lieve whilft God promifes; obey whilft God commands.

That man hath no fenfe of mercy that wants a fenfe of duty.

Two duties must run through a chriftian's life, like the warp thro' the woof, bleffing and trusting.

Religion is much talked of, but little underflood, till the confcience be awakened; then a man knows the worth of a foul and the want of à Saviour.

Then doth Religion flourish in the foul, when it knows how to naturalize fpiritual things, and to fpiritualize natural things.

We may judge of our eternal state by our fpiritual ftate; and of our fpiritual state by the delightful and cuftomary actions of our lives.

If we expect to live with Chrift in heaven, we muft live to him on earth.

We may expect God's protection fo long as we keep within God's bounds.

Our opportunities are (like our fouls) very precious; but if they are loft they are irrecoverably loft.

That preaching that is plain, pure, powerful, and practical, men are apt to dislike.

Religion begins with a knowledge of a man's felf, and is perfected with the knowledge of God.

This is a threefold myftery; a gofpel publifhed in the midst of an ungodly world; a little church preferved in the midft of devils; and, a little grace kept alive in the midft of corruptions. The fervice of God is the foul's work; and the favor of God is its reward..

A man may be imperfect in his obedience, and yet impartial.

God never fails them that wait for him, nor forfakes them that work for him.

It is a fign of advanced grace when opinion is fwallowed up of religion.

OF GOD.

That there is a God, may be proved by confidering the manner of propagation of mankind by generation. Thus,

1. There must have been one first man. 2. This firft man muft have had fome maker. 3. This maker of him muft him felf be unmade. Therefore, 4. There must have been eternally fome unmade being; and that is God.

We may truly conceive of God, though we cannot fully conceive of him. We may have right apprehenfions of him, though not an exact comprehenfion of him.

Then our conceptions of God's attributes are carnal, when our high thoughts of one give us low thoughts of another.

His goodness makes his majefty amiable, and his majefty makes his goodnels wonderful. His love is not abated by his greatness, nor his greatnefs by his love. His holiness hinders him not from dwelling with the poor in fpirit.

Nothing is great enough for him to admire, who is infinite majefty; nothing is mean enough for him to defpife, who is infinite mercy.

God deals with his fervants, not as a paffionate mafter, but as a compaffionate father.

What pleaseth God fhould pleafe us, because it pleaseth God.

A fight of God begins a faint on earth, and perfects him in heaven.

God takes notice of every particular mán as if there were none else; and yet takes notice of all as if there were but one man.

God repented that he made man, but never repented that he redeemed man.

We cannot live naturally without God, how then can we live happily without him?

We may know what God intends for us, by what he hath wrought in us.

They that have God for their God have angels for their guard.

Many have loft for God, but none ever loft by God. If they have loft in temporals, they have been eternal gainers, Matt. xix. 29.

This is a fure rule; God never takes any thing from his people, but he gives them fomething better in the ftead of it.

God is a great God, and therefore we should wait upon him; he is a good God, and therefore it is not in vain to wait upon him.

A man may be a worshipper of the true God, and yet not be a true worfhipper of God. The lowest reverence is due to the highest majefly.

Fear God for his power, truft him for his wif dom, love him for his goodness, praife him for his greatnefs, believe him for his faithfulness, and adore him for his holiness.

All creatures are as nothing compared with God, and abfolutely nothing without God.

OF THE FEAR OF GOD.

They that fear God leaft have the greatest reafon to fear him.

A fear of departing from God is a good means

to keep us from departing from him.

The more we fear God, the lefs we shall fear

men.

They that will not fear God in profperity, will be afraid of him in adverfity.

OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD.

If God's earthly prefence is so good, what is his heavenly presence?

If God's being with us is fo fweet, what is it to be with God?

There is joy in God's gracious prefence, but in his glorious prefence there is fulness of joy. There are pleafures in approaching to God here, but at his right hand there are pleafures for

evermore.

The nearer we are to Chrift, the nearer is God

to us.

The presence of God's glory is in heaven; the prefence of his power on earth, the prefence of his juftice in hell, and the presence of his grace with his people. If he deny us his powerful prefence we fall into nothing; if he deny us his gracious prefence we fall into fin; if he deny us his merciful prefence we fall into hell.

OF THE LOVE OF GOD.

If the love of God fet us on work, the God of love will pay us our wages.

God loveth his people to the end, therefore they fhall endure to the end.

He loveth them in his fon, and as long as he loveth his fon.

and as his fon,

We hated God without a caufe, and he loved us without a cause.

Love begets love. 'Tis a flame that communicates itself. They that have much forgiven them, much done for them, much laid out for them, and much laid up for them, will love much. Our love to God is the reflection of his love to us; 1 John iv. 19. We love him because he firft loved us.

OF CHRIST.

Chrift made him felf like to us, that he might make us like to himself.

Chrift muft needs have died, how elfe could fin be expiated, the law fatisfied, the devil conquered, and man be faved?

They that deny them felves for Chrift fhall enjoy themfelves in Chrift.

Men had rather hear of Chrift crucified for them, than be crucified for Chrift.

If Chrift denied innocent nature out of love to us, fhall not we deny corrupt nature out of love to him?

Chrift by his death appeared to be the fon of man, by his refurrection he appeared to be the fon of God.

Chrift was the great promise of the Old Teftament, the fpirit is the great promife of the New. Christ's ftrength is the chriftian's ftrength.

If we would ftand, Chrift muft be our foun dation; if we would be fafe, Chrift muft be our fanctuary.

In regard of natural life, we live in God; in regard of fpiritual life, Chrift lives in us.

He that thinks he hath no need of Chrift hath too high thoughts of himfelf; he that thinks

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