It is alfo no small comfort and fecurity to the good man, that his recompenfe depends not on the fuccefs of his endeavours. Known unto God are all things, and in his hands are the iffues of all our labours; and, independent of them, he can do whatever pleaseth him. Nevertheless, we are answerable for all our actions, and our most fecret thoughts are not hidden from him. In a word. In our christian warfare, let every foldier of Jesus Christ attend to and keep his poft. Let him be fober and vigilant; let him live in the fear of God, in fimplicity and fincerity; let him live to himself, only by living to others; and be virtuous here that he may be truly happy here, and everlastingly happy hereafter. In like manner, may we, my brethren, fo acquit ourselves in all our varied fituations and relations in life, that we may finish this temporary scene of probation in the fpirit and temper of our great master; and fhew forth fuch great love to God, to our friends, and the whole family of mankind, as may amount to a full obedience to the gofpel of Chrift, and obtain the final approbation of God. SERMON SERMON XXV. THE WISDOM OF GOD IN THE WORKS OF PSALM CIV. 24. O LORD! HOW MANIFOLD ARE THY WORKS; IN WISDOM HAST THOU MADE THEM ALL: THE EARTH IS FULL OF THY RICHES. IN the book of pfalms we meet with a rich variety of the most elevated fentiments concerning almighty God; fentiments, which express the most undivided affection and most fervent piety of the human heart towards the great author of our being, from whom, and from whom alone, we receive all we enjoy or hope for. In this view, they are, generally speaking, well adapted to form a part of our religious fervice. Some of them, indeed, are attended with difficulties which prevent their being accommodated to chriftian worship; VOL. I. G g but but many of these difficulties would be in a great degree removed by a tranflation. more correct Nevertheless, the prefent fubfifting verfions of this book abound with expreffions of true dignity and fimplicity united; expreffions, which, at once, convey fentiments that grace our lips in the delivery, affift the mind in its meditations, and are at the same time level to the common understanding of mankind. "O Jehovah! how manifold are thy "works; in wisdom haft thou made them "all the earth is full of thy riches." This is an acknowledgment that God is; that his works are without number, and perfect in their kind, for in wisdom he made them all. It expreffeth also a grateful acknowledgment of the abundance of his bleffings in this habitable world in which we dwell," the earth is full of his riches." By the name of Jehovah, we express the peculiarly appropriate name of the first great caufe of all things, and governor of the univerfe; a name, which leaves no doubt in respect either to his existence before all time, ΟΓ or his continuance to all eternity; his abfolute unity, or his being the only proper object of all religious worship: in the words of the pfalmift, "men may know that "he whofe name alone is Jehovah, is the "most high over all the earth *.' " The works of Jehovah are manifold, they are confpicuous in every thing we behold, and in nothing are they more wonderful than in our own frame and conftitution of body and mind. The organization and structure of the whole animal world; and the faculties in man and beaft, which we denominate reafon and instinct, proclaim, with one united voice, the wisdom and goodness of the author of our being. Traverse the vast range and claffes of ftores intombed in the bowels of the earth, and the principle of vegetation which is given to it: examine the rich foffil or the neglected pebble, the foliage of the ftately tree, the ornamental shrub, or the humble blade of grass; these all in filent, but expreffive language fay, in wisdom were we formed. The grain of fand and the huge rock, the gentle stream and the impetuous torrent, Gg 2 Pfalm lxxxiii. 18. torrent, the little valley and the thousand hills, the level field and the rugged defert, are all evidences of the wifdom and power of Jehovah, our God. The gentle breeze and tempestuous wind, the refreshing shower and the greater rain, the genial warmth of the fun and the keen froft, hail and fnow, are all the meffengers of various bleffings. The more we confider and reflect upon the works of creation, the more we shall be impelled, when we behold them, to cry out in joy and thankfulness, that truly they are very good. When we contemplate the scenes of nature and reflect on nature's laws, where fhall we fet bounds to the tribute of gratitude which is due from us. In life and in death ought we to acknowledge the goodness and loving-kindness of God. If now we turn to our fituation as religious and moral characters, how greatly increased will be our obligation to devote ourfelves to the good pleasure of the Lord, Jehovah; to do his will, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments. He hath dignified our nature with reason, and hath fet before us a well-authenticated revelation of |