all his instruments and agents, are under the government of God. He sets bounds to their rage, and will not fuffer them to go so much as one hairs breadth beyond the limits he hath appointed for them. How great then must be the security of those who put their truft in him? Again,

2. Confider his faithful promife; he hath faid it, he hath repeated it, he hath sworn it, that his covenant shall stand fast for ever. Every page of the fa cred oracles is full of the most gracious assurances; and these expressed in the most condescending terms. Pfal. xci. 1,-4. 'He that dwelleth in the secret 'place of the Most High, shall abide under the sha' dow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in him will • I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare ' of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. • He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his ' wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield ' and buckler. Zech. ii. 8. He that toucheth you, ' toucheth the apple of his eye.' Nay, the very minifters of his providence are your attendants. Pfal. xci. 11. For he shall give his angels charge over 'thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.'

3. Confider the experience of the faints; they all, with one voice, bear their testimony to the divine faithfulness and mercy. It is with this particular view that the Pfalmist says, in that forecited text, Pfal. ix. 10. And they that know thy name will put ' their trust in thee; for thou, Lord, haft not for'faken them that seek thee.' And indeed in every age, Chriftians of standing and experience are ready to give their fanction to the certainty of God's promises, and will often confefs the greatnefs of his paft mercy, even while they are chiding their own impatience and distrust, that it can scarcely fuffice to embolden them for future duty, and prepare them for future trials.

IV. I come now, in the last place, to make fome practical improvement of what hath been said. And, first, From what hath been faid, you may fee the finfulness of distrust. Has God laid fo noble a foundation for our dependence upon him; and are we still so backward to the duty? Is not distrust in some measure a denial of God himself? A denial of his prefence, a denial of his perfections, and difbelief of his promifes? Let us all be covered with shame, when we consider how much we have already dishonoured him, in this respect. And let us pray, that he may enable us henceforward not only to fend up our cries to heaven, for relief in distress, but to cast our cares and burdens upon the Lord, in the faith that he will sustain us, that he will ne

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ver fuffer the righteous to be moved.'

2. You may fee the remedy of distrust, which is, to be more and more acquainted with the name of God. Contemplate his glory in the visible creation: he may be seen not only in his spreading out the heavens like a curtain, but in the formation of the meanest creature; in a pile of grafs, or in a grain of sand. While you are daily tafting his gifts, forget not to acknowledge his bounty, in the rifing fun, the growing corn, and the falling rain. Think

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of his faithful word, read his promises, lay them up in your memories, write them in your hearts; and especially, the exceeding great and precious promises of the everlasting gospel, which may be yours, which you are entreated to accept as yours, and if they be not yours, you shall render an account to himself at the last day, for receiving them in vain. Think also of his providence, all you have seen, and all you have felt, of preferving goodness, and of redeeming grace; and continue to cleave to him as your portion, in the Pfalmist's words, Pfal. xlviii. 14. • This • God is our God, for ever and ever, he will be our guide even unto death.'

3. In the last place, learn from hence, what is the surest and shortest, and indeed, the only safe way of deliverance from suffering. Flee to God as your strong tower, by prayer and fupplication: but with this, endeavour by the renewed exercise of faith in your redeemer's blood, to ascertain your title to the favour of God; endeavour by a stedfaft adherence to your duty, to commit your ways to God; and so soon, and fo far, as you have good ground to know that you are his children, you ought to resist and banish every doubt of your security. Rom. viii. 28. ' And we know, that all

things work together for good to them that love • God; to them who are the called according to • his purpose. Verse 32. of the same chapter. He ⚫ that spared not his own Son, but delivered him

up for us all, how shall he not with him also free

' ly give us all things.'

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SERMON II.

The object of a Christian's defire in religious worship.

EXODUS xxxiii. 18.

And he faid, I befcech thee, shew me thy glory.

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HESE are the words of an Old Testament faint; of that Mofes, who, as a fervant, was faithful over all the house of God. True piety is the fame in substance in all ages, and points at one thing as its centre and its rest, the knowledge and enjoyment of God. In the preceding verses, Moses had been employed in earnest prayer and interceffion for the people of Ifrael. He had met with fuccess and acceptance in these requests; for it is faid, in the 14. verse, 'My prefence shall go with

thee, and I will give thee rest. And in the 17th, • And the Lord faid unto Mofes, I will do this ⚫ thing also that thou hast spoken; for thou hast

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found grace in my fight, and I know thee by • name. The condescension of a gracious God, though it fatisfies, does not extinguish the defires

Ser. 2. The object of a Christian's defire, &c. 37 of his faints, but rather makes them more ardent and importunate; for he immediately adds, in the words of the text, I beseech thee, sherw me thy glory. It is highly probable, from what follows, that this defire included more than was proper for the present state; yet fuch a difcovery as was poffible, or could be useful to him, is graciously promised,

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And he faid, I will make all my goodness pass be'fore thee; and I will proclaim the name of the • Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom

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I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom • I will shew mercy.'

My dear brethren, it is our diftinguished privilege, that we have daily unmolefted access to the houfe and ordinances of God. We ought to rejoice, that we have fo many clear and express promifes of the divine prefence, in New Teftament worship. But what cause have we to be ashamed, that we are so exceeding prone to stop short in the threshold, to content ourselves with the mere form, instead of earnestly breathing after real, inward, and sensible communion with God? I have therefore chofen this fubject, in the view of that folemn ordinance, The Lord's Supper, where we have a sensible representation of Chrift crucified, the great mean of our access to God, that we may serve him on that occafion particularly, and the remaining part of our lives habitually, in spirit and in truth. And, Oh, that we may have daily more experience of the fweetness and benefit of his fervice on earth! and may daily long more for that time, when/we

D.