more remiss in our Attendance upon Religious Duties) the less qualified shall we be to withitand Temptations of all kinds; those especially which flatter Flesh and Blood, by offering such Systems as loosen the Bands of Religion, and leave us more Scope and Liberty to act as we please. It is here that we are to look for the true Cause of the Growth of Infidelity among us; not that its Abettors have more Sense, but that we have less Virtue; not that the heavenly Seed hath less of vital Force, but that we are in no Condition to give it proper Nourishment. If the Husbandman will not till his Ground, what can he expect but Briars and Thorns? And what is Neglect of God's Worship but the Neglect of that which is the proper Culture of the Soul; that which gives it Seriousness, Resolution, Earnestness, and whatever else it be, in which the Strength of a Rational Being confists ? This is the great Use of Frequency in the Exercise of religious Duties, that it makes God always present to our Minds; by which every inbred Corruption is check'd in its most early Motions; every Suggestion from without, which reflects Dishonour upon the Gofpel, is received with Abhorrence; so that Men can neither Sin without Shame, nor be perverted without Deliberation. Whilst the Outworks are thus carefully guarded, we are secure we shall not be taken by Surprize; and we need be under no Fears about our Faith, if the Cause is to be decided in fair and open Trial. But if we throw down these Fences to our Virtue; if we diffolve in Eafe and Sloth, and never think of God, and a future State, but when we cannot help it; our Adversaries will find too easy a Conquest. For easy must be the Victory, when those who are affaulted are more than half willing to be overcome.

To conclude all; The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom; the first Principle of Virtue, and therefore the Foundation and Corner-Stone of that Happiness, present as well as future, publick as well as private, which must be raised upon, and supported by Virtue. And since publick Worship is the great Instrument

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Instrument of fecuring that general Sense of Provi dence; that Knowledge of God's Will; that Remem brance of his Mercy and Goodness vouchsafed us in Jesus Chrift; those Hopes of eternal Life, and those Fears of eternal Vengeance, which the Religion of a Christian imports: It becomes every one's Concern, as he tenders the Honour of God, and his Son Jesus; as he values his own Happiness; the Happiness of his Family, or the Happiness of Society; by Example, by Authority, by Instruction, by every Means which the Station and Capacity he is in, puts into his Power; to endeavour to procure it Esteem and Reverence. The wider its Influences reach, so much the better will Religion thrive: For all Men may, and will improve by it; the Wife and Learned, as well as the most Ignorant; the Rich, as well as the Poor. But to the latter, it is more particularly necessary, who, by their Condition being debarr'd almost all private Means of Improvement, must owe their Virtues chiefly to these publick Administrations. This shews of how much Consequence it is, that the People be brought up in a Liking to our publick Worship; and it shews the Advantage which the Members of the Church of England have above the Members of any separate Communion among us. I speak not this by Way of Reproach; but in Fact it is true, that the Church of England ministers more frequent Opportunities of wor shipping God in publick, than any feparate Congregations do; and it is a Point well worth confidering, whether in judging of the Reasonableness or Unreasonableness of Separating from the established Church, this Circumstance ought not to be taken into the Account? For what have the Dissenters to lay as a Balance to this Advantage? Our Disputes with most of them are chiefly about Forms of Difcipline, and Forms of Worship; which Things indeed do affect the Decency, Regularity, and Perfection of the outward Oeconomy of the Church: But surely cannot sland in Competition with that Faith and Righteous. ness towards God, to which all Order is subservient, and

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and which the frequent Attendance upon God's Worship naturally helps daily to strengthen and improve. Men may work themselves up almost to any thing; and by giving way to Prejudices, contract such an Averfion to our publick Worship, as shall unsanctify their Devotions, and make them as unacceptable to God, as they are disagreeable to themselves. But this is their own Fault. Cool Reason, sound Judgment, and a diligent Trial, would foon convince them, that our Worship (contemptible as it may seem) would, if minded as it ought, minister more real and solid Benefit, than all the fancied Advantages of separate Worship, (under such a Scarcity of Opportunities) can possibly yield. The Argument would come with more Strength, as well as Decency, if we had it to say, that the Order of our Church is in all, or in most Places regularly observed. But allowing, (what cannot be denied) that in most Country Parishes the daily Service is seldom read; How stands the Cafe with Dissenters in those Places? Why, proportionably as bad. I hope there are few Parishes in which Divine Service is not perform'd, at least every Lord's Day; but it is very certain, that there are Numbers of Families, who (if they had not been taught to dislike the established Religion) would probably have gone to their Parish Church every Sunday, but, thro' want of Conveniency to go to a Meeting-house, seldom refort to any Place of publick Worship at all. Thus Nonconformity degenerates into a kind of Heathenism, which, if by Degrees it does not wear off a good deal of those common Notions of Religion in which Men have been bred, leaves them open to the Delufions of their own Mind, and to great Unfruitfulness in their Lives and Conversations.

I wish there was Encouragement enough to recommend the Revival of FAMILY WORSHIP; so far loft at present, that in many Families it is thought a Disgrace to acknowledge God's Goodness even at those Times when they have the most sensible Experience of it, their common Meals. I should hope that no good

good Christian will easily fall in with this Heathenish Custom; but even in the soberest Families there is too general a Neglect of joint Prayer, which I look upon to be a very great Omiffion, and what has helped, among other Things, to bring Religion into Disesteem. Care only should be taken, when Masters of Families make it a Custom to call their Children and Servants to their daily Prayers, that there be a Confiftency and Correspondency in all other Points of Behaviour; otherwise Worship degenerates into an empty Shew, and does but expose Religion to Scorn.

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