man with him is what is most terred in a arth; this the faint can't but ; but there is fomething ren, which he is farther counted with, and is We were walk by faith and ttnere is a date where we

1.

we are know

When is to its import,

s mere:

72

Lace Latthee that I the warur berore al we wond, as intin

and ine, and willing, to

to

ay otherwife than in thee and for thee? This, infove and grace through thy Son, thy love grace to me, call for, and make it infinitely I here own the debt, acknowledge the , and would make some suitable returns and duty. For,

bom have I in heaven but thee, to çali rect my homage and worship to ? 1 art a God hearing prayer, that to thee should come, haft opened a new and liof access, through the veil of thy Son's appointed him our advocate with thywant nothing but thou art able to beKable to no evil but thou canst secure meet with no trial but thou canst carough, and hast abundantly declared ion and love. Wherefore, let who trange to thee, or turn afide to any ill make mention of thy name, and only."

ave I in heaven or earth but thee, to Te in? Thy name is the Lord JEwhom is everlasting kindness and had they that know thy name, will e at all times; amidit the greatest der the foreft longest trials, for all the

ce to help that thou haft promifed

reed.

Em have I in beaven but thee, that

be with? I fee nothing upon n I should defire to stay here. = when I fhall leave this place of ion, and exchange defire for fruievery day I may have clearer dif

C4

coveries

coveries of thee; and ere long be taken up to be for ever with thee.

This is the Import of the language the Pfalmist here uses. A being able to speak which from the heart, is owing to several things.

(1). The change that the holy soul has past under, in being born of God. The new nature in his children, as it comes from him, so it leads to him.

(2.) The experience they have had of the insufficiency of any thing in the creature to yield fatisfaction without God. I have seen an end of all perfection. Pfal. cxix. 96. Vanity of vanities, fays the preacher, all is vanity. Ecclef. xi. 8.

(3.) The comfort and fatisfaction the holy foul hath found in God, more than in all the world besides, determines to this. Pfal. lxiii. 1, 2. O my God, early will I seek thee; my foul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee to fee thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary.

SER

:

[41]

SERMONIV.

God the All-fufficient Portion, and Choice of his Saints.

PSALM LXXIII. 25, 26.

Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I defire besides thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

HA

AVING, in the foregoing verse, quitted the whole creation, and professed his choice of God as infinitely better to him than all; he, here, records the benefit he had by him, under all that he felt, or was subject to. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. Accordingly we may take notice of two things.

1. The low languishing state he mentions, as what either was or might be his own. My flesh and my heart faileth.

I

2. His The Pfalmist, as one of the people of God, is here directing himself to him, asserting his intereft in him, and this in a manner that speaks his esteem of him beyond whatever could be named in either world, as standing in competition with him. Whom bave I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I defire befides thee.

Whatever there may be defireable in either world, earth or heaven, holy fouls are carried to God, as in whom alone they can find fatisfaction. This is a truth felt by the generation of them that feek him. God in providences, God in ordinances; communion with him upon earth, and the enjoyment of him above, is what their hearts are set upon.

Here I shall endeavour to shew;

I. How God is to be confidered, when the

faints thus fpeak of him.

1

II. Enquire, what a gracious soul may have in view in this or the other world, defireable or engaging, with which yet it cannot take up.

III. Whence it is that these cannot fatisfy without God, or be instead of him.

IV. What a gracious foul may be conceived to mean in looking above, and beyond all things else, and faying of God, and to him, I have none in heaven but thee, or on earth that I defire besides thee; and whence fuch a temper proceeds. Lastly, The ufe.

I. How God is to be confidered when his people thus speak of him; every one for himfelf? I have none in heaven but thee.

(1.) Not abfolutely, or as, in himself, clothed with majesty, armed with justice, of purer eyes than