We live too much in the neglect of this heavenly exercise, and this perhaps is one reason that we enjoy fo little of heaven upon earth. Did we praise God more, he would give us greater caufe to praife him. But of this we feldom think. We are anxious to folicit relief when we are in dangerous or diftrefsful circumftances: but how flowly do we return to give glo ry to God! Let me therefore intreat you, in all your addreffes to the throne of grace, to give praife and thanks their due proportion. In days of humiliation, or in some special case of diftrefs, our fins and our danger may have the greater fhare; but in ordinary cafes, as much of our time ought to be employed in humble and thankful adoration of the Divine greatnefs and goodnefs, as in confeffion of our fins, or begging thofe fupplies which our wants require. That excellent model of devotion which Chrift has left to his church, lays a folid foundation for this remark. It both begins and ends with adoration; and the three petitions which are firft in order, directly relate to the advancement of God's glory. We are taught to pray that his name may be hallowed; his kingdom come; and his will be done on earth, as it is in hea ven; before we beg any thing for ourselves in particular.

If we defire to experience the Divine prefence, and fee the glory of God in the fanctuary, let us apply. ourselves to this high and heavenly work. The oc-. cafion of our prefent meeting, gives us a fair invitation to it. The great object which this day prefents to us, is the Lamb of God, that taketh away the fin of the world. In the facrament, we are to behold Chrift evidently set forth as crucified before our eyes. And can we refrain from adoration and praife, whilft we contemplate Him, who is the brightnefs of the Father's glory, and the exprefs image of his perfon ? Should we not rejoice and give thanks, while we are called to commemorate the unspeakable gift of God 2 G

to

to man? Every Lord's day befpeaks our praise and thanksgiving: but the particular language of a com, munion Sabbath, is evidently this," Let Ifrael re"joice in Him that made him. Let the children of "Zion be joyful in their King. Praife the Lord, for "it is good to fing praises to our God; for it is plea❤ "fant, and praife is comely."

2. It deferves our notice, that the fubject of praife, which God honoured with this token of acceptance, was his own goodness and everlasting mer cy. And this is a most encouraging circumftance; for it informs us, in the plaineft manner, that God is best pleased with our praifes, when we adore and celebrate the perfections of his nature. The fong which the priests were finging when the cloud entered the temple, had none of that rhetorical pomp, which a cold heart may borrow from a warm imagination. It confifted of a few plain, but expreffive words; "The "Lord is good, and his mercy endureth for ever?" And whilst they thus fung, the Lord caufed them to feel the effects of that goodnefs which they praised. And shall not this fuccefs encourage us to follow their example? They adored and celebrated the Divine goodnefs, when the ark was brought into the temple, which was only a typical reprefentation of the Meffiah who was to come; and fhall we need any folicitation to adopt their fong, who know that the mercy promifed to the fathers, the confolation of Ifrael, is already come efpecially when we attend upon that facred ordinance, which is both a commemoration of his paft fufferings, and a pledge of his returning to complete our falvation. Here, indeed, we have the brighteft difplay of the goodness and everlasting mercy of God. God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whofoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. God fent his Son, not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be faved. Our Great Re

deemer

deemer is the livelieft image of infinite goodness; the meffenger of the most aftonishing and incomprehenfible love; the purchaser of the most inestimable bleffings that were ever revealed to the fons of men. Greater love than this hath no man, that a man lay down his life for his friends." Can we doubt of the Divine goodness after this coftly expreffion of it? "He that fpared not his own Son, but deliver"ed him up for us all, how shall he not with him. "alfo freely give us all things ?"

Behold, likewife, the adorable perfection fhining through the whole of that gracious covenant, of which this facrament is an external feal. There you may fee fuch great and wonderful mercies given free. ly to finners, as may remove all your fufpicion of the Divine goodness and mercy, and afford you conftant matter of gratitude and praife. There you may fee how unwilling God is that finners fhould perish. There you may fee an act of pardon and oblivion granted upon the eafy and reafonable condition of believing, penitent, and thankful acceptance. The fins that men have been committing for many years. together, their wilful, heinous, highly aggravated fins, you may there fee pardoned; the enemies of God reconciled to him; condemned rebels faved from hell, and even brought into his family, and made his fons. What comfortable discoveries are thefe! The faints under the difpenfation of the Old Teftament faw them darkly through a vail, whereas we behold them with open face. God appears in his Son and covenant, to be not only good, but Love itfelf. Ler us then adore him in this amiable character. Let us. give him the glory of all his perfections; but efpecially, let us praife him with thankful hearts, because he is good, and his mercy endureth for ever.

3. Another circumftance in the text that claims our attention, is, the ferioufness and fervour of this devout affembly. It is faid, that they lifted up their 2. G 2.

voice,

voice, and praised the Lord. They exerted their whole ftrength and activity, as if they had been ambitious to spend themselves in this heavenly employment. Would we then obtain a token of the Divine acceptance? Let us learn from their example, to feek it with a fervent and lively devotion. "Great is the Lord,” fays David," and greatly to be praised." Accordingly, when he enters upon this important duty, in the 103d Pfalm, he begins with a folemn addrefs to his own foul," Bless the Lord, O my foul, and all that is “within me, bless his holy name." The devotion of the foul, is the foul of devotion. It is the praise and homage of the heart which God requires. If that is withheld, we have nothing elfe to offer him, that is worthy of his regard. We are defired to love the Lord with all our hearts, and all our foul, with all our ftrength, and with all our mind; and that which is the measure of our love, ought alfo to be the measure of our praife. For it is as impoffible to exceed in the one, as in the other. As we cannot love him too much, neither can we praise him too highly. His greatnefs and his goodness infinitely furpafs all that our minds can conceive, or our tongues exprefs.

4. Another circumftance which deferves particular attention, is, the harmony and unanimity of these devout worshippers. They were as one, to make one found to be heard in praifing and thanking the Lord. The importance of this circumftance will appear in a ftronger light, if we compare the paffage now before us with the extraordinary manifeftation at the day of Pentecoft, which we find recorded in the 2d chapter of Acts. When the apostles were all with one accord in one place, fuddenly there came a found from heaven, as of a rufhing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were affembled. Every one must be fenfible, that there is a very striking refemblance between thefe two illuftrious events; and I cannot

cannot help thinking, that the unanimity and harmony of the worshippers on both thefe occafions, is mentioned with peculiar emphasis as a distinguishing characteristic of thofe religious affemblies which God delights to honour with his prefence. We are told by the Pfalmift, that when "brethren dwell together in unity, there God commandeth the bleffing (a)." And our Lord lays fuch stress, upon unity of affection among his difciples, that he makes it an effential qualification of an acceptable worshipper. Nay, he tells. us, that where this is wanting, the perfon is unqua lified for performing any fervice pleafing to God.. "If," fays he, " thou bring thy gift to the altar, " and there remembereft that thy brother hath ought "against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, "and go thy way. First be reconciled to thy brother,, "and then come and offer thy gift (m).”

- If this doctrine of brotherly love has not an obvious foundation in the text, yet. I can hardly think I need make any apology for mentioning it, feeing it has a broad foundation in other paffages of fcripture,. and is ftrictly connected with the great ordinance before us. The facrament of the Supper, is not only a folemn commemoration, of our Saviour's death,, and of his wonderful love to finners of mankind; but it was. likewife intended to be a badge of love and union a-mong his difciples. Of old, they who feafted upon the fame facrifice laid afide all enmity, and profeffed to be knit together in love and friendship. In like manner, all who partake of the holy facrament, are fuppofed to be members of one body, united together under one head, our Lord Jefus Chrift. "The cup "of bleffing, which we blefs," fays the apoftle, "is. "it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The "bread, which we break, is it not the communion "of the body of Christ ?" It would be monstrous to fee one member of the natural body hurting and 2. G3 destroying

(*) Pfalm 1334

(m) Math. v. 23, 244