is beflowed; it is by Chrift Jefus that every mercy is difpenfed: therefore we may apply to this fubject, the prophecy of Chrift in Pfal. xxii. 22. I will declare thy name unto my brethren; in the midst of the congregation will I praife thee.'

3. In the last place, God reveals his name in the daily administration of his providence. In this, I include not only what regards the fupport and prefervation of natural life, but all the methods of his grace. The one and the other of these give us a continual and fenfible difplay of the nature and glory of God. What the works of nature teach us to infer by reafon, what the holy fcriptures teach us by information concerning God, the adminiftration of providence gives us an opportunity of feeing and feeling in our own experience. The appearances of God in providence, and his gracious interpofition in behalf of his own people, are expreffed by his name's being near, or his name's being made great, Pfal. lxxv. 1. Unto thee, O God, do we give

thanks; unto thee do we give thanks; for that thy name is near, thy wondrous works declare. • Pfal. lxxvi. 1. In Judah is God known, his name is great in Ifrael.'

An experimental knowledge of the power and mercy of God, is, of all others, the most complete and effectual. To this we may well apply the words of Job, xlii. 5, 6. I have heard of thee by the hear⚫ing of the ear, but now mine eye feeth thee. Where⚫fore I abhor myfelf, and repent in duft and afhes.' It is also probable, that the Pfalmift David often affixes this particular meaning to the knowledge of God's

name, as in Pfal. ix. 10. And they that know thy " name will put their truft in thee; for thou, Lord, • haft not forfaken them that feek thee.' For the fame reafon he recommends a careful obfervation of providence, as an excellent mean of being partakers of divine mercy. Pfal. cvii. 42, 43. The righteous fhall fee it and rejoice, and all iniquity fhall ftop her mouth. Whofo is wife, and will obferve thefe things, even they fhall understand the lov ing-kindness of the Lord.'

I shall conclude this head, by an earneft exhorta. tion to every one in this affembly, to endeavour to understand more and more of the name of God, as it appears in his works, in his word, and in his providence. Has he written it in fo great a variety of characters, and will you not take the pains to ob ferve it? O the fottifh folly of worldly men! their curiofity is infatiable to hear things of no moment, while they cannot be perfuaded to hear what re gards their own eternal flate. They will run in crouds to fee every idle or pernicious fight, if it be called rare, while they will not open their eyes on the magnificence and glory of their Creator's works.

But let me in a particular manner, beg of you, the careful obfervation of divine providence, towards yourselves in particular. You will find the unfpeakable advantage of it. It will make God more present with you than ever. It will fet home the obligation of every duty, and the enor→ mity of every fin upon the confcience, in a manner far more forcible than ever. It will also give every

mercy a richnefs and value, which it could not derive from any other fource; just as the man who has been fed at a diftance, by the ftreams of a prince's bounty, would feel his heart drawn with far ftronger bonds of love and gratitude, were he to be brought into his prefence, and receive his favours immediately from his own hand.

I am aware of an objection against this. Perhaps fome perfons will fay, how can I make a particular application of providence? how can I certainly know the voice or meaning of every event that befals myfelf or my family? is there not a great danger of running into vifionary folly and enthufiafm? In the remaining part of this fubject, I fhall have occafion to fay more as to the meaning of providence. In the mean time, let me only defire you to begin by a perfonal application of the unquestionable truths concerning providence, and this will lead you farther than you apprehend, without the leaft danger of mistake. Is it not certain, that a fparrow falleth not to the ground without your hea

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venly Father, and that the very hairs of your ' head are all numbered by him.' Is it not of the Lord's mercy then, that you awaked this morning, and did not fleep the fleep of death? If you had done fo, were you ready for it? Do you know how, when, or how foon it may be fo? Were you enlewdnefs, de

gaged in any scene of intemperance, bauchery? would that have been a proper scene for death? Have you been preserved from any imminent danger, recovered from any threatning diforder? Is not that a mercy? Has the defire of your

eyes been taken away by a ftroke? Have you heard the reproach of many on every fide? Is not this the will of God? Whether does it call for patience or pride? Have you fuffered in your fubftance? Whether does this teach you to love the world or to defpife it? Is there any uncertainty here? Believe it, Chriftians, a perfonal application of the truths relating to divine providence, would reveal as it were a new world to you, and would make the paths of God towards you every day more intelligible, every day more profitable, and shall I not add, every day more comfortable

II. We proceed now to the fecond thing proposed, viz. what is implied in the righteous running into the name of the Lord as a strong tower. The word tower, especially when joined with the epithet strong, immediately conveys to the mind the idea of protection and defence. It evidently alludes to the ftate of many antient nations and tribes, who were continually expofed to hoftile inroads and invafions, and were obliged to have castles and towers as places of refuge and fecurity; and this is far from being an improper image of the ftate of a child of God in this prefent world, whether we confider the common calamities to which he is liable as a man, or the peculiar trials with which he may be afflicted as a good man. To have a clear view of the import of the metaphor, we need only confider fome parallel places, where we find the fame expreffion, and others of the fame meaning, Pfal. xviii. 2, 3. The Lord is my rock and my fortrefs, and my deliverer; my

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God, my strength, in whom I will truft; my buckler, and the horn of my falvation; and my high tower. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, fo fhall I be faved from mine enemies. Pfal. xxvii. 1, 2. The Lord is my light ⚫ and my falvation, whom fhall I fear the Lord is the ftrength of my life, of whom fhall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me, to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Pfal. Ixi. 2, 3, 4. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a fhelter for me, and a ftrong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever; I will truft in the covert of thy wings. Selah.' When we hear a good man ufing fuch expreffions as thefe, we may gather, with the greatest certainty and clearnefs, what is the general import of God's being a strong tower, namely, that he is a moft powerful protector; that his al mighty providence is the furcft and strongest defence against all enemies of whatever kind, let their art, their activity, their malignity, be what they will.

Though this may not feem to need any further explication; yet, for the affiftance and direction of ferious perfons, let us confider a little what is implied in the righteous running into this tower for their protection. This is the rather neceffary, that though it is the privilege, the duty, and the practice of the fervants of God, to make God their defence and stay, yet they may be faulty and defective in this part of