SER M.verlafting, and World without End.
IV. Power, his Goodness, his
ther Perfections, are all

changeable as his Being.

His

Mercy, and oeternal and un

On this Secu

and Deut.

rity, the mind of man (after a Life of
Virtue) may rely with full Satisfaction;
and they who love righteoufnefs will be
joyful therein, Trust ye in the Lord for
ever; for in the Lord Jehovah, is ever-
lafting Strength, If. xxvi. 4.
xxxiii, 26, There is none like the God of
Jefurun; who rideth upon the Heavens
in thy help, and in his excellency on the
Sky: The eternal God is thy refuge, and
underneath are the everlasting Arms; and
he fhall thrust out the Enemy from before
thee. The fame Argument is made use of
likewife by the Apostle, with regard to
the Interceffion and Mediation of Chrift;
Heb. vii. 25, He his able to fave Them to
the uttermoft, that come unto God by him,
Seeing he ever liveth to make interceffion
for them. Other fecurity there is no
where to be found; nor any thing that
can afford fufficient comfort and fupport,
in the days of adversity and trouble. The
Power of Men will fail, and their Friend-

fhip is fallible and uncertain. The Plea-SER M. fures of Life are short; and the time will

come, when there fhall be no relish in
them. At least, Death puts an end to all
the injoyments, and all the hopes of this
present Life. And therefore a Wise man
will above all things endeavour, to fecure
to himself the Favour of Him who li-
veth for ever; who alone can unloose the
Bands, even of Death itself; and crown
him with Immortality, and eternal Life.
Hearken unto Me, faith the Prophet, ye
that know righteousness; the people, in
whofe heart is my Law. Fear ye not the
reproach of men, neither be afraid of their
reviling. For the
up like a garment, and the worm shall
eat them like wool. But my righteousness
fhall be for ever, and my falvation from
generation to generation, If. li. 7, 8. And
ch. ii. 22, Ceafe ye from man, whose
breath is in his Noftrils; (whofe Life de-
pends on so small a thing as a Breath; )
For wherein is he accounted of? The Pfal-
mift in like manner, Pf. cxlvi. 2, O put
not your trust in Princes, nor in any Child
of man; for there is no help in them.

Moth shall eat them

GA

IV.

For

n

IV.

SERM. For when the Breath of Man goeth forth, he fall turn again to his earth, and then all his thoughts perish. Bleed is be, that hath the God of Jacob for his help, and whose Hope is in the Lord his God.

4thly, THE Confideration of This divine Perfection, the Eternity of God, is a ground for frail and mortal man to hope for Pity and Compassion from him, This is the Ufe the Prophet Ifaiah makes of this Meditation, ch. lvii. 16, I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: For the Spirit fhould fail before me, and the Souls which I have made. The Pfalmift likewife, Pf. cii. 24, I faid, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my Days; Thy years are throughout all Generations. And Pf. ciii. 13, Like as a Father pitieth his children fo the Lord pitieth them that fear him; For he knoweth our Frame, he remembreth that we are but duft. As for man, his days are as grafs; as a flower of the Field, fo be flourisheth: For the wind paffeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof fhall know it no more. But the mercy of

the Lord, is from everlafting to everlaft

ing, upon them that fear him; and his right- SER M teousness unto childrens children.

5thly, THE Confideration of God's being eternal, leads us to a right knowledge and juft fenfe of the Excellency of that Reward, wherewith he will finally crown those who obey his Commandments. The Greatness of which Reward confifts principally in This, that it is an Inheritance which fadeth not away, eternal in the Heavens. This is a Reward worthy of Him to beftow, whose Kingdom ruleth over all; and which He alone is capable of bestowing, who HimSelf liveth and reigneth for ever.

Be

bold I come quickly, fays our Lord, invest-
ed with his Father's Power and Eternal
Dominion; (in the glory of his Father,
as 'tis expreffed, Matt. xvi. 27;) behold,
(faith he,) I come quickly, and my Reward
is with me, to give every man according as
bis Work Shall be, Rev. xxii. 12.
reafon is annexed, ver. 13. I am Alpha
and Omega, the Beginning and the End,
the First and the Laft. God who liveth
for ever, hath promifed to reward his
Servants eternally; And therefore most

The

elegantly

IV.

SER M. elegantly follows in the next verfe That IV. affectionate Exclamation, ver. 14. Blef

fed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the Tree of Life. God is eternal, by Neceffity of Nature; But Man's immortality, is of free Grace. This therefore his dependent Immortality, or his Poffibility of attaining to be Immortal, was excellently reprefented at first by that Figure of the Tree of Life growing in Paradife; And his condemnation to Mortality, by his exclufion from the Benefit of that Tree. And his reftoration to Immortality again by the Will of God, is no lefs properly defcribed, by his being again

the Tree of Life; Rev. ii. 7.

admitted to

To him that

overcometh, will I give to eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the Paradife of God.

Laftly; Ir God is Eternal, this confideration ought to be matter of infinite Terror to all impenitent and incorrigible Sinners; that he who liveth for ever, as he will reward his Servants eternally, fo he can punish his Enemies as long as he pleafes; for there is no End of his Power.