may justly strengthen our Confidence in that Providence which continues them.-And it is one present Instance of that Providence, that the Throne is filled by his most Excellent Majefty, who was pleafed with his ufual Goodness and Firmness to extend his paternal Care and Protection to us, when our Enemies were most fanguine of Succefs in their Defigns! We have alfo the great Example, as well as excellent Inftructions of a wife and faithful Governor, to animate us to fuch a difinterested Adherence to the Truths we profefs and teach, that like him we may be refolute and immoveable in our refpective Duties, and nothing may be able to make us afhamed of the Gofpel, or of the Authority by which we act as Ministers of it. This is not preaching ourselves, but Chrift Jefus the Lord, and ourselves the Servants and Minifters of his Church, by his Appointment and for his Sake.-If Men revile us, and fay all manner of Evil of us falsely on these Accounts only, happy are we; for fo perfecuted they the Prophets and Apostles that have been before us.

And I hope therefore, that neither Height nor Depth, neither Things prefent, whether Revilings or Contempt, nor Things to come, whether Loffes or Dangers, nor indeed even Life or Death itself shall ever be able to feparate us from this Love of God in Chrift Fefus our Lord.

SERMON

SERMON XV.

PSAL. cxvi. 18, 19.

I will pay my Vows unto the Lord, now in the Prefence of all his People; In the midst of the Lord's Houfe, in the midst of thee, O Jerufalem.

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HE Royal Prophet was not more remarkable for his Rife from the Sheepfold to the Throne, than for his Zeal and Affection for that God who raised him.—And the other Authors of those Hymns, which are collected under his Name, are not lefs confiderable for the moft fincere Love for his Honour and Glory. And for this Reason the Book of Pfalms has ever been commended and admired by good Men, as a most invaluable Treasure of Piety and Devotion. We fee here the natural and unaffected Conduct of a Mind warmed and actuated by Divine Love; the gentle Whispers and affectionate Breathings of a Soul raised by the Contemplation of Divine Things; and the Joy VOL. II. T

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and Exultation of an overflowing Gratitude, bursting out itself, and calling upon all Nature to imitate it, in the loudeft Acclamations of Joy and Thanksgiving.Of the last kind is this whole Pfalm, of which the Text is a Part; whatever was the particular Occafion, or whoever the Author of it, we see him fo affected with the fignal Bleffings which had lately been vouchfafed him, that nothing lefs will content him than profeffing his Gratitude to God who gave them, in the moft open, publick, and exemplary Manner.-I will pay my Vows unto the Lord now in the Prefence of all his People; in the Courts of the Lord's Houfe, even in the midst of thee, O Jerufalem.—And in applying these Words from the Jewish to the Chriftian Church, I propofe to reprefent the great Benefits of attending the publick Offices of our Religion, in the following Inftances.

I. In that it helps to keep up forne Senfe of God and Religion, in the Minds even of those who are very regardless of them.-There is fomething fo agrecable to the common Sentiments of Mankind, in publickly praising and adoring our great Creator, that Men must have taken great Pains to corrupt their own Minds, and muft have gone great Lengths in vicious Courses, before they can bring themfelves to a Neglect or Contempt of so wife an Inftitution.-And even then it must have some

Effect

Effect and Influence upon them, to see others join with one Heart and one Mouth in their Applications to God, on whofe Goodness they depend, and in whom and by whom all things confift.-It must ftrike them with fome Shame and Remorfe at least, by giving them fuch strong Memento's of their own Duty; and as long as one virtuous Sentiment remains uneffaced in the Mind, it will excite and ftrengthen it. For the Decency and Solemnity of Cariftian Worship, when duly performed, and diligently attended to, is fuch, as must diffuse great Serioufnefs through all devout Minds, and must strike all prefent, who are not loft to every thing that is facred and good, with fome Awe and Reverence.It is indeed a lovely and an affecting Sight, to behold Men of all Ranks unite in humbling themselves before their Lord and Saviour. And that Man muft retain but a very weak Sense of God and his Duty, who does not find himfelf powerfully excited to fall proftrate and adore, when he fees the Rich and the Poor, the Highest and the Loweft, imploring those common Bleffings at the Throne of Grace, without which neither private Perfons nor Societies could fubfift.-And this open, publick Discharge of fo neceffary a Duty has likewife fome good and happy Influences even on those who are too much abandoned to join it. -It gives fome Check and Discountenance at leaft to their Impiety and Profaneness, as it is a pub

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a publick Disavowal and Discountenance of them; and it often obliges wicked Men to lurk in fecret when they blafpheme, and to be under fome Reftraints when they revile God and Religion, out of Deference to the common. Senfe and Practice of Mankind.-And indeed, were it not for the frequent Returns and devout Attendance on these folemn Affemblies, it is much to be feared, that they who are now bad would foon be worse; that the spreading Profanenef and Int lity of the Age, already very great, would become much greater; and that, in the Course of but a few Years, there would fcarce remain any Footfteps of our holy Religion among us.-And for this Reafon, among many others, as being fo publick and general a Good, I conceive it was, that the Almighty was pleased to insist so much on this Particular, in the Ordinances he gave the Jews; and to require them in the moft folemn Manner, and under the feverest Penalties, to obferve his Sabbaths, and reverence his Sanctuary.

II. A fecond Benefit of our publick Worfhip is, that it gives us an Opportunity of openly profeffing our Faith and Love for our Bleffed Redeemer in the wisest and best Manner.-In an Age when Men are grown wanton with the Bleffings of Heaven, fo wanton, as to fpurn at that God who gives them; when Luxury and Debauchery are carried to

the