ANALYSIS OF THE CONTENTS. XV

Page

The special object of Divine worship, is to keep up in the mind a habit of

devotion and reverence,...73

Divine worship, private and public, is both natural and reasonable, ... 74This position illustrated by examples, and confirmed by argument, ... 74

The chief objection against prayer answered,.76

The subject matter of which prayer and thanksgiving ought to consist, . . 77

Remarks on the part of Divine service which consists of preaching and cate-chetical instruction,.. . 79

Importance of catechetical instruction,.82

The benefits, public and private, of Divine worship,.82

3. It does not seem possible, in any other way, to keep up any practicalknowledge of God, and the ascendency of Christian principles, .... 83

2. A large part of mankind have but small opportunities of receiving moral

and religious instruction elsewhere than at church, . . •.84

3. Habitual joining in a common religious service has a tendency to unite

mankind in the bonds of a common fellowship, and to cherish and enlargethe generous affections,.84

4. The various classes of mankind meet each other, in the church, on some-thing like equal terms, and this tends to check the exclusive spirit nour-ished by the artificial distinctions of human pride and power, .... 85

CHAPTER IV. The Observance of Sunday.

The moral influence of the private and public worship of God, makes theobservance of Sunday a matter of great moment in the view of the moral

philosopher,. 86

Review of the early history of the Hebrew Sabbath,.87

The question, whether the institution known originally by the name of theSabbath, and in later times by the name of Sunday, was designed, savethe mere change of the day, to be the same, and to be of perpetual obliga-tion,—argued and answered in the affirmative,.88

The duties which constitute a suitable observance of Sunday,.95

1. A cessation from labor; except the labor of attending and performing

Divine service, and works of necessity and mercy, ..96

2. Attendance on public worship, private prayer, reading, meditation, and

the instruction of children and servants,.97

3. The appropriation of a part of the day to the moral and religious instruc-

tion of children in Sunday schools, is one of the greatest moral improve-ments of modern times,.97

PART II.

OUR RELATION TO OUR COUNTRY, AND THE MORAL DUTIESTHENCE ARISING ; THAT IS, THE DUTIES OF PATRIOTISM.

Christianity has made obedience to civil government imperatively binding

on the conscience,.. 100

But Christianity does not teach unlimited obedience to civil government,much less does it inculcate a servile spirit,.100