I4 CIfRISTI.I.N gELiyowSSI1Y, [s$RM. IX. who profess the religion of Christ to agree together, and form themselves into.partiçular societies." The first reason is this, That `° without such an agree- ment to unite together -in the practice of christianity, there can ..he -no such thing-as public worship regularly maintained among christians, nor public honours paid to God in the nameof Jesus." Now the worship of God in public assemblies is so necessary for his honour in all ages, and under all dispensations, and was so carefully prac- tised among theprimitive christians by the authority of Christ and his apostles, that we cannot be excused from it, if we profess ourselves to- believe-in Christ. This has been made sufficiently evident in a former discourse. And if there be such a thing as public worship main- tained, the light of nature shews us there must be some certain time, and some certain place appointedbyagree- ment .among such worshippers, since no one christian that I know of has any authority given hy, the-scripture to appoint precisely. the times and places, and magiste- I.íally to. impose tLi upon bis brethren. As .for the place under the Jewish dispel sation, God l i aself :appointed the tabernacle in the days of Moses, ,an<d the temple in the time of Solomon as sacred places for public sacrifices, and some peculiar solemnities of worship ; but the sacredness of place is now at.anend; As our Lord informs us ; John iv. 01, 4: and even dur- ing that dispensation, the synagogues throughout the land vhere God was weekly worshipped .by the people, were built and frequented by the agreement or consent of the Teeple, as the light;of nature directed ; and the worship of christian churches is more a-kin to that of the syna- gogues than that of the temple. As for the time, the first day of the week is..the christian day of worship by apostolic appointment : But : ehristiansmust agree together upon the .hour, . as well.as the day, in order to unite in thew:several parts of worship. Without such_an agreement of christians among them- selves, there could be no celebration of public ordinances in a: becoming .Manner, no united prayers and. praises could_ascend to heaven, there would be nosocial attend- ance upon the word preached, no participation of the -great ordinance of the`Lord's supper, which is a part of social reliion,' ; a. 5aered feast.or representation of the 6
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=