Scripture language is to pray. Thus praises, thanksgivings, and confessions of faith, are offered standing, I. Kings c. 8. v. 14. "and the King turned his face about, and blessed all the congregation of Israel, and all the congregation of Israel stood, and he said "Blessed be the Lord." The same pos

ture is observed v. 55. and in 2. Chron. c. 20. v. 19. " and the Levites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice 2. Chron. c. 29. v. 26. and Neh. c. 10. v. 40. And this was not a voluntary act, but imposed upon the people as appears from Neh. c. 9. v. 5. "Then the Levites said, stand up, and bless the Lord your God," in conformity to which the saints and angels in heaven are represented to us thus praising God. Rev. c. 7. v. 9-10. "They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, and cried with a loud voice, "salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.” At reading the Holy Scriptures, both reader and people used the same posture as appears from Neh. c. 8. v. 4—5. "And Ezra the scribe stood on a pulpit of wood, and Ezra opened the book and all the people stood up," and c. 9. v. 3. " and they stood up in their place, and read in the book" which our Saviour likewise observed Luke c. 4. v. 16. Lastly, they offered their sacrifices with bodily adoration, 2. Chron. c. 29. v. 27. And when the burnt offerings began, the song of the Lord began also, and all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpets sounded;" and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. The word, as was observed, here rendered worshipped, signifies literally they bowed themselves down, and the meaning is, they continued prostrate, or kneeling, whilst the burnt offering was offered. Thus in every religious performance the Scripture has taken particular notice, and recorded to us with what acts of bodily worship it was offered up unto God.

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SECT. II.

THE PRACTICE OF OUR CHURCH IN BODILY

WORSHIP.

Let us in the next place compare our own practice with this representation, and see how we perform this part of visible worship in our Church. I. First then, when we come into the public assemblies, we believe ourselves to come into Christ's presence, because He has promised Matt. c. 18. v. 21. "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them," and therefore, in obedience to the command of God in Scripture, it is our custom to lift up our hearts to Him in prayer, and bow our bodies before Him. This bowing of our bodies when we come into the assembly of Christians met together in Christ's name, and for His service, though it be not enjoined by any constitution of our Church, is generally practised by good people, as very decent in itself, and edifying to others. Our bowing our bodies therefore at our coming into a Christian assembly for worship, is only to pay that bodily worship to God that He

requires from us when we come into His peculiar presence, which presence He has promised in such assemblies. Some indeed are so weak as to term our thus worshipping God, a bowing to the altar; whereas our Church expressly declaring against any adoration to be paid to the consecrated bread and wine, does much more declare against doing it to the altar. II. Uncovering the head is a mark of respect amongst us; and therefore we continue uncovered whilst the assembly lasts; that is whilst we are in Christ's presence. The custom of the Eastern Church was to uncover their feet in the presence of God; so Moses and Joshua were commanded to do, (to which Solomon alludes Eccles. c. 5. v. 1.) This was easily practised with them, because they wore nothing on their feet but loose shoes and sandals, which were readily slipped off, and this continued till our Saviour's time, as appears by their washing their feet when they came into their houses, Luke c. 7. v. 44. Uncovering the head is the same common mark of respect with us now, as uncovering the feet was with them in their time; and this uncovering the feet being neither practicable with us, nor any note of respect among us, but rather the contrary, our Church has required us instead of it, to uncover our heads, cannon 7th. For the justification of this practice, give me leave to digress so far as to explain one passage in the New Testament, which seems to require that a man should have his head uncovered in the presence of God, not as a note of respect, but of his privilege. 1. Cor. c. 11. v. 7. "For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of the man," which passage does not primarily relate to the covering of the head, but the face by a veil according to the custom of the eastern countries; and this covering the face was a note of respect, as the contrary

was a note of privilege.

So we find that when Rebecca was

to appear before her husband, Gen. c. 24. v. 65. She took a veil and covered herself." So Exod. c. 3. v. 6. "Moses

hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God”—and "Elijah wrapped his face in his mantle when he went out to meet God." I. Kings c. 19. v. 13. on the same account the seraphims cover their faces with their wings. Is. c. 6. v. 2. It is therefore a peculiar privilege and favour to be allowed to appear before God uncovered, and it is reckoned such 2. Cor. c. 2. v. 18. "But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of our Lord." Those that were out of favour might not appear bare faced before their prince, but with their heads covered, as Haman was when the King signified his displeasure against him, Esther; c. 7. v. 8. Now for the understanding of the before cited place, we must consider that man being the image and glory of God is allowed to take this confidence before God, which is denied to women; for since God was pleased to make man His image and glory, it is not fit that this His glory should be covered before Him; but on the other hand, it is fit that man's glory, which is woman, should be covered before God. This I conceive is the full meaning of this place, and has no relation to the manner of uncovering the head in use with us now, which is only a mark of civil respect, and that peculiar to men, and not to women. But however, being an honour paid to men, there is no reason why it should not be paid to God. On the contrary, it seems to be required by the Apostle's general injunction "let every thing be done decently." And it is one of the articles of our Church, that the Church has power to order rites and ceremonies; that is, to determine what particular things come under the Apostle's general word of decency. We stand up at our praises, thansgivings, and con

I

fessions of faith, in conformity to the examples of Holy Scripture, at our confessions of sin, and at our prayers, we present ourselves before God on our knees, by order of our Church, according to the example of our Saviour, and the Church of God. III. We celebrate the Holy Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ in a worshipping posture. know that many except against this. It would engage me in a longer discourse to examine it fully; perhaps God may hereafter give me an opportunity to discuss it at large, at present I shall only hint at the Scripture ground we have for it, and that by the following deductions. *1. The altar was of old the Lord's Table from whence His attendants were fed Mal. c. 1. v. 7. “Ye offer polluted bread upon my altar, and ye say, wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say the table of the Lord is contemptible." 2. On this account the Israelites came to the altar, and worshipped before it as being God's table on which the sacrifice was presented as His meat, of which they were permitted to partake. So 2. Chron. c. 6. v. 12. "And he stood before the altar of the Lord," v. 13. "and kneeled down on his knees." And 1. Kings c. 8. v. 54. "He arose from the altar from kneeling on his knees." Nor can it be said that this kneeling of Solomon was only because he offered up a prayer at that time, and that therefore he was in a praying posture, for undoubtedly it was the duty of all that were present at any sacrifice, to offer up prayers to God with the sacrifice; and accordingly we find it

* The author's intention is not to assert that the Scriptures require kneeling at the Lord's supper, but to shew that it is not contrary to the institution of Christ, or the practice of the Apostles, who compare our receiving it with the Jews partaking of their altar, to which they approached with adoration.