outward actions and bodily exercifes, which they have not and cannot have. It is written, "In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

As little advantage, thirdly, can we derive from our worship, if we have not regard to the difpofition of mind in which we frequent it, the views we have therein, and the use to which we apply it. It is not our attendance on its offices, but the folid purport of this attendance, that renders it agreeable to God, and a fource of bleffings to ourselves. Acts of de- ̈ votion do not operate upon us like the incantations of magic, without our participation or concurrence; they improve us neither against our will, nor without our co-operation; they are performed in the presence of God, the fearcher of hearts; and he is not to be imposed on by outward appearance, like men. No, only the consciousness and the confideration, the earneftness and the reflection, with which we perform our devotions; only reverence for God, love towards him, delight and confidence in him; the defire to please and to refemble him; only pofitive purposes of becoming wifer and better: only these can confer any real value on our acts of devotion.

Hence therefore it follows, that our worship can neither repair our former tranfgreffions, nor fupply the place of a virtuous and pious life, nor procure us particular bleffings and teftimonies of favour from God, without regard to its confequences and effects. He that expects thefe from divine worship,

3t

afcribes

afcribes to it a power which it does not poffefs; he therefore forms fuperftitious notions both of its destination and its value. To fuch an one is applicable the address of God by the prophet. "To what purpose is the multitude of your facrifices unto me?" To what purpose is the hypocritical reverence you fhew me? Your worfhip is difagreeable to me, I am weary to bear it. "And when ye fpread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear; your hands are full of blood;" your hearts and your lives are contaminated with vice. No, neither praying, nor finging, nor communicating, nor keeping festivals; only actual amendment, only reftitution of property unjustly obtained, only earneft endeavours to counteract every kind of depravity, and to correct it as much as poffibly, only this can efface our fins, and remove their pernicious effects from ourselves and from others. Only redoubled industry in virtue and piety can in fome degree compenfate for the negligence we have hitherto fhewn. Only innocency of heart and probity of life, only uprightness and integrity, can render us capable of the favour of God, and partakers of his diftinguished bleffings.

Take heed then, my pious hearers, of expecting from worship in general, and from public and focial worship in particular, more than it is able to perform, and of thus afcribing to it a value which it does not poffefs. Learn rather its true, its peculiar worth, and strive ever more fully to enjoy the

benefits

benefits it is able effectually to procure you. Wherein then confifts this worth? What are the benefits it procures us? Inftruction, amendment, ferenity and comfort, the incitement and the exer cife of devotion, the promotion of humanity, and univerfal brotherly love: this is what we may reafonably expect from public and focial worship. And what a great and inestimable value must not this confer upon it!

First then instruction, and that on the most im portant matters, matters of the highest concern to all mankind; instruction concerning God, his will, our own destination, our duties, and the way to happiness; inftruction on what God is in regard to us, and what we are in refpect to him, on what we at present are, and what we fhall hereafter be; inftruction in all that can captivate the curiofity of man and moft agreeably employ both his underftanding and his heart. Let thefe inftructions be as defective as they may; let them be never fo much mingled with error: yet how much is not the knowledge of truth and the conviction of truth, confidered at large, promoted thereby! How much light is thus diffused amongst all claffes and conditions of men! what incitement to reflection, what diverfified exercife does it not occafion to the mental powers! One perfon is reminded of what he already knew and believed, and will thus be confirmed in his knowledge and faith; another will clearly perceive what was totally concealed from him

before,

before, or only floated about in the obfcurer receffes of his mind; a third will be rendered attentive to fome doctrine of importance, feel the full weight of its truth, and be led to think it over again; a fourth views some truth he had already discovered in a clearer light, on a different side, in other and more various connections, and thus acquires a plainer and completer knowledge of it; another combines it with his habitual way of thinking, learns to apply it more pointedly to himself, and thus to turn it to the best account. One is freed from a doubt, and another from an error. A careless and inattentive perfon is brought to reflect, and indifference is quickened into concern. At leaft fome fort of impreffion must be made of God, of religion, of duty and virtue, of our future expectations, and the ultimate end of man. And how is it poffible for impreffions fo frequently retouched and repaired to be totally obliterated and effaced? Certainly no truth, no found and wholefome doctrine delivered with energy can be delivered abfolutely in vain. They are grains of wheat strewn by the fervants of the Lord of the church under his own infpection, which will spring up, fome sooner, and others later, and produce fruit, more or lefs, according to the richness of the foil into which they are caft; and at the day of the harveft it will be feen how well-founded were the hopes of the fower, and how prolific the feed he fowed.

Encourage

Encouragement and incitement to duty and virtue is another advantage we may expect from our attendance on divine worship, and which undoubtedly gives it a great value. And in how many various ways are we not there incited and encouraged to duty and to virtue! The commands, the promises, the denunciations of God; the benefits and example of Jefus; the fitness and reasonablenefs of duty; the beauty, the amiableness, the neceffity of virtue; the infamy and pernicious effects of vice; the dignity of man, and the dignity of the chriftian; joyful and terrifying views of the prefent and the future life; the inward fentiment of what is right and good; our own experiences and thofe of others; felf-love; defire of applaufe; philanthropy; hope and fear; life and death; mifery and happiness; what motives to duty and virtue are not here difplayed and enforced! What motives of the human mind not fet in motion! What emotions of the human heart not excited! What paffions are not in unifon with virtue and truth! And what prejudices against practical christianity are here left unconquered, what pretences of floth not refuted, what cavils and evasions unanswered? And if, in addition to this, the poffibility and eafiness of the matter is fhewn, the way and manner in which it is to be performed pointed out, and the best means provided to that end: must not all this be productive of good, of much good; must it not be highly advantageous to the performance of

duty,