gularity of the work; one thing orderly after another: the speed and dispatch with which it was finished: the power and ease with which it was conducted: the vaft variety of things made, and the fubferviency of fo many ftupendous worlds and creatures to each other: to each other: the mighty force and energy of that of that power, which without toil holds up the whole in its place; and produces an almost infinite variety of myfterious movements: the infathomable depth of wifdom neceffary to conduct a fcene fo complicated, and to watch over fuch a dreadful combination of motions? I fay, what man is there, though unlearned, who may not thus in the vulgar and ordinary way and ftile, come to give glory to the creator? These things were never intended to be confined to men of learning; but to be alfo contemplated by the unlearned. And therefore fabbaths and publick worfhip must be continued and often repeated in order thereto. In short, fuch is the fublimity and fimplicity of the fight; fo vifible the glory in the face of nature; fo confpicuous the grandeur magnificence and utility, that every man is capable, and every one bound to contemplate and adore. And every one may thus fee and difcern

the invifible things of God, being clearly seen

and understood, by the things which are made,

ار

even his eternal power and Godhead. This renders. fabbaths and publick worship neceffary.

And befide this, the whole creation calls upon us to proclaim the glory of the creator, because they cannot. We, of all creatures under heaven are capable; For the reft are not endowed with reafon and speech. They do, indeed, glorify him too, by open manifeftations of themselves; by their forms and magnitude, by their glory and fplendor, by filent figns, movements and fervices: but with reafon and defign they cannot. This is man's province and privilege.

Therefore the eyes of all nature are upon us; as it were expecting, that we, having by far the advantage, being fuperior to them all, may fupply their defects. The fun, moon and ftars; the heaven and earth, with all their hofts ftare us in the face; and with filent figns, bid us meet together in publick bodies, and hold publick fabbaths, to fpeak out, to publif. and alfo fing with reafon and defign, and every human feeling,

the

1

the glory and greatness of the creator, as worthy of reafonable adoration, and higher praise than dumb and irrational creatures can render.

In fine, man is the helper of universal nature; the priest and head of the creation; the mouth, the reason, the affections, the speech and voice of the whole. He is therefore bound to keep a weekly fabbath to officiate for, and supply the deficiencies of inferior orders of being. Private worship will not answer the end. He is the fovereign of the globe, the peculiar darling of the creator, and common fpokefman of the creatures; and therefore muft make his publick appearance before God, as the mouth and reprefentative of the whole. They do their duty. They present themselves; move and perform wonders; país and repafs: they watch us, they meet us with fublime draughts and exhibitions of the glory of the Lord: as the pfalmift expreffes it, The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament fheweth his handy work; day unto day uttereth fpeech. but fays he, there is no fpeech nor language. Their voice is not heard. They would fain speak, but cannot; and muft therefore borrow their voice

and

and language from us.

To offer fenfible and ra

tional adoration is man's part, who is the prince, the priest and oracle of all nature.

Thirdly, Publick worship is neceffary as an open confeffion of the redemption by Jefus Chrift. As we are bound to own and confefs the ruin of the world by the fall, fo we are to confefs its perfect recovery by the favior. The latter is infifted upon in scripture by far more largely than the former. Confeffion is neceffary to falvation; that is, to the eventual enjoyment of it. Our Lord therefore fays, Whofoever shall confefs me before men, him will I confefs before my father who is in heaven. And whoever will deny me before him will I deny before my father who is in heaven. Thus the apoftles were commanded to affert and preach, that confeffing Jefus was falvation, and not doing it would be a man's ruin. We are bound to do this: that is, to worship him. And confequently to have fabbaths for the purpose.

men,

Herein we ftand in the character of publick witnesses. We are to testify and bear witness that

the

the father fent the fon to be the favior of the world; that he fo loved the world, as to give his only begotten fon, that whoever believes in him fhould not perish, but have everlasting life; that he is the lamb of God who taketh away the fin of the world; that he was delivered for our offences, and raised for our juftification; that he gave himself a ranfome for all; tafted death for every man; is the propitiation for the fins of the whole world, having reconciled it unto himfelf, not imputing unto men their trespasses, but fubmitting to be made fin that they might be made the righteousness of God. He that worships thus confeffes his own falvation. He that does not, denies the Lord that bought him, and fo brings upon himself fwift deftruction.

The fabbath must be continued in order to hold up a confeffion and affirmation of this. This is the business and bleffedness of him who worships Jefus Chrift; he owns him to be the favior of the world, and confequently his own; because he is a part of that very world. If he adores him as the ransome for all, and confeffes that he tasted

death for every man, he unavoidably includes

kimself.

A