but, for thofe bleffings beftowed upon the whole fpecies in common,-reason feems further to require, that a joint return fhould be made by as many of the fpecies as can conveniently affemble together for this religious purpose.-From hence arifes, likewife, the reasonablenefs of public worship, and facred places fet apart for that purpofe; without which, it would be very difficult to preferve that fenfe of GoD and religion upon the minds of men, which is fo neceffary to their well-being, confidered only as a civil fociety, and with regard to the purposes of this life, and the influence which a juft fenfe of it must have upon their actions.-Befides, men, who are united in focieties, can have no other cement to unite them likewife in religious ties, as well as in manners of worship and points of faith, but the inftitution of folemn times and public places deftined for that use.

And it is not to be queftioned, that if the time, as well as place, for ferving GOD, were once confidered as indifferent, and left fo far to every man's choice

as to have no calls to public prayer, however a fenfe of religion might be preferved a while by a few fpeculative men, yet that the bulk of mankind would lofe all knowledge of it, and in time live without GoD in the world.Not that private prayer is the lefs our duty, the contrary of which is proved above; and our Saviour fays, that when we pray to GOD in fecret, we fhall be rewarded openly;-but that prayers which are publicly offered up in God's houfe, tend more to the glory of God, and the benefit of ourselves for this reafon, that they are prefumed to be performed with greater attention and feriousness, and therefore most likely to be heard with a more favourable acceptance. -And for this, one might appeal to every man's breaft, whether he has not been affected with the most elevated pitch of devotion, when he gave thanks in the great congregation of the faints, and praised GoD amongst much people? Of this united worship there is a glorious defcription which St. John

gives us, in the Revelations, where he fuppofes the whole univerfe joining together, in their feveral capacities, to give glory in this manner to their common Lord. Every creature which was in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and fuch as were in the feas, and all that were in them, heard I, crying, -Bleffing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that fitteth upon the

throne.

But here it may be asked, that if public worship tends fo much to promote the glory of GoD,-and is what is fo indifpenfably the duty and benefit of every chriftian ftate,-how came it to pafs, that our bleffed Saviour left no command to his followers, throughout the gospel, to fet up public places of worship, and keep them facred for that purpofe?It may be answered,—that the neceffity of fetting apart places for divine worship, and the holiness of them when thus fet apart, feemed already to have been fo well established by former revelation, as not to need any exprefs

precept upon that fubject :-for though the particular appointment of the temple, and the confinement of worship to that place alone, were only temporary parts of the Jewish covenant; yet the neceffity and duty of having places fomewhere folemnly dedicated to God carried a moral reafon with it, and therefore was not abolished with the ceremonial part of the law.-Our Saviour came not to destroy, but to fulfil the law;-and therefore the moral precepts of it, which promoted a due regard to the divine Majefty, remained in as full force as ever. And accordingly we find it attefted, both by chriftian and heathen writers, that fo foon as the fecond century, when the number of believers was much increafed, and the circumstances of rich converts enabled them to do it, -that they began to erect edifices for divine worship;—and though, under the frowns and oppreffion of the civil power, they every Sabbath affembled themselves therein, that with one heart and one lip they might declare whofe they were, and

whom they ferved, and, as the fervants of one Lord, might offer up their joint prayers and petitions.

I wish there was no reafon to lament an abatement of this religious zeal amongst chriftians of later days.Though the piety of our forefathers feems, in a great measure, to have deprived us of the merit of building churches for the fervice of God, there can be no fuch plea for not frequenting them in a regular and folemn manner. -How often do people abfent themfelves (when in the utmost distress how to difpofe of themfelves) from church, even upon thofe days which are fet apart for nothing else but the worship of GOD; when, to trifle that day away, or apply any portion of it to fecular concerns, is a facrilege almoft in the literal fenfe of the word.

From this duty of public prayer arifes another, which I cannot help fpeaking of, it being fo dependant upon it;-I mean a ferious, devout and respectful behaviour, when we are performing this