forgiven. It is a better solution of the difficulty, to represent the petition as containing an argument from the less to the greater, which may be thus stated:Our Father in heaven, if we whose goodness is so limited are so affected towards others as not unwillingly to pardon their offences, with how much confidence can we ask the same thing to ourselves from thee, whose benignity has neither measure nor bounds!' Our Lord reasons in a similar manner: "If ye, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"*

I have long thought that the difficulty may be more satisfactorily removed in a different way. There are two kinds of pardon,-legal pardon, and fatherly pardon; of which the one consists in the repeal of the curse of the law, or the sentence of condemnation; and the other, in the removal of the chastisements to which the children of God are subjected for their offences. The first is obtained by faith alone, without works, but the second is suspended upon conditions,-repentance, confession, prayer, and the performance of duty. Our Lord taught this prayer to his disciples, who were already in a state of grace; and it begins with an address to God as our Father, which supposes us to stand in the relation of children to him. It is the prayer of a believer, who, having been freely forgiven when he was justified, has still to ask the pardon of his daily offences. Now, that he may recover a comfortable sense of the love of God, and again enjoy the light of his countenance, it is necessary that he should be in a proper disposition of mind, and particularly that he should be in a state of charity towards his brethren of mankind, and especially towards those who have offended him. "If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."+ By subjoining this qualification to the petition, our Lord reminds his disciples of the necessity of being placable and merciful, and encourages them, when they are conscious of this temper, to expect mercy from God. The petition points out the order, according to which God dispenses favours to his people. He will withdraw his chastening hand when they return to a sense of their duty. When they forgive others, he will forgive them. Dick's Theology.

* Luke xi, 11.-+ Matth. vi. 14, 15.

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BIBLE INSTRUCTION.-No. XIII.

PUBLIC WORSHIP.

"Lord, I kave loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth."-Ps. xxvi. 8.

It is justly stated in the Shorter Catechism, that "the outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption are, the word, sacraments, and prayer." These are sometimes called ordinances, because they are the appointments or institutions of God, for the accomplishment of his purposes of mercy, and sometimes means of grace; because they are the channels through which God conveys of his grace to the souls of men. We propose devoting a paper to the consideration of each of them. By the word, which is first mentioned, is meant the use of the Holy Scriptures, however that may be, whether in the closet, the family, or the sanctuary. It is the public ministration of the word, however, that is chiefly intended, as is plain from another statement of the Catechism of our church-"the Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching of the word, an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and building them up in comfort and holiness, through faith unto salvation." In this sense we shall treat of the word at present, considering the various uses that are made of it in public worship, or the different names by which its truth is made to bear on the heart and life, and so promote the ends of edification. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." "After that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe.”

Public worship, as ordinarily conducted in the assemblies of Christians, consists in singing the praise of God, pouring out the heart in prayer before him, reading and expounding the Scriptures, and blessing the people in the name of the Lord. It may be profitable briefly to explain these several exercises of public worship, and then offer a few remarks upon the manner in which they should be observed.

I. Singing the praise of God. That a large portion of the public worship of God, among the Jews, was devoted to this exercise, is familiar to all. Every instrument, almost, that could emit a sound, as well as the melody of the human voice, was consecrated to the service of God. Under the Christian dispensation, this exercise, as well as any other, has

been simplified; but its obligation is no less binding than it ever was. This is satisfactorily proved by consulting Mat. xxvi. 30; Eph. v. 19; Col. iii. 16. Accordingly, with alinost no exception, singing has ever constituted a part of the public worship of Christian assemblies.

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To direct the church in this important exercise, the Scriptures are sufficient. Many parts of them are capable of almost a literal versification. Of this we have an example in the Psalms of David, but this is not the only one. It is much to be regretted that other parts of the Scriptures have not been versified also, such as some portions of the prophecies of Isaiah, or the Song of Moses, in the Old Testament; and the Songs of Mary and Zacharias, and parts of the Sermon on the Mount, in the New. Such a work would be a great boon conferred upon the church, and it is one which, it is to be hoped, it may yet enjoy. Such a work would render hymns of human composition unnecessary; and although we do not condemn the use of them, the Scriptures themselves would surely be preferable. This much, however, we must say, that no church should permit the introduction of hymns into the public worship of any of its members, without having received its sanction and approval. It is a most insiduous method adopted

in some instances for the introduction of error.

That this part of christian worship may be rightly conducted, there are three counsels to which it is necessary to attend. All should sing, for it is the only part in which all can outwardly join-it is that part of worship which shall especially be carried into heaven itself, and the effect of public psalmody is the most inspiring and elevating, Ps. xcv. 1, 2; xcvi. 1. Again, all should learn to sing. It is seriously remarked by President Edwards, "since it is the duty of all to sing, and since this is an exercise which cannot be properly engaged in without learning to sing, it follows that they who neglect to learn to sing, are living in sin." It should be considered an essential part of education as well as reading or writing. Above all, the worshipper should be careful to sing with the heart and the understanding. It is evil to be silent when the praise of God is sung, but it is worse to mock him with a solemn sound upon a thoughtless tongue. A more melancholy and humbling sight than a professed worshipper singing the praise of God, while the wandering eye proclaims that his thoughts are running after vanity, can scarcely be imagined.

But the exercise of psalmody should not be confined to the

sanctuary. In the family it is most becoming and profitable. Even in private its influence is at once soothing and exciting, and fitted for edification. It is greatly to be lamented that an art so sacred should be so much neglected as it is among us. Every parent should be competent to lead the devotions of his family in this exercise; yet not one out of ten can do so with propriety. Such a state of things is altogether inexcusable; and the church should be roused to a sense of its duty with regard to it, that Satan may no longer have almost the exclusive use of so powerful an instrument, and that it may partake of all the edification which such an exercise is fitted to impart.

2. Public prayer. This also has ever formed part of the worship of God. Under the Old Testament dispensation, we have an example, in the prayer of Solomon at the dedication of the temple, (1 Kings viii.) and as for the New, the testimony of a single passage is sufficient, 1 Cor. xiv. 14-17. It was our Lord's practice to engage in religious exercises with prayer, 1 Cor. xi. 24. Before he fed the multitudes, he lifted up his voice in prayer. And, indeed, one of the characteristic names by which the place of God's worship has ever been known, is, "the house of prayer." Isaiah lvi. 7.

Of all the parts of religious worship, this is peculiarly solemn. Thereby we may be said to enter into the most holy place. We should feel ourselves admonished, at such a time, in the language addressed to Moses when he approached the burning bush, "put off thy shoes from thy feet, for the ground whereon thou standest is holy." It is a privilege which the worshipper enjoys, not on account of any thing in himself, but simply and solely for the sake of the perfect sacrifice and prevalent intercession of Jesus Christ. Heb. iv. 14-16; x. 19–22.

Solemn, however, as this exercise is, it is found that men can trifle with it; and there are two things illustrative of this fact, which no observer can fail to have noticed. In public prayer, many seem to think they have no concern. They regard themselves as mere spectators of him who is the mouth of the people unto God. In his petitions they are at no pains heartily to unite; they never make them their own. Of this the wandering eye and careless attitude are indications not to be mistaken. But let it not be forgotten, that an assembly so demeaning itself at the time of public prayer, is only standing up to offer insult instead of incense to God. Nor can it have been unobserved by any, that very frequently prayer has been less an object of attention than some other parts of public

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worship. Many professed worshippers appear to consider it no great loss to be absent from the prayers of the assembly, and put a much higher value on the discourse to be delivered; and while it is comparatively easy to assemble them in the expectation of hearing a discourse, it is almost impossible to bring them together when only prayer and other devotional exercises are to be engaged in. These things are evidence that there does not prevail, in the ordinary assemblies for worship, any just sense of the nature, or privilege, or effi cacy of prayer. Men are far more in search of earthly excitement than of communion with God. This is an evil sign; for as the spirit of prayer is the surest criterion of personal piety, so is it also of public devotion. And until public prayer shall be better understood and more faithfully observed, the great ends of public worship shall not be generally and effectually attained.

3. The reading and exposition of the Scriptures. Among the Jews, the practice of reading the Scriptures and expounding them, in their public assemblies, prevailed universally. Their Scriptures were so divided, as to be read entirely through in a given time; and when the portion for the day was read, the minister of the synagogue, or other authorized teacher, proceeded to expound it. This was the method followed by our Lord, as is recorded in Luke iv. 16-22. So also did the apostles act. Acts xvii. 1-3; xviii. 24-28. From these examples we may learn what is the nature of this part of the public worship of God. It is the simple and exclusive business of the preacher to expound and enforce the word of God. Whenever he goes beyond this exercise, he has wandered from his peculiar province. By indulging in fanciful illustrations, or fine-wrought theories, he may entertain his audience, but he departs from the primitive and apostolic mode of preaching. And yet this, it were easy to show, is far preferablethe most instructive, simple, easy of apprehension, readily remembered, little calculated to produce mere excitement, every way worthy of God, who seeks the conversion and edification of men, and not merely their entertainment or gratification.

But while the minister of the word should take heed how he preaches, it is not less necessary that the people should beware how they hear. The great principle by which they should be governed here is, that hearing the word is part of the worship of God. This principle, it is to be feared, is overlooked by many; and hence, as soon as the other parts of the service are concluded, they seem to feel as if their de