upon his worship, walk contrary to the A'ery end of their creation ? If tlie bells whicli call us to the worship of God were to give them notice of a drunken wake, O how soon should we have them flock together ! What should we impute this irreligion of multitudes among us to ? Surely it proceeds from a criminal conscience. It is said of Cain, 'He went out from the presence of the Lord,' Gen. iv. 16 ; that is, say some interpreters on that place, where God had his church and worship, there God is especially present. Guilt, indeed, makes men afraid of God. This makes them do what they can to wear off the thoughts of a Deity, which are so trouhlesome to their consciences : now to do this, they have no other way than to shun those duties which will bring God and their sins to their remembrance. Herod was soon persuaded to cut ofl'that head whose tongue was so bold to tell him his faults ; and profane hearts are easily drawn to cast off those duties which will gall their sore consciences. But that man is in a miserable case that knows no way to get ease, but by throwing away the plaster that must heal his wound. Ah, poor wretches ! this will not serve your turn. What though the prisoner stops his ears, and will not hear the judge pronounce the sentence against him, will that save him from the gallows ? Surely no, but rather procure his being sent thither the sooner, for his contempt of the court, who, had he humbled himself, might possibly have got the sentence reversed. Whether sinners will come to his worship or no, God will ])roceed in his work. Turning thy back on his worship is not the way to prevent, but hasten Divine vengeance. How much better were it to make thy hiunble supplication to thy Judge, and wait at the posts of wisdom ! While men, though bad, wait on ordinances, there is hope, for they are under the means; but when they cast them off, then their ruin hastens. Secondly, Scrupulous separatists, who do not absent themselves from the public worship out of a profane, atheistical spirit, as the former, but from some scruples, whether they may lawfully be present at the prayers there put up, because there are some mal- administi-ations in the performance of it, or, at least, what they think to be such ; at these they are displeased, and so withdraw ; may be it is because the duty of prayer is performed with a set form, which they conceive unlawful. This I shall waive, having spoken already to it. Or may be it is not a form, but some passages in the form used that offends them, and therefore they dare not be present. So that the question will be, — Whether it be lawful to be present at that service, or those prayers in the congregation that have something faulty in them? In order to answer this, first, we must distinguish of faults : all are not of a size : there are faults in the matter, and faults in the method, of prayer ; and faults in the matter may be either fundamental, or of a less nature, such as are not fundamental, or bordering thereupon ; may be generally dispersed through the prayer, so that it is soured throughout with them, or only in some ])articular passages. Secondly, We must distinguish between approving of tlie faults in a prayer, and being present at the service of God, where some things are done faultily. I answer, that it is lawful to be present at those prayers, where some things may be supposed to be faulty in outward forin, yea, and also in matter, in things not fundamental, nor bordering thereupon, and these not dispersed through the whole body of the prayers, but in some passages only. We may be present, where God is present by his grace and favour. We may follow the Lamb safely wherever he goes. Now God doth not for corruptions of doctrine, that are remote from the foimdation, or of worship, in things ritual, and of an inferior nature, cast off a church, and withdraw his presence from it ; neither ought we. Indeed, if the foimdation of doctrine be destroyed, and the worship become idolatrous, in that case God goes before us, and calls all the faithful after him to come out from the comnmnion of such a clunx-h. Ihit where corruptions in a church are of the former nature, and such laws l)e not imposed by the cluirch in their communion with it, as bring a necessity of apjiroving things unlawful, the sin is not in holding comnnmion with it, but in withdrawing from it. Many things may be tolerated for maintaining peace and unity, and enjoying the worship of God, when it is not in our power to redress them. Neither doth our presence at the ordinance carry a consent with it of all that is there done. Who ever said, that all who arc present in an assembly, by it shew their consent to every impertinent phrase in the minister's prayer, corrupt gloss, or false interpretation he makes of any text ! If this were true, our Saviour
7Q0 WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION.