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SERMON I.

The fecurity of those who truft in God.

PROV. Xviii. 10.

The NAME of the LORD is a firong tower: the righ tecus runneth into it, and is fafe.

HIS book of Proverbs confifts almoft entire

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ly of obfervations upon human life. The characters and pursuits of men are described in it with a ftrength and propriety, which was never exceeded by those who devoted their whole attention to the study of what is called the knowledge of the world and of mankind. But in one But in one particular it differs from, and excels all human learning, that it never feparates the knowledge of the world from the knowledge of him who made and who governs it. There we are taught to improve the leffons we receive in the courfe of providence, for leading us to obedience and fubmiffion to him, 'who doth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can ftay his hand, or fay unto him, what doft thou?' There, while a view is

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given us of the innumerable paths which men have ftruck out for themselves in travelling through life, our eyes are continually directed to the paths of righteousness, the fure and only way to rest and peace.

Experience alone, and unaffifted, will make us wifer in one fenfe, will fhow us many of the unavoidable calamities of life; but the greatest exertion of human reafon could never yet lead to an effectual cure. I believe it will be found, that perfons of the greatest vigour and refolution of mind, when they trufted to their own internal ftrength, and fought a refource in themselves for the evils with which they were affaulted, have often run headlong into the most furious and defperate courfes, as fome of the ftrongeft animals, when taken in a fnare, do, by their violent struggles, intangle themselves the more, drawing the cords which bind them ftill more strait, and increase their confinement by their endeavours to escape.

The wife man, in our text, points out what is the refuge and fecurity of every child of God. The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is fafe. And he certainly intends to fet this in oppofition to every thing elfe in which worldly men might place their dependence; for he adds, as an example, in the verfe following the text, The rich man's wealth is his ftrong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit.' The truth conveyed to us in this paffage has an intimate connexion with practical and experimental religion; and on a firm belief and habitual application of it, in a great meafure, depends the comfort and peace of the fervants

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