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vain world. Let us not think that a few cheap prayers, or some slight alms, or a formal profession of Christianity, will purchase us happiness hereafter. Let us, as Christians, imitate our Master in doing good actions, great as our capacities, and great as our hopes. And as we hope our souls will survive these mortal bodies, let us not fail to do all the great and good things we can.

Let us lay up in store a good foundation of good works against the time to come, that so we may lay hold on eternal life, and inherit those mansions of bliss, which Christ has gone before to prepare for his faithful servants.

Now to him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy; to the only wise God our Saviour be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

SERMON V.

AY WHICH

THE NECESSITY OF DIVINE GRACE,

IN ORDER TO

MAN'S OBEDIENCE,

CLEALY DEMONSTRATED.

- PSALM 1xxxi. 12.

So I gave them up unto their own hearts lusts, and they walked in their own counsels.

THE great God is introduced in this psalm recounting to the children of Israel the many signal instances of favour and mercy which he had vouchsafed them in the times of their

calamity and distress. copious subject, fit,

for an infinitely gracious God to enter upon, which can be exhausted by infinity alone.

Thou calledst upon me, says he, in trouble, and I delivered thee in all thy necessities, and answered every complaint. When you groaned under, the cruel oppression of the Egyptian task-masters, I eased your shoulders from making the pots. I went through the land of Egypt, and destroying all their first born, brought you forth with a mighty hand, and a stretched out arm.

Again, when you cried unto me in a new distress; when Pharaoh, with his chariots and horsemen, pursued and overtook you encamped at the Red Sea: the Egyptians whom you saw

that day with sore amazement and fear, ye saw them again no more for ever; but, in raptures of joy sung, The Lord hath triumphed gloriously, the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

Once more, having escaped this danger, and got into a barren and dry wilderness, where famine and dearth seemed to reign, then I sent manna from heaven and fed you in abundance with the food of angels. I also smote the stony rock and the waters gushed out, and the streams flowed withal; feeding and sustaining you at the expence of a daily miracle. Thus I plead my title to your obedience. Wherefore, hear O my people, and I will "testify unto thee O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me; there shall be no strange God in thee; I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, open thy mouth wide and I will fill it. Enlarge thy desires, and I will satisfy the utmost measure of them.

Could it be imagined that these people could so soon forget this God who had done so great things for them, and loved them almost to a degree of fondness? And yet, amazing to think on it! we find him entering a heavy complaint against them in the following words. "But my people would not hear my voice, Israel would none of me, they turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them; they made them a molten calf, and worshipped it, und sacrificed thereunto, and said these be thy Gods O Israel which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. So being daily provoked and worn out by

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