II.

our duty, and we have the promife of SER M. God's fpecial grace and bleffing to attend his inftitutions in his own house.

There you have not only the fcriptures read in the appointed leffons, and in select paffages for the epiftles and gofpels, befides the pfalms of David, and occafional hymns dispersed throughout the feveral offices; but you have certain portions of fcripture explained by the publick and authoriz'd teachers of religion; and the very language of the liturgy is fo framed and contrived, as to instruct the diligent attender, with peculiar efficacy, in the most important points of chriftian doctrine, and duties of chriftian practice. The dignity and power of our Redeemer, the value of his facrifice, the efficacy of his merit, and the greatness of his love; the equitable conditions he requires from us, viz. an earnest repentance, a lively faith and active obedience proceeding from a ftrong and grateful fenfe of this his loving kindness towards us; the means he has provided to affift and enable us to perform thefe conditions, namely, by fending his Holy Spirit to renew and fanctify our minds, that from children of wrath and disobedience, we may become the fons of God; the glorious confequences of fuch privilege to us, viz. the pardon of our fins, deliverance from punishment, and inheritance of everlasting felicity: All these are themes

F4

SERM. themes of meditation, which deferve to be II. often recollected by us, that we may be perfectly rooted and built up in them. And from whence fhall we more readily collect them, than from the devotions of the church, where we are taught to bewail our natural vileness and depravity, reminded of our own inability to cleanse and purge it, and inftructed in the only method of recovery, that ftupendous falvation which is wrought by Chrift, and those gracious influences which are purchafed and difpenfed by him? For this reafon we are directed to ground our requests only on the mercies of God, and the merits of our Redeemer, and not on any defert or worthiness of our own. And from all this we cannot fail to conclude, that they who are careful to train up their dependents in the principles and practice of true piety, will oblige them to frequent the publick worship of God, and can never look upon it as a matter of indifference, which they may either do or let alone, just as they chuse themselves.

And here I cannot but applaud the decency of that practice, which is faid to have been obferved in the days of our fathers, when families were used to walk in company together to the houfe of God, and loitering at home, or in other places, was efteemed a grievous profanation. How un

happily

happily are our manners altered in this re- SERM. fpect! When there are many among us, who think it enough that they do very rarely fhew their faces in the place of publick worship, and are often crowding in the fields, or in publick-houses, are travelling upon the road, receiving company at home, or making visits abroad, when they ought to be engaged in the offices of our religion. By which means, instead of obliging their fervants to frequent the worship of the church, they very often lead them to a criminal neglect of it, and require their attendance in other fervices. And tho' there are laws in being to correct these irregularities, yet fuch remiffness there has been in executing or putting them in use, that we are almoft as much abandon'd to licentiousness, as if no fuch laws had ever been provided.

But I confider myself now as fpeaking to those who are careful to avoid this diforder themselves, and would only excite them to use the proper means for preventing it in thofe of their family. To this end it were greatly to be wifh'd, that the family might be kept together on the Lord's day, and obliged to repair to their own parifh-church. For if the younger part of families be suffered to go where they please, they may often be expected to run into fuch inconveniences as might have been prevented,

SERM, vented, if the parents or masters had kept II. them in their eye. For which reason it is certainly advisable, that, where it can be done, they be fo placed in the church, as to be within their view and inspection, that they may obferve them to behave with decency and reverence; and particularly that the fervants, when they have waited on their masters and miftreffes to church, be not fuffered (as is often practifed) to go back, either to do bufinefs at home, or to pafs the time in publick-houses and ill company, but be obliged to ftay throughout the whole fervice, inftead of returning only juft at the conclufion. And, becaufe the neceffity of houfhold affairs may require that fome body be left at home; it is farther adviseable that this matter be managed with fuch prudence and caution, that all may have their turns of repairing to the house of God, both to learn their

duty, and to offer up their prayers.

How juftly here may we lament the evils that have risen from the great increase of that humour of the heads of families in this city, to spend their Sunday in the country, whilft the apprentices, and perhaps fome other fervants and children, are left behind without head or governor to infpect their behaviour, and expofed to all the temptations that arife from the heat or giddiness of youth, allur'd and drawn on by

the

the importunate folicitations of the aban-SERM, don'd and licentious? If we cannot expect II. to cure this evil altogether, yet I would hope that the more ferious part of mankind might be perfuaded, in some measure, to supply their abfence, by authorizing fome difcreet and trufty person to watch over the behaviour of those they leave at home, and make report of what they shall obferve to be amifs, and have not power to amend. And to this, methinks, they fhould the rather be inclined, fince it appears by the confeffion of those, whofe vices bring them to an infamous untimely death, that their extravagances ufually begin with the mifpending of this holy day, and abufing that reft from fecular employment, to the purposes of sloth and intemperance,

Under this head of attending the publick worship, we may fitly rank the duty of bringing or fending children to be catechifed at church, and young people in general to hear the branches of that holy inftitution open'd and explain'd in an eafy and familiar method. And here I know not what is to be offer'd in excufe of that flackness, which I cannot but obferve among you, in fending your children or fervants for this purpofe. I wish I could have reason to believe that this neglect of publick instruction were fupplied by double

care