joy," and there pay to God the vows which he had made : yes, and the harp which now hanged upon the willows should again be tuned, to sing with more devotion than ever the praises of his God. What he here promises, we find in another psalm he actually performed, as soon as the desired deliverance had been vouchsafed : " Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads : we went through fire and through water : but thou broughtest us out, into a wealthy place. I will go into thy house with burnt-offerings : I will pay thee my vows, which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble. I will offer unto thee burnt-offerings of fatlings, with the incense of rams: I will offer bullocks with goats ^."
The words of my text consist of two parts ; a de- vout petition to God to restore him to his wonted enjoyment of divine ordinances ; and a joyful anti- cipation of augmented zeal in the service of his God. And, in correspondence with these, we see what, under all circumstances, it becomes us chiefly to affect ; namely, I. An intelligent and believing access to God —
It is not sufficient that we attend divine ordinances. Many frequent them without any benefit at all. We must be " led to them by God's light and truth," that so we may attend upon them with intelligence and
faith.
[Who but God can teach us how to approach him accept- ably ? Or what hope can we have in approaching him, except from the promises which he has given us in the Son of his love ? In order to derive benefit to our souls, we must entreat God to " send forth his hght and his truth, that they may lead us." It is only as reconciled to us in Christ Jesus, that we can venture to draw nigh to God : for in himself, though a God of love to the penitent, he is to the impenitent " a consuming fire." Nor could we presume to come to him in Christ Jesus, if he had not expressly declared that he would forgive our sins, and
receive us to mercy for Jesus' sake " This is the new
and living way which God has opened to sinful man '^ ; " (all access to the tree of life in any other way is barred for ever"^;) and we should implore of God to reveal it to us, that so we may
b Ps. Ixvi. 12—15. <= Heb. x. 19, 20. d Gen. iii. 24.