cause, having nothing defirable in profpect beyond the grave, in lofing their prefent enjoyments, they lofe their all. But the Chriftian, who knows of a treasure in heaven, a treasure incorruptible in its own nature, and which no fraud nor force can take from him, may and ought to look down, with a holy indifference, upon every thing here below, refigning himself entirely to the disposal of his Heavenly Father, who not only knows what is best for him, but hath likewise obliged himfelf, by covenant and promife, to make all things work together for the eternal advantage of those who love him and confide in his mercy.

It was this argument which Christ used with his difciples, to diffuade them from an anxious folicitude about their temporal concerns (Matth. vi. 31.), "Take no thought, "faying, What shall we eat? or what fhall drink? or wherewithal fhall we be "cloathed? For after all these things do the

Gentiles feek, and your Heavenly Father "knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But feek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these "things

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"things shall be added unto you." God will fupport and maintain his own people, as long as he has any service for them in this world. He knows all their wants; and as his goodness constantly inclines him, so his power doth at all times enable him, to bestow every needful supply in its feafon. And can our intereft be lodged in better hands? Who that believes this, would choose to be the difpofer of his own lot?" The Lord reigneth," says the Pfalmift," let the earth rejoice." And furely they who can fay, This God is our God, our Father, and our Friend, have cause to rejoice in every condition, and must act very inconfiftently with their profeffion and hopes, if any thing from without can difturb their inward peace and tranquillity.I propose, therefore, in dependence upon divine aid,

First, To fhew the import of this gracious promise, "I will never leave thee nor forsake "thee."

Secondly, I fhall inquire who the perfons are that may apply the comfort of this promise to themselves.

Thirdly, I fhall lay before you fome of

those

thofe grounds of affurance on which the people of God may depend for the accomplishment of this promife; and then direct you to the practical improvement of the fubject.

I begin with the import of the promise itfelf, "I will neyer leave thee nor forfake "thee."-And,

ift, It is here supposed, that all other things may forfake us for in this promise God plainly intends to diftinguish himself from the creatures, by claiming this perfection of conftancy or unchangeableness, as an attribute peculiar to himself. Vanity is engraved in deep and legible characters upon every thing below the fun. All things on earth are perishing in their own nature, and fo fleeting and deceit ful, that they who lean upon. them, only secure to themselves a more intense degree of pain and vexation; for fooner or later they will flide from under them, and leave nothing in their room, but the difgrace of a foolish choice, and the bitternefs of disappointed hope. Hiftory affords us innumerable proofs of this. The wifeft men in every age have obferved

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obferved and lamented the mutability of alt earthly things; and we need only keep our eyes and our ears open, to learn this truth, by fome fresh example, every day we live.

How often do we fee riches make unto themselves wings, and fly away as an eagle towards heaven? What a variety of accidents may fuddenly deprive a man of all his fubftance, and reduce him to the loweft ftate of poverty and want? A ftorm at fea, or a fire at land, will in a few hours confume the labours of many years: and he who, whilst I fpeak, poffeffeth plenty of all things, and promifeth himself a long fucceffion of profperous days, may, before to-morrow's fun, find himfelf stripped of all his substance, and obliged to depend upon the bounty of others for the common neceffaries of life. How many, who boafted that their mountain ftood strong, have fuddenly been thrown down from the highest pinacle of power and greatnefs? Even princes, when they leaft dreamt of it, have been forced to exchange their palace for a prifon; and have learnt, by fad experience, that crowns are but tottering emblems of power, and that royalty itself hath no exemption from the viciffitude

viciffitude of fublunary things.

Reputation

and friends, health and all bodily advantages, yea reason, with all the endowments of the mind, are fo uncertain and mutable, that no man can promife on the poffeffion of them. The fairest character may be fullied with the breath of calumny; our friends may prove falfe, or abandon us through mistake; or, when they are faithful, and in all respects comfortable to us, yet death may snatch them from us, one after another, till we are in a manner left folitary in the midst of the earth. Health and strength, and whatever else belongs to the body, are of all things the leaft durable, and the moft fubject to change. Life itself is but a vapour, which, for any thing' we know, may vanish into air the very next breath we draw. We fee frequently alfo, that the mind, as well as the body, is liable to mafad difafters. In fome men, the intellectual powers are fo blunted and impaired, that they seem to be almoft totally extinguished ; and, in others, fo ftrangely disordered, that, instead of being of use to them, they serve only to render them more completely wretched. In a word, our condition upon earth is liable

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