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OUR RELATION TO THE DEITY.

[Part I.

vice ; and that the bulk of mankind would soon degenerate intomere savages and barbarians, if there were not stated days tocall them off from the common business of life, to attend to theall-important business of securing their salvation. As well maywe expect law and order to maintain their influence in the land,without tribunals to declare, and a magistracy to execute the law,as to expect that religion will flourish or even exist, without astated public celebration of its services and ordinances.

2. Again ; the moral and religious instruction gained by an ha-bitual attendance on public worship, is beyond measure valuable,especially to those who have small opportunities of gaining in-struction elsewhere. To this more than to any other cause it isowing, that, in Christian countries, some degree of intelligenceis diffused among all orders of men. No man born in a Chris-tian country needs to live and die without adequate instructionin whatever pertains to virtue and godliness.

3. Moreover, the habitual assembling of men of every varietyof rank, fortune, and education, in the same edifice, to join in acommon religious service, has a sensible tendency to unite man-kind in the bonds of a common fellowship, to cherish and enlargethe generous affections, and, by contemplating their common re-lation to the Governor of all things, to remind them of the natu-ral equality of the human species, and thereby to promote hu-mility and condescension in the more wealthy, the more learned,and the more honorable ; and to inspire the humbler rankswith a sense of their rights and with some degree of self-respect.Office, birth, knowledge, wealth, and other distinctions knownand acknowledged among men, are recognised by Scripture ;and corresponding duties are enjoined on those who enjoy theseadvantages and honors. We are to render their dues to all;tribute to whom tribute is due ; custom to whom custom ; fearto whom fear ; honor to whom honor.*

These distinctions, too, are sanctioned by Divine Providenceas a part of the system of human affairs ; no community hasexisted without them, they seem inevitable ; and, if accom-panied by a proper spirit, are conducive to the welfare of

Rom. xiii. 7; Matt. xxii. 21.