When the holiest men have addressed themselves to him, see with what humility and deep adoration they have spoken of him, and to him! "Wo is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." Isa. vi. 5.-Nay, what sense the very angels of heaven have of that glorious majesty, you may see in ver. 2, 3; "Each one had six wings, with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory."

2. We may see here also the baseness, vileness, and utter unworthiness of man, yea, of the holiest and best of men, before God. Psal. xxxix. 5, "Verily, every man at his best state is altogether vanity.”

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Every man," take where you will; and every man "at his best state," or standing in bis freshest glory, is not only vanity, but "altogether vanity." For only consider the best of men in their extraction, in their constitution, and in their outward

condition. In their extraction, they are, "by nature children of wrath, even as others." The blood that runs in our veins, is as much tainted as theirs in hell. Consider them in their constitution and natural temper, and though grace has deposed sin from the throne in them, yet O what offensive and God-provoking corruptions daily break out in the best hearts! Consider them in their outward condition, and they are inferior, for the most part to others.

And now let us consider and admire, that ever this great and blessed God, should be so much concerned as you have heard he is in all his providences, about such vile, despicable worms as we are! He needs us not, but is perfectly blessed and happy in himself without us. "Can a man be profitable to God?" No; the holiest of men can add nothing to him; yet see how great account he makes of us. Does not his eternal love bespeak the dear account he made of us? Eph. i. 4. 5. How ancient, how free, and how astonishing is this act of grace! This is that design which all providences are in pursuit of, and will not rest till they have

executed.-Does not the gift of his only Son out of his bosom bespeak this truth, that God makes great account of this vile thing, man? Never was man so magnified before. If David could say, "When I consider the heavens, the work of thy hands, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained, Lord, what is man?" how much more may we say, When we consider thy Son, that lay in thy bosom, his infinite excellency, and unspeakable dearness to thee, Lord, what is man, that such a Christ should be delivered to death for him? for him, and not for fallen angels? for him, when in a state of enmity with God?-Does not the assiduity of his providential care for us, speak his esteem of us? "Lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day." Isa. xxvii. 3. "He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous," Job xxxvi. 7, no, not a moment all their days; for were he to do so, a thousand mischiefs in that moment would rush in upon them, and ruin them. Does not the tenderness of his Providence speak his esteem of us? "As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you," Isa. lxvi. 13. He comforts us by

refreshing providences, as an indulgent mother comforts her tender child.

WE come now to prove it to be the duty of the people of God, to reflect upon the performances of Providence for them at all times, but especially in times of straits and troubles.

This I will prove to be your unquestionable duty, by the following particu

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1. This is our duty, because God has expressly commanded it.

He has called his people to make the most serious reflections upon his works, whether of mercy or judgment. When that most dreadful of all judgments was executed upon his professing people for their apostasy from God, and God had removed the symbols of his presence from among them, the rest are "bid to go," by their

meditations, to send at least their thoughts, "to Shiloh," and "see what God did to it," Jer. vii. 12. God calls on us to consider and review our mercies also; "Remember, O my people, from Shittim unto Gilgal, that ye may know the faithfulness of the Lord." And as for God's works of Providence about the creatures, we are called to consider them, that we may prop up our faith by that consideration for our own supplies, Matt. vi. 28.

2. It is plain, that this is our duty, because the neglect of it is every where in scripture condemned as a sin. To be of a heedless unobservant temper is very displeasing to God; nay, it is a sin which God threatens and denounces wo against in his word, Psal. xxviii. 4, 5; Isa. v. 12, 13. Yea, God not only threatens, but smites men with visible judgments for this sin, Job xxxiv. 26, 27.

3. Without due observation of the work of Providence, no praise can be rendered to God for any of them. Praise and thanksgiving for mercies depend upon this observation of them, and cannot be performed without it. Psal. cvii. is spent in narratives of God's providen