-even when they are making confeffion of their fins, as if they were ashamed to be thought ferious with their GOD! -Surely, to addrefs ourselves to his infinite Majesty after a negligent and difpaffionate manner, befides the immediate indignity offered, it is a fad fign we little confider the bleffings we ask for, and far lefs deferve them.-Befides, what is a prayer, unless our heart and affections go along with it?-It is not fo much as the fhadow of devotion ; and little better than the papists telling their beads, or honouring GOD with their lips, when their hearts are far from him.-The confideration that a perfon is come to proftrate himself before the throne of high heaven, and in that place which is particularly distinguished by his prefence, is fufficient inducement for any one to watch over his imagination, and guard against the leaft appearance of levity and difrefpect.

An inward fincerity will of course influence the outward deportment; but

where the one is wanting, there is great reafon to fufpect the abfence of the other.-I own it is poffible, and often happens, that this external garb of religion may be worn, when there is little within of a piece with it ;—but I believe the converfe of the propofition can never happen to be true, that a truly religious frame of mind fhould exift without fome outward mark of it.The mind will fhine through the veil of flesh which covers it, and naturally exprefs its religious difpofitions ;-and, if it poffeffes the power of godlinefs,-will have the external form of it too.

May God grant us to be defective in neither,—but that we may fo praise and magnify GOD on earth, that when he cometh, at the last day, with ten thoufand of his faints in heaven, to judge the world, we may be partakers of their eternal inheritance.

Amen.

SERMON XLIV.

The Ways of Providence juftified, to

Man.

PSALM LXXIII. 12, 13.

Behold these are the ungodly who profper in the world, they increase in riches.

Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.

T

HIS complaint of the Pfalmift's concerning the promifcuous diftribution of God's bleffings to the just and unjuft, that the fun fhould fhine without diftinction upon the good and the bad, and rains defcend upon the rightcous and unrighteous man,-is a fubject that has afforded much matter for inquiry, and at one time or other has raised doubts to dishearten and perplex the minds of men. If the fovereign Lord of all the earth does look on, whence fo much diforder in the face of

things?-why is it permitted, that wife and good men should be left often a prey to fo many miferies and diftreffes of life, -whilft the guilty and foolish triumph in their offences, and even the tabernacles of robbers profper?

To this it is anfwered, -that therefore there is a future ftate of rewards and punishments to take place after this life,-wherein all these inequalities fhall be made even, where the circumstances of every man's case shall be confidered, and where GOD fhall be juftified in all his ways, and every mouth fhall be stopt.

If this was not fo,-if the ungodly were to profper in the world, and have riches in poffeffion,-and no diftinction to be made hereafter,-to what purpose would it have been to have maintained our integrity?-Lo! then, indeed, fhould I have cleanfed my heart in vain, and wafhed my hands in innocency.

It is farther faid, and what is a more direct answer to the point,- that when GoD created man, that he might make