and to live at peace, and in love with all

men.

When so many hearts and voices are employed in the fame devotions, imploring the fame bleffings, craving pardon for their multiplied tranfgreffions; may we not be convinced, to a moral certainty, that the union of fo many congenial petitions, will have a powerful efficacy in prevailing with God, to bestow upon his people, grace, pardon, and mercy.

Was religion forced to find an affylum in folitude; did it feek fhelter only in the dens and caves of the earth; did all the powers of the world confpire against its prevalency and influence; was the infolence of vice univerfally authorifed to tread upon the neck of virtue; then would all good order in fociety decline; the chain of fubordination among men would be broken; degenerated into lavages and barbarians, we would fwell the torrent of impiety, with the blood of the meritorious; and the inhabitants of the world would ruth with rapidity into the chambers of destruction and death.

But religion, with its amiable demeanour, publicly overawes the overflowings of licentioufnefs. She raises her voice in the ftreets, and commands the proud to learn humility. She chaftifes the immoral, and inftructs them to reverence the Almighty, or to dread the confequences of his vengeance. She awakens the unthinking to reflection. She infufes into the ignorant foul

foul the beams of divine light. She gives confolation to the afflicted. She roufes the guilty confcience by her reproofs, and instantly the vicious are reclaimed. By her authority princes are made juft and prudent, and fubjects loyal and obedient. By her the facred rights of fociety are preserved, and the welfare and happiness of states, families, and individuals, under her divine influence, are conftituted and maintained.

Admitted into the Church by Baptism, we are certainly blame-worthy, if we neglect all communion with our Christian brethren. We then willingly detach ourfelves, both from Chrift, as our fpiritual head, and his members, which are denominated his myftical body. Whatever our pretenfions to piety may be, we deprive ourfelves of the benefits of thofe vital influences, and thofe graces which can only be imparted to us from Christ our head: And, "As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can we, except we abide in Christ *.”

Whatever be our fituations or circumstances in life, we ought always to pay a folemn regard to public worship, as highly conducive to cherish our piety, and to fecure our future hopes. If publicly we do not worship God, our private devotions will decline apace, our profaneness will grow upon us, and our neglect of public duties, will to others become contagious.

I

* John xv. 4.

To

To be remifs in our attendance in the house of God, will eventually lead our children to a contempt of religion; and, when once they are immoral, no wonder if they become undutiful. The neglect will lead fervants gradually to be graceless, faithless, and dishonest. And our carelessly mispent time at home, upon the day appointed by God himself, for the purposes of public and private devotion, will pafs away in a lethargic dulnefs, void of all fatisfaction. This abfence, too, from the house of prayer, when frequently indulged, will not only make us dislike divine things themselves, but create a difesteem for those who are confecrated to facred offices and employments.

Since therefore God requires our attendance in thofe places which are confecrated to his fervice; fince in his temples we have the benefit of hearing his will revealed; the gofpel of falvation preached; the facraments adminiftred; and our devout petitions accepted; we ought to embrace every opportunity of prefenting ourselves with the people of God, to worthip and honour the divine Majefty. From him we receive every temporal and fpiritual gift; to him our private and public acknowledgments ought to afcend. From him we expect falvation and immortality: Let us therefore endeavour to please him in this life, with his devout worshippers, that we may meet with acceptance in that life which is to come, through Jefus Christ our Saviour.

A

A

PRAYER,

FROM THE LXV. PSALM.

ALMIGHTY

LMIGHTY GOD, thou alone art worthy to be adored; thou only art holy. In Sion, thy confecrated hill, thy praifes were celebrated in the days that are past. There thy faints behold thy glory, and there thy devout worshippers performed their vows. But thou hast enlarged thy temple to the ends of all the earth, and the innumerable tribes of thy people offer a pure homage unto the most High.

2. Thy altars are now beheld in the bofom of every country; to thee the supplications of all nations afcend; and thy ear is ever attentive to the prayers of the neceffitous: therefore, the inhabitants of the world, with anxious folicitation, implore thy favour.

3. But I am afhamed to open my mouth in thy prefence, because of the iniquities which prevail against me. Conscious guilt ought to prevent my entreaties, and may justly stop the ear of Mercy against my complaint. But thou delighteft in him who feeks repentance. Let, I befeech thee, thy

grace

grace pardon my fin, and thy fpirit purify me from all iniquity. Blot out, I pray thee, as a cloud, my tranfgreffions, and as a thick cloud, the multitude of my offences.

4. Happy are they, who are blessed with the testimonies of thy favour; thou givest them the liberty of accefs into thy prefence. They approach thee, not as flaves, but as children. They delight to dwell in thy courts, and to behold thy glory. The goodness of thy houfe fatisfies their fouls. The abundant grace, and perfect righteoufness, which are the ornaments of thy holy temple, ever rejoice their spirits.

5. Thou art ever propitious to the cries of thy afflicted fervants. Thou art the God of their falvation, who, by thy juft judgements, ftrikeft terror into the hearts of their enemies. No weapon, formed against the peace of thy people, fhall profper. Throughout the world, astonished nations fhall acknowledge thee, the Omnipotent defender of thy children. The inhabitants of the uttermoft parts of the earth, and those who wander on the watery waste of the mighty ocean, put their truft in thee; and thou art ever near to them in the hour of danger. No dark browed tempeft can conceal their perilous fituations from thy allpervading eye. Neither the noife of mighty waters, nor the defolating storm, can diffipate their prayers from reaching thy ear;

no