selves Christians, but the neceffary Means of preferving a true Senfe of Religion in our Minds, and of obtaining the divine Affiftance without which we cannot poffibly be truly religious:] It can be no Wonder, I fay, that fuch thould fall away into Infidelity or Immorality or that thofe who seldom attend upon publick Worship, fhou'd be weak in Faith, and very imperfect in the Difcharge of their Duty. Thefe Effects are as natural as it is for a Man to die, who takes in no Sustenance to fupport Life, and to be fickly if he does not take enough to keep Him in Health.

I have left myself but little Time for the laft Head of my Difcourfe, but I must bear hard upon your Patience while I fay fomething upon fo material a Point, as That of the Duty of exhorting one another to a due Attendance upon publick Worship.

It is Part of our bleffed Lord's Prayer, (which ought to be our daily Prayer) that God's Will may be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven. The Angels in Heaven are continually attending upon God to receive his Commands; and if we imitate these miniftring Spirits in their Readiness and Alacrity in executing their Commiffions from their heavenly King, we shall exhort one another to repair, as often as we can, to the Courts of the Lord's Houfe, in Honour of his moft glorious Name, and in Obedience to his Commands.

But, Charity likewife requires This of us. A good-natur'd Man wou'd be forward to give an ignorant and inadvertent Neighbour Advice in any important Affair, or to warn him of any approaching Danger. Now, I wou'd afk any Man in his "Senfes what can be of greater Importance than the publick Worship of our Maker, who gave us our Being and continually fuftains us by his Almighty Power; of our univerfal Governor who by his watchful Providence preferves us; of our bleffed Redeemer who faved us from Deftruction, and purchas'd for us eternal Happinefs; of our tremendous Judge who is to pass an irreverfible Sentence upon us at the laft great and folemn Audit of the World? Or, what greater Danger can attend any one than the Danger of lofing his Title to the Bleflings of God's Providence by refufing publickly to acknowledge them; of lofing the bleffed Influences of God's Grace by neglecting the Means of obtaining it; of incurring his moft heavy Difpleafure by openly flighting him? If, therefore, you have any Bowels of Compaffion, it must be a Concern to you to fee any of your Brethren fo unmindful of their Security, fo wanting to their own Happiness. I will be bold to fay, that an Unconcernedness on thefe Occafions is a plain Proof that Men are not, themselves, truly fenfible of the vaft Importance of religious Worfhip, or they wou'd leave no Arts of Perfuafion unattempted to

prevail

prevail upon each other to attend it. Neighbours wou'd decently remind; Friends wou'd kindly and importunately intreat; Parents and Mafters, inftead of fetting a bad Example, wou'd peremptorily command; Church-Officers wou'd regularly prefent Abfenters; and Magiftrates wou'd rigorously execute the Laws upon them.

The Clergy are more particularly oblig'd to be inftant in Seafon and out of Seafon, whether the People will hear or whether they will forbear. Thou shalt in any wife rebuke thy Neighbour, and not fuffer Sin upon him. This is a Direction given to all Chriftians; but the Clergy are commanded to do it with all Authority and Severity, and that publickly where the Crime is of a publick Nature, and the Remiffness of their People requires a fharp Admonition. But, as this is a Part of my Office very difagreeable to my Temper, so I hope you will give me no Occafion to exercife it. Yet, as I cannot wholly acquit you of Neglect, especially thofe of you, who have no Pretence, from Bufinefs, and whose Duty it is to fet a good Example to their Inferiors; those who think it fufficient to ferve God on one Part of the Day, and lawful to indulge and divert themselves either at Home, or Abroad, on the other; those who take the Opportunity of doing that on the Sunday which they cannot do on any other Day without fome Hindrance

Hindrance to their worldly Bufinefs; all fuch (and fome fuch there are amongst us) with an Earneftness becoming the Greatnefs of their Danger, and my Concern, but with a Tenderness agreeable to my Affection for them, I exhort, I befeech, I conjure to attend the publick Worship of God as often as poffible, and alfo to fee that their Families do their Duty in This great Article of it, that They may not be Partakers with them in this finful Neglect.

.....

FINI S

2

BOOKS publish'd by the fame AUTHOR.

A

SERMON against Popery, preach'd at the Time of the laft Rebellion; and a Pamphlet in Defence of his Majefty's Hereditary Title to the Crown. Both publish'd by Deputy John Clark, by the Royal Exchange.

The Nature and Duty of Benevolence.

The Nature and Duty of Living peaceably

with all Men.

An Appeal to the Common Senfe, &c. of the Laity concerning Tithes. All Three publish'd by W. Ruffel, at Horace's Head without Temple-Bar.

Three Dialogues upon Anger and Forgivenefs; publifh'd by Mr. Owen within Temple

Bar.