bly in question is the church of the living God. A stronger reason still for good behaviour. A con= gregation assembling to worship God in Christ doth neither assemble against his known and express will, as all assemblies for immoral purposes do; nor are they assembled merely for convenience, as people in places of traffic are; nor are they assembled on principles of self-interest, as civil states are; least of all can it be supposed, that a blind chance collects them together; but they assemble by the express command and direction of the eternal and only wise God. When the prophets foretell the establishment of divine worship in the heathen world, they say, the Lord shall call a nation; God shall persuade Japhat to dwell in the tents of Shem. The apostles, therefore, name the primitive churches the called in Christ Jesus. Very properly then did St. Paul say to the Thesalonians, God hath not called us to uncleanness, but to holiness; and very justly did he infer, He therefore, that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God.

Not only does the church assemble by divine authority, but also every part of their worship is prescribed by the living God. Do they sing? they have the example of Christ, and his command by the apostles for their practice. Do they pray? they are directed to make supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks for all men; for this, they are told, is good and acceptable in the sight of God their Saviour. Is the word of God preached? their ministers are com

manded to preach, and they are ordered to take heed how they hear; to which an apostle adds, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom. All these exercises proceed from the regal authority of the son of God. They are the laws of his kingdom, and these are his officers and subjects executing them. Are the ambassadors of an earthly prince sacred? Are the meanest officers of a state venerable for their office-sake? And shall not the church of the living God be unmolested, while building a tabernacle according to the pattern given on the mount? When Jacob foresaw the scepter in the hand of this descendant of Judah; when he he foresaw the equity of his government, and the authority, which supported it, he abhorred a disturber, and cried, Judah is a lion's whelp, he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion, who shall rouse him up? Is there not iniquity enough in abstaining from these exercises yourselves? Will you go yet farther, and affront the Lord by disturbing those, who do worship him? Answer this plaintive question, Why persecutest thou me?

There is a nobler sense yet, in which the church is the church of the living God. A christian church is not only a part of his empire, but it is his palace also. It is the house of God, the family in which he dwells. We know in general so little of the nature of spirits, and, in particular, so little of the supreme' spiiit, that we must be content to enjoy without attempting to explain this excellent promise, I will dwell in you, and

walk in you; I will be your God, and you shall be my people. When a soul meditates on God, it sees his power and glory in the sanctuary; it tastes a loving kindness better than life; it is satisfied as with marrow and fatness; it exclaims, his strength indeed is in the clouds, but his excellency is over Israel. Full of a sense of his favour; afraid of arousing his displeasure; such aperson prays, scatter them, that delight in war; rebuke the multitude of fierce bulls, whose cruelty, with the calves of the people, whose folly, would deprive the church of such a blessing as the presence of God.

In God's immediate presence, while his servants are doing his will on earth as it is done in heaven; while they act under his authority, and endeavour to display his glory; who but would say, I also will sing of mercy and judgment; I also will behave myself wisely in a perfect way; I hate the work of them that turn aside; I will not know a wicked person?

Finally:-Behave well in the house of God, because it is the seat of truth. This can neither be said of the world; of the schools of philosophers; of the temples of idols; nor of the Mosaic œconomy. Shadows in the temple of Solomon; blasphemy in the temples of idols; vanity in the schools of science; treachery in the world; to whom, then, Lord shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.

Truth is in the church as the church is opposed to the world. All, that the world proposes, is summed up in three words; honour, pleasure,

profit. What falsehood often in the objects! oftener still, what falsehood in the means of obtaining them! The church only is the seat of rational pleasure, real honour, eternal gain. They invent in the world high sounding titles, great swelling words of vanity; they deck themselves with these and call the fantastic assemblage honour. They eat, they drink, they buy with subtilty, they sell with treachery, they marry, they give in marriage, they vainly boast of themselves, they cruelly slander others, and they call it pleasure They lose immortal happiness to procure a present sum, and they agree to call it gain. And so sanguine are they in these pursuits, that they call those, ill-bred clowns, who, to stop their career, venture in pity to disturd their reveries. Shall people of this class, deceiving and being deceived, shall they be indulged with decency and good behaviour, and shall not they, who pursue in the church of the living God nobler objects, shall not they participate the same blessings? Communion with God, which is attended with profit, pleasure, and honour, is the noblest pursuit. God forbid any should interrupt so laudable an ambition! Should a christian stumble into a playhouse, or wander to a raceground, should he riotously interrupt the companies, every tongue would exclaim, is this your religion! Yet what would be shocking at a play is good-breeding at church!

Truth is in the church opposed to the schools of philosophers. Were it the truth of an art, as of architecture, painting, or statuary; were it the

truth of a science, as of astronomy; you might go to the shops of mechanics, or to the public schools; and, should you find a man excelling in his profession, reason would require, that respect should be shewn him. But the truth in question is the truth of God. What the philosophers had of this in the light of nature, they changed into a lie, and by revelation they never had it. Was Socrates to be respected at Athens for teaching a little natural religion? how much more respect is due to the servants of Christ, teaching in the church the truths of revelation! The church is the seat of religious truth; and although many fine things may be said of Athens and Rome, yet in Judah only is God known; in Judah therefore, the ars rows, the bow, the shield, the sword and the battle should be broken, and none of the men of might should find their hands. How painful is the remembrance of the respect shewn to other truth, while religious truth is despised? Glory over us, ye professors of every science! Ye also, who teach the most trifling art! your lot seems preferable to the fate of those, who preach Christ the wisdom, and the power of God. In quiet you teach your disciples to fence, to dance, to draw; O that we also might be suffered in quiet to possess our souls!

Again, the church is the seat of truth opposed to the falsehood in idol-temples. The church speaks of mysteries; but they of impossibilities. God manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the gentiles, the world, received up into glory.

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