"taken hold upon me, fo that I am not able to look up; they

are more than the hairs of mine head; therefore my heart "faileth me. Be pleated O Lord, to deliver me; O Lord "make halte to help me. In God I have put my truft, I will "not fear what flefh can do unto me. Put thou my tears in"thy bottle; are they not in thy book?"

It must not be concealed, that fometimes fuch is the ftrength of faith, the transports of love, the confidence of hope, the luxuriancy of joy in God and in Jefus Chrift, that the pleasures of a good man amidst all his fufferings and afflictions, do infinitely outweigh and exceed all his pains and forrows. It is to be acknowledged and lamented that these are rare cafes; the reafon of the rareness of fuch inftances and examples is, because in thofe days there is little of living and growing chriftianity. But though the truly pious may not feel that spring of prefent comforts in their afflictions of this life, that they would defire, yet God affords them the sweet profpect of a full recompence of all their fufferings in the felicities and glories of paradife. Hear our Saviour pronouncing them happy whom the world calls miferable. "Bleffed are the poor for theirs is the "kingdom of God; bleffod are they that mourn for they shall "be comforted."

Thirdly, God is ready to prevent the evils which may threaten them, and deliver them out of thofe in which they are. To doubt of this would be an approach toward Atheism. His omnipotence and omnifcience are no more to be queftioned than his existence. He doth whatfoever he pleafeth in the heavens above, and on the earth beneath. Hence it follows that all the power and wifdom fcattered throughout creation, if combined and united, would bear no proportion to that which is originally and effentially in God. All created perfection is only as it were a drop of his inexhaustible flore. All creatures depend upon hin and are fubject to his will. When therefore

he commands the ftars in their courfes to fight against Siferas and the river of Kifon to fweep them away, it is instantly done. Fire, hail and vapour, ftorms and tempefts, famine and plagues, difeafe and death, obey his voice. The methods in which God ufually governs the church and the world, is by fixed and ftated laws; yet fometimes he humbles the proud and refcues. the righteous in ways fo extraordinary and uncommon, that immediately it is acknowledged, this is the finger of God. By these measures evils are often prevented, and deliverance wrought for his people. Trace Jofeph from the envy and malice of his brethren, to the friendship and honors of the Egyptian court; from the pit in the wildernefs, to the exaltedplace by Pharaoh on the throne; contemplate the infant Mofes drawn from the waters, and become the great captain of Ifrael; David raised from a fhepherd's boy, delivered from the paw of the lion, the paw of the bear, and from the terrible hand of the Philistine, and exalted to wield the fceptre of a mighty nation; but there would be no end of retailing inftances of God's averting evil, and often turning it into good to his people. The confideration of these things caufed the Pfalmift to cry out in an extatic triumph, "The Lord is my light and my falvation, "of whom fhall I be afraid; the Lord is my firength whom "fhall I fear?"

How lively is the idea here afforded us of the happiness of the good man?-his mind enjoys a calm in the forms of calamity, his foul poffeffes tranquility amidst a thoufand furrounding dangers. "Happy is the man whofe "heart is fixed, trufting in the Lord." Others may be crafty and fortunate, but the good man alone is wife and great. He wears the image and is fomething like unto his God, whose character is light, yet he makes darkness his pavilion, and clouds are round about him; and in the midft of thunders, hurricanes and earthquakes, he is ferene, calm and undiftur. bed.

"Let all thofe who put their trust in God rejoice, lat

**them ever shout for joy, because he defendeth them." They are in a fure refuge under the fhadow of his wings. This fubject may be further illuftrated by adding,

Fourthly, That God certainly does that in all refpects which is beft for his people. How confoling is this fentiment, how encouraging and fupporting the thought! The difpenfation of Providence toward them, will ever be seasonable and good, beneficial and wife. If afflictions be expedient, these shall be their portion; if profperity be beft they fhall enjoy it. The infallible promife is, " All things fhall work together for their "good." That is, all the varying afpects of providence, the frowns as well as the fmiles of heaven, will all combine toge ther to be always advancing their beft and highest intereft. It looks at times as if many of the diftributions of this world, its riches and poverty, its honors and difgraces, were the mere fport of unmeaning chance; but we are affured, that all things are ordered and directed by the most wife and perfect government, from the greateft events down to the minutest incidents, from the revolutions of kingdoms and deluging worlds, to the falling to the ground of a fparrow, and the numbering of the hairs of the head. From hence every fincere christian may with pleasure juftly make this reflection: that however he may be dealt with, it is for the best. Whatever circumstances of diftress he may be in, whatever common bleffings are denied him, he may poffefs the full affurance that all things are cooperating for his advantage upon the whole; that a good and merciful God, an infinitely wife and tender Father, knows all the fituations in which he is, and that they are the best poffible. This important and comfortable doctrine was far from the view of the ancient patriarch, when in anguifh of foul he cried out, "All these things are againft me;" while at that very moment all things were working for the benefit, the life; the honor and happiness of himfelf and his family. There could be nothing better for Jacob than what was then performing. How

great and comfortable is this doctrine to the real believer, how diftinguishing and choice the bleffing to a poor creature who has only a fhort profpect of things to come, and but little infight into the prefent, to know that whatsoever happens to him is calculated for his good, tho' he may not be able to perceive it now, yet hereafter he will clearly difcern in what respects it contributed to his felicity. How will it ravish and tranfport the faints into high and unceafing admiration and praises of God, when the various impenetrable myfteries of his providence fhall be opened, to behold the unfufpected goodness and aftonishing care of heaven towards them? When numberlefs inftances, notwithstanding their unkind conftruction of them, were not only adapted to their good, but abfolutely neceflary to preferve them from ruin. Thus you fee, how "God "is our refuge and ftrength, and a very prefent help in "trouble."

Many and obvious are the ufes that might be made of this fubject, but the only improvement of it at prefent fhall be a perfuafion to you, my brethren, to become fincerely religious, and to make a cordial choice of God as the proper portion of your fouls, as the fure protector against all material evil in this world, and the certain way to life and glory.

None will venture now to deny, that the patronage of God is the only fupport against evils, and that he is the only true refource in diftrefs. Do you not find an infufficiency in the enjoyments of the world to make you happy? even in profperity you are unhappy ftill; therefore he who has no other fprings of blifs but what this unfatisfactory earth can furnish, is miferable; he is a wretch with all his ftores. Without God there can be no felicity, let prefent enjoyments be what they

may.

If health, and honor, and profperity will not afford felicity,

what must be the cafe in agonizing diftrefs, in the deftitution of peace and all the comforts of life? Muft not the misery of him be terrible, who is overwhelmed in calamities, and has no refource, no God to whom he can apply?-is sick, and dying, and ftripped of every thing, and no redrefs in heaven nor in the earth. His confcience lafhing him with twinging remorse, his mind anticipating his future doom, and no refuge, no help, no God to which he can repair. Here is a flate that is deplorable indeed. On the other hand how bleffed the condition of the real chriftian who has chofen God for his refuge and Jefus for his friend, and is ready to facrifice all interfering advantages hereto! Let happen what will, whatever calamities occur, whatever diftreffes befall him, he can make application to his God and his Saviour with inexpreffible freedom, with fweet hope and indefcribable confidence. Tho' his flesh and his heart fail, God doth not fail him; even in the most afflicting circumstances, he is the ftrength of his foul and a very prefent help in trouble. In poverty, bereavements and fickness, he has a God near at hand, and in death a kind Redeemer to receive his departing fpirit.

Are not the advantages then, on the fide of true religion, incomparably great? Are not thefe confiderations fufficient reafons, to move, excite, and perfuade us to embrace religion, and choose God for our portion? Is happiness alone comprehended in the divine favour, and fhall we be unfolicit ous to obtain it! Tell not our folly in Gath, publish not our madness in the fireets of Afkelon.

Allow me to congratulate the friends of Cod upon their happy lot. O chriftians, live aufwerable to your high privileges, your prefent comforts, and future expectations. Live above the frowns of the world, and in times of trouble keep near to your God and firmly adhere to your Saviour. He

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