light myself in thy commandments, which I have loved. Remember thy word unto thy servant on which thou hast caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, for thy word hath quickened me.

They have comfort in their past experience of God's grace. They review with pleasure and gratitude the power of God's grace in awakening them from their stupidity-in renewing them to repentance-in defending them from temptations-in supporting them under afflictions-in answering their prayers, and in giving them the tokens of his favour and love. This experience of God's mercy encourages their hearts to trust in him in all their fears and perplexities. If at any time, they are tempted to say, "God's mercy is gone, and he has forgotten to be gracious," they look back, and remember the years of the right hand of the most High and call to mind his wonders of old.

They have comfort in hope. They now dwell in the secret place of the most High. But they hope soon to dwell in the open place of his glory-in heaven itself, where there is fulness of joy and pleasure forevermore-where they shall see God as he is-serve him without sin, and enjoy him without interruption.

We have described the character, and illustrated the security of those who dwell in a state of nearness to God. And who of us does not wish to dwell in such a state? We see that the world is full of dangers. at some times more apparent than at others. or less apparent at all times.

These dangers are
But they are more

This is a time, when dangers threaten us on every side. A pestilence* is commissioned to spread death and mourning among us-especially among our children. So great a mortality has never been known in this place. Within the compass of about eighty families there have been fifteen deaths in about the same number of days-and the distemper still prevails-new cases almost daily appear-and several subjects are considered as in extreme danger. The power of medicine fails among the children in most cases, where the attack is violent. We know no effectual means of defence-no place of security against this awful malady.

The dysentery, in the autumn of 1800.

If we hear of a physician who professes skill to remove it, we seek his aid. If we knew a place where we need not be afraid for the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor for the destruction which wasteth at noon day, thither we would repair, and thither we would carry our children. There is no such place on earth. But there is the secret place of the most High, in which we may dwell secure under the shadow of the Almighty. There no evil will reach us. If sickness there invade us, yet it will not hurt us-it will not separate us from God-if it should put an end to our mortal life, it will bring us to life eternal.

The warning of providence seems to be peculiarly directed to you who are young. If you wish to know where you shall find safety in this time of sickness and mortality, our text instructs you; go and dwell in the secret place of the most High; enter into God's covenant. This is the secret place where you may dwell securely.

The covenant of grace is framed for such as you-for helpless, unworthy, guilty creatures. It offers you pardon and life. You have been taught, what it is to enter into this covenant so as to obtain the security which it promises. You must renounce sin with sorrow of heart for it, and with a hatred of it, and resolution against it-you must commit yourselves to Jesus Christ by faith in his righteousness for justification, and devote yourselves to serve him in newness of life. By this faith, repentance and selfdedication you enter into God's covenant, and you abide in it by continued watchfulness against sin-by the renewal of your repentance for all known transgression, and by a steady obedience to God's commands. If you thus dwell in God's secret place, you will be safe under the shadow of the Almighty. He will defend you from temptations-he will keep you from sickness, or overrule it for your good-he will preserve you from death, or make it gain to you. Having thus entered into God's secret place, come forward and make an open declaration of your relation to God and of your faith in his promises. Take him to be your God by a sincere dedication of yourselves, and avouch him to be your God by a public profession of this dedication. Consider, that as long as you live out of this secret place, you can have no

security. You are continually exposed to death with all its consequences to guilty souls. When you come into this place you are safe. Sickness and death cannot hurt you there. They who are far from God, perish. It will be good for you to draw near to him to come and dwell with him. Delay no longer-make haste to get into this place of safety. It is now open for you to enter in—you are invited-arise, flee for refuge-God himself calls you. There is room for you, and it is his will that his house should be filled. He loves to see it filled with the young. Come, you know the way. There is nothing to hinder your obtaining security, but your own corrupt hearts. Indulge this corruption no longer. Give yourselves up now to God-take him for your God-improve his grace-trust in his mercy-submit to his government-cast yourselves on his care-forsake the foolish and live, and go in the way of understanding. Then shall no evil befall, nor any plague. Godwill keep you under his protection, guide you by his counsel and afterward receive you to glory.

SERMON XXVII.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRUE AND FALSE RELIGION.

JEREMIAH xx111. 28.

What is the chaff to the Wheat?

THE difference we all know. Wheat is solid grain, nourishing It to the body and agreeable to the taste. Chaff is the reverse. is light, insipid and void of nutritive qualities. The metaphors are aptly chosen to illustrate the difference between true and false religion.

The prophets of God, faithful in their office, reproved the people for their sins; warned them of their dangers; exhorted them to repentance; assured them of God's favor on this condition, and confirmed their declarations by the precepts, promises and threatenings of the law delivered to Moses, and by the works performed by themselves. Thus they endeavored to reform the manners, and prevent the ruin of the nation.

The false prophets, of whom there were many, counteracted the ministry of the true prophets. They prophesied by Baal and caused the people to err; they walked in lies and strengthened the hands of evil doers, that none should return from his wickedness. To every one who walked in the imagination of his heart, they said, "Ye shall have peace; no evil shall come to you." They

deceived the people by fictitious visions and dreams, and by forging lies out of their own hearts. And many were so simple and credulous as to believe them. Men of corrupt minds easily believe what they wish to be true, that there is no danger in a course of sin.

God says, "I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran; I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. I have heard what the prophets said, who prophesy lies in my name, saying, "I have dreamed; I have dreamed." They prophesy the deceit of their own heart. They think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams, which they tell every man to his neighbor. The prophet that hath a dream," which is accompanied with evidence of Divine communication, "let him tell a dream; he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully." A dream is nothing, unless it be a suggestion consonant to the Divine word. "What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord.”

This similitude illustrates the difference between true and false doctrines-between sincerity and hypocrisy in religion-between a sound and an empty hope-between a godly and ungodly life in the final result.

I. False opinions in religion are to true, as chaff is to the wheat. The doctrines taught in Divine revelation are adapted to the moral condition of fallen men, as wheat is adapted to the wants of the human body.

What the scripture teaches us concerning the state of human nature, is agreeable to universal experience and observation, "that we are all gone out of the way-that there is none who doeth good and sinneth not; no, not one." With every thinking man this is a natural enquiry; "How shall we obtain the favor of an offended God? How shall we secure felicity in the future state of our existence ?"

To all inquiries on this important subject the gospel gives a complete and satisfactory answer. From this we learn, that as God is just and holy, so he is merciful and gracious—that as he will support his own moral government by testifying his displeasure against sin, so he will pardon every penitent soul, and receive him to everlasting favor-that to open a way both for the manifes