henfive, are always lefs interefting than family prayers; and that the ardor of devotion is better fupported, and the fympathy more easily propagated, through a small affembly connected by the affections of domestic society, than in the prefence of a mixed congregation.

III. Public worship.

If the worship of God be a duty of religion, public worship is a necessary institution; forafmuch as without it, the greater part of mankind would exercife no religious worship at all.

These assemblies afford alfo, at the fame time, opportunities for moral and religious inftruction to those who otherwife would receive none. In all proteftant, and in most chriftian countries, the elements of natural religion, and the important parts of the evangelic hiftory, are familiar to the lowest of the people. This competent degree and general diffusion of religious knowledge amongst all orders of chriftians, which will appear a great thing when compared with the intellectual condition of barbarous nations, can fairly, I think, be afcribed to no other cause, than the regular establishment of affemblies for divine worship; in which, either portions of scripture are recited and explained, or the principles of chriftian erudition are fo con

ftantly taught in fermons, incorporated with liturgies, or expreffed in extempore prayer, as to imprint, by the very repetition, fome knowledge and memory of thefe fubjects upon the moft unqualified and careless hearer.

The two reafons above stated bind all the members of a community to uphold public worship by their prefence and example, although the helps and opportunities which it affords may not be neceffary to the devotion or edification of all; and to fome may be ufelefs: for it is eafily forefeen, how foon religious affemblies would fall into contempt and difufe, if that clafs of mankind, who are above seeking instruction in them, and want not that their own piety fhould be affifted by either forms or fociety in devotion, were to withdraw their attendance; especially when it is confidered, that all who please are at liberty to rank themselves of this clafs. This argument meets the only serious apology that can be made for the abfenting of ourfelves from public worship. Surely, fome will fay, I may "be excufed from going to church, fo long as "I pray at home, and have no reason to doubt "but that my prayers are as acceptable and “efficacious in my closet, as in a cathedral; "still lefs can I think myself obliged to fit out a " tedious

" tedious fermon, in order to hear what is "known already, what is better learnt from. "books, or suggested by meditation." They, whofe qualifications and habits best supply to themselves all the effect of public ordinances, will be the laft to prefer this excufe, when they advert to the general confequence of fetting up fuch an exemption, as well as when they confider the turn which is fure to be given in the neighbourhood to their abfence from public worship. You ftay from church, to employ the fabbath at home in exercises and ftudies fuited to its proper business: your next neighbour stays from church, to spend the feventh day lefs religiously than he paffed any of the fix, in a sleepy, stupid reft, or at fome rendezvous of drunkenness and debauchery, and yet thinks that he is only imitating you, because you both agree in not going to church. The fame confideration should over-rule many fmall fcruples concerning the rigorous propriety of fome things, which may be contained in the forms, or admitted into the administration of the public worship of our communion; for it feems impoffible, that even

two or three should be gathered together," in any act of focial worship, if each one require from the rest an implicit fubmiffion to his objections;

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tions; and if no man will attend upon a religious fervice, which in any point contradicts his opinion of truth, or falls fhort of his ideas of perfection.

every

Befide the direct neceffity of public worship to the greater part of chriftian community (fuppofing worship at all to be a chriftian duty), there are other valuable advantages growing out of the ufe of religious affemblies, without being defigned in the institution, or thought of by the individuals who compose them.

1. Joining in prayer and praises to their common Creator and Governor has a fenfible tendency to unite mankind together, and to cherish and enlarge the generous affections.

So many pathetic reflections are awakened by every exercise of social devotion, that most men, I believe, carry away from public worship a better temper towards the reft of mankind, than they brought with them. Sprung from the fame extraction, preparing together for the period of all worldly diftinctions, reminded of their mutual infirmities and common dependency, imploring. and receiving fupport and fupplies from the fame great fource of power and bounty, having all one intereft to fecure, one Lord to ferve, one judgment,

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judgment, the fupreme object to all of their hopes and fears, to look towards, it is hardly poffible, in this pofition, to behold mankind as ftrangers, competitors, or enemies; or not to regard them as children of the fame family affembled before their common parent, and with some portion of the tenderness which belongs to the most endearing of cur domeftic relations. It is not to be expected, that any fingle effect of this kind fhould be confiderable or lafting; but the frequent return of fuch fentiments as the prefence of a devout congregation naturally fuggefts, will gradually melt down the ruggedness of many unkind paffions, and may generate in time a permanent and productive benevolence.

2. Affemblies for the purpose of divine worfhip, placing men under impreffions, by which they are taught to confider their relation to the Deity, and to contemplate those around them with a view to that relation, force upon their thoughts the natural equality of the human fpecies, and thereby promote humility and condescension in the highest orders of the community, and infpire the lowest with a fenfe of their rights. The distinctions of civil life are almost