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forcibly do they excite our warmest Gratitude, and most devout Adoration! a View to illustrate these Points, and to lead Men to a serious and profitable Attention to our Church-Service, I have drawn up the following short Commentary on that Part of it, which is commonly used on Sundays: in which I have avoided all useless Criticifms and Speculations, that tend rather to amuse, than instruct; neither have I so much regarded Elegance of Language, Correctness of Stile, or Regularity of Method, as Clearness and Perfpicuity, and the Promotion of ufeful Knowledge, and practical Improvement. To answer this Purpose the more effectually, I shall now address myself to the several Bodies of Men, for whose Ufe this Work is intended: first, to the Members of the established Church; secondly, to the orthodox Dissenters; and lastly, to the People called Methodists.

As for you, my Brethren, who are not only Protestants, but Members of the purest and best conftituted Church in Christendom, let me entreat you often and feriously to reflect on the great Privileges and Happiness you enjoy. Look on one Side upon the thick Darkness that overspreads a
large Part of the Christian World; upon the
grofs Errors and Abfurdities in Doctrine, and
the flagrant Enormities and Impieties in
Practice, which prevail in the Romish
Communion. View that horrid Monster of
Cruelty, the Inquifition; whereby the faith-
ful Servants, and fincere Worshippers, of the
God of Love and Mercy are perfecuted, and
tortured, with unrelenting Fury, and worse
than beathenish Barbarity. Examine their
public Worship; and fee what an Heap of
Superftition and Idolatry, of vain Pageantry,
and ridiculous Ceremonies, it consists of.
Think of their shameful Abuse of that most
facred Ordinance of our Religion, the Lord's
Supper, by the Introduction of the impious
and irrational Doctrine of Transubstantia-
tion, as well as by their denying the Cup to
the Laity, and making a Trade of private
Masses. Think of their Folly and Wicked-
ness, in depriving the People of the Ufe
of the holy Scriptures, and in performing
their Service in an unknown Tongue, in
Defiance of an express Injunction of the
Apostle, and in Contradiction to Reason and
common Senfe. Change the Scene, and
take a View, on the other Hand, of the enthusiastic Notions that abound among the Sectaries of various Denominations, and of the vague, unseemly Mode of Worship they pursue. Enter the Meetings of those Men, who pretend to an extraordinary inward Light, and Sanctity of Manners, as well as Purity of Worship; observe their fantastic Gestures, distorted Countenances, and ridiculous Groanings; and hear the unintelligible Jargon of their Harangues. I charitably hope they mean well; but surely they aft most absurdly. With the two Sacraments, they seem to have laid aside their Reason and Understanding *. -Attend the Assemblies of our other Difssenters; and though you may often hear much found Doctrine, and useful Instruction, yet you cannot but disapprove their Manner of extemporary Praying; in which the Minister alone speaks, while the Congregation is kept in a wearisome Atten

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a I hope these Strictures will not be thought too severe upon the Quakers; who, in other Refpects, shew much good - Sense and Sagacity, and are in general eminent for their Sobriety, and for their quiet, peaceable Disposition. That such sensible Men should run into so excessive a Degree of Folly and Stupidity in their public Worship, is really astonishing.

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tion, and anxious Suspence, not knowing what they are next to join in. Go into fome of these Places, and you will be entertained with the Refinements of Deism, or shocked with downright Heresy. In others you will hear strange incoherent Discourses, full of Zeal without Knowledge; calculated rather to raise the Paffions, than to reform the Heart; and tending more to confound, than instruct, the ignorant and bigotted Hearers. And, what is very amazing, you will hear in none of these Meetings any Portions of the Scriptures read (as is constantly practifed among us) by Men who profess themselves most strongly attached to them. Compare now these various Modes of Worship with that established in our Church; and you cannot furely help seeing, and gratefully acknowledging, the great Advantages you enjoy in being Members of it. -But, my dear Friends, what will all these avail us, unless we make the proper Ufe of them? To WHOM MUCH

IS GIVEN, OF THEM WILL BE MUCH RE

QUIRED. This divine Rule of Equity will hold univerfally, and can in no Cafe be more justly applied than to Us, whom Providence has

has diftinguished with such peculiar Blessings, and Privileges. If the Light of the glorious Gofpel of CHRIST shines so brightly amongst us, how studious should we be to walk as Children of Light? to shew the Orthodoxy of our Faith by the Purity of our Manners ? If we have every Help and Incitement to a rational Piety and Devotion that can be wished or defired, how great is our Obligation to be truly and cordially pious and devout? If our Service is in every Respect so edifying, so clear, and excellent, how inexcusable are we, if we do not attentively and fervently join in it? if we do not pray with the Spirit, and pray with the Understanding alfo? In this we should take Pattern from the Sectaries, who in general fhew a far greater Regard and Attention to their public Worship, than we do to our's. It has, I know, been objected, that the frequent Repetition of the fame Service casts a Damp upon the Mind, and takes off that Vigour and Earnestness of Devotion, which attends new and extemporary Praying. But I am certain that a fincere Heart, a steady

Faith, and an honest Defire and Endeavour

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