proclaimed the eternity of his love, he denounced the feverest judgments as the punishment of apoftacy; and when they actually departed from him, he fulfilled his threatenings. "He deli"vered his ftrength into captivity, and his glory "into the enemies hand." God would not break his covenant with David, notwithstanding his great trefpafs in the matter of Uriah. But did the divine conduct afford any encouragement to him, or to any believer, to fin? Was not David informed, that therefore the fword fhould never depart from his houfe: and was not this threatening awfully verified in fucceeding generations? In a fimilar manner does he deal with the people of his love, when they provoke him by their iniquities. He withdraws from them the light of his countenance, fuffers them to be led into captivity for a time by the power of their lufts, and to lose the perfuafion of his covenant-love. They are tried, it may be, ever after with darkness as to their eternal ftate. The Almighty, perhaps, gives a command to his terrors to " fet "themselves in array" against them. Or, they are buffeted by Satan, by means of the most horrid temptations. Or, he chaftens them outwardly by fevere bodily afflictions, by great temporal calamities, affecting their fubftance or reputation; by removing their dearest earthly comforts, "the defire of their eyes," Can thefe things be viewed as no check to fin? Is the foul of a Christian caft in fuch a mould, that nothing but but the fear of eternal perdition can prevail with him? Notwithstanding the declarations of the perpetuity of God's love to his ancient people, they had no encouragement to expect the renewed evidences of this love, unless they returned to him from whom they had revolted . Such is his conduct towards his fpiritual Ifrael. The LORD ftill fays; "I will go and return to my place, "till they acknowledge their iniquity." According to the divine teftimony, they have no reafon to expect deliverance from judgments, or the renewed manifeftations of his love, without turning from their evil ways. We may add to these confiderations, that when there appeared any thing like true repentance among God's ancient people, it always especially proceeded from a fenfe of his love. The great argument, which he employed to enforce, not merely the first precept, but the whole law, is founded on the principle of gratitude; and the very fame which he ftill renders effectual with his children: "I am the LORD thy God, "which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the houfe of bondage. Thou "fhalt have no other gods before me. Thou "fhalt not bow down," &c. The fevereft judgments with which they were vifited, never brought them back to a fenfe of duty. When a fincere or general reformation took place, they were principally k Deut. xxx. 1.-3.; 1 Kings viii, 31.-54. principally affected by a difcovery of federal love. This is a proof, among many others, that the doctrine we have illuftrated, instead of being an encouragement to fin, can alone prove a proper incitement to duty. It is thus in the experience of the children of God. When they feel the rod only, they are" as a bullock unac"cuftomed to the yoke." But the love of Christ, when shed abroad in their hearts, especially when manifested in its glorious fovereignty and immutability, constraineth them. This doctrine, in a word, fupplies us with confolation under the greatest adverfities. The LORD often feverely afflicted that nation, or that family, which he had chofen. But he did it in love. This was defigned for our inftruction. How feverely foever we may be afflicted, let us not for this reafon call in queftion the love of God. Still he faith to us; "I will never, never "leave thee. My love will I not take from him. "When thou paffeft through the waters, I will be with thee, and through the rivers, they fhall "not overflow thee: when thou walkeft through "the fire, thou shalt not be burnt, neither fhall the flames kindle on thee. For I am the LORD "thy God, the holy One of Ifrael, thy Saviour.” We may be fully affured, that even our afflictions, instead of tending to our deftruction, are meant in fubferviency to our falvation; that they "" work 1 2 Chron. xx. 6.-9. ; xxx. 6. 9. ; Ezra ix. 8, 9. 13. 15.; Neh. ix. 7. —31.; Dan. ix. 4. 9. 15. 18. "work together for good ;"-that "when we are judged, we are chaftened of the LORD, that we "should not be condemned with the world;" that he chaftens us" for our profit, that we may *be partakers of his holiness ;" and that he will at length put this fong in our mouths, "We went "through fire and through water; but thou ❝ broughteft us out into a wealthy place." INDEX. INDE X. A. ABEL, whence denominated righteous, ii. 299.—301. Import of the name, 306. Abraham, his faith, i. 126, 127.; ii. 379. Fidelity and piety of his fervant, 261. Vifion of the Furnace and Lamp, 324 Seed promised to him, 387.-389. Abraham, the God of, reafon of this character, ii. 32.-36. Achab, remarkable difplay of Providence in his death, ii. 294, Adoption, of Ifrael, what it fignified, i. 360.-366. Advantages arifing from the historical mode of writing, i. 223. -270. Affliction, the lot of God's children, i, 375.—379. Divine fovereignty displayed in this, ii. 247. Altar, why only one allowed under the law, i. 307. Angels, good and evil, the hofts of God, ii. 60. vereignty manifefted towards them, 210.-217. ed, ib. All who fell, rejected, 213. Divine So- Angel of Jehovah, who he is, ii. 43, 44. His appearances, 317.-324Apion, the Egyptian, his testimony concerning the Jews, i. 61. Artapanus, his testimony concerning the Magicians in Egypt, i. 67. concerning Mofes, 68. the divifion of the Red Sea, 69. Afphaltites, Lake, account of, i. 87.-89. Atonement, |