come. And in the prophecy of Ezekiel, when God had promised to do many things for his people, he tells them, I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them.

In the new Testament we meet with variety of the plainest precepts for this duty. In the xviii. chapter of St. Luke, our Saviour, by à parable, shews that men ought always to pray. In another place, he commands us to watch and pray. And it is St. Paul's desire that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men.

One would think there was very little need to take either time or pains in proving that God ought to be worshipped. But the necessity of saying what I have said will evidently ap pear, when we consider that, with too much truth, it may be asserted, that in every community there are men to be found who glory in their ingratitude towards their God, from whom they hold life and all the blessings that attend it; and to whom they are more indebted for their being, than to their father and mother of whom they were born. But now, allowing that God ought to be worshipped, let us consider, in the

Second place, How that worship is to be performed, so as to please him, and benefit ourselves.

As God is to be worshipped, some method must be observed, and some day set apart for that purpose.

As to the method, St. Paul has laid it down

in my text: it must consist of supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks; all which include confession of our sins to God, supplication to him to avert any calamity, intercession for our fellow creatures, and thanksgiving for all the blessings we enjoy.

Thus the worship of God is divided into several branches, which, if it be done with propriety, regularity, and without perplexity, it will be acceptable to God, and beneficial to our selves. And this must be done in a public and solemn assembly of the individuals of every community; for all societies of men, (as such) are as equally under the guardianship of Providence, as any single person who composes that society. They have (as a community) their dependancies, their miseries, and mercies; all which should, in social worship, be acknowledged. There are public sins, which demand public humiliation; and public blessings, for which there ought to be public thanksgivings.

But it may be said, perhaps, that if every individual will but take care of himself, by supplicating his own wants, and deprecating his own miseries, God will protect and bless him, though he paid no regard to public and solemn assemblies. It must be from a persuasion of this nature that so many neglect the public worship.

But I must tell you, that it is as necessary to unite in acts of piety, as in the support of justice, or the promotion of any common good; for, by this means, a general sense of our dependance upon God and dread of his displeasure,

is kept alive, which is the pillar of government, and the foundation of peace and regularity in the world. Let those who dispute this cast their eyes upon the several nations, or tribes of savages that are in the world, and see what anarchy and confusion prevail amongst them. And, without this method of serving God, we may naturally conclude, that in a short time we should lose all sight, all sense of a Deity, and that the ignorance and barbarity of Indians would prevail amongst us. But God

forbid that ever such a misfortune should come to this kingdom, or to any nation who have received the light of the gospel! Blessed be God! there are many serious and thinking men, who are convinced of the necessity and great importance of public worship; who attend it regularly, and make a conscience of their duty, notwithstanding all the attacks of atheistical libertines.

But though men in general are convinced that public devotion is absolutely necessary, and of the utmost importance, yet they differ much in their opinions of the method of performing it and when a young Christian beholds so many different sectaries, all of them tenacious of their own opinions, it is enough to stagger him in his notions of religion, and to create doubts in his mind what course to pursue. In this case, let him consider what true religion is. What does the Lord require of him? but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with his God. And to this let him add a firm and unshaken faith in the merits and satisfaction of

Christ. Then, if his devotions, whether public or private, be performed with decency and propriety, he need not doubt of being everlastingly rewarded in the kingdom of heaven.

No one can reasonably object to the solemn prayers and decent ceremonies of the church of England, which are so admirably contrived to excite dovotion in every pious mind.

Let the advocates for extempore prayers defend them if they can. We see, that notwithstanding the incoherency, tautology, and weakness of them, which evidently demonstrate that they are not the dictates of the holy Spirit, there are men credulous enough to look upon them as such; though, if they would but reflect, they must know that they do not pray themselves their teachers pray indeed, but they only hear prayers in the very same manner as they hear the sermon. Now, as prayer is speaking or conversing with God, unless I speak to him myself; unless my own soul discourse with him, I cannot be said to pray. For no one can be so senseless as to imagine, that if I was in company with two persons who were discoursing together, and not utter a word to either of them, that I discoursed with them. And is it not strange that so groundless a conceit should ever enter into men's heads as that hearing another pray should be praying? Yet it is manifest, from daily experience, that the generality of mankind do think that they pray when they only hear another pray.

We have a form of prayer, and the congregation may, if they please, make themselves

perfectly acquainted with it before hand, and may join with the minister in every word, and, by that means, make both theirs and his a joint prayer. But a man that offers up an extempore prayer, or one of his own composing, only prays himself, and the minds of his hearers must be constantly employed to know what he is going to say, and judging of it; consequently, never can have time themselves, by the direction of their own minds to God, to offer up any part of his prayer; much less can the minister's and people's be a joint prayer, because he must have actually offered up every part of it before they can tell what he will say.

But notwithstanding that we have a most excellent liturgy, yet it is too visible that many in our churches do not pray. If we may judge from outward appearance, we may conclude that when people are gazing about them, whispering, lolling, or using any irreverent postures, that they do not direct their minds to God while the minister is repeating the words: and when they do not, they cannot be said to pray. A man may draw near to God with his lips, and his heart be far from him; his mind may be intent upon other things: and, when this is the case, it is downright mockery, consequently a very great sin.

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As there can be no religion without mode or ceremony, so no pious Christian will neglect to comply with the decent ceremonies of the church, such as kneeling at prayers, and standing when we sing the praises of our great Creator. When people neglect to do this, it is no un