If we are thankful we
do not grudge what we give, we feel that we can never do enough for Him
who has redeemed us. But these people say, "God does not care for a
beautiful Church, He loves simplicity." Where has God told us this?
David believed just the opposite. He said that he was ashamed that he
should dwell in a house of cedars, whilst the Ark of God dwelt among
curtains. You know how he was prevented from building the Temple, and
how Solomon did the work. Now, did Solomon act upon the mean principle
of building a poor, cheap house for God, whilst he erected a gorgeous
palace for himself? No! the Temple was one of the most glorious
buildings ever seen, and those that were erected in later times were
splendid also. We find our Blessed Lord attending the Temple services,
and those services were beautiful and elaborate. There was nothing in
the Temple or its worship to suggest that God prefers the ugly,
white-washed building, and the slovenly, irreverent, service which some
would offer Him.

If you love someone very dearly you do not visit him in your oldest and
dirtiest garments, you do not send him the cheapest present you can
buy, nor put up a roughly erected tombstone to his memory. You give
him the very best you have. If you love God you will do the same to
Him.

Again, we show our thankfulness to God by giving Him a hearty worship
in His Church. I wonder how many people know exactly why they come to
Church at all. Some say they come to get good. That is mere
selfishness. Some say they come because it is respectable. Yes, but
worthless, unless it means something more. Others would tell us, if
they were quite honest, that they come to Church because they want to
stand well in the good opinion of the Clergyman, or with the Squire.
This is sheer hypocrisy. There is only one true reason for coming to
Church,--the fact that we love God, and are grateful to Him for all His
mercies, and want to show it. We should come to Church to _worship_
God with the best member that we have; we should come with the
feeling--"I was glad when they said unto me we will go into the House
of the Lord;" "I love the place, O Lord, wherein Thine honour dwells."
All slovenliness in the performance of the service, all irreverence, or
signs of inattention, and indifference, are tokens of a want of
thankfulness. We should get this thought fixed in our minds when we
enter Church,--I have come here to-day mainly to thank God