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SERMON I

PSAL. xxvii. 4.

One thing have I defired of the Lord, that will I feek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.

DAVID, the author of this psalm, is

much celebrated in the facred Scriptures. As a man, he was not without faults; but as a king, he fhines with uncommon luftre. He distinguished himself in early youth, as the champion of his native land; in fighting the battles of Ifrael he became the hero of his age; and at last he afcended the throne, on which he fat with much fplendour during many years. He was the founder of the Jewish monarchy. From being separate tribes, he made the Jews a nation. Their judge in peace, as well as their leader in war, he fecured by his councils what he had gained by his arms, and gave to Judea a name and a renown among the kingdoms of the Eaft. To the bravery of a warrior, and the wisdom of a statesman, he added what in all ages has been no lefs admired, the accomplishments of a poet or bard. "The sweet "Pfalmift of Ifrael" confecrated his harp to the prais es of the Lord, and compofed to it facred strains, that have ministered to the improvement and to the devotion of fucceeding times, till this day.

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Notwithstanding all his other engagements, he found time for the exercises of religion; notwithstanding all the pleasures and honors of a throne, he found his chief happiness in the house of the Lord. "One thing have I defired of the Lord, that will I "seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the "Lord all the days of my life." Whenever his favourite fubject prefents itself, he takes fire, and fpeaks of it, not only with zeal, but with tranfport.. "How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! "My foul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts "of the Lord my heart and my flesh cry out for "the living God."

It becomes then a fubject worthy of our attention, to inquire, What there is in the public inftitutions of religion, to have rendered them an object of fo great importance to the king of Ifrael? This will appear, if we confider their influence on men, with respect to their religious capacity; with refpect to their moral character; with respect to their political state; and with respect to their domeftic life.

In the first place, let us confider the influence of religious institutions upon men, with respect to their religious capacity.

There are many qualities which we fhare in com mon with the inferior animals. In the acuteness of the external fenfes, fome of them excel our fpecies. They have a reafon of their own; they make approaches to human intelligence, and are led by an inftin& of nature to affociate with one another. They have also their virtues, and exhibit fuch examples of affection, of industry, and of courage, as give lessons to mankind. But in all their actions they difcover no

fense of Deity, and no traces of religion. It was reserved to be the glory of man, that he alone should be admitted into the prefence of his Creator, and be rendered capable of knowing and adoring the perfections of the Almighty. As piety is the diftinguifhing mark of the human race, a tendency to the exercise thereof is in fome degree natural to the mind. When we look up to heaven, and behold the fun fhining in glory, or the moon and the ftars walking in brightness, untaught nature prompts us to adore him that made them, to bow down and worship in the temple not made with hands. When we are furrounded by dangers on every fide, and overwhelmed with deep affliction, by the law of our nature we tend to fome fuperior Being for fafety and relief: or when we are furprised with a fudden flow of unexpected profperity, fpontaneously we lift up our eyes and hands to heaven, to pour forth the grateful effufions of the heart to our unfeen Benefactor.

As there are principles, then, in human nature, which incline men to religion, and principles alfo which incline them to fociety, it would not have been extraordinary, if the combined influence of the religious and affociating principles had been fo ftrong as to have prompted men to have affembled in public, for the purposes of devotion, although no law had been given to that end. But it was not left to this. Among all the nations of the world, the public interested itself in the cause; the legislative author> ity interpofed its fanction, and kings and lawgivers encouraged the propenfity of the people to religion. It required no profound wisdom to foresee the mani

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