain and illustrate this history of the institution of the Lord’s supper, in the following manner, and principally in the words of an approved expositor.

At the close of the paschal supper before the table was cleared, Jesus to show that he was thereby typified as the lamb of God who was to be sacrificed for us, took in his hand such bread as was in common use, and having set it apart for sacred service, by thanksgiving and prayer, he brake it and distributed it among his disciples, saying take eat; for I appoint this sacramental bread to be henceforth eaten as the memorial of my body’s being broken for your redemption by my sufferings and death; in like manner as the eating of the paschal Lamb was appointed to be a memorial for the preservation of Israel from the destroying angel, and of their deliverance out of Egypt.——After the same manner he likewise took the cup of such wine in his hand as they had at the paschal supper, and setting this apart by thanksgiving and prayer to sacramental use, delivered it to his disciples, saying to every one of them, drink of this: for I appoint this sacramental wine to be henceforth drunk by all my disciples as the representation and memorial of my blood’s being shed for the confirmation of the new covenant, and purchasing of all its blessings; and particularly for the forgiveness of the sins of vast multitudes, not of the Jews only, but of the Gentiles, also, even of all that by faith receive the atonement.——

But I tell you that from this time forward I have done with drinking the juice of the grape in commemoration of Israel’s deliverance, and will have that Ordinance continued no longer than till the things it typified shall be fulfilled by a more glorious redemption in the Gospel-kingdom, which will take place after my resurrection, and will call for a new use of wine in the commemorative Ordinance which I have now instituted.——And when at the close they had sung an hymn or song of praise suited to the occasion, Christ knowing that the time of his being betrayed was just coming on, would not stay to be apprehended in the house, lest he should bring the Master of it, into trouble, nor in Jerusalem, lest he should occasion public tumults and outrages, but retired with his disciples to the Mount of Olives. Here is a minute and circumstantial account given us by the Evangelist Matthew, of the abrogation of the Jewish ordinance of the Passover, and the institution of the Christian Ordinance of the Lord’s supper. It is a plain and particular account, as much so, as can well be conceived. And of all the four Evangelists, it is often observed, Matthew is the most circumstantial and particular in giving us the memoirs of our blessed Lord’s life, discourses and conduct. St. Mark and St. Luke rehearse to us, in the same words, as nearly as may be, the original institution of the ordinance of the Supper, and the abolition of the paschal Supper, and of the continuance of the former in the room of the latter. The Evangelist Mark’s account is this. And as they did eat Jesus took bread and blessed and break it and gave to them and said, take eat this is my body.—And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said unto them this is the blood of the new Testament which is shed for many. Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the Vine until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God. And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives. St. Luke’s account is of an exactly similar tenor, though the order be a little different. Saying with desire have I desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer. For I say unto you I will not any more, eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup and gave thanks and said, Take this and divide it among yourselves. For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the Vine until the kingdom of God shall come. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it and gave unto them saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying this cup is the new Testament in my blood which is shed for you. No words can be more particular. All the three Evangelists exactly agree in their account. There is indeed a wonderful harmony in this, as in all their other accounts of the birth, life, doctrines, institutions, sufferings, and death of the son of God. They vary so much as is a full proof that they did not transcribe from each other—or pen their Gospels by previous concert:—and they harmonize so completely as to satisfy all candid minds, that they gave a true, and not a false or fictitious history. All these three Evangelists tell us that Jesus Christ, directly and expressly, abolished the ordinance of the Passover. And that he also in the Gospel-kingdom, or his Church, would have bread and wine used as an ordinance commemorative of his broken body and shed blood. He was very formal, as well as solemn and particular in this. He told his disciples what the bread was a sign or symbol of—his body broken: and what the cup was the sign or emblem of—his blood shed for the remission of sin.—All reasonable people will agree that his disciples, who were present and heard him, and partook of the consecrated bread and wine, understood him perfectly. But how did they understand him? If they did not comprehend his meaning, it was because he did not utter himself intelligibly, or they had not common capacities to take up his meaning.—How they understood him, their conduct explains to all who have eyes to see, and ears to hear. Did they ever more after this attend the paschal Ordinance, which had been so dear to the Jewish Church, from the day of its institution?—Did they not on the first day of the week, the Lord’s day, attend public worship, and solemnize the Lord’s Supper? They did. What did they do this for, if their Lord and Master had not ordered them to do it? Dared they, of their own accord, undertake to appoint an ordinance of worship? Their actions speak louder than words can do. In the Acts of the Apostles, we are told xx. Chapter—7. that the disciples and believers solemnized the ordinance of the Lord’s supper—on the Lord’s-day—the day of his resurrection, the first day of the week. And upon the first day of the week when the disciples came together to break bread Paul, preached unto them. This could not be common breaking of bread. No person, in his senses, can imagine the Apostles went about from house to house to do this. It could be no other, therefore, than the sacramental breaking of bread. It was on the first day of the week—the Christian Sabbath, or Lord’s day. They met for public worship. Paul preached to them. They had likewise public prayers. They assembled as we do, and as the Christian world ever since have done, on the Christian Sabbath to preach, to pray, and to solemnize the holy Ordinance of the Supper.—A still more minute account is given us of the various parts of pubic worship observed in the Apostolic days—ii. Chapter—41 and 42 verses—They gladly received the word, and were baptized, and continued steadfast in the Apostle’s doctrine and fellowship—and in breaking of bread and in prayers. They were steadfast. They gladly received the word—took a pleasure in hearing it—in being where it was preached. The ordinance of water-baptism was administered to them. The ordinance of the Lord’s Supper was celebrated and prayers were attended. They—that is, all the professed believers in Jesus Christ continued steadfast in the Apostle’s doctrine and fellowship.——It is then a fact incontrovertible, that in the primitive days of Christianity, the disciples all attended the divine ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s supper—public worship and prayers, on the first day of the week.

To put the matter beyond all doubt, we will see what St. Paul’s view of it was. He was the chief of the Apostles. An immediate revelation was given to him, and he was a wonderful and most successful instrument of spreading the glory of the Gospel—and by whom also a very considerable part of the New Testament was penned.—In his first Letter to the Church at Corinth, he gives us a very particular account of the original institution of the ordinance of the Lord’s supper—and expressly informs us that it is to be perpetuated in the christian Church till the end of the world—that is all christians are by it, to show forth the death of Christ till he come—come to judge the world, and to render to every man according to his deeds.—xi. Chapter—23–27—For I have received of the Lord, that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread: and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also, he took the cup when he had supped, saying this cup is the new Testament in my blood: this do ye as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till he come. That this is not common daily eating and drinking to support life—to satisfy hunger and thirst is evident to every person, who makes use of his reason in things of religion. Could the Apostle speak as he does, if he meant no more than our common meals? If he meant only common eating and drinking, must he not be insane to speak as he does? Is common eating and drinking a remembrance of Christ’s sufferings and death? If we eat and drink, at our common meals, without a pious and thankful heart, are we guilty of the body and blood of the Lord? Is our common eating and drinking, if not done in a holy manner, eating and drinking damnation to ourselves—not discerning the Lord’s body? Are we to wait, in partaking common nourishment, till we have examined ourselves? But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. The Apostle severely reproves the converts at Corinth for an unworthy, disorderly partaking of the Lord’s Supper, when they assembled for that purpose. He calls the ordinance, the Lord’s Supper. When ye come together into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. What the Lord’s Supper is, we know as well as we know the meaning of any word ever used: as well as we know what the Lord’s prayer means. The Lord’s Supper is not every meal or any partaking of any food, but a Supper that is particularly so—eminently so. If I were to call every prayer the Lord’s prayer—and every meal I made—or food I received, the Lord’s Supper, I should justly be looked upon, either as a wilful perverter of scripture, or insane.——

Further, the Apostle calls the ordinance now under consideration—the Communion—and partaking of it—setting at the Table of the Lord, the cup—the cup of the Lord. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ. The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ. 1. Cor. x. 16. Again, verse 21. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils; ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and the table of devils. We may also observe, that the abolition of the Jewish passover, and institution of the ordinance of the holy Sacrament of bread and wine, in the room of it, is plainly intimated, when the Apostle calls Christ our Passover sacrificed for us—and directs us to keep the feast, alluding to the paschal feast, in a sincere manner. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. It is most easy and natural to understand this, of the Gospel-feast of the sacramental supper—and that this comes in the room, of the Jewish passover. This is the way in which it is generally and justly understood. Christians, in general, and all denominations, have from this and other very plain passages of scripture, been of the opinion, that the Lord’s Supper as a holy ordinance succeeds the ordinance of the Passover. There were two stated or fixed ordinances in the Jewish church, Circumcision and the Passover. There are two, in the Christian church, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The latter, no doubt, came in place of the former. At least this hath been the common belief; and it will not be given up with out very solid reasons.—None, generally satisfactory, have ever yet been alledged, and it is presumed never will.——To evade the force of the above reasonings and plain scripture, it has been said, all that is contained in scripture relative to the sacramental supper, is only allegory—mere metaphor—and that the Apostle John speaks of a spiritual supper in the soul. That he describes the regeneration of the soul, by Christ’s coming into it, and the sweet pleasures of internal religion, by his supping in the soul, in the following words, is granted.—And the language being highly figurative and metaphorical, is just and beautiful is also allowed. Behold I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and sup with him and he with me. The spiritual supping of Christ in the regenerated soul, or his imparting to it, divine consolations, no more proves that there is no ordinance of the Lord’s Supper, to be a standing ordinance in the Church, to the end of the world, than the first verse in the book of Genesis proves it. It doth not refer to it, so much as in the remotest degree. Before a person can bring himself to believe in such a strange perversion of scripture, he must have resolved that he will understand nothing, according to what is in truth. What will not man do, to get clear of plain truth! How will he twist and pervert the plainest words!——

It hath also been alledged, that our divine Lord, directed his disciples to wash one another’s feet as a token of humility—John xiii.—from the 4th to 15th verse. There is no word, in this whole transaction, that can possibly denote that washing of the feet was to be a standing ordinance in the New Testament-dispensation.—Most plainly doth Christ tell them, that what he had done was only an example of humility, or significant way to teach them this important Virtue. It was an outward action calculated to impress their minds with a sense of the duty of being meek—humble—condescending—and forbearing. So they understood it—for they never practised it as an ordinance. We have a right to say they did not, because, we are no where told of their observing it as a divine ordinance. So Christians have, in general, understood it.—One very small handful of pretended followers of Christ have understood it differently—and observed it as a Christian rite. But admitting it to be an ordinance to be observed in Christ’s Church, it doth not disprove the other ordinances.——Upon the whole, we may as well deny any duty as the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper. We may with as good reason affirm that all the scripture is mystery, and none of it capable of being understood, as to affirm that what it says relative to the institution of the Lord’s Supper as a standing ordinance to be continued in his Church to the end of the world, his second coming to judgment, is only mere metaphor—allegory, or figurative language.—But it is one thing to show malice against God’s special ordinances, and another to disprove them. All who reject, despise, and deny them, cannot, with any consistency, pretend to receive the word of God, as the only rule of faith and practice.

Having reviewed the scripture account of the Institution of the Lord’s Supper, as a standing ordinance, in the Christian Church, to be continued to the end of the world.—We shall, as was proposed, examine

II. Very briefly into its nature, and enquire who may rightly attend upon it.—God is infinitely wise, in all that he requires of us, as duty. He never did require, or enjoin upon man what was inconsistent with his wisdom or goodness, or when complied with, would be of no benefit to him. The ordinances of the gospel are spiritual in their meaning, and highly subservient to the purposes of fervent piety.—And the ordinance of the Supper, is an ordinance wherein by giving and receiving sensible signs, we show forth the death of Christ till he come to judge the world at the last day. By visible signs, it represents to us the body and blood of the Saviour. The material emblems, the bread and wine, convey to us, or signify spiritual things; and are designed to impress the mind, with the liveliest ideas of the dreadful sufferings of the son of God, of his blood shed, and body broken for us, by the aid of our external senses, our eyes and taste.—By these Elements, as they are termed, we behold him crucified afresh:—as groaning on Calvary:—as expiring on the Cross:—as rising from the dead:—as bursting asunder the cords of death:—as ascending up into heaven:—as sitting at the right hand of God:—as an all-willing and all-powerful Saviour. Our eyes see it, in the sensible signs. May our hearts realize it! The duty of remembering our Redeemer, in the memorials of his dying love, is most reasonable. We consist of body and soul, and in this ordinance, the apprehensions and devotions of the latter, are aided by the senses of the former. This is treating human nature as being what it is. Had we no body, or were we unembodied spirits this ordinance would be absurd.——

It may be here pertinently added, God has had his sacramental institutions in every age of the world—even, before the fall of man. In a state of innocence, before the Apostacy, the tree of life was the Sacrament, or standing sign by which Adam was to be confirmed, if he had maintained his integrity.—The Rain-bow, a natural phænomenon, was expressly appointed by God, as a sacramental sign, by which his covenant with Noah was ratified, and in which he promised that the world should not, a second time, perish with water.—In the Jewish dispensation, the Passover and circumcision were two noted sacramental institutions, by which God’s covenant of grace, was confirmed.—And in the last, best, and most perfect dispensation of all, the Gospel, are two most plain and important Sacraments, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

In all these instances, the wisdom, goodness, condescension and grace of the Supreme Being are remarkably manifested. He considers what we are, weak and frail Creatures. He treats us as being what we are, imperfect Creatures; and hath, in the sacraments, appointed outward signs to assist us in conceiving rightly of divine things, and to move and affect the heart.

2dly. The nature of the ordinance of the supper is a commemoration of the sufferings of a dying Redeemer. This is sufficiently proved by the very words of the blessed Jesus in the original institution and distribution of the Elements. This do in remembrance of me. He, as our passover, is sacrificed for us. We are then to remember him, principally, as dying for us:—as bearing our sins in his own body on the tree:—as our propitiatory sacrifice:—as our righteousness. This needs no other proof, than the very words used in the distribution of the outward signs. This is my body which is broken for you:—broken with an inconceivable weight and variety of sufferings.—So again, This Cup is the new Testament in my blood which is shed for you: shed for you—a ratification of the new covenant, which is the meaning of the word Testament here.—Who can hear the divine Jesus—who can see him holding out life and glory, in these appointed signs, saying eat, O friends, and drink ye all of it, without being melted into love, gratitude, and a cordial compliance!—The sacramental supper, then, is a memorial of his dying love, bleeding piety, and wonderful grace.—By it, as the Apostle expresses himself, we show his death till he come—till he come to visit our guilty world as the final judge. As a dying friend he gives us this memorial of his love. He knew that we, in this wicked world, and amid its concerns and temptations, should be apt to forget him in the riches of his grace and bitterness of his death. Accordingly that the manner of his death, and magnitude and variety of his sufferings might never be effaced from the mind, the same night in which he was betrayed, he instituted this precious Ordinance, and bid all his followers, to remember him in it, with all the weight of his divine authority, and affection of ardent friendship.——And can we forget thee, O suffering Immanuel! Whom should we remember, if we forget thee!—Can our cold hearts be unmoved at those things, which thou didst undergo for us!—Can any pretend to be thy disciples, deceiving mortals, and still exert themselves to persuade others not to remember thee, in thy dying command!

3dly, The sacramental supper is a Communion-Ordinance. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread and one body, for we are all partakers of that one bread. This ordinance from these words is often called, by way of eminence, the Communion; and it has been celebrated ever since the days of Christ, as a standing ordinance, in every Country, where the Gospel hath been enjoyed by all denominations of Christians, except some deniers of all outward ordinances. Serious and enlightened Christians have always highly valued it. They have always loved it. They always deemed it a blessed privilege to remember their dear, departed Lord in his own appointed emblems. And while attending upon this great Christian solemnity, the Communion-Table, we commune with one another—with our Father who is in heaven—and with the Redeemer of a fallen world.—As brethren we sit at the same table, commemorate the same suffering Lord, participate in the same rich provision. This shows our union in all essential doctrines, our charity; that in the things of God and Religion we have one heart, one Lord, one hope, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, and that we acknowledge one another as fellow-Christians. We stand, as it were, at the foot of the Cross, beholding the awful sufferings of our Lord, and professedly rest all our hope on his merits and precious blood, our hope of pardon, hope of peace, hope of acceptance with a holy God, and hope of eternal blessedness in heaven.—We also commune, by the divine spirit, with God himself. A spiritual intercourse, at the Sacred Gospel-Passover, is maintained between him and his pious people. He communicates, by the influence of his holy spirit, his love to them; and they pour out their hearts, desires, and prayers before him, and to him. He draws near to them, in mercy, and in the tokens of his favour. They draw near to him in duty. Hence he is said to dwell in them. He smiles upon them through the Son of his love. He owns them in the covenant of grace. He pities them in all their sorrows. He comforts them with his own consolations. He establishes them in the truth and right way. They are, in fine, seated at his own table—a Father’s board, upon the best provision.—What a high privilege! What a sublime felicity!—

And who may rightfully attend upon, and enjoy this divine Ordinance? The answer is, all Christ’s disciples. His professed followers who believe in him, and obey his precepts. All are bound to honor the God of ordinances. He alone can make them profitable and savingly beneficial. Without him, they will be inefficacious.—And to have a right to approach them, we must profess the religion of the Gospel, must admit all its essential doctrines. And behave and conduct accordingly. Do this in remembrance of me is the absolute command. And we are to remember a dying Redeemer, as his friends, as his followers. All, therefore, who have a disposition to live a life and piety and Virtue, to perform the duties thereof, and to walk in the fear of the Lord all their days, may, and ought to approach the holy ordinances of the Gospel.—

In the review of what hath been offered, we infer the indispensible duty of partaking in divine Ordinances. It is as much our duty, as professed Christians, to remember the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ to atone for sin, in his own appointed way, as it is to practice the moral virtues of compassion, honesty, or truth. A positive duty is absolutely binding. When it is made known to us, we may not neglect it any more than a moral duty: though moral duties may be more important, and be not to give place to positive: for God will have mercy and not sacrifice. If both, as both are obligatory, cannot be complied with, under certain given circumstances, the moral claims the precedency. All, therefore, are obligated to prepare themselves to wait on God, and to honor him in his own institutions. None can excuse themselves. And what is required on their part hath now been concisely stated.