A SERMON Preached at the Opening of the New Chapel of Cornhill upon Tweed, on Sunday July 12, 17524: то HENRY COLLINGWOOD, Esq; SIR, Of CORNHILL. THIS Difcourfe being preached at your fole Requeft, and printed at your Defire, with the joint Approbation of several other Gentlemen who attended you on the Occafion, bath a double Claim to be inferibed to you at its Publi cation. And the prefixing your Name to it throws in my Way a welcome Opportunity of giving a public Testimony of the laudable Part you voluntarily undertook, and fuccessfully discharged, in the re-building of your Chapel. More More than this you will fcarce allow me to Jay. And bad I faid lefs, I fhould have been thought greatly wanting in my Addrefs to you on this Occafion, by all those who are well apprifed, as I myself am, what Merit you may justly claim in bringing this good Work to so speedy and happy a Conclufion. I am, SIR, Your obedient Servant, THO, SHARP, Ecclef. Ecclef. v. I. Keep thy Foot when thou goeft to the House of W God. E now meet together upon a moft SER M. agreeable Occafion, viz. The opening this Place of Worship, made fit for the Service of Almighty God, for the Ufe and Benefit of the Inhabitants of this Chapelry, and of as many others as fhall occafionally join with them in their public Devotions. I am fure it must be a Pleasure to all who have the Honour of God, and the Advancement of Religion, at Heart, to fee fo decent a Structure erected in this Part of the Kingdom. But a much greater Pleasure will attend all thofe good Poople who shall take Care to anfwer the true Ends of this New Edifice, by frequenting it constantly and conscientiously; and behaving themselves in it with due Reverence, i. e. with a lively Senfe of His Majesty and Greatness, whofe House this is, and with earnest Defires of His Pardon, and His Grace. IX. SERM. IX. I do not know how I can employ myself more fuitably to the Design of this Convention, or discharge my Part in it more profitably to the present Affembly, than by a Difcourse concerning the Holiness of Chriftian Churches, and the Reverence that ought to be paid to Places of Public Worfhip, and more efpecially to the Service and Miniftration's that are performed therein. For this Purpofe the Words which I have taken for my Text afford a good Foundation. Keep thy Foot when thou goeft to the Houfe of God. Some have thought that this Expreffion, Keep thy Foot, has Refpect to a Practice, unknown indeed to us in the Weftern World, but not uncommon, as is faid, even at this Day in the Oriental Nations, of pulling off Shoes and Sandals in Token of Reverence to Places of divine Worship; and that the Jews in Solomon's Time, fuch at leaft as were most ftrict in their religious Obfervances, made us of this Custom when they came into God's Courts to worship; in Imitation of Mofes and Hofhua, who were commanded fo to do when they they were upon holy Ground. Exod. iii. Jose. v. 15. 4. But I lay no Strefs on this Expofition. There is another very eafy one to be given. To tread in the Courts of the Lord, Ifaiabi 12. is a Scripture Phrafe for appearing before him in. Worship. Agreeably to which Way of fpeaking, Keep thy Foot is no more than. Beware how you tread, confider where you fet your Feet in the House of God, viz. Be always upon your Guard in that Place. Let your Carriage be adjusted to the Idea of His Prefence whofe Courts you enter. Let your whole Deportment there be fuch as best suits the Sacredness of the Place, and the Majefty of Him to whom it is dedicated. Without entering into any Comparison between the Holiness formerly attributed to God's Sanctuary among the Jews, and that which is afcribed at this Day to Chriftian Churches, I fhall take Occafion from this Text to confider the Propriety, the Duty, the Benefit of a serious and decent Behaviour in Church, and more efpecially during the Performance of the public Offices of Religion. There SERM. |