than to behold iniquity, inclined to punish it, and by almighty irresistible power able, in the most terrible manner, to do fo. For thus confidered, he may well be faid to be a confuming fire ; and convinced finners cannot thus think of him without being troubled. The display of his glorious perfections, strikes terror into their fouls, apprehending him their enemy: And how can their hearts endure, or their hands be strong, in the day that he shall deal with them? Ezek. xxii. 14.-" 'Tis a fearful thing to fall into the " hands of the living God;" for who knoweth "the power of his anger? according to his fear 66 so is his wrath." This wrath, upon the account of fin, we are by nature liable to; and should he deal with us according to the rigour of a broken law, we could no way escape." If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquity, O Lord "who shall stand? Pfalm cxxx. 3. This therefore the Pfalmist deprecates, Pfalm cxliii. 2. "Enter not into judgment with thy servant, for in thy fight shall no man living be jufti"fied." The confideration of an absolute God, is what his own children cannot bear. "Tis not, therefore, under this notion that one of this number speaks of him with fo much fatisfaction, Whom have I in heaven but thee. But, 2. As God in Christ; as having fet forth his Son to be a propitiation for our fins, and, thro him, manifested the greatest love to us, or a readiness to bestow the greatest bleffings upon us. "God so loved the world, that he gave his on"ly begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in "him should not perish, but have everlasting "God commend "life." John iii. 16. Thus, up for us all, how shall he not with him also, " freely give us all things? ch. viii. 32. How amiable, attracting, and endearing, is the discovery made of God in Christ? How full of compassion is he for lost sinners? unwilling they should perish, and earnestly defirous of their happiness in the method taken to bring it about? Fury is not in him: there is plenteous redemption with him: he is ready to have mercy, and abundantly pardon: he is the Father of mercies; the God of all grace and comfort, 2 Cor. i. 3. His name and nature is Love, 1 John iv. 3. His throne is a throne of grace, encompassed with a rain-bow, the emblem of peace. Our way to him is open ; the ground of our fears removed; his thunder laid by, that his terrors might, no more, makeus afraid. Mercy and truth are met together, "righteousness and peace have kissed each other." God as the Father of our Lord Jejus Chrift, appears with a smile upon his face, good-will in his heart; the richest, or most defirable bleffings, in his hand. And thus under the light of the knowledge of his glory in the face of Jesus Christ, the believer is led to say with the Pfalmist in the text, Whom have I in heaven but thee, &c. Thus they joy in God through Jesus Christ our Lord, by whom we have now received the atonement, Rom. V. II. II. We are to enquire, what a gracious foul may have in view, in this or the other world, de defirable or engaging, with which yet it cannot take up. to us. 1. To begin with the World that is nearest There is none upon earth that I defire befides thee: No person, no thing; not deliverance from present evil, or enjoyment of temporal good; nor, added to these, the ordinances and means of grace, the external privileges of God's house. How defireable foever these are in themselves, how little could they signify without God? 1. Deliverance from present evils, as ficknesses, pains, losses, disappointments, &c. How defireable in itself would be a freedom from these ? But how poor a thing to a faint is all this, to be exchanged for the prefence and favour of God? How far would it be from giving fatisfaction to fuch an one, who much rather would chuse af fliction with the people of God, that have God near to them, than live in other respects in the greatest ease in the world, disquieted with the thought of being without God? 2. Another thing defirable in itself, is the enjoyment of temporal good; riches, honours, money, friends, and all requifite accommodations for pleasure and delight. This is what the world admires and earnestly purfues. And, in fome fenfe, the Pfalmist pronounces them happy, in regard to these outward privileges, Pfalım cxliv. 15. "Happy is the people that is in such a cafe." But if the account stops there, he seems to correct himself, and presently adds, "Happy is the " people whose God is the Lord." There be many, fays the Pfalmist, that say, "Who will VOL. III. shew "shew us any good?" But he would not have his portion with them. Instead of that, he prays, " Lord lift up the light of thy countenance upon us," as what would put more gladness into his heart than others ever experienced, even in the time that their corn and wine increased, Pfalm iv. 6. 3. To things in themselves defireable here, may be added, the ordinances and means of grace, the external privileges of God's house. How earnestly doth David defire these ? What delight has he in them? How hardly doth he bear a banishment from them, and envies the birds that were admitted nearer God's house and altar than he? Pfalm lxxxiv. One day, with him, in God's courts, is better than a thousand;" and fo it is with every faint. He had rather be a door-keeper in the house of his God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. How vehemently does his foul run into this: "One thing have I defired of the Lord, that will " I seek after, that I may dwell in the house "of the Lord all the days of my life." But what is it for? only to fit under ordinances ? no; but to behold the beauty of the Lord, Pfalm xxvii. 4. For this he declares, Pfalm xlii. 1, 2. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my foulafter thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God; when shall I come and oppear before God? Pfalm lxiii. 1, 2. O God, thou art my God, early will I feek thee; my foul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee, in a dry and thirsty land where no water is; to fee thy power and thy glory, fo as I have feen thee in the the fanctuary. Without this, no freedom from evil, or enjoyment of outward good, or external ordinances, can amount to what the holy foul can take up with. In whatever degree these are enjoyed without God, it would still say, this will not do. There is none upon earth that I defire befides thee. 2. Let us look higher, to heaven. Here are many things defireable, but such as the faint could not find his happiness in, short of God. The glory of the place is transcendent : the inhabitants, angels, and the perfected spirits of the just; how defireable to be like them, there to join and dwell with them; to be equal to them ? But these are but additionals to the faints blessedness. The fulness of joy lies, in the prefence of God, and in being with Christ. This is that which was promised to them, and which all along they counted upon. As for me, 1 shall behold thy face in righteousness, I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness. Pfal. xvii. last Verse. Saints, are called heirs of God, as he himfelf is to be their inheritance, and portion; and being fo, notwithstanding all that can be named defireable above or below, fuch will keep their eye and heart upon him, and fay, Whom have we in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth that we defire besides thee. III. We are to confider, Whence it is that no other good can fatisfy the faint, or be to him instead of God? Nothing can make his people happy, but himself. If we look over heaven and earth, take a view of every creature, or put them all together, after all they could be to us or do |