fervance of the Lord's Day has the fanetion of civil authority. What though the penalties are not often exacted? Much guilt may be incurred, where there is little danger of punishment,

But the danger is not little for to violate the juft laws of the community, is an offence against God, the fource of all Rom. xiii. power, the fupreme Head of all magiftrates; who is pleafed alike, with the right ufe of the authority he hath delegated, and with a due fubjection to it. Him at least we cannot offend with impunity and were it not that the Christian Sabbath claims, as you have feen, an Original higher than human, there could be no inftance in which we are more Pet.ii.13. plainly bound to fubmit to the ordinance of man, for the Lord's fake.

The inftitution of this weekly feftival, both as a day of devotion and of relief from labour, is evidently and greatly beneficial.

To

To what other caufe can we afcribe that degree of knowledge and civility found amongst the vulgar? who make the bulk of mankind; and would make a greater, and a much worse part of the world than they do, were it not for the obfervance of this or fome fuch feftival.

It is an inftitution much in favour of the inferiour part of our species in another respect alfo; as it checks that inequality, which is perpetually growing up among men; and which is ufeful indeed while confined within due bounds, but easily degenerates into Tyranny and Servitude; detrimental to both parties, and to the one furely the greatest calamity on earth,

This day probably preferves Religion in the world.

Without the affignment of fome particular times either by authority or custom for the worship of God, and the celebra

tion

tion of religious rites, it is not at all incredible that Christianity itself, long before our days, and all knowledge, and thought even of a Supreme Being might have perished from the face of the earth.

Duties, which men are left at liberty to discharge at what time they please, foon come to be utterly neglected. Of all those great numbers, who cannot be prevailed on to worship their Creator upon the folemn day fet apart for that purpose, there are, we apprehend, exceedingly few, who find it more convenient to do it on any other.

No. Although we must acknowledge, that our places of public worship are found to contain fome perhaps hypocritical perfons, who aim at no more than the fhew of piety; crowds of thoughtless people, who come without any the least design relative to piety; no fmall number of lukewarm and irrefolute chriftians, whofe

lives fall fhort not only of their profeffions, but of their own wifhes and intentions and in general too many wicked persons of every clafs; who join no devotion to their prayers, or no virtue to their devotion: yet, though multitudes of bad men be in the church, the good are all there. Rarely is it found, that those who give not this specimen of their piety, either fhew their religion in other instances, or an eminent degree of virtue in any. Of all the motives to a good life, none comes up to the fear of God. The morality, that is univerfal and durable, springs from the root of Religion.

Poffible it is, no doubt, to be too fcrupulous in our regard to this or any other of the external forms of piety. But there is a great difference between a freedom from groundless anxiety, and an infenfibility to religious impreffions. Which latter, whether it be the greater fault or not, appears to be much the more com

mon:

Matth. ix.

13.

mon and therefore it is more neceffary to caution men against it, and to avoid it.

Whatever may be the cafe in other countries, or may have been even here formerly; in this nation, and in our days, Superftition, however bad a thing, is not very terrible. The danger is almost wholly from Irreligion. There are vast numbers who abfent themselves from the publick worship without any reason, for one who has good reason to be absent, and yet attends it. Generally, when we neglect the Lord's Day, it is owing to fome little call of bufinefs, or pleasure, or perhaps to mere indolence; and not to the greater respect we have for any fuperiour duties. These can be our excufe only when we are employed in them. What is it to us, that God will have mercy rather than facrifice, when we give him neither?

Exact rules cannot be laid down con

cerning