which they offer up their celeftial facrifices, fhall increase and enliven their gratitude to, and adoration of him, who, raifed the glorious fabric.

But the external circumftance, which, in my apprehen. fion, will contribute moft to the delight and happiness of the faints, in their heavenly worship, will be their union and fociety in it. Man is evidently framed for deriving his chief happiness in this ftate from fociety. It never was, and never will be good for man to live alone. Social worship is peculiarly acceptable to God, as might be fhewn from many paffages of fcripture, Math. xviii. 19, 20. "Again, I fay unto you, that if two of you fhall agree

on earth, as touching any thing that they fhall afk, it "fhall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. "For where two or three are gathered together in my "name, there am I in the midft of them." Pfal. lxxxvii.

"The Lord loveth the gates of Zion, more than "all the dwellings of Jacob." And doth not the experience of every one of thofe who love the habitation of God's houfe, and the place where his honor dwelleth, teftify what an elevation of foul, and enlargement of heart, they obtain by mingling their voices in his praife? As united fires brighten each others blaze, as many concordant founds make the finer harmony, fo the union of ma ny hearts in divine worship, makes the higher fpiritual melody, not only more grateful to God, but more delightful to themselves. The pleafure of this is, indeed, greatly allayed on earth, by a mixture of difcordant notes (to continue the former allufion) of enemies with friends. But allow me to make a fuppofition, that all within these walls, this evening, were perfectly upright with God, and that our mutual fincerity were perfectly known to each other, what inexpreffible fervency and rapture of fpirit, would it give to every one, in finging the praises of God and of the Lamb, to confider himself as joined with fuch a number of pure, holy, bleffed, redeemed fouls? But how much beyond conception will this be increased, when we meet with the innumerable company of the redeemed above, and all our pious fathers, who, many ages before this, ferved our common Mafter; many, we hope, who

kept holy days, in this very place, and whofe bodies now fleep in the duft under our feet, and around us; nay, when all, from the eaft and from the weft, fhall be com pletely gathered in, when every heart fhall agree with every tongue, and falvation to the Lamb fhall be the univer fal, delightful, repeated, acclamation? There are two paffages of fcripture which speak of the multitude, and employment of this glorious company, which ought never to be read without a holy and delightful reverence. Rev. v. 9, 15. "And they fang a new fong, faying, thou art "worthy to take the book, and to open the feals thereof: "for thou waft flain, and haft redeemed us to God by thy "blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, "and nation; and the four beafis faid Amen. And the "four and twenty elders fell down, and worshipped him. "that liveth for ever and ever." Rev. vii. 9, 12. “After "this, I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no nan "could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, "and tongues, flood before the throne, and before the "Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their "hands; faying, Amen, bleffing, and glory, and wifdom, "and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, "be unto our God, forever and ever. Amen."

I proceed, now, to conclude the fubject, by fome practical improvement of what has been faid. And can we refufe to begin, by praifing God for his unfpeakable love, and matchlefs condefcenfion? The whole work of our redemption is wonderful; but, in a particular manner, the conclufion of it: that we fhould not only have our clothes washed in the blood of the Lamb, but fhould be before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple. At the dedication of the temple of Solomon, that wife and pious prince breaks out into an expreffion of holy admiration and aftonishment, and fays, 2 Chron. vi. 18. "But will God in very deed dwell with men on "the earth? Behold, heaven, and the heaven of heavens "cannot contain thee; how much lefs this houfe which I "have built?" How much greater reafon have we to fay, when recollecting our guilt and unworthinefs, "and fhall. VOL. I. 4 B

men in very deed dwell with God in heaven?" How amazing the distance! how glorious the dwelling and employment! and how mean the invited guests! Let us take confufion of face to ourselves, and acknowledge, that this cannot be accounted for, but by the propitiation and purchase of the eternal Son of God, as the only foundation of our hope. Let us, in the view of every privi lege, renew the exercife of faith in him, as giving us a title to it; and, on this occafion, particularly, beg of him to lead us, by his Spirit, through all the necessary fteps of previous preparation, and at laft receive us into his glory.

In the fecond place, from what has been faid, you may fee the importance and benefit of the worship and service of God on earth. If this ftate is a ftate of trial and preparation for that which is to follow it, and the worship of God is fo great a part of the employment, and fo great a fource of the happiness of the faints above, it is plain that his worship on earth must be of the highest usefulness. It is not only an unquestionable duty, but it is manifeftly neceffary to fit us for, and habituate us to the heavenly exercife. It is plain from the whole analogy of providence, that a preparation of nature is neceffary for the poffeffion and enjoyment of any state. We fee, even in natural things, that sowing, and a long time of gradual nourishment, is neceffary to the ftrength and confiftency of any plant or tree; and that, according to the feed, fo is the production. This the apoftle very ftrongly applies, Gal. vi. 7. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for "whatfoever a man foweth, that fhall he also reap.". Thofe that expect to ferve God in his temple above, must be habituated to ferve him in his church on earth. This is the feed-time; then is the harveft, The houfe of God is the place both of the birth and nourishment of his people, Pfal. lxxxvii. 5. "And of Zion it fhall be faid, this "and that man was born in her; and the Highest himself "fhall establish her."

Therefore fuffer me, my brethren, to reprove the fin, and fhow the danger of thofe, who altogether neglect and defpife the worship of God. If chance, imitation, curio

fity, or a worse motive, has brought to this audience, any who are habitual despisers of the worship of God, I hereby affure them, in his name, that, unless they change their heart and practice, in heaven they fhall never dwell, becaufe its employment they do not love. It is both the evidence and caufe of the degeneracy of many in this age, that they have fallen into a neglect and contempt of the public worship of God; that, in their notions of religion, when they form any at all, they, in a great measure, leave out their duty to their Maker, and confine it only to a few of the ordinary offices due from one man to another. Experience, indeed, plainly fhows the weakness and feebleness of these virtues that are not enlivened and animated by piety towards God; and that it is as poffible to up. hold the superstructure, by taking away the foundation, to preserve the vigor and verdure of the branches of a tree, by feparating them from the root, as to preserve and secure any regularity of conduct, without a principle of divine life, of vital, fpiritual union with God through Christ. But what, in a particular manner, fhows the folly of all fuch, is their relation to eternity. Suppofing their practice were every way fit and proper for this world, how does it agree with the employment of heaven? Doth not confcience tell you, that you have neither right nor relish, nor even capacity for it, and, by neceflary confequence, are under a fentence of condemnation, "children "of wrath, and heirs of hell?" for there is no middle state. I beseech you therefore, nay, obteft you, in the most folemn manner, that you henceforth honor God in his house and ordinances, if you expect that ever he should honor you: and, remember, that this warning, which you have received by the wife difpofal of his providence, will be an aggravation of your guilt, if you neglect and defpise it.

I cannot help, alfo, upon this occafion, putting you in mind of the neglected duty of worshipping God in your families. Thefe fmaller focieties, in which the members are connected by the strongest ties, and ftand in the neareft and most endearing relations to one another, how proper are they for the joint worship of God? and how great

is the fin of neglecting it? How can you expect any thing elfe, but either an angry Providence, or hardening and ftupifying profperity, which is infinitely worse, unless you call on the name of God? whereas, by mingling your voices in his praises on earth, you prepare yourselves for his fervice in heaven. I cannot go through all the excufes offered for this neglect; but wo fhall be to that man, who is too busy, too proud, or too modeft, to worship, in his family, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, who made him by his power, and upholds him by his providence.

In the third place, Let me improve this fubject for the trial of those whofe flate is more doubtful. However many open enemies there are to religion in these days, it is to be lamented, that there are many alfo, who continue their attendance upon the ordinances of God, but in a cold and formal manner, and refting upon the form, without the power, lay themselves afleep in fecurity. Bring yourfelves to the teft, then, and fuffer confcience to discover the truth, however painful and mortifying. Is there any of you, who has heard of the employment of the faints above, as confifting in the fervice of God, who are not able to conceive the happiness or delight of fuch work? Is there any among you, who weary of the fervice of God, not from weakness of body, but from averfion of mind, who, immediately after, return to the world, and its enjoyments, with eagernefs, and lightnefs of mind, like a bullock, when he is loofed from the yoke? Such have good reafon to fufpect their condition, and to fear, that they are unrenewed in heart. But, I hope, there are not a few, who, from their heart, call the Sabbath, " a delight, the แ holy of the Lord, honorable; who efteem a day in God's "courts better than a thoufand;" whofe higheft joy it is, to have their hearts captivated with his love, and their affections enlarged in his praife; and whofe indifpofition often to this work, by floth or worldlinefs of mind, is their greatest grief. Such, my brethren, have good reason to look forward to that happy time, when they thall ferve him with unwearied vigor and alacrity; and fhall behold the fimile of his countenance without one mortifying frown.