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fairer than the children of men, altogether lovely and precious! Bind us closer to thyself; banish every rival; possess our thoughts, our wishes, and our hopes; and henceforth let our words and actions testify our gratitude, our admiration, and our delight in thee.

What sorrow, also, and humiliation should fill our souls, when we reflect how little we love God, or praise him for his goodness, or meditate on his excellence, or live to his glory!

(3.) Imitate this God of love, and seek, through grace, to resemble your heavenly Father.

He is kind, even to the evil and unthankful. He pardons the fiercest of his foes, and extends his goodness and grace to the most unworthy.

Should not this teach us to forgive our enemies, to do good even to them who hate, and curse, and persecute us; and thus to overcome evil with good ?

But divine love is particularly manifested to believers in Jesus. Though often a poor and afflicted people, they are the excellent ones of the earth, and the Lord delights in them. Let us also love the brethren. Instead of despising the saints, however mean, poor, and humble, let us highly honour them whom God has honoured, so as to make them the partakers of his grace,

them.

and the heirs of his glory. Let us shew our love to them as God has shewn his love to us, by relieving their distresses, by comforting their drooping minds, by bearing with their weakness, by befriending them when destitute, admonishing them when wandering, fortifying them when tempted, and encouraging them when tried and afficted. Thus, let us shew ourselves the children of our heavenly Father, by doing good to all, especially such as are of the household of faith.

Lastly, Is that glorious Jehovah, to whom you have devoted your hearts and lives, indeed the God of love? Then recommend him as such to your friends and families while you are on earth, and long to be with him in the heaven of heavens.

This is your delightful work, and should be

your daily study, to proclaim and extol his mercy, kindness, and grace, that others, as well as you, drawn by the attractions of his character, may love and esteem him above all.

And while you thus seek to commend and honour him upon earth, look forward, with hope and eager desire, to the blessed period when you shall behold the full evidence of his love to you, enjoy its most glorious effects, and dwell for ever in the immediate presence of this God of love.

O how lovely and amiable does he appear, when we contemplate him in his sanctuary, and at his table! How lovely, when he manifests himself to his people as he does not to the world! How lovely in the hours of secret, blessed, and near fellowship! What, then, must be his loveliness, beauty, and brightness, when the clouds of mortality no longer veil him from our sight, when we are enabled to see him as he is, and when we can tell to listening angels, This is our God, we waited for him ; he hath come

; and saved us, therefore we will rejoice before him with joy unspeakable, and full of glory. Amen.

SERMON

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And I heard as it were the voice of a great

multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia ; for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

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ALTHOUG

LTHOUGH nothing more had been revealed in this inspired volume, than the certainty, extent, and rectitude of God's providential dominion; although the sacred scriptures had limited their discoveries to this one truth celebrated in my text; even this would have furnished a powerful argument for searching the scriptures, and making them our constant companion in the house of our pilgrimage.

There

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There is something so satisfying to the mind in having infallible authority for the doctrine of a Divine Providence; it is so suited to the wishes and wants of all men ; so soothing in the seasons of sorrow; so sup

; porting in the prospect of approaching difficulties, or of dreaded dangers, that it may well constrain the humble worshippers of the Almighty to join with the happier assemblies above, in saying, with ever new and growing gratitude, “ Allelujah! let us

! be glad and rejoice, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.”

When this sublime sentiment is engraven on our heart, we meditate without dismay on all the astonishing things which are accomplishing among the nations. Undaunted at what the people may devise, we look by faith to him who is invisible; and we hear him saying, “ My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure." We behold this glorious Potentate, seated on his throne of justice and judgment, ordering aright the lot of his people; distributing to all men a just proportion of good and evil ; putting down one, and exalting others; ensnaring wickedness in its own devices, or promoting

righteousness

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