solemn worship. In vain are they told by St. John, in the Apoca lypse; "I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder; and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps." Not the divine appointment, not the practice of high heaven itself can control the prejudices of some of our dissenting brethren. They will neither with the organ praise the Lord themselves, nor can they find it in their hearts to think or to speak charitably of those who do. We must suffer them to act their own pleasure. For ourselves, we cannot but know, that the organ has a most valuable and solemn effect, whenever we are here "speaking to ourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in our hearts to the Lord."

The only remaining objection, to which I shall direct your at tention arises from the wearing of distinguishing garments by the clergy of the Church, during the celebration of divine service. And surely nothing but a most inveterate habit of discerning motes and beams, in the eyes of others, could have furnished our opposers with the shadow of a reason, against a practice so becoming in itself, and so fully sanctioned by the volume of inspiration. They cannot have forgotten what minute directions were given to Moses, in relation to the vestments to be worn by the Jewish priests; "And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, for glory and for beauty. And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle." The succeeding details are too voluminous to repeat; but the dresses for the high priest, priests, and Levites are all described with the utmost minuteness, and evince beyond all doubt, that the Almighty is very far from disapproving the modest and appropriate attire, in which the ministers of his Church are at present clothed.

The surplice in particular cannot be offensive to Him, who is represented by Daniel, as habited in a "garment white as snow;" nor to our Saviour, whose "raiment," at the transfiguration, "was white as the light." In the Revelations, it is also apparent, that the Church herself is to be hereafter adorned with the same ap

S

parel; "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine white linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints."

To be perpetually upbraiding her ministers, for putting on the like simple and beautiful garments, betrays therefore but little respect for the wisdom of the heavenly bridegroom. It is reviling what God hath honoured, and his beloved Son approved. Address-ing the angel of one of the seven Churches of Asia, he says, "Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess him before my Father, and before his angels.” And with such authority, such ample promises of reward to the faithful, the ministers of Christ need not care to bear the obloquy The divine countenance is all sufficient to extract the sting, and blunt the edge of their foulest calumnies.

of men.

"What offence" said Jerome, "What offence can it be to God for a bishop or priest, &c. to proceed to the communion in a white garment?" An interrogatory, that clearly shows the custom of the primitive Church, and that should cause a blush to mantle the cheeks of those, who in declaiming against the external worship, the rites, ceremonies, and habiliments of our Zion, appear to be entirely ignorant of the fact, that they are alike opposing the institutions of God, the will of Christ, the judgment of his Apostles, and the faith and practice of the primitive Church.

I would not indeed set too high a value on the outward appear. ance, knowing that the Lord looketh on the heart, and thence determines the true character of every man's work, whether it be good or whether it be evil. But if the subjects discussed, and the usages defended in this discourse are altogether useless and unimportant; if corporeal worship and the mode of its performance cannot possibly become an acceptable sacrifice in the sight of heaven: Why was it, in one of the conflicts attending the journey through the wilderness: Why was it, "when Moses," in a supplicating posture, "held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand Amalek prevailed?" Why was it, when his

imploring "hands were heavy," that Aaron and Hur" took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword?"

These, Brethren, are the words of scripture, they were written for our instruction, and if I am capable of comprehending their import, they do most indubitably prove, that the Almighty is to be obeyed in all things, however trivial and insignificant, they may appear, in the eyes of erring man; that he even suspends his blessings upon the external features of that obedience; and in the present instance only bestowed them, where bestowment was sought after in the way of his appointment. Permit me also to remark, that the whole transaction is far more open to the shafts of raillery, than any observances upon which I have this day insisted, as divinely ordained. And still, it was the counsel and the work of God, still shall no cunningly devised ridicule convince me, that the armies of Israel would have prevailed over those of Amalek, had not Moses, and Aaron, and Hur discharged their duty precisely as it was discharged.

The case of Naaman, the Syrian, is not less decidedly to the purpose. Directed by the prophet, for his cure, to "Go and wash in Jordan seven times;" he "was wroth and went away, and said, Behold I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them and be clean?" But if he had not happily returned to a better mind, if he had not "dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God;" never would his flesh have "come again like unto the flesh of a little child," never would he have become "clean."

It is from such passages, that I obtain the principles, which regulate my conduct in relation to the Church of Christ. Show me what God hath established, and my faith is secured, my obedience is compelled: There is a voice from heaven ever whispering to my heart the doctrine it once sounded aloud in the ears of Peter, "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common." And these

are sentiments, which I wish to inculcate upon the minds of all.. Wit and ridicule have no place in my creed. They are entirely irrelevant, when sported upon heavenly things. Let those, who differ in opinion with us; let those, who are prejudiced against our peculiar ceremonies, substitute argument for satire, and testimony for assertion; let them prove that they have proceeded from a corrupt source, and not from the unerring counsels of heaven; let them do this, and I will be as ready to adopt their system, as I am now zealous in maintaining what is conscientiously believed to be the truth divulged in holy oracles.

In the meantime, I shall go on my way rejoicing in the conviction, that our Church only requires to be generally known, in order to be generally embraced; and that the more her peculiarities are investigated, the more certainly it will appear, that she has her foundation upon the Rock of Ages. The morning of the next sabbath will be devoted to the subject of publick forms of prayer; and although I am sensible of the injurious light in which they are too often regarded, I shall proceed with the utmost confidence in maintaining their intrinsick value and scriptural origin. And may Almighty God, in the abundance of his goodness, grant me wisdom to examine, with power and effect, one of the most interesting features of our spiritual economy. May he enable me to contend successfully, as well as earnestly, for the faith once delivered to the saints; and to him, the Father, with the Son and Holy Ghost, shall be ascribed everlasting praises, world without end. AMEN.

SERMON XI.

ISAIAH lxii. 1.

For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.

IN my last discourse, I attempted to vindicate the mode of conducting the visible publick worship of the Church, and flatter myself with the hope, that you must have perceived how admirably and how faithfully it coincides with the injunctions and examples exhibited in the scriptures. With many persons all these observances are regarded with the utmost contempt, not to say abhorrence. They revile them for what they ignorantly term their papal origin, and fondly imagine their own to be a far more simple and devout method of approaching the throne of grace, and paying their homage to the great Jehovah. Before the kings of this earth, the knee may be bent, but not before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It would be too formal, perhaps too servile and obsequious. It would savour too much of those abjects, who fawn upon the persons of princes, and little coalesce with our sternly inflexible republican principles.

But embrace, Brethren, what doctrines you please in relation to this world and its political institutions, they must not come in competition with the higher concerns of religion. God will still continue to be King in Zion, and Lord of All; "his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation." In his presence, every high look should be cast down, and every stubborn knee be bent. It is more reverent, more humble, more expressive of the infinite disparity subsisting between the august Creator, and the poor worms of the dust, who feed upon his bounty, who respire the vital fluid, and enjoy all the good things of this life, by his permission alone.

I freely concede, that external ceremonies are not to be compared with the lifting up of the heart unto God in the heavens. I know