the feeling of them inflicted; no returning nor relenting, not of his own people to their God. Sure, you must be yet more punished. You only have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities. "I let others escape with many things that I cannot pass in you; you fast and pray it may be, you howl and keep a noise, but you amend nothing; forsake not one sin, for all your sufferings, and for all your moanings and cries; you would be delivered, but do not part with one of your lusts, or wicked customs, even for a deliverance, and so the quarrel remains still. It is that that separates, is as a huge wall betwixt us, betwixt me and your prayers, and betwixt you and my helping hand, and though I do hear and could help, yet I will not, till this wall be down; you shall not see me, nor find by any gracious sign that I hear you." This hides his face that he will not hear.

This way God hath established in his ordinary methods with his people, though sometimes he uses his own privilege, yet usually he links sin and calamity together, and repentance and deliverance together.

Sin separates and hides his face, not only from a people that professes his name, but even from a soul that really bears his name stamped upon it. Though it cannot fully and for ever cut off such a soul, yet in part, and for a time it may, yea, to be sure, it will separate, and hide the face of God from them. Their daily inevitable frailties do not this, but either a course of careless walking, and many little unlawful liberties taken to themselves, that will rise and gather as a cloud, and hide the face of God; or some one gross sin, especially if often reiterated, will prove as a firm stone-wall, or rather as a brazen-wall, built up by their own hands betwixt them and heaven, and will not be so easily dissolved or broke down; and yet, till that be, the light of his countenance, who is the life of the soul, will be eclipsed and withheld from it.

And this considered, (besides that law of love that will forbid so foul ingratitude, yet, I say, this consi

dered, even our own interest,) will make us wary to sin; though we were sure not to be altogether separated from the love of God by it; yet, thou that hast any persuasion of that love, darest thou venture upon any known sin? Thou art not hazardless and free from all damage by it, if thou hast need of that argument to restrain thee; then, before thou run upon it, sit down and reckon the expense, see what it will cost thee if thou do commit it. Thou knowest that once it cost the heart blood of thy Redeemer to expiate it, and is it a light matter to thee? And though that paid all that score, nothing thou canst suffer being able to do any thing that way, yet as an unavoidable present fruit of it, it will draw on this damage, "thou shalt be sure for a time, it may be for a long time, possibly most of thy time, near all thy days it may darken much that love of God to thee," which if thou doest but esteem of, think on it, it changes not in him, but a sad change will sin bring on thee, as to thy sight and apprehension of it; many a sweet hour of blest communion with thy God shalt thou miss, and either be dead and stupid in that want, and mourn after him, and yet find thyself, and sighs, and tears hold out, the door shut, yea, a dead wall raised betwixt thee and him, and at best much straitening and pains to take it down again; contrary to other walls and buildings that are far more easily pulled down than built up; but this a great deal easier built up than pulled down. True, thy God could cast it down with a word, and it is his free grace that must do it, otherwise thou couldest never remove it; yet will he have thee feel thy own handy-work, and know thy folly. Thou must be at pains to dig at it, and may be cost thee broken bones in taking it down, pieces of it falling heavy and sad upon thy conscience, and crushing thee, as David cried out at that work, Psalm li. 8, for a healing word from God, Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. It will force thee to say, "O fool that I was; what meant I? Oh! it is good keeping near God, and raising no divisions. What are sins?

False delights, but make ado, and have ado, a man to provide his own vexation." Now this distance from God and all this turmoiling, and breaking, and crying ere he appear again, consider, if any pleasure of sin can countervail this damage; sure, when thou art not out of thy wits, thou wilt never make such a bargain for all the pleasure thou must make out of any sin, to breed thyself all this pains, and all this grief; at once,' to displease thy God, and displease thyself, and make a partition between him and thee. Oh! sweet and safe ways of holiness, walking with God in his company and favour; he that orders his conversation aright, he sees the loving-kindness of the Lord; it is shewn to him; he lives in the sight of it.

But if any such separation is made, yet, is it thy great desire to have it removed? Why, then, there is hope. See to it, labour to break down, and pray to him to help thee, and he will put to his hand, and then it must fall; and in all thy sense of separation, look to him that brake down the middle wall. Eph. ii. 14. There it is spoken of, as betwixt men, Jews and Gentiles, but so as it was also between the Gentiles and God, separated from his people, and from himself; ver. 16, To reconcile both to God in one body; and ver. 18, Through him we have access by one spirit to the Father; and then he adds, that they were no more strangers and foreigners, dwelling on the other side of the wall, Tagoixos, as the word is, but fellow-citizens, &c.

Oh! that we knew more what it were to live in this sweet society, in undivided fellowship with God. Alas! how little is understood this living in him, separated from sin and this world, which otherwise do separate from him; solacing our hearts in his love, and despising the base, muddy delights that the world. admires; hoping for that new Jerusalem, where none of these walls of sin, nor any one stone of them are, and for that bright day wherein there is no cloud nor mist to hide our sun from us!

Now for the condition of the church, know sin to be the great obstructer of its peace, making him to

withdraw his hand, and hide his face, and to turn away his ear from our prayers, and loath our fasts. Isa. i. 15, Jer. xiv. 12. The quarrel stands; sin not repented and removed, the wall is still standing; oaths, and sabbath-breaking, and pride, and oppression, and heart-burnings still remaining. Oh! what a noise of religion and reformation; all sides are for the name of it, and how little of the thing! The gospel itself is despised, grown stale, as trivial doctrine. Oh! my beloved, if I could speak many hours without intermission, all my cry would be "Repent and pray. Let us search and try our ways, and turn unto the Lord our God." Oh! what walls of every one's sin are set to it! Dig diligently to bring down thine own; and for these huge walls of public, national guiltinesses, if thou canst do nothing to them more, compass them about as Jericho, and look up to heaven for their downfal. Cry, "Lord, these we ourselves have reared, but without thee who can bring them down? Lord, throw them down for us; a touch of thy hand, a word of thy mouth, will make them fall." Were we less busied in impertinencies, and more in this most needful work, it might do some good; who knows but the Lord might make his own way clear, and return and visit us, and make his face to shine that we might be saved?

AN EXPOSITION

OF

THE CREED.

1 TIM. iii. 9:

Holding the mystery of faith in a pure conscience.

THAT which was the apostle's practice, as he expresses it, 1 Cor. ix. 22, is the standing duty of all the ministers of the same gospel: "To the weak to become as weak, to gain the weak; and all things to all men, that if by any means they may save some." And truly one main part of observance of that rule, is in descending to the instruction of the most ignorant in the principles of the Christian religion. That I aim at, at this time, is a very brief and plain exposition of the articles of our faith, as we have them in that summary confession. Not staying you at all on the antiquity and authority of it, both which are confessed; whether it was penned by the apostles, or by others in their time, or soon after it, it doth very clearly and briefly contain the main of their divine. doctrine.

But though it be altogether consonant with the Scriptures, yet not being a part of the canon of them, I choose these words as pertinent to our intended explication of it: they are indeed here as they stand in the context, a rule for deacons; but without question taken in general, they express the great. duty of all that are Christians, to keep the mystery of faith, &c.

You see clearly in them a rich jewel, and a preci