:

for us, we shall find reason to say with the Pfalmist, O my foul, Return unto God thy reft. Pfal. cxvi. 7. For,

1. That which fatisfies or makes us happy must be fuitable and adequate to our natures, fitted to reach the heart, and every way perfect, and so sufficient to fill it: Now this can't be faid of any created good.

Our fouls are spiritual, and their defires boundlefs; and who but he, whose perfections are infinite, can fuit or fatisfy these ? This is the encouragement God gives Abraham, I am God all-fufficient; walk before me and be thou perfect. Gen. xvii. 1.

4

God is a good all-fufficient, containing in himfelf whatever is defireable: And as the title agrees to none but God, nothing in the world befide can be a fatisfying felicity. Leave God out, and whatever you take in, the heart will still be capable of defiring more. He that loveth filver Shall not be fatisfied with filver, nor be that loveth abundance with increase. Ecclefiaft. v. 10. As nothing can be the perfection, so nothing can be the fatisfaction of the foul, but he that made it. It will never be at rest till it rest in God. There's no full contentment in the way, and our only home is God himself. No good but the chief can fuffice.

2. That which fatisfies, or makes us happy, must be firm and unchangeable. But of whom or what can this be faid but of God only? He made, and maintains, the whole world; and should he withdraw his hand, how foon, would it fink into nothing? The heavens and the earth shall shall perish; they shall wax old as a garment and at last be changed; but God is the fame, in his being and perfections; able to support and comfort all that have an interest in him at all times, and in every age and place. With him there is no variableness nor shadow of turning.

3. The foul is immortal; and the good that fatisfies it must be everlasting.

We must live for ever, but not here. The present world must be left at death, and we taken from it into an eternal state: But God is from everlasting to everlasting, and so the only proper portion of his people in both worlds. None in heaven, nothing upon earth, can be to them instead of God.

IV. As no lower good can fatisfy, or be in the stead of God, we proposed to shew what the gracious foul, in renouncing these, and turning to God, is aiming at, and may be conceived to mean in saying, I have none in heaven but thee; and there is none upon earth that I defire befides thee.

1. That which the gracious foul is aiming at, is, communion with God here, and the enjoyment of him above.

(1.) Communion with God here; having access to him, through his Son, by the help of his spirit : fending their defires after him, and receiving supplies of light, life, and pledges of love from him, whereby they may be enabled to say, "Truly

our fellowship is with the Father, and with his "Son Jesus Chrift.".

(2). The future, full, enjoyment of God, above.

Communion with him is what is most to be defired upon earth; this the faint can't but greatly value and prize; but there is fomething higher ieserved for heaven, which he is farther aiming at, longs to be acquainted with, and is preffing towards. We now walk by faith and not by fight; but there is a state where we shall fee face to face, and know as we are known; and this the foul is aspiring to, looking to God as its centre and rest, saying, Whom have I in keaven but thee? Which, as to its import, includes such things as these :

(1) Whom have I but thee, that I should chuse, and prefer before all the world, as infinitely better in thy felf, and able, and willing, to be better to me, and do more for me ?

(2.) Whom have I in heaven or earth but thee, that I should so much delight in, be pleased with, and of whom my meditation should be so sweet? Pfalm xvi. 5, 6, 7. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup, thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen to me in pleasant places, yea I have a goodly heritage. I will bless the Lord who hath given me counsel.

(3.) Whom have I, in either world, but thee, that I should unfeignedly resign to; and confent to be governed by ? As I have been continually with thee, notwithstanding all my weaknesses, and thou haft holden me by my right-hand; thou haft hereby given me reason to conclude, Thou Shalt guide me by thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Pfal. lxxiii. 23.

(4). Whom have I in heaven, or earth, that I should love but thee? in comparison of thee, or

any

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

(5.) Whom have I in heaven but thee, to call upon, direct my homage and worship to ?

As thou art a God hearing prayer, that to thee all flesh should come, haft opened a new and living way of access, through the veil of thy Son's flesh, and appointed him our advocate with thyself; I can want nothing but thou art able to bestow, be liable to no evil but thou canst secure me from, meet with no trial but thou canst carry me through, and haft abundantly declared thy compaffion and love. Wherefore, let who will grow strange to thee, or turn aside to any else, " I will make mention of thy name, and " of thine only."

6. Whom have I in heaven or earth but thee, to trust and hope in ? Thy name is the Lord JEHOVAH, in whom is everlasting kindness and strength; And they that know thy name, will trust in thee at all times; amidst the greatest dangers, under the foreft longest trials, for all the mercy and grace to help that thou hast promised in a time of need.

Lastly, Whom have I in heaven but thee, that I most long to be with? I see nothing upon earth, for which I should defire to stay here. O happy time, when I shall leave this place of trial, and probation, and exchange defire for fruition! O that every day I may have clearer dif

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 foul 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, Says 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