the public, private, and secret duties of the day? Do they not cordially approve and avow the doctrines according to godliness? Do they not use the world as not abusing it; and employ it as a means of promoting religion at home and abroad? Do they not exert their influence to suppress vice, error, irreligion, and everything which tends to dishonor God, and wound the cause of religion? It is granted there may be exceptions in this class of attendants; but still their general character and conduct bears testimony to the sincerity of their profession. The world often call in question the validity of profession; but they cannot, with any appearance of candor, call in question the validity of practice. It was by the constant and punctual practice of all religious duties, that the primitive Christians. convinced their bitterest enemies that they had been with Jesus, that they possessed his spirit, and were his sincere friends and followers. The same constant and punctual practice of all religious, instituted duties, is one of the best evidences of the sincerity of a Christian profession. When the men of the world see professors of religion constantly attend public worship, and the sacrament of the Lord's supper, they naturally conclude that they love and practice all religious duties and moral virtues; and inwardly believe that they are real Christians, unless they see some positive evidence to the contrary.

2. The neglect and inconstancy of professors of religion, in attending public worship and divine ordinances, is an unfavorable mark of their want of vital piety and Christian sincerity. They certainly fail of exhibiting one peculiar mark of saving grace, which the constant attendants on divine ordinances exhibit in their favor. It is true, indeed, they are not to be measured merely by their fellow Christians. There is a higher and infallible standard, by which they ought to be tried. Christ himself has given an infallible rule, by which they may safely try their Christian sincerity. He says, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." Also, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me." And again he says, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." These declarations obviously imply, that those professors of religion who do not keep the commandments of Christ, by paying a universal obedience to them, are not his real friends. Christ expressly makes obedience to his commands. the true evidence of sincerity, and want of obedience the true evidence of insincerity. "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house upon a rock: and the rain

descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell and great was the fall of it." Now, if those professors of religion who are inconstant in their attendance upon public worship and divine ordinances, will impartially try their external conduct by the infallible rule which Christ has given them, must they not fear that they have not the love of Christ in them, and have built their eternal hopes upon a false and sandy foundation, which will give way and sink them in perdition? They have visibly a dark mark upon them. Their spot is not the spot of God's children, but of a perverse and crooked generation that have corrupted themselves.

3. It appears from what has been said, that the inconstancy of professors of religion, in respect to attending the public worship of God, and the ordinances of the gospel, is greatly detrimental to the cause of Christ and vital piety. Their inconstancy in not coming to the house of God, and to the ordinances of the gospel, is as visibly and almost as publicly known as the conduct of constant attendants. It is as easy to discover an empty seat, as a seat that is filled. The world judge of religion by the influence it has upon the conduct of its professors. If it leads them to the house of God, to the table of Christ, and to the uniform practice of religious duties and moral virtues, they are constrained to believe that it is a divine and important reality, and the one thing needful to them, as well as to others. But when they see it does not produce these amiable and salutary effects upon professors themselves, they are apt to think, if not to say, such professed Christians are no better than non-professors, but much more insincere and inconsistent. Nor do they stop here; but call in question the sincerity of all professors. And just so far as they can make themselves believe that professors are not sincere, they despise not only the profession of religion, but religion itself; and disregard the gospel, and all gospel duties and ordinances. Some, when they see the inconstancy of professors in attending public worship, justify themselves in entirely forsaking the house of God. Some, when they see professors neglect family worship, justify themselves in neglecting that duty. Some, when they see professors neglect reading the Bible, justify themselves in disbelieving and rejecting it. Besides, the inconstancy of some professors tends to lead those who have been constant in at

tending divine worship and ordinances, to become inconstant. This is not a very uncommon effect of the inconstancy of some upon the conduct of others. The inconstancy of some nonprofessors, who are men of reputation and distinction, has a powerful tendency to lead other non-professors to neglect keeping the Sabbath, and attending public worship. Inconstancy in attending divine worship and ordinances in the members of a church, has the same corrupting influence upon the body of the church. In all the respects which have been mentioned, the inconstancy of church members, in respect to attending public worship, and divine ordinances, is highly injurious to the cause of Christ and vital piety. Professors of religion are capable of doing far greater injury to the cause they profess to promote, than non-professors can do. Indifference, negligence, or opposition, discovers only their native depravity, and necessity of regeneration, or change of heart, which is the essence of vital piety. But the conduct of insincere and inconstant professors tends to destroy vital piety at the root. It serves to flatter sinners, that they are as safe as others, while they totally neglect religion, and all concern about the salvation of their souls.

4. Professors of religion set a bad example, when they are not punctual in attending public worship at the proper time. Christ set an excellent example of punctuality in attending divine ordinances. When he proposed to celebrate the passover with his disciples, he made previous preparation for it, and took care to be present at the place and at the time appointed. He loved that sacred ordinance, and had a strong desire to meet his disciples punctually. "When the hour was come, he sat down and the twelve apostles with him." He had probably taught them before, but, if not, he then taught them to be punctual in attending public worship, and all social meetings and mutual appointments. And it seems that his apostles remembered this useful lesson of instruction. For when Christ afterwards appointed a time and place to meet them just before his ascension to heaven, they met at the very time and place. This the inspired Evangelist has recorded. "Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them." Punctuality is not only a moral, but religious virtue, especially in respect to the attendance on public worship. It is of the nature of Christian veracity; and the want of it is of the nature of the want of Christian veracity. It is to be required and expected of Christian professors, that they be punctual in fulfilling all their engagements. The want of punctuality in attending public worship seems to indicate a

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want of love to that duty, which Christ felt and expressed, by his punctual attendance. Nor is this all. It seems to indicate a want of due regard to the feelings and expectations of others; it proves an interruption to those who are devoutly engaged in social worship, and is a bad example to non-professors. It is as easy to be punctually early, as punctually late in coming to the house and worship of God. If Christians would resolve the day before the Sabbath to attend public worship, and make previous and suitable preparations for it, they would seldom find any great obstructions or hindrances to the fulfilling of their fixed resolutions on Sabbath morning. It must, therefore, be owing to some blamable cause, if Christians, or others, are not seasonably present at the house of God at the proper, appointed time on the Sabbath, especially where they have a solemn monitor of the exact time of coming together. The want of religious punctuality is not a mere venial fault, but is something offensive to God as well as man.

5. It appears from what has been said, that the total neglect of public worship naturally tends to the total neglect of all religious duties. Those who neglect to meet God at the time and place he has appointed, can very easily persuade themselves, that they may neglect to obey any commands he has given them. And if they are indisposed to perform the duty of public worship, there can be no doubt whether they are not as much indisposed to perform any other religious duty. What think ye; will men who totally neglect public worship, remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy? Will they read the Bible on that day? Will they call upon God in private, or secret? Will they refrain from worldly thoughts, or secular concerns? Will they refrain from visiting or spending the day in their own service? Will they refrain from any evil practices which they pursue on other days? Will not the total neglect of public worship lead to profaneness, intemperance, gaming, theft, robbery and murder? How many poor, guilty, miserable creatures have confessed that the neglect of public worship, and the profanation of the Sabbath, brought them to die by the hand of public justice! Though it may appear to the young and thoughtless a small evil to forsake the house and worship of God, and profane his holy day; yet it has been found, by awful experience, that these are the sins which open the floodgates of iniquity, and plunge men in the most fatal, natural and moral evils. Alas! how many are there in this gospel land, that are pursuing these dreadful courses, which lead to temporal and eternal ruin! Where can you find a religious society, in which some such wretched creatures are not to be

found? And is not the number everywhere rapidly increasing?

6. Does it not appear from what has been said, that the cause of Christ and vital piety is declining in this place, which, in years past, has been noted for the constant and punctual attendance of the people on public worship and divine ordinances? The Sabbath, the public worship of God, and the holy sacraments, are the only religious institutions under the gospel, and were designed to be the great bulwarks of Christianity and vital piety. And they always answer this great and important purpose in a less or greater degree. Where is there more religion to be found, than in those places in which these gospel ordinances are constantly and punctually observed? Where is there so much religion to be found, as in such places? And where the Sabbath, the public worship of God, and the gospel ordinances are not constantly and punctually attended, does not religion languish and decay, and become nearly extinct? What then is the appearance and prospect of religion in this place? Do the people in general, whether young or old, as constantly and punctually attend public worship as they once did? Or do the professors of religion as constantly and punctually attend public worship and.divine ordinances as they did ten or fifteen years ago? Are there not some out of the church, who never attend public worship from year to year? Are there not many more who seldom attend, and when they do, attend only part of the day? And is the case very different among professors of religion? Are there not some who are neither sick nor superannuated, who are rarely seen in the house of God on the Sabbath, and then only on sacrament days, and, perhaps, not always then? Does not such neglect of public worship and divine ordinances prevail and increase in this place? And do not the dreaded evils of this neglect equally prevail and increase? Does not the profanation of the Sabbath, the neglect of family prayer, the neglect of parental instruction and restraint, and of all religious duties, prevail and increase? These are infallible tokens of declension in religion and vital piety. Now, let me ask a serious and interesting question, Who have been primarily and principally concerned in bringing on such a declension? It seems necessary to ask another question, in order to answer this. In whose hands has the cause of religion been lodged in this place? Has it not been lodged in the hands of the church? Must they not, therefore, conclude that they have been the primary faulty cause of declension in religion in this place? With the church, I mean to include the pastor. Has he been constant and