Part 11

If any still object and say, "I have attended constantly for a succession of years, and have found no real good effect on my heart or conduct. I am as much averse to religion as ever: as dishonest and unjust as ever: as ignorant and blind as ever, having no knowledge of one duty, doctrine, ordinance, or virtue of Religion--as profane, as hard-hearted, as unkind, as brutal in my manners and temper as ever, as intemperate and villainous as ever. I therefore am resolved, I will never go to public worship again. I have gotten no good. Public instructions have never taught me any thing. I know no more of the subject of Religion and morality, than if I had never heard one word about them. I have no more conscience about duty, or seriousness, than if I had never been urged and importuned to become an upright and good man." Is this really the case? Can any one make this confession consistently with truth? If so, your situation is indeed awful and alarming. The tear of commiseration may be shed over you. If you have any sense or reason, you must tremble. An immediate reformation is now incumbent on you. You have not a day or moment to lose. But can you think this a valid objection against the importance and happy advantages of public worship? It is a full proof of your own guilt and iniquity, but no proof against the duty of a constant attendance upon the holy solemnities of Zion. But let me expostulate a moment with you. I feel an uncommon solicitude for you. Give me leave to ask, how do you know that public worship has been of no benefit to you? Can you possibly tell how bad you would have been, or how much more vile and abominable, or ignorant and abandoned, you would have been, than you now are, if you had always refused to attend public worship? You might have been in the midst of almost all evil. You have been under great restraint. If you be not sensible, that you ever received any instruction or one idea of christian doctrine, still you may have acquired much religious knowledge, and gained much strength against temptations and sins, and not be sensible of it. We imperceptibly acquire knowledge and the habits of moral honesty. Perhaps, by attending public worship, you have been saved from those open sins, which would have destroyed your reputation, and ruined you, both for this world and the next. But further, permit me, or rather suffer conscience to do its friendly office, and ask you, if you have never gotten any good at all by public worship, was the fault yours, or was it not? Where is the blame to be fixed? Somewhere it must lie: for it is exceedingly great.--When you have been in God's Sanctuary, did you never hear one proper prayer offered to the throne of grace, did you never hear from any one, a discourse that contained, at least, some moral or religious truth, some really Gospel-doctrine, something to regulate your morals, to enforce duty, to invite you to love, fear, and serve God, to do good to man, and to live a pious and holy life? Is it possible for you to say, you never heard one prayer, or one discourse, that had any truth or knowledge in it? If you have heard both pious prayers, and edifying discourses, what is the reason you have gotten no good? The blame is yours. Have you not been prejudiced? Have you not been careless and inattentive? Have you not been stupid and thoughtless? How unreasonable then is your conduct in objecting against public worship! How foolishly do you act to forsake God in his worshipping Assemblies? A man sick unto death calls an eminent Physician. The Physician repairs in haste to the chamber of the sick. He hears his groans, he critically examines his case. He prescribes the only proper and effectual remedies; and retires. The patient refuses, after viewing them to apply them. But he insists upon it, that the physician is unskillful, and the means ineffectual. The disorder rages: nature yields under its violence, and the poor Sick man dies, because he would not apply the prescribed means. Where is the blame to be charged? Let common sense furnish the answer.

Public worship is particularly calculated to keep up a sense of Religion on the soul. Such is the nature of man, that he must have forms of worship, or he will lose all sense of God and divine things. The substance and power cannot be preserved, where the forms are denied and relinquished. In the public Assemblies of God's people, the various principles of human nature are made to operate in favor of religion: the power of sympathy, all know, is very great, and in public worship this may be the mean of exciting serious attention and thoughtfulness. When we go to the house of the Lord, weekly, to pray and praise, to speak and hear divine truths, we shall be ashamed to fall into vice--to commit scandalous crimes--or to act an unjust or unkind part. If we do what is mean, dishonest, or vile, we shall reluctate seeing our fellow-worshippers again, when the Sabbath revolves. All love the praise of others, and desire their esteem; and they therefore will endeavour to behave so as to see their fellow-worshippers with pleasure again. Joint prayers tend to solemnize the soul; joint praises to enliven the affections; and public instruction to enlighten the mind. Nay, barely seeing each other together, after the business, toils and dispersions of the week, tends to soften and humanize the soul:--to promote kindness and friendship, benevolence and morality:--to make us ashamed of our follies and vices--fearful of error--and to esteem and revere Virtue. It nourishes moral sentiments and keeps men from degenerating into an uncultivated unsocial state. In the institution of public worship, the supreme Being considers men as being what they are, as being influenced by the principles, we find they are, in our connexion with the world. He treats them as moral agents and social beings. And all the powers of human nature and principles of society are compelled to operate in favour of moral and divine things. Public worship, therefore, tends to make men sober and moral, pious and just: good citizens and obedient subjects, faithful parents and dutiful children, obliging neighbours and useful members of the Community.--The seasons of public worship are placed at a convenient distance. Were the distance greater or less, it would not be so well. Were the seasons of it to return once in three days, multitudes would not have time enough, to attend to their necessary concerns--or to provide for their comfortable subsistence. Were they to return only once a month, or three or four times in a year--we should forget our duty--be under disadvantages about acquiring religious knowledge, or being fitted for duty. One day, in seven, seems to be a happy mean--a due proportion of time. Six days we may attend to our secular pursuits or callings. Every _seventh_ is to be consecrated to God, as a season of public devotion. And the solemnities of public worship have a direct and immediate tendency to impress the mind with a sense of the reality and importance of divine things, and to cherish and preserve a sense of religion among mankind.--

_A third consideration_ to convince us of the happy tendency of public worship, is its adaptedness to diffuse extensively religious knowledge. That a just understanding of the holy scriptures, and of the essential principles of the Gospel and morality is of high importance, it is presumed no one will dispute. For the soul to be without knowledge is not good. We cannot be happy without it. We cannot be saved without it. It is the food of the mind; supports and invigorates. And here, it ought to be remembered, that such is the nature of the Christian Religion, that it cannot flourish, or be even continued in its purity, without knowledge. A high degree of ignorance is incompatible with salvation. Man is also exceedingly averse to the trouble and pains of acquiring knowledge. He is stupid and unwilling to attend to spiritual things. He needs line upon line: instruction upon instruction.--Besides, a very large proportion of the children of men must of necessity labour for a subsistence in the world. From the very state and circumstances, in which they are placed, laborious diligence is requisite. It is not optional with them, whether to be industrious or not. Necessity compels them. If they will not work, they cannot live. And this is a wise ordering in Providence. For industry is friendly to health and Virtue. If the earth were to yield, spontaneously all that man wants for his support, it would not be so well for him. It is a blessing then that he is obliged to be industrious. Idleness is the inlet of every vice. If man be not necessarily employed about what is useful and good, he will employ himself about evil. Since then so great a part of the human race are obliged to be engaged in laborious employments, public worship is a happy expedient to spread Christian knowledge. Innumerable multitudes may be instructed at one and the same time. The benefit of a whole week of diligent study may be enjoyed in one day by thousands. Public instructions, in God's house of prayer, are the easiest way of communicating and diffusing knowledge. The Christian Minister, we hence learn ought to be _able_ to teach--to be _furnished_ with a high degree of knowledge--to be a man of learning and extensive science. An illiterate man, however pious and good he may be, is totally unqualified for sustaining the office, or discharging the duties, of a Gospel-Minister.

_A fourth argument_ to prove the beneficial tendency of public worship is, that the duties or exercises of it are well adapted to promote the Salvation of men.--If any under the peculiar advantages of the public stated worship of God finally perish, it will be a dreadful reflection, when they shall be forced to say, _how have I hated instruction and my heart despised reproof? And have not obeyed the voice of my Teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me. I was in almost all evil in the midst of the congregation and Assembly._--Wisdom says unto all, of every rank and condition, _hear instruction, and be wise and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors._ Blessed, indeed, are all who hear the word of God and keep it;--who are constant in attending upon, and who duly improve sanctuary-opportunities and privileges; who never fail, except when strict necessity or charity may be pleaded, to appear in God's house, and exert themselves to have its duties of essential service to them. Every part of divine service is fitted to awaken serious consideration--to call the mind off from vanity and folly--to represent all vice and hypocrisy in an odious, and all Virtue and duty in an amiable light. God and angels are witnesses of the devotions of his worshipping people. When we are before him, here in his courts, his all-seeing eye is upon us. He records in the book of his remembrance what is amiss or insincere, and an account must at last be rendered unto him of the hours we spend here, as well as of all our thoughts, words, and deeds. This is sufficient to compose the mind, to solemnize the heart, and to render us attentive. We may well exclaim with Jacob, _how dreadful is this place! this is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!_ We should all say with Cornelius, _now therefore are we all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God._

_A fifth argument_ to evince the beneficial tendency of public worship is, that it is calculated to bring people to a friendly temper towards each other, and to mutual love and forbearance. In divine ordinances, the worshippers appear like brethren. They ask for the same mercies. They look to the same Mediator for a full pardon of their manifold impieties. They profess to believe the same truths, to need the same purifying grace to restore unto their hearts the lost image of God. They partake of the same ordinances. Their voices are mingled in the same praises. Can they, then, fall out by the way? Must they not be mild and forgiving towards each other? Can they refuse to practice condescension? They all appear before a holy God--profess to hope for the same salvation--and at last to enter into the same kingdom of Glory.--

_The sixth and last consideration_ to evince the beneficial tendency of public worship is, that it serves to train us up for the worship and employments of the celestial kingdom. Pious worshippers cannot but rejoice, to think that the institution of public worship is, as it were, a CONCERT of prayer--that all Christians in past ages have loved to engage in it, and left their testimony in its favour by their constant attendance upon it. They recorded their sweet experience of its pleasure. And all sincere friends to the cause of the Redeemer, over the Countries where the Gospel is known, make conscience of assembling together to honour God in public worship. When we address ourselves to the various parts of it, we are animated, we are consoled, with the thought that we are not alone, but that all God's people are joining with us. How has my heart been enlarged with this idea! But what is the worship of God here on earth compared to the heavenly! Here sin stains our best duties. Imperfections cleave to all our warmest devotions. Clouds of error obstruct the clear and full view of truth. We know but in part, we prophesy but in part. Our harps are hung on the willows. A dead languor rests on all our religious performances. But in heaven there will be no cold hearts--no dissenting voices.--Perfect love will animate all the worshippers in the realms of eternal day. They are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple. Their joy is one. Their happiness is one. And their worship is the perfection of ardour, sublimity and purity.--How can we behold worshipping Assemblies joined in prostrate adorations before the throne of grace, and uniting their voices in hallelujahs of praise to the Eternal King, without having our thoughts led forward to that delightful scene of heavenly worship, where mingled choirs of angels and saints, whose number is ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, are continually saying with a loud voice, _worthy is the Lamb! blessing, and honour, and glory, and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne._ Do not the crouded Assemblies of Christian worshippers bear some distant resemblance to the Zion above?--Let it be our supreme concern, to be fitted and trained up by the humbler forms of devotion in the Church militant, for the exalted services and work of the Church triumphant.----Such are the happy effects of stated public worship and instructions, prayers and praises. "Prayers," says a mahometan writer, "are the pillars of Religion; and they that forsake prayer, forsake Religion."--The public devotions of God's house, how advantageous: how useful: how beneficial in their tendency!--"To thee, O devotion, we owe the highest improvement of our nature, and much of the enjoyment of our life. Thou art the support of our virtue, and the rest of our souls in this turbulent world. Thou composest the thoughts. Thou calmest the passions. Thou exaltest the heart. Thy communications, and thine only are imparted to the low, no less than to the high, to the poor as well as the rich. In thy presence worldly distinctions cease; and under thy influence worldly sorrows are forgotten. Thou art the balm of the wounded mind. Thy sanctuary is ever open to the miserable; inaccessible only to the unrighteous and impure. Thou beginnest on earth the temper of heaven. In thee hosts of angels and blessed spirits eternally rejoice." So important is the duty of public worship to the world and the interest of moral Virtue, that we can hardly be too zealous in recommending it, or exceed in our encomiums upon it. For it is impossible a man should be good, while he altogether omits the duties of Piety. The neglect of them shews that we have no right notions of God, no sense of his presence, no hearty desires of his mercy, and no solid hope of his favour.--

We will here, at the proper place to insert the remark, and as a further proof and powerful recommendation of the duty of public worship, see what the views, and opinions, or feelings and practice of the scripture-saints were in regard to it. How the Apostle Paul viewed it, we learn from the following direction of his. _Not forsaking the Assembling yourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another._ These words teach us that there were, in the days of the Apostles, and should be in all ages, Christian Assemblies for the public worship of God and mutual edification: and that it ever was, and ever will continue to be the duty of all Christians to frequent these Assemblies in obedience to the command of God, to perpetuate and maintain his worship in the world, and for the confirmation of their faith, and their mutual edification unto life eternal. To the Corinthian christians, he says, _In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together_: He speaks of their being convened for public worship, as their _stated_ custom. And in his salutation to them as a Church, he mentions those _that in every place_ call upon the name of Jesus Christ. _Unto the Church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are Sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord._ Those _in every place that call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ_ are all worshipping Assemblies of Christians. Our Lord himself promises, in a most tender and affecting manner, his gracious notice, presence, and blessing with ever so small a number of his worshipping disciples or followers. _For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them._ His calling his followers a CHURCH implies necessarily their assembling _statedly_ for worship and mutual edification. Public worship directly honors Jesus Christ, and is a most expressive way of owning him before men; and denying it or neglecting it, is denying him and being ashamed of him. _He that denyeth me, and is ashamed of me and my words before men, him will I deny before my father which is in heaven and his angels._ The Psalms are full of expressions of warm affection and attachment, as all know who read them, to the courts of the Lord, to public worship. All good men love the ways of Zion, esteem and value exceedingly the word of God--the house of God--the ordinances of God--the Sabbaths of God.--Man never appears in so amiable an attitude as when on his _knees_ before his Maker. The pleasure of engaging cordially in public worship is noble. How often too does God honor his worshipping Assemblies by his favorable presence--by communicating his grace--mercy--peace, and pardon to pious worshippers. What delight! what joy! what sweet experience! what comfort--what transport in joining "in work and worship so divine." As a specimen of the esteem for the public worship of God, of delight in it--of ardent desires after it--of the profitableness of it--I have selected from the Psalms, the following passages--_How amiable are thy Tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! my soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord.--Blessed is the man whom thou chusest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy Courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple. My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee, to see thy power and glory so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. My soul shall be satisfied with marrow and with fatness, and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips. For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand: I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.--One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord; and to enquire in his temple; for those that be planted in the house of the Lord, shall flourish in the courts of our God; they shall bring forth fruit in old age, they shall be fat and flourishing._ Again--_I was glad, when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord, whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel to give thanks unto the name of the Lord. If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I prefer not Jerusalem to my chief joy._

I have now, my Hearers, largely argued the duty and beneficial tendency of public worship. Better reasons I cannot offer. More powerful inducements to a constant attendance upon it, unless real necessity may be pleaded, as your excuse, cannot be laid before you, that are contained in those considerations which prove its beneficial tendency, above illustrated. If by those you will not be convinced, and reformed, if heretofore negligent of the duty, you must remain unconvinced and unreformed. Divine power and grace alone can awaken, convince, and reform you. Remember, if you neglect or deny public worship, you provoke God--you neglect a plain duty--you set a bad example--you dishonor Jesus Christ--you injure religion--you disserve the cause of morality--you contribute your proportion of influence to extirpate from the earth the christian religion--and must be responsible for all the evils you are the occasion of. Let us all, then, make conscience of so plain and so important a duty as public worship, that by it, we may be trained up for the worship of heaven, for THERE, they are before the throne of God and serve him, day and night, in his temple.

DISCOURSE VIII.

The Ordinance of the Lord's Supper not a human invention, but a divine Institution.

MATTHEW xxvi. 26-31.

_And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said take, eat, this is my body.--And he took the Cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, drink ye all of it. For this is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sin. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day, when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.--And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives._