Most High, and the severity of His law; and, therefore, esteem as it deserves the merit of that sacrifice which has been offered to obtain for them pardon, and reconciliation, and peace. To such as these, strange as it may appear to the natural man, language expressive at once of the lowest abasement, and most exalted elevation of heart, of the most poignant sorrow for sin, and rejoicing at deliverance from its power, is just and welcome. And, unworthy as they know and feel themselves to be, they are not backward to join with every creature in earth and under the earth, in "giving honour and glory and blessing to Him that sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb."

We have seen the several forms, whether of psalms, or hymns, or pious ejaculations, in which the church directs her children to give praise to God. Let a word be added concerning the proper mode of performing this duty. In prayer we are directed to humble our bodies and chasten our souls. A different posture of body, and greater elevation of heart and mind should seem to be pointed out by the nature of praise: accordingly, in the daily service of the church, after confession of sins and prayer, which are to be made upon our knees, all are directed to stand up, in order to give glory to God. In a similar place in the office for the Holy Communion, we are exhorted to "lift up our hearts," in preparation for "giving thanks to our Lord God."

The custom is universal of standing during the psalms and hymns; and probably, where the singing of psalms is conducted to the glory of God, the same custom is now almost equally general. So that in this there is nothing to be remarked. How is it with our hearts and minds? Are they too lifted up, and attuned to heavenly melody? If it be not so, even the harp of David, and the voice of that "sweet singer of Israel," were nothing better than "sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal." But such a disposition must not be exercised only during the hours set apart for divine worship. It must be cultivated at all times. While While you walk among the works of God with the proofs of His goodness and loving-kindness every where displayed around you; while you contemplate the work of redemption and sanctification, in which (like the beloved disciple) you "behold the glory" of the Son of God, and the power of His Spirit; when you carry your eyes forward to the glories of the invisible world, where He dwelleth in the light which no man can approach unto," let Him be continually before you as "worthy to be praised," because "there is no end to his greatness." Endeavour to acquire that erect posture of mind (if the expression may be allowed), and that elevation of heart and affection, that you may "thank God without ceasing," and may be "alway praising him;" that every thing, whether relating to the present life, or to that

to which you are born anew in Christ Jesus, may supply occasion for glorifying your Heavenly Father. But as you are taught in the services of the church to bend your knees in confession of sin before you rise to give praise to God, learn from hence the true preparation of heart, by which it may be worthily moved to do honour to the Most High. Thankfulness for mercies freely and graciously bestowed implies a sense of our own unworthiness. The bounty of the Most High, whether it be manifested in giving temporal or spiritual blessings, is a free gift, wholly undeserved by man. And if we would magnify his grace as we ought, we must bring down our high thoughts, and humble our hearts before Him. Let us freely confess our deep sinfulness and many and grievous transgressions, and earnestly sue for pardon and grace; then shall we "taste and see how gracious the Lord is; then may our thoughts and affections freely rise as a grateful and acceptable offering to Him; then, when our hearts are relieved from the burthen of sin, and we have comfortable assurance of pardon and reconciliation, we may attain to some measure of the knowledge of the love of God in Christ Jesus, and contemplate with unspeakable delight that mercy which is over all His works, and "hath abounded toward us in giving all sufficiency in all things, to the praise of the glory of His grace."

"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High:

"To show forth thy loving-kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night."

We are to resume, in the present discourse, the subject which occupied us this morning, -that of praise and thanksgiving. These words point out something of a natural division in the subject. We praise God for all his mercies, and for the display of his glorious attributes, whatever may be the occasion of it. We thank Him for those instances of his goodness which we ourselves experience. The former is of larger extent; it spreads over the whole of God's dominion; it embraces all his attributes and perfections, contemplated as existing in Himself, though we do not, at the moment, see them put forth

into action. Perhaps it may be possible to praise the Almighty in those mysterious and painful dispensations where the heart is, for the moment, too full of grief to express thankfulness for the stroke which may have, as it were, staunched its very life's blood. Whatever it may be, some difference or distinction deserving of notice was remarked by those excellent men who superintended the last revision of our Liturgy, for then it was that the form of General Thanksgiving was introduced; those which follow in our Prayer Book, and are intended for particular occasions, being of an older date. Whether any defect was to be supplied, or the whole matter of praise and thanksgiving to be brought together, and the duties resulting from hence to be made the subject of prayer, I know not: the form itself is so happily introduced, and so excellently drawn, that it is worthy (and that is no common praise) to be placed among those which have descended to us from the earliest times. We are here taught, acknowledging at the same time our unworthiness, to "give most humble and hearty thanks to Almighty God, the Father of all mercies, for all his goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all men." And here we are directed to introduce the mention of special favours vouchsafed to any members of the congregation. This tends to confirm the view which I have taken of our church service heretofore, and which I would strongly insist upon, viz.,