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that, as God has at all times declared this, SERM. they may be well assured of their eternal reward.

2. We may observe, that God has in all ages given fufficient assurances of a life to come, not only by several notices or declarations of it, but by plain examples. In the Patriarchal ages when men began to corrupt themselves, and fall from their primitive innocence, he gave a strong intimation of it by the affumption of Enoch, and then afterwards, in the corrupted times of the Jewish church, by that of Elijah; and last of all, by the refurrection and ascension of our blessed Saviour. So that this grand truth has been abundantly declared, and illustrated to the world, befides all the evidence for it from the deductions of reason. God has been pleased in his goodness, to leave all men inexcusable, and to give them a plain rule for obtaining glory and happiness. And if they will not be perfuaded to follow the light that is given them, the fault must rest upon themselves, when by their own wicked and perverse conduct, they become eternal fufferers.

SERM. 3. We may fee, that the substance of

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true and rational religion has been nearly the fame in all ages; viz. Faith in God and Holiness of life in walking with him, and the belief of a life to come. The religion of the Patriarchs, of Mofes, and the gofpel, all tend to direct men to everlafting life and happiness; and they shew, that there is but one path, that of virtue and goodness, which will fafely conduct us to it. In this plain path then, let us perfift, so shall we at length arrive at those heavenly mansions, which alone are worthy our pursuit, because in them alone our wishes can be compleated.

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SERMON V.

The Power of GOD.

PSAL. LXII. II.

God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this, that Power belongeth unto God.

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HE Power of God, is that aw-SERM. ful attribute, by which all his other perfections are made effectual to any purpose; and for the efficacy of which, we praise him in his wonderful works. Without it, his Wisdom, Goodness, and other attributes, could not have brought things into being, nor govern them when they are made. So that infinite Power, added to intellectual and moral perfection, compleats his character as a perfect being; nor can we have any notion of a fupreme Deity, without thinking him infinite in this attribute. God bath spoken once, and twice bave I heard this, that Power belongeth unto God.

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SERM.
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The plain meaning of which words, if ✓ we omit their connection with the rest of the pfalm, seems to be, that God hath declared fufficiently by his works, that Power belongeth unto him. The phrafe, God hath spoken once, and twice, is an ufual manner of speaking, as might be eafily shewn from various instances in different languages; by which writers express the repetition of an event, a definite number of times for an indefinite. And by which the Pfalmist here signifies, that God had plainly shewn his Power, by repeated acts of it in his works of creation and providence, and that he himself had often seen and heard of it. At the creation, God spake once, or declared his Power, when he called the things that were not, as though they were. And frequently fince, he has likewise, spoken in the wonderful events of his providence, both in the natural and moral world; fometimes by surprising effects of it, brought about from hidden causes, in the ordinary course of things; and at other times, by supernatural acts, when the circumstances of things required his extraordinary interposition.

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In the following discourse, I shall en- SERM.

deavour

I. Briefly to represent to you, that God must have infinite Power, and mention fome instances of it.

II. I shall make some observations on his exercise of it in the universe. And

Lastly, deduce some practical reflections.

I. Then I am to endeavour to represent to you, that God must have infinite Power, and to mention some instances of it. The notion of Power, we acquire by observing the changes which are made on the things that are about us, or the effects that are produced in the application of one thing to another. Thus from the effects of fire, of the fun, of gravity, and the like, or the changes made by them on all bodies, we have the notion of their power. And in living and in telligent agents, from the things that are actuated or effected by them, we have still more lively apprehenfions of their power. And the different manner of their acting upon things, and the various effects of their acting, gives us the no

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