the Morning until Midday before the Men, and the Women, and thofe that could understand; and the Ears of all the People were attentive to the Book of the Law.

In this Account it is obfervable,

1. That the Reading of the Laws of God, or the Holy Scriptures, which were then extant, was at the Request of the People. A good Example for thofe People to imitate, who have not had the Opportunity of hearing the Holy Scriptures publickly read.

2. That in this Affembly, much of the Law of the Lord was read, as appears from the Reading of it, from Morning to the Midday.

3. That all the People were attentive to the Reading: The holy God by his Word read, did fpeak unto all his People there affembled; and and their ferious Attention to it, was a Service of Worship to him, expreffive of their Reverence of him, and of their Regard to his Authority, and to his holy Commandments: And this is an Example, which ought to be imitated by all People when the Laws of the LORD are publickly read, and they have Opportunity of hearing them.

In Deut. iv. 10. God faid unto Mofes, Gather me the People together, and I will make them bear my Words; that they may learn to fear me all the Days that they shall live upon the Earth, and that they may teach their Children.

The Reason, which the great God in this Scripture affigns for his commanding Mofes to read publickly, and the People to hear his Words fo read, fhews that God intended more than his Words being once read by Mofes, at the giving the Law at Mount Sinai; even to appoint it an Ordinance for ever to be obferved by his People

throughout all their Generations, fo long as there fhould be a People to learn, to fear, and serve him, and fo long as there fhould be Children, that need Inftruction.

And the Difufe of this Ordinance, is the Way to have People ignorant of God and their Duty; ignorant of the Things he has revealed, and incapable of teaching their Children, what God would have them taught.

In Deut. xii. 28. Mofes faid unto the People, Obferve and HEAR all thefe Words, which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy Children after thee for ever; when thou doeft that which is good and right in the Sight of the Lord thy God. Here we may observe,

1. A Precept to the People, viz. To hear all the Words which the Lord hath commanded: Which implies, that it is the Duty of those whose Office it is to inftruct the People, to read unto them, all the Words which the Lord hath commanded.

2. That Peoples hearing, and obeying the Words of the Lord, doing that which is good and right in his Sight, is the Way to have the Bleffing of God upon themfelves, and their Children.

The Book of the Covenant of God with his People, and his Laws, his Statutes and Ordinances were publickly read, and heard in the Days of Mofes, who wrote the Book of Deuteronomy about forty Years after his first reading of the Law to the People; and afterwards in the Time of Joshua. But was the Reading them a Part of God's publick Worship on the Holy Sabbaths?

To this Queftion, I return to myself this Anfwer, viz. that if nothing had been faid about it in the Hiftory contained in the Holy Scriptures, I fhould conclude that it was fo; because

it is as needful a Means of propagating the Knowledge of God, and of his revealed Will, and of bringing People to fear him, and to do that which is good and right in the Sight of the LORD in every Age, Country, and Congregation, as in the Days of Mofes and Joshua. But from the Holy Scriptures we know certainly, that it was a Part of the publick Worship every Sabbath Day.

In Acts xiii. 27. The Apoftle Paul fays, For they, that dwell at Jerufalem, and their Rulers, because they knew him not, (did not know Chrift) nor yet the Voice of the Prophets, which are READ EVERY SABBATH DAY, they have fullfilled them in condemning him.

In Acts xv. 21. It is faid, For Mofes of old Time bath in every City them that preach him, being read in the Synagogues (in every City) EVERY SABBATH DAY.

Hence it is evident, that the publick Reading the Scriptures then extant, viz. the Writings of Mofes and the Prophets, was part of the publick Worship of God, through the Times of the Old Teftament: And the Reading them is here called preaching them.

As it was an Ordinance of God's commanding, fo it was confcientiously obferved by the People through the Times of the Old Teftament: And the Laws which enjoined it, God has never repealed; and no Angels or Men have Authority to fet it afide.

Our bleffed Redeemer did himself join in this Part of divine Worship: In Luke iv. 15, 16. It is faid, He taught in their (the Jews) Synagogues, being glorified of all. And (that) he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up, and as his Custom was, he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath Day, and stood up for to read, which fhews his Approba

tion of the Ordinance; and therefore all his Difciples should prize it, and gladly give their Attendance on the Sabbath Days, and hear the Word of God contained in the Law of Mofes, and in the Writings of the Prophets and Apoftles, and hear with great Attention and Reverence.

In Mat. xxiii. 1, 2. we read thus, Then spake Jefus unto the Multitude, and (alfo) to his Difciples, faying, The Scribes and Pharifees fit in Mofes Seat: All therefore, whatfoever they bid you obferve, (of the Laws of God by Mofes) that obferve, and do. These Injunctions of Chrift fhew, that he did not fet afide the Ordinance, but required the Multitude to hear the Word of God, and to obey it.

If that very antient Custom of Reading the Holy Scriptures ever Sabbath Day as a Part of the publick Worship, was a meer human Appointment, our bleffed Saviour who faid, Every Plant which my heavenly Father bath not planted, fhall be rooted up. (Mat. xv. 13.) doubtlefs would not have conformed himself to it, and joined in that Part of religious Worship as he did: And it appears most evident from what has been noted, that this Part of Worship was a divine Institution; and the Reasons which God himself gives for commanding it, prove that he intended it to continue fo long as he had a Church and People in the World.

But this alfo appears evident from his own Words in Luke xvi. 19, &c. where we have the Parable of a certain rich Man, that was clothed in Purple and fine Linnen, and fared fumptuously every Day; and of a Beggar named Lazarus, who was laid at his Gate full of Sores: Thefe both died; but their Conditior immediately after Death was vaftly different; for the poor Beggar was carried by Angels up to Heaven into Abra

ham's

ham's Bofom, but the rich Man was taken away from all his Riches and Grandeur, and voluptuous Way of living, and carried down into Hell, and there was tormented with Flames unquenchable.

And this rich, now, miferable Sinner, feeing Lazarus with Abraham, intreated that he might be sent to his five Brethren, to teftify to them the Torments he endured, that fo being forewarned, they might be excited to an holy Life, left they alfo fhould come to the fame Place of Torment.

Our bleffed Redeemer reprefents Abraham as giving this Answer, viz. They have Mofes and the Prophets, let them hear them. ver. 29.

And when the rich Man replied, Nay Father Abraham, but if one went unto them from the Dead, they will repent: But Abraham said, If they will not bear Mofes and the Prophets, neither will they be perfuaded, though one rofe from the Dead.

We may from thefe Words which our bleffed Saviour reprefents Abraham as fpeaking to the rich Man, learn,

1. That the publick Reading of the Writings of Mofes and the Prophets, and confequently the Books of the New Teftament, was an Ordinance appointed by God the fupreme Lawgiver.

2. That this Ordinance was appointed as the Means of bringing Men to repent of their Sins, and to know, and love God, to believe and obey his Word revealed in his Holy Scriptures.

3. That it is a Duty incumbent on the Minifters of Chrift, and one great Part of their Work, fince the Eftablishment of the Gofpel Difpenfation, to read publickly the Holy Scriptures.

4. That it is the Duty of all Sorts of People to attend on the publick Reading of them: And there are Promises to engage them to this Duty.