Page images
PDF
EPUB

in heaven, but thee, and there wome
earth, that I defire befides tice, my first an
my heart failer, but God is the firength of
my heart, and my portion for ever,

3. Hence alfo, we may particularly reflect on our own minutenefs, and the brevity of our exiftence here. We are but of yesterday, and are soon gone, but his years are throughout all generations. Our days are but as an hand-breadth, our age is as nothing before him, and at our best flate we are but vanity. While a thousand years in his fight, are but as a watch in the night, we are carried away, as with a flood, like the grafs that groweth up. And this confideration of our fhort and tranfitory ftate here, may give us hopes in the goodness of God, of mercy and compaffion from him: that, as we are fuch minute creatures, he will be merciful to our finful failures; that he will not fet our inquities before him, to use the words of the Pfalmift, nor our fecret fins in the light of his countenance, but that as a father pitieth his children, fo he will pity those who fear him.

4. That God is eternal, is also just ground of comfort and fatisfaction to good men. For as he lives for ever, his E 3

Wif

་,༩

III.

SER M. Wisdom, his Power, and Goodnefs can never fail, and his favour and mercies may be continued for ever. In the most distant ages, and to eternity, he may be relied upon: he will ever be a refuge to them that fear him. Truft ye in the Lord for ever (fays the prophet Ifaiah) for in the Lord Jehovah is everlafting ftrength. Besides him, there is none, in whom we can always truft, and who can be eternally our fecurity and ftrength. In man we fee there is often no help; he is fuddenly gone, and at his best fate, he is altogether vanity, fo that when we depend upon him, we are often deceived. He often cannot reach to us his affiftance in this fhort space of our being, and far lefs through the ages of the invifible. world. But as God invariably exifts through Eternity, there can be no alteration in his power and purposes, in any revolutions of time. And therefore, whatever he has promised in the most distant periods, fhall be made effectual. That eternal reward, that everlafting crown, which is promised to good men, fhall be fecure, as it comes from him, who is ever faithful to his promifes, and is eternally powerful to beftow it upon them,

As

III.

As he reigns, and is ever glorious through SER M. endless ages, fo the glory cannot fade, that is derived from him. He is the eternal and inexhauftible fountain, from which happiness fhall continually flow. And therefore,

5. This confideration, that God is eternal, gives us an amiable view of the bleffed enjoyments of the faints and angels in heaven. For as God is eternal and unchangeable, the happiness, in which he has placed them and promised to them, fhall never come to an end. And this will compleat and enhance all their joys and pleasures, that they fhall never fail; that when millions of ages are past, the everlafting God will continually supply them; his goodness will ever furvive, and cherifh, and bless them, and he will be their portion for ever. And O! what a pleafing profpect it must give them to reflect, that there fhall be no limited time to their felicity; that as God lives for ever (to use the words of the Pfalmift) the rivers of pleasures, and joys that are at his right hand, fhall never be exhausted. Nature may come to a period, and the whole frame of the universe may be dif folved, but the goodness of our God E 4 fhal

SER M. fhall continue for ever, to them who shall be accounted worthy of his falva

III.

tion.

In the last place, the Eternity of God ought to give terror to wicked men, to those who rebel against his laws and government. They have juft ground to fear, that, as they are at enmity with him, their happiness will ever be oppofed and destroyed by him, who ever exifts and reigns to take vengeance upon them. He can reach them in any ftate of their being, and make them everlasting examples of his justice. Their punishment he can eternally continue, and who knows, or can defcribe the power of his anger, that may be exerted through endless ages. The wrath of an earthly prince, whofe breath is in his nostrils, may often be eafily evaded; for his envy and hatred sometimes fuddenly perish with him; but alas! who can deliver from the wrath of the eternal king of the universe : no length of time can limit

his

power and vengeance. Confider this, all ye who forget God! Fear him who can deftroy both body and foul in hell, where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

SER

57

SERMON

IV.

The Tranflation of ENOCH.

GENESIS v. 24.

And Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.

T

IV.

HESE words contain a fhort ac- SER M. count of one of the patriarchs who lived before the flood; and who is distinguished to all generations, by the noble character which is here given of him, and the wonderful manner of his Tranflation. He lived in the times when men began to corrupt themselves, and when God faw that the wickednefs of man was great in the earth; and he was, we may suppose, a living Example of righteousness, to a vicious and debauched world. He was one of those witneffes to the truth, whom God fometimes raifes up, to give their teftimony to religion' and virtue, in the midst of a general apoftacy.

There

« PreviousContinue »