VII. SERM. duct, the threat will be fulfilled to you in a spiritual sense, and you will be eternally shut out from the kingdom of heaven. After the repetition of the doxology, which is commanded to be again also repeated after every psalm, we proceed to a certain portion of the Psalms, which are appointed for the particular day of the month; but, as it will be necessary to say. much on this subject, I shall reserve the farther prosecution of it to another opportunity, SERMON SERMON VIII. ON THE LITURGY. SECOND PART. I CORINTHIANS xiv. part of v. 15. I will pray with the understanding also. THE last time we met together, I men- SERM. tioned my intention of employing some discourses in explaining our church service, and I proceeded in this explanation as far as the Psalms. I observed that we begin our devotions by one or more detached sentences from scripture being recited by the minister, in which confession of sin is recommended, and the efficacy of repentance set forth. I took notice of the propriety of VIII. SERM. this; for, guilty creatures as we all are, the VIII. owning our misdeeds ought certainly to precede our petitions for favours and blessings; and the assurance of pardon on repentance is expediently set before us, to give that warmth, that faith to our supplications, which are essentially requisite to render them acceptable. After these sentences follows an exhortation from the minister, grounded on them, with a call to the immediate performance of the duty of confession of sins. After the confession follows the absolution, in which the minister declares God's par don of the people's transgressions on cer tain terms, on their sorrow for what is past, and their amendment in future; this is followed by the prayer taught by our Sa, viour himself to his disciples; after which, having first besought the Almighty to open our lips, that we may be enabled properly to sing his praises, we proceed to the Psalms, VIII. Psalms, to the celebration of the praises SERM. of the Lord. This duty, I observed, opens by the sum of all which we can offer, comprised in a short compass:"Glory be "to the Father, the Son, and the Holy "Ghost;" as it was sung from the very beginning of the creation, so it still is, and shall continue to be for ever and ever, to a duration to which there shall be no period. And now the unspeakably great subject of our spiritual songs being proposed, the minister invites the congregation to the immediate performance of this sublime duty: - Praise ye the Lord;" to which they reply, with joyful concurrence in the proposal, "The Lord's name be praised, " In the morning service we are always directed to begin with the ninety-fifth Psalm, which is a distinct invitation to the several duties of prayer, praise, humiliation, and thanksgiving; with a terrible instance of God's punishment of the rebellious Jews, SERM. Jews, for the hardness of heart which VIII. caused their neglect of them: "I sware in "my wrath that they should not enter into my rest;" this threat was fulfilled with respect to them, in their exclusion from the promised land of Canaan; but it will be fulfilled, with respect to us, in a higher sense, if we follow their wicked example, by our being shut out from the kingdom of heaven. We next go on to read certain psalms appointed for the particular day of the month. Here I broke off in my last discourse, and it was at this place that I engaged to resume the subject. The first and strict meaning of a psalm, is a song in praise of God; but, in its more extended sense, it signifies any song on a religious subject; the greater part of those, which are called David's Psalms, are, strictly speaking, psalms, that is, they are spiritual songs, in which the wisdom, goodness, power, or some other perfections of the |