confidence, and the greateft fatisfaction and pleasure. "He beholds the hand of God conducting all the hidden Springs and movements of the universe, and, with a fecret but unerring operation, directing every event," fo as to promote and effect the greateft poffible good, his own glory and the greateft happiness of his kingdom, and of all who truft in him; and with pleasure places the greatest and moft unreferved confidence in him, and cafts all his care upon him. "He refts in the Lord, and waits patiently for him.”

Thus the pious, benevolent man trufts in God to glorify himself by all things, and all events, that take place, however dark, and of a contrary tendency, they may appear to him to be. And he implicitly, without feeing how it may be done, relies upon Him to bring good, unfpeakable good, out of all evil; fo that no event fhall take place that fhall not be beft, on the whole, and all fhall iflue to the greatest advantage to his fervants, and his eternal kingdom. And he places his hope and truft wholly in this God, for all he defires and wants for himself perfonally, and for his fellow creatures, for body or foul, in time and to eternity: and the language of his heart is that of David, [Pfal. Ixii. 5, &c.] My foul, wait thou only upon God: for my expectation is from him. He only is my Rock and my falvation; he is my defence: I fhall not be moved. In God is my falvation and my glóry: the Rock of my ftrength, and my refuge, is in God. Truft in him at all times, ye people; pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us."

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In fhort, this doctrine, inculcated in our text, and taught through the whole Bible, being understandingly and cordially received, will pull down and deftroy that felf-confidence and felf-dependence, which is natural to man, and with which felf love infpires him; it is levelled directly against the selfishnefs and pride of man, and fuited to caft down every high thing in his heart, which

*Dr. Blair's Sermons, vol. i. p. 46.

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exalts

brast exalts itself against the knowledge of God; to exalt God, and humble man, and form him to cleave to God and the Redeemer, in a humble truft and dependence on Him alone. No wonder then that this doctrine is fo difagreeable to those whofe selfishness and pride have never been fubdued, and has been fo much oppofed in this finful world.

4. An entire, unconditional refignation to the will of God, and pleafing acquiefcence in it, is an effential part of true piety. In order to this, the will of God must be confidered as unchangeably wife and good, and as wifely ordering and guiding all events to anfwer a good end; and ordering all evil as the neceffary occafion and means of the greateft good. God cannot be omnipotent, infinitely wife and good, unless he has foreordained whatfoever comes to pafs; and therefore on any other fuppofition there would be no foundation or reafon for an implicit, unreferved refignation to his will. The pious, benevolent mind cannot acquiefce in any thing or event which is not wife and good; it cannot be reconciled to evil, confidered in itfelf, only as evil; but in order to be pleafed with its taking place, it must be confidered in its connection with the good of which it is the occafion. Therefore true refignation to the will of God does fuppofe him to guide all the movements in the univerfe, and order all events in infinite wifdom and goodness. In this view, and certain of this, the language of the pious, benevolent heart is,. Thy will be done;" without making any exception. or condition. Whatever evil takes place refpecting himself or others, he is ready to efpoufe the language of pious Eli: It is the Lord, let him do what feemeth good unto him." He with pleasure exercifeth an unreferved fubmiffion and refignation to the all-wife and infinitely good Being.

5. Repentance towards God, and humbling ourselves. in his fight for our fins, is included in the exercife of Chriftian piety. This confifts in a fenfe and acknowledgment of the evil of fin, of its ill defert, feeling our

felves wholly blameable and anfwerable for it, abhorring it, and condemning ourselves for it, renouncing it, and turning from it; in which the finner juftifies God, and approves of his law, and condemns and takes fhame to himself. This always takes place and is exercised in the view of thofe truths, which are at leaft implied in the doctrine which we are confidering. And it is impoffible the heart fhould repent while it opposes this doctrine, and thofe truths which are contained in it. This can be done only by an impenitent, felfifh, proud heart, which does always oppofe and hate this doctrine, though the underftanding and judgment may be con

vinced that it is true.

The doctrine of the decrees of God, foreordaining what oever comes to pafs, for his own glory and the greatelt general good, neceffarily includes his hatred of fin, and the evil and criminal nature of it, as it oppofes the glory of God, and the general good; and the finner, who is guilty of it, does herein exprefs his enmity against God, and the good which is the object of his decrees and were the natural tendency and confequence of fin to take place, without being counteracted, and overruled to answer an end which fin and the finner oppofe, God's end in his decrees would be fruftrated, he would be difhonoured, and good be destroyed by unlimited evil.

The finner is as blameable and criminal, as if his fin was not overruled for good; for the nature of it is juft as bad and unreasonable as if no good came of it; and fin is as great a crime as it would be, were there no divine decrees; and in fome refpects greater: for the finner acts as freely as he could were there no decrees; he has all the freedom that is in the nature of things poffible; he acts voluntarily, and he oppofes the wife, holy and benevolent decrees of God, and that infinitely wife, beautiful and benevolent plan which he has laid, and is executing, even in that very fin and rebellion by which he is accomplishing it. When the finner's eyes are opened to fee all this, he fees the evil of fin, as it is

opposed

opposed to this infinitely great and glorious God, to all his wife and benevolent purposes and decrees, and to that wife, glorious and all-comprehending plan of his operations. He fees this, and adores, and his heart breaks and melts in contrition, and felf-condemnation, humbling himself in the fight of this God. But the impenitent finner is irreconcilable, and at enmity with such a God, and, in the pride and impiety of his heart, "replies against God," and fays, "Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath refifted his will ?”

6. Religious joy in God, and his government and kingdom, is a branch of true piety. This is inculcated abundantly in the holy fcripture; and Chriftians are commanded to "rejoice always in the Lord." And we have many examples of the religious joy of pious perfons. The fruit of the Spirit is joy. Believers rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; and this joy no man can take from them. This is the joy of the benevolent heart, in the exercise of that love to God, which has been described above, beholding him infinitely great and most bleffed forever, having an uncontroulable dominion over all, decreeing and fixing from eternity every thing, and all events, in the wifeft and beft manner, to promote and effect the most desirable and important end, and the greateft poflible good of the whole. With this the benevolent mind is fupported and pleased, in all the darkness, fin and evil which take place in this world, and in the view of what will exift forever in the world to come, knowing that God has ordered it all, for the fake of the good which he will bring out of it; that the wrath of man fhall praise him; and the remainder of wrath, which would not answer this, or any good end, he will effectually reftrain and prevent. In this view he has folid, lafting fupport, comfort and joy, and fays, "THE LORD REIGNETH, LET THE EARTH REJOICE. REJOICE IN THE LORD, YE RIGHTEOUS."

And as this truth, taken in the full latitude of it, is fuited to fupport, comfort and rejoice the heart of the

pious friends of God, in whatever fituation they may be, and whatever may be the appearance of things around them; fo it is the only truth which can support them. If they give up or let go their hold of this ftrong foundation and prop, they muft fink into gloom, forrow and defpair. If they have no certainty that God cannot be disappointed in his counfel and defigns, and that he has fixed the best plan, including all events, which cannot be altered for the better; if they know not but things may take place, which are not on the whole beft, but God might have been more glorified, and his people more happy, had they not come to pass; and did they believe this to be the cafe, they must sink into darkness, grief and forrow, which no confideration could remove, but must abide on their minds forever.

And when they behold the fin and univerfal apoftacy of mankind, and the infinitely dreadful evils that are the attendants and confequence of this, and know that this was not accidental, or afide from the divine plan; but has been ordered and determined by God, that the way might be opened for Redemption by the Son of God, the moft glorious work of God, by which he is glorified, the Redeemer exalted and honoured forever; and the redeemed made most happy in the eternal kingdom of God, in which they hope alfo to fhare, and behold and love and ferve and praife this God without end; their benevolent joy rifes ftill higher. And the more they contemplate this divine contrivance and plan, with all its appendages, and difcern the manifold wif dem, and boundless goodness of it, t more does their

joy increase, and they are ready to exclaim, with St. Paul," O, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unfearchable are his judgments, and his ways paft finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counfellor? Or who hath firft given to him? and it fhall be recompenfed unto him again. For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things; to whom be glory forever, Amen."