SERMON IV.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF NEGLECTING PUBLIC

WORSHIP.

HEBREWS x. 25.

"NOT FORSAKING THE ASSEMBLING OF OURSELVES TOGETHER, AS THE MANNER OF SOME IS."

THERE is a simple and forcible exhibition of the exercise of that wisdom which is profitable to direct, recorded in the book of Proverbs xxii. 3— "A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished." Whether we regard the evil here alluded to as a worldly or spiritual evil, and the punishment annexed to it as a temporal or eternal punishment, we cannot fail to commend the exercise of that wisdom by which they are foreseen and avoided; for it is sanctioned by the soundest and clearest dictates of reason and revelation. Now, if the call for the exercise of such wisdom rises in proportion to the nature and extent of the evil, our exposure to it, and the numbers that have been injured or ruined by it, then does the

neglect of public worship, which is deprecated in our text, demand a most serious and prayerful investigation; for it is an evil of fearful extent, and replete with consequences the most dangerous, as well as so common as to diminish a sense of its guilt in the minds of many.

This neglect is not a solitary evil; it is the one great external act of disobedience, which, above all others, leaves us in all the sad ruins of the fall, and cuts us off from all the blessings the Son of God died to procure us; not that we mean to imply, that the bare act of attendance upon divine ordinances will put us in possession of the blessings of salvation, but simply that they are the appointed chanels for dispensing those blessings; and that, by slighting the means, we deprive ourselves of the blessings they were designed to

convey.

The consequences of neglecting public worship are not merely confined to the spiritual loss we thereby sustain, there are other consequences, not so apparent, which deserve to be noticed.

To enlarge upon, or even to enumerate, all the evil effects resulting from forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, would far exceed the limits of this discourse. We must confine our considerations to some of the most direct and dangerous consequences, a knowledge of which may tend, under the divine blessing, to exercise over us the most practical and salutary influence; by endearing to us the sanctuary, and rendering us more careful of slighting its ordinances.

This object may be best attained, and afford us the clearest and simplest view of the consequences of neglecting public worship

FIRST. BY SHEWING THAT THE LOSS WE THEREBY SUSTAIN IS GREAT.

SECONDLY. THAT, IN ADDITION TO THIS LOSS,

WE INFLICT UPON OURSELVES THE DEEPEST INJURY, AND LAY OURSELVES OPEN TO THE GREATEST TEMPTATIONS.

In order to avoid misapprehensions on this subject, and that we may not be supposed to give an exaggerated account of the consequences of neglecting public worship, I would observe, that we are treating of the consequences of VOLUNTARY neglect, and that these differ very widely from the consequences of being unavoidably detained from the house of God; for, though the natural result is the same, whatever cause prevents our attendance, as we are thereby deprived of the benefit of the public means of grace, the spiritual result is widely different; for the former, being voluntary, originates in guilt, and contracts guilt; whereas, the latter being involuntary, is not founded in guilt, nor does it incur guilt. And should the individuals who are detained by necessity, and not by choice, from the sanctuary, be disposed to spend the hours allotted to its services in the exercise of private devotion, there is no reason why they may not expect the blessing of God in their closets, and trust that these hours may be profitably employed; whereas, those who volun

tarily absent themselves fom the house of God, by this very act of disobedience disqualify themselves for performing the duties and enjoying the privileges of private devotion, nor can they expect to find communion with God in their closets, when God commands them to be present in the assembly of his saints. If public worship was merely a human institution, however excellent, beneficial, or expedient it might be, we could not attempt to make this distinction between its voluntary and involuntary neglect. It is simply because it is a DIVINE INSTITUTION that the loss sustained by its wilful neglect is so irretrievable, and the consequences so disastrous.

It is unnecessary that we should here enlarge on the nature and extent of the loss sustained by the neglecters of public worship, as we can gather sufficient information on this subject from the nature of the plea which is so frequently urged for its neglect "We can read and pray at home." By this it is obviously intended to supply the place of two leading designs of the services of the sanctuary-PUBLIC PRAYER AND

INSTRUCTION.

If they are deprived of the advantages of those means of grace by their neglect, and if private prayer and study, by which they seek to supply their place, will not avail, then the loss is great and irreparable.

While we assert, and proceed to prove, that the private means of grace will not supply the place of the public means of grace, when these latter

are wilfully neglected, we would distinctly state, that we do not attempt to limit the Holy One of Israel, or set specific bounds to the manner and mode of his dealings with men; for, "His ways are in the sea," as well as "in the sanctuary." And, in the exercise of his sovereign grace, he sometimes employs means the most unlikely, and subjects the most unworthy, to display the freeness of his grace, and the riches of his love; proclaiming to all, that "He will work, and none shall let it." Thus he arrested Saul, when persecuting his saints and making havoc of his church, and made him the monument of his love, and the trophy of his grace. But let us remember, that such are not the rule, but the exceptions, of his dealings with men, and that, while we dare not limit God, he limits us; and we are only warranted to expect the promised blessing by the diligent use and improvement of the prescribed

means.

Viewing, then, those who wilfully neglect public worship under the most favourable circumstances, by supposing them disposed to employ private prayer and study, to supply the place of public prayer and instruction, let us enquire how far they are warranted to expect the spiritual blessings those means of grace were appointed to convey.

First, as regards prayer. We are not infringing on the freeness of the gospel, when we state that there are certain preventatives to God's hearing prayer. Thus David affirms, "If I regard ini