76o The Eternityof God. Vol. I. amus : That we may live full as if he were looking upon us, and do all things full as if he beheld us. How much greater incitement will it be to us, to think that God looks upon us, and fees us, and really Elands by us, than faintly to imagine the Prefence of Ltelius or Cato ? This íhould have an Influence upon all the Duties we perform, and the manner of performing them, that we do it to him who Rands by us, and is familiarly ac- quainted with us, and is more intimate to us than we are to our felves. This Cic. in 1. a. de leg. looks upon as a great Principle of Religion, ft igitur hoc per- fuafurn civibus, ú qualis quifque fit, quid agar, quid in fe admittát, qui mente, quá pietate religiones colat, dens intueri, piorum impiorumque rationem habere : Let Men be throughly perfuaded of this, that the Gods obferve, both the difpeftion and the allions of every particular Man, what he contents to, what he allows himfelf in, particularly with what meaning, with what degree of inwardDevotion heperforms his religious worfhip ; and that theydiflinguifb between thepious andthe impious. t. To encourage our Faith and Confidence in him. When we are in Straits, and Difficulties, and Dangers, God is with us ; when Trouble is near to us, God is not far from us ; wherever we are, how remote foever from Friends and Com- panions, we cannot be banifh'd from God's Prefence ; if we dwell beyond the ut- inofl parts of the Sea, therehis hand leads us, andhis right handholds us. Pfai. i 6. 8. I havelet the Lord always before me ; becaufe he is at my right hand, I (hall not be moved. The Confideration of God's Prefence is the great flay and fupport of our Faith, Pfal. 46. r, z. God is our refuge and flrength, a very prefent help in trou- ble ; therefore will not we fear though the earth be removed, andthough the mountains becarried into the midfl of the Sea. In the greateft Commotions, and the moll eminent and threatning Dangers, this fhould charm and allay our Fears, that God is a prefent help. This was the fupport of Mofes his Faith in hisSufirerings, as the Apofile tells us, Heb. t t. ay. He endured, as teeing him who is inviftble. To conclude all, whenever we are under any Prefláre or Trouble, we fhould rebuke our own Fears, and challenge our anxious Thoughts, with David, Pfal. t. Why art thou call down, Ö myfoul? and why art thoufo difquieted within me? trufl flill in God; believe that God is with thee, and that Omnipotent Good- nefs (lands by thee, who can and will fupport thee, and relieve thee, and deliver thee when it feems bell to his Wifdom. SERMON t.tIL The Eternity, of God. PSA [,M. XC. 2. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadfl formed the earth and the world, even from everlajling to everlalling thou art God. TH E Ímmenfrty, and Eternity of God, are thofe Attributes which relate to his Nature, or manner of Being. Having fpoken of the former, I proceed to confider the latter, from thefe words. The Titleof this Pfalm is thePrayer of Mofes, the Manof God. He begins his Prayer with the acknowledgment of God's Providence to his People from the beginningof the World ; Lord, thou half been our dwellingplace from all generati- ons ; in generation andgeneration ; fo the Hebrew ; he was well acquainted with the Hiftory of the World, and the Providence of God from the beginning of ir, and
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