tranflated into English by Chamberlayne, foon after its first publication in French.

Our author's dissertation on the expedience of sometimes disguising the truth, raifed a furious clamour against him. He does not decide the question; but he feems to take the affirmative This produced a paper war, and his antagonis mujuftly cenfured his morals. The mildness of his difpofition rendered him a defirable opponent, for though he was fure to conquer, yet he fubdued his adverfary fo handfomely, that the cap, tive was the better for his defeat. But others did not controvert with so much temper. Some wrote against him, others for hip.. At length. the fynod decided the difpute in his favour.

He published a fmall, but valuable piece, on. the state of christianity in France. It treats of many important points of religion, in controverfy between catholics and proteftants. There is alfo a fmall catechism of his publifhing, which I think worth the attention of fuch as educate children in the first principles of religion.

1

There are twelve volumes of his fermons. Some are dedicated to his majefty George 11. and the king was pleased to allow him a handfonie penfion. Some to her majefty Queen Caroline, while he was princefs of Wales. One to count Waffanaer, a Dutch nobleman. Two were dedicated to her majefty, after his deceafe, by his fon. Profeffor Dumont, and Mr. Huffon, to whom Mr. Saurin left bis manufcripts, publifhed the reft, and one volume is dedicated to the Countess Dowager of Albemarle. The English feem therefore to have a right to the labours of this great man.

Mr. Saurin died at the Hague, on Dec. 30th, 1730, aged 53, moft fincerely regretted by all his acquaintances, as well as by his church, who loft in him a truly primitive christian minister,

who

who spent his life in watching over his flock, as one who knew he must give an account..

In regard to this tranflation, it was first undertaken by the defire of a fmall circle of private friends, for our mutual edification. If I have fuffered my private opinion to be prevailed over by others to print this tranflation, it is not be-caufe I think myfelf able to give language to Saurin; but because I humbly hope that the fen-timents of the author may be conveyed to the reader by it. His fentiments, I think, are, in general, thofe of the holy feripture, and his man-ner of treating them well adapted to impress them on the heart. I have endeavoured not to difguife his meaning, though I have not been able to adopt his ftyle; for which defect, thoughI print them by private fubfcription, for the ufe of my friends, on whofe candour I depend, yet I do not offer to publifh them to the world for the language of Mr. Saurin. I fhould have been glad to have pleafed every fubfcriber, by infert-ing thofe fermons, which were most agreeable to him, had I known which they were; but as this was impoffible, I have followed my own judg ment, or perhaps expofed my want of it. The Erft volume aims to fecure the doctrine of a God, against the attacks of atheifts. In the fecond, we mean to plead for the holy scriptures against deifts. In the third, we intend to take those fermons, which treat of the doctrines of christianity, as we humbly conceive that the new tef. tament is fomething more than a fyftem of moral philofophy. And the laft volume we dedicate to moral fubjects, becaufe we think christianity a holy religion, productive of moral obedience in all its true difciples. To this fecond edition a fifth volume is added on mifcellaneous fubjects.. May the God of all grace blefs the reading of them to the weakening of the dominion of fin, and to the advancement of the kingdom of our bleffed Redeemer, Jefus Chrift!

SERMON I.

THE OMNIPRESENCE OF GOD.

PSALM CXXXIx. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.

Whither shall I go from thy spirit ? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into beaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in hell, bebold thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the ut termost parts of the sea, even there shall thy band lead me, and thy right hand shall bold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me: even the night shall be light about me. Tea the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

COULD I have one with, to anfwes my propofed end of preaching to-day with effica ey, chriftians, it fhould be to fhew you God in this affembly. Mofes had fuch an advantage, no man therefore ever fpoke with greater fuccefs. He gave the law to the people, in God the legiflator's prefence. He could fay, This law which I give you, proceeds from God: here is his throne, there is his lightning, yonder is his thunder. Accordingly, never were a people more truck with a legillator's voice. Mofes had hardly be gun to fpeak, but, at leaft for that moment, all hearts were were united, and all Sinai echoed with one voice, crying, "All that thou hast spoken we will do." Exod. xiz. 8.

But

But in vain are our fermans drawn from the facred fources: in vain do we fay to you, Thus saith the Lord: you fee only a man; you hear only a mortal voice in this pulpit; God hath put his treasure into earthen vessels, 2 Cor. iv. 7. and our auditors, eftimating the treafure by the meanness of the veffel, inftead of fupporting the meanness of the veifel for the fake of the trea ure, hear us without refpect, and, generally, derive no advantage from the ministry..

But were God present in this aflembly, could we fhew you the Deity amongst you, authorizing our voice by his approbation and prefence, an and examining with what difpofitions you hear his word, which of you, which of you, my brethren,. could refift fo eminent and fo noble a motive?

Chriftians, this idea is not deftitute of reality :: God is every where he is in this church. Vails of flesh and blood prevent your fight of him; thefe muft fall, and you must open the eyes of your fpirits, if you would fee a God, who is a spirit, John iv. 24. Hear our prophet; hear his magnificent defcription of the immenfity and omniprefence of God, "Whither fhall I go from thy fpirit? on whither fall I flee from thy prefence? If I afcend up into heaven, thou art: there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermoft parts of the fea; even there fhall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand hall hold me. If I fay, Surely, the darknes hall cover me; even the night thall be light about me. Yea the darknefs hideth not from thee; but the night fbineth as the day darkness and the light are both alike to thee." In a text lefs abundant in riches, we might make fome remarks on the terms spirit and pres ence; but we will content ourfelves at prefent with indicating what ideas we affix to them, by obferving, that by the spirit and presence of God,

we

the