The church was pleasantly situated on a rising bank, at the foot of a considerable hill. It was surrounded by trees, and had a rural retired appearance. In every direction the roads that led to this house of God, possessed distinct but interesting features. One of them ascended between several rural cottages from the sea-shore, which adjoined the lower part of the village-street. Another winded round the curved sides of the adjacent hill, and was adorned, both above and below, with numerous sheep feeding on the herbage of the down. A third road led to the church by a gently rising approach, between high banks, covered with young trees, bushes, ivy, hedge-plants, and wild flowers.--From a point of land, which commanded a view of all these several avenues, I used sometimes, for a while, to watch my congregation gradually assembling together at the hour of Sabbath worship. They were in some directions visible for a considerable distance. Gratifying associations of thought would form in my mind, as I contemplated their approach and successive arrival within the precincts of the house of prayer.--One day as I was thus occupied, during a short interval previous to the hour of divine service, I reflected on the joy, which David experienced at the time he exclaimed, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together; whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord.” I was led to reflect upon the various blessings, connected with the establishment of public worship. “How many immortal souls are now gathering together to perform the all-important work of prayer and praise--to hear the word of God--to feed upon the bread of life! They are leaving their respective dwellings, and will soon be united together in the house of prayer.” How beautifully does this represent the effect produced by the voice of the “Good Shepherd,” calling his sheep from every part of the wilderness into his fold! As those fields, hills, and lanes, are now covered with men, women, and children, in various directions, drawing nearer to each other, and to the object of their journey’s end; even so, “many shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.” Who can rightly appreciate the value of such hours as these?--hours spent in learning the way of holy pleasantness, and the paths of heavenly peace--hours devoted to the service of God, and of souls; in warning the sinner to flee from wrath to come; in teaching the ignorant how to live and die; in preaching the gospel to the poor; in healing the broken-hearted; in declaring “deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind.” “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound; they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance.