VII.

to his mercy by a fpeedy repentance? On the SER M. other hand, it yields mighty confolation to fincerely good men, that a defire of approving themselves to God rules in their hearts, and by it they have form'd their conduct. The rash cenfures and erroneous judgments of fallible men concerning their actions, do not greatly disturb their minds, fince they are conscious to themselves, of having endeavour'd by an uniform integrity of heart and life, to obtain the approbation of an unerring Judge.

2dly, This is a fure foundation of hope and confidence to good men in all the viciffitudes of time, and in all the dangers and diftreffes which befal them: For the presence of God is a presence of Power, against which no force can prevail, and of Wisdom which no device. can over-reach. The most formidable appearances are frequently controul'd, and the most threatening tendencies over-rul'd by Divine Providence to happy issues, for the defenceless who truft in God, and caft their burdens on him. * God is our refuge and strength, a very prefent help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the mountains be carried into the midst of the fea: Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains Shake with the fwelling thereof. It is true, Q 2

* Pfal. xlvi. I, 2, 3.

the

SERM. the care of Providence is to us invisible, and VII. we cannot poffibly penetrate into the methods:

of its interpofition, nor into its designs: Yet it must be a perpetual fource of comfort to good minds, that the eyes of God run to and fra throughout the earth, to fhew himself ftrong in behalf of them whofe heart is perfect towards him*. He does not indeed give them a perfect fecurity against troubles, to which the condition of man is always liable in this life, and we have none of us reafon to expect an exemption from them. But it ought to give us perfect contentment, and we should acquiefce in it with pleasure, that God is ever near to us, that his wisdom governs the world,

and directs the whole feries of events in it.

3dly, If God is every where present, he is every where to be worshipped; his Perfections, not confin❜d to any place, are to be acknowledg'd and ador'd by his reasonable creatures in all places. To imagine that the Deity dwells in Temples made with hands, as if his prefence were appropriated to them, is a very unworthy notion. Indeed as public worship is reafonable, that is, that men profeffing to believe in God fhould join together in calling upon his name; it follows, that proper places fhould be provided for it. But that is only for the

* Chron. xvi. 2.

the conveniency of the worshippers; not as if SER M. God were more acceffible, or better difpos'd VII. to hear prayers and accept fervices, in one place than another. There may be, 'tis true, peculiar manifeftations of the Divine power and glory in fome parts of the creation and not in others. The heavens are therefore called the throne of God, and his habitation, because there the fplendor of his Majefty and his high Perfections fhine moft illuftriously, in the view of thofe creatures which are the beft qualified to difcern it; but his Effence, infinitely perfect in wisdom and power, is equally prefent in all places. In like manner, during the Jewish policy, fome places were held more facred than others; as the tabernacle which Mofes made in the wilderness, and Solomon's temple, because God was pleas'd, for special reasons, to appropriate to them the external service he then appointed to the Is raelites, and to distinguish them by visible extraordinary tokens, called his Prefence. But these special reasons have long ago ceased; and now, according to the more pure and spiritual form of religion which our Saviour has inftituted, wherever men worship in Spirit and truth, wherever they call on God out of a pure heart, fearing him and working righteouf ness, they are accepted. Nay, excepting the

SER M.reason already mention'd, the conveniency of VII. numerous affemblies, which only relates to public worship; excepting this, I fay, to make a choice of places for devotion, as imagining greater sanctity in some than others, is at best but filly fuperftition, if it is not rather to be imputed, as in some cases certainly it is, to a vain hypocritical pretence of zeal, which the God of truth never approves. Our Saviour therefore enjoins his disciples, that they may have the clearer and more fatisfying evidences of fincerity in their own minds, to choose the greatest fecrefy for their private worship, to retire into their closets, and pray to their heavenly Father, who fees in fecret, and is pleas'd with that undiffembled piety which honours him as an Omnipresent God.

Laftly, This doctrine fhews the absurdity of worshipping idols. Gods that are acknowledged not to be every where, are not worthy of religious respect any where. In reality, and by nature they are no gods*, as St. Paul fays very juftly concerning them. They are lying vanities, so the Scripture often calls them, their divinity, the mere fiction of the human imagination. But by the confeffion of their worshippers, they have only a limited prefence, power and understanding, gods only of par

* Gal, iv. 8,

particular countries, or perhaps only of par- SER M. ticular places in them, gods of the hills and not VII. of the vallies. And how they came by their feveral fituations, and had their diftinct provinces affign'd them, their votaries cannot pretend to tell; which one would think, fhould be an infuperable difficulty attending the very foundations of their fuperftition. Who can give a reason for Chemesh his being the god of the Moabites, and why Milcom should exercise his godship over the children of Ammon? And if the titles of the topical Deities cannot be made out, the honours paid to them may be misplac'd, and men be ferving the wrong god. But it is needless to infift on particular arguments, against a devotion which, in the whole of it, is fo apparently irrational. That fupreme eternal Being who has manifefted, and does still manifeft his power and intelligence, and thereby his effential prefence every where, is alone worthy to receive the praises, the religious homage and adoration, of all intelligent creatures in heaven and earth, and is ever nigh to all that call upon him in truth.