be hurtful, than when the fubject, like the present one, is soothing and agreeable. And therefore, that this word of truth may be rightly divided, it will be neceffary,

I. IN the first place, To inquire who the perfons are to whom the exhortation may property be addressed.

It is certain, that as there are privileges peculiar to fanctified believers, fo there are many duties enjoined in Scripture, which the impenitent and unbelieving are incapable of performing: and, I apprehend, there is no duty whatsoever that lies farther beyond their reach, than the exercise of truft and hope in God; for every part of his word denounces wrath against them fe long as they perfift in their rebellion and enmity. “God is angry with the wicked

every day. He hath bent his bow, and "made it ready; he hath also prepared for "him the inftruments of death." And therefore, to perfons of this character, a previous exhortation is necessary. I muft address you in the words of Eliphaz to Job, "Acquaint now thyself with God, and be

" at

at peace, and hereby good fhall come un❝ to you." At prefent my text doth not speak to you at all. If you look back to the foregoing part of this epiftle, you will fee the perfons described whom the Apostle had in his eye. He doth not write to all promifcuously, but "to the elect, according "to the foreknowledge of God the Father, "through fanctification of the Spirit unto "obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of "Chrift." He writes to thofe "who are " born again, not of corruptible feed, but "of incorruptible, by the word of God, "which liveth and abideth for ever." He addreffeth his exhortation to believers in Chrift Jefus, "who loved him though un"feen," having tasted of his grace; whom he distinguisheth by the honourable appellations of "a chofen generation, a royal

priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar peo"ple." These are the objects of God's paternal care; and they only are qualified to eaft their care upon him.

I speak not thus to drive any, even the worst of you, away from Ged, or to dif courage your application to him when

trouble overtakes you. A time of distress is a very proper season for seeking acquaintance with God. His rod hath a voice as well as his word, and both speak the fame language, "Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye "die ?" All I a firm is, that you cannot caft your care upon God till your acquaintance with him be begun; and by telling you, that the faints are poffeffed of privileges which at prefent do not belong to you, my fole aim is to provoke you to jealousy," as Paul expreffeth it, and to make you ambitious to cast in your lot with “these ex"cellent ones in the earth," that ye alfo may partake of their joy. "This is the "command of God," and the first in order under the gofpel-difpenfation, " that we

"believe on the name of his Son Jefus "Chrift;" and it is only in confequence of our obedience to this command, that we obtain an intereft in the bleffings he hath purchased. Chrift is that unfpeakable comprehensive gift, in which all other gifts are virtually included. It is our thankful acceptance of the Mediator of the covenant, that both manifefts our claim to the pro

nifes of the covenant, and qualifies us to perform the duties it requires.-From this account of the perfons who are invited to caft their care upon God, we shall, with greater ease and certainty, discover,

II. The nature and extent of the duty itself; which is the fecond thing I propofed to illuftrate.

It differs entirely in its nature from that careleffness and infenfibility which the bulk of mankind too generally indulge. Many indeed enjoy a fatal tranquillity, having no concern at all about their eternal interests. Their inquiries are abundantly anxious with regard to the things of a prefent life; faying, "What fhall we eat, and what shall "we drink, and wherewithal fhall we be *clothed?" But they were never brought in good earnest to ask the infinitely more in"What fhall we do to terefting queftion, be faved?" Or if at thought, tending to this

any time a ferious inquiry, force it

felf upon their minds, they immediately encounter it with a prefumptuous hope of the divine mercy, and endeavour to per

fuade themselves, by fome fallacious reafonings, that it may be well with them at laft, though they go on in their trefpaffes. Now the faith of fuch perfons is not only dead in itself, but likewife poisonous and killing to their fouls. They are perishing, and will not believe it, till the unquenchable fire awaken them from their fecurity, and put it out of their power to deceive themfelves any longer. We must not caft our work upon God, and prefume that he will fave us in the way of floth and carnal indulgence: on the contrary, we are commanded" to work out our own falvation "with fear and trembling." It is only "in well-doing" that we can regularly "commit the keeping of our fouls to God," as the Apostle hath taught us in the close of the preceding chapter. We are exhorted to caft our care upon him, not that we may enjoy the bafe reft of the fluggard, "who defireth and hath nothing, becaufe "his hands refuse to labour;" but that, having got our hearts enlarged, and freed from a load that preffed them down, we may quicken our pace, and run with

greater