And in the New Testament the fame holy Temple was honoured with no lefs title than the figure of the heavens; the pattern of that true tabernacle not made with hands, where the glorious Majesty of God more peculiarly refides.

Now though we cannot compare any of our Churches with that glorious and magnificent ftructure of King Solomon, to which those honourable titles did fo eminently belong, the Temple of Jerufalem being the place above all others in which God was pleased to fix his Name; yet we truft his Name, his Dwelling and favourable Prefence is equally in every one of them, and in this alfo, which is here erected for his service and worship.

In this therefore the Chriftian Chuch becomes not inferior to the Jewish Temple for matter of spiritual use and benefit; inafmuch as in the one the daily facrifice of flain beafts was constantly to be offered to the GoD of Ifrael, in the other the daily facrifice of Prayer and Praise is continually to be performed to the fame GOD; nay the Christian Church hath this preeminence above the Jewish place of worship, not only as it prefenteth a more perfect facrifice, but because it is defigned for a much larger extent and communication; the one having admitted but few profelytes to its devotion, the other being capable of receiving whole nations to the faith; according to that remarkable prediction of the Prophet here before us.

Alfo the fons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to ferve him, and to love the Name of the Lord, to be his fervants, every one that keepeth the fabbath from polluting it, and that taketh bold of my covenant: even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my House of Prayer;

their burnt-offerings and their facrifices fhall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine Houfe fhall be called an Houfe of Prayer for all people.

From the confideration of which words, I fhall endeavour to do these three things:

I. I fhall enquire into the neceffary duty and benefit of Prayer, efpecially that which is publicly made use of in the House of GOD. II. I fhall recommend to you the manner of performing this our public devotion, with fome useful circumftances conducive there

unto.

III. I fhall lay before you the univerfality of this duty, by the enlargement of Christ's Church, here foretold in my text, with some proper inferences fuitable to this folemnity.

I. Then I am to enquire into the neceffary duty and benefit of Prayer, especially that which is publicly made use of in the House of God.

Amongst the several duties enjoined us in holy scripture, there is none more acceptable to God, nor of greater use and benefit to mankind, than Prayer; a duty which we ought continually to be engaged in, as long as we remain in this fublunary world, and which must be constantly attended both in public and private as our neverceafing facrifice.

Prayer is of all others a duty of that importance, that it is productive of the greatest blessings we enjoy ; a duty the ofteneft inculcated to us, by reafon of the neceffity and advantages that attend it; it is as neceffary as any, because we always ftand in need of the divine affiftance for

our

our daily fupport and prefervation; and as beneficial as any, because without it, nothing can well be expected at Gop's hand: For as every good and perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights; fo is he always ready to grant whatsoever we fhall afk or call upon him for, who giveth it is faid liberally, and upbraideth not; who is nigh unto all them that call upon him faithfully; it is alfo as acceptable as any, because we thereby acknowledge an almighty providence over us, and give GOD the glory of his divine attributes.

And this is what we are obliged to, not because God either will not or cannot give without afking; but because he appointed Prayer, as the ufual means of obtaining what we want, or call upon him for; he knows no doubt what we have need of before we afk him, and is ready to give us more than either we defire or deferve; yet to the intent that we might acknowledge him to be the Author and Giver of all good things, and behave ourselves thankfully to him for the fame, he hath wifely ordained, that we should humble ourfelves in his fight, and pour out our hearts before him in Prayer; that fo by this means we may have a continual fupply of comfort upon any occafion, and find grace to help in time of need.

And here by Prayer, we may understand all manner of service we owe to GOD, whether it be reading, hearing, praife or thanksgiving; all these being included as a part of God's service; but Prayer of all others being accounted the chiefeft, GOD's House is therefore in all probability emphatically called, the House of Prayer. As Prayer then was the chief end of our creation, fo it ought to be the principal part of our most folemn devotion, whenfoever we come into the Houfe of GOD,

to

to praife and honour his holy Name in whose prefence we are, to worship and fall down, and kneel before him.

To this conftant and religious courfe of duty towards GOD we owe all the benefits and bleffings we enjoy; it is this that keeps up the intercourfe and communion between GOD and us, which otherwife would cease, be interrupted and broken off, fhould we difcontinue our addreffes and fupplications before him; it is this that continues a fucceffion of God's mercies, and the more thankful we are for them, the more they are increased. And forafmuch as Prayer and Thanksgiving give us frequent opportunities, as at all times fo more efpecially at this, to proftrate ourselves in the prefence of GOD, with hearts full of joy, gratitude and chearfulness, for those unfpeakable mercies vouchfafed to us by our Saviour, and for the additional folemnity of this great day.

For the due folemnization therefore of these and fuch like public inftances of GOD's favour, the royal Pfalmift fends us directly to the House of GOD; O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and fpeak good of his Name, Pfal. c. 3.

For which reason the public Service and Prayers of the Church have always been esteemed preferable to those that are done in private; and this we have univerfally confirmed by the voice of nature, reason and experience; inasmuch as the more public and unanimous our acknowledgments are, the more do they tend to the glory of GOD, and the edification of his people.

Befides, God hath ordered his never-failing bleffing to wait continually at his own House; here it is that Chrift hath promised his gracious affiftance in a more efpecial manner: For where

two

two or three are gathered together in my Name, faith our Saviour, there am I in the midst of them. And if the Prayers of a few be fo prevalent and powerful, how much more effectual are the united devotions of many of us here met together in the

House of GOD.

Now as to the particular form of fuch public devotions, there have been in all ages of the Church divers Liturgies or forms of Common Prayer prescribed and fuited to the various exigencies of times and places; fuch as that of St James of Jerufalem, St Mark at Alexandria, as likewife thofe of St Clement, St Bafil, St Chryfoftom, and St Ambrofe; each having their feveral forms of devotion compofed for the use of the several Churches they prefided over; from the several forms of fuch ancient Liturgies both of the Greek and Latin Churches, though corrupted by length of time in matters of faith as well as ceremonies, the Church of England. hath compiled her moft excellent form of Prayer, extracting from them nothing but what was truly primitive, pure and uncorrupted, being exactly agreeable to the rule of holy fcripture, which is the standard of our faith.

And as to the real excellencies of our English Liturgy, the form of Common Prayer made use of by the Church of England, and appointed to be read every Morning and Evening; I shall here beg leave to tranfcribe that public teftimony and mark of approbation given of it by the general consent of our nation in King Edward VI. reign, anno 1548, when the book of Common Prayer was at firft compiled, terming it; "The "form of a very godly order, agreeable to the "word of God, and the primitive Church, very

comfortable to all good people defiring to live