Chap. 111.]

DUTY OF WORSHIPPING GOD.

83

Its influence, too, in aiding us to curb our passions, which arealways too impatient of restraint, is very great. A habit ofprayer accustoms us to a sense of the Divine presence, and se-cures us all its accompanying moral influences. It cherishes inus universal benevolence, an enlarged humanity, and a tender andsympathizing temper. Those pure and exalted sentiments andfeelings, to which we accustom ourselves in the hours of devotion,will open and enlarge the understanding with the most sincereand impartial good-will, will free us from all rancor to our ene-mies, from too exclusive an attachment to our friends, and fromindifference to the rest of mankind. Prayers for all mankind,offered up daily to Him who is the universal parent of mankind,are benevolence, as well as devotion, put in practice every day.

But the special benefits of public worship may be stated moreparticularly. I. It does not seem possible to maintain, in acommunity, any practical knowledge of God, and the practicalascendency of Christian principles, without a stated public ser-vice. This seems so obvious as scarcely to require either argu-ment or illustration. Even where public religious service isconstantly maintained, and the Gospel is preached in its purityand power, many live in disregard of God and the obligations ofreligion, and scoff at all divine things. Much more would thisbe the case, if religion sought the shades, and entirely immureditself, like a recluse, in the closet. In such a state of things,open infidelity and impiety would sweep over the land, like thepestilence which destroyeth at noonday. It is not more cer-tain that night succeeds to day, than that the want of stated pub-lic divine service, or the general neglect and contempt of suchservice, must end in general irreverence of the Deity, and that tothis irreverence of the Deity must succeed universal dissolute-ness of morals, and all the overflowings of ungodliness.

u Religion is the presiding and genial influence over everysystem of morals.” * Every man capable of reflection must beconvinced, that, -if public worship were once discontinued, a uni-versal forgetfulness would ensue of that God, whom to rememberis the highest security and the most effectual preservative against

* Mr. Clay’s Speech in the U. S. Senate, 26th December, 1833.