will not hold them guiltlefs that profane his ordinances. Was he fo difpleafed with Belshezzar, for abusing the veffels of the temple? how much more with us, if we profane the symbols of the body and blood of his Son! The danger is great, both for foul and body. But there are two forts that are ready to abuse this. (1.) The ftiff-necked careless finner will cloak his contempt of communicating, and his floth, with this: If it be fo, then we will do beft not to meddle with it.' But, O Sirs! is there not an odds between rushing on the facrament, and forfaking it? Affure yourselves this contempt of the facrament is damning. God can reach a blow to you, though ye ftand far off from his table; and fo much the more, that you flight this love-token of a dying Lord. (2.) The poor broken-hearted finner will be ready to drink up difcouragement from this, fearing that he may be the perfon on whom the Lord will make the breach. But, poor foul! I would fay to thee, Where wilt thou be fafe, if thou keepeft thyfelf without the ranges? the fword of the Lord may overtake thee there, for the neglect of your duty. Therefore come, though trembling, venture thyfelf at his feet; acknowledge, that if he should make thee a monument of his justice, he is most juft, thou deferveft it. A trembling hand may receive a pardon. Be diligent to prepare thyfelf; and when thou haft done all, lay no ftrefs on any thing, but flee to Chrift, and get him between an offended God and thy foul. Dry ftubble may be fafe before a confuming fire, if there be a crystal wall between it and the fire.

I conclude with exhorting all that intend to fit down at the Lord's table to-morrow, to take heed how ye communicate. I would urge you to do it in the right order. Ye have heard the danger of

an oppofite conduct; this may be sufficient under this. Another motive is, that duty done in a right manner, and that only, has the bleffing connected with it; mark Matth. xxiv. 26. « Bleffed is that fervant whom his Lord, when he cometh, fhall find fo doing." A man may pray a thousand times, and never be heard; go from one communion to another, and never be fealed; one fincere groan from the heart will do more than all these. If ye mifmanage this facrament, your fouls may get fuch a ftain that they will never caft again; and if ye manage it rightly, ye may get fuch a tafte of the goodness of the Lord as ye never got before. With this view, fee that you be right as to your ftate; that you be the friends of the Bridegroom, or you have no right to fit down at the marriage-feast. It is not the due order, for perfons dead in fin to fit down at the table of our Lord; it is an ordinance only for those who are quickened, and made fpiritually alive; it is the children's bread, and therefore they only, who are the children of God by faith in Chrift Jefus, have a right to it. Endeavour to be in a right frame; to have grace in exercife; a holy hunger, faith, repentance, and love. It is not enough that you have oil in your lamps, you must also have your lamps trimmed, and the oil burning. Your graces must be in exercife. If this be your ftate, and this be your frame, then furely it will be good for you to draw near to God at his own table: " They that thus wait upon the Lord fhall renew their ftrength, they fhall mount up on wings like eagles, run, and not be weary, walk and not faint."

THE

THE PERFECTION OF PROVIDENTIAL DIS

PENSATIONS. *

SERMON VI.

way

PSAL. xviii. 30.-As for God, his work is perfect.

TH

HE Pfalmift by this time had followed the Lord through many a deep step, and he had endured various troubles. Here, in the text, he looks back on these ways in which the Lord had led him, and gives his verdict as to them: As for God, &c. In the words there is,

1. A magnificent preface: As for God. He ftands up here in his defence against an ungodly world, to justify his proceedings: As for God, I that have tried his way can speak to his commen

dation.

2. What of God he commends: His way. There is a twofold way. (1.) That wherein men walk to and with God.-Perfonal; Chrift, who is the way to the Father:-Real; holiness, without which no man fhall fee the Lord. None of these are here meant. (2.) The way wherein God walks

*Delivered July 16. 1709.

with

with men, the way of his providences, his difpenfations, the way he takes with men in difpofing of them.

3. The commendation is perfect; there is no flaw in that way. Be his difpenfation never fo hard, there can be no fault really obferved in them by the most difcerning eye; they are faultlefs. Thefe words afford us this

DOCTRINE, That the difpenfations of providence are altogether perfect and faultless, however they appear to our carnal hearts.

IN illuftration I fhall,

I. Take notice of fome, among many, seeming faults our corruptions would spy out in the difpenfations of providence.

II. Inquire in what refpects the way of God is perfect.

III. Confirm the point.

IV. Make fome practical improvement.

I. I AM to take notice of fome, among many, feeming faults our corruptions would fpy out in the difpenfations of providence.

1. The reafon of difpenfations not feen. The defign of Providence lies oftentimes hid, and it is no eafy matter to difcover it: "Thy way is in the fea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known," Pfal. lxxvii. 19. The Lord leads the man, and he knows not where; therefore corruption is ready to ftorm at this, and difdains to follow the Lord, unlefs he will tell him what ́ way he is going; but the fault is in the eye, not in the way. Time is big with the difcovery, but muft go a while before it is brought forth: Acts, x. 17. “Now, while Peter doubted in himfelf what this vifion which he had feen fhould mean,

mean, behold the men which were fent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house, and ftood before the gate." John, 13. 6. 7. " Then cometh Jefus to Simon Peter; and Peter faid unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus anfwered and faid unto him, What I do thou knoweft not now, but thou fhalt know hereafter." When the fpectacles of faith are on, no fault appears.

2. Providence feeming to forget the promises, and the word feeming to miscarry. Then we are ready to fay, as in Jer. xv. 18. "Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refufeth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail?" Abraham thought he saw this fault, and he would take a way of his own to rectify it. But though the promife tarried, yet it was accomplished, for Ifaac, and not Ishmael, was to be his heir. Fools hafte is no fpeed.

3. Providence going crofs to the promifes, his works to his word, pulling down with the one hand what he feemed to be building up with the other. Thus it appeared, when Abraham was commanded to facrifice Ifaac, Gen. xxii. So alfo it was when God threatened to cut short the days of Hezekiah, Ifa. xxxviii. 1. But there is no fault here yet; wait the end, as in thefe inftances; they are but raw travellers, who think that the way lies always even forward; the way in the wildernefs is often crooked.

4. Providence running, as it feems, quite contrary to the defign of it. Many times the Lord has a defign on foot for the good of his church and people; but a continued tract of disappointments crofs it more and more, till the very grave-ftone feems to be laid upon it. Thus it was with Jofeph,

when