found relief! They have felt that God has given the tongue of the learned to his ministers, "that they should know how to speak a word in season to them that are weary,"-that by them he has spoken comfortably to their hearts, and taught them to profit; and, under a deep and intelligent apprehension of the vast utility of public preaching, they can truly say, "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"

II. We have now, dear brethren, glanced at some of the advantages of public worship; we next proceed to a brief consideration of the MOTIVES

WHICH SHOULD LEAD TO ITS OBSERVANCE.

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The first to which we shall advert is, Duty, or obedience to God's command, 66 Thou shalt reverence my sanctuary." Were the advantages of public worship concealed from our view, the obligation to attend would still be binding, and a violation of that obligation consequently injurious. Duty and advantage are links of the same chain; and one special advantage of the path of duty being ascertained is, that it makes the believer's path plain and obvious. "If the Lord directs, all doubt and hesitation should be banished from our minds," as to the line of conduct we should pursue and we may rest assured the Lord never imposes upon us a command, without consulting our good, as well as his glory.

A second motive which we would notice is embodied in our text, and is frequently expressed by the Psalmist as a constraining motive for going up

to the house of God, to engage in the duties of prayer and praise. This motive for coming to the house of God we would specially press upon your attention, as it is very frequently overlooked by those from whom we might expect better things; and from the expressions of some, we might suppose, that to hear the preaching of the Gospel was the one and only object which induced them to attend public worship; hence we hear persons so much oftener speak of "going to hear a minister preach," or, " sitting under such a ministry," than of worshipping God in his holy temple, or praising him in the congregation of the saints. We do not mean to depreciate public preaching, as it is a blessing of inconceivable and vital importance; but we cannot dismiss the consideration of this topic without warning you against slighting the ordinances of prayer and praise, by making the attraction of preaching the almost sole motive for coming to the house of God. Such feelings and sentiments, to say the least, argue but a low state of Christian attainment, and little of the spirit of devotion; and not only deprive us of the full advantage of public prayer and thanksgiving, but also prevent our receiving the full benefit of public instruction.

Thirdly. However unnecessary it may appear, to press upon the attention of some the utility of preaching, as a motive for attendance upon the services of the sanctuary-as they seem fully aware of it, and consider it as almost the sole motiveit is necessary to urge this as a third motive for

attendance upon the attention of others, who would sink preaching into comparative insignificance, and consider prayer the almost sole motive for going up to the house of God; as if prayer alone was a divine ordinance, and preaching little more than a human device. We cannot too strongly deprecate such sentiments, or too distinctly state, that public prayer and public preaching are equally divine ordinances; and, though perfectly distinct, equally necessary and equally beneficial; and to attempt to institute a comparison between their necessity or utility, is not only most unscriptural, but argues ignorance of the nature and design of each. By prayer, we speak to God; by preaching, God speaks to us. They mutually aid and assist each other: take away one, and you will, for the most part, deprive us of the advantage of of the other in this respect we may say, "What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." While public prayer occupies the position in our estimation its value and importance demand, we cannot too highly appreciate the utility of public preaching; nor is it necessary that the most exalted views of its advantages should in the slightest degree lead us to depreciate the value of public prayer; we may "hold to the one without despising the other."

Nor have we any cause to fear that any scriptural motive for attending the house of God can be too strong. The just ground of alarm is, lest we should become partial with regard to the ordinances of God's house, by attaching much im

portance to one, and comparatively little to another. Our best preservative against this common error, and the most likely means of obtaining scriptural motives for engaging in the services of the sanctuary, will be, to endeavour to imbibe that spirit so highly commended by our Lord, and so largely manifested in the book of Psalms,-"hungering and thirsting after righteousness."

We have made no allusion to the unscriptural motives from which many attend the house of God, and which prevent their deriving advantage from its services; this subject will come under consideration in our next discourse. Our text, however, leads us to notice the motive of self-righteousness, which induces many to attend, as very different from that by which David was actuated. And as there is a close connexion between the motives which bring us to the house of God, and the spirit in which we attend, this directly leads us to the third subject of our inquiry.

III. THE SPIRIT IN WHICH THE SERVICES OF THE SANCTUARY OUGHT TO BE ATTENDED.

There is a self-righteous spirit, in which many come up to worship in God's holy temple, which is highly displeasing to God, and totally disqualifies them for the profitable performance of its duties. The Psalmist disclaims this spirit, when he declares, in the words of our text, "I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy." It was in the infinite mercy of God that David confided, and not in any merit or righteousness of his own, in his approaches to God. He came

up in the spirit of the publican, who "smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner," --and not in that of the pharisee, who thanked God he was not as other men.

1. A spirit of godly fear, was that in which David sought to engage in public worship—" in thy fear I will worship toward thy holy temple"and we ought to cultivate such a spirit in our approaches to God. This godly fear is far removed from that slavish "fear which hath torment." It is a filial, tender fear toward a loving and gracious father, springing from a consciousness of our guilt and depravity, and from a discovery of the character and majesty of God. There is no Christian grace more frequently or highly commended in the word of God, or none to which more promises are attached; and it specially becomes us, when we engage in public worship; for "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are round about him." This godly fear is strongly opposed to levity and pride, and will produce that solemnity of mind which is so essential for the profitable performance and enjoyment of the services of the sanctuary; and lead to that preparation of heart which will enable us "to wait upon the Lord without distraction," and "receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save our souls."

2. To this godly fear, which will necessarily produce solemnity of mind, preparation of heart, and meekness of spirit, we must be careful to add