up from the womb; thou art my trust from my youth ; my praise shall ever be of thee.'

But the progress of life, as well as its beginning, is from the Lord. He hath nourished and brought us up as children; hath made us dwell in safety, and kept our life from the power of the grave; he hath healed our distresses, heard our supplications, and crowned us with tender mercies.

Our various situations in life, our worldly calling, our success in business, our kindred and abode, though seemingly accidental, are ascribed in scripture to the care, the guidance, and government of Divine Providence. The great Lord of all appoints our station, assigns our work, and gives to all, life, breath, and all things.

Look back upon your past days; remember the way by which Jehovah hath led

you; and behold him thwarting your own plans; disappointing the schemes of your kindest friends ; raising up unexpected benefactors ; making cross occurrences productive of much benefit ; and rendering seemingly accidental interviews the origin of interesting events in life. But here let me particularly remind you, that in his all-governing providence, he has peculiarly regarded your spiritual interests. To him you owe those distinguished religious privileges with which you are favoured, and those precious means of grace to which you have free access; those pious parents, who train you up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; those faithful pastors, who warn you to flee from wrath; and those kind monitors, who beseech you to shun the path in which destroyers go. To him you owe the lively oracles of truth, the peaceful sanctuary, the reviving sacrament of the Supper, the liberty of prayer, the communion of saints, and the dispensation of word and ordinances.

He has not dealt thus with every one ; it therefore well becomes you to adopt the animated language of the text, ascribing grateful hosannahs to the Lord God omnipotent, whose much indebted pensioners you are ; and saying, in sincerity of heart, Here we raise our Ebenezer; for hitherto hath the Lord helped us, and he hath done all things well.

This acknowledgement you may thank, fully adopt, not only concerning the evident mercies already mentioned, but also with respect to the adverse circumstances in your lot. Your afflictions spring not from the dust, nor befall you by chance; they were sent in mercy, and wisely timed to humble and to try you; to chastise your offences, and reclaim your wandering steps ; to discover and remove your secret corruptions; to try and improve your spiritual graces; to increase your faith ; and to exercise your submission and patience.

But this should lead forward our meditations to the second subject proposed for illustration, viz. · the glorious properties of our God's providential administration. This, with the practical improvement, will furnish matter for a second discourse on this text.

SERMON

SERMON III.

ON PROVIDENCE.

REVELATIONS xix. 6.

And I heard as it were the voice of a great

multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, says ing, Alleluia ; for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

Having, in the former discourse on this text, spoken to you concerning the wide extent of Jehovah's dominion, we now proceed to enumerate some of the essential properties of his providential administration towards mankind in general, and to his own renewed adopted children in particular.

The word Providence suggests two ideas intimately connected together, namely, pre

.

servation and government. : First, By the providence of God, we mean his preserving men in life, and continuing their power of acting, so long as he sees it expedient to make them instrumental in fulfilling his plans on earth; and then removing them in his appointed season, and raising up others in their room: “ The Lord raiseth 66

up,

and putteth down ; he wounds and heals; he kills or keeps alive. He hath appointed a time for man on earth, and hath determined the number of his months.” Sometimes, indeed, men are said to die before their time; this only means, that they die before the period to which, in human probability, they might have lived, but not before the period known to our God, and permitted by him. Sometimes their days are shortened by intemperance or vice, by frenzy or violence, by famine or war; so that we bewail them as dying an untimely death: but this is ordained of God for judgment, or correction ; for punishment of sin, or warning to others, or for other important purposes, to be revealed in the day of the manifestation of all things.

Besides the preservation of man so long

as