daily; let us consult him in all our difficulties, and make earnest application to him in all our necessities; let us securely rely on his providence; let us gratefully recollect all his mercies; let us enjoy him alone in all good things; let us exercise ourselves in the pious practice of a holy obedience, as well with respect to those sacred solemnities which have a more immediate relation to his worship, as with respect to the duties incumbent on us in our particular callings; carefully avoiding whatsoever may in any measure displease him; and immediately endeavouring, by a speedy repentance, to recover his favour, which, by our manifold sins, we had worthily deserved to lose. Let us sincerely refer ourselves and all our actions to his glory; let us surrender up ourselves and all we have to him; let us never cease from earnestly seeking a more full enjoyment of him; yea, and let us walk with him alone, rejecting with scorn and disdain the fellowship of the world. Let us move on with him, not loitering or wandering out of the way; and lastly, let us walk with the God of our salvation cheerfully, constantly, and with perseverance And then Enoch's motion will at length assuredly happily conduct us to Enoch's rest, even to eternal glory.

ATHEISM.

THE intelligence requisite for a rational denial of a God, involves the very attributes of Divinity; for unless the atheist is omnipresent-unless he is at this moment in every place in the universe, he cannot know but there may be in some place manifestations of a Deity, by which even

he would be overpowered. If he does not know absolutely every agent in the universe, the one that he does not know may be God. If he is not himself the chief agent in the universe, and does not know what is so, that which is so may be God. If he is not in absolute possession of all the propositions that constitute universal truth, the one which he wants may be, that there is a God. If he cannot with certainty assign the cause of all that he perceives to exist, that cause may be a God. If he does not know every thing that has been done in the immeasurable ages that are past, some things may have been done by a God. Thus, unless he knows all things, that is, precludes another Deity, by being one himself, he cannot know that the Being whose existence he rejects, does not exist.

The causes of atheism are, divisions in religion, if there be many; for any one main division addeth zeal to both sides, but many divisions introduce atheism. Another is, scandal of priests, when it is come to that which S. Bernard saith, "non est jam dicere, ut populus, sic sacerdos; quia nec sic populus, ut sacerdos." A third is, a custom of profane scoffing in holy matters, which doth by little and little deface the reverence of religion. And, lastly, learned times, especially with peace and prosperity; for troubles and adversities do more bow men's minds to religion. They that deny a God destroy man's nobility; for certainly man is of kin to the beasts by his body; and if he be not of kin to God by his spirit, he is a base and ignoble creature. It destroys likewise magnanimity, and the raising of human nature; for take an example of

a dog, and mark what a generosity and courage he will put on when he finds himself maintained by a man, who to him is instead of a GOD, or "melior natura;" which courage is manifestly such as that creature, without that confidence of a better nature than his own, could never attain. So man, when he resteth and assureth himself upon divine protection and favour, gathereth a force and faith which human nature in itself could not obtain; therefore, as atheism is in all respects hateful, so in this, that it depriveth human nature of the means to exalt itself above human frailty.

THE SECRETS OF GOD NOT KNOWN BY
SPECULATION.

WE are nowhere commanded to pry into the secrets of God; but the wholesome counsel and advice given to us is this, "to make our calling and election sure." We have no warrant in Scripture to peep in these hidden rolls and volumes of eternity; and to make it our first object, when we come to Christ, to spell out our names in the stars; and to persuade ourselves, that we are certainly elected to everlasting happiness, before we see the image of God, in righteousness and true holiness, shaped in our hearts. God's everlasting decree is too dazzling and bright an object, for us to set our eye upon. It is far easier and safer for us, to look upon the rays of his goodness and holiness, as they are reflected in our hearts; and there to read the mild and gentle characters of God's love to us, in our love to him and our hearty compliance with his

heavenly will: as it is safer for us, if we would see the sun, to look upon it here below in a pail of water, than to cast up our daring eyes upon the body of the sun itself, which is too radiant and scorching for us. The best assurance that any one can have of his interest in God, is, doubtless, the conformity of his soul to God. Those divine purposes, whatsoever they may be, are altogether unsearchable and unknowable: they lie wrapped up in everlasting darkness, and covered in a deep abyss. Who is able to fathom the bottom of them?

A good conscience is the best looking-glass of heaven; in which the soul may see God's thoughts and purposes concerning it, reflected as so many shining stars.

He that endeavours really to mortify his pas sions, and in his life to comply with that truth which his conscience is convinced of, is nearer a Christian, though he never heard of Christ, than he who believes all the common articles of the Christian faith, and plainly denies Christ in his life.

It is a piece of that corruption which runs through human nature, that we naturally prize truth, more than goodness; knowledge more than holiness. We think it a gallant thing, to be fluttering up to heaven with our wings of knowledge and speculation; whereas, the highest mystery of a divine life here, and of perfect happiness hereafter, consists in nothing but mere obedience to the Divine will. Happiness is nothing but

that inward sweet delight, which will arise from the harmonious agreement between our wills and the will of God.

LIKENESS TO GOD NECESSARY TO HIS
FRIENDSHIP.

Gon, who is absolute goodness, cannot love any of his creatures, and take pleasure in them, without bestowing upon them a communication of his goodness and likeness. God cannot make a Gospel, to promise men life and happiness hereafter without being regenerated, and made partakers of his holiness. As soon may heaven and hell be reconciled, and lovingly shake hands with one another, as God can be fondly indulgent to any sin, in whomsoever it be. As soon may light and darkness be espoused together, and midnight be married to noon-day, as God can be joined in a league of friendship with any wicked soul.

And this is a greater grace of God to us, than the former, which still go both together in the Gospel; first, the free remission and pardon of sin in the blood of Christ, then, delivering us from the power of sin, by the Spirit of Christ dwelling in our hearts.

Christ came not into the world merely to cast a mantle over us, and hide all our filthy sores from God's avenging eye, with his merits and righteousness; but he came especially to be a chirurgeon and physician of souls, to free us from the filth and corruption of them; which is more