with all the endowments of the mind, are so uncertain and mutable, that no man can promise on the possession of them. The fairest character may be sullied with the breath of calumny; our friends may prove false or abandon us through mistake; or, when they are faithful, and in all respects comfortable to us, yet death may snatch them from us one after another, till we are in a manner left solitary in the midst of the earth. Health and strength, and whatever else belongs to the body, are of all things the least durable, and the most subject to change. Life itself is but a vapour, which, for any thing we know, may vanish into air the very next breath we draw. We see frequently also, that the mind, as well as the body, is liable to many sad disasters. In some men, the intellectual powers are so blunted and impaired, that they seem to be almost totally extinguished; and, in others, so strangely disordered, that, instead of being of use to them, they serve only to render them more completely wretched. In a word, our condition upon earth is liable to continual alteration, and there is nothing we can be secure of so much as for one moment. How foolish, then, are they who promise themselves any durable happiness in this world? Such persons may truly be said to build their house upon the sand; and though, perhaps, they may be allowed to raise it to some height, yet, ere long, some sudden unforeseen storm shall lay it in ruins, and bury all their vain expectations under it.

But what I would chiefly observe on this head is, that frequently the people of God are exercised with the severest trials, and meet with the sharpest afflictions while they remain upon earth. For this mutability of the creatures is not the effect of chance but of design. God thereby designs to render all those inexcusable who choose them for their portion: and when his own children are

in danger of being ensnared by them, he pulls them, as it were, with violence out of their hands, that they may be aware of contracting too close an alliance with them in future. He will not suffer them to continue long in so dangerous an error; and he sends the rod to undeceive them he frequently repeats the stroke, to remind them that they are only sojourners in a strange land, and to quicken their desires for their Father's house above; for their Father's house, where alone they shall have fullness of joy and pleasures for evermore.

2dly. As the inconstancy of the creatures is here supposed, so this promise necessarily implies, that the presence of God with his people is a sufficient ground of consolation in every state and condition of life. David was sensible of this when he said in the 23d Psalm, "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me:" and upon the same principle, the prophet Habakkuk triumphs in name of the church. "Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall there be fruit in the vines, the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation."

We read in the book of Daniel, that after Nebuchadnezzar the king had caused Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego, to be cast into the burning fiery furnace, he was astonished, and rose up in haste, and said unto his counsellors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? And lo! I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." Is there a man who reads this passage, that does not prefer the condition of these captives to all the splendours of the Babylonish

throne? How little does the trembling monarch seem, though surrounded with his counsellors? How glorious do the three young Jews appear, whilst walking amidst flames with their God and Saviour? How would they rejoice in this exalted privilege? And yet, my brethren, all the saints who have God really present with them, although they cannot see him with their bodily eyes, have equal cause to rejoice in the midst of tribulation. For if God be with them, then he is with them who is infinitely wise, who is perfectly acquainted with all their wants, and can never be at a loss to know what is good for them. He is with them who is infinitely pow. erful, and can easily perform whatever his unerring wisdom shall suggest. He is with them who is perfectly good, yea goodness itself; who is always disposed to employ his wisdom in contriving, and his power in executing, whatever is necessary for their interest and happiness. Yea, he is with them who hath already bestow. ed on them the greatest of all blessings, even Jesus Christ his unspeakable gift; and, as the Apostle reasons, "If God spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" And is not the presence of such a God sufficient for the comfort of his people at all times? Who would mourn the loss of a taper, who enjoys the light of the sun? All the creatures are nothing without God; whereas he is all in all: "In his favour is life, and his loving kindness is better than life." Even Balaam was constrained to confess this truth in the presence of Balak (Numbers xxiii. 23.) "Surely," says he, "there is no enchantment against Jacob, nor any divination against Israel; for the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them." If the happiness of Solomon's courtiers excited the admiration of the queen of Sheba, be

cause they had access to the presence of so wise and magnificent a king, how inconceivably more happy are the friends, nay, the children of the King of kings, whe have the infinitely perfect and all sufficient Jehovah continually near to them? Which leads me to observe, in the

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3d place, That the constant presence of God with his people is the blessing expressly contained in his promise, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." All other things may forsake you. Riches may take wings and fly away; friends may desert you, or they may die ; your reputation may be blasted; your health and strength may fail and decay; yea, memory, judgment, and all the faculties of your mind, may be weakened or destroyed: "But I will never leave you, I will never forsake you;" my friendship is unchangeable; " And whom I love, I love to the end." All this, saith the Apostle, God hath said; but he doth not tell us when or where he hath said it, because he hath said it so often, and upon such various occasions, that it is to be met with almost every where in Scripture, and in a manner sounds through the whole revelation of his will. And indeed I cannot illustrate this head better, than by reciting some of those passages where this general and comprehensive promise is particularly applied for the comfort of God's people, under the various trials and afflictions to which they are exposed in this world. All who are acquainted with their Bibles, will remember to have read such passages as these: "When thou passest through the wa ters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt, neither shall the flame kin dle upon thee; for I am the Lord thy God." "When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them,

I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water." "The Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in time of trouble." "The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish." "He shall dwell on high, his defence shall be the munition of rocks. Bread shall be given him, his waters shall be sure." "The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing. Thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness." "A father of the fatherless, a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation."—" Fear not," saith he, "for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

I might quote many other texts, where God promiseth to be with his people in every case of distress that can he supposed; but I shall have said enough to give you some notion of the vast extent of this comfortable promise, when I have added, that it reacheth beyond the grave, and comprehends no less than eternity itself. As God will not leave his people in life, as he will not forsake them at death; so he will at last receive them into glory, and make them to dwell for ever in his immediate presence. But who are his people? Who are the happy persons that may apply the comfort of this promise to themselves? This is the

Second thing I proposed to inquire into.

And, in general, this promise is addressed to believers in Christ Jesus, and to them only, exclusive of all others; for this is the order which God hath established. He first gives us his Son; and when this, "unspeakable gift" is thankfully received, then, together with, him, he