which we and our forefathers, from, the infancy of the reformation down to this day, have practif, ediltonour great spiritual comfort: Modes of worship, which they perhaps, who ftand aloof! from tothem, may chink (and call fometimes): "Rudiments of the law, and weak and beggarly elements". Gal. iv. . but which we, by experi ence, find and feel to be very strong and powerful: incentives to godlinefs...!

If abuses now and then creep into this part of our worship, they fhall not be more ready toi point them out, than we will be to own and reform them. If fome flight inconveniences may happen to have arisen from hence, which seem to blemish the performance of our religious fervice, far be it from us either to cherish, or defend them. The very beft things are liable to be misused; and ther better the thing, oftentimes the more liable it is to it. However we doubt not, but that, upon a fair balance of profit and lofs, it will appear, that the few inconveniences pretended to have arifen from! hence,› are not to be compared with the many and mighty advantages, that have certainly fprung from it; and that if one good man has been thrown back in his devotions, hundreds and thoufands have been extremely forwarded by it And this is what I should now more partieularly endeavour to prove under my

III. Third general Head, wherein I propofed to fhew, that the way of performing divine fervice in the Church of England is better fitted to: fix our attentions, and raife our affections, than any other form of devotions now practifed in the

Christian

Christian world. That it enjoys this advantage, as in feveral other refpects, fo particularly in rela tion to a folemn and decent use of church mufic. But the greatest part of the matter that would arife on this head, is foreign to the design of the day; and what is not fo, has in part been prevented already; and neither of them can now be infifted upon, without depriving you too long of a better and more fenfible conviction of the power of church mufic, than any I can fupply you with. I fhall therefore take this whole point for grant-> ed; and from thence, in the JIO DE

IV. Fourth and last place, very briefly, but earnestly, exhort you to make your devotion exemplary, in proportion to those advantages, which you above all others enjoy. In vain will it be for us to boast, that we have cxtraordinary helps to inward piety, of our outward behaviour plainly declares, that we do not make a due use of them. In vain fhall we hope to convince thofe that differ from us, of the decency and expedience of this part of our worship, and of its great tendency to fpiritual edification; if they feel that it does not really produce thofe good effects in us which we afcribe to site Let us reafon never fo well in this cafe, they will think they have answered our arguments, if they can but confront them with our practices. Let us take away the ftrength of this objection, as well as we can that of all the reft; and then, I am fure, our devotions will be altogether blameless. O let all of us, that have

See the preceding Difcourfe on this Subject.

any

regard

regard for the honour of that church" to which we belong, any zeal for the true interefts of piety, any real concern of heart on the account of thofe little niceties and endless fcruples that thus unhappily divide us; Olet all of us, Ifay, that are thus affected and difpofed (as all of us, I am fure, fhould be) refolve, from this moment, fo to order our external deportment in the house of God, as may best enable it to reach those excellent ends! Let no light and vain motion, no loose and unfeemly geftures, be feen upon any of us, when we appear in this great prefence! Let our cars then liften to nothing, but to the folemn offerings of prayer and praife that are then put up, and listen to them with no other defign, but to affect our fouls with a deep fense of them. Let not our eyes lead the way to our naughty hearts, and teach them to wander! But let us be all composed throughout into attention, and awed into a reli gious refpect and filence.

To the found of words, and the fignificancy of gestures, let us join all along the fweet melody of our hearts; compleating the holy concert, we affift at, by a divine agreement of mind and body in the fame acts of adoration, and by making all our worship, both inward and outward, exactly harmonious, and of a piece! So fhall we take away every reproach that fhall be caft upon our communion: So fhall we win the hearts, and convince the judgments, of those that differ from us: So fhall we thoroughly recommend our worfhip to God, and ourselves by the means of it. In a word, fo fhall we make the devotions of this

our

our church militant: here on earth, the lively image of thofe of the church triumphant in heaven.

To a blaffed participation of which, may God of his infinite mercy bring us, &c

ER M O N

S E

Preached at

Weftminster-Abbey,

May, 13, 1714-15.

Of Anxiety and Solicitude.

MATTH. vi. 34:

-Take no Thought for the Morrow.

HIS is part of our Saviour's fermon,on the mount; wherein he propofed a fhort fum of Chriftian doctrine, in oppofition to the falfemaxims and corrupt notions of morality, that then obtained in the world. And indeed, all the precepts he there laid down, though highly reasonable in themfelves, were yet fo diftant from the common opinions and practice of the Jews, that we are not to wonder, if (as St. Matthew inform us)" when he had ended thefe fayings, the multitude was, aftonished at his doctrine" Mart. vii. 28. For they had heard nothing like it from their teachers, the fcribes and pharifees. And, VOL. IV. perhaps,

and