always infifted upon too much, and urged too far. Whatever therefore conduces to restore the level, by qualifying the difpofitions which grow out of great elevation or depreffion of rank, improves the character on both fides. Now things are made to appear little, by being placed befide what is great. In which manner, fuperiorities, that occupy the whole field of the imagination, will vanish, or fhrink to their proper diminutiveness, when compared with the distance by which even the higheft of men are removed from the fupreme Being: and this comparison is naturally introduced by all acts of joint worship. If ever the poor man holds up his head, it is at church: if ever the rich man views him with respect, it is there: and both will be the better, and the public profited, the oftener they meet in a fituation, in which the confcioufnefs of dignity in the one is tempered and mitigated, and the fpirit of the other erected and confirmed. We recommend nothing adverse to subordinations, which are established and neceffary; but then it should be remembered, that fubordination itself is an evil, being an evil to the fubordinate, who are the majority, and therefore ought not to be carried a tittle beyond what the greater

good,

good, the peaceable government of the community, requires.

The public worship of Christians is a duty of divine appointment. " Where two or three," fays Christ, are gathered together in my name, "there am I in the midft of them*.”

This

invitation will want nothing of the force of a command with thofe, who refpect the perfon and authority from which it proceeds, Again, in the Epistle to the Hebrews, "not forfaking "the affembling of ourselves together, as the

manner of fome is;" which reproof feems as applicable to the defertion of our public worship at this day, as to the forfaking the religious affemblies of Chriftians in the age of the Apostle. Independently of these paffages of fcripture, a disciple of Christianity will hardly think himself at liberty to dispute a practice fet on foot by the inspired preachers of his religion, coeval with its institution, and retained by every fect into which it has been fince divided.

Matt. xviii. 20. Heb. x. 25.

CHAP.

С НА Р.

V.

OF FORMS OF PRAYER IN PUBLIC WORSHIP,

LITURGIES, or preconcerted forms of

public devotion, being neither enjoined in scripture, nor forbidden, there can be no good reafon either for receiving or rejecting them, but that of expediency; which expediency is to be gathered from a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages attending upon this mode of worship, with those which ufually accompany extemporary prayer.

The advantages of a liturgy are these:

1. That it prevents abfurd, extravagant, or impious addreffes to God, which in an order of men so numerous as the facerdotal, the folly and enthusiasm of many muft always be in danger of producing, where the conduct of the public worship is entrusted, without reftraint or affiftance, to the difcretion and abilities of the officiating minifter.

2. That

2. That it prevents the confufion of extemporary prayer, in which the congregation being ignorant of each petition before they hear it, and having little or no time to join in it after they have heard it, are confounded between their attention to the minifter, and to their own devotion. The devotion of the hearer is neceffarily fufpended, until a petition be concluded; and before he can affent to it, or properly adopt it, that is, before he can addrefs the fame request to God for himself, and from himself, his attention is called off to keep pace with what fucceeds. Add to this, that the mind of the hearer is held in continual expectation, and detained from its proper business by the very novelty with which it is gratified. A congregation may be pleafed and affected with the prayers and devotion of their minifter without joining in them, in like manner as an audience oftentimes are with the representation of devotion upon the ftage, who, neverthelefs, come away without being confcious of having exercised any act of devotion themfelves. Joint prayer, which amongst all denominations of Christians is the declared defign of "coming together," is prayer in which all join; and not that which one alone in the congregation conceives and delivers,

and

and of which the reft are merely hearers. This objection feems fundamental, and holds even where the minifter's office is discharged with every poffible advantage and accomplishment. The labouring recollection, and embarraffed or tumultuous delivery, of many extempore speakers, form an additional objection to this mode of public worship: for these imperfections are very general, and give great pain to the ferious part of a congregation, as well as afford a profane diverfion to the levity of the other part.

These advantages of a liturgy are connected with two principal inconveniencies; first, that forms of prayer compofed in one age become unfit for another by the unavoidable change of language, circumstances, and opinions; fecondly, that the perpetual repetition of the fame form of words produces wearinefs and inattentiveness in the congregation. However, both thefe inconveniencies are in their nature vincible. Occafional revifions of a liturgy may obviate the firft, and devotion will fupply a remedy for the fecond: or they may both subsist in a considerable degree, and yet be outweighed by the objections which are infeparable from extemporary prayer.

The