together with the power committed to him as King of Zion, all concur to secure this important benefit.

But I have further to add, that we have the evidence of facts, as well as of arguments, to establish our faith of the divine care and protection. The sacred records bear witness, that God hath been the dwelling-place of his people in all generations, and give us abundant reason to say, with David, “Our fathers trusted in thee; they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto thee, and were delivered; they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.” And God is always in one mind: 66 He is the rock, bis work is perfect, and all his ways are judgment; a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.”

What signal appearances hath he made in every age for the protection and safety of his peculiar people? Nothing can be conceived more formidable than Pharaoh's preparation against the Israelites; the whole strength of an extensive and potent empire employed against an undisciplined company of fugitives, who had long been dispirited by oppression and slavery: but though the bush was all in a flame, yet it was not consumed: when the enemy said, “ I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my last shall be satisfied on them, I will draw the sword, my hand shall destroy them:"—then the sea opened a passage for their escape, and overwhelmed their enemies; “i God did blow with his wind, the sea covered them, they sank as lead in the mighty waters.” How wonderful were the steps of Joseph's advancement to which his father and brethren owed their preservation in a time of famine? And no less wonderful was the defeat of Haman's wicked at. tempt to cut off the whole nation of the Jews as one min, lu either case the failing of one circumstance would

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have varied the event; and yet each circumstance in both, when viewed apart, seems purely accidental; nay, some of them appear at first sight rather adverse than favourable. And lest any should imagine that these, and other deliverances of the like nature, were really casual, and therefore no proofs of God's gracious protection, let it be observed, that in two of the instances I have men. tioned, the events were the direct and immediate answers of prayer. Thus the Red Sea was divided when Moses and the children of Israel “cried unto the Lord." And Haman's plot was detected and broken on that very day which Esther and Mordecai had set apart for fasting and prayer. To which I may add, that Asa ob. tained a complete victory over his enemies, after he had uttered that fervent supplication, “ Help us, O Lord our God.” And the apostle Peter was brought out of prison by the ministry of an angel, on that very night when prayer was offered up by the church in his behalf.

You see, then, upon the whole, that the truth of the Apostle's assertion in the text is supported and confirmed by every kind of evidence we could wish to obtain. Let us now consider,

II. The propriety and force of the argument for engaging us to cast our care upon God. This branch of the subject will need little illustration. For,

1st. If God careth for us, when we have one to care for us who is infinitely wise, who is perfectly acquainted with all our wants, and can never mistake in judging what is best for us. We may choose many things apparently good, the possession of which would prove hurtful to our souls; for, as Solomon observed long ago, (and daily experience confirms the observation) “ No man knoweth what is good for man in this life." There are many latent seeds of corruption in our hearts that

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we do not at present suspect, and perhaps shall never discover, unless a proper temptation bring them forth to our view. David, whose conscience was so tender in the wilderness, that it smote him for cutting off the skirt of Saul's garment, continued insensible for a long time under the most aggravated guilt, after he was fixed in the peaceable possession of a throne. Hezekiah, wbose de. votion was so humble and ardent in the time of his sick. ness, waxed proud and vain-glorious when restored to health; insomuch that “he brought wrath upon himself, and upon Judah, and upon Jerusalem.” Many who, in a low estate, were humane and kind, and did good with the little they possessed, have been so intoxicated with the full cup of prosperity, that, for a season at least, they have forgotten themselves, their neighbour, nay, their God, and become quite the reverse of what they formerly appeared to be. One thing is certain, that if left to our own choice we should never feel distress or affliction of any kind; and yet the Scriptures assure us, and our own observation may convince us of the truth of it, that adversity is more friendly to religion than prosperity. Oar diseased nature requires bitter me. dicines much oftener thau cordials; even the best need frequently to be dieted, and brought low, to keep their feverish passions and appetites within bounds. Now God is perfectly acquainted with all the tendencies of our nature, and can therefore judge with unerring skill what things are best for us, and most conducive to our interest. He knows what measure of health, or riches, or honours, we shall be able to bear, or be disposed to im. prove; when, and in what proportion, pain, or sickness, or poverty, or reproach, are necessary to expel some spiritual distemper, to exercise and strengthen some languishing grace, or to make room in the heart for his

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own divine presence. Again, let our enemies plot against us in the most secret manner; let them shut themselves up in the closest retirement; yet it is impossible for them to hide their consultations from God, “ who discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth to light the shadow of death." When Benhadad had failed in his repeated attempts to cut off the armies of Israel by surprise, his heart was sore troubled; and suspecting treach. ery in his own court, he called his servants together, and said unto them, “ Will ye not shew me which of us is for the King of Israel?” To which one of his servants replied, “ None, my Lord, O King; but Elisba the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bed-chamber.” Nay, he can preserve his people from the effects of their own folly, as well as from the craft and malice of their enemies. “ The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation:"_" He leadeth the blind in a way that they knew not;"_" He giveth understanding to the simple:"_" The meek will he guide in judgment, the meek will he teach bis way.” And if infinite Wisdom take the disposal of our lot, if he who cannot err vouchsafe to become both our guardian and our guide, with what unsuspecting trust may we commit ourselves into his hands, and cheerfully acquiesce in all the determi. nations of his Providence? Especially when we consider,

2dly. That his power is equal to his wisdom. “ Whatsoever the Lord pleaseth, that doth he in heaven, in the earth, and in the sea, and in all deep places." He caus. eth the wrath of man to praise him; and the remainder thereof he is able to restrain. All the power of the crea. tures is derived from him, and dependant upon him. The haughtiest tyrant upon earth is only the rod of his

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anger, which he employs for a season, and then breaketh in pieces, and throws it away. When Pilate said to our Lord, “ Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and power to release thee ?” he at once detected and reproved his ignorance and pride, by answering bim, “ Thou couldst have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above." And as the power of God is supreme, so is it likewise everlasting. “ 'The Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary." His arm is never shortened that it cannot save; neither age nor exercise can impair its vigour; what he did yesterday he can do to-day, and repeat it as often as his people have occasion for it. This was the foundation of that expostulatory address, (Isaiah li. 9.) “ Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art not thou it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon ?" To which God replied, “ I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thon then that thou shouldst be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass ? and forgettest the Lord thy Maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth ? and bast feared continually every day, because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy ? And where is the fury of the oppressor ? I am the Lord thy God, that divided the sea, whose waters roared: the Lord of Hosts is my name.” His power reacheth to the heart of man, to which no creature can have immediate access : even the hearts of kings are in his band, and he turneth them as the rivers of water. Thus he promised to Jeremiah, “ that he would cause the enemy to intreat him well in the day of evil.” Who but the Lord of man's heart could have said unto