redeemed at such a price, and called, converted, and adopted into the number of God's children with such distinguished grace and unmerited favour-shall man, thus loaded with his benefits, not give utterance to his devotion? shall he declare his glory, like the inanimate creation, with silent aspect? or rather, ought he not to “sing forth the honours of his name, and make his praise glorious ?"

III. The glory of God requires of us, not only a frame of inward devotion, and a readiness to confess the divine excellence before others, in the language of praise, for his goodness and mercy; but acts of worship, moreover, are indispensable both in public and in private. To worship God is incumbent on all creatures. Worship, indeed, is the confession of creature-dependence and veneration. And to receive worship is the prerogative and the incommunicable glory of the uncreated God. To deny or withhold it, constitutes the highest crime. It is like treason to an earthly potentate. It is a casting off dependence and creature respect, and amounts to an open contempt of the adorable majesty of God. To worship him, is giving him

the glory which belongs to him; to refuse it, is eminently the sin of not glorifying him as God. The creatures of God are in their right position, and place of privilege too, when devoutly prostrate at the call of duty before the awful throne of the Almighty God.

Acts of worship, however, in this life, can only be occasional, being neither compatible with all times, nor with all places and engagements. We glorify God by the worship of the closet, but we cannot be always there; he is glorified also by family worship, which must have its interruptions too; and we glorify God by public worship above all, which has yet longer intervals than either of the two preceding acts. But no man who has it in view to glorify God at all, can consistently omit the worship of the closet, the family, or the church. With respect to the last, he will enter into the house of God with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. It is the scene of his declarative glory, where his doings are declared among the people, and his excellent name is magnified with highest celebration. In the ordinances of the church, much of his glory is displayed. There he hath promised a special presence, and there his redeemed

people go to honour and adore him. And we may just put the case, and leave it to your own decision, whether God is more glorified on a Sabbath-day, by him who lingers indolently at home, or by another who worships zealously in the place where his honour dwelleth? And with respect to family worship, we ask, which glorifies their Preserver more-the one who calls upon him with morning and evening adoration, or the other that observes no seasons of devotional acknowledgment, early or late? Surely, no thinking person will be at any loss to decide on either of these two cases; for it is beyond a doubt, that God is more glorified by family-worship, and in churchadoration, by the devout comers thereunto, than by Sabbath-breakers, despisers of ordinances, and the neglectors of family-prayer. Little glory is indeed given unto God among his creatures on earth; a great part of whom live without worship altogether, or zealously render it to senseless idols, or imaginary gods of monstrous nature, and repulsive character. There is little glory offered unto the true God; but what is given will be found presented by those who statedly, and with joyful reverence, call upon his blessed name in his own courts, and within

their own dwellings. Ye who are bought with a price, see that ye worship him in your own families at home, and forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of his redeemed people is, both on earth and in the heavens. "After this

I beheld, and lo, a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, and kindred, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne and before the Lamb, with white robes, and palms in their hands, and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb!" Thus do "the generalassembly and church of the first-born" glorify God and the Saviour on the heavenly

mount.

IV. To glorify God, other acts besides acts of adoration are required. It needs to be pursued in a conscientious practice of all commanded duties, and by abounding in good works. "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bring forth much fruit." And the same divine Teacher tells us, that men, struck with the shining light of good works and holy example, will be led to glorify our Father who is in heaven; a thing to which no child of God will be indifferent.

And it is evident, that God, the moral governor of the universe, is more glorified when his authority is respected, and his laws obeyed from the heart, than when his creatures forget their obligations, and set his governing power at nought. He who reverences the divine authority, and fears to offend, glorifies God infinitely more than the rash and presumptuous violator of laws ordained that men should walk in them. He who has respect to all God's commandments who esteems all his precepts, concerning all things, to be right-who delights in the law of God, after the inner man, and is grieved and humbled that he comes so far short of the obedience it requires, and seeks strength to walk uprightly; glorifies the King Immortal, incomparably more than the wicked and slothful servant who entertains hard thoughts of God for his requirements, hides his talents, and does nothing for God does nothing willingly, but disobeys.

And as a fair and blameless practice of good works is comely before men, and glorifies God; so a contrary conduct dishonours him exceedingly. For when professors of religion fall into open sin, it emboldens the enemies of the divine government to re