motion of his glory and the good of his creatures. This appears in all the works of his hands, Psal. civ. 24; in the dispensations of his providence, Psal. xcvii. 1, 2; in the work of redemption, Eph. iii. 10; in the government and preservation of his church in all ages, Ps. cvii. 7. This doctrine should teach us admiration, Rev. xv. 3, 4; trust and confidence, Psal. ix. 10; prayer, Prov. iii. 5, 6; submission, Heb. xii. 9; praise, Psal. ciii. 1-4. See Charnock's Works, vol. i.; Saurin's Sermons, vol. i. p. 157, Eng. Trans.; Gill's Divinity, vol. i. p. 93; Abernethey's Sermons, vol. i. ser. 10; Ray's Wisdom of God in Creation; || Paley's Natural Theology. ་ many intricacies, either respecting the WORKS, GOOD, are those actions which are conformable to truth, justice, or propriety; whether natural, civil, relative, moral, or religious. The circumstances requisite to a good work, are, 1. That it be according to the will of God.-2. That it spring from love to God, 1 Tim. i. 5.-3. It must be done in faith, Rom. xiv. 23.-4. It must be done to the glory of God, 1 Cor. x. 31. Phil. i. 11. The causes of good works are, 1. God himself, Heb. xiii. 21.-2. By union to Christ, Eph. ii. 10.-3. Through faith, Heb. xi. 4, 6.-4. By the word and Spirit, Luke, viii. 15. Is. iii. 3. 2 Tim. iii. 16. As to the nature and properties of good works, 1. They are imperfect, Ecc. vii. 20. Rev. iii. 2.-2. Not meritorious, Tit. iii. 5. Luke, xvii. 10.-3. Yet found only in the regenerate, Matt. vii. 17. The necessary uses of good works, 1. They show our gratitude, Ps. cxv. 12, 13.—2. Are an ornament to our profession, Tit. ii. 10.-3. Evidence our regeneration, Job, xv. 5.-4. Profitable to others, Titus iii. 8. See HOLINESS, OBEDIENCE, SANCTIFICATION. Gill's Body of Divinity, book iv. vol. iii.; Ridgley's Body of Div. q. 92; Marshall on Sanctification. WITCHCRAFT, a supernatural power which persons were formerly supposed to obtain the possession of, by entering into a compact with the Devil. Witchcraft was universally believed in Europe till the 16th century, and even maintained its ground with tolerable firmness till the middle of the 17th. The latest witchcraft phrensy was in New England in 1692, when the execution of witches became a calamity more dreadful than the sword or the pestilence. Some have denied the existence of witchcraft altogether. That such persons have been found among men seems, however, evident from the Scriptures, Deut. xviii. 10. Exod. xxii. 18. Gal. v. 20. Lev. xix. 13. Lev. xx. 6. The inconsistency of holding such persons in estimation, or having recourse to fortune-tellers, diviners,| WORLD, the whole system of crecharmers, and such like, appear in this, ated things. [See CREATION.] It is 1. It is imitating the heathens, and taken also for a secular life, the present giving countenance to the foolish super- state of existence, and the pleasure and 'stition and absurd practices of pagans. interests which steal away the soul from -2. Such characters are held in ab- God. The love of the World does not horrence by the Lord, and their very consist in the use and enjoyment of the existence forbidden, Lev. xx. 6. Exod. comforts God gives us, but in an inordixx. 18.-3. He threatens to punish those nate attachment to the things of time who consult them, Lev. xx. 6.-4. It is and sense. "1. We love the world too wrong to have any thing to do with much," says Dr. Jortin," when, for the them, as it is setting an awful example sake of any profit or pleasure, we wilto others.-5. It is often productive of fully, knowingly, and deliberately transthe greatest evils, deception, discord, gress the commands of God.-2. When disappointment, and incredible mis- we take more pains about the present chief. See Hawkins's Two Sermons on || life than the next.-3. When we canWitchcraft; Enc. Brit.; Moore's Theo- not be contented, patient, or resigned, logical Works, p. 240, 251; Hutchinson under low and inconvenient circumon Witchcraft. stances.-4. We love the world too much when we cannot part with any thing we possess to those who want, deserve, and have a right to it.-5. When we envy those who are more fortunate and more favoured by the world than we are.-6. When we honour, and esteem, and favour persons purely according to their birth, fortunes, and success, measuring our judgment and ap WONDER, any thing which causes surprise by its strangeness. "It expresses," says Mr. Cogan, " an embarrassment of the mind after it is somewhat recovered from the first percussion of surprise. It is the effect produced by an interesting subject which has been suddenly presented to the mind, but concerning which there are probation by their outward appearance || way to the deification of departed he ISM. WORSHIP OF GOD (cultus Dei) amounts to the same with what we otherwise call religion. This worship consists in paying a due respect, veneration, and homage to the Deity under a sense of an obligation to him. And this internal respect, &c. is to be shown and testified by external acts; as prayers, thanksgivings, &c. Private Worship should be conducted with, 1. Reverence and veneration.-2. Self-abasement and confession.-3. Con WORLD, Ages of. The time preceding the birth of Christ has generally been divided into six ages. The first extends from the beginning of the world to the deluge, and comprehends one thousand six hundred and fifty-six years. The second, from the deluge to Abra-templation of the perfections and proham's entering the Land of Promise in mises of God.-4. Supplication for our2082, comprehends four hundred and selves and others.-5. Earnest desire twenty-six years. The third from of the enjoyment of God.-6. Frequent Abraham's entrance into the promised and regular. Some who have acknowland to the Exodus in 2523, four hun-ledged the propriety of private worship dred and thirty years. The fourth, from the going out of Egypt to the foundation of the temple by Solomon in 2992, four hundred and seventy-nine years. The fifth, from Solomon's foundation of the temple to the Babylonish captivity in 3416, four hundred and twenty-one years. The sixth, from the Babylonish captivity to the birth of Christ, A. M. 4000, the fourth year before the vulgar æra, includes five hundred and eightyfour years. WORLD, DISSOLUTION OF. See CONFLAGRATION, DISSOLUTION. WORLD, Eternity of. See ETERNITY OF THE WORLD. have objected to that of a public nature, It is the mean of receiving instruction Public worship is of great utility, as, 1. It gives Christians an opportunity of WORSHIP, DEMON, the worship openly professing their faith in and love of a class of spirits which were thought to Christ.-2. It preserves a sense of to be superior to the soul of man; but religion in the mind, without which soinferior to those intelligences which ani- ciety could not well exist.-3. It enmated the sun, the moon, and the pla-livens devotion and promotes zeal.-4. nets, and to whom were committed the government of the world, particular nations, &c. Though they were generally invisible, they were not supposed to be pure disembodied spirits, but to have some kind of ethereal vehicle. They were of various orders, and according to the situation over which they presided, had different names. Hence the Greek and Roman poets talk of satyrs, dryads, nymphs, fawns, &c. &c. These different orders of intelligences which, though worshipped as gods or demigods, were yet believed to partake of human passions and appetites, led the Public worship should be, 1. Solemn, not light and trifling, Ps. lxxxix. 7.—2. Simple, not pompous and ceremonial, Isa. lxii. 2.-3. Cheerful, and not with forbidding aspect, Ps. c.-4. Sincere, and not hypocritical, Isaiah, i. 12. Matt. xxiii. 13. John iv. 24.-5. Pure and not superstitious, Isaiah, lvii. 15. We cannot conclude this article without taking notice of the shameful and exceedingly improper practice of com ing in late to public worship. It evi- WRATH OF GOD is his indignadently manifests a state of lukewarm- tion at sin, and punishment of it, Rom. ness; it is a breach of order and de-i. 18. The objects of God's anger or cency; it is a disturbance to both minis- wrath are the ungodly, whom he has ters and people; it is slighting the ordi- declared he will punish. His wrath is nances which God has appointed for our sometimes manifested in this life, and good; and an affront to God himself! that in an awful degree, as we see in the How such can be in a devotional frame case of the old world, Sodom and Gothemselves, when they so often spoil the morrah, the plagues of Egypt, the pudevotions of others, I know not. See nishment and captivity of the Jews, and Watts's Holiness of Time and Places; the many striking judgments on nations Kinghorn and Loader on Public Wor- and individuals. But a still more awful ship; Parry's, Barbauld's, Simpson's punishment awaits the impenitent in the and Wilson's Answer to Wakefield's world to come; for the wicked, it is Enquiry on the Authority, Propriety, said, shall go away into everlasting puand Utility of Public Worship; New-nishment, where the worm dieth not, man on early Attendance. and the fire is not quenched, Matt. WRATH, violent and permanent xxv. 46. Rom. ii. 8, 9. Rom. i. 18. See anger. See ANGER. HELL, SIN. Z. Hughes's Sermon on Zeal; Mason's ZACHEANS, the disciples of Za-Evans's Christian Temper, ser. 37; cheus, a native of Palestine, who, about the year 350, retired to a mountain near the city of Jerusalem, and there per- ZEALOT, an ancient sect of the formed his devotions in secret; pre-Jews, so called from their pretended tending that prayer was only agreeable zeal for God's law, and the honour of to God when it was performed secretly, religion. and in silence. ZEAL, a passionate ardour for any person or cause. There are various kinds of zeal; as, 1. An ignorant zeal, Rom. x. 2, 3.-2. A persecuting zeal, Phil. iii. 6.-3. A superstitious zeal, 1 Kings, xviii. Gal. i. 14.-4. An hypocritical zeal, 2 Kings x. 16.-5. A contentious zeal, 1 Cor. xi. 16.-6. A partial zeal, Hos. vii. 8.-7. A temporary zeal, 2 Kings, xii. and xiii. Gal. iv. 15, 16.-8. A genuine zeal, which is a sincere and warm concern for the glory of God, and the spiritual welfare of mankind. This is generally compounded of sound knowledge, strong faith, and disinterested regard; and will manifest itself by self-denial, patient endurance, and constant exertion. The motives to true zeal arc, 1. The divine command, Rev. iii. 19.-2. The example of Christ, Acts x. 38.-3. The importance of the service of Christ.-4. The advantage and pleasure it brings to the possessor. -5. The instances and honourable commendation of it in the Scriptures: Moses, Phineas, Caleb, David, Paul, &c. Gal. iv. 18. Rev. iii. 15, &c. Tit. ii. 14.6. The incalculable good effects it produces on others, James v 20. See Reynolds and Orton on Sacred Zeal; ZEND, or ZENDAVESTA, a book ascribed to Zoroaster, and containing his pretended revelations, which the ancient Magicians and modern Persees observe and reverence in the same manner as the Christians do the Bible, making it the sole rule of their faith and manners. The Zend contains a reformed system of magianism, teaching that there is a Supreme Being, eternal, self-ex|| istent, and independent, who created. both light and darkness, out of which he made all other things; that these are in a state of conflict, which will continue to the end of the world; that then there shall be a general resurrection and judgment, and that just retribution shall be rendered unto men according to their works; that the angel of darkness, with his followers, shall be consigned to a place of everlasting darkness and punishment; and the angel of light, with his disciples, introduced into a state of everlasting light and happiness: after which, light and darkness shall no more interfere with each other. It is evident, from these, and various other sentiments contained in the Zend, that many parts of it are taken out of the Old Testament. Dr. Baumgarten asserts that this work contains doctrines, opi nions, and facts, actually borrowed from || noted divine of Switzerland. His chief ZUINGLIANS, a branch of the Reformers, so called from Zuinglius, a About the same time that this society was establishing in New-York, Mr. Strawbridge, a local preacher from Ireland, commenced preaching, and formed a small class in Frederick County, Maryland. In October, 1769, two preachers, Messrs. Richard Boardman and Joseph Pilmore, being sent under the direction of Mr. Wesley, landed in America: and in 1771, Messrs. Francis Asbury and Richard Wright came over. The first regular conference was held in Philadelphia, in the year 1773, under the superintendence of Mr. Thomas Rankin, who had been sent by Mr. Wesley to take the general oversight of the societies in this country. These zealous missionaries, spreading themselves in different directions through the country, cities and villages, were instrumental in extending the influence of evangelical principles and holiness among the people. METHODIST EPISCOPAL meeting-house in John-street, in the CHURCH IN THE UNITED year 1768. STATES, History of-The first Methodist society in the United States of America, was formed in the City of New-York, in the year 1766, by a few Methodist emigrants from Ireland. Among these was a local preacher, by the name of Philip Embury. He preached the first Methodist sermon in a private room, to those only who had accompanied him to this country. The name of Methodist and his manner of preaching, being a novelty in this country, soon attracted attention, and many came to hear the stranger for themselves; and the number of hearers so increased that the house in which they assembled very soon became too small to contain all who wished to hear. They accordingly procured a larger place. About this time considerable attention was excited by the preaching of Capt. Webb, who came from Albany, where he was stationed, to the help of Mr. Embury. This gentleman had been converted to God under the preaching of Mr. Wesley in Bristol, England, and being moved with compassion towards his fellow men, although a soldier, he now employed his talent in calling sinners to repentance. Through his and the labours of Mr. Embury, the work of God prospered, and the society increased in number and stability. From the place they now occupied, which soon became too small to accommodate all who wished to attend their meetings, they removed to a rigging-loft, in William-street, which they hired, and fitted up for a preaching room. Such was their continual increase that, after contending with a variety of difficulties for want of a convenient place of worship, they succeeded in erecting all During the revolutionary war, all the preachers from Europe, except Mr. Asbury, returned to their native land. But prior to this event, the Head of the church had, under the energetic labours of Mr. Asbury and his colleagues, called forth some zealous young men into the ministry, whose labours were owned of God in the awakening and conversion of souls. These men of God, under the superintendence of Mr. Asbury, who laboured hard and suffered much during the sanguinary conflict, continued in the field of Gospel labour; and, notwithstanding the evils inseparable from war, they witnessed the spread of pure religion in many places. At the conclusion of the revolution, in the year 1784, Dr. Thomas Coke came |