These Terrors cannot be imputed as a Blemish to Religion; not by him at least, who acknowledges the Providence of God, and whofe Principle of Religion is Reason : For all Madness is deftructive of Reason, as much as these Terrors are of Religion: They are both destructive: They are Evils to which we must submit: And if we cannot account for the Reason of them, it becomes us to be dumb, and not open our Mouths in his Prefence, whofe Ways are paft finding out.

DISCOURSE

DISCOURSE XIV.

PSALM xix. 14.

Let the Words of my Mouth, and the Meditation of my Heart, be acceptable in thy Sight, O Lord, my Strength, and my Redeemer.

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HAVE made Choice of these Words, with which the holy Pfalmift fhuts up this nineteenth Pfalm, intending to open to you the Scheme of Thought which runs through the Whole. It contains one of the completeft Forms of Devotion, and of the most general Use, of those recorded in his Writings.

When his Thoughts turn upon his own Circumstances, which were in all Refpects great and uncommon, and fuch as the Generality of Men can never experience, it is no wonder

to

to find his Prayers and his Songs of Praises conceived in no common Strain. When a King stands before the Altar, we may well expect a royal Sacrifice; fuch an one as is not expected from a private Hand, nor fit to be offered by it. But here, in the Pfalm before you, the Crown and the Sceptre are laid by, his own Dignity is forgotten, and his whole Mind employed in contemplating the mighty Things of Providence, displayed in the Works of Nature, and of Grace. Exalted Thoughts of God do naturally produce the lowest, which are always the justest, of ourselves. Thus the royal Pfalmift, having warmed his Heart with the Glory of the Almighty, as if he were now in the Posture in which all Kings muft one Day appear before their Maker, confeffes his own Weaknefs, and flies to Mercy and Grace for Protection: Who can understand his Errors? fays he, cleanse thou me from my fecret Faults. Keep back thy Servant alfo from prefumptuous Sins, let them not have Dominion over me: Then fhall I be upright, and I fhall be innocent from the great Tranfgreffion.

The Piety of this Pfalm is fo natural, and

yet fo exalted; fo easy to be understood, so adapted to move the Affections, that it is hardly poffible to read it with any Attention, without

without feeling something of the same Spirit by which it was indited: The Heavens, says the holy King, declare the Glory of God, and the Firmament fheweth his handy Work. Day unto Day uttereth Speech, and Night unto Night fheweth Knowledge. There is no Speech nor Language where their Voice is not heard. He begins with the Works of the Creation, to magnify the Power and Wisdom of the Creator: They are a perpetual Instruction to Mankind, every Day and every Night fpeak his Goodness, and, by their regular and conftant Viciffitude, fet forth the Excellency of Wisdom by which they are ordered. This Book of Nature is written in every Language, and lies open to all the World: The Works of the Creation speak in the common Voice of Reason, and want no Interpreter to explain their Meaning; but are to be understood by People of all Languages upon the Face of the Earth: There is no Speech nor Language where their Voice is not heard. From these Works in general he fingles out one, to ftand as a Testimony of the Power of his Maker: The Sun is the great Spirit of the World, the Life that animates these lower Parts: How conftant and unwearied is his Courfe! How large his Circuit, to impart Life and genial Heat to

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every

every dark Corner of the Earth! He is as a Bridegroom coming out of his Chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong Man to run a Race. His going forth is from the End of the Heaven, and bis Circuit unto the Ends of it; and there is nothing bid from the Heat thereof.

From this mighty Scene and Profpect of Nature the Pfalmift turns his Thoughts to the Confideration of the still greater Works of Grace: The rational World, as in itself the noblest, so has it been the more peculiar Care of Providence to preferve and adorn it. The Sun knows its Course, and has always trod the Path marked out by the Creator: The Sea keeps its old Channel, and, in its utmoft Fury, remembers the first Law of its Maker, Hitherto fhalt thou go, and no farther: But Freedom and Reason, subject to no fuch Restraint, have produced infinite Variety in the rational World: Of all the Creatures Man only could forget his Maker and himfelf, and prostitute the Honour of both, by robbing God of the Obedience due to him, and by fubmitting himfelf a Slave to the Elements of the World. When he looked up to the Heavens, and faw the Glory of the Sun and Stars, inftead of praifing the Lord of all, he foolishly faid, These are thy Gods, O Man! When Man was thus loft in Igno

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