are his Infinite Perfections or Attributes. That these belong to God we are taught by the light of Nature; it being the very first Notion which all Men conceive of a Deity, that he poffeffeth all imaginable Perfections. Only in this Mankind hath miserably erred, in forming wrong Notions of Perfection, and attributing that to God, which however they admired in themselves or others, would indeed not only debase but destroy the Nature of God. Such are believing an unlimited and perpetual enjoyment of fenfual Pleasures to be a real Happiness and Perfection, and then afcribing it to God; which was the bruitsh Error of Ancient Heathens and Idolaters: Or imagining a perfect indolence and unconcernednefs for external Matters to be none of his leaft Perfections; the mistake of the Ancient Epicureans and Modern Deifts: Or the exercife of an Arbitrary Government, without respect to Juftice, the Merits or Demerits of Men; as many wicked Hereticks of Old contended. Such falfe Representations of the Divine Nature, are intirely deftructive of the Perfection of it; and therefore, although fimple Reafon might eafily and certainly difcover the Knowledge of the Divine Attributes, yet in compaffion to the Ignorance and Failures of Mankind, it pleafed God to confirm, fecure and advance this Knowledge by extraordinary Revelation. The Apostle enumerates the chief and moft

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comprehenfive of these Attributes, in the Words of my Text; which I will in order confider.

God therefore is our King. This implieth Dominion over us, and that belongs to God, either by the right of Nature, or the right of Redemption. By the right of Nature, he hath a double Title to Dominion over us, both as our Creator, and as the Supreme Governour of the World. He Created us, Formed us out of nothing; we are the Work of his Hands, and Dependants of his Power. This is the most abfolute Degree of Vaffalage which can be imagined. Among Men Propriety is claimed and preferved upon many Titles; and common Reason would arraign us of Injuftice, if we should deny that Subjection which is due to it; yet are the higheft of thefe Titles inconfiderable in refpect of Creation, and fubordinate to it, Juftly therefore may God expect, that as often as we confider the Caufe of our Being, we should adore the Hand that gave it, and in a grateful acknowledgment of it fay,

Thou, O God, art the Author of my being, "thou formedst me out of nothing, I am thy "Creature, and thy Vaffal; I acknowledge my

Self to be wholly thine, and refign my felf ir"tirely to thy difpofal. Such an Act of Adoration would have been due, although God had wholly left us to our own difpofal when once Created, and not interpofed in the Government of the World; and we might even

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in that cafe be defervedly accounted the worlt of Wretches, if we either omitted or denyed to pay it. But then far from abandoning us to the Inclinations of our own Will, and giving up the World to the fortuitous Motions of unruly Matter, he continueth to exercise a conftant Government of the Creation. He hath fixed Laws and Bounds, and a particular Sphere of Action to every part of it. Even inanimate Beings are fubject to the Rules prefcribed by his Infinite Wisdom, and obferve them without Variation, as is excellently and at length defcribed in the 104th Pfalm. He laid the Foundations of the Earth, that it never should move at any time. Thou coveredft it with the deep, like as with a Garment, the Waters ftand in the Hills. At thy rebuke they flee, at the voice of thy Thunder they are afraid. He appointed the Moon for certain Seafons, and the Sun knoweth his going down. Even brute Beasts attend his difpofal and rely upon his Providence, as it follows in the fame Pfalm. Thefe wait all upon thee, that thou mayeft give them meat in due feafon. When thou giveft it them, they gather it, and when thou openest thy Hand, they are filled with Good, when thou hideft thy Face they are troubled, and fo on. Thus all parts of the Creation confpire in acknowledging the Supreme Dominion of God, and according to their feveral Natures, do Homage to him. And then furely we cannot imagine the Rational and Intellectual part of the Creation to

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be excufed from this Univerfal Duty. We may rather conclude, that Reafon demands, and God expects a more particular Obedience and Adoration from them, for whofe fake only God framed the reft of Created Beings, and endued them with Noble Faculties, whereby they are fitted to Adore and Praise him. As for the more noble part of the Intellectual Created World, I mean Angels; they immediately attend the Service and Praise of God, and are wholly employed in it, as we are affured in the 4th Verfe of the fame Pfalm. Who maketh his Angels Spirits, and his Minifters a Flaming Fire. And then with what Juftice can a Man plead an exemption from the performance of the fame Duty? God gave us a Being, and fent us into the World to perform certain Conditions, fuch as are Obedience to his Laws, Submiffion to his Government, and Adoration of his Majefty. If then we own Life, and the Confequences of it to be a benefit; furely we cannot without extream Injuftice refufe to fulfil the Conditions of it. Shall Man alone of all the Creation, become a Rebel to God his King, reject his Government, and violate his Laws, and defeat the very end for which he was Created, by neglecting it, or perhaps acting directly contrary to it? Surely we cannot imagine 'that the Supreme Governour of the World, who poffeffeth Juftice as well as Mercy in the highest perfection, will for ever omit to vindicate his Govermnent, by a fevere Punish

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ment of such unnatural Malefactors; and if the Queen of Sheba and the Men of Ninive will rife up against the Jews, and condemn them at the last Day; all parts of the Creation, Heaven and Earth, Beafts and Birds, will unanswerably condemn us in the Day of Judgment, who have refused to pay that Tribute of Obedience to our common Governour, which they did.

Thus God is our King by the Right of Nature, and as fuch deferveth Adoration from us, although he had entailed no Rewards upon it, nor obliged us with any particular Benefits. But then to us, who own our felves Chriftians, who are Redeemed with the Blood of Chrift, who are bought with a price; he is upon that account in a more particular manner our King and Governour. We put our felves under his Government, and lifted our felves under his Banner, at our Baptifm; and continue to profefs our obligation to it, in every Act of our Chriftain Worship. We believe that Chrift is our King, as well as our High-Prieft; that he hath a particular Right to Govern us acquired by his own moft precious Blood, and our voluntary fubmiffion to him. In vertue of this Right therefore he justly demands an intire Renunciation of our felves and Refignation to his difpofal, to adore his Goodness and celebrate his Mercy, to own him to be our God, and teftifie the fincerity of that acknowledgment by an exact Obedience. God