Проповеди и лекции

otherwise be obtained botiby ttio congre^tioo of many miDds. and of many hands into one near and immediate neigh* bourhood ; fova&mucb as man is unto man Gods main conduit for good, and Satan^a main condait for cnl. And no sooner ia the congregation as- tf«robled into one place for ^od, than Satan ap- pears amongst them for evil. The wealth which they accumulate is, to him who bath it, a temp* tation to avarice, vanity, and oMeutation ; and to him who hath il not, of envy, sordidnetis, and thefts Theofficesoftmst and power, to those who have tbcm, arc temptations to pride, wilfulness, and mi^nilc ; and to tliosc who have them not, of ambition, discontent, dt»ubediencc, and rebellion. Th^r neigbhourbood is a temptation to rivalry, display^ ovit-speaking, and malice of every kind. And it (generally happcneth. that according as more and more of visible things are accumulated within their walls, a spirit of seasuality, discord- ance, and insubordination take the room of the spirit of union and order, and self-defenc«, frum which these communities arose. And the tame place which heretofore was a high-place of God^> and a ^eat instrument of Lis bloss^ kingdom, bccomcth a high-place of Satan, and an iastrumcnt of his wicked kingdom. Thi« change, it iH my opinion, hath been already accomplished upon almostnll tlieto>^tisiuid cities of this ancient re^m, and that by a process which it IS exceedingly easy to open upandto compn^hcnd* and which is as IoIIowa. At Ihe Reformation, our 014 OOD'i OOlTTtOTERBT VITV TBB IrAVD. [Dk. towu ware the chirf leata of rcligkm, and thgy ooDtinued ao till the beginniiig of the last MDtmy. This IB written to the eye-«i^t in the nnmerau ohurchei which are so thickly planted, &• to b»- token at once the andent from the modern pafti of our townt, Thejr were the aeata of godly ■ohoola and uniTOiities of learning, frcm vUck wai diffuaed among tiie mien, a^ merohanli^ and tradesmen, the knowledge of thoae dnttaa and offices which belong to a free man* placed in trust over an estate by the Lord, To thoae who are acquainted with the state of things a cenlpiy and two craturica ngo, it is known thai the eounlrr people on the ma^et days wem wim&to aaamil^ as well to the hearing of the ezemaai of thl" pyMy divines in the chor^ as to tbatf tialHc in the maiket-place: and that the aonsef th^ nmntry fr^oilemea and even aobility» wva mwt t%^ take «|ia)runcBts in &e u>wn, in oidar-to lw> iMlnkCt>M in the scbools. Fran these t«o tffv^t fimntainf of cvs^. cbe pulpit and tW o«e t^t^n^ the help-DMet for ti