or Power to reafon upon his Cafe, is as certainly in this Point a Madman, as the poor Wretch, whofe Disorder has taken another Turn, and makes him believe himself to be a King or an Emperor. There are many Inftances of this Kind abroad in the World: The unhappy Sufferers, were they capable of receiving the Advice, fhould be directed to seek their Cure from Physicians rather than Divines. Were I to give you Instances in what Manner these religious Fears work, what unreasonable Sufpicions and Jealoufies they create, how full they oftentimes are of Abfurdity and manifeft Contradiction, it would evidently appear to you, that they are truly Diftempers either in the Mind or Body; but this would be but melancholy Entertainment, and of no great Ufe. Such Perfons as these are not chargeable with seeking false Comfort for themselves; for it is Part of their Distemper to refuse all Comfort. The true Comfort we have for them they are unable to receive, That they are not capable of judging of themselves, and that he, to whom Judgment belongeth, will deal with them not according to their Imaginations, but according to the Rules of his own Goodness and Righteousness,

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 Reafon : For all Madness is deftructive of Reafon, as much as thefe 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.

HAVE made Choice of these

Words, with which the Holy

I

Pfalmift shuts up this nine

teenth Pfalm, intending to open

to you the Scheme of Thought which runs through the Whole. It contains one of the compleatest Forms of Devotion, and of the most general Ufe, 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

332 to find his Prayers and, his Songs of Praises conceived in no common Strain. When a King ftands 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 the Crown and the Sceptre are you, laid by, his own Dignity is forgotten, and his whole Mind employed in contemplating the mighty Things of Providence, difplayed in the Works of Nature, and of Grace. Exalted Thoughts of God do naturally produce the lowest, which are always the justest, of ourfelves. Thus the royal Pfalmift, having warmed his Heart with the Glory of the Almighty, as if he were now in the Pofture in which all Kings must 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, cleanfe thou me from my fecret Faults. Keep back thy Servant also from prefumptuous Sins, let them not have Dominion over me: Then shall I be upright, and I fhall be innocent from the great Tranfgreffion.

The Piety of this Pfalm is so natural, and yet fo exalted; fo eafy to be understood, fo adapted to move the Affections, that it is hardly poffible to read it with any Attention, without

without feeling something of the fame Spirit. by which it was indited: The Heavens, fays 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 speak his Goodness, and, by their regular and constant Viciffitude, set 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 Course! How large his Circuit, to impart Light and genial Heat to