they had formed at this crisis of affairs, not to speak and act in the fame foolish manner that they did, under the corrupt influence of unbelief and flavish fear. My brethren, if this leffon was neceffary to Ifaiah, it is furely no lefs needful to us. Permit me, therefore, to addrefs this advice to you, with the greatest earnestnefs and affection, Walk not in the way of this people.' Turn not from the holy commandment delivered unto you. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand, nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil. Turn not to the right hand: pretend not to do more than God hath commanded; and aim not to be righteous overmuch. Turn not to the left hand reft not fatisfied with your own imperfect per formances, which come far fhort of the duty which God hath prescribed. Make not void the law of the Lord, either by doing that which it hath forbidden, or by leaving undone that which it requires. Such as • turn afide to crooked ways, the Lord fhall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity*; but whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved †.'

12 Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people fhall fay, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.

This verse contains another article of the inftruction which our prophet received from God, in which he, and his other servants, are cautioned against complying with the prevailing iniquity of the times.The people of Judah, on hearing of the ftrong combination formed against them by Syria and Ephraim, were greatly alarmed; and, filled with defpondency, they exclaimed, A confederacy, a confederacy, which fhall prove the means of our ruin. Inftead of imploring the gracious interpofition of God in their be

* Pfal. cxxv. 5.

+ Prov. xxviii. 18.

half,

half, they called in the help of Affyria; and formed a very improper connection with that people, who helped them not. The prophet, and those who feared the Lord, are here diffuaded from approving this plan of operation, which, in the iffue, would prove exceedingly hurtful to the kingdom of Judah. They are strictly prohibited from joining the bulk of the nation, and acting under the influence of that culpable timidity by which they were diftreffed. They are required to diftinguish themselves from the people in general, by more excellent principles and practices than those which were prevalent among the multitude. Particularly they were directed;

Neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Those diftreffing objects which filled the many with consternation, and overwhelmed them with dread, fhould not discompose or intimidate the godly: on the contrary, they ought to contemplate them with ferenity, deftitute of those distracting fears which compelled a profane prince, and wicked people, to feek help any where rather than in God. The fear against which the caution is here given, may fignify either the object of which they were afraid, namely, the powerful league formed against the Jewish people by their confederate enemies, or that kind of fear and perplexity with which the ungodly were much difturbed. Or the words may be confidered as including both fenfes fear not what your enemies have done, or can do; nor fear with difinaying, anxious timidity, as do the wicked and unbelieving among whom you live. The natural paffion of fear, though in itself not finful, yet, in depraved creatures, is mixed with fin, and becomes irregular in its actings, either miffing the proper object on which it ought to terminate, or operating in a wrong way, or forbidden measure; either directed into a wrong channel, or elfe overflowing its banks. Indeed the other affections of love, hatred, and joy, are likewife often excited by improper objects; and when people are violently agi

tated

tated by them, their tranquillity of mind is unhappily disturbed, and they are either diftreffed with anxious uneafinefs, or lulled afleep in carnal fecurity.Would you comply with this falutary advice? Get the internal caufes of this diftreffing fear removed, and its difagreeable effects fhall certainly ceafe. Ufe the fovereign remedy which a merciful God hath prescribed in the following verfe, for curing this grievous malady; which never fails to prove effectual, through his divine bleffing, for difpelling uneafy difquietudes, and restoring a fettled ferenity to the mind.

13 Sanctify the LORD of hofts himself, and let him be your fear, and let him be

your dread.

These words point out an effectual remedy for preventing and allaying thofe difmaying fears, which our prophet, with all the godly, are cautioned carefully to avoid.The word fanctify is ufed in various fenfes in fcripture, with which you ought to be acquainted, that you may understand this and other paffages where it occurs. It fignifies, to confecrate, or set apart, from a common to a facred purpofe; to purify, or make holyt. Sometimes it is afcribed to men, who, withdrawing from their common employments, devote themselves to the folemn worship and service of God. At other times it is attributed to Jehovah, who fanctifies himself, when he difplays the confummate rectitude of his nature, and perfect deteftation of fin, in the difpenfations of his providence, and in his word of truth; and who fanctifies men, when he conveys holy principles into their hearts, from the proper improvement of which proceeds that holiness in life, and all manner of converfation, whereby his people are happily distinguished §. Men are faid to fanctify God, when they venerate his glorious majesty,

Joshua iii. 5. ↑ John xvii. 17. Ezek. xxxviii. 23.

§ 1 Theff. v. 23.

Exod. xix. 10.

extol his divine perfections, celebrate his infinite purity, and, trufting in his word, walk in his ordinances and commandments. In this important exercise, they entertain just and elevated apprehenfions of his grandeur and grace, his power and faithfulness; and, fixing their dependence upon his omnipotence, they are raised far above confidence in human aid. Contemplating him in the magnificent character of the Lord of hofts, who hath all the armies of heaven, and the inhabitants of this earth, to execute his pleasure, they are convinced, that he, and he alone, is to be feared; and that they have no just reafon to be intimidated by the number and power of their enemies. Deeply fen fible that none can deliver out of his hand, and that without him none can either help or hurt them; that he can never want inftruments fufficient to baffle the projects, and defeat the confpiracies formed against them; they commit themselves, and all their interefts, into the hands of their great Creator. Thus, my friends, ought we to fanctify the Lord of hosts, not only in our words and actions, but in our hearts, as the apoftle Peter teaches us, in Chap. iii. 15. of his First Epiftle. He fanctifieth his people in foul and body, rendering their hearts, their language, and their lives holy; and, in return, we ought to fanctify God, both with our outward and inner man. He clearly fees through every appearance and difguife into the heart, which he attentively obferves, and principally regards. If he is fuitably respected and entertained, and the heart is poffeffed of reverence and love, he gracioufly approves; if not, all the acts of external homage are only vain oblation, which he will not accept. If this remedy reaches not to the heart, the difeafe will remain which it is intended to remove, and dismaying fears will continue to perplex and harafs the mind.

And let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. The perfon who ought to be feared, is the Lord of hofts, Immanuel, God with us; concerning whom it

is foretold in the following verfe, That he fhall be for a fanctuary; but for a stone of ftumbling, and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Ifrael.' Let this mighty Lord, who is your Father, your Saviour, your King, and your God, in whom are united the moft glorious majefty, and the most amiable condefcenfion and grace-let him be the chief object of your fear and dread. The fear of God here recommended, doth not confift in terrifying apprehenfions of God as an enemy, but in compofed reverence and awe of that almighty Parent, whofe favour is worthy of the highest esteem, and whofe displeasure ought carefully to be avoided as worfe than death. It is a reverential awe of God, excited and preferved by proper views of his goodnefs, as well as of his greatnefs. This gracious difpofition effectually dif pels every other kind of uneafy fear, and leaves no room for them in the heart. It compofes the foul amidst every difquietude: it reftores to it the moft defirable tranquillity and ftability, and forms a powerful bulwark against the approach of evil. What time, faid David, I am afraid, I will trust in thee, O Lord, whọ art my defence, and my rock. Had he rafhly refolved to feek for fafety in the number, power, and fidelity of his friends and armies, or in any other advantage he enjoyed, his distracting fears would ftill have diftreffed him; whereas the fear of the Lord, accompanied with a firm trust in his wifdom, power, and love, is the beft antidote against, and fureft relief from every perplexing anxiety. Let not thine heart envy finners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. For furely there is a reward, and thine expectation fhall not be cut off t.'

6

14 And he shall be for a fanctuary; but for a ftone of ftumbling, and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Ifrael, for a gin, and for a fnare to the inhabitants of Jerufalem.

* Pfal. lxii. 5, 6.

+ Prov. xxiii. 17, 18.

3 M

The