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to bestow every thing that is for our real intereft. It is to say with the prophet, Hab. iii. 17. 'though the fig tree shall not bloffom, neither • shall fruit be in the vines, the labour of the olive ' shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the • flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there • shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my falvation.' I shall only add, that the divine all-fufficiency is to be confidered, as regarding our fanctification as well as comfort. What distress does not the Chriftian often fuffer from the treachery of his own heart, and from the power of furrounding temptations? Covered with shame for his past unsteadfastness, convinced, by experience, of his own weakness, he hath no other refuge but in God. And what courage does he derive from the fulness of divine perfection, the greatness of divine power, and the faithfulness of the divine promise? 'My grace shall be fufficient for thee, and my strength shall be made perfect in weak*ness.' He then says, with the Pfalmist, Pfal. Ixxi. 16. 'I will go in the strength of the Lord God : * I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of ' thine only.'

II. I proceed now, in the last place, to make fome practical improvement of what hath been faid. And, 1st, Let us admire the divine condescenfion, in admitting his faints to a discovery of his glory. Solomon fays, with very great, propriety, in the language of aftonishment: "But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? The fame ought to

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Ser. 2. The object of a Christian's defire, &c. be, nay, the fame certainly are, the fentiments of every real believer. But let us remember what has been hinted at above, that our access to God, and our communion with him, is, and only can be, through the Mediator of the new covenant, in whom we have access, by faith, unto God.

2dly, Let me beseech you to try yourselves, whether this ever hath been your attainment, and whether it is your fincere desire? Do you know, in any measure, what it is to fee the glory of the true God? Hath he appeared before you in terrible majesty? Have your very fouls been made to bow down before him, and to give him the glory that is justly due to his name? Have you seen the glory of a reconciled God? Have you chosen him, in Christ, as your portion? Have you devoted yourselves, without reserve, to his disposal? Again, have you seen the glory of an all-fufficient God? Surely I speak to many who have feen the vanity of the creature. Probably you have tafted a little of the fufferings of a finful state. Where did you feek your confolation? where do you find your support? Have you learned the holy and happy art of pouring out your fouls to God? Have you felt the sweetness of it? And have you faid, with the Pfalmist, 'Return unto thy rest, Omy foul! ' for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee? Is it your earnest defire to fee the glory of God? Can you say with the Pfalmist, Pfal. Ixiii. 1, 2. 'O God! 'thou art my God, early will I feck thee: my foul ⚫ thirsteth for thee; my flesh longeth for thee in a ' dry and thirsty land where no water is, to fee thy

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power and thy glory, so as I have feen thee in the • fanctuary.'

3dly, I will now proceed to exhort you, in the most earneft manner, to diligence in seeking after real communion with God in his instituted worship. How highly are we favoured with light and liberty? how little are many sensible of their privileges? I have often, on fuch occafions, put you in mind of the fatal effects of a heartless, customary, formal worship: it is provoking to God, pernicious to others, hardening to the heart, and ruining to the foul. Were but a fociety of those Proteftants abroad, who are lying under perfecution, to enjoy the season which we now enjoy, what an edge would be upon their spirits? what a sense of gratitude in their hearts? what fire and zeal in their affections? Strange, indeed, that publick profperity should be so stupifying, and the approach of eternity to every individual should not be awakening, while the young and strong are hurried off the stage, while every day is bringing us nearer to our last, while every ordinance is adding to our charge, that we should not defire to fee the glory of God in his fanctuary here, that it may be the earnest of our future inheritance, and prepare us for his immediate prefence hereafter.

Suffer me to speak a few words to those that are young. God is my witness, that their welfare is at my heart. Perhaps you will think, what hath been faid hardly applicable to you. The defire of Mofes, the man of God, intimate communion and fellowship with God, the attainment of ripe and experienced Chriftians, all this you will fay, is unfuitable to me: nay, perhaps, by a bastard humility, you will fay, to expect it, would be prefumption in me. But you are greatly deceived; there are none who have more gracious invitations to come unto God than young finners: there are none who have greater reason to expect nearness to God than young faints. Do you not read, that God revealed himself to Samuel, the child, when he neglected Eli, the old prophet? Befides, I would recommend earnestness and affection to you; not only for your greater profit, but to prevent your apostasy. A little religion is very hard to hold; it is like a lamp which is hardly lighted, which the least breath of wind will extinguish, or a tree that is but newly planted, which a rude thrust will overturn. Unless you make God, and his fervice, your hearty choice, you will not carry it long as your burden, but will be foon tempted to throw it down. Be concerned, therefore, I beseech you, to attend on his instituted worship, not in a careless and formal manner, but let the 'defire ' of your fouls be to his name, and the remembrance • of him. I shall now conclude the fubject, by offering to those, who would fee the glory of God, a few directions, as to the best preparation for fuch a discovery. 1st, If you would fee the glory of God in his fanctuary, be serious in self examination, and in the renunciation of all known fin. Holiness is an essential attribute of the divine nature; and, therefore, he must be worshipped in the beauty of holiness. Thus the Pfalmist resolved with himself, Pfal. xxvi. 6. 'I will wash mine hands in innocence, fo will I compass thine altar, O Lord! It is true, none, who have any knowledge of the corruption of their own hearts, can reasonably hope to be perfectly free from fin in the present life: yet a real Chriftian will have it, as the object of his daily study, to • cleanfe himself from all filthiness of the flesh and 'spirit, that he may perfect holiness in the fear ' of God.' It was fin that first rendered us unfit for communion with God; and, therefore, our recovery of this happy privilege will be but in proportion to our fanctification. To bring sinful dispositions, indulged, and still suffered in the heart, to the worship of God, and to expect acceptance in such a state, is implied blafphemy, and the greatest dishonour we can poffibly do to him.

2. In order to fee the glory of God, you must be cloathed with humility. No disposition more effentially neceffary to a Christian at all times, but more especially, when he makes an immediate approach to God in his worship: Isa. Ixvi. 2. 'For all thofe things hath mine hand made; and all those things have been, faith the Lord: but to this man will I 'look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite 'spirit, and trembleth at my word.' And, indeed, how can we consider the nature of that God whom we worship, and our own finful and miferable eftate, without being struck with a sense of the neceffity of deep humility and self-abasement in our intercourse with him? It is particularly to be noticed, that felfabasement, and even felf-abhorrence, is the immedidiate effect of a sense of the divine presence. See to this purpose, Isa. vi. 1,-5. In the year that King • Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord fitting upon a