or boldly denounced the divine vengeance against high-handed finners. But the fincerely pious obeyed their voice. I fhall make no scruple to apply this to ourselves, and the prefent age. Our bleffed Redeemer hath established in his church a standing miniftry, and the regular administration of ordinances. And though we have this treafure in earthen veffels, yet in no other way doth he now communicate his will, and vouch-fafe his prefence to his people, but by the reading and hearing of his word, and attendance upon his instituted worship. It will, no doubt, therefore be a part of the character of a good man, that he will love the ordinances, and obey the voice of the fervants of God; that he will confider him who hath fent them, and receive instruction, not as the word of man, but as it is in deed and in truth the word of God.

On the other hand, when iniquity prevails, when irreligion and profanenefs lift up their heads, one of the moft ufual concomitants and one of the fureft proofs of it is, a neglect of ordinances, and contempt of those who are con cerned in their administration: How far this is at present the cafe, I leave to yourselves to judge. While I speak this, my brethren, I do by no means defire to see an ignorant people distracted by the gloomy terrors of fuperftition, or led blindfold by the enchanted cord of implicit faith. But fure I am, there is an extreme on either hand, and those who truly fear the Lord, will honour

honour the perfons, and obey the voice of fuch as plead his cause and speak in his name. You may rest affured, that though they neither deserve nor claim any authority on their own account, yet fo long as they ftand in the divine councils, and fpeak the divine word, their meffage will be attended with this awful fanction, He that defpifeth you, defpifeth me, and he that defpiseth me, despiseth him that sent me.'

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The last part of the character here drawn, which lays the foundation for the fubfequent direction is, that walketh in darkness, and hath

no light.' Darkness and light, befides their literal, have often a metaphorical sense in Scrip ture. They are, indeed, ufed with a good deal of latitude and variety. But I think their metaphorical fignification may be reduced to these two general heads. 1. Sometimes light fignifies knowledge, and darkness fignifies ignorance,as in Eph. v. 8. Ye were fometimes darkness,

but now are ye light in the Lord; walk as ⚫ children of light.' Acts xxvi. 18. To turn them from darkness unto light, and from the power of Satan unto God.' Job xxxvii. 19. ◄ Teach us what we shall fay unto him; for we cannot order our fpeech by reafon of darknefs.' 2. Sometimes darkness fignifies diftrefs or trouble, and the correspondent fignification of light is deliverance and joy; as 2. Sam. xxii. 28, 29. ́ And the afflicted people thou wilt fave; but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring

bring them down; for thou art my lamp, O Lord; and the Lord will lighten my darkness.' Job xix. 8. He hath fenced up my way that I cannot país; he hath put darkness in my paths.' Pf. xcvii. 11. Light is fown for the righteous, and gladnefs for the upright in heart.' Efther viii. 16. And the Jews had light and gladness, ' and joy and honour.'

None of thefe fenfes is to be excluded in the paffage before us. Believers may walk in darknefs, when ignorant or uncertain as to what nearly concerns them, as well as under diftrefs and trouble." They have alfo a mutual influence upon, produce, and are produced by one another. For illuftrating this a little more particularly, obferve, that a good man may walk in darkness; I. When he is in doubt or uncertainty as to his intereft in the divine favour. 2. When he is under the preffure of outward calamity. 3. When the state of the church is fuch, that he cannot understand or explain, in a fatisfying manner, the courfe of divine providence. Thefe particulars I have it not in view to enlarge much upon, but only to explain them fo far as is neceffary to lay a foundation for what fhall be afterwards offered on the duty to trust in God.

1. Then, a good man may walk in darkness when he is in doubt or uncertainty as to his intereft in the Divine favour." I apprehend that fome measure of hope in God's mercy is effential to true piety, and not only the right, but the pofef

fion of every child of God. Faith and despair are beyond all. question inconfiftent. Faith and hope are infeparable. Yet certainly the excellent ones of the earth may be fometimes involved in great perplexity and doubt. This is plain from fcripture examples, from daily experience, and from the nature and reason of the thing. How violent a struggle do we often find the Pfalmist David in, between hope and fear? O my God,

my foul is caft down in me; therefore will I re'member thee from the land of Jordan, and of

the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.' How many do we fee every day under a fpirit of bondage, who, though they ftill cleave to God as their portion, yet are often full of fears, and feldom dare confidently affirm their interest in, or relation to him! And indeed how can it be otherwife? While we are here, our fanctification is but imperfect; and, alas! with regard to many, it is often hard to determine, whether we fhould not write upon it, 'Mene tekel,' as effentially defective.

Sin feparates between God and his people, and causes him to hide his face from them. Nay, fometimes, though there be no particular or provoking crime, as the cause of his controversy with them, he may withdraw from them the light of his countenance, to exercise their vigilance, or to try their patience. I know, my brethren, that the distress of serious fouls, when mourning after an abfent or an angry God, crying to him in fecret,

and following hard after him in his ordinances, is by many treated with the highest degree of contempt. But furely, if peace of mind from a well founded hope of the Divine favour, is the greateft of all present bleffings; and if this, from the variablenefs of our own conduct, is fometimes more, fometimes less strong, and sometimes wholly fufpended; when this last is the cafe, it must occa fion inexpreffible concern, and there can be no greater evidence of irreligion and impiety than to call it in queftion.

2. A good man may walk in darkness when under the preffure of outward calamity. This, in a real believer, is never wholly feparated from the former. Even in itfelf, indeed, no affliction for the present is joyous but grievous. The diforders of this feeble frame, poverty, and straitness of provifion, unjust flander and reproach, must be deeply and fenfibly felt by every good man, even as he is a man. To this may be added, the lofs of relations, and concern for the sufferings of others of every kind, which is always moft diftreffing to the best and tendereft fpirits. But outward calamities by thofe that fear God, are felt moft fenfibly when they are confidered as the rod of his anger, and bring fin to remembrance. When he visits his own children with any of his fore judgments: when he follows them with breach upon breach, they are ready to fay, Surely he is fetting me up as a mark for his arrows, he is counting me his enemy.'They are of

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