U A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. and his wonderful works of power and wisdom to join together in prayer to God for such blessings as we stand in need of; to confess our sins, and ask the forgiveness of them ; to acknow- ledge his mercies, and give thanks to his goodness; and to sing with the voice to his honour and praise. The light of nature directs us also to seek continually a further acquaintance with the nature and will of that God whom we worship, in order to prac- tise our duty the better, and please our Creator; and to provide some way for the further instruction of those . who are ignorant of that religion, and come into their assemblies tobe instructed ; and for the exhortation of the people to fulfil their duty to God and their neighbours. And if there are any special rites or ceremo- iies, such as belong to social worship, the light of nature tells us, hat there they ought to be performed. And does not the New Testament set all these matters be- fore us so plainly and frequently, with regard to christianity, that I need not stand to cite chapter and verse, where these things are practised by the apostles, and the primitive christians, in their assemblies? Here adorations, prayers, and thanksgivings, are offered up to God, but in the name of Jesus, as their only Me- diator : Here their addresses are made to God " with one mind, and with one mouth, to the glory of God, who is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ :" Here psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, are sung to the honour of the Creator and Redeemer : Here the word of God is preached for the instruc- tion of the ignorant, or unbelievers, who come into the christian assemblies, that sinners or infidels may be converted, andChris- tians edified, and exhorted to persist in the faith, and improve in holiness ; 1 Cor. xiv. 23. Here the great ordinance of christian communion, the Lord's supper, is celebrated, by distributing and receiving bread and wine, and eating and drinking in remem- brance of their common Saviour and of his death ; 1 Cor. xi, 20-20. As for the other ordinance, viz. baptism, it being not so properly an act of publicor social religion, I do not find it is any where required to be done in public; and though it might be rendered more extensively useful by that means for some pur- poses, yet it may be performed in private houses, or in retired places, as it sometimes was in the primitive ages. VII. Since there ought to be such public ministrations per- formed as I have described, our own reason and observation of mankind sufficiently informs us, that all persons are not capable of leading these public religious services ; viz. they are notall fit to speak usefully in the name of men to God, in prayer or praise, or to teach the things of God to others, in a profitable and be- coming manner, nor with decency and exactness to celebrate all the rights and ceremoniesof any religion. Reason itself there- fore directs us that there should be one or more persons chosen in
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