shed blood, and would shed too much blood to be concerned in so sacred an

undertaking. But his son Solomon, who would be his successor, should build the temple, that his family should be established on his throne, and the everlasting King, the Messiah, should spring from his loins. Upon the recital of all this from the Lord, by the mouth of Nathan to David, he with the utmost gratitude, thankfulness, and wonder, acquiesces in the will of God. His prayer which he offered on this occasion begins at the 28th verse, and reaches to the end of the chapter. He says, Amen, to all which the Lord had spoken. He prays that the name of the Lord God of Israel may be magnified. He acknowledges the truth of God, seals it afresh with his own signature, and closes his devotions thus, "And now, O Lord God, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant. Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee for thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it, and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever."

As David was now in his highest elevation of soul, and enjoyed most free and familiar intercourse with the Lord his God, so he pours out his heart accordingly. He prays from his heart, and with it to the Lord, for the greatest good which could be bestowed on him, and for the everlasting continuation thereof: With thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever. Thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it, and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.'

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Although you are not David a type of Christ, nor is the Messiah to come from you, yet you are equally beloved of God, and interested in the person, incarnation, and salvation of the Messiah. For you he was born to you he has been preached: in you he

hath been revealed: he is formed in you: he liveth in you: he is your life, your light, your hope, your righteousness, your purity, your holiness, your glory, your blessedness, your all. He is your's with all the love of his heart, with all the bowels of his mercy, with all his infinite compassion. He is your's with all his great salvation, with all his unsearchable riches. He is your's with all his exceeding great and precious promises. You are blessed in him with all spiritual blessings. In him you will be rich and happy to eternal ages. So that under these views, I cannot think of any petition to offer on your behalf, beyond the present one;— "With thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.”

I will cast what I have to set before you into three parts. First. I will suggest what is implied in God's blessing. Secondly. How such as are the blessed of the Lord, may know they are so. Thirdly. That they cannot but importune the Lord for the sense and for the continuance of his blessing: "With thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.”

First. I will shew what is implied in God's blessing. God's blessing, denotes his favour and love, with all the gifts, graces, and benefits, temporal, spiritual, and eternal, that flow therefrom.

God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the one living, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, and incomprehensible Jehovah, is the fountain of essential blessings and blessedness. He, the Most High God, the possessor of heaven and earth, is the blessed and glorious giver of all good; and he bestows it freely, fully, and abundantly on his church and people. All the blessings which the Lord God bestows on his people, it comes from his good will and hearty delight in his people. It is the good pleasure

of his will to love them. He has lo

ved them from everlasting, and he

will continue his love to them to everlasting not on account of any thing in them, but for his great name's sake. He loved his beloved to such an infinite degree, that he chose their persons in Christ before the foundation of the world. He gave them being,-a supernatural existence in the person of Christ,from before all time: he blessed them in him with all spiritual blessings, and predestinated them to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ, and to immediate and eternal communion with himself, in all the blessings of grace and glory: all which proceeds from his own free and royal favour. These are some whom Jehovah,Father, Word, and Spirit,-have born good will unto from eternity. They are men of God's good will, as it is expressed in the song sung by elect angels at the birth of Christ: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men," Luke ii. 14. or, as some render it, Peace on earth towards men of God's good will."

God's love, what is it? It is the good pleasure of his will, to love some of the human race with an everlasting and immutable love: to love them in Christ: to love them with the same love wherewith he loves Him. He loves Him as their Head, and he loves them as members in him their Head of grace and glory. He loved him before the foundation of the world; he loved them so early: "Thou hast (says Christ) loved them as thou hast loved me," John xvii. 23. As Jehovah the Father loves their persons with so great a love, as can never be fully expressed in time or in eternity, for God is love, and he is all love to his beloved ones; he cannot increase nor decrease in his love to them: it is always one and the same in his infinite mind towards them. So he blesseth them. He is the fountain of essential blessedness, and he is the spring of all blessings, and the bestower of them on his people. Noah

says,

"Blessed be the Lord God of Shem," Gen. ix. 26. "For blessed is the people who have Jehovah for their God," Psalm cxliv. 15. Shem is the first man in the scripture that hath this honour expressly of having Jehovah for his God. His blessedness consisted in it; for in the knowledge of it he had eternal life. God was not ashamed to be called his God. Of Shem, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever, Amen. The Lord said unto Abram, "I will bless thee," Gen. xii. 1.; which he afterwards explained to him, saying, "I will be thy God;" in which consists all the blessings of the everlasting covenant. This glorious and fearful, or rather marvellous name the Lord thy God," Deut. xxviii, 58.; contains a revelation of what the Lord is to his people in Christ Jesus, and of what he is to each of them personally and individually. Take it up in this view, and you will find the benefit of it. And in this view you should take it up, and it will prove a feast to you. Then add to this, God's blessing denotes his favour and love. Then consider what blessedness is contained in the favour of God. This will lead you

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to pray as one before you did, Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people,” Psalm cvi. To be in the favour of God, to be the object of the love of God, and the subject of it to whom he is pleased, personally and peculiarly pleased to reveal and manifest himself in Christ Jesus, in all his love unto; to whom he says, "Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love.” Think, Oh think over again, and again, and again what is contained herein. To which add the remembrance of the freeness, sovereignty, greatness, and immutability thereof. And also remember whatsoever the Lord God does, or bestows upon his people, he does it out of hearty good will and love to them. To have the knowledge of Father, Son, and Holy

Ghost in their everlasting love, eternal transactions, and covenant offices; to be led from the word and Spirit to know the Father's love, the Son's salvation, and the Spirit's testimony; to rest on the covenant of the eternal Three, for the whole salvation of soul and body, and for every blessing in time and eternity: this is to be bles sed indeed.

In this God's blessing is contained, to know more and more of the covenant of grace; to see and apprehend all gifts, graces, and benefits, temporal, spiritual, and eternal, flowing therefrom, and originating from the infinite spring of Jehovah's everlast ing love this is to be blessed by God indeed. Here, therefore, I turn my text into a prayer, including Mrs. S. and you in it. "With this blessing (which is, O Lord, thy blessing) let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever."

I will add, from Cruden's Concordance, what he says on the word Blessing. 1. It signifies the favour, kindness, and goodness of God, making what his people do to succeed and prosper (Psalm iii. 8). 2. All good things, gifts, graces, and privileges which God bestows upon his people, whether spiritual or temporal, whether they respect the soul or body, this present life or that which is to come (Deut. xxviii. 2.; Psalm xxiv. 5.; Isa. xliv. 3.; Eph. i. 3). 3. The means of conveying a blessing to others (Isa. xix. 24): thus the Jews are called a blessing, because Christ was to be born of them, and the gospel church and ordinances were first established among them, and by them conveyed to the gentiles. 4. Wishing, praying for, and endeavouring the good of our enemies (1 Pet. ii. 9). 5. Alms, bounty, and liberality (2 Cor. ix. 5). 6. A gift or present (Gen. xxxiii. II.; 2 Kings v. 15).

The Lord said to Abram, Thou shalt be a blessing." He was the means of conveying a blessing to others, in speaking of his knowledge

of Christ, of his faith in Christ, of his communion with Christ. His wife, children, servants, friends, and acquaintance were all the better for him. And the Lord was well pleased with him for it. Hence Jehovah says, "Shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I do!" Shall I not make him one of my cabinet council?

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Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him. For I know him, that he will command his children, and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him," Gen. xviii. 17, 18. This, Sir, is worthy of your imitation; it will bring its own blessing with it. This is one part of the blessing of the Lord, which I pray may rest on you, and your house and family for ever.

The blessing of the Lord was so evident in the blessings which rested on Abraham, even in temporals, that the king of the Philistines, and his chief captain, said unto him, "God is with thee in all that thou doest," Gen. xxi, 22. And Abraham increased in blessedness, for it is said of him, when he was old, and well stricken in age, that the Lord had blessed him in all things (Gen. xxiv). Of Isaac it is said" the Lord blessed him." This was so evident, that Abimelech and Ahuzzath one of his friends, addresses him, We saw certainly that the Lord was with thee. Thou art now the blessed of the Lord," Gen. xxvi. 22, 28, 29. And this title, "The blessed of the Lord," is given to the whole church and people of God, "You, blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth," Psalm cxv. 15. And David, the man of God, speaks out all he could conceive as contained in it, saying, "The Lord commanded (that is, fixed) his blessing, even life for evermore," Ps, cxxxiii. 3.

If, in the church, in the family, in business, in your connections, in health, in sickness, in life, in death, you are blessed, and will be for ever, then, what matter for praise. May your whole person,-soul, body, and spirit, your consort, your child, your all, be everlastingly consecrated to the will, worship, service, honour, praise and glory of the Lord your God.

But I will proceed, secondly, to shew how such as are "the blessed of the Lord," may know they are so. It pleaseth the Lord by the agency of his Holy Spirit to regenerate the minds of his elect, to quicken them with spiritual life, to produce in them supernatural faculties suited to take in, to understand, and apprehend the things of God. Thus they being born again have a spiritual understanding given them to know Jesus and the power of his resurrection. The Lord the Spirit having thus by his own almighty power and immediate agency, formed them in regeneration as a people for Jehovah's praise, he is pleased to convince them of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He proves to them in their own consciences that in and of themselves they are dead to God, lost and ruined to all eternity. From this view and knowledge of their state in Adam by the fall, and of what they are as his descendants, he convinces them how much they need a Saviour. He is pleased to preach Christ unto them in his all-sufficiency; he takes of the things of Christ, shews them how he suits most exactly their sinful cases and circumstances; he gives them to apprehend how freely Christ saves, how almighty he is to save; that he is the Father's ordinance of salvation; that there is nothing in Christ against them, everything in Christ suits them; that his word is passed and it is immutable, Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out." He enables them to believe this; they come to Christ in the belief

hereof; they close with him in believing it; he receives them graciously, he embraces them in the arms of his mercy, he warms their hearts with his love; he removes guilt from their consciences, by giving them to know the worth and efficacy of his most precious blood; he enlightens their understandings to know him as the Lord their righteousness; he lets down such beams from himself, of light and truth into their minds, that they have hereby such spiritual sights and views of his beauty, glory, perfection and excellency, as constrains them to say of him that "He is altogether lovely, the chiefest among ten thousand:" yea, that he is fairer than the children of men; that full of grace are his lips; that they are like lilies dropping sweet-smelling myrrh. Thus he became precious unto them.

Now such as Christ is precious to are blessed. And in their communion with Christ they have a real enjoyment of true blessedness. They see Jesus who is the fountain of blessedness; they find in his love the very essence of blessedness. As all the love of the Father shines forth upon them in its full splendour and meridian, in the person and mediation of Jesus Christ; as the Holy Spirit testifies of Christ, and sheds abroad the Father's love in their hearts; as he enables them to believe in the righteousness and atonement of the most precious Immanuel: so they have an enjoyment of everlasting love to their unspeakable comfort. They being put into the actual enjoyment of the Father's love and Son's salvation, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, are partakers of Christ, and hereby know that they are one with him, interested in his person and salvation, and called to cleave to him with full purpose of heart as their all in all.

To bring this my good Sir home to you. Christ has been brought by the preaching of the everlasting gospel

to your ears, and "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Has not God himself set Christ before you in his word, and have you not seen him as revealed in the word of the gospel, and as testified of therein by the Holy Spirit? Has not this view done your soul good, and been divinely sweet to your mind? Have you not seen that in Christ which has drawn your whole soul after him, fixed all your affections on him, and put down all other objects and subjects in comparé with him? Are you not seeking after more knowledge of his person, God-man; of his love, which is the wonder of heaven; of his salvation, which is the joy and triumph of all the saints in glory. Are you not longing for more communion with him, more simple dependance on him? Do you not desire to glorify him in your body and spirit which are his? What greater proof, what clearer evidence can you have that you are the Lord's; that you are in the Lord; that you are the blessed of the Lord, that you shall die in the Lord; that you shall be for ever with the Lord? it appears to me you cannot. Rest therefore in the full persuasion that you are the blessed of the Lord; that you cannot be more blessed than what you are in Christ. Leave yourself wholly in his hands, commit yourself and your all to his care; make use of his word to encourage your heart and hope in him. Look upon Jesus as your invariable Friend. View yourself in him. In him the object of the Father's everlasting love; in him righteous even as he is righteous; in him purified from every spot and stain; in him holy, unblamable, and irreprovable in his sight; in him complete. These views will keep up your faith in constant act and exercise on him: and the more you clearly see in the light of the word and Spirit that you are in Christ, that your being in Christ originates from an eternal act in the mind and will of Jehovah the

Father, that he having given you being in Christ, hath made over Christ and all he is unto you, so that Jesus is your wisdom, your righteousness, your sanctification, and your redemption, the more you will see what true blessedness consists in, and have a greater enjoyment thereof. As you look to Christ you find he blesses you; as you pray to Christ you find he hears you; as you praise Christ for the blessings he hath, and continues to bestow on you, it gives proof that you love him, and have a relish of the blessings which he bestows on you; as you read his word, and find it sweeter to your spiritual taste than honey or the honey-comb, you prove you are the blessed of the Lord. As you call on him in prayer, and have communion with him in prayer, you enjoy his blessing. When you pray as one of old did, saying, "Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil :" then you experience what he did of whom it is added, "And God granted him that which he requested," 1 Chron. iv. 10. As you know what God's blessing consists in, does it not quicken and comfort you? The Holy Ghost by the prophet _David and the apostle Paul says, Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sin is covered." " Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin." "Blessed is the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works," Rom. iv. And have you not expérienced real blessedness in believing "God made Christ sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Oh that you may live in the belief of this, and enjoy the blessedness of it every moment.

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I am, thirdly, to shew that such as know they are the blessed of the Lord, cannot but importune the Lord for the sense and for the continuance

of his blessing. "With thy blessing