the most express declarations, that all things fhall issue to their advantage, however discouraging an aspect they may wear for a season, Rom. viii. 28, • And we know, that all things work together for good, to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpofe.' From this it plainly follows, that the very way to run into the the name of God, is, by habitual diligence in doing his will. The more we can, by walking in his fear, keep clear our title to his special favour, the more unfhaken trust and confidence we may place in his power and mercy, in every trial; for he hath not forfaken them that love him. So certain is this, that I believe every experienced Chriftian will bear testimony, that when he is unhinged by distress, when he is filled with anxiety, and fear of any kind, it arises as much, or more, from fufpicion of himfelf, and doubt of his relation to God, as from any disbelief of the general truth, that God will support and strengthen his own people. Therefore the righteous may be faid to run into the name of God, when they exercise themselves in keeping confciences void of offence, and walk fo as they may humbly hope for his acceptance and approbation.

2. As a good man runs into his strong tower, by diligence in every part of his duty in general; fo particularly by a watchful attention to his conduct, in every time of trial or danger. He will be on his guard, left by any part of his behaviour he provoke God to depart from him. He will then, in a peculiar manner, fet the Lord before him, that he may, with the greater confidence, commit his caufe and his in

terest to his care. The suffering difciples of Christ are often warned of the neceffity of this. I. Pet. iv. 19. Therefore, let them that fuffer, according to ⚫ the will of God, commit the keeping of their fouls to him in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator." Whether therefore the danger arifes from bodily diftrefs, from worldly loffes, from flander and reproach, or from whatever other quarter, the firft and great care of the Chriftian fhould be, to keep his confcience undefiled; and the neceffity of this is the greater, that fuffering times are always times of trial. It is no eafy matter to refift the temptations which arise from a fuffering ftate, ordained exprefsly for the trial of our faith, which we are told, is 'more • precious than that of gold which perisheth.' We may be tempted to impatience under calamity, to refentment of injuries, to taking wrong and finful methods of redrefs. In oppofition to all these, the fervant of God will be particularly careful to avoid those fins which his fituation invites him to, and to discharge those duties which the afpect of providence feems to afk of him; he will confider this as the great and only object of his attention, and freely commit the conduct of events, and the iffue of things, to an all-gracious, and almighty God. Pfal. xxxvii. 5, 6. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he fhall bring it to pass. And he fhall bring forth thy righteoufnefs as the light, and thy judgment as the noon day.'

3. A good man will diligently use every lawful mean for his protection and deliverance. This may be confidered as included under the former

particular, being a part of his duty. Trust in God, is by no means a prefumptuous and flothful fecurity, but a patient dependence on the bleffing of providence in an application to our duty. To do otherwise, is just what is called in scripture, tempting God. For the wifeft purposes, God hath fixed and fettled the relation between the means and the end; and we are not to expect, either in natural or fpiritual things, to obtain the end, while we defpife the means. Gal. vi. 7. 'Be not deceived, God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man foweth, that fhall he alfo reap.' But,

4. In the last place, The good man will renounce all dependence on created help, as fuch, and place his ultimate hope only on the power and fovereignty of divine providence. He will not neglect the use of outward means, in obedience to the command of God, but will look for the expected benefit from them, only by the bleffing of God. The running into a strong tower, implies a renunciation of our dependence on any thing elfe, we give up all other methods of defence, and truft in it alone for fecurity. So it is here. There may be not only a dependence on means unlawful in themfelves, but a finful, because an exceffive dependence upon fuch as are most lawful. We fee this remark made on Afa. 2. Chron. xvi. 12. • And Afa, in the thirty and ninth year of his reign, was diseased in his feet, until his difeafe was exceeding great: Yet in his disease he fought not to the Lord, but to the phyficians.' Many are the evidences we have, from daily experience, of the weaknefs and uncerC

tainty of all outward means, that we may not be tempted to idolize them, or to truft in them; and we find, in many paffages of fcripture, an exprefs oppofition stated between truft in God, and trust in human or created help. Pfal. cxviii. 8, 9. It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in

man. It is better to truft in the Lord, than to put ⚫ confidence in princes.' Pfal. cxlvi. 3. Put not your truft in princes, nor in the fon of man, in whom there is no help.'

III. We proceed now to the third thing proposed; which was, to confider the perfect fecurity of the righteous, who runneth into the name of the Lord as a ftrong tower-the righteous runneth unto it, and is fafe. And here, my brethren, I cannot help obferving, that though this is a truth of the moft manifest importance, and, at the fame time, the most undoubted certainty, it is what but few attain to the unfhaken perfuafion and daily application of, in their paffage through this valley of tears. In order to illuftrate it, I shall shortly confider, 1ft, Wherein this fafety of the righteous confifts. 2dly, The abfolute certainty of their being thus preferved fafe.

We are told, the rightecus runneth into this tower, and is fafe. In a perfect confiftence with the ufe of the metaphor, the word might perhaps be better tranflated, is exalted, or placed on high. Now, their fafety, I think, confifts in the following particulars. 1. God, many times, by the course of his providence, preferves them from dangers which they could not otherwise escape. Every good man, who has attend

ed, if I may so speak, to his own hiftory, muft have obferved, that he hath been delivered from danger by fuch means as were no way the effect of his own prudence or forefight, nor indeed could be, and which therefore he is constrained to afcribe to the goodness and wifdom of Providence. Nay, fometimes things fall out fo contrary to human expectation, and the ordinary courfe or things, that he is constrained, with wonder, to confess the very finger of God. He fometimes blafts the counfel of the wicked, and makes their devices of none effect. The Egyptians thought the Ifraelites were fo inclofed in the Wilderness, with the Red Sea before them, and their army at their back, that it was impoffible for them to escape: but God, by a mighty hand, and an outstretched arm, opened a way for them through the midst of the waters, and their enemies were drowned in the depths of the fea. Haman, no doubt, thought his vengeance fure against all the Jews; but, when it was just ready to burft, God turned his devices against himself, and caufed him to perish by the very means which he had contrived for the deftruction of the innocent.

I need not attempt, because indeed it is impoffible, to enumerate the various ways by which the great Difpofer of all things works deliverance in danger. He fometimes changes the hearts of ene-. mies, as he did of Efau towards Jacob-and of the Apostle Paul, when breathing out threatenings against the church. He fometimes carves out other work for perfecutors, as Saul was once and again called off from the purfuit of David by the Phili