prevented by the goodness of God, and to have a garment of praife for a fpirit of heaviness! Oftentimes he causes the humble and upright Christian to rejoice in the hopes of glory, and the fhortness of that interval that bars him from his immediate and everlasting prefence. God enables the contrite one to anticipate the joys of that blessed season, when he shall be admitted to fee him as he is;—when fin fhall be no more, and forrow have an end;-when the imperfection and vanity of this prefent ftate fhall no more obstruct the vigour of the foul, but his fongs and praifes to God and the Lamb be as ardent and fincere as thofe of faints and feraphims around the throne. Thus, God is a fun, in communicating joy and gladnefs to the hearts of his people. III. God, by his influences, renders true Chriftians fruitful in every branch of goodness. It is the influence of the natural fun that makes the earth productive of fruits neceffary for the life of man and beaft: In like manner, it is the influence of the Sun of Righteousness that makes Chriftians fruitful in all good works. Their improvements in piety and virtue will always be in proportion to the degree and frequency of thefe influences.-Without them there is no progress to be made. Without me, fays our Lord, ye can do nothing. How much is the truth of this affertion the experience of every true Chriftian? If Chrift does not animate him by the fecret power of his grace, how dead the heart to every fpiritual exercife!-How does grace languish, and things divine lofe their fenfible relish from day to day! -Juft as you have feen things in early fpring in the natural world, when the beams and influences of the fun are intercepted by thick clouds and frofty winds, the ver nal. nal beautiful appearances fade-grafs, and herbs, and flowers decline and languish, till the clouds and cold are dispersed, and the fun refumes its splendour, and fheds abroad its genial warmth by its unrebated rays, then all nature flourishes again. Thus it is in the Chriftian life. When God lifts up the light of his countenance, every grace begins to fpring, and the foul becomes gay and blooming as the garden of God. And now, there is much fruit to the glory of their heavenly Father. Praise and joy and holy walking employ every hour. But alas! when God hides his face, troubles again return. Sin and the world renew their attacks, and too often, former victories are difgraced by new defeats; but when the Sun of Righteoufnefs fhines upon them, grace grows, and every good work abounds. IMPROVEMENT. 1. We here learn of what high confideration, the being, government and communications of God are to good men.-There is no fuppofition more terrible and distresfing to a pious mind than this, that there is no God. No attempts made by Satan to disturb the peace and tranquillity of good men, are fo infupportable as those which confift in bringing into queftion God's existence and government: Let the foundation be attempted, and there is no refource nor reft.-On the fuppofition that God did not exift, it were better not to be. Existence is a bleffing only on condition of God's exiftence; without this, life itself would be a curse. But O! what pleasure has the true Christian at times, in the fingle reflection, that God is.-The character of God, as reprefented in his word, is alfo an effential con fideration fideration of happiness, as well as his existence itself. If thofe perfections are retrenched, which he has afcribed to himself in his own revelation, the happiness of real Chriftians is fubverted in its original foundation. For it is in a realizing fense of heart, of the reality and holy excellency of them, that their fouls are much formed to a fupreme duty, and respect to him and his ways. And they have not only fweet delight, that God is, but that he is what he is. I AM THAT I AM, was the name by which he revealed himself to Mofes, for the comfort of Ifrael. The univerfal and particular providence of God is likewise a principle, in which all good men are extremely interested. Were it not for this fupport, there would be no fpirit left in them. As it creates them the greatest pain, not to be able by faith, to fee that God, who is invisible; fo, a full affurance and feeling sense of his agency and concern in all things, is to them a reviving cordial. It is a folitary condition with a good man, when his sense of these things is abated, and though God is on his right hand and on his left, yet he cannot behold him.-And indeed, my brethren, it is not an eafy matter to live in the realizing sense of the being, perfections, and providence of God. He knows but little of himself, and what it is to have a true faith of these things, who thinks not so. To affent to thefe truths, indeed, is an eafy matter; and to be free from all hefitation and doubt about them in our judgment; but he grofsly mistakes who imagines this is that faith, in thefe things, which belongs to true Chriftians. There is a divine fense of it that is more or lefs their aim and confolation; and the whole compass of creature enjoyments is not able to compenfate the want of this faith. 2. We may be here led to enquire, my hearers, whether the Lord God is our fun? Do we perceive God's nature, perfections and influences of fuch high confequence and importance to us? Are these the fources of our trueft enjoyment, and sweetest confolation? Is God's existence our life and delight? His perfections, his glory and felicity, our pleasure and entertainment? His holy and enlightening influences, the bleffings for which we pant and languish? Is God our fun? Does he form our day? Is it his presence makes our heaven? Is it his beauty, his excellency and glory shining in the face of Jesus Christ, that we admire?—Are our thoughts taken up with God?—Is he our light and our joy? If we can answer understandingly in the affirmative to these queries, then, blessed are ye of the Moft High. Bleffed is that people whofe God is the Lord, to whom the Lord God is a Sun. He is a Being of universal dominion; he is the Creator and Preserver of all; he fits at the helm of government, and his eyes run to and fro through all the earth. He beholds the thoughts and councils of men, and nothing can happen to his people, whereby they are affected, but what fhall work for their highest good. How bleffed are ye, O Chriftians! who have a friend of this character, of such universal sway and influence !-You know his abfolute and uncontrollable power. He will do all his pleasure he can fave, when every resource fails, and all things look defperate. You know that all happiness is in his gift; in his prefence is fulness of joy ; whom he bleffeth, is blessed indeed. Out of his favour there is no fuch thing as true happiness. The pleasures of fuch are but as crackling thorns under a pot. Happinefs, derived from this world, is like the light of a meteor, which inftantaneously ends in darkness. The joys of the wicked ceafe with their breath; and as these cease, everlasting forrows commence. But then the happiness of those who choose God for their portion, will eminently begin to fuch, a natural death will be but the commencement of everlasting life and blifs-To his people, he delights to fhew his mercy-he will give grace and glory, you nor God is more inclined to do good to those who walk uprightly, than the most affectionate parent is, to be kind and tender to a favourite child.-A woman may forget her fucking child, that she should not have compaffion on the fon of her womb; but God will never forget those who put their trust in him, he will never leave forfake you. O Chriftians! live in this light-bask in his rays,—and may you enjoy an unclouded fun, until you be introduced into immortal day. It is but a little while till your fun fhall never fet or grow dim, but it will shine with increasing brightness, for ever and ever. -O then! walk worthy of your high calling and dignity. 3. Are there not fome in this affembly, who are under the power of an abfolute indifference in refpect to all these things who have never had any discovery of Divine glory-to whom worldly prosperity is the most important confideration of felicity? Abundance of this world's goods can fatisfy you without God; and do you, my hearers, in this fituation, look upon yourselves to be real Christians? Can you read your Bible, and not hesitate about your pretenfions to fo high and refined a character? Can God be your exceeding joy and great reward, and yet never feel your hearts exult in his exiftence, perfections and univerfal dominion? Can he be your fun, and you never felt the warmth of his beams, quickening your hearts into love and devotion? Can he be your centre, reft and home; and you never experienced the attractive power of his excellency and glory, drawing your hearts into union with him, and difpofing you to long and breathe |