what Jefus Chrift faw under the fig-tree, nor is it neceffary now to inquire; but it was certainly fomething which, Nathaniel was fully perfuaded, no mortal eye had feen. As foon, therefore, as Jefus Chrift bad uttered these words, he believed, and faid, Rabbi, thou art the Christ, the son of the living God. My brethren, God ufeth the fame language to each of you to-day: when thou wast.under the fig-tree, I saw thee.

Thou hypocrite, when wrapped in a veil of religion, embellished with exterior piety, thou concealedft an impious heart, and didst endeavour to impofe on God and man, I saw thee. I penetrated all thofe labyrinths, I diffipated all thofe darkneffes, I dived into all thy deep defigns.

Thou worldling, who, with a prudence truly infernal, haft the art of giving a beautiful tint to the most odious objects; who appeareft not to chate thy neighbour, because thou doft not openly attack him; not to falsify thy promife, because thou haft the art of eluding it; not to opprefs thy dependents, because thou knoweft how to impofe filence on them: I saw thee, when thou gaveft thofe fecret ftabs, when thou didst receive thole bribes, and did accumulate thofe wages of unrighteoufnefs, which cry for vengeance against

thee.

Thou flave to fenfuality, afhamed of thine exceffes before the face of the fun, I saw thee, when, with bars and boks, with obfcurity and darkpefs, and complicated precautions, thou didst hide thyself from the eyes of men, defile the temple of God, and make the members of Christ the members of a barlot, 1 Cor. vi. 15.

My brethren, the difcourfes, which we ufually preach to you, abforb your minds in a multitude of ideas. A collection of moral ideas perhaps confound instead of inftructing you, and when we attempt to engage you in too many re reflections, you enter really into none. Behold an epitome

of

of religion. Behold a morality in three words. Return to your houfes, and every where carry this reflection with you, God seeth me, God seeth me. To all the wiles of the devil, to all the fnares of the world, to all the baits of fin, oppofe this reflection, God seeth me. If, clothed with a human form, he were always in your path, were he to follow you to every place, were he always before you with his majestic face, with eyes flashing with lightning, with looks infpiring terror, dare ye before his auguft prefence give a loofe to your paffions? But you have been hearing that his majestic face is every where, thofe fparkling eyes do infpect you in every place, thofe terrible looks do confider you every where. Particularly, in the enfuing week, while you are preparing for the Lord's fupper, recollect this. Let each examine his own heart, and endeavour to search into his confcience, where he may discover fo much weakness, fo much corruption, fo much hardness, fo many unclean fources overflowing with fo many exceffes, and let this idea ftrike each of you, God seeth me. God feeth me, as I fee myself, unclean, ungrateful, and rebellious. O may this idea produce contrition and forrow, a juft remorfe and found converfion, a holy and a fervent communion, crowned with graces and virtues. Happy, if, after our examination, we have a new heart! a heart agreeable to those eyes that fearch and try it! Happy, if, after Our communion, after a new examination, we can fay with the prophet, O Lord, thou hast proved mine heart, thou hast tried me, and bast found notbing, Pfal. xvii. 3. So be it. To God be honour and glory for ever.

Amen.

E

1

THE MANNER OF PRAISING GÖD.

Preached after the administration of the Lord's

Supper.

PSALM XXXiii. 1.

Praise is comely for the upright.

THERE

HERE is fomething very noble, my brethren, in the end for which we are now af fembled in the prefence of God. His providence hath infinitely diverfified the conditions of thofe who compofe this affembly. Some are placed in the most eminent, others in the most obfcure pofts. of fociety. Some live in fplendor and opulence, others in meannefs and indigence. One is em ployed in the turbulence of the army, another in the filence of the ftudy. Notwithstanding this infinite variety of employments, ranks, and ages, we all affemble to-day in one place; one object occupies us; one fentiment animates us; one voice makes the church refound, Praise ye the Lord, for his mercy endureth for ever, Plaf. ́ cxxxvi. 1. If there be an object, that can give a mortal any ideas of the first impreffions, whichi are made on a foul, at its first entering the glori ous palace of the bleffed God in heaven, it is this. The firft objects, that strike fuch a foul, are multitudes of all nations, tongues, and people, concentered in a meditation on the beneficence of God, proftrating themfelves before his throne, cafting their crowns at his feet, and crying out of the abundance of their hearts, which contemplate the perfections of a Being worthy of their profoundest praife, Amen, Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and bonour, and power,

power, and might, be unto our God, for ever and ever, Amen, Rev. vii. 12. "We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and waft, and art to come; becaufe thou haft taken to thee thy great power, and haft reigned," chap. xi. 17. "Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of faints!" chap. xv. 3. "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our fins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen," chap. i. 5. 6. This is the employment of the bleffed in heaven: this is what we are doing to-day on earth.

But what a contradiction, what a contrast appears, when, lifting up the exterior habit of piety, that covers fome of us, we examine the in-ward difpofitions of the heart. The pfalms, which are uttered with the voice, are contradicted by the tempers of the heart. The mouths, that were just now opened to bless the Creator, will prefently be opened again to blafpheme and. to curfe him. The praises, which feemed fo proper to please him in whofe honour they were: erof fered, will incur this reproof, Thou wicked man! What bast thou to do to take my covenant in thy mouth? Pfal. 1. 16.

My brethren, if we would join our voices with thofe of angels, we must have the fentiments of angels. We muft, (at least as far as the duty isimitable by fuch frail creatures) we muft, in or der to worship God, as thofe happy fpirits praise him, love him as they do, ferve him as they do, devote ourselves to him as they devote themselves to him; and this is the manner of praifing God, to which I exhort, and in which I would endeav-our to instruct you to day, agreeably to the proph. et's exalted notion of it in the words of the text... What day can be more proper to infpire foch a noble defign? What day can be more proper tos engage