vented by statesmen, but are founded in the nature and unchangeable relations of things; fo public worship, as it ferves the fame ends, is alfo derived from the fame original.

And this again may serve to prevent another fufpicion, That I have placed the Christian revelation upon the fame footing with the religion of Heathens. But my fubject did not lead me to speak of true or false religions, but of public religion, or public worship in general, as founded upon the belief of a fuperior invifible Power, who governs the world, in which all religions agree: the neceflity of which worship being eftablished, let the greateft enemies of Christianity determine, if any form ever known amongst men is to be compared with that which the New Testament prefcribes; and if, upon this very account, it does not claim our regard as a revelation from Heaven. Let its internal marks be examined; let it be tried by the feverest rules; only let it be tried without prejudice, (which indeed the most part who engage in this inquiry feem not to be free from), and it will be found to be a religion every way worthy of God, and most wonderfully fuited to the circumstances and neceflities of mankind; nay, further, that all the knowledge we have of the true God, which we accuftom ourselves to boast of as natural notions, are really derived from the fcriptures, and no where to be met with, except in thefe, or in the writings of fuch as are known to have copied from them.

And

And with refpect to the external evidence, this one circumftance is unanfwerable, That whereas it now prevails in many places of the earth, by the concurring teftimony of all hiftories, it must have had a beginning much about the time affigned for it in the facred records and as its keeneft adverfaries are not able to produce any account, or give any plaufible reason, of its rife and progress, different from what is contained in the New Teftament, does it not follow, by all the rules of right reafoning, that that account must be true, authentic, and genuine? To fay, that if ancient books and hiftories had not been loft, the falsehood of it might have appeared, is no more than fimply to affert a bare poffibility of its being falfe. But all external evidence in things of this nature being founded only in probability, and not in demonstration, a high degree of probable evidence is not in the leaft invalidated by a poffibility to the contrary. But time will not allow to infift further upon this argument.

UPON the whole, then, they who have any value for their immortal fouls, who would not chufe to live and die like beafts, without religion, without any hope of a future life; they who have any fear of Almighty God, or any fenfe of gratitude for the bleffings they have enjoyed, or may yet expect; they who have any compaffion for their fellow-creatures, who would not be acceffory to their eternal ruin, cannot

but

"they should happen at all, will not proba"bly fall out till long after our time." But this is depending too much on uncertainty : the fatal period may arrive fooner than we imagine; and though it should not, does it give us no pain to think, that we are helping forward the ruin of our country, and entailing misery and flavery upon our pofterity, when we ought to have done all in our power to prevent it? when we might perhaps have prevented it?

I fhall add only one other confideration of the fame nature, but of a more immediate influence. If a person who is a father or master of a family, fhews a contempt of public worship, perhaps not from any ill principle, but merely from indolence, or becaufe it is fashionable; yet will not his children and fervants obferve it? and will they not thereby learn impiety and immorality? He may fay, he will inftruct them to the contrary. But what will his inftructions avail, when they are contradicted by his own practice? Is not this the direct way to train up his children to a contempt of religion, and to teach his fervants to be unfaithful and difhoneft to him for what elfe can be expected from them who have fuch a pernicious example in their eye?

I am loth to make any particular application, but it is in vain to diffemble. If like caufes produce like effects, there is too much ground to dread the confequence of the man

ners

ners of this age. Every thing that is facred. is defpifed, and turned into ridicule: our holy religion, though in every part of it the marks of its divine original are confpicuous, is infulted openly, and with impunity. Public worship, the fource of religion, and the bond and cement of fociety, is fhamefully deferted and contemned; fome difdain to be prefent when it is performed, or are prefent only as it fuits their humour, as if it were a thing altogether indifferent; others, by an unbecoming behaviour, feem to take a pride in fhowing to the world, that they have nothing lefs in their thoughts than to worship their Maker. The holy fabbath, moft wifely inftituted for the purposes of devotion, is vilely and audaciously profaned by all manner of abuse. And all this irreligion abounds chiefly among fuch, whofe example has the most extenfive influence; at least it flowed from them at firft; and a vanity of being in the fashion, has carried away multitudes, who can give no other reafon for flighting public worship, but because polite people do the fame. Thus has a contempt of religion, and hence immoralities of every kind, infected all conditions of men: "For "what can curb our paflions when religion " is removed? and what will not men do "when they have fhaken off the fear of "God?"

Indeed it is not to be much wondered at, that they who have caft off all other regards. VOL. III.

G

to

to God and man, should make light of divine worship; but that Chriftians fhould at any time, unless upon the most urgent neceflity, absent themselves from Chriftian worship, is altogether astonishing: for as worship in general is really a test of one's believing an allruling Providence, Chriftian worship is much more fo of one's believing the gospel; and therefore it is natural to think, that those who neglect it are truly unbelievers, and have denied the Lord that bought them; at least, if they have not rejected the principles of religion in fpeculation, they have renounced them in practice, are heedlessly carried down. the stream of Atheism; and though perhaps they intend it not, yet in fact they join with Atheists and infidels, to extirpate that reli. gion by which they pretend to hope for eternal life; fo that they are extremely inconfiftent with themfelves, as their behaviour evidently gives the lie to their faith.

And now, my Reverend Fathers and Brethren, fince we live in these melancholy times, when an impious difregard is avowed, not only to revealed, but even to natural religion; whereby both the prefent, and, what is far more lamentable, the eternal interests of men are in the utmost danger, it is no time for us to be unconcerned, or to be contending against fects and parties of Chriftians: it is high time for all who have any concern for the falvation of fouls, to beftir themselves, and unite against the moft dreadful of all ene