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am continually with thee.

SERM. WE live in a world which is full of the divine prefence and power. We behold every where around us the traces of that fupreme goodness, which enlivens and fupports the univerfe. Day uttereth Speech of it to day; and night showeth knowledge of it to night. Yet, furrounded as we are with the perfections of God, meeting him whereever we go, and called upon by a thousand objects, to confefs his prefence, it is both the misfortune and the crime of a great part

of

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of mankind, that they are strangers to Him SERM in whofe world they dwell. Occupied with nothing but their pursuits of intereft and pleasure, they pafs through this world, as though God were not there. The virtu ous and reflecting, are particularly distinguished from the giddy and diffolute, by that habitual fenfe of the divine prefence which characterises the former. To them, nothing appears void of God. They contemplate his perfections in the works of nature; and they trace his Providence in the incidents of life. When retired from the world, he often employs their meditationist When engaged in action, he always influences their conduct. Wherever a pious man is, or whatever he does, in the style of the text, he is continually with God. As The happy effect of this fentiment on the heart, is fully displayed in the context, We fee it allaying all the difquiet which the Pfalmift, in the preceding verses, deferibes himself to have fuffered on account of the profperity of the wicked. The first reflection which reftored tranquillity to his

SERM. mind, was the remembrance of the pre

fence of God. Nevertheless, I am continu

ally with thee; thou haft holden me by nty right hand. He became fenfible, that whatever distreffes the. righteous might fuffer for a time, they could not fail of being compenfated in the end, by that Almighty Protector, whose propitious presence ever continued to furround them. Whereupon follow thofe memorable expreffions of his fruft and joy in God. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel ; and afterwards receive me to glory Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth I defire besides thee.

A

THERE are principally two effects, which the fenfe of the divine prefence is fitted to produce upon men. One is, tɔ restrain them from vice; the other, to encourage their virtue. Its operation, as a check upon the finner, is obvious. The perpetual prefence of fo powerful and venerable a witnefs, is one of the mhoft awful confiderations which can be addreffed to the dif folute,

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folute. It removes all the fecurity which SERM. fecrecy can be fuppofed to give to crimes. It aggravates the guilt of them, from be ing committed in face of the Almighty and has power to ftrike terror into the heart of the greatest criminal, in the midit of his mifdeeds. While this principle of religion thus checks and terrifies the fin ner, it produces alfo another effect, that of ftrengthening and comforting the good man, in the practice of his duty. It is the influence of the divine prefence on good men, which, in confequence of the Pfalmift's fentiment, I purpofe to confider. To their character, it belongs to be continually with God. I fhall endeavour to fhew the high benefit and comfort which they derive from fuch a habit of mind; and fhall, for this end, firft confider their internal moral ftate; and next, view them as they are af -fected by feveral of the external accidents and fituations of life.

LET us begin with confidering them in their internal state. The belief of the divine prefence

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SERM. prefence acts upon them here, first, as am incitement to virtue. The prefence of one whom we highly efteem and revere, of a fovereign, for inftance, a father, or a friend, whofe approbation we are folicitous to gain, is always found to exalt the powers of men, to refine, and improve their behaviour. Hence, it has been given as a rule by ancient moralifts, that, in order to excel in virtue, we should propound to ourselves fome perfon of eminent and diftinguished worth and should accuftom ourselves to act, as if he were ftanding by, and beholde ingous. To the esteem and approbation of their fellow creatures, none are infen fible. There are few who, in the confpi cuous parts of their life, when they know the eyes of the public to be fixed on them, act not their part with propriety and decorum. But what is the obfervation of the public, what is the prefence of the greatest -or wifeft man on earth, to that prefence of the Divinity which conftantly furrounds -us? The man who realifes to his mind this auguft prefence, feels a conftant incen