lerable at any time, and therefore greater Profanations of an holy Day than if the Shops were open, and Trade was as bufily driven on as it is all the Week befides. Such therefore do what in them lies to banish all Senfe of Religion, and the Reverence of God out of the World, which can never be maintained but by outward Obfervations, and putting a vifible Difference between Things common and holy, as between common Times and what are separated to be holy, whether the Authority upon which the Diftinction and Separation stands be Apoftolical or Ecclefiaftical.

And then as for holy Places, they are fuch as are separated for the Service of God in religious Affemblies, and there is the fame Reason for them that there is for Times, both being neceffary Circumftances belonging to the folemn Worship of God; for therefore the Separation of Things from common Use hath been the Religion of all Mankind. And tho' in this respect, as well as in the other, Men may run into Superftition, yet that (I take it) is the more excufable Extreme, than to run, on the other fide, into Profaneness. But there is no need either of the one or the other. Custom and Common Sense will fhew what Respect is to be given to God's Houfe, and how his Name is to be honoured this way, that is, by the fame Testimonies of Refpect at leaft H 2 which

which are usually given to the PrefenceChambers of Kings. For the Meaning of outward Teftimonies of Religious Reverence could not be understood, if they were not the fame with thofe that we ufe for Civil Refpect. It is true that God is present in all Places, but yet he is more especially prefent in his Houfe than elsewhere. Jacob very well knew that God was omniprefent, yet he could fay, Surely the Lord is in this Place, and I knew it not, Gen. 28. 16. And therefore they that came into the Temple were faid to come before God, and to ftand BEFORE Him, Pfal. 95. 6. and 100. 2, 4. Micah 6. 6. Rev. 9. 13. Which could not be truly affirmed, if he were not more particularly prefent in the Places of his Worfhip than he is in other Places. Therefore fays the wife Man, Ecclef. 5. . Keep thy Foot when thou goeft into the House of God. The plain Meaning of which is, fhew outward Reverence; for that putting off the Shoe was in the Eastern Countries the fame that uncovering the Head is with us. And therefore when God appeared to Mofes in the Bufh, fays he, Put off thy Shoes from off thy Feet, for the Place whereon thou Standeft is holy Ground, Exod. 3. 5. And what is thus faid of God's Houfe, is true of all the Furniture thereof, that it should not be commonly used. And the true Reason, I fuppofe, why this Kind of outward Re

verence

verence is little used by fome People, as if there was nothing in it, is, because of the Superftition of others, who run into another Extreme, fuppofing I know not what Kind of Holiness to be in thofe Things that are ufed in God's folemn Service, befides the Relation they have thereunto. A very ordinary Difcretion, one would think, might fuffice to fhew us in all these Matters what is fit and decent to be done between profane Rudeness on the one hand, and fuperftitious Scruple on the other. But I must profess they are to be wondred at for charging Superftition upon all religious Respect towards God's House where it is, who all the while contend fo violently for the Obfervation of one Day in feven, and derive their Arguments almost entirely from the Old Teftament, and particularly from the Fourth Commandment. For there is the fame Strefs laid upon the Reverence of holy Places in the Old Testament that is laid upon the Obfervation of holy Times, witness this one Rule, which takes in both, Levit. 26. 2. Te shall keep my Sabbaths, and reverence my SANCTUARY. So that if the Authority of the Old Teftament is pleaded by them for the former, it may likewife be proved against them for the latter. But the Truth is, as I faid at firft, It is a Principle of Natural Religion, and that which, fetting afide Prejudice, Common Senfe will lead a religi

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ous Man to, viz. to honour God, by putting a Difference between thofe Times and Places that are dedicated to his Service, and those that are left for common Use.

But befides these Things, there are others alfo to which relative Holiness is to be afcri bed, and which are therefore to be fanctified, by reafon of that peculiar Relation wherein they ftand to God. As for Inftance, fuch is the Holy Bible, the Scriptures of the Old and New Teftament, by which I understand the whole Writings and Books themselves, which were always had in Reverence amongst Christians; or, which I chiefly mean, the Phrafes and Expreffions of Scripture, and the Senfe and Meaning of them; These are to be used with Gravity and Respect fuitable to the Dignity of thofe Books, which are of Divine Authority, containing the great Truths of God, and the great Concerns of our Souls. The Phrases of the holy Scripture are not to be applied to every trivial and common Ufe, as the manner of fome Men is, whether in defign to make a Shew of Wit, or to exprefs a Contempt of thofe holy Writings; the lat ter indeed is intolerable, and the Practice of none but of Atheists, Deifts, and Infi dels; but the former is inexcufably profane, and withal fhews a barren Wit, that cannot fupply it felf without invading holy Things, that furprizes the Hearer, not with a face

a facetious, but with an audacious Liberty of fpeaking. When we fpeak of ordinary Matters, 'tis an impudent thing to exprefs our felves in Scripture Sentences, and to dress up an Idle Jeft in Scripture Phrafe; and indeed what Writing is fo trivial and mean, which we could abufe or expose more than in this fashion?

Another fort of holy Things, in the Ufe of which God's Name is to be hallowed or fanctified, are Oaths and Vows.

1. Oaths. The Nature of an Oath confifts in this, that it is an Appeal to God, as the Witness of Truth, and a juft Avenger of Lying and Falfhood, for the Confirmation of our Teftimony, either in Affirming or Denying fomething that is doubted of, or in Promifing to do fomething for the future. Therefore an Oath is profaned, and God thereby highly difhonoured, either, 1. In Perjury. Or,

2. In Binding our felves to Things impoffible or unlawful by it. Or,

3. In Rafh and Common Swearing. 1. In Perjury; which is incurr'd, you know, either by affirming upon Oath a Falfhood, or any Fact I am not certain of; or in a promiffory Oath, by not intending the Performance of what I fo promife, or breaking the Promife afterwards. And it is a fad Cafe that in any Age and Place profeffing Chriftianity infinite Difhonour fhould

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