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there is in it of felf-denial, of devotedness to God, of fubjec tion to his providence. One act of filent submission, or a quiet application to those duties that are immediately neceffary, though neither eafy nor honorable, is of much more value, than a long tract of activity and zeal in a pub. lic and visible sphere of action, fweetened by reputation and applause. As the fubmiffive Christian lives upon the Creator alone, independent of the creature, fo the obedient Christian serves his God and Redeemer alone, without paying any regard to the esteem or approbation of his fellow-finners. In this way only is your obedience given to God, and in this way only will you find it pleafant or profitable to yourfelves. If you keep clearly and clofely to the command of God, and have not fo much as any other defire or inclination, than to know what it is, you will hardly ever be mistaken. But if you allow other motives to have place, if you take upon you to judge of what is most proper or expedient, or even practicable, you will pollute every part of your duty, and find yourselves often involved in impenetrable darkness. If what is duty be the inquiry, and interest set aside, if duty be the ob ject of your attention, and events left to God, you will find unfpeakable confolation from it in the mean time, as well as the fuccefs more effectually fecured, than it could poffibly have been by any anxiety or forefight of your own. God then have the unadulterated obedience of all his creatures; and let us afk of him, according to his promise, "to "work in us to will and to do of his good pleasure."

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The NAME of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

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HIS book of Proverbs confists almost entirely of observations upon human life. The characters and pursuits of men are described in it with a strength and propriety, which was never exceeded by thofe who devoted their whole attention to the ftudy of what is called the knowledge of the world and of mankind. But in one particular it differs from, and excels all human learning, that it never separates the knowledge of the world from the knowledge of him who made and who governs it. There we are taught to improve the leffons we receive in the course of providence, for leading us to obedience and submission to him, "who doth according to his will in the "army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; "and none can stay his hand, or fay unto him, what dost "thou? There, while a view is given us of the innumerable paths which men have ftruck out for themselves in travelling through life, our eyes are continually directed to the paths of righteousness, the fure and only way to rest and peace.

Experience alone, and unaffifted, will make us wifer in one sense, will show us many of the unavoidable calamities of life; but the greatest exertion of human reafon could never yet lead to an effectual cure. I believe it

will be found, that perfons of the greatest vigor and refolution of mind, when they trufted to their own internal ftrength, and fought a refource in themselves for the evils with which they were affaulted, have often run headlong into the most furious and defperate courses, as fome of the ftrongest animals, when taken in a fnare, do, by their violent ftruggles, entangle themselves the more, drawing the cords which bind them ftill more ftrait, and increase their confinement by their endeavors to escape.

The wife man, in our text, points out what is the refuge and fecurity of every child of God. The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. And he certainly intends to fet this in oppofition to every thing elfe on which worldly men might place their dependance; for he adds, as an example, in the verse following the text, "The rich man's wealth is "his ftrong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit." The truth conveyed to us in this paffage has an intimate connexion with practical and experimental religion; and on a firm belief and habitual application of it, in a great measure, depends the comfort and peace of the fervants of God. In difcourfing on it, I fhall endeavor, in divine ftrength,

I. To explain what is to be understood by the NAME of the LORD.

II. What is implied in the righteous running into it as a strong tower.

III. Point out the fecurity they attain by doing fo.

And, in the last place, I fhall make fome application of the fubject.

I. Then, I am to explain what is to be underflood by the NAME of the LORD. And here, I hope, I need scarce obferve, that it was by no means the intention of the Spirit of God, by this expreffion, to teach us to conceive any particular virtue or charm in the name literally fo called; that is, the found or pronunciation of the word. To imagine any thing of this kind, would be to go into the foolery and idle dreams of fuperftition, to which there is not the leaft countenance given in the holy Scriptures. Hu

man nature feems, however, to have been very prone to this in every age. The ufe of amulets and charms feems to have prevailed in the greateft part of the heathen na. tions; as alfo magical incantations, though it did not exert itself precifely in the fame way, the principle feems to have been the fame, which led the Jews from a pretended veneration for the name Jehovah, never to pronounce it at all; a custom which they retain to this day, alledging, either that they cannot pronounce it, or that it is unlawful to utter it. We may alfo obferve, that, in our neighbor church, they feem to have fallen into the fame error in the cuftom of bowing at the name of Jefus, while they do not bow to the names of Chrift, Lord, or God.

Having mentioned these things for the illuftration of the subject before us, I cannot help obferving, that if a fuperftitious veneration for the letters or the found of a name, is blame-worthy, a rafh profanation of the name of God is unfpeakably more criminal. My heart bleeds to think of the commonnefs of this fin, among all ranks and all ages. What have those parents to answer for, who have taught, or who have not restrained their children from taking the name of God in vain? This is a fin little thought of among men, but highly criminal in the fight of God, and he hath taken to himself the work of avenging it: "For "the Lord will not hold him guiltlefs who taketh his name " in vain."

By the NAME of the LORD, in our text, we are to under. ftand the Lord God himself; his nature as it is discovered to us in all his glorious perfections, particularly his power and goodness, to fave and deliver them that put their trusi in him. In this fenfe the name of God, or the name of the Lord, is used in many paffages of Scripture, as Pial. XX. I, 5, 7, verfes, "The Lord hear thee in the day of "trouble, the name of the God of Jacob defend thee. We "will rejoice in thy falvation, and in the name of our "God we will fet up our banners.-Some truft in chariots, "and fome in horfes; but we will remember the name of "the Lord our God." As alfo in all thofe places where mention is made of calling on the name of the Lord, or praising the name of the Lord. Agreeably to this, we find,

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in our Saviour's directory for prayer, the following petiti on, Hallowed be thy name; that is, let God himself, and his glorious perfections be acknowledged, and a fuitable regard paid to them, by all without exception. The fame way of speaking is obferved with respect to Christ, Acts iv. 12. "For there is none other name, under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be faved." That is to fay, there is no other Saviour, befides Christ, to whom we can flee for deliverance from guilt and mifery. At the fame time, it is eafy to fee the propriety of this expression, the name of the Lord; it is ufed for God himfelf, because, amongst mankind, we are distinguished from one another by our names, fo God is known or distinguished by the discoveries he hath made of himself, and the daily exercise of his perfections, in behalf of his people.

There are three principal ways by which God hath discovered himself to mankind; namely, the visible creation, his written word, and the daily administration of his providence. Let us confider them fhortly, as they may be justly said to be his name; for they serve to explain his

nature.

1. Let us confider the vifible creation as the name of God. He hath engraven his name on all the works of his hands; he hath engraven it in an univerfal language, in which every intelligent creature may read it, and the most weak and ignorant may eafily comprehend it. Pfal. xix. 1. "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firma"ment fheweth his handy works." Rom. i. 20. "For "the invifible things of him, from the creation of the "world, are clearly feen; being understood by the things "that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead."

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Are men ignorant of God? It is because they do not like to retain him in their knowledge; for the whole creation is full of him, He is not far from every one of us.' We can no where turn our eyes, to the heavens above, or to the earth below, but we may fee the most manifeft proofs of his almighty power, his unfearchable wisdom, his unbounded goodness, and his universal prefence. How feeling a sense of this does the Pfalmift exprefs, Pfal. cxxxix. 1-7. " O Lord, thou haft fearched me, and known me.

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