Part 10
If, in other Lands, ecclesiastical tyranny and persecution have reigned, and the rights of conscience have been invaded and trampled upon, still in our country, there is not a single vestige of this. All enjoy universal toleration. Civil government is not incorporated with the Church. In America there is nothing of the nature of a Hierarchy. The religion of Jesus Christ stands upon its own basis. Happy Land! It is our favoured lot, my fellow Christians, to live in a country which has the honor of exhibiting the first instance the world ever saw, of a civil Government established upon the broad basis of equal and universal liberty. Religion sheds indeed a most benign influence on society. Civil government and true liberty receive support and authority from it. It enforces all good laws by the powerful ties of conscience. It breaths forth ardent prayers to almighty God for the tranquillity of the public--for the divine smiles to rest on rulers and ruled--and on all the various orders of the community--that vice and all land-defiling sins may be suppressed--and that the righteousness which exalteth a nation may flourish. Besides one essential part of Religion is morality. There can be no true Religion without morality. And the more morality is taught, recommended and practiced, the more prosperous will be civil society--the more strengthened in its kind purposes will be civil government--the more respected will be the laws against vice and injustice--the more esteemed will be civil rulers--the more sober, regular, and industrious will be the whole mass of the citizens. Public worship may fitly be termed the school of morality.--The weekly instructions, delivered to attentive audiences, on the Lord's day, on the duties of morality, have an unknown effect, an insensible influence upon the general morals of the people. As a people we do not realize the singular temporal blessings derived from public worship. The instructions of God's house tend to enlarge the mind--to promote charity, peace and benevolence, and of course our best temporal interest. They are adapted to soften the heart and liberalize the soul. They adorn the social life; they are well calculated to render man benefit--friendly, and compassionate--diligent in his calling--faithful to his word--punctual in his dealings--sensible to the misfortunes of others--a good Christian--and from a good Christian to a good member of civil society the transition is easy. Were there, as the Atheist pretends to believe, no other world besides this or were death to be the final extinction of the living principle, it would be wise in a people statedly to attend public worship, as an excellent expedient to advance the dearest interests of society.--I have enlarged a little upon this idea, that public worship is designed to promote man's present temporal happiness; because I deem it an important one, and because it is seldom enlarged upon.
2dly. Another and the great end of public worship is man's spiritual future and eternal happiness. Between his temporal and spiritual happiness there is no room for comparison. As much above the former is the latter as heaven is above the earth. Our spiritual happiness claims from us our first, our greatest, and chief attention. It is as much to be preferred to our present interest as the soul is to be preferred to the body. Hence the exhortation, _labour not for the meat that perisheth, but for that which endureth to everlasting life._ What is it to be happy for a few fleeting days on earth, to being blessed in heaven to all Eternity! Even were we to gain the whole world, and lose the soul, we should be infinite losers. God has instituted public worship on purpose that we might be saved from sin and misery: that we might attend supremely to our highest, our spiritual well-being:--that we might know the truth:--that we might be blessed while we live:--and blessed when we shall come to die: and reside after death in his kingdom forever. It is the principal mean, appointed by infinite wisdom and goodness, to awaken, to convince, to convert the sinner--to comfort and establish the saint; to instruct--to guide--to save us from error--to animate us in duty. The truths to be dispensed, in the sanctuary, are God's truths--the word preached is his word--not human opinions or traditions--or dreams of philosophy; the ordinances administered are also his holy ordinances. The divine word is powerful and penetrating. It is purifying and enlivening. It is compared to things most powerful--to _fire_ that melteth--to a _hammer_ that breaketh in pieces the flinty rock--to a sharp _two edged sword_--to _incorruptible seed that liveth_ and _abideth_ forever. The word to be dispensed is morally adapted to accomplish all its own purposes--to impress the conscience, to call up attention--to reprove for sin--to convince--to enlighten--and to console the mind. The grace and spirit of God are, moreover, promised to render it effectual. God will not suffer his own means to fail of success. He will clothe them with an almighty energy. Where he hath recorded his name, there he will meet with and bless his assembled people. Zion of old, we are informed, was the birth-place of saints. THERE they received light and were comforted. This man and that man we are told were born in her. By public worship _there_ performed, souls were quickened--God was honoured--truth was promoted--and grace divine manifested. The great End of public worship is to promote man's future, spiritual happiness--to bring him to pardon--to sanctify him--and to meeten him for the joys and glories of the heavenly state.--
3dly. God, also, instituted public worship to advance his own glory. This is his highest aim in all things. His ultimate end in Creation, Providence and Redemption. For his sake or to manifest his praise all things are, and were made. _Thou hast made all things and for thy pleasure they are, and were made._ Of him, as the original cause, through him as the grand Preserver, and to him as the ultimate end are all things: to whom be glory forever. That which is of the greatest worth or importance, no doubt, will by him be first of all regarded, and regarded exactly according to its worth. The divine glory is certainly, in reason's view, infinitely the most worthy object. And, of course, it is infinitely fit that God should make it his highest aim. It is of more worth than the whole universe. All nature had better go to ruin, than God's honour be stained. And what HE, who is the wisest of all beings, steadily pursues as his ultimate end, ought to be the highest object with all intelligent Creatures, whether in heaven or on earth. In saving man doth the divine glory shine with an attractive splendor.--When the sinner repents--when he submits to a holy and sovereign God--when he is pardoned--when he is sanctified--when he is justified--the divine glory is illustriously displayed. And public worship, in a peculiar manner, honours God. Those who attend upon it testify publicly to the world, their belief in his existence, trust in his mercy, dependence upon his goodness, obedience to his laws, subjection to his authority and acknowledgement of all his glories. When we convene in the Courts of the Lord, to pray unto him, and praise his name, we do as much as declare to all, that we are not ashamed to own and serve him as our God and king, and by our example invite others to give him the glory due upon his name. That God considers public worship as honouring him is evident from his terming the habitation of his house, _the place where his honour dwells;_ that is, where he is honoured in a special manner.--Moreover we are told, that _he loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob._ Praying families he loves; but praying worshipping Assemblies he loves more, because he receives a larger tribute of glory from them.----
To show the greatest importance and beneficial tendency of public worship, some further particulars may be pertinently added. Its happy effects are many and great. Could I describe them, in their beauty and glory, every heart would be warmed, every ear would listen, every tender emotion would be excited.
In general, we may be certain that God would not have ordained public worship, had it not been necessary, useful and wise; had it not been for our good in time, and in Eternity. Neither his wisdom, nor goodness, nor justice, nor mercy would require us to do what would, when done, be of no service or benefit to us in particular, or of any importance to the world at large.--
_One happy effect_ of public worship is to prevent Religion from being lost in the world. If ever mankind be brought to a steady, regular, punctual, and conscientious attendance upon it, they must be convinced of its beneficial tendency both on the mind and the morals. The real friend of the Gospel and its benevolent System of principles and duties wants no aid from superstition, or fanaticism. He wishes the promotion of no Religion, which is not genuine and rational. People are not made better by any superstition, or wild and irrational practices. If public worship be not adapted to benefit society, to secure and advance its best interest, its peace and order; if it be not calculated to make us better men--better citizens--better members of civil society; if it have no natural adaptedness to do us good in every relation in life, in every station--in every condition, it can answer no very valuable purposes, as to this world in respect to civil government or our temporal happiness. People at large will entertain no cordial esteem for its duties, or exert themselves statedly to attend upon it, unless we can offer arguments sufficient to satisfy them of its great advantage. To prove that the supreme Being hath most expressly instituted it, and that he most solemnly requires all, of every rank and station, to a punctual attendance upon it, is not enough. This we can easily do. This often hath been done. But the most material point of all, on this subject, is to convince the mind that it hath a most happy beneficial tendency not only to secure our future, but to promote our present felicity. Unless we can lay before people, considerations of sufficient weight, to impress their minds with a deep affecting sense of its great importance and good effects, they will not feel the obligations to attend upon it, in such a manner, as will be influential on their practice. They will treat it as of little consequence in itself, or to the community. They will speak of it in terms either of disrespect or reproach; they will infrequently attend upon it, or wholly retire from it.--Hath it then any happy effects on the minds and morals of a people, or hath it not? Is it of any advantage?--Or is it of so much advantage as to make it highly expedient--and not only highly expedient but an indispensable duty to repair statedly to places of public worship, and join in all its holy exercises? Let us go into a large and candid enquiry. Let us attend to the arguments, which shall be offered, without any prejudice, or unwillingness to be convinced. Let us receive light when presented: hear patiently, and weigh carefully reasons when offered. A prejudiced mind is not in a situation to admit conviction. A real and inward dislike of Religion, will prevent our hearing an argument, as we ought to hear it, the design of which, is to honor and recommend any important branch or interesting duty of it. If we really hate Religion, and have no regard to principles of morality, we are prepared to treat with scorn all arguments in favour of any of its duties, though the arguments be altogether rational and fully conclusive.--
Public worship is directly calculated to preserve religion in the world, or to prevent it from being lost, and is, therefore, of the greatest moment and most beneficial tendency. This consideration will have no effect upon any, who do not esteem Religion both necessary and important. For if it be a fiction, a mere fable, it ought to be disesteemed by all, and expelled from the world, and of course that which tends to prevent its being lost, would on this supposition, be really of pernicious tendency. To all who admit the reality of religion, whatever hath a tendency to preserve it, must be exceedingly dear. And they will be cordially attached to it. As long as public worship is honored and maintained, religion, the holy scriptures, and morality will be honored, likewise, and maintained: will be esteemed and admired. They can never be lost as long as a Christian Ministry and a Christian worship are regarded. There is no other way, possibly, in the nature of things, to extirpate the true religion from the earth, but to pull down all the Altars of God--to rase to the ground all the temples of the Most High--to prevent or forbid all worship of the Deity in public. And the spirit of the present day which hath gone forth against the _corrupt governments_ in Europe, or the _thrones_ of Kings, wages war also against the _Altars_ of God. It makes no discrimination between gross superstition and rational religion. By ridicule, by insult, by impious scoffs, the enemies of morality and the Gospel are exerting all their malice and power to induce people to treat all religion as a mere human contrivance, and to leave the temples of God to moulder down, forsaken and despised. Julian, a Roman Emperor, surnamed with great justice the Apostate, was a very cunning and subtle man. He had great abilities. He was a philosopher. After he became an unbeliever, and openly renounced the Christian religion, he resolved to annihilate it, to expel it, name and thing, from the world. And there are too many, in this age, who ardently wish he had succeeded. As the only probable mean to accomplish his purpose, he deposed all Christian Ministers, and prohibited, by his imperial authority, all public worship. The pagan Priests he honored every where, and highly distinguished them by his favor. The temples of God he turned into _shrines_ for pagan Idols. Lectures on the Platonic philosophy succeeded to the exhibition of Gospel doctrines and divine ordinances. And had not THAT BEING, who is wiser than the wisest, and who, with infinite ease, frustrates the counsel of man, interposed, and raised up a successor to the imperial Dignity who was a cordial friend to the Gospel of the Saviour; the artful Apostate would have done, what all enemies of christianity wish had been done, wholly extirpated it. But Jesus of Nazareth, the despised Galilean, the doctrines of the cross, have triumphed. The gates of hell, Satanic and human malice, cannot prevail. The Christian Religion has lived, in spite of all opposition--and will live to the End of the world. Under Providence, the continuance of it, to this day, is to be chiefly, if not wholly, ascribed to public worship and divine institutions. Drop all public worship, and religion is supplanted. Probably the holy scriptures would never more be translated--if preserved, at all, in their original languages, it would be in the cabinets of the curious. To public worship, then, are we mainly indebted, that religion is not lost, in the waste of time, the revolutions of the arts and sciences, the confusion and wreck of kingdoms, the wars and public calamities of nations, the vices of men, and the multitude of idolatrous rites.
DISCOURSE VII.
The duty of public worship, and its beneficial tendency.
MATTHEW iv. 10.
_Then saith Jesus, get thee hence Satan, for it is written; Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve._
Among all the visible Creatures, it is man's peculiar excellency, that he is capable of considering and worshipping his Maker and was made for that purpose. Your attention is again called therefore to the duty and beneficial tendency of public worship.--We have already largely argued the duty of it from reason and scripture, the two great sources of moral and religious knowledge.--The beneficial tendency of it we urged from a consideration of the purposes, for which it was instituted; which were these three, man's present and temporal happiness:--his future spiritual and eternal happiness: and the divine glory.--Its beneficial tendency we likewise argued from this consideration, that it is an excellent expedient to prevent Religion from being lost in the world. There will never be much serious godliness among any people or in any family, where public worship is lightly esteemed, or generally neglected. For it is an excellent expedient to keep alive on the mind a sense of Religion, and our obligations to a gracious and holy God.
_This is the second consideration,_ which will be urged, to illustrate the great utility of public worship.
No man who has any just views of the nature and importance of Religion, can be indifferent about the state of it, among those with whom he lives, and in the place where divine providence has cast his lot, and where he expects to spend the remnant of his days. If he desire to have it flourish, to see morality honoured, and the happiness of others increased, he must be a firm friend to the public worship of God. He who treats his Maker with intire neglect, or disowns the obligations he is under to him, will treat his fellow-men with scorn, and make light of the obligations he is under to them. Without public worship God would soon be forgotten, and Religion lost among us. If man be once released from the obligations of Piety, no other will bind them: there will be no mutual trust and confidence among us: yea, society would be dissolved. The fear of God is the principal support of government, and of the peace and good order of the world. The more godliness there is among us, the more honesty, industry, and sobriety there will be. Nothing but religious principles will restrain men from secret wickedness, controul the licentiousness of the Great, who think themselves above law; and curb the wild passions of the people. And as there is no probability that Religion will ever flourish, or even subsist among us, without public worship, it is very desirable it should be constantly and faithfully attended upon for the good of our country; that we may become a sober, virtuous nation, and God may not be provoked, to send upon us destroying judgments, or still more severely chastise us. Let every one then, who wishes well to the interests of his country, shew it, by diligence in attending upon the duties of Piety in God's Courts. We hear many express themselves very high on the subject of honesty and faithfulness to promises. And too much cannot be spoken in praise of these. They are the pillars of public order. But in what way are we to expect, that the great body of people will be honest, sober, industrious, temperate, and faithful? In the omission, or in the practice of the duties of public worship? Can we hope that they will be regular, sober, honest members of civil society, while they despise the duties, which they owe to God, in his sanctuary, on his holy Sabbaths? If we flatter ourselves that this will be the case, we discover our want of wisdom, and a true knowledge of human nature. We may as well look for the streams to flow, when the fountain is dried up. Will the rose blossom and send forth its fragrance, when the root is decayed? some will tell us notwithstanding, that they have constantly attended public worship, for many years together, and still have never found any happy effects either on their minds or lives. They fail not, also, to add that others, in the circle of their acquaintance, are constant in appearing before God in Zion, who are very bad men, who practise all manner of wickedness. To what purpose, they ask, is it, then, to be constant in the duties of public worship on the Sabbath, if the week be spent in dishonesty, idleness, falsehood, and vice?--It would be perfectly safe to risk our cause in an appeal to experience or fact. Let us examine the lives and conduct of those, who make conscience of the duty of public worship, and those who deny or neglect it altogether. Every one who is capable of observation knows the difference. So true is this, that it is a common remark that no one denies or deserts public worship, but he falls into some vice, some scene of iniquity. He has done that which makes him ashamed to see his fellow-men, and join in worshipping God with them. Atheists and Libertines renounce the duty. They reproach it, and display all the bitterness of malice against it. Some, it is granted, are never seen, or seldom seen, within the walls of a Church, who are still honest and upright in their dealings--and against whom the charge of immorality and profaneness cannot be justly laid. Others may omit the duty, through mere sloth or negligence, or some prejudice or pique. But when candor has made this concession, it must stop. I would wish to wound the feelings of no man--much less to bring in a false accusation. However truth is sacred, and must not be given up.--Are not sabbath-breakers--look round and see, and judge righteous judgment, are not neglectors of the duties of Piety in God's house, generally profane and immoral? Do they not too often prove, by their conduct, that they have no principle?